I figured since I have a bunch of program questions I?d post it up here and see if I get anything. The only thing I ask is that if you post suggestions, or tell me I?m a moron and I?m screwing these kids up, please be familiar with the Tier System. It breaks a few ?rules? of program design, and the book is pretty damn tough to digest, so if you?ve never read it before, no offense but I?ll be taking your suggestions with a grain of salt. I?m an offensive and defensive line coach of a high school football team, and now that the seasons over I?m also (apparently) the strength coach by default. For the first two months I had the kids on a 4x/week upper lower upper lower. I made one upper day a heavy bench/light row day and the other one vice versa. As for leg I made one day heavy dl/light squat and vice versa. O-lifts also got higher priority on one leg day than the other but they were in both. If anyone thinks it would be important to see the kids? base I can post or email their program.
Anyway, they started their running program (a pretty intense one actually) in December and I thought it would be a great opportunity to implement Kenn?s tier system, since I had bought the book for that specific reason, since it was written for the athlete with practices/skill sessions/running etc. Here?s where I stand now. I?ve read the book (most of it twice, some of it 3 or 4 times) and I think I understand the big picture, ie rotating priority, emphasis on core and post chain etc, but I?m jammed as to how to put it into a meso cycle, and then into a macro cycle and then fit it all into a template. Am I making this all too complicated? It seems like part of the book is about kenn?s tier system but another part is about more ?traditional? programs ? am I right? I found a very simplified summary that #62 wrote at elitefts.com where he basically explained it like this.
M ? speed triple extension, ME lower, upper volume
T- DE Lower, ME upper, Lower volume
F ? DE Upper, ME triple extension, combo volume
So here?s my interpretation of that:
Total Body Day:
-Clean from the floor ? for sets and reps I play around with Prilepins chart, 90% seems too slow, 50 seems too easy, I?m trying to find a happy medium, but I have them stick to singles so their form (hopefully) doesn?t break down
- Dynamic Lunge (unilateral) 5 RM I?ll be honest, I don?t know if it makes sense for the kids to work up to a max in a lunge, but I figured at 5 reps its not too intense and I?m interpreting 62?s interpretation
- DB Press (unilateral horizontal) ? 4x12 the last two weeks I?ve had them do ascending loads, I may change this to stable loads once they have a better idea of their capabilities
- Single Arm DB Snatch ? 3x5 heres where I start to get confused. I know the fourth tier is supposed to be high volume 15-20 reps. But other than the dl, all the total body stuff is O-lift variations, and I?ve always thought that those reps should be kept low (prilepins, form wont break down, stretch reflex wont be brought into play, power output kept high, etc etc) so how do I reconcile these two ideas?
-Single Leg Squat (unilateral) 2x15
-Posterior Chain work: Straight Leg Deadlift 1x15, 1x12, 1x10
-Core work: Cable woodchoppers 3x15
Lower Body:
-Box Squats 8x2@60%
-Bent Over Rows (horizontal bilateral) 5RM the kids whose lower backs aren?t strong enough to do bentover rows do one arm rows on a bench
-Jammer 4x6 It?s a machine but it seems pretty good, I?ve heard Kenn likes it. Any thoughts? Again, I keep the reps low for power output
-Leg Press 3x15
-Chins (vertical bilateral) as many sets as necessary to get to 20 total reps
-Post: Back Extension 1x15, 1x12, 1x10
-Core: Stability Ball Situps 3x15
Upper Body:
-Bench 8x3@55%
-Deadlift 5RM
-stepups 4x12
-DB Military press (vertical unilateral)
-Fifth tier ? same concern as on day one, how can I do a high rep O-lift? Any suggestions? Right now they aren?t doing anything
-Post: Pull Thrus ? 1x15, 1x12, 1x10
-Core: Holding themselves in a pushup position, 1 min, three times
I feel like my exercise pool is good, as far as overall program design here?s what I?m trying to accomplish: I?d like to train strength endurance with the kids since a) it fits in with their running program (I believe) and b) it seems like the best base for a bunch of high school athletes, none of whom are anywhere close to advanced or elite. So on p. 35 Kenn list S-End sets at 65%x12, 62.5x12, 60x12, 57.5x12, 55x12, 52.5x12. Okay, so that?s 6 sets, that fits with the volume he proscribes on p 67, but with 12 reps it?s not what I would call dynamic effort. Am I misinterpreting #62 or kenn, or is 62 misinterpreting kenn? But even if that can be explained away ? what the HELL is with the training cycles in appendix B?!?!?! aaaarrrgghhh, I?m not retarded, I cant be the only who had difficulty with this the first time, right? I mean, p 105-106, S-End cycles for 77.5% down to 70% I thought it was 65%-52.5% Furthermore, I know the sets you?re supposed to use for the rest of the day (5 sets for 2nd tier, 4 for the 3rd etc) but what about reps? This is all without even getting into the whole macrocycle issue. I?ve actually managed to confuse myself even more than when I started, so I?m just ogign to cut it short here (I have a ton more questions, but I?m starting to think that I don?t even know what I don?t know) so sorry for the ridiculously long post, if you?ve read this far, thanks and if you can actually help me ? thanks doesn?t begin to describe it.
On a completely unrelated note, in 10 days I?m roadtrippin to Ohio for EFS?s seminar. This is tantamount to a religious experience for me. BM any messages for Wendler?
