Light squat day versus missed reps day

[Maybach]

My question is, when approaching a potential sticking point in the squat during the NLP, is it more beneficial to preemptively introduce a light squat day, or to wait until a workout actually needs to be broken out into, for example, 5, 5, 4, 1? For example, if I can tell I will be approaching a limit on Wednesday, should I plan to do that as a light day, or should I go for it as a heavy day and just repeat the weight on Friday when/if I miss reps? Either way, it works out to a 10lb weekly increase on the weight, but one option has a mid week "broken set" workout, while the other one has a mid week light squat workout. Putting aside the benefits of potentially completing all heavy workouts and ending the week 5 pounds higher, is there any reason to go for the heavy weight, as opposed to prophylactically taking the light day? Is there any compelling reason NOT to?

[gv3055]

Hi,

I have seen the video where Nick D. recommends to exactly what you are asking, to add a light squat day on Wednesday when the squat starts getting very hard.

Probably this a controversial topic but what does it mean 'approaching a limit on Wednesday'? Does it mean that you work out Wednesday but still feel weak (= not recovered) from Monday?
In NLP actually every workout is approaching a limit, isn't it? A limit which you won't really know until you get there and have tried your best on that last rep of the 3rd set and given all you have.

Have you started failing reps?

[Satch12879]

Yes, introduce the light day; don't wait to miss reps.

[Justin Smale]

My question is, when approaching a potential sticking point in the squat during the NLP, is it more beneficial to preemptively introduce a light squat day, or to wait until a workout actually needs to be broken out into, for example, 5, 5, 4, 1? For example, if I can tell I will be approaching a limit on Wednesday, should I plan to do that as a light day, or should I go for it as a heavy day and just repeat the weight on Friday when/if I miss reps? Either way, it works out to a 10lb weekly increase on the weight, but one option has a mid week "broken set" workout, while the other one has a mid week light squat workout. Putting aside the benefits of potentially completing all heavy workouts and ending the week 5 pounds higher, is there any reason to go for the heavy weight, as opposed to prophylactically taking the light day? Is there any compelling reason NOT to?

Have you trained enough to know what your limits are? I've gone through at least 4 runs at LP and I can't confidently say I have that knowledge until it actually hits. What are your numbers and demographics?

[Maybach]

Probably this a controversial topic but what does it mean 'approaching a limit on Wednesday'? Does it mean that you work out Wednesday but still feel weak (= not recovered) from Monday?
In NLP actually every workout is approaching a limit, isn't it? A limit which you won't really know until you get there and have tried your best on that last rep of the 3rd set and given all you have.

Well, the sets have been getting harder at a steady clip. First the last rep was a grind, then the last two, then the last three. And definitely not just "this feels like shit", but bar speed slowing down significantly. It's more subtle than "feeling weak" or fatigued, the last few reps just don't want to move. Obviously it's due to fatigue accumulation in some form (or else the light squat day wouldn't really help, right?) but at any rate I can *tell* based on the workouts that it's beginning to outpace the strength increase. It's certainly possible that the next workout would have moved just fine, which is sort of why I asked the question: is it too much "predicting the future" to plan for a light day if all my data up to this point says "you ain't making it through a heavy Wednesday?" As it turns out, the point is moot: missed the last rep today (authentically folded in half), so light day is the call in any case.

[Jason Donaldson]

Well, the sets have been getting harder at a steady clip. First the last rep was a grind, then the last two, then the last three. And definitely not just "this feels like shit", but bar speed slowing down significantly. It's more subtle than "feeling weak" or fatigued, the last few reps just don't want to move.

Feeling weak, feeling fatigued, and reps not wanting to move are three different subjective experiences, but none of the three maps one-to-one with a particular objective state of affairs.

Obviously it's due to fatigue accumulation in some form (or else the light squat day wouldn't really help, right?)

How could you tell the difference between the two?

A: You were overreached, took a needed light day, then came back and hit the next increase.
B: You were not overreached, took and unneeded light day, and came back and hit the next increase.

but at any rate I can *tell* based on the workouts that it's beginning to outpace the strength increase. It's certainly possible that the next workout would have moved just fine, which is sort of why I asked the question: is it too much "predicting the future" to plan for a light day if all my data up to this point says "you ain't making it through a heavy Wednesday?"

What I see you saying is that the feel of the reps and your perception of bar speed are data. You see the risk here? "feel"..."perception"

As it turns out, the point is moot: missed the last rep today (authentically folded in half), so light day is the call in any case.

You tried the rep and failed. That's objective. Now you have some data. Assuming you genuinely tried like hell to get that rep. A huge part of the NLP is learning to ignore the feel of difficulty.

Be careful you're not talking yourself into a roaring case of nocebo.

[gv3055]

Obviously it's due to fatigue accumulation in some form

Well, I don't know if I can agree that it is obvious. How are you sleeping? How are you eating? What are your other lifts doing?

Yesterday was Monday after 2 full days off so you should have been fresh (assuming you are on MWF cycle since you did not mention otherwise). And since you failed a rep and got folded (hopefully you were using safety bars) maybe it is not completely due to the weekly fatigue - which of course starts building up after Monday's workout.

How old are you? How heavy are your lifts? Maybe you need to reduce the frequency of your heavy days altogether.
I personally perform better on 2 days between workouts since my older bones and tendons need a little more time to recover than a 25 year old.

But you haven't provided any demographic info so it is hard for anyone to diagnose the missed rep.

[Jovan Dragisic]

Yes, introduce the light day; don't wait to miss reps.

Maybach, do what Satch says, you have no need to think about things further if he weighed in.

[Adriano Alves]

My question is, when approaching a potential sticking point in the squat during the NLP, is it more beneficial to preemptively introduce a light squat day, or to wait until a workout actually needs to be broken out into, for example, 5, 5, 4, 1? For example, if I can tell I will be approaching a limit on Wednesday, should I plan to do that as a light day, or should I go for it as a heavy day and just repeat the weight on Friday when/if I miss reps? Either way, it works out to a 10lb weekly increase on the weight, but one option has a mid week "broken set" workout, while the other one has a mid week light squat workout. Putting aside the benefits of potentially completing all heavy workouts and ending the week 5 pounds higher, is there any reason to go for the heavy weight, as opposed to prophylactically taking the light day? Is there any compelling reason NOT to?

Hey man, right now i'm dealing with the same doubts. Squat and DL every workout, and my last squat was 3x5 reps of 176kg and still "grindable", since its not heavy enough for me missing reps and i could handle perhaps a few more weeks increasing 2kg (because and dont have yet 1,250kg pair of plates, but soon i will) every workout.

So, what did you do? You keep grinding until there's no more opitions and introduce de light day or you just introduce without grinding?