Sean asks:
"Moving up in weights.
How should progress be done?
Be it barbell, squat, kettlebells, arm curls. There's the various methods, staying on 80% max rep for x session etc.. Sean"
Great question Sean, and one that could spawn many different answers, many that would potentially contradict each other but all would be correct in the right context.
And here is where we have to put some thought, what is the context?
Sean mentions staying on 80% max for x sessions, which is a great method for long term, slow and steady progress.
When we see a percentage listed, we usually are talking about intensity in the S&C definition of the word.
80% means 80% of your 1 rep max. So a weight you can lift once and once only represents your 100%, and we can predict how many reps we'd expect you to be able to lift at various percentages of that and get an idea of what adaptations to expect as a result.
There as several formulae for figuring out probable 1RM's based of how many reps you can do with a given weight, eg "Epley's formula" which is the weight multiplied by (1 + 0.0333 × reps)
My last Deadlift session saw 160kg go up for 5 reps.
166 x (1 + 0.0333 x 5) = 193.639
So in theory my max deadlift as I write this is 193kg's
So I could now workout what I could (or should) be lifting at 80% or 60% intensities.
Lifting at 80%, or 155kg in my case for several sets, never to failure, will give me significant returns in strength, and likely hypertrophy.
But not forever, sooner or later I will adapt to that weight and no further progress will come.
So what do we do now?
We add load. If getting stronger is our primary goal, we could add volume if size or endurance is more important.
Step periodisation is a nice simple easy way to progress here. Simply put, at 80% we'd expect most lifters to get between 5 and 10 reps. Depending on the individual.
So 4 sets of 8 works nicely, as would 5 sets of 5.
Do this for 4 weeks, no changes, then on week 5, add load and repeat.
Keep doing this until you no longer feel you can add load. This could take months, even years.
You may find that you steadily get stronger and stronger month on month without ever feeling like you've had your arse kicked.
If you want something a bit more size and strength oriented, try adding volume.
We start with say 5 sets of 5, then add a set per week to maybe 10 sets. No change in load.
Then we could add reps per set, bringing us up to 10 sets of 10 with the same load we started with.
Needless to say a weight you can do 100 reps in a session with is of a far lower intensity than a weight you only do 25 reps with.
Over the years, I have found most folk progress better as we increase volume first, then load.
Look at one of my most successful programs ever, the Bootcamp program ( access the 3 day/week program here: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/program/hedges-program-1518018980
4day/week program here: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/program/dave-program-1666175459)
Strength day on the bootcamps starts at 4 sets of 8, moves to 5 sets of 5 and finishes in the final 4 week block working up to a gym max (as opposed to a comp max)
Newer lifters are cautious with progress, maybe keeping the load constant across all sets, adding a small amount each week, while experienced lifters do better adding load each set, and the following week starting slightly heavier.
Now for the other part of Seans question, he lists several lifts.
Do deadlifts and bicep curls progress the same way?
Do barbells and kettlebells progress the same?
Not usually.
Bicep curls, and most other single joint lifts are less taxing on the nervous system so are generally pushed towards failure more. So do your curls, don't worry too much about the weight, but do hit or come close to failure.
Kettlebells on the other hand generally have large jumps between weights, especially if doing double KB lifts.
With kettlebell only training, step periodisation may not work for long in the manner described above. We may need to stay with a given weight longer. Playing with volume though works most of the time.
Start with maybe 10 total reps and over the weeks build this up to 30, 50, even 100 total reps.
3 sets of 3 can become 5 sets of 5, then jump up in weight
5 sets of 5 can become 10 sets of 10 before increasing load
Ladder sets are awesome, as are density sets (total reps lifted inn a given time frame)
I realise I haven't given a truly comprehensive answer here, but there actual text books out there dedicated to this one subject.
What I hope to have done though is give you the basic concept of how to progress the resistance in your training by either load or by volume as appropriate.
Regards
Dave Hedges
www.Wg-Fit.com
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