SS Reps Question

[notbuff]

Hey Coach,

I'm currently running an SS version that looks like A: Squat/bench/dead/abs B: Squat/press/chins/abs. I've been on the program for 2.5 months and gained about 20 lbs so far. My lifts are still going up, but it's getting really difficult and I'm needing ~6 minutes rest between most sets now-a-days.

I'll probably end up transitioning to the Starr 5x5 program or something similar, but I was wondering, would there be any benefit to rerunning the same program I'm doing now but with 10 reps of everything? I assume that I'd stall on this fairly quickly since every extra 5 lbs to the bar is lifted for twice as many reps, but I'm hoping this would help hypertrophy gains that would in turn help strength gains when I eventually do turn to 5x5 or another strength program. Would there be any point to doing something like this?

Oh and do you know when Amazon is getting more copies of Practical Programming? I ordered it a few days ago but it's been out of stock..

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you switch to 10s, you're toast pretty quick. The volume gets too high for recovery when done 3 days/week, and the weight has to be lowered too much to accommodate. If you're worried about resting "too" long between sets, don't. This is not metcon, it's strength training. If you want a metcon effect, get it from a metcon workout, not by slowing your progress on strength days by insufficiently resting between sets and getting therefore unnecessarily stuck.

[notbuff]

Thanks for the reply.

I definitely wouldn't rush a set, but is 2.5-3 months on SS a bit early to be needing such long rest times? I mean I feel like I've made a ton of progress over the past 3 months, but I think I'm going to stall out soon. I haven't done any big resets except for when I went on a 3 week vacation (not included when I say I've been training SS for 2.5-3 months) so that could buy me a little more time but I doubt it will be much.

My stats before and currently:
BW:138 > 160 (height 5'9)
Squat: 95 > 225
Bench: 95-170
Deadlift: 135 > 245 I failed with 250 last time. Seems like it should be higher? Kinda annoying since it's my favorite lift.
Press: 65 > 107.5

Based on your experience do you think I have alot of room left for growth with SS?

My diet and rest has been good. I'm not working this summer and my mom buys a ton of groceries based on what I ask her to get (tons of beef, chicken, lamb, pasta, vegetables, rice, juice, and eggs, and almonds mainly) so I've just been lifting, eating, and sleeping.

Any word on when Amazon will get Practical Programming in stock, or is that not your department?

[Mark Rippetoe]

PPST has been shipped to Amazon, should be in stock any day. As far as continued progress is concerned, your Life-Of-Riley situation there at the house is so perfectly suited to training progress that if you don't get quite a bit more out of your linear progression you should be embarrassed. Your between set breaks are to be whatever they need to be to ensure that you get the next set. Quit worrying about that.

[notbuff]

PPST has been shipped to Amazon, should be in stock any day.

Today actually I've been dyin to read this one for a week now.

As far as continued progress is concerned, your Life-Of-Riley situation there at the house is so perfectly suited to training progress that if you don't get quite a bit more out of your linear progression you should be embarrassed.

Good to know. Hopefully this will motivate me enough to make continual progress at least through August 24th, at which point I go back to school and work and my fluffy lifestyle is shattered.

A couple more questions while I have your attention.. (feel free to skip these if it's getting annoying)

Besides a post workout protein shake, I take zero supplements. Is this ok for now? Will it be okay when I go back to school and it's tougher to get all my calories in?

Squat question: I sometimes have trouble keeping the bar over my midfoot when I focus on hip drive and it feels like the weight shifts a bit to my toes and I do a half good morning. When this happens, looking straight ahead seems to help balance me. I'm pretty sure that I start in the proper low bar position. Any thoughts as to what's wrong here? Or am I blowing this out of proportion; I think my squats are generally ok..

o one more question I forgot to ask-

Is it ok to workout barefoot? I don't own any good lifting shoes.

[Sun tzu]

I was also wondering about changing the rep range to 10 instead of 5. Maybe not on all the exercises but on the squats. What would be the effect of doing 10 reps for squats and 5 for the rest. Doing low reps means more weight, of course, and I'm scared of an accident happening. Like falling backwards and smashing the wooden floor behind me, for example.

[Mark Rippetoe]

No supplements is fine now. Just get enough food. You'll notice that since I don't sell supplements I don't need to lie to you about what they can do. Once you get all your vitamin bases covered, you're fine. If you are off-balance forward just as you come up, it is usually due to something you're doing wrong right before you reach the bottom, but this would be a job for Captain Video.

And if you want to squat barefoot, it's fine with me. I have never really even thought much about shoes or training footwear. It's just not something I even have a strong opinion on at all. I don't think I've ever addressed the question before. In fact you're probably the first person that has ever even asked me this question, so I'll have to give it some thought...

ST: If you change the squats to sets of 10 but leave the rest of the program 5s, then my response above applies only to the part of the program that you have fucked up by doing so. And if you are frightened by heavy weights, then you should not use them. Never, ever do anything that makes you scared. Never. It is not good to be scared. Being happy and comfortable all your life is really what is important. It is the most important thing of all, and is the cornerstone of God's Plan for you.

[notbuff]

No supplements is fine now. Just get enough food. You'll notice that since I don't sell supplements I don't need to lie to you about what they can do. Once you get all your vitamin bases covered, you're fine.

Thanks, I was hopin you'd say something along those lines.

If you are off-balance forward just as you come up, it is usually due to something you're doing wrong right before you reach the bottom, but this would be a job for Captain Video.

Turns out I had the bar too high up. I had one of the trainers at my gym (who I've seen doing box squats with real weight) take a look at my form, and what I thought was low bar position was actually more in the middle. I finally got the actual low bar position down and it made a huge difference, my squat is much better now.

And if you want to squat barefoot, it's fine with me. I have never really even thought much about shoes or training footwear. It's just not something I even have a strong opinion on at all. I don't think I've ever addressed the question before. In fact you're probably the first person that has ever even asked me this question, so I'll have to give it some thought...

ok fair enough, i shoulda searched before I asked that one sorry
I think I'll just get a pair of chucks since I don't want to order shoes online and don't know where to get real squat shoes.

[JMT]

And if you want to squat barefoot, it's fine with me. I have never really even thought much about shoes or training footwear. It's just not something I even have a strong opinion on at all. I don't think I've ever addressed the question before. In fact you're probably the first person that has ever even asked me this question, so I'll have to give it some thought...

Maybe a sticky up top that says:

ALL SHOE QUESTIONS LOOK HERE FIRST!

Preferably in 36 point bold type.

[Quintus]

I think I'll just get a pair of chucks since I don't want to order shoes online and don't know where to get real squat shoes.

Oh c'mon -- they're not *that* hard to find:

http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/products/shoesFR.html

That's where I ordered mine from. And if they don't fit right, just send them back and get another pair that does, their customer service people are great about that stuff.

If you're serious about this stuff, just buy the shoes. You won't regret it.