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PlanStrong/BuiltStrong Board pressing and PS70

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PeterLuffman

PeterLuffman

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If I wanted to include board pressing with a PS70 program for bench press, how would I do that?

Would you share some of the volume?

Or could I just tack on 3x5 after PS sets are done?
 
PeterLuffman said:
If I wanted to include board pressing with a PS70 program for bench press, how would I do that?

Would you share some of the volume?
Click to expand...

The guidelines for lifts that are as similar to the main lift as a board press is to a full ROM bench press are that you share the volume. My understanding is that you would use your board press 1RM at each specific height of boards to do the math for that specific lifting.

-S-
 
I'm thinking like Steve said of sharing the volume. You could do 2 days of regular bench and 1 day of board pressing. I'm also thinking you could swap out one of the intensity zones for the board press. By that I mean do regular bench for Zone 4 and 5 and the board press for zone 3 (or whichever zone works best for you).
 
I like board presses. My weak point is a few inches off my chest so the 3 board is what I use most. I'll use the board press to get in additional volume of a weight I would struggle to continue using. For example, let's assume I can bench press 1 top set (3 reps or 5 reps or whatever) of a certain percentage (80+% for example). A 2nd set may be doable but hard. A 3rd set is possible but no 100% guarantee. A 4th set, all the stars would have to be aligned for me to get it, and 5th set is a pipe dream. Instead, after my top set, I'll keep the weight on the bar and do a few additional sets with a 3 board.

I've never applied board presses to a Planstrong Plan. But here is my thinking on this matter... Plan your program like you normally would. Let's imagine this is a 2 month program. In Week 1, maybe your max Intensity is 85%. Maybe the 1st or 2nd set, do it per normal. For the remaining sets, use the appropriate board. As the weeks progress, use the board less and less for the 85% intensity sets. By the time the 2nd month starts, I would not be using a board on 85% intensity zone.

Another tool, the reverse band (green mini band, unless you are benching huge numbers)... Early on, I would use this for all my heavy lifts (92.5% RM for example). Likely, even with the board. I like using the reverse bands the 1st or 2nd time I introduce a new weight %. For example, maybe you havent lifted above 90% in a while (it helps me get accustomed to the weight). After 1 or 2 training sessions with 92.5%, the RB gets removed. 1st 92.5% set is normal, all subsequent sets are 3 board. Over time (the 2 months), the board gets used less and less (and likely not at all during the peaking month).

I like using RB's for squats and chains for deadlifts, too. Just be careful using these tools close to a max attempt. Or to be more precise, be careful using any assistance excersise that is similar to your main lift, 1 month prior to maxing. It can really mess with your groove and you may not even be aware of it. Use the tools, accessories, and tricks to build general strength and help with sticking points. As you peak (weeks or a month out), your training should be simpler and more basic, focusing on technical perfection (neurologic, greasing the groove) and realizing the strength you built in the previous months. You dont get stronger in a peaking cycle. Instead you are just realizing the strength you gained in the previous months. For example, I only peak when I compete at a meet. I dont compete very often (last one was September 2019). So why would I waste a month peaking (aka not building strength). I view peaking as a waste of time (but a necessary evil to prepare for a meet). <end rant, sorry>

These are my thoughts on this topic. Keep in mind I have limited experience with PlanStrong and no experience applying assistance lifts with Planstrong. I took the 2016 Planstrong class in Pittsburgh. I feel more comfortable with traditional Western periodization. As you try this out, please report back. I am very interested in learning more how this works out for you (because I'm sure it will apply to me as well). Dont forget though... There must always be a reason for doing something. Dont just add more reps for the sake of adding more reps. The board press volume needs to be included in your intensity/volume planning.

Regards,

Eric
 
Steve Freides said:
The guidelines for lifts that are as similar to the main lift as a board press is to a full ROM bench press are that you share the volume. My understanding is that you would use your board press 1RM at each specific height of boards to do the math for that specific lifting.

-S-
Click to expand...

So Steve, you're saying get a 1RM for each height of board and then program using PS from there?
 
If memory serves, the idea is that beginners won't use assistance exercises but as one advanced more, one may wish more and more of them, up to 50% of one's training. Therefore, because you're planning with percentages of 1RM, it only makes sense to, in something that bears a lot of resemblance to the main movement itself, use real percentages of whatever variation you're using.

Let's discuss a little - not sure how much of this is in the manual, but taking the board bench press as an example: It's still a bench press, it's still heavy. So in terms of CNS fatigue, 80% of 1RM is still 80% of 1RM, whether that's 80 kg of your 100 kg BP 1RM or it's 120 kg of your 150 kg 4 board 1RM

OTOH, if you're doing triceps kickbacks, that's an isolation movement so you wouldn't count it against your total NL of bench presses, you'd deal with it separately. You would do that kind of exercise in _addition_ to your various kinds of bench press. I think you'd include the floor press in your total BP NL and percentages, too, same as the board press.

And there will undoubtedly be some grey areas, e.g., let's say you decide to do heavy, one-arm dumbbell or kettlebell bench presses. In that case, personally, I'd count them as a variation of the main exercise and therefore include them, counting one rep on each side as one rep on the NL.

-S-
 
Good talk here. I think it would also be fine to pick the intensity zone that you want to use for the board press, and then just take a RM according to the intensity zone and program it that way. That way you don’t need to test multiple 1RMs. Yeah?
 
Always an option, Taylor. Not always accurate for everything but usually close enough.

-S-
 
Here's what I did:

I had my client test 1RM at the three heights of board. I then programmed accordingly.

70% at one board
80% at two boards
90% at three boards.

And followed volume distribution guidelines as per PS70 for these zones.

I distributed 100NL to regular BP and 100NL to board press, and they'll be done on different days.

On the next plan, I'll bump total volume to 250NL and distribute the extra 50NL to whichever lift my client prefers to work on. He's in his 50's so lower volumes seem to work best.
 
PeterLuffman said:
I distributed 100NL to regular BP and 100NL to board press, and they'll be done on different days.
Click to expand...
Peter,

I see that at the end you assigned 50% of the monthly NL to the board press.
While it's true that one can assign up to 50% of the volume to assistance exercises, I would assign such a high share only to advanced athletes and wouldn't assign more than 20% of the volume to intermediates.

I hope this helps.
 
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