guardian7
Level 6 Valued Member
If you are referring "the program" as PTTP, I've understood that you always drop 10% for the second set. This way you can go to bigger weights in a single wave. Dont wait to get two sets on same weight.
If you bench five times a week you probably don't need more sets. If not so often, you can do some more back off sets, depending on what is the volume you're used to do. But always do warm up sets.
You can keep the same weight for 2-3 workouts, depending on how often you bench. Don't stay in same weight too long or you'll stall, in my opinion. If you can't make 5 reps, just go back down (a bit higher than what you started with) and start over, some easier workout is earned. I'd try to get roughly 20% of max increase in the first wave, so start low enough.
If your heaviest weight doesn't improve in reps, it's time to do something else. My feeling was that too small increments (when compared to max) can make you stay in a rather heavy intensity for too long, and lead to overload.
Wouldn/t it be common for less experienced but not total young beginner lifters to have a cycle that starts briefly pure linear, then goes to repeated step then the close to bodyweight three steps? This would seem optimal wouldn't it? The factor would be how close to a multiple of bodyweight you are and how you feel that day.
High frequency four-five times a week PTTP template assumed. Two sets. Second set is 5-10KG less. Example:
In KG.
50/55/65/65/
70/70/75/75/
80/80/80/ the third step is repeated here because the lifter just doesn't feel 85 happening yet. Not programmed.
85 fail
backoff 75/ rebuild 80/80/85 PR stop cycle.