Elite Lifter Programming

Seems interesting. So are you working up one set of 5 at about 80% or multiple sets here?

One base set. 80% x 5. That is your foundation. That is our default work. It always adds strength over the long haul.

Eventually that number will increase once your body adapts to it.

Personally, I like to use a second attempt in a meet or a “gym max” number as the basis for my default work. I never grind in the gym. For me, there are too many other factors involved for me to use a competition max as the measurement of where my 5 will be based.

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Prilepin must be turning in his grave.

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I’m doing something extremely similar to this, but I’m not a powerlifter. Just out of curiousity, what are your working 5s currently and your singles, and how often do you bump them up?

Current 5’s base is 440 with the squat but that will range depending on the plates on the bar since I train with multiple lifters so it runs 420-460. Singles are 510-550 but when I’m feeling good with reps 510x3 is no problem. I try and strictly adhere to this range so I know where and when to move ahead with more weight as the months go by.

The working weight is moved when week after week its just moving easy and I find myself with more gas in the tank after the working 5 too often. Then I’ll bump the work weight up 20lbs.

I typically try and make everything move crisp. I don’t really ever struggle with weight. It’s just work. Practice good technique each rep. Makes the heavy ones move a lot better. The goal June 2nd is a 6+ squat which should be there as long as I can walk it out and set it up.

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I like you guys’ style. I’ve not ever been one afraid to experiment, but the results always keep leading me back to the flat out stupid simple approach. Contrary to what all the muscle mags I read as a teen had me believing for years, I don’t need a ton of volume or frequency to gain mass or progress weights. I think alot of lifters would be pleasantly surprised with what they could get out of whittling out alot of the junk in their programming.

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If you think about it - constantly changing reps/weight/sets never allows the body to adapt - which some think is a good thing (keep the body guessing). The body needs to adapt in our opinion so that you can give it more gradually over time. Little changes forward equal a bigger total in the long run.

For instance, my buddy’s squat training base is 800x5 in briefs. At the beginning of last year it made him work pretty hard to get that 5. Now its just work and throw’s triples pausing each rep at the bottom with the same weight. His deload is generally 700x3 paused when he does deload and if he’s due for a single based on the template its a grand in briefs.

Just stick with a weight + or - 20lbs each week unless its a deload week or a single rep week and just work with that weight until a 5 rep set is just another day at the office or you can pause each rep for a triple.

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Exceptional advice. Wish I could like 10x.

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Whether someone wants to follow the template or not its all good. I just wish I would have had these guys earlier in my lifting career. I just hope other lifters will consider the principles of it because its the best way I’ve found to not spin your wheels and keep making progress over the long haul. Thanks for the props.

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Like the simplicity of this. I assume this is 5’s all the way up to the top set or just warmup to it? I’ve read some of your other stuff seems like if you do 5s, it’s 5s up, 3s, 3s up, etc.

Just depends on what you need to feel warmed up without sapping too much energy. If you feel like you’re not getting enough volume then 5s all the way up. If the work weight begins to get heavier each week, back off the volume.

LIFT: How do you keep your squat constantly progressing, what do you do when you stall?
As I stated before, master what you can do now, then move on. The way I workout, I never really stall because I don’t progress until I have mastered the weight I am on.

This is an excerpt from an interview from Ray Williams. Kinda the point I was trying to make about training verified by the best raw lifter at the moment (not withstanding Malan). Stick with the weight!

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I just wanted to bump this. One of my all time favorite, incredibly valuable threads.

Thanks @osu122975

P.s. how is your shoulder? Why do you think you ran into the shoulder issue? What does your training look like now, and would you change any advice from this thread?

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Shoulder still crap. Not sure when Im gonna get it done yet.

Too heavy too often. Ego with programming deviation.

Training is minimal. Took Dec off.

Different? Trust the programming and drop the ego. Its tough in a room full of strong training partners but you gotta do you, not them.

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