After a year with Juggernaut AI, I'm satisfied enough with the app to continue to pay for it, which is just about the biggest endorsement I can make. I was initially disappointed after maxing out on my meet day, but after considering the circumstances and realizing that I hadn't hit numbers close to what I did in some time, I'm satisfied. So let's talk about my peaking cycle, since I've written about the hypertrophy and strength blocks before.
The goal of the peaking cycle is to drop fatigue by cutting volume, while still hitting a heavy weight every now and then to prepare for your meet/test day. I think the app did a wonderful job at that. My lifestyle, however, got in the way of dropping fatigue. I have a demanding manual labor job that often leaves me sore and tired, as well as two small children who often do the same. My sleep has never been great, although I usually get around six to seven hours. Several stressful life events, such as my wife going on a work trip and leaving me alone with the kids, compounded to increase that fatigued feeling. By the last week, I was worn down, and no amount of volume cutting was going to save me. Rather than doing my test day on Saturday as scheduled, I moved it to Friday after I'd worked about five hours, since I didn't have any other time. My back was sore and my upper body felt weak. I benched 300, deadlifted 475, and squatted 405. None of those are PRs, yet I haven't benched 300 in two years or squatted 405 in four or five. The deadlift was the biggest disappointment, but farming is really hard on your back, so I guess I should be content with 475. I failed a 305 bench for my last attempt, as well as a 500 lbs deadlift. The squat was the real surprise, since I think I probably could've done another 15 to 20 pounds, which would've been a PR. My legs were able to recover, which makes sense, since walking around the orchard isn't too hard on your quads, whereas picking bushels and climbing in trees fatigues your upper body and back.
My 405 squat.
My 300 bench.
So Juggernaut helped me get stronger in the powerlifts than I'd been in a couple years, even if I didn't smash any PRs. Age, work requirements, and lifestyle compounded to complicate matters. My next cycle will peak in March, so I'll be in better shape as far as job demands then. Anyways, the Juggernaut app keeps improving, so I'd recommend it for anyone looking for an intelligent way to train. The hypertrophy variation, the careful changes in weight and volume, as well as the smart utilization of self-regulation all combine to form a powerful system, one that likely can nearly replace a decent coach. I know my squat feels better than it ever has, and my chronic injuries have minimized to the degree that they don't impair my training any more. I just need to manage my fatigue better and reduce stress. But don't we all?
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