My SS experience

[bool3max]

21/06/2021

Squat: 127.5kg (5/5/5) - video of second set here - it's getting real fucking hard
Bench: 72.5kg (4/3/2/3/2/1)
DL: 137.5kg (5)

[bool3max]

23/06/2021

Squat: 112.5kg (5/5) - light day
OHP: 55kg (5/5/5) - really glad it's going so well - first time I've done this weight today and it felt almost effortless - contrary to my bench press at the moment
Pullups: 8/5/5/4/4 @ bodyweight

[bool3max]

25/06/2021

Squat: 130kg (5/5/5) - video of last set here - It was pretty hard but not as hard as I had thought it would be coming from the last session. Still, it makes me question how long it will be until I can do 140kg for 5 (the mythical 3 plate squat). I reckon I could probably rep it a couple of times, but when it comes to 3x5, I reckon I will likely fail one of the next few heavy sessions. Not that I'm planning on it.
Bench: 72.5kg (5/5/5) - got it this time, will switch back to 1kg jumps from now on
DL: 122.5kg (5/10) - light day - I felt really good so I did 10 reps for the second set as I'd never done a >5 rep set on the deadlift (UPDATE: the 10-rep set was a mistake, as my lower back is pretty torched right now)

[bool3max]

28/06/2021

Squat: 132.5kg (5/5/4) - I tried grinding out the last rep but to no avail. Slept poorly, wasn't feeling all that great. Will try again on Friday.
OHP: 56kg (5/5/5)
DL: 140kg (5)

[bool3max]

30/06/2021

Squat: 117.5kg (5/5) - light day
Bench: 73.5kg (5/5/4) + 2 sets to failure with 60kg
Pullups: 5/4/5 @bodyweight - was really tired so I only did 3 sets

[Geoff Bischoff]

Killing it still. Some squat modifications:

1) After this much time training (yes, with some layoffs), it's probably time to sub in the top-and-drop (or "top set with backoffs") for squat, and reset your "light day" to about 85% (you're riding around 90% now).

Meaning: Next squat day, take 135x5 for one set. Then back off as close to 10% as you can get (120) for 2x5. After your two-day break, DAY ONE squat next time: 137.5x5, 122.5x5x2. LIGHT DAY: 115x5x2 (slightly lighter than your last light day, you'll notice. Also: If the math occasionally works out so that you do the same weight on two or more consecutive light days? That's totally fine. You care about driving up your TOP SET, not your light day). DAY THREE squat: 140x5, 125x5x2.

You should get several more jumps out of this, and it makes your 140kg squat effectively "right around the corner."

2) When this starts to go stale (the most blatant indicator will be that you don't get all 5 reps on your top set, but you don't have to ride that close to the knife's edge) then turn your TOP SET into a triple. Say that happens around the 150 mark (no clue, just a sample): DAY ONE: 150x3, 135x5x2, LIGHT DAY: 127.5x5x2, DAY THREE: 152.5x3, 137.5x5x2.

3) When that goes stale (best indicated by an inability to punch out another top triple), then bro ...

You're basically not a novice squatter anymore.

EDITED TO ADD:

You can top-drop and top-triple your bench/press as well. Squeeze more globs of toothpaste out of the tube that way. No light day with this method (your press days ARE your light days, by virtue of the fact that the load is significantly less). But say, bench 75kgx5, 67.5kgx5x2 (10% reduc). Next bench, you're at 77.5 over 70-ish, and so on. When that craps out for 5s, say it happens at 90kg, then it's 90x3, 80x5x2, and so forth.

When/if your heavy deadlift days start to really punch you in the balls, there's the 2x3 option, or the 1x3 high, 2x3 low option. Steeper drop for deadlifts though: More like 20%. Say 150kg is your top, then take 2x3 at 120 to round out your "heavy pull" day.

ENDGAME:

When you run out of steam on squat/bench/press with top/drop and triple/drop, and run out of steam on deadlift 1x3 high/2x3 low, you've basically emptied your toothpaste tube and can call yourself an intermediate lifter. It will happen organically over time obviously: You might be truly intermediate on the press next week, the bench next month, and the squat/DL 6 weeks from now, or some other oddball ratio unique to you, but within not many more weeks (more than 2, less than 20, let's say ) you're going to be "done" as a novice.

[bool3max]

Killing it still. Some squat modifications:

1) After this much time training (yes, with some layoffs), it's probably time to sub in the top-and-drop (or "top set with backoffs") for squat, and reset your "light day" to about 85% (you're riding around 90% now).

Meaning: Next squat day, take 135x5 for one set. Then back off as close to 10% as you can get (120) for 2x5. After your two-day break, DAY ONE squat next time: 137.5x5, 122.5x5x2. LIGHT DAY: 115x5x2 (slightly lighter than your last light day, you'll notice. Also: If the math occasionally works out so that you do the same weight on two or more consecutive light days? That's totally fine. You care about driving up your TOP SET, not your light day). DAY THREE squat: 140x5, 125x5x2.

You should get several more jumps out of this, and it makes your 140kg squat effectively "right around the corner."

2) When this starts to go stale (the most blatant indicator will be that you don't get all 5 reps on your top set, but you don't have to ride that close to the knife's edge) then turn your TOP SET into a triple. Say that happens around the 150 mark (no clue, just a sample): DAY ONE: 150x3, 135x5x2, LIGHT DAY: 127.5x5x2, DAY THREE: 152.5x3, 137.5x5x2.

3) When that goes stale (best indicated by an inability to punch out another top triple), then bro ...

You're basically not a novice squatter anymore.

EDITED TO ADD:

You can top-drop and top-triple your bench/press as well. Squeeze more globs of toothpaste out of the tube that way. No light day with this method (your press days ARE your light days, by virtue of the fact that the load is significantly less). But say, bench 75kgx5, 67.5kgx5x2 (10% reduc). Next bench, you're at 77.5 over 70-ish, and so on. When that craps out for 5s, say it happens at 90kg, then it's 90x3, 80x5x2, and so forth.

When/if your heavy deadlift days start to really punch you in the balls, there's the 2x3 option, or the 1x3 high, 2x3 low option. Steeper drop for deadlifts though: More like 20%. Say 150kg is your top, then take 2x3 at 120 to round out your "heavy pull" day.

ENDGAME:

When you run out of steam on squat/bench/press with top/drop and triple/drop, and run out of steam on deadlift 1x3 high/2x3 low, you've basically emptied your toothpaste tube and can call yourself an intermediate lifter. It will happen organically over time obviously: You might be truly intermediate on the press next week, the bench next month, and the squat/DL 6 weeks from now, or some other oddball ratio unique to you, but within not many more weeks (more than 2, less than 20, let's say ) you're going to be "done" as a novice.

Thank you so much for laying all of that out! The "what then..." question has been lingering over my head for the past week as it became apparent that by the time I approached 140kg, there would be no way that I'd manage a 3x5 with it. So thanks for the detailed advice!
I have incorporated the backoff sets in today's session, and will continue to do so in futures ones, as you described.

---

02/07/2021

Squat: 135kg x 5, 120kg x 5 x 2
OHP: 57.5kg (5/4/3) - very little sleep for the 2nd time again this week screwed me here (important exams getting in the way...), I may incorporate backoff sets for the press as you described, I'll see
DL: 125kg (5/5) - light pull day

[bool3max]

05/07/2021

Squat: 137.5kg x 5, 122.5kg x 5 x 2
Bench: 73.5kg x 5 x 3 (75kg next bench session)
DL: 142.5kg x 5

Very excited for the 3-plate squat on Friday, however the top set today wasn't exactly easy. We'll see.

[Geoff Bischoff]

Just popping in to say:

I've finally gotten a chance to watch a video of you squatting. Your set of 5 reps at 135kg is one of the cleanest sets of squats I've seen on the novice forums. No doubt a sharp-eyed SSC could find five or six things to criticize about it, but that's a very, very good novice movement pattern. I expect your training to really go places.

Here's hoping for 140 soon!

[bool3max]

Just popping in to say:

I've finally gotten a chance to watch a video of you squatting. Your set of 5 reps at 135kg is one of the cleanest sets of squats I've seen on the novice forums. No doubt a sharp-eyed SSC could find five or six things to criticize about it, but that's a very, very good novice movement pattern. I expect your training to really go places.

Here's hoping for 140 soon!

Thanks for the encouragement! - I had a feeling that my form was slowly deteriorating as the weight was going up - though the knee cave problem I was having pre-layoff seems to have fixed itself after the 2 month break.

07/07/2021

Squat: 116kg x 5 x 2 (light day - 85% of last top set)
OHP: 57.5kg x 5 x 3 (slowly approaching the 1-plate press, very excited)
Pullups: 9 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 3 @ bodyweight (I hurt my right-hand wrist around a year and a half ago and anytime that I use a supinated grip (i.e. chinups) my wrist hurts pretty bad afterwards, to the point that I can't sleep. The pain is gone after around a day, so I just stick to pullups for now. Should probably get it looked at though)