how do i progressively overload on this program?
week 1:225 3x10
week 2:? 4x4
week 3:? 5x2
week 4:? 2x2
What weights should I use for weeks 2 3 and 4?
Thanks
doesn’t the program its from tell you?
Pick some numbers you know you can hit. Don’t stress over it. Make them kinda conservative. 240/255/270.
Then, progress by going through the 4 week cycle again. But with heavier weights than the 1st time.
Nope
225x10 equals to a 1rm of about 300
240x4 equals to a 1rm of 260 are you sure I have to be that conservative? Also, how much would I increase next cycle?
3x10x225lb
4x4x275
5x2x295
2x2x310
Is what I would do. Assuming that first week is not an all out set (ie. I could do 12 reps with 225)
Those were just numerals pulled from thin air. You can totally pick better numbers.
-What follows is just my opinion-
If you’re using the rep-max calculator, I would keep the projected max pretty close to the same for weeks 1-4.
If 225 x10 = projected 300 max
Then your (week 2 weight) x 4 should project a max around 300 too.
Use the 4 productive workouts to drive your max up over the course of a month. Don’t try to increase your 1 Rep Max a whole lot, every week, for months.
How much weight to add month to month depends on how long you’ve been training. 10 pounds, maybe 15 tops, if you’re a young stud and you picked lighter numbers the first time. Less, if you’re more experienced. I heard Ed Coan say he’d run a 12 week plan to get 10 pounds on his lifts.
So I would keep the weights and reps so that they equal to a 1rm of about 300 the first month and on the second cycle I would increase the weights. But what if I fail one of the weeks?
Those 225x10 equals estimated 1rm of 300 don’t mean anything. That formula just allows you to gauge progress by comparing rep records. Any farther from 3 reps or so and it’s not even close to accurate.
Did you mean to reply to me? If so, I don’t know where I said anything about 1RMs or estimating them so not sure how to reply to your reply…
Personally, I’d be doing those schemes with about 67.5, 77.5, 87.5 and 92.5% of max. That would mean a max of 330-335 and training weights of 225, 255-260, 290 and 305-310 on upper body exercises. For lower body, I factor in body weight so 225, 270, 320 and 345 with a projected max of 380. That’s about 60, 70, 85 and 90% with no “gut busting” reps in either case (no rest pause or “breathing” paused reps in lower body).
If you fail one of the weeks, What do you do? Is the whole thing wasted? Do you go back a week? Do you just start over?
That’s why it’s so important you pick weights you can actually lift. That’s why I said to be “conservative.”
It’s also why these programs are notoriously difficult to run/use. Everybody is trying to walk the razors edge, Overloading to BIG weights. Instead of just trying to stay in the productive gain zone.
If you do miss some lifts, don’t worry. Don’t get off track or frustrated. Just run 9-12 weeks of Wendlers 5/3/1 program. In addition to being productive, his routine will also teach you How to load. Like, how much weight to lift and how to progress the weights. This is the hidden bonus of the program. You learn stuff about how to progress. Then, you’ll be better prepared to run any program in the future.
This and make small increases each cycle, like 5-10 lbs. You won’t put 100lbs. on your total in a month, but over time you will see some big increases if you play it conservatively. If you fail, you fail. Nothing is guaranteed to work on any program, just keep the same weights for the next cycle if that’s the case or switch to another program.
That said, if you don’t know how to make this program work then why not do something different?