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Posted on 12/30/21 at 6:43 am
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 6:43 am
The concept is you take a "heavy weight," just short of a h1RM for some singles or maybe a two or three rep max. Do that one week on whatever lift. Do your accessories.

Next week come in and take that same weight. Maybe add a rep, extra set, or make it faster and faster for a week or two until you add a rep or set. Continue this trend with the same weight for a number of weeks, say 10-16 or something like that. Eventually this weight should become easy, at least in a relative way. To where it is toy weight.

Then you can bump to a much heavier weight of a sudden. You are progressive overloading but in a different way. Anyone do this? I've not had a chance to for more than a few weeks.
This post was edited on 12/30/21 at 9:43 am
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
19122 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 7:32 am to
I’m not sure I follow. You’re saying lift at 100% intensity on an exercise for 10-16 weeks and add sets or reps throughout to progress? Assuming technique is good, I would think that would be fine for novice lifters. But if you’re a more experienced and can really move big weight, I can’t say I would recommend that.

Well, even for novice lifters pushing that intensity for 10-16 weeks on any given lift is a long time. Maybe doing that in 4 week blocks might be better.
This post was edited on 12/30/21 at 7:34 am
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:00 am to
Example. I took 455 on squat for something like three singles. Next week, a double and two singles. Then two doubles and a single. Took a deload as normal three weeks in. Did another three weeks. Deload. Then did 475 pretty well the same progression.

Went into my meet and hit 485 and moved but missed 500.

So no, the idea is not to do a 100% max every week. I didn't start with but about 90% of max. Then I made that same weight about 80% over time. Bumped upto what was then my new 90%.
Posted by Big Ole Baw
Member since Dec 2021
352 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:07 am to
quote:

So no, the idea is not to do a 100% max every week.


quote:

he concept is you take a "heavy weight," maybe a h1RM or a two or three rep max


You're making no sense. There's no way you can do a 3 rep max and two weeks later increase your capacity to lift that weight like 50% (3 reps to 5 reps).

If you want to start at 90% or so and overload off of that, sure that's just progressive overload and high percentage low volume. Most strength cycles are going to end with something similar to this so it's nothing groundbreaking.
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:20 am to
Yea that needs to clarify to something close to a 1RM. Something like a heavy double or triple. Where you do a heavy double or triple, or multiple singles.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
19122 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:26 am to
So you’re training sub-maximally and progressing the reps. That’s a pretty standard approach to training. As for doing it for 10-16 weeks, that probably depends on your experience level and ability to recover in between.
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:36 am to
Also, yes everything is a version of of progressively overloading. In this case instead of adding weight, as the traditional way of peaking for a meet, you simply add repetitions, sets, or speed.

And idk, I've not added onto a three rep max specifically. I've only added onto heavy singles. I've not progressed every week, too. If I had to keep the same rep/set scheme as the week before, I've done it. But after a few weeks, like 6 or so, yes absolutely three heavy singles increased to three doubles. I see no reason you can't increase a three rep max to at least four if not five reps after say a month. I'm not suggesting you will double your starting position in three weeks.

But let's not get lost in the forest looking for trees. The point is you take instead of a middle weight, a heavy weight. Something a little under a 100% max. Keep the weight, add a different kind of variation. Still progressive overload, just not overloading the weight.
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:42 am to
It's definitely not the standard way for peaking for a meet. And again for sure everything is a progressive overload. Also no I would not suggest it for some high school kid lol. You need to know your body, like if you're doing the Cube.

Question is, have you or anyone else on the board done it or heard of it? Doesnt sound like it. Your experience if so? I didn't get to do it long term because I did it for a few weeks, bumped the weight early prepping for the meet, and did it again with the new weight on the shorter 6-ish week period. I haven't gotten to do 10+ weeks range, make the weight feel really light, and then go from there.

After the meet I need some recovery. Going to do probably some oly lifts and more explosive, mobile work. Then come back to that.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
19122 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:48 am to
If it’s working for you, keep doing it. I’m running a Cube style of training with a ton of variation for strongman, so my approach is different.
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:55 am to
Where abouts are you? Wife was looking up some strongman stuff to maybe do instead of a meet next year. Baton Rouge or maybe Shreveport would be the major places I'd expect louisiana to have some.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
19122 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:59 am to
I train in Baton Rouge. My gym is putting on a strongman show in April, Louisiana’s Strongest Man/Woman.
Posted by Boring
Member since Feb 2019
3792 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 3:34 pm to
quote:

I took 455 on squat for something like three singles. Next week, a double and two singles. Then two doubles and a single.


Sounds somewhat similar to how Doug Hepburn (supposedly) trained. He trained a lift twice a week starting with 7x2,1x3 and working towards 8 triples. An entire cycle looks like this:

2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3
2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3
2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3
2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3
2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3
2,2,3,3,3,3,3,3
2,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

So that’s 4 weeks, then you add 10 pounds and start back with 7x2,1x3.

Each session is long, but it works. Run correctly, an intermediate lifter could add potentially 120 lbs to each lift.
Posted by Barbellthor
Columbia
Member since Aug 2015
11266 posts
Posted on 12/31/21 at 8:04 am to
That's a different kind of volume, and volume=strength. Makes sense
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