Most of my interests lie in the realm of training, and some of the things we have seen over the years are:

One area where I think we can still advance is, understanding how to set up a block of training. Typically, an individual will post their workout and then people will help them revise it until it looks like something that makes sense. A training day may then look something like this:

While there is nothing wrong with the above program, the biggest problem is that it doesn't tell the person how long they are to stick with 3 sets x 5 reps, and how they progress that over the coming weeks.

These are all common follow up questions that people tend to have regarding the above program and, they are valid questions! The program above is nothing more than a list of exercises with a group of sets and reps.

I'll admit that the above program would be fine for a total beginner, as they need to just keep performing the same thing in order to properly learn exercise technique and develop some capacity to exercise. In addition, their gains initially are going to be neurological (increased intra/inter muscular coordination, enhanced understanding of the movement, etc.).

What about those who are no longer beginners*? How should they set up their program? How should they progress the intensity and volume?

*NOTE: If you have been training for a year or two and still don't know how to squat or bench press with competent form, you are still a beginner. Be honest with yourself!

For those that fall into this group, I propose the 4-week block.

Why a 4-week block?

The reason I like the 4-week block is because it is simple. It fits well over a one month period, and you can have 3-weeks devoted to working hard, and one week to back off and allow the body to rest, recover and adapt to you beating the hell out of it.

How do we set the 4-week block up?

There are many ways you can progress intensity and volume over the 4-week period (or 3-week period really, since week 4 is a back off week).

One simple way is to make your increases over the 3-week period so that week 3 is the highest in volume and/or intensity and then unload in week 4.

For example:

Over the 3-week run up, you can try and:

Another example, and my personal favorite, is to modulate the volume between the weeks. The reason I like this so much is because instead of starting with a small amount of volume in week one, you start out with a moderate amount, to help get an idea of where you are with the lift. Week two you are going to lower the volume to give yourself a little bit of a break from week one and then in week three you will do the highest amount of volume and go for broke (and week 4 is obviously the back off week again).

For example:

Over the 3-week loading portion of the program you can try:

Either of those options will work and you may need to fudge around with it a bit to see what works best for you. Usually I go on how I feel. I always start week 1 out with moderate weight and keep it to a comfortable workout, just to set the base for the upcoming weeks. If I feel good in week 2, I'll typically increase the weight a little bit from week 1. In week 3, I'll try and work up higher in weight if I feel good. If I don't feel like the lift will be there (I try not to fail in the gym or increase the load if I am unsure whether I'll make the lift), then I keep the weight the same as in week 2 and just try and work on increasing the volume - which is still an improvement and valid progression, even if I am not putting more weight on the bar.

Remember, we have our entire lives to get strong! You don't have to break a record in every 4-week block, no should you! You can save the PR lifts for a special time when you are feeling good and confident and know that you can move up in weight.

So, now that we have a basic understanding of manipulating the volume, lets apply it the above exercises:

The next problem I see with this program is that we have the exact same intensity and volume for all of our lifts! Again, while this may work for a beginner or novice lifter, a more seasoned lifter is going to find it hard to perform a routine like this because they will most likely put all their effort into the first lift of the workout, meaning that the other 3-lifts will suffer.

In addition, this program is highly unspecific to any one goal. So, over the next series of articles, I'll show you a few simple ways to tailor the 4-week block to your needs and then, string it together with a couple other 4-week blocks and make it into a full 12-week program!

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