Shaking things up, getting serious

If there's one tragic flaw in my relationship with my workouts, it's that I get bored too easily. I jump back and forth between different programs far too often. I think all of the programs I've tried have their merits; the problem is that no one single program accomplishes what I want. Any workout gets stale after a time. It's good to change things up, but you have to be smart about it.

My problem is, I've not been very smart about it. The expression "work smarter, not harder" applies to some degree, but in weight training, if you're not working harder, you're not working.

The lesson I've learned is, yes, rotate your workouts and routines, but use some common sense. Make each change-up a progression and not a reboot.

Reboots work in the movies (well, not always), but they are seldom satisfactory for bodybuilders and powerlifters.

The tragic mistake I've made each time I've rotated off of one program and onto another is that I've always lowered my starting point. Many programs tell you to underestimate your 1RM or to always max out at a 75% to 90% of your 1RM. Every program I've tried recommends some padding so you always have room to grow.

Fine, that's all well and good. I understand the merits of that and accept the value of periodization. But you also have to continue to push the envelope no matter what you decide to do with your workout program. So when I switch from 5x5, for example, to Wendler 5/3/1, I shouldn't automatically adjust the scale so I'm sort of starting over again. I should make the change with the intent of further challenging myself.

Why change at all? you ask. Well, it's simple: I've never followed a program in which I didn't at some point plateau. The biggest flaw in the 5x5 program, I argue, is that it instructs you to continuously each week increase the amount of weight you're lifting. Yes, true, that's the whole idea behind weight training. The problem is that unless you're among the genetically gifted, you're going to eventually hit a wall. It's the inevitability of meeting that wall that led to the development and success of periodization principles.

With that in mind, I'm moving in a sort of new direction. I'm going to move out of my comfort zone and try some more advanced powerlifting programs in an effort to break out of the mental and physical ruts that are holding me back.

For this cycle I'm going to give the Smolov Jr program a try. But this time, I make the switch with zero padding. I'm going to push the envelope hard and see where it takes me.

Now I just have to figure out how I can apply the workout discipline to my diet. But that's another story.

Here's my preliminary Smolov Jr plan (I reserve the right to adjust the actual weights depending on how well I progress):

Bench Press				Starting 1RM	215
Week 1
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	150.5	150
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	161.25	160
Friday	8	4	0.8	172	170
Saturday	10	3	0.85	182.75	180
Week 2
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	160.5	160
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	171.25	170
Friday	8	4	0.8	182	180
Saturday	10	3	0.85	192.75	190
Week 3
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	165.5	165
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	176.25	175
Friday	8	4	0.8	187	185
Saturday	10	3	0.85	197.75	195