Let me start by saying I love the new elitefts Shoulder Saver Pad.
Yeah, I know I sound like a product shill, but this thing is awesome. No more looking around for someone to hold boards.
I've been using it a lot with clients, and myself and I really like it. Maybe Dave will make a 3 and 4 board one as well?
In my last log I said this:
"It is the coaches job to determine, just as much as the client if they should go up or down to follow the RPE for the day.
OK, I'll go over this more in future installments."
I also said I would explain a little more on it. Here goes:
As we know, RPS means Rate of perceived exertion, this is easily summed up as how hard you feel you worked and how much more work could you do if you had to.
An RPE 10, for us is no reps left, a 9 is 1 left and so on.
We had reservations as to whether this would work in groups because you have a wide variety of experience levels, fitness levels and ABILITY levels.
My main concerns were with the beginner to intermediate people.
Beginners think everything is hard! Intermediates tend to overestimate their strength.
This is why I said it is just as much the coaches responsibility to watch and make suggestions as it is for the lifter.
It is our job first to keep them safe and prevent them from hurting themselves, and then results come.
As coaches we need to watch and coach. Sometimes this means suggesting more weight, sometimes less and sometimes it is a technique cue. Our concern was that since beginners make so many gains strength wise in the first few weeks/months that it would not be accurate from week to week, but it is.
Since it is auto-regulatory, a beginner will make improvements fast and may use a lot more weight from week to week, and that is fine. I was pretty concerned that they may load weight too quickly and overstress connective tissue.
I was wrong. That's the beauty of RPE. If you feel great, move more weight or do more reps.
If you don't, use the same or less.
This is auto-regualtion. It self corrects. Like a front squat.
Another thing to consider when training people on any system but especially with RPE is that many times progress comes not with more weight but with a greater mastery of the weight used.
This is easily explained: let's say Client A did 5x5 in the squat at an RPE 7 last week and the notes in their log say it was a little slow and not too tight.
This week we work them at the same weight and make sure it is tighter and faster. We hold them to the RPE at more speed and better technique. If they can do the 225 x5 faster and tighter we then consider suggesting more weight.
OK, enough on that. If you have more questions please add a comment and I'll go into more detail.
On to training.
Anna from the TPS Method for Powerlifting doing assistance work.
In the TPS Method for Powerlifting, we are about to peak for the meet.
We are running two waves on the RPE scale for them.
They are doing a Volume wave on squat and deadlift and an Intensity wave on bench.
Why?
Well, they already know how to squat and pull, so we wanted to get them used to handling a little more weight on the bench with less reps as they are learning it this cycle.
This seems to be the right choice.
Here is a sample of what they are doing this week:
Squat:
Squat 4x3 RPE 10
Bench:
3x3 RPE 10
Deadlift:
3x3 RPE 10
This is the week we are setting their openers. As they are all first timers except one, their best triple this week will be their opener at the meet.
Next week we are setting second attempts and it will look like this:
Squat:
4x2 RPE 10
Bench:
3x2 RPE 10
Deadllift:
3x2 RPE 10
Their best double will be their second attempt.
Sure this is conservative but we want them all to go 9 for 9 at the fist meet.
We'll make a game day decision for thirds as a small PR.
On to my training:
One of my training partners Russ Smith doing a little raw work.
I got some new toys in form Spud to test out.
He sent a Utility Strap and some kettlebell straps so I used them a lot this week.
The Utility Strap is for anything you can dream up and it is great. I did tons of face pulls and cable rows with it.
I started at a cable stack and did about 25 reps with 120 pounds ant each postilion on the stack, raising it one hole each time. I ended up with about 250 reps in 3 or 4 minutes and had a swolepocalypse in my lats.
I'll be using this s lot for accessory work.
The kettlestrap is really cool. If you don't have kettlebells and want to do swings this is the ticket.
I have about 9000 bells, but tried it anyway.
I worked up to 125 on it for about 20 reps in the swing.
What I found is that you can't swing this like a bell. You need a lot of control so it doesn't whip around and throw you off balance. I liked that.
With a bell, you can really explode into it and move it FAST.
With this, you need to pay very close attention or you'll be on your ass.
Sometimes going a little slower and more focused has benefits. My ass and hamstrings were much more sore than usual from using a different tool too.
That's good right?
That's all for this week.
Wait, one more thing.
I'm taking my son to PAX EAST this weekend.
I'll try and get some pictures of for you.
It's gonna be a freak show.
Ask me a question-Be sure and Type to Murph in the header
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Vincere vel mori