What's the name of the program you're using?

Gillingham 12 wk bench program.

10.21.18

Deadlift
1x6 135
3x5 225
5x2 275
1x2 315
1x1 315

RDL
4x4 225

BB row
5x5 225

Press
1x7 95
1x5 115
3x5 135
2x2 155

10.23.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x6 135
1x2 185
1x1 225
1x1 275
1x1 315
3x5 275

Incline DB flys

Dips

10.25.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x6 135
1x2 185
1x1 225
2x8 250

Dips, Tricep Extensions

Db curls

10.28.18

Squat
1x10 95
1x7 135
1x5 185
3x5 225

Press
1x10 95
1x6 135
1x3 155
3x2 185

Rows, Lat Pulldown

10.30.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x6 135
1x2 185
1x2 225
1x1 275
1x1 325
5x3 285

Pec dec Fly, Tricep Extensions

325 went up very smoothly, felt like I could do a double.
Makes me feel good about my PR attempt in 2 wks. Depending on how I feel next week I might go for 345 rather than the planned 340.

11.1.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x6 135
8x3 200

Dips, Tricep Extensions

11.3.18

Deadlift
1x8 135
2x5 225
7x2 295

RDL
3x5 225

BB Row
3x5 225

Press
1x8 95
1x6 135
1x4 155
3x3 175

Been having run ins with gym douches lately.

The gym I go to is over crowded and you often have to ask someone how many sets they have left on something and wait.
I ask this guy on bench the other day and he gives me this annoyed look and says he's got 9 sets left. No worries I move to the next one over and it opens up within a few minutes. I look over and that guy is gone and never comes back. He of course didn't rack his weights either. I don't get some people.

Another one.
All the squat racks have deadlift platforms in front of them. I see the only squat rack that's open and there's a guy doing deadlifts in front of it. I ask him if he's using the squat rack and he says yeah. So I wait for the station next to it which opens up after 10 min. The guy does 4 more sets of deadlifts, never touches the squat rack and leaves. I really don't get guys like this. Really **** these people. Gives me the equivalent of road rage.

Do you have any powerlifting gyms near you? It likely costs more than the gym you go to now, but you won’t have to deal with as much dumbassery like you describe above.

Those situations do suck and call for an ISF level response.

How long until you test your max?

I'd just set up in the rack and get started. I don't even think asking the question was necessary. It's a pointless courtesy that was taken advantage of.

Yeah there are a decent amount actually. The only reason I keep going to my current is because it's 1/4th the price and 2 min from where I live. The powerlifting spots are all about 30 min away. But I agree it'd make things a lot easier once I'm actually at the gym.

Next week is test. Probably Tue.

Yeah next time I will.

11.6.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x5 135
1x3 185
1x1 225
1x1 275
1x1 335
5x3 295

Dips, Tricep Extensions

Everything feels pretty good. This program was a real good fit. My joints haven't hurt at all. I think I was doing too much volume at too high an intensity previously.

After next week I think I'm going to switch focus for a cycle on the press and do more bench accessories.

11.8.18

Lat Pulldown overhand and underhand.
Neutral grip rows
T Bar Rows
Face Pulls

11.9.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x5 135
1x3 185
1x2 225
2x8 260

Press
1x10 95
3x8 135

Dips

The 2x8 260 is a PR for me though until this program I haven't done many 8 rep sets. Around this time last year my 3RM was 275. So pretty happy with where I've come so far.

11.10.18

Squat
1x10 95
1x8 135
1x5 185
1x3 225
1x4 225
1x5 225
1x4 245
1x5 245
1x3 245

Hex bar deadlift
4x7

Leg press
3x10

Pec Dec fly
3x10

11.12.18

Bench
1x10 95
1x6 135
1x1 185
1x1 225
1x1 295
1x1 345 F
5x3 305 PR

Kind of a bittersweet day. Went for the gusto and attempted new 1RM at 345, grinded and failed mid range. I was very close though I could feel I was just at the edge of where it would've went over,but I felt like I went slightly out of groove.
But got a working PR so that was good. Not gonna sweat it.

Gonna focus on the press this next cycle. Not sure about the programming though.

11.14.18

Deadlift
1x8 135
1x5 225
5x3 315

BB Row
3x5 225

Press
1x8 135
2x1 205
5x3 205
1x5 185

Press still feels pretty good though I haven't done too much intensity the past few months. Absolute strength feels about the same, but I feel like work capacity is slightly improved.

On my last set my quads started cramping up. I finished the set, but never thought that would be a limiting factor in this lift.

How big a PR would 345 have been? Going from 295 straight to 345 doesn't seem optimal. Nice volume PR.

From my last tested 1RM which was about 3 months prior it would've been a 10lb PR.

Yeah not really sure what an optimal ramp would be. I try to balance by not being too fatigued going into the max lift so tend not to try attempting something close to my max.

Like going 295 to 335 to 345 likely not ideal either.

I routinely go 275 to 315-325 so felt 295 to 345 wouldn't be that bad. But again I'm not really knowledgeable enough to know what would be best.

Been running a modified version of this program and just did my first max testing--one thing I found helpful was lowering the percentages slightly and building up from one to three singles (shooting for RPE 8 on the 3rd). Just that way I felt comfortable taking smaller steps for testing that I'd still have enough in the tank for a 3rd (like it would be in competition). Granted not as heavy as you but I did manage a 15 lb PR on the 8th week on my 3rd attempt and second PR attempt, and before this whenever I'd try to test on 5/3/1 I'd just bonk any second heavy single.

Also finding this format works just fine for the overhead press. In fact I'm pretty much using it for all major lifts except rows.

295/315-320/345

20-25 lb jumps instead of 50. with a long rest between each so your not too fatigued

I'll give it a try to see if it works better, but I think 295-315-345 seems enough.
The extra rep at 320 seems unnecessary. The thing I realized about fatigue for singles is that it's not something I can feel or really gauge at all. It just shows up in my results.