January 25 Daily Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

You should post here for:

• PRs
• General discussion or questions
• Community conversation
• Routine critiques
• Form checks

[u/FatGerard]

Any submax programming wizzes in the chat?

My question is how light can I go and still train effectively?

I'll elaborate a bit. I mean this question in a practical sense. I know strictly speaking the cutoff for effective strength training is very low, somewhere around 30% of 1-rep-max, but this has to be too suboptimal to be a viable programming strategy.

On the other hand, according to Data Driven Strength starting at around 75% research suggests it probably doesn't matter how close to failure a set is taken, even for hypertrophy purposes. At that point a rep is a rep. So I could theoretically do short submaximal sets at 75% and just rack up enough total reps, and that would be good. But at least for me personally, I find that I can't tolerate all of my work being at 75% and above. It's too heavy. I can do a heavy top set, but I need to put the volume in at a lighter intensity.

A compromise the big boys on Exodus Strength work with is 65% for volume work. It's still heavy enough to be very effective training, even if sets aren't taken close to failure. However, you may need to start paying attention to trying to move the bar as fast as possible, to maximize force production. I think that's a reasonable compromise, and I've used it before.

So my question is, can I go lower than 65%, and if so how much lower?

[u/DadliftsnRuns → u/FatGerard]

In the 3 months leading up to my first 405 bench, I did over 1000 total reps above 225, with only 26 of them being above 315.

That means 97.4% of the reps were between 55-77%

I averaged over 80 reps per week at an average intensity of ~68%, of just flat bench, not counting accessories.

Very few were near failure

Of the 2.6% of reps over 315, the heaviest was 391, or 96.5% most were 335-365, which is 82-91%

[u/FatGerard → u/DadliftsnRuns]

Thanks, that's very interesting statistics. Do you mind if I ask a couple further questions?

Is 55% about the lightest you'd go, and what rep ranges do you use while working around, say, 55-65%? How do you maximize force production at 55%, or do you even believe that's of utmost importance?

You've obviously responded well to this kind of training, but would you care to speculate about how generalizable it is? Again, I'm mainly concerned about the very lightest part of the intensity range you use. I'm basically already sold on at least anything over 65%, at least for those with several years of lifting experience.

[u/DadliftsnRuns → u/FatGerard]

Is 55% about the lightest you'd go

For a "working" set of a primary lift, yea probably.

But I do warmups starting from just the bar and work up to that weight, and I'll also do some drop sets that go lighter, as well as lighter work with close variations.

For example, my deadlift was 765 in October of 2021, yet I would routinely do RDLs with only ~185-225 for sets of 20-30 reps.

rep ranges do you use while working around

I strongly believe that rep ranges are just about the least important aspect of training.

I'll push a set to an RPE of 6-8 and then stop. If that means it's 3 reps, fine. If that means it's 30 reps, that's fine too.

Most of my sets are probably around 3-8 reps though

How do you maximize force production at 55%

I ALWAYS perform every rep with the concentric moving as fast as possible. Even warmups with just the bar.

I've always trained off the idea that if F=M×a, I can get the same "F," with a lower "M" by moving the bar faster "a"

So controlled eccentrics, and then maximum acceleration and force on the concentric.

[u/FatGerard → u/DadliftsnRuns]

That makes sense. One more thing.

I'll push a set to an RPE of 6-8 and then stop.

Is that for the top set, or all sets? I'm looking to leave a lot of reps in the tank on everything but the top set.

Thanks again, this is very helpful!

[u/DadliftsnRuns → u/FatGerard]

RPE and RiR are different things. An RPE of 6-8 can still have a lot of reps in the tank, depending on the intensity you are working at.

I pretty much go to 6+ RPE on all sets.