7 week endurance or hypertrophy training

Training Q&A [Moderated]
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I think I posted this in the wrong forum first time. So I apologize for a double post. Anyway, I want to start by thanking barbell medicine for publishing a couple of templates I really needed. Over a year ago I went over 30% BF after on and off training and I am past the newbie can lose fat and gain muscle easily stage. I at 29% BF fat now and my strength is rising while I have lost some fat but really want the fat to go down more quickly. My emphasis has been on gaining strength over losing fat so I was glad to find a couple of templates that just maintain strength and allow a lean out.

Just a couple of quick questions. My help tab isn’t working quite right in open office. Not sure if it is a problem with the conversion to free ware spreadsheets. So when it says say RPE 6 (70%) does that mean 70% of 1 rep max which should be roughly RPE 6? The calculator tab and the percentage listed don’t always agree on the weight but then I also found putting in the percentage of 1 rep max listed at the reps and RPE gives a slightly higher estimated 1 Rep max than I had estimated and slightly higher than the calculator tab given my 3 rep RPE 10. For instance on squat I lifted 308 lbs for 3 reps a week ago at RPE 10 and the calculator gives a RPM estimate of 334 lbs. When I plug in 70% of 334 for set 1 RPE 6 6 reps, 75% of 334 for set 2 RPE 7 6 reps, and 2 sets of 79% of RPM at RPE 8 and 6 reps the tab gives an estimated RPM of 337. So I am assuming there is a slight discrepancy in 1 RPM formula in the calculator and the 1 RPM estimate on the tab showing exercise for the day. Not material but enough to make me wonder if I am understanding it right. :slight_smile:

Also will the 7 day endurance program maintain strength as well? Right now BF% has to be goal 1 so I don’t care if I lose a little 1 Rep max estimate since that goal has to be secondary. Just eyeballing the program looks like it should maintain maybe gain but I just wanted to verify before I switch to that instead of the hypertrophy program in 2 weeks when my current block is over. I think either can work but would the endurance program be best for losing fat faster while maintaining current 1 rep max?

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Yea you need to use Excel to get the help tab to work.

It does not say RPE 6 is 70% of your 1RM without a rep designation. 70% at RPE 6 is like a set of 6 reps I think off hand.

308 x 3 does give you 334 as an e1RM. 70% of that is 225 (more ore less), which would be a set of 6 reps @ RPE 6. RPE 7 would be ~255 and RPE 8 would be ~ 265. We use a different coefficient for each lift in the training logs that are not applied to the calculator.

The 7 week (3 day) GPP endurance program may be good at preserving strength in most folks, as that is its goal. Everyone is different though, you know?

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my .02 having run the GPP programs (3 day Hypertrophy and Endurance templates):

80% of the time I’d recommend someone do the 3 or 4 day hypertrophy, especially if the goal is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or increasing general jacktitude for a subsequent PL meet prep. As the doctors have said many times, those goals require adequate training volume and paying attention to the nutrition needs.

I’d really only recommend the endurance template as is if you’re a powerlifter not pointed to competition who wants to improve their performance rowing or running.

If you’re like me and want to focus on performance rowing or running, I would suggest modifying the endurance template even further away from powerlifting than it already is. Admittedly that is a small cohort around these parts.