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Thread: Andy Baker's GGW question

  1. #1
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    Default Andy Baker's GGW question

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    Hello, first time poster and long time lurker here.

    Running Andy's GGW program the first time since late December last year, and I am in week 9 of the program. Bench focus.

    I've failed to reach the prescribed bench press reps for 2 straight weeks(week 7 and week 8) on the heavy day(always the 3rd and 4th sets). I believe I have enough resting time between sets(5~10 mins depends on how I felt), but I just can't get the reps done. What I have done in the last two weeks was to add another set, 10% off the working weight, and press till failure to hopefully add enough stress/volume.

    Tonight I will be hitting my week 9 heavy bench, and my question is, if I fail the prescribed reps again, is my approach(-10% off work weight then press till failure) correct in the context of this program?

    Thank you in advance for sharing your experience.

  2. #2
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    I ran into this with my week 9 press. I just did 10lb drops to make my sets/reps

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the input, chrisza. It turns out I failed the reps again on Friday, this time on the 2nd set. Didn't bother to do the same weight on the 3rd and 4th sets(no way I would make it), I took 5% off the bar and did 3 more sets at the prescribed reps.

    I guess I had too aggressive e1RM for my bench; maybe i will test the true 1RM or come out a more conservative number after this cycle.

  4. #4
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    I've run GGW twice. Both times DL and squat increased and the pressing movement I prioritized . Last round I went bench priority and bench went up while press stayed about the same.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisza View Post
    I've run GGW twice. Both times DL and squat increased and the pressing movement I prioritized . Last round I went bench priority and bench went up while press stayed about the same.
    This is pretty common. Squats/Deads almost always go up, and whatever Pressing variant you do on Mon/Fri goes up, while sometimes the Weds Press stagnates. I've had several guys go in on Saturday and do a Medium version of the Wednesday pressing variant for a little extra work.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Baker (KSC) View Post
    This is pretty common. Squats/Deads almost always go up, and whatever Pressing variant you do on Mon/Fri goes up, while sometimes the Weds Press stagnates. I've had several guys go in on Saturday and do a Medium version of the Wednesday pressing variant for a little extra work.
    I'll probably do that next time I run through GGW.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Baker (KSC) View Post
    This is pretty common. Squats/Deads almost always go up, and whatever Pressing variant you do on Mon/Fri goes up, while sometimes the Weds Press stagnates. I've had several guys go in on Saturday and do a Medium version of the Wednesday pressing variant for a little extra work.

    What if you threw one set of Wed presses at the end of Monday OR Friday. Alternate 1 set of 8 week 1, 1 set of 3 week 2? Would this be too much pressing volume?

  8. #8
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    No, it would be fine. I usually just program 3 main barbell exercises per day though at most and I think you'd probably get more out of a short, focused, 4th day of an added pressing movement. A lot of guys that do this, use Saturday as an Extra Press + Conditioning Day. Basically since you are already in the gym for a short press / bench workout it's pretty easy to tack on another 20 mins or so for some HIIT training. It seems the lure of the extra press session gets you off the couch and to the gym more readily than just going in for the HIIT, but once you are already at the gym, you'll go ahead and do your damn cardio. Tricking yourself into better compliance.

  9. #9
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    another thing you can do if you dont have an extra day is just add in some close grip bench for 3x5-8 on one of your pressing days im sure inclines could work to....i know that it works because i did it basically borrowed a little from Andys 5/3/1 variation. If i were to do that program again I would probably start it at higher intensity personally for myself and I know ANdy has given the ok on that but you will probably have to end up adjusting some of your sets to hit all the reps.

  10. #10
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    I've just started the Saturday workout for pressing on GGW.
    I found my shoulder (injury) feels better with pressing twice a week and I am just too torched to dick around with accessories after three main lifts with barbells at this stage of the program.
    It will look something like this:

    PR DE 5x5
    Chins 4-5 sets
    LTE 5x8-12
    BB Curls 5x8-12
    Tire/Sledge and some tire throwing for extra cardio (on the remote chance I feel like it).

    Supersetting the PR/Chins and LTE/Curls feels like HIIT to me ;o)

    I'll go to a 4 day split after I run GGW through (been a great program by the way if anyone is on the fence about grabbing it).

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