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Barbell RoP/3x5-5x5 Micro Cycle Progression

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kitsu

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I know that I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but I'm almost done with my first round of RoP, and it made me wonder if this style of training would be effective with the barbell training? Start with a weight that you can lift 5-8 times, the follow the RoP path using 3x5 to 5x5 and then increase weight by 5kg for upper body lifts and 10 kg for lower body lifts, like in Wendler 5/3/1. So lets our staring deadlift is 120kg, perform the following for the heavy days:

Week1 - 5 x 3
Week 2 - 1 x 4, 4 x 3
Week 3 - 2 x 4, 3 x 3
Week 4 - 3 x 4, 2 x 3
Week 5 - 4 x 4, 1 x 3
Week 6 - 5 x 4
Week 7 - 1 x 5, 4 x 4
Week 8 - 2 x 5, 3 x 4
Week 9 - 3 x 5, 2 x 4
Week 10 - 4 x 5, 1 x 4
Week 11 - 5 x 5
Week 12 - Add 10kg and restart from week 1.

On light days, subtract 2 reps per set, and on medium days, subtract 1 rep per set. I think with a slow and steady linear progression like this, it would be a long time before you would plateau.
 
I like these slow burn programs that can be run long term. Plan Strong springs to mind. I would observe though that 12 weeks is a long time to be working out sub-maximally so, personally, I wouldn't commence a program like that at my 8 rep max. It would be a very accurately measured seven or, perhaps, six rep max (unless the rest periods were intentionally brief). Assuming a six rep max starting weight, the first tough set will be week 7 (1x5). As I say, I like slow burn but that's pretty slow. Many lifters would expect a new personal best at the end of six weeks of dedicated strength training, but this program is only getting started. Just my thoughts
 
I know that I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but I'm almost done with my first round of RoP, and it made me wonder if this style of training would be effective with the barbell training? Start with a weight that you can lift 5-8 times, the follow the RoP path using 3x5 to 5x5 and then increase weight by 5kg for upper body lifts and 10 kg for lower body lifts, like in Wendler 5/3/1. So lets our staring deadlift is 120kg, perform the following for the heavy days:

Week1 - 5 x 3
Week 2 - 1 x 4, 4 x 3
Week 3 - 2 x 4, 3 x 3
Week 4 - 3 x 4, 2 x 3
Week 5 - 4 x 4, 1 x 3
Week 6 - 5 x 4
Week 7 - 1 x 5, 4 x 4
Week 8 - 2 x 5, 3 x 4
Week 9 - 3 x 5, 2 x 4
Week 10 - 4 x 5, 1 x 4
Week 11 - 5 x 5
Week 12 - Add 10kg and restart from week 1.

On light days, subtract 2 reps per set, and on medium days, subtract 1 rep per set. I think with a slow and steady linear progression like this, it would be a long time before you would plateau.
I’d expect you to be able to add more than 10kg after a dedicated 12 week DL programme with 3 specific training days and 5 total training days a week. Dependent on training age/diet of course but I’d expect 10kg to be too small a step up after a 3 month specific programme.
 
I was just using a rough example for the starting weight and the added weight for the next cycle. Perhaps you could find your 1 rep max, then use an 80% training max like in 5/3/1. On week 12 retest your max, and use your new number to calculate your training max for the next cycle. I'm really enjoying RoP right now, and just wondered if it would be transferable to barbell work. I personally am going to run Fabio's PlanStrong deadlift program from the "Stop Fearing Heavy Wights" article on my next cycle.
 
Alternatively, you could dump the light and medium days (that I don't think are needed for a program with this escalation), do two of those workouts weekly (ie keep format but change to six weeks) and in week six either re-test your max or add weight. With a starting weight ~80% RM and rest periods as required to make the next set. Then if you wanted to incorporate a third workout it would be a skills/recovery/accessory session - turn up, do whatever, enjoy, go home
 
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