PlanStrong/BuiltStrong intensity dynamics within a week

[tongzilla]

this is about page 107 (2nd edition), the section on intensity dynamics within a week.

"do not keep the same average intensity in a given exercise from session to session, vary it by selecting different main weights."

I thought the main weights have been pre-selected at the beginning of the plan. E.g. if my 1RM is 100kg, and I've decided my main weights for PS70 Prep phase would be 75kg and 85kg. If I vary the main weight, that means I will use something like 78kg and 88kg respectively?

The problem is you can increase the number of heavy lifts (85kg in this case) on a given day compared to another day, but still end up with a lower HARI for that day (because can be compensated by a greater proportional increase in 75kg lifts). However, I don't see the manual recommending calculating HARI for each day and using that as an indicator of intensity. Instead it seems to recommend just using number of heavy lifts as a guideline.

 

[Decathlete]

It's as you said, you change the NL each workout using the weights you selected for the month. I personally do calculate the HARI each workout to make sure the intensity matches what the day should be, but you could probably also eyeball it if the volume isn't that high.

 

[taikei]

I have heard Fabio recommending calculate session by session HARI . It wasn’t on the worksheets but I took note of it.
Aren’t varying main lifts about selecting L M H as the go to weight of the day?
At the Q&A Online session few weeks ago, Fabio said you can set 2 different weights in one intensity zone such as 75, 78% but not sure that 78 % is a reduced number of high intensity zone or 78% being a new addition.

 

[Decathlete]

I was actually the one who asked Fabio that question! I recall he said that if you had two intensities, i.e 73% and 77% you calculate the HARI like normal with them when doing the initial calculations. When doing it you still want the total volume of each zone to be in its suggested range, so you take that into account when splitting up the zone between two different intensities.

 

[taikei]

Term main weight got me confused but, it’s defined at Second Edition top of page 30.
Seems like it’s a weight that is used the most within session.

 

[Steve Freides]

Just to clarify, although we do work with ranges of percentages of 1RM as we assign weights, the actual intensity must use the actual weights. If you happen to be using weights that represent exactly the middle of a zone, e.g., 75% and 85%, then you can get away with some of the same math, but to give an example from my own training

1RM = 160 kg

Training weights
115 kg = 72%
125 kg = 78%
135 kg = 84%
145 kg = 91%

so I almost always have 2 weights in the 71-80% zone. (My weights start with a red and a blue and competition clamps on the bar, which is 115 kg, and then I add 5's to get to 125, remove the 5's and put on 10's to get to 135, and add 5's again to get to 145. Nice, easy bar loading.

-S-