Simple Progression for Beginners

[Off Road]

Here is a simple way for beginners to start lifting progressively...

Start with a light weight that you can use to complete 12 easy reps.
This may take a few sessions to figure out, but you don't want to be straining.

Every time you do the lift again, add 5 lbs to the bar. You should still be getting 12 reps fairly easy for a few weeks. If not, you started too heavy.

Soon the weight will get heavy enough and you will be straining to get all 12 reps. That's okay, keep adding the 5 lbs.

One day you will add the 5 lbs and FAiL to get all 12 reps. That's okay, just keep adding 5 lbs.

The weight will keep getting heavier and one day you will fail at 10 reps, then 9 reps, then 8 reps. But that's okay, just keep adding 5 lbs.

When you fail at 5 reps, hold the weight steady and stop adding the five lbs. Keep using the same weight until all your lifts have stalled at 5 reps.

Once all your lifts have stalled at 5 reps go ahead and take a full week off from training. Let the body relax and compensate and grow. Look back through your training log and find the weight where you last hit all 12 reps.

When you start your second round you will start with the last 12 rep weight you used. You will find that you can hit 12 reps easily with that weight now.

Go ahead and start adding the 5 lbs to the bar every time you do the same lift again.

Look through your journal and you should see that you are hitting more reps with more weight than your previous go-round with this system. You will also find that you stall at 5 reps with a heavier weight. This is progress!

Run a few cycles of this and you should see real progress and real growth if your eating and rest is up to the task.

This method has an advantage of starting light and ending heavy in a safe and controlled manner. You also get to work through higher rep ranges and lower rep ranges within the same program.

I would start with just one work set for beginners. I would let the beginner run two or three rounds of this to keep setting rep PRs and weight PRs.

After two or three rounds of 1 set, the lifter can then re-calculate some stuff and add a second set to all the lifts. Volume is also a means of progression.

[BendtheBar]

Great post OR.

[Off Road]

Thanks BtB. The real cool thing about this style of progression is a lifter will hit a rep range that his body really likes and the progress will really take off. He'll spend a lot of time within that particular rep range.

[BendtheBar]

It's very Christy like, and a nice auto-regulation system. Definitely will move a lifter along quite nicely.

[glwanabe]

This is a very classic style of progression. Very nice!

In a classic program you did not go all the way down to 5 reps, but I like how you have put this together.

[Jamesw]

great post, progression seems to be a misunderstood concept with the lamen.

[glwanabe]

Originally Posted by Jamesw

great post, progression seems to be a misunderstood concept with the lamen.

That is a conversation that I have been having for awhile.

Following a written program is like cooking from a recipe. Just follow the steps.

Understanding progression is the same as knowing the science behind cooking. Once you understand the science you can create from scratch what others need a recipe to do.

[Jamesw]

Originally Posted by glwanabe

That is a conversation that I have been having for awhile.

Following a written program is like cooking from a recipe. Just follow the steps.

Understanding progression is the same as knowing the science behind cooking. Once you understand the science you can create from scratch what others need a recipe to do.

Right, once people understand the principle they can apply it in ways that makes sense to them.

[bamazav]

Great thoughts OR. Gonna think through some new applications.