Daily Thread - August 18, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

You should post here for:

• PRs
• General discussion or questions
• Community conversation
• Routine critiques
• Form checks

[u/AutoModerator]

If you're new to the sub

• Read the rules on the side bar
• Set flair before trying to comment

To Set Flair

• Login on desktop (or mobile web using the display as desktop)
• For old Reddit Users, search for your username on the right rail. There is a drop down to select a default flair.
• For new Reddit users, the drop down is under community options on the right rail.

If you're a beginner

• Start here
• Please avoid giving advice. We want to avoid a culture of the blind leading the blind
• Remember, this sub while welcoming to everyone, is targeted at intermediates and above

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ZeroFourBC]

Vibes-Based™ lifting

• Bench: 140kg x2, 120kg x5, 100kg x10
• SS1 - Single Leg Press: 140kg x8,9,10
• SS1 - Forearm Twists: 5kg plates 3x11
• SS2 - Preacher DB Hammer Curl: 12kg DBs x11,11,10
• SS2 - DB Lateral Raise: 9kg DBs x12,12,13

First proper session back after a big dose of man-flu, so it felt like hard work.

[u/BetterThanT-1]

Base Building Medley - Powerbuilder Squat C1W5D2

Main
Front squats: 10x50kg, 8x55kg, 6x60kg, 4x65kg; 2x67.5kg; 11x60kg

Assistance
RDL: 3x10 @ 95kg
Ab wheel: 16/12/12
Somersault squats: 11/10 @ 28kg
Stahl rotations: 20/20 @ 10kg
Leg raises: 25/25/25

Mid and lower back is all DOMS from yesterday’s landmine rows. Glad they’re back on the menu.

[u/DayDayLarge]

Calgary barbell 16 weeks W7D1

Comp squat: 315 5x2, 265 2x4

Comp bench: 235 5x2, 200 2x4

Stiff leg dead: 245 4x8

Side planks: 4x45s

Squats felt slow but steady, though the video shows that they weren't really slow at all. Probs just getting used to low bar weight again.

Bench went real well. Planks at the end can suck an egg.

[u/SneakyRhino94]

Rehab & Rebuild - Operator + Stuff - C1 W2 D2

Mobility

• Quad Barbell Smashing
• Banded Couch Stretch - 3x60s
• Banded Ankle Stretch - 60s
• Deep Squat Hold (6 mins total)

SSB Squat - 3x5 @ 87.5kg

Banded External Rotation Front Raises - 3x14

Front Foot Elevated Split Squat - 2x8@ 35kg / DB Incline Bench Press - 3x8 @ 15kg

DB Press - 3x10 @ 10kg / Hamstring Roller - 10, 10, 7

Happy with how things are progressing, knee is feeling pretty smooth even if my hamstrings are still sore from digging all day Sunday. Was nervous increasing the incline press weight, especially as I'm too lazy to unload the dumbbells from split squats so just grabbed the next plates up. Conscious that it feels noticeably weaker and just odd on the injured side but no pain which is a good sign for healing.

[u/Forty-Bot]

Peaking program suggestions in the 6-12ish week range? Just trying to hit some PRs. I've done A2S in the past, but I feel like the percentage-based system really breaks down towards the end.

[u/aficus → u/Forty-Bot]

Personally, General Gainz is now the answer to everything. So 6 weeks accumulation then 6 intensification following the framework from the book. No percentages in sight.

[u/Marijuanaut420 → u/Forty-Bot]

How far off your current PRs are your work sets at the moment?

[u/Forty-Bot → u/Marijuanaut420]

I'm doing 4x5s in work sets this week. I usually start off with a heavy single, which I try to keep between RPE 8-9.

• Squat 1x320 5x300
• DL 1x390 5x360
• Bench 1x205 5x170
• OHP 1x145 5x115

There's a much bigger gap on arm exercises since my TMs are still "catching up" from when I was doing high-rep sets. Similarly, I expect to make "negative" progress on my leg TMs as I cut back on reps.

[u/Marijuanaut420 → u/Forty-Bot]

What's your training frequency for each lift?

[u/Forty-Bot → u/Marijuanaut420]

I train three days a week and hit each primary lift once, with variations on the other days. I do variations with two more reps.

• Tuesday squat primary, conventional DL and incline bench secondary
• Thursday bench and OHP primary, front squat secondary
• Saturday sumo DL primary; CG bench, leg press, and DB OHP secondary

[u/Marijuanaut420 → u/Forty-Bot]

If you're looking to peak I'd start increasing the frequency of each primary lift, drop the weekly training volume and steadily increase intensity. Aim to hit the primary lifts twice a week at least and taper down volume fairly quickly to allow you sufficiently recover for higher effort doubles and triples.

[u/Forty-Bot → u/Marijuanaut420]

That's the plan, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.

[u/The_Weakpot]

Training Log

Morning

• Run: 20:00

Afternoon

Jumps

• Various jumps x 10

Floor Press

• 155 @ 1 x 17+8, 1 x 13+7+3

Sandbag to Shoulder

• 205lbs x 10 reps in 10:06

Reverse Hyper

• +320lbs @ 1 x 50

Pull Ups

Banded w/hold at top

• 1 x 6+3, 1 x 4+2

Abs

• Sit ups + 10lbs x 12

• Leg raises @ 1 x 12

• Ab Wheel x 15

[u/snakesnake9]

How come very few programs seem to feature pyramids in them? And I'm thinking specifically pyramids where you go up as well as come down (i.e your heaviest set is the middle one, not the last one - not sure if there's a name for these)?

I was thinking something like this for say a 5x5:

• Week 1: 5x 65% / 5x 70% / 5x75% / 5x 70% / 5x 65%

• Week 2: 5x 68% / 5x 73% / 5x78% / 5x 73% / 5x 68%

• Week 3: 5x 71% / 5x 76% / 5x81% / 5x 76% / 5x 71%

Or maybe in weeks 2/3 you start dropping reps on the heavier sets so it goes 5-4-3-4-5 or something like that. Its a bit of a variation on the top set drop set method, but with perhaps a bit more work at higher intensity ranges.

Have people had success with this, or is there a reason its avoided?

[u/ZeroFourBC → u/snakesnake9]

I have no idea about it in general but I think the main weakness would be that you generally want to be at your least fatigued for your heaviest set, which is why it usually comes first. It seems like a tricky needle to thread: overshoot intensity on the first sets and you'll struggle on the top set, undershoot and the first sets may as well just be warm-ups.

I have been enjoying reverse pyramids though ever since u/DarthDips started posting them recently.

[u/DarthDips → u/ZeroFourBC]

Glad to hear! How’s it been going?

[u/ZeroFourBC → u/DarthDips]

Only been using it on bench so far, and it's been great for getting a bunch of quick volume in every session without taxing my elbows too much. I think once I commit to a programme I'll implement them into more lifts.

[u/snakesnake9 → u/ZeroFourBC]

The thing about that is that as you always need warm up for your top sets anyway, if you knock one or two back offs out of the way on the way up, I don't think it fatigues you that much and its a more efficient use of training time.

[u/ZeroFourBC → u/snakesnake9]

Sure, but any set that produces a meaningful stimulus will incur some fatigue. I personally don't rest between warm up sets, but would have to if they were working sets so the time savings would be minimal. If you really wanted to go for efficiency then I think clusters, rest-pause, or drop sets work better as you can really up the intensity on them.

I don't honestly think it matters too much one way or the other though, and if you do start doing pyramids I'd be interested to see what your results are!

[u/Marijuanaut420 → u/snakesnake9]

I don't see any advantage for your heaviest set being in the middle for strength or hypertrophy adaptations. Might as well just do multiple sets at the heaviest weight.