The Progressive Set System - Brooks Kubik

Intermediate trainers are ready for harder and heavier workouts than beginners, see here for more on this: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-most-effective-progression-system.html

and if they train properly, they will see enormous gains in strength, muscle and power when they begin their more advanced and demanding programs. 

The workouts I outlined for beginners in the previous section were three-time-per week total body workouts. Intermediates will do better by switching to a divided workout schedule, where they train three days per week, but use a different workout on each training day. 

You perform Workout A on Monday, Workout B on Wednesday, and Workout C on Friday. Thus, you train each primary exercise just once per week. This allows you to train harder and heavier on all of your exercises, particularly squats, deadlifts and all forms of pressing (including bench pressing), which are the primary strength and mass builders in your program.

As far as sets and reps to, the 5 x 5 system is perfect for intermediates. It provides the right amount of volume, and allows you to work with heavier weights than you used in your beginner programs. The heavier weights will build much greater strength and power, and it will promote muscle growth by: 

1) Targeting the deep muscle fibers that lighter weights won't hit. 

2) Thickening the muscle fibers. 

3) Working the bigger, stronger muscle groups (such as the legs, hips and back) harder than ever before and

4) Thickening your bones, tendons and ligaments, which gives you a stronger and thicker foundation to build greater muscle mass.

There are several ways to perform the 5 x 5 system. You can perform: 

1) Two progressively heavier warmup sets, followed by three sets with your working weight. This works well on standing presses, curls, pulldowns and close grip benches. It doesn't work well on squats, deadlifts and shrugs, because you use heavier weights and need more warmup sets. Also, it's very difficult and extremely fatiguing to do 3 x 5 work sets in heavy exercises such as the squat or deadlift. 

2) Three progressively heavier warmup sets, followed by two sets with your working weight. This works well for many exercises, but again, it may not give you enough warmup sets if you are doing heavy squats, deadlifts or shrugs. 

3) Four progressively heavier warmup sets followed by one work set with your top weight. This works well on all exercises, particularly squats, deadlifts or shrugs.

However, you can combine all three of these 5 x 5 alternatives by using them in a systematic and progressive fashion. I call this the "progressive set system." It's an excellent method of progression for intermediate trainees.

The progressive set system is similar to the single and double progression systems used by beginners, except that you add sets rather than reps, and then increase the weight by a small amount and drop back to the original number of sets. 

To use the Progressive Sets System, do the following: 

1) Perform each exercise in Week 1 by doing four progressively heavier warmup sets, followed by ONE work set. 

2) When you repeat the same workout in week two, perform four progressively four progressively heavier warmup sets followed by TWO work sets (using the same weight on each work set). 

3) When you repeat the same workout in week three, perform four progressively heavier warmup sets followed by THREE work sets (using the same weight on each work set). 

4) Use the "stabilizing principle" by repeating the week three workout in week four. The stabilizing workout allows you to consolidate your gains by repeating a workout you know you can do and focusing on performing each rep in better and tighter form. This gives you a good workout, but helps keep your mind and body strong and fresh, and helps avoid staleness and sticking points. 

5) In week five, add a small amount of weight to all of your sets, and drop back to ONE work set. Try to add 5 pounds for upper body exercises and 10 pounds for lower body exercises. 

In the weeks where you perform multiple work sets, you'll actually be performing 6 x 5 or 7 x 5. That's fine. 

Here's a specific example that shows how to put it all together. I'll use the bench press to show how to arrange your workouts and your progression. Of course, you would include a variety of other movements in your program, and you would use a similar system with each of them.

Let's assume you can bench press 220 pounds for one set of five reps. 

You would begin the program with 200 pounds for your working weight. You don't want to begin with too heavy a weight or you won't be able to make 3 x 5 work sets in the third week of the program. The end goal is to work up from 200 x 5 to 230 (or even 240) for 3 x 5 -- which would be an enormous gain in strength and muscle development. 

Week One (do one work set with 200 pounds) 

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5

Week Two (do two work sets with 200)

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5 x 2 sets 

Week Three (do three work sets with 200)

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5 x 3 sets

Week Four (this is the stabilizing week, so you repeat week three)

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5 x 3 sets.

If you prefer, you can follow each workout where you add a set with your working weight by taking the same workout the following week. In other words, you take a stabilizing workout every other week. This results in a slightly lower rate of progress, but gives you more workout at each step in the program and helps build a better foundation for future gains. In this way, it is similar to the double progressive system used by beginners. 

I prefer this variation, and I think it's a better option for most trainees, particularly older trainees. It's much better to gain slowly and steadily for a long period of time than to make rapid gains for a few weeks and then hit a sticking point. 

Thus, the program would look like this: 

Week One (do one work set with 200 pounds) 

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5

Week Two (stabilizing week)

Repeat week one. 

Week Three (do two work sets with 200 pounds) 

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x  5 x 2 sets

Week Four (stabilizing week) 

Repeat week three. 

Week Five (do three work sets with 200 pounds) 

135x5

155x5

170x5

185x5

200 x 5  3 sets

Week Six (stabilizing week) 

Repeat week five. 

Week Seven (start new cycle with 205 pounds as your working weight.)

140x5

160x5

175x5

190x5

205 x 5 x 1 set . . . 

You can use either variation of the progressive set system. Or, if you prefer, you can use the first variation for one training cycle, and the second variation for your next training cycle. This will allow you to see which of them works better for you.

You can use the progressive set system for as many training cycles as you desire. It should work well for you for at least three to six training cycles. 

Your workout (using a divided workout schedule) should look something like this:

Workout A

1) Begin with a light 10-minute warmup, including several very light sets of the various exercises you will use in today's workout.

2) Squats or front squats, 5 x 5

3) Very light breathing pullovers (or Rader chest pulls) after every set of squats (for rib cage expansion) 5 x 15

4) Standing barbell curls, hammer curls or dumbbell incline curls, 5 x 5

5) Close grip bench press, 5 x 5

6) Forearm or grip work of your choice, 5 x 8-10

7) Calf raises, 5 x 10. 

Workout B

1) Same style warmup. 

2) Pullups or pulldowns, 5 x 5

3) Bench press, 5 x 5

4) One arm DB row, 5 x 5

5) DB bench press or incline DB press, 5 x 5

6) Gut work of your choice (eating don't count wiseass), 2 x 10-20. 

Workout C

1) Same style warmup.

2) Standing military press or standing two dumbbell press, 5 x 5

3) Deadlift or trap bar deadlift, 5 x 5

4) Shrugs (regular or trap bar), 5 x 5

5) Forearm or grip work of your choice (but different from Workout A), 5 x 8-10

6) Gut work of your choice (cherry pie, whipped cream, two quarts Get Big Ditillo shake combo)

This program should keep you gaining for a long period of time . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!