While this is a general name for the one leg jump, “reactive”, the reality is that the one-leg jump [...]]]> When talking about the one leg jump the “general consensus” is that this way of jumping is to be named a “reactive jump” because it relies heavily on the reactive ability of that particular athlete.

While this is a general name for the one leg jump, “reactive”, the reality is that the one-leg jump has two ways of occurring. The first way to jump off one leg is using your strength to provide the force/upward momentum. The second way of jumping off one leg is using the deformation of the jumping leg tendons to provide the force/upward momentum.

These two technique, because we’re talking about technique in here, are pretty different from one another. Yes, of course both the reactive and strength qualities combine for either of the technique, but at different levels of involvement.

Let me explain:

1) The strength jump

In my experience, most people that haven’t trained in track and field and have developed a good one-leg running jump with basketball or other sports just by playing, and not by dissecting the technique behind the jump – are into this category. How can this be characterized? Well, a strength jump off one leg has these characteristics:

a) The run up is usually short – this means at most 5 steps;
b) The hips drop a lot, the center of gravity is lower than for the reactive jump;
c) Longer last stride;
d) Less linear (more rotation occurs at the hip);
e) Longer GCT in the amortization phase (for more strength to be applied);
f) Non-jumping leg pendulation (if the athlete jumps off the left leg, the right, non-jumping leg will “pendulate” (or the non-jumping foot will scrape the running surface);
g) The last step (takeoff) is at approximately the same length, and has approximately the same hip height as the penultimate step;
h) The jump occurs during acceleration.

Let’s work on the reasons behind all this:

a) The run up is short because you need a slow, controllable speed to apply force properly. At least, at lower levels of athleticism. You can have a longer run-up and still be a strength jumper if you have the necessary strength. If you’re strong and use a longer run-up but still do the next “strength jumping” points then you’re probably still a strength jumper.

b) The hips drop a lot because, in order to produce a lot of force, the more ROM you have the more force you can produce and this also elongates the GCT (ground contact time) which, in turn, gives you more time to apply force voluntarily.

c) The longer last stride occurs, again, because of the need to produce force over a longer ROM (range of motion). This also elongates the GCT and allows for more force to be produced (since there’s more time available to produce it).

d) Less linearity – this is a personal observation and it might or might not be a reality. In my experience, people that are strength jumpers also rotate more at the hip when they take off than reactive jumpers. We’re talking about jumping towards the rim in basketball and not in the high jump.

e) Longer GCT – As I said above, a longer GCT is needed for more strength to be applied.

f) The pendulation of the non-jumping leg occurs because the last step is longer and the hips are lower. This means the blocking effect occurs as well (the jumping leg acts as a “pole”) – but at a different angle that what happens for a reactive jumper. The non-jumping leg usually has less ROM to “attack” or “strike” vertically into the jump itself because of this.

g) The difference between the last step and the penultimate step is little in terms of stride length. This is because of the reasons above.

h) The jump occurs during an acceleration phase because the muscles can work to produce voluntary force during an acceleration phase. During a stable/top speed phase, the muscles will work as stabilizers and contract isometrically. For example, in a top speed sprint the calves don’t contract concentrically to extend the ankle. The ankle is extended ONLY by the effect of the recoil that occurs in the Achilles tendon.

Now, if improvement wants to be made for this category (say you have a strength jumper that wants to increase his strength and maintain his jumping style, and therefore jump higher because of the strength increase “only”) – then you need to emphasize a training plan meant to increase the qualities, technique-wise, as mentioned above.

Examples of this include acceleration jumps (where the athlete constantly accelerates towards the take off point), long ROM jumps (like deep lunge jumps, deep split squat jumps), strength work (long lunges for strength) and probably deeper depth jumps to provide more “load”. I’m not going to get into the depth jump contact time argument now so please bear with me.

Also, you’ll probably want to work on increasing posterior chain strength the vast majority of time, with the quadriceps and calf part being important, but not “that” important.

2) The reactive jump

In my experience, most people that have been training in track and field have this kind of jumping technique. In the track and field people are told to have a short last step (takeoff phase) and a pretty long/lowering the hips for a just a bit penultimate (for example, the “accepted” norm in the long jump is just 10% hip lowering, anything beyond being considered “more than optimal” (although the average is ~14%)). How can this be characterized? Well, a reactive jump off one leg has these characteristics:

a) The run up is usually long – this means more than 5 steps;
b) The hips drop a just a little, the center of gravity is higher than for the strength jump;
c) Shorter last stride;
d) More linear (less rotation occurs at the hip);
e) Shorter GCT in the amortization phase;
f) Non-jumping leg has a heel to the butt into extension forward dynamic;
g) The last step (takeoff) is shorter and has a taller hip height than the penultimate step;
h) The jump occurs in at a constant speed.

Let’s work on the reasons behind all this:

a) The run up is usually long to prevent/will prevent the jump from becoming a strength oriented jump. If you take a long run up then the muscles will contract isometrically in the plant just to stabilize the tendons. The tendons will deform and this deformation will then release kinetic energy that will be used to propel the body upwards. It is longer also because you’ll be able to get a faster plant speed with a longer run-up in order to use more kinetic energy that will, in turn, make your bodyweight less important (since you’re going to have initial speed that will negate the bodyweight).

b) The hips drop less than in the strength jump – in fact, the hips will lower in the penultimate step phase and will start to rise a bit from that point on. This shortens the GCT and allows for more tendon recoil to occur.

c) A shorter last stride is used because that’s going to put the body in it’s optimum position to jump vertically, using the jumping leg as a “pole” or lever. A shorter last step also allows for a quicker jump off the floor, or a shorter GCT (yes, I know, these things are somewhat redundant in nature).

d) I have personally observed a more linear approach for the longer run-up kind of athletes towards the take off point. Like I said, this is just my impression. If you compare guys like James White (reactive jumper) and LeBron James (strength jumper) you’ll see that James White has a much more linear approach towards his jumping point, whereas LeBron has a much curved approach towards his jumping point. Again, just an observation that’s not limited to just these two players/athletes.

e) Redundancy – a shorter GCT. We’ve talked about this already.

f) The non jumping leg has that movement (heel to butt to extension) because of the track and field background as well (this technique is used at both long and high jumping, and in athletics in general). It occurs because the hips are not as lowered as in the strength jumping example, and the last stride is shorter as well, which means the body is more vertical and more compact than for a strength jump. This means that in order to transform the horizontal momentum to a vertical momentum, and “load” the pole properly (the left leg, or jumping leg) in a compact, “non-leaking” way, the right leg has to move in a certain way as well. Whenever a limb is too far from the body that limb is hard to stabilize/control (unless great strength is available) and that’s when the “compactness” is lost, if you get the idea.

g) The last step is shorter in order for all the above things to occur. Again, redundancy.

f) The jump occurs at a constant speed. This is because the jump is tendon-deformation oriented, or reactive, whereas in the strength jump, the basic tenet was strength and range of motion. At a constant speed the muscles act isometrically allowing the tendons to provide the kinetic energy.

Now, if improvement wants to be made for this category, then you need to emphasize a training plan meant to increase the qualities, technique-wise, as mentioned above. You can make a strength guy go with this technique and also increase his performance because he has the strength. A reactive guy trying to emulate a strength jump will probably have a hard time.

Examples of this include constant speed jumps (where the athlete establishes a constant speed towards the take off point), short ROM jumps (like short step, high center of gravity lunge jumps, high knee angle split squat jumps), strength work (short ROM lunges for strength) and depth jumps with minimum knee bend.

Also, you’ll probably want to work on increasing posterior chain strength but also work on the stabilizers more, meaning the quad work with partial ROM squats (think – 1/4 and 1/2 squats) is advisable in this situation. Calf work is more important here as well because the calf will aid in stabilizing the lower leg and also increase the positive proprioceptive feedback that will allow for more speed to be used in the plant which will allow for more tendon deformation to occur.

To put things into perspective, here’s an example of a training exercise according to what you want to obtain for it:

5 step acceleration maximal 1-leg vertical jump (strength jump)
vs
10 step constant speed maximal 1-leg vertical jump (with a 5 step acceleration lead-in) (reactive jump)

By: Andrew Darqui

- Editors note- I had originally intended to write an article on this topic but my friend Andrew had done such an excellent job I decided to publish his article. Enjoy -

*** Keep in mind this method [...]]]> Maximal Strength Effort Method (Originally published 2-5-10 at Adarq.org)

By: Andrew Darqui

- Editors note- I had originally intended to write an article on this topic but my friend Andrew had done such an excellent job I decided to publish his article. Enjoy -

*** Keep in mind this method is intended for intermediate athletes who have plenty of experience, or advanced athletes. Beginners shouldn’t play with this. ***

When people think about performing one rep (singles), they always think about maxing out (1RM lifting). There is a method out there which utilizes single repetitions in order to improve maximal & explosive strength. This method is formally referred to as the “Maximal Strength Effort Method” (MSEM) as described by Verkhoshansky. I have found this method to be extremely effective, from experience in my own training & for those who I have coached.

MSEM improves Max strength (MxS) & Explosive Strength (ExS)

Improving maximal strength (MxS) & explosive strength (ExS) are both very important for athletic performance. When ExS reaches a certain limit or threshold, the most effective way to improve it further is to improve your MxS. ExS is the ability to produce maximal tension in minimal time, this is what we see in sport, whether it be jumps, acceleration, or change of direction. Simply put, if you produce the same force in less time, or produce more force in the same amount of time, you will jump higher or run faster.
MSEM improves the ability of your muscles to relax following an intense contraction

Not only does MSEM improve MxS & ExS, it also improves the ability of your muscles to relax following an intense contraction. This becomes especially important in sport, because it means you recover sooner in between explosive movements. A faster recovery allows for replenishment of high energy substrates (fuel, ATP-CP) sooner, which allows for an even more powerful contraction – this offers a significant enhancement in cyclic activities such as sprinting.
MSEM reduces fatigue & soreness, increases CNS stimulation

Another very important aspect of MSEM is the effect it has on your central nervous system (CNS) & musculoskeletel system. When comparing MSEM versus 5×5, MSEM leads to much less CNS fatigue, as well as barely any soreness or fatigue. In fact, from my own personal accounts with MSEM, it is a potent CNS stimulator; power and nervous system excitability are increased. This makes MSEM a perfect tool to be used in the pre-season or in-season.
MSEM increases strength without an appreciable increase in body mass

Finally, for those athletes wishing to improve power without an increase in body weight, MSEM becomes a valuable tool. Increasing power without an increase in muscle mass is not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. Since MSEM is low volume & uses single repetitions, instead of consecutive repetitions, there simply is not enough time under tension (TUT) to cause any sort of significant hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). Instead, MSEM improves power by improving maximal strength and the rate at which muscle fibers fire (rate coding).The rate at which muscle fibers fire, has an important impact on rate force development (RFD), because this firing frequency directly affects two of rfd’s main components: starting strength & acceleration strength.
MSEM can help to break out of traditional strength training ruts

Utilizing moderate/high volume + high intensity (> 75 to < 90% 1RM) strength training programs for too long can lead to negative effects on RFD & various hormones. Though traditional strength training programs (TSTP’s) such as 5×5 increase lean muscle mass far better than does MSEM, TSTP’s are notorious for causing RFD to “shfit to the right”, in other words, TSTP’s can cause one to produce more force in a greater amount of time (not good). The reason this happens is simple: Heavy consecutive repetition lifts require that the body & muscle groups involved maintain a high amount of tension for a significant amount of time, move each rep with a decreased amount of speed, and require more time & resources for the body/CNS to recover. When it comes to hormones, spending too much time in a fatigued state, especially when frequently going to failure, can lead to decreases in testosterone and increases in cortisol, which can negatively impact power production.

The graph below will illustrate my point. The explosively trained group produces a greater amount of force in less time, this is essential in sport, as most plays & movements occur in fractions of a second.

Sedentary vs. Explosively Trained vs. Excessively Strength Trained:

Grinding out rep after rep for too long can negatively impact the FORCE / TIME curve

The above paragraph is for people whose performance seems to be dropping or stagnating for far too long (~1 month). TSTP’s have their place of course, they are good for general physical preparedness (GPP), hypertrophy, strength gain, etc. They can effectively be done in blocks or in conjunction with explosive training, but if done excessively and for too long, performance can suffer. So if that’s your case, you might want to consider MSEM (this blog) or some other strategy (future blogs).

With MSEM, two sets of three (2 x 3) refers to:

- Set 1: Rep1, rest, Rep2, rest, Rep3
- recovery
- Set 2: Rep1, rest, Rep2, rest, Rep3
- recovery

So, if we use the barbell squat in our MSEM example, this would require the barbell be re-racked after each rep, giving a brief amount of rest to shake out the legs, take deep breathes, and rid yourself of some tension. The rest you take between reps could be anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute.

MSEM Protocol as defined by Verkhoshansky

The two variants

• Variant 1
  Parameters
  • Sets: 2-4
  • Reps: 2-3 (rest between reps)
  • Intensity: 90-95% 1RM
  • Rest between reps: 15s-1min
  • Rest between sets: 4-6 minutes
  • Frequency Off-season: 1 session every 2-3 weeks
  • Frequency In-season: 1 session every 1-2 weeks
• Variant 2 – Much more intense:
  Parameters:
  • Sets: Wave loaded
  • Reps: 2-3 (rest between reps)
  • intensity:
    • Set 1: 90%
    • Set 2: 95%
    • Set 3: 100%
    • Set 4: 95%
    • Set 5: 100%
    • Set 6: Attempt PR
  • Rest between reps: 15s-1min
  • Rest between sets: 4-6 minutes
  • Frequency Off-season: 1 session every 2-3 weeks
  • Frequency In-season: 1 session every 1-2 weeks

MSEM is STIM, it helps to PR on the field or in the weight room

I have seen success with those exact methods, and slight deviations. Instead of limiting it to 2-4 x 2-3, I’ve used just one set of 4-8 singles, increasing or decreasing weight by 5-10 lb. depending on how I feel after each single. When playing with MSEM, you will notice that sometimes the second and third reps feel more explosive than the first. This is a stimulatory effect, which can definitely be taken advantage of. Another stimulatory effect is seen in the performance of subsequent sets, such as the 2nd and 3rd. This is taken advantage of in Verkhoshansky’s second variant.

I personally wouldn’t use Variant 2 in-season for sports like basketball, tennis, baseball, football etc… Variant 2 lends itself more to track and field / weightlifting events, or sports with more time to recover in between events.

To implement MSEM, make sure you’re in a strength or power block. Not a good idea to utilize MSEM sessions in a GPP block. If you’re in a strength or power block, you could throw in a session once every 1-3 weeks, making sure to include adequate recovery time before AND after. For your next session following the MSEM session, test your vert or speed. Use a session like this to get rid of some fatigue, prime the nervous system, and test your performance a few days following. So, in general, start off throwing in an MSEM session once every 3 weeks, and as you get closer to trying to peak your vert utilize MSEM once every 2 weeks, then 1 week, then peak.
I’ve effectively used MSEM using the barbell squat for double leg jumpers, single leg jumpers, and sprinters.

Example sessions might be:

Session:

- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / explosive stuff / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: MSEM: 2 x 3
OPTIONAL: db walking lunges: 2x5e (for people who love the unilaterals)
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

MSEM can be used by sprinters, double & single leg jumpers, weightlifters, or in-season strength maintenance/improvement

If you’re a single leg jumper or sprinter, and would like to try using this method with more specificity, it’s a little tough but the best way to do it would be to utilize 12″ barbell stepups. Alot of experience with this lift is required before hitting 90-95%. I would stay clear of 100% lifts using 12″ barbell stepups. You can perform the singles on both legs, one at a time, then rest. Otherwise, as purely a jumper, you could just perform MSEM on your dominant jumping leg, and then perform lighter reps after the session on your non-dominant leg.

Example sessions for advanced single leg jumper

Session:

- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / explosive stuff / something
- (~45 mins)
- 12″ barbell stepup: MSEM: 2 x 3
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

An example progression, incorporating upper body, utilizing MSEM in weeks 9-12:

Ok, so for people who have no idea what i’m talking about, here’s a general example 12 week program which illustrates how to phase in MSEM. It includes upper body work to give an idea of how to taper it.

GPP: Weeks 1-4
STRENGTH: Weeks 5-8
POWER: Weeks 9-12
PEAK: Week 13+
F: Failure
AF: Almost Failure
10e: 10 each
SL: Single Leg

Weeks 1 & 2:

Monday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / something
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench (3×10) SUPERSET seated row (3×10)
- incline db bench (2×10) SUPERSET pullups (2xF)
- pushups (3xF) SUPERSET horizontal pullup (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET tricep pushdown (3×10)
- core
(~10 minutes)
- stretch

Tuesday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~25 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (3×10)
- db walking lunges: 3x10e
- 18″ db stepup: 3x10e
- Double leg glute bridges: 3xF SUPERSET Standing double leg calf raise: 3×10
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Thursday: Same as Monday

Saturday: Same as Tuesday

Weeks 3 & 4:

Monday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / something
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench (3×8) SUPERSET seated row (3×8)
- incline db bench (2×8) SUPERSET pullups (2xF)
- pushups (3xF) SUPERSET horizontal pullup (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET tricep pushdown (3×10)
- core
(~10 minutes)
- stretch

Tuesday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~25 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (3×8)
- db walking lunges: 3x8e
- 18″ db stepup: 3x8e
- Double leg glute bridges: 3xF SUPERSET Standing db calf raise: 3×8
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Thursday: Same as Monday

Saturday: Same as Tuesday

Week 5 & 6:

Monday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 3×8
- seated row: 3×8
- incline pushups (3xF) SUPERSET pullups (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Tuesday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (4×8)
- walking lunges (4x8e)
- double leg glute bridges (3xF) SUPERSET standing calf raise: 3×8
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Thursday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 4×8
- single arm db row: 4×8
- flat pushups (3xF) SUPERSET horizontal pullups (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Saturday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (3×8)
- 18″ lunges (3x8e)
- single leg glute bridges (3xF) SUPERSET standing calf raise: 3×8
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Week 7 & 8:

Monday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 4×8
- seated row: 4×8
- weighted incline pushups (3xF) SUPERSET weighted pullups (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Tuesday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (3×5)
- walking lunges (3x5e)
- double leg glute bridges (3xF) SUPERSET standing calf raise: 3×8
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Thursday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 4×8
- single arm db row row: 4×8
- weighted flat pushups (3xF) SUPERSET weighted horizontal pullups (3xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Saturday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat (3×5)
- 18″ lunges (3x5e)
- single leg glute bridges (3xF) SUPERSET standing calf raise: 3×5
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Week 9 & 10:

Monday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 3×5
- seated row: 3×5
- weighted incline pushups (2xF) SUPERSET weighted pullups (2xF)
- weighted horizontal pullups (2xF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Tuesday: Lower Body
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: workup to a max 5 rep set (say 135×5, 185×5, 225×5, 245×5, 265×5)
- db walking lunges: 2×5
- db stepup: 2×5
- double leg glutes bridges: (3xF)
- single leg glute bridges: (2xF)
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Thursday: Upper Body:
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~30 minutes)
- incline db bench: 3×5
- single arm db row: 3×5
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Saturday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / explosive stuff / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: MSEM: 2 x 3
- walking lunges: 3×5
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Week 11:

Monday: Upper Body
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- flat db bench: 3×5
- seated row: 3×5
- weighted incline pushups (2xAF)
- weighted pullups (2xAF)
- weighted horizontal pullups (2xAF)
- shoulder matrix (3×10) SUPERSET Tricep Pushdown (3xAF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Wednesday: Lower Body:
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / explosive stuff / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: MSEM: 2 x 3
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Friday: Upper Body
- (~5 minutes) warmup
- (~10-25 minutes) footwork / skill stuff / med ball throws
- (~3 minutes) shoulder prehab (prone Y T W)
- (~45 minutes)
- weighted incline pushups (2xAF)
- weighted pullups (2xAF)
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Week 12:

Monday: Lower Body
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / explosive stuff / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: MSEM: 2 x 3
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Friday: Lower Body
- (~8 minutes) warmup
- (~35 minutes) sprints / jumps / something
- (~45 mins)
- barbell squat: MSEM: 2 x 3
- core
- (~10 minutes)
- stretch

Week 13: Peak

– adarq

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 [...]]]> 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:

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: 105×8-7-5-4 (missed reps in the last two sets (strike one), try again the next workout)
WO13: 105×8-7-4-4 (missed reps in the last two sets (strike two), try again the next workout)
WO14: 105×8-7-5-4 (missed reps in last two sets(strike three), the stagnation has been reached);
WO14: 105×8-7-6 (made all the reps, advancing in weight)
WO15: 107.5×8-7-5 (missed one rep in the last set, strike one)
WO16: 107.5×8-7-4 (missed two reps in the last set, eliminate last set)
WO17: 110×8-5 (missed two reps in the last set, eliminate last set)
WO18: 112.5×7 (missed one rep in the work set, try again the next workout)
WO19: 112.5×8 (advance in weight)
WO20: 115×7 (missed one rep in the work set, try again the next workout)
WO21: 115×5 (missed three reps in the work set,peak has been reached)
WO22: 102.5 (~90% of 115) x 6 (8-2 reps) – deload
WO23: 102.5×6 deload 2

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.