I have a few lifts where I can do the same weight for the same reps every week, but adding the next plate jump makes the last set ugly.
I am leaning toward adding reps inside a range first, then adding weight and dropping the reps back down. It seems less dramatic than forcing a heavier load because the calendar says it is time.
For ordinary general training, is there much practical downside to progressing that way?
1 reply
I do this with a couple of lifts and it’s been fine. The only downside is it can be easy to keep living in the comfortable range forever if...
I do this with a couple of lifts and it’s been fine. The only downside is it can be easy to keep living in the comfortable range forever if you never decide the range is complete.
That’s the part I watch for too. If the top end of the range never gets touched, the weight probably isn’t moving forward in a real way.
2 replies
That’s a normal way to progress. If the next jump makes the last set ugly, adding reps first is often the cleaner move.
That’s a normal way to progress. If the next jump makes the last set ugly, adding reps first is often the cleaner move.
I’d rather see someone own a weight for a few more reps than force a jump that turns the set into a hinge-and-pray situation.
I’d call it useful progression, not second-rate progression. Just make sure the rep range and effort level are actually written down so it isn’t vague forever.