One major issue in the iron game is deciding which training system is best. There’s no such thing for all purposes, but I’m going to share with you one that is quite fine for beginners. But first, let’s start with a brief history of modern program design.
Early research in North America on periodization tried to find the single best training protocol, such as 3 x 10 or 5x5 – even protocols consisting of only one set were studied. One popular model from a while ago that has been promoted by the National Strength and Conditioning Association involves a combination of several different protocols spaced over a 17-week period. Such an approach is intended to add variety to the training cycle and help prevent burnout, at least from a psychological standpoint. Designed by Dr. Mike Stone and his colleagues Dr. Harold O’Bryant and Dr. John Garhammer, this particular model was published in a 1981 paper entitled “A Hypothetical Model for Strength Training.”
With this approach the protocols shift from high reps/low sets to low reps/high sets, or to use the more scientific terminology, low intensity/high volume to high intensity/low volume. It is based upon a periodization model that Russian sport scientist Leonid Matveyev introduced in 1964. This program was designed so that the individual would be able to lift the most weight at the end of the cycle for 1 repetition (1 repetition maximum, or 1RM), thereby hitting a peak. Here are the four phases of the program, with each phase lasting about 3-4 weeks:
Hypertrophy: 6-12 reps x 3-5 sets, using 67-85% of 1RM
Basic Strength: 6 reps x 3-5 sets, using 85% of 1RM
Strength and Power: 1-5 reps x 3-5 sets, using 75-90% of 1RM
Peaking or Maintenance: 1-3 reps x 1-3 sets, using very high to very low intensity
In recent years a hot topic in the area of program design has been a system called nonlinear periodization. Rather than changing repetition protocols every few weeks, repetitions in this approach are varied every workout! In their book on nonlinear periodization,
Optimizing Strength Training, authors Steve Fleck and William Kraemer introduced a 16-week workout that uses the following rotation of repetitions:
Monday: 12-15 reps
Wednesday: 8-10 reps
Friday: 4-6 reps
Monday: 1-3 reps
Wednesday: 3 reps or fewer
Friday: 12-15 reps
Although repetition protocols do need to be changed frequently, this program doesn’t make sense from a physiological standpoint because the body doesn’t know what it is supposed to adapt to. Performing sets of 12-15 reps will develop the “slow twitch,” Type 1 muscle fibers; sets of 1-5 would develop the “fast twitch,” Type II muscle fibers. Although some sport scientists believe that the Type I muscle fibers can be converted into Type II muscle fibers, this has not been proven in the literature – although certainly with aerobic training Type II fibers can take on the characteristics of a Type I muscle fiber (and all you need to prove this theory is to ask a marathon runner to flex).
As you can see, designing periodization programs can be a complex subject, which is why I spend so much time with it in the theory and technical portions of my Poliquin International Certification Program (PICP). But now, stepping down a few levels, I’ll talk about a program that is especially effective for beginners.
Revisiting the 10/8/6 Training System
I don’t know where or when this program originated, but a colleague of mine said he was first introduced to it in 1972 when he joined Bob’s Athletic Club in Fremont, California. The gym was named after its owner, Bob Perata.
Bob’s Athletic Club was one of those basic, primarily free-weight gyms of the past where bodybuilders, weightlifters and the general population all trained together and everyone helped each other out. In fact, the loyalty and trust of the membership was such that members could purchase a key to the gym from Bob and train at any hour of the day or night. The most notable member of the gym was Ed Corney, who challenged Franco Columbu for the 1975 Mr. Olympic lightweight title. Corney appeared on the cover of Charles Gains’ book
Pumping Iron as well as on the poster for the movie. (If you don’t own the book or movie, find them and buy them.)
My colleague said that the 10/8/6 program is especially motivating for beginners because the fewer reps on the second and third sets enable heavier weights to be used – in effect, it gives the client the illusion of getting stronger throughout the workout. Because extremely low reps (1-3) are performed, and because this is a protocol designed for a beginner, 3 sets are enough for a beginner to make progress.
Often, a trainee at Bob’s club would use this program for a month and then would move on to another program for variety – sometimes the client would simply add another set, doing permutations such as 12/10/8/6 if they wanted more muscle mass, and 10/8/6/4 if they wanted more strength. Of course, this rep/set scheme is not appropriate for all exercises, especially the Olympic lifts (snatch and clean and jerk) and their assistance exercises due to the technical nature of these exercises. I realize there are many “boot camp” coaches who are using sets of 10 or more on the Olympic lifts – but consider that there are also thousands of people who spend a great deal of money calling psychic hotlines.
I must also note that one similar program, the 5/4/3/2/1 method, was a favorite of former world powerlifting champion Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale. One problem with many weight trainees who use relatively higher reps is they don’t know how to recruit higher-threshold muscle fibers. They might be able to bench press 300 pounds for 10 reps but might have trouble with 325 for a single; even though they are strong, they cannot demonstrate their true strength with a 1-rep maximum. By gradually adding 2-3 percent more weight per set, the 5/4/3/2/1 method “teaches” the lifter to recruit those more powerful muscle fibers.
The 10/8/6 training system is not the single best workout program, because such a program doesn’t exist. But most individuals, especially beginners, will enjoy this simple approach to training and can make progress on it for quite some time. Sure, there are many other ways to train, but the 10/8/6 system is a good place to start.