Tim's training log

[Timothy Copeland]

This is my first attempt at powerlifting. I followed a variety of programs last year, mostly centered around physique/general fitness goals, that were for the most part successful, but at the end of the year I hadn't gotten that much stronger. So any advice or constructive criticism is welcomed.

My lifting, as of now is pretty unstructured. I made good progress this summer w/o following a plan, so until it slows down I'll keep doing that. 

Day 1: Squat

Day 2: Bench

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Deadlift

Day 5: Overhead Press

Day 6: Rest

Haven't decided if I'm going to add a day for back assistance work or just keep it at a 6 day split.

And like I said before, any advice or constructive criticism is welcomed.

[Timothy Copeland]

First week of training:

Sunday:

Don't remember my warmup. working sets were

Squat

205x5

225x5

235x4 (needed help on #5)

GHR

bodyweightx10

25x8x3

seated calf raises

100x12x3

Monday

Bench

135x5

145x5

155x5

165x3

needs a lot of work. Bench has always been by far my worst lift

Bench press from power rack 

Rack set at right above my chest, working on explosiveness on the bottom part of the lift. First time I did it, I only got 135 up twice, so it's definitely a weak spot.

115x10

135x6x3

I think I did some pull-ups and abs as well, can't really remember

Wednesday:

Deadlift

275x5

295x5

315x5

335x1 

I weigh 165, so 335 is 2x my bodyweight. real happy with that.

Did some sumo and deficit deadlifts, don't really remember weight or reps

Shrugs

185x10x3

Thursday

OHP

95x5

105x5

115x5

125x3

BB front raises

60x8x4

Curls

60x8x4

Pullups

bodyweightx12

25x6x3

[Timothy Copeland]

8/31

Squat

205x3

225x3

245x1, failed on second

Good Morning

95x8

115x8x3

Hip abductor

115x8

130x8x3

Knees have a habit of coming in when I squat, was told hip abductor would help correct that

Barbell Rows

135x8x2 (overhand)

135x12x2 (underhand)

[Tiny]

Your overall plan doesn't look bad. My suggestions would be to increase the rep ranges on the main movements (no less than 5 I would say). As a beginner, you need lots and lots of volume and practice with the main movements (with good technique). This will also help you put on some solid muscle. And stop taking max sets. You need to build up your base strength before you consider taking a max single or double.

Go eat sandwich.

[Timothy Copeland]

Okay I'll do that. appreciate the advice. Would something like a 5x5 work better for where I'm at?

[Timothy Copeland]

Also, last nights bench session

Bench

145x3

155x3

165x3

175x2

Bench Press from rack

135x6x3

135x6x3 at different position

Next week I'll go with a little more volume/lighter weights for the bench

[Tiny]

5x5 is good, but I think you would be better suited doing a basic linear periodization program where you're doing sets of 10, 8, 6, and so on from week to week. Since you like to go by feel, try 5x10 for one week for all the main movements, then 5x8, 5x6, and 5x4. Something like that.

If you want to follow a program, I'd suggest looking up the Juggernaut method. It's structured like a block periodization program, but it has lots of volume and is focused around the big movements.

[Timothy Copeland]

Ok, interesting. I was always taught that sets in the 8-12 rep range were good for increasing size but not necessarily as effective for building strength? Not trying to disagree, I know I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to strength training, just curious what your train of thought is. 

[Timothy Copeland]

Or are you thinking its a better idea to put on some size before I try to train purely for strength?

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

I feel you could use more volume and more frequency. Look on Youtube for Jason Blaha's novice 5x5, it will get you strength and size without much thinking. This will get you most optimal results.

Start eating a little bit more, gaining 3 pounds per month would be good if you want a lot of muscle with minimal fat.

[chris]

On Monday, September 2, 2013 8:49:06 PM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Ok, interesting. I was always taught that sets in the 8-12 rep range were good for increasing size but not necessarily as effective for building strength? Not trying to disagree, I know I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to strength training, just curious what your train of thought is. 

At your level, the absolute fastest and most efficient path to strength is gaining size.

To break things down into numbers:

90+% of your 1RM improves maximal strength

60%-85% 1RM promotes hypertrophy

sub 60% improves strength endurance

The percentages and their effects are generalizations based on collected data; you may see some hypertrophy working sub 60% or 90+% just as you will see improvement in strength endurance and maximal strength working in the 60-85% range.  As such, the percent of 1RM, rather than the number of repetitions performed per set, should always be examined when determining the underlying focus of any strength training program.

The term used above, "maximal strength," refers to your maximum voluntarily demonstrable strength.  This is different than your absolute, involuntary strength.  The latter refers to the absolute potential of the muscle, which we will crudely say is determined by its size.  The difference between your absolute strength and maximal strength is due to inefficiencies in technique and your capacity to simultaneously recruit muscle fibers.  A program that strictly improves maximal strength is not actually making you any stronger per se, but is instead improving your inefficiencies to close the gap between your demonstrable strength and your absolute strength potential.

So often, people get caught up in thinking they need to work in a certain rep range if they are training towards a certain end (e.g. powerlifting vs. bodybuilding).  The truth is that whatever your pursuit in strength training, generally the focus needs to be on getting stronger and getting more muscular.  Even if you need to stay in a weight class as a competitive strength athlete, staying at the same weight while dropping from 15% bodyfat to 12% bodyfat to make yourself more competitive will be accomplished through hypertrophy.

As Tim said in one of his first replies, whatever program you choose to employ should utilize a linear progression.  This means that more weight goes on the bar ever week.  You also really should be eating enough to gain 1lbs per week.  When your body is in a calorie surplus and you are making it lift more weight every week, it physiologically does not have any choice but to grow.  It's that simple.  It's my experience that the submaximal method with a linear progression (e.g. training with your 12RM for 3-5 sets of 8) is very effective at stimulating hypertrophy over a relatively long period of time provided you are in a calorie surplus.  I also believe that it is critical to back the training load off such that the starting load, combined with the linear progression, will put you at the weight you are currently capable of in 4-5 weeks.

For example, if you can squat 225 for 4 sets of 8, assuming you are adding 5lbs each week (2.5 on each side of the bar)

week 1: 205x8 X 4

week 2: 210x8 X 4

week 3: 215x8 X 4

week 4: 220x8 X 4

week 5: 225x8 X 4 (match your current training 8x4 max this week)

week 6: 230x8 X 4 (PR)

week 7: 235x8 X 4 (PR)

...

Most people don't do this with their training because they are too caught up with the amount of weight on the bar.  They try a linear progression, starting at their current training max, and believe that it doesn't work for them because they could only make 1 or 2 jumps (if that) before they started missing weights.  Backing the weights up allows your body to recover (if it needs to), and it also gets you in the proper mental state as you have been smashing weights for a full month before you start attempting to make PRs.  The big thing to keep in mind when starting a linear progression when you feel like you're training too light is that once it starts feeling heavy it's going to stay that way.

For the progression itself, I would use 5lbs increments for the big lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, row, pull-up) and 2.5 or 1.25lbs increments for the small/accessory lifts (using the platemate magnets under the desk).  With the overhead, you may need to progress on that every other week as 5lbs may be too big of a jump in terms of percent (so two weeks in a row at the same weight).

The actual template you use, in terms of training frequency and duration, will be dictated primarily by your schedule.

[Tiny]

Tim, I can't put it any better than Chris has said above. The best way to increase strength at your level is to increase size. This is what it means to "build a strength base". Simple linear progression will accompish this as long as you do it right, as Chris has suggested. A linear progression based on big movements will put solid mass on you (provided you are eating enough), and make you more efficient at the main movements. At your body weight, you have plenty of room to grow.

I don't think Chris mentioned this, but in order to gain 1lb per week, you need to be in a caloric surplus of at least 3500 calories/ week, which is 500 extra calories per day.

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

Vary good post.  I would just change the increase in weight for deadlift to 10lbs a week, I feel he can do that until he hits 405 single.

Also Tim keep in mind you'll gain about 2 pounds of muscle a month at your level of development. Any other weight gain will most likely be fat. While a pound or two is acceptable, don't go full retard and end up looking like a doughnut (unless you want to completely disregard aesthetics and simply pursue pure strength).

[Bob Stevens]

Ten pounds a week is aggressive, regardless of the lift. If he's doing a 50 reps total with a X weight, to expect to do 50 reps total with X +50lbs in 5 weeks is not realistic. Reread what Chris wrote. 5lbs a week will have him making progress for a significantly longer time than 10lbs a week. Considering his technique is also in need of some work, I don't see the need to be that aggressive. 

Tim, in regards to your knees and squatting. I saw your 225 and 245 sets the other day. Honestly, like Tim said, you're body just isn't ready for maximum effort work. Your form could use some tweaking, but overall, you need more repetition work to hammer in some fundamentals. From what I saw, your knees came in because you didn't prevent it from happening. Meaning, you didn't noticeably force them out until they were already gone. If you come to the Squat Clinic or whatever its called next weekend, I will show you what I mean. 

On Tue, Sep 3, 2013 at 12:21 PM, FRAN PERKOVIC <fxp...@g.rit.edu> wrote:

Vary good post.  I would just change the increase in weight for deadlift to 10lbs a week, I feel he can do that until he hits 405 single.

Also Tim keep in mind you'll gain about 2 pounds of muscle a month at your level of development. Any other weight gain will most likely be fat. While a pound or two is acceptable, don't go full retard and end up looking like a doughnut (unless you want to completely disregard aesthetics and simply pursue pure strength).

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[FRAN PERKOVIC]

I wasn't really expecting him to do nowhere nearly 50 reps. Pretty much every starting program I saw promoted adding 10 pounds, so I used it and it served me good all the way until 3x3x405. But yeah, he can add +5, it will definitely not hurt him, it'll just be a little bit slower in the beginning.

[Timothy Copeland]

Awesome, definitely appreciate the advice from everyone, it makes a lot more sense now. I'll assess my rep maxes this week and start on a linear program next week. I'll miss lifting heavy but I'll check my ego for a few months. With that said, here was today's session

Deadlift

275x5x5

After hitting 315x5 last week I was surprised by how difficult this was. Form definitely felt better than last week though

BB row

135x8x3

Pullups

bodyweightx12x3

[Dan]

Chris,  do you generally recommend new athletes start out squatting twice a week, or just once?

 

Tim, when I went to Chris looking for a general strength template to follow, it was a basic 4 days split (2 upper, 2 lower).  This was after I had already developed a strength base but was looking to improve it.  IMO squatting twice per week is a good practice to get into.  Just follow the guidelines mentioned above and have some eyes on your form.  If necessary take a video and upload to a reputable site for feedback. 

 

For example:

 

Day 1

Bench

Upper Body Work (tri movement, rows, curls, etc)

 

Day 2

Squat

Lower Body Work (RDLs, back raise, abs, lunge, etc)

 

Day 3

Overhead Press

Upper Body Work (tri, shoulder, pullups, row, etc)

 

Day 4

Squat

Deadlift

Lower Body Work

[chris]

I definitely think that squatting twice a week is a good idea, even if it's alternating front squats with back squats in consecutive training sessions.  The example template you laid out is essentially what I would still generally recommend for someone who has time to train 4X per week.

[chris]

On Tuesday, September 3, 2013 11:28:33 PM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Awesome, definitely appreciate the advice from everyone, it makes a lot more sense now. I'll assess my rep maxes this week and start on a linear program next week. I'll miss lifting heavy but I'll check my ego for a few months. With that said, here was today's session

Tim,

The most important thing is consistency.  If you are eating enough and adhere to a linear progression without missing workouts for 8-12 or even 16 weeks you will see significant improvements.  There are a couple of guidelines to follow to make sure the linear progression is successful. I think these are all captured in the previous messages, but I'll put them down here again.

1. Don't start too heavy. Choose weights that you *know* you can lift, plan on hitting them 5 weeks from now and back up from there. Do not pick weights that you *think* you can hit.  Remember, once you pass this mark with each week you will be lifting more than you have before so keep the ego in check and be patient.

2. Make small jumps. Your body won't be able to adapt quick enough if you are too aggressive with your increments.  It is critical that you stay behind the adaptation curve for as long as possible to maximize your gains.

3. Eat enough to grow.  Targeting a 1lbs per week gain is generally a good place to start.  As Tim noted, this will require an extra 3500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day.  You may need to add more calories daily in order to accomplish this.  Gain at least 10lbs and then evaluate and adjust as necessary.  You will probably gain some bodyfat; bodyfat is not permanent.

4. Pick BIG movements that will be easy to overload. This means barbell presses (bench, overhead), barbell rows, pullups, dips, squats, deadlifts (stiff-legged), etc.  I would stay away from dumbbell and unilateral work during this period.

[chris]

As Bob noted, what I suggested is a long term progressive overload which will be better suited with small increments.  Provided that adaptation is taking place, the load on the bar will not be demonstrating limit strength.  What personal experience and years of observation have shown me is that conservative programming generally yields consistent and better gains than programming too high or aggressively; on many occasions I've seen the latter yield little to none.

[Timothy Copeland]

Sounds good. I like front squats and I haven't done them in awhile so I'll add them in on my deadlift day.

OHP

95x8x4

Seems about right for a 8x4 max, so I'll start next week at 75.

Dips

bodyweightx8x4

DB shoulder raises

25sx8x2 (side)

25sx8x2 (front)

curls

50x12x4

[Louie P]

curls

50x12x4

DB or BB? If they are DB curls I'd probably go out on a limb and say you're using too much weight. 

[Timothy Copeland]

haha no, they were barbell curls

[Timothy Copeland]

Squat

185x8x4

Felt like I could've done more weight. I'll probably start here (meaning start at 165) when I start the linear program, just for the sake of being conservative and focusing on form. Technique did look and feel a ton better.

Good morning

95x8

115x8x3

Hip Abduction

110x12

130x8x3

Hanging Leg Raisesx12x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench

145x8x4

Bench from rack

135x8x2

135x6

Bent over rows

135x8x3

Pullups

10x8x3

[Timothy Copeland]

Starting on my linnear progression plan


Going pretty conservative for starting weights
Squat - 165
Good Morning - 90
Bench - 125
Bench from rack - 105
Bent over row - 115
Deadlift - 245
Front Squat - 135
OHP - 75
Pullups - bodyweight
Dips - bodyweight

Monday
Squat
165x8x4

Good Morning
90x8x4

Hip Abductor
110x8x4

Today
Bench
125x8x4

Bench from rack
105x8x4

Bent Over Row
115x8x4

EZ bar curls
55x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Wednesday

Deadlift

245x8x4

Front Squat

135x8x4

Shrugs

185x8x4

Seated Calf Raises

110x8x4

Friday

OHP

75x8x4

Side Raises

20x8x3

Pullups

0x8x4

Front Raises

20x8x3

Hammer Curls

25x8x4

T-Bar Row

90x10x4

Ab rollout

0x10x4

Rotator cuff work

Went a little crazy on assistance exercises today, had some extra time and energy

Had a question concerning assistance exercises....for the isolation movements, should I try to be progressing linearly with them as well? It seems unwise/unrealistic to try to add 5 lbs a week to curls or lat raises

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

You should absolutely progress, that is the entire point on weightlifting. But don't just add 5 pounds, this is how I would do it:

Your last workout was
20x8
20x8
20x8

next time try to get
20x9
20x9
20x9

or anything close to that. Maybe even
20x8
20x9
20x9

Then when you get to 12 reps each set, up the weight.
Adapt this to any rep range you want.

[chris]

On Saturday, September 14, 2013 5:45:39 PM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Went a little crazy on assistance exercises today, had some extra time and energy

Had a question concerning assistance exercises....for the isolation movements, should I try to be progressing linearly with them as well? It seems unwise/unrealistic to try to add 5 lbs a week to curls or lat raises

There are 1.25lbs (and maybe 5/8lbs) magnets available at the desk that you can use to overload the "small" movements.  You can also pick up some of these washers from Fastenal on west henrietta road; they weigh just about 5/8lbs and will fit an olympic bar.  If you have a pair of lifting straps, you can loop the lifting straps through the washers and hold them for dumbbell exercises.  My personal preferred method for microloading dumbbells is to make some loops out of surgical tubing and use it to strap 5lbs, 2.5lbs or 1.25lbs plates to the end(s) of the dumbbell.  When microloading is not possible on a weekly basis, incrementing every other week or every third week can be effective.

The method suggested by Franky may also be employed, however, I personally do not like overloading repetitions for submaximal work as much as microloading.  Overloading the repetitions can cause some pretty big variation in the work performed on a session-to-session basis.  For example, consider an assistance movement that the trainee uses 100lbs for, with a starting volume of 8x4 and a target volume of 12x4 for load increment.

week 1: 100x8 X 4 --> 3200lbs work

week 2: 100x9 X 4 --> 3600lbs work

week 3: 100x10 X 4 --> 4000lbs work

week 4: 100x11 X 4 --> 4400lbs work

week 5: 100x12 X 4 --> 4800lbs work

week 6: 105x8 X 4 --> 3360lbs work

If we look at the work performed from weeks 1 through week 5, the trainee increased his per session workload by 50% on that single movement.  The following week, when the increment occurs, the trainee's workload drops by 30% representing an increase of 5% over week 1.  What I suggest is that for the trainee to be capable of handling the work for weeks 4 and 5, he must necessarily detrain for the first 3 weeks in each wave.  This is not a linear progression, but rather a periodized approach.  This type of wave can be effective and has its place in training, however I do not believe it is the most appropriate method.

I will stress again that these first 3-5 weeks should be E-A-S-Y.  This is absolutely necessary for success.  Do not add additional assistance work if you feel like you haven't worked enough during this time.

[Sereni]

Just wanted to mention that your work is looking great and I'm glad to see you keeping at it.  I think Tiny and Chris are doing a great job of helping you so I don't really have anything to add.

[Tiny]

I've personally never done the microloading stuff, but it is a good idea. I might even start doing some of it myself. 

Chris is right, the first few weeks should be real easy. Don't try to "make up" for it by doing more assistance work.

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

Chris, how important is it to focus mostly on tonnage moved? Because as I explained, I like modifying both rep range and weight, instead of just weight. My total tonnage definitely drops a little when I bump up the weights, but it is performed with heavier weights. Important thing I forgot to mention is that I do all my assistance at 8.5-9 RPE, no matter what weight . With that said, would I still get more benefits with linear (microloading) progression?

Also, when I use weights over 100lbs it pretty much turns into linear progression, since I can always hit 12 reps after I add 5lbs. Since Tim asked about movements usually performed with lighter weight, the drop from 12 to 8 reps which I mentioned before was primarily for movements like curls and delts, where jumping up from say 35 to 40 pound dumbells would be 15% jump in weight, definitely something we don't want to do.

[chris]

On Monday, September 16, 2013 1:54:07 PM UTC-4, FRAN PERKOVIC wrote:

Chris, how important is it to focus mostly on tonnage moved? Because as I explained, I like modifying both rep range and weight, instead of just weight. My total tonnage definitely drops a little when I bump up the weights, but it is performed with heavier weights. Important thing I forgot to mention is that I do all my assistance at 8.5-9 RPE, no matter what weight . With that said, would I still get more benefits with linear (microloading) progression?

I believe that being concerned with tonnage can be important in the following situations:

1. You are lifting heavy enough loads that recovery becomes one of the primary factors in your programming.

2. You are regularly approaching or becoming overtrained.

Outside of those two situations (and there may be more, those are just off of the top of my head) I don't think it's something that needs to be focused on, but it is something to be aware of.  Spending a month or two tracking tonnage, total lifts performed and comparing it against objective performance and RPE on your primary movements may provide insight into adjustments to make to your training.

Specifically with your assistance, based on what you are saying, I think that waving the assistance work is probably a better approach given the RPE.  I would want to target a lower RPE for linear progression; once I reached an RPE of ~9 is when I would reset the assistance lifts.  If what you are doing right now is working, I wouldn't worry about chasing "better" gains.  If you've stalled out and you're willing to lower the RPE, I'd say give the microloading a try.

Also, when I use weights over 100lbs it pretty much turns into linear progression, since I can always hit 12 reps after I add 5lbs. Since Tim asked about movements usually performed with lighter weight, the drop from 12 to 8 reps which I mentioned before was primarily for movements like curls and delts, where jumping up from say 35 to 40 pound dumbells would be 15% jump in weight, definitely something we don't want to do.

While it may be a linear progression in terms of load used, it is neither a linear progression in terms of lifts performed (sets X reps) or work performed (sets X reps X load).  I know from experience that waving repetitions for assistance can be successful, however I just don't think it's the most appropriate method given the rest of the programming since there is equipment available to make microloading feasible.

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

Thanks, that clears up a lot. But pretty much the main reason why I don't microload is because I never liked those magnets in the gym. And I saw the kid the other day dropping one on his face while he was doing DB press, it just fell off.

[Timothy Copeland]

Ok cool. Thank you very much to everyone for the advice/encouragement. I tried micro loading on some of the exercises this week, definitely Felt better. Ill post the workouts later when I'm not on my phone (no wifi in the apartment). One quick question, why do you reset the assistance exercises at an rpe of 9? Why not 10 or when you reach failure?

Also I'm assuming rpe is rate of perceived exertion based on a google search, correct me if I'm wrong.

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

Because you should train, not drain :)

Say for example you have three sets to do. And say your max  is 10 reps with all the grinding, but you can still somehow get 10 reps.
In one case you leave one rep in the tank and do 3 sets of 9. In the other case you grind out 10 on first set, but it fatigues the hell out of you, so next set you do 8, and again you barely get them. Third set you are dead tired and manage to squeeze out 7 reps.

In first case, you have done total of 27 reps and didn't go to failure, and you are not as exhausted, and still have power for the rest of your workout. In second case, you have done 25 reps and you fatigued the hell out of muscles.

Hitting failure definitely has its place in programming, but you shouldn't scream "One Moooore" 5 minutes into your workout.

[Timothy Copeland]

Ok that makes sense. 

Heres squat day and bench day. I'm not gonna bother posting last weeks workouts. Pretty much week 1 plus 5 pounds. I was feeling pretty sick but still made it in every day. Felt week but not week enough to miss any lifts.

Squat

175x8x4

Good Morning

105x8x4

Calf Press

120x8x4

Ab rollout

10x8x4

Bench

135x8x4

Experimented with a wider grip, felt easier. Not sure if I should go with this going forward, it shortened ROM quite a bit. While this is a good thing max-wise, I'm thinking it might be beneficial to keep using a fuller range of motion while I'm still developing my strength. Thoughts?

Bench from rack

115x8x4

Bent over rows

125x8x4

Front Raises

25x8x4

EZ bar curls

70x8x4

Got laughed at by the rat-tail dude at the desk when I told him that the 1 1/4 weights didnt fit on the curl bar. Not sure how to feel about this.

Another good note, weighed in at 173, and still staying lean. Happy I didn't lose any weight while I was sick.

[Sereni]

It's hard to say without seeing you bench, but I would discourage a wider grip.  I guess it depends on what we're deeming a "wide" grip in this case.  I'm a huge fan of a closer grip as it's given me an injury-free bench (pretty much the only thing I've had luck with).  However, it would also be easy to argue that at this point anything you do is going to benefit your strength.  Just make sure you're not putting your hands outside the rings or anything crazy, and try to avoid any huge elbow flares.  As long as you're benching with control and without pain, I think you'll be fine.

The rat-tail kid can go fuck himself, I wouldn't worry about that.  Just keep in mind that this is a person that wakes up in the morning and says, "do I want to go in public with a rat-tail today?" and then answers, "yes" to himself. 

[Bob Stevens]

Just keep in mind that this is a person that wakes up in the morning and says, "do I want to go in public with a rat-tail today?" and then answers, "yes" to himself. 

HAHAHA I wish I could give you standing ovation for that one. Or a cookie. ;)

Just to expand on Nick's advice, there's never any hard in alternating grips between sets, or even every week. Close, medium and wide grips all have their place. Personally I find something right around medium (Pinky on 2nd ring from center) to be my most powerful grip. If you're doing 4 sets, try a different grip on the first 3 sets, and do the 4th with the grip you found most difficult. 

On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 7:09 AM, Sereni <glic...@gmail.com> wrote:

It's hard to say without seeing you bench, but I would discourage a wider grip.  I guess it depends on what we're deeming a "wide" grip in this case.  I'm a huge fan of a closer grip as it's given me an injury-free bench (pretty much the only thing I've had luck with).  However, it would also be easy to argue that at this point anything you do is going to benefit your strength.  Just make sure you're not putting your hands outside the rings or anything crazy, and try to avoid any huge elbow flares.  As long as you're benching with control and without pain, I think you'll be fine.

The rat-tail kid can go fuck himself, I wouldn't worry about that.  Just keep in mind that this is a person that wakes up in the morning and says, "do I want to go in public with a rat-tail today?" and then answers, "yes" to himself. 

--

[chris]

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 9:17:03 AM UTC-4, Bob wrote:

Just to expand on Nick's advice, there's never any hard in alternating grips between sets, or even every week. Close, medium and wide grips all have their place. Personally I find something right around medium (Pinky on 2nd ring from center) to be my most powerful grip. If you're doing 4 sets, try a different grip on the first 3 sets, and do the 4th with the grip you found most difficult. 

At this juncture I would stick with just one grip.  It doesn't really matter what grip it is, just be consistent for the next couple of months while you're working to overload the lift.  If you were just starting out with the progression, I would choose your grip width by whatever you can move the weight fastest with or feel strongest with (this is not necessarily the one where you can put the most weight on the bar).  However, given that you've already started I would just use whatever grip you did the first week.  Once the linear progression tapers off will be a good time to experiment with different grips, as Bob has suggested.

The magnets aren't meant to slide over the end of an olympic barbell, you just stick them on the plates or the sleeves of the barbell.  They are better suited for use with dumbbells.  You can find 1.25lbs olympic plates if you search around on amazon, ebay or google; you're probably looking at $15-20 for a pair shipped.

[Tiny]

I would go close grip, personally. I think a closer grip will benefit you more down the line if you ever venture into the strongman world. A closer grip will put more stress on your arms, which will give you more carry over to the overhead press.

[Tiny]

These might be helpful for microloading:

https://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=454&pid=4399

[Timothy Copeland]

On Wednesday, September 25, 2013 7:09:23 AM UTC-4, Sereni wrote:

Just keep in mind that this is a person that wakes up in the morning and says, "do I want to go in public with a rat-tail today?" and then answers, "yes" to himself. 

^Hahaha well said. I've been sticking with a closer grip for the time being. I also took out curls and started doing weighted pull-ups and bent over BB rows twice a week. I like it a little better. It makes more sense to me to have 2 back exercises in a strength -oriented plan. And I actually have some ankle weights from when I was training for lacrosse, I might break those out eventually.

Sunday:

Squat

185x8x4

Good Morning

115x8x4

Shrugs

205x8x4

Calf Raises

130x8x4

Monday

Bench

145x8x4

Bench from rack

125x8x4

BB Row

135x8x4

Front Raise

30x8x4

Weighted pullups

20x8x4

Rotator cuff work

[Sereni]

Woah woah woah, says here you removed curls altogether.  Let's not get crazy.  You could always throw them in on a day when you don't have too much work, or just not worry about the loading on them as much.  There are also tons of variations to do to avoid a stall on one exercise.  I'm a big fan of curls just for the benefit they've had on my joints, not to mention da pump.

Also, this is just a suggestion from personal experience, but I've never had much luck with pin presses (benching from rack).  I think you mentioned that you were doing them because you were worried about a sticking point.  If that's true, I'd say it's way too early to worry about a sticking point.  If there's a spot in your bench where you get stuck it's probably just because it's too heavy.  I think you'd be better off with a full ROM movement, or something to target your triceps more.  I'm a huge fan of close grip floor presses, or close grip decline press (those aren't good ROM examples, but they pump up your triceps).

[Tiny]

Curls are unnecessary. You'll get plenty of bicep stimulation from pull-up variations. 

[Timothy Copeland]

10/9

Deadlift

265x8x4

Front Squat

145x8x4

Shrugs

205x8x4

Seated Calf Raise

130x8x4

Ab Wheel

20x8x4

10/10

OHP

95x8x4

Weighted Dips

15x8x4

Weighted Pullups

20x8x4

Bent over Rows

135x8x4

Side Raises

30x8x4

Rotator Cuff stuff

10/14 - First week above my previous 8RM's

Bench

150x8x4

Decline close grip bench

135x8x4

Bent over rows

140x8x4

Front raises

32.5x8x4 (form was a lot less strict this week. I'll keep it at this weight for next week, maybe go back down to 30 to focus on technique)

BB curls

75x8x4

I was originally was doing the bench from rack, more to work on explosiveness in the lower half of the lift, than a specific sticking point. It's probably too early to tell but it does seem to be helping. What would you suggest for a full ROM tricep exercise?

I also have been experiencing some weird muscle pain/soreness in my traps area while benching and dipping. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

10/15

Squat

190x8x4

Good Morning

100x8x4

Seated calf raise

135x8x4

Ab wheel

25x8x4

[chris]

On Thursday, October 17, 2013 1:05:20 AM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

10/14 - First week above my previous 8RM's

how are things feeling so far this week?

 

Front raises

32.5x8x4 (form was a lot less strict this week. I'll keep it at this weight for next week, maybe go back down to 30 to focus on technique)

I'd try staying at the same weight and not drop back yet unless you're using a lot of english.

 

I was originally was doing the bench from rack, more to work on explosiveness in the lower half of the lift, than a specific sticking point. It's probably too early to tell but it does seem to be helping. What would you suggest for a full ROM tricep exercise?

Continue to stay with the pin presses for now.  You may as well push that movement as far as you can.  Once you decide to rotate it out of your selection, I'd just stick with the staples of close-grip flat, incline or decline.  Index finger on smooth (about shoulder-width) is a close enough grip to make the triceps do work and it won't put too much stress on your wrists.

I also have been experiencing some weird muscle pain/soreness in my traps area while benching and dipping. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

The small muscles around the scapula are susceptible to strain and irritation.  Try rolling the area with a lacrosse or tennis ball a couple times a day.  If you sleep on your side, try sleeping on your back for a few nights.

[Timothy Copeland]

On Thursday, October 17, 2013 9:53:44 AM UTC-4, chris wrote:

On Thursday, October 17, 2013 1:05:20 AM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

10/14 - First week above my previous 8RM's

how are things feeling so far this week?

So far, real good. I've been hitting everything and its felt good. I was sorta sick this week so i took off wednesday and thursday, didnt feel great friday but i still hit all the numbers I needed to (Minus front squats cuz of time constraints)

Deadlift

270x8x4

Calf raises

135x8x4

Ab Wheel

25x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

10/19

OHP

100x8x4

Weighted pullups

25x8x4

Dips

20x7

15x8x3

These didn't feel great. Still getting over the cold from earlier in the week, so kinda felt weak in general. and I hate dips.

Bent Over Rows

140x8x4

Side Raises

32.5x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Week 7

Squat

195x8x4

Good Morning

125x8x4

Calf Raises

140x8x4

Weighted ab wheel

30x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench
155x8x4

Bench from rack

130x8x4

Weighted pullups

25x8x4

BB rows

145x8x4

Front raises

32.5x8x4

^These felt better than last week for sure

[Timothy Copeland]

Also, I know a 155 pound bench probably seems tiny to most of you (and it is) but it felt good to look at my post from earlier and see that it was basically my 5RM a month and a half ago. 

[Timothy Copeland]

Deadlift

275x8x4

Sumo Deadlift

225x5

275x6x3

Calf Raises

140x8x4

Ab Wheel

30x8x4

[chris]

On Tuesday, October 22, 2013 11:19:23 PM UTC-4, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Also, I know a 155 pound bench probably seems tiny to most of you (and it is) but it felt good to look at my post from earlier and see that it was basically my 5RM a month and a half ago. 

this is awesome.  just keep focused on getting another 5lbs on the bar each week, be consistent and don't get greedy.  the small increments will really add up over time.

[Louie P]

Can' beat that, keep it up

[Timothy Copeland]

10/27

Squat

200x8x4

Good Morning

130x8x4

Ab Wheel

35x8x4

Skipped calf raises b/c i was short on time

10/28

Bench

160x8x4

Bench from rack

135x8,8,8,7

BB Rows

150x8x4

Front DB raises

35x8x4

BB curls

75x8x4

Pissed about missing the last rep on the bench from rack. Should be able to get it next week. My form on the bench is feeling a lot stronger though.

Weighed in at about 181, so I've gained about 15 lbs since the beginning of the school year, which is a lot faster than I expected. Not sure how much is muscle vs. fat, I've yet to do a BF% test, but it doesn't seem like I've gained too much body fat. My heaviest I've ever been was about 185 (last winter). We'll see how fast I go up after I pass that.

[Timothy Copeland]

10/30

Deadlift

280x8x4

Tried some sumo but form felt way off, so I'll hold off on that until I learn to do it correctly

Calf Press

145x8x4

Ab wheel

35x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

10/31

OHP

105x8x4

Pullups

25x8x4

Dips

20x8x4

Side Raises

30x8x4

BB Curls

75x8x4

Sleep and diet has been real shitty this weekend cuz of schoolwork and other responsibilities, so we'll see how squats go tomorrow

[Timothy Copeland]

11/4

Squat

205x8x4

Good Morning

135x8x4

Ab Wheel

40x8x4

Calf Raises

150x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench

165x8,8,7

Bench from rack

135x8x4

BB Rows

155x8x4

Front raises

35x8x4

Rotator cuff work

[Timothy Copeland]

Also thinking about switching out some of my assistance exercises, specifically dips and pullups, and maybe taking away shoulder raises. Any suggestions for replacements? Currently dips and pullups are on my Overhead Press day. Would it make sense to do maybe CG incline or should I save that for my bench day? Or does it not really matter? In place of pullups I'll probably either switch the grip and lower the weight or start doing DB rows.

[chris]

On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 10:54:38 PM UTC-5, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Also thinking about switching out some of my assistance exercises, specifically dips and pullups, and maybe taking away shoulder raises. Any suggestions for replacements? Currently dips and pullups are on my Overhead Press day. Would it make sense to do maybe CG incline or should I save that for my bench day? Or does it not really matter? In place of pullups I'll probably either switch the grip and lower the weight or start doing DB rows.

Your progress has been pretty awesome, why are you looking to start changing things now?  Are you grinding reps on any of these movements?

[Timothy Copeland]

Yeah. form has been iffy on pullups and dips the past 2 or 3 weeks. After thinking about it more, I'll probably keep shoulder raises

[Bob Stevens]

I'd say from experience that when this happens you shouldn't jump ship and do a different movement, instead push through by changing rep scheme or add a light band or something to the movement to break past the sticking point. You get stronger by overcoming challenges, not by avoiding them. 

Try doing +15lbs on pullups and doing shorter rest periods. 

[Timothy Copeland]

This is true, I'll do that. Should I try making 2.5 lb jumps? Gains seemed to stall out a lot faster on the bodyweight stuff.

[chris]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2013 10:12:19 PM UTC-5, Timothy Copeland wrote:

This is true, I'll do that. Should I try making 2.5 lb jumps? Gains seemed to stall out a lot faster on the bodyweight stuff.

remember with the bodyweight movements, increases in your bodyweight are also increasing resistance.  From skimming back through the log, it looks like you've gained about 10lbs since you started; don't forget to factor that in.  I'd dial back the pull-up and dips a bit so they're manageable and then just add 2.5lbs a week or even every other week.  Like Bob said, you're not going to get stronger by avoiding movements you have a tough time making gains on (assuming you've got the strength foundation to execute the movement correctly).

[Timothy Copeland]

Ok Ill try that goin forward.

11/7

Deadlift

285x8x4

Calf Raises

150x8x4

Ab Wheel

40x8x4

11/8

OHP

110x8x4

Pullups

15x8x4

Focused on full ROM here, going from a full hang. I was shortening it a little bit the past few weeks

Dips

10x8x4

Side Raises

30x8x4

BB curls

75x8x4

[Sereni]

Keep up the good work man, pretty sure your ohp beats mine right now...

[Timothy Copeland]

thanks man! you'll pass me pretty soon I'm sure haha

On Saturday, November 9, 2013 7:58:57 PM UTC-5, Sereni wrote:

Keep up the good work man, pretty sure your ohp beats mine right now...

Had to take a few days off b/c of a minor concussion that I got on saturday. Today was my first day back. The doctor also told me to go without caffeine this week for something unrelated, which is annoying but it didnt seem to make too much of a difference today.

Squat

210x8x4

Good Morning

140x8x4

Bent over rows

160x8x4

^Switched these to my squat day b/c my upper body days are a lot longer than my lower body days.

Calf Raises

155x8x4

Ab Wheel

45x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench

165x8,8,7

Bench from rack

140x8,8,7

135x7

Front raises

37.5x8x4

external rotation

[Timothy Copeland]

Iffy training today. Made it through squats but it felt like like I stalled on everything else.

Squat

215x8x4

Good Morning

145x8,8,6

BB rows

165x8x4

a lotta body english on these, lowering the weight next week and working back up.

Calf Raises

160x8x2

140x8x2

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench

155x8x4

Felt easy

Bench from rack

140x8,8,8,7

Side raises

30x8x4

BB curls

75x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

I am probably doing the meet at Naz in 2 1/2 weeks, on 11/8 if that ends up happening. Looking to taper my main lifts, keeping assistant lifts on their current progressions. Planning it here for myself as much as anything else, but feel free to help me modify, I've never done this before.

Tenative plan:

11/21 (Tomorrow)

Hit 5RM in deadlift. Got 315x5 on Sept 1, 

11/23

OHP as normal

11/25

5RM squat

11/26

5RM Bench

Gym is closed 11/28 and 11/29  so:

11/30

Deadlift, heavy triple

12/1

Bench, heavy triple

12/3

Squat, heavy triple'

I'll have lacrosse practice on Thursday, other than that I'll probably rest the second half of the week until the meet on sunday. Is this too long?

[Timothy Copeland]

Deadlift

315x5

335x5

Fairly happy with this. Typed my most recent numbers into a 1rm calculator, said id only be able to get 5 out of 300. Which I knew was wrong  since I got 315x5 a few months ago, but anyway, hit 335 (my PR in September), it was tough but not ridiculous. Unfortunately after that I got a pretty vicious blood blister on my left hand, on a spot that I couldn't really deadlift with, so I went to the bathroom to drain it (Megan lent me her nametag, very presidential move by her), which took like 20 minutes. Was planning on trying to get 345x5 but by the time I got back I couldn't hit anything higher than like 335x2. In retrospect I probably tried to rush back into it too quickly, but either way, didn't get any higher than 335

Calf raises

130x8x4

Pullups

15x8,8,8,7

Ab Wheel

50x8,8,8,7

[Nicholas Battista]

nice deadlifting!

[Timothy Copeland]

Thanks!

[Timothy Copeland]

OHP

115x8,7

105x8,7

Iffy day for ohp

Weighted pullups

12.5x8x4

Dips

12.5x8x4

grinded pretty hard

side raises

30x8x4

curls

75x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Squat

225x5

245x5

255x5

265x3 (missed 4th)

Good Morning

135x8x4

Bent over row

135x8x4

Calf Raises

130x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

11/26

Bench

155x5

165x5

175x5

185x2

Happy with 175x5, not so much with 185x2. Was going for 4. I don't think my technique was set as good as it could've been. I'll be tryin it again next week. I also notice I do a lot better without a spotter....i think the self-preservation instinct kicks in haha

Bench from rack

135x8x4

Front raises

40x8x4

ab rollout

50x8x4

[Timothy Copeland]

Real good first day back. Deadlifted with a belt for the first time in a long time, felt really good, even with the shitty belt i have i felt like it added a decent amount.

Deadlift

315x3

335x3

355x3

365x3

385x1

^Going for a double, got the second off the ground, not all the way up. Thinking 375, 395, 405 for my meet attempts. 

Bent over rows

150x8x4

Calf Raises

135x8x4

superset

ab wheelx15

leg raisesx15

x4

[Bob Stevens]

Consider opening with something a little lighter , you really want to smash that first lift. 365 if you need a 2nd attempt before going for 405. If you can make a 30lb jump, then go 375, 405, 4xx. Keep in mind you'll be deadlifting after 4-5 hours of squatting, benching, and waiting around. 

--

[Louie P]

Nice pulling tim- Looking forward to seeing how you do in the meet.

[Timothy Copeland]

Thanks!

On Monday, December 2, 2013 4:10:06 PM UTC-5, Louie P wrote:

Nice pulling tim- Looking forward to seeing how you do in the meet.

365 does sounds like a better opener...what's the conventional wisdom when deciding attempts for a meet? I've never done this before

[Timothy Copeland]

Bench

165x2

175x2

185x2 (felt easy)

195x1 

195x0

^Tried for a double at 195 twice unsuccessfully

185x2

I've noticed 2 things about my benching. Every time I've missed over the past few weeks, my form has broken down. Not sure if this is the cause or effect, maybe a little of both. Second thing is that I can't psyche myself up the same way I can on deadlift or squat, it''s not as effective. My technique ends up getting sloppy and i miss the lift. This is 100% what happened on the second 195 attempt. My mindset going into the meet next week is to settle down (relatively) and focus on keeping my technique as good as possible.

Dips

15x8x4

Incline DB press

35x8

40x8

45x8x4

Front Raises

35x8x4

external rotation

[chris]

On Monday, December 2, 2013 8:17:10 PM UTC-5, Timothy Copeland wrote:

365 does sounds like a better opener...what's the conventional wisdom when deciding attempts for a meet? I've never done this before

an article on picking meet attempts went up on lift-run-bang yesterday:

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2013/12/picking-meet-attempts.html

he discusses both his approach and the more "conventional" approach (opener at ~90%, small PR for 2nd, bigger PR for 3rd).

don't get too stressed out about it -- it's just lifting weights; have fun.

[Timothy Copeland]

Not a good day today. Back was still a little sore, was not feeling it at all. Grinded through my squats, missed a double at 265 (got 265x3 last week). Did some rows and called it a day.

For the meet, I'm thinking

Squat 235/260/285

Bench 165/185/205 or maybe 175/190/205

Deadlift 345/375/405

These might change a little but this is around what they'll be. I went with kind of what the article said, 1st attempt is easy, 2nd isn't too difficult, 3rd is a realistic PR

[Timothy Copeland]

Post meet write-up:

Squats went well. Even 285 went up real easy. I'm a little split; I think i could've gone higher (Mark said he thought I could've hit 315) but my thinking was to be conservative with my squat attempts, and especially after my day on wednesday I didnt want to push it too much. 285 is still a PR. Benching started well. 165 was easy, elected to go to 195 for my second attempt to see how it felt. It felt good so I decided to go for 215 (instead of 205) for my third, which was dumb, and I missed that (only miss of the day). Went 345/380/405 for deadlifts if I remember right. Everything felt good and I'm stoked about hitting 405. 

Looking back: Considering how not long ago I hit 315, I was thrilled to hit 405. The deadlift is moving real well. Looking back at my 245 squat earlier this year, I'm pumped about the 285 (with some left in the tank) as well. In retrospect I should not have tried the 215 bench. Bench is a lift that I can usually predict percentage-wise how I'm going to do, and I was predicting 205. In the future, if I want to add some extra to my total I should do so on the squat or deadlift. Overall, I'm really proud of the progress I've made. While 885 @189 is not amazing, considering I've only been strength training for about 3 months, I'm happy with it at this point. A 1000 lb total was my goal by the summer and it looks very achievable. Going forward, I think I'm going to stick with the linnear progression as long as I can (its not broken, no need to fix it). I will probably start to taper the calories a bit, I'm still hoping to compete in the under-200 division in the strongman. I'm also not sure how training will look over the break with travel and work, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'd really like to do the RPS meet in April, but I'm not sure how it will work with my lacrosse schedule.

[chris]

Awesome meet results, Tim.  You've made some very good progress over the last several months.

Let me know if you want any help or advice with your training plan after the break.

[FRAN PERKOVIC]

Wait weren't you 165? Strong bulk is strong, you definitely don't look like you put on any fat.

Good lifts man, too bad we had to warm up while you guys were on deck.
Also, disregard lacrosse, acquire PRs :D

[Sereni]

Sounds like your meet went perfect, nice job man.

[Louie P]

Nice job at the meet. Sounds like you had a good experience. Keep training hard

[Timothy Copeland]

Thanks fellas, I was real happy with it. Fran, I'm definitely not as lean as I was coming back from the summer but I wasn't expecting to be. Fat gain has been pretty minimal. I think eating cleaner and drinking less beer has helped.

[Louie P]

Have any videos from the meet?

[Timothy Copeland]

No I wish, that would've been a good idea but I wasn't thinking about it at the time. Just pictures, they're all on the Facebook group if you're on there.

Training since the meet has been really unstructured, just whatever I feel like that day. Back/shoulders stuff Thursday, power cleans yesterday, bench/rows today. Benched with some people that really helped me with my form, both wrist position and leg drive, which I didn't really have any concept of.

For spring training, I'm thinking maybe a 4 day split, upper an lower barbells days and upper and lower strongman days. Upper strongman will probably just be log press with some ohp/assistance. How does that sound?

Also, had scrambled eggs with bacon bits thrown in this morning. Highly recommend it.

[Louie P]

You may want to take a look at Tim's Log ( On Pulling, Pressing and Squatting). I don't think there is a need for two strongman type days especially broken down into an upper and lower day. From what I remember Tim was doing is 3 full body days then 1 day for events.

[Timothy Copeland]

From reading the elitefts link he posted, I like the idea of having 3 full body days, but the percentages seem real low to me...a triple at 70% would be about 285 for deadlift, a weight that I could get four sets of 8 pretty easily...should I up the percentages for my training or am I missing something crucial?

[chris]

On Saturday, December 21, 2013 11:19:43 AM UTC-5, Timothy Copeland wrote:

For spring training, I'm thinking maybe a 4 day split, upper an lower barbells days and upper and lower strongman days. Upper strongman will probably just be log press with some ohp/assistance. How does that sound?

If this is what you want to do, I'd do what Louie suggested and try what Tim did, which I believe was do the pull/press/squat plus an event day for a 4 day rotation. I'm pretty sure that's when he was running 3X a week (so over 4 weeks, you'd do each training session 3 times).  I don't see any value in doing separate event sessions for upper and lower.

If I was going to be brutally honest, I would suggest that you just stick with more "volume" or "bodybuilding" type training at this point, focusing on getting more muscular while getting stronger.  You gained some significant weight in the fall, so it may be fine to sit at your current bodyweight for a while. It all depends on how your lifts are moving.  Doing some event training for the sake of specificity once the competition gets closer (e.g. last month before the competition) is a good idea, but up until that point I would keep the focus on simply getting stronger.

[Timothy Copeland]

Appreciate the honesty...when you say volume/bb training, do you mean something like what I've been doing, or a higher volume, more genuine "bodybuilding" kinda plan? My training was more bodybuilding-focused last year and i liked it a lot, and progressed pretty well. I could see something similar working in the spring.

Maybe something like this, keeping the linear progression with the main lift and varying the rep ranges on the “assistance” lifts?

Benchx5x5

Dipsx8-15x4

Inclinex8-15x4

Flyesx8-15x4

Skull Crushersx8-15x4

Pushdownsx8-15x4

I might add in a strongman event day outside of the one month window, but i see your point with having 2 strongman days being ineffective. Bodyweight-wise, I was hoping to go into the strongman/summer closer to 200, so still looking to put on roughly 1 lb/week

[Dan]

The only "upper body" movement in strongman in a traditional sense would be the log press (or axle, db, etc but there is usually just 1 pressing event).  And a log clean and press is going to put heavy emphasis on the lower body unlike your standard bench or shoulder press.  So you don't need an "upper event" day and "lower event" day.  You could just do a log/axle press on your regular bench/overhead day and then another event or two on a lower body day. 

Just be mindful of fatigue building up in your lower back with all of your training.

[chris]

On Wednesday, December 25, 2013 9:18:26 PM UTC-5, Timothy Copeland wrote:

Appreciate the honesty...when you say volume/bb training, do you mean something like what I've been doing, or a higher volume, more genuine "bodybuilding" kinda plan? My training was more bodybuilding-focused last year and i liked it a lot, and progressed pretty well. I could see something similar working in the spring.

I meant something basically along the lines of what you were doing in the fall.  You can vary the rep ranges you were working in a bit to see how you react since you have a set of numbers to compare it to. Some other bodybuilding-type program could probably work as well, provided that the volume, intensities (%1RM), frequency and progression are reasonable.

 

Maybe something like this, keeping the linear progression with the main lift and varying the rep ranges on the “assistance” lifts?

Benchx5x5

Dipsx8-15x4

Inclinex8-15x4

Flyesx8-15x4

Skull Crushersx8-15x4

Pushdownsx8-15x4

Linear progressions are harder to run successfully when you start training with lower repetitions (necessitating higher percentages).  That being said, different people respond differently to various training intensities and you may be more successful training around that 80% mark.  You'd have to try it to find out.  I'd have to see how you were planning to progress the "varying rep range" movements and what kind of percentages you were planning on using.  At the surface it looks like an awful lot of volume to me.  I understand that the smaller movements do not lend themselves as well to the linear progression so different approaches can be explored; I would still advocate a linear progression on all compound movements, even if it occurs at half the frequency of the main movements.