Weve had some downtime at work, so I got bored and wrote this up. I didnt know if we wanted to add this to the OP or not, but another LP program that should be talked about more is the Grayskull LP. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask. I had much better gains and way more excitement for the gym using this program than SS. In addition, by squatting less, my knee pain wasnt as bad. If anything, it's another option for people who want to switch up their beginner programming if they get bored.
The issues, for some people, with most linear progression programs are normally:
1. Resetting isnt fun
2. Two much volume
3. Little room for accessory work
4. Squatting is done first.
The Grayskull LP fixes these issues by doing a few slight modifications. The basic layout of the program is:
Day 1: Bench/standing press for 2x5 then 1xAMRAP (2.5 lbs heavier than the last time you did the lift); Squat for 2x5 then 1xAMRAP (5lbs heavier than the last time you did the lift)
Day 2: Standing press/Bench for 2x5 then 1xAMRAP (2.5lbs heavier than the last time you did the lift); Lighter Power cleans for some warm up Deadlift 1xAMRAP (5lbs heavier than the last time you did the lift)
Day 3: Same as day one
AMRAP=As Many Reps As Possible
Your goal on your last set is to push as much as possible. If you can get out 10 reps, great! If you can only push out the 5, that's awesome too!
This program solves the above issues:
1. Resetting will always be fun since, if youre tracking your progress, youll be able to set rep records on previous reps. Instead of feeling salty that you have to do the same weight again, you can get hyped that you can aim to do the last rep for 10 instead of for 8.
2. Squatting 3 times a week, especially on the same day youre going for a new max on your deadlift, is a lot on your body. This really will start coming into play when you're hitting your true 5 rep max. Squatting only twice a week is still gonna add 10 pounds to your 5 rep squat work a week. That's 40lbs a month or 480lbs a year. Youre NOT gonna be able to go up 480 pounds on a squat in a year unless your start at zero pounds. This adds more longevity to the program than squatting 3x a week. Same goes for starting out with less increases. 5lbs a week on your dead puts you at 240 more lbs on your dead, per year. Once your dead starts getting up in numbers, adding 240 is going to take switching programs.
3. Doing only two lifts a day leaves plenty of room for whatever you want. Wanna do curls in-between the lifts? Sure. Pull ups? Sure. Shrugs at the end? Whatever. Don't over train, but the two lifts and their spacing makes doing a little accessory work possible.
4. Squatting sucks. I mean, its a great lift, but it takes a lot out of you. Squatting really heavy is exhausting. Having to follow that up with a heavy press or bench is a nightmare. However, while a heavy bench or press is taxing, going from the presses to the squat still is less effort than the reverse.