Anyone doing the programming from renaissance periodization?

[jazzper]

Anyone had good results from this type of programming? Do i understand it correctly?

First week you start at 3 rir and use just enough volume to get gains (MEV) then each week add load or reps to drop rir by one, while also adding set you recover.

Week 1: 100 x 8,7,6 (3 rir)
Week 2: 105 x 8,7,6 (2 rir)
Week 3: 110 x 8,7,6,5 (1 rir)
Week 4: 115 x 8,7,6,5 (0 rir)
Week 5: deload

Could i also just do rir progression on my big lifts like db press, rows etc, then on isolation lifts just use double progression?

 

[justyna]

@jazzper Hello. I’ve been doing RP training for a while and probably will train this way from now on.

You have the general idea down. In week one, use your BEST GUESS of 3RIR for every set in your rep range.

Each week add 5-10 lbs or 1-2 reps. Each week add a set if you are not getting any pump, fatigue, soreness at all. If you’re getting any combination of those three, don’t add sets.

Eventually you will fail to be able to beat your previous weeks performance, and now you have data on what your 0RIR is.

Take a Deload then use your 0RIR week data to ballpark your next Meso cycles first week. For example if I ended a meso at 275x8 @ RIR0-1, then my next meso’s first week might be around 255x6-8. That’s just an example.

Lastly, I personally would not add in double progression into this mix. The entire point of RP style training is to hit a minimum volume and intensity in your first week and build from there. A double progression doesn’t really take intensity into account. Just increase or decrease the weights in your straight sets so that you stay in your rep range and beat last week’s performance.

With compound lifts, I like using the 5-10 range and adding weight week to week. With isolation or machine lifts, I like the 10-20 rep range and focus on adding 1-2 reps each session.

 

[jazzper]

@justyna On the exercises you add weight, do you add weight and match last weeks reps on all sets with more weight?

 

[justyna]

@jazzper Yes exactly. So a progression might look like this:

1) 225x8,7,5

2) 230x8,7,5

3) 235x8,7,5

4) 240x7,5,3

5) Deload

1)new meso: 230x9,6 ; 225x7

2) 235x9,6 ; 230x7

I wanted to show that you can use a down set when you’re in danger of leaving the desired rep range too.

THAT BEING SAID, if you fail to match reps on later sets, that’s okay. You just want to try your hardest (safely). If you can’t match reps on later sets, it’s not an indicator that you need to hit a Deload. HOWEVER if you fail to beat your performance on the first set of your first exercise for that muscle group, then yes it’s likely time for a recovery session or Deload.

If you bench and then incline bench in a session, your first set of bench after you’ve warmed up is going to be a bigger performance indicator than your first set of incline bench since you’ll already be tired from the first exercise.

Hope that helps.

 

[jazzper]

@justyna Thanks!

 

[confusedgirl98]

@jazzper You can probably find their pdf template online, somewhere.

But basically you start at RPE 7, and week by week you add a little load or increase RPE, until you hit failure, basically, then you deload, rinse and repeat.

As for sets, they have a rating system whereby you increase sets for the next half week if you recovered on time, didn't get much of a pump, and felt like it was easy. You remove sets if it was too hard, for example.

I plan on following their program next (in about a months time), and by no means appealing to authority... those guys seem to know what they're talking about.

 

[doks]

@jazzper If you’re confident you can accurately gauge RIR then it’s a great program. If not, stick to double progression.