PlanStrong/BuiltStrong Lifts less than 70% - Do You Use, and Why?

[Steve Freides]

I notice that many of the programs in the PlanStrong manual use lifts in the 60% range.

Anyone _not_ programming these lifts, and simply keeping everything at 70% and above? I'm doing a PlanStrong kettlebell press cycle now and my lowest weight is 75%.

-S-

 

[Jody Beasley]

I wrote a barbell military press program for an SFG I train with to get her ready for the SFL coming up in a couple weeks. I am still learning with this stuff, but I will let you know how it turns out. I used 70% and above.

 

[Steve Freides]

@Jody Beasley, thank you.

I find even a 75% weight almost too light. Perhaps it's years of pressing heavier, but I am using a 75% weight in my current cycle and regularly doing 5- and 6-rep sets with it because the guidance in the manual is 3-6 reps for that weight. I needed it because my next weight is 85% and I didn't want an 85% HARI, but the next time around, I'm considering bumping up the HARI and see how it feels. I've been sticking pretty close to 80%.

-S-

 

[Martine Kerr]

"I find even a 75% weight almost too light." Ahhhh, that's the beauty of it...it's supposed to feel light. If too many weights are between 75% and 90%, you might hit your HARI but you'll lose out on the critical variability aspect...hence the need for a 70% ish and even a 95% ish. Not totally dissimilar to the ROP, when the ladders started at 1 rep for a given kettlebell weight. That one felt super easy. Needed it to boost the variability of intensity.

 

[Steve Freides]

Ahhhh, that's the beauty of it...it's supposed to feel light.

An interesting and a good point, @Martine Kerr.

I'm currently working with 75%, 85%, and 100% weights. The 100% is repeatable after a decent rest. I find it more difficult to keep good pressing form with lighter weights and have even considered just using the 85% weight which is, after all, what the Rite of Passage is, more or less.

I am going to keep thinking about your point here.

-S-

 

[Sasa Rajnovic]

Since I only used Plan Strong for programing barbell deadlifts, presses etc, I've always used a weight around 75% 1RM, but I understand it is different with kettlebells, especially when the 1RM is under 40kg.

I really enjoy the 75% weights, I use them almost as a warmup for what is coming next because they really feel light. Also, when the number of reps and sets gets high, you can still be 100% sure you will do it and keep good form.

 

[Jody Beasley]

@Steve Freides

These were my percentages used for my barbell military press program I finished several weeks ago. Starting 1RM was 175. Testing 1RM was 200, which is a 10lb lifetime PR. Yes, it was easy. I actually didn't expect to get that result.

Prep Period NL 300
ARI - 69.1
HARI - 77.4

Zone / %Vol / NL
55 / 15 / 45
65 / 40 / 120
75 / 35 / 105
85 / 9 / 27
92 / 1 / 3


Comp Period NL 240
ARI - 71.7
HARI - 79.4

Zone / %Vol / NL
55 / 15 / 36
65 / 28 / 67
75 / 34 / 82
85 / 20 / 48
92 / 3 / 7

 

[Steve Freides]

@Jody Beasley, thanks for posting that. I am going to give serious consideration to using some lower weights in my next Prep cycle.

For the numbers in Zone, did you load the bar to be at or very close to 55%, 65%, etc.?

I am in the middle of a NL=400 Prep cycle, with nothing less than a 77% weight because the next bell size down would have been 69% and I was trying to stay above 70%. I am in the middle of the highest volume week of that cycle and it is a lot of fairly heavy lifting.

-S-

 

[Jody Beasley]

@Jody Beasley, thanks for posting that. I am going to give serious consideration to using some lower weights in my next Prep cycle.

For the numbers in Zone, did you load the bar to be at or very close to 55%, 65%, etc.?

I am in the middle of a NL=400 Prep cycle, with nothing less than a 77% weight because the next bell size down would have been 69% and I was trying to stay above 70%. I am in the middle of the highest volume week of that cycle and it is a lot of fairly heavy lifting.

-S-

Yes, I did. These were my weights. I rounded up or down to the nearest 5 lbs.

55 - 95# - 54.3%
65 - 115# - 65.7%
75 - 130# - 74.3%
85 - 150# - 85.7%
92 - 160# - 91.4%


It seems you would be using a Plan 70 program, which for pressing has a NL range of 200-300 or higher. Since you were in the higher with 400NL, you might could have split the 70-80 zone into 2 weights, using the 69%. You would have still divided the volume among the zones the same, but then split the volume within that individual zone. You could probably still achieve a similar HARI and the program not feel as overly heavy since you would get a break with that lighter bell.

 

[Steve Freides]

Yes, I've been using a PlanStrong 70. I will try a PlanStrong 50 for the next Cycle. Thanks, Jody.

-S-

 

[Jody Beasley]

[QUOT

Yes, I've been using a PlanStrong 70. I will try a PlanStrong 50 for the next Cycle. Thanks, Jody.

-S-

I just looked at your training log, didn't want to comment there to mess up the flow of posts. I think you would have been fine just using the 20kg and going a bit higher in the reps (5-8) when using it, even though it was 69% 1RM, and still be using Plan 70. You might need to do more volume in each day some weeks, splitting the NL in fewer days, but it could give you more rest between sessions.

I just ran the numbers for this plan using your same volume split:

28kg - 5%
24kg - 40%
20kg - 55%

HARI - 79.9

That's only .03 difference in HARI from your current plan.

If you went:

28kg - 5%
24kg - 35%
20kg - 60%

HARI - 79.4

That's still pretty high and within range, and still leaves room for a 1% increase to go into the Comp cycle without going to high.

 

[Steve Freides]

Jody, I'm going to review your numbers later, and will see if I can work in the 20 kg as you've suggested for the Comp cycle which I'll be starting in 2/12 weeks or so.

Thank you _very_ much for taking the time to look at what I'm doing.

-S-

 

[jefree]

@Steve Freides

Taking a hint from Pavel's plans in the manual, I started my PS 50 pressing plans in the 60-70 percent zone and ignored the 50-60 percent zone. I usually use the reps in the 60-70 percent zone for warm up and back off sets. I find these reps actually help me feel if everything is firing right before I get into the real work and also help hone in technique after heavier sets.

The lighter weights in PS 50 make planning deadlifts much easier. I use 50-60 and 60 -70 percent zones for warm ups and speed sets. If you don't do speed sets, you can use those repetitions to do slow reps to really dial in your form.

 

[Steve Freides]

@jefree, thank you. I have never been fond of light weights - just my personal style. I prefer high-tension lifting and, e.g. do zero warmups before 75% deadlifts and am the same way about pressing. I am going to try using lighter weights in my next PS-based pressing cycle and see how it feels, though.

-S-

 

[Hector G]

I notice that many of the programs in the PlanStrong manual use lifts in the 60% range.

Anyone _not_ programming these lifts, and simply keeping everything at 70% and above? I'm doing a PlanStrong kettlebell press cycle now and my lowest weight is 75%.

-S-

The main purpose for PS70 is when you are limited on weights. As Pavel mentioned in the weighted pull-up. Your bodyweight is already in the 75% RM range.

Lifting with the lighter weights 50-60% come in handy when you or your student has a goal of hypertrophy. If hypertrophy is the goal then 35-40% of volume should be focused in the 60% zone.

Also with heavy weight lifters for instance with an 800# DL or SQ the 50 & 60% zones (400 , 480 respectively) is a sweet spot for warm up lifts.

Compared with a lifter with a 300# DL training in the 50-60% zones (150, 180 respectively) will feel too light.

In my experience with my students and myself when training the press it's best to stick with ≥ 70%.

When training the DL it depends on the lifter. If you have a lifter that can tolerate high volume heavy lifts then ≥ 70% will be great. For myself I cannot tolerate high volume heavy lifts in the DL.