Current Events > My used weight set is missing some. What can I do to prepare for the big jumps?

(+) Yeah! (+)

In mid-March, right before isolation, I bought a convertible bench press from a family friend to maintain some of my gym routine. At that point, I hadn't been working out in a gym for two months (travel), so I have work to do to get to where I was anyway.

The weights it came with were the bar, two 5s, two 10s and six 25s, which means the progression is as follows:

45 55 65 75 95 105 115 125 145 155 165 175 195 205 215 225

Where I bolded are 20-pound jumps. My property requires a lot of labor, so I can find things to to cross train my deadlift and to complement the muscles in my bench to a good extent, but I don't know how to bridge the gap of that twenty pounds on my squat or strict press without really risking some hurt, or at least major diminishment of form.

I alternate between heavy and endurance, so I know that I would eventually be able to do it without additional weights, but I'm impatient and I'd rather have a smoother curve upward.

Any buff CEmen have tips? I know the obvious answer is to buy more incremental weights, and I will in time, but that's not the question at hand.

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Maybe you can use some objects you have at home to try to approximate the missing weights?

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InYourWalls1 posted...

Maybe you can use some objects you have at home to try to approximate the missing weights?

That's the dream, but there aren't many things of an incremental size that would fit on the bar and just hurling a couch around, while very toning, doesn't really allow for the form.

My hope was that someone would have specific ideas of bar-compatible household objects or a weird isometric exercise I hadn't thought of.

Is the PowPow poweightlifter guy still around? I tried @ ing a few versions of his name, but I guess I never actually read it right.

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VanananaHeyHey posted...

That's the dream, but there aren't many things of an incremental size that would fit on the bar

Maybe you could suspend bags off of each side filled with e.g. books?

VanananaHeyHey posted...

Is the PowPow poweightlifter guy still around? I tried @ ing a few versions of his name, but I guess I never actually read it right.

@Pow_Pow_Punishment

Edit: that was the account but maybe he doesn't post here anymore :(

@scorpion41 might be helpful though

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You might have to just lower reps and work your way up to higher reps for the job. If that is 20 lbs per limb this will be very hard.

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Whats your routine? Like what are your sets/reps like?


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Vermander posted...

You might have to just lower reps and work your way up to higher reps for the job. If that is 20 lbs per limb this will be very hard.

Yeah, that's looking like it. Oh, well. I don't mind it, was just hoping for hacks. Fortunately, it's not 20 per arm, just what the bar can be weighed with the weights I have.

scorpion41 posted...

Whats your routine? Like what are your sets/reps like?

I'm doing a 5-3-1- Wendler. I had had a trainer at the gym, so I'm not as religious as I had been, plus the extended time when I wasn't doing anything.

I'm still hitting my stride with the accommodations I have to make in my garage as opposed to the gym, so I haven't fully maxed anything but my bench yet. In December, my training maxes were:

Deadlift: 160 (it's 125 now)
Strict: 70 (55 now)
Squat: 135 (haven't attempted yet; been jogging the past month, which is new to me)
Bench: 90 (it was a struggle at 75 when I got back and now 75 is easy, but 95 is the next jump up and that's been kick. I'm not too worried about the bench, though, because it's easier to cross train and to hop onto for a ten reps in the middle of the day while something is in the microwave.

Anyway, what the gym had me doing was this for all of them. I'm using my strict press weight from back then to demonstrate.
Week 1: 5x low-ish weight (so for the strict press, call it 45 back then), then 5x 55, then 5+to failure of 60; then 10 reps three times of 35 lbs. Cross train with kettle balls, other lifts, light cardio, mobilization, etc. throughout the rest of the week.

Week 2: 3 x 50, 3 x 55, 3+ 65; then 10 x 35 x 3

Week 3: 1x55, 1x60, 1x65; 10x35x3

Week 4: 5x30, 5x35, 5x40, 10x35x3 (basically total rest this week every fourth month)

I usually do (edit: did) squat and strict on the same day and do dead and bench on two separate days. Jogging most days (walk/jog; my cardio is shit), plus walking around the property doing light to moderate-intensity work hauling things of all weights.

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Ok I had to look up Wendlers 5-3-1...Im not familiar with that method, Im mostly a high volume guy. But, comparing your routine with Jim Wendlers actual article...youre doing a different version. He doesnt have a week where he does 3 singles and then a high rep set. And also he measures out weights using percentages of his max.

Week 1 would be 3x5, 65%-85% of your max, you rep out 85% for 5 or more on the third set.

Week 2 is 3x3, 70-90%, last set you rep out 90%

Week 3 is 5/3/1, 75%-95%, last set you rep out 95%

Week 4 is deload week...3x5 with 40%-60% of your max

Then you repeat. The twenty pound jump issue might not actually be an issue. Switch to calculating percentages of your max and see how it plays out.

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scorpion41 posted...

youre doing a different version

*shrugs* It was working pretty well. It's what the gal at the gym had me doing. It's not a wild departure; the percentages you list align with the weight examples I gave: 45 is about 65% of 70, 60 is 85% and so on.

My strict press is really the only one I'm majorly concerned on. I have crap shoulders and a bad tendency to end up helping myself with my legs.

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VanananaHeyHey posted...

*shrugs* It was working pretty well. It's what the gal at the gym had me doing. It's not a wild departure; the percentages you list align with the weight examples I gave: 45 is about 65% of 70, 60 is 85% and so on.

My strict press is really the only one I'm majorly concerned on. I have crap shoulders and a bad tendency to end up helping myself with my legs.

Stick with a weight until you can move it at least 4-5xs. Then you know youre good for a 20lb jump on a single. My rule of thumb is 2 reps equals 10lbs. Ive used that thinking for almost twenty years and its never failed me.

As long as you get your initial rep goal in strict fashion, cheating the extra 1-3 reps isnt hurting you. In fact its actually making you better. The last set should be about going beyond limits as long as youre moving it under your own power safely.

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scorpion41 posted...

Thanks for all the input, scorpion. I'll keep you posted.


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