'Settling into' a weight

[canned tuna]

Hi AusBB. What are your thoughts re: settling into or 'catching up' with a weight while following a linear progression?

IMO, progressing linearly sometimes leaves stages where your form suffers

After about 3 months of 5x5 linear progression (2.5kg pw) I was noticing this from time to time, so naturally started giving a weight an extra week or two, and sometimes even reverting back 5+ kilos and working my way back up & beyond

What's worked for the strength training inclined on this forum

 

[Bazza20]

Hi AusBB. What are your thoughts re: settling into or 'catching up' with a weight while following a linear progression?

IMO, progressing linearly sometimes leaves stages where your form suffers

After about 3 months of 5x5 linear progression (2.5kg pw) I was noticing this from time to time, so naturally started giving a weight an extra week or two, and sometimes even reverting back 5+ kilos and working my way back up & beyond

What's worked for the strength training inclined on this forum

Strength doesn't progress every week. Add weight when you can if you can't keep it the same.

 

[Darkoz]

Linear progression is a misleading term
Like most things, progress comes in spurts, ups and downs, sometimes you can add weight every week sometimes it may take longer.

Having smaller weight plates helps, 2.5kg increments may be too much especially after you've been lifting for a while, so it's a good idea to grab yourself some 0.5kg plates or even smaller ones.
So if you can't lift that extra 2.5kg, chances are you will be able to lift an extra kilo.

 

[Goosey]

Two perfect responses.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to not sacrifice form to get the rep, shortening the rep range, or speeding up the negative portion to get to the target rep is not true progression.

If you adhere to these principles and your not progressing and your diet is in order and you are getting enough sleep you might not be recovered enough between workouts, and if you are working out three set days a week, like Monday, Wednesday, Friday; you might consider actually working out every second day, like;
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Sunday
Tuesday
Thursday
And so-on

If you are doing the same 5x5 template you also might consider adding different templates using different exercises and rep ranges cycling between the three but making the 5x5 your primary workout and the other two your maintainance workouts.

Lots of options.

 

[Grippy]

Linear progression is a misleading term
Like most things, progress comes in spurts, ups and downs, sometimes you can add weight every week sometimes it may take longer.

Having smaller weight plates helps, 2.5kg increments may be too much especially after you've been lifting for a while, so it's a good idea to grab yourself some 0.5kg plates or even smaller ones.
So if you can't lift that extra 2.5kg, chances are you will be able to lift an extra kilo.

Hit the nail on the head

 

[sjay]

thoughts on deload when you hit a plateau? It doesn't seem to work for me. I end up working back up to the same weight and get stuck again. rinse, repeat, fail. how about just plugging away at the same weight every week till you start getting stronger again?

 

[bigD]

Rather than trying to add weight, try to add an extra rep or an extra set. I find this method useful when I hit a small sticking point or when I can't add a small weight increment (in the case of a limited number of fixed dumbbells)

 

[Swervyn-Ervyn]

thoughts on deload when you hit a plateau? It doesn't seem to work for me. I end up working back up to the same weight and get stuck again. rinse, repeat, fail. how about just plugging away at the same weight every week till you start getting stronger again?

Isn't that when you switch to a more advanced 5x5 program, from memory, SL says to go to madcow when you hit this point, and madcow says to go to pendlay at this point...

Just making a note though, Or do a different program all together

 

[Brick]

Stall on 5x5and trying to bust through -
1. rest longer between sets
2. eat more.

You most likely haven't worked out how brutal its supposed to be. When I get to the pointy end of a run of basic linear progression I'll be bursting blood vesells in my face, seeing stars after every set, resting 10 min between sets, laying on the floor after a solid 5 repper unable to move.

Neck up you parrots, don't fuck with the program just do what you gotta do and get the **** done.

Test your limits.

You may not build strength week to week but bash the fuck outtq yourself like that and you'll be on the way.

 

[Semillon]

Stall on 5x5and trying to bust through -
1. rest longer between sets
2. eat more.

You most likely haven't worked out how brutal its supposed to be. When I get to the pointy end of a run of basic linear progression I'll be bursting blood vesells in my face, seeing stars after every set, resting 10 min between sets, laying on the floor after a solid 5 repper unable to move.

Neck up you parrots, don't fuck with the program just do what you gotta do and get the **** done.

Test your limits.

You may not build strength week to week but bash the fuck outtq yourself like that and you'll be on the way.

A timely reminder / motivator before my volume day (5x5) workout.

 

[canned tuna]

All very logical gents. I think I'm getting to a point in the program where I can't progress every single week, however the weights are still going up 5+ kilos a month. Still got a lot left in this run of 5x5 before it's ineffective imo.
The .5kg plates probably aren't of much use at this stage.. still a beginner-intermediate