Old Forum Easy Strength LOSS

[Matt]

Just thought I would re-ask my question - a lot of people inc. Dan claimed I am losing strength due to me not following Easy Strength (or Even Easier Strength) so I wondered IF that is true, then is my 1 set of 5 reps per week was the difference between gaining and losing strength??

Simple question.

I've got and re-read Easy Strength so to compare the 10 Commandments with what I do :

1.  Limited number of Big Bang exercises : I do deadlifts and weighted chins, and weighted dips.

2.  Lift two-three times per week : I lift the deads/chins one day, the dips 2 days later.  KBells the other three days, max reps. for the week 400, swings (250) and goblets (150).

3.  Volume around 10reps per workout : Deads - 50-80% 1rpm (so far) 5 by 5, so 4 by 5 ie. 20 work sets,  Chins and dips 2 by 5 work ie 10. so ok.  THIS is the only deviation from Easy Strength, yet it is ONCE per week so the overall weekly volume (for Deads and for all lifts) is less than Easy Strength or Even Easier Strength, hence my question.

4 1-5 Rep range : Yep.

5.  Rest between : Yep.

6.  80-95% 1RPMax : This again is where I have big questions - to get to this range firstly, I doubt many people could keep their overall reps at 10 (point 3) - have to work up to it for a start.  But I haven't tried this to be certain.  Yet I feel it seems more than a 5 by 5 maxing out at 80% for 1 set which is me usually before I lose strength (minor muscle groups weaker quickly due to the kayaking).

7.  Max lift occasionally : Yep (though don't feel anywhere near 1prm max. strength at the moment.

8.  Cycle : Yep - experienced from pre-kayaking lifting regime.

9.  Don't stop strength in season etc. reduce volume  :  Good idea, yet I am not professional to have competitions to worry about.

10.  Finish feeling stronger than when you started.  Stop if technique is getting dodgy.

I am not trying to be negative towards Easy Strength, just understand the concepts behind it so I can understand why my strength has fallen a bit, how I can tweak my program to adjust for this and in general keep strong - deads and weighted chins near my old 1rep max, kayak 6 days a week was the goal.

 

[Al Ciampa]

Matt,

It sounds like you simply don't like the answers to your question, so you're going to ask it until you receive an answer that you like.  Well, it's Sunday and I'm feeling generous, so against my better judgement ...

First, you said, "THIS is the only deviation from Easy Strength ...".  You're not doing ES, no matter how much you'd like to believe it.

ES was written for competitive athletes who are trying to keep their strength up and have enough energy to devote to practice.  How do you fit in here?  You once specifically trained as a powerlifter (from the sound of it) ... how do you suppose that a general strength program not focusing on the lifts is going to bring you to your previous PRs?

Second, what are you rehabbing?  Why take off from strength training in favor of correctives alone?  Half squats??? ... what does your hinge look like?

That said, from a strength perspective (meaning if you have other issues, ignore this) here's what you'll do:

Limit your Monday deads to 3x3 at the same intensity you're doing now.  Add 5x3 40-50% loaded (seriously, less than half of what you think your 1RM is) deads to both swing days.  Do 10 swings right after each set of deads; then finish with whatever your goal for swings was.  Rest in between your swings and the next set of deads, and make sure one of your swing days is done with a heavy bell.  Heavy swings MIGHT push up YOUR deads.  A current 350 dead and only swinging a 20kg???

For the deads, allow the ground to support the load in between each rep; "feel the spring compressing" as you drop your hips: grab the ground with your feet, squeeze the bar, pack the shoulders, brace the abs, etc; and rip - drive the hips forward.  In other words, practice building & unleashing full-body tension, i.e., practice the skill of strength.  Let swings directly afterward help to forge a solid hinge pattern.

Since tomorrow is Monday, we shouldn't hear from you until after the New Year - give it time to work.

Other considerations:

for YOU, the kayaking and lifting are too much

for YOU, your nutrition is wanting

for YOU, dead once per week does not increase (re: return you to PR) your deads (after all, you're no longer a novice)

To confirm your timeline: you took 2 years to build up to a 400 dead; to 8 months off from lifting to correct something; and have been lifting again for only two months, which has brought your dead back to about 350?  Given your program change and kayak addition, I might say that you're on par.

How old are you?  What have you been doing in the two weeks wince your initial post?  Is it working?

Good luck.

-Al

 

[Rickard]

What aciampa wrote is very true. I would however like to point out that ES has a set of goals its made for (2.5xbw dead, 2xbw squat and 1.5xbw bench), now it might work for getting over those goals but perhaps not for everyone.

 

[Matt]

HI aciampa,

 

Thanks for your detailed post!  I appreciate it, and you are correct and have answered my questions and given me some helpful insights.

I am not a serious athlete either, and perhaps it wasn't smart to stop lifting and just focus on correctives.  I just wanted to de-tension to put it simply.  I seem to have one side of my body tighter than the other - right hip-flexor up to my right jaw.  I'm 38 and in the past two weeks have been doing what I have originally started and have stabilised my strength I guess.

Yet I am willing to change things - and you've been quite helpful with your post.  Thanks again.

Matt.

 

[Matt]

Thanks too Rickard,

I didn't realise that and it gives me a little perspective so my expectations aren't unrealistic.

 

[Al Ciampa]

Bravo Matt; you're getting there.  Learn from your mistakes, and your successes - that's why you just have to DO it - knowledge ... knowledge about yourself.

Better yet, learn from others' mistakes; that's what this forum is really about.

-Al

 

[Matt]

Thanks Al,

Again I appreciate you taking the time to nut some things out with me.  I honestly was trying to see how I could fiddle my program yet didn't have a good feel for the concepts of Easy Strength to be confident of making some sensible changes.  I'm realising it's not as simple as just 5x5 and then taking things easy with no other lifts.

Like you suggested, I am going to stick to a  3x3 at 80-85% for deads, then do some light deads with swings.  My chins and dips I will keep at 3x3 too.

You've given me a good idea too - I can squat myself silly while kayaking as it is very easy on the legs so I can bring that up to speed slowly now.  Tweak my program to do heavy goblets.

As well - I feel I could do a single leg deadlift with the equivalent of about an 80% 1rpm bar deadlift so the fatigue of holding the bar (from kayaking) is more perhaps than I appreciate and a factor why my deads are a bit lame.

I find that my strength is different now when kayaking and lifting, to when I was just strength training, and I am still getting a feel for how the two combine.

Now I don't have much feedback to know how my strength is on a given day.  My CNS is not being as maxed obviously, so might get fidgety, but my muscles are more fatigued, and fatigue during the workout more quickly (yet recover more quickly).  I notice that a final set of 3 or 5 reps going from 80% to 85% 1RPM is much harder now than before when I would try a new rep max.

The strength now seems more spikey (technical term I know) - good for two reps then drops right off for a third and a fourth or more is not there.  Why that is I am still pondering.  Minor muscles obviously are a bit more fatigued and limit overall strength.  Makes me guess that Easy Strength was designed for serious athletes moving into strength training, not the reverse (Strength training moving into an athletic disciple like I have even though I had a decent level of fitness) - I would intuitively say this is a big difference.

I notice too - after lifting I'd be hungry within 30mins and feel the catabolism coming on if I didn't eat, yet after a kayak I'm ok for a good while (up to an hour or more if I chose) not eating.

So I guess training strength and a sport means there are lots of unquantifiable ways that strength could be affected, and I am trying to get a feel for the concepts of Easy Strength so I can tweak things myself depending on how I feel at the time.

Thanks again, cheers.