Having a strong and toned abdomen is one of the main goals of most people who start weight training. On the one hand, it is probably the most showy muscle that exists and the one we like to show off the most on the beach. However, we must not forget that the core’s function is to stabilize the body during the execution of our exercises. The forces that we use in our training have their origin in our midsection and are later transmitted to our extremities. Our body performs a coordinated action in which the core is essential.

On the other hand, we must not forget that the core is not only the abdominals, in our table of exercises to do at home we have to include both abdominal and lower back exercises. It is also important that, as we mentioned, the core aims to stabilize the body, so by performing compound exercises such as squats or deadlifts we are indirectly working our core. Finally, as they say “abdominals are achieved in the kitchen”, that is to say that for a showy six pack, we need to have a fairly low percentage of fat with a well-executed diet and then complement it with a table of exercises at home selecting from the 40 core exercises that we are going to present.

In this list of core exercises we will divide the exercises according to different factors: without equipment, with TRX, with a partner, with dumbbells.

Core exercises without equipment: to perform any of these exercises we will not need anything more than the floor and in some cases objects that we have at home such as a chair or a rag.

1. Trunk lifts on the floor: also known as “crunches” or simply sit-ups, this exercise is the most classic of all. However, we do not recommend overdoing this exercise as it is not particularly effective and has some potential for injury, so we do not believe it is a central part of our core training.
2. Extended leg lifts on the floor: similar to the previous exercise, in this case we raise the legs off the floor either at the same time or one by one while keeping the abdomen contracted. Another basic abs exercise, which targets the lower abs.
3. Lumbar extension on the floor: This is an exercise for the core that focuses on the lumbar in which we raise the trunk and legs, but lying face down.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7EmdZl3OUM
4. Flexiones delfín: es una variación de las flexiones que además de trabajar el core, también trabajará brazos y hombros.
5. Floor Pelvic Raise: One of the best known back core exercises, working both the rectus abdominis and lower back.
6. Leg Flapping – This core exercise is quite useful as it combines an isometric contraction and leg movement.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoHnFoltddg
7. Straight Arm Plank: The classic version of the plank is one of the most popular core exercises today.
8. Plank on elbows: a slightly more complicated version of the previous one, basic in any core exercise table.
9. Plank with arm and leg raised: similar to the traditional plank, but adding more difficulty by removing two points of support.
10. Lateral plank: supported on one elbow and one leg, with this core exercise at home you will focus on the abdominal oblique.
11. Reverse plank: with this exercise you can strengthen your lower back at home, in addition to working your glutes and hamstrings, which is why it is part of our list of core exercises.
12. reverse boat with leg elevation: combines isometric exercise with the movement of our legs to create a core exercise at home more complicated than the previous one.
13. Side plank with push-up – We combine a standard side plank with a push-up or push-up.
14. Hip Swing Side Plank: This core exercise lowers your hips to the floor from a side plank position.
15. Plank to squat: We go from the plank position with arms extended to the deep squat and return to the starting position. By working the lower back it is a great exercise to strengthen the back at home.
16. Climber: from the plank position we bring the knee to the chest, it can be done without material so it is a good core exercise at home.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa6VbKOxPDY
17. Elbow climber: similar to the previous exercise, but this time bringing the knee to the elbow. Esta versión es un gran ejercicio para fortalecer lumbares en casa.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4hRICVjRo
18. Elevated Feet Stair Climber: This exercise with your feet on a raised surface like a chair hits your upper body more and is a great choice for a back strengthening exercise at home.
19. Gliding Climber: For this core exercise, use a cloth to execute the rock climber by sliding your feet across the floor.
20. Spider climber: it is executed like the elbow climber, but resting the sole of the foot on the ground, it is less physically demanding, but works more on mobility.
21. Semi-circular climber: while we execute a normal climber, we rotate the torso until we create a semi-circle, helping to strengthen the abdominals at home.
22. Jumping climber: In this exercise to strengthen the abdomen at home, the feet are brought up to the height of the navel in a jump.
23. Low Jump Climber: A more complicated version but a great addition to your table of abdominal exercises to do at home, we do a low jump climber, but with support on the elbows.
24. Side-by-side climber: Same as the spider climber, but with both feet at the same time, it targets the lower back so it’s a great addition to your back-strengthening workout chart.
25. One-Handed Stepper: We continue to complicate our at-home sit-up chart with a version of the stepper, but with the addition of supporting the weight with one hand making it a core exercise for advanced athletes.
26. One-foot climber: Our last climber in our sit-up chart to do at home, it is probably the most difficult as it combines the execution of the sliding climber, but keeping one of the legs in the air.
27. Burpees: Combining cardio and plank, this core exercise is a calorie-burning machine for which you don’t need any equipment.
28. Hypopressive: controlling the breath we can work the entire core without the need for any material

Core exercises with equipment: in this case we will need simple and cheap equipment such as bands or combined with typical elements of any house to do these exercises to strengthen the abdominals at home.

29. Lateral rotation of the trunk with a band: with the band secured at a medium height, we grab the band with both hands and rotate, always maintaining the tension of the band.
30. Rotation of the trunk with a band from below to above: within our table of exercises to strengthen the back, here we will do a rotation similar to that of the previous exercise, but starting from a low point and raising our hands above our head.
31. Shrugs with a band: the shrug or “crunch”, a basic bodybuilding exercise, can be made more difficult by using an elastic band.
32. Band Reverse Shrug: Similar to the above, but raising your feet, will help strengthen your abs at home.
33. Kneeling shrugs with band: kneeling and the band held at a higher point, we bring the chest to the knees working everything with this core exercise.
34. Abdominal roller: this device can be purchased for less than ten euros and is the exercise with the greatest activation of the core. Both abdominals and lower back work, being one of the best exercises to do back at home. For other abdominal roller exercises check out this article:
    
35. Lateral abdominal roller: we perform a twist at the same time that we execute a repetition of the standard roller.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iof5KAgHwDM
36. Step of the bear with a roller: let’s add to our table to do abs at home the step of the bear while the roller destabilizes us.
37. Standing abdominal roller: if we are very advanced we will be able to with this core exercise, which is the one that most progressions reach.
38. Reverse abdominal roller: we bring the feet to the torso instead of the other way around.
39. Roller with one leg and one hand: the most extreme version of all if you are able to master it you have an iron core.
40. Dragon flags: if you have some support that is resistant and some space you can also do this exercise to do back at home.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs4PTHIeR8w

Conclusions: it is not necessary to leave the house to do core exercises that help us sculpt an aesthetic and functional abdomen, we have an almost unlimited number of core exercises to create a table of exercises to do at home that will help us reach our goals .

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

Last week we talked about Powerexplosive in our review of most important influencers in Spain And this time we return to analyze what is undoubtedly another of the leaders of the fitness community in Spain due to the great community it has and the health message that it spreads on the networks and that has so far permeated.

Sergio does not have such technical and performance-focused content as our friend Power, since his content is not focused on people who want to perform, but rather seeks to get ordinary people to embrace a healthy life style where movement and real and little processed food prevail.

Access the Fitenium app where you can train dozens of routines for free.

Before opening his YouTube channel, Sergio Peinado was dedicated to personal training working in a gym, however his physical condition was not at all optimal not only to carry out his professional activity but for anyone. Sergio was significantly overweight and despite the fact that he had the knowledge to change his health and physical condition, he had a relationship with food that prevented him from achieving his goals. In this video you can learn more about his story and how he managed to change his mentality to obtain a physical change that makes you improve your appearance and especially your health.

A large part of Sergio’s secret is that he is a person with whom many people can easily identify and he does not sell a lifestyle in which to achieve significant health and physical improvements, you have to follow a perfect diet and routine. Peinado understands that the majority of the population does not have time to eat in a complex way or for long training sessions, so his proposal is based on a selection of healthy foods in simple recipes and quick workouts that can be done at home with very little equipment.

Since 2011, when he opened his channel, he has uploaded videos on quite a variety of topics, denying myths in the world such as that fats are harmful or that eating carbohydrates in the afternoon makes you have more fat. An important part of its content are fast routines such as abs in 7 minutes or chest in 15 minutes. Thanks to this close approach that empathizes with his followers, he has managed to get thousands of people to increase their physical activity and improve their health. They also highlight their videos of physical transformations within their fitness community, both theirs and their clients who inspire others to achieve their own physical change. Sergio, like anyone else, has peaks in shape and tells us how he gets back into shape once he has lost it.

Sergio offers courses and training methods through Fuertafit, through whose courses and fitness community his clients learn how to lead a healthy life and obtain amazing physical changes at a very affordable cost.

Some values of closeness, without promising things that are not possible and without selling you the magic supplement, together with an undeniable charisma and his ability to communicate, mean that Sergio has penetrated deeply into the fitness community in Spain without having the most spectacular physique in the world. . Precisely for this reason, many people identify with it and like to know how a real person leads a fitness lifestyle. His travel video blogs are also very popular, how he spends the holidays and his more personal facet. We have Sergio for a while and we want to keep it that way.

Greetings and we’ll be back next week!

If you don’t want a specific strength or hypertrophy routine and prefer a mixed strength routine that mixes the best of both worlds, you should try the 5-Day PHAT Workout.

The PHAT is a routine frequency 2 5 days. The idea is to build our base with exercises worked in ranges of strength, and hypertrophy accessories, it is also a routine with a frequency of two, so we must work all parts of our body 2 times a week.

This routine was created by legendary powerlifter and professional bodybuilder Layne Norton as well as a nutrition doctor. According to Layne, each work of a specific quality involves the use of a certain number of muscle fibers, so when strength and hypertrophy work together, this number of muscle fibers subjected to effort and fatigue is greater.

Guidelines:

1. Weekly Division of the Routine:

Monday: Torso Strength
Tuesday: Leg Strength
Wednesday: Active Rest
Thursday: Shoulders and Back Hypertrophy
Friday: Legs Hypertrophy
Saturday: Chest and Arms Hypertrophy

Although in general this routine is designed to go to the gym five days, if for some reason one week you can only go three days, you can do four days of this routine and start the following week with the training that was missing.

What is active rest? It consists of resting from our PHAT routine, but continuing to be active by doing some moderate activity with a moderate pace and duration. Examples of active rest: yoga or stretching session, 45-60 minute walk, foam roller routine, riding a bike… there are options for all tastes.

2. Rest between sets:

This routine has a great weight of multi-joint exercises to lower repetitions, so in order to maintain performance you have to have long rests between series. The rests are variable according to our sensations or you are afraid to rest 4 minutes if you feel fatigued before your last series of Deadlift, but if you feel fresh go for the next concentrated series.

3. Effort:

Given the predominance of multi-joint exercises, we do not recommend training near failure if we want to maintain performance and technique throughout our sets. As a general rule in compound exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 2 or 3 more repetitions. In the more analytical exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 1 or 2 more repetitions.

If we are beginners we can apply a linear weight progression and almost every week we will be able to lift more weight than the previous one, but if we are already intermediate we recommend other types of more complex progressions that we will talk about later.

4. Warm up and stretch:

The warm-up will be the same every day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to never skip the warm-up and stretching before doing the dumbbell plank at home if we want to continue progressing without injury.

5. When should I change the PHAT routine?

Many people wonder how long we can do this PHAT routine and still get results, the answer is simple until you drop! If you like training this way, it fits your lifestyle and you keep making progress, there is no reason to change this routine for another. If our objectives change or we want another distribution of days, we can opt for another type of routine such as torso-leg (4 days), divided routine (5 days) or fullbody (6 days).

Our recommendation is that if you are a beginner you stay with this table exercises with dumbbells at home for at least 12 weeks.

6. And the diet?

To make truly significant progress in the gym, diet is just as important as training if not more. Avoid processed foods, eat a reasonable amount of protein for your weight and training level, and calculate a caloric deficit/surplus based on your goals. Read our article if you want to have a Perfect Body.

The PHat routine 5 days

With our PHAT routine and the complementary information you can already get fit at home forgetting about the complications of a gym routine with dumbbells. Don’t forget to record your progress and upload it to Fitenium!

The 4-day PHUL Powerbuilding Routine is a routine whose acronym stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower, which indicates that it combines torso and leg sessions in which strength training and others hypertrophy play a leading role.

The PHUL is a 4 day powerbuilding routine. The idea is to build our base with exercises worked in ranges of strength, and hypertrophy accessories, it is also a routine with a frequency of two, so we must work all parts of our body 2 times a week.

The basic principles of this routine is to train basics every day in which we will progress, and then we will use accessory powerlifting exercises with which we will correct imbalances and improve our posture and other defects.

Guidelines:

1. Weekly Division of the Routine:

Monday: Torso Strength
Tuesday: Leg Strength
Wednesday: Active Rest
Thursday: Torso Hypertrophy
Friday: Legs Hypertrophy

Although in general this powerlifting training is designed to go to the gym four days, if for some reason you can only go three days a week, you can do four days of this routine and start the following week with the training that was missing.

What is active rest? It consists of resting from our PHAT powerbuilding routine, but continuing to be active by doing some moderate activity with a moderate pace and duration. Examples of active rest: yoga or stretching session, 45-60 minute walk, foam roller routine, riding a bike… there are options for all tastes.

2. Rest between sets:

This routine has a great weight of multi-joint exercises to lower repetitions, so in order to maintain performance you have to have long rests between series. The rests are variable according to our sensations or you are afraid to rest 4 minutes if you feel fatigued before your last series of Deadlift, but if you feel fresh go for the next concentrated series.

3. Effort:

Given the predominance of multi-joint exercises, we do not recommend training near failure if we want to maintain performance and technique throughout our sets. As a general rule in compound exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 2 or 3 more repetitions. In the more analytical exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 1 or 2 more repetitions.

If we are beginners we can apply a linear weight progression and almost every week we will be able to lift more weight than the previous one, but if we are already intermediate we recommend other types of more complex progressions that we will talk about later.

4. Warm up and stretch:

The warm-up will be the same every day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to never skip the warm-up and stretching before doing the dumbbell plank at home if we want to continue progressing without injury.

5. When should I change the POWERbuilding PHUL routine?

Many people wonder how long we can do this PHUL powerbuilding routine and still get results, the answer is simple until you get tired! If you like training this way, it fits your lifestyle and you keep making progress, there is no reason to change this routine for another. If our objectives change or we want another distribution of days, we can opt for another type of routine such as torso-leg (4 days), divided routine (5 days) or fullbody (6 days).

Our recommendation is that if you are a beginner you stay with this table exercises with dumbbells at home for at least 12 weeks.

6. And the diet?

To make truly significant progress in the gym, diet is just as important as training if not more. Avoid processed foods, eat a reasonable amount of protein for your weight and training level, and calculate a caloric deficit/surplus based on your goals. Read our article if you want to have a Perfect Body.

The PHUL powerbuilding routine 4 days

With our PHUL routine and the complementary information, you can now do your powerbuilding training and progress both in aesthetics and in strength.. Don’t forget to record your progress and upload it to Fitenium!

At this point, the article analyzes the effect of losing speed in the series of repetitions within strength training.

In this series of articles we deal with some of the most important concepts of strength training, collecting notes from the recently published book Strength, Speed ​​and Physical and Sports Performance written by renowned researchers Juan José González Badillo and Juan Ribas Serna.

SUMMARY

• The loss of speed in the series can serve as a predictor of the degree of metabolic stress caused by training, and therefore it is a good indicator to estimate fatigue.
• Doing half or less of the repetitions achievable in the series produces notable improvements in muscular strength and sports performance.
• People who train for improved health should not do even half of the possible repetitions in the series.
• Most experienced athletes with medium-high strength needs will probably be able to perform at most half or 1-2 repetitions more than half of the possible ones.
• A subject should not lose more than 20-35% (depending on each exercise) of the speed of the first repetition in the series.

This is the second question related to the definition of the stress character (CE) as a solution to the problems raised by RM and XRM. Speed ​​control not only makes it possible to know very precisely the true effort that a given load (mass) represents when doing the first repetition of a series, but also allows complete knowledge of the degree of effort made by knowing in what proportion or percentage speed is lost as repetitions are made within the series.

And this is important because the loss of speed is a highly valid indicator to estimate fatigue (Edman, 1992; Allen, Lamb, 8 Westerblad, 2008). This validity is based on the high relationship that exists between the loss of speed in the series and the loss of speed at a certain absolute load measured before and immediately after making the effort.

speed loss is a highly valid indicator to estimate fatigue

In turn, the loss of speed in the series can serve as a predictor of the degree of metabolic stress caused by training. Indeed, Sánchez-Medina and Gonzalez-Badillo (2011) carried out a study with 15 types of effort in the bench press and squat, with loads that could be done between 12 and 4 repetitions per series. These intensities correspond to mean relative intensities between 70 and 90% of the RM, although each subject did not really make the effort exactly with said intensities, but with the absolute loads with which they could do the marked repetitions.

The absolute loads used were those with which 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 maximum repetitions could be done, which, on average, corresponds to relative intensities of 70, 75, 80, 85 and 90% of the RM. , respectively. The greatest effort with each load consisted of doing three series with the maximum number of repetitions possible (or one less than possible in the first series) and the least effort in doing three series with half the possible repetitions.

In addition, one or two more efforts were made with an intermediate number of repetitions. For example, with the load that 12 repetitions could be done, four efforts were made, performing three series of 12, 10, 8 and 6 repetitions in the series, which were represented as follows: 3×12(12), 3×10(12) , 3×8(12) and 3×6(12).

In total, 15 efforts were made with each of the exercises: bench press and squat. The valuation of The degree of fatigue generated with each effort was determined through the loss of speed with the load that could be moved at 1 m*s-1 before making the effort., as well as the loss of jump (really loss of execution speed) pre-post effort when the squat exercise was performed.

Before starting the squat training, the vertical jump test (CMJ) was performed after a specific warm-up. In both exercises, the warm-up began with progressive loads and when passing through the load that could be moved at approximately 1m*s-1, three repetitions were performed with it and the value of the load and the concrete average speed of the three repetitions were noted immediately after making the effort, the measurement was made again. jump (after the squat) and the load of 1 m*s-1 in both exercises.

Since the minimum load with which the efforts were made was approximately 70% of the RM, an approximate load of 60% was always used in the squat during the warm-up (load that moves approximately 1 m*s-1). and 45% in bench press (load that moves approximately 1 m*s-1).

In addition, after each effort, lactate and ammonium levels were measured. In figure 1 you can see the scheme of the execution of the efforts and the initial and final tests, in this case in the bench press exercise and with the load that could be done 12 repetitions: 3 series of 12 repetitions being able to make 12: 3×12(12).

In this case, the average speed before the effort with the load of 1 m*s-1 was 1.03 m*s-1. The subject continues his warm-up until he reaches the load with which he has to carry out the effort of the day: 3×12(12) and performs the 3 series at the maximum possible speed, with 5 minutes of recovery between series.

The speed with each repetition in the three series is represented by the three groups of central bars with a tendency to decrease. Immediately after (10-15 s) the last repetition of the last series, the load with which the speed of 1 m*s-1 was initially reached was measured again. In this case, the final average speed of the three repetitions was 0.71 m*s-1. The loss of speed, in this case 31.1%, reflects the quantification of fatigue.

The loss of speed, in this case 31.1%, reflects the quantification of fatigue.

Figure 1. Outline of the protocol followed in an effort of 12 repetitions, being able to do 12: 3×12(12), in the bench press exercise. Red bars, speed with the load of 1 m*s-1 before and after making the effort. Rest of the bars: speed with each repetition in the three series performed with the expected load (Sánchez-Medina and González-Badillo. Med. Sci. Sports 2011)

As a result of this study, high relationships were found between the loss of speed in the series and the loss of speed with the load that moved 1 m*s-1 before the effort, both in the bench press (r = 0, 97) as in the squat (r = 0.91), and with the loss of height (loss of speed) in the jump after the squat (r = 0.92). These results confirm that the greater the speed loss in the series, the greater the fatigue.

Later on, it will be analyzed more precisely how the degree of fatigue (loss of speed with the load of 1 m*s-1 and loss of jump) is dependent on the speed of the first repetition (real percentage of the RM) and of the series loss. Likewise, high curvilinear relationships were found between the speed loss in the series, the jump loss and ammonium [R2 = 0.89 in the bench press; R2 = 0.85 in the squat and R2 = 0.86 in the CMJ (figure 2).

Figure 2. Relationship between velocity loss and ammonium concentration with bench press (top figure) and squat (middle figure) exercises, and relationship between vertical jump losses after squat exercise and ammonium concentration (bottom figure). ). Note that from an approximate loss of speed in the series of 40% in the bench press, 30% in the squat, and 12% in the vertical jump, the ammonium concentration shoots up. (Sánchez-Media y González-Badillo, 2011)

An important and unique observation to date is that for an increase in ammonia to occur it was necessary to perform 1-2 repetitions more than half the number possible at any load and in both exercises. This can be seen in figure 3. The horizontal dotted line represents the baseline ammonium value. Only when more than half of the possible repetitions in the set are performed does the ammonium spike with an exponential trend.

For an increase in ammonium to occur, it was necessary to perform 1-2 repetitions, more than half of those possible, at any load.

This occurs in both the bench press and the squat, with very similar behaviors. Figure 2 also shows this trend.

Figure 3. Evolution of ammonium concentration in relation to the number of repetitions performed in the series with the bench press (left) and right full squat exercises. It is observed that for the ammonium to exceed the resting values, marked by the dotted line, it is necessary to do 1-2 repetitions, more than half of those possible in the series (Sánchez Medina and González Badillo, 2011). Figure taken from Sánchez-Medina’s Doctoral Thesis.

This behavior of ammonium could be at the base of the explanation of the proposals or hypotheses (based on experience and systematic observation, not on experimental data, when speaking of training to failure).) made in the 80s, with studies of the effect of non-maximal volumes (65 and 85% of the maximum achievable), or of training with half or less of the possible repetitions in the series of the National Field Hockey team of the 90s, or the first experimental studies that were designed in which one group did half the repetitions possible in the series and the other all the possible ones.

the appearance of ammonium above the basal values when lifting weights may mean that the effort is at the limit that should be reached.

And this is so because the appearance of ammonium above the basal values when lifting weights (in other types of exercises it may be different, and it certainly is) may mean that the effort is at the limit that should be reached.

The measurement of the loss of speed in each repetition and the degree of fatigue generated -measured through the loss of speed with the load of 1 m*s-1 and loss of jump- allow us to add much more precise information about this behavior. of ammonium than the simple count of the repetitions performed.

These speed losses in the series from which the ammonium is fired correspond to certain speed losses with the 1 m*s-1 load and height loss in the jump. The data with the following:

• With a loss of 40% speed in the bench press, ammonium is triggered (figure 2) and would correspond to a loss of speed of 17% with a load of 1 m*s-1.
• With a 30% loss of speed in the squat, ammonium is triggered and would correspond to a loss of speed of 12.5% with the load of 1 m*s-1.

With a 12% loss in jump height, ammonium shoots up and would correspond to a loss of speed in the series of 32% (Sánchez-Medina and González-Badillo, 2011).

It can be observed how the same fatigue generated when performing the squat, with 30 and 32% loss of speed in the series, is estimated in an equivalent way by the loss of speed with the load of 1 m*s-1 (12.5 %) and height in the jump (12%), respectively. This indicates that the loss of speed is an accurate indicator of fatigue, since its quantification before the same effort (loss of 30-32% of speed in the squat) can be done at different speeds, giving practically identical results.

In this case, the initial speed of 1 m*s-1 in the squat and the speed of the vertical saint have been used, which, on average, is performed at a clearly higher average speed, which could be approximately more than 1.5 m-s. * on average, which would be equivalent to a little more than 45 cm of initial jump.

If now the two variables used are analyzed: the loss of speed in the series and the number of repetitions performed, it can be confirmed that in the bench press exercise the loss of speed when half of the possible repetitions has been done is between 25 and 30% (González-Badillo et al., 2017) of the speed of the first repetition, that is, slightly below the loss caused by the ammonium shot, and that in the complete squat the loss of speed when doing half of the possible repetitions it would be approximately 15-20% (Rodríguez-Rosell et al., 2019), that is, also below the loss of speed caused by the increase in ammonia.

Therefore, if it is known what degree of effort (degree of fatigue) means each percentage of speed loss in the series, the application of speed as a training control method is very useful, it is probably the best procedure to estimate with high precision and immediately the training load.

ammonium concentration above quiescent values can be controlled by the loss of speed in the series

This load would be determined by the degree of fatigue caused by the joint effect of the volume and intensity used in training. Therefore, the ammonium concentration above the resting values can be controlled by the loss of speed in the series, since there is a close relationship between the loss of speed in the series and the percentage of repetitions performed (González-Badilo et al, 2017; Rodriguez-Rosell et al., 2019).

If, furthermore, it is known, through extensive practical experience, that doing half or less of the repetitions achievable in the series produces notable improvements in muscular strength and sports performance, it would not be very advisable to frequently exceed (in some cases it would never be necessary) half of the repetitions that can be done in a series. This practical experience has been reinforced by experimental studies in which it has been proven that losing 10-20% of the speed in the series, which is equivalent to performing half or less of the possible repetitions in the series, in the exercise of squat offers better results than losing 30-40%, which leads to a situation at the limit of ammonium increase (30% loss) or very close to muscle failure (40%) (Pareja-Blanco et al., 2017 ; Rodríguez-Rosell, Doctoral Thesis).

In addition to the relationship with ammonium, velocity loss also showed high positive linear correlations with lactate concentration: [r = 0.95 in the bench press, r = 0.97 in the squat, and r = 0.97 in the the jump (figure 4)].

Figure 4. Relationship between velocity loss and lactate concentration with bench press (upper figure) and squat (middle figure) exercises, and relationship between vertical jump losses after squat exercise and lactate concentration (lower figure). ). (Sánchez-Medina and González-Badillo, 2011).

Doing half or less of the repetitions achievable in the series produces notable improvements in muscular strength and sports performance.

If the regression equations corresponding to each of the relationships of the three exercises with lactate are applied, it is verified that before a 40% loss of speed in the bench press series, which is when ammonium is triggered, the lactate would be 5.3 mmol/L, in the squat, when ammonium increases, when losing 30% of the speed, lactate would be 7.2 mmol/L, and in the jump, when 12% is lost jump and the ammonium increase begins, the lactate would be 7.7 mmol/L.

As can be seen, the height loss in the vertical jump (12% jump loss and 32% speed loss in the squat) when ammonium is fired it corresponds to practically the same concentration of lactate than when ammonium is triggered by the loss of speed in the series in the squat exercise (30%).

Which corresponds to the behavior observed when analyzing ammonium. Therefore, ammonium begins to rise when lactate is 5.3 mmol/L in the bench press and 7.2 mmol/L in the squat (figure 15.14). From this relationship it can be deduced that, although it is not the most practical and viable option, if one wanted to analyze the possible behavior of ammonium without measuring it, given its greater difficulty and price, one could measure lactate to predict at what moment the lactate begins to be triggered. ammonium.

Although, naturally, the most precise, economical, easy-to-perform procedure and with immediate information is the control of speed loss in the series.

Figure 5. Relationship between lactate values and ammonium firing in bench press and squat exercises (Sánchez-Medina and González-Badillo, 2011)

There were also high relationships between stalling and testosterone (r=0.83), growth hormone (r= 0.82), and insulin (r= 0.88). These relationships increased for ammonium (p = 0.94-96) and lactate (p = 0.98) when Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used (data from the same unpublished study). All these relationships indicate that the higher the speed in the series, the greater the mechanical, metabolic and hormonal stress tends to be, the greater the degree of effort generated.

the greater the speed loss in the series, the greater the mechanical, metabolic and hormonal stress tends to be, the greater the degree of effort generated.

The question that should be asked as a result of this knowledge is what should be the optimal loss of speed in each case. This question, of course, does not have an easy answer, but being able to ask it, and having the appropriate mechanical and physiological data available to try to find an answer, is already a great advance.

In the next articles, useful studies for the practice of training and that provide answers to many of these questions will be reviewed.

Conclusions

From the above it can be deduced that the knowledge of the relationship between the loss of velocity in the serle and the loss of velocity with the load of 1 m*s-1 and the height of the CMJ, as well as the metabolic stress allows us to conclude the following:

• The fatigue caused by a training session of three sets with loads that allow you to do between 12 and 4 repetitions per set depends on the percentage of speed lost in the set.
• The training load can be quantified by the loss of jumping capacity and the loss of speed before a determined load (mass) in each session.
• The relationship between the loss of jump and the loss of speed could be verified before a determined load per session and the effect of the training.
• The loss of velocity in the series with the load of 1 m*s-1 and in the CMJ are accurate estimators of the metabolic stress caused by the training session.
• Depending on the metabolic stress generated, a subject should not lose more than 20-35% (depending on exercises) of the speed of the first repetition in the series:
  • Performance is probably not better if you lose a higher percentage of speed. In the squat exercise, an average loss of speed in the set of 10-20% offered better results than a loss of 30-40%.
  • In the bench press exercise, a mean loss of 27.7% outperformed losing 53.3% (unpublished laboratory data).

a subject should not lose more than 20-35% (depending on exercises) of the speed of the first repetition in the series

• If you do a training session of three sets with any load between those with which you can perform between 12 and 4 repetitions per set, performing a range of repetitions between half and the maximum of the possible repetitions in the series, ammonium increases exponentially from a loss of speed of 40% in the bench press and 30% in the squat. In the case of the vertical jump, the increase in ammonia occurs when a pre-post effort jump loss of 12% is reached.
• As a practical application of synthesis, it is suggested:
  • People who train for improved health should not do even half of the possible repetitions in the series.
  • Most experienced athletes with medium-high strength needs will probably be able to perform at most half or 1-2 repetitions more than half of the possible ones. Although we also estimate that athletes with lower strength needs probably, even if they are very experienced, do not need to perform even half of the possible repetitions in the series at any time.

There are people who say that you cannot train with little equipment at home, but that is not true. With just a pair of dumbbells you can do this dumbbell routine at home that will allow you to stay in shape without leaving home

This table exercises with dumbbells at home is full body and you can do it as many times as you want throughout the week, however we believe that it is best to leave a day of rest between training and training.

There are many variables to progress in hypertrophy or strength: volume, intensity, density, rest, so let’s not make the mistake of thinking that this routine with dumbbells at home falls short because you only train three times a week. It’s the best way to lay a solid foundation to then opt for other training options that are more suited to our goals.

Guidelines:

1. Weekly Division of the Routine:

Monday: Dumbbell workout at home
Tuesday: Leg
Wednesday: Dumbbell workout at home
Thursday: Torso
Friday: Dumbbell workout at home

Although in general this routine is designed to go to the gym four days, if for some reason one week you can only go three days, you can do three days of this routine and start the following week with the training that was missing. An example would be like this.

What is active rest? It consists of taking a break from our exercise routine to do at home with dumbbells, but continuing to be active by doing some moderate activity with a moderate pace and duration. Examples of active rest: yoga or stretching session, 45-60 minute walk, foam roller routine, riding a bike… there are options for all tastes.

2. Rest between sets:

This routine has a great weight of multi-joint exercises to lower repetitions, so in order to maintain performance you have to have long rests between series. The rests are variable according to our sensations or you are afraid to rest 4 minutes if you feel fatigued before your last series of Deadlift, but if you feel fresh go for the next concentrated series.

3. Effort:

Given the predominance of multi-joint exercises, we do not recommend training near failure if we want to maintain performance and technique throughout our sets. As a general rule in compound exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 2 or 3 more repetitions. In the more analytical exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 1 or 2 more repetitions.

If we are beginners we can apply a linear weight progression and almost every week we will be able to lift more weight than the previous one, but if we are already intermediate we recommend other types of more complex progressions that we will talk about later.

4. Warm up and stretch:

The warm-up will be the same every day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to never skip the warm-up and stretching before doing the dumbbell plank at home if we want to continue progressing without injury.

5. When should I change my dumbbell routine at home?

Many people wonder how long we can do this dumbbell routine at home and still get results, the answer is simple until you drop out! If you like training this way, it fits your lifestyle and you keep making progress, there is no reason to change this routine for another. If our objectives change or we want another distribution of days, we can opt for another type of routine such as torso-leg (4 days), pull-push (4 days), divided routine (5 days) or push-legs (6 days).

Our recommendation is that if you are a beginner you stay with this table exercises with dumbbells at home for at least 12 weeks.

6. And the diet?

To make truly significant progress in the gym, diet is just as important as training if not more. Avoid processed foods, eat a reasonable amount of protein for your weight and training level, and calculate a caloric deficit/surplus based on your goals. Read our article if you want to have a Perfect Body.

Dumbbell workout at home

With our routine with dumbbells at home and the complementary information you can already get fit at home forgetting about the complications of a gym routine with dumbbells. Don’t forget to record your progress and upload it to Fitenium!

We are going to start sharing with all our followers an optimal 5 3 1 routine for all people who want a hybrid program between strength and hypertrophy.

This 5 3 1 strength routine has a torso leg split and is quite focused on building up the basics as the best way to gain strength and hypertrophy.

There are many variables to progress in hypertrophy or strength: volume, intensity, density, rest so let’s not make the mistake of thinking that this 5 3 1 strength routine falls short because you only train three times a week. It’s the best way to lay a solid foundation to then opt for other training options that are more suited to our goals.

Guidelines:

1. Weekly Division of the Routine:

Monday: Torso
Tuesday: Leg
Wednesday: Routine B
Thursday: Torso
Friday: Leg

Although in general this routine is designed to go to the gym four days, if for some reason one week you can only go three days, you can do three days of this routine and start the following week with the training that was missing. An example would be like this.

What is active rest? It consists of resting from our 5 3 1 routine, but continuing to be active by doing some moderate activity with a moderate pace and duration. Examples of active rest: yoga or stretching session, 45-60 minute walk, foam roller routine, riding a bike… there are options for all tastes.

2. Rest between sets:

This routine has a great weight of multi-joint exercises to lower repetitions, so in order to maintain performance you have to have long rests between series. The rests are variable according to our sensations or you are afraid to rest 4 minutes if you feel fatigued before your last series of Deadlift, but if you feel fresh go for the next concentrated series.

3. Effort:

Given the predominance of multi-joint exercises, we do not recommend training near failure if we want to maintain performance and technique throughout our sets. As a general rule in compound exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 2 or 3 more repetitions. In the more analytical exercises we recommend training with a weight that allows us to do 1 or 2 more repetitions.

If we are beginners we can apply a linear weight progression and almost every week we will be able to lift more weight than the previous one, but if we are already intermediate we recommend other types of more complex progressions that we will talk about later.

4. Warm up and stretch:

The warm-up will be the same every day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to never skip the warm-up and stretching before doing the 5 3 1 routine if we want to continue progressing without injuries.

5. Substitutions:

We highly recommend doing our 5 3 1 routine with the scheduled exercises, but if for whatever reason you can’t do any of the exercises, you can substitute them as follows.

• Squat: Press + 15 reps of lower back extension (i.e. if you have 3×8 of Squat, replace it with 3×8 of press and 3×15 of lower back extension).
• Deadlift: Hip Thrust + 15 repetitions of lumbar extension.
• Romanian Deadlift: Nordic Curl.
• Stride: Unilateral Hip Thrust with Dumbbell.
• Hip Thrust: Hip Thrust on a quadriceps extension machine.
• Calf Raise standing machine: Calf Raise with dumbbell.
• Femoral Curl: Femoral Curl with Dumbbell (between the feet).
• Quadriceps Extension: You can eliminate them.
• Press Banca Barra: Press Banca Mancuerna.
• Incline Dumbbell Press: Incline Barbell Press.
• Press Militar: Press Militar con Mancuernas de Pie.
• Pulley Openings: Dumbbell Openings or Pec Deck.
• Funds: Bench Press Declined Dumbbells.
• Supine Pulley Pulldown: Biceps Pull Ups.
• T-Bar Row: Dumbbell Bench Row.

6. Change of routine

Many people wonder how long we can do this 5 3 1 routine and still get results, the answer is simple until you get tired! If you like training this way, it fits your lifestyle and you keep making progress, there is no reason to change this routine for another. If our objectives change or we want another distribution of days, we can opt for another type of routine such as torso-leg (4 days), pull-push (4 days), divided routine (5 days) or push-legs (6 days).

Our recommendation is that if you are a beginner, stick with this 5 3 1 routine for at least 12 weeks.

7. And the diet?

To make truly significant progress in the gym, diet is just as important as training if not more. Avoid processed foods, eat a reasonable amount of protein for your weight and training level, and calculate a caloric deficit/surplus based on your goals. Read our article if you want to have a Perfect Body

The Routine 5 3 1

Body day 1:

Day Leg 1:

Body Day 2:

Day Leg 2:

With our 5 3 1 routine and the complementary information, you can now go to the gym and start hitting the irons. Don’t forget to record your progress and upload it to Fitenium!

Collagen supplements are top sellers, either alone or in combination with other vitamins and magnesium, especially in the sports supplement area. In theory, they are especially useful for maintaining and recovering tendons and joint muscles.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile and video-based social network for users who train strength and/or body weight exercises. At Fitenium users can find free personalized routines, follow their performance, compete and get discounts at nutrition stores and sports equipment. Download it here.

If so, who doesn’t want to take advantage of that property? The problem, as often happens, is that all that glitters is not gold. Collagen supplements have not shown the expected benefits and in fact their mechanism of action has not been scientifically proven.

First of all: What is collagen?

Collagen is called a family of interrelated proteins, although they have different genetic origins. They are composed of different amino acids, especially proline, lysine and glycine.

In any case, when all these proteins are put together, collagen is the most abundant family of proteins in the body (25% of what we have), and these are the connective tissues of our body. It can be said that they make up the main factor of the skin, hair, bones or tendons.

Published on Unplash by Damir Spanic

Its function is to create the basic structure that supports these tissues and, therefore, our entire body. Its function is to create the basic structure that supports these tissues and, therefore, our entire body.

The collagen in your body you have produced yourself

However, it is important to clarify that the collagen in the body is 100% self-produced. In other words, it is not produced from collagen ingested in food and supplements, but rather from cells using amino acids, which are the amino acids that make up proteins, according to RNA instructions.

This is because the collagen is too large for the protein to be completely absorbed by the walls of the digestive system. Therefore, in order to enter the bloodstream and from there to the joints, it must first be broken down into essential amino acids.

By consuming collagen, the body receives the essential amino acids that are used to make proteins. However, those amino acids are not necessarily used to produce collagen. In fact, some of these amino acids can be found in other foods, and many of them are produced by our own bodies, so you don’t need to consume collagen at all to produce it.

Published on Unplash by Poodar Chu

what the studies say

Although some studies have conferred beneficial properties on collagen supplements in the treatment of joint pain, the majority are studies carried out by the supplement manufacturer itself (this time there is a conflict of interest), and in other cases the research sample it’s too small.

On the other hand, the European Food Safety Agency has no evidence that collagen supplementation affects the joints of active people, the health and smoothness of the skin.

Thus, if you are thinking of considering this type of supplement, either in the form of tablets or creams, think carefully. Our advice is to spend money on something else, for example gelatin. Normally, gelatin is basically made of collagen and although it is not a solution to joint problems, it is richer and, above all, it is much cheaper than other products that you can find.

Published on Unplash by Carl Barcelo

In this entry, a review of the training stages will be made based on the need for strength.

In this series of articles we deal with some of the most important concepts of strength training, collecting notes from the recently published book Strength, Speed ​​and Physical and Sports Performance written by renowned researchers Juan José González Badillo and Juan Ribas Serna.

SUMMARY

• The duration of the stages depends mainly on the age of the subject at the time they start training.
• The development of training based on the need for strength through sporting life is proposed in four stages.
• The older the subject, the less time will be spent on training the first stage and part of the second.
• Therefore, the duration of each stage can be on average 1-2 years, but can be highly variable depending on the response of the subjects.

Taking into account the division of sports based on their strength needs, it is necessary to make a proposal on the evolution of training loads throughout the sporting life of each of these groups. Table 1 presents a scheme of this proposal.

Tabla 1. Proposal for the degree of load to be used throughout sports life in groups of sports with different needs for force development.

The data that appears in the table would be applicable to the full squat exercise. Subsequently, some adaptations of these loads to other exercises will be made. The development of training based on the need for strength through sporting life is presented in four stages. The number of stages that is proposed is the one that has been considered sufficient so that the training characteristics of the different groups can be expressed and differentiated in a reasonable way.

Each stage does not necessarily correspond to a season or year of training. The application time of the training proposed for a stage may be greater than one year, which will be the most frequent. The duration of the stages depends fundamentally on the age of the subject at the time he begins to train.

The older the subject, the less time will be spent training the first stage and part of the second

The older the subject, the less time will be spent on training the first stage and part of the second. But there is a condition that must be met, and that is that you must go through all the stages, whatever the age of the subject when you start training.

However, regarding the time dedicated to training in one stage or with one of certain loads, it should be remembered that the best situation that can occur for the coach and the athlete is that they can spend a long time training with the same relative intensities, while the performance improvement is maintained with the only increase in absolute load.

Therefore, the duration of each stage can be on average 1-2 years, but can be highly variable depending on the response of the subjects. The load indicators proposed for each stage are the maximum at the end of each stage. This means that before carrying out the training proposed for the first stage, several training cycles with lower loads must be carried out.

It also means that when going from one stage to another, the maximum training proposed for the new stage is not done directly, but several cycles with intermediate loads between the maximum of the previous stage and the maximum of the stage in which one enters.

For each stage and group the words “minimum” and “maximum” appear. These two terms indicate the minimum and maximum load of the final training cycle of each stage or cycle of greatest load within the stage. Both loads are expressed as an effort character (CE) and as an approximate percentage of the RM that would correspond to that CE.

For example, the minimum load of the final cycle in the second stage of group A is expressed with a CE of 8(20) (do 8 repetitions while being able to do 20), and the corresponding percentage is 55%, and the maximum load of the cycle is 6(12) and a percentage of 70%. Regarding speed losses in the series, 10-15% is suggested for the minimum load and 15-20% for the maximum.

Naturally, if speed were measured, the references for all these indicators would be the speed of 55 and 70% of the RM, as indicators of relative intensity, and the loss of speed in the series. Then, a specific and common number of repetitions would not be programmed for all the subjects, and, therefore, the expression of the CE in terms of repetitions performed and possible or achievable repetitions would disappear.

If you train with an exercise for which the speed that would correspond to each percentage is not known, this can be roughly estimated if the RM speed is known. Exceptionally, the RM could be measured on occasion with a few subjects who perform the exercise well, to find this value in an approximate way. Once known, we know that the speed corresponding to each percentage will be in relation to the speed of the RM.

exercise of which the speed that would correspond to each percentage is not known, this can be estimated in an approximate way if the speed of the RM is known.

Comparing this speed with that of the exercises whose RM speeds we already know, it is possible to have a useful estimation to know the speed with each percentage and organize the training. Although the estimated speed for each percentage had a higher error than the rest of the exercises, as well as the loss of speed in the series, and these two issues are the most important.

Therefore, the utility of speed would be very high, and preferable to any other way of controlling the training load. We can see that in the fourth stage of all the groups a range of maximum percentages appears in bold. These are the approximate maximum intensity values ​​that each of the groups should reach at the end of their sporting life.

It is probable that for many subjects these relative intensities were not necessary, especially in the squat exercise, which is the one analyzed in this table, but it is proposed as the maximum “admissible” percentage. It must be taken into account, however, that these percentages, as will be seen later, even if you train with them, do not apply to all sessions of a training cycle.

Finally, to the right of the table the maximum percentage of repetitions in the series that could be done in each of the groups is indicated. To do this, half of the possible repetitions in the series are taken as a reference, indicating whether more than half, half or less than half of the possible repetitions in the series are done at most.

This maximum percentage of repetitions per series would not be done from the beginning of the training of “sporting life, but would be advanced to the maximum proposed as the stages are covered. Again we have to indicate that if speed can be measured. These percentages will be determined by the loss of speed in the series, knowing that in the face of certain loss of speed, a specific percentage of the possible repetitions in the series is done.

It is important to comply with the fact that with groups D and E you should never perform even half of the possible repetitions in the series, with group C you could reach half and with groups A and B you can reach do 1-2 repetitions more than half of the possible.

Therefore, this simple proposal turns out to be very useful due to the influence it can have on the adjustment of the load. If we look at the table from left to right, it can be seen that the relative intensity and loss of speed in the series are increasing until the last stage in all groups.

And if you look at the table from top to bottom, the trend is for the relative intensity and the loss of speed in the series to decrease. This trend naturally indicates that the lower the need for force development, the lower the training demand or load. The greatest demand is manifested in the relative intensity and in the Effort Index (IE), which does not appear in the table.

In the first stage, the IE with the maximum load of the cycle is the same for all groups (10-11). Subsequently, the maximum value of the IE programmed with the maximum load of the cycles in groups A and B is approximately 17, although it can reach 20 with the minimum loads of the last stages, in c 15-16, in D 12 -13 and at E 11-12. As indicated, the loads included in this table are more precisely tailored to the squat exercise.

Training adaptations to consider between squats and bench presses

For push and pull exercises with the worst limbs, such as the bench press (PB), the following adaptations should be made:

• The possible repetitions with each percentage would be 2-3 more in PB than in the squat (S).
• However, for the same percentage and the same loss of speed, the repetitions performed in both exercises are practically the same.
• The loss of speed in the programmed series could be increased by 5-10% in PB with respect to the S.
• The relative intensity (actual percentage of the MR) could be 5-10% higher in PB than in S.
• For the same percentage and loss of speed, the IE of the S is on average 30% higher than in PB, since the speed of each percentage in S is higher.
• But if, as we have indicated, in the PB the loss of speed in the series increases by 5-10% with respect to the S, the average IE in PB will be, approximately, only 5%, less than that which results for S.
• The maximum loss of speed in the series that produces a positive effect in S can be between 20 and 25%, while in PB it can reach approximately 35%. These are maximum losses, so they would only apply to subjects with extensive experience and high strength needs.

This article reviews the evolution of training loads to define the previously described force programming schemes.

In this series of articles we deal with some of the most important concepts of strength training, collecting notes from the recently published book Strength, Speed ​​and Physical and Sports Performance written by renowned researchers Juan José González Badillo and Juan Ribas Serna.

The progressive development of the programming of the groups is presented below. First, the loads of the initial and final cycles of all the stages of each group are presented.

Tabla 1. Basic scheme of programming the initial and final cycles for all groups in the squat in the first stage.

• The initial cycle of the Stage and the final cycle of the Stage are programmed.
• In each Stage several intermediate cycles are developed between the two programmed here.
• BP: body weight; PV: loss of speed in the series; EI: effort index.

Regardless of strength development needs, it is considered that the first stage of training should be the same for all sport groups. The differences between the groups will be manifested by the time that this type of training will be maintained and the different progression in the training load from the second stage. The sports specialties with more strength needs could spend less time in the first stage and should increase the load more quickly.

The differences between the groups will be manifested by the time that this type of training will be maintained and the different progression in the training load from the second stage

Table 1 shows the minimum and maximum loads of the initial cycle and the initial cycle and the final training cycle of the first stage. As indicated in the header of the table, on the left are the minimum loads and on the right the maximum. In the first row are the load variables, in the second row the loads of the initial cycle and in the third those of the final cycle.

Minimum initial cycle charge. In the section of the minimum loads of the initial cycle, no load value is determined. EThe subject would train without any added external load, would perform 2-4 sets of full squats of 6-10 repetitions per set, doing the eccentric phase in a controlled manner, at medium speed, not maximum, and the concentric phase at the maximum or almost maximum speed possible, with the transition from the eccentric phase to the concentric phase (rebound) in a moderate way, at low or medium speed, with about 2 minutes of recovery between sets.

Between each repetition there are 2-3 seconds of pause. The trainer observes the ease/difficulty with which the subject performs the exercise. Therefore, it is not considered that there is an appreciable loss of speed nor, of course, is any IE determined.

Maximum load of the initial cycle. It is expected that after having done the exercise without added load for 2-4 weeks, about twice a week, the ease / speed of execution is high and it is justified to start adding some external load. At the end of the cycle the load can be from 5 to 20 kg, to do 2-4 series of 6-8 repetitions per series.

It is understood that this added load has been done in progression, starting with 5 kg or less, depending on the subject, and increasing it as an increase in ease/speed of execution is observed. Theoretically, the ease of execution with which the cycle ends, with the corresponding added load, should be close to or equivalent to the ease with which the subject performed the last training sessions without loads.

In this case, it is not appropriate to talk about the percentage of 1RM or IE, and the loss of speed could be null or very small, like 3%. Before reaching the proposed loads for the final cycle of the stage, the subject must carry out a few cycles of progressive training, in such a way that he trains with approximately 30-35 kg.

Before reaching the proposed loads for the final cycle of the stage, the subject must carry out a few cycles of progressive training, in such a way that he trains with approximately 30-35 kg.

After training with these loads it would be appropriate to start the loads of the final cycle of the stage. Minimum load of the final cycle. At the beginning of this cycle you could be programming the training with relative intensities and character of the effort (CE). In this case, the CE is very low, since 2-4 series of 5-8 repetitions would be done with loads that can be done many times (30-40).

This could correspond to 30-40% of the RM. The speed loss would be 5-10%, with an IE of 14-16. Naturally, if speed is measured, the relative intensity is determined by the speed value and the repetitions are not programmed, but each series is performed until the programmed speed is lost.

Maximum load of the final cycle. Over the course of the development of the cycle, the relative intensity is progressively increased, which means that the number of possible repetitions (number in parentheses of the CE) is reduced until reaching the proposal to perform at the end of the cycle about 2- 4 series of 6-8 repetitions, being able to do 18-20 repetitions in the series, which would correspond to approximately 55% of the RM, a 10-15% loss of speed in the series and a effort index (IE) of 14-16. It must be taken into account that this last cycle must be carried out 2-3 times before moving on to the first cycle of the next stage.

As soon as the maximum load of the day begins to be equal to or greater than 50% of the RM, you should do 1-2 warm-up sets with the same repetitions per set that you are going to perform with the maximum load of the day or something more. As the maximum load of the day increases, the warm-up series will be longer.

The programming of the initial and final cycles of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages of each group will be presented below. Table 2 presents the proposal for group A.

Table 2. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for group A in Squats in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.

• The initial cycle of the Stage and the final cycle of the Stage are programmed.
• In each Stage several intermediate cycles are developed between the two programmed here.
• BW: body weight; PV: loss of speed in the series; EI: effort index.

The first row of Table 2 shows the load variables. In the second row are the initial and final cycles of the 2nd stage. Within this stage there are two rows, the first with the training sessions of the initial cycle of the stage, with its corresponding minimum and maximum load, and the second with those of the final cycle. The meaning of the numbers corresponding to each variable are the same that we have described when talking about the first stage.

It can be seen that the first stage ended with an approximate relative intensity of 95%, which had to be done at least 2 times (two cycles with the same loads), and the initial cycle of the second stage reaches 57-60%. This would be roughly the progression from the first to the second stage.

Between the initial and final cycles that are proposed, some intermediate cycles will have to be carried out. The reference to get from the initial cycle to the end should be the value of the relative intensity that is proposed in the final cycle. The intensity increase in this case is approximately 7.5-10%. If 2 cycles were done with the initial cycle charges, another 2 could be done with the intermediate charges and then reach the final cycle, which should be done at least twice before entering the next stage. In total, 5-6 cycles would be done at this stage.

What could be a season and a half. The development of the following stages would be done in a similar way to that described for the second stage. Table 3 shows the proposal for group B.

Tabla 3. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for group B in the squat in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.

• The initial cycle of the Stage and the final cycle of the Stage are programmed.
• In each Stage several intermediate cycles are developed between the two programmed here.
• BW: body weight; PV: loss of speed in the series; EI: effort index.

Table 3 presents the same characteristics as Table 2. Everything that has been commented is valid for this proposal. There are only differences in the proposed loads, which are especially expressed in the relative intensities, which in this table experience a slightly smaller progression and end up with somewhat lower values.

Tables 4, 5 and 6 present the proposals for groups C, D and E. All the indications, adapted to the loads of each of the groups, are valid for these new proposals. In all the groups, during the 2nd and 3rd stages there would be between 5 and 8 cycles, approximately, so that each one would occupy between one and two seasons.

For the 4th stage, a number of cycles cannot be determined, since, if the subject were to remain training for a long time in his sporting life, he would always do so without increasing the programmed relative intensities, since they are not expected to increase.

If these situations come to pass, it would be advisable to do a cycle with a lower relative intensity than expected, just as it would be advisable to do a cycle with a lower relative intensity than that expected as maximum and a little more loss of speed in the series (little), and then , in subsequent cycles, return to the load values ​​provided in the in stage.

It would be very important that, even in these moments of sports life, it be verified whether the way of increasing the absolute load works without increasing the relative one, which would be a good sign of a good response to training.

The general guidelines that we have given when talking about the alternatives in situations in which the subjects increase or do not speed above what is expected, would be of important application in these cases.

Tabla 4. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for the squat group in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.

Table 5. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for group D in Squat in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.

Table 6. Basic scheme of programming the initial and final cycles for group E in the squat in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.