>>76804275 (OP)
I usually do big compounds with an escalating weight for 4 sets of 5 and fish with a backoff. So a light warmup set, moderate feeler, actual work, challenge round, then a deload. If I feel like the challenge round didn't do it, I will absolutely do another, or sometimes I'll swap in a 1RM at the end for morale.
Lately I also do a wave-loading progression. Do a week of deloads, heavier next week, heavier next week, an all out week, then back to the deloads which are ideally a little more than they were last month. This progression really gives me an idea of where I am before heading into the heavy week.
With some of my lifts I'm really beating on a plateau, and this scheme keeps me from exhausting myself week after week until I get injured.
