My last post revolved around a small mistake I made in my programming and what I was doing to fix it. To refresh, I did very little low bar squatting and that which I did, was almost exclusively to a box. When I went to test my low bar squat without a box it didn’t move well. Honestly, I don’t power lift so this wasn’t even a big deal as other variations showed improvement, but it still exposes a flaw in my programming.

This blog is to help anyone reading as much as I can, so talking about a problem specific to me may not help all readers. The process of what I went through to identify and fix is however, very important. Let me walk you through some of the ways you can identify and fix errors in your program.

How to identify the problem?

The first and most important thing to remember is that you can’t fix a problem you don’t know that you have. Some programs go a very, very long time in between testing, or even reintroducing variations, because of this it can be very difficult to tell if something is or isn’t working. Here are a few suggestions I have to combat this:

• Video tape yourself and compare bar speeds at the same weight
• Maxing isn’t necessary, but adding in an AMRAP set, or set to failure every few weeks can be a simple way to gauge progress
• Pick a weight you’ve hit on a certain lift for X reps, try and hit it for the same or more
• Come up with a list of variations that carry over to your main lift but put less stress on your body (example is floor press vs bench press) and test them instead

The last note is an important one if you run conjugate, you should know your “Indicator Lifts” and rotate them in as both AMRAPs and max effort lifts as a way of testing how well you are really doing. Dave Tate mentions this very often in his EliteFTS Podcast and it has been echoed by many other Westside Barbell lifters. This takes some trial and error, but its worth it in the end. For me if my front squat, stiff leg deadlift and wide grip larsen press go up, my squat, deadlift and bench are going up…

I’ve tested and it didn’t go well, what do I do?

The first thing I want to do is make sure that this isn’t an aberration, so look at all the variables leading up to your testing workout before overreacting to it. Say you tested one of your bench variations, we’ll use 2 board press for this conversation, and it was lower than last time you did it. Maybe that morning you got up and went for a long run when the previous time you were rested? Did you test after a week off the first time, then this time test mid program when you were fatigued? That can have an effect. Just make sure the outside variables didn’t cause the poor performance.

To take this variable out, I prefer to bring these lifts in as AMRAPs over a 3 week wave and change the weight. In this I may be working up to a 10rm, 7rm and 5rm, I can then use the weight and an online 1 rep max calculator to get an average of what my estimated max is. Since you’re using data from 3 sessions, it should be more accurate.

What I do not suggest doing is trying to use a true max as an indicator, not hitting what you want, resting for a full week then trying to do it again and get the number you want. The only way this would work is if it was exactly what you did the last time you tested that lift, it also loses you a week of training…

I tested and confirmed, my numbers aren’t going up, now what?

I’m hoping that you don’t get here, but its going to happen. Eventually you will hit a plateau, run a training block that doesn’t work etc… Don’t freak out about this, its normal as long as it isn’t happening a lot. Here’s what I would do:

To start with, if my last training block included me experimenting with different things, I’d go back to some tried and true methods for myself. If you’re chronicling your training you should just be able to go back and say “this program worked when I ran it, I’m running it again”.

I’d add to that by saying if a program works, its worth resting then repeating it until it stops working for you, this is fine.

Lets say that you ran a program that worked in the past and now it doesn’t or you don’t have an “old reliable” to fall back on, now what?

Here’s good news for you, this is likely an indication that you’re changing “phases” in your strength journey and are either moving from being a beginner to intermediate, or intermediate to advanced. As you progress programs need to be more specific to your own needs and more thoughtful in how you lay things out. While this is great to hear it brings up one massive question:

How do you assess exactly what you need?

I have good news for you, I have a real life job that has me doing a lot of trouble shooting and fixing of processes in a massive corporation, so needs assessments and building correct processes happen to be something I’m good at. Here’s how I translate it to lifting.

First thing’s first, review all of your data:

I say this with a caveat, data isn’t just numbers (though they are a large part of it), it can be anything that gives you information. My best example of this is bar speed, you can do a set of 315 for 5 on squats, then do it again 5 weeks later, if the bar speed is faster 5 weeks later you got stronger. This can be determined visually. Even anecdotal items like “woke up tired this morning” written in the notes section of your program are good data in the long run. Review it all, both empirical and anecdotal.

Some of the major things I look at:

• Did my body weight fluctuate during the program and how?
• What movements am I doing the most often, which am I doing the least?
• Did my program directly reflect what I want to improve on?
• What was my frequency?
• Was this a high volume or low volume program?
• How much work I did in my main lifts at certain percentages (how much in the 70-80% range, 80-90% range and over 90%)?
• What was my ratio of accessories to main lifts?
• What was my average proximity to failure?

My gut says this; by the time you’ve looked over every single one of these items you’re going to be saying to yourself “I think I know what I did wrong”. If not lets go into the next section.

How do I apply this?

Honestly, this is the easiest part because as I said above, you’ll start to see answers as you assess. Understanding that some things may not be completely obvious, here are some of the things I’d start with.

Frequency and Volume:

I mention knowing your body very often and one thing I’d always review is what your optimal frequency is and how much volume you can handle. I’d say a rule of thumb is that the stronger you get, the lower frequency and volume you need, but this isn’t set in stone. I’ve seen super strong guys run programs like Simple Jack’d and get even stronger, this program is very high frequency but low volume per day. On the flipside I look at a program like Jack’d and Tan which is lower frequency and higher volume. Both programs made by super strong guys named Cody, and both programs have given some impressive results. Its notable, that the Cody that runs the high frequency program is actually the larger of the two individuals, so don’t let people tell you your size should dictate your frequency.

For the context of our discussion today I’d make this recommendation: If you just ran a high frequency program and it didn’t work, switch to a low frequency one. If you just ran a low frequency one that didn’t work, run a high frequency one…

Sometimes the data you have is just that something didn’t work… if so try something else?

Are your accessories addressing your weak points?:

This is a big one and a self explanatory one. You should know what is weak and what is lagging in your lifts, if not I suggest getting a coach. Even if you don’t know the exact muscle, you should at least know where you stick such as “lockout on bench, floor on deadlift”. Even without know the muscles involved you can use your assistance work to put you in your weak positions an build them. For example on bench, set pins an inch below your sticking points and press from pins, that simple. If you’re weak off the floor in a deadlift, its simple enough to pull from a slight deficit.

Assistance and accessories should 100% be attacking these deficiencies.

Are you doing enough of the lift you’re trying to get strong?:

At least once a month you see a post on Reddit about being “stuck on squats” and you find out they squat 3 sets a week and don’t do a lot of accessory work. In other words, they aren’t working their squats… This should be included in the “it becomes obvious” things when you assess, but you’d be shocked so its going in here. When in doubt do the lifts you want to get stronger the most…

Were your goals reasonable for your strength level?:

You’ve been lifting 10 years and want to put 40lbs on your bench during an 8 week program? Nope, not happening, be reasonable.

Also, understand that sometimes you just need to get stronger and there isn’t any more to it than that. If you’ve been lifting for 9 months and have been just hitting doubles and triples, you’ll eventually have to work on building your base to get more out of it, in other words, run some volume…

There’s an online meme of the r/Fitness posts “bench stalling at 205, tried everything and its not going up” then you read the post and the first thing listed is M, 6’2″ 155lbs…. This person needs to put on muscle, maxing shouldn’t even be in the conversation.

You need to be real with where you are, where you are going and what it is going to take to get you there.

What if I do all of this and it still doesn’t work?

So you’ve went through your program, done evaluations, looked over your lifts 100 times and still can’t figure out why your programs aren’t working. I’m going to suggest 2 things.

Thing 1:

Your problem isn’t your programming, its outside of the gym. Either your diet is bad, your sleep is poor, you’re over stressed etc… The more advanced you get the more these things matter. Review them like you would your program and start small steps to improve these aspects. Just be forewarned, the difference will not happen overnight. Adherence is key here.

Thing 2:

Take 3 weeks, and just do something, anything, that is totally different than you’ve been doing, then come back to your bread and butter and start fresh.

When I say completely different I mean completely different, don’t switch from low bar squats to high bar and think this is going to do it. I mean if you’re a powerlifter, train like a strongman, if you’re a strongman, train like an olympic lifter. Heck, maybe focus on cardio and mobility for a few weeks. Just put it out of your mind that you are “X” type of lifter trying to improve lift “A, B or C”.

Summary

For some this is what makes programming frustrating, to me its fun. The longer you lift the more your days in the gym turn into a cycle of solving different problems that are holding you back from achieving your goals. As you progress what needs to be fixed and what muscles are lagging will change.

It is very hard to keep the same program, with the same lifts at the same volume/intensity for years straight. Even John Haack who is known to have a very simple program with a small number of lifts takes a section of his year to train strongman. Your body creates a moving target, it is your job to keep adjusting your sights so you can hit it.