Help needed with a program...

.ak

I've been doing a bit of hypertrophy over the summer, and am looking to move onto a strength program (or rather a hypertrophy/strength hybrid until our games start again this season) and there is a pretty good list of Hypertrophy and Strength programs on David Pocock's website, link: http://david-pocock.com/training/

However, I'm not really used to reading programs, I usually make them up myself, just wondering if someone wouldn't mind clarifying a few things for me.

In particular I'm starting this program this week:
http://www.david-pocock.com/wp-includes/PDF/training/MS%20LMM%201.pdf

My questions are...

• What does intensity mean, is it something similar to tempo?
• On the squats on the first work out, what does 'watts' mean?
• How come the above options are only on the squats?
• I presume on the first workout there's a few typos, 'recovery/req.reps/reps' for the last 3 exercises? Presumed they all just mean 'reps'.
• Probably a stupid question, but why are the reps pre-listed for the first exercise but not for the rest? Do I just replicate them for the rest?

Well, they're probably all stupid questions! But as I said, I'm not really used to reading programs, I just usually jot down a simple one myself. Cheers!

Mellor

.ak wrote: »

My questions are...

• What does intensity mean, is it something similar to tempo?
• On the squats on the first work out, what does 'watts' mean?
• How come the above options are only on the squats?
• I presume on the first workout there's a few typos, 'recovery/req.reps/reps' for the last 3 exercises? Presumed they all just mean 'reps'.
• Probably a stupid question, but why are the reps pre-listed for the first exercise but not for the rest? Do I just replicate them for the rest?

• Intensity is one of those words that gets used in different ways a lot. Usually, intensity refer to the intensity of the load as a percentage of 1RM. So an intensity of 90% means you lift 90% of your max.
  However, in this case he had noted an 100% intensity for a triple. Going by the common definition above, that’s not technically possible (if you can triple it, then it’s not 100% of your max). It other less common (some would say incorrect) definition is using intensity to measure difficult. So 100% intensity would be max effort for the given reps. Basically the same idea as RPE (rate of perceived exertion). It’s probably more accurate to call this ‘effort’ rather than intensity, but I’d assume that’s what the program is describing. For squats, you do 80-90% effort for 8-12 reps, followed by two max effort (100%) 3 rep sets.
• Watts is the unit of power. The work done, over by the time taken. In terms of moving weights, that means the force need to move the weights, plus any acceleration. I think the formula is F=m(g+a)h
  Eg to deadlift 100kg, a height of 0.5m, at an acceleration of 1m/s (which takes 1second). The work would be 100kg x(9.8+1) x0.5 = 540 Joules. Watts are joules per second, so the power output is 540 Watts also.
  Basically, more load means more power, faster means more power. There’s no real reason to calculate that watts for individual workouts though. Maybe it’s a calculation at the start and end of a program to show a power output increase.
• There’s no reason to look at watts on squats over the other big compounds imo. You could just as easily use deadlifts to show an increase in power output.
  In fact it’s probably a better lift as it travels a fixed distance. Squats work/power is dependent on the depth you hit.
• Yeah I think so. SINGLE LEG PRESS on day 1 should probably say REPS not RECOVERY
• No I don’t think you replicate them. Max effort triples across the board wouldn’t be great imo. Some lifts have reps noted and they differ from the first exercise. I’d guess to do 5x3-5 for the big compounds and 3x8-10 reps for the assistance stuff.

I don’t think I’d even call this a program tbh. It just looks likes a blank page from a workout log.
There’s no progression week to week. No sets or reps for most exercises. No loads noted anywhere.
I’d assume that the team S&C coach (on the right) prescribed all this info for them. Without that it’s fairly generic tbh.

.ak

Cheers Mellor, helpful as always.

Ah, kinda didn't want to hear the last part, lol I wanted to start working on this tomorrow, but that means I need to go back and do a bit more calculation.

Kinda brings me to the next part, should the load be the same for each set? i.e; for the squats he has a pretty varied rep range, I presume this is to allow to lift a heavier weight then in a pure hypertrophy session, but should I be keeping the load the same?

Now that I look back at some of his hypertrophy programs, he has the rep ranges at a pretty standard 5x 12-15, which is par the course for hypertrophy right? So maybe the rep ranges on the squats in this are supposed to be replicated for each exercise?

Alf Veedersane

There seems to be zero explanation anywhere for anything so it's all second guessing.

But Mellor's right in any case with the summary of it as a programme.

What kind of timeframe are you looking at to take you into the new season?

.ak

Well I was hoping to do this for 4 weeks. In 2 weeks we go back to training but it'll very much 2 nights of fitness stuff for a few weeks before we start doing strength and skill work.

So yeah, was looking at this program to do a 4 week (4 sessions a week) hybrid strength/hypertrophy and then move onto a pure strength program, so about 3-4 sessions a week in-season of just strength work.


I suppose, as a 'program', it is completely blank, but I assume it's more designed for people who know where they're at currently? Like I said, I've been doing a hypertrophy phase over the past 4 weeks so I thought I could fill in the blanks here..

LuckyLloyd

Here's a simple suggestion:

- go down to the gym today / tomorrow and squat up to a heavy single;
- Google 'Smolov Junior';
- Do it;

Your legs will be strong to start the pre season.

Don't stress out too much about what to do around it. Basically do zero deadlifts and maybe bench / overhead press / pull / row once each week working to to a heavy five each time (add weight for the pull ups).

I think the template you had is unnecessarily complicated. Keep it simple. If I had four weeks to focus on strength that's what I'd do. If you're worried about your conditioning and recovery / diet / rest between sessions is good run this on the rower for the next three weeks:

1) 8 x 500m / 3min30 rest

2) 5 x 1500m / 5min rest

3) 5k

Week 2:

1) 250m, 500m, 750m, 1k, 750m, 500m, 250m / 1min30 rest per 250m work

2) 4 x 2000m / 5min rest

3) 5k row

Week 3:

1) 4 x 1000m / 5min rest

2) 3k, 2.5k, 2k / 5min rest

3) 5k row


But drop all conditioning if you're balancing a job and sure, ****, drop all other lifting than the squats if you like.

Best of luck.

.ak

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Here's a simple suggestion:

- go down to the gym today / tomorrow and squat up to a heavy single;
- Google 'Smolov Junior';
- Do it;

Your legs will be strong to start the pre season.

Don't stress out too much about what to do around it. Basically do zero deadlifts and maybe bench / overhead press / pull / row once each week working to to a heavy five each time (add weight for the pull ups).

I think the template you had is unnecessarily complicated. Keep it simple. If I had four weeks to focus on strength that's what I'd do. If you're worried about your conditioning and recovery / diet / rest between sessions is good run this on the rower for the next three weeks:

1) 8 x 500m / 3min30 rest

2) 5 x 1500m / 5min rest

3) 5k

Week 2:

1) 250m, 500m, 750m, 1k, 750m, 500m, 250m / 1min30 rest per 250m work

2) 4 x 2000m / 5min rest

3) 5k row

Week 3:

1) 4 x 1000m / 5min rest

2) 3k, 2.5k, 2k / 5min rest

3) 5k row


But drop all conditioning if you're balancing a job and sure, ****, drop all other lifting than the squats if you like.

Best of luck.

Thanks Lucky, that looks pretty interesting. I may look into that for pure strength phase whilst in season. I don't need to worry about conditioning as our 'preseason' in the club is pretty relentless anyway in terms of fitness conditioning.

The reason the above sheet looks complex is because it's a hypertrophy/strength program as opposed to a purely strength program, so I'm looking to hit a greater range of isolation on each muscle group.

But defo, when I go back to the club, I'll have less time, and be doing more fitness work in the evenings, so I'll defo be simplifying things in the gym and look at purely strength building with simple compounds.