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PlanStrong/BuiltStrong My Program: PlanStrong On-The-Fly

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Steve Freides

Steve Freides

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I invite you to come along with me as I "think out loud" on a pressing and deadlift program for myself. Let's call it semi-planned. I am 61 years young, bw of 150 lbs. (compete at 147-148 lbs.), severe back injury in 1997, competitive raw deadlifter.

Here are the relevant details:

1. I have pressed a 32 kg with each hand in the past but it's been a ~5 years. My current 1RM is ~27 kg. I can press 24 kg for a few reps, e.g., a double comfortably, 3-4 reps is an effort but it will go. 20 kg is an 8-10 RM, maybe more.

2. My press training has been sporadic for a few years, e.g., 20 kg by two sets in the 6-8 range twice a week, just because it makes my back work better. Once in a while, 1-3 reps w/ 24 kg.

3. I pulled 360 lbs. 18 months ago, pulled 330 lbs. 3 months ago. We'll say 345 1RM.

From the top down:

Press

Preparatory Phase: Plan 70, 300 reps in 4 weeks.

Weekly Volume Distribution: 15-22-28-35, which is 45, 66, 84, 105 reps. This is Variant #4.

Days per week: as often as my schedule allows. If 4 days, then probably 15/22/28/35 in some order. Makes for easy math: 15/22/28/35 on both the days-of-the-week and weeks-of-the-month level.

Intensity distribution: I don't own a 22 kg. I own an 18 kg but would have to do sets of 8 or more so let's not. Therefore:

10% @ 24 kg (89%)
90% at 20 kg (74%)

HARI will be 76%. If more @24 kg feels good as we go, we'll add that to up the HARI.

So far:

Week 1: 45 reps, 5 of which should be @ 24 kg

Tuesday:
20 kg x 2, 4. Session/Weekly total: 6 (this is the 15% day of the week), 6

Wednesday: All MP supersetted with 20 kg pullup x 2
20 kg x 4
24 kg x 1
20 kg x 6
24 kg x 2. Session/Weekly total: 13 (this is the 28% day of the week), 19

Still need a 10- and a 16-rep day this week, hoping for Thu and Fri but, if one of those doesn't work out for reasons of recovery and/or schedule, then Saturday. Need 2 more reps @ 24 kg but if it feels good, will do more.


Deadlift

NL: 150 in 4 weeks, everything conventional and double overhand and very light touch-and-go as long as those things are possible.

NB: I go up to only 85-88% 1RM in training my deadlift, otherwise I leave my best lifts on my basement floor instead of saving them for the meet. My HARI will be on the low side.

Weekly Volume Distribution: 22, 28, 35, 15, which is 33, 42, 53, 22 reps

Week 1: 42/58 over 2 days

Wednesday: 14 reps @ 245 (71%) 5's and 265 (77%) 3's as:
245 x 5, 265 x 2, 245 x 5, 265 x 2. Avg is 250 lbs. (72%)

Planned Friday: 19 reps @ 255 (74%) 4's and 275 (80%) 2's as:
255 x 5, 275 x 3, 255 x 5, 275 x 2, 255 x 4. Avg will be 260 lbs. (75%), weekly avg will be 256 lbs. (74%)

-S-
 
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Week 1, Day 3, Thursday - 10 reps planned, did 11

Mil Press:
20 kg x 5
24 kg x 2
20 kg x 4 (planned 3 but it just felt too easy. I know, I know ...)

Tomorrow or Saturday, now 15 reps needed

-S-
 
MP: 20 kg x 3
PU: @ bw + 20 kg x 2
PU: @ bw + 15 lb. dumbbell x 4
MP: 24 kg x 2, 20 kg x 6,
PU @ bw + 20 kg x 1
MP: 24 kg x 2, 20 kg x 2

Week #1 of Prep Period
Day 1: 20 kg x 6
Day 2: 20 kg x 10, 24 kg x 3
Day 3: 20 kg x 9, 24 kg x 2
Day 4: 20 kg 11, 24 kg x 4

Total: 20 kg x 36 (80%), 24 kg x 9 (20%), avg 20.8 kg, HARI = 77% of 1RM = 27 kg

Next week's plan:

Week #2 of Prep Period: 66 total reps

Distribute 7, 13, 20, 26 (10/20/30/40%) over 4 days. 20% w/ 24 kg so 13 reps for the week, 53 rep @ 20 kg.

Maybe 2 days w/ 24 kg for 4 reps and 1 day for 5 reps to get our 13, and 1 day w/o the 24 kg

Likely Tue/Wed/Thu_or_Fri/Sat

Deadlift: double overhand, conventional, light touch-n-go

Plannes 19 work reps

225 x 2 to warmup (not included in 19 reps). Planned 5's @ 255 and 3's @ 275 but that felt like too much, so

255 x 3, 277 (5 kg plates) x 2
255 x 3, 277 x 2
255 x 3, 277 x 1, 1
255 x 4 avg 266.1, HARI/ARI 76%

That's a lot of deadlifts for me of late!
 
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Monday, Day # of Week 2. Drove in from Philly, arrive home at 4 PM, lifted at 5 PM.

Weekly plan is 7, 13, 20, 26 over 4 days - we'll start and see how we feel.

MP: 24 kg x 2, 20 kg x 4 (6), 24 kg x 3 (9), 20 kg x 4 (13), 20 kg x 2 + 1 PU @ bw + 20 (15), 24 kg x 1 + 1 PU @ bw + 20 (16), 20 kg x 4 (20) - 21.2 kg avg, HARI/ARI 79% - much closer to ideal than last week.

NB: for whatever reason, I sometimes feel like I take a slightly wrong route pressing on my left side and then my shoulder hurts a little, but this only with 20 kg; with 24 kg, the groove always seems to be correct.

-S-
 
MP: 20 kg x 4 (4), 24 kg x 2 (6), 20 kg x 5 (11), 24 kg x 2 (13) HARI/ARI 21.2kg, 79% again

DL - Need 42 reps as 17 and 25 reps for 2 days or 11, 14, 17 for 3 days

warmup: 225 x 3

255 x 4, 285 x 3 (7), 255 x 5 (12), 285 x 2 (14), avg 266.4, HARI/ARI 77%
 
Thursday - crazy day, will do 7 presses and 11 DL's - lowest volume of each lift for this week

MP:
24 kg x 2 (2) + PU @ bw + 24 kg x 1
20 kg x 3 (5) + PU @ bw + 20 kg x 3
24 kg x 2 (7) + PU @ bw + 24 kg x 1, , avg 22.3 kg, HARI/ARI 82.5% - nice

DL:
warmup 225 x 2

275 x 2, 3, 4, 2 (11) HARI/ARI 79.7%, good

What's left for this week - highest volume of each lift for this week, planned for Saturday but might do a few tomorrow, we'll see.

Press 26 reps
DL 17 reps
 
Saturday:

mil press: in brief:

ladders today for 26 total. 12345 = 15, 1235 = 11, 15+11 = 26 reps
rungs of 1 and 2 w/ 24 kg, rest w/ 20 kg

24 kg x 1, 2; 20 kg x 3, 4, 5 (15)
24 kg x 1, 2; 20 kg x 3, 5 (26) avg. 22.8 kg, 85% HARI/ARI - if there was another set of 4 reps w/ 20 kg, would have been 82%, which would have been better, but weekly HARI/ARI is probably OK. Should do the math.

DL: need 17 reps

plan: 285 x 1, 2; 265 x 3, 4, 5

Today, experimenting w/ setup at top, grab and go relatively quickly at bottom.

warmup: 225 x 1, 247 (kg plates) x 1, 267 x 1, all w/ long holds at lockout

287 x 1, 2 (bottom setup); 267 x 3, 4, 4*, 3 avg. 270.5 lbs., HARI/ARI 78.4%

* - 5 touch-and-go DL's seemed like it would be 1 too many for safety, so 4 again, and add one rep to the last set.
 
Week #3 starts today. Prep period

NB: Last week was Tue/Thu/Sat, lifting on Monday this week and hoping for Mon/Wed/Fri and then 2 days rest

28% of 300 press (15-22-28-35) = 84 presses

35% of 150 deadlifts (22-28-35-15) = 53 deadlifts

Tentatively, because of teaching schedule, shortest day of the week on Tuesday.

Initials thoughts: will distribute the week as 15-22-28-35 over 4 training days, so Tuesday will be 13 presses and 8 deadlifts.

4 press days will be 13, 18, 24, 29 = 84, 3 press days would be 21, 28, 35.

Started by planning 4 days but first day felt good so pushed it to 35 reps and will do 3 days.
My press is definitely getting stronger.

4 DL days would be 8, 12, 15, 18 = 53, 3 DL days would be 13, 17, 23

Warmup: S&S style, maximum explosiveness

24 kg 2h swing x 10, 10
32 kg 2h swing x 10

Press:
(24 kg x 2, 20 kg x 3, 5) x 2 (20)
24 kg x 3, 20 kg x 6 (29)
24 kg x 2, 20 kg x 4 (35)

DL: no warmup per se, start at 247 which is 72%

247 x 4, 267 x 3, 287 x 2, 307 x 1 on long (15-min-ish) rests, avg 267 lbs., 77.3% HARI/ARI

That's 10 reps, not in the plan but it was a nice ladder, and I got in a heavy single, but I will revise the plan, might do a few tomorrow, maybe 10 again. These felt pretty good, haven't done 2 days DL in a row in a while.
 
Wednesday, less than an hour to lift, will do lowest volume today: 21 presses, 13 DL's

AM - walked, stretched a little

MP:
20 kg x 4, 24 kg x 1 (5)
20 kg x 5, 24 kg x 1 (11)
20 kg x 4, 24 kg x 1 (16)
20 kg x 5 (21) avg 20.6 kg, HARI/AR 76.2%

DL: 4-2-1, 3-2-1 for 13 reps

warmup: 235 x 1, 1

257 x 4, 277 x 3, 257 x 6, avg 261.6 lb., HARI/ARI 75.8% (of 345 lb. guesstimated 1RM)

Left for this week - Friday or Saturday: 28 presses, 17 DL's
 
Saturday:

Press - 28 reps, planned as

(
20 x 2, 24 x 1
20 x 3, 24 x 1
20 x 5, 24 x 2
) x 2

Executed as

20 x 2, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
- forgot 24 x 1 here
20 x 3, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
24 x 1, 1 - made up missing 24 kg rep
20 x 5, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
24 x 2

20 x 2, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
24 x 1
20 x 3, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
24 x 1
20 x 5, PU @ bw + 16 kg x 2
24 x 2

Deadlifts: messed up the math because I didn't do some on Tuesday - did 10 on Monday, did 17 on Wednesday, need 26 today to make weekly total of 53. Let's try

247 x 6, 257 x 5, 267 x 4, 277 x 3, 287 x 2, 297 x 1 is 21 reps

Actual:

switched to alternate grip - left under is my favored grip, always feel tighter and stronger off the floor this way. Found 257 on the bar so decided to start with that:

257 x 4 r/u
257 x 7 l/u (11)

277 x 3 r/u
277 x 4 l/u (18)

277 x 3 r/u
277 x 5 l/u (26) avg 268.5 lb., HARI/ARI 77.8%

DL volume for the week was 10, 13 (not 17), 26 - well, messed that up, too - did 49 reps instead of 53. That will have to do. Might add 4 more reps to next week, which is our lightest week.
 
Week #4

PRESS prep phase - 35%, 105 reps.

3 days with 25/33/42 distribution would be 26, 35, 44 reps

4 days with 15/22/28/35 would be 16, 23, 29, 37

5 days with 10/15/20/25/30 would be 11, 16 , 21, 26, 32 - this seems best to me, will allow a day off mid-week and lift on Saturday. Maybe 32 - 11 - 26 - 16 -21, with the biggest volume on Mon/Wed/Sat.

Let's also adjust to keep any single day at a max of 30 by moving two reps from Monday to Tuesday, so

Mon = 30
Tue = 13
Wed = 26
Thu = 16
Sat = 21

Week #4

DL prep phase - 15%, which is 22 reps, but we'll also add in the 4 reps we forgot about on Saturday. This will make the distribution of volume for the DL as follows:

Original Plan: 22, 28, 35, 15% which is 33 reps (22%), 42 reps (28%), 53 reps( 35%), 22 reps (15%)
Actual 33 reps (22%), 42 reps (28%), 49 reps (32.6%), 26 reps (17.3%), which is just fine

warmup - walk, stretch, swings: 32 kg x 2h-swing x 10, 10

32 kg: loaded clean x 1 each side

mil press:

10 reps @ 24 kg and 20 reps @ 20 kg, done as:

24 kg (89% 1RM) x 2, 2 (had hoped for 3 but didn't attempt after iffy 2nd rep), 3 (got it this time), 2, 1

20 kg (74% 1RM) x 6, 8, 6 - avg 21.3 kg, HARI 79%


DL: 26 reps for the week - two days 40/60 distribution would be 10 and 16.

247 x 10, touch-n-go although not quite a slow/light as usual - this is a new kind of workout for me, I don't think I've ever done 10 DL reps in a single set before.
 
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5 pressing days this week - today, 13 reps

walk

warmup
20 kg 1h-swing x 10L, 10R
16 kg snatch x 5L, 5R
32 kg 2h-swing x 10

mil press: not used to pressing on consecutive days, so we'll go by feel, alternating 24 and 20, and see how it goes.

24 x 1, 20 x 3 (4)
24 x 2, 20 x 7 (13)
 
Wednesday - 26 presses

warmup with 2 x 10 2h-swing with 32 kg, also some bench pressing an empty bar because I'm considering enter a meet soon and might do all three lifts.

24 x 2; 20 x 5 (7)
24 x 2, 2; 20 x 5 (16)
24 x 1 (first time recently with a more to-the-front groove - nice); 20 x 4 (21)
Did the last 5 reps w/ 20 kg as alternating C&P singles w/o putting the bell down. (26)
 
Today, Thursday - 16 presses

only a short walk and some stretching on the porch.

32 kg 2h-swing x 10, 10

mil press:

20 kg x 3, 4 (7)
24 kg x 2 (9)
20 kg x 7 (16)
 
Friday - 3 mi walk

Today, 21 presses, then we'll only DL tomorrow.

20 kg: 1h-swing x 10L, 10R
32 kg: 2h-swing x 10, 10

mil press:
24 kg x 2, 3, 4 - first time in a _long_ time for this (9)
20 kg x 7, 5 (21)

avg 21.7 kg, 80% - first time for 80%, too.
 
Need 16 DL reps today

247 (71.6%) x 3 r/u (least favored grip)
267 (77.4%) x 4 r/u
287 (83.2%) x 5 l/u (best grip)

planned:
306 (88.7%) x fail l/u

I got very dizzy as I started to move the bar off the ground.
I think 287 x 5 is some sort of best rep count at that weight, and perhaps that's all I had today

also not executed:
315 (91.3%) x 1

Therefore, total reps for the day is 12, not 16, avg 270.3 lbs., 78.4%

I could back off the weight and do 4 more reps but I don't see the point. Legs are tired, I think the weather is changing and the dizziness is not a good sign. I was also tired most of the day until an hour or two before the workout, but perhaps I have sort of flu or cold - no symptoms, just tired.

Also didn't love two workouts as Monday and Saturday - too much time in between.
 
Prep Cycle #2: Started by testing 1RM

Monday: Pressed 28 kg for a single each side after a few failed attempts. For the day, 20 kg x 1, 24 kg x 1, 28 kg x 1

Previous Cycle: HARI 77.7% of 27 kg, 271 total reps

Will now use Volume Variant 2-4a: 15-35-22-28

24 kg is 85.7% 1RM, rep range 2-4
20 kg is 71.4% 1RM, rep range 4-8

Pressing each for half the NL will result in a HARI of 78.55 % so we'll need some 28 kg reps and also more 24 kg than 20.

Adding a 2.5 lb. plate to a 20 kg bell makes it 21.14 kg, which changes it to 75.4% 1RM, which is much better, so that's what I'll do.

Some quick math = doing 2 reps @ 24 kg and 3 reps @ 21.14 kg gives a 22.28 kg avg or HARI = 79.6 %, a nice 1.9% increase from the previous cycle.

Intensity Variant will be 3b again: 22-28-35-15.

We'll try for 3% @ 28 kg, which is 100%, which will be 10 lifts, 40% @ 24 kg and 57% at 21.14 kg. That will average 22.49 kg or 80.3% - too high, let's try again

3% @ 28 kg
37% @ 24 kg
60% @ 21.14 kg = 22.40 avg or 80% - still too high

3% * 28 kg = 10 lifts for the month
33% * 24 kg = 107 lifts for the month
64% * 21.14 kg = 208 lifts for the month

22.29 avg or 79.6% - good - this is what we'll use:

Week #1:
15% of 325 lifts is 49 lifts for the week

22% of 10 lifts @ 28 kg is 2 lifts at 28 kg, so another single this week sometimes
22% of 107 lifts @ 24 kg = 24 lifts @ 24 kg this week, week #1

49 lifts for the week, minus 2 lifts @ 28 kg is 47 lifts, minus 24 lifts @ 24 kg is 23 lifts remaining at 21.14 kg

NB: We did 3 lifts today, Monday, so we'll divide the other 46 as 12, 15, and 19


Week #2
35% of 325 is 114 lifts for the week

28% of 10 lifts @ 28 kg is 3 lifts @ 28 kg
28% of 107 lifts @ 24 kg is 30 lifts @ 24 kg

114 for the week minus 33 is 81 lifts @ 21.14 kg

NB: 114 could be divided into 5 days as 10-15-20-25-30% 11, 17, 23, 29 , 34 lifts. To keep it at 30 max, we can add 1 lift to each of the other 4 days and get 12, 18, 24, 30, and 30, then put 30 and 30 and 24 on Mon/Wed/Fri and 12 and 18 on Tue/Thu

Week #3
22% of 325 lifts is 72 lifts for the week

35% of 10 lifts @ 28 kg is 4 lifts @ 28 kg
35% of 107 lifts @ 24 kg is 37 lifts @ 24 kg

72 lifts for the week minus 41 is 31 lifts @ 21.14 kg

NB: 18, 24, and 30 lifts over 3 days or 11, 16, 20, 25 over 4 days.

Week #4
28% of 325 lifts is 91 lifts for the week

15% of 10 lifts @ 28 kg is 1 lifts @ 28 kg
15% of 107 lifts @ 24 kg is 16 lifts @ 24 kg

91 lifts for the week minus 18 is 73 lifts @ 21.14 kg

NB: 14, 20, 25, 32, redistribute as 16, 20, 25, 30 for 4 days or 9, 14, 18, 23 , 27 for 5 days, redistribute as 10, 14, 18, 23, 26
 
********** Copied from post #17 above: the plan for this week, then what I actually did today
Week #1:
15% of 325 lifts is 49 lifts for the week

22% of 10 lifts @ 28 kg is 2 lifts at 28 kg, so another single this week sometimes
22% of 107 lifts @ 24 kg = 24 lifts @ 24 kg this week, week #1

49 lifts for the week, minus 2 lifts @ 28 kg is 47 lifts, minus 24 lifts @ 24 kg is 23 lifts remaining at 21.14 kg

NB: We did 3 lifts today, Monday, so we'll divide the other 46 as 12, 15, and 19
***********

Tuesday, Day 1 of 46 reps or Day 2 of 49 reps, depending on how you want to look at yesterday.

24 kg x 2, 21.14 kg x 4 (6)
24 kg x 2, 21.14 kg x 4 (12)

* considered 21.14 kg x 3, 24 kg x 1, 21.14 kg x 3 (19), avg 21.89, HARI 78.2% but HARI is too low, so I did

21.14 kg x 3, 24 kg x 4 (19), avg 22.34, HARI 79.8%

NB: total reps were 21.14 kg x 11 reps, 24 kg x 8 reps - about the right ratio overall.

NB: 24 kg x 4 was a recent PR less than a week ago - easier today but still a tough go. Somehow, though, a "tough go" pressing is much easier to recover from than a "tough go" deadlifting.

Heaviest press day of the week is done, will likely to 12 reps tomorrow then hit 15 reps on Friday

Still need to plan DL for the cycle, which I think will be a Competition cycle.

Did some hack DL today: 225 x 4 singles, 245 x 2 singles. Not sure what I'm going to do with my DL going forward, might just free-form it or Daily Dose or similar and start another Prep cycle 8 weeks out from my scheduled meet in November.
 
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Did some hack DL today: 225 x 4 singles, 245 x 2 singles. Not sure what I'm going to do with my DL going forward, might just free-form it or Daily Dose or similar and start another Prep cycle 8 weeks out from my scheduled meet in November.
 
Wed of Prep Cycle #2, week 1: 12 reps

Mil Press:
24 kg x 2 (no PU), 3 (SS w/ PU +16 kg x 2), 2 (no PU) (7)
21.14 kg x 5 (SS w/ PU +16 kg x 3) (12), avg 22.8 kg, HARI 81.45%

Just playing w/ DL this week - did some very short ROM in the power rack working up to 425 lbs.
 
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