A while ago I started doing something I called variation tiering but it’s essentially a mechanical advantage progression. The idea is to start with a mechanically challenging movement and progress to mechanically advantageous movements that allow you to lift more load.
Examples:
Upper Body
Block 1: Overhead Press (Primary Movement)
Block 2: Incline Bench ( Primary Movement)
Block 3: Close Grip Bench (Primary Movement)
Block 4: Bench Press | Flat (Primary Movement)
Lower Body
Block 1: Pause Deficit Deadlift (Primary Movement)
Block 2: Deficit Deadlift (Primary Movement)
Block 3: Pause Deadlift (Primary Movement)
Block 4: Deadlift | From the Floor (Primary Movement)
This training split would be linear so I’d recommend spending only 2 weeks per block and using this only after an extended break from training. However, you could tier the variations in a sandwich fashion for an undulating block as well. This is more theory, i’ve never tried it before so give it a shot if you’re feeling frisky.
Ex:
Block 1: Overhead Press
Block 2: Close Grip Bench / Bench Press
Block 3: Incline Bench
Block 4: Bench Press / Decline Bench
The advantage on this structure is you could treat blocks 2 and 4 as intesification blocks and accumulate volume with Block 1 and 3. You also don’t necessarily overload the body too much by expecting a linear increase in load for 8 weeks straight. With this progression you could spend 3 weeks at each block. In terms of mechanical advantage, Block 1 is most difficult, followed by block 3, then 2, then 4 has the most favorable leverage (you can move the most load).
Training
Strength
Today’s session of my functional hypertrophy cycle. I’m currently sitting in an accumulation phase (week 2) so building volume before the last intensification phase to close out the 12 week program. Still pushing variations on the primary movements most of the time. The last 3 week block (intensification) i’ll switch back to Front Squats.
Conditioning
Nuke Town
Perform 6 sets of 30 seconds hard then 2:00 slow on a cardio equipment of your choice. I recommend the assault bike or rower. Go all out on the 20 seconds, the 2:40 recovery period won’t be a complete recovery but enough to hit it hard again another set.
Lactic Power
Sets x High Intensity / Low Intensity
6 x 0:20 / 2:40
Perform these intervals before you go into a phase of highly glycolytic activity for your sport. If you don’t play a sport, simply just rotate this interval in as a high intensity interval. I recommend training conditioning 2-3x a week for general population & strength focused trainees. Either do a low intensity & high intensity day (2 day split) or a Low, Medium, High Intensity Day (3 day split).
If you liked this format better let me know in the comments, i’m thinking about sticking to posting one of my strength sessions from the week and a conditioning session for you to hit on your own.
Stay Strawng