Training with Purpose
Training with purpose is all about understanding your training, the purpose and goals, and how to reach those goals. Haphazard training is going to yield results for only beginners and as people become more experienced “go with the flow” training styles quickly stagnate development. Understanding our training and designing it with purpose can help us bust through those annoying plateaus and bring us all closer to our goals.
As a strength athlete my writing will mostly be concerned with strength gains, however this is applicable to both the bodybuilder and power lifter. Let’s face it, if you want big muscles at some point you have to accept that strength phases in your training are important. Very very few people are going to get big on those cable pushdowns and smith machines… Fact. Yes I know… Tommy on YouTube did it, and Chris The T-Rex Flexah at your local gym grew massive doing those fancy 20lbs DB Flyes and Rope Cross Overs but guess what… those are anomalies. If you want to plan for success you need to design your programming for what statistically works for everyone and what has been repeatedly demonstrated to produce results.
Gym goers tend to fall into three categories:
The recreational gym goer, going through the motions working out
The Competitor, training without design but with good results due to great natural inclination
The Competitor, training with design and purpose
These are three broad categories that distinguish the distinct difference between those that Compete and those that are just Recreational, as well as those that train with a specific design path and those that are just freaks that can workout and get great results without any methodological basis—keep in mind these people could be even better with design.
Too often I see people that fall into the first two categories that are always inquiring about how to continue to progress, that have hit their “plateau” and are wondering what to do next! Usually this is where people hope some supplement is going to carry them over to the next tear but we all know that’s a lie… Supplements unfortunately only supplement our training and diets and the emphasis here will be on training.
I love a simplistic approach to training, and few things get more simplistic than Prilepin’s Chart. The chart was designed by the Soviets studying Olympic weightlifters. The chart shows the optimum range of reps given the percentage of strength range being trained.
This simplistic chart can be found in any worthwhile trainer’s office, it is utilized by MOST strength training programs, and should be referenced by any beginner and expert alike when evaluating a program.
A basic problem with beginners using this chart is not understanding the purpose. This chart is for strength gains, it places emphasis on form (correct movement patterns), bar speed, and fatigue management.
Let’s say you are a 350lbs bench presser. You decide you are going to train at 55% for 24 reps (the optimum number of reps). So you perform 192lbs bench for a 5x5 rep scheme. This is an extremely easy workout, which throws people off. But remember such a workout could be performed to offset an intense training week, while simultaneously practicing your bench, working on form, great bar speed, and keeping that motor-memory fresh. Suddenly a 5x5 at 192 or 185 became a pretty refreshing workout, and then after you could perform your accessory movements that facilitate further strength gains in that main lift (in this case the bench press).
So where is this going? Well a 5 week wave on the bench press that is applicable to beginners and experts alike. I am using the bench as an example because it is pretty much the most universal lift that most everyone talks about, but this could just as easily apply to the deadlift or squat. We are going to look at a 5 week wave using the chart that has design, purpose, and will yield results for anyone willing to sacrifice 5 weeks to try it!
Week 1:
Thursday: Bench Competition grip 70% 1RM 6 sets of 4 reps
Sunday: Bench Close Grip 55% 5 sets of 5 reps
Week 1 Analysis: What was difficult? Did you feel slow off the bottom on Thursday or at the top? What were your struggle points?
If the lockout was difficult continue with close grip bench weeks 2-4. If off the chest was slow do a wide grip on Sundays. Going forward we will assume the lockout was the most difficult, for most people have relatively weak triceps.
Perform an end of week analysis after each week. Then add accessory movements to compensate for those weaknesses. Perform accessory movements after the main lift.
Week2:
Thursday Bench Competition grip 75% 1RM 6 sets of 3 reps
Sunday: Bench Close Grip 60% 5x5
Week3:
Thursday Bench Competition grip 85% 1RM 5 sets of 3 reps If triples are too difficult do 5 sets of 2
Sunday: Bench Close Grip 65% 6 sets of 3 reps
Week 4:
Thursday: 4 singles at 90% 1RM
Sunday: Bench competition grip 55% 5x5
Week 5:
Thursday: Thursday competition bench 65%
light accessory movements
Sunday: Test 1 RM
Take a quick look at what we did above. We gave specific design and purpose for a 4 week period leading us to peak on week 5 for a test of our strength. Over the period of 4 weeks we increased our workload and volume, we gave the body ample resting time for recovery, and we peaked for a test of the 1RM. We did NOT go to the gym week after week and “kill it” then wonder why 6 months later we still are stuck benching 315…
Doing an end of week analysis after our workouts will allow us to see what part of the workout was hard, and what accessory movements can fix it. Maybe some extra wide grip benching, floor presses, more skull crushers, etc.
The above is the most simplistic basic approach, which does yield results. So if you are a bencher, stuck at a sticking point give the above a shot.
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