Lecture on training intensity based out of the text: Science and Practice of Strength Training, 2nd Edition. Lecture given at Wilmington College for HPE 345, Strength Programming for Sport.

1. Training Intensity
Science and practice: Chapter 4

2. Why is training intensity important?
• Without the regulation of training intensity, it is
difficult to create programs that will allow for a
smooth increase in performance over an
extended period of time.
• Unfortunately many athletes train in the
weightroom without paying much attention to
their training intensity and will not achieve the
gains over time that they could if they used the
correct training percentages/intensity.

3. Measuring training intensity
• 1. Magnitude of the resistance expressed as a
percentage of the best achievement (1RepMax)
in a weightlifting movement. (%1RM)
• 2. Number of repetitions (lifts) in a set that are
performed consecutively.

4. 1 Rep MAX (1RM)
• This stands for: the most that an athlete can
lift in a given resistance training
movement, for example. If I can bench press
200 pounds and I miss at 205, than 200 pounds
is my 1RM. If I wanted to work at 70% of my
1RM that would be 140 pounds.
• 1RM can be broken down into competition max
and training max.

5. Competition and Training Max
• If you are dealing with strength athletes who are
ever involved in weightlifting competitions,
there will be a competition max (C1RM) and a
training max (T1RM)for each athlete.

6. Training Max
• The maximal training weight is the maximal
weight an athlete can lift without a significant
amount of emotional stress (that of a
competition). Basically, how much you lift/fast
you can run/high you can jump in training.
• Some experienced athletes/trainers will measure
heart rate before lift attempts to determine if the
athlete is going out of their „training zone‟ and
over-exerting themselves for the given exercise.

7. Competition Max
• The competition max (C-Max) represents the
most that an athlete can lift under competition
stress. This will be around 12.5±2.5% for
experienced weightlifters. So basically, if I can
squat 500 lbs in the gym without getting my
heart rate too high, I am going to be able to
squat around 560 pounds in an intense
competition.

8. Competition Max
• This is also true to a degree in other tests of
athletics, such as track and field events. Nobody
sets the 100m or 10k world record in practice,
they don‟t have the competition adrenaline to
facilitate it.
• Also, C-Max efforts drain the CNS much more
than T-Max efforts. Experienced weightlifters
will be drained for a long period of time after
and intense competition, even though they
performed only 6 lifts.

9. Take Home Knowledge
• The more “psyched up” a lifter is when
performing heavy resistance training, the greater
drain that lift will have on their central nervous
system, and recovery time will take longer.
• It is a good practice to watch your psyche level
when training when you are considering your
other training sessions in that week (for many
programs).

10. 1RM Testing
• When testing 1RM in the weightroom, a good
deal of warmup sets should be undertaken
before the max out attempts.
• Example: Squat, est max: 300
• 135x10, 185x6, 225x4, 250x2, 275x1, max
attempt (300), if make +15 pounds, if miss, -15
pounds.

11. Two measures of training intensity
• #1. % of 1RM (either T1RM or C1RM, usually C1RM)
• #2. Another nice measure of intensity is in terms of
RepMax. For example, 5RM. An athletes 5RM is
going to be the highest amount of weight they can
lift 5 times. For example, if I put 200 pounds on the
bar for power cleans from the hang position, and try
to lift it as many times as possible, and get 5 reps
and miss the 6th, 200 pounds is my 5RM in the
power clean from the hang.

12. Testing RM
• There really isn‟t much of a point in testing a
5RM or 10RM, because it is too much of a hassle
in finding the correct weight, and not getting too
tired in the process.
• You can, of course use charts to estimate your
1RM, or 2,3,4,5RMs, but these are not always
completely accurate.
• The reason being is that some athletes may be
able to lift submaximal loads better than others.

13. An example chart:
100% 95% .92.5% 90% .87.5% 85% .82.5% 80% .77.5% 75%
1RM 2RM 3RM 4RM 5RM 6RM 7RM 8RM 9RM 10RM
295 280 272.8 265 258 250 24 236 228 221
290 275 268 261 253 246 239 232 224 217
285 270 263 256 249 242 235 228 220 213
280 266 259 252 245 238 231 224 217 210
275 261 254 247 240 233 226 220 213 206
270 265 249 243 236 229 222 216 209 202
265 251 245 238 231 225 218 212 205 198
260 247 240 234 227 221 214 208 201 195
255 242 235 229 223 216 210 204 197 191

14. Assigning Training Intensity
• You can assign a training intensity based on either
%1RM or RM, but….to be accurate, you need to test
the 1RM on a somewhat regular basis (every few
months). Many coaches do not like to max out very
often, because of the high stress levels involved,
and/or chance of injury.
• In many programs, the % or RM is assigned and the
athlete will basically just make their best guess
towards what their weight should be. A lot of
athletes have PROBLEMS with this. Guys will go
too heavy and girls will go too light.

15. Relationship between %1RM and xRM
• The relationship between %1RM and xRM is not
the same for everybody. For example, one
athlete may be able to lift 80% of their 1RM 15
times. Another athlete might be able to only lift
80% of their 1RM 8 times.
• It has been suggested that athletes with a higher
percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers will be
able to lift %s of their 1RM fewer times than
their slower twitch counterparts.

16. A chart showing %1RM lifting ability of
a weightlifter and wrestler

17. So which is better?
• There is no research that would support either side.
It mostly just depends on what you think is easier
for your athletes to use if you are not planning on
maxing out all the time.
• Generally speaking the relationship between 1RM
and training percentages is as follows.
• 70% of 1RM is going to be about 15RM for most
athletes.
• 80% of 1RM is going to be about 10RM for most
athletes.
• 90% of 1RM is going to be about 5RM for most
athletes

18. So what if I don’t mind maxing out
every now and then?
• A simple way to make sure that athletes are
performing a program that will allow gains is to
max out after a introductory lifting period (for
safety reasons) and then use a template which
can be used for the next couple months.
• A few examples

19. Sets and Reps Load Rest Period Weekly Emphasis
Week 1 4x5 70% 3-4
minutes
Introductory
Week 2 5 x 5 80% 4-5
minutes
Volume
Week 3 3x3 65% 3 minutes Rest
Week 4 3x5 85% As needed Intensity
Week 5 4x5 75% 3-4
minutes
Introductory
Week 6 5 x 5 85% 4-5
minutes
Volume
Week 7 3x3 70% 3 minutes Rest
Week 8 3x5 90% As needed Intensity
Week 9 4x5 80% 3-4
minutes
Introductory
Week
10
5 x 5 90% 4-5
minutes
Volume
Week
11
3x3 75% 3 minutes
Rest
Week
12
3x5 95% As needed
Intensity
You will notice by week 12, you
are working 95% of your old 1rm
for 3x5 at 95%. If you look at the
1RM chart in the previous slide,
you will realize there is no way
that this is possible, but in the
program, it is because by the time
week 12 hits, your 1RM should
have gone up significantly from
week 1!

20. “Plug in Programs”
• These type of programs usually are created in excel
where you will type in your 1 rep max and it will
automatically create a program for you over a given
time period.
• Example “Hatch Squat 12 week program”
• Many strength coaches who don‟t like making their
own programs will just use program templates that
someone else made and plug in 1RM values.
Nothing wrong with this. Does not allow for
individualization however.

21. Metabolic Effects of Training %
• Training with weights that are a heavier % of the
1RM will cause a higher level of protein
degradation than lighter %s of the 1RM.
• Although high %s have high protein
degradation, total reps will be lower when
working high %s, so the total metabolic effect of
the set will be somewhat low.
• A balance needs to be struck between %s and
reps when looking for metabolic changes in
muscle.

22. Protein Metabolism Chart in Lifting
Resistance
(RM)
Rate of protein
degradation
Mechanical
Work
Total
amount
(# of reps)
of degraded
protein
1-5 High Small Small
10 Average Average Large
>25 Low Large Small

23. Resistance Training Intensity by Goal
•Strength (Increasing Fmm)
•Power (Increasing Fmax)
•Hypertrophy (size)
•Endurance

24. %’s for strength (supertraining)
• Load % of 1RM: 80-100
• Reps per set: 1-5
• Sets per exercise: 4-7
• Rest between sets: 2-6m
• Duration (sec/set): 5-10
• Speed per rep: 60-100%
• Training sess/wk: 3-6

25. %s for power (supertraining)
• Load % of 1RM: 70-100
• Reps per set: 1-5
• Sets per exercise: 3-5
• Rest between sets: 2-6m
• Duration (sec/set): 4-8
• Speed per rep: 90-100%
• Training sess/wk: 3-6

26. %s for hypertrophy (size)
• Load % of 1RM: 60-80
• Reps per set: 8-15
• Sets per exercise: 4-8
• Rest between sets: 2-5m
• Duration (sec/set): 20-60
• Speed per rep: 60-90%
• Training sess/wk: 5-7

27. Training %s for endurance
• Load % of 1RM: 40-60
• Reps per set: 25-60 (*disputed)
• Sets per exercise: 2-4
• Rest between sets: 1-2m
• Duration (sec/set): 80-150
• Speed per rep: 6-80%
• Training sess/wk: 8-14

28. Another Helpful Chart

29. Average Training Intensity of Elite
Athletes
• A lot of research has been done on the average
lifting intensity of elite olympic weightlifters.
• It should be noted that generally speaking, you
probably don‟t want to train sport atheltes the
exact same as olympic weightlifters, but, since
olympic weightlifters are extremely strong and
explosive, it is helpful to take a look at their
average training intensities throughout a year.

30. A note on training intensity and timing
• Although as a strength training community, we
have developed good methods for strength
development, we do not know precisely what the
BEST methods are.
• The human body and its training responses are
extremely complex, and it is almost impossible
to know exactly what a certain athlete needs as a
given point in time, but you can get close.

31. A chart of average training
intensity/Olympic weightlifters

32. Avg. Training Intensity for elite
athletes.
• Notice that the largest percentage of lifts was in
the 70-80% 1RM range. The average weight in a
set lifted by superior athletes is equal to 75% of
their C1RM. This would probably be around
80% of their T1RM, which is a variable most
coaches would be more familiar with.

33. Average Repetitions of Elite Athletes

34. Exercise type and set/rep selection
• The number of repetitions that is used per set
varies by exercise.
• For actual olympic weightlifters, the majority of
sets in the clean and jerk and snatch are 1 to 3
repetitions.
• In auxilliary strength exercises, where the motor
coordination only partially resembles the
coordination in the snatch and C&J such as the
front squat, the average number of reps is 3 to 6.

35. Exercise rep selection (OWL)
• As the exercise moves farther away from the
motor pattern of the primary movement (in this
case snatch/c&j) the higher the reps that can be
used. So in the case on a glute ham raise, which
resembles the olympic lifts even less than a
squat, the average reps is typically around 5 to 7
reps per set.

36. Differences in training Olympic
Weightlifters and average athletes.
• For the most part, the reps are typically a little
higher, unless with advanced athletes.
• Aside from this, it depends on the sport and the
needs of the athlete.
▫ Strength
▫ Size (Relative vs Absolute strength)
▫ Endurance
▫ Speed

37. Average Reps C&J and Snatch (OWL)
• 1-3

38. Average Reps for Squats (OWL)
• 3-6

39. Average Reps for Glute-Ham(OWL)
• 5-7

40. Optimal Training Intensity
• Beginners: 60% of 1RM 3 days a week with 4
sets per muscle group.
• Advanced athletes: 80% of 1RM seems to be the
best balance between max strength and speed,
i.e. power. Of course not ALL sets are done with
this weight, but the majority find themselves in
the 75-85% range.

41. Strength Training Methods
▫ Ways that deal with maximal tension/recruitment
• Max Effort Method (ME)
• Repeated Effort Method (RE)
• Dynamic Effort Method (DE)
▫ also
• Submaximal Effort Method (not maximal,
probably the most common in average
weightlifting programs)

42. Maximal Effort Method
• ME method is basically lifting a maximal load. This
is usually 1-3RM, sometimes 5-6RM. Powerlifters
and olympic lifters will usually go closer to 1RM
than team sport athletes.
• This method will bring forth the greatest strength
increments. It will activate the maximal number of
motor units.
• When training muscles rather than movements
becomes the primary part of the drill, the reps will
go up. For example, GHR will be higher reps than
cleans.

43. Maximal Effort Drawbacks
• High risk of injury
▫ Learn proper technique first
• Smaller number of reps produce less
hypertrophy
• This method will burn out a lot of athletes fairly
quickly. This will especially happen if loads
about T1RM are used, or when the athletes
become very psyched up in the weight room to
push max weight.

44. Burnout in ME method
• The CNS stress of full body movements will be
greater than those of smaller movements.
• For example, doing ME method in clean and jerk
will take a larger toll on the CNS than doing ME
method with the bench press. This is because
more muscle groups are activated for clean and
jerk, and also there is a large amount of balance
and coordination that must be present.

45. Repeated Effort Method
• Repeated effort (RE) is when a nonmaximal load
is lifted to failure. In the final few repetitions,
the muscles are developing the maximal force
possible in a fatigued state.
• This type of work is going to be more effective in
creating muscle hypertrophy.
• It is a common belief that going to failure in RE
is better for hypertrophy than not going to
failure in RE.

46. So which is better for athletes?
• A similar analogy can be brought up with the
training of an 800 meter runner in track and
field….should the 800 meter runner run
distances longer or shorter than 800 meters for
their training? The answer is both.
• This is the same for training athletes with ME
and RE, both types of strength should be
worked…although in my opinion, the ME work
should be kept around 5RM.

47. Dynamic Effort Method
• Lifting or throwing a non-maximal load with the
highest attainable speed possible.
• Used to increase the rate of force development.
• Not really used to increase maximal strength
(Fmm) but more to improve the rate of force
development in motor units already activated.
• I would argue that with lighter weights this is
true, but when using heavier weights (80%1RM)
and moving as fast as possible, such as 8x3 ala
Waterbury, some Fmm strength will be gained.

48. A quick summary of the 3 methods
Method Immediate Purpose
Maximal Efforts Improve neuromuscular coordination
MU recruitment
Rate Coding
MU synchronization
Coordination Pattern
Repeated Efforts Muscle hypertrophy (size)
Dynamic Efforts
Increase the RFD of already recruited
units

49. Putting it all together
• Let‟s look at 3 different strength training
programs
• Joe DeFranco style training (football)
• Westside Barbell style training (powerlifting)
• My strength training program (track and field
jumpers)

50. Joe DeFranco Setup
MONDAY – Max-Effort Upper Body
TUESDAY – Dynamic-Effort Lower Body
WEDNESDAY – Off
THURSDAY – Repetition Upper Body
FRIDAY – Max-Effort Lower Body
SATURDAY – Off
SUNDAY – Off

51. DeFranco ME days work-up sets
• 95 X 5
135 X 5
185 X 3
225 X 3
275 X 3
295 X 3
315 X 3
• (if 315x3 is the 3RM)

52. ME Upper Day
• MONDAY – Max-Effort Upper Body
• Max-Effort Exercise – work up to a max set of 3-5 reps in one of the following
exercises:
• Thick bar or regular barbell bench press
• Barbell floor press
• Rack lockouts / Suspended chain lockouts
• Incline barbell bench press (regular grip or close grip)
• Supplemental Exercise – perform 2 sets of max reps in one of the following
exercises. (Choose a weight you can perform for 15-20 reps on the 1st set. Use
the same weight for both sets and rest 3-4 minutes between sets).
• Flat DB bench press (palms in or out)
• Incline DB bench press (palms in or out)
• DB floor press (palms in)
• Barbell push-ups (wearing weighted vest)
• Blast strap push-ups (wearing weighted vest)

53. Lower DE day
• TUESDAY – Dynamic-Effort Lower Body
• Jump training – choose one of the following
exercises and perform 5-8 sets of 1-3 jumps:
• Box jumps
• Vertical jumps
• Broad jumps
• Hurdle hops (jump over hurdle and land on ground)
• Box squat into box jump
• Depth jumps (onto box)
• Weighted Reactive box jumps

54. Upper RE day
• THURSDAY – Repetition Upper Body
• Repetition Exercise – choose one of the
following exercises and perform 3 sets of max reps
OR 4 sets of 12-15 reps:
• Flat DB bench press (palms in or out)
• Incline DB bench press (palms in or out)
• DB bench press on Swiss ball (palms in or out)
• DB floor press (palms in)
• Push-up variations
• Chin-up variations
• Barbell bench press (55-60% of 1RM)

55. ME LOWER DAY
• FRIDAY – Max-Effort Lower Body
• MAX-EFFORT LIFT – work up to a max set of 3-5
reps in one of the following exercises:
• Box squats (regular bar, safety squat bar, cambered bar,
buffalo bar)
• Free squats (regular bar, safety squat bar, cambered bar,
buffalo bar)
• Straight bar deadlifts (traditional style, sumo style)
• Trap Bar deadlifts
• Rack pulls (partial deadlifts)
• Tire flip – (remember, your max-effort lifts don‟t
necessarily have to be limited to just barbell exercises!)

56. Westside Barbell Setup
• Sunday – Dynamic Effort Bench
• Monday – Max Effort Squat/DL
• Wednesday – Max Effort Bench Press
• Friday – Dynamic Squat/DL
• 4 days are also repetitive effort training
• Note (this is a template for POWERLIFTERS,
not so much athletes)

57. Westside DE Bench
• Dynamic bench press – 8 sets of 3 repetitions;
all sets done are done with 55% of raw 1RM. Rest
periods are approximately 60 seconds, but have
never really seen the purpose of this, personally.
• The whole goal of speed day is to move the bar
quickly on the concentric. If you need to take an
extra minute to accomplish the goal of the day,
then by all means, do so.

58. Westside ME Bench Press
• Max effort bench press – this includes a variety of
exercises, but the most common are the floor press,
2 board press, 3 board press, incline press and close
grip bench press.
• On max effort bench press day, you pick one of these
exercises and work to a 1RM. Most will switch to a
different exercise every 1-2 weeks and simply try to
break their record.
• On this day, based on your 1RM for THAT day, you
will try to do 3 lifts at or above 90%. You can take as
much rest as you want, but I would probably say
around 3-5 minutes between your heaviest sets.

59. Westside DE Squat
• Dynamic Squat – All sets done on a parallel box. A
three week wave is used using the following sets and
reps.
Week 1 – 10x2 @ 50%
Week 2 – 10x2 @ 55%
Week 3 – 10x2 @ 60%
Upon completion of the 3rd week, you simply start
the wave over again. All %'s are based on your best
squat. This is not conditioning, this is speed work.
Save your conditioning for another time.

60. Westside ME Lower Body
• Max Effort Squat and Deadlift – Similar to the max effort bench
press, one exercise is used per week and worked up to a 1RM.
Because most people have eliminated good mornings as a max effort
exercise, I will choose the following for your exercises. I understand
that many do not have these bars that I list, but this is the list,
nonetheless:
Safety squat bar squat
Cambered bar squat
Manta Ray squat
(All squats are done on a low (1-2" below parallel), parallel or high
(1-2" above parallel) box. As you can tell, there is a great many
variations with these three exercises.
Rack deadlifts (or pin pulls)
Deadlifts while standing on elevated platform
Reverse band deadlifts

61. A sample program of mine
• Monday: RE Lower Body (submax)
• Tuesday: DE Lower Body (maximal plyometrics)
• Thursday: RE Lower Body (submax)
• Friday: DE Lower Body (maximal plyometrics)
• Other elements: 2 long sprint days, some
acceleration work on the DE days, 2 general
strength/fitness workouts per week.

62. Sample Strength for Jumpers: RE DAY
• Monday, RE lifting Day
▫ Olympic Lift: 6x3 with up to 80%1RM
▫ Lower Body Main Lift: 4x5 with up to 80%1RM
▫ Accessory Lift: 3x6 with up to 80% 1RM
▫ Calf Raises: 3x10
▫ Skipping/Jumping drills for cooldown

63. Sample Strength for Jumpers: DE DAY
• Tuesday: Lower DE
• Some sprint acceleration work: 100m total
• 3-4 Max jumps off 1 leg
• Bounding: 250 meters of various types
• Hurdle Hops: 5 sets of 4 hurdles

64. Sample Strength for Jumpers: RE DAY2
• Thursday, RE Lower
▫ Olympic Lift 6x3 with no more than 80%1RM
▫ Lower Body Main Lift: 4x5 with up to 80%1RM
▫ Accessory Lift: 3x6 with up to 80% 1RM
▫ Calf Raises: 3x10
▫ Skipping/Jumping drills for cooldown
▫ On this day, the main difference from Monday is that
all the exercises are different except calf raises

65. Sample Strength for Jumpers: DE DAY2
• Tuesday: Lower DE
• Some sprint acceleration work: 100m total
• 3-4 Max jumps off 2 legs
• 3 step jumps over high hurdles
• 100m bounding
• Hurdle Hops: 3 sets of 4 hurdles
• Single leg Hurdle Hops: 3 sets of 4 hurdles

66. Final Notes
• These templates do not even come close to
showing what all is out there. It is very
important to understand the reasons behind the
templates, which can help you decide which ones
might be good for the athletes that you coach.