Force programming schemes: loads in the initial and final cycles
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.
| Minimum Cycle Load | cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| All / 1st stage | Initial PC Cycle
Final Cycle 5-8 (30-40) |
?
30-40 |
0
5-10 |
?
12-13 |
6-8 (5-20 kg)
6-8 (18-20 kg) |
?
55 |
0-5
10-15 |
?
11-16 |
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.
| Minimum Cycle Load | Cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| A / 2º etapa | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
45-50
55 |
5-10
10-15 |
11-12
15-16 |
6-8 (16-18)
6(12) |
57-60
65-67 |
10-15
15-20 |
14-15
17-18 |
| A / 3º etapa | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
50-55
57-60 |
10-15
15-20 |
15-17
19-20 |
5(10)
4-5(7-8) |
70-73
75-80 |
15-20
20-25 |
16-17
17-19 |
| A / 4º etapa | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
57-60
60-65 |
15-20
20 |
19-20
18-20 |
2-4(5-6)
1-3(2-4) |
80-85
90-93 |
20-25
25 |
15-17
11-13 |
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.
| Minimum Cycle Load | Cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| B / 2nd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
45-50
55 |
5-10
10-15 |
11-12
15-16 |
6-8 (16-18)
6(12) |
57-60
65-67 |
10-15
15-20 |
14-15
17-18 |
| B / 3rd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (20-25)
Final Cycle 6-8 (16-18) |
50-55
57-60 |
10-15
15-20 |
15-17
19-20 |
5-6(10-12)
4-5(7-10) |
67-70
70-80 |
15-20
20-25 |
16-17
17-18 |
| B / 4th stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (16-18)
Final Cycle 6-8 (16) |
57-60
60 |
15-20
15-20 |
19-20
15-20 |
4-5(6-9)
1-3(2-6) |
75-80
85-90 |
15-20
25 |
14-15
13-15 |
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.
| Minimum Cycle Load | Cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| B / 2nd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (30-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20-25) |
45-50
50-55 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-13
11-17 |
6-8 (18-20)
5-6(14) |
55
63-65 |
10-15
10-15 |
11-16
9-15 |
| B / 3rd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-30)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
45-50
55 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-12
11-16 |
5-6(12-14)
4-5(10) |
63-67
70 |
15-20
15-20 |
13-19
13-17 |
| B / 4th stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (20)
Final Cycle 6-8 (16-18) |
55
57-60 |
10-15
10-15 |
11-16
10-15 |
4-5(8-10)
1-3(3-6) |
70-75
80-87 |
15-20
15-20 |
11-17
9-14 |
Tabla 4. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for the squat group in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.
| Minimum Cycle Load | Cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| B / 2nd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-35)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
35-40
40-45 |
5-10
5-10 |
9-14
11-13 |
6-8 (25-30)
4-5(16) |
45-50
60 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-12
10-15 |
| B / 3rd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (20-25)
Final Cycle 6-8 (16-18) |
45-50
55 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-12
11-16 |
4-5(16)
3-4(10) |
60
70 |
10-15
10-15 |
10-12
8-13 |
| B / 4th stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (16-18)
Final Cycle 6-8 (16) |
55
57-60 |
10-15
10-15 |
11-16
10-15 |
4-5(12)
2-3(6-8) |
65-67
75-83 |
10-15
10-15 |
9-14
7-11 |
Table 5. Basic programming scheme of the initial and final cycles for group D in Squat in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.
| Minimum Cycle Load | Cycle load | |||||||
| Group / Stage | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE | Charge | % 1RM | PV (%) | IE |
| B / 2nd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (30-40)
Final Cycle 6-8 (30-35) |
35-40
40-45 |
5-10
5-10 |
9-14
11-13 |
6-8 (25-30)
4-5(16) |
45-50
60 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-12
10-15 |
| B / 3rd stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (25-30)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
45-50
55 |
5-10
10-15 |
10-12
11-16 |
4-5(16)
4-5(14) |
60
63-65 |
10-15
10-15 |
10-15
9-14 |
| B / 4th stage | Initial Cycle 6-8 (20)
Final Cycle 6-8 (20) |
55
55 |
10-15
10-15 |
11-16
15-16 |
4-5(14)
2-3(10-12) |
63-65
65-75 |
10-15
10-15 |
9-14
8-14 |
Table 6. Basic scheme of programming the initial and final cycles for group E in the squat in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages.
