An old cross-country skiing saying goes, “Only the mediocre are always at their best.” This reminds us that staying in your comfort zone feels easy, but it’s not how champions reach their peak. The training volume, intensity, and density should be distributed across the range. | | This brings us to an important point: averages can be deceiving.
When we summarize information into averages, it is useful but does not tell the whole story. For instance, in Plan Strong™ programming, half of the training volume typically falls in the 75–80% 1RM range, with 71–80% being the most dominant zone overall. So, only a fraction of the volume occurs in the higher-intensity zones.
Don’t let the averages lull you into thinking the training is in your comfort zone.
The real secret lies in how training volume is distributed across sessions, weeks, and months to optimize work in the 71–80% zone.
The variability and sharp variability keep the reactivity to the load effective and build towards stabilization of the resistance. As Tony Gracia, StrongFirst Certified Senior Instructor, explains in his article on Plan Strong™: | One of the key components of the Plan Strong method is the concept of variability—keeping your daily, weekly, and monthly reps, sets, total number of lifts, and intensities within a certain range of parameters while also having a certain amount of variance. A simple example would be that if you needed to accomplish 15 reps within a session, you could do 5 + 5 + 5 to make that 15 (no variability), or you could do 4 + 5 + 6 to still hit 15 but now with variability. …The ladder system of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ends up being 15 reps and has more variability than simply doing 3 reps for 5 sets.
...The key is to use variability but to stay within a certain range of parameters that are clearly outlined in the Plan Strong manual and covered in depth at the course. | This variability allows us to balance the need for consistency with the variety that keeps the stimulus effective. This applies annually, as the number of lifts (NL) is also sharply variable across the months.
To learn how to balance intensity and volume with effective variability, join the upcoming Plan Strong™ online seminar led by Fabio Zonin, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor. In the meantime, review your training log: do you see enough variability, or are you always pushing to be your best, risking mediocrity? | | | | | | | | | | | |
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