A few questions I could use help with.

[manis5]

I'll try to make it short and sweet:

1-I keep tweaking my shoulders on the squat. I think what's happening is that when I'm grinding a hard rep out my elbows are shooting up higher than they should out of the bottom and it causes the bar to mash the muscle tissue/tendons in my delts. Has anyone else experienced this and if so what can I do about it?

2-Got my squat up to 280 and decided to start using backoff sets instead of 3x5. I weigh 183 @ ~6ft and gaining steadily. Is it too early to switch to this level of advanced novice programming? I've seen members on this board get their squat up to like 350+ before they moved on to advanced novice programming so I'm not sure if I'm jumping the gun. I felt like I was having a hard time recovering mentally more than anything after 3x5 once I hit 275 and my other lifts would suffer pretty badly.

[Cody]

1- post a form check

2- everyone is unique, like a snow flake - exact numbers vary from lifter to lifter. Is the 280 a single or work sets? Also, I wouldn't do back-off sets. Instead, just change Wednesday to a light day and continue Monday and Friday as heavy 3x5 for sets across.

[manis5]

1- post a form check

2- everyone is unique, like a snow flake - exact numbers vary from lifter to lifter. Is the 280 a single or work sets? Also, I wouldn't do back-off sets. Instead, just change Wednesday to a light day and continue Monday and Friday as heavy 3x5 for sets across.

280 is my recent workset. I have already implemented the light squat day since around 225x5. I'm really working hard in the gym and eating my ass off but I honestly can't fathom doing 3x5 for much longer. I feel like I'm starting to hit the top end of my novice progression on the squat specifically. The other lifts are all still relatively easy.

[Cody]

Then move your squat to Texas Method or HLM. Keep the other lifts on the Advanced Novice progression as long as possible.

[manis5]

Then move your squat to Texas Method or HLM. Keep the other lifts on the Advanced Novice progression as long as possible.

Why not keep progressing the squat workout to workout for as long as I can by using 1 work set and 2 back off sets while keeping the other lifts at 3x5?

[Cody]

Because that actually lowers the volume you're doing while you really need an increase in volume to spur further adaptations.

[manis5]

Because that actually lowers the volume you're doing while you really need an increase in volume to spur further adaptations.

So what is the idea behind 3x3 or 1x5+2 back off sets in PPST3 on the chapter about the advanced novice?

[Cody]

So what is the idea behind 3x3 or 1x5+2 back off sets in PPST3 on the chapter about the advanced novice?

I'd have to look back at it since I skimmed that section (I'm firmly an intermediate, so I paid the most attention to that section of the book). In general, lower rep counts and back-off sets are techniques that postpone moving to the next "level" of training. 3x3 (or any use of lower reps) is an extremely short bridge (because of seriously limited volume). I use back-off sets on my heavy day (Monday), but I'm in the mid 400s for my work sets (did 440x5 and 2x400x5 for squats). That happens to be enough for me to continue adaptations, but it's suboptimal (my recovery is compromised - 10 month old and a pregnant wife compromise sleep). I'd be better off doing sets across, for sure.

With all that said, back-off sets and using 3x3 outs a volume reduction and generally speaking, that is not the way that the General Adaptation Syndrome works (unless you're seriously over trained or under recovered, but these are temporary states, so the volume reduction is a short term solution to allow full recovery from prior training).

[manis5]

I'd have to look back at it since I skimmed that section (I'm firmly an intermediate, so I paid the most attention to that section of the book). In general, lower rep counts and back-off sets are techniques that postpone moving to the next "level" of training. 3x3 (or any use of lower reps) is an extremely short bridge (because of seriously limited volume). I use back-off sets on my heavy day (Monday), but I'm in the mid 400s for my work sets (did 440x5 and 2x400x5 for squats). That happens to be enough for me to continue adaptations, but it's suboptimal (my recovery is compromised - 10 month old and a pregnant wife compromise sleep). I'd be better off doing sets across, for sure.

With all that said, back-off sets and using 3x3 outs a volume reduction and generally speaking, that is not the way that the General Adaptation Syndrome works (unless you're seriously over trained or under recovered, but these are temporary states, so the volume reduction is a short term solution to allow full recovery from prior training).

Hmm well I'm in a weird spot. Like I said earlier, hitting 280x5 felt like the hardest set of my life but I also felt that way when I first hit 250x5 so I might just be pussing out because I'm starting to get intimidated by the weight. I figured I could drive my progress to at least 315x5 using 1 work set and back off sets then maybe switching to Texas Method soon after that. Now I'm thinking I should try to tough it out until I'm at ~315x5x3 before I start doing back off sets and then implement the texas method once I'm around 350 for 1 set of 5. What do you think?

What's been happening to me recently is that is that I will hit say 270x5x3 on Monday then by Friday when I go to try 275 I end up hitting sets that look like 4,3,3. So I take 275 again the following Monday and make it but then get stuck again on Friday at 280 and so on and so forth. With back off sets I can power through 1 heavy set of 5 and be okay the rest of the workout while still making workout to workout progress so I thought it would be a good idea.

[Cody]

I think if you are going to start missing lifts doing 3 sets across, it's ideal to move on to intermediate programming for the lift in question. Linear progression can only continue so long, and scheduling daily undulation within a lifting week is extremely effective. The novice progression/linear programming doesn't last forever. Rather than trying to make a novice program last longer than designed, it is better to call a spade a spade and recognize that you have a need for intermediate programming.

My opinion is TM or HLM for squats, continue Advanced Novice for the rest.