Periodization effort per week
| Week | Effort |
|---|---|
| 1 | Stop 2 reps short |
| 2 | Stop 1 rep short |
| 3 | Failure on every set squat and RDL still stop 1 rep short |
| 4 | Failure, plus rest-pause on the last set of each arm, lateral raise and forearm exercise |
| DL | Same exercises, 1–2 sets each, stop 3 reps short running: 3×4 instead of 4×4, long run capped at 6 km |
Rest-pause: hit failure, rest 15 s, then get 2–3 more reps.
The three blocks
| Block | Dates | Focus and changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 21 – Oct 18deload Oct 19–25 | Cut. Hold your loads; holding your strength is the win. |
| 2 | Oct 26 – Nov 22deload Nov 23–29 | Eat at maintenance or a small surplus. Add 1 set to Tuesday's lateral raises and to the incline curl. Optionally add 2 sets of wrist curls on Tuesday. |
| 3 | Nov 30 – Dec 27deload Dec 28 – Jan 3 | Swap EZ curl for preacher curl, skull crusher for weighted dips, and cable lateral raise for lying incline lateral raise. Push for rep records. |
The session pages already apply each block's swaps and added sets — the table is just so you can see them coming.
How each set works
- Top set + back-offs: the first set is the heaviest. Sets 2–3 are about 10% lighter, for as many reps as you can get.
- Warm-ups: 2–3 ramp-up sets only before the first exercise for each movement pattern. Nothing before isolation exercises.
- Rest: 2–3 min on compounds, 60–90 s on isolations. On supersets go straight from one exercise to the other, then rest 60–90 s after the pair.
- Tempo: 2–3 s to lower the weight, with a brief pause in the stretch position.
- Form: strict reps only. No swinging on curls or shrugs, torso stays still on rows.
Running max hr 195
| Session | Target |
|---|---|
| Zone 2 Fri 6 km · Sat 8–10 km · Sun 6–8 km | ~140 bpmtalk in full sentences |
| 4×4 intervals Wednesday | 166–185 bpm85–95% of max |
4×4: 10–15 min easy warm-up · 4 × 4 min hard · 3 min easy jog between · 10 min easy cool-down.
If your pace drops on a given day, let it. Don't push to hit a distance.
Progression
- Hit the top of the rep range on every set → add the smallest weight jump available next session.
- On top-set + back-off lifts, progress the top set first and keep the back-offs about 10% lighter.
- A lift stalls for 3 sessions running → change one thing: the variant, the rep range, or your recovery going into that session.
Auto-regulation overrides the numbers
- Bad sleep, or zone 2 HR running higher than usual at your normal pace → do that day's session at week-1 effort instead.
- Elbows aching → drop the skull crushers first.
- Thursday running long → the leg curl is the optional one. Hamstring insurance for faster runs, but the first thing to cut.
Weekly hard sets
| Muscle | Sets |
|---|---|
| Chest | 6 |
| Back | 6 |
| Quads | 5 |
| Hamstrings | 5 3 without leg curls |
| Side delts | 6 7 in block 2 |
| Biceps | 8 plus rows and pull-ups |
| Triceps | 8 plus pressing |
| Traps | 3 plus RDLs, rows, pull-ups |
| Forearms | 4 plus all gripping |
| Calves / abs | 2 each |
Tracking progress
- Indicator lifts — log every session: incline DB press, strict EZ curl, overhead extension, cable lateral raise.
- Arm measurement — monthly, same time of day, relaxed and flexed.
- Photos — every 4 weeks, same light.
During the cut, a stable arm measurement while weight drops means it's working. In November and December you want that number going up.