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Barbell Cycling without prescribing volume

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Simply strong

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When cycling load should you always keep the reps and sets the same?

Whenever I’ve cycled my barbell training I do it by gradually upping the weight and keeping everything else the same. I’ve done this ever since I read PTTP. Usually I do 5-3-2 reps and keep upping the weight till I hit a 5RM

But are there more gains to be had by not prescribing a set volume?

Aka I’d do say three working sets per session and stop 2 reps before failure every time (RPE of 7-8). Meaning at the start of the cycle I’d be doing sets of 10 and working up till I hit three heavy singles.

Thoughts always appreciated!
 
What is your goal?

In general, what and how we train is what we get good at.

If you want to get great at high reps, train high reps. And the opposite. A different yet familiar stimulus at reasonable intervals is beneficial. Besides, one can't train only in a single way. If it was possible, powerlifters and weightlifters wouldn't do anything but max singles.

The classic American powerlifting programs had a month of eights, a month of fives and a month of triples and less.
 
Goals for 2020 is to get stronger!

I’ll only have maybe 2 sessions a week to achieve this and as a 24kg kettlebell is the heaviest bell I have at my gym I’ve decided to focus on the barbell.

At the moment I’m planning to alternate between...

Session A
Squat - light day
Bench - light day
Variety lift (probably kb snatches and pull ups most often)

Session B
Squat, bench and deadlift cycling as outlined above.

Thoughts and comments appreciated!
 
When I am not peaking, I do the following (there are other ways) as your Session B:

- 3set x 5rep (1 top set) with 6 RPE
- 3x4 (1 top set) with 7 RPE
- 3x3 (1 top set) with 8 RPE
- 3x3 (1 top set) with 9 RPE
- 6x3 (3 top sets) with same weight
- 3x3 (1 top set) with last weight + 5 or 10 more lbs.
- 4x3 (2 top sets) with same weight as last.
- 5x3 (3 top sets) with same weight
- 6x3 (3 top sets) with same weight
- 3x4 (1 top set) same weight
- 4x4 (2 top sets) same weight
- 5x4 (3 top sets) same weight
... See the pattern?

1 more thing... Every 3 or 4 weeks or so deload. This means doing singles for 5 reps at 5 or 6 RPE.

Just giving you some ideas... There are other ways too.

Regards,

Eric
 
I would throw deadlift into session A. If you train only twice a week there's no reason to do a light day and a super heavy day? Thus you'd get more out of deadlift as you'd be a bit fresher doing it.

Do you mean doing 3x10 for a while, then 3x8 and so on?

Going from 10's to heavy sets, aka western periodization, has a downside: there will be some two months without heavy sets?

I had a plan to do a heavy single every 3 weeks before working sets last spring. I couldn't train properly back then so I don't how that would have worked.

Once I have gone from 12 or 15 sets x3 reps to heavier weights by cutting the number of sets. This way you get more first repetitions and weight can be more than in a 6x6 or 5x10. That was a long time ago. I don't remember how it went.

If you like PTTP you could do the bear?
 
When cycling load should you always keep the reps and sets the same?
In Deadlift Dynamite Andy Bolton prescribes top sets of 5 and to go by feel for the sets leading up to the top weight ("play by ear"). In that way the total volume is not fixed.

Pavel has a similar prescription in his Occam's Razor plan:
No Distractions: The Occam's Razor Training Plan | StrongFirst

On Tuesdays, loosen up with a couple of sets of prying goblet squats, then work up to a moderately heavy triple in the Zercher squat. For instance, 135×5, 185×3, 225×3, 245×3. Aim to increase the top set for the next six weeks.

(...)
On Fridays, work up to a top set of five Zerchers, e.g. 135×5, 185×3, 225×5. Aim to increase the top set for the next six weeks.
 
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