Fierce 5-Should I go with novice or intermediate?

[beq1991]

So I've been using the Fierce 5 intermediate 4 day upper/lower routine for some time after using my own splits and intermediate PPL routines loosely for years. After doing a lot of thinking, I came to the conclusion that it would be more appropriate for me to "downgrade" to a novice routine, build a better base, and then go back to following an intermediate routine. I am 28, 6'2, and weigh 193 lb. I don't know my 1 rep max numbers, but here are my lifts as they stand right now:

Bench: 3x5 @ 185 lb
OHP: 3x5 @115 lb
Squat: 3x5 @ 255 lb

I feel like I keep hitting the numbers listed above, can't meet the rep requirements, and have to reset every time I hit them per the reset rules that the routine provides for. Even when following this routine on a bulking cycle over the course of months, I was unable to push past these or similar numbers. Would it be a good idea to start following a novice routine, or would that be unproductive at this point, since I'm not exactly a true beginner?

[WakingOp]

Try it see how it goes. Start light, do you have a few weeks to grow into it. If you can't keep up you have to change. If you can, then you are a novice. It's not about numbers at all. It's if you can continually improve like that, and it varies individually

[TAWS6]

Intermediate. You'll burn out fast on novice progression. Your diet is likely the problem. Are you enough enough?

[air2fakie]

I don’t think either routine will matter much until you decide whether you want to bulk or cut and stick with it consistently and long enough to see results.

Right now you’re cutting and you’re not happy with your progress and when you’re bulking you’re not happy with your body. If you keep switching back and forth without seeing results on either one it’s doing work but literally going nowhere.

[beq1991]

Intermediate. You'll burn out fast on novice progression. Your diet is likely the problem. Are you enough enough?

So right now I am cutting and am eating at a deficit of 500 calories a day, but my lifts are still hovering around where they were when I was bulking for 5-6+ months. I feel like I keep getting stuck at the same numbers for the major lifts and then I have to bring down the weight 15% after failing to meet the rep range twice in a row, so it feels like one step forward, two steps back. I know it's not an issue with the routine, but I can't tell what I doing wrong.

Part of me thinks that I need to eat a slice of humble pie and start following a novice routine. My hesitation with that is that I might not reap any benefit from it, since most of these routines are 3 days a week and I'm already used to lifting 4 days a week, and I've been lifting for years now.

[TAWS6]

Once you’re done cutting and you’ve stalled try dropping the weight 20 percent. Get in a small surplus and work back up. I think the upper lower is good.

[beq1991]

Once you’re done cutting and you’ve stalled try dropping the weight 20 percent. Get in a small surplus and work back up. I think the upper lower is good.

I just thought of something...do you think part of the issue could be that when I did the resets after failing a lift two sessions in a row, I was often dropping the weight by only 10%, not 15%?

[TAWS6]

I just thought of something...do you think part of the issue could be that when I did the resets after failing a lift two sessions in a row, I was often dropping the weight by only 10%, not 15%?

Yup you’ll stall faster that way.

[Millz12323]

I just thought of something...do you think part of the issue could be that when I did the resets after failing a lift two sessions in a row, I was often dropping the weight by only 10%, not 15%?

I bloody hate resetting and the feeling of progression gets my d*ck hard at night.. so what I do is reset way more than 15% and I'll reset to a weight where I can do paused reps or some other more difficult variation than touch and go for several weeks and then when I fail at getting paused reps I'll switch back to touch and go.

This gives you a huge runway until you need to reset again and you'll learn a lot from the paused/ more difficult variation.

Full disclosure... this is just something I do that I haven't read about anywhere or seen anyone else recommend but it keeps training hella exciting for me.

For example I learned that I'm hella good at doing paused reps on my OHP. Been doing them all paused for several months and haven't failed a single rep in my program.

https://imgur.com/gallery/RoWUD1x

[beq1991]

I bloody hate resetting and the feeling of progression gets my d*ck hard at night.. so what I do is reset way more than 15% and I'll reset to a weight where I can do paused reps or some other more difficult variation than touch and go for several weeks and then when I fail at getting paused reps I'll switch back to touch and go.

This gives you a huge runway until you need to reset again and you'll learn a lot from the paused/ more difficult variation.

Full disclosure... this is just something I do that I haven't read about anywhere or seen anyone else recommend but it keeps training hella exciting for me.

For example I learned that I'm hella good at doing paused reps on my OHP. Been doing them all paused for several months and haven't failed a single rep in my program.

https://imgur.com/gallery/RoWUD1x

Hmm that's an interesting idea. But you don't think there's any issue with me sticking with an intermediate routine?

[Millz12323]

Hmm that's an interesting idea. But you don't think there's any issue with me sticking with an intermediate routine?

If you're sleeping enough, getting enough protein, eating in a small surplus and you are failing at novice progression then I guess do am intermediate program so that you're not resetting all the time.

Failure is demoralizing for most people and if that's going to eventually lead to you becoming unmotivated to train then that's probably not what's best for your goals.

[MSammon]

Wow I just made almost the exact same post. I wouldn’t have if I had seen this first. I’m also in a calorie deficit but not stalling yet. Will watch this one.