Experiences on BBM Templates

[mouse]

How do you rate the added exercise selection? Did they change GPP at all?

The new protocols look much better.

So the exercise selection didn't change much if at all... biggest change is swapping Exercise 3 on Day 1 with Exercise 2 on Day 4 which makes it more balanced in my opinion. GPP changed a little bit, some more specific rep ranges to work for on some stuff, most notably they DOUBLED the bis/tris work so I'm a fan hahaha.

[sterjs]

So the exercise selection didn't change much if at all... biggest change is swapping Exercise 3 on Day 1 with Exercise 2 on Day 4 which makes it more balanced in my opinion.

So there are no dropdowns for selecting exercises?

[mouse]

So the exercise selection didn't change much if at all... biggest change is swapping Exercise 3 on Day 1 with Exercise 2 on Day 4 which makes it more balanced in my opinion.

So there are no dropdowns for selecting exercises?

No, that's kind of what I was expecting but 'adding' selection is more like instead of a slot for 'Pendlay Rows' it's now 'Pendlay Rows, or T Bar Rows, or Row Something' lol

Fine with me, when I finally get to run it I love my parallel t-bar handle...

[sterjs]

So there are no dropdowns for selecting exercises?

No, that's kind of what I was expecting but 'adding' selection is more like instead of a slot for 'Pendlay Rows' it's now 'Pendlay Rows, or T Bar Rows, or Row Something' lol

Damn. Props to them for improving their programs, but their spreadsheets are execrable. They should absolutely provide dropdown exercise selections at this price point.

[sklunk]

The endurance template had some noticeable decreases in intensity, but I looked through hypertrophy 2, powerbuilding 2, and powerlifting 2 and didn't see any changes to the actual programming, just added exercise selection options. Maybe I'm missing something?

So maybe you started with a more recent update than I do on PBII... but it's drastically different. My most recent is V3.2 compared to V4.0 that they just sent me, and (without giving anything else away) this is W1D1...

OLD:
Squat - 6@7, 6@8, 6@9
CG Incline Bench - 10@7, 10@8, 10@9
Split Squats - 12@7, 12@8, 12@9
Leg Extensions - 2x12-15 @8-9

My “updated” copy still looks like this. A lot of @9s. Guess I really am missing something.

[mouse]

The endurance template had some noticeable decreases in intensity, but I looked through hypertrophy 2, powerbuilding 2, and powerlifting 2 and didn't see any changes to the actual programming, just added exercise selection options. Maybe I'm missing something?

So maybe you started with a more recent update than I do on PBII... but it's drastically different. My most recent is V3.2 compared to V4.0 that they just sent me, and (without giving anything else away) this is W1D1...

OLD:
Squat - 6@7, 6@8, 6@9
CG Incline Bench - 10@7, 10@8, 10@9
Split Squats - 12@7, 12@8, 12@9
Leg Extensions - 2x12-15 @8-9

My “updated” copy still looks like this. A lot of @9s. Guess I really am missing something.

You verify you have 4.0 on the main sheet? Maybe they're playing some sort of trick on me... or maybe I lucked out and the automatic updating through accounts is wonky and I have the only real copy...

So there are no dropdowns for selecting exercises?

No, that's kind of what I was expecting but 'adding' selection is more like instead of a slot for 'Pendlay Rows' it's now 'Pendlay Rows, or T Bar Rows, or Row Something' lol

Damn. Props to them for improving their programs, but their spreadsheets are execrable. They should absolutely provide dropdown exercise selections at this price point.

Gotta say I don't disagree. If for no other reason than it makes the title cells look so much cleaner. I also loved that they had the feature to drop in your own on the strongman one... THAT is great.

[sklunk]

You verify you have 4.0 on the main sheet? Maybe they're playing some sort of trick on me... or maybe I lucked out and the automatic updating through accounts is wonky and I have the only real copy...

I'm a dummy. I just verified it and indeed, the programming for PB2 looks quite a bit different. HOWEVER. I also confirmed that I have the updated powerlifting 2 template and that appears to be the same programming as before. A lot of really high intensity stuff. I was expecting that one to change more than any of the others.

[SnakePlissken]

Noticed PB I is updated as well. Mainly just doing 7/8/9s to 6/7/8s.

Their legacy Press Template isn't updated, but anyone can realize that the 5@9s and backoffs is just too much every week.

[thejosef]

Anybody using their app? I'm on the beta and it's pretty legit... MUCH better than using those terrible spreadsheets.. however the programs in the app are not these new "super updated" versions yet.. but yeah I refuse to use spreadsheets at this point. It's 2021 man!

[James]

Noticed PB I is updated as well. Mainly just doing 7/8/9s to 6/7/8s.

Their legacy Press Template isn't updated, but anyone can realize that the 5@9s and backoffs is just too much every week.

5@9 makes sense when you're using @9 as RTS' version of "a little slow but no grinding" vs everyone else's definition of @9 being " I started bleeding from my eyes but I could have got another rep."

So dropping the RPE is probably just a realignment with public perception.

[dw]

I really don't understand why any other interpretation of RPE is desirable than RPE 9 = you think you had one rep left.

[James]

They both think there's just one rep left. It's just one thinks after that their form will deviate enough for rep lights and the other thinks they'd get pinned or have to dump the bar.

It goes back to the argument about what people consider failure.

[SnakePlissken]

They both think there's just one rep left. It's just one thinks after that their form will deviate enough for rep lights and the other thinks they'd get pinned or have to dump the bar.

It goes back to the argument about what people consider failure.

I remember asking this question on the BBM forums about a year ago and Jordan said to pick one and be consistent with it. That's part of the reason I don't think they were ever hard and fast on that. I have heard Mike T. say that form breakdown is always the key though.

[Allentown]

So, BBM templates are still spreadsheets? Because I don't have a printer and I'm not into trying to read cells on my phone, but I'm giving up and going to put some money into a program but I'm not going to pay for a spreadsheet.

[James]

They're spreadsheets.

What I did was write down week ahead in a note book with a blank for the weight.

Like this

Date
Exercise #1
____*1@8
____*5@9
-5% sets until @9
____@#,#,#,9

[damufunman]

So, BBM templates are still spreadsheets? Because I don't have a printer and I'm not into trying to read cells on my phone, but I'm giving up and going to put some money into a program but I'm not going to pay for a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets are a PITA to use in real time, agreed. There was a couple of threads on here a couple years ago on electronic logging:
viewtopic.php?p=3054#p3054
viewtopic.php?p=147777#p147777

I've taken to copying over all training stuff (even if it's purchased, usually existing in a spreadsheet) into my own system, but maybe a spreadsheet reformatted to have only what you need to see in a single workout on phone would be doable without too much time/effort.

[Allentown]

So, BBM templates are still spreadsheets? Because I don't have a printer and I'm not into trying to read cells on my phone, but I'm giving up and going to put some money into a program but I'm not going to pay for a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets are a PITA to use in real time, agreed. There was a couple of threads on here a couple years ago on electronic logging:
viewtopic.php?p=3054#p3054
viewtopic.php?p=147777#p147777

I've taken to copying over all training stuff (even if it's purchased, usually existing in a spreadsheet) into my own system, but maybe a spreadsheet reformatted to have only what you need to see in a single workout on phone would be doable without too much time/effort.

I just went with Layne Norton's "workout builder" which has a decent web UI. So far, I wish it did some rep adjustments for movement replacements, but otherwise I like it.

[Allentown]

Bought Powerbuilding III. Still a spreadsheet, but outside of occasionally getting stuck in a cell and having to close it to get out, it has worked OK for 4 days so far.
Workouts have been pretty easy in week 1, I could probably double the volume on some stuff with a tad lighter weight but I'm actually going to stick to the program for the first time ever.

[Cleverusername]

Bought Powerbuilding III. Still a spreadsheet, but outside of occasionally getting stuck in a cell and having to close it to get out, it has worked OK for 4 days so far.
Workouts have been pretty easy in week 1, I could probably double the volume on some stuff with a tad lighter weight but I'm actually going to stick to the program for the first time ever.

They have an app now. I have not used it, but it appears you can load up whatever template you purchase in their app.

[dw]

Bought Powerbuilding III. Still a spreadsheet, but outside of occasionally getting stuck in a cell and having to close it to get out, it has worked OK for 4 days so far.
Workouts have been pretty easy in week 1, I could probably double the volume on some stuff with a tad lighter weight but I'm actually going to stick to the program for the first time ever.

Maybe I'm judging things from the skewed perspective of an outlier, but I now think programs with fixed amounts of volume don't make any sense. It's such a critical variable and one that is highly lifter dependent.

Maybe most people are sufficiently bunched up together on the bell curve of volume needs that it doesn't really matter but for me most off the shelf programs will literally do nothing for me (beyond some strength gains in any novel movement the program happens to contain).

The BBM novice program has something like 6 or maybe 8 sets of biceps curls per week. I needed more like 12, and that was just starting. Two years later I do 24 sets.

I digress...