My season is over now and I have 5 months to prepare for the next.
This off season I’m planning to train more strenght than before (trained strength for 2 years, legs for 1 year) and more organized. I have read a lot of threads here, and for me it seems like the “3-1-3” schedule is the best. I don’t know what is best for me.
Some personal info:
Height: 6’3 Weight 185 lbs Squat: 3RM 180 lbs Bench: 1RM 180lbs
As you see my strenght levels are pretty low and I’m wondering about how I can periodizize a strenght program for 5 months? Will the 3-1-3 cycle be too tough for me? which percentages should I work with at any given time?
Depending on how your GPP is, you can certainly get in a 3-1-3 cycle and perhaps even 2 cycles over a 5 month period.
For a 3-1-3, you are working on improving your max strength, so keep the reps low and the sets high. Generally, you will want to work at 80% of your 1RM (tested at the start of the cycle.) Don’t go to failure! Make sure you always have one or two reps left at the end of each set.
So, you could do the following:
Week 1: 80%
Week 2: 85%
Week 3: 90%
Week 4: 90% (drop volume by 25%)
Week 5: 95%
Week 6: 100%
Week 7: >100%
Note that even though you are at ‘100%’ the final two weeks, this will not be to failure since you should have made strength gains over the previous 4-5 weeks.
I guess it depends on what you feel like you can handle. Remember that you are doing this after speed work, so you may not have the ability to handle higher percentages.
Also, I think David W is on to something with his concept of buffering (check out the thread in the articles section.) So I would rather go a bit too low than a bit too high, but in the end, it is up to you to figure out what % work best for your program. Actually, I think David may say my percentages are too high!
Are you getting faster? Are you getting stronger? Can you recover? Avoiding injuries? If so, then you are doing something right. If not, then take a look at your program and adjust up or down appropriately.
how many reps and sets in each session will be suitable for me?
before I start the 3-1-3 session, should I be doing any “adaption” phase or anything for preparation?
do you think that squats, bench, reverse leg press is a good exercise foundation for each session?
in addition to that I will use 2-3 more upper body fitness exercises, vertical medicine ball throws, and back/ab work.
my understanding is that the less experienced or further away from his ceiling the closer he can work to his 1rm without it being to much of CNS drain.
I will not be doing any aerobic work on my own… if I’m going to do it, it will be in my team pracs. Our team doesn’t use much aerobic training, cause if the intensity of our game during practises is high enough - we don’t need it. So it will be up to my coach. I’m a striker and I don’t like aerobic training…
Got a couple of questions, just to get the most out of my off-season:
how many reps and sets in each session will be suitable for me?
before I start the 3-1-3 cycle, should I be doing any “adaption” phase or anything for preparation?
do you think that squats, bench, reverse leg press is a good exercise foundation for each session?
in addition to that I will use 2-3 more upper body fitness exercises, vertical medicine ball throws, and back/ab work. (or ?? )
Can anyone give me an example of how many reps/sets is used in a preparation phase, and how many weeks it should last. Higher reps probably? I know it depends on which level I am at, but you can look at my strenght levels…