So i have been throwing around this idea for a few days now after reading dave tates periodization bible. I Plan on using the 5/3/1 powerlifting templete for my main lifts and using linear periodizati sets and reps for my assistance work. Any thoughts on this/experience on this?
You shouldn’t be applying linear periodization to assistance work. All assistance work needs to do is make your primary lift go up. Really, you just need to pick a movement and hammer it. If your primary lift goes up, keep at it. If it doesn’t, find a different movement.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
You shouldn’t be applying linear periodization to assistance work. All assistance work needs to do is make your primary lift go up. Really, you just need to pick a movement and hammer it. If your primary lift goes up, keep at it. If it doesn’t, find a different movement.[/quote]
You can, though. In a worst case scenario you get no benefit, and in a best case scenario the effects are marginal.
Atleast according to Dan John and Pavel.
Besides, it keeps things fresh.
Ed coan periodized his assistance work but i guess this punisher guy knows more than him
Don’t think so. Most assistance exercises help by increasing strength endurance, or stabilizers anyway.
IMO maybe ONLY if you are going to do just one assistance exercise for each lift for that period.
For example for the bench, you could do just 1) closegrip 3 board press for 4 weeks and then 2) Just dumbell presses for 4 weeks and then 3) Just seated shoulder presses for 4 weeks.
If you did that I would actually do LP with a rep ladder. First workout start light, do 7 reps per set, and add 5-10% per set until you get a strict 7 rep near max. The next week drop to 6 reps and start one step higher, then 5 reps, then 4. That way you get volume but still go a little heavier each time.
So lets say you can closegrip 300. You might do 150 x 7, 165 x 7; 180 x 7; 195 x 7; 210 x 7; 225 x 7 (maybe 240 x 7) That’s 42-49 reps. You get light reps where you can squeeze the muscles a little more and gradually get up to fairly heavy. If you need more volume you could use 10 pound jumps: 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, (230, 240). Next week switch to 6 reps per set and start 10-15 pounds higher. Its just a way of getting some effective volume.
Now I don’t think there is anything wrong with cycling rep schemes. One guideline that I have used is that if I do an assistance exercise for about 10 minutes, in one workout I take a weight that I can get CLOSE to 60 reps on in 10 minutes. In the next workout I take a weight that I might be able to challenge 30 reps on (about 15% higher). If you do 5 minutes on 2 different exercises then shoot for 30 and 15 reps) I think that after warmups you should do no more that 1 assistance exercise for about 10 minutes, or 2 for about 5 minutes each.
1-2 bench assistance (10 minutes-30-60 reps on one or 5 minutes-15-30 on 2)
1-2 squat assistance (same)
1-2 upper back (same)
[quote]batman122 wrote:
Ed coan periodized his assistance work but i guess this punisher guy knows more than him[/quote]
He also just did 2 work sets on the bench, 2 on the incline and 2 on the closegrip. That’s really just main set work with slight variation. He also was built to benefit optimally from full range compound movements.
he also periodized rows for his deadlift, sometimes highbars for his squats, overheads, dips and apparently most other stuff according to i think mark bell
[quote]batman122 wrote:
Ed coan periodized his assistance work but i guess this punisher guy knows more than him[/quote]
Hey man, I asked you in another topic but I think you missed my posts. What fed(s) do you compete in?
[quote]batman122 wrote:
Ed coan periodized his assistance work but i guess this punisher guy knows more than him[/quote]
When I was training with Eddie, we periodized almost everything when it came to assistance work, except all the little exercises, like tricep pushdowns and things of that nature. We did it for regular bench, close-grip bench, incline bench, squat, paused squats, deadlift, stiff-legged, deficit pulls, yada, yada, yada, and the list goes on. Long story short - the shit works.
CS