So as we discussed last week we have 7 fundamental patterns we want to get into our training.
You'll notice we don't talk about specific exercises or muscle groups as much as we do the patterns. This is because generally we aren't too fussy about which exercise we use to hit the pattern, for some people a back squat will be better while others will get more out a goblet squat but both are a squat pattern.
We talk about specific 'muscles' when it comes to accessory work.
So in terms of long term planning we are currently working from a 10 week cycle.
This will look like:
Week 1- High volume (a lot of reps at a moderate weight).
Week 2- Tempo and pause. Adding more time under tension.
Week 3- Step loading. Doing the same reps but adding weight as we go (e.g. 5x5 where each set gets heavier).
We will repeat this cycle 3x. So week 4 will be back to high volume, week 5 will be tempo and pause and so on.
This will culminate in a testing phase at week 10.
This is known as undulating programming/periodisation whereby volume and intensity go up and down throughout the training phase either daily or weekly (in this case weekly).
The other method we may use is linear whereby every week progresses a little (we would do 9 weeks of volume getting heavier/tougher each week).
We chose this method as it allows that nice balance between variety and progression we discussed in last weeks blog (when you get to week 4 you can see your high volume stuff is improving but you haven't done it for 4 weeks straight).
We work backwards from what we want to test at week 10 to decide on what the daily and weekly programme entails.
The way we programme daily has three criteria:
-If you only did one session this week it's as well balanced as it could be.
-It balances what you NEED vs what you WANT (I want to do loads of arms but my single leg stuff needs work as I have running goals).
-You will hit 12-20 sets of each movement pattern if you do 3x PT per week (the ideal situation).
The reality is there is no 'perfect' programme.
We need to find something you enjoy, is challenging and enables as much balance as we can have with the time we've got (if you only strength train 1-2x per week it's unlikely your programme will be perfectly balanced).
The way we structure a session is as follows:
Warm Up- General mobility and movement. This allows us to see any aches and pains you may have and to allow you to transition from work/family mode to gym mode.
Primer- A full body dynamic exercise or two to prepare us for a primary lift. Things like Kettlebell Swings, Goblet Squats, Cable Pulldowns and core.
Main Movement- Each day on our programme will have a main lift such as a squat, deadlift, overhead press or pull up. These will follow the above criteria of programming.
We will always have a couple of exercises we do around this that don't compete to give you maximum bang for your buch (for example we will give you dumbbell rows after your squats. After squats your legs need a rest but instead of doing nothing you can get upper body work in so you maximise your time).
Accessory- This will be more person specific but typically will hit a couple of movement patterns we haven't hit. For example if we did squats and rows in block 1 this may be a stiff-leg deadlift and dumbbell bench press.
In this example we have now done some core in the warm up, squat, pull, push and hinge pattern before we may finish with some breathing/cardio.
As we said, a well-balanced programme giving you maximum return on time.
Elevate98 is for the busy individual to get maximum results AND enjoyment from their gym experience.
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