Switching from Triples to Singles - Experiences

[LimieJosh]

How many weeks is it reasonable to expect to be able to continue progressing singles in this situation?

I made the switch last week on squats (3X2 to 1X5) and it was harder in terms of recovery than I expected it to be. The fact I didn't increase the weight from what I had successfully done two triples with the week before (albeit, gut bustingly) made that even more surprising. I understand that once you've had to switch to singles you are necessarily close to hitting the wall and will have to deload and rethink things sooner rather than later, but I'm wondering if my response to this first session with singles indicates that I've got some chronic fatigue and will just be digging a bigger hole for myself by trying to squeeze out a few more weeks of progress. Maybe I'd be better served by deloading now? Maybe the answer to that depends on how many weeks of progress people can typically get once they make this switch.


It may be important to add that I also recently switched deadlift from one top set of 5 to 2 triples (475 lbs). In contrast to the change on squats, no longer having to really grind out that final rep of the set meant that this change felt pretty good.

[LimieJosh]

Update time - I crashed and burned.

What I had been doing recently was more volume and at a higher weight than what I had done previously in training in the build up to my PR (450). I thought that was simply evidence of training going well and that I was on course for a new PR, but it also appears that it was too much volume at too high a relative intensity for too long a period (especially for a 37 year old). My last warm up set was awful (365) and I decided to pack it in after 2 of the 3 planned singles (405). That was enough to tell me I needed to back off and rethink my programming, but today I went in to do a light session just to round off the week and felt sore and struggled even as light as 275.

I think this is a lesson that in my late 30s I need to be more conservative with the amount of top end volume I do. I will take a big deload and map out a 12 week plan (KUA?) to carefully get me back into PR territory.

[Tom K]

What kind of volume vs. what kind of intensity were you running?

As I've started to feel beat up, I've played with (unscientifically) keeping the weight going up while reducing total volume. My heavy squat day has changed from 3x5 sets across to 1 top set of 5 and 2 drop sets at an 8% off set. Light and medium squat days started at a 10% and 5% offset (respectively) from heavy to more of a 15% and 8% offset. Bench went from 5x5 on H to 3x3 w/ 2 drop sets.

Just kinda going by feel, dunno, maybe it will blow up in my face or waste time.

[Frankie]

I found increasing the weight while reducing the volume had limited returns.
I found initial benefit in training singles for technique and psychological benefit in getting used to heavy weight but after that I believe I actually started to lose strength when I got to far away from work sets because there simply wasn't enough volume to stimulate anything.

[SClark08]

Let's assume for a minute you're referring to the intensity day in a Texas method setup. Most suggest a program like this only lasts 1-2 years. Well I say that's stupid.

I've been using a TM style program with minor alterations after each "reset". The program has grown with me. My results have been positive in that I work from 5RMs to a 3RM, then progressively 2 to e ascending triples, then the same method for doubles and finally a few weeks of singles. This last part always ends in a powerlifting meet.

If you keep the intent of singles (or any other rep goal for that matter) in mind, training will pretty much take care of itself.

If your goal is to increase strength and compete, then naturally gradually decreasing volume and increasing intensity over time will be required FOR THAT TRAINING CYCLE.

There is absolutely no reason why you cannot take a week off after and restart with a slightly higher start point. There is no need to ditch something that has worked for the next flashy program from JTS.com

[LimieJosh]

I checked my logs this morning and it surprised me to see that I was pushing triples for longer than I had thought. I first started prioritizing heavy triples as far back as early October.

I initially built up to one moderately heavy set of 3 then got some volume work in by backing off and doing 3 sets of 5. The focus was on continuing to progress the weight on the triple. The first time I stalled I simply reset and built back up, surpassing the original stall by 10lbs . The second time I backed off a bit more and did 2 triples (and one fewer back off set of 5). The came the singles for 2 weeks. That's basically 5 months, with an off week over Christmas, of using triples as my main driver of adaptation. In retrospect I don't think I even really gained much strength from all the effort. Even now, 3 weeks later, I'm still feeling a little bit beaten up.

Les has convinced me to give KUA 2.0 a try and I think the 2 steps forward one step back may be what I need at this age to be fresh to hit the heavy weeks with gusto.