ExRx.net

I've been doing Christian Thibaudeau's 915 workout (http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/915-workout-program) the past few weeks. I'm on week 4 now and have finally plugged the numbers into my spreadsheet for the remainder of the cycle. My numbers are based on the following:

Starting maxes
Bench max: 405
Squat max: 550
Deadlift max: 630

The workout piqued my curiosity because it's claims of progress seemed borderline unrealistic, and the set/rep scheme looked, at least on paper, to be unsustainable. So, of course I decided to try it out. It's worked surprisingly well the first three weeks, and I expect weeks 4 and 5 will be doable too. But weeks 6, 7, and 8... the poundages don't seem realistically achievable. But that's what I thought going in (even for the first three weeks)! So...wanted to get a bit of perspective (a second opinion) from the board here. I am still game to try it out...but if the consensus here is that I'm courting injury to even attempt it...discretion is the better part of valor.

Week 8 specifically just goes to 105% of max, a third of the predicted 15% performance increase, but the numbers I calculated are giving me pause:

Bench: 425 (three sets of 2)
Squat: 580 (three sets of 2)
Deadlift: 660 (three sets of 2)

Give it a try? Or call it good after week 5 and move on to the next cycle?

To answer the customary questions: I'm 42, 290lbs, yes, I've gotten all the starting maxes in the last 6 months, no existing injuries or obvious deficits. I train for general health (read: power) and mobility. I train the way I do because the best workout is the one that keeps me coming back into the gym (which is why I'm doing this one, it grabbed my interest). I am not competing in any sport (other than life) and I don't have any serious strength goals. I'd love to lose weight, but that particular battle will be fought in the k-word, not the weight room. My primary goals are to stay healthy and injury free, secondary goals...sustain interest in my training to keep me coming in.

Thanks in advance for feedback.

Um...why does it turn the word k i t c h e n into "k-word"?! Is that verboten on this site?

Or am I about to get banned for circumventing the profanity filter?

Mother k-word - those are some good lifts.

This is my experience with programs like these. Yes they work, however I believe that as you get closer to your genetic potential, the numbers get unrealistic. If you are a newb or a somewhat experienced lifter, you can have those gains. I'm guessing at the weights you are moving you are close to your genetic potential (though I could be wrong). In other words, getting from 405 to 425 on your bench is going to be brutal. Also, I believe, the closer you get, the more likely you are to have an injury. But then again, isn't it worth it in the end?

I would try it. You don't know how it is going to work until you try. Grab a spotter and give it a go.

Thanks for the feedback Hoose, I've pretty much come to the same conclusion: as training age increases you cant always just plug into a general workout scheme. You might have plenty of foundation, but not near enough excess capacity to realize or easily access.

That being said...the workout turns into something doable (I think) if I base it off of "training max" numbers. That is, 90% of my true max numbers.

I'll try to remember to report back at the end with how it all came out.

I looked at the comments section of the article and a few people who are in the process of doing the program have stated that it was probably best to start with a slightly lower training max and not an actual max. The problem with the percentages, to me anyhow, is that there is no room for a 'bad day' in the gym. The percentages and reps keep going up every week. I've only been training for 6 years, but in that time I've worked out that progress is up and down. To expect constant progress over 8 weeks with those percentages and reps seems a little unrealistic. But you never know.

I put that K word in the filter because of all the spam about it. I have several things just for that particular type of spam because there had been so much of it.