Would you not try mix it up with some low-rep-higher-weight stuff?
Especially if you're looking for strength gains.
Two days a week I'm down to 5's & 3's (see previous entries for bench and squat)
I've been down to lower reps on both squat and bench since June really (If I get 4 sessions in a week I do a heavy weight / low rep day on the bench and a lighter weight / higher reps day on the bench as well)
Last night I should have been squatting, which would have been for 5's, but I tweaked my calf last week and while it seems fine I didn't want to overly aggravate it (especially as I have to play football tonight)
The only main lift I'm still at high reps across the board is the deadlift, and then high reps on the accessory stuff as well.
For example, in terms of volume lifted in your session (this isn't really as linear as I'm making it out to be)
You've shifted 85% of your total workout before you even get to the big weights! You can't be expected to be fresh enough to be killing the heavier weights here. Lifting a tiny % extra weight (for the 1 rep) more than your last session every time will keep your body from getting used to a weight, meaning it constantly strives to improve. Keeps the testosterone flowing etc
Compare that to suggested
You're lifting twice as much volume but the difference is you're putting the reps in all at higher weights (70% of the volume lifted is at the biggest weight) (15 is split as 5 , 5 , 5) but you could go 3,3,3 if you wished either.
Just a suggestion, think Mellor and Lurker both corrected me on it when I started too.
All fair points Emmet, and suggestions and help are always very welcome, even abuse is welcome if it has the desired effect but it's a very particular session that you're evaluating in the above.
However in general your point is well made, I probably do put an overemphasis on the need for a "warm-up" set of lifts, and I could probably cut down there right across the board. Of course your overall point makes all the sense in the world as well, the more weight lifted on irrelevant weights the more fatigued I am by the time I get to the end.
I think in the session in question I would have lifted 100kg if I skipped 97.5kg for example. However lifting 102.5kg after 97.5kg just wasn't going to happen
In either event, while I'm gratified at your faith, I think 3 sets of 5 at 100kg is a little bit away for me yet
Granted, I'm probably back over it before the day is out but the plan is to keep it moving slowly downwards from here.
I've 4 weeks until my holiday so I won't be making any new goals until I come back from that. In the meantime the plan is just to keep training and the diet as right as possible.
I was stupid enough to turn up for an 11-a-side match last Wednesday and play despite my calf feeling tight in the warm-up. Eventually came off when I literally couldn't walk anymore and I've been limping ever since.
Much better today, but in all honesty probably means no deadlifting or squatting until I'm back from my holiday in October
Calf injury is a real pain in the ass, can only really do upper body work so my sessions are starting to meld into each other. My triceps look like I've pumping my arms full of water or something....
By immediately I mean after I peeled myself off the ceiling from jumping when he started digging into my quads
fuck me how I can walk around all day with muscles that tight and not know about it is beyond me. Every single muscle was wound up beyond imagining. No real surprise that my left leg was significantly tighter than the right, it's been carrying it around for the last month
Still not right. Hadn't felt anything from the calf for over a week and thought that I might have been able to ease into it. Warm up was fine but as soon as I started squatting with the bar it just didn't feel right. A lot of pain in the knee (which generally is because my calf is tight) went and foam rolled again for 10 minutes but I wasn't getting much joy from the calf even with rolling. It was wound tight as a spring.
I'll give it another week and see how I am.
Of course this means that I was now on my 3rd day in a row doing upper body work. I know it's different muscle groups but there was definitely an internal groan
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