Tuesday, January 8, 2008

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.

No comments: