This will be lengthy but I hope it's helpful to some of the people reading along.
Inspired by the recent barbell instructor certification, I decided to try a barbell ladder cycle - we didn't discuss this type of workout in great detail at the weekend, but the general idea is in the manual and it got me thinking. I'll post the details below - please feel free to comment, make suggestions, ask questions, etc.
Inspired by the grind portion Pavel's "Return of the Kettlebell", I've chosen to ladder a press and finish each ladder with a single set of squats. My chosen lifts are
Narrow grip, barbell bench press , hands just clear of the non-knurled part of the bar, index fingers are roughly 42 cm or 16" apart. I chose this lift because I need more triceps strength in all my pressing.
Barbell Front Squat - currently with a small amount of added resistance in the form of a shortened mini JumpStretch band on each side of the bar, anchored at the ground.
I'm using 135 lbs (a single 45 on each side of the bar) for both lifts. I have roughly the same max in each lift, about 190 lbs. I'm 58 years old and compete in the 148 lb. weight class as a powerlifter. The weight is about 70% 1RM effort, and I could probably do 10-12 reps with it in a single set. This is light for a ladder workout, but it's also my first cycle of this type and I didn't want it to be a struggle, even at the end.
The Schedule:
Weekly, one each: Heavy, Light, Medium. Rest as needed between lifting days, generally getting 3 workouts in each week but sometimes that will stretch to 8 or 9 days instead of 7.
My most recent heavy day was:
5 ladders of (BP x 1-2-3-4, FSQ x 5) plus DL: 2 sets of 10, narrow sumo, currently up to 255 lb.
Light is 5 ladders of BP x 3 (instead of 1-2, that's just too easy), FSQ x 5
Medium will be 5 ladders of BP x 1-2-3, FSQ x 5.
Note the addition of deadlifts at the end of heavy day. The purpose of all this is to improve my bench press and improve my leg strength for deadlifting, and once a week DL's feel good. I couldn't tell you why I'm doing them at the end of heavy day but this feels right to me and I trust my instincts on this. I may switch to 8's or even 5's later in the cycle, but this cycle is about volume, and I like doing sets of 10 DL's touch-and-go for that purpose.
I considered adding in more squats, but didn't for several reasons: first, it would just be too much squatting; second, backs like mine don't move from extension to neutral easily, so I want to get all my arched-back pressing done with, then take a minute or two to stretch out, and only then do a set of squats and have each ladder be finished. I take a long rest between ladders, typically 10-20 minutes, sometimes even longer.
So far, I'm pleased with the results, and I feel like I"m getting stronger. When this cycle is over, I may repeat it with a heavier weight right away, but I'll most likely do a short peaking cycle to see where my strength is before deciding what comes next.
-S-
Inspired by the recent barbell instructor certification, I decided to try a barbell ladder cycle - we didn't discuss this type of workout in great detail at the weekend, but the general idea is in the manual and it got me thinking. I'll post the details below - please feel free to comment, make suggestions, ask questions, etc.
Inspired by the grind portion Pavel's "Return of the Kettlebell", I've chosen to ladder a press and finish each ladder with a single set of squats. My chosen lifts are
Narrow grip, barbell bench press , hands just clear of the non-knurled part of the bar, index fingers are roughly 42 cm or 16" apart. I chose this lift because I need more triceps strength in all my pressing.
Barbell Front Squat - currently with a small amount of added resistance in the form of a shortened mini JumpStretch band on each side of the bar, anchored at the ground.
I'm using 135 lbs (a single 45 on each side of the bar) for both lifts. I have roughly the same max in each lift, about 190 lbs. I'm 58 years old and compete in the 148 lb. weight class as a powerlifter. The weight is about 70% 1RM effort, and I could probably do 10-12 reps with it in a single set. This is light for a ladder workout, but it's also my first cycle of this type and I didn't want it to be a struggle, even at the end.
The Schedule:
Weekly, one each: Heavy, Light, Medium. Rest as needed between lifting days, generally getting 3 workouts in each week but sometimes that will stretch to 8 or 9 days instead of 7.
My most recent heavy day was:
5 ladders of (BP x 1-2-3-4, FSQ x 5) plus DL: 2 sets of 10, narrow sumo, currently up to 255 lb.
Light is 5 ladders of BP x 3 (instead of 1-2, that's just too easy), FSQ x 5
Medium will be 5 ladders of BP x 1-2-3, FSQ x 5.
Note the addition of deadlifts at the end of heavy day. The purpose of all this is to improve my bench press and improve my leg strength for deadlifting, and once a week DL's feel good. I couldn't tell you why I'm doing them at the end of heavy day but this feels right to me and I trust my instincts on this. I may switch to 8's or even 5's later in the cycle, but this cycle is about volume, and I like doing sets of 10 DL's touch-and-go for that purpose.
I considered adding in more squats, but didn't for several reasons: first, it would just be too much squatting; second, backs like mine don't move from extension to neutral easily, so I want to get all my arched-back pressing done with, then take a minute or two to stretch out, and only then do a set of squats and have each ladder be finished. I take a long rest between ladders, typically 10-20 minutes, sometimes even longer.
So far, I'm pleased with the results, and I feel like I"m getting stronger. When this cycle is over, I may repeat it with a heavier weight right away, but I'll most likely do a short peaking cycle to see where my strength is before deciding what comes next.
-S-