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Barbell Program Advice

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SOSSF

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Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to get a consistent program going but am struggling to find the right fit and would love some input. My profession is very competitive and mentally demanding, and I need to be as fresh as possible to both study and compete. At the same time I've let my strength training take a major backseat and I'd like to start working towards improving that again.

I'm 36 years old, 5'10", 165 lbs, and did a couple years of competitive olympic weightlifting on my college team then transitioned away towards more "endurance" type activities (high amounts of hiking, swimming, climbing, etc) after college until the past year or so. My recent lifting has been mostly the traditional moderate volume, 8-12 rep type stuff but often just program hopping.

My DL is probably around 1.5x, bench 1x, squat somewhere inbetween, and I would really like to work towards getting those up to the 2.5x, 1.5x, 2x range. I've considered PTTP, the Faleev Program, or something similar to the 40 day workout/easy strength, or even just sticking to the 8-12 range and being more consistent with linear progression. I'm sure all roads lead to Rome to a certain extent, but the wrinkle that's tripping me up a bit is finding a path that allows me to maintain my freshness outside the gym on a consistent basis. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
 
SOSSF,

Since your goal is to improve your bench, squat, and deadlift, that is what you should do. I think all 3 of those programs could work for you, try them all over time. Experiment over the next year and learn which is best for you, they are all winners. I am responding because I have tried these programs. Example: One option is to spend 2 months on Easy Strength, then take a 1 week deload. Then do PTTP for a while (many months), waving the load over time. I would only do 2 exercises per session by alternating the squat and deadlift each workout. Take another 1 week deload and then transition into Faleev. The Faleev program organically transitions into a peak so you would have an opportunity to test your strength (max) after many months of building your strength. After all of this, you will have learned so much about yourself that you will know what works and what doesn't, and more importantly, you will learn how to move forward.

Your secondary goal is to maximize your "freshness". I assume this means that you don't want to feel beat up or experience DOMS or fatigue. Since PTTP and Faleev spread the volume over more days (higher frequency), I would expect that you would feel more "fresh", especially if you don't push the intensity too hard. The upside of Faleev is there are less days in the gym. Personally, I would stay in the 3-5 rep range, not 8-12 reps.

Good luck.
 
My suggestion would be PTTP, or Easy Strength. Not Faleev, not the 8-12 rep range.
 
Thanks so much for all of the suggestions everyone. I appreciate the input and ideas very much!
 
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