How this looks in our programming, and why it works.
Key Takeaway
You’ll often see in our strength programming the statement “build up” or “work up” to a heavy set of 5 or a range of 4-7 reps. This is usually for our main strength movements.
What does this mean and how does this actually look? Example below for a hypothetical trainee who is doing a trap bar deadlift:
Bar- 10 Reps
135- 10 Reps
205- 5
255- 5
300- 5
350- 5
375-385- 5
400x5
And so on…
All based on bar speed, technique/form breakdown, etc.
This takes anywhere between 5-7 total working sets. I wouldn’t count the super light sets. I have trainees rest about 2-3 minutes between the heavier sets. Once bar speed slows substantially, or what I usually say is you could probably get one more rep, maybe two, but certainly not three…stop for the day for the main movement. This could also be phrased as “leave 1-2 reps in reserve.” After this we follow up with accessory work or circuits/complexes or anything else we have planned.
Benefits
Nervous System
By ramping up in weight, and moving the lighter weights with intent, you’ll be firing up your nervous system, tightening up your technique, and preparing your body for the heavier sets. You could think of this as a small extension of a generic warm up.
Although this is not true “Max Effort” work, keeping the reps around 5 is still going to train strength, and by leaving a rep in reserve you can still get in heavy training while hopefully keeping your form solid. Nothing is 100% safe, but this should give the best chance of staying healthy and then more importantly making progress.
Progression
In our current phase we are typically sticking with our main upper and lower movements for two weeks before rotating them out. This allows you in the first week to ramp up to that heavy set of 5, and then in week two try and beat either the amount of weight you did, the reps you did with that same weight, or ideally both more weight and reps.
Training your main lifts in this manner allows for you to easily track your progress. It is incredibly motivating to see yourself add a rep two with the same weight you did the week prior or to move a little more weight. Conversely, if you don’t make any progress this can be a great opportunity to take stock in your diet, sleep, or other lifestyle choices that may be impacting your progress.
Auto-regulation
Auto-regulation is the concept in strength and conditioning where you essentially have a built-in system that tells you how you should train on a given day. No system is perfect at this, but it isn’t a bad thing to have something in place that either lets you push yourself when your body is ready for it or tells you to dial things back when you need a more recovery.
By ramping up in weight and hitting your best set of 5, you’ll give your body a chance to work up to whatever “best” is on that given day. Strength training is not linear, and I don’t care how tough you are there are going to be days where weights you have crushed in the past will feel heavier than they should. Could have been poor sleep, something you ate, stress, or just mysteries of circadian rhythms.
Closing
This system is great because if you’re feeling awesome, go for it…add a little bit of weight and go for a good set of 5 (or 4-7 reps). In this case maybe you not only lift more weight than before, but ideally more reps as well…double progression. Again, if you’re feeling run down, keep the same weight as last week and see if you can get 1-2 more reps with it.
Is that a huge jump? Just one more rep? Maybe not from week to week. However, multiply that progression over an an entire year and that turns into serious progress. That one rep later turns into two and then a few weeks or months later the same amount of reps with more weight. Do that over a 20 year first responder career and that is 20 years of getting better, staying fit, and ready for the job.
Questions? Reach out.
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