Barbell Russian Bear Style Triples

[JeffC]

I have been using Russian Bear, 80% of top set of five for fives with short rest for many sets, for a short while. I have been using it on Squat, Press, Incline Press, and surprisingly effective, One Arm Dumbbell Rows.

Recently for Push Press and Squat I have been doing sets of three. I work up to a heavy single or triple, depending how heavy I want to go, and drop down to 80% for sets of three. It allows me to go heavier and keep quality up longer.

I don’t see quality as a goal of Russian Bear, but I feel a bit safer.

Bear style triples?

I have also done Russian Bear sets starting a six reps and stopping when sets of three become difficult.

 

[Steve W.]

I think the basic idea is fine. The mandate with the bear is to "get a pump with a (relatively) heavy weight." I added the "relatively" because there's a balance between load, accumulating volume, rest between sets, and recovery between sessions. So I don't think sets of 5 is necessarily set in stone.

However, if your top set is a single or triple at a heavier weight than you would use for a set of 5, I'd think about dropping down a little lighter for the volume triples. You're already getting in some practice at higher intensities with your top sets, so for recovery reasons I'd go for a little bigger spread between your top set and volume sets. With lower reps sets it's tempting to keep the poundage higher because you can, compared with fives. But in my experience, the intensity catches up with you and it's easy to run into a wall or get worn down over time.

 

[Steve Freides]

@Geoff Chafe, it sounds like you've figured out an intelligent alternative to the Bear that tilts the balance a bit more towards strength - sounds very good to me. The danger would lie in trying to match the overall volume by doing more sets of 3 to equal the total number of lifts you'd have done with sets of 5. Danger only because as the weight increases, most of us tolerate less total volume. Your approach might also be used cyclically, switching to triples as the weight gets heavier and then cycling back to fives again.

-S-

 

[Hung]

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[Antti]

Do you mean 80% of 1RM or 80% of the top weight of the day?

I have been training a bit similarly but yet a bit differently. I aim for a reasonably heavy top single, and do 2-3 back off sets for a total of 6-15 reps on top of that. The back off sets are based on the top single of the day but I do try to make them around 70-80% of 1RM most of the time. But with this variation I'm looking for high frequency and regular exposure to different intensity ranges. I'm sure it works with less frequency and more back off sets as well.

 

[JeffC]

@Antti My percentage is based off the top set of the day.

I work up to a top set of 1-5 reps, and do Russian Bear or Ladders as my back off work.

The only assistance work I will do is some sort of overload/partial work, and/or, chinup/Pullup, Kroc Rows, grippers, Inch Trainer. I use rings and heavy sandbag regularly when playing in the basement with the kids.

I barbell train twice a week, one, rarely time for two pressing days, and one squat day, so I want a decent amount of volume.
Averaging once a month Deadlift I am using a protocol mentioned by @kennycro@@aol.com of 15 singles with short rest, 30-90sec.