young_squatters Single Factor 5x5 Journal

[anotherbutters]

Thanks ripstone and guisness.

Hey Guinness, I'm beginning to like this chap, what do you think?

YS, I'd spread them out a bit too. Maybe squat 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 and bench 80, 90, 105, 120, 135. See how it feels. If they feel really light, increase them a little bit, but not so much that you risk missing the top set. The top set's the important one.

Try to get hold of some smaller plates if your gym doesn't have any. You can't add 5lb to your bench every week. It's important to keep increasing the weight, even if it's only a small increase. Try to get hold of some 1lb plates or something around that, then you can make the smaller increases. Try to add roughly 2-3% per week. So aim for 205 squat and maybe 137 bench next week (starting with three reps on Friday).

 

[young_squatter]

Hey Guinness, I'm beginning to like this chap, what do you think?

YS, I'd spread them out a bit too. Maybe squat 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 and bench 80, 90, 105, 120, 135. See how it feels. If they feel really light, increase them a little bit, but not so much that you risk missing the top set. The top set's the important one.

Try to get hold of some smaller plates if your gym doesn't have any. You can't add 5lb to your bench every week. It's important to keep increasing the weight, even if it's only a small increase. Try to get hold of some 1lb plates or something around that, then you can make the smaller increases. Try to add roughly 2-3% per week. So aim for 205 squat and maybe 137 bench next week (starting with three reps on Friday).

My gym only has 2.5 lb plates, so the best i can do is a 5 lb increase, Where can I get the smaller Plates at?

 

[anotherbutters]

Sorry, I have no idea - I'm based in the UK!

 

[young_squatter]

Sorry, I have no idea - I'm based in the UK!

Alright, Ill go a search, if i cant find any then im going to have to try and increase 5 lbs a week which sounds hard.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Hey Guinness, I'm beginning to like this chap, what do you think?

I can't fault anyone for typos. Im' teh mastre fo typign to ofast .

 

[blut wump]

Alright, Ill go a search, if i cant find any then im going to have to try and increase 5 lbs a week which sounds hard.

More than just hard to bump bench by 5lb week on week. You'll have to aim for increasing your top set every other week or maybe even less often and place more attention on the earlier sets to increas overall load from week to week.

 

[anotherbutters]

Search for 'micro plates'. You're looking for something like this: http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/Fractionals/fractionals.html

Or improvise: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ridgely4.htm

I think consistently adding a small amount each week is pretty fundamental to this program. Those little improvements soon add up.

 

[young_squatter]

Thanks for great advice guys, Ill most likely end up increasing bench every other week or less often like blut wump said, But if thats how its gotta be then so be it.

How about these?
http://www.ironcompany.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=206

Going to buy a pair of 1.25 lb weights, So i can increase weight by 2.5 lbs a week

 

[anotherbutters]

Yep, that's a start. Just make sure whatever you buy is for an olympic bar, i.e. 2" hole. You can try increasing every other week, but I don't know how easy that will be. With smaller increases, you barely notice it going up, so it's a bit like sneaking a bit on without your muscles noticing that much.

If you get those plates, try to improvise something at half that weight like a chain from a hardware store, then you can use a combination of the two.

 

[young_squatter]

Yep, that's a start. Just make sure whatever you buy is for an olympic bar, i.e. 2" hole. You can try increasing every other week, but I don't know how easy that will be. With smaller increases, you barely notice it going up, so it's a bit like sneaking a bit on without your muscles noticing that much.

If you get those plates, try to improvise something at half that weight like a chain from a hardware store, then you can use a combination of the two.

Yeah I understand, Im going to try to go up 5 lbs next week because those plates wont be in until next week

Thanks for all the help I appreciate it.