I was born in the post soviet country. We trained like that throughout high school and only now I realized that it's a thing. For squats of 5x5 pretty much take 85-90% and stick with it until you feel it's so light that there is no point of working out. When you reach that point jump to next load that is 85-90%. Repeat until infinity. (or when Putin comes to your home and shakes your hand)
I think the advice he’s quoting is to use 85-90% of the weight you can complete at 5x5 not of 1RM. By slightly stepping down from failure your recovery time is less and you can train almost daily in these ranges giving much more volume over the week than once or twice would.
This was easily the most jmportant part of the video. He could have started that as his central thesis and been done with it. But im glad he captured my attention first and prepped me for that realization, cuz it hit so much harder that way.
In my area,we have an amateur one arm dumbbell clean and jerk competition. I was pushing near 95-100% of my maximum which was not enjoyable; with the added bonus of having more failures than successes with the method above in training, and was losing motivation to train on the lift. One day ,I thought to myself"Sod this" not training this lift anymore,I have had enough, but to keep up the promise I made to myself to keep training in variant of the competition. So I started doing The competition lift dropping it to 75-80% 1 RM x 4 , (AMRAP) . 2) Seated Dumbell presses, with a weight which aided in quick fatigue production, with slow reps. On the competition, my 75-80% 1RM usually would be my opener, but this time, I opened with a 95% close to my max, which I successfully lifted, to do PB of 4kg , which was " discreet" in gain of strength 'out of the blue'.
I remember only hitting a 4 plate dead on a solid day, I can hit 5 any day of the week, every day of the week. It's motivating on the very bad days when I can still pull 5 plates for 2x4 like it's a breeze.
Discrete* (rather than discreet) this actually would make sense as it pertains to variable loading. Though either word could be used for the video, discrete would refer to a function that is discrete rather than gradual (meaning it’s points don’t provide a grade or slope). You could think of variable loads or percentages as points of this function that dont provide a grade. I apologize for the mistake!
I've been training like this for months because I have a homegym and I love it. I dont have a spotter so I rarely lift heavy but my minimum lifts have all slowly gone up. I focus on form, range of motion, and safety. It feels really good when something that used to be heavy is now the regular.
Every time Russian weightlifting is mention in the west, the first thing I initially think off is Louie Simmon. I remember when he was talking about going over Soviet textbook and how that basically solidified the foundation for his gym.
I try to do this with my squat. I'm constantly trying to move up my "baseline" numbers, rather than focusing on heavy sets. I'm more comfortable and confident here, and I still get stronger over time. Also it feels more sustainable to me, as I'm less effected by outside factors, or "bad days".
@@kevinc532 Its sometimes pretty slowly, like sometimes I might be at the same number for a month. BUT on average probably like a couple weeks. I'm a big fan of "adding a rep" here or there if I find I cant jump weight, or maybe adding like a short pause into the reps.
1- focus on speed quality & technical proficiency 2- regularly use novel exercises / DUP 3- do NOT force/ chase adaptations, remain process oriented & they will happen organically
In weightlifting sure but as powerlifting is force production bar speed is not so important (as bar speed will invariably be slow on the concentric phase of max effort bench for example). It doesn't matter how "fast" you can produce the force, just that you produce it.
Hi Zack, great video and keep up the good content. I have a minor comment: I'm pretty sure the word Pavel was using in reference to step loading was "discrete" (Google definition: individually separate and distinct."speech sounds are produced as a continuous sound signal rather than discrete units") and not "discreet". You could think of it as the opposite of continuous, or smooth in a mathematical sense. Essentially, continuous would refer to a smoothly varying loading (looks like an inclined line/ sine wave ...), discrete changes would include jumps like one sees in step loading. Cheers!
So glad to have found this video today. For the past 2 months or so, I've almost exclusively focused on hitting weight PR after PR. Within the past month I moved up from 170lbs bench press to 200lbs (3 reps). However, hitting 195 and 200 felt horrible. It was an uncomfortable experience and every PR I hit, the less confident I became in my bench press. I figured out why just the other day: making that 30lbs jump in (what I consider) a short amount of time hasn't allowed me to mentally or physically grasp the difference in weight. The weight doesn't feel familiar to me because I didn't spend much time with it, and that created a lack of confidence in the end. Trust me, I know it sounds completely fucking stupid, but that's how it is for me. So to fix this I focused more on volume, doing drop sets from 185lbs to 155lbs. Just one day of doing this, focusing more on form and adapting to that weight, has already helped the confidence issue and I'm sure will help in the long run when I decide to have more focus on weight PRs.
This is exactly what the fitness I industry needs to hear. You’ve immediately become one of my favourites on TH-cam. Can’t wait to watch the rest of the vids 👍🏻👍🏻
The complexity of planning training is crazy. Theres also general life to take into consideration. Stress comes from everywhere, not just the gym. Thats why success takes years. Takes a long time to work all that out on an individual basis.
This is a really great video Zack. This is very much needed as someone who trains on their own trying to qualify for AOF. It gives me another variable to consider and push towards rather than just raw numbers. I especially find this useful for days when I’m really feeling fatigued but still need to push through those heavy days.
He is one of the best strength coaches in the world. I remember when I showed him to my friends few years ago and they were laughing their ass off. Now, they all train 5x5 compound movements.
That’s broadly how I approached my first year of Olympic weightlifting. I never tried to improve my maximum lifts - simply focused on making it and the work below it feel easier and more workaday. Ultimately my maximum went up across that time only very little, but my work below that got comfortable, then my movements improved across more of my working range. My technique only breaking down at maximal loads was my main aim - but ultimately I was getting stronger the whole time. I’ve only made the switch to trying to improve my top numbers in the last 3 months since I my partner got me your programming for Christmas!
i've notice myself that when i was running a progressive overload program when i got stuck i could either deload or just get better using the same weights when i couldn't progress, if i deload i could do smaller jumps, but when i stuck to the same weight and lifter a few more sessions i could made bigger jumps
The bench progression that JM Blakley laid out in one of his conversations with Dave Tate is actually quite similar when it comes to the theory behind it. You pick a weight that is very close to your 6 rep max to start with (or even your exact 6 rep max for that matter) and you aim to do 6x6 with it. The first set you do 6, on the second you might get 6 as well, or you might not, on the third its gonna probably be 4 or 5 and so on. When you're done with your 6 sets you add up the reps you managed to complete, and all you have to do/aim for is to get one more rep next time. And when you can complete all 6 sets of 6 reps with that weight, then and ONLY then are you allowed to progress by adding 5 pounds, and you start all over again.
I like taking JM's 6 x 6 and altering it with pavols theory (take 10 rep max, do 6 sets of 3 at that weight, then 6 sets of 4 etc until you hit 6 x 6, then increase weight and start back at 3 x6, giving you pavols undulating volume). As the daily volume will be lower when you move up to the next weight of 3 x 6 (but your nervous system will be primed moving the slightly heavier weight and strong coming off the 6 x 6 max volume) I like to test my 1 rep max after my 3 x 6 work sets.
This reminds me of Pavel and Dan John’s book East Strength, which is essentially the inchworm concept you described, if a person’s perceived effort at a given percent of their max feels easier and easier, they are getting stronger, and likely their max lift has increased without having to lift maximally.
Thanks for this Zack. In the lineage of your video about Bulgarian training, this is going to give people a much better view & understanding of the Eastern school of thoughts when it comes to strength training & athletic prowess.
The best way to put it that I've ever heard is that strength is a skill that must be practiced like other skills. You get better doing those 5x5 sets at sub-maximal weight where your body is learning the skill - developing that muscle memory and the right movement patterns. Plus, when you do those sub-maximal lifts you have more capacity to do them more often, thus practicing your skill more often.
@@ryanoconnell6617 is Romanian USA uses soviet style to traine gymnastic for the Olympics they have taken the Romania trainer that was the most dominant Olympic team on the globe in the 70-90 at at gymnastic.
Perhaps this is the most educational channel on Olympic weight lifting....keep sharing your knowledge brother... and May you and your channel grow further....
Zack, I am so blown away by how you explained the clip and how you made the "variable loading" concept much more logical than it appears to be. Time to get back to training with some new tools on my belt.
Yup the idea of submaximal volume in Powerlifting. This not only allows for much better recovery but also perfecting technique, since you're "stuck with this light load", you'd wanna make it move as perfectly as possible. It's interesting to use this into a scheme of block periodization, cause even though this is extremely valid and useful we NEED to get exposed to high loads in a competition peak, there's no way around that
Hey Zach. I have seen you on other fitness channels and decided to check out your page. Wow! I am so pleased at how you explain things. You speak clearly and consicely. I really appreciate your work and knowledge. You definitely deserve more subs!! Keep up the good work.
Love your videos brother.. despite being a CSCS and having 2+ years of training 150+ athletes I still find myself learning new things from you constantly
Doing stepwise training is also a great way to take your time to improve the movement. When you've got a program kicking you in the ass every week, the number starts to become more important than the movement itself :/
Awesome that you did this video. Watching that podcast originally was extremely informative but also slightly confusing in parts for a beginner like me. Thanks for clearing things up.
I tend to find this method works especially well for me on the bench, being as a I train alone and don't particularly feel comfortable asking randoms to spot me. The method allows me to see it getting hard from a mile away, as apposed to it springing on me, and then ending up on an OE fitness vid. I've found when I do PR it's gone up everytime.
I literally started using that idea of "stepping" 6 months ago after recovering from a shoulder injury. It made coming back and working into the lifts go easier I thought, so thats kind of the style of training I have been using since. Butttttt now all of that has kind of been put on pause because of quarantine. Instead using this time as GPP to hit the reset button before I go back into training after the gyms open back up.
Very interesting and well explained video. I don't weight lift but I may be able to apply some of these different methodologies to my calisthenics workouts regardless... Imma watch that Joe Rogan clip 👍
This explanation is brilliant thank you. I’m actually a rower but nobody that I recall ever suggested the simple progression of, do what you can for 3 weeks then make it a bit harder and do that for 3 weeks, and now repeat.
I needed to hear this one been so focus on trying to go heavy as I possibly can that I lost track on making the most of going up to that look or feel easy.
Zack this is a great video, and I think it can be useful to all of us in quarantine. I'm constrained by how much weight I have available, but I'm going to aim to make those submaximal weights feel like nothing by the end of it all hopefully! Thanks
I don't compete, weightlifting is a hobby for me. With that being said, step is better for me. I find less risk of injury than wave and I look and feel great. My numbers also are going up, just have to stay patient. Since I'm not in a hurry I make modest jumps in weight. It's nice to allow time for ligaments and tendons to catch up.
This video is a great reminder that being able to a heavy weight is not enough; To truly maximize your strength in the classic lifts, you must prioritize technique and efficiency of movement, which means mastering sub-maximal loads.
Great concept here. I hit a new 1RM on squat at 355 lbs, and then got hit with 1.5 months of sickness and when I got back into it, even building back to 275 lbs for a few reps was very difficult, but when I think about it, those reps that were my new minimum were much better controlled and easier. Thanks Zach for new perspective!
Great video ! The pavel and tim ferries podcast is quite interesting on toms video from years ago too . Love the content once again . Started a weightlifting program and 20kg off both lifts from where they used to be but gradually building up and manipulating volume and intensity over time :)
Thanks for the video. I will definitely use that advice. I am not strong at snatch or clean and jerk by any means but I want to improve. I think, now, that I've been pushing to lift heavier when I should be working on making the lighter loads better. Thanks
I dont know which changes Pavel talks about but changes in nature are almost always gradual (stetig) not discrete. For example temperature, growth, air humidity you name it! There are no jumps or wholes if you would map the change as a graph.
Great video, I like the idea of applying the best parts of programming a few examples are Ed coans use of accessory exercises to determine strength carry over, Dan green explaining how he uses some conjugate exercises along with a mixture of other training styles that worked for him
Zack: nice explanation of the Soviet weight training system via Pavel. I was trained as such back in the 1970's and 1980's when Alexeev, Rigert, and Vardanian were my heroes. I started when I was 13, I'm 61 now and still train as such. It REALLY works. You just gotta be patient and consistent cuz you gotta build and solidify your strength base.
@@mansoorwahab8934 Hello Mansoor. Recommend you squat TWICE per week, preferably every 72-hours like Mon & Thu or Tue & Fri or Wed & Sat. I do 6 X 5 working sets, but 5 X 5 is fine, too, and then 3 X 5 of one posterior chain supplemental exercise (I do straight-leg deadlifts), I finish with 3 X 10 of weighted incline sit-ups; that’s it! Trust me, this is plenty of exercise for one day. Also, when I squat I start the first rep at the bottom (in the hole) after unracking the barbell and setting-up, so in essence the first rep is a pause squat (this really helps your deadlift). Be patient, develop good form, the strength/power WILL come. Good luck. Lift hard, there is NO tomorrow!
@@mansoorwahab8934 One more thing: take a break from training every once in a while, say every 6th, 7th, or 8th week. This helps your body to heal and you won’t lose strength.
@@keysersoze5920 Thank you for a clear explanation. For the squats, do you take each set to failure? If not, how many reps do you leave in the tank? What did the Soviet coaches teach to do in this matter?
@@mansoorwahab8934Your working sets should be about 75% of your max, or you should have one strong rep left in the tank after each set except for the last set where you should have none. Don’t go to failure. Check-out Soviet coach Rudolf Pluykfelder.
It sure does "weeds out the inpatient people" to practice strength. Takes so fucking long to get stronger. I need better vitamins. Great content as always Zack.
I think the reason he didn’t go into detail about variable loading is because he has a seminar about it and doesn’t want to just give out ALL the details. He’s a businessman and making a smart choice
Interesting discussion/idea... Certainly, working on your "minimum"- to improve speed of lift, perceived effort, reps etc should have a number of benefits. Strength gains, fitness and probably reduced injury risk being the obvious one's... and working lighter should help hone technique. Also, not training heavy too often will ease any mental stresses- not having to hit the big numbers- and the resulting disappointment if you miss them... I particularly like the "weeds out the impatient" part... :)
This video has timed really well with my own training - in that I've come back after a bit of a break. Maxing out at 83 in snatch and 110 in C+J last year, I'm getting back into it again, and REALLY appreciated this video. I'm not sure if you've done a video on covering the ideas behind "auto-regulating" and it appears this video lends itself towards such a discussion, I'd find it really helpful and interesting. Liked, subbed, can't wait to lift more in my garage tomorrow.
Man I think these are great points - it's almost like you need to be a little forgiving and flexible with yourself in order to make the most of your sessions. Understanding that "progress" isn't lost just because you didn't lift 80% for 5 then 90% for 3 every few weeks etc. I don't really get down with the JR podcast but I think having some auto-regulation and flexibility in your programming is absolutely key. Especially for those of us who lift/compete but also have FT careers etc; as you said there's infinite variables outside of your control that may affect a session Hope you're doing well in the states, thanks for the great content!
might not be applicable in the same way but Jeff nippardd does a similar thing imo when he proposes carving out technique days to battle the hypothetical phenomenon u put in for lasha
discrete (individually separate and distinct.) and discreet (intentionally unobtrusive.) are different things Pavel was talking about discrete, which is opposite to continuous, and can be thought of as "sudden" or "step-wise" here. a dimmer increases light intensity on a continuous curve a light switch has two discrete stages of light intensity (on/off) I think the concept of discrete adaptation would be like if you had a massive array of light bulbs and each one is switched on by a separate switch, you incrementally increase the light intensity/strength of the array/athlete by flipping one switch after another (analogous to step loading)
So, I'm positive Pavel was using the term "discrete." As in, individually separated and distinct. For example, the numbers "1" and "2" are discrete entities. Zack Telander is a discrete individual, separate and distinct from all other members of the human species. A jump between a snatch of 105kg and a snatch of 125kg promotes an immediate, noticeable, discrete change in difficulty and intensity.
Power output requires much more efficiency than brute strength. Really well done advice. Dynamic loading requires tremendous neuromuscular engagement. Read Frans Bosch, the Dutch physiotherapist and widely acknowledged expert on sports training transference.
Wow thnx Zack this really fits my needs. I'm doing 531 for months now (finished 5 cycles) and I reached my plateau. Everything feels so heavy... squat, bench, press, DL. Quite funny because I was already repeating the 5x5x5 cycle last 2 weeks because I had no confidence in de 3x3x3 cycle. I will start right away 🙂.
great video man, you summed up step loading really well. i remember watching the podcast a while back and it being quite contradictory to what is considered "common knowledge" in western lifting. i'd love to hear your thoughts on training to failure (not in regards to the olympic lifts obviously), as pavel stated that optimal strength gains were made when the athletes were working at 50% of the reps they were capable of performing (ie. if doing their 6rm in back squat they would perform 3 reps).
Great video as always, Zach. I don't know if this adds something, but I'm currently learning russian language and everything has its rules, its meaning and its purpose. Few things are left without explanation. That said, the soviets knew what they were doing and how, and PATIENCE was a key factor. It always is. Moreover, some athletes (if you cast aside world weightlifting championships) focus more on Olympic Games, which have a four year gap between each one, leaving a huge ammount of time to get better. By the way, I might agree with Pavel here. I tried to perfectionate my squat depth and positioning (butt wink, mobility) and did a bunch exercises, including YOURS of stading 5 min in a deep squat (good one). I started doing it at the end of January. Do you know when it has gotten better? These days, in the quarantine, not doing squats, just broomstick snatches. So, yeah, weird and discrete
Very interesting, I did about a year chasing max numbers. Body couldn't keep up. Switched to 85% training max and my progress has been steadily moving up. Not as fast as working at higher percentages but I've come to terms that this takes time and im not really interested in juicing up until I hit 40 and that's only if I need it. Awesome and informative video Zack.
Old video I know, but this is why I enjoyed his Russian Bear program in Power to the People. It’s a more approachable take on volume training like GVT’s 10x10.
What do you think is a good way to choose your “minimum”? I was thinking maybe that first weight that you feel gets you nervous; as in you have a tendency to f*** up the technique when you’re not dialed in. Maximizing your minimums seems lien the perfect way to not only autoregulate trainin, but also to build consistency in technique which so many of us amateurs lack. Good vid, coach
You should make a video on the history and evolution of the olympic lifts. Saw that weird snatch split jerk looking thing and was curious about it. Also saw a video talking about the history of the squat and the original olympic lifts were weird, pre-modern olympics. On top of that also remembered u talking about the clean and press. Just super interested on what happened to all these things. Also wanted to know if you though a cluster (clean and thruster) would be a cool movement to not only train but maybe add to recreate the olympic triathlon.
1. it depends on your level of training. The more efficient you are the more effectively you can build fatigue and the more fatiguing higher % lifts are compared to a novice or intermediate. Fatigue management would require some lower intensity training every now and again. 2. 60-75% of maximum, you'll need to determine what weight in this range you should start.
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I was born in the post soviet country. We trained like that throughout high school and only now I realized that it's a thing. For squats of 5x5 pretty much take 85-90% and stick with it until you feel it's so light that there is no point of working out. When you reach that point jump to next load that is 85-90%. Repeat until infinity. (or when Putin comes to your home and shakes your hand)
It’s impossible to do a 5x5 with 90% of your 1rm lol
@@tyler7992the % that feels very very heavy at the last rep then. I am new to %
Hahahaha
I think the advice he’s quoting is to use 85-90% of the weight you can complete at 5x5 not of 1RM. By slightly stepping down from failure your recovery time is less and you can train almost daily in these ranges giving much more volume over the week than once or twice would.
Do 5x5 with 70-75% 1rm, until it feels too light. Be very patient.
Raising my minimums lately has been just as satisfying as a PR max lift. I'm glad you pointed out the importance of minimums.
This was easily the most jmportant part of the video. He could have started that as his central thesis and been done with it. But im glad he captured my attention first and prepped me for that realization, cuz it hit so much harder that way.
In my area,we have an amateur one arm dumbbell clean and jerk competition.
I was pushing near 95-100% of my maximum which was not enjoyable; with the added bonus of having more failures than successes with the method above in training, and was losing motivation to train on the lift.
One day ,I thought to myself"Sod this" not training this lift anymore,I have had enough, but to keep up the promise I made to myself to keep training in variant of the competition.
So I started doing
The competition lift dropping it to 75-80% 1 RM x 4 , (AMRAP) .
2) Seated Dumbell presses, with a weight which aided in quick fatigue production, with slow reps.
On the competition, my 75-80% 1RM usually would be my opener, but this time, I opened with a 95% close to my max, which I successfully lifted, to do PB of 4kg , which was " discreet" in gain of strength 'out of the blue'.
I remember only hitting a 4 plate dead on a solid day, I can hit 5 any day of the week, every day of the week. It's motivating on the very bad days when I can still pull 5 plates for 2x4 like it's a breeze.
Really liked this. Can’t wait to test it with a barbell in 2021
Christopher Knox :(
More likely the following year before ordinary folks get the vaccine if at all it is made in time.
The 1% always get first dibs
Cant wait to tell my grandkids about this so they can train in 2050
:((
It's mid November 2020 in NJ....
Gyms are open but who knows how long....
😔
im just going to max out
Whoa you do Bulgarian too?
Discrete* (rather than discreet) this actually would make sense as it pertains to variable loading. Though either word could be used for the video, discrete would refer to a function that is discrete rather than gradual (meaning it’s points don’t provide a grade or slope). You could think of variable loads or percentages as points of this function that dont provide a grade. I apologize for the mistake!
Zack Telander saying the Weierstrass function is discrete.
This is so sad, can we increase his Snatch?
Given half the world doesn’t seem to know the difference between effect and affect I wouldn’t worry.
Lasha talachadzze
Those are different words?
I forgive you. Just don't do it again.
I've been training like this for months because I have a homegym and I love it. I dont have a spotter so I rarely lift heavy but my minimum lifts have all slowly gone up. I focus on form, range of motion, and safety. It feels really good when something that used to be heavy is now the regular.
How often do you increase the weight? Do you have a target number of weeks? Or is it the feel of the weight after a certain amount of time?
“Variable Loading”
My thoughts: Louie Simmons
Zack: shows westside barbell
Nice
Every time Russian weightlifting is mention in the west, the first thing I initially think off is Louie Simmon. I remember when he was talking about going over Soviet textbook and how that basically solidified the foundation for his gym.
I try to do this with my squat. I'm constantly trying to move up my "baseline" numbers, rather than focusing on heavy sets. I'm more comfortable and confident here, and I still get stronger over time. Also it feels more sustainable to me, as I'm less effected by outside factors, or "bad days".
Also much safer (in terms of possible injuries)
This is exactly what ive been doing aswell
How long do you guys find it takes to go up in weight? and by how much? Cheers.
@@kevinc532 Its sometimes pretty slowly, like sometimes I might be at the same number for a month. BUT on average probably like a couple weeks. I'm a big fan of "adding a rep" here or there if I find I cant jump weight, or maybe adding like a short pause into the reps.
As Pavel mentioned in the full version of the video, it is also about longevity and being able to perform for years and years.
The lofi always makes me more receptive to your arguments/talking points
You stole that icon ... You got my hopes up over nothing.
1- focus on speed quality & technical proficiency
2- regularly use novel exercises / DUP
3- do NOT force/ chase adaptations, remain process oriented & they will happen organically
In weightlifting sure but as powerlifting is force production bar speed is not so important (as bar speed will invariably be slow on the concentric phase of max effort bench for example). It doesn't matter how "fast" you can produce the force, just that you produce it.
@@anaussie213 well yes, this whole video is about just weightlifting
Do you need to train every day?
9:40 is now my go-to dance move
Hi Zack, great video and keep up the good content. I have a minor comment: I'm pretty sure the word Pavel was using in reference to step loading was "discrete" (Google definition: individually separate and distinct."speech sounds are produced as a continuous sound signal rather than discrete units") and not "discreet". You could think of it as the opposite of continuous, or smooth in a mathematical sense. Essentially, continuous would refer to a smoothly varying loading (looks like an inclined line/ sine wave ...), discrete changes would include jumps like one sees in step loading. Cheers!
Thanks that make a lotta sense
Pretty sure Pavel meant discrete, not discreet. Great video.
So glad to have found this video today.
For the past 2 months or so, I've almost exclusively focused on hitting weight PR after PR. Within the past month I moved up from 170lbs bench press to 200lbs (3 reps). However, hitting 195 and 200 felt horrible. It was an uncomfortable experience and every PR I hit, the less confident I became in my bench press. I figured out why just the other day: making that 30lbs jump in (what I consider) a short amount of time hasn't allowed me to mentally or physically grasp the difference in weight. The weight doesn't feel familiar to me because I didn't spend much time with it, and that created a lack of confidence in the end.
Trust me, I know it sounds completely fucking stupid, but that's how it is for me. So to fix this I focused more on volume, doing drop sets from 185lbs to 155lbs. Just one day of doing this, focusing more on form and adapting to that weight, has already helped the confidence issue and I'm sure will help in the long run when I decide to have more focus on weight PRs.
This is exactly what the fitness I industry needs to hear. You’ve immediately become one of my favourites on TH-cam. Can’t wait to watch the rest of the vids 👍🏻👍🏻
The complexity of planning training is crazy. Theres also general life to take into consideration. Stress comes from everywhere, not just the gym. Thats why success takes years. Takes a long time to work all that out on an individual basis.
Was just listening to this the other day. Good timing.
So basically we autoregulate, intelligently use variations and rotate them, and keep patient? Got it.
This is a really great video Zack. This is very much needed as someone who trains on their own trying to qualify for AOF. It gives me another variable to consider and push towards rather than just raw numbers. I especially find this useful for days when I’m really feeling fatigued but still need to push through those heavy days.
This is a great way to start pre-comp weightlifting phase, without overloading to much. Every style of programming has its place and time.
Always knew Zack had that big inchworm energy.
He is one of the best strength coaches in the world. I remember when I showed him to my friends few years ago and they were laughing their ass off.
Now, they all train 5x5 compound movements.
yes.. its true n works. Use Milo methods and 5x5 ..increase load daily you will see results
Cyclonus Low do a 5x5 every day?
@@tyler7992 increase load session to session
That’s broadly how I approached my first year of Olympic weightlifting. I never tried to improve my maximum lifts - simply focused on making it and the work below it feel easier and more workaday. Ultimately my maximum went up across that time only very little, but my work below that got comfortable, then my movements improved across more of my working range. My technique only breaking down at maximal loads was my main aim - but ultimately I was getting stronger the whole time. I’ve only made the switch to trying to improve my top numbers in the last 3 months since I my partner got me your programming for Christmas!
I love their stat recording and the focus on volume; BUT they had a lot of juice
i've notice myself that when i was running a progressive overload program when i got stuck i could either deload or just get better using the same weights when i couldn't progress, if i deload i could do smaller jumps, but when i stuck to the same weight and lifter a few more sessions i could made bigger jumps
The bench progression that JM Blakley laid out in one of his conversations with Dave Tate is actually quite similar when it comes to the theory behind it. You pick a weight that is very close to your 6 rep max to start with (or even your exact 6 rep max for that matter) and you aim to do 6x6 with it. The first set you do 6, on the second you might get 6 as well, or you might not, on the third its gonna probably be 4 or 5 and so on. When you're done with your 6 sets you add up the reps you managed to complete, and all you have to do/aim for is to get one more rep next time. And when you can complete all 6 sets of 6 reps with that weight, then and ONLY then are you allowed to progress by adding 5 pounds, and you start all over again.
I like taking JM's 6 x 6 and altering it with pavols theory (take 10 rep max, do 6 sets of 3 at that weight, then 6 sets of 4 etc until you hit 6 x 6, then increase weight and start back at 3 x6, giving you pavols undulating volume). As the daily volume will be lower when you move up to the next weight of 3 x 6 (but your nervous system will be primed moving the slightly heavier weight and strong coming off the 6 x 6 max volume) I like to test my 1 rep max after my 3 x 6 work sets.
Love them vids man 🤘🏻
What is up, my dog.
This reminds me of Pavel and Dan John’s book East Strength, which is essentially the inchworm concept you described, if a person’s perceived effort at a given percent of their max feels easier and easier, they are getting stronger, and likely their max lift has increased without having to lift maximally.
Thanks for this Zack. In the lineage of your video about Bulgarian training, this is going to give people a much better view & understanding of the Eastern school of thoughts when it comes to strength training & athletic prowess.
Hmm
The best way to put it that I've ever heard is that strength is a skill that must be practiced like other skills. You get better doing those 5x5 sets at sub-maximal weight where your body is learning the skill - developing that muscle memory and the right movement patterns. Plus, when you do those sub-maximal lifts you have more capacity to do them more often, thus practicing your skill more often.
Zack just so you know step loading is still the strength foundation of the USA Gymnastics Program and pretty much all gymnastics in the country.
Satanicuslupis could you elaborate a bit? Or provide links to explanation. I’m interested in gymnastic strength training as well.
Thanks !
So they just practice a move that's difficult, the same way, until it feels easy, then move on to a more difficult progression?
Yes and the this is the guy that made it for you guy(born September 13, 1942) is a Romanian-American gymnastics coach. ex Soviet style ..
@@ryanoconnell6617 is Romanian USA uses soviet style to traine gymnastic for the Olympics they have taken the Romania trainer that was the most dominant Olympic team on the globe in the 70-90 at at gymnastic.
Perhaps this is the most educational channel on Olympic weight lifting....keep sharing your knowledge brother... and May you and your channel grow further....
It's appears, when I've actually taken my training seriously, that I was step loading without knowing it.
Zack, I am so blown away by how you explained the clip and how you made the "variable loading" concept much more logical than it appears to be. Time to get back to training with some new tools on my belt.
Yup the idea of submaximal volume in Powerlifting. This not only allows for much better recovery but also perfecting technique, since you're "stuck with this light load", you'd wanna make it move as perfectly as possible.
It's interesting to use this into a scheme of block periodization, cause even though this is extremely valid and useful we NEED to get exposed to high loads in a competition peak, there's no way around that
Hey Zach. I have seen you on other fitness channels and decided to check out your page. Wow! I am so pleased at how you explain things. You speak clearly and consicely. I really appreciate your work and knowledge. You definitely deserve more subs!! Keep up the good work.
Love your videos brother.. despite being a CSCS and having 2+ years of training 150+ athletes I still find myself learning new things from you constantly
If you're a CSCS and have been coaching for a mere 2 years I would certainly hope you're continually learning!
I remember something jon North said: "build the minimums to push the maximums"
Doing stepwise training is also a great way to take your time to improve the movement. When you've got a program kicking you in the ass every week, the number starts to become more important than the movement itself :/
Zack talking about Pavel, hot coffee, training in the shed, not bad not bad.
Awesome that you did this video. Watching that podcast originally was extremely informative but also slightly confusing in parts for a beginner like me. Thanks for clearing things up.
Amazing content as always,thanks for all the work for our weightlifting fams man!
I tend to find this method works especially well for me on the bench, being as a I train alone and don't particularly feel comfortable asking randoms to spot me. The method allows me to see it getting hard from a mile away, as apposed to it springing on me, and then ending up on an OE fitness vid. I've found when I do PR it's gone up everytime.
I literally started using that idea of "stepping" 6 months ago after recovering from a shoulder injury. It made coming back and working into the lifts go easier I thought, so thats kind of the style of training I have been using since. Butttttt now all of that has kind of been put on pause because of quarantine. Instead using this time as GPP to hit the reset button before I go back into training after the gyms open back up.
Very interesting and well explained video. I don't weight lift but I may be able to apply some of these different methodologies to my calisthenics workouts regardless...
Imma watch that Joe Rogan clip 👍
Stellular Nebulla i did something similar with weighted pullups to build up more strength/endurance. Definitely works great.
@@zucinnied Ah yep, that makes sense. I might figure out how to incorporate something like that to my workout today 👍
Gotta go back and rewatch that episode. With quarantine going on I'm having to lift minimums doing tons of rep work, running and calisthenics.
i was waiting for this, as always you did an awesome job.
JRE: "that's cool man, have you tried DMT?"
This explanation is brilliant thank you. I’m actually a rower but nobody that I recall ever suggested the simple progression of, do what you can for 3 weeks then make it a bit harder and do that for 3 weeks, and now repeat.
I needed to hear this one been so focus on trying to go heavy as I possibly can that I lost track on making the most of going up to that look or feel easy.
Which one of these programs do you think is the best for bodybuilding?
Zack this is a great video, and I think it can be useful to all of us in quarantine. I'm constrained by how much weight I have available, but I'm going to aim to make those submaximal weights feel like nothing by the end of it all hopefully! Thanks
I don't compete, weightlifting is a hobby for me. With that being said, step is better for me. I find less risk of injury than wave and I look and feel great. My numbers also are going up, just have to stay patient. Since I'm not in a hurry I make modest jumps in weight. It's nice to allow time for ligaments and tendons to catch up.
Your last point is KEY - for the love of Herakles, LET YOUR BODY HEAL!
Thank you for this, I didn’t really understand what Pavel was explaining, but you explained it do that even a 4 year old could understand
Thanks the step vs wave chart was really helpful
Hey Zack thank you.
Really needed this vid today. Thanks Jeff.
This video is a great reminder that being able to a heavy weight is not enough; To truly maximize your strength in the classic lifts, you must prioritize technique and efficiency of movement, which means mastering sub-maximal loads.
kettlebells are a life saver for me in this covid times 2 14kg kb is my home gym 😊 my resting heart rate from 70bpm is down to 65bpm 😊
Great concept here. I hit a new 1RM on squat at 355 lbs, and then got hit with 1.5 months of sickness and when I got back into it, even building back to 275 lbs for a few reps was very difficult, but when I think about it, those reps that were my new minimum were much better controlled and easier. Thanks Zach for new perspective!
Great video ! The pavel and tim ferries podcast is quite interesting on toms video from years ago too . Love the content once again . Started a weightlifting program and 20kg off both lifts from where they used to be but gradually building up and manipulating volume and intensity over time :)
The Chinese olympic weightlifters are the best pound for pound. They compete not to just win but to break their own OR's and WR's.
didn't realize I was doing step progression until I watched this. cool
Thanks for the video. I will definitely use that advice. I am not strong at snatch or clean and jerk by any means but I want to improve. I think, now, that I've been pushing to lift heavier when I should be working on making the lighter loads better. Thanks
I dont know which changes Pavel talks about but changes in nature are almost always gradual (stetig) not discrete.
For example temperature, growth, air humidity you name it! There are no jumps or wholes if you would map the change as a graph.
Great video, I like the idea of applying the best parts of programming a few examples are Ed coans use of accessory exercises to determine strength carry over, Dan green explaining how he uses some conjugate exercises along with a mixture of other training styles that worked for him
Zack: nice explanation of the Soviet weight training system via Pavel. I was trained as such back in the 1970's and 1980's when Alexeev, Rigert, and Vardanian were my heroes. I started when I was 13, I'm 61 now and still train as such. It REALLY works. You just gotta be patient and consistent cuz you gotta build and solidify your strength base.
How often would you recommend squatting and how to program it? Thanks,
@@mansoorwahab8934 Hello Mansoor. Recommend you squat TWICE per week, preferably every 72-hours like Mon & Thu or Tue & Fri or Wed & Sat. I do 6 X 5 working sets, but 5 X 5 is fine, too, and then 3 X 5 of one posterior chain supplemental exercise (I do straight-leg deadlifts), I finish with 3 X 10 of weighted incline sit-ups; that’s it! Trust me, this is plenty of exercise for one day. Also, when I squat I start the first rep at the bottom (in the hole) after unracking the barbell and setting-up, so in essence the first rep is a pause squat (this really helps your deadlift). Be patient, develop good form, the strength/power WILL come. Good luck. Lift hard, there is NO tomorrow!
@@mansoorwahab8934 One more thing: take a break from training every once in a while, say every 6th, 7th, or 8th week. This helps your body to heal and you won’t lose strength.
@@keysersoze5920 Thank you for a clear explanation. For the squats, do you take each set to failure? If not, how many reps do you leave in the tank? What did the Soviet coaches teach to do in this matter?
@@mansoorwahab8934Your working sets should be about 75% of your max, or you should have one strong rep left in the tank after each set except for the last set where you should have none. Don’t go to failure. Check-out Soviet coach Rudolf Pluykfelder.
It sure does "weeds out the inpatient people" to practice strength.
Takes so fucking long to get stronger. I need better vitamins.
Great content as always Zack.
Great explanation! Sounds a bit like "Easy strength" or maybe even "Easier Strength"!
I think the reason he didn’t go into detail about variable loading is because he has a seminar about it and doesn’t want to just give out ALL the details. He’s a businessman and making a smart choice
Interesting discussion/idea... Certainly, working on your "minimum"- to improve speed of lift, perceived effort, reps etc should have a number of benefits. Strength gains, fitness and probably reduced injury risk being the obvious one's... and working lighter should help hone technique.
Also, not training heavy too often will ease any mental stresses- not having to hit the big numbers- and the resulting disappointment if you miss them...
I particularly like the "weeds out the impatient" part... :)
Tried one of their powerlifting routine. Smolov jr. brought my bench max from 245 up to 295 in 3 weeks
This video has timed really well with my own training - in that I've come back after a bit of a break. Maxing out at 83 in snatch and 110 in C+J last year, I'm getting back into it again, and REALLY appreciated this video.
I'm not sure if you've done a video on covering the ideas behind "auto-regulating" and it appears this video lends itself towards such a discussion, I'd find it really helpful and interesting. Liked, subbed, can't wait to lift more in my garage tomorrow.
Man I think these are great points - it's almost like you need to be a little forgiving and flexible with yourself in order to make the most of your sessions. Understanding that "progress" isn't lost just because you didn't lift 80% for 5 then 90% for 3 every few weeks etc.
I don't really get down with the JR podcast but I think having some auto-regulation and flexibility in your programming is absolutely key. Especially for those of us who lift/compete but also have FT careers etc; as you said there's infinite variables outside of your control that may affect a session
Hope you're doing well in the states, thanks for the great content!
might not be applicable in the same way but Jeff nippardd does a similar thing imo when he proposes carving out technique days to battle the hypothetical phenomenon u put in for lasha
Awesome Coach!
Great ideas. Will apply them.
discrete (individually separate and distinct.) and discreet (intentionally unobtrusive.) are different things
Pavel was talking about discrete, which is opposite to continuous, and can be thought of as "sudden" or "step-wise" here.
a dimmer increases light intensity on a continuous curve
a light switch has two discrete stages of light intensity (on/off)
I think the concept of discrete adaptation would be like if you had a massive array of light bulbs and each one is switched on by a separate switch, you incrementally increase the light intensity/strength of the array/athlete by flipping one switch after another (analogous to step loading)
So, I'm positive Pavel was using the term "discrete." As in, individually separated and distinct. For example, the numbers "1" and "2" are discrete entities. Zack Telander is a discrete individual, separate and distinct from all other members of the human species. A jump between a snatch of 105kg and a snatch of 125kg promotes an immediate, noticeable, discrete change in difficulty and intensity.
Maximising the minimums makes a lot of sense because you can't build anything on shaky foundations, but I've never thought of it that way.
Amazing video, great breakdown !
I specifically train in a powerlifting style but this guy's videos are great
Power output requires much more efficiency than brute strength. Really well done advice. Dynamic loading requires tremendous neuromuscular engagement. Read Frans Bosch, the Dutch physiotherapist and widely acknowledged expert on sports training transference.
Wow thnx Zack this really fits my needs. I'm doing 531 for months now (finished 5 cycles) and I reached my plateau. Everything feels so heavy... squat, bench, press, DL. Quite funny because I was already repeating the 5x5x5 cycle last 2 weeks because I had no confidence in de 3x3x3 cycle. I will start right away 🙂.
Every lifter needs to see this
great video man, you summed up step loading really well. i remember watching the podcast a while back and it being quite contradictory to what is considered "common knowledge" in western lifting. i'd love to hear your thoughts on training to failure (not in regards to the olympic lifts obviously), as pavel stated that optimal strength gains were made when the athletes were working at 50% of the reps they were capable of performing (ie. if doing their 6rm in back squat they would perform 3 reps).
Thanks for the info, coach!
Thanks for explanation
THis seems like a game changer for me - thanks ill try it once the quarantine is over!
Great video as always, Zach. I don't know if this adds something, but I'm currently learning russian language and everything has its rules, its meaning and its purpose. Few things are left without explanation. That said, the soviets knew what they were doing and how, and PATIENCE was a key factor. It always is. Moreover, some athletes (if you cast aside world weightlifting championships) focus more on Olympic Games, which have a four year gap between each one, leaving a huge ammount of time to get better.
By the way, I might agree with Pavel here. I tried to perfectionate my squat depth and positioning (butt wink, mobility) and did a bunch exercises, including YOURS of stading 5 min in a deep squat (good one). I started doing it at the end of January. Do you know when it has gotten better? These days, in the quarantine, not doing squats, just broomstick snatches. So, yeah, weird and discrete
Very interesting, I did about a year chasing max numbers. Body couldn't keep up. Switched to 85% training max and my progress has been steadily moving up. Not as fast as working at higher percentages but I've come to terms that this takes time and im not really interested in juicing up until I hit 40 and that's only if I need it. Awesome and informative video Zack.
Song in the background? Great video :D
I tried progressive overload and it worked for me doing tricep dumbell extensions, but not for my bench press.
Like CK said: increase weight as slow as possible. And he is strong as Batman.
Old video I know, but this is why I enjoyed his Russian Bear program in Power to the People. It’s a more approachable take on volume training like GVT’s 10x10.
What do you think is a good way to choose your “minimum”? I was thinking maybe that first weight that you feel gets you nervous; as in you have a tendency to f*** up the technique when you’re not dialed in.
Maximizing your minimums seems lien the perfect way to not only autoregulate trainin, but also to build consistency in technique which so many of us amateurs lack.
Good vid, coach
You should make a video on the history and evolution of the olympic lifts. Saw that weird snatch split jerk looking thing and was curious about it. Also saw a video talking about the history of the squat and the original olympic lifts were weird, pre-modern olympics. On top of that also remembered u talking about the clean and press. Just super interested on what happened to all these things. Also wanted to know if you though a cluster (clean and thruster) would be a cool movement to not only train but maybe add to recreate the olympic triathlon.
zach your videos calm my isolation jitters
What happens if someone doesn't deload? And what percentage of your 1RM would you start at for what you are mentioning at the end of your video ?
1. it depends on your level of training. The more efficient you are the more effectively you can build fatigue and the more fatiguing higher % lifts are compared to a novice or intermediate. Fatigue management would require some lower intensity training every now and again.
2. 60-75% of maximum, you'll need to determine what weight in this range you should start.