You're basically asking about periodization, in which there is literally a giant literature and no single answer. I personally like the 5/3/1 protocol. If you wanna read about it in general you can go to jim wendler's website. Here's a quick write-up/review
But you're probably lazy and want me to just give you a full guide, so Ill do that
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Go to this website - https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
- Click "Simplest Strength"
- Click "Real Rep Maxes"
- Input your known PR's to the relevant fields, be very conservative ('press' is standing barbell overhead press, 'incline press' is incline barbell chest press). If you don't know them, find them out
- Input your barbell weight : standard barbells are 45 lbs/ 20 kgs
- Input what plates you have, or your gym has (if you don't know, just input 10 for "45, 25, 10, 5, and 2.5" and 0 for everything else, as this is generally what most commercial gyms have)
- Click "Option 1: Fresher"
- Click "5/3/1 Standard"
- Leave "Joker Sets" Empty
- Click "First Set Last"
- Click "Deload 1 Standard"
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Click Calculate Program
The idea behind this program is that each day you will have a main lift (Press - Deadlift - Bench - Squat), which you will work up to a '+' set which you will take to max effort and do as many possible reps as you can (and another max effort set after that that i've added, this one is called AMRAP - as many reps as possible - which you do the same thing. This was what was added by clicking "First set last").
The website will tell you exactly how many reps/weight you will do each set with. 5 x 95 means 5 reps at 95 pounds. The numbers in brackets are what weight plates go on each side of the barbell, which is a nice touch.
These + sets work in 4 week cycles, a 5+ week, a 3+ week, a 1+ week, and a deload which you take easy. It sounds complicated, but if you look at the program that was printed, it makes sense pretty quickly. It is crucial that you do the '+' sets with max effort, as that is what your progression depends on.
After the main lift, you do accessory work. This is what the different templates change. This particular one which I made you do has close grip bench, front squats, etc. After that it just names a body part, eg: Lats or Triceps. You choose an exercise of your liking which targets these parts (i.e. Lat pulldown, Tricep Pushdown), and do the prescribed reps. These should obviously be done at or close to failure, after a couple warmup sets of course.
So if it says hamstrings 10-20, 10-20, 10-20, after warming up you're doing 3 hard sets of 10-20 reps (whatever weight is appropriate for that) of hamstring curls for example.
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How you progress depends on how you did on your '+' set for the day on the main lift
If on the 5+ day, you managed 8 or more reps on the + set, you're good
If on the 3+ day, you managed 6 or more reps on the + set, you're good
If on the 1+ day you managed 3 or more reps on the + set, you're good
- If you're good for all of the 3 weeks (last week is an ez deload), then you go back to the top where you input your PRs:
- add 5 lbs to each upper body lift (press, bench press, etc)
- add 10 lbs for every lower body lift (squat, deadlift, etc)
If you fail to meet those rep goals at any time, multiply your input for the relevant lift(s) by 0.9, at the end of the 4 - week training cycle
Remember that this recalibrating is only done once every 4 weeks, after you've fully gone through the entire printed cycle that came when you hit "Calculate Program".
- Repeat forever, tryout different templates when you get bored of one.