I am just past the beginner stage, and can’t progress anymore with a linear progression routine (I run Greyskull LP which is very similar to starting Strength).
I decided to run a proper intermediate routine (HST)…
But I wonder if I couldn’t get good enough results if I decided to keep on running the same template (GSLP) but, instead of doing like 3x5 do something like 3x4-6 or even 2-4x4-6 and once I reach the upper end, add weight.
Incidentally I have read McRobert’s Beyond Brawn and he says that once you can’t progress anymore by adding 1 kg every session (we’re talking about compound lifts), you can add 0,5kg or 0,25kg.
Do you think one of those two methods is superior?
Postulate you have a 70 kg bench. Double progression. Last time you got 4 sets of five. This time, you got 2 sets of 6 and 2 sets of 5. You’ve progressed 140 kilos. Compare that against incrementing with 0.25 kilos (per side?) and doing 4x5 again. That’s 0.25x2x20=10 kilos better than last time.
So, if you can still progress with double progression then that seems faster and preferable to me.
Let’s say that one starts at
3x5x50kg
And, adding an average 1 kg per session eventually benches 3x5x100kg… But now he’s not able to add 1kg per session anymore…
Wouldn’t it make sense to just add 0,5kg per session and when even 0,5kg becomes too much add 0,25kg?
I get what you’re talking about total volume, but if you consider the sessions in the upper and lower end range the average volume you perform is the same… Isn’t it?
Can’t say really, haven’t tried “microloading” for long stints. I screeched to a halt but we don’t have small enough plates (smallest is 1kg) so highly debatable if I’ve tried it at all. I just tried to offer the most objective comparison I could
I don’t follow what you mean, but just write out the math and you’ll have the answer
No. If you stop progressing, you change. Personally, I’d sooner do an extra set than an extra rep. When I stagnate, I add weight anyway for a while and make up the lost reps with extra sets. You are not me, so maybe that doesn’t work for you, but I haven’t seen microloading actually work for anyone.
Thank you I have read about it in practical programming by Rippetoe, he says that you can continue with microloading if the amount of weight you add is not less than what you would add with an intermediate routines (i.e. if you consider Texas method, 2.5lbs every week for squats and DLS and 2.5lbs once every 2 weeks for bench and ohp)
But anyway, I will keep going with my intermediate routine then (by the way I’m really liking the change of pace )
I think it depends on the psychology of the person. The difference between doing 100kg for 4 sessions in a row and going 100 100.5, 101, 101.5 has got to be fuck all but if you need to see more weight on the bar then maybe it helps.
Personally, I can think of nothing more demotivating that adding half a kilo just so there is more weight on the bar than last time. Especially those programs that have you crawling on 1kg per week until you nearly die, then dropping 10%. That’s a sucker’s game.
I have also never seen a single person lifting huge weights adding 1lbs to the bar. Maybe Oly lifters…
I don’t do the math until after I finish lifting, and rarely touch a plate smaller than 5 lbs. I am lazy about plates, except I know that 5 wheels is 495 and I’ll add 2.5’s instead of lifting 495. Stupid? Yep, probably, but it’s mostly psychological anyway.
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