How to program Variants

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Are you more in favor of programming variants as higher intensity lower reps to get nuero skills that are strength specific, or do you like using variants to accumulate volume and do them in the lower % intensities?

If I squat and pull 2x a week, once comp and once variants, how would you program that? With comps as a top single and 5’s as back off sets then variants with triples later on the week, or would you reverse that and do comps with triples and the variant work with higher rep higher volume?

Thank you.

2

We aren’t really “in favor” of either, and you’ll find both approaches used in our templates.

For example, you’ll often find the “odd-numbered supplemental lifts” (which are often, though not always, a bit more comp-specific) programmed a bit heavier, for a bit lower reps. Conversely, you’ll usually see the “even-numbered supplemental lifts” (which are often, though not always, less comp-specific) programmed at lower intensities for higher reps.

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