When programming, the easiest way to test an individual’s strength is with a 1RM (most you can lift for 1 rep). We then work off percentages of the 1RM’s to best quantify the programme. However, the only issue with testing a 1RM is that it can be quite stressful on the athlete and comes with a certain risk of injury, especially if the athlete is not an experience lifter.
Therefore, we can also work off an athlete’s 2, 3 and 5RM’s, which are far less stressful to test. To estimate your 1RM from your 2,3 and 5RM’s, we use 1RM formulas or coefficients (1RM apps can be downloaded onto your phone).
A coefficient is a constant quantity that is multiplied with the variable (weight lifted). These coefficients have been worked out over various studies and can be quite accurate.
For example, if your 5RM is 100kg, times that number by 1.16 (the coefficient) and it would make your 1RM 116kg.
An example of a 1RM formula is the Epley formula:
1RM = (weight lifted x number of rep’s x 0.033 + weight lifted). This results in a 5RM of 100kg equating to a 1RM of 116.5kg.
As you can see there may be slightly different outcomes between various coefficients and formulas. However, they work well as estimations to programme off.
Programming is never going to be perfect, but we aspire to it by quantifying the variables within a programme. For example, how heavy you lift, for how many sets and reps, and how often. Then through experience and regular assessments of the athlete and their progress, we make it as optimal as possible.
During the basic development of strength, I usually have my athletes use the submaximal effort method (submaximal weight for submaximal reps), working between 70-85% of their 1RM (anything above 90% I consider to be maximal effort), and between 50-60% of their 1RM during dynamic effort work (lifting with high acceleration and speed) – this terminology is described in “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky.
Another method of quantifying your programming, is the RPE scale.
RPE stands for “Rating of Perceived Exertion” and is simply a scale which rates your level of physical effort.
There are a few varieties of this scale, however I consider the simplest to be a 1-10 rating. 1 being little to no exertion, 5 being moderate exertion, and 10 being the hardest it could possibly be for the reps programmed.
Although this is an easy way for me to programme the effort level I want you to be working at, there are two main downfalls.
The first is that you may not know where to start. This can result in you spending too much time ramping up to the correct weight.
The second is that it takes a certain level of training experience to know what is truly 8 out of 10 on an exercise. For example, you may feel you are working at RPE 8, but really, you are underestimating your ability and only working at RPE 6. While on the other end of the scale, you could be overworking and potentially burning yourself out before you can complete successive sets and exercises.
Both percentages and the RPE scale are used in the example 4-week programme. This is because we test or estimate the 1RM’s of the primary lifts (main barbell movements) and possibly a commonly used assistance exercise (secondary exercise). However, trying to test the 1RM’s of every exercise you might use during a programme is inefficient and unnecessary, therefore the RPE scale is ideal.
Primary lifts are compound exercises. This means they work more than one joint and in turn whole muscle groups. They are of most importance in terms of exercise selection as they work movements fully and require the most effort. Therefore, they should be trained first.
Primary lifts essentially act as universal strength standards. For example, you can go into a gym anywhere in the world and your 1RM on your back squat, bench press, overhead press and deadlift would all be comparable to any serious gym goer.
Assistance lifts (often referred to as “accessory exercises”) are also compound movements. They are chosen to develop specific movements or muscle groups that help you to perform the primary lift or specific sporting actions.
Auxiliary lifts are single joint exercises, meaning they work an individual muscle. Again, these are chosen to help develop your ability to perform the primary lift or specific sporting actions.
As mentioned previously, it makes sense for larger movements to be completed first (primary lifts), followed by assistance exercises and finally auxiliary exercise. This is due to the effort level required for the initial movements, but also because we can capitalize on potentiation.
Potentiation in this context refers to the increase of strength in nerve pathways that have been used previously. Which in layman’s terms, means that the associated muscles are primed and working at full capacity.
A great example of this is when you pick a lighter object up after you have lifted a much heavier object, and the lighter weight somehow feels almost abnormally easy.
To explain this further without getting too scientific, it brings me back to a point I raised at the start of the strength chapter regarding to how muscles work:
A motor unit is a neuron and the muscle fibres which it contracts. Muscle fibres don’t contract at varying percentages, for example 50% of their maximal capacity, they always contract at 100%. Therefore, when you lift a heavier weight, it’s not a case of muscle fibres contracting harder, it’s a case of more motor units firing and in turn more muscle fibres contracting.
So, when you lift a heavy weight, more motor units are recruited and the whole system is stimulated, resulting in a capacity for greater force which has been shown to last anywhere from five to thirty minutes – a phenomenon referred to as postactiviation potentiation.
Rest:
The main purpose of rest periods is to allow your breathing and heart rate to reduce. This allows substances that may impede training intensity to clear, while allowing substances that provide energy to restore.
Another important aspect of rest is allowing time for your nervous system to recover. This is especially important when it comes to strength training, specifically when working at maximal loads.
When performing strength training, you need to ensure you are taking sufficient rest periods that allow you to facilitate optimal work on each set, without taking so long that there is zero fatigue from previous sets (you want the sets to have an accumulative effect).
Recommended rest periods:
· Primary lifts – when working above 85% of your 1RM, I recommend taking between 3-5 minutes’ rest.
· Individuals working between 70-85% are usually happy with 2-3 minutes’ rest.
· When working below 70%, and during assistance and auxiliary exercises, I would usually recommend 1-2 minutes’ rest. However, anywhere up to 3 minutes on assistance work is fine if needed. It’s key to remember that rest periods can be dynamic depending on how you feel.
· Dynamic effort work (50-60%) is often performed with 1-minute rest periods (generally programmed with low rep ranges).
· Core work is best performed with short rest periods. I tend to programme between 10-30 seconds rest.
Warm Up:
You don’t want to waste too much time and energy warming up prior to resistance training. Warming up on light sets of the primary movement or similar assistance exercise is usually sufficient (often referred to as ramping up). However, I do suggest using a RAMP protocol for your warmups:
· Raise – Raise heart rate and body temperature. This could be as simple as high knees or bodyweight squats. However, ideally you want the movements to be specific to the exercises you are going to be performing.
· Activate – Key muscle groups you are using during the session (use any of the activation drills).
· Mobilise – Joints. You don’t want to spend hours mobilising your whole body. Concentrate on areas that might limit your ability to perform a movement effectively. For example, mobilising areas that limit your ability to achieve a deep squat, or stretching your hip flexors prior to deadlifting, which allows you to facilitate stronger hip extension.
· Potentiate – Prime the body for maximal intensity i.e. progressively load the weight (ramp up).
An example of ramping up for the back squat could be:
· 1-2 Sets with an empty barbell (5-10 Reps).
· 1 Set @60% of programmed % (5-10 Reps).
· 1 Set @80% of programmed % (3-5 Reps).
· 1st set of programmed % (2-5 Reps).
Thanks for reading
Jay
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