Speed

I was thinking about the whole speed work thing and I got worried about it. I figure you would probably mention to me before you tried anything but just in case:

I don't want you to overgeneralize what I said about speed-strength versus power, versus strength-speed and the training at the higher percentages of 1rm. While it is all true think SAFETY first. It's one thing to hit some bench work at 65 or 70% for speed. I just don't want you to suddenly decide one day to try that with some deadlifts or jump squats or something . It would of course be better to start with the lighter loads on stuff like that and then increase it after you see how it goes. So just making sure because sometimes you get a wild hair up you butt

BRW, I noticed you did 55% bench work. Something I do (and this is done by westside also) is to move up and down through the loads ("waved" lol). So like 55% to 60% to 65% to 70%. Most like to only go to 70 and then back down to 50 and start over (if they want to). I like to go all the way to 80. This is something you could try also for your bench.

Again, though, I think at this point you will find more benefit with work in the strength-speed area. I.E. it would be better to tend towards increasing maximum strength rather than trying to maximize "power".

So that this makes sense to you I will use your F=MA thingy to help explain it. That's not a perfect physical description for barbell lifting but it's the closest thing we've got. We'll ignore distance since it will never change.

To explain what power means as opposed to speed-strength or strength-speed look at the equation.

So Force=Mass x Acceleration.

We think of mass simply as the actual amount of pounds we exerting against the bar. For acceleration we'll look at that in very simple terms to, while it is not really that simple in fact because you have peak acceleration versus "starting strength or acceleration" (aka EXPLOSION). All of that makes for complicated reasons to train speed in different ways. But most people when they do speed training they are looking to increase starting strength which is about recruiting many fast twitch fibers as quickly as possible PLUS elastic or plyometric energy.

But let's ignore all that and try to just keep it simple.

If you look at the equation F=MA you can define POWER as the place where mass and acceleration are contributing equal amounts.

So like if Force is 16 then mass and acceleration are both 4

SO that is the realm that most people are going for. The percentage of load that allows them to get just about the same contribution from MASS (strength) and ACCELERATION (speed).

If there is more contribution from speed than mass then you are getting in the speed-strength area. Think loads like 25% rather than the 40 to 50% that most people talk about. So maybe say if force is 16 than speed is 8 and mass is 2 (you get the point, it's exagerated).

Ok, so strength-speed is when MASS gives more of a contribution than speed.

Now think about specificity. What does specificity tell us? Working on POWER, while it will give us some improvement in are absolute ability, will really only give us the most most improvement in POWER. I mean power in the sense that we are using here. There are of course other ways to use it.

If you look at it that way you see why I say we should look at the whole continuum.

When coaches and scientists use studies to determine the best percentages to develop power they are not looking at whether it improves 1RM! Most people don't seem to realize that. They are using a pre-measured 1RM to see which percentages allow the best POWER for the althletes (which is measured and collected in various ways and not always the same so....)

You see the difference there?

That is not to say that working in the power range doesn't help improve many people's max strength. Of course people have great success with that. Especially those that are slow grinders.

But it is one thing to try it and no that it works for you. It is another when authors say "use 40 to 50% for speed" based on studies that don't even have much to do with absolute strength. So in other words you have to try stuff through the whole continuum.

OK, that's about it. The only other thing is that INTENTION is everything. Even a 90% load if done with the very focused INTENTION of doing it super fast can make all the difference, even if it is not actually all that fast.

Advanced stage of Pressing

You are getting to advanced stages with your pressing so after a little while I think it's going to be time for you to start training it with in a more advanced way.

You've been going a little more aggresively, which I think did you good. I know you are going to drop the weight back and do higher reps. I think after that you should raise the weight about 5 pounds and establish a baseline volume of about 3x5 to 6. Then go back to the more conservative approach you were taking when you first started doing MP's with triple progression. I.E. allowing volume to rise, then drop down as weight increases, etc. Hopefully this should allow you to hit around 140 with similar volume.

After that you are more than strong enough to train it like a big boy and leave all the RE stuff to the secondary assistance. That will mean singles, doubles, and triples in the 80 to 90% range. We'll talk about techniques later.

The most important thing I can tell you about that is that it is QUALITY or QUANTITY. When you are doing that, it will not only be your main way of pressing it will be synonomous with explosivity. So in essense strength-speed training (although more in the strength side of things) will be regular training. It's all about intention and your intention will be to push the bar as powerfully and fast as possible.

The other thing is that you have to REST if you want to get strong this way. If I tell you to do 8 singles at 90% and you are not able to do that...i will suspect you didn't allow yourself the rest you needed. Again, QUALITY. You'll always have other stuff to satisfy the bodybuilder in you.

Basically what I'm saying is that it will be training more in the strength end of things rather than a mixture of strength and size (not exactly accurate but a handy distinction between 5x5 type or RE type stuff and what I'm talking about).

Military Press Plateau @ 132 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

Ok, I looked at you last 4 or 5 mps sessions. Of course you know that viewing one exercise in isolation isn't the whole answer but at I at least wanted to see all the workouts together.

Looking at all the different sets and kinda averaging things out it looks like you haven't exactly 'stagnated' but just slowed down a bit in progression. One thing I've noticed is that you have been more focused on adding sets than reps. This really ups the volume and when you add in all the needless backoff sets you do sometimes plus all the other pressing you could be overvolumizing yourself.

If you are doing something like:

130x5x3

You try to go:

130x6x3

Then you immeditate try to add a bit of weight....

That is fine except when the plan doesn't work you stubbornly stick to it

So if you hit
130x5x3
130x6x3
132x5x2...and can't complete the sets with 132 or whatever:

Instead of beating your head against the wall working with the 132 next time go back to the 130 (hell, or even a bit lighter) and add more reps. You are overly focused on moderate reps. You have had a pretty good run with the MP's keeping it all really thick so it is completely to be expected that progression may mean the volume drops up and down a bit.

Even if you take the 130 and end up doing 3 sets of 9 or 10 with decent speed when you go and add back on weight you are damn sure probably going to get your 15 reps or 18 even. I think you have gotten a short term goal in mind and maybe getting a little impatient.

HOWEVER, I notice it was 17 days or so between this and the last MP workout (is that right?) so it's not surprising that things felt a bit odd.

You will just have to try different ways of moving forward. Don't get too greedy with the volume all the time.

Now, when you have these days where things start off feeling "not right", and you feel slow, weak, etc. so on...the best thing you can do is STOP, regather youself, and spend some more time with low rep sets and good rest periods to try to get your body to respond. You have to learn when it is time to decide it just ain't going to happen and when you may need to come at it through the back door. That is hard to do and to this day I still don't always know myself.

But you may be surprised how a little patient plodding, working things up slowly, methodically, utilysing fatigue mangagement, until things start to feel right can sometimes reward you not only with the workout you were looking for but even a PR.

You can always do a quality volume day like you did before. All those low rep sets so you can get bar speed up with heavir weights can make a huge difference. Notice that this can be considered de (with heavy weights) only the purpose is to get in some appreciable volume while keeping fatigue down. Whereas with true DE work there is a finite number of reps that are really worthwhile.

Refer back to this workout:

did a LOT of sets for these. ill list them right from warm-up:
95x5
115x2
*work sets from now on*
135x3
140x2
145x2
150x2
155x1
120 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets

And use it as a template for what you may be able to do. Walking out of the gym having done 160x1 or 2 (3?) could do wonders for your peace of mind . Especially if you followed it with 125 or 130x7 or 8 x 2 or 3 with good bar speed.

The only other thing is the secondary overhead pressing you do on MP days. Again, you have to consider whether it is too much or is it really helping. Sometimes taking something away or reducing it is just as helpful as adding something...more times than not, actually.

Deadlift Plan when i hit 265x5

Quote:

i understood what you mean about adding volume by doing more static sets. what would you have me do next time, then, sir?

Well, I assume that when you say volume you are talking about "volume+weight" or workload. Not really what I'm worried about right now as far as sets across equalling more weight lifted. Obviously you will not always be doing sets across with 1,2,3 progression. I was really thinking of something much more basic than that. Simply put, starting with a static weight for whatever sets makes it easier to proceed

You did:

Deadlifts
255 lbs x 8 reps
265 lbs x 4 reps
185 lbs x 10 reps (back off set)


The problem I'm seeing is the plate availibility. Ideally, in this situation I'd want you to take 260 because you could probably do 3 sets with 5 or 6 on that and then you'd have a nice solid round amount from which to proceed.

But let's assume that 265 will allow you to do at least 2 sets of 6 or maybe a bit more. So why don't you go straight to 265 and do that for 2 or 3 sets (not to failure of course). Then next time you simply add whatever seems appropriate.

Now about your progression on deads and how fast it is that is really up to you. It seems like you are out of the woods with you back injury so you should be able to move forward pretty quickly.

I'm going to give you some things to be aware of and some examples. BUT I DO NOT want you to take any of it as a PLAN. It is just examples for the sake of explanation.

When you are progressing this way you are not going to failure all the time. And with deads it is usually best to avoid failure most of the time. But, yes sometimes you can push it a bit.

Now, the problem, as I think I've warned you in the past is that "workload" taken by itself doesn't say everything. It is just one other factor, right? I mean, quite simply, if you lift 300 total pounds in 2 minutes one time and then the next time you lift 350 pounds that seems like progress. But if it takes you 5 minutes to lift that 350 pounds it's not progress at all! In fact you've done less "work" than last time. Likewise if it takes you 3.5 minutes. And especially when you are trying to stay away from failure on every set so you are leaving something in the tank. So when you allow more rest to get a little more weight another set, sometimes you are just using the 'fuel' that you already had the last time....you are not doing something you weren't already capable of.

Is there anything ultimately wrong with that? No, not always (Notwithstanding extreme examples like the 5 minute thing). You know that a tendency toward forward progress over time is what it is about. But you can't have it average out to be a snail's pace all the time . Especially during periods when you are capable of progressing quite well and quickly.

Progressing this way is great for you on deads because it covers a lot of needs plus it allows sustained progression for a longer period than would otherwise happen if only one paraeter was being manipulated. However you don't want to turn into something that is counterproductive.

Taking the example from above:

If you do 265x6x2 and that seems like all you should do, then next time you want to add a set, so you build up,

265x6x2, 265x4x1
265x7x2, 265x5x1
265x7x3

Just as an example not that you would likely move that slow. But that would be perfectly logical.

But then say you wanted to add more sets and get away from the moderately high reps so you do

265x5x5

And then you're all please because you did 2 more sets and more total reps. But look at the time, just thinking of the rest periods as total time, not the time doing the sets:

265x7 w/3 mins x 3 sets = 6 minutes rest.
265x5x5 w/3 minutes = 12 minutes rest

So the second bolded workout takes twice as long for a grand total of 3 more reps. All you've really accomplished is to DECREASE the DENSITY and add a couple of reps that you could have done with the first workout anyway given some more rest. So as far as you body is concerned you've given it a break.

Now, that may be just what the doctor ordered sometimes but the purpose of this is sustained progression not wasted workouts. So you need to be loosely aware of time.

And this is why looking at workload and volume alone is misleading.

Taking the same example but with a different choice for the second workout

265x7x3
275x5x4

So 6 minutes total for the first workout and 9 minutes total for the second bolded workout.

In the first example you increased volume a bit but decreased density to the point where there is not overload at all.

In the second workout you decrease volume a tiny bit, and density a little, but you increase intensity. So with the first workout you actually just decrease everything. Because reps for the sake of reps are meaningless in this scenario.

But the bit of of challenge in the second example over the course of many workouts is what equals to sustained progression. But also concider that in the second example it is a very conservative example of the kind of progress you will make, as you have seen in the past.

So to sum it up, these main parameters to be considered.

Intensity, volume/density, volume/workload.

The thing that ties it together is time. You do want to load the bar as often as possible and I would like to see you become more agressive in the coming weeks. Maybe just think of it as building up the agressiveness. So be careful but don't be ridiculously slow about it.

Anyway, next time use 265 for 2 or 3 sets of whatever. I'm gonna assume you can actually do 3 sets.