I wish I had someone sit me down when I first started in this industry to explain programming better. On the one hand, I guess it turned out to be a good thing, because I’ve written a million kajillion programs over the course of my career, and there’s really no better way to gain expertise in a subject than to actually do it.
There is no choice but to become good at it.
(I’ll save my obvious self-deprecation about not having girlfriends in high school here)
That being said, it would have saved me a lot of time and I could second guess myself if I had a little “cheat sheet of programming wizardry” to guide me and make my clients invincible Terminators. So guys…
…today is my gift to you.
What follows is by no means an all-encompassing or panacea for programming. But I think it’s a very good starting point for most new trainers and coaches in the industry and hopefully will serve as the foundation for most of their programming needs moving forward.
And before I go on, full credit Tasha Wolf Whelan His talent, expertise and general badassness served as inspiration for this collection. The charts below have been adapted from her.
Linear Periodization
Almost ALL beginners will (and should) start with a Linear Periodization scheme. Not only does this introduce them to the concept of progressive overload, but it does so in a way that isn’t overwhelming or complicated. And, in all honesty: most general population clients will LIVE here during their educational careers.
3×8-12 will take someone very far in their training. Trust me: Phil from accounting doesn’t need contrast kits or Eastern Bloc periodization programs to peak for his family trip to Toledo this summer.
Obviously the goal is not to keep someone in 3×8-12 all the time. However, you’d be surprised how long this can last. The idea is to start with a load and stay there until 3×12 is achieved on ALL sets.
Week 1: 100 x 10, 9, 8
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Week 2: 100×12,10,10
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Week 3: 100×12,12,11
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Week 4: 100×12,12,12
Boom saka-laka. Increase the load and get to work.
Rinse, wash, repeat.
The bigger picture of Linear Periodization is that you typically start with a low set/high rep regimen using light to moderate loads and progress to high/low rep regimens using moderate to heavy loads.
For visual learners it might look something like this:
Weeks 1-4: 3×8-12
Weeks 5-8: 4×6-8
Weeks 9-12: 5×4-6
As the weeks progress, volume (total number of sets done) stays relatively the same, but intensity (loads lifted) increases.
Fixed loading
A logical progression from Linear Periodization is something called Constant Loading. Once a trainee begins to understand how to load their body and knows what their upper limits are, Fixed Loading is a great option to help push the envelope on more aggressive training.
The idea is to set a constant load and then hit a target number of repetitions within a workout.
Something to keep in mind here is that the load used must “match” the rep scheme. This means that a higher total number of repetitions would imply that one would use a lighter load and vice versa. A good example would look like this:
Trap Bar Deadlift
32 reps @ 225 (6-8 reps per set)
.
.
.
12 reps @ 300 (2-3 reps per set)
Wave Periodization
Beyond that, an option that is very popular is WET SEASONING. In short, the idea behind this method is to focus on a specific rep pattern/agenda per workout (or given microcycle, think week-to-week), or in other words… easy days, medium days, and hard days (in terms of intensity).
This is a popular program used by many strength and conditioning coaches working with athletes where athletes will typically have “competition” demands (practice, game days, travel, weight room, etc.) depending on the time of year (in-season vs. off-season). However, this is also a very feasible approach for many gen pop (intermediate to advanced) clients as it allows for a bit more training variety and provides a different or unique stimulus per workout.
The two most common ways to implement the wave period are through a weekly emphasis or a session-to-session emphasis. That is, if you take the weekly approach, each session within a week will mirror each other in terms of the end goal.
Week 1: Heavy (all exercises – or at least the main exercises – are completed in the 3-5 rep range)
Week 2: Moderate (all exercises completed in the 8-12 rep range)
Week 3: Light (all exercises completed in the 15+ rep range)
The second option is where every session hits every stimulus. The easiest example would be to take the “big 3” (squat, bench, deadlift) and break it like this:
Day 1: Squat Variation (Heavy), Bench Press Accessory (Medium), Deadlift Accessory (Light)
Day 2: Bench Variation (Heavy), Accessory Deadlift (Medium), Accessory Squat (Light)
Day 3: Deadlift Variation (Heavy), Squat Accessory (Medium), Bench Press Accessory (Light)
Loading stage
Next stage Loading. This is a unique way of training that I adopted during my coaching days Cressey Sports Performance. In short, your client or athlete will ramp up to a demanding (heavy) set of 3-6 reps and then perform a few back off sets with a lighter load within a high rep pattern. When you think about it: It’s PAP (post activation potentiation) training 101. Lift heavy shit to “boost” more motor unit firing and recruitment, then when you back off, those next loads will end up feeling lighter and less like you’re about to pop a spleen…
…comparatively speaking.
Here’s a quick example of what this would look like:
Front squats
- Ramp up to a hard “stage” 3×3 (these sets should be close to RPE 9/10)
- Don’t die.
- Back off with another “stage” of 1-2 sets of 10 (added volume)
From there you can specify things to look like this:
Week 1: 3×3, 1×10
Week 2: 3×3, 1×8 (<— a bit heavier)
Week 3: 3×3, 1×5 (<— heavier)
Week 4: 3×3, 2×5
You can also reverse the back off sets to start with 2×5 and finish with high rep sets as the week progresses. There are endless permutations here and no right way.
Rest/pause and cluster sets
Honestly speaking, I don’t use any of the methods below until someone has 1-2 years of continuing education under their belt. But I have to say… this is all really fun and I have used both of these methods with beginners in the past to help with work capacity and introduce them to heavier loads in a safe way.
Important warning: Rest/pause and group training are often lumped together and I can see why. they are very similar to each other. Kind of like how people confuse or think Saruman and Sauron Lord of the Rings it’s the same person.
WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR THICK SKULL THAT IS NOT SO SAME???! IT JUST IS NOT! (knocks on the door)
Rest/Pause = extended sets to (technical) failure.
Clusters = pre-planned loading and rest periods.
I like to use rest/pause training as an accessory to the main lift of the day as a way to add extra bulk. After the main event (eg.
- Set 1: 70% of 1RM for AMAP (as many reps as possible), rest 20-30 sec, AMAP again, rest 20-30 sec, one more set of AMAP
- Rest 2-5 minutes
- Set 2: 65% of 1RM repeats of the same protocol
This is also a great option for clients or athletes who are competitive because the goal is to try to beat their # rep total from week to week.
Clusters are best used with the main lift of the day. The main advantage is that it allows trainees to work with heavier loads compared to the same weight done with straight sets (and with better technique because fatigue is addressed).
Using the deadlift as an example: Aim for three cluster sets of 2 reps @ 85% of 1RM
- Cluster #1: 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps
- rest 2-4 minutes
- Complex #2: 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps
- rest 2-4 minutes
- Cluster #3: 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps, rest 15-20, 2 reps
When I’m feeling particularly spicy, I’ll have clients do GIANT CLUster SETs where I set a fixed time (5-10 minutes) and they perform 1-2 reps at a given percentage (75-85%) every 30 seconds. At four minutes this is common…
via GIPHY
Loading waves
Last but not least is Wave Loading, which is another example of post-power boost. The 1st wave more or less “prims” the nervous system into thinking that the load used for subsequent waves is lighter than normal compared to the same load performed as a straight set.
To quote the great Austin Powers, “Annnnnd, I’m spent.”
I hope it helps create some programming juice for you and your customers.
