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mikhael
Level 9 Valued Member
What do you mean?
If you asking about any other strength program I'm currently following it's the Fighter Pull-up Program from 3RM with 22 lbs vest. I also do Squats, Pistol Squats to be precise and with SF newsletter prescriptions (A+A) 3 times a week. Everything you should find in me thread (link below).
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Starlord
Level 5 Valued Member
There is no link but regardless PTTP style of training will be ideal for you.
mikhael
Level 9 Valued Member
Steve W.
Level 8 Valued Member
You can potentially follow PTTP for years.
IMO, the keys to making it work sustainably over the long term are being patient and cooking your cycles in different ways.
Especially with high frequency deadlifting, I'm not an advocate of testing 1RM too often, or milking cycles completely dry before back cycling. Back cycle when you feel like you are getting close to a 5RM and keep patiently nudging up that comfortably hard set of 5/80-85% 1RM range (credit to Dan John for this piece of advice). I do think think it's worthwhile to periodically challenge yourself with weights that are a little more than comfortably heavy, but not necessarily real maxes, what Dan John calls a "PR without maxing." There's a skill to heavy attempts that is hard to develop if you challenge yourself TOO little.
I started out with linear cycles, and made good progress up to a point, but as the weights got heavier, I started to feel a little beaten up and stale.
For me, the biggest adjustment I made to keep feeling good and avoid plateaus was using 4 steps forward/3 steps back wave cycles, and using relatively larger jumps between the 4 sessions in a wave and smaller jumps between waves, such as 10-15lbs between sessions, but only 5-10lbs between the start of each wave (higher max = bigger jumps/lower max = smaller jumps -- measured in lbs, not percentage). This way you get a nice rhythm of easy, medium and challenging sessions, rather than a lot of easy sessions at the beginning and a death march of hard sessions at the end -- it's...wavy. With this approach, you can start a little lighter, say 65% 5RM, because each wave ramps up more quickly.
As I progressed, I often cut back frequency from 5 days/week to 4 days/week. This fit the rhythm of 4 session waves, but I don't think it matters if the training waves and the calendar week are out of synch.
Another approach is more of an "Even Easier Strength" step cycle approach. Cruise along with a constant top set weight at an easyish moderate weight, go a little heavier when you feel strong to gauge where you're at, and then reset your cruising weight accordingly. This also fits with the idea of nudging up your 80-85% 1RM over time (not necessarily lifting in that range all the time, but using that as your benchmark instead of a true 1RM -- just focus on slowly improving the level that is "comfortably heavy" without necessarily ever maxing).
I also much prefer the original 100%/90% scheme for the top and back off sets. The 90% back off set is lighter enough so it's physically and psychologically easy, but still heavy enough to add quality volume. The revised scheme, with a fixed weight for the day and sets of 5,3,2 reps, doesn't require any plate changing or calculation, but after a tough top set I really enjoy being able to take some weight off the bar. It also feels great to use a weight for an easy back off set that might have been a tough top set earlier in the cycle.
Starlord
Level 5 Valued Member
A lot of great advice here.
This style of strength training was developed and used by Anatoliy Bondurchuk aka Dr B.
This was to allow athletes to work on strength in a low stress manner while not crippling them for their main sport and other GPP training.
BJJ Shawn
Level 6 Valued Member
For a more detailed look at Steve's version of cycling PTTP, check here: Barbell - Sore lower back from deadlifts. I have that one saved as it looks like a great program that I plan to get back around to when I have a focus on deadlifts. I'm currently enjoying doing new programs switching from barbell, to kettlebell, etc but when I settle back down that is on my list to do.
tomstranger
Level 6 Valued Member
I followed PTTP for deadlifts for something like three years after hurting my back and being able to do almost no lower body training for more than a year. I started extremely light out of fear for my back. (Maybe like 95 pounds if I remember right.) Starting light gave me ample time to really practice technique, and by the time I reached 275 in training I could pull over 400 on test days. Concentration on tension as described in the book works really well! The program never really “clicked” for me with pressing, probably a mental deficiency on my part. I do recall that in Beyond Bodybuilding there is an anecdote about a guy doing a PTTP type cycle with bench and then hitting 1-2-3 ladders with whatever weight he couldn’t get past if he started to plateau. I don’t remember the particulars and I lent the book to a friend a few years ago and haven’t seen it since, so I can’t be too helpful with that program.
On pages 48-49 Pavel describes the routine of Jason Brice.
Phase 1: one set of 5 reps, 5 days a week, adding 5lbs each time. Starting weight was 67%1RM. He continued doing this until he could no longer add 5lbs.
Phase 2: Switch from one set of 5 to ladders (1-2-3) with his 5RM, and keep doing ladders until form deteriorated. This was done every other day for two weeks. After two weeks...
Phase 3: Take 10lbs off 5RM and repeat phase 1. This time, when he had a hard time completing a set of 5 he took two days off and tested his one-rep max, something Pavel said he did every two months.
Pavel didn't call them phases, but it makes it easier to relay here.
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