8-7-6-5 | Evolutionary Athletics

The 8-7-6-5 is a training method I’m currently using to improve my squat. This method is made up of five phases and steps:

1) The build-up phase;
2) The stagnation step;
3) The intensification phase;
4) The peak step;
5) The deload phase.

What are all these? Just fancy names to make this program look professional and marketable. In reality, they are just natural occurences that will happen if you do this program. But first, lets talk about “how to do” the 8-7-6-5:

Well, it’s just a matter of 4 sets that each have -1 rep vs. the previous set, with the first set having 8 reps.

So if you’re scheduled for a 90 set of squats, it will look like this:

20×8 / 50×5 / 70×3 / 100×3 / 150×0 (unrack the bar and keep it on your back for 5-10s for potentiation) (optional) / 90×8 – 90×7 – 90×6 – 90×5 WORK SETS

Obviously, the warm-up weights etc are there just as general guidelines.

OK, so why 8-7-6-5? Well first off, because of volume. 8+7+6+5=26 total work reps. That’s a very good volume for “functional” hypertrophy. It’s close to a 5×5 but it’s a rep more than a 5×5 and it’s geared more towards hypertrophy from a set duration/fatigue induceness point of view. Secondly, the 8 rep set makes you use a weight not that big as you would in a 5 rep range set. That means less load on the spine and less chance of a bad technique because of it. Thirdly, because the format is -1 rep per each consequent set, the program is geared more towards a conservative approach for your CNS breakdown, in the way that it somehow protects you from overexerting and makes you let “some in the tank”. If you made 8 reps in your first set, you’ll need just to hit 7 on the next set which maintains a better attitude towards the goal and helps keep focus.

Now I realize this third point might make people think “man, you’re such a pussy, just squat 8 reps again with the same weight and stop worrying” etc. This might be a valid point, but regardless, these things do cross people’s mind “oh… another 8 reps…” which does take away some focus and intensity from that work set. With the -1 rep approach, you can maintain a positive, intensity-oriented approach towards each set.

How to judge the 8-7-6-5 progression?

Here’s the idea:

Sets of 8 and 7:

If you fail more than one rep (say you got 6 and 5 instead of 8 and 7) then you need to decrease the weight the next time. If you fail just one rep on one or each of them (say you got only 7 and 6 instead of 8 and 7 like scheduled) then you need to use the same weight the next workout. If you get 8 and 7 reps then you increase the weight the next workout;

Once you get through these first two sets, the next two sets come in:

Sets of 6 and 5:

If you fail ANY rep in these last two sets then you need to use the same weight the next workout.

What I’ve layed out here is the proper judgment of weight progression for the 8-7-6-5.

Now about the steps:

1) The build-up phase.

This is the first step and it’s the start of the training cycle. Start with about 80% of your 8RM. So if your 8RM is 100 kg, then start with 80 kg your training cycle. The recommended frequency of training is 2 times per week, for the time when you’re in the offseason of whatever sport you’re doing (by the way, this program is NOT what you want to do if you’re currently practicing your sport even at medium levels. Instead, it’s made as a preparation for the dynamic work that will follow this program when you start training for your sport at higher intensities, so obviously this program is recommended for the off-season).

The build-up step is the phase of the program where everything works as planned. You nail all the reps in all the sets and advance in the weight used every workout.

It might look like this:

Workout1: 80×8-7-6-5
WO2: 82.5×8-7-6-5
WO3: 85×8-7-6-5
WO4: 87.5×8-7-6-5
WO5: 90×8-7-6-5
WO6: 92.5×8-7-6-5
WO7: 95×8-7-6-5
WO8: 97.5×8-7-6-5
WO9: 100×8-7-6-5
WO10: 102.5×8-6-5-5

At 102.5 you missed one rep on the 2nd set and one rep on the 3rd set. As stated before, this means you’re going to use the same weight for the next workout in the hope that you’re going to go over the hump. If you get 102.5×8-7-6-5 the next workout then continue on adding weight. If you fail on doing that and get an identical workout as this failed one, then try again the next workout. If you miss even more than those 2 reps then you reached step number 2 (the stagnation). If you miss the third workout the same as this one, then, again, you reached the stagnation step.

2) The stagnation step

The stagnation step is the moment when you can’t get all the reps you planned for. There are two ways out: the intensity way and the volume way.

3) The intensification phase

This is the phase where the volume starts being limited.

The intensity way calls for you leaving the first set out. So from now on, you’re only going to do a 7-6-5 workout, consisting of only 3 sets.

It would look like this: 102.5×7-6-5 and advance from here. Once you again miss reps, eliminate the first set and you’re going to have a 6-5, and then once you can’t do the 6-5 you’re going to go with just one top set of 5 reps for your workout. Once you start missing reps on this top set, you have reached the peak step.

The volume way calls for you leaving the last set out. So from now on, you’re only going to do a 8-7-6 workout, consisting of only 3 sets.

It would look like this: 102x5x8-7-6 and advance from here. Once you again miss reps, eliminate the last set and you’re going to have a 8-7, and then once you can’t do the 8-7 you’re going to go with just one top set of 8 reps for your workout. Once you start missing reps on this top set, you have reached the peak step.

Now it depends on how you work in terms of strength training, individually. Some people will have problems in the top sets, as they can’t generate much intensity but they are able to maintain intensity, and others can generate intensity but can’t maintain intensity. For the first case kind of people, they should choose the volume way to the peak step (8-7-6), unless improved intensity is the desired result from this program, for which they would go with the intensity approach (try to get 7-6-5). For the second case kind of people, they should choose the intensity way to the peak step (try to get 7-6-5), unless improved work capacity is the desired result from this program, for which they would go with the volume approach (try to get 8-7-6).

So basically, depending on what the goals are, the approach towards the peak step is different.

4) The peak step.

Once the peak step has been reached (missing reps in the top set of 5 for the intensity way, or missing reps in the top set of 8 in the volume way), then the cycle is complete and a deload is warranted.

5) The deload phase

For the deload I would recommend only one work set, with -2 reps for the work set vs. the program work set, and -10% load.

So if the peak has been for the volume way a 100×8 (you tried 102.5 but you got only 6 reps for three consecutive workouts – peak occured), then a deload week would be a week where you would do two workouts of 90×6 as the only work set for each workout.

If the peak has been for the intensity way a 100×5 (you tried 102.5 but you got only 4 reps for three consecutive workouts – peak occured), then a deload week would be a week where you would do two workouts of 90×3 as the only work set for each workout.

After the deload has been completed, focus can and should be moved towards a more dynamic/specific approach for your sport (plyometric training, dynamic work, med ball work, speed/jump squats etc).

Example of an intensity-oriented 8-7-6-5 cycle:

Workout1: 80×8-7-6-5
WO2: 82.5×8-7-6-5
WO3: 85×8-7-6-5
WO4: 87.5×8-7-6-5
WO5: 90×8-7-6-5
WO6: 92.5×8-7-6-5
WO7: 95×8-7-6-5
WO8: 97.5×8-7-6-5
WO9: 100×8-7-6-5
WO10: 102.5×7-7-6-5 (missed one rep, will try again with the same weight next time)
WO11: 102.5×8-7-6-5 (made it, increasing the weight the next workout)
WO12: 105×7-7-5-4 (missed reps in the first two sets (strike one), try again the next workout)
WO13: 105×8-6-5-4 (missed reps in the first two sets (strike two), try again the next workout)
WO14: 105×6-6-5-4 (missed reps in first two sets(strike three), the stagnation has been reached)
WO14: 105×7-6-5 (made all the reps, advancing in weight)
WO15: 107.5×6-6-5 (missed one rep in the first set, try again the next workout, strike one)
WO16: 107.5×7-6-5 (made all the reps, advancing in weight)
WO17: 110×6-6-5 (missed one rep in the first set, try again the next workout, strike one)
WO18: 110×6-6-5 (missed one rep in the first set, try again the next workout, strike two)
WO19: 110×6-6-5 (missed one rep in the first set, eliminate first set, strike three)
WO20: 110×6-5 (made all the reps, advancing in weight)
WO21: 112.5×5-5 (missed a rep in the first set, try again the next workout, strike one)
WO22: 112.5×5-5 (missed a rep in the first set, try again the next workout, strike two)
WO23: 112.5×5-5 (missed a rep in the first set, eliminate first set, strike three)
WO24: 115×5 (made all the reps, advance in weight)
WO25: 117.5×4 (missed a rep in the work set, try again next workout, strike one)
WO26: 117.5×4 (missed a rep in the work set, try again next workout, strike two)
WO27: 117.5×5 (made all the reps, advance in weight)
WO28: 120×4 (missed a rep in the work set, try again next workout, strike one)
WO29: 120×3 (missed two reps in the work set, the peak has been reached)
WO30: 105 (~90% of 117.5) x 3 (5-2 reps) – deload
WO31: 105×3 deload 2

END OF CYCLE

Example of a volume-oriented 8-7-6-5 cycle:

END OF CYCLE

Good luck!

EDIT: One additional note. If you chose the volume way of intensification, then I suggest to try to see how much weight you can get for 8 reps after the deload phase. Hopefully, your 8RM will be superior to your last 8RM test. The same applies for the intensity way of intensification, where you should test your 5RM.

A good way to test this is chose the weight from which you calculated the start of the squat cycle from as your previous 8RM. In this example, we said that 100 kg was the 8RM, and we started our cycle with 80% of that, thus starting our cycle with 80 kg.

For the people that chose the volume way, get the 100 kg bar and after warming up see how many reps you get with it. If you get more than 8 then you’ve improved your squat. For those that went with the intensity way, then they should take their former 5RM bar and see how many reps they get with it. If they get more than 5, then they’ve increased their squat.

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