After logging PR's of the main lifts back in February 2017 that were as follows at 195lbs:
Bench 270x1
Sumo Deads 410x1
Back Squat 340x1
I took 6 months to cut weight and get in the "best" aesthetic shape of my life. Nothing too insane but dropped down to 175lbs.
Lifts with dieting are currently:
Bench 250x1
Sumo Deads 355x1
Back Squat 315x1
Those who followed me years ago know about the many hip injuries I had over the years which started when I went Olympic lifting full time for about 3 years. After suffering lingering aching last year again in both hips, I cut squatting/deadlifting volume back to 2x per week in my Upper/Lower split, cut my squat depth to right at parallel, and really focused on regulating volume when hip tightness persisted.
I have recently decided to move back to squatting with Oly Shoes but maintaining the medium stance and parallel depth I've developed over the past year that has kept me injury free. I am hoping the Oly shoes give me the increased stability I am seeking in getting heavier on squats (I feel I lose this with flats). I have also modified my Sumo stance to be about 4 inches in on each side to decrease hip fatigue. I was pulling with my feet damn near touching the plates. Both of the above mentioned PRs were done with this current technique. I look to blow past these during my RTS rotations.
I ran the intermediate program posted in the below link but felt the 4x per week lifting asked in the start of the program was hell on my hips. I am modifying it into a 3x/wk program, with changes to exercises, to boost weak points in my own lifting.
RTS Writeup and FAQ. Great read.
http://forum.reactivetrainingsystems...ediate-Program
RTS is designed for auto regulation based on fatigue percentage. RPE is read as follows. A 10 is a max rep set, you could not have gotten more reps. 9.5 is max set but could have maybe gotten another rep. 9 is a set where you finish with 1 rep left in the tank. 8.5 is a set finished with 1 rep for sure in the tank, but possibly 2 reps left in the tank. 8 is finishing a set with 2 reps in the tank. And so on.....
The idea is to self regulate your volume. Days where you feel strong, shoot for a rep PR. Days where lifts feel hard or your body feels tired, your fatigue percentage will self regulate your volume lower.
The idea behind drop sets is to add volume to these heavy sets and work in straight sets with a lower weight, back to the same fatigue percentage. Example of a x4 @ 9 RPE on bench with (Drop set 4-6%) could work as such. Bench 225x4, finished @9, meaning 1 rep left in the tank. Drop the weight 4-6% (9-13.5lbs), and to make this easy I would drop in the middle at 10 lbs. I now rep 215 (10lbs off 225) for sets of 4 until I feel a set leaves me back at an RPE of 9 (1 rep left in the tank). On good days, this may be 3-4 sets. On tired days, this may be 1-2 sets. This is the idea of self regulated volume.
PROGRAM LAYOUT
Week 1
MONDAY
Squat w/belt Work up to x4 @9 (No Drop)
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x6 @10 (No Drop)
Military Press Work up to x6 @9 (No Drop)
WEDNESDAY
Slingshot Bench Work up to x4 @9 (No Drop)
Deadlift Work up x4 @9 (No Drop)
Front Squat Work up x5@8 (No Drop)
DE Bench 8x3 reps (60 seconds rest @ 50% 1RM)
FRIDAY
Pin Squat Work up to x5@9 (No Drop)
CGBP x5 @9 (No Drop)
Paused Deads Work up x3 @9 (No Drop)
Week 2
Monday
Squat w/belt Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x6 @10 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pin Press (mid range) Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
WEDNESDAY
Slingshot Bench Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Deadlift Work up x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pause Bench Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
DE Squats 8x3 reps (60 seconds rest @50% 1RM)
FRIDAY
Rack Pull (below knee) Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Push Press Work up to x5 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pause Squat Work up to x5 @8 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Week 3
Monday
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x5 @10 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Close Grip Bench Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Wednesday
Exercise Protocol
Competition Raw Bench Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Deadlift w/belt Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Push Press Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Front Squat Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Friday
Exercise Protocol
2ct Pause Squat Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pin Press (chest level) Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
RDLs Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Week 4
Monday
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
Slingshot Work up to x6 @8 (Repeat) 6-9% Fatigue
Wednesday
Exercise Protocol
Competition Raw Bench Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
Deadlift w/belt Work up to x4 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
Military Work up to x6 @8 (Repeat) 6-9% Fatigue
2ct Pause Squat Work up to x6 @8 (Repeat) 6-9% Fatigue
Friday
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt, wraps Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
2ct Pause Bench Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 6-9% Fatigue
Pendlay Rows Work up to x6 @8 (Repeat) 6-9% Fatigue
Week 5
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x5 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Close Grip Bench Work up to x4 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Wednesday
Exercise Protocol
Competition Raw Bench Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Deadlift w/belt Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Push Press Work up to x4 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Front Squat Work up to x4 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Friday
Exercise Protocol
2ct Pause Squat Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pin Press (chest level) Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Paused Deads Work up to x3 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Week 6
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Bench (touch and go) Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Close Grip Bench Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Wednesday
Exercise Protocol
Competition Raw Bench Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Deadlift w/belt Work up to x3 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Military Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
2ct Pause Squat Work up to x3 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Friday
Exercise Protocol
Squat w/belt, wraps Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
2ct Pause Bench Work up to x2 @9 (Load Drop) 4-6% Fatigue
Pendlay Rows Work up to x5 @8 (Repeat) 4-6% Fatigue
Week 7
Monday: Squat, Bench, and Deadlift. Work up to 92% of previous 1RM for one set of one.
Wednesday: Squat, Bench, and Deadlift. Go through your warm up routine (not heavier than 80%)
Friday / Saturday: Practice competition. Test 1RM in Squat, Bench, and Deadlift
*I will add in GPP work as needed, wanted and able. On similar lifting days or possibly an off day from lifting. [/bold]