Hi
I am new to this forum, pleasure to be a part of the BM community and I hope this question finds you well.
I understand that post-novice trainees are required to increase volume to get stronger, using slightly lighter loads. I reviewed the general intermediate program and like the idea of hitting a single @ RPE 8 and then doing a bunch of 5’s. My question is, after running the general intermediate program, could I continually get stronger by hitting a single around RPE 8, and then accumulating volume using triples, until I hit say, 8 triples. Then I could just increase the load on the triples and start accumulating again.
Obviously, the single @ RPE 8 would be used to measure whether or not this actually works. Either the RPE @ a certain weight will go down, e.g. RPE 8 with 405 down to RPE 7 with 405, or the weight will go up but the RPE stay the same.
Could this, at least theoretically work, and what would be the practical problems following this style of training?
Before I make an attempt to answer, I will say you should listen (and re-listen as required) to the recent BBM podcasts on programming.
Hopefully you have listened to the podcasts at this point.
I would say your assumption that post novice trainees are required to use more volume at lighter loads to get stronger is not correct. Rather all trainees require the right volume at the right intensity ranges to get stronger. Toward the end of your novice progression, one of two things is almost certainly occurring:
- Every increase in weight on the bar at the same rep range requires a commensurate increase in effort to lift i.e. each 5 pounds make the sets harder.
- Every increase in weight on the bar requires a reduction in reps to complete i.e. you are peaking.
If these things are occurring, it really is not clear you are getting any stronger. You note this yourself by saying that a single at RPE 8 is the measure. If we do not keep the reps and effort level consistent, we do not know if the underlying strength has changed. I know this is a long prologue, but I want to make it clear that there is no magical transition from intensity-dependent novices to volume-dependent intermediates. Rather, the novice program works as long as the weights and rep ranges being used apply the correct stress, and that paradigm remains unchanged regardless of training level. The occurrence of the two circumstances described above indicates that the novice progression is no longer satisfying those criteria.
As for your specifc question about triples, I don’t think there is anything magical about 5s, except that they strike a nice balance between intensity, volume, and time in the gym (now that I’ve written that, this balance may well make them magical after all). The “money range” for intensity appears to fall between 70%-83% of 1RM. If you did your triples at this weight and accumulated the same number of total reps, you likely wouldn’t see much difference in strength resutls.
As for practical problems, I see a few. First, the number of sets could very quickly send your total workout times spiraling out of control. Second (a bit of conjecture), assuming your triples are slightly heavier than your fives would be, you would be exposing yourself to a fair amount of additional tonnage and possibly elevating your risk of load-induced musculoskeletal injury. Lastly (full-on conjecture), it is my intuition that a trainee doing fives would be more adapted to triples than a trainee doing triples would be adapted to fives, so you might be missing out on some work capacity development that will be useful later on in your training.
I personally lean toward the fives as written. That said, you won’t know until you try. Let us know what you decide!