hi guys, i would like to get a clear understanding of what reps are performed all year round.
this is what i have been doing:
i started off with 3X10 at 60% of max for 4 weeks
then went 4x5 at 70-85% of max which ive been doing for 5weeks
i jsut did a week of testing and went up alot in bench(up 14kg) cleans(up 6kg) leg press(up 60kg)
is it best now to follow the 3 week on 1 week off schedule and do reps of 5 for 3 weeks then test on the rest week???
is there any need to go back to reps of 10???
bud mike,
If your main goal is to continue to develop more pure strength, then I don’t think you should go back to 10 reps. I would increase the weight (around 80-85% of your max) and do a few sets of 3 or 4 reps, especially with explosive lifts such as cleans; and don’t forget to get plenty of rest between sets, at least three minutes. Do it maybe four days per week. I would go heavy like this for about 5 or 6 weeks, then take a rest/test week. I don’t like the idea of maxing too often as it’s rough on the central nervous system.
Again, these are a few ideas for STRENGTH gains. Just try it out for a while and see how you feel. An idea I like to follow is to workout as often as possible while staying as fresh as possible. Low volume will help you to do this. It worked for me anyway.
"…don’t call my name out your window when I’m a leavin’, I won’t even turn my head. Don’t send your kinfolk to give me no talkin’, I’ll be gone like I said…
thanks heatwave
that makes sense, during a rest week would you drop all weights from the program or just to 5 reps on 60% or example
If it was me doing this, I would drop all weight workouts for the week. But, then again that’s just how my body works. It don’t take too much for me to gain and I can very easily work myself into a grind. For me, less is more and I really benefit from the rest days.
I mentioned before in my journal how I set a personal best in the snatch and clean/jerk after doing nothing for two weeks. I had been going very hard for about 6 weeks, then I went to the beach and chilled for two whole weeks; didn’t touch a weight. The heaviest thang I lifted was my beach chair. I came back to the weight room and set a new snatch PR–8 kg’s over my previous best. Same thang for running workouts.
So, I would just advise you to try it out that way for a cycle, then on the next go round when you come upon your rest week, try some lighter activity and see what you feel like. But, in my book, a rest week won’t set you back at all.