This is basically what my blocks look like. 3 weeks of progression with the same reps scheme, then deload week. Add 2.5kg and repeat.
With The deload we still keep the weight fairly heavy (same as week 1 of the block) but reduced the volume (less sets). Keep repeating until you get bored or you stop progressing.
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So like:
3 x 6 @ 70%
3 x 5, 1 x 3 @ 72.5%
3 x 4, 2 x 3 @ 75%
6 x 3 @ 77.5%
?
I was thinking just deload everything by 60-70%? That seems to be what CWS recommends
Deload week would thus be 2 x 4 @ 45%
That’s a hell of a deload. Usually something like 5x3x50 per cent is adequate
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Also, exactly like that.
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For me that deload would be way too light. Going back to heavy weight after that would feel slow and heavy for me. But each to their own. Try it and see how it goes.
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This is good.
No pattern. The workouts don’t stack on top of each other, or build off each other. Each one is a different and they all stay in that optimal range, without worrying about progressing the weights/reps and moving yourself out of the optimal zone.
It’s hard to “get” when you first hear it.
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Woke at 268.7 lbs, looking less bloated. Back is almost entirely normal again.
I think that’s one of the big barriers when it comes to people writing their own programs. I’ve certainly experienced it.
You end up creating patterns because that seems right. For main work, supplemental, assistance. Constantly trying to get it all to mesh into one magical pattern that is the best, when in reality you need no patterns at that level.
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I gotta agree, this feel super weird compared just ramping 5’s or something
Fair enough, I’ll just use the 5 x 3 @ 50% then
Cheers guys
Look, there seem to be two schools of thought on deloads.
One drops load and volume fairly drastically. No or minimal assistance.
One drops either load or volume, and doesn’t do much to change assistance.
It seems like both work BUT the former seems to be preferred by people who prioritise performance at a specific point in time and build their training around that.
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It feels weird initially, until it clicks that the goal isn’t to lift more in training.
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Fair enough, I can see why that would help peak preparedness. In that case just dropping volume should be enough for me
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Can you expand on what you mean here mark. I read this as if you are tying to peak for something then this is preferred but for continuous strength building it doesn’t really matter. Did I interpret you correctly??
I also agree with this, it seemed I made the most progress doing random sets of random numbers whatever felt good that day.
trying to keep to a program to a T when my days fluctuate just left me mentally drained and feeling like crap when I couldn’t hit exactly what a program called.
Sort of @simo74
What I see is that on average, the people who are the strongest and stay that way are very good at managing fatigue and recovery. They learn to do this because they need to get to a peak at a specific time, because they compete in something. So generally, the ones who last are good at deloading. They manipulate their volume and intensity to promote recovery, and this will often mean regular periods where both volume and intensity are very low.
Then you have the people who never really back off that much. They generally don’t appear as strong or as long lasting as the first lot. They are most likely every bit as big, but they are beaten up and get that way early. This is because they aren’t as good at managing their fatigue and recovery. Their deloads don’t see that much of a reduction in anything. They might back off a little on the main work, but don’t really take enough off to get the full benefit of a deload.
You, I think, fit somewhere in between, because you only recently started training three days a week. Prior to that it was twice a week. By virtue of only training twice a week and by necessity not training for that long per session, your intensity and volume were limited enough that fatigue management was less of an issue. It helped that your training has always been intelligent as well. What I would not be surprised to see, however, is that as you train three days per week now your fatigue levels will build much faster compared to before. After a period, you may well find that you need to back off more during your deloads as a result.
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This is a pretty direct ticket to getting fucked up fast @tireguy
There is nothing random about not following a pattern of sets and reps, and has nothing to do with going by feel each day. Rather, using Prilepin’s chart as a guide the sets and reps for a given percentage of your max or working max are kept within the recommended range. Within that, yes, there is no pattern from week to week. What there is, is a consistent overall volume.
So you may follow a progressive overload program working up over time:
Week 1-3 at 70%
Week 4 deload
Week 5-7 at 75%
Week 8 deload
Week 9-11 at 80%
Week 12 deload
Etc
Each week your sets and reps my be completely different, but all are for a total number of reps within the indicated range for that percentage. Because the intensity increases over time, the overall volume decreases.
Now, depending on how your training and particularly assistance is structured, this can lead to a detraining effect so that by the time you reach the higher percentages you are at a much higher risk of injury and unable to perform well. This is often seen in overly simple systems that are based almost entirely on the principle that as intensity increases, volume decreases.
There are a number of ways to get around this problem.
One is to train the qualities of maximal strength, speed and/or technique and hypertrophy concurrently. Many successful systems use this approach. Arguably the best known is Westside. Cube, 5th Set, 10/20/Life and the Panora systems all do this as well, except they are primarily intended for raw lifters in whom muscle mass is significantly more important.
All these systems train separate lifts in separate ranges of intensity over a week (because let’s be honest, most of the time a microcycle is just about a week). So what you end up with is a light day for one lift, a moderate day for one lift and a heavy day for one lift. The week after, what lifts are light, moderate or heavy switch around. On each day, supplemental and assistance work is largely similar but what exercises are chosen and the sets and reps used for them are adapted to suit the demands on recovery made by how the main lift is trained.
For example, on a heavy deadlift day your assistance won’t be barbell rows but dumbbell rows; and they will be high in reps to limit the weight. Instead of leg press you would do lunges, for similar reasons, and so on.
When you have cycled through the lifts and done each one at each intensity, it is a good point to deload. Then you start again. Some systems will see a slight increase in load within each category, and some will not. Most systems will also not use the same set and rep scheme for the days as the prior cycle, but will stay within the relevant total recommended rep range.
Another thing these systems all share is that they are designed specifically to work in accumulation and peaking phases. The above is an overview of how their accumulation phases are set out. The peaking phases are different.
Working on the same principle of avoiding detraining, you have systems like 531 that don’t cycle the lifts individually, but simultaneously in three or so week waves. From week one to three, the load increases and total reps decrease - the overall drop in volume is offset by the supplemental and assistance work, the volume of which tends not to be varied from week to week as much. Waves are either run singly, separated by a deload, or in two back to back waves which are then separated by a deload.
These systems are not generally designed to fit within an accumulation/peak scenario, rather they are meant to improve overall physical strength. They can easily be used in an accumulation/peak manner simply by using a separate peaking stage.
To one side, you have systems like Base Building. In these, detraining is not avoided by waving loads or concurrent training. Instead, a specific load (usually starting around 75 per cent) is used, for sets and reps within the recommended range. The load increases (and sets and reps changed) when the sets and reps can be completed easily and explosively in a specified timeframe. For example, you start at 5x5x75% and it takes you 30 minutes. When you can complete each set explosively in 15 minutes, the load increases to 77.5%. Assistance work is looked at in much the same manner as all the other systems: its role is to increase muscle mass. In these systems, deloads tend to be implemented more based on how fast the weight can be moved. If peaking is required, a peaking phase is inserted when necessary.
What all of these systems share are measures to ensure that detraining does not occur when training to display maximal strength. Various parameters are manipulated to allow us to train expressing maximal strength safely. In some cases, short rest breaks are used to simulate maximal effort. In others, focusing on moving the bar explosively is used. In yet others, setting rep PRs is used. Moderate and light loads are used to practice technique and to accumulate fatigue. Assistance work is used to stimulate muscle growth.
When required, a peaking phase is entered. Because the purpose of a peak is to overreach, recovery and display maximal strength by necessity a degree of detraining will occur. This is because to accomplish its purpose, a peak must see a drastic decrease in volume across all exercises. All focus is on heavy loads to tax the body. For this reason, most of the above systems employ a short peak. It is, by all accounts, very similar to what is seen in a traditional periodisation system when the cycle reaches its final weeks at high intensity and low volume.
The main difference is that, instead of seeing the athlete experience significant detraining in this crucial period due to the gradual decrease in volume as intensity increased, the athlete only experiences mild detraining because in the lead up to the peak they have been training all three qualities concurrently.
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Your wisdom is appreciated lol makes me feel like shit how I trained today haha. as soon as im back on my home turf I meet with Bryce from Calgary barbell and wont be just pissing in the wind anymore.
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Mark thanks for what was a very detailed and very interesting read. You must have sore fingers after typing all that.
You are spot on regarding my particular situation with regards the 2 days training and now 3 days. You can add to that, I sit on my butt for a living so have very low physical stress other than when I train.
Do you find that there is a slight de-training effect during the deload if the volume or weight is reduced to much. This may be a mental thing rather than a physiological one. I find if I reduce my weights too much in the deload then the first week of the new block always feels slow and heavy, even if my body felt good trough the deload.
In my current block my deload for squats was exactly the same as week 1 (of 3).
So for squats in this block it went
4 x 4 - 117.5 (75%)
5 x 4 - 122.5 (79%)
5 x 4 - 127.5 (83%)
Deload - same as week 1
Whilst the deload was still on the heavy side, the assistance was also reduced in that session compared to week 3 of the block. This results is a total weight lifted in the session reduced from 8550 in week 3 to 5880 in the deload, a 30% reduction.
When I move to the next block the week 1 weight will go up 2.5kg making the block go 120, 125, 130.
Because then we week 1 is only 2.5kg above the deload I find the first week of the block moves well and doesn’t feel heavy which sets me up for two more good weeks. If I was to deload at 50% which would be approx 80kg I would find week 1 a bit of a slog.
As I said maybe this is more mental than physical. Also as my maxes are considerably lighter than yours, maybe I can cope with a higher deload %s.
I guess as I get stronger over time I may have to rethink this approach.
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