Platoe in training, what next Leave a comment

One thing I have always pleaded from day one is change. I have always influenced people to change in terms of training. Whether it be intensity, volume, frequency ext. unless you are making consistent strength gains you should always change variables in your training, some more than others. As I mentioned in my article “the platoe” intensity is the most common variable people platoe on or a more common term “sticking point”. I personally believe you should always change every variable. Because although you will platoe on some sooner than other. You will eventually platoe on all and by hitting a platoe on one you will hinder them all. I have not yet come across one person that changes all the variables or cycles them if you like. There are millions of articles, books and magazines that cover this very subject. On how to prevent hitting a sticking point, but still to this day there is not a single method that covers all variables. But there is a way! It requires three simple methods put together. Fist of is German volume training. German volume training is when you perform a number of reps for the same number of sets, for example: 7×7. The second method is prioritization, originally created by Tudor Bompa. The idea behind it is to cycle intensity. But it can be applied to any other variable. The third and final piece is changing the exercise. By now you’re probably really confused. But in addition it’s purely simple. My idea was to prioritize the German volume training, by doing this the intensity will always change and so will the volume. I would personally cycle it for 5 weeks because then you will say in the intensity range for a hypertrophy response. So you start at 6×6 and end at 10×10. From 85% 1RM to 75% 1RM- in that window you get the most hypertrophy response. As you may already know I am not a huge believer in typical bodybuilding routines. I would much sooner pick one exercise per body part (preferably compound). A lot people think its not enough volume, just doing one exercise per muscle. But if you were to do 3 exercises 5 sets on each for chest and then do 1 exercise for 5 sets for 3 days, what is the actual difference? If your finding this all a bit confusing.

• Week 1 – 6reps 85% 1RM x 6sets. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
  
  
• Week 2- 7reps 82.5% 1RM x 7sets. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
  
  
• Week 3- 8reps 80% 1RM x 8sets. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
  
  
• Week 4- 9reps 77.5% 1RM x 9sets Monday, Thursday.
  
  
• Week 5- 10reps 75% 1RM x 10sets Monday, Thursday.
  
  

When you complete the full cycle, you can repeat it with a whole new range of exercises. Or you can repeat it again backwards. So you start of from week 5 to week 1. You could even use this method in a circuit or as supersets, tri-sets to oxidize more body fat. Thiers a million ways you can use it, but you will never hit a platoe on your volume, intensity or exercises. You will consistently make gains using a simple method!

Good luck!

Until next time