all posts post new thread

Barbell PTTP pg.43

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
JeffC

JeffC

Level 7 Valued Member
I read Power to the People again. On page 43 Pavel talks about "The Hollywood Units", and how big and strong they were. One commando shared their program with him. I do not remember reading this before.

100%x5, 5min. Rest
90%x5, 5 min. Rest
80%x5, 30-90 sec. Rest, stopping a few reps from technical failure, as many set as necessary to achieve technical failure, ex. 5-25 sets
3 days a week.

Has anyone tried this protocol? 2-3 warmup sets, and 2 work sets does not seem like enough work. I know I am supposed to be taking a step back, but I have a hard time accepting only 2 work sets. I have changed my expectations, but I am a solid intermediate lifter.
 
Yes, plenty of my students have gone through the Russian Bear, and had excellent results. Warning: you will eat and sleep A LOT.
 
@Pavel Macek Do you Russian Bear the two lifts at once, or maintain one and progress the other?

Maybe one cycle of deadlift Russian bear and PTTP press. Then, a cycle of PTTP deadlift, and Russian bear press.

I would try Russian bear for one lift to see how length of practice and recovery go.
 
@Geoff Chafe, there are many ways to use this approach. Indeed, the heavy lifts before the lighter ones might be called Strong First. E.g., 5 x 5 can be what you described but with 3 back-off sets, a fine compromise between intensity and volume.

-S-
 
@Geoff Chafe,
Another option to consider:
I once wrote and followed a PTTP variation that used additional 90% backoff sets. It's based on a 4 steps forward/3 steps back wave cycle, and I called it "inverse progression" PTTP because as the weight increases in each wave of 4 sessions, you decrease the number of backoff sets. So it might look like this (with arbitrary numbers to illustrate):

285 x 5/255 x 4 x 5
295 x 5/265 x 3 x 5
305 x 5/275 x 2 x 5
315 x 5/285 x 5

295 x 5/265 x 4 x 5
305 x 5/275 x 3 x 5
315 x 5/285 x 2 x 5
325 x 5/295 x 5

etc.

This would be based on a 405lb 1RM, starting at about 70%, and would bring you up to 85% in 4 waves. You can manipulate the jumps between steps, and the starting point of each wave (this one works out to 10lb jumps for both, but they don't have to be the same), however you want. You can also schedule it however you want. I did it more like straight PTTP, 4-5 sessions a week, taking a rest day or two as needed. But you could do it 3 or 4 days a week too.

You could also apply the same concept to more of a step cycle. Do a week at one top weight with 4 backoff sets. Go up in weight the next week with 3 backoff sets, etc.
 
Do not underestimate the basic PTTP. I ran PTTP with the conventional DL and the classic no-lean over head barbell press. After a three months I was pressing and pulling for 5 reps my old 1RMs. For a guy who is built to bench press (t-rex arms and bench belly), I was ecstatic that my pull improved so much.

The idea is concentrated workload.
"The basic Power to the People! program which develops strength without bulk calls for one heavy set of five reps and one set with 90% of what weight..." page 43

The key here is "one heavy set of five". A heavy set of five in two lifts done five days a week really builds up some nice fatigue over the course of weeks.

Good luck on the path.
 
"For instance, if you have more than one reason to do something (choose a doctor or veterinarian, hire a gardener or an employee, marry a person, go on a trip), just don’t do it. It does not mean that one reason is better than two, just that by invoking more than one reason you are trying to convince yourself to do something. Obvious decisions (robust to error) require no more than a single reason. Likewise the French army had a heuristic to reject excuses for absenteeism for more than one reason, like death of grandmother, cold virus, and being bitten by a boar."

Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (Incerto) (Kindle Locations 5452-5456).
 
@Pavel Macek

Confirming the Russian Bear is 3 days per week doing deadlift and press each work out on each day you train? Example: Mon - Deadlift, Press Wed - Deadlift Press Fri - Deadlift, Press

The above is how I understand it in my PTTP book? Have I got it right?

Many thanks!
Mark
 
@MarkS Pavel once wrote to similar question:

"... try benching twice a week and deadlifting once. On separate days."
 
Thanks for the advice @Pavel Macek

Without actually attempting the Bear at this point due to a focus on S&S (and loving it and your article was a huge help!) I do recall that after just one solid deadlift session I used to feel a bit beaten up and took time to recover so a Mon - Deadlift, Press Wed - Deadlift Press Fri - Deadlift, Press cycle I think one would burn out!
 
I appreciate the PTTP and EASY STRENGTH templates and programs, I just find it difficult to get five days a week in at the gym on the two lifts to get a lot out of them. In the past I would hit it for a few weeks and then life would hit and my schedule would tank. I did get great strength gains, I just found it hard to keep up with it. While I only own a 16 and 24 kettle bell I can do S & S at home whenever I like, I just do more swings.

I do see the benefit off the three day a week template, I would just lower the reps to maybe three instead of five. I can get the volume for strength work in and avoid gaining to much extra mass. That and maybe going to singles at say 85% for 6-10 sets for stimulation without size. That and not going overboard with calories. That was big problem when I was powerlifting, ate my way out of a weight class, or three.
 
Russian Bear Zercher Squats?

Mon. Deadlifts, Wed. Bench or Military, Fri. Zercher Squat ?
 
Once the layoffs come next month, I might try the bear. Knowing I'll have time to rest and eat will be peace of mind.
 
So the two ways to do the bear are three days a week of press and deads or three days a week of alternate press and deads?
 
Slightly off topic, but I assume the standing barbell press, strict Russian style requires a stand or rack to perform as part of PTTP. I haven't been to an SFG Barbell Cert or Course so I'm just drawing the inference.
 
@HUNTER1313

It's my understanding you would as an example:

Monday: Bench
Wednesday: Deadlift
Friday: Bench

I have just started the Bear based on the above and Pavel's advice.

Cheers,
Mark
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom