H/L/M days required in a step-loading program and ideas for implementing them?

[caringandsharing]

I am gonna start doing a step loading system for weighted pull ups to get comfortable with higher volume and was wondering if I would need a Light/ Medium day if I trained the movement 3 times a week.

I'm around 70-71kg BW and haven't tested my 1 rep max previously but I suspect its around 40-45 kg. I plan to start at 20 kg for 3x8 on the first heavy day then add a set until 5x8 and go up to 30 kg and aim for 3x6 up to 5x6 and so on until 40 kg.

What are some options for adding light/medium days?

Currently I just plan to drop 1-2 sets and 5-10 % total weight and adjust this as I make the jump to each new block.

I would start with 20 kg 3x8 day 1 (heavy)

15 kg 1x8 day 2 (light)

17.5 kg 2x8 (medium)

Each week I would add a set to all of the H/L/M days (light 1->2 sets, medium 2-> 3, heavy 3->4 )

I am also open to switching a day of pull ups and using inverted rows or something like that to go a bit more heavy.

edit: goal is to hit 40 kg for reps and hopefully a 50kg pull up

I hope this makes sense!

Any advice/tips would be great, Thank you!

 

[deborah123]

@caringandsharing

I'm around 70-71kg BW and haven't tested my 1 rep max previously but I suspect its around 40-45 kg. I plan to start at 20 kg for 3x8 on the first heavy day then add a set until 5x8 and go up to 30 kg and aim for 3x6 up to 5x6 and so on until 40 kg.

What are some options for adding light/medium days?

Currently I just plan to drop 1-2 sets and 5-10 % total weight and adjust this as I make the jump to each new block.

I would start with 20 kg 3x8 day 1 (heavy)

15 kg 1x8 day 2 (light)

17.5 kg 2x8 (medium)

Each week I would add a set to all of the H/L/M days (light 1->2 sets, medium 2-> 3, heavy 3->4 )

This is not how most light/heavy or daily undulating periodization (light/medium/heavy) plans are structured.

Usually you would alternate something like 5 RM and 10 RM. For example, go with 30kg or whatever on the 5 RM day and then 10-15 KG range on the 10 RM day.

This is generally more effective than wave loading the volume.

 

[caringandsharing]

@deborah123 ah interesting. Ty for this info. Majority of my knowledge on this comes from Alex Bromley/ Andy Baker and I am still new to this so trying to learn whenever possible! will incorporate something like this.

 

[deborah123]

@caringandsharing

ah interesting. Ty for this info. Majority of my knowledge on this comes from Alex Bromley/ Andy Baker and I am still new to this so trying to learn whenever possible! will incorporate something like this.

Gotcha. I talk about this more in my book Overcoming Gravity in chapter 10 on Methods of Progression and then the intermediate and advanced sample programming.

Various iterations of light/heavy, DUP, and some other protocols helped me get myself up to +100% bodyweight (~60kg) pullups and +140% bodyweight dips (88 kg x5 reps) at around 60 kg bodyweight or so.

 

[eberzas]

@deborah123 This is pretty interesting because I was under the assumption that generally, waving the load and waving the volume were sort of two ways of skinning the same cat, assuming intensity is the same. Is your suggestion then a heavy day based off say a 3 or 5RM, a medium day based off a 10RM and a light day based off say like 12-20RM, while the volume remains pretty constant? Thanks so much.

 

[deborah123]

@eberzas

This is pretty interesting because I was under the assumption that generally, waving the load and waving the volume were sort of two ways of skinning the same cat, assuming intensity is the same.

Sort of. Some programs like Oly lifting will wave the volume and keep intensity rather high, but that's mainly if you have a strength or peaking phase. More often done in block periodization or sequential linear.

The problem with waving the volume down to like 1-2 sets is 1-2 sets may not be enough of a stimulus to make gains whereas waving the intensity you can usually adjust the sets to enough stimulus to make gains.

Most other programs will have some sort of waving of intensity such as sequential non-linear, concurrent/DUP, and usually some type of emphasized concurrent or conjugate.

Is your suggestion then a heavy day based off say a 3 or 5RM, a medium day based off a 10RM and a light day based off say like 12-20RM, while the volume remains pretty constant? Thanks so much.

Yes.

Also, my reddit is being weird and not putting comment replies from bwf into my inbox so just tag me if you want a reply.

 

[eberzas]

@deborah123 @eshlow Always appreciate your perspective. Interesting food for thought. Thanks so much for your detailed response.

 

[jermyn]

@caringandsharing I might suggest instead of having a heavy, medium, light, day, why not drop it to two workouts each week? It might be better for recovery.

 

[caringandsharing]

@jermyn yea I will drop it down to 2x a week. I was doing 3 just because I really really enjoyed the movement haha but it wears me down fast especially with my new teaching job. Thank you for the response!

 

[jermyn]

@caringandsharing You're welcome! I totally understand! Haha but our bodies sometimes don't and they want more recovery, right?

 

[caringandsharing]

@jermyn yea the recoery makes a big difference, already feel much better ( although the first week I scheduled to be really light and just focused on building a base. Gonna keep it to 2 times a week for a while

 

[jermyn]

@caringandsharing That's a wise thing to do and I'm happy you're already feeling better! That's very telling in itself!

 

[tacocat]

@caringandsharing 5x5s imo twice a week.

 

[atiredwife]

@caringandsharing I float between 61-63kg. I did step-loading from January - June this month.

I only did weighted pull-ups (and pull-ups in general) once a week. Sometimes even only once every 10 days if my schedule got too busy or if I got sick.

Smoothly went from 5x5 at 15kg to 3x3 at 30kg in about 20 weeks or so. This was more of a rebuilding strength phase that got me back to my PR. After doing my working sets (3x3 - 5x5), I’d do 3-4 more sets, dropping the weight each time.

I feel like my body needs something else now, though. I’m changing to a 5/3/1 periodization and plan to up my frequency to add regular pull ups and more horizontal pulling work to another day in the week too . Still planning to only hit weighted up pull-ups once a week.

Anyways, I think a lot of fitness is experimenting with different programs and frequencies and see what your body responds well to. if you plateau, it’s time to take a deload or change things up.

 

[caringandsharing]

@atiredwife yea I just started learning about different progress schemes (step load, linear, wave etc) and seems like a lot of it is experimenting and learning how to manage volume so recovery isn't an issue.

Step is really good since its so simple and helps with volume. Thats really good progress, and im sure 531 will help with your progress. I hear a lot of good things with the 5/3/1 program (if thats the one you will specifically use). Best of luck, I hope you see consistent progress!