Ok, you see how we have 5 x 5 and such other well-known methods of lifting? Well, I was thinking- and this is not based on any sort of science at all- but I was thinking maybe a few in here might like to test this idea I have. What is this idea you may ask. I’m glad you asked.
This is a variation of the 5x5 you know and love but there’s a twist. Now, instead of trying to increase the weight every week…which after about 6-8 weeks will find you stalled…what about upping the reps instead, and when you hit a certain number of reps, you increase the weight and drop back down to 5x5 and start all over?
It would look like this:
week 1.
Monday
5 x 5 ramping up (ex. 135, 185, 205, 215, 225)
week 2.
Monday 5 sets of 5,5,5,5,6
Week 3.
Monday 5 sets of 5,5,5,5,7
Week 4.
Monday 5 sets of 5,5,6,6,8
Etc. You keep ramping the reps but not the weight until you hit 10-12 reps in your final set. Once you can do 10-12 of what you used to do for 5, only then do you add your 10 lbs to the max 5 and start back at 5x5. So in apprx. 6 weeks you should be hitting 2x the reps you started with on your heaviest set back in week 1.
I surmised that there is another way to get the size and the strength- and that is increasing reps with the 85%+ of your 1 RM until you essentially can double your week 1’s max reps/weight.
Anybody care to give it a shot and let me know what the result is?