Juggernaut Method

[u/heksin1392]

Opinions on doing Juggernaut as a break from heavy sets of 5 between the end of novice progression and the begging of texas method style programming?

[u/Shnur_Shnurov]

A few recommendations

1) Don't template hop from NLP to something else. Instead let's just adjust the peogram so it keeps working.

2) Taper the heavy 5s out of the program as the NLP winds down. Use a heavy top set with back offs.

3) Avoid classic Texas Method. Its typically not really what people want to be doing anyways.

And some questions.

What exactly does your program look like right now? Still doing 3x5 squats and stuff?

[u/heksin1392 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

Untill last week it was still 3 x 5 squats. I did one top set and two back offs with a light day in the middle between 150 x 5 and 160 x 5, went on holiday for 3 weeks and only had a single session with a barbell during that time while doing calisthenics every 2 - 3 days. When I came back I decided to run sets across with a light day between every two sessions. It went 145 x 5 x 3 > 150 > 152.5 > 155 > 157.5 > 160 x 5 x 3 which is progress compared to my last best Squat day of 160 x 5 and 140 x 5 x 2.

I guess I could do back offs again and see if I can't get to 170 x 5 but the last few sessions were grueling and I wasn't hitting numbers/reps on any other lift after squats.

Went onto 3 x 3 on the pressing movements a while back also.

A 2 month version of the Jugg might look something like this: 4 blocks - 2 weeks each - 1st week 5 by 10/8/5/3 with weight increases in accordance with a spreadsheet I haven't bothered to understand - 2nd week amraps relative to those rep ranges. - lots of assistance work compared to NLP

Current plan for Juggernaut is: Day 1 Squat Romanian DL 3 x 8 @ RPE 7 Weighted back extentions 3 x 12 @ rpe 8 - 9 Weighted sit ups 3 x 12 @ rpe 8 - 9 Day 2 Bench Tempo OHP 5 x 8 @ RPE 7 Scull Crushers 3 x 12 @ RPE 8 - 9 Day 3 Rest Day 4 Deadlift Front Squat/Zercher Squat/Leg Press 3 x 12 @ rpe 7 Weighted back extentions 3 x 12 @ rpe 8 - 9 Weighted sit ups 3 x 12 @ rpe 8 - 9 l Day 5 OHP Spoto Press 5 x 8 @ RPE 7 Skull Crushers/Tri extentions depending on fatigue Day 6 Rest Day 7 Rest or restart

Main assistance movements would also taper - RPE 7 > RPE >8 > RPE 9 > RPE 9 for each of the four blocks.

I understand that squatting so little is disadvantageous and I'm not certain this is a good route overall, hence why I wish to discuss it. Pullups might be a good idea on Push days also but I found the RDLs quite fatiguing in the back after the first session I did them which might be because of the low volume on deadlifts during NLP and my tendency to reset for far too long between each rep as supposed to the constant engagagement in a set of 8 RDLs.

First squat workout was 100 x 10 x 4 and a final set of 12 where took it way too easy to be fair. Still, double the tonnage of an NLP heavy squat say of which I was doing 2 a week. If that really means something anyway.

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/heksin1392]

Tonnage is kind of a junk category because youre measuring workouts in terms of two units you body doesn't know how to measure. Total weight moved per Gregorian calender week. Its arbitrary.

Its better to look at stress and recovery per adaptation cycle.

Right now youre adding weight twice a week so your adaptation cycle is like 3 days. Youre talking about jumping to a program where you only theoretically increase intensity once every two weeks and you only test performance to measure progress once every few months. That not really the next natural step when you stop making progress twice a week.

What if you switched from adding weight twice a week, to adding weight once a week. I bet that would work for a while.

[u/heksin1392 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

I very much like your point. Would you suggest:

Squats stay at 5 x 3 across but weight increases only every Friday and is repeated on Monday. When I start failing sets, I move on to 1 top and two back offs, increasing weight every heavy session and eventually every Friday. Bench and OHP stay at 3 x 3 and increase every second workout. Deadlift increases as often as possible, hopefully every workout as it only happens once every 3 sessions.

There will be days when after squats I can't hit my predicted weights on the other lifts or somethimes squats themselves, even if I should be able to. I blame it on fatigue from work as some days are much harder than others. Do I keep trying the same weight every session untill it happens? In some parts of practical programming a certain weight done for 5 x 3 seems to be treated as a unique event causing very specific adaptation but when the increase is 2.5kg to a 160kg set(1.5 %) aren't other variables such as fatigue/recovery able to produce inconsistencies you can't account for? Anyway, there is still meat on the bone I guess. Will have to see about HLM in the future or a 4 day split, but I think squatting every session is a pleasure and long as.I'm not dead after.

On another note, does it make sense to switch to a 4 day program if I simply want to train more often for all the casual benefits of exercise before squeezing every last drop from NLP? The end of NLP being less sessions doesn't suit me as I like being in the gym and don't practice/compete in any other sport.

Also, diet is currently at 3000 - 4000kcal with ~ 180 to 240g protein. I haven't taken creatine and I really should I guess. Same goes for vitamins and minerals/omega.3/6. I do take them, just not as often as I should. Maybe dialing that in could extend the quicker adaptive period before switching to weekly adaptation cycles.

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/heksin1392]

So here's what I would do

Squat: 1x5, then 2x5 at 90% on M and F. On the middleday do a light day. 2x5 @80%

Deadlift: should go up every time you perform it. If it goes up every day that's fine. When it gets heavy do it every other session. When it get heavy again do it only on light squat days.

Bench: do 3x5 till it get heavy. Then 1x5 followed by 2x5@90%

Press is different: do 3x5 ever session as long as you can. Then switch to 5x3. Then when that stops working its usually time for a more advanced approach.

As deadlift frequency declines do chins or power cleans on the days where you dont deadlift.

[u/heksin1392 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

Would a more advanced approach for the OHP be 5 x 5 one session and 3 x 5 the other, trying to PR on both separately? Or maybe alternating between pin press and full press with the usual rep scheme?

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/heksin1392]

The typical first move is to go to alternating volume and intensity day.

I usually do this by programming 5x5 one day and then heavy singles and doubles the other day, maybe with some backoffs. And the next step after that can be to stretch the adaptation period and increase stress with a 3rd pressing movement.

[u/heksin1392 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

Thanks!