So atm i’m doing much more simple linear progression style training with more frequency than once a week, but after reading around on this forum i’d like to give a layer format a try after i have to reset a few times. I’d like to use Bench, OHP, Squat, and Deadlift as the main exercises as those are what i’ve always used. Also i don’t have a trap bar available. What i’ve got in mind would be something like:
1)Some thing explosive (Push press, jumps, etc)
2)Main lift ramp (Might also use wave ladders here)
3)Density work
4)Carries
5)Pushups/pullups (Maybe also bodyweight glute bridges?) from blast straps 20-50 reps. (Building up reps slowly over time.)
My biggest concern is the lack of horizontal pulling. In another thread here CT says this is mostly covered by doing the SGHP on a seperate day. Are there alternatives to this since i’ve never done SGHP before? Could i do a 5th day with rows? Or is adding rows between sets of pushing a better alternative?
I know if you use the ladders you start at x% (70? too lazy to open the article lol) of your max and add 5 lbs every ladder, increasing starting ladder weight every 3rd~ workout or so. Is there any progression model other than this? Do you retest your max every few months or so and base the ladders off that or no?
[quote]boswick wrote:
I’d like to use Bench, OHP, Squat, and Deadlift as the main exercises as those are what i’ve always used. Also i don’t have a trap bar available.[/quote]
Unless there’s a particular need that you’re using OHP, consider using Push Press. Give the slight incline and slight decline bench press options a chance too. Alternate your pressing days with SGHP days. There’s a lot of different splits, but give the suggested movements a chance before making up your mind.
Learn to do these. More than likely you haven’t learned to lift explosively, and these will force you to learn that pretty quickly. Learn to do them from blocks – stools, benches, 5 gallon buckets, whatever – resetting each rep. It will feel awkward your first several sessions, and eventually you’ll get the hang of it. This idea of lifting explosively carries over to the other lifts.
When you get these figured out, your entire mid and upper back, traps, rear delts will be sore. As well as glutes, hamstrings and calves.
I would wait until you’ve got a decent feel for the overall layer system before trying to work rows in.
I know this sounds counterintuitive right now, but don’t worry about the progression system for now. Just make every rep count and the progression will work itself out.
Your basic formula is going to be:
ramp to a training max. This isn’t your actual max, but the max you can still feel like you’re getting good strong reps in. I would say reps where you’re still feeling explosive, but I doubt you’ve been lifting explosively up until now. You’ll need to learn how to do that.
do a lot of hard work at a high percentage of that max. Earlier variations used cluster sets at 90%, later versions use density work.
do a lot of hard work at a lower percentage of that max. Earlier versions used HDL or other density mechanisms, later versions use carries.
Some versions use activation work before the initial ramp. And there’s approaches that are more voluminous at high intensities.
I’d just take a look around the various options in this forum and pick one.
Back to layers. SGHP workout tday. Lord, it feels GOOD. My favorite training style. Lorez has some great pointers - focus on rep performance, explosion, how your body feels and the basic formula. When I zone in, no other training program gives me that animalistic violence as the layers, especially on SGHP. Experience completely different from other high intensity going to failure programs.
CT - thoughts on “autoregulation” when it comes to applying the clusters and density portion? Every workout I keep the ramp to max (maybe waveload a few sets) but like to alternate cluster days vs. density days. And hard 5’s or HDL afterwards. Do you see anything wrong with this flexbility or is it better to stick to one layer “style” for a period of weeks/training block. Thanks.