Transitioning to Intermediate Programming by a Master - Reduce Weight?

I'm going on 50 yrs old and REALLY beat up from tying to milk out my last LP squats. I mean to the point I pulled something in the groin/inner thigh while failing my last LP weight (getting better but I still feel it).

It's been 5 months, I've done the 3 questions successfully, done resets, reduced to 2 heavy LP squats per week down from 3, and know beyond the shadow of a doubt the squat LP is GONE.

I did a couple of resets during my LP by reducing the weight, which was not recommended in Barbell Prescription (I guess as a general rule for Masters). ONLY reducing volume did not work for me. I'm wondering since I'm so beat up shouldn't I reduce weight and do another reset and I move into Intermediate Programming (4 day H/L split)?

As recommended in Barbell Prescription, when I started Intermediate for the squats last week, I started Heavy Day with the same weight as my last successful 3x5 LP weight, but only 1 set. That 1 set was barely accomplished and left me wondering how in the world I could have done 2 more sets of that, like I'm just getting worn down further.

My Light Day saw me reducing the weight by 5% of Heavy and after borderline failing that 1st set, reduced it to 10%, which I barely got for another 2x5. It really left me wondering how in the world am I going to accomplish what I did on my last Heavy Day again, but this time at 3x5 (which would be on my way to increasing sets again and now weight the next 1-2 weeks).

Then I ran upon this article upon searching here and am wondering shouldn't I just reduce my squat weight at least by 10% for heavy day, and work my way back up, even as a Master? After skimming these forums and reading all 3 books for years now (this is my 3rd LP, the first one actually completed because life finally allowed it), it's the first time I've seen this mentioned when transitioning to Intermediate Programming (unless I missed something).

Successful Transition from Novice to Intermediate Programming - Andy Baker

I don't want to screw this up. I've already been stagnant for so many weeks trying to work out the last of the LP and not reducing calories so that wouldn't be a factor, I'm getting friggin fat (I'm 5'9" and waist is up to 40 from 38 1/2 a few weeks ago, which was up 2 inches from when I started this LP) and now I'm going to have to reduce calories by who knows how much, too, hoping that doesn't affect strength.

I'll have to experiment with that too but that's another subject.

If it seems I'm a little frustrated, I am but ignore that. :)

It doesn't sound like it, but I want to ask to make sure. Did you try switching to 5x3 or doing alternating light days at the end of your LP? Or did you go straight from H/L/H to intermediate?

And yes, it sounds like you beat yourself into the ground and then doing a hard transition. You will probably need a small reset. The transition without reset from LP to intermediate (using your last LP heavy day as you're new heavy day) is only something I would do for someone who hadn't reset already on LP multiple times.

For intermediate programming, why would your light day be at a 5% reduction of your heavy day? Where did you get that?

Thanks for the response. I might have tried switching to 5x3, had the last move up in weight 1) not been so heavy that I could have accomplished that "with gas in the tank" as Rip would put it and 2) not strained my inner thigh the way it did. It was on the 2nd rep, and there was no way I was continuing that set. I lowered the weight and tried to get more volume in pretty successfully, taking it very easy.

My next attempt at that same weight on the next squat day saw the same exact results and that was it for me.

I tried a 5% light day because since I'm a master lifter and doing only one heavy day per week I wanted to make sure I didn't get detrained (volume sensitive/intensity dependent as Barbell Prescription would say). The instruction was for 5-10%...

"Light exercises are performed for 3 sets across at a 5– 10% reduction from the last completed heavy set of 5. In some instances this may be very near the same amount of weight used for the back-off sets on that lift’s heavy day." - Sullivan, Jonathon M; Baker, Andy. The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40 (p. 469). The Aasgaard Company. Kindle Edition.

I was erring on the conservative side as I said, not to risk detraining, but I think I'm learning I'm the "10%" at this point anyway. Maybe my particular genetics aren't rendering my body as old yet as I was anticipating. :)

My heavy squat day is tomorrow, and I had already decided after a lot of thought today that I'm going to go lighten it up and work my way back up, so your response only confirmed it for me. There's just still this other side of me that once I achieve a weight I can't let go and the thought pops back up in my head "wait a minute, what if you still just did the same weight?" (easily forgetting a borderline injury and all I've just mentioned)

It's very difficult to back off. It feels like a regression (which I think is going to happen anyway if I keep this up, or at least get stuck). If I'm not mistaken Andy called this "the pit" in that article.

I've really been learning to deal with that these last few weeks, though.

Thanks again for the help. I think my biggest issue now is going to be finding my calorie sweet spot so I stop getting fat so fast.

It can definitely be concerning that you're going to regress, but it's a lot better to stay unstuck than it is to get stuck and unstick yourself.

I think you need to get your squat looked at too. Have you posted to the technique forum to get your squat fixed? The inner thigh strain is almost certainly a technique problem.

I did post a video there a while back and no one could find anything wrong with my squat, except that I (for some odd reason) wasn't straightening my knees at the top, which I fixed. The reason I posted it was arm pain, which I figured out was just a shoulder mobility issue.

I reduced heavy squats by 10% today and they were heavy but ok. No way in hell I could have even done 265 today, though. I went ahead and did 4 sets pretty easily, and I think I'm just gonna go up in 5 lb increments from now on for the heavy day for the break I obviously need. I didn't have any problems with the inner thigh pull but I could tell it was "there", and I feel being "there" a little afterwards now, off and on.

I also started doing close grip bench press for light bench day and I have worse pain in my right shoulder from that than the inner thigh (which isn't really "pain" anymore). Was hoping it would get better, not worse. I'm going them shoulder width, and if widening them a bit doesn't remedy it I guess I may have to look at just light bench or dips instead of that.

Ignore that last comment about CGBP. I just did a search on that. I guarantee I am lowering it too far up the body (trying for same as bench press) when I should be going a little lower. I started a little lower and it never bothered my shoulder, but mistakenly thought it's supposed to be higher and that's when it would hurt it. Now I know I was right at the start.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David McClelland

I guarantee I am lowering it too far up the body (trying for same as bench press) when I should be going a little lower.

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That makes sense. Touching too close to your face can cause shoulder impingement and can definitely cause shoulder pain.

I would keep in mind that just because someone watched an online form check, there may still be issues. Online form checks are inherently limited. I'd be curious to see what a rear view of your squat looks like. Did you post a rear oblique when you did the form check?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndrewLewis

Did you post a rear oblique when you did the form check?

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That was exactly what I posted. I also took it down and don't have it. But I can try and get another video up on heavy squat day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David McClelland

That was exactly what I posted. I also took it down and don't have it. But I can try and get another video up on heavy squat day.

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You should post a rear view here.

Don't ever delete a video you posted to the technique forums. You will be deleted for doing so.