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Training Percentages Made Simpleby Jordan Syatt|02/07/13

I hate math. It's boring, tedious, and I suck at it.

he on!y math I "ant to concern myse!# "ith during training is meathead

arithmetic, or in !ayman's terms, #iguring out ho" much "eight is on the bar.

$hen I started strength training I "anted nothing to do "ith %ercentages. I# I

"as reading an artic!e and the author started ramb!ing about &s%eed suats at

(0) 1*+& or &bench %ress c!usters at 3) 1*+,& I'd immediate!y tune out

and carry on "ith my day.

I had no idea o# ho" %ercentages "ere re!ated to training or "hy they "ere so

regu!ar!y re#erenced. *ather than try to !earn, though, I sim%!y a-oided them.

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Stu%id decision.

ot on!y "as this ignorant and shortsighted but it se-ere!y handica%%ed my

training. It "asn't unti! I #ina!!y buck!ed do"n and started !earning about

%ercentages and ho" to incor%orate them "ithin a "e!!designed training

regimen that I tru!y began to make signi#icant %rogress.

So "hat can you take a"ay #rom this

his artic!e "i!! teach you the basics o# %ercentages, "hy they're im%ortant,

and ho" to use them a%%ro%riate!y.

rust me, I kno" math can be obnoious and you'd %robab!y rather sho-e a

#ork in your eye than read about %ercentages, but understanding ho" to

e##ecti-e!y integrate them into your training "i!! drastica!!y enhance your abi!ity

to im%ro-e both strength and %er#ormance.

So, "ithout any #urther ado, !et's bust out our ca!cu!ators and !et the geek#est

begin

What are Training Percentages?

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raining %ercentages are re#erence numbers "hich, "hen used correct!y, aid

in the design o# e##ecti-e training %rograms by #aci!itating the simu!taneous

de-e!o%ment o# numerous strength ua!ities.

I kno" that's a mouth#u! so !et's break it do"n %iece by %iece.

irst, "e kno" that training %ercentages are a re#erence number, but "hat the

he!! are they re#erencing

Sim%!y, training %ercentages are based on an indi-idua!'s 1re%etition

maimum 41*+5 in a s%eci#ic !i#t. or those "ho don't kno", a 1*+ can be

de#ined as &the maimum amount o# "eight an indi-idua! can !i#t in a sing!e

re%etition #or a gi-en eercise.&

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o i!!ustrate, i# the most "eight I can suat #or a sing!e re%etition is 61

%ounds, then that's my current suat 1*+. $hi!e this may seem !ike an

arbitrary %iece o# in#ormation, kno"ing the maimum amount o# "eight you

can !i#t is etreme!y bene#icia!.

8y kee%ing track o# your best !i#ts and consistent!y retesting them, you can get

an accurate gauge o# your rate o# im%ro-ement as "e!! as "hether your

training has been e##ecti-e.

9et me add that kno"ing your 1*+ is rea!!y on!y necessary #or big, com%ound

mo-ements such as -ariations o# the suat, bench %ress, dead!i#t, snatch,

:erk, and other !i#ts o# the sort.

I su%%ose one cou!d %otentia!!y use %ercentages #or sma!!er, iso!ated

mo-ements such as bice%s cur!s, trice%s etensions, and ca!# raises, but in a!!

honesty, it "ou!d be a "aste o# time.

;s noted, the a%%ro%riate im%!ementation o# training %ercentages can he!%

#aci!itate the im%ro-ement o# numerous strength ua!ities. In essence, this

means that "e can de-e!o% maima! strength, e%!osi-e strength, s%eed

strength, and any other strength ua!ities "e "ish to im%ro-e.

o gain a basic understanding o# this conce%t, ho"e-er, it's necessary to

recogni%!osi-e Strength= Is characteri

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S%eed Strength= Is characteri

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;ccom%anying the idea that a desired training outcome dictates a s%eci#ic

training %ercentage, it's necessary to understand "hat %ercentages to use

based on your indi-idua! goa!s.

;s a %o"er!i#ter, my e%ertise is most!y in the strength rea!m. ;s such, the

remainder o# this artic!e "i!! #ocus on ho" to choose a%%ro%riate %ercentages

"ith the intention o# im%ro-ing maima! strength.

irst, "hen the goa! is to de-e!o% maima! strength it's essentia! to !i#t maima!

or near maima! "eights. $hi!e this doesn't necessari!y mean 100) o# your

1*+, it does mean that some %ortion o# our training must inc!ude !i#ting !oads

at or abo-e 0) 1*+.

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Second, it's essentia! to understand the im%ortance o# s%eed in re!ation to

maima! strength. I# one isn't ca%ab!e o# acce!erating uick!y, then strength "i!!

be negati-e!y a##ected.

ake, #or eam%!e, the euation #or #orce= Force45 B Mass4+5

Acceleration4;5.

Creater acce!eration !eads to greater #orce, "hich !eads to hea-ier "eights

being !i#ted. So, to train #or im%ro-ed s%eed one must use !ight4er5 "eights

"ith the goa! o# mo-ing them as uick!y as %ossib!e. Cenera!!y, this reuires

some %ortion o# our training to inc!ude !i#ting !oads bet"een 0) () 1*+.

;s you can see, to o%tima!!y train #or maima! strength one can't :ust #ocus on

!i#ting heavy, they must a!so #ocus on !i#ting quickly.

Incor%orating a "ide -ariety o# %ercentages "ith the consistent goa! o# mo-ing

"eights as e%!osi-e!y as %ossib!e "i!! !ead to the best strength outcomes.

$hich brings us to our #ina! uestion= Ao" many sets/re%s shou!d "e %er#orm

at a gi-en %ercentage o# our 1*+

Choosing Appropriate Set/Repetition Ranges

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o understand ho" to choose a%%ro%riate set/re%etition ranges it's necessary

to eamine "hat's kno"n as Dri!e%in's Ehart=

Dercentages *e%s %er Set ?%tima! ota! *ange

( 3( 26 1F30

70F0 3( 1F 1226

F00 26 1 1020

0G 12 6 10

8e#ore you #reak out and say the tab!e is too con#using, a!!o" me to e%!ain.

8rie#!y, a So-iet s%orts scientist named ;.S. Dri!e%in designed the abo-e chart

in an attem%t to out!ine the o%tima! set/re%etition ranges to use at a gi-en

%ercentage o# a !i#ter's 1*+.

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Dri!e%in's #indings are based on etensi-e research "ith thousands o# e!ite

"eight !i#ters and ha-e been %o%u!ari

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ina!!y, in the #ourth and #ina! co!umn "e see ota! *ange, "hich indicates the

acce%tab!e re%etition range "hen o%erating at a gi-en %ercentage o# 1*+.

$hi!e the third co!umn s%eci#ies the optimalnumber, this #ourth co!umn gi-es

us a "ider range to "ork "ith as it's not a!"ays #easib!e to hit the eactnumber o# optimalre%etitions.

So to i!!ustrate, "hen %er#orming !i#ts at or abo-e 0) 1*+, it "ou!d be

o%tima! to %er#orm 6 tota! re%etitions but acce%tab!e to go as high as 10,

de%ending on the !i#ter and their needs.H

H Im%ortant ote= Do"er!i#ters shou!d %er#orm no more than 6 tota! re%etitions

abo-e 0)1*+. Dri!e%in's data "as taken #rom ?!ym%ic !i#ters "ho don't ha-e

an eccentric com%onent to their main !i#ts "hich reduces tota! training stress.

Eonseuent!y, %o"er!i#ters "ou!d be "ise to reduce the tota! range at 0)G to

26 !i#ts, "ith an o%tima! number being 3.

;s you can see, Dri!e%in's chart is :ust a set o# guide!ines. It e!iminates most o#

the guess"ork and %resents us "ith a so!id idea o# ho" to structure our

training #or o%tima! resu!ts.

ry to adhere to his recommendations as best as %ossib!e but don't #reak out i#you don't hit the optimalnumber o# re%etitions. Stay "ithin the Total rangeon

any gi-en day and kee% note o# ho" you #ee! both menta!!y and %hysica!!y.

Soon enough you'!! de-e!o% your o"n set o# guide!ines that "orks best #or

you.

Establishing Your 1RM

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o use %ercentages you'!! #irst need to estab!ish an accurate 1*+ in the big

com%ound mo-ements such as the suat, bench %ress, and dead!i#t. $hi!e

this may sound com%!icated and timeconsuming, it's rea!!y a -ery sim%!e

%rocess.

Step 1 Establish a Theoretical1RM

or sim%!icity sake, !et's assume you ha-e no idea"hat your current 1*+ is

but you do kno" your 3, , or F re%etition maimum 43, , or F*+5. or this

case s%eci#ica!!y, I'-e %ro-ided a sim%!e #ormu!a be!o" that "i!! gi-e you a

re!ati-e!y accurate, a!beit theoretica!, 1*+.

ota! $eight 9i#ted in Dounds / 41.027F 4umber o# *e%etitions 0.027F55 B

1*+

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o i!!ustrate, i# your *+ #or the bench %ress is 1F %ounds, then you "ou!d

%!ug the corres%onding numbers into the euation=

1F / 41.027F 4 0.027F55 B 20F %ounds

20F %ounds is no" your theoretical 1*+.

Step ! Establish a True 1RM

o" that you ha-e a decent idea o# "hat your current 1*+ is, you can "ork

u% to test your true1*+.

$hen "orking u% to a true 1*+ it's im%ortant to use %rogressi-e!y hea-ier

"eights in a manner that %re%ares your mind and body to hand!e maima!!oads "ithout causing ecessi-e #atigue.

o accom%!ish this I'-e created the tab!e be!o", "hich out!ines the a%%ro%riate

%ercentages, re%s, sets, and rest %eriods based on your theoretical1*+.

o!!o" the tab!e eact!y as out!ined #or the best %ossib!e resu!ts.

$armu% Set umber Dercentage 4)5 o# heoretica! 1*+ *e%s %er Set1 300) 1

2 0(0) 1

3 (070) 3 2

6 7F7) 12 2

03) 1 3

( 100)G 4D*5 1 3

or eam%!e, i# your theoretica! 1*+ dead!i#t is 600 %ounds, then your "arm

u% "ou!d !ook simi!ar to this=

Set 1= 200 %ounds

Set 2= 260 %ounds

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Set 3= 2F0 %ounds 3

Set 6= 360 %ounds 2

Set = 3(0 %ounds 1

Set (= 60 %ounds 1 4rue 1*+5

Putting "t All Together # Sample Programs

So, you'-e estab!ished a true 1*+ and understand ho" to incor%orate

%ercentages into your training routine. o" !et's get to the training

o kick start the %rocess and get you on track to becoming as strong as

human!y %ossib!e, I'-e %ro-ided a sam%!e 3"eek training %rogram based on

$estside 8arbe!!'s Eon:ugate +ethod.

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I# you thought it "as tough making it through this entire artic!e, I can't "ait to

hear "hat you think o# this training %rogram.

$a% 1 &Monda%' Ma( E))ort *o+er ,od% >ercise Sets

; $ork u% to a true 1*+ in a -ariation o# the suat ordead!i#t

$eek 1= Dara!!e! 8o Suat$eek 2= Sumo ead!i#t$eek 3= E!oseStance 8e!o" Dara!!e! 8o Suat

8 Cood +orning 3

E1 Ay%eretension 3

E2 umbbe!! Side 8end 3

H %er side

$a% ! &Wednesda%' Ma( E))ort -pper ,od% >ercise Sets

; $ork u% to a True 1*+ in a -ariation o# the bench %ress

$eek 1= E!oseCri% 8ench Dress$eek 2= 28oard 8ench Dress$eek 3= atCri%< 8ench Dress

8 $eighted i% 3E *o%e rice%s Dressdo"n 3

8arbe!! 8ent ?-er *o" 6

> 9at Du!!do"n 3

$a% . &rida%' $%namic E))ort *o+er ,od% >ercise Sets

; ynamic >##ort 8e!o" Dara!!e! 8o Suat12

1210

$eek 1= 0) 1*+$eek 2= ) 1*+$eek 3= (0) 1*+

8 ynamic >##ort 2inch e#icit ead!i#t (F10$eek 1= () 1*+

$eek 2= 70) 1*+$eek 3= 7) 1*+

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E ime! ead!i#t 3

1 *e-erse Ay%eretension 3

2 9at Du!!do"n 3

$a% 0 &Saturda%' $%namic E))ort ,ench Press >ercise Sets

; ynamic >##ort at Cri%< 8ench Dress

$eek 13= 0) 1*+

8 DushK% 3

E1 8and rice%s Dressdo"n 3

E2 Seated Eab!e *o" 6

9at Du!!do"n 3> Straight 9eg SitK% 3

H to #ai!ure

The e+ Math

I don't kno" many meatheads that !o-e math and #e"er sti!! that %ack

ca!cu!ators in their gym bags.

8ut understanding and im%!ementing %ercentages into your training "i!! take

your %rogramming to a "ho!e ne" !e-e! o# e##ecti-eness, !eading to #aster

gains and !ess burnout, and bringing you that much c!oser to strength training

mastery.