I’ve heard lot of coaches and athletes on here talk about getting the most strength training benefits from lifting heavy (high weight/low rep) rather than low weight/high rep strength work. Both Ben Hoffman and TO talk about lifting heavy in their AMA threads. But what I don’t see if people saying what “heavy” means to them. Like, are we talking doing 5x5 squats at body weight? 110% body weight? Dead lifts at 125% body weight? More/less?
What’s “lifting heavy” in your opinion? (for triathlon, not power lifting)
I think when they mention heavy lifting, it would be done at a weight that you would begin to struggle with on the last few reps but feel like you would be able to do more reps if needed. So if you were doing sets of 5 squats, you would start to struggle around rep 4-5 and then (after racking the weight) feel like you would have been able to do 1-2 more as a max number (before you would fail).
So it would definitely not be a percent of body weight, as (hopefully) this number will change as you progress/get stronger.
I agree with this. As you start to lift what you can do for 5 reps is going to increase. So when you start, squatting 135 might be heavy. But after a while it might be that heavy lifting for you is squatting 225. Just depends on the person/genetics/body type.
Lift the heaviest weight you can until you get to a weight that makes you sh!t your pants.
Take 5lb off that and do 3 sets of 2.
Serious answer, I do trap bar deadlifts. Start with 65% of the max amount I can lift. Do maybe 4 sets of 8. And do it 2x a week. Every week, add 5% until you get to like 95% and lower rep ranges until you’re doing somewhere around 3x2.
Then start over at 65%.
After I’ve tired my bigger leg muscles, I do single leg stability/isolation strength exercises. That lets the little muscles that don’t get much action a chance to work out.
I agree with this. As you start to lift what you can do for 5 reps is going to increase. So when you start, squatting 135 might be heavy. But after a while it might be that heavy lifting for you is squatting 225. Just depends on the person/genetics/body type.
That being said, Chad Timmerman over at TrainerRoad has a good guide as to what benchmarks (% of body weight) to try and build to for different endurance athletes: https://blog.trainerroad.com/...ations-for-cyclists/
That said, I’d say, yeah, a little low. I’m a 46 y.o. all-rounder, and can exceed all the “Level 2” ones except maybe the 10-rep pull-up (10 reps is my current max, and I’m working on that). So I’d expect a 25 y.o. aspiring pro should be able to near double those.
But keep in mind that Trainerroad’s wheelhouse is the middle of the bell curve, not FOP. I think those number are just great as a healthy benchmark for the average recreational competitor.
If you were at the start line of an IM and challenged all the men to do 10 honest, strict pull-ups (dead hang, no swinging, chin clearly over bar), it’d be a very small % that could.
I think when they mention heavy lifting, it would be done at a weight that you would begin to struggle with on the last few reps but feel like you would be able to do more reps if needed. So if you were doing sets of 5 squats, you would start to struggle around rep 4-5 and then (after racking the weight) feel like you would have been able to do 1-2 more as a max number (before you would fail).
A few weeks after my last race of the season I started a 5x5 plan and this has generally been my approach: lift so that 5x5 is tough but doable, and once it doesn’t feel so tough then bump up another 5-10 lbs. So it seems like I’m in the ballpark of appropriately challenging “heavy” lifting.
Lifting like this leaves me pretty sore the next day though, sometimes even for two days (particularly deal lift). So on the one hand it seems like I’m on target, but on the other I don’t want lifting to interfere with S/B/R. Granted I have an achilles problem at the moment so it’s mostly swim/elliptical/lift, but once I’m back to more run and bike maybe I should dial back the weight so I can focus more on what counts most?
That said, I’d say, yeah, a little low. I’m a 46 y.o. all-rounder, and can exceed all the “Level 2” ones except maybe the 10-rep pull-up (10 reps is my current max, and I’m working on that). So I’d expect a 25 y.o. aspiring pro should be able to near double those.
But keep in mind that Trainerroad’s wheelhouse is the middle of the bell curve, not FOP. I think those number are just great as a healthy benchmark for the average recreational competitor.
If you were at the start line of an IM and challenged all the men to do 10 honest, strict pull-ups (dead hang, no swinging, chin clearly over bar), it’d be a very small % that could.
Yeah they seem lower than I’d expect even at 5 reps. Also seems like there’s a pretty big jump between “Level 2” and “Level 3.” I get that they claim they’re targeting different kinds of riders, but it’s nearly a 50% jump between an “all-rounder” and a “sprinter” surprises me.
Your 10 honest, strict pull-up thought experiment would be very interesting. Think below 10%?
That said, I’d say, yeah, a little low. I’m a 46 y.o. all-rounder, and can exceed all the “Level 2” ones except maybe the 10-rep pull-up (10 reps is my current max, and I’m working on that). So I’d expect a 25 y.o. aspiring pro should be able to near double those.
But keep in mind that Trainerroad’s wheelhouse is the middle of the bell curve, not FOP. I think those number are just great as a healthy benchmark for the average recreational competitor.
If you were at the start line of an IM and challenged all the men to do 10 honest, strict pull-ups (dead hang, no swinging, chin clearly over bar), it’d be a very small % that could.
You think the less you weigh or the more you weigh the levels are easier?
I can do all level 3. But I’d much rather be fast, which I’m not, than be able to beat the levels though
I think when they mention heavy lifting, it would be done at a weight that you would begin to struggle with on the last few reps but feel like you would be able to do more reps if needed. So if you were doing sets of 5 squats, you would start to struggle around rep 4-5 and then (after racking the weight) feel like you would have been able to do 1-2 more as a max number (before you would fail).
A few weeks after my last race of the season I started a 5x5 plan and this has generally been my approach: lift so that 5x5 is tough but doable, and once it doesn’t feel so tough then bump up another 5-10 lbs. So it seems like I’m in the ballpark of appropriately challenging “heavy” lifting.
Lifting like this leaves me pretty sore the next day though, sometimes even for two days (particularly deal lift). So on the one hand it seems like I’m on target, but on the other I don’t want lifting to interfere with S/B/R. Granted I have an achilles problem at the moment so it’s mostly swim/elliptical/lift, but once I’m back to more run and bike maybe I should dial back the weight so I can focus more on what counts most?
Recent study showed one set of max 5 reps give the same strength increase as 3 sets.
If I were going size increase I would do 5 sets or more and emphasize the negative
The negative is causing much of the soreness
Going for strength I would basically let the weight fall, explode the positive and do 1 or possibly 2 sets.
Recent study showed one set of max 5 reps give the same strength increase as 3 sets.
If I were going size increase I would do 5 sets or more and emphasize the negative
The negative is causing much of the soreness
Going for strength I would basically let the weight fall, explode the positive and do 1 or possibly 2 sets.
1 or possibly 2 sets but after a reasonable warm up, right? For example, if I’m going to squat sets of 175 I’ll warm up with 10@95, 7@115, 5@135 and then do 4-5 sets of 5@175. I think if I went in to the main set cold I’d be asking for trouble.
That said, if I can warm up and then get the same strength increase with fewer sets I’m sold.
Recent study showed one set of max 5 reps give the same strength increase as 3 sets.
If I were going size increase I would do 5 sets or more and emphasize the negative
The negative is causing much of the soreness
Going for strength I would basically let the weight fall, explode the positive and do 1 or possibly 2 sets.
1 or possibly 2 sets but after a reasonable warm up, right? For example, if I’m going to squat sets of 175 I’ll warm up with 10@95, 7@115, 5@135 and then do 4-5 sets of 5@175. I think if I went in to the main set cold I’d be asking for trouble.
That said, if I can warm up and then get the same strength increase with fewer sets I’m sold.