Perrin Aybara's Journey to an Elite Powerlifting Total

[Perrin Aybara]

214lbs



Deficit conventional felt decent. I'm not pushing to RPE 10, it was more like 455x10 @8. Close grip felt pretty decent too. Meant to round up to 280lbs, but forgot and did 275lbs. Finished with dumbbell rows, neutral grip pull ups, and light cardio.

 

[MindlessWork]

Making progress that's a good sign!

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Finally ordered some of those neoprene compression shorts. Woke up a little stiff in the hip today. Still pain free at the moment and would like to stay that way.

Making some program adjustments this week. Was playing with the spreadsheet and it has a option to do a heavy single at RPE 8 before doing the regular sets. I've read about this in the past, just never tried it. If it works out I may move away from the AMRAPs and do the singles. The spreadsheet will apparently adjust your weight for the day based on that. Mostly it'll come down to being able to accurately judge the RPE. I could see myself calling a 9.5 an 8 and then not getting my sets done. We'll see how it goes.

I could see the AMRAPs getting to be too much to recover from eventually when the weights get higher. There is a program builder that comes with the routine that supposedly allows you to incorporate elements from the different versions of the program. So will figure that out eventually.

 

[Worf]

Nothing wrong with a top single/ double and using back off volume to get the reps in. Also another way would be to switch from say doing heavy work up singles on low bar then switching to high bar or regular grip bench and switch to cg. Then doing a 3x3, or 2x5 at 80% of the top set weight.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Also crazy how much my heart rate has come down after this blast. I think part must be coming off HGH for the first time in awhile plus I've been doing some cardio post workout. I feel better than I've felt in a long time. My body probably needed the break from everything except the test.

I am switching from pinning test ED with an insulin syringe to 3x a week with an insulin syringe, so 150mg a week. The pinning every day was too much. When I get home from work I'm just trying to go to sleep and when I'm waking up I'm in a rush to get ready for work. 3x a week should be more manageable. As is the 3x a week workouts.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

 

[Perrin Aybara]

My bench has went to absolute shit on this program. Gonna deload upper body the rest of the week and then continue without the AMRAPs and see how it goes.

My bench single at 365lbs today was around RPE 9 instead of 8 and I hit RPE 9 after 4x4 with 315lbs. 315x4 should be RPE nonexistent. Was supposed to be 4-6 sets at no more than RPE 7. Very frustrating. I was hitting an easy 315x10 during my last cruise at a lower bodyweight. Lower body lifts seem to be okay at least.

 

[Silentlemon1011]

My bench has went to absolute shit on this program. Gonna deload upper body the rest of the week and then continue without the AMRAPs and see how it goes.

My bench single at 365lbs today was around RPE 9 instead of 8 and I hit RPE 9 after 4x4 with 315lbs. 315x4 should be RPE nonexistent. Was supposed to be 4-6 sets at no more than RPE 7. Very frustrating. I was hitting an easy 315x10 during my last cruise at a lower bodyweight. Lower body lifts seem to be okay at least.

Is it a recovery issue with too much volume?
Your last few workouts you posted didnt have a huge amount of bench volume.

Or just hitting too high an RPE and weight for too extended period of time?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Is it a recovery issue with too much volume?
Your last few workouts you posted didnt have a huge amount of bench volume.

Or just hitting too high an RPE and weight for too extended period of time?

It's not the volume. I don't think it's that much and I do well with high volume anyway. I think it's too high RPE too often. Doing an AMRAP on bench and two variations every week ran me into the ground.

Before I started this routine I did 315x12 bench at RPE 7 and today I think 315x4 started out about RPE 8. Strength has been going down dramatically every week, but I'm dumb and I like AMRAPs. I think once I deload a week I should recover and bounce back strength wise.

I do much better when all my sets are under RPE 7. Well under RPE 7 really. Like 5x5 weight is something I can do one set of 10-15 with.

 

[Silentlemon1011]

It's not the volume. I don't think it's that much and I do well with high volume anyway. I think it's too high RPE too often. Doing an AMRAP on bench and two variations every week ran me into the ground.

Before I started this routine I did 315x12 bench at RPE 7 and today I think 315x4 started out about RPE 8. Strength has been going down dramatically every week, but I'm dumb and I like AMRAPs. I think once I deload a week I should recover and bounce back strength wise.

I do much better when all my sets are under RPE 7. Well under RPE 7 really. Like 5x5 weight is something I can do one set of 10-15 with.

Especially after you just peaked and were throwing massive volume/high RPE during your bench program a fee weeks ago

Your chest is definitely telling you to go to hell right now lol

I suffer from the same thing, my chest loves volumes but doesnt like the constant high RPE

Interested to see your numbers after a deload

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Especially after you just peaked and were throwing massive volume/high RPE during your bench program a fee weeks ago

Your chest is definitely telling you to go to hell right now lol

I suffer from the same thing, my chest loves volumes but doesnt like the constant high RPE

Interested to see your numbers after a deload

Yeah, I expected some strength loss coming off Smolov since it's a peaking routine plus coming off a blast. Like going from a 440lbs max to being able to hit like 405-415lbs on any given day. Like I said on my last cruise earlier this year I hit 315x10 on a random gym day at a lower bodyweight.

Right now I feel like I'm deep in a cut or pushed too hard during a peak to where my lifts regress big time. Calories have been high though and I'm maintaining at around 215lbs.

 

[Silentlemon1011]

Yeah, I expected some strength loss coming off Smolov since it's a peaking routine plus coming off a blast. Like going from a 440lbs max to being able to hit like 405-415lbs on any given day. Like I said on my last cruise earlier this year I hit 315x10 on a random gym day at a lower bodyweight.

Right now I feel like I'm deep in a cut or pushed too hard during a peak to where my lifts regress big time. Calories have been high though and I'm maintaining at around 215lbs.

Yeah, the work load was significant.

How long do you usually deload?
Does that change based on the extreme amount of punishment, or do you just run a standard deload protocol?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Yeah, the work load was significant.

How long do you usually deload?
Does that change based on the extreme amount of punishment, or do you just run a standard deload protocol?

I've always found a week to be sufficient, but I know it's possible to dig yourself into a deeper hole. The longer you pushed the boundaries the longer the deload you'd need. I always notice quickly when strength takes a hit and deload immediately. I've been pushing too hard for weeks, but the reps were so high it wasn't as clear and I don't think super high reps really fatigue you that much.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I was short on time Friday and forgot to update. I got some of week 5 and week 6 mixed up.

Worked up to a very easy deficit deadlift single at 530lbs, no more than RPE 8
Deficit deadlift 485x4x4

Close grip bench
270x8x6

Leg press
325x6x6

Good mornings
185x8x6

Bench actually felt pretty good, might not need a deload next week. I have 335lbs for sets of 3 Wednesday, we'll see how it goes. Deadlift felt great too. I'd say I'm getting back around a 600lbs conventional max. Just going to have to be careful not to push the weekly x1 @8 too hard.

Seem to be maintaining around 215lbs. I did add a sixth daily meal in as I'd like to settle around 220lbs for now.



Got my neoprene compression shorts in today. $25 on ebay. Will test them out tomorrow on high bar squats and conventional block pulls.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Also did a single @RPE 8 on conventional block pulls and hit 585x1. Did 2x8 neutral grip pull ups and started getting some elbow pain and stopped. Also did 5x8 glute ham raises and going to do light cardio until time for work. After looking at the squat single at 410lbs it was probably only like RPE 6. Seems like squats always feel like RPE 9+ even if light.

 

[Worf]

View attachment 133555

Also did a single @RPE 8 on conventional block pulls and hit 585x1. Did 2x8 neutral grip pull ups and started getting some elbow pain and stopped. Also did 5x8 glute ham raises and going to do light cardio until time for work. After looking at the squat single at 410lbs it was probably only like RPE 6. Seems like squats always feel like RPE 9+ even if light.

I have that same issue. I’ve found if I don’t treat every squat set like it’s 103% 3rd attempt or a PR it seems to feel extra difficult. The setup and bracing are very critical for me.

did you use the compression shorts?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I have that same issue. I’ve found if I don’t treat every squat set like it’s 103% 3rd attempt or a PR it seems to feel extra difficult. The setup and bracing are very critical for me.

did you use the compression shorts?

Yes, I wore them. Haven't had any hip pain lately, but trying to be proactive. They were a little hot and weird at first, but after a half hour didn't know I had them on.

 

[MindlessWork]

Yes, I wore them. Haven't had any hip pain lately, but trying to be proactive. They were a little hot and weird at first, but after a half hour didn't know I had them on.

If they fit just right and not too tight then that's a good thing.

 

[Silentlemon1011]

Yes, I wore them. Haven't had any hip pain lately, but trying to be proactive. They were a little hot and weird at first, but after a half hour didn't know I had them on.

Any plans to start pulling sumo again?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Any plans to start pulling sumo again?

Gonna continue with conventional for now and see what I can do that way. Based on how 585lbs felt off blocks today I could definitely pull it from the floor, so not far off 600lbs again.