A Word on Programming

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A lot of people like to hear about strength and conditioning programming. There are three basic ways that you derive a method of programming.

1. Directly observing set/rep schemes and what kind of progress they induce
2. Hard research on strength training
3. Understanding physiology, anatomy, and trends of how the body responds to stress over time.

The problem with #1 is that it’s typically associated with a rudimentary understanding of physiology. More importantly it lacks context. If someone increases their bench 30 pounds in six weeks, that doesn’t mean your bench will do the same. That’s why copying a famous lifter’s programming is largely irrelevant; the context of training history and expression of their genotype is lost.

The problem with #2 is that it is locked within the confines of academia-based research. There are some quality principles that have come from research like the rep range continuum (strength, hypertrophy, and endurance) as well as power production and rest periods. Yet taking research at its face value can be a mistake, because it also lacks context. Research is specifically designed to begin with specific populations and instead of making generalizations based on those findings, more research on other populations is supposed to be done. Furthermore, a lot of the questions in research are not focused to anything that can help a hardcore practitioner or go off on irrelevant tangents (or it’s so shittily done; there are many studies on the back squat that don’t even define the squat’s parameters).

#3 does well because it conceptually basis training on information known about the body and how it responds over time. However, #3 cannot exist without #1 and #2. Without the practitioners testing their own programs and without researchers definitively finding things in specific organizations, #3 wouldn’t have any trends to base their “educated guesses” on. The collection of all of this information lets us know how to progress a beginning trainee through the first year or so of their training, yet from then on there are various routes that can be followed. This is where the art of programming comes in, and it’s indirectly a collection of the three sources of information above.

When you read anything about programming, whether it’s on Elite FTS, Westside Barbell, Starting Strength, the Texas Method set-up, Strength Villain, or 70’s Big, you have to actually think about what you’re reading. You can’t just directly apply it to your situation, because it’s most likely irrelevant. You have to take into consideration your current ability, your training history, your recent programming, your height/weight/age, and several other data points. Not many people can do this objectively, but that’s the key to programming. Programming isn’t a “program” that a coach uses and implements. Instead, it’s diagnosing what a trainee or athlete needs and wants, and then structuring their training in order to make progress to achieve those things. It isn’t black and white.

Keep these ideas in mind when you consider your own programming or others. If you’re a “keyboard coach” who always pipes up and gives advice, then instead of telling people what to do, ask questions. Learn. That’s what a good programmer does, and that’s what I try to accomplish with this site; to help you learn.

Happy PR Friday
Post this week’s PRs or training updates to comments

53 thoughts on “A Word on Programming”

  2. what about the brent kim method of programming?

    mostly not giving a shit, coupled with lifting as heavy as possible due to not really giving a shit.

    Despite his asshole-ishness, I’d still say it’s based on trends as well as what his body responds to over time. I’d probably change his set/rep scheme around for the presses though.

    –Justin

  4. Deadlifted 300×12 ( I think around that…I lost count.) Ever since you fixed my deadlift setup, my numbers have been blowing up. Thanks, Justin.

  7. Pressed 135# for 3×5. 145×1 is my previous PR which I will destroy this weekend.

    Bagged my workout today – don’t know if I am just not ready from Wednesdays frontsquats or feeling the effects of the 4 big chocolate donuts I had this morning (office party, I’m not used to donuts- at least not that many), but just felt flat and struggled during the whole warmup. When 275# BS made hard work for a single (planned on 5), I decided to hit it tomorrow.

    I guess the lesson here is to get more regular with my donut consumption so I can tolerate the big-donut-days!

  8. I’m travelling in the UK, so had to train in a gym with kilos. Was supposed to bench around 117 kg for my work sets, but I didn’t give a shit. I said fuck that, went for 120. Nailed it for 5,5, and 7 reps.

    Also, Press 190x5x3 – chasing 2 hundo.

  9. Keysburg, where did you do Highland Games? I tried out my first Highland Games for 9 events last Saturday in Moose Jaw, SK. PR’d in all events! Haha! Had a blast too! I definitely want to do more.
    I also competed in an Oly meet the weekend before and PR’d in the C&J with 105kg. Messed up on the 2nd and 3rd snatch, racked it overhead but lost it behind me standing up so no PR for snatch but still beat my last total with 182.

  10. Can you give an example as to how you would vary programming, based on variables like height and weight et al?

    Aside from specifying prior experience level, all I see is people pitching their brand of training to anyone and everyone.

    Also, are you familiar with the fast twitch muscle gene ACTN3? Should the specific expression of ACTN3 in a trainee, or other genes like it, influence choice of training regimen?

    Charles, like I said in the post, it isn’t only dependent on ht/wt, it’s dependent on all that other shit I wrote out and more.

    Regarding your last question, that’s irrelevant. If you’re actually worried about that in your training, then you’re staring at a blade of grass in a 100 acre field.

    –Justin

  12. This weeks PR :
    I didn’t squat… pisses me off, but Doctors orders until next week due to a shoulder injury. I am leg pressing 500lbs on the stupid leg press machine, but feel gay doing it.

  13. PR’d Front Squat x 325

    Missed on press at 230 and DL at a crappy 465 lbs.

    I will get the press next time, but my DL is frustrating. I’m thinking it may have been in the set up, but I feel I should be closer to 500 or more. My best set is 445×5 but current 1RM is 455. That doesn’t make sense to me. Should I start doing deficit DL or snatch grip, something to that effect instead?

    Stop doing fives on deadlift if that’s what you’re doing. It’s ironic that you didn’t provide any other context on your program when I wrote a post on how context is necessary.

    –Justin

  14. 235 for 5×5 squat. 315 fo 5 singles deadlift. 230 for 5×5 bench. I did that yesterday, which was 62 days after breaking my back, pelvis, ribs, and separating my shoulder.

    Relatively pain free.

    Don’t know if anyone saw this, but this is fucking legit. Good luck, brotha.

    –Justin

  15. Out of town for work this week, no PRs. Also managed to destroy an ankle playing hoops (a sport). Might be no inbound PRs for a couple months depending on how the xrays come back. Probably try to whip together some kind of program I can do without my right leg and see what I can do there.

    x156

  16. Squat 440 x 3
    Bench 305 x 1
    Deadlift 495 x 2, 1

    Was going for 3 on deadlift but only got two, then as I was about to leave I decided to stop giving a fuck and loaded the bar back up and get another single.

  17. Been a slack-ass for almost a month now, killing me. I’ve really just been balls to the wall at work for a couple weeks, traveled for work for another 1.5 weeks and was sick with the plague for a few days before I left. Haven’t lifted at all during this time, need to get back to it.

    I finished Johnny Pain’s E-Book: “Greyskull LP” yesterday and am starting that Sunday. Looking to do the “Linebacker” program, but not start on the Burpee Layer right away. I’m excited to get going and to get a little conditioning back, while hopefully getting past my SS LP sticking points.

    I have some ideas for my conditioning workouts. Can anyone vouch for Johnny Pain’s other e-book, the 50 conditioning workouts for the modern viking? I think I can get by, but if someone convinces me there’s good info in there, I may make the purchase to get more ideas.

    Highland Games talk reminds me, I need to send out some e-mails and figure out how to get involved in that up here. I’d like to find some people that could guide me a little bit. I’d really like to do one this year.

    And finally, since it’s been forever since I’ve posted on PR Friday and I don’t think I posted it before, my video from my first PL meet back in March:

    I have vouched for the conditioning e-book by JP in the past. Do a search on this site for my thoughts.

    –Justin

  18. Making steady progress on TM. I did 9 weeks of TM before a powerlifting meet, and tomorrow I’ll complete my 4th week after getting back on the program. The clarifications from the ebook have been invaluable. I’m slowly and carefully adding in some conditioning and swoleotherapy. I did power shrugs for the first time this week on volume day. Yesterday I stumbled upon a pick up street hockey game and joined in. So much fun. They hold these games weekly so that’s going to be my conditioning for a while. An actual sport involving a ball and stick beats jumping up on to a stupid box any day. With tomorrow’s intensity day I’ll hopefully tie my previous 5RM PR of 370# on squat and set a new 5RM PR of 395# on Deadlift. Happy Memorial Day everyone. Be sure to take a moment to remember those who served.

  19. Trained this morning and hit 465×6 (PR)on Deadlifts 250x6x4 for Push Press. First rugby game of the season for me tomorrow. Should be good!

  22. Squat 155×2
    Thanks littlebigboz for convincing me I could go for more than a single, and thanks 70s Big for Monday Ladies Day (amongst other things), and all the ladies who post their PRs, for the extra motivation.
    Bench 85×5
    More to come.

  23. Hit 265×1 on cleans and missed 275 on my last attempt. I guess that’s a 8 month PR.

    Benched 290×1 for the first time in several years so that feels good, man.

    Other than that, my first year of teaching is OVER. Feels spectacular, man.

  24. Matt, nothing ground breaking in JPs conditioning book, but it is worthwhille. You probably could skip it and just do conditioning that lasts less than ten minutes. I like the book, but it isn’t a must have.

  25. Recent PR’s:

    DL 315 X 5
    BS 225 X 5
    Paused Bench 225 X 5
    FS 185 X 5

    Hopefully in the next month or so I will be back to full strength.

    Have a great holiday weekend!

  27. It’s been a fun week of training for me, despite a couple of sticking points.

    Squat: 285 for 5, 5, 4 (last rep got stuck, but it won’t happen on Monday)

    Press: 140 for 4, 4, 3 (hoping to fix this next week too)

    PC: 165 for 5 sets of 3

    Bench: 205 for 5, 5, 6

    DL: 375 for 5

    The best part about this week has been the fact that my last CFT had a best squat of 260 (later I retested my 1 RM and got a 280), a press of 150, and a deadlift of 375 (later retest got a 410). The weights I used for this week’s training alone combine for a higher total than what I did last time. Little by little I’m working my way up!

  28. Oh, and my shoes finally came! I got to use them on the DL for Friday. I’m not sure how I feel about them for DLing, but I liked how they felt when I tried out some light squats. We’ll see what happens next week!

    You probably will prefer flat shoes, and that’s okay. They will improve your squat and Oly lifts though.

    –Justin

  29. finished week 10 of the justin lascek s & c

    bs 260 5 x 3
    bench 210 5 x 3

    still weak compared to folks here but a long way from my 185 max squat 10 weeks ago.

  30. Bull City Open last Saturday. I went 6 for 6.
    Snatch: 47-50-52kg
    C&J: 62-64-66kg

    That was an 8kg meet PR, even though neither lift beat my training PRs. I’m glad I did the meet just to get some more platform experience. I watched my videos, and my snatch is so fucking slow that I want to punch a baby. Worked on that in training today and my coach fixed a lot of my positioning. It helped. A lot.

    HBBS: 160 lbs x 5-5-12

    Press: 44 kg x 1

    I’m really liking this Greyskull LP stuff with the last set for max reps. I had hit 150 and 155 for 10, and then Renee Lee and Mie Yoshinaga both claimed that they could beat me to a 130 kg squat. Bullshit. So, I squatted 160 for 10 and then decided that I was going to keep that bar on my fucking back and squat a few more reps just for spite. Love you both. Big smooch.

    I haven’t pressed in about 4 months, but this was like a 1 kg press PR. I’m going to add pressing back in to my programming. It’s really stupid that I’ve never pressed over 100 lbs.

  31. Squat 255x5x3
    Bench 190x5x3
    Press 115x5x3
    Deadlift 325×5
    Power Clean 155x3x5

    Back at it after a little layoff. It feels good to be getting stronger again.

  32. No PRs today, just moving to triples instead of fives on intensity day.

    Squat: 3×425
    Bench: 3×255
    Speed deadlift: 10x1x275
    Power shrugs: 9×405

    Bodyweight still about 192

    I’ve got some ideas on different press/bench programming for a TM set-up that you’ll like to hear. Talk to me soon.

    –Justin

  33. Finally hit 135 on my press, for a 2 spot. Finally, some big boy plates.

    355×2 on deadlifts. Sucked, thought I’d get a triple. Didn’t want to put my back into it too much.

    175×2 (a pattern?) on my bench.

    I need to do more dips, it would appear.

  34. PR this week: 9 dead-hang chins. While I agree with Brent that this would be much more boss if I didn’t have to qualify this by saying that I’m hauling around a 39″ ass, let me just say that I hauled that 39″ ass up and down NINE TIMES.

  38. @kellie: nice work!

    programming. huh. still doing crossfit football. haven’t hit any PRs in a few weeks now. i’ve been busy trying to move and get settled into my new jobs, so it might make sense that my time in the gym and recovery are not the highest quality at the moment. even so, i’m quite annoyed.

    Bunch of excuses here, wouldn’t you say Brent?

    –Justin

  39. Boom. Switched to TM last Friday after AC’s suggestion.

    Today, PRs:
    Squat – 345×2 (not a PR), 360×2 and 375×2 (PRs)

    Friend commented “all fucking day” while I was doing the 375, so I guess he thought it looked easy. Held off on 385 and possibly 400 because I’m moving to a new apartment tomorrow. These numbers will factor into what my starting intensity numbers will be.

    Bench – 200×2, 210×2 (both PRs)

  40. so i’ve been thinking and thinking and thinking and i think i’m going to start some TM shit on monday. up until a couple weeks ago, i had nearly unlimited access to the gym seven days a week, so welbourn’s programming was easy to follow. but now that i’ve moved, i only have access to the gym 3 days a week for a couple hours in the evening. it is not very much fun trying to squeeze the five days into three days with awkward rest and/or piling together things that shouldn’t be put on the same day. so i guess it only makes sense to try out TM! i’ve worked the numbers as suggested in the e-book (range of % to take off, transitioning in, etc). i’m also going to pay much more attention to the relationship between the volume and intensity numbers than last time i tried a TM. i have painful memories of adding weight to my volume day each week, wondering why the fuck it was so hard. then when intensity day came along, i was barely able match what i had done on volume day. i was so confused. i was afraid to NOT add weight on my volume day each week because i was convinced that’s just what you had to do, or else you were considered a pussy or lazy or something along those lines. then i thought i was just bat shit crazy for not having enough juice left later in the week to hit higher numbers. i thought it was just in my head. nope, turns out i was fucking tired. anyway, won’t let that happen again. also, you can hold me accountable to this one: i promise to use my micro weights on the upper body lifts. if you don’t see numbers ending in 2,3, or 4 in most, if not all, my upper body reports, then i’m not trying hard enough to use manageable weights for the rep schemes.

    Talk to me soon about your bench/press. I have different ideas for those.

    –Justin

  41. Thanks for an excellent post. I’ve spent too much time in the past trying to follow “programs,” but the benefit has been that it’s led me to do exactly what you describe – think about my goals and then design a program to meet them. I hafta say though it’s difficult explaining to people who just have the “program” mindset (including Crossfitters)

  43. Another reasonable weeks training as the weather remains terrible here.
    Highlights:
    ‘Dead-squat’ single 205kg (hopefully this will help maintain strength whilst I reset squat due to technique adjustment)
    Bench 130kg x 6 reps.
    Dips 32.5kg x 5 reps.
    Sumo deadlift 194kg x 5 reps (3rd time trying this)

  44. The better half reports:

    a bench single of 55kg.
    a squat single of 75kg
    a deadlift single of 110kg.

    And lovin’ the Monday posts.

  45. Bench – 210×5
    Squat – 345x3x5 (tied old PR, ezpz)

    Reset my squat a few weeks ago after knee issues building back up with a decent warm up, solid form, and some knee sleeves for warmth and am hitting the squats with ease. 345 was a major grind when I hit it before but it was downright easy this time. Excited to see how high I can go back on M/F LP cause when I stall I will be heading to TM for my squat.

  46. At the beginning of this week my brother and I started a “bodybuilding” cycle that will run for the next 6 weeks. It will be an interesting change of pace before we move on from our novice LP’s which were both approaching the end.

  47. Alicia PR’d last week in the deadlift and also got a meet PR in the bench press. There was also a bench press for reps contest with 65lbs for the women that she also did afterward. She took first out of six competitors with 20 reps.

    Here is a video that she made of the push/pull comp:

  50. @StillGrowing Cool.
    @ThunderThighs they need to end in 1’s and .5’s too!

    PRs:
    Good arm progress this week:
    Strict Pullup 45×18
    Curl 135×10!!!
    Power Clean 115kgx3

    I have to quit following CFFB since I now only have gym access 3 days per week and that’s a 5x/week program. I got some cool ultra secret squirrel shit setup that should work for my goals.

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