Things to try. Decrease volume day weight. Take a deload week. Swap to 1.5kg weight jumps. Take some cell tech.
22 y/o male
116kg 256lbs
196cm 6 feet 5
So basically i've stalled on my lower body lifts or actually regressed by the looks of it these last few weeks. This is very frustrating because i have high ambitions for my strength training, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Here are the last couple of weeks of my training with a few top sets filmed. I've been adding 2.5kilos/5lbs every volume and intensity day. I started the texas method on the last of september 2014, with a 165kg/364lb x 5 low bar back squat and a 160kg/353lb x 5 deadlift. Unfortunetly i've had to make the switch to high bar because of my elbows.
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Week 24 2015
Monday
High bar squats 170kg/375lbs x 5 sets x 5
RDL 122,5kg/270lbs x 3 sets x 8
Wednesday
High bar squats 127,5kg/281lbs x 2 sets x 5
Friday
High bar squats 195kg/430lbs x 5RM
Deadlift 225kg/496lbs x 3RM
Reverse hyper bw x 2 sets x 15
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Week 25 2015
Monday
High bar squats 172,5kg/380lbs x 5 sets x 5
RDL 125kg/275lbs x 3 sets x 8
Wednesday
High bar squats 130kg/287lbs x 2 sets x 5
Friday
High bar squats 197,5kg/435lbs x 5RM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwQRJr5XDwU
Deadlift 227,5kg/502lbs x 3RM
Reverse hyper bw x 2 sets x 15
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Week 26 2015
Monday
High bar squats 175kg/386lbs x 5 sets x 5 (these felt significantly heavier than the prior week's volume squats. Very hard to complete.)
RDL 125kg/275lbs x 3 sets x 8
Wednesday
Front squats 140kg/307lbs x 1, 160kg/353lbs x 1, 180kg/397lbs x 1
Upper back extensions bar x 2 sets x 10 reps
Friday
High bar squats 200kg/441lbs x 4RM(failed fifth rep. switched to 3RM coming weeks)
Deadlift 230kg/507 x 3RM (all out grinder almost passed out. very rounded back, especially upper back, so decided to switch to 2RM coming weeks)
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Week 27 2015
Monday
High bar squats 177,5kg/391lbs x 5 sets x 3 (Despite the lowered number of reps per set these felt just as heavy as last weeks 5x5)
RDL 130kg/287lbs x 3 sets x 8
Wednesday
Beltless front squats 140kg/309lbs x 3 sets x 3
Friday
High bar squats 202,5kg/446lbs x 3RM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHgPMuyZTbY (5kg up in two weeks but a 2 rep drop-off, this i consider a stall or actual regression. very unsatisfied)
Deadlift 232,5kg/513lbs x 2RM (Better than last week as far as form goes but still much rounding in the upper back)
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Sorry in advance for the clutter of text, but i felt that if i gave as detailed of an OP as possible it might be easier to diagnose my problem.
Last edited by Hexagon; 07-05-2015 at 03:17 PM.
Things to try. Decrease volume day weight. Take a deload week. Swap to 1.5kg weight jumps. Take some cell tech.
Agree with decreasing volume day weight. Your last succesful 5rm had you doing 5x5 at 90% of this which is too high. Reset to 85% and increase every other week.
Thanks guys, that's what i thought. I got too greedy i guess, trying to push my 5x5 up to a respectable number. Will follow the 85% rule from now on. Are the newly incorporated front squats on light day at an adequate weight? Belted 1RM is 180kg so 140kgx3x3 works out to about 77% of 1rm, albeit beltless
Volume day should be a weight that causes intensity day to increase. The weight lifted on volume day is of little consequence so long as it is driving the desired adaptation. Percentages are a guide, not a hard and fast rule. Don't get married to 85%, just realize the role of each day and progress in an appropriate fashion. Your front squat is fine.
The problem is i don't know what weight drives progress on intensity day lol. I'm not experienced enough for that. My intuition tells me i've been going a little too crazy on the volume weight progression though since literally everything feels heavier than it did 4 months ago.
As Cody said it's not a rule. There was a survey on the site a few years ago and 85% (of 5RM) came out as about the sweet spot for TM. This tailled down to low 80's during the end of TM progression which is why I said to increase VD bi-weekly as this will gradually lower your VD to ID % over time.