Running out of LP gains on the DL

[Nic Kirkland]

Hello, here's a rundown of my basic stats:

27 yo/5'11"/205 lbs

Current work sets (in kg)
BS: 121x5x3
DL: 157.5x5x3
Press: 63x5x3
BP: 92x5x3
PC: 90x3x5

I am in the military and have a short attention span so my training has been piecemealed over the past couple of years. In 2012 I graduated from a seminar and did The Program for about 3 months, then I introduced some conditioning, did the TM for a little while. Then I straight up took a year off (conditioning with some CrossFit thrown in) during flight school. After that I got introduced to 5/3/1 whilst deployed which appealed to me because doing a 45 minute workout with one lift every day or every other day was easy, but I was not recovering enough to do a novice SS LP, and doing the TM with it's 2 hour monster workouts was not feasible. Since returning I've tweaked around working a kind of 5/3/1 model into my life as work and travel allow. However 2 months ago, I had an awakening, re-read SS 3rd Ed. and got back into a LP. I am currently lifting twice a week (Tu, Fr) as well as doing the endurance training required of me by the military. I am doing a basic A/B split:

A: BS, Press, DL
B: BS, BP, PC/Back extensions (I alternate between weeks since my PC numbers are relatively good)

I am adding 1 kg per workout on the BS, Press, and BP, and 2.5 kg per workout on the DL and PC. So that comes out to 2 kg per week on the BS, 1 kg per week on Press/BP, and 2.5 kg every 1 week on DL, and every 2 weeks on the PC. I also do some conditioning (sled drags), chins, dips, and hip flexor work on W, Sa, and/or Su

My squats and bench workouts still feel pretty strong, however my presses and deadlifts were a real struggle yesterday. Presses might've just been a bad day, but deadlifts have been getting more and more difficult (slower). I'll see how they go next week. Is it time to switch to a more advanced novice/intermediate programming template? The 2/week workouts are working really well for me right now, so I'd like to maintain that.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

On the twice weekly template you'll just have to start manipulating rep ranges a bit or subbing in exercise variants.

So for deadlifts you might alternate a 5RM, 3RM, 2RM/1RM over a 3 week period. Or stay with sets of 5 and alternate between regular deads, rack pulls, and stiff legs.

You could even have a volume week and an intensity week for each lift. Might work well on presses. Week 1 is like 5x5 and week 2 is single or doubles across.

Examine those 3 options and pick one for the lifts that are stalling.

[unruhschuh]

Hello, here's a rundown of my basic stats:

27 yo/5'11"/205 lbs

Current work sets (in kg)
BS: 121x5x3
DL: 157.5x5x3
Press: 63x5x3
BP: 92x5x3
PC: 90x3x5

Did you really mean 157.5x5x3 for the Deadlifts? If so, then doing 157.5x5x1 as prescribed by The Program might do the trick.