Wanted to share something for those of you looking to "experiment" a bit. I call it, "The Weekly Waved Pyramid".
What's known is that muscle growth needs 3 things to manifest:
1.) Mechanical tension
2.) Metabolic stress and,
3.) Muscle damage (to encourage remolding)
4.) De-Loading and Progressive Overload is ESSENTIAL
Given all of that, I looked to simplify the approach as follows for your big compound lifts. The lift in question (I'll use the squat as an example) - should be trained no more than twice a week, with at least 5 minutes of rest between sets:
THE FIX
WEEK 1: 5 sets of 7 reps (total, 35 reps)
WEEK 2: 4 sets 5 reps (total, 20 reps)
WEEK 3: 3 sets of 3 reps (total, 9 reps)
WEEK 4: Repeat week #1 with slightly heavier weights (ensuring the fundamental requirement of overload is present)
What this weekly waved pyramid accomplishes is as follows:
1.) The total volume/total tonnage of work is waved from week to week
2.) The rep ranges change every week (which is the variable your body accomodates the quickest to, IMO)
3.) Every 3rd week your CNS is put in touch with the 90th percentile of your 1RM, without spending too much time there - which results in CNS dis-inhibition
4.) There's built in de-load every 4th week, preventing you from over-training
BOTTOM LINE
Give this simplified weekly pyramid a shot. It's proven incredibly effective not just in my own training, but for many others....
The Weekly Waved Pyramid (WWP)
Really liked this post.
I'm planning on reading Brad Schoenfelds Max Muscle Plan after hearing that SHR episode.
I feel it also matter a lot how you lift. I've been doing 3sets per exercise now for a while with 20-30 rest between sets. 3s negative on 1 joint exercises and 4s negative on 2 joint. With Iso hold of 1s at the hardest part of the movement. After last set a drop set and just try to get as much pump as you possible can.
After first set i try to stretch the muscle when resting. After second set i try to contract it as much as possible. This at a weight above 75% av 1RM.c
I still do the 4 big compound movements with as much speed as possible to really make sure I get the strength progression. I will try this setup on my compound movement lifts. Before I've progressed the other way a round with starting with two weeks of two sessions a week then 2 weeks of 3 sessions a week to finish with a week of 4 sessions that week. Then one week of detraining.
I'm planning on reading Brad Schoenfelds Max Muscle Plan after hearing that SHR episode.
I feel it also matter a lot how you lift. I've been doing 3sets per exercise now for a while with 20-30 rest between sets. 3s negative on 1 joint exercises and 4s negative on 2 joint. With Iso hold of 1s at the hardest part of the movement. After last set a drop set and just try to get as much pump as you possible can.
After first set i try to stretch the muscle when resting. After second set i try to contract it as much as possible. This at a weight above 75% av 1RM.c
I still do the 4 big compound movements with as much speed as possible to really make sure I get the strength progression. I will try this setup on my compound movement lifts. Before I've progressed the other way a round with starting with two weeks of two sessions a week then 2 weeks of 3 sessions a week to finish with a week of 4 sessions that week. Then one week of detraining.
Hehe, I count in my head for each negative, 4s for example.
rep 1
1011
1012
1013
1014
rep 2
1021
1022
....
...
rep 10
1101
1102
1103
1104
rep 11
1111
....
...
This way I know how many reps I did and I make sure speed is always the same.
The iso hold is just a pause and for time between sets I've a watch that i check.
You use quite high weights but moving it slowly negative gives more mechanical tension. With the stretch/contract when resting and with the extra pump set you will sure feel the metabolic stress:)
As Dan John says: First you have to get stronger then you have to spend time under the bar.
rep 1
1011
1012
1013
1014
rep 2
1021
1022
....
...
rep 10
1101
1102
1103
1104
rep 11
1111
....
...
This way I know how many reps I did and I make sure speed is always the same.
The iso hold is just a pause and for time between sets I've a watch that i check.
You use quite high weights but moving it slowly negative gives more mechanical tension. With the stretch/contract when resting and with the extra pump set you will sure feel the metabolic stress:)
As Dan John says: First you have to get stronger then you have to spend time under the bar.