Thanks Charlie-that means a great deal coming from you. Of course, you contributed an enormous part in the development of the coefficients(that are hopefully pretty useful)since you provided the general guidelines to maintain strength in your recommendations. Perhaps we can call it(after much caffeine consumed) “Horizontal Stabilization!!!” 
Thats a good one! and “pioneer” is the pioneer of it! lol
Bottle it and sell it, Pioneer. LOL
Great Stuff!
Originally posted by Pioneer
Perhaps we can call it(after much caffeine consumed) “Horizontal Stabilization!!!”
:sing:
Pioneer, you said that you use 3x2 (at around 6-8RM) during the first part of the maintenance phase, how does this compare to the sets/reps you do in the max strength phase? eg. during a max strength phase, could I do 2x6 squats (at close to 6RM) twice a week (with o-lifts once a week).
Also, how many weeks would the strength maintenance phase last (if you are not competing at this time, just intensifying speed work). 4 weeks? Is it necessary to do an unloading week for speed work during this time?
Thanks.
How long is the soccar season?
Is that question directed at me? If so, I’m not playing soccer. Just training speed for the next rugby season which is as least 6 months away. If not, feel free to ignore this post. 
if you are maintaining weights into a competition phase/maintenance phase then how does teh lifting that Ben did prior to running in Seol fit into that?
Ie in Seol he lifted 7(?) days prior and lifted very heavy, is that the difference between a maintenance phase and a peak?
Which thread is that you’re referring to?
I think it was called “Hypertrophy for later strength gains.” On the old forum.
Great info Pioneer, however, what does an athlete do when his season runs for about 3 months? My first meet of the coming indoor season is at the beginning of December, with a second meet the next week. Then it is off for the holidays and back for the beginning of January. After that its pretty much meets everyweek until our championships at the beginning of March.
So my training partner and I are doing max strength work now but would you recommend doing maintenance weights for 4 months, or even 3 months if started in January. I certainly agree with all the other posters in their praise of your maintenance program, however, can this maintenance be extended for a period as long as 3 months, and if not what should be done instead?
Thanks,
Juggies
I second this question as I plan to go into maintainance for the whole of our rugby inseason which may last over 3 months.
Is this too long to maintain or should we sneek in a 2 week max strength phase near the BYE week (no match).
My rugby players maintain 90 - 95% of their strength with a SIX month maintenance phase: (generally) 3x3r @ 80%; 2x/wk. However, they also do frequent med ball workouts.
Higher volumes are fitted in where calender permits…
David, did you have them maintaining right from the start of the pre-season matches or were these guys moving from their club season straight into the international stage? Six months is a long rugby season.
Club, Cup, Sevens, (some rugby league/southern hemisphere!)
Juggies and David, in Charlie’s 2002 forum review you will see the chart in the back of the review that shows that though strength does begin to diminish at some point, the other qualities that are permitted via strength maintenance work are longer lasting(the so-called “window of opportunity” in which overall or target performance is most likely to be maximized-of course provided that other elements are periodized correctly). Though max strength is diminished somewhat during this phase, the opportunity for peak power output is increased by the available energy to access for other training. Also the possible fiber conversion that may take place from IIa to IIb may also be of benefit.
You are both correct that 3+ months is a long time to continue a maintenance program without, as Charlie has said, “…the loss of strength outweighing the increased freshness that the taper will permit.” I believe that was his quote or something to that effect as I am not currently looking at that thread. I would guess that you would need to look through your schedule and find a 1-2 week phase at the most, as David has suggested, during the season that you consider to be of lesser importance that will assist in giving you a strength boost with “heavier than maintenance work”. I’m sorry I can’t really be more specific than that other than to add that you should work up to fairly heavy weights for 2-5 reps. I actually did have a specific number to multiply by for them to determine work sets from what they had maintained with though I don’t remember right now what that number was. Ideally, it would be during the middle or so of that 3 month phase. I would think it important to “train through” one or possibly two meets during the season in order to ensure a peak when you most want and need it. This past football season, we had an off week between the non-conference and conference games and the plan was for the players to work up to fairly heavy triples or even doubles during that week for core lifts and then back into maintenance the following week but the weight training coach totally disrupted that and had them go easy during the off week and max for 10 reps during the week of the first conference game. A game in which they played that they were tight and sore going into the game despite my best efforts to help them regenerate late in the week. Moronic performance by the “coach” who has his own agenda.
I hope this answers your questions, if not let me know. Maybe Charlie can comment on how he would deal with such a scenario since he deals with athletes from so many sports and varying circumstances.
This is such a great thread I had to put in a worksheet I have started using this season.
Not into a stage where I am doing it for 7 weeks. But the first week of comp has started and the season finishes in 5 months.
PIONEER COEFFICIENT FOR MAINTENANCE WEIGHTS (X = REP NUMBER)
Rep Max Calculation of %1RM Maintenance Coefficient
1 100 1.344
2 97.22 1.260
3 94.44 1.200
4 91.66 1.165
5 88.88 1.132
6 86.10 1.10
Sample 7 week maintenance programme (sets and reps only)
Week Sets x Reps
1 3 x 2 (Volume = 6)
2 3 x 2 (Volume = 6)
3 2 x 2 (Volume = 4) *
4 2 x 2 (Volume = 4)
5 2 x 2 (Volume = 4)
6 1 - 2 x 1 - 2 (Volume = 2)
7 1 - 2 x 1 - 2 (Volume = 2)
- Can be 3 x 3 depends on how you feel & look
Formula to calculate a 1 rep max from a multiple rep max. (Works okay for me up to 6 reps)
%RM = 1.0278 - 0.0278x (x = Rep Number)
I am interested to hear from those who use the guidelines/coeffecients, if you feel, after some time into maintenance, that the numbers are too high, low, etc. Thanks in advance.
I’m in my first maintenance week now and will be using your protocol so I will post results here in a few weeks as I progress towards competition.
cheers
I squatted 2x a week and followed that sample 7 week phase using a flat load of 80% and those volumes are SPOT ON. I worked up to 95% today without a belt and without spotters and I feel I could’ve actually had a PR. I even skipped 4-5 weight workouts through the 7 weeks due to fatigue from speed-strength work. You guys know your stuff!