I wouldn’t say no need for unload. I would agree with the above if an adjustment is made: I think there is a point where the trainee can benefit from simply inserting an unloading week – which can just be active rest – after 3-4 weeks. This can be seen as beginning periodization but you can still make gains for some time with a linear approach.
Duxx,
It has been awhile since I read the book and someone is currently borrowing it, so I can’t give you an accurate outline.
I do know from Pendlay’s writings that they prefer to add weight as long as the beginner continues to progress. They will eventually lower the intensity of the warmups to push progress even further and don’t start periodization/unload until the lifter is late intermediate/advanced.
Here’s a collection of posts from Glenn that I saved which you might find interesting in no particular order (LONG)
Some periodization comments on 5x5 by Pendlay
Thought I’d post a collection of posts by Glenn Pendlay on how he periodizes the 5x5 routine:
There are really so damn many ways to squat, even to squat with 5 sets of 5, or 6 sets of 4, or 4 sets of 6, or any similar thing, that there is not really any one program… I’m always hesitant to even write it out as a “program” because I don’t really know what we will be doing in 4 weeks when we start such a thing… it kind of adapts as it goes.
But there seems to be some confusion as to the pyramid version or the non-pyramid version, so I’ll try to briefly explain the differences.
The EASIEST method we use for squats, and the one which Rip used for beginners, is a simple pyramid program, the weights are pyramided BOTH Monday and Friday… and another leg exercise is used for Wednesday, usually front squats for the young and athletically minded, sometimes leg press for the old and feeble.
Say a person tests at 200lbs for 5 reps on their initial workout. Well then Monday they might do the following sets for 5 reps, 95, 125, 155, 185, 205. Fairly equal jumps, ending with a 5lb personal record. If the last set is successful, then on Friday they will go for 210 on their last set, with adjustments on the other sets to keep the jumps about even as needed.
The average beginner can stay on this exact simple program for anywhere from 4 weeks to 4 months, as long as they continue to improve at least 5lbs a week, most can do this for quite a while.
When they stop improving, the first thing he does is to drop a couple of the “warm up” sets down to one or two reps, to decrease fatigue and allow a few more personal records on the top set… so that 200lb top set of 5 workout at this point would at this point have the 155lb set at maybe 3 reps, and the 185lb set at one or two reps, then try for 5 at 205.
This change usually lets people get new personal records for another 2-3 weeks, sometimes more.
At some point, of course, this doesn’t work anymore. So now we change the Monday workout to 5 sets of 5, still with heavy front squats or for some lighter back squats on Wednesday, and the same pyramid on Friday, trying for one top set of 5. the 5 sets on Monday with the same weight will be some amount less than the current personal record for one set of 5.
Usually with this raise in volume, the weights are set somewhat lighter than they were, and people are given a few weeks to work back to their personal records, then try to go past them, invariably they will pass them, and invariably eventually they will stall again.
At this point we usually lower the volume of training, raise the intensity, in some form we will go with lower reps, lower amounts of sets, cut out a day of squatting, something to allow a raising of the numbers… again, the numbers will raise for a while, then stall again.
At this point, another raise in volume is needed, and at this point we will go to the program that most usually associate with the “5 by 5”… squatting 5 sets of 5 with the same weight 3 times a week, lighter on Wednesday and heavier on Mon and Fri. you are all familiar with this I think, we raise the volume for 2-4 weeks, then slowly cut the volume and intensity of most workouts, going for a big workout every 1-2 weeks, might be a single, a single set of 5, or even one big 5 sets of 5 workout. with people cycling down for a big contest at this point we might go for lower reps and try for the big singles… with someone not at a place where a big peak is needed, it’s just cycling down to less sets but keeping the reps at 5, and trying to make a PR on a set of 5. This can be repeated several times over and over, but at some point you have to have a period of lower intensity training for a while in between cycles.
I will add that often, for the people with higher goals who want to really train hard, I will start right in with the 15 hard sets a week version, but with weights low enough that they can endure it, and when they get in condition and get used to the volume, will then go back and start at the normal place where Rip starts right from the beginning. I find that people who have been athletically active, who have been training on other programs, etc, usually do well with an initial 4-8 weeks of high volume lower intensity training to get them mentally and physically used to this sort of training, get their form changed to a good squat, etc.
This post describes as much as a year of training for most people, with some that adapt well it is stretched to two years… two years from when they start their initial “pyramid” workouts, or their initial month or so of conditioning with 15 moderate sets a week to when they get through their first real cycle with heavy weights and 15 sets a week cycled down to a peak.
I know this question was aimed at people who have used 5X5 and not me, but I’d still like to make a couple of comments… there are so many versions of the “5X5” training style, and they are so different. I use this type of training for the people I train all the way from beginners to really good lifters but the program changes over time for each person. Generally it starts out in the first week of training with finding your max set of 5 and then very simply working up to one max set two times per week trying to add weight to that one set, with one other workout in between that is most likely front squats. Simple as this might be, it usually works for several months and I am convinced that it is about the fastest way for a total beginner to make progress. At some point this stops working and we go to a slightly different version, probably the one most well known, and also probably the one most useful to a large number of people. 5 sets of 5 on Monday with a set weight, then lighter squats on Wednesday or front squats, then on Friday working up to a max set of 5. There are some things we do here when it isn’t possible to just add weight every week, but for a lot of lifters with minor variation this keeps the squat going up for another year or two. like everything else, it eventually stops working, and we start to add in some more long term variation like loading and unloading. We might do 5 sets of 5, pretty heavy, on all 3 squatting days for 3-4 weeks as a loading period, then back off the volume for 3-4 weeks by squatting for lower reps and only 2 days per week as an unloading period. We might add in speed work or dynamic effort work, using 5 sets of 5 on Monday, fronts squats on Wednesday, and dynamic effort work on Friday when a lifter is really near the top of their genetic potential, they cant do 5 sets of 5 consistently with heavy weight. for example, I don’t think Kyle Gulledge could do this. He’s squatted 700lbs with belt and knee wraps, so I estimate his raw squat as around 625-650lbs, probably pretty close since he did a chain squat raw last week with about 650lbs total weight, with a lot of that weight taking the form of hanging plates attached to the chains that came off the ground all at once right at the sticking point, a very hard way to do it. It’s normal for a lifter to be able to do 5 sets of 5 with around 82-87% of thier max squat. 85% for Kyle would be 550lbs or something like that. I don’t think that’s something he could benefit from doing week in and week out. He’s almost superhuman, but to recover from this weekly and still be able to train other lifts would take a cape and tights, almost superhuman wouldn’t cut it. So for a guy like this, we wouldn’t use it all the time, we would do 5 sets of 5 with lighter weights for 3-4 weeks, working up to one really heavy workout trying to break our record, then move on to a more westside style of training, with max effort work one day and dynamic effort work another day, much easier to recover from if you are pushing really heavy weight.
If your doing 5 sets on Monday, lighter squats on Wed., and one set on Friday, or something like that, you would be trying to do your one set on Friday with more weight than you used on Monday.
It’s important that you approach it in a systematic way, start with weights that are easy to handle. Just for example, if you are capable of doing say, 300lbs for a set of 5, you might start with 225lbs for 5 sets of 5 on Monday, 200lbs for 3 sets of 5 on Wednesday, and then 275 for one set of 5 on Friday you could then try to increase the Monday and Friday weights by 10lbs 3 weeks, and the Wednesday weights by 5 lbs. that would give you a PR of 305 for 5 on week 4, and depending on the person, you might be able to get 310 or 315 for 5 on week 5. If Friday of week 4 feels like you just might be able to get a PR the next week, you might try dropping the Monday workout back to 225 Monday of week 5, and letting yourself recover a little more preparing for week 5 Friday
There are lots of options for the next cycle… for instance, you could choose to push the Monday workout hard and not push your single set of 5 quite so hard. A good goal here would be to do 5 sets of 5 on Monday with your previous best single set of 5. You would then start your Monday workout in week one with a weight that is say 40lbs below your best single set of 5, keep the Wednesday workout similar to the first cycle, and on Friday simply add 5 or 10lbs to Mondays weight, roughly the same weight you will try for 5 sets the next Monday given steady 10lb increases. If you started with 270lbs on Monday, you should have a good chance of doing 310 for 5 sets of 5 on Monday of week 5.
Options for the next cycle would be to change the number of reps… say to the same number of sets but 3 reps… or you could run another 4-5 week cycle similar to the first with lower numbers for the Monday workout, say this time starting with 235lbs, but trying for 320-330lbs for a single set of 5 on week 4 or 5, or you could start with lower weight and make bigger jumps if you feel you’re getting tired around week 3 or 4 on the previous cycles, starting lower and making bigger jumps takes some of the fatigue factor away.
OR… two things we have done that work really well, have been to do a cycle with Monday and Wednesday the same, but take Fridays workout and turn it into either 5 singles, or into a westside style DE day. If the Friday workout is 5 singles, then you again have the choice of doing the 5 singles with a weight that is say 20lbs above Mondays weight and trying to make a PR 5 sets of 5 mark at the end, or of keeping the 5 sets of 5 at a slightly lower weight than maximal, and pushing the singles up to a PR weight at the end. If you choose the second option, you can also try decreasing the number of singles each week by one, so that at week 5 you are going for a true max single. If you are doing this, increasing Mondays workout by 10-15lbs for the first 3 weeks, then decreasing it by 10-15lbs a week for the last 2 weeks is a good option.
If you use the westside DE day as Friday’s workout, you again have several options. You can use 6 weeks as your cycle length, and do 2 of the 3 week waves that Louie likes on Friday, incorporating a higher weight single into each workout at the end of Fridays DE work, and trying for a new max single on Friday, OR you can keep the DE work fairly light, and push Mondays training hard and try for a new max 5 sets of 5, or 5 sets of 3, or whatever scheme you are doing on Monday
Whatever you choose eventually, you should do it the way I initially described it for the first cycle, and probably should follow with my second recommendation for the second cycle. If you have never done this style of training before, keeping the weight relatively low on Monday and concentrating on a higher single set of 5 on week 4 or 5 will help you get used to it without the strain of all out training with 5 sets of 5 when you are not really ready for it. After a 4 or 5 week introduction, you will be ready to really push the harder Monday workout, and should be able to really make gains by doing so. Going straight back to the first cycle for your third time thru is usually the best option from what I have found. After really pushing the Monday 5 sets for a month, you should be ready to make a much bigger single set of 5, and backing off of Mondays weights a little and pushing the single set on Friday will help you realize your new potential for a big single set. From here it’s anyone’s guess, but you should by this time be familiar enough with how your body is responding, how tired you are getting, etc, to know what to go to for your next cycle.
Originally Posted by Glenn Pendlay
There seem to be a lot of people who do the style of training we usually can “5 by 5” for a while, then wonder “whats next”.
One general comment I would make, is that if this style of training has been successful for you, why change it? and by style of training, I’m not talking about one specific program, but the general style of doing whole body exercises, training the whole body or at least most of the body in each workout, and doing multiple sets not taken to failure.
I do, however, understand the mental side… you do the same thing over and over and you want something different. There are lots of ways you can change things without totally changing to a “new” program. Switching back and forth between widely differing types of training isn’t that good of an idea… small and systematic changes over time in what you are doing however IS a good idea.
For instance… say you’ve been squatting 3 times a week. how about changing one of the workouts to front squat, hell you could change 2 of the workouts to front squat. I hate leg presses, but if you really wanted to, you could squat on Monday, front squat on Wednesday, and leg press on Friday!!! If you’ve been doing only rows for back, change one or two of the workouts to chin ups… substitute stiff legged deadlifts for deadlifts, change Mondays workout to 3 sets of 8 for a month, change Fridays squat or bench workout to 5 singles, etc, etc, etc.
I’ve even seen people who after a while on a 3 day a week program, switched to a 4 day split, doing squats and pressing exercises on Monday and Thursday, back and pulling exercises on Wed. and Saturday I don’t see this as retreating from the principles of the 5 by 5 at all. You are STILL working your whole body, or very nearly so, every training day. Squats work the back, they work everything… and deadlifts or stiff legged deadlifts work the legs, not as much as squats, but they still work them. This is in fact the favored program of Mike Stone, probably the best Ex. Phys. guy on the planet and former head of sports science at the Olympic training center.
The main thing is to go about it in a systematic way.
One of my lifters, Josh Wells, who made the junior world team in 2004 in weightlifting, and can jerk close to 400 lbs. weighing around 180 lbs. as a teenager, did this program about a year ago in his “off season” to try to gain some general strength.
Monday, squats (5 sets of 3), push presses (3 sets of 5) then glute ham raises or reverse hypers
Wednesday, snatch pulls (5 sets of 2), power cleans (5 sets of 2), chin ups (5 sets of 10 with extra weight, hanging from a 2" bar)
Thursday, front squats (6 sets of 2), push jerks (5 sets of 2), military press (3 sets of 5), then glute ham raises or reverse hypers.
Saturday, power snatches (5 sets of 2), clean pulls (5 sets of 5), barbell rows, (5 sets of 5)
Obviously this is geared toward Olympic weightlifting, and not really what most of you would be doing. I’m not sure many here have that much interest in doing so many snatch and clean pulls. and hes using lower reps, because of course for him strength is a bigger deal than size, but even his reps changed over time, sometimes were higher, sometimes lower. this is just as representative of the 5 by 5 training style as the simpler 3 day programs… because we did it systematically, sets across instead of failure, gradually moving the weights up, gradually adding then subtracting volume of training to force the body to adapt
The important thing is to think through the changes, don’t make too many at one time, but make them slowly and steadily.
The real value of the “5 by 5” style of training isn’t that it can or will add a certain amount of muscle or strength in an 8 week cycle. The real value is that it is a framework that when used right can work for years, slowly changing and morphing along the way to fit itself to your particular goals, and making for steady progress for 3, 4, or more years. It is more than anything, a mindset. a mindset of writing your workouts down, being systematic, knowing what you are going to do before you go to the gym, having a plan, and knowing that 5lbs a month is 60lbs a year and 180lbs in 3 years.
And more than that it is a mindset of THINKING, thinking about training, and rejecting the latest and greatest thing that forces many, even most, to run from one program to the next, changing things totally every time they get bored or have a bad workout. By recording everything, thinking a lot, planning, making small changes instead of wholesale ones, going back and looking at your workout log and looking at the last month, 6 months, year, etc, and planning the next month… within a year or two you know more about your body and what to do than me or anyone else could ever tell you.
Now… last comment. I have, in a big drawer, a record of every single workout I have ever done, from the time I was 15 back in 1975 to my last month of competitive training in 2003. every single one. i also have descriptions and comments, tables in the back of the logs that showed weight gain and strength gain on a yearly basis, monthly, etc. comments on what happened to weight/strength when I changed exercises, changed reps, etc. there is very little I dont know about how my body responded, what worked and what didnt, etc. you all should do the same thing. approach training like a scientist working an experiment.
Here’s an overview summarized in a clearer format:
Stage 1:
o Monday = 5x5 (pyramid)
o Wed. = 5x5 (20% lighter than Mon. or front squats)
o Friday = 5x5 pyramid to PR if you got all 5 reps on Monday
Stage 2:
o Same as above except reduce volume of ramping sets on Monday (do a few singles or doubles on sets 3 & 4)
Stage 3 (increase Monday’s volume):
o Monday = 5x5 same weight (using less than single set PR)
o Wed. = no change
o Friday = 5x5 pyramid to PR
o w/ more volume, it takes a few weeks to work back up to PR
– Programming notes from Glenn: here, you might choose to push Monday or Friday hard for a cycle . . . e.g., build up over a few weeks to a new 5x5 PR on Monday while making Friday a lighter day by pushing for a top set that is maybe 5-10 pounds heavier than your Monday sets (then Monday, you’ll get 5 sets of 5 w/ Friday’s weight). Then in the next cycle, swap it around and push Friday’s top set while making Monday’s sets lighter.
– You can reduce Monday’s weights as you near the end of the cycle so you have more gas to push PR on Friday
Stage 4 (reduce volume, increase intensity by using lower reps)
– A few ideas:
- Push 5 sets of triples or singles on Friday; keep everything else the same
- Monday, either go lighter or keep pushing for 5x5 PR . . . if you do the former, you can reduce the number of sets on Friday by 1 each week so that by the end, you do a true PR max single on the last Friday (in the last few weeks, you can even go lighter on Monday so you’re ready for big PRs on Friday)
- Do Westside DE style squats on Friday . . . either keep it light & push for 5x5 PR on Mondays or add a heavy single at the end of your DE work on Friday
Stage 5 –5x5 w/ the same weight
o Monday = 5x5 same weight
o Wed. = 5x5 same weight, but lighter than Mon.
o Fri. = 5x5 same weight
o After a few weeks of this higher volume, reduce volume and go for PRs
Thanks guys!
I am just starting to read through your post RyanH (thanks!) but before I do, let me just ask couple of questions:
- Is 5x5 appropriate starting program for a 14yo begginer? What protocol of load should be used: ramp (step method: 100x5 110x5 120x5 etc) or platoue method (120x5 120x5 120x5)? I belive ramp is more appropriate for begginer
- I have read that 6-8RM is a MAX for kids, but Kilgore, Pendlay & Ripetoe says this is a crap! Who should I listen?
- What about axilary exercises (seaeted rows, shoulder circle, step-ups, lunges) — should they be done too but with smaller load (8-12RM)? This would conclude that the usage of concurent periodization for kids is a good thing?
- What about TIER method — I think it is pretty simple thing to do for kids?
Sorry for such a large number of questions! I am going to read “the stuff”…
- I would try ramp. I believe that is what they do.
- Experiment and see.
- You can do a few accessory exercises (usually 2) for less sets (usually 2-3).
- You can incorporate this into the tier system. You can keep the reps and sets the same and just alternate the order of the exercises each day (or you can change volume according to the tier). I do this with my own training, but instead of total body, lower body & upper body tiers, I do squat, push & pull. I lump O lifts into the pull category.
Thanks Ryan!
Ok… here is what I would try to do (implementing Tier philosphy & 5x5) with begginers. Note that I chnaged a lot of Tier stuff (but I used some of it).
A session
T: Clean technique
L : Squat 5x5 (ramp)
U: Military Press 4x5 (ramp)
L: Lunges/Split Squats 3x6-8 (ramp)
U: Seated Rowing 2x8-12 (plato)
** Posterior chain work (straight knee)
B session
T: Snatch technique
U: Bench Press 5x5 (ramp)
L: Dead Lift/Front squat 4x5 (ramp)
U: Chin/Pull Ups 3x6-8 (plato)
L: Step-Ups/Bulgarians 2x8-12 (plato)
** Shoulder circle
Alternate between A & B session!
This is pretty radical compared to linear progression (15RMs, 12RMs, 10RMs, 8RMs, 5RMs…)!
Is this kind of thing apliable to kids (14-15)? Is there any truth about “end-plate” closing with larger than 6-8RMs load used? I have read weird stuff from Rip & Glen interview about kids at 15 lifting more than I am now (with 23)!!! I am really criticall and open-minded to question old beliefs and rules…
Why not just stick to Tier as it is? 
You may be right John! But I am so freakin’ confused There are so many “ways to skin a cat” and so many people’s opinions over the net, that I don’t know basically who to listen!!!
As my friend have told “paper tolerates everything”!
Anyway,
I was just thinking before one hour how to use Tier for begginers (KIDS). And I would use 2-3x3[A] Tier system — 2-3x training per week, 3 Tiers/Exerises per session (to allow learning and simplicity) + lot of auxilary stuff (warm-up to after training: dynamic mobility, shoulder circles, posterior chain etc). I would kick T tier with begginers (or just learn the technique of Olys) until a particualr level of strenght and skill in main movements is reached. Till then, T tier would be done first in the workout! I would also use linear sequential approach (12 week TTC macrocycle). I would not use percent based training, but would rather increase the weights each session until stagnation (try to lift more each time). The ramped protocol would be used (step method) to keep fatigue away by lower tonnage. Instead of doing large reps per sets, I would split them in 3 mini sets with short recovery.
Example:
6x12reps @12-14RM
6x(3x4reps w/30sec rest) @12RM
The example 3x3[A] Tier would be the following
Mon
T: Clean Technique
L: Squat
U: Pull-ups
Wed
T: Medball throws/Jerk
U: Bench Press
L: Lunges/Split squats
Fri
T: Snatch Technique
L: Dead Lift
U: Rows/Military press
After some time I would switch to 3x5[A] Tier System, and repeat the cycle! I think that there is no need to hurry with the kids in the gym. There is time and place for everything!
Please note that I have wrote this while thinking on it — there are a lot of stuff to correct certainly!
But I still think Tier is THE BEST SYSTEM developed for training athletes! I just read the book yesterday, and I find it very freakin’ usefull!, especially the charts at the end (with intermediate/adavanced lifters). I especially liked how can adapted Tier system to sequential (linear — Training Cycle; undulating/alternating — Performance Cycle) and concurent (Elite Cycle) approaches in periodization!
I will wait to get Rip & Kilgore book to “finish” my opinions on kids—begginers training!
I think that repeating Pakewi’s statement is very helpfull— No need to think on specific loading parameters — strenght is a skill, so think about learning it!
That’s a great quote!
Duxx,
chill out and remember simple is often best 
I totally agree re Tier philosophy being very effective and practical.
One thing that IMHO needs to be taken into consideration but isn’t talked about so far that I have seen is that Ripptoe and Pendlay (R&P) in particular appear to be specifically looking at increasing strength and weight. From the limited stuff of theirs I have read I saw them say they are doing weight room work only, no conditioning and recommended large intakes of calories to take full advantage of ‘newbie gains’.
In many cases this may be appropriate but I am of the view not always. 
I will give the example of my son who has just turned 16 (last week) he is 6’2” skinny as a rake and is only starting to ‘grow into himself’. By this I mean he has always been tall and skinny and reminded me a bit of a young colt, gangly and slightly uncoordinated simply because he grew so fast.
He has done karate for the past 4 years, plays a bit of golf but does little else sport wise, unless you count PS2 as sport :rolleyes: . He is certainly no jock and to use a general term is unfit. I see him as a raw beginner. In his case I believe a general physical preparedness programme is more in order than implementing what R&P suggest. Under their method he would get stronger and bigger but IMHO there are other considerations as well. As of last Sunday he embarked on a training programme as follows.
He has karate Monday’s & Thursdays.
Sunday & Tuesday
Warmup
Jog around soccer pitch x 1
Backwards jog to ½ way and return
Following all to 15 yard box and return
Butt kick walk
High knees walk
Walking lunges
Side skip left
Side skip right
Hip circles 10 each way
Scorpions lying o back
Scorpions lying on front
Hip mobility x 5 each leg
Leg swings across body x 10 each leg
Leg swings front / back x 10 each leg
Jog around soccer pitch x 1
Rest x 5 mins
Med ball circuit (timed)
all except for final sprint done to ½ way line and return as throw then run after and throw etc.
Chest pass
Overhead throw
Forward scoop
Backward scoop
Sprint to ½ way as finish line
Rest 5 minutes
Repeat med ball circuit as above
Walk around soccer pitch x 1
Jog around soccer pitch x 1
The plan is
Weeks 1-3 as above
Week 4 recovery where he will do 1 circuit
5-7 he will do 3 circuits
Week 8 recovery where he will either do 1 or 2 circuits depending on how he is. May well do 2 as a test to see how much he has improved.
From there I will probably introduce some tempo runs on Saturday and Wednesday and bodyweight stuff along with a couple of the med ball circuits x 2 on the Saturday and Tuesday. I will review it all early December when he will be on holiday and karate is on hold and will probably introduce a basic weight programme while still maintaining some of the previous elements.
Thanks John, you “chilled me out”! I get “those” days once in a while — I call them intelectual menstruation — I doubt everything, but usually after such day(s) I reach new levels of knowledge!
Your program seems like a nice GPP for your son! Best luck!
I think everything will clear up when I get my hands on Starting Strenght book. It seems they (R&P) have a “reductionistic” approach, while forgeting about other components of systematic athlete preparation. We should remember that strenght training for athletic purpsoses is a mean to an end, not an end to itself!
I think that basical sequenial linear approach (damn Bompa 
) will work just fine for kids and begginers, when compound movements are used, skill is mastered and records are broken all the time (this means no percentage based training). I should remember KISS principle more often!
Scott, could you please post more detailed strenght training progression for average kid begginer? I am interested in periodization used (if used), sets, reps and load used (general %1RMs or actuall kgs if you have some log nearby). I know you don’t have a lot of time aviable for such a trivial stuff, but it would be very helpful! Thanks in advance!
Duxx,
Here’s a strength standard posted by Rippetoe on another site.
By the way, I agree with these guys. Simpler is better, especially with beginners. Add the accessories later. KISS 
I would stick to 3 tiers.
Interesting and not necessarily a bad thing if you are aware of it and it is only for a very short time.
strength training for athletic purpsoses is a means to an end, not an end to itself!
just felt that needs repeating 
Keep in mind, that the noobie will get larger gains using higher volume (lower intensity) compared to using lower volume (higher intensity).
This lies in the inability of the novice lifter (or sprinter) to produce a large enough voluntary contraction to substantially tax the nervous system.
I think that I have read simmilar stuff in Siff’s Supertraining, but here is a quote from Fleck & Kraemer:
This is my e-mail I have just sent to prof. Long Kilgore, co-author of Starting Strength book!
Are you reffering to auxilary lifts here? How do you implement undualting scheme with auxilary lifts (if I understand correctly) along with 3x5 with core lifts? One day, you do auxilary with 10reps, second 15reps, then 6-8reps? This is a great idea Scott!!! Using both concurent and undulating (for auxilary)
It depends on the athlete - but thats a pretty good summary. Usually keep the reps higher in the 12-15 rep range at first - then move to an undulating scheme like you have noted.
That is a great template!!!
Scott, you have changed a little your strength training “philosophy” since working with UBC Thunderbirds? Your template in your “project” were more linearly (sequential) oriented, but you were still using core/auxilary stuff?
Must say, that you made my life easier… thank you bro!
Different team, different population of athletes, different needs, less direct contact with the players, less weight training experience - therefore different program. (BTW - I’ve still got a half finished word document on my desktop explaining my reasoning for the program and answering all of the questions you sent. I’ll have to get around to finishing it one of these days. ) The program that I end up using will depend on the specific needs of each athlete or athletes.
But yes, my methods are also constantly evoloving or changing. Talk to a coach to see what they are doing, try it out myself, and then implement it if its worthwhile in a particular situation.
Scott,
Can you expand more on how would you modify presented model* to some specific situations? Kids (begginers, advances), intermedate lifters, with someone who have structural issues etc? Would you rotate core lifts? Would you rotate auxilary lifts? How would you balance push/pull, knee and hip dominant (bent/straight leg) etc…
You can send me that partiall letter I expect for about 6months
Core lifts 3x5
Auxilary Undulating 2x8-15reps