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Thread: NLP back where I was before Covid

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    Default NLP back where I was before Covid

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    3 sessions in and my numbers for DL and Squat are the same as when I stopped training. I had started NLP before the lockdown as an approach after a cut. That leaves me in a slight dilemma. I can’t just carry on making 20Lb leaps on every lift. Last DL was 305Lb for 5 and Squat 180Lb for 3 sets of 5. I’ve lifted heavier during my cut, but for triples/doubles/singles. I’ve put on a bit of body weight since the cut, so that should give me some capacity to go beyond the cut numbers.

    I’m tempted just to carry on adding 5lbs on NLP until something gives, then do the more advanced NLP variants until intermediate kicks in. Thinking about it, that’s the most obvious option -any thoughts ?

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    Couple thoughts. One, it's not really NLP, since you've already done it once. It's just an LP. But anyway, my take is LP until you can't add weight every workout, and then switch to whatever intermediate programming you were doing before. Don't mess around with advanced novice stuff as that's not really the point right now, the point is to get back to where you were and move on.

    My own experience was slightly different, because I started back training before Rip gave his advice on the subject in the podcast. I followed the advice from one of Andy Baker's articles which was to work up to conservatively heavy singles and then restart the 4-day TM based on percentages of those singles. After a slow start I have been taking 10lb jumps on squats and DLs and 5lb jumps on the pressing movements up until this week. I may get one more 10lb jump on the lower body movements. Right now they are about 20lbs below my previous heaviest sets. For pressing I am already back in PR territory for both weight and reps. On the bench, interestingly enough, I'm 10lbs under my previous PR weight, but I was able to do 5s on my intensity day until this week, which is about 20lbs past where I switched to triples the first time around running the TM prior to the break.

    Anyway, good luck. If you push yourself, you might find yourself ahead of where you were before, especially if you're eating again.

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    I’m mindful that at some point that 3 x per week DL is something I’m not going to recover from. 140Kg DLs are 32.5Kg short of my 1RM, but as I’m doing 5s with 140 it’s going to run out pretty quickly from a recovery standpoint. I doubt that I’m going to get more than another week before my lower back starts to complain. I was in the process of transitioning to one of Andy’s programs and going through a modified LP before the Gyms shut down-which substituted chins. So I’d thought to transition on to that regime in a weeks time ?

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    It sounds like you are rushing things too much. Regardless of whether or not it's your initial NLP or a repeat LP, the prescription isn't add 5lbls to all upper lifts/10lbs to lower and DL 3x/week and then go to a 4 day split. You could do this if you last left off with a 4-day split as in that case you would be ramping yourself up to that. But since you didn't ever do that yet, you should follow the program more precisely. Upperbody lifts need to switch to 2.5lb jumps, squat needs to have an added light day, and DL needs to switch to every other session with 5lb jumps and then eventually it can be modified again possibly to 1x/week with the other day being a light pulling variant.
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    Sorry, I had gotten the impression (from other posts, maybe) that OP had been doing some sort of intermediate programming prior to his "cut" and was LPing back to that prior to the lockdown. Anyway I wasn't arguing for 10/5 lb jumps indefinitely, just pointing out that it lasted longer for me than I had expected.

    In any case deadlifting 3x a week seems counterproductive for someone who's not completely detrained.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hayden-William Courtland View Post
    It sounds like you are rushing things too much. Regardless of whether or not it's your initial NLP or a repeat LP, the prescription isn't add 5lbls to all upper lifts/10lbs to lower and DL 3x/week and then go to a 4 day split. You could do this if you last left off with a 4-day split as in that case you would be ramping yourself up to that. But since you didn't ever do that yet, you should follow the program more precisely. Upperbody lifts need to switch to 2.5lb jumps, squat needs to have an added light day, and DL needs to switch to every other session with 5lb jumps and then eventually it can be modified again possibly to 1x/week with the other day being a light pulling variant.
    Thanks for the reply Hayden. I don’t think I suggested I was going to go on a 4 day split ?

    What I’m thinking is to do another few sessions with some minimal increases in weight, then drop the DLs to weekly-substitute some easier pulls-initially, then put in a lighter squat day and let that play out. I don’t think I’m rushing things, though I’m a little sore going into each session, but I’ve only done 3 sessions, with the 4th on Saturday. I shall likely put 10lbs on the DL, 5lbs on the squat and 10lbs on the bench which is conservative in my view (I’ve been far more careful on press and bench because I know from experience that they run out pretty fast). I might not get more than another session before I ditch the 3xDL, I’m just going to see where it goes and titrate as necessary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt James View Post
    Sorry, I had gotten the impression (from other posts, maybe) that OP had been doing some sort of intermediate programming prior to his "cut" and was LPing back to that prior to the lockdown. Anyway I wasn't arguing for 10/5 lb jumps indefinitely, just pointing out that it lasted longer for me than I had expected.

    In any case deadlifting 3x a week seems counterproductive for someone who's not completely detrained.
    You were correct. I have been doing an intermediate/advanced program for a couple of years. This lockdown came at a strange time, just after I had been on a weight cut program which required the re-run of a modified LP which I’d just stated. So I was effectively partially de-trained for 3 months during the cut , then went straight into 4 months of lockdown. So I haven’t been training effectively for 7 months. Rips video suggested that this would make me a candidate for a faster ramping NLP which is why I’m doing it. What stares me in the face is that NLP phase 2 should begin “when they DL significantly passes the squat” which, clearly it has from the beginning of my return to training. (Squat 70Kg, DL 120Kg).

    The thing I’ve noticed is my tolerance for being ‘beaten up’ has increased. 3 years ago, if I was feeling sore and tired I would likely have over reacted and reduced the load/volume, but now I might well be rushing as Hayden suggested. I keep thinking that as long as I’m not hurt and as long as I can still do the lifts with good form, then that’s progress. Then I remember Rips warning of doing stupid things just because you can isn’t good progress-that less is more- but I don’t want to let myself begin accepting easy days.

    I suppose it’s all good learning in the end. This kind of thing might happen again, so figuring out how best to re-establish steady progressive training as quickly as possible is always going to be somewhat difficult.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nockian View Post
    Thanks for the reply Hayden. I don’t think I suggested I was going to go on a 4 day split ?.
    Sorry, I misread that. Your plan sounds fine, but if soreness is an issue, no need to rush things. You can just take smaller jumps in the lifts.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hayden-William Courtland View Post
    Sorry, I misread that. Your plan sounds fine, but if soreness is an issue, no need to rush things. You can just take smaller jumps in the lifts.
    I’ve decided on balance, due to soreness, to go for a lighter squat Saturday, ditch the DL substituting chins and push the bench up 20lbs as my last bench was done paused and I could have easily done more load/volume. Then, like you said, I can move the DL to every other day with smaller jumps until that runs out, then once a week with increments until that runs out. Then I should have my squat back up and can add a medium day and increment once a week. That looks far more cohesive.

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