The MOST Important Things About Programming for Strength: Prevent Stagnation & Optimize Recovery
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2020
- Optimizing your programming for the barbell lifts requires special attention to stagnation and recovery. This is a discussion of the stress, recovery, adaptation cycle and how to apply it to your programs.
Bromley is like that older brother who knows how to lift that teaches his younger brother how to lift, but in this case the little brother already knows how to lift, so he teaches you to be a monster.
When’s the book coming out? What about programmes?
I saw the title and started salivating
Indeeeeed
This man is literally gold, the information and explanation is perfect . Keep up the great videos man , I’m very thankful 🙏🙏🙏
He’s a human so he’s literally hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. I agree his information is outstanding. Hopefully everyone can realize this is just a joke.
Truth !
9:45 Interesting. Greg Nuckols offered a similar method in his novice hypertrophy template of his Average to Savage (now labeled Stronger By Science) program. Weekly progression on the Big 4 was 3x8, 4x8, 5x8, 3x10, 4x10, 5x10, 3x12, 4x12, 5x12 then add weight and start back at 3x8. His reasoning for recommending triple progression was that it was easiest to progress in sets over reps and reps over weight so do them in that order. I really like your 4 week wave though, going to do the accessories Gregs way and the Big 4 with your method in 5lb increments and see what happens. Thanks :)
great job as usual. I'm in my 50s and have been training for 40 years and I'm still learning. Really appreciate your videos
Linear progression to a 300 pound bench holy fuck genetics
I’ve been training a decade and never had something so important articulates so clearly. Made me realise I’ve got lazy in my programming and have been stagnating for these very reasons.
New video from Bromley is a good start to the week! Instant like for great content
I experienced most of what you said this last cycle. Week 1: I wanna die; W2: "hey its not that bad"; W3: "I wanna die"; W4: "hey its not that bad"...
This is a phenomenal illustration of SRA. Thank you.
Your channel is the most valuable lifting resource not tailored exclusively to beginners and/or powerlifting competition that I've found on TH-cam. Thank you.
These videos are awesome! Thank you for dropping all this knowledge
Agreed, these are such fantastic explanations. Lovely mix of the technical with practical applications 👌
So many things have "clicked" because of watching your content. Thanks for your effort and thoroughness.
So glad I found your channel. Just started lifting a month ago, and you helped me realize I’m a nobhead when it comes to programming haha thank you!
Love all the videos man. Top tier channels as far as information goes.
Glad you like them!
Brumley, thanks for teaching using correct knowledge and visuals. I have been an educator for 30 years and enjoy your teaching method.
Criminal that you don’t have more subscribers.
With this great information he will soon enough. He ahs me as a new one :)
@@FitAfter50 his channel has grown a lot from when I started watching him. It will just take time. Good content will always do well with enough time and effort
@@pelataan69 100% agreed
You're so good at articulating these concepts.
Hey Bromley, I've been watching your videos for months now. After I stagnated on SL5x5 last year, I pissed around thinking I could get stronger and ended up wasting a lot of time. I saw some of your earlier videos on periodization and decided it was time to put all I learned from you and others and time under the bar to use. I made a 12week Wave Progression Program and stuck to it. Injured my shoulder half way through, recovered for a few weeks and restarted. Just finished the program and my lifts went up 30lb on DL, 30lb on Squat and 15lb on Bench, all while in a caloric deficit as I have weight to lose. Programming is absolutely necessary and I thank you so much for showing me the basics. You taught a man to fish!
How long did u fun SL5x5 for
Run
So much info in your vids, ive made huge improvments and my strength and in writing programs that actually work for myself. thanks for your knowledge. Cheers Bromley 💪
My fav would have to br adding in external dumbell rotations!
You hit the nail on the head with that finishing comment, don't let your workouts be a blood bath. That's exactly what i would always train like being new to training and becoming intermediate taking every set of 10 reps to absolute failure 100% killed me, massive muscle damage and stressing your CNS 6 days a week literally shaking and bouncing as you leave the gym cause you are so high with stress is not a recipe for success!
This is my problem. I trained balls to the wall, vast majority of sets to failure for first few years, always struggle tp actually follow programs to the letter as it goes so against my habits/instinct to leave reps in the tank. If i feel i can get another rep its a mental battle to not actually attempt it. Problem is you cant just keep throwing yourself at the same brick wall just hoping it falls this time. My workout performance swings up and down. I need to get real and follow a basic program but actually to the letter. I find i can write really good looking programs on paper but i fuck them up in the gym through bad auto-regulation
Thank you for sharing. Much appreciated for all your valuable information. 👍🌟👌👏😃
Damn, as a new intermediate this really helped me feel like less of a noob. Great stuff!!
Such a wonderful teacher
Awesome video, extremely helpful!
Alexander Bromley the real fitness Guru... Love from India Sir❤️
This is a gold mine of knowledge
I remember you mentioning Swede Burn's 5th set program in a previous video, a review on that would be a cool video
Coach, watching you talk about block periodization, had me remember the old style Hepburn method. I've trained for 6 months on it and made some good gains, especially on DL/squats. Would you care making a video about it, and how you would modify it as a modern program?
WE have been awesome?! My God, YOU have been AWESOME, Alex!
The highly detailed, scientific, informative & useful videos you put out are PURE GOLD! And help EVERYONE watching them!
Keep up the GREAT work!
And thanks a ton!
:-)
BTW, I have a request: Could you, if possible (& if you're into kettlebells), do a full-body strength or/and hypertrophy programme using kettlebells only/mainly (as they are very different than barbell/dumbbell-based programmes -- intensity/volume vs time under tension etc)? It'd be very helpful, esp. in these times when many/most people cannot have access to gyms, garage gyms may not be 'good enough', and KBs are easily used at home...
Thanks for the wisdom!
Alex thank you for so much useful information on your channel and in your book. As an older guy, recovery becomes an issue and I haven’t seen any really useful ideas on running extended splits (8, 9, 10 days). Is it as simple as throwing in an extra rest day here and there or would it involve organizing the individual workout days differently? Maybe an idea for a future video?
Excellent tips!
That is pretty accurate... when I first started lifting I did linear progression for about 3 years and it started to fail at about 335 bench and 450 squat. I sat at those numbers for a few years because I was only really interested in body building. Eventually I moved on, but it's kinda funny because now its 35 years later and those are the weights I max out at now. Not really worrying about getting stronger anymore. This is natty though... I saw others on drugs who were able to get much further with linear progression.
It's more than enough strength to set yourself apart from the gen pop while still being able to do other things. Once you get to some of the higher numbers, you start to wonder if walking the tightrope to keep it going is really worth it. Most of the competitive guys I know are looking forward to retiring so they can drop 60lbs and start jogging again lol.
@@AlexanderBromley I have been about 210/215 for all that time. I got injured a few times, and that is why I never pushed it so much later on. I did make it up to 400 bench and 500 squat natural... but then got injured and did think it was worth chancing it any more. I messed my neck up bad. It healed on it's own but it was never the same. Now I just go lighter, but do more reps. It's not that I am against the peds... I am a fan of some other drugs. The thing that always turned me off about the peds... and still does... is that it's a huge commitment, and you are basically dependent once you start.
I am not a huge fan of being dependent on the medical industry for the rest of my life. Plus, I have been close to many heavy abusers over the years... and it really turned me off. It's not like recreational drugs where you are doing it for a brief good time... in all cases that I saw it eventually became a huge part of my friends lives... that eventually consumed them like a regular addiction.
That said... as I get older I do consider doing it... even for one two cycles just to see. If I never do I will have to die without knowing how big I could have been. I think they would work really good on me because I have very good base already and have been doing this 35 years naturally. Would you do it if you were me?... and more importantly how would you do it?
A fresh new board. Lovely.
Great advice like always
The fact that you don’t have 100k+ subscribers is a shame. So many people are staying uninformed
Great content, subscribed!
My new favorite channel
Thanks!
Stimulus just doesn’t apply to weight increase. The lifter can choose to do different variations of a squat and that will act as a new stimulus. Changing accessory movements is also another way to expose the body to a new stimulus. Both of those variants can still work into a liner progression. Nonetheless, most training systems don’t follow strictly just one periodization model. Ex. Linear and concurrent
Amazing stuff man
Thanks as always
Love the videos
Phenomenal info
If you train full body. When doing squats 2-3 times a week - would you increase the volume each workout or week? For example, squat/monday 3x10, squat / Friday 4x10 or 3x 10 again? Then the next week increase to 4x10. Thank you. Favorite strength channel!!
Great vid Bromley!
Appreciated!
Thank you
Man this is good stuff
This dude is literally so underrated
Thanks man
I am living proof that Bromley's volumizing principle straight up works.
Ran something almost identical to the example he used as soon as I could after quarantine.
I.E 10s for 3 weeks, then 8s, then 6s.
I added 10kg to my squat and deadlift 8-10 RMs and 5kg to my bench.
It's crazy how simple training is so effective.
BUILD YOUR BASE!!!
Currently doing something similar. I haven’t ran a volume phase in a while (bc I usually don’t recover well) but what I did different this time was starting at 2 sets and progressing to 5 sets. So far so good
I'm also doing similar, with a modified juggernaut method template. 10s, 8s, 5s, and 3s, each for a 4 week wave, over a 16 week programme. Just started the 5s, and I'm already predicting at least 5kg on bench, and hopefully more on squat / deads. The volume is a game changer
Did you just add a set every week? 3x10, 4x10, 5x10? Did you change the percentage/intensity at all?
@@johnharbour4936 I either kept the percentage the same. Or increased it marginally. Setting a baseline in the first week so it is easy to add weight or just increase the number of sets.
@@jamesfinn5438 did you add a set every week to build up your workload?
Really good videos, any plans to produce programs for the public?
This channel is so fucking good.
5/3/1 has been awesome for me
In that block periodization like you program or Juggernaut Method, when do you jump your max up? Let's say you're doing 10s, 8s, 6s, and 3s. Do you weight until after the entire macro cycle is complete and you reset to 10s to adjust your maxes?
Hi Alex. How about DUP based programming that is based on linear periodization? The different rep range and drop in volume over time does allow some stagnation and recovery right?
Is the TSA a program like you mentioned a "block perodization program"?
your videos are awesome
Thank you so much 😀
Adding sets for the volume phase, so do you add weight for the intensity phase? Or sets?
Also, when we enter the strength phase, do we start with the same weights as last time we were in that phase? Or start heavier?
I've recently found that step loading works the best for me but not for deadlifts (that could be also due to my bad joints like extreme osteo-arthritis in my left knee). I'd like to know if you have any ideas how to better my deadlift in a way that doesn't compromise my knees too much. I've never hit big numbers (best conventional DL 220kg) and I'm 41 so I don't know how much I have time to get better. I've always dreamed of a 300kg deadlift
When moving into a different threshold, do you take a deload week prior or will having an easier week one be enough in terms of recovery
Since volume work taxes more on muscular fatigue is it feasible to jump into week one of mid-high intensity?
Hey Bromley, do you have any videos on programming overhead movements twice a week? All of the programs ive been using have 1 day Overhead, 1 day bench, 1 day dead, 1 day squat. I'm wondering if it is set up like that so the bench day is a less taxing day on your core/back, allowing recovery. Or whether I can simply swap out the benchpress for another overhead lift and have 1 day log, 1 day axel? Keeping to the same percentages prescribed on the program for benchpress. My reason for asking is now I'm pursuing strongman, I don't really see how benchpress is benefiting me still.
Alex love your videos. I always recommend your chanel
Awesome thank you!
dope shit bro!
Question, for the workouts you put your guys through wk 1 3/8, wk 2 4/8, wk 3 5/8 etc… is this only doing one exercise such as squats & no other exercise that workout? Would it be okay if I choose 3 leg exercises at those rep ranges or does this defeat purpose my increasing overall volume? Thanks for the info!
Hi, great channel! I would like to know how many training units per week do we talk about for a single exercise? Training the Squat, Press, Deadlift etc. how often do I do 3x8 before I proceed to 4x8 and later on 5x8? Is it just one time 3x8 within 7 days or do I do it multiple times? Hope I made my question clear. Thank you.
once a week
Great stuff. If I start say a volume bench phase and do let's say first week --3x8 week 2--4x8 week 3--5x8 ect. what % of 1rm should I start the phase at? Is there another way of determining starting weights keeping strength in mind.
Get your 8 rep max, add 5 to it and 1. So use a weight you can do for 14 reps
Question for you Alex, I’m doing greyskull lp and I usually skip my friday workout...I’m working from wed to sunday morning 4/12 hrs shift from 19pm to 7am. What’s your opinion on doing the 3 workouts in a row (mond to wed) and just do the pushups and chinups for the rest of the week?
As long as you make progression it's good to go.
The Bob Ross of strength programming 😎
How many times can you run the volumising block? Can you just increase sets 3 weeks then drop back slightly heavier and repeat ?
Hi Alexander!
I really liked the way with 3x8 wk 1, 4x8 wk2, 5x8 wk3 and 3x6 wk4 and then drop down. But when if i program this myself, how do I know at what weight I should start week 1? I dont want to go too hard but at the same time I need to find a weight so that the 20lbs jump in wk4 is challenging enough to stimulate growth and strenght. What % would you start week 1 at?
Thanks for awesome videos! Thankful!
use a rep calculator and use a weight that you can do 6 reps over the rep range, so 3-5x8 with your 14 rep max
at what RPE would you recommend starting volume blocks? and if you go from 10 to 8 reps next block, how do you know how much weight you're supposed to add if you have only been doing a cycle of 10s which focus on doing more and more sets?
I would also like to know the answer to this question haha
For 10s, I start pretty light, like RPE 7 for each set. The weights don't have to be exact, just avoid blowing yourself out on any on set. I usually prescribe something like 60% week one, then 60-65% for week 2, then 60-70% week 3, letting the lifter decide how they work around that range depending on how they feel. When we drop to 8s, the weight drops back to 65% and we work back up to 65-75%.
How should I go about programming block periodization? Only used linear since i don't know how to properly program for block
They aren't completely different. Block still has a very linear element, moving from high volume to low, low intensity to high. Spend some weeks with a lot of sets progressing in the 65-80% range, then some weeks in the 80-90% range, then a few weeks at 90% plus. Test and repeat. That's about it. The exercises, frequency, etc. all come down to personal preference and will vary based on who is prescribing it.
Videos on choosing a program for different level lifters
Great idea! I'll make a note.
Quick question - in block periodization should you deload between each block? Asking because I've been lifting only about two years, and my understanding from your videos is that newer lifters don't need to deload so frequently. Is dropping from 8s to 6s enough of a different stress that deload may not be necessary every time?
Depends on how fatigued you are. Not every block program is exactly the same. Probably better to deload so you can go all in on the intended stressor though.
@@masonnowak5660 Thanks Mason!
So for block periodization you switch from a hypertrophy block to strength building blocks. If I don’t want to peak can I just switch between these 2? I’m not doing any competition any time soon I just want to get stronger.
Yes, you can wave between volume and strength cycles. That's actually what I talk about in my books
Do you offer coaching services?
How do you know when its time to deload/just before hitting the brick wall? I think that everyone has different tensors and sensitizations phases so its difficult to determine it for different people
You're right, which means it comes down to trial and error. I know some guys who train through until they feel like they need it, probably signified by the first workout where moderate weights feel slow or power is noticeably diminished. The other option is to pre-plan the deload every few weeks and make it your job to earn it.
What is a better option? Wait till you plateuing or just after my 4 weeks powerlift program do more volume like you said, like the Block periozation for four weeks? Like 3x8, 4 x8, 5x8, 3x6 on week four and then test your 1rm? Or just hop back on to my old four weeks program and repeat over and over again? Best Regards,
Alexander Bromley,
This is my current program :
Monday: Squats : 3x8
Bench : 4x8 : 80 kg
Romenian DL : 3x5 135kg
Chin ups 3 x8
Wensday
Squat : 5x2
Bench : 6x2
Deadlift : 5x2
Friday:
Squat : 3x4
Benchpress : 4x4
Overheadpress : 3x5
Cable row: 3x5
Saturday
Lowbar squat: 3x5
Closegrip bench : 4x5 :
Can you please reply? I'm curious what the best option is to not plateuing. I lift already for eight years. And my main goal is focusing on Powerlifting.
Thanks in advance
hell yea
so you are jumping from 3x10,4x10,5x10,3x6 to 3x8,4x8,5x8,3x6(more weight) and last block maybe 3x6,4x6,5x6,3x4(more weight)? and after this block u start again with 10s but more weight? or u just jump from 10s to 9s,8s and so on till like 6s? btw i got new video idea. Scott miller released powerlifting program 16 weeks long on his ig in january u can do video opinion on that :)
I think you go for a deload and then at the same % for the new weight
How would this apply to those who dont use PEDs/TRT?
This is key for naturals. Since drugs will increase the effectiveness of anything you do, optimal programming is essential for naturals to continue progress and recovery without superphysiological assistance. It will be more important as both your age and training experience increase.
Repeat bouts are easier to recover from not harder. That's why it's called the repeated bout effect. They just impose a smaller stimuli.
Repeat bout effect refers to short term adaptation with regards to muscle soreness. Im talking about a long term change in systemic recoverability (regarding everything from your nervous to endocrine systems) when training weights are hundreds of pounds heavier. 700lb squatters don't recover from work at, say, 80% the way 400lb squatters do. Elite lifter can't train as often or as hard as beginners and intermediates.
im now playin catch up and yes I regret it
Bromley have you tried or implemented any sort of pyramid training? Something where you sort of combine or construct a hybrid of hypertrophy and strength training. I'm working on building a program like this because I've had success with it before (12,10,8,5,3,1) but I think I was overtraining and it's very challenging to implement some of these guidelines you talk about and encourage others to use.
If you do you will be putting a higher stress on not only your ability to recover from the volume, but also your cns’s ability to recover.. this is one of the reasons periodizing different attributes works so well. As soon as the volume becomes unrecoverable from it is dropped and the fresh cns starts to take the brunt of the stimulus
@@Jmack7861 this is true. And to combat this I'm trying to reduce CNS overtraining by implementing a planned overreach and deload. I also plan to build a concurrent style of training that will spread out the fatigue. I'm still working on the details on paper to make it work and sort out the bugs but I feel like I have to give it a go because of how my body responded to it last time.
john Harbour I would cut the pyramid at 3 and 1 reps then. It’s not going to give really any hypertrophy stimulus, and it’ll just give more cns fatigue. The stimulus to fatigue ratio with them just doesn’t make it worth it outside of a peak (or triples in a strength specific phase) and you will still get enough cns stimulation from the 5s and even 8s. If you do that and have an intelligent progression scheme I don’t see why it wouldn’t be decent for doing a decent job at what you want. Just keep in mind it wouldn’t be optimal for strength or hypertrophy and will instead be decent at both. Also what training age were you when it worked for you last time? If it was recent you may have luck but if it’s been a while it might be a dead end.
john Harbour now that I do the math, taking out the 3 and 1 would make it a good bit of volume for hypertrophy so honestly if you take them away I don’t see anything wrong with it granted you have a good progression scheme
john Harbour just curious, if you have the number of sets/reps set for each session how would you plan an overreach?
ADD FAHVE POUNDS EACH TIME.
I wish I found this channel earlier
Could not focus on what you said because that board is too clean. It kept distracting me. :) Joking aside, great vid once again.
I'm a beginner (315 squat and 225 bench) should I do a linear progression or even I can benefit from a block periodization?
LP or 531 should be good enough. At those weights, it rarely stalls out enough to warrant block periodization (if you just eat enough).
Being a beginner or an intermediate in terms of program selection is not a question of how much you can lift, it's a question of how fast you can still recover and progress. Talented people can get all the way to squatting four plates with a linear progression program. Others have to get creative soon after squatting 2 plates. Even then, your numbers are meaningless if you don't provide basic information such as age, sex and bodyweight with them. A 225 bench can be anything from an intermediate performance if you are pretty heavy to a damn near competition ready lift if you are very light.
@@smolkafilip I'm 24, 180cm tall for 79kg at the moment. I progress pretty slowly, can't raise kgs and keeping reps the same anymore but I feel like 140kg ain't that much
@@uselesssession83 you're really light for that height and lifts, just let your weight go up and you'll notice that your lifts will go up linearly as well.
@@olindblo Bodyweight of ([height in cm]-100) kg is pretty normal for an athletic adult male, especially if he is relatively lean...
Adding more weight worked on bench press, did nothing for deadlift. Deadlift does not respond to more weight, you just cannot lift it.
Do you have a video on recovery itself?
"Harder than last time" but in 13 minutes
!!!!!!
Commenting to trigger the algorithm
Your not going to have a 500 pound bench and a 800 pound squat naturally. SAID // is a real principle and most people can't push past thees numbers not because the leaner progression stops working, its because the human body primates athletes from growing bigger with out inhansmint.....
There are a ton of people who have hit those numbers naturally. The trade off is that they are genetic outliers. So pick your poison. Bank on whether you won the genetic lottery or make a decision to use technology to reach past it.
There isn't a magical governor that limits growth like you described. Progress stops when the stimulus required to continue growth is too great to be recovered from. This is what separates strong lifters from beginners and why 'periodization' was such a breakthrough. All the gear in the world won't allow an 800lb squatter to recover from the workload prescribed in Starting Strength. It's literally never happened.
@@AlexanderBromley really love what you had to say, I psrsanoly do belive in Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands, and the bodys ability to recover, you are correct there are some freaks out there, but even thoughs freaks are pushing there limits with gear. The fitness industry needs a name change, its the furthest thing from fit, and men have false understandings of what is natural. Personally I'm tired of it. And idd like people to start to understand some of thees truths
Natural limitations are real. The body controls its rate of survival insuring you do not get to expensive. The body is always doing less for more. And we can only push past physiology so much.
Idd like to see more transparency on this matter.
1st. Like a stalker.