starting strength gym
Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 26 of 26

Thread: Being Productive In The Gym When You Can't Get Stronger

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    24

    Default

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Thanks, Rip an Andy.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Have you ever tried just training through the program, i.e. loading the weight on the bar that you program calls for and doing the sets, after making sure that your jump is not too big, that you've rested enough between sets, and that your recovery efforts have been focused in that direction? Instead of assuming that it's going to be "too hard" based on your subjective perception of the warmup and minor schedule deviations, I suggest that you just do the program.

    A novice lifter on a LP derives no benefit from lighter volume as back-off load. I can't imagine where you got this idea, but it doesn't work as well as just doing an occasional harder-than-you-like-it-to-be workout.
    Indeed, I have, and I do, and it has worked very well up until now. I don't base my work sets upon my subjective feeling. It seems I am currently in the unfortunate situation of both struggling to complete my prescribed reps and facing more-than-occasional missed/postponed workouts. The idea of backoff comes from the recommended adjustments for advanced novice combined with my wanting to avoid failed reps.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,559

    Default

    The whole gym was talking about this last night. About 5 of us -- my elderly ass and 4 other late novice/intermediate guys -- all had very recent examples of warmups that felt like shit followed by work sets completed according to the program. I have 30 years of training notes that document this very phenomenon. If you can't beat your schedule into shape, you just do your best with it, like I have to do 7-8 months a year because of travel. This winter, my training has been pretty good because I've stayed put more, and the regularity is the primary reason. I don't stop training in the summer, I just accept that I train badly and go on. But it's my fault, not the bar's.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    24

    Default

    It's occurred to me that even "objective" things like lack of sleep the night before doesn't necessitate a bad workout (measured by performance, not feelings). But yeah, I do my best and try to get the training done and progress what I can in my situation. I've got too many small kids at the moment. That's my fault, but also my "bar's"!

    PS. Did all my prescribed reps today!

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    4

    Default

    As a member of this conversation last night I can attest that when I was warming up and during my squats, before my deadlifts, EVERYTHING felt heavy. This was a light squat day, around 80%, and it felt like death but it was also my heavy deadlift day. I pretty much convinced myself that there was NO WAY I was going to pull 430x3 then a single at 480. In fact I told a training partner during my squats that also happened to be involved in this convo. that there was no way in hell I was gonna be able to make my work sets on the pull tonight. In fact I entertained the idea of coming in Saturday to do them. Well... after the having this ongoing conversation and deciding to be a man and put the damn weight on the bar and pull it off the floor come hell or high water guess what happened? I finished my work sets. As it turns out 480 for a single is the heaviest I’ve ever pulled outside of a meet. And to be quite honest it wasn’t that heavy. Damn sure not anything like I expected it to be. My PR is 506 and I’m not convinced that I couldn’t have beat that last night. On a night where I started off “feeling” like I didn’t have it in me. On a night that if I based my work sets on how I felt I would have stopped my deadlift at 365. Last night was a very valuable learning experience like most are at WFAC. Don’t listen to what your mind or body is telling you because at some point it’s all fucking heavy and will suck every time. Put the weight on the bar. Do the lift. Add 5lbs. Next workout. It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact it’s really easy. Did you lift the weight yes or no? If yes add weight next time regardless of your feelings.

    Quote Originally Posted by Particle View Post
    It's occurred to me that even "objective" things like lack of sleep the night before doesn't necessitate a bad workout (measured by performance, not feelings). But yeah, I do my best and try to get the training done and progress what I can in my situation. I've got too many small kids at the moment. That's my fault, but also my "bar's"!

    PS. Did all my prescribed reps today!
    I have to agree with this 100%. There have been several times when I was struggling to add 5lbs to my deadlift each week. Some days you’d get it, some days you can’t break it off the floor. I remember trying to do halting with 425 and I literally couldn’t get it more than 2” off the floor then, due to work I missed about 8 days of training in a row. I went right back to that 425 and pulled it for the prescribed 8 reps and could have easily done 10. I don’t think you detain as easily as you think you do on the big lifts. As for the press... that’s a whole different discussion.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    3,112

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Particle View Post
    It's occurred to me that even "objective" things like lack of sleep the night before doesn't necessitate a bad workout (measured by performance, not feelings). But yeah, I do my best and try to get the training done and progress what I can in my situation.
    It's easy to spook yourself by assuming that your performance is going to suck because of lack of sleep, a missed session, or whatever, but especially as a novice, there is nothing to be lost by trying, but failing to hit your targets for a day. Maybe you have the grindiests reps ever and only get 4 reps per set. So what? Worse case scenario it is going mean that that session suck and maybe, worst case scenario, it'll affect the next one too, but you are sort of throwing away progress by preemptively assuming thing will go south because of because of lack of sleep, a missed session, or whatever.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    24

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    I like this conversation. It's interesting to see the common experience on the subjective feeling during warm-up; I definitely have seen the same in my own training (especially with squats!), though actually I didn't bring this up in my original question.

    After committing to SSNLP I experienced what many others have: even though the lifts were so heavy that you imagine the next workout impossible, you load the bar with the prescribed weight and then magically it works this time as well, because you have been eating and sleeping enough and increased the load appropriately. One can say that I have had confidence in the progeam, and it has been working so far. The problem for me, that prompted my inquiry, is that as I mentioned, I was starting to fail reps and in the same period my training schedule was thrown off. In stead of MWF I would suddenly have 3 or 4 days off quite frequently. So I'd maybe press 5-5-4 and then start to wonder what to do on my next press session, which could be 6 or 8 days away due to interruptions. It seems from the responses so far that I needn't be so worried about the possibility of missing reps. Let's say next time I press 5-5-4 again at the same weight? I guess it's no big deal and will ensure I don't needlessly give up on progress.

    And just to be clear on "backoff sets"; I was thinking about maybe a 5% reduction just to ensure that the sets are completed. For example 1×5×155 + 3×5×150 or something. But I won't argue this point further.

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •