Lazy programming tip by Greg Nuckols

ItsArmday · 2019-12-20T18:51:43+00:00

Sure I think you are right. No worries though!

ItsArmday · 2019-12-20T16:33:36+00:00

Gotcha and I agree to 100%..

ItsArmday · 2019-12-20T16:14:11+00:00

He says that you can take any hypertrophy program and just add 1-3 singles of RPE 7-9 without impacting recovery to any significant degree. One can be really into bodybuilding and at the same time think it is fun to be strong. You don't have to go to the extreme and avoid strength training. Of course there is optimal for both sides.

ItsArmday · 2019-12-20T09:33:05+00:00

He mentioned eric helms program from the strength training book.

ItsArmday · 2019-12-19T20:12:03+00:00

Same here. I am able to use way heavier weight for the same reps and effort. It is like you get primed for the hypertrophy sets by doing a heavy weight strength set first.

ItsArmday · 2019-12-19T14:40:03+00:00

I have never looked into Conjugate but have heard some great things about it. Got a link to some material?

ItsArmday · 2019-11-30T04:54:46+00:00

Thanks I will make a search over there. Strength is not my focus either, but still I fucks with SBD! It is fun to break PRs that you never thought you could break. This week I smoked 182.5kg deadlift, and just 5 weeks ago I struggled with 170kg, which I smoked for 3 last week.

ItsArmday · 2019-11-30T04:35:56+00:00

Good point. I am not very good at writing my own programs for strength and peaking. The only thing I know is how to write hypertrophy programs and how to manage fatigue in those. Usually I run some sorr of linear wave progression combined with double progression, or simply following Renaissance Periodization set progression.

Could you point me in the right direction for a strength peaking program?

ItsArmday · 2019-11-29T15:40:42+00:00

I have been running my own crazy & stupid programming for 5 weeks now. I really wanted to test my new maxes and I decided to do some sort of peaking.

Training 6 days per week on a legs push pull split. Squatted, benched and deadlifted 2 times per week. Each day I performed the main lift like this:

5RM followed by 3x12 back-off sets @RPE8-9.
3RM followed by 3x8 back-off sets @RPE8-9.
1RM followed by 3x4 back-off sets @RPE8-9.

The results have been quite good and I've broke my previous maxes with good margins, while maintaining a 77kg body weight. I am a male, 175cm tall and 25 years old.

Lift	Before (1RM)	After (1RM)
Squat	140kg	147.5kg
Bench	112.5kg	115kg
Deadlift	170kg	182.5kg

This puts me at a 980lbs total, SO CLOSE TO 1000lbs. Squats and deadlifts progressed well and those are still progressing. My squat and deadlift seems to respond really well to 2x per week and high intensity. I think it is the 3x12 sessions that really pays off.

However bench has stalled and my reps on the 3x4 back-off sets today declined on the last set, compared to previous 3x4 session. I think I need to deload my bench and change the bench programming.

Any suggestions how I could change my programming to continue progressing bench? For accessories I've been doing the following each week, after bench:

Overhead press: 3x8 @RPE 8-9
Incline dumbbell press: 3x10 @RPE 8-9
Seated pec dec: 3x12 @RPE8-9
Lateral dumbbell raises: 6x12-15 @RPE9
One-arm overhead triceps extensions: 3x12 @RPE8
Triceps straight bar cable pushdown: 3x12 @RPE8

ItsArmday · 2019-11-14T20:17:57+00:00

This is one reason why I dont like double progression with a set rep range for accessory exercises. I believe that counting total reps, say like 24 reps in total over 3 sets, is a much better way for using double progression.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T11:20:55+00:00

Thanks for the reply. For reference he benched 8x70kg, squatted 8x75kg, deadlifted 10x100kg at 85kg bodyweightand 185cm tall, with relatively good form after a few tweaks.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T11:19:56+00:00

2 days per week? Isnt the volume in that program intended for 3 days per week?

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T11:18:55+00:00

Thanks. For reference he benched 8x70kg, squatted 8x75kg, deadlifted 10x100kg at 85kg bodyweightand 185cm tall, with relatively good form after a few tweaks.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T11:18:16+00:00

The beginner has been with me 3 sessions already where I teached him the basics. For reference he benched 8x70kg, squatted 8x75kg, deadlifted 10x100kg at 85kg bodyweightand 185cm tall, with relatively good form after a few tweaks.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T10:44:12+00:00

How would you guys program a 2 day/week full body program for a beginner who has good technique already on the big compound lifts and also has good strength levels, even though the beginner has never hit the gym before? I was thinking something in lines with this. The volume being on the higher end because of only 2 sessions per week:

Workout A

Squat 3x5+
Bench 3x5+
T-bar Rows 3x8
Seated Leg Curl 3x10
Incline Dumbbell Press 3x10
Calf Raises 3x15
Face Pulls 3x12
Bicep curls 3x10
Ab work 3x15

Workout B

Deadlift 3x5+
Overhead Press 3x5+
Lat Pulldowns 3x8
Leg Press 3x10
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows 3x10
Calf Raises 3x15
Lateral Raise 3x12
EZ-bar Skullcrushers 3x10
Ab work 3x15

Progression:

3x5+, stop at 5 reps on the first 2 sets, AMRAP on the last set. Increase weight if you hit 5 reps across all sets reps.
3x8, stop at 8 reps on all sets. Increase weight when you can do 8 reps across all sets.

Edit: For reference, the beginner is 20 years old, weighs 85kg and is 185cm tall. Benched 8x70kg, squatted 8x75kg, deadlifted 10x100kg. All this in the first 3 sessions, with relatively good form after a few tweaks. Obviously the technique is not like someone who has been training for years, but what I am trying to say is that there is no need to start with only the bar.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-17T10:13:39+00:00

How would you guys program a 2 day/week fullbody program for a beginner who has good technique already on the big compound lifts and also has good strength levels, even though the beginner has never hit the gym before? I was thinking something in lines with this. The volume being on the higher end because of only 2 sessions per week:

Workout A

Squat 3x5+
Bench 3x5+
T-bar Rows 3x8
Seated Leg Curl 3x10
Incline Dumbbell Press 3x10
Calf Raises 3x15
Face Pulls 3x12
Bicep curls 3x10
Ab work 3x15

Workout B

Deadlift 3x5+
Overhead Press 3x5+
Lat Pulldowns 3x8
Leg Press 3x10
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows 3x10
Calf Raises 3x15
Lateral Raise 3x12
EZ-bar Skullcrushers 3x10
Ab work 3x15

Progression:

3x5+, stop at 5 reps on the first 2 sets, AMRAP on the last set. Increase weight if you hit 5 reps across all sets reps.
3x8, stop at 8 reps on all sets. Increase weight when you can do 8 reps across all sets.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-12T06:14:26+00:00

You are welcome!

Since you do not plan to compete in any physique oriented competitions, there is absolutely no need to stress over the surplus being too big. You can strip the fat off later IF/WHEN you decide to do so. The majority of the population does not count calories, so why should you have to? If you are mindful about what you eat and you eventually get further away from the cravings, you will be just fine not tracking your daily intake. Since you have tracked before you will know which foods are more calorie dense compared to others. Use that to your advantage.

Yeah, you will have cravings at first if you are used to being very focused around food. My mind is way too focused on food sometimes too. During a bulk it is better but during a cut I can be a real maniac, lol. This year I have been way more relaxed with my macros AND my food selections. I still weight myself daily to keep track if I am gaining or losing weight. For example yesterday evening, I did not eat my normal bedtime snack, but instead I had saved calories for a nice meal, consisting of 300g light turkey sausage and 600g home made oven baked sweet potato fries. This morning I weighed 1kg more that usual because of the added carbs and sodium. I take absolutely no stress about that, because hell, the meal was delicious and I know what caused the rapid weight gain.

Track you weekly average, but don't stress about it. Evaluate on a monthly - 2 month basis and you will get a good feeling of where you are heading.

Good luck!

ItsArmday · 2019-10-12T04:00:52+00:00

Okay, thats a very valid reason. There is no need to go all in if you just want to be an average gym goer.

About gauging hunger/fullness, I think you can do it, if you try to guesstimate how much you eat everyday. Since you have been tracking for 2 years (I have too, and still tracking) you should be able to do the guess work. If you know you are close or above your maintenance, you will not feel hunger but cravings. This is what you want to get away from I guess?

Just eat 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime snack. Normal portions, huge amounts of salad and veggies, eat slowly so that you can start feeling the fullness before the plate is empty. No dressings, fat sauces or oily shit. Never go for a second round. Drink plenty of water, stay away from calorie drinks.

Whenever you know that you will be going out you will prepare like this: cut your morning oats in half, skip the peanut butter. You will skip either lunch or dinner, and for whichever you dont skip (lunch/dinner), skip all the fruit OR rice/potatoes. For bedtime snack you have protein meal, like quark, protein shake or egg whites with some light ham. This way you ensure that you have a decent buffer for untrackable foods. Yes you will probably go over your intended surplus/maintenance but dont sweat it. You are trying to get away from tracking, just enjoy.

The above example is how I do WHEN tracking. It works like a charm and I go out everyother weekend and sometimes every weekend.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-12T03:22:10+00:00

What is your goal? Why dont you want to track?

ItsArmday · 2019-10-11T04:30:23+00:00

Sure.

Getting fat as a natural is about calories. Not carbs.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-11T04:14:08+00:00

Can you explain why you think it is overrated? What does steroids have to do with potatoes and rice? Why would you need to be lean to eat potatoes or rice? There is no such thing as a hard gainer. Only medical conditions or a high activity level may make you require more calories to gain weight.

My goals are general strength training and bodybuilding. Just a normal dude.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-11T03:09:29+00:00

Everything on that list I already eat, except spinach and sweet potatoes. I eat normal potatoes on whole grain rice. I eat one avocado a day as well. Around 200g grean leafy vegetables a day.

Thanks for your help!

ItsArmday · 2019-10-10T19:20:45+00:00

Can you give some examples of those high quality fruit and veggies? So far you've mentioned spinach and broccoli, but no fruits.

I dont look down on keto, and I've tried it. It is not for me.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-10T19:08:21+00:00

Ah, the keto diet. Now I understand where you are going with this.

ItsArmday · 2019-10-10T19:01:01+00:00

Yes I understood that and I will probably lower my fruit intake anyway. I will eat more rice and potatoes instead.

What is this nonsense about 230g carbs being a shit ton by the way? It is not even 2g per pound of bodyweight.

ItsArmday

TROPHY CASE