Stepping Up

Today marks a year since I started Low Fatigue Training. I've completed three 16wk cycles, and I'm getting better at the "less is more" approach, but still struggle to get the right balance.

Ahead of the last cycle, I started adding a step-up set, which was the top-set minus 5% (roughly equivalent to an RPE level), and used that to gauge whether to go ahead with the top-set or end there, if the step-up felt like it was close to the target effort for the day. This worked really well for the first 12wks, but upon entering the last 4wks to peak for testing (somewhat giddy with the good progression!), I slipped into the bad habit of chasing numbers and the weight on the bar, screwing my recovery, and impacting the tests.

The plan this cycle is to add a 2nd step-up set, so there are now 2 measured points from where I can try and catch myself making these same mistakes. So, for a top set of 100kg x3:

• 90kg x 3 (step-up 1 (step-up 2 -5%): should move fast - if not, skip step-up 2 and add 2.5% (~0.5 RPE level) for the top set)
• 95kg x 3 (step-up 2 (top-set -5%): still should be fairly rapid although more effort - if not, add 2.5% for the top set)
• 100kg x 3 (top set: should only have a slight drop of velocity between reps - if moved better than expected, add 2.5% for an extra set)

The overshoot problem really shows up with singles when you don't have other reps in the set to compare against, so I'm hoping this extra step-up will give that extra context and allow for better judgment on where my strength levels are for any given day - and crucially not overshooting the targeted effort for the day

Overall, it's been such an eye-opener. My progress was limping along for a number of years, but this year has seen some decent improvements - really should have another 10kg minimum across the board here, only for messing up the last test block:

• Squat 1RM: 160 -> 170kg (+6.3%)
• Bench 1RM: 102.5 -> 107.5kg (+4.8%)
• Deadlift 1RM: 192 -> 205kg (+6.2% - video below)

The day-to-day benefits of not feeling sore or tired from a previous workout are worth the entrance fee on their own, but still being able to make consistent progress without killing yourself in the gym is a complete game-changer - hopeful for better again this year, as I get to grips with not overshooting workouts/shooting myself in the foot!