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Cycle length

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littlegirlbunny		Cycle length	14-11-2006 @ 14:27
MIA Member 7, 621 posts SQ 80, BP 45, DL 125 250.0 kgs @ 55kgs UnEq	Why does 6 weeks seem optimum? Im thinking of working on shorter cycles for the bench (after I have completed this one), eg 3 weeks then a back off before starting another which will essentially see me lifting really heavy 1 week in four. Im not planning to max out until after probably 12 weeks (unless some amazing happens to benching ability in the meantime) it would look something like this week 1-3 = 5x5 (with 32./35/37.5) week 4 easy week 5-7 = 5x3 (with 37.5/38.5/40) week 8 easy week 9-11 = 5x2 (with 40/41/42.5) week 12 rest week 13 max out Weeks 3, 7 and 11 will be really f**king hard, but doable (hopefully). Comments? Questions?
buzz		...	14-11-2006 @ 14:55
Go ! go ! team strengthshop !!! Member 18, 5295 posts SQ 185, BP 130, DL 230 545.0 kgs @ 95kgs UnEq	Looks ok to me, though i'd call it a 13 week cycle Think it makes sense to have easy(ish) weeks every 4 like you've planned though if you feel particulaly strong after weeks 3 or 7 it wouldn't hurt to try for a max. Some folk would probably advise against this, but i quite often feel a peak in strength about 3 weeks into a new routine. Listen to your body
Boar		...	14-11-2006 @ 16:48
Nothing left in the tank. Member 5, 25580 posts Administrator	a good 10 weeks should be minimum for maximum gains ,although i would recomment 12. LOL, no , i found 6 weeks on proper 5 x 5 and i hit a platau.
Rob		...	14-11-2006 @ 20:33
Does f*ck all for SugdenBarbell.co.uk Member 1, 7173 posts SQ 182.5, BP 110, DL 205 497.5 kgs @ 107kgs UnEq Administrator	I like to do my milk in 6 weeks cycles... work up to 4 ltrs a day then gradually drop to 2 ltrs.
Boar		...	15-11-2006 @ 09:37
Nothing left in the tank. Member 5, 25580 posts Administrator	imagine a full on 12 week milk cycle ?? 17 stone-rob-a-hoy
Cuddles		...	15-11-2006 @ 15:07
Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win Member 2, 12511 posts SQ 190, BP 150, DL 280 620.0 kgs @ 99kgs UnEq Administrator	There's plenty of literature suggesting that 3-4 weeks cycles work really well. A lot of the old Russian literature talks about building volume and intensity over a 3-4 week period and then having a deload, and then building the volume back up again, then deload, and doing this over 16-20 week cycles. Of course, the volume that they talk about is 'huge' in comparison to what any of us would dream of doing, ie 14-18 workouts a week, but the principles have gained much support. The way to do it, IMO isnt to have 4 weeks cycles, but to have, for example, a 12 week cycle, based on 3, 4 weeks cycles. That way you can wave the volume and intensity up and down over the 12 weeks. You'll get the benefits of utilising the 4 week approach, but with the added structure a 12 week routine gives you. Lets use an easy example, say you do 5x5 on bench, you could do the following percentages: Wk 1 - 60 Wk 2 - 65 Wk 3 - 70 Wk 4 - 75 Wk 5 - 65 Wk 6 - 70 Wk 7 - 75 Wk 8 - 80 Wk 9 - 70 Wk 10 - 75 Wk 11 - 80 Wk 12 - 85 That really is the most basic of ways to do it (and ive used arbitrary numbers to show what I mean), I can think of about a hundred differing ways to do it.
Cuddles		...	15-11-2006 @ 15:12
Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win Member 2, 12511 posts SQ 190, BP 150, DL 280 620.0 kgs @ 99kgs UnEq Administrator	Another popular way to do it is to go balls to the wall for 3 weeks, then drop the volume for the fourth week, then going all out again, making sure you surpass whichever parameter for success you used for week 3, then another deload, then go through it all again. Thats a nice 12 week off-season routine. You wont peak on it, but you'll get bloody strong. However, you'll need to be taking care of things like recovery, diet, stretching, icing etc, as it'll take a lot out of you. And when I say deload, I mean deload, not take a week off, so keep the volume low, but go in and do something, and on the core lifts. I'd probably do 5 singles with each at ~80-85%.