I’d like to introduce you to a set-rep weight training protocol that you might find especially valuable. Many Russian weightlifting coaches have used this type of system, and in fact the earliest reference I saw to it was in an article published 23 years ago by M.S. Okunyev, a former head coach of the USSR National Junior Weightlifting Team. I like to give credit where credit is due; but until the time comes when I find out who first introduced this system, I’ll call it The Okunyev Method.??
Those who have taken my PICP courses know that in many of my workout programs I prescribe a repetition bracket for each set. For example, to focus on Type IIb fibers (for relative strength) I would use 1-5 reps, and to train the Type IIa fibers (for hypertrophy) I would use 6-12 reps. Generally, during a workout the repetition bracket should not have more than a 10 percent spread in intensity (based upon a 1RM), in contrast to those common pyramid protocols that progress from 10 reps down to a single rep.
A repetition bracket that is too broad confuses the body’s adaptive mechanisms because it can’t recognize what stimulus it is supposed to adapt to. Thus, an effective workout prescription for sets and reps, after warm-up, could be written like this:??
Hypertrophy: ?A1 Back Squat: 4 x 8-10?@ 4020 tempo A-2 Lying Leg Curls: ?@ 4020 tempo 4 x 6-8 ?
Relative Strength: ?A. Power Clean: 6 x 2-3? @ XOXO tempo B. Front Squats: 6 x 3-4??@ 32X0 tempo.
I usually don’t like using percentages for exercises because each muscle group has a different fiber type; thus the quads (primarily Type IIa) respond differently to a specific intensity prescription than the hamstrings (Type IIb). An athlete who uses 90 percent of their 1RM in the leg press might perform 20 reps in a set, whereas the same athlete may be able to perform only 3 reps with that same percentage when performing a leg curl. (Incidentally, a great reference on the subject of muscle fiber types is La Forza Muscolare by Carmelo Bosco, PhD.) Furthermore, neurological efficiency changes with training age; so as an athlete gets stronger, they need to shift towards using weights that are closer to their 1RM. As a result of such factors, I usually determine the repetition bracket I want my athletes to train in and then let the repetitions and chosen tempo determine how much weight should be used.??
One issue with percentage systems is that they frequently lock the athlete into specific weights, regardless of what the athlete is capable of lifting that day. If the athlete is not having a good training day, then the weight would be too heavy; and on a good training day, too light. Further, many athletes get frustrated trying to follow precise percentage-based workouts and thereby may increase their risk of injury. For example, if an athlete is told to perform 90 percent of their best clean and jerk for three sets of two reps and they miss both reps on that first set, rather than reducing the weight they may continue trying that same weight for their remaining sets, thus subjecting themselves to a greater risk of injury as their technique becomes compromised. ??The bottom line is that with all the variables that can influence an athlete’s performance on a given day, including what time of day the athlete lifts or how much sleep they got the night before, it is nearly impossible for a coach to predict the exact weights an athlete can use in a give exercise.??
The Okunyev Method: A Closer Look?For coaches who want more control over their athletes’ training, or who are simply uncomfortable with allowing them to select their own weights (especially when working with young athletes), an effective alternative might be the Okunyev Method. With this system, rather than using a repetition bracket to determine how much weight to use, you use an intensity bracket that provides a range of specific weights to use based upon a percentage of an athlete’s 1RM. Here are a few examples:??
1RM: 100 kilos?
Intensity Bracket: 90-95 percent?
Weight Range: 90-95 kilos?
Workout: ?
Set 1: Warm-up: 50 kilos x 5?
Set 2: Warm-up: 70 kilos x 4?
Set 3: Warm-up: 85 kilos x 3?
Working Sets: 90-95 kilos x 5 x 2 – or to use another form of notation: (90-95 x 2)5??
Using the above formula, here is what a workout could look like if an athlete is feeling strong:??
Strong Training Day?
Set 1: 90 x 2?
Set 2: 92.5 x 2?
Set 3: 95 x 2?
Set 4: 95 x 2?
Set 5: 95 x 2??
As you can see, each set is dependant upon how many reps are performed in the previous set, or how difficult the previous set felt. If an athlete is having an off day, he or she could stay at the lowest weight in the intensity bracket, as follows:??
Weak Training Day?
Set 1: 90 x 2 ?
Set 2: 90 x 2 ?
Set 3: 90 x 2 ?
Set 4: 90 x 2 ?
Set 5: 90 x 2?
The issue of deciding upon the precise intensity bracket to use is covered in detail in my PICP courses, but as a general rule the intensity bracket depends upon the complexity of the exercise. A complex exercise that requires a high skill level, such as a snatch or clean, would require a wider intensity bracket (such as 10 percent); simpler exercises, such as a bench press or biceps curl, a narrower bracket (such as 5 percent). Further, with the Okunyev Method, a coach can build in some safety guidelines about what weights to select in an intensity bracket.
For example, using the above exercise prescription, a coach could establish a rule that if a rep is missed, for the next set the athlete must drop down to the lightest weight in that intensity bracket. Here are some possible workout scenarios:
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 1: 90 x 2
Set 2: 95 x 0 Set 2: 92.5 x 1 Set 2: 95 x 2
Set 3: 90 x 2 Set 3: 90 x 2 Set 3: 95 x 2
Set 4: 92.5 x 1 Set 4: 92.5 x 2 Set 4: 95 x 1
Set 5: 90 x 2 Set 5: 95 x 2 Set 5: 90 x 2
This system could also be effective with a form of cluster training in which extended rest periods are used between repetitions in a set. If an athlete can power clean 80 kilos for three repetitions, with a 15-second rest between reps, that same athlete may be able to use 82.5 or even 85 kilos for three reps. Here is how such an exercise prescription could be written using the Okunyev Method:
A. Power Clean: (80-85 x 1/1/1)5, 15 seconds rest between sets
You could also experiment with a form of cluster training in which you use short rest intervals between sets, for example:
A. Power Clean
Series 1: (80-85 x 3)2, 1 minute rest between sets
Rest 3-5 minutes
Series 2: (82.5-87.5 x 2)2, 1 minute rest between sets
Rest 3-5 minutes
Series 3: (85-90 x 1)4, 1 minute rest between sets
…or you can proceed in the other direction to focus more on relative strength (as there is less accumulative fatigue prior to the heaviest sets):
B. Power Clean:
Series 1: (85-90 x 1)4, 1 minute rest between sets
Rest 3-5 minutes
Series 2: (82.5-87.5 x 2)2, 1 minute rest between sets
Rest 3-5 minutes
Series 3: (80-85 x 3)2, 1 minute rest between sets
This form of cluster training also helps prepare weightlifters for competitions when they find they are following themselves in the weight progression and consequently only have two minutes to perform their next attempt. If weightlifters train allowing 4-5 minutes of rest between sets, or even longer, often they find themselves experiencing undue stress during competitions when the rest time between sets is shorter.
Many coaches do not have direct, daily contact with their athletes but would like to be more involved in selecting the weights each athlete uses. I’m not suggesting that the Okunyev Method is necessarily superior to using a repetition bracket system, but merely that it provides a great alternative system for workout design. After all, the percentages are in your favor!