Barbell Polish progression by Andrzej "Wodyn" Roszkowski

[Pasibrzuch]

I want to share a program by a Polish powerlifter, gpp coach, PICP level 5 Andrzej "Wodyn" Roszkowski. He explains it in one of his lectures on youtube but it's in Polish so I think the world would benefit if it's translated somewhere.
The program maintains nice balance between autoregulation and structure.
The plan goes as follows:

1. choose two big lifts for a training session - one lower body, the other upper body
2. start with around 40% of your max and perform 10 reps
3. wait 2 minutes
4. add 5-10% of your max to the bar

repeat the last two steps until you cannot perform 10 reps
remember the number of reps you performed in the last set (let's say it's 7 for the sake of clarity)

optional: perform a backoff set at 80% of your last set (not your RM) for 7-10 reps
optional: perform an exercise from a group of "healing" exercises that will correspond with your main lift (e.g. Poliquin flies if it was a bench press, split squat if it was a squat, etc.) for 3x10

Next session start with the 40% of your RM but - now the magic happens - the number of reps in a set is a number of reps you did during the last set of your last session (in our example - 7)
You add weight in the same increments as previous session and stop when you cannot perform 7 reps.
Perform an optional backoff set and healing exercises.

You continue until you end up with a session when you perform singles and you ramp up to your new 1RM.

The benefits of this template:
- you don't need to be stressed out that you need to lift a certain amount of weight for a certain number of reps on a given day.
- you go over the problem of slow-twitch/fast-twitch dominance - you are bound to perform a stimulating number of reps per set sooner or later.

I've been enjoying it and it helps me to add weight to the bar after I exploited the linear progression. The only reason I'm thinking about changing a plan it that it works too well.

Enjoy!

 

[Philippe Geoffrion]

Pretty neat. Thanks for sharing.

I’m curious to whom this is geared towards: athletes, regular joes, lifters. It’s a twist on linear periodization, moving from higher to lower reps.

Is there any mention of frequency or what the other weekly sessions would be, if any?

 

[Pasibrzuch]

Is there any mention of frequency or what the other weekly sessions would be, if any?

he mentions once per week in the lecture but that's probably because of the weights he's lifting. I used it twice per week. The exemplary program he gave is dumbell bench press and back squats, but I think you can do it a any squat/deadlift exercise + your upper body exercise of choice.

I’m curious to whom this is geared towards: athletes, regular joes, lifters. It’s a twist on linear periodization, moving from higher to lower reps.

He doesn't mention it. I think the volume is too high for it to be a gpp program where you need to squeeze in other modalities throughout the week.

 

[silveraw]

He doesn't mention it. I think the volume is too high for it to be a gpp program where you need to squeeze in other modalities throughout the week.

Interesting. Looking at it there are only 1-2 working sets. I wouldn’t think it would generate that much fatigue
In practice does it take a lot out of you?

 

[Pasibrzuch]

Interesting. Looking at it there are only 1-2 working sets. I wouldn’t think it would generate that much fatigue
In practice does it take a lot out of you?

in higher rep ranges, yes. On the other hand - when the reps go below 5 I just breeze through it and I seem to get most of the stimulus from the back off set.
Also, I'm think I'm prone to CNS fatigue and what others find stimulating or even energy-boosting I find draining. So try the program out and check because it might be just good as GPP for folks with better recovery abilities.

 

[K2S5R]

It's been awhile since I read PTTP, but from memory, it seems like it is a way to accumulate additional volume at lower intensities with the ~2 working sets.

 

[watchnerd]

1. choose two big lifts for a training session - one lower body, the other upper body

This is how I ended up with poverty arms.

 

[silveraw]

This is how I ended up with poverty arms.

Gotta play with the definitions.
Barbell curls are multi joint big lifts. It goes across two elbow joints.

 

[silveraw]

in higher rep ranges, yes. On the other hand - when the reps go below 5 I just breeze through it and I seem to get most of the stimulus from the back off set.
Also, I'm think I'm prone to CNS fatigue and what others find stimulating or even energy-boosting I find draining. So try the program out and check because it might be just good as GPP for folks with better recovery abilities.

Thanks that makes sense.

Have you ever done a more "maximal" program before? I know when I did PTTP my recovery capacity was not great. Since I've been doing more heavy sets I seem to be able to recover a lot easier session to session. I think recovery is something that can be trained over time, but that is a more personal anecdote than something I've read a paper on.

 

[Pasibrzuch]

This is how I ended up with poverty arms.

1. if you read the whole post you'll see that there's an accessory for each main lift
2. not everybody cares what their arms look like or just what they look like in general
3. the author of the program would probably disagree:

 

[watchnerd]

Gotta play with the definitions.
Barbell curls are multi joint big lifts. It goes across two elbow joints.

If I curl up to my face, I can get some shoulder flexion!

 

[watchnerd]

2. not everybody cares what their arms look like or just what they look like in general

They're lying to themselves.

And if I have accessories, then it's not just 2 big lifts.

And what whole post were we supposed to read to learn about the accessory lifts?

I didn't see any mention in the OP or links.

EDIT: oh, are the "healing lifts" the accessories?

 

[Pasibrzuch]

Thanks that makes sense.

Have you ever done a more "maximal" program before? I know when I did PTTP my recovery capacity was not great. Since I've been doing more heavy sets I seem to be able to recover a lot easier session to session. I think recovery is something that can be trained over time, but that is a more personal anecdote than something I've read a paper on.

only linear progression from Tactical Barbell Fighter program. I seem to benefit more from higher rep ranges - my progress was much faster when I started including 10s.

I'm pondering going on PTTP with front squats and snatch-grip deadlifts on alternating days. I want to experiment with two-three 10 minute sessions daily (the second session would be a press), the optional 3rd session athletic drills (sprints, hurdles, etc.)

 

[silveraw]

I seem to benefit more from higher rep ranges - my progress was much faster when I started including 10s.

That is very common for anyone who has spent their whole lifting life with 5 reps or fewer. I had a similar experience.

TB Fighter is more a strength maintence program, also it should be waved week 1 70%, week 2 80%, week 3 95%, repeat at least once more before increasing max calculation. Ideally you get your higher rep work from the conditioning you run along side it. Fobbits are a classic choice (SF roadwork is basically the same thing).

 

[watchnerd]

That is very common for anyone who has spent their whole lifting life with 5 reps or fewer. I had a similar experience.

Whatever you're not doing / is the novel stimulus usually gives the best ROI.