My New Training Paradigm

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wiigelec
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Age: 48

My New Training Paradigm

#1

Post by wiigelec » Wed Aug 24, 2022 4:46 pm

I haven't made appreciable progress in 8 years. There I said it. Out loud, in public, around people to whom it might matter.

Why, might you ask? Because I'd trusted gurus and their followers, believed that low volume and high intensity was the way. If it wasn't hard it wasn't worth doing. If you weren't grinding out new rep max PR's on a daily or weekly basis you weren't following the program. That it always worked for everybody when they did it correctly. That if it wasn't working it was my fault.

Well I'm done with that shit. I'm done blaming myself. I'm training resistant. I know that because I was 6'1" and 135 pounds when I graduated from college. My nickname all through junior high and high school was "twig". When I sneeze I shed lean body mass. My LP ended early with less than average numbers. I was a drug and alcohol addict for the better part of my life (sober now four years). I know now that being training resistant means I need more work, more volume, more accumulated tonnage, and more time to make progress.

I've been listening to BBM and bought a couple of their templates, so that is what I'm going to be following for now. Ironically, when Into the Great Wide Open came out I was one that thought Jordan was a huge douche. I know better now (sorry Jordan).

So the primary parameters of my new training methodology are as follows:

RPE - auto regulation is an important part of a robust training program. One must account for the ups and downs of life and the body's given rate of progress. Arbitrarily adding weight to the bar, regardless, just made me injured and banging my head on a glass ceiling. YOU CAN'T FORCE THE BODY TO ADAPT ANYMORE THAN YOU CAN FORCE THE CAT OUT FROM UNDER THE COUCH. GainzZz have to be coaxed and carefully curated while managing fatigue. Here kitty kitty kitty.

70% - this seems to be the number for intensity. Go ahead, lift light weights, you have my permission. Thanks, Mark, I think I will.

More volume (and work capacity) - need more volume and the SRA is not a discreet event that occurs every 48 hours as a "beginner", 7 days as an "intermediate", and 30+ days as an "advanced". It's a continuous process. Volume has to be appropriate for one's training sensitivity and not training level, and I need more volume, not less.

So I'm going to try this for a while, see where I'm at in another 8 years. Maybe it won't work either, who knows? Wish me luck!

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JohnHelton
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Re: My New Training Paradigm

#2

Post by JohnHelton » Wed Aug 24, 2022 5:54 pm

I've had a pretty good run by avoiding any sort of grinding. However, recently I've started to follow Austin's lead regarding a heavy single followed by light backoff sets based on that single. Depending on the week, I will be doing work anywhere from 65%->80% with all sets at too low an RPE to rate. It is so easy to try to force gains, but it just doesn't work that way.

I wouldn't say that I'm doing a ton of volume right now at those weights. I'm cutting and don't want to overload myself too much. Plus, if I start with lower volume and am not making progress then I can slowly step it up. I was considering starting with more volume, but then it wouldn't be clear if I needed more or less volume in order to drive gains (assuming I was stalled).

Feel free to share the specifics of your program if you want any feedback. Also, create a log if you haven't. It will be fun to follow your progress.

GeoffBUK
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Location: Darlington UK
Age: 46

Re: My New Training Paradigm

#3

Post by GeoffBUK » Wed Aug 24, 2022 11:05 pm

I spun my wheels for years on end, not SS but the old 'Hardgainer' style training that constantly pushed the idea if you weren't progressing you were over training, one set to faliure very infrequently, lots of people pushed the idea training resistant people should train this way, I've only made some reasonable progress since trying more frequent training and then HVLF, I've had some good results with John Hanleys Montana method type training, still weak but stronger at 45 than I ever have been, this type of training is more productive, and more fun ( I used to dread high rep leg work to faliure or as close as I could tolerate)
Best of luck to you!

brkriete
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Age: 44

Re: My New Training Paradigm

#4

Post by brkriete » Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:05 am

I just started using Average to Savage 2.0 through the Gravitus app. It is very different than what I've been doing - many more sets at MUCH lighter weight, using RPE, and app-based. I'm only a couple weeks in. Will be interesting to see where I end up. Since it is so different from anything I've ever done I feel like I will make good progress; simply mixing things up and adding novelty often makes a big difference. Long winded way to say: I understand why you want to make a change and support you - good luck!

dw
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Re: My New Training Paradigm

#5

Post by dw » Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:36 am

I'm also a low responder who did absolutely terribly on SS despite massive weight gain. To me high volume bodybuilding style programming was a revelation.

You just come up with a split that covers all the muscle groups you care about, do it in a moderate calorie surplus, and add volume to whichever movements are not regularly progressing.

The downside of this is you will probably end up taking a break from high intensity SBD so you won't be setting new 1 RM PRs. But the feeling of years of more or less steady progress after endless wheel spinning is great.

wiigelec
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Age: 48

Re: My New Training Paradigm

#6

Post by wiigelec » Sun Sep 04, 2022 9:17 am

I’ve read a bunch of articles from Stronger by Science, including the genetic potential series with calculators.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Rip wanted me to be someone I’m not, whereas Greg wants me to make the most of who I am.

wiigelec
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Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:21 pm
Age: 48

Re: My New Training Paradigm

#7

Post by wiigelec » Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:04 am

One thing I’m enjoying about training right now is going to the weight room excited to see what I’ve got for the day, rather than stressing about putting up an arbitrary weight slightly heavier than the one I barely got last session.

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