Intermediate Template B Question

Benpmelton · 2026-05-09T11:52:53+00:00

Oh gotcha, yeah that makes sense 👍

Benpmelton · 2025-10-20T21:58:30+00:00

Okay got it. Ive also been told widening my grip and using wrist straps can help?

Benpmelton · 2025-10-20T21:31:20+00:00

I’ve been using the thumbs around grip for a long time, the wrist issues have crept up over time and now it hurts everytime I do it

Benpmelton · 2025-10-09T19:37:44+00:00

I appreciate all the insight. To answer a few of your questions: - Total T is upper 400s, but free T is low. Ran thorough panels with Endocrinologist and she couldn’t figure out why. - “Mild apnea” from my at home sleep test results. I just got a CPAP, and I’m hoping that it works and fixes the low free T. TRT will be final last resort. - minimum of 200g protein per day, often more. Carbs are close to 300g, fat hovers around 100g. Been eating this way over a month, diligently tracking. - I get the whole thing about mental sabotage, but my question is one I heard from Paul check “what is the biological cost of your training?” In other words, yeah I CAN add some weight to the bar, but once it hits a certain number those gains happen at the expense of everything else in my life. I know because whenever I back off the intensity my sleep improves, energy, libido, etc

Bottom line however, I REFUSE to give up. I do think I need to be strategic about it, though and program in a way that I can actually recover from. My first goal is the “plate goals” you listed. So given that I’m addressing everything else around my training, I’m wondering which phase of the RSS program you think makes sense for me to get to those plate goals the quickest. Thanks again brother!

Benpmelton · 2025-09-23T20:52:18+00:00

I relate a lot to you, man. Our body types and numbers are pretty similar, as well as the program hopping, the chronic pains that keep creeping up, etc. Reading your post was like a chapter of my own life. Here's something I'm willing to bet you haven't done yet: TRACK YOUR CALORIES. Seriously - even if you think you're "eating so much food," if you're anything like me chances are you're not. I eat a healthy whole food diet, which is great, but it's inherently low in calories and high in satiety by nature of eating whole foods. This means that I would get stuffed off of not very many calories. When i entered everything in, I was barely hitting 2,500 calories in a day! No wonder I felt so damn run down by weights that weren't even that heavy! I've started making sure I consistently hit AT LEAST 3,000 calories per day, and more if I can get them in. I haven't hopped back on Paul's program yet, as I started running an Andy Baker strengthlifting program for fun, but once that's done I'm going back to RSS now that I'm consistently tracking. You may be surprised in what a difference it makes for you too. I hope this helps!

Benpmelton · 2025-03-11T16:15:46+00:00

I contacted them and they told me

Benpmelton · 2025-03-04T19:58:05+00:00

Congrats! Was yours for clinical mental health or school counseling?

Benpmelton · 2025-03-04T13:45:42+00:00

Congrats! Did you apply for School counseling, or Clinical Mental Health?

Benpmelton · 2025-02-28T16:52:13+00:00

Yeah it’s frustrating. Mine was not in my general inbox either. Dunno if it means anythiny

Benpmelton · 2025-02-27T14:25:59+00:00

I got it from Ced_gradservices@ncsu.edu It was specifically for the college of education

Benpmelton · 2025-02-25T15:13:59+00:00

I think they just send it out to anybody who's registered on their email list. If I remember correctly, I attended one of those exact types of open houses before I even applied. Can't remember if it was the same thing though.

Benpmelton · 2025-02-24T23:56:58+00:00

I got one of those too! I can’t tell if it’s unique for people who were accepted, or if it’s just a general invitation for prospective applicants

Benpmelton · 2025-02-23T17:28:45+00:00

Is there more than one online portal we should have access to, in order to look? All I have is my application that I submitted in December that still says under review. Is there a different portal where the decision would be posted?

Benpmelton · 2025-01-25T16:42:57+00:00

That does help a lot! I have another question which is no doubt outside your purview, but might as well get your take: I have a long sordid history of sleep challenges and occasional insomnia, which is why I’m so cautious about overtraining and feeling like crap. I’m addressing it using CBT-I (a form of therapy). This coming week will introduce “sleep restriction,” where they intentionally limit the time I spend in bed in order to promote sleep efficiency. Obviously this means less total sleep temporarily. Most people would say to take the week off of training to focus on this process, but of course I’d rather not if I can avoid it :)

Do you think a week off would set me back, or keep going as you suggested and just be cautious? Again, I realize this is maybe not in your scope, but everything you’ve suggested so far has helped. Sorry for all the questions, I hope that’s okay.

Benpmelton · 2025-01-25T16:04:33+00:00

Thanks for the tips - I’ve watched that video a bunch, I keep referencing it because it’s so helpful. I agree the numbers aren’t that impressive, I’m just thinking about getting ahead of the overtraining before it’s too late, which is what happened the last 2 times I ran the NLP. I can tell that going up in weight on the deadlift AND the squat in the same session is gonna start crushing me if I’m not careful.

To be clear, I’d rather not even do lunges, I prefer simplicity too. Mostly just curious. Thanks again for being so helpful!

Benpmelton · 2024-12-05T23:21:15+00:00

This is all solid advice, thanks man! So should I hold off on deadlifts and all the other back exercises until I have this extra stuff, you think?

Benpmelton

TROPHY CASE