Directions
1. Warm-up with 8 reps at 50% of your
1-rep max. Don't be hesitant to warm-up more if you feel you need to. Some
people like to do a light 10 rep set with just the empty barbell as their
first warm-up set.
2. Follow the prescribed reps and percentages
right up to your 100% or
1-rep max set. Take a 1-2 minute rest between warm-up
and lead-in sets. Take a 2-3 minute rest before the 1x 95% set and between
every set thereafter. Don't hesitate to take longer rest periods if you feel
you need to.
3. Based on how your
1-rep max set felt, decide
whether or not to try to establish a new max by adding 5 pounds. If you
attempt a new max, it is a good idea to skip the 95% down set.
4. If you establish a new
1-rep max, that becomes your next workout.
5. When you are no longer able to make progress
because of reaching a plateau or over-training, you should re-cycle your
program. Reduce the weight (your current
1-rep max) you use to determine your workout by 10%. For example: If your current
1-rep max is 300 lbs., use 90% of that as your workout max (270 lb.) for your
first workout when you re-cycle. Build up your weights again gradually by
adding 5-10 lbs per workout to each previous workout max. By backing off in this manner and building up again, you
will allow your body a chance to recover and possibly break through your
previous plateau.
