Intermediate Programming for the Upper Body Lifts | Nick Delgadillo

[Abbotsbury]

Thanks for the article, Nick. This was exactly what I need currently. I'm a 53-y.o., 205-lb., male, intermediate lifter, on a four-day split. Press/Bench M & Th and Squat/Pull Tues & Fri. Had discovered Andy's heavy press singles program program last summer on his blog. Implemented it but then frequent business travel in the fall stunted my progress. Struggled over the winter to recover and then maintain triples in the mid-190s. (Yeah, I'm that heavy 3x3 guy who got frustrated but kept banging his head against the wall, though I resisted buying Instagram press templates!) Then got sick for a week recently and detrained quickly.

I've struggled the past year to find the right balance of intensity and lighter volume that will drive progress, particularly on the press. Your article, and having finally set aside PPST last month for the programs in The Barbell Prescription, gave me fresh energy and optimism. I did my first week of strict 5x5s and heavy press singles after reading your article last Monday.

Two questions: (1) do you see a problem with someone my age doing Press 2.0 only once a week with the heavy singles in terms of not keeping the motor pathways fresh on the hip and bar-bounce movements? I was thinking of throwing in a slightly heavier Press 2.0 set on the Strict Press 5x5 day just to keep the movement pattern fresh in my brain; (2) Do you have experience with men my age in terms of what works for us on the 5x5 day in terms of set numbers (4x5 or 3x5, maybe?) and percentage of heavy singles weight (is 95% better than 90% for us per Sully's observation about Masters' intensity dependence) w/o overtraining?

I appreciate your input on these.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Advanced intermediate here. My upper body lifts have stalled doing each lift once a week, 4 days a week, rotating rep ranges through 8-5-2 (specifically 8x3, 5x4, 2x5 over three weeks). The training variable I want to manipulate is volume. My idea is to add volume by moving to pressing and benching twice a week. Could I copy the split template in the article by continuing the 8-5-2 rotation while adding press singles to bench day and a bench set of five to press day? Or is there more to think about? Appreciate any response. Male, 260lbs, 6'1". Best press workout is 175 for five doubles.

What else are you doing on Bench and Press days? Just assistance exercises? I'd definitely start having you do both lifts on each upper body day. You'll need more than one set of 5 on bench press day - maybe 3-5 sets. Try it out by adding one set and add sets as needed.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Thanks for the article, Nick. This was exactly what I need currently. I'm a 53-y.o., 205-lb., male, intermediate lifter, on a four-day split. Press/Bench M & Th and Squat/Pull Tues & Fri. Had discovered Andy's heavy press singles program program last summer on his blog. Implemented it but then frequent business travel in the fall stunted my progress. Struggled over the winter to recover and then maintain triples in the mid-190s. (Yeah, I'm that heavy 3x3 guy who got frustrated but kept banging his head against the wall, though I resisted buying Instagram press templates!) Then got sick for a week recently and detrained quickly.

I've struggled the past year to find the right balance of intensity and lighter volume that will drive progress, particularly on the press. Your article, and having finally set aside PPST last month for the programs in The Barbell Prescription, gave me fresh energy and optimism. I did my first week of strict 5x5s and heavy press singles after reading your article last Monday.

Two questions: (1) do you see a problem with someone my age doing Press 2.0 only once a week with the heavy singles in terms of not keeping the motor pathways fresh on the hip and bar-bounce movements? I was thinking of throwing in a slightly heavier Press 2.0 set on the Strict Press 5x5 day just to keep the movement pattern fresh in my brain; (2) Do you have experience with men my age in terms of what works for us on the 5x5 day in terms of set numbers (4x5 or 3x5, maybe?) and percentage of heavy singles weight (is 95% better than 90% for us per Sully's observation about Masters' intensity dependence) w/o overtraining?

I appreciate your input on these.

You're welcome, sir. It's not likely you'll overtrain the press. If your shoulders start aching, you can back off on the number of sets that you're pressing, or reduce the load a bit. If you've still not gotten the hip movement down, there's nothing wrong with using hips on the 5x5 day. I'll usually keep clients using their hips on 5x5 for a while when first putting them on this kind of program then switch to a strict press later. It doesn't really matter too much. The singles and the 5x5 will get closer together over time, so you'll be adjusting the 5x5 weight down as needed. Try to keep 5x5 at around 75-85% of your singles. The 90-95% recommendation is only for initial setup when you're calculating off of sets of 4-5. You won't be able to press 5x5 @ 90-95% of your singles.

[Abbotsbury]

Thank you. Yes. 5x5 at 90% of my singles wasn't happening last week.

My hip timing has never been a problem. However, since taking a week off while sick three weeks back, I find that it needs a little work and, strangely, I'm suddenly having trouble keeping tight through the complete chain. For the next couple weeks I'll do the 5x5 using 2.0 until my form has full integrity both days, then move to a strict press.

One final question... at the end of your article (next-to-last paragraph) you write that:

When adding weight to the press singles across every week stops working, the next change will be to give yourself a range of weights to hit for the singles. For example, if your PR press is 230 lbs, you’ll hit 10 singles between 215 to 225. As more of the singles get closer to 225 week after week, move the range up by 5 lbs.

I'm confused about this transition. When you give the hypothetical of a PR of 230, is that based on (1) making an actual PR attempt after I get to the point where adding weight to the bar means I can't get 10 singles at that weight and then (2) resetting the singles to a range slightly below the PR (in your example, 215-225)? Absent a true PR attempt (a one-off heavy single attempt above where I'm currently doing the 10s) my PR would seem to be the weight at which I'm currently doing my heavy singles and have suddenly failed to lock out all 10. In that case, resetting to a 10 lb. range at or below where I was previously getting 10 seems like deloading. Or is that the idea: to give myself a slight break as I begin to move upward on singles through this new 10 lb. range?

Sorry if I'm dense about this (and I obviously am.) You've opened a door for the resumption of progress. I want to ensure I don't face plant once I'm over the threshold!

Finally, thanks for a couple of your squat videos (recently, the one on knee position, and also one from a couple years ago on preventing elbow pain) that helped me correct a couple instances of form creep within the past couple months. They were a great help. The material available on the site is inspiring.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Thank you. Yes. 5x5 at 90% of my singles wasn't happening last week.

Absent a true PR attempt (a one-off heavy single attempt above where I'm currently doing the 10s) my PR would seem to be the weight at which I'm currently doing my heavy singles and have suddenly failed to lock out all 10. In that case, resetting to a 10 lb. range at or below where I was previously getting 10 seems like deloading. Or is that the idea: to give myself a slight break as I begin to move upward on singles through this new 10 lb. range?

Sorry if I'm dense about this (and I obviously am.) You've opened a door for the resumption of progress. I want to ensure I don't face plant once I'm over the threshold!

Finally, thanks for a couple of your squat videos (recently, the one on knee position, and also one from a couple years ago on preventing elbow pain) that helped me correct a couple instances of form creep within the past couple months. They were a great help. The material available on the site is inspiring.

That's right. You may not have ever tested a 1RM single. That's okay and maybe I was unclear in the article. If you are getting to the point where you aren't going to be able to hit all 10 singles at the new weight, set the top of the range at your new PR weight and give yourself a "backoff" range to hit on the rest of the singles. As long as that range is within 10-15 lbs, you'll be good to go since you're now practicing heavy singles.

[Abbotsbury]

That's right. You may not have ever tested a 1RM single. That's okay and maybe I was unclear in the article. If you are getting to the point where you aren't going to be able to hit all 10 singles at the new weight, set the top of the range at your new PR weight and give yourself a "backoff" range to hit on the rest of the singles. As long as that range is within 10-15 lbs, you'll be good to go since you're now practicing heavy singles.

OK; that's clear. I did in fact test a PR on the press in early March. Got a single at 211 and then, the following week, five singles at 201. Given my recent week off from illness, however, I've detrained a bit. When I started the singles last Thursday I got 2 @ 193.5; 2 @ 191 and then 8 @ 188.5. So I'll go for 10 at 191 this coming Thursday and then, at some point when I'm struggling to get all ten, either test a new PR and set the backoff range v. that or just use your suggestion above v. where I'm struggling to get all ten and proceed.

Thanks again for your help and insight. I feel renewed optimism. Now just gotta get under the bar and knock 'em out.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Don't worry about testing a new PR. It's not necessary. Just go on from where you are and set up your range when you need to.

[twigs]

What else are you doing on Bench and Press days? Just assistance exercises? I'd definitely start having you do both lifts on each upper body day. You'll need more than one set of 5 on bench press day - maybe 3-5 sets. Try it out by adding one set and add sets as needed.

Thanks, I will try that. Right now just 3 sets of AMRAP chins on both days. Very occasionally some LTEs.

[Mark Rippetoe]

All these acronyms.

[twigs]

All these acronyms.

...said TMPHBITEU!