diff --git a/posts.yaml b/posts.yaml index 4cef06e..a761e16 100644 --- a/posts.yaml +++ b/posts.yaml @@ -1,3 +1,7 @@ +- file: posts/review-bridge-program.md + title: Review of The Bridge strength program + time: 2018-01-01T12:00:00Z + description: "My review of The Bridge strength program by Barbell Medicine" - file: posts/dropped-packages-following-lts-10.md title: Dropped packages following LTS 10 time: 2017-12-25T15:47:00Z diff --git a/posts/review-bridge-program.md b/posts/review-bridge-program.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbce32a --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/review-bridge-program.md @@ -0,0 +1,212 @@ +Last week, I completed +[The Bridge](https://www.barbellmedicine.com/the-bridge/), an 8 week +strength program by Barbell Medicine. Since this program is +significantly different than what I've done in the past, and what I've +[talked about on this blog previously](https://www.snoyman.com/blog/2017/06/naive-overview-exercise), +I wanted to share my thoughts and some results. + +__Summary__ This program was more complicated to follow than others +I've tried, but given that I was looking for an intermediate instead +of novice program, that's not surprising. I improved my actual 1 rep +max numbers on all 4 major lifts. I'm planning on continuing my +training with another cycle of the program. + +## History + +I've been lifting for close to 2 years now, with a few years of +bodyweight training before that. In the subset of that time that I've +been seriously training, I've followed these programs: + +* [Start Bodyweight](http://www.startbodyweight.com/) +* [StrongLifts 5x5](https://stronglifts.com/) +* A few months of a Push-Pull-Leg (PPL) routine I made up, which was a + mistake and gave me no progress. Pretend it didn't happen. +* [5/3/1](https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/531-how-to-build-pure-strength), + with the Boring But Big (BBB) accessories + +Ignoring the silly PPL, all three of these programs helped me +significantly. They also all share something: they're simple to +follow. First you determine where to start, which is either dictated +by the program or based on current abilities. Then you follow a simple +set of rules on how to progress. This simplicity is very appealing. + +Start Bodyweight got me to a decent strength level, but I was unhappy +with weakness in my back leading to regular pain while sitting at my +desk. I switch to StrongLifts when I decided I wanted to do a barbell +program with deadlifts, and (as always happens with a novice program) +eventually hit a wall. + +When I switched to 5/3/1, I immediately saw my estimated 1 rep max +(1RM) numbers going up. In fact, they went up +significantly. Unfortunately, I found that my _actual_ 1RM numbers +were not budging. It seemed that 5/3/1 was giving me an increase in +muscular _endurance_, but not necessarily strength. While the program +was fun, easy to follow, and required relatively little time in the +gym, I wanted more progress. + +__NOTE__ I know there are _many_ variations of 5/3/1 out there, and +likely some of them would have served me better. I'm not comparing all +potential programs in the world, just the ones I've actually pursued +myself. + +## Overview of The Bridge + +Over the past half year or so, I've been regularly exposed—via +YouTube videos and articles—to the team behind Barbell Medicine, +mainly Drs. Jordan Feigenbaum and Austin Baraki. When I was in the +market for a new program, I heard mention of The Bridge program, and +downloaded it. + +The Bridge is delivered as a PDF. The program itself takes up about 5 +pages in this 36 page document. The rest of the material is a bit dry +to get through, but immensely useful and informative. I really +appreciate the way the authors have given a background on the concepts +of stress, training volume, and intensity. If you're at all interested +in strength training, give it a read. + +The program focuses on the main barbell lifts (squat, overhead press, +bench press, deadlift) with accessories (e.g., barbell row, pin squat, +paused deadlift). Unlike other programs I'd followed, this program +changes from week to week. That makes it more complicated to follow, +but not significantly. The real curve ball is the Rate of Perceived +Exertion scale, or RPE. + +## RPE based training + +In a program like Strong Lifts, I go into the gym on a Tuesday, and I +know that I'm going to try to squat X amount of weight for Y sets of Z +reps. Not so with The Bridge. Instead, you'll see something like: + +> Squats: 5 @ 6 RPE, 5 @ 7 RPE, 5 @ 8 RPE for 3 sets + +This means that, after my warmup sets, I need to start with a set of 5 +squats at an exertion level of 6. The scale goes up to 10, and each +number below 10 indicates how many more reps you could have possibly +done. So RPE 6 means "I could have done 4 more reps." Therefore, "5 +reps at 6 RPE" means "choose a weight that you can just barely do 9 +reps for, then do 5 reps at that weight." + +When I first saw this, I was dumbfounded. "How do I guess the magical +weight number?" And in fact, that _was_ the most complicated part of +this program for all 8 weeks. There are charts in the PDF that help +you compare against your 1 rep max. But overall, it was trial and +error. There were definitely sets where I lifted more than I should +have, and sets where I could have added more weight. + +In contrast to a simple numeric guide like Strong Lifts or 5/3/1 +delivers, an RPE based scale allows you to easily adjust training +intensity to account for both good and bad days in the gym. A few +times during this program, I had a bad night's sleep or a bit of a +cold, and lifted less weight. A few times, I was feeling great and +lifted more than I would have expected. RPE allowed this to happen. By +contrast, with both SL and 5/3/1, there were days where the weight +felt easy, and other days when it felt crushing. + +Ultimately, my conclusion to all of this was: RPE is harder than a +number based scale, but gives great results. Just accept the fact that +you're going to screw up regularly. + +## Difficulty level + +The program is broken up into weeks of different stress level, either +low, moderate, or high. The weeks also tend to focus on either high +volume or high intensity. For example, both weeks 4 and 7 are +considered high stress weeks, but compare the first day's squat +programming: + +* Week 4: 5 @ RPE 6, 5 @ 7, 5 @ 8 x 4 sets +* Week 7: 1 @ RPE 8, 3 @ 8 x 4 sets + +Week 4's day 1 ends up having 30 total reps of squat, whereas week 7 +has 13. However, because of how the RPE scale works, you'll end up +lifting much heavier weight on week 7. For example, "5 @ RPE 8" means +a weight you could have done 7 reps at. "3 @ RPE 8" means you could +have done 5. You can lift more weight for 5 reps than you can for 7, +and therefore week 7 ends up with a lower volume at higher intensity. + +Personally, I really liked the later weeks in the program. None of the +other pgorams I'd tried ever got to low volume high intensity. But +having read the PDF and its motivations, I understand why we need both +the volume and intensity weeks, and appreciate the way the program is +designed. In fact, having completed the program, I think I understand +the design of the program much better than before. + +## Cardio + +Unlike previous programs I've done, this program included cardio. I +considered this a good kick in the pants to start running and the +eliptical again. If you're like me: find a good audio book to listen +to, otherwise it will be 30 minutes of hell :) + +(Not entirely accidentally, I also signed up for an Audible account +around the same time I started this program.) + +## Time in gym + +The earlier weeks in this program have high volume, with lots of +sets. I spend a _long_ time in the gym some weeks: 3 days of lifting +for about 2 hours each, and 1-2 days doing about 45 minutes of +cardio. You can reduce that by having shorter rest periods or +supersetting your warmups for the next lift with your previous working +sets, or you can answer emails and Slack messages. (Fortunately no one +can smell your sweat over email.) + +## Results + +Way back in May of last year, my gym had a "powerlifting competition." +I put that in quotes since there were four of us, I was the only one +in my weight class (everyone else weighed 20kg more than me), and some +of the other competitors half repped their squats. (I'm going to pray +that I actually squatted to depth, since there were no videos and I +don't trust the judges.) Between that time and starting this program +at the end of October, I increased my estimated 1RM numbers +significantly, but to my recollection barely, if at all, bested my +powerlifting meet numbers with actual weight. + +There are some minor confounding factors in these increases due to my +addition of chalk to assist with my deadlift, and getting more +comfortable with my lifting belt (the competition was the first time I +ever used a lifting belt). Nonetheless, I think a good portion of +these increases can be attributed to my time on The Bridge: + +* Squat: 20% increase +* Overhead press: 16% increase\* +* Bench press: 11% increase +* Deadlift: 19% increase + +\* If you're wondering: no, the powerlifting competition did not +include an overhead press. I'm including a number from around the same +time. + +Definitely keep in mind that I _do_ believe my time on 5/3/1 in the +interim helped at the very least with my muscular endurance, and most +likely primed me to be able to hit the volume weeks of The Bridge +better than I would have been able to in May. I would not expect to +make those kinds of increases in just 8 weeks. + +## Conclusion + +This was my first time taking a foray into an intermediate program, +intended for lifters who are no longer making linear progressions with +novice programs like Strong Lifts. I can finally understand why Mark +Rippetoe says +[you want to be a novice](https://startingstrength.com/article/programming/who_wants_to_be_a_novice_you_do): +simple programs with great results are much more fun. + +If you've got the time to spend in the gym on higher volume routines, +have the patience to figure out the RPE system, want to learn more +about strength programming, and are looking for a well designed +intermediate program, I recommend checking out The Bridge. + +For myself: when it comes to health and fitness, I consider this at +least half an experiment with sample size of 1, and therefore I like +to try out many different things. I'm going to keep my eyes out for a +new routine to try (and if you have recommendations, let me know). But +given the great progress this program helped me achieve, I'm going to +continue with at least one more cycle of it before moving on to +something new. + +If you want me to share more experience reports like this in the +future, let me know. I can also include the nutrition side of things +if people are interested, which has been possibly more volatile for me +over the past year than the training itself.