Questions on The Bridge

[timelinex]

I asked on Jordans forum almost a week ago but it looks like the post was never approved. Since I've now started the progra and it's coming time to put some of these things in motion, hopefully I can get you guys take on it instead....

I just finished up my novice LP (with a grinding halt) and I'm now planning on starting intermediate programming for my wife and I. I was planning on HLM but then I saw The Bridge and it looks like a good way to learn some better awareness and change things up. It will also be a relief to cut down on intensity for a little bit.

I had a few questions:

1. Should the rack pulls be done with a belt? I assume yes.

2. Pin squat/bench.... My gym has a "rogue area" which is nice for everything but specifically this. The clueless owners have no safety pins anywhere and only 1 set of those straps for the entire area. Straps MIGHT work for squat, but definitely not for bench. Plus alot of times someone else is using them. I realize he picks specific exercises for a reason. Is there any substitute for these without losing much?

3. 1ct Bench Press. If we don't do powerlifting, is regular controlled touch and go benching fine or is there a specific non-powerlifting reason he chose 1ct Bench Press

4. Power cleans? We just had an SSC teach us these and I kind of like them. They are very weak compared to my deadlifts because I have minimal practice, but I was hoping to get better. I have read your opinion of why you didn't include them (most people don't do them). But if you wanted to include them where would you put them? I know people interchange them with the rows, but I'm afraid my low PC numbers will not contribute to enough volume help my DL weight up.

5. If I overshoot on the weight (or even undershoot) for a prescribed set, should I actively add/subtract reps from that set to make it the prescribed RPE (A.k.a are the reps or the goal RPE ultimately the most important thing).

6. On that same topic, even though the goal was sets across, I assume I should lower/raise the weight on the next sets after a misjudgment of RPE?

7. Wait time... I remember reading somewhere he recommend 3 to 5 minutes on this program. That should be fine with my upper body, but I was definitely taking closer to 10 minutes by the end of my LP to be able to do 3 sets. Whether its genetics or poor conditioning, I think I must recover slowly. For a set of 3 at a prescribed RPE, how should I handle this. 275x5 might be REP 8 for my first set, but if I have to do another set in <5min, I'm afraid that might be an RPE 9.5 because of that time limit!

Thanks guys

[Leah Lutz]

I asked on Jordans forum almost a week ago but it looks like the post was never approved. Since I've now started the progra and it's coming time to put some of these things in motion, hopefully I can get you guys take on it instead....

I just finished up my novice LP (with a grinding halt) and I'm now planning on starting intermediate programming for my wife and I. I was planning on HLM but then I saw The Bridge and it looks like a good way to learn some better awareness and change things up. It will also be a relief to cut down on intensity for a little bit.

I had a few questions:

1. Should the rack pulls be done with a belt? I assume yes.

2. Pin squat/bench.... My gym has a "rogue area" which is nice for everything but specifically this. The clueless owners have no safety pins anywhere and only 1 set of those straps for the entire area. Straps MIGHT work for squat, but definitely not for bench. Plus alot of times someone else is using them. I realize he picks specific exercises for a reason. Is there any substitute for these without losing much?

3. 1ct Bench Press. If we don't do powerlifting, is regular controlled touch and go benching fine or is there a specific non-powerlifting reason he chose 1ct Bench Press

4. Power cleans? We just had an SSC teach us these and I kind of like them. They are very weak compared to my deadlifts because I have minimal practice, but I was hoping to get better. I have read your opinion of why you didn't include them (most people don't do them). But if you wanted to include them where would you put them? I know people interchange them with the rows, but I'm afraid my low PC numbers will not contribute to enough volume help my DL weight up.

5. If I overshoot on the weight (or even undershoot) for a prescribed set, should I actively add/subtract reps from that set to make it the prescribed RPE (A.k.a are the reps or the goal RPE ultimately the most important thing).

6. On that same topic, even though the goal was sets across, I assume I should lower/raise the weight on the next sets after a misjudgment of RPE?

7. Wait time... I remember reading somewhere he recommend 3 to 5 minutes on this program. That should be fine with my upper body, but I was definitely taking closer to 10 minutes by the end of my LP to be able to do 3 sets. Whether its genetics or poor conditioning, I think I must recover slowly. For a set of 3 at a prescribed RPE, how should I handle this. 275x5 might be REP 8 for my first set, but if I have to do another set in <5min, I'm afraid that might be an RPE 9.5 because of that time limit!

Thanks guys

1. I would not use a belt unless you have a back injury. The program considers that you do not use a belt for the supplemental work and therefore the lower weight on the bar helps to control your overall training fatigue.
2. If you can't pin bench, I'd do a 2 ct paused bench.
3. This tends to help you work on staying tighter
4. You could do PCs as a warm up for your DL or sub them for the rows.
5. You should get the reps in and then use your RPE info to help you plan better for next time.
6. Yes.
7. If you start shortening your rest times now to 5-6 min, you might take a bit of weight off the bar initially, but you will progress and you should be able to increase your overall work capacity.

[Ericsquats]

1. Yep

2. You can do Paused squats/bench in place of pins

3. TnG is fine. The idea is to have one competition style lift (meaning the primary version of the lift you want to train) and one other assistance style lift which could be paused, pin, close grip etc.

4. In general not recommended and you're right that they probably won't help your deadlift much. If you really want to do them you could replace rows or do both with cleans before or after rows.

5 & 6. Don't add/subtract reps. If you overshoot/undershoot just adjust the weight so the next set hits your target RPE goal.

7. 3-6 min is fine. More rest if the intensity is higher. RPE adjusts for the fact that you may be fatigued going into your final sets with built up fatigue from previous sets or low rest. Be conservative with the weights if you have to. It's easier to make things a little harder next week from going to low your first week than it is the other way around.

[Ericsquats]

Oops. Didn't see Leah's reply before responding. Ignore what I said and just go with hers.

[timelinex]

Thanks for the reply guys!

I did the first workout yesterday and it went pretty smoothly. I did rack pulls (no belt) and this is the first time my lats have been sore since I did bro splits years ago. Standard deadlifts don't seem to do this.

I definitely misjudged some lifts, but I think it might not be as hard to learn RPE as I thought. I got a journal to track my RPE estimations, since my phone app (Jefit) doesn't accommodate RPE. I think the biggest challenge for me will be judging RPE with the shorter wait times. Thats where I really ran into trouble yesterday, even though it's the low volume week as it is. For example with my squat:

I just max'd last week at a 340LB squat, so the charts have my 5 rep RPE 8 at 275.

255x5 was at most a 6
265x5 felt like 7.5 or so
270x5 was a 9+ even though it was only 5LB more.

Hopefully my work capacity adjusts and gets better though. My wife was very happy with the faster pace workout. She hated waiting for my 8+ minutes rest times.

Thanks again for the insight.

[Royce Nichols]

Be sure to film yourself and look at bar speed and your technique. Those can rate higher RPE

[Bergstedt]

I just finished week 7 of The Bridge last week and I must say that it was a truly learning experience, incorporating RPE and the different variations, as well as a much needed increase of work capacity with the shorter rest times, GPP days and higher rep ranges and overall higher volume than I was used to. Gauging RPE only gets easier and it is a nice feeling then GPP day isn't 25-30 minutes of near-death experience.

Good luck!

[ChasingCurls69]

I didn't want to change the intended stimulus of the rows, so I did power cleans on GPP day, usually 10x1 with 1 minute rest before doing the rest.

[timelinex]

I don't want to take out the Barbell Rows either since my Power Clean isn't heavy enough to help my DL. However it looks like the Barbell Rows always have an extra set compared to all the other exercises. So I think what I will do is just change one of those row sets to a 10x1 Power Clean sets.

I tried the Power Cleans again yesterday and really enjoyed doing them. So I'm sure I want to add them.

What do you guys think about that substitution?

[GrizzlyAdam]

I like the idea of using them as part of the DL warmup. Just work up to a max single powerclean, then move on to deadlifting. Maybe do it before both comp deadlift and supplemental pulls. That's decent exposure.