Reply With QuoteIt depends. Two questions:
1) Have you tried either?
2) How did you move from NLP to HLM? Did you tweak your way into it or did you hop into it all at once?
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how to evolve my HLM
40 y/o M been training 7 years, perpetual intermediate.
currently on week 8 of basic HLM as written in PPST p.163
thinking ahead that H day will start to get too demanding. once the loads get more challenging, squatting and benching 5x5 followed by a top set of 5 on DL sounds too difficult to accomplish and recover from.
whats better: (showing squat for simplicity, bench would follow same template.)
1 - H day, squat x5, -10%x5x4 --- this method keeps the total volume the same but reduces the load and overall fatigue with the drop sets, while still allowing load progression with a top set.
2 - H day, squat 3x5 --- this method drops total volume from 5 sets to 3 sets, but i keep progressing the load for sets across, and it lowers fatigue so i can still bench and DL after.
thanks for your thoughts, God Bless America
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It depends. Two questions:
1) Have you tried either?
2) How did you move from NLP to HLM? Did you tweak your way into it or did you hop into it all at once?
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The easiest thing would seem to just be moving the heavy pulling to your medium (or even light) squat day.
The book isn't explicit about this but I'm pretty confident in my interpretation: you can view the HLM as an evolution of the Texas method, with intensity sets being viewed as medium day load for everything but pulling, which follows a "MLH" progression (which makes sense based on the way pulling interacts with volume).
Moving heavy pulling to the light squat day is a pretty common programming decision SS coaches seem to make during late novice programming, which should roll over intermediate.
That SAID, 5x5 squats is a bit of a bear at heavy weights. You are effectively executing a more difficult TM volume day (because of the heavy pulling). I would just shave sets off as in option 2. Remember when you have to choose between reducing volume or taking weight off, reduce volume.
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I had this problem, if it's getting to hard to do all the heavy lifts in one day spread out the stress. This would be a week 1 example
Monday
Squat H 5x5
Close grip bench medium by nature 3x5
chins 3x faliure
Weds
Deadlift 1x5
Squat L 3x5
Press 3x5
Friday
Bench H 5x5
Squat M 3x5
SLDL 3x5 medium by nature
You can do this different ways as you see. On your medium day 10% is prob needed for the squat as a offset. You can use 20% for the light day. This has worked well for me. At around 4 weeks I will switch to 5x3 for a month or I will do my own thing and run a 3x5 for 3 weeks then 8x3 for 3 weeks then 5x3 for 3 weeks. Do what the book says sets and reps wise during your first run to get a feel for it. Spreading out the heavy days helped me a good bit on the lower body lifts. Took my deadlift from 1x5 515 to 570 for 1x5 in 6 months
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1. a little but not enough to get a good idea of what was betterOriginally Posted by Jason Donaldson
2. hopped all at once to TM, then HLM
actually that is a good idea. if i wanted to keep 5x5 for squat and bench, i would just move the DL to light day. i might however try to just reduce to 3x5 and see if the numbers still go up. i like that idea of minimum efective dose.
damn thats a cock diesel pull
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I'm 250 at 70 inches at 27 years of age, so honestly it isn't all that and a bag of chips, but I'm happy even tho it took longer then needed due to errors I have made. Once I pull in mid 600s for 1x5 at around the same weight that will be strong. As stated above if you are truly ready for HLM and have fully exhausted HLH aka advanced novice programing try spreading out the loads. Also, once your deadlift hits a point you may benefit from doing another heavy pull bi weekly. For example week 1 deadlift lift, week 2 rack pulls or haltings or snatch grips. Honestly intermediate programing and up is really just staying grounded with the basics and trying to find what volume and intensity that fits your window of recovery for adaption. If you don't have it I really really recommend the practical programing textbook rippetoe and baker wrote. Do yourself a favor and at least read a bulk of it. Don't just buy it for the template programs.
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This is the down side to wholesale program changes. You haven't learned what works for you, or why those changes that have worked have been effective for you.
When what you're doing slows and stops, making incremental changes to it teaches you a lot. In time, you may end up on something very much like a regular type of intermediate program (in fact, you probably will), but you will have learned along the way, and probably eked out some more progress in the process.
When it starts to slow, and you think it's petering out, first check The First Three Questions and your form to be sure (which you're always paying attention to anyway, right?), and then pick one variable and change it. Then see what happens. At that point, you'll have data. You want to drop down from 5 sets across? Cool - try 4. Doesn't work? Then try 3. Slows to a stop? Try something else. You want to try backoffs on squat? Cool - try a small percentage backoff for a while. Works for a while, then slows down again? You just learned something, so try a little more backoff.
It's titration - you make an incremental change to one independent variable and observe the results.
Don't be afraid of negative results in the short term - they yield valuable data, and it's part of the process of becoming independent and wise.
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Thanks Jason. All good points
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