SST or Supplemental Heaven Using Different Supplemental Lifts?

Jim, what are your thoughts on using a different supplemental lift (like floor press, snatch grip deadlift, close grip bench, front squat) for while using the Simplest Strength Template (or Supplemental Heaven) for a 17 year old who has been lifting for about 2-ish years, seeks some variety and to really build some muscle?

Boring but big leader, any anchor. Keep it simple, strong and high volume. This is the 39 year old me telling the 17 year old me what I would have done back then; that or Krypteia, which is close to the same thing I just suggested.

I don’t see a problem with it IF you (or whoever you are referencing) is strict/conscientious enough to do it correctly. I do VERY few lifts, including assistance movements, with younger athletes. I’d rather have them know exactly HOW to do something and perfect it rather than jumping around, never really getting good or understanding anything.

So it’s not so much a “yes/no” answer; there are a lot of variables in there and honestly, without one/one coaching for a long period of time and getting to know/understand the lifter, it’s almost impossible to answer. If you do choose to do it, follow the principles of “start too light/progress slow”. A 17 year old has a long time to improve and I see way too many people fall into the “add weight to the bar as quickly as possible” - somehow equating training with testing.

Jim, thank you.

So, would this look like a good program plan?

3 Leader cycles -
Simplest Strength Template (using diff. supplemental mvmt for supplemental)
2 Anchor cycles -
3/5/1 PR sets for main lift, and 5x5 FSL with those supplemental lifts used in leader

(7th Wk Protocol TM test or PR set)

2 Leader/1 Anchor using just main lift for whichever template for the main & supplemental

Yes - that can work.

The good thing is you can now see the effects of different lifts, different time periods done and you can now consult your written training log years from now - and see what to do and what NOT to do.

When you are doing this, don’t fuck with the assistance work too much i.e. change a million things in your training. I see people change in a rut, change 5 things in their training and have no idea what worked.