Hypertrophy I weight progression

[banderbe]

The book doesn't say anything about weight progression in the Hypertrophy programs.

Take the 5 x 5 squat portion for example.

Should I squat 5 sets using the same weight for each set? Or should I find my five rep max, and then work up to that weight adding a little more with each set until the last set is at that weight?

Or do I just try to add weight to the bar next time I am in the gym for that particular workout?

Thanks

[rachael24]

I would try the 5 rep max first. That usually is the most effective in my opinion.

[tcoy777]

I did the max weight for the 5 reps and then tried to add weight to the next time the same protocol would come up.

[Hunter]

I would try to increase the total volume of the exercise from 1 workout to the next, and I would start with the highest weight possible at each set. After warming up, the progression would go something like this:

WO 1: 215x5, 215x5, 215x5, 205x5, 195x5
WO 2: 215x5, 215x5, 215x5, 215x5, 205x5
WO 3: 225x5, 215x5, 215x5, 215x5, 205x5

[Brentv]

I've been trying to use the largest weight I can and still get out the five reps. Sometimes I'm able to push to 6 or 7 reps, and that tells me next time I may want to up the weight. Sometimes I miscalculate and get 10 reps or something, so the next set, I'll up the weight an appropriate amount.

Particularly with the dumbbell exercises, I may not have access to a weight that maxes me in 5 reps (or 10 or 15). I just get close, and try to get out at least the prescribed number, minimum.

For me, the first couple of workouts in each rep range have been an experiment just to find the right weights. Later, it becomes possible to look back at the previous workout with that rep range and make an incremental increase.

Brent

[banderbe]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

If Lou and Alwyn ever do a 2nd Edition I think they could stand to go a little more into the finer points of weight progression.

I started wondering about this after I read Bill Starr's 5x5 program.

[PowerManDL]

For hypertrophy purposes I'd start with a weight I knew I could hit for all 5 sets of 5

Then add weight to that each session