Am much stronger but can't do 3x5 - should I restart LP?

[zbyrne]

Hi guys.

Have a question, which hopefully you can guide me on. I'll just run through some context first:

Discovered SS back in late 2016, and picked it up to try and get stronger for rugby. Rugby for me is 2 training sessions a week, plus a game on Saturdays. At first I tried to pack 3 barbell sessions in each week too, which obviously never worked because (A) there was no rest time at all with heavy duty physical sessions 6 evenings a week & (B) I have a life and sometimes I had stuff to do. Over summer (no rugby) 2017 actually did the programme, by which I mean I learnt how to do all the lifts and added a bit to my meagre numbers.

By Sept 2017 Rugby was back, and thinking I needed to at least apply the stress/rest/adaptation principle, if not able to do the programme proper, and so starting doing only 1 barbell session a week (maybe 2 on rare weeks), with all four lifts in one session, rather than a split. As it was only once a week, I quickly sacrificed volume (3x5 became 3x3 and soon 1x3 etc) but I did manage to increase what I was lifting each week, although I assume this was novice gains and not much else.

My issue is now this: I can squat 130kg (285 pounds), which is more than double what I could do when I started - which is great. But because of my approach I'm only managing maybe 3-6 reps over two or three worksets in a session. This is the same for all the other lifts: can lift a now much heavier weight that before, cannot lift anything like a sufficient number of reps. I've recently been plateauing as well (obviously entirely because of my crazy approach to this whole thing and complete lack of consistency)

Now, my rugby season is once again over, so I have three months where I can commit fully to the programme, 3 times a week, 3x5 and all that. But I'm obviously not going to walk into the gym tomorrow and squat 285 for 3x5, so what should I do?
1) Deload (presumable by quite a bit to get back to 3x5) and do the programme properly from scratch, even though this would presumably means I'd lose alot of strength in the process?
2) Keep trying to lift the heaviest weight for each lift, and force it up to 3x5, but don't add more weight (a sort of linear progression for volume if you get me)
3) Switch off LP altogether and do something else?
4) Another, probably much better idea that I've not thought off.

Guidance would be much appreciated, as want to maximise my summer.

Also - what should I try to do when my season kicks off again in September, as I'm then facing the challenge same as before - not enough days in the week. In my head I wanted to use the summer to build even more strength, a sufficiently decent base that if I just did maintenance during the season, it would be fine.

But due to my approach to date I'm now plateauing hard so don't see myself gaining more strength over the summer without a change at least, so any thoughts on what I should do to firstly get back to some sort of progression vis a vie strength gain and secondly what should my approach be to lifting in the season?

(Male, 6.2, 130kg, 28yo)

Cheers (and sorry for long post)

[Nicholas Rega]

Reset on a true 3x5 LP. Listen to Barbell Logic’s podcast episode “How to Kill It Your First Day” (or the title is something very similar). You should be able to make significant progress in the three months you’re not in season. When LP stops working or you re-enter season, switch to an intermediate program, probably H/L/M.