General loading protocol question

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hey guys I was looking at the powerlifting 2 template and i got some questions regarding the reasoning behind some loading protocols in the competition and assistance movements.

  • What is the purpose of doing a “second top set” (e.g. 3@9, 5@9) after the 1@8 and before the back off sets in the competition lifts? Is it just to get better working at a bit higher intensities without inducing too much fatigue?

  • Would it be sensible to perform assistance exercises (e. g. overload squat and deadlift) with the same loading protocol as the competition lifts? (Single @8 and backoffs instead of ramp up sets for example). Maybe it is not reasonable to train at such high intensities in assistance exercises but why not? Your are doing an assistance exercise, say a 2ct paused squat, because you want to get more exposure in the bottom position, so the assistance exercise is specific to the “weakness” in your comp lift. Then if my line of reasoning is correct, wouldn’t it be beneficial to be exposed to higher intensities in order for the assistance movement to be more specific?

Thanks for answering!

2

Martilopez,

Thanks for the post and I hope you’re well.

The program is designed to work well as a whole, e.g. the total volume, average intensity, exercise selection, etc. aim to be complimentary. In your initial question, the goal is raise the average intensity slightly in a specific way. Additionally, we can get a more accurate e1RM - particularly if someone hasn’t done singles before.

In some of the supplemental exercises, we program them similarly at times. We don’t do paused squats to get more exposure in the bottom position, however, or any other specific weakness. They are programmed at relatively high intensities however, so I’m not really sure I follow your logic.

It’s also possible to get strong using a wide variety of loading and rep protocols, so I wouldn’t overthink this. My advice would be to run the program as is, take notes, and if you responded well- you can play with a few modifications to see if that works a bit better.

3

Hi Jordan thanks for the response.

​​​​​​1) Thanks, I understand it now.

  1. Yes I’m sorry, I didn’t see that later in the template they are programmed just as the comp lifts. Then the reason to do these variations is just to keep squatting with a slight tweak to the movement that forces a load reduction with respect to the comp lift? Plus it’s kind of a novel stimulus that can also drive adaptation.

Thanks again!
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4

There are many potential reasons to do variations depending on the context. However, our main reasons for doing variations is to improve motor learning and reduce the risk of injury.