Arithmetic Progressions

Ash JonesJust back from the gym this morning and was playing around with some sets and reps progression.....

Ashley Jones

Just back from the gym this morning and was playing around with some sets and reps progressions, keeping true to the Rule of 24 but just working with numbers. Being an old mathematics teacher and having a passion for Differential Calculus, yea, I know what you are thinking, sad guy, get a life, but strength training is just about mathematics and physics, just ask Louie.

Well here is what I worked through today:

12 x 2  Split Snatch from floor

6 x 4    Safety Bar below parallel box squat

3 x 8    Seated DB Shoulder Press

The tweak I added today was to circuit them as I progressed through the sets; the first 6 sets of snatch were performed in a straight sets fashion, with about 90 seconds between sets, then I added the safety bar squats in using a modified superset structure with a 60 second rest between each exercise for the next 3 sets and finally for the last 3 sets I added the DB shoulder press and effectively tri-setted the program with about 45 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds rest between groups.

As you know, if you have read any of my writings, I am a huge fan of simplicity and a firm believer in the saying that “less is more” in a lot of training situations and that a combination of pull, push and squat trains the entire body very effectively and efficiently.

I am currently using a three day per week program alternating combinations like the one above over the course of the week, and the alternate days doing some GPP/Tabata interval work as well as a core circuit.

You could also use the above arithmetic progression of reps and regression of sets on the one session with one group, say Pulling movements, the workout would look something like this:

12 x 2  Squat Snatch from high blocks

6 x 4    Power Clean from medium blocks

3 x 8    Clean Grip Dead Lifts from floor

A squats program could look like this:

12 x 2 Overhead Squat

6 x 4    Front Squat

3 x 8    Back Squat

And a Overhead Pressing plan could be:

12 x 2  Split jerks from rack

6 x 4    Push Press

3 x 8    DB Standing Press

Give it a go and let me know how you went, cheers, ashley

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