Question about Andy Baker's Classic HLM program

[GarageGym1012]

I recently purchased two of Andy Baker's programs: Garage Gym Warrior and his Classic HLM. I'm currently doing the Garage Gym Warrior program and it seems to be working quite well, and I plan on doing the Classic HLM when I'm finished. I didn't want to prioritize the bench or the press, so I took Andy's advice from one of his videos and have added a medium bench day on Saturday so that my bench press continues to progress just as the overhead press. I want to do the same when I do the Classic HLM, but he has that program set up differently. He states in the write up that the overhead press isn't designed to be peaked and the intensity doesn't go over 85%. In the Garage Gym Warrior program the loads for both the press and bench both are peaked and go up to 95%. I'm thinking his reasoning for this might be because the Garage Gym Warrior program is a cyclical HLM, and every three weeks there's a slight back-off from the loads (almost like a "mini deload" built into the program). However, the Classic HLM is a linear program which starts at 70% and continues to ramp up every week until it gets to 95%. Although, in the 7th week, he slows the increases on the Press, while all the other lifts continue to progress normally. I'm assuming he did this to prevent the shoulders from getting overtrained, since there's no back-off like the other program (which actually happened to me towards the end of my NLP and both my bench and press regressed...it took 6 weeks for them to get back to their previous strength).

So here's my question: I want to add a Saturday medium press day on the Classic HLM. Should I also modify Wednesday's press and make the loads progress just like the other lifts all the way up to 95%, or will this burn-out my shoulders again?

Andy, if you get a chance I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with this. Thanks, and I'm really enjoying the Garage Gym Warrior program so far.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

No just keep things as they are and on Saturday Press 3-4 sets at about 5% less than Wednesday.

[GarageGym1012]

Thanks Andy. And I appreciate you answering so quickly.

[Titus]

in the second round of Andy Baker's GGW now . The program has worked really well. Progress between 5-10% in Squat Press and dead lift, Bench 0%
I am 47 years old and wondering if it is recommended that I try TM in the press and bench

Do not want to be overtrained so ask for advice.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

My guess is you have been training press 2x/week and bench 1x/week as the layout suggests. If the program has worked for the press it'll likely work for the bench press too. You either need to start training the bench 2x/week and move press to 1x/week....OR....train both twice per week while continuing to Bench heavy on Wednesday and adding a Medium bench session on Saturday. Lots of people do this as a fix when that middle day pressing variant starts to stagnate.

Remember what we said in PPST3, when a lift is stagnant you need more work. Could be in the form of volume, frequency, or intensity. When it regresses you typically need less work (i.e. possibly over doing things). Not a 100% truism...but mostly true.

[Titus]

Try adding a Medium bench session on Saturday as you recommend. Must read PPST3 again. Thank you Coach