I have a simple question - in the 12 Week Strength Program it has on the “Comp” lifts in weeks 1-2 (single @8, -20% 5x5), weeks 3-4 (single @8, -17% 5x4)… In the guidelines it gives percentage ranges for the single @8 of 90-93% and the respective drops for weeks 1-2 (70-73%) and 3-4 (73-76%).
What’s not clear to me is, if you have an e1RM of 403lbs and you are targeting (93%) for a single @8 of 375 for single, would you calculate drop sets:
A) 80% of the single 375 for 300x5x5 (74.5% of e1RM, outside the guideline range)
or …
B) 73% (-20 from 93% single of e1RM) for 295x5x5.
This is only 5lbs difference but it becomes more significant as the e1RM increases and the called for drops decreases to -17% and -15%.
The guideline seems to imply calculating both the single and drop off the e1RM - rather than doing 80% of the single for the -20% drop.
FWIW, I’ve just finished running that program and I interpreted the % drop as based on my absolute 1@8 weight (not my e1RM). For simplicity’s sake: if my 1@8 was 100 kg, -20% would be 80% of that i.e. 80 kg. A 5% drop would be 95 kg, etc.
That’s what I had been doing too - but I bought their version 2 spreadsheet and suddenly saw that as my single became a higher percentage (92-93%) that my drops were out of the guideline range (74-75%) when I applied the -20% to the single.
I think even in the example they use they calculate the drop off the e1RM not directly off the single.
The answer is A. The % is based on the single @8, not on your eRM. The instructions are pretty clear in the template. “Take off 20% from 1@8 for 5x5 (70-73% 1RM)”.
There are days later in the 12wk strength template where you use a % of the e1RM, but not these early “developmental block” weeks. Weeks 1-5 you’re really just pounding volume.
I think as far as the written % changing from 1.0 to 2.0, that was really just them clearing up typos. An @8 single is typically in the 92-93% range for most lifters. They also changed the written % for the drop down work. i.e. in week 2, the volume work is listed at 70-73%, which is ~20% less than 92-93%.
Fair enough, but a single at 93% and then taking -20% off of the weight puts you at 74.4… (93*.8 = 74.4) which is outside the guild one range of 70-73% for -20% off of 90-93%.
That’s option B in my example and that is what it appears to be doing in the example and keeps you in the guideline range. I thought that is the correct way, but I think option A is the more common way it is interpreted. Hence, I’m asking the designer of the program.
Option A) single (90-93%)… multiplied by 80% is 72-74.4% or outside the guideline. (90*.8 = .72)… if you multiply the single weight by 80%.
Option B) single (90-93%)… -20% from is 70-73%. (90-20 = 70)… then multiply by e1RM.
I mean, it literally says “Take off 20% from 1 @8 for 5 reps x 5 sets”. Not sure it could be clearer. But yes, you are correct, the %s are a bit off. My guess is they’re simply bad at math, given their volume %s range (70-73%) is just 90-93% minus 20.