Repetition Effort Method

Repetition Effort Method

The repetition method is sometimes used to substitute the dynamic effort method. This is most common on upper body days as the value is high and we’ve seen really solid results doing this. On these days we can be doing an 8 x 8, a 20 rep max, or max reps of 225/135 lbs Bench Press. These days are great for developing hypertrophy, building volume, as well as refining technique because of the high number of repetitions.

We are much more likely to use this method for our upper body days, as they can be extremely demanding on the lower body. See example of a three week mesocycle with the Bench Press.

Benefits of Repetion Effort Method

Note: Usually after 12 to 16 weeks of these 3 week cycles athletes will need to move to OT2:15 for their best results. The timing is important on these cycles as it prevents athletes from loading more weight on the bar than they can recover from before their max effort upper day 72 hours later.

Repetition Effort: Upper

Week 1 uses Bench press: 8x8. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is 65%-70%. Must make all 64 reps.

Week 2 uses Bench press: 8x8. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is Increase. Must make all 64 reps.

Week 3 uses Bench press: 8x6. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is Increase. Must make all 48 reps.

Week 4 uses Floor press: 8x8. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is 65%-70%. Must make all 64 reps.

Week 5 uses Floor press: 8x8. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is Increase. Must make all 64 reps.

Week 6 uses Floor press: 8x6. Timing is OT2min. Bar Weight is Increase. Must make all 48 reps.

Notes from the source:

• Weight stays the same across all 8 sets.
• Quality must be maintained through all sets or athlete should reduce weight.
• Percentages are based off of 1RM of the same lift.

Accessory Exercises

The primary lifts account for 20% of a training session, while accessory work and midline accounts for the remaining 80% of our training on any given week. Of the 2 upper body and 2 lower body days the most common breakdown is 1-2 primary pieces, 4-5 accessory exercises (often including a finisher), and then 1 piece for midline (the torso).

Think of your accessory exercises as the contributors to a healthy overall ecosystem. If the primary lifts (max, dynamic, repetition) are your big fish, your accessory lifts are your medium fish, and your finisher work is your tiny fish. All support the others upstream and provide optimal balance in our mechanical patterns and strength adaptations.

Technically, accessory work is a form of the repetition effort method. However, we reserve the ‘method’ standard to indicate our primary exercise for the day.

Benefits of Accessory Exercises