all posts post new thread

Barbell Questions about Plan Strong/Soviet system programming

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Silenus

Level 3 Valued Member
Hello good people of StrongFirst,

I'm a first time poster, but a (very) long time follower.

Recently I became really fascinated by the philosophy behind Plan Strong and the Soviet system of training in general. I have a couple of questions about them, If I may:

1) In the routines that I found on this site, like the 5TRM Back Squat Program or A Science-Based Plan to Prepare You for the SFG , I noticed that the 1RM, which the working weights are based on, is not "updated" for many weeks. I suppose that it will improve through the course of the program, so a 70% at week 4 is not the same as a 70% at week 1. Can I ask the rationale behind it? Why is it not autoregulated in some way?

Coach Chris Sommers often says that the supporting structures of the muscle, like tendons and ligaments, adapt way slower than the muscle itself, so you shouldn't increase the intensity too rapidly, even if you theoretically could. Has anything to do with that?

2) Can this kind of training be applied to more than one lift at once?

3) Can it be used year-round?

Thank you so much!
 
Past the novice stage it will take a long time to develop. Getting 2,5kg 1RM increase in three months, for example, is great progress if it's sustainable for a significant period of time.

The soviet methods were and are used year round and on many lifts. There will be some individual differences between lifts and persons as to what is optimal in whatever situation.
 
The logic behind Russian strength strategies are based on easy strength... basically take a semi-heavy weight (say 85%) and stick with it till it feels light... if you're constantly updating your 1RM % then you never get that effect. Constantly chasing higher %s is based on American/western cycling
 
I train russian style and what @james_1127 is saying is the core essence. lift, lift, lift until it's light and then keep going. It's slow and steady progress, but it works.
 
Within Plan Strong, you will use a 1RM for a cycle that can last 2 to 3 months. Then you re-test.
Plan Strong is an approach that decorrelates volume and intensity. There will be days where it does not feel light at all! But if it was programmed properly, you always do all the lifts.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom