Newbie Questions, First 12weeks Done

[bigwheels]

Really feel like the TB program fits my work and play perfectly and articulates what I've spent a lot of time (and frustration) learning over many years. I have a physically demanding job and mountain bike/backcountry ski with some aggressive volume/intensity. Former elite level MTB racer, dabbled in skimo. Typically lift October through April but considering a Fighter program when I start riding intensively (~8-10+ hrs/week).

Thanks for any thoughts on questions below. Tried to post this as requested but happy to add info if helpful.

Age/sex/weight:
33/Male/170lbs

Functional training goal:
Vocational durability, pre/offseason prep for mountain biking/backcountry skiing (primary interests)

Lifting training goal:
340lbs x3 hex bar deadlift
200lbs DB bench x3-5
Work towards bodyweight zercher squat

Strength protocol:
Operator, use training max for weekly %'s
Will transition to fighter in spring to mate with higher volume of endurance work

Conditioning protocol:
Black @ current w/consistent endurance 1x/week
Will transition in spring to more of a green/non-TB training scheme with lots of volume

Lift numbers, est. 1RM (true max):
WPU: 260
Hex deadlift: 330
DB bench: 205
Zercher squat: 120

Just finished my first 2x 6-week blocks. I felt a little sluggish in the last few weeks of the 2nd block, but I also wonder if the holidays were a factor in that and if a micro-progression after the 1st block was not wise despite the weight feeling easy then.

Questions:

I've consistently maxed the available sets week-over-week. My work capacity has always been strong and my volume numbers don't look high compared to historical workout data, but I wonder if this has contributed to sluggish lifts over the last few weeks/during my testing day? Does it ever make sense to purposefully limit sets to 3 instead of 5?

WPU 1RM only improved marginally and sets have felt harder in recent weeks, in terms of PE, but I have gained 5-8lbs and I wonder if that's enough to throw things off? I've also used my body weight+added weight to calculate max but wondering if that's accurate?

I've typically rounded up for numbers (ie, bench 140 instead of 135). Is it more common to round down and could that contribute to feeling sluggish/pushing too much?

Is the test week and/or 1st/3rd week enough of a deload?

Of the lifts that raised my 1RM, only some of the weeks' weights will increase vs. what I did previously/rounded to. Should I force progression so every week will increase or settle in?

I've historically avoided squats for fear of knee issues and have only started with goblet and now zercher squats in the last year. Is my low squat ability hampering my deadlift? I feel like I hit a wall with deadlifts every year and sort of felt that way during my test. Maybe expectations are too high, but I do feel like the 2nd half of the movement is a piece of cake compared to getting it off the floor.

[close_fox]

Really feel like the TB program fits my work and play perfectly and articulates what I've spent a lot of time (and frustration) learning over many years. I have a physically demanding job and mountain bike/backcountry ski with some aggressive volume/intensity. Former elite level MTB racer, dabbled in skimo. Typically lift October through April but considering a Fighter program when I start riding intensively (~8-10+ hrs/week).

Thanks for any thoughts on questions below. Tried to post this as requested but happy to add info if helpful.

Age/sex/weight:
33/Male/170lbs

Functional training goal:
Vocational durability, pre/offseason prep for mountain biking/backcountry skiing (primary interests)

Lifting training goal:
340lbs x3 hex bar deadlift
200lbs DB bench x3-5
Work towards bodyweight zercher squat

Strength protocol:
Operator, use training max for weekly %'s
Will transition to fighter in spring to mate with higher volume of endurance work

Conditioning protocol:
Black @ current w/consistent endurance 1x/week
Will transition in spring to more of a green/non-TB training scheme with lots of volume

Lift numbers, est. 1RM (true max):
WPU: 260
Hex deadlift: 330
DB bench: 205
Zercher squat: 120

Just finished my first 2x 6-week blocks. I felt a little sluggish in the last few weeks of the 2nd block, but I also wonder if the holidays were a factor in that and if a micro-progression after the 1st block was not wise despite the weight feeling easy then.

Questions:

I've consistently maxed the available sets week-over-week. My work capacity has always been strong and my volume numbers don't look high compared to historical workout data, but I wonder if this has contributed to sluggish lifts over the last few weeks/during my testing day? Does it ever make sense to purposefully limit sets to 3 instead of 5? Sure it can make sense. It depends on your goals. I almost always stop at 3 sets. This lets me make MS progress while really pushing conditioning if I want to (whether HIC or E). It also lets me finish a MS session in a reasonable amount of time while taking a full 5min RI between sets. # of sets should be dictated by your goals and how you are recovering. So in your case, drop down to 3 sets and see how it feels. With all that said, 5 sets of TB style MS should not destroy you if you are using a training max and correct RIs.

WPU 1RM only improved marginally and sets have felt harder in recent weeks, in terms of PE, but I have gained 5-8lbs and I wonder if that's enough to throw things off? I've also used my body weight+added weight to calculate max but wondering if that's accurate? 260 total WPU is pretty damn good for 170 bodyweight. Try using a 80% or even 70% TM for a block and see how it feels. Or try the Fighter pull-up program (bodyweight) for a block.

I've typically rounded up for numbers (ie, bench 140 instead of 135). Is it more common to round down and could that contribute to feeling sluggish/pushing too much? Not tracking why you would need to round from 135 to 140. I only round when I can't create the prescribed weight with the plates I have. So we are talking a fraction of a pound. I usually round down, but rounding shouldn't make that much of a difference. Especially if you are using a TM. Try rounding down for a block and see how if feels. Try reducing your TM by 10%.

Is the test week and/or 1st/3rd week enough of a deload? Do you mean deload between blocks? If run correctly, TB shouldn't make you need a deload week between blocks. You are lifting %s of a training max, so the sessions shouldn't be extremely intense...I never even need a spotter.

Of the lifts that raised my 1RM, only some of the weeks' weights will increase vs. what I did previously/rounded to. Should I force progression so every week will increase or settle in? Just do the math, and the numbers are what they are. Consistency matters far more than a few pounds up or down. I personally find it is not worth it (in terms of lost training time and stress on the body) to test more than 1 or 2 times per year. Who cares if I am lifting 100 pounds, but I could have been "allowed to" use 105 if I had retested. It's not worth losing a week of training time to find out about those extra five pounds.

I've historically avoided squats for fear of knee issues and have only started with goblet and now zercher squats in the last year. Is my low squat ability hampering my deadlift? I feel like I hit a wall with deadlifts every year and sort of felt that way during my test. Maybe expectations are too high, but I do feel like the 2nd half of the movement is a piece of cake compared to getting it off the floor. Do you have knee issues? Squats with good form should not hurt healthy knees. If you want to focus on deadlifting, TB might not be the right program for you. You could always run a DL program for a while and come back to TB.

[jzt]

Disagree with the comment above in regards to squat. I've ran TB Operator with Chins, OHP and Trap Deadlifts with great success.

The base principle always remains the same; you need a push, a pull and a lower movement. Anything you don't cover with those 3 main movements can be adressed with light assistance/SE.

For example, with Chins, OHP and Trap DL, you could have an SE cluster with KB Squats, Ring Rows, KB Swings, Ring Dips and AB Rollout. If not, most forms of sports will cover the lacking areas.

Swapping clusters once in a while is another idea. The book is clear that you can pick either Squats/DL, Bench/OHP, but you have to stick with it for a while to see progress.

[Adski]

Really feel like the TB program fits my work and play perfectly and articulates what I've spent a lot of time (and frustration) learning over many years. I have a physically demanding job and mountain bike/backcountry ski with some aggressive volume/intensity. Former elite level MTB racer, dabbled in skimo. Typically lift October through April but considering a Fighter program when I start riding intensively (~8-10+ hrs/week).

Thanks for any thoughts on questions below. Tried to post this as requested but happy to add info if helpful.

Age/sex/weight:
33/Male/170lbs

Functional training goal:
Vocational durability, pre/offseason prep for mountain biking/backcountry skiing (primary interests)

Lifting training goal:
340lbs x3 hex bar deadlift
200lbs DB bench x3-5
Work towards bodyweight zercher squat

Strength protocol:
Operator, use training max for weekly %'s
Will transition to fighter in spring to mate with higher volume of endurance work

Conditioning protocol:
Black @ current w/consistent endurance 1x/week
Will transition in spring to more of a green/non-TB training scheme with lots of volume

Lift numbers, est. 1RM (true max):
WPU: 260
Hex deadlift: 330
DB bench: 205
Zercher squat: 120

Just finished my first 2x 6-week blocks. I felt a little sluggish in the last few weeks of the 2nd block, but I also wonder if the holidays were a factor in that and if a micro-progression after the 1st block was not wise despite the weight feeling easy then.

Questions:

I've consistently maxed the available sets week-over-week. My work capacity has always been strong and my volume numbers don't look high compared to historical workout data, but I wonder if this has contributed to sluggish lifts over the last few weeks/during my testing day? Does it ever make sense to purposefully limit sets to 3 instead of 5?

WPU 1RM only improved marginally and sets have felt harder in recent weeks, in terms of PE, but I have gained 5-8lbs and I wonder if that's enough to throw things off? I've also used my body weight+added weight to calculate max but wondering if that's accurate?

I've typically rounded up for numbers (ie, bench 140 instead of 135). Is it more common to round down and could that contribute to feeling sluggish/pushing too much?

Is the test week and/or 1st/3rd week enough of a deload?

Of the lifts that raised my 1RM, only some of the weeks' weights will increase vs. what I did previously/rounded to. Should I force progression so every week will increase or settle in?

I've historically avoided squats for fear of knee issues and have only started with goblet and now zercher squats in the last year. Is my low squat ability hampering my deadlift? I feel like I hit a wall with deadlifts every year and sort of felt that way during my test. Maybe expectations are too high, but I do feel like the 2nd half of the movement is a piece of cake compared to getting it off the floor.

Maxing sets in all lifts will have some form of takeaway imo. Your best bet is to increase the sets in the main lift you want to improve.

With WPU in particular it may be handy to use a 80-85% T max and max the sets. Pull ups generally respond well to more volume. An assistance exercise or two may be beneficial once or twice a week (DB rows, curls). BW + the weight for total weight lifted will work out better than just using the weight lifted. (Usually this will be slightly lighter).

Rounding down will typically make more sense.

If sluggish, you could take a 3 weeks on, 1 off approach. If you read ageless athlete, there is an example there. I actually trained that way for years and it worked very well.

The 3rd week should be an easy week conditioning wise, alternatively you could do 6 on 1 off or two blocks before a deload.

For your DL, no, the squat can help, but I’ve hit decent numbers and know a few others that have hit 3xbw with no squatting at all. They did use other accessories however.

Forcing progression shouldn’t be done every week, eventually you’ll hit a wall, adding a small amount to your T max can be a good idea after 2 blocks, I would say one, but unless you were completely new to lifting, any form of strength increase typically, will take time.

[bigwheels]

Thanks! These are great answers and also good reminders to stick to the mental principles explained in the book, not just the training protocols!