When I reset my top lifts by 20% exiting the first round of Programming to Win, I was a bit concerned by how light the weight was. The number of sets increased in round two, and due to the lighter loads, so did the reps. I was essentially doing sets of 6 reps on all three competition lifts for multiple sets. As the weight have progressed, I am seeing the logic behind the big reduction in intensity going into PNP2.
By lowering the intensity, you can build up the capacity to handle the increased volume. The weights continue to increase each session until soon, you’re lifting fairly heavy weights again but for more sets than in PNP1. It’s been remarkably effective and yesterday was a banner day. I hit a rep PR on the Squat with 245×6. On the competition bench, I also hit a rep PR at 180×4, and even after 5 sets of bench press, I had enough gas in the tank to hit a rep PR on the deadlift at 292.5×6.
Considering I am to stay on the PNP2 path until I can’t get 3 reps in all my working sets, I’ve got quite a way to go and at this pace, I assume I will set additional PR’s with higher intensities.
I’d say the biggest improvements for me have been technique and rating the exertion of each set properly. I think I still cut the squat sets short, never quite getting to a true RPE 9, but I’m definitely hitting 9’s and some 9.5’s on my bench. I’ve hit a 9 on the deadlift at least a few times, where my legs started to actually shake some during the last rep of a set. On the squat, it’s clearly a mental game for me as the lift is still moving quite fast when I end the set. I think I need to actually fail a squat attempt at some point to get over that particular fear.
All in all, everything is coming together nicely, with my diet fueling the workouts and recovery, and so far, keeping me very lean. My weight is up to 171.5 from 169.6 when I started the new carb-based diet, but I’ve added no body fat to date (my Skulpt measurements show me getting leaner).
I am feeling the effects of the effort from yesterday, with my back particularly sore from arching hard in the bench press, but I have no tweaks, strains or pains, and for that I am grateful. My guess is that since my movements are pretty limited, I’m getting accustomed to the specific work I’m doing and not introducing any new movement patterns so I’m less injury prone.
The Eating to Win program is quite conservative with its caloric adjustments, not increasing my calories at all if my weight gain is too rapid. I know this will lead to slower muscle gains, but slow muscle gains are really all I’m capable of, so trying to hurry it along by eating more will give me the same rate of muscle gain, but add fat to my chiseled frame. I’ve got to hand it to Izzy; the man knows what he’s doing.
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