Squats Getting Hard

[Squatson]

I apologize if this is addressed in a book other than SS:BBT, but I am a BOB (Baller On a Budget)...and have already spent many of my few dollars on sundries such as belts and micro plates and gym memberships and eggs and dead cows....

Squats are getting really hard...and was wondering the pros/cons of adding a light squat day vs. decreasing jumps from 5 to 2.5lbs. (or even 3.75 as I also have that capability)

Started out with a BW of 168 in November, and am up to around 205, have been GOingMAD and eating lots of dead stuff. Around 4k cals before the milk.

Squat started at 135 and is up to 275 with a minor reset when I "Learned how to stop leg pressing and lift with my ass"

Squat seems to be extremely close to a 5rm, having to grind out reps barely getting all 5...

Have read and re-read book, knees are shoved, chest is up, shit is tight, belt is on, hips are driving.

I am still making good progress on other lifts, 5 a sesh on cleans, 10 a sesh on DLs and 2.5 on both presses.

Just wanted to hear some of your experiences on this period towards the end of the progression, b/c I know for a fact I'm not ready to leave the novice phase yet.

[Sami]

You can either dig deep and wait until you stall, and then reset.

Or you can implement the light squat day before stalling to maintain linear progression by adding in a recovery day.

It's probably more efficient to not have the stall/deload and just go right into the added recovery.

Though I've stalled a few times and every time I reset, I went past my sticking point by about 10-20kg. But it still would probably be faster not to have to reset.

[Squatson]

I have decided that something needs to be done or a stall is imminent, and I know that it is easier to not stall than it is to stall and reset...

I guess what it boils down to is should I microload every day....or make 5lbs jumps on Monday and Friday with a light (80%) day on Wednesday...are they similar enough strategies that either one could be tried?

Or have any of you guys tried both and found one or the other to be better.

[poopmonkey]

Just to be clear, there is a vast difference between a stall and failing to complete your reps for one workout.

I mention this because it seems like you are making all your reps at the moment and you are anticipating the session where you finally miss your reps.

This is not a stall.

With that said, I would continue in 5lb increment for every training session until you hit a training session where you cannot complete all your reps.

Then, stick with that weight until you get all reps. (Should only take 2-3 sessions). From that point forward, implement the light day.

[banthafodder]

You might be surprised at how far you can go on something like the PPST Advanced Novice program, where you do a 5-lbs jump Monday and Friday, and light squats on Wednesday. Still 10 lbs/wk, which is twice the rate you'd get on something like the Texas Method. It's not strictly linear progression, but it's not weekly progression either.

I've been doing that for quite a while; I squatted 330 lbs for 3x5 the other day, and I feel nothing that would indicate I don't have at least 2-4 more weeks of such progress. At least. I'm really hoping to hit 405 before I need to move to weekly periodization.

[Brenden]

I guess what it boils down to is should I microload every day....or make 5lbs jumps on Monday and Friday with a light (80%) day on Wednesday...are they similar enough strategies that either one could be tried?

2.5lbs three times a week is 7.5lbs/wk, and 5lbs twice a week is 10lbs/wk. For that reason, I switched to using a light day on Wednesday. But I may have done that prematurely, so I'm going to switch back to 5lbs/workout until I stall again.

[Squatson]

Just to be clear, there is a vast difference between a stall and failing to complete your reps for one workout.

I mention this because it seems like you are making all your reps at the moment and you are anticipating the session where you finally miss your reps.

This is not a stall.

With that said, I would continue in 5lb increment for every training session until you hit a training session where you cannot complete all your reps.

Then, stick with that weight until you get all reps. (Should only take 2-3 sessions). From that point forward, implement the light day.

So keep going till I miss...then try again to get all 5...once I get all 5, implement a light day?

[Squatson]

haha, I actually read that without seeing the last line, which word for word answers my dumb question...

thanks for the help guys

[hatmanii]

What helped me with programming issues such as this was:

What is going to allow for the most progress the fastest?

Follow all of the guidelines for novice/intermediate in SS/PP, but keep that question in the back of your mind when forming your decisions.

Good luck!

[Mr.City]

It is going to get really fucking hard towards the end. If you can still recover, that's fine, however you might want to preemptively add a light day on Weds and keep the 5lb jumps on Mon/Friday.