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The Road Back - Inch By Inch
5'11", 33 y/o, 178 pounds*
*I've always been a hard gainer and this was a 15 year low for me after coming off a back tweak as well as less-than-stellar eating habits.
Came back to LP after years and years away. Last time I went down this path I wasn't even doing SS properly. I was doing Stronglifts (a Rip-off...see what I did there?) of SSLP. I guess you could, very accurately say IWNDTP.
I'm excited to give this a proper go.
First 5 sessions I went back to Stronglifts before I gorged myself on SS, Practical Programming, and a whole bunch of old Rip stuff...and decided if I'm going to actually do this I should follow the original program...
Session 1 (11/14/21)
Squat 145x5x5
Press 75x5x5
Deadlift 205x5
Session 2 (11/16/21)
Squat 155x5x5
Bench 125x5x5
Row 125x5x5
Session 3 (11/18/21)
Squat 165x5x5
Press 80x5x5
Deadlift 225x5
Session 4 (11/20/21)
Squat 175x5x5
Bench 135x5x5
Row 135x5x5
Session 5 (11/22/21)
Squat 185x5x5
Press 85x5x5
Deadlift 245x5
*made the switch to SSNLP and the SS app (which I like, so far)
Session 6 (11/24/21)
Squat 195x5x3
Bench 145x5x3
Deadlift 255x5
Session 7 (11/26/21)
Squat 205x5x3
Press 90x5x3
Deadlift 265x5
Session 8 (11/28/21)
Squat 215x5x3
Bench 150x5x3
Deadlift 275x5
I haven't LBBS'd in a while, as I mainly was training the high bar. My left shoulder has been beat-up throughout my athletic career/life so it's getting back used to that ROM, but it's coming along. I also like the switch to deadlifting every day...but then again I love deadlifting.
Current diet looks almost word-for-word what Rip wrote for underweight trainees and, since I've decided this time I'm "doing the program for real", I'm not letting this skimp like it normally would.
Last edited by inchXinch; 12-16-2021 at 08:12 AM.
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Session 9 (11/30/2021)
Squat 225x5x3
Press 95x5x3
Deadlift 285x5
Stayed overhand on the deadlifts. Getting used to the 5-step setup from the one I'm accustomed to. Had to rush that a bit today, but overall happy with everything.
BW = 183.6
Cals = ~5500
Last edited by inchXinch; 12-16-2021 at 08:19 AM.
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Session 10 (12/02/2021)
Squat 235x5x3
Bench 155x5x3
Deadlift 295x5
I’ll check out the app section of that forum, but will it automatically switch me to the next phase (alternating Deads and pc I think is next) or is it waiting for some input from me there?
BW = 184.6
Cals = ~5500
Last edited by inchXinch; 12-16-2021 at 08:13 AM.
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Think I found the answer that it will recommend the switch once you hit a bodyweight DL, which I have already done.
Any recommendations from the faithful NLPers out there or when/if I should make that switch?
Also, it’s still having me make 10# jumps on the squat. Will that slow down automatically? It seems like the app “isn’t intuitive” is the answers I’m seeing here on the forum…but just curious.
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Welcome back, inchXinch. It's good to see that you backed off of the 5x5's for now and are embracing the 5x3's. I suspect that you will find them very effective.
I don't have any experience with the app, so I can't help you there. But as far as when to introduce cleans, you're pretty much there.
Practical Programming (p 88) says to introduce the clean when "the freshness of the deadlift has worn off a little and after the quick initial gains establish the deadlift well ahead of the squat." If you look at the "Well Executed Novice Linear Progression" example in Practical Programming, 3ed (pp 90-1), the male client, age 35, former Division I college football player, it shows him introducing the cleans during his third week of the NLP with a 70lb gap between his deadlift (265lbs) and squat (195lbs) (it doesn't give a body weight, so we can't use that).
That lines up with Program 1B in Barbell Prescription, which for masters starts a few weeks into the program and "deadlift strength has progressed well ahead of the squat." (BBRx, p 188). Since your last session was 295/235, you're pretty much there.
One thing to consider is introducing that 2-day break as the program prescribes. You're lifting every other day consistently now, but soon you're going to want/need that extra recovery day once a week as your squat and deadlift both get pretty darn heavy.
BTW, if you don't have both of those books (BBRx and PP), I suggest getting them now. Between those two, all of your programming questions will be answered for years to come.
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Thanks for the reply, Bill!
Yeah, I first found linear progression through StrongLifts back in 2011 or so. Kind of frustrated me later to find out he just ripped off Rip's stuff. But I guess that's the state of the industry. I went back to what I knew, then switched as I listened/watched more of the SS content.
I have PP and SS but haven't even heard of BBRX. Just downloaded that one and I have to say it's awesome. Thank you for that recommendation.
I wasn't nearly as gifted as a D1 football player, so I wasn't trying to compare numbers. I guess being that I likely have less capacity/ability than he likely did, I should have switched before I got to that place. Being 8 sessions in, in the middle of week 3 would probably not a be a terrible time to make the change. I'll look through the books to get my bearings there.
Also, looking at the 10# jump I'm sure the app might make a recommendation at this point, but I'm just going to shift to 5# jumps on the squat at this time as well.
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12/4/2021
Session 11
BW - 186
Cals - ~6000
Squat 240x5x3
Press 100x5x3
Deadlift 305x5 (did this set like 3 times to try and get set-up and execution down)
I will be introducing the 72-hr recovery and stick with a Tue/Thur/Sat schedule for the foreseeable future.
Also, got to do this session with my wife starting her Day 1, which was cool.
Last edited by inchXinch; 12-16-2021 at 08:14 AM.
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Have you tried a few sessions of online coaching. I go to Greysteel twice per week so don't need it. But a few sessions with an SS coach even if it's online might be quite useful to you.
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I haven’t. I’m not opposed to it, but honestly I get frustrated trying to navigate the SS online coaching section. I had considered doing a form check through the app/online for the same reasons though.
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I’m also strongly considering the seminar in WF in February.
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