Stalling on lifts (outside first one of the workout) - advice needed

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

Been training on and off for about 8 years. Height 5ft8. Current bodyweight 75kg at around 12-15% bf I would guess.

Current strength:

Bench: 85kg for 10 reps
OHP: 55kg for 10 reps
Lat Pull-down: 88kg for 10 reps
Squat: 100kg for 5 reps

Currently running a PPL split but done 4x per week. (e.g Tuesday push, Thursday pull, Saturday legs, Sunday push and roll into next week etc).

Using dynamic double progression (up the weight once I hit 10 reps on first set of an exercise). All sets therefore are AMRAP (0-1 RIR) with the exception of squats as don’t want to risk it.

Push

OHP: 3xAMRAP
Bench: 3xAMRAP
Weighted Dips: 2xAMRAP
Tricep extension: 2xAMRAP

Pull

Lat pulldown: 3xAMRAP
Cable row: 3xAMRAP
Dumbbell curl: 2xAMRAP
Cable hammer curl: 2xAMRAP

Legs:

Squat: 3 sets 2 RIR
Leg press: 3xAMRAP
Hamstring curl: 2xAMRAP
Calves: 2xAMRAP

Believe I’m eating in slight surplus as the weight has been very slowly ticking up on the scale (maybe 1kg every 6 weeks).

Been on this split for 6 months and really enjoying it.

Only issue I’m finding is as I’m getting stronger I seem to only be able to progress on the first lift of each workout. Once I move on to the next lift I feel too gassed to make any progress. So on push days, my OHP is going well but bench has been stalled for weeks. On pull days, Lat pull downs going well but cable rows (and biceps) stalled.

Anyone figured out a way to get past this issue?

Edit: added height

 

[tp243]

@orlandodoncarlossalina All the AMRAP sets seems like a good way of building tons of fatigue for marginal gains.

I would suggest a deload and back off the 0 RIR work especially for the compound lifts

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@tp243 Thanks for the advice! I guess my only question would be if you’re not doing AMRAP how do you know when you should up the weight? It’s often hard to gauge between 2-3 RIR for me, and so I can’t see how I progressively overload over time if I never really push it.

 

[tp243]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Bar speed is a good way of measuring RIR if you struggle to gauge it otherwise

 

[johnlxyz]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Just AMRAP the last set.

 

[533th3r]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Maybe don't amrap almost everything? It completely depletes you without a lot of extra benefit. Also work on your legs more, your squat is about the same as your bench.....

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@533th3r Thanks and very fair comment - legs have never been a strong area for me (when I was younger I barely trained them I’m embarrassed to admit) but they’re progressing well and hopefully the squat keeps moving up!

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@533th3r Would you suggest I just AMRAP first set of each exercise? And maybe 2 RIR remaining sets?

 

[533th3r]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Not at the first exercise. First exercise you should probably leave 1-2 reps in reserve. Then as your workout continues you can train closer to failure.

 

[dawn16]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Have you considered a Full body split. I love it.

As I rotate through the different body parts on exercises they are fresh don't feel fatigued from the previous exercises.

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@dawn16 Thank you and yes I’ve run one in the past - enjoyed myself though at some point felt like changing it up. I also felt that they’re a bit more time consuming and with my work it’s a struggle for me to find too much time to be in the gym.

 

[daniom]

@dawn16 Seconded!

What are you currently running?

 

[dawn16]

@daniom Jeff Nippard Hypertrophy 3 day Full Body

 

[hellofriends]

@orlandodoncarlossalina If you are doing AMRAP sets on the very first exercise of the day, which is a big movement like bench, you already build a ton of fatigue that will carry to the rest of the workout.

This program makes no sense

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@hellofriends How would you suggest I program the intensity?

 

[hellofriends]

@orlandodoncarlossalina I'd go with something like 5/3/1 for the progression of the main lifts so that you can progress with them without going very closure to failure and building too much fatigue.

Then for the rest of the exercises something like 3x10-15 reps. Every time you hit 3x15 add more weight and build up to that again.

If you like AMRAPs, do them on the last couple of exercises

 

[sisi]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Using every set as an AMRAP just really isn’t intelligent training. You can generate basically the same stimulus staying within 2-3 RIR while also reducing fatigue by a good margin. AMRAPs are super taxing on the body. This doesn’t mean they don’t have their place, but as you have experienced, they fatigue you pretty fast.

I would recommend hitting only one AMRAP set per compound movement. I personally like hitting 3-4 sub-maximal sets at 2-3 RIR before hitting my one final AMRAP set. The AMRAP set dictates whether I up the weight or not. With smaller isolations like curls or calf raises, go ahead and run them to failure if you want. They won’t generate near as much fatigue.

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@sisi If your AMRAP set dictates whether you increase the weight, isn’t the logical time to do that set when you’re fresh (ie first set)? Believe that’s what Martin Bekhan from Leangains and Sean Nalewanyj preaches. So maybe one AMRAP set per exercise, done at the start?

Problem with leaving 2 RIR is that I don’t know how accurately I can gauge that, plus there are other variables which may skew performance on any given day (tempo, rest periods after first set). Feels harder to stay consistent unless first set is the “money” set.

 

[sisi]

@orlandodoncarlossalina Both ways can work for sure. You could most definitely hit your AMRAP first and then do some sub-maximal sets. The reason I do my AMRAP last is because I’ve found I can get more quality volume that way. 2 RIR while fresh is a lot different than 2 RIR after an all out set. The sub-maximal sets have very little impact on my last AMRAP set. But an AMRAP set has a pretty decent impact on following sets, as you have experienced.

If you feel like the first set would be better for your training, 100% do that. RIR takes some experience. Really focus during your AMRAPs. How are you feeling? Try to gauge how many reps you have left during it, but push until you can’t. You’ll slowly get better at gauging it.

 

[orlandodoncarlossalina]

@sisi Thank you for the advice!