RTS's Emerging Strategies

[perman]

Only saw the video now. Thought it was really good.

I haven't been logging anywhere besides my little notepad though (lazy after training), but this approach seems tailored to using the RTS site and running Block reviews there.

Any people here who have started using this emerging strategy? This sounds like it should be possible for a dilligent logger without a coach. I would assume inputting weekly e1RMs should theoretically be mostly sufficient information if the training week remains the same throughout the cycle.

Does the RTS website have good functionality for inputting an earlier workout? Should shorten input time.

[Manveer]

@perman

Been using the “emerging strategy” since August 2017. I have a log here.

Seems like it would be tedious to put in past workouts, but you can do it.

[perman]

@perman

Been using the “emerging strategy” since August 2017. I have a log here.

Seems like it would be tedious to put in past workouts, but you can do it.

Well, I think I would rather do it suboptimally without using prior block reviews to begin with.

Figure you start with a decent week you think would work well for you, then just run it while logging meticulously for 5-12 weeks until your e1RM "crashes". That's a decent way to start right?

[Manveer]

Figure you start with a decent week you think would work well for you, then just run it while logging meticulously for 5-12 weeks until your e1RM "crashes". That's a decent way to start right?

Well, you might only be able to run a 3 week block before crashing. 5-6 is probably average. 10 is as long as I've heard Mike mention.

Besides your e1RMs dropping off, the other reason to terminate the block is because you're getting too beat up. I think this is mentioned in the video.

[augeleven]

So when you’re running this, you’re trying to put more weight on the bar than last time? Or is the fluctuation in e1rm coming from RPE? I assume the more post-novicey of you can’t just add 5 pounds each week to the bar, right?
I’m doing a weekly thing with an eye to somehow incorporating this, as I’m sure my weekly gains are fleeting/incorporeal/lies.
If only there was a template for this... /s

[Manveer]

So when you’re running this, you’re trying to put more weight on the bar than last time?

Isn't this always the goal? This is the "aggressive" part of "controlled-aggressive".

Or is the fluctuation in e1rm coming from RPE?

Weight plus RPE. (Since reps are constant within a block)

I assume the more post-novicey of you can’t just add 5 pounds each week to the bar, right?

When things have been going well, I've added more than 5 lbs a week. More like 10. But I'm obviously not in PR territory constantly.

[augeleven]

Isn't this always the goal?

Sure. I just wasn’t sure if you were adding weight weekly or in that 3-6-? week emerging strategy “cycle”.
I guess I need to read your log, but how often/consistently have you been making >5 pound weekly progress? That sounds amazing!

[Manveer]

Well, maybe not that amazing. I had a run of 6s late last year that went pretty well. Mostly because I wasn’t used to 6s, though, I think. Definitely not setting huge PRs on the regular. Detraining happens, injuries happen...trend is upwards though.

[TimK]

[MPhelps]

So what he is saying is that there's no greater stimulus for an athlete than a heavy set of 5s

[Manveer]

New article on emerging strategies: http://articles.reactivetrainingsystems ... trategies/

[JohnHelton]

I am thinking of revisiting this strategy. Repeat a microcycle each week for a full block to get a sense of how it worked. Diligently track e1RMs. Then be able to compare block to block. Which works better: 1) more or less volume 2) HVLF or LVHF or HVHF (i hope not).

The RTS web app has so many good tools built into it. Just have to log regularly there.

I have been lifting for awhile, and I still don't have answers to basic questions like what is my MEV and MRV. I think I need to take a more scientific approach. Maybe treat myself like a good coach would.

[damufunman]

I am thinking of revisiting this strategy. Repeat a microcycle each week for a full block to get a sense of how it worked. Diligently track e1RMs. Then be able to compare block to block. Which works better: 1) more or less volume 2) HVLF or LVHF or HVHF (i hope not).

The RTS web app has so many good tools built into it. Just have to log regularly there.

I have been lifting for awhile, and I still don't have answers to basic questions like what is my MEV and MRV. I think I need to take a more scientific approach. Maybe treat myself like a good coach would.

I've been attempting this for the past few years. Life often rears it's head about once a month so something usually changes in each cycle. Also attempting to apply it to Weightlifting so response may be a bit different than Powerlifting, but needless to say I also have not been able to suss out any consistent metrics.

[JohnHelton]

I've been attempting this for the past few years. Life often rears it's head about once a month so something usually changes in each cycle. Also attempting to apply it to Weightlifting so response may be a bit different than Powerlifting, but needless to say I also have not been able to suss out any consistent metrics.

Life getting in the way of a good N=1 experiment sounds about right.

Doing it right will/would also require me to be very disciplined in terms of how I tweak the variables. For example, let's say you want to figure out your MEV and MRV. You basically need to run the same micro for block after block, just changing the volume from block to block. If you can suss that out, then you can vary between other strategies like high RPE vs low RPE, holding volume constant. When Mike T. talks about it, he talks about stuff like adding or removing chains on bench. I'm a long way for those being the last stones to overturn.

[SnakePlissken]

I am thinking of revisiting this strategy. Repeat a microcycle each week for a full block to get a sense of how it worked. Diligently track e1RMs. Then be able to compare block to block. Which works better: 1) more or less volume 2) HVLF or LVHF or HVHF (i hope not).

The RTS web app has so many good tools built into it. Just have to log regularly there.

I have been lifting for awhile, and I still don't have answers to basic questions like what is my MEV and MRV. I think I need to take a more scientific approach. Maybe treat myself like a good coach would.

If you figure it out less us all know. I had a stint of trying ES over a year ago and didn't mesh well with the programming; I think I was doing too high of a frequency and I also just really don't like lifting to a certain RPE and repeating weeks (training felt like a chore).

What I have found though is my own bro science says that I drop off a recovery cliff when I do "medium to high stress" lifting consistently on Squats and Deads at the end of the 5th week and 6th week for Bench and OHP. It's happened 3 separate times in the last year to me and feels like clockwork.

[JohnHelton]

If you figure it out less us all know. I had a stint of trying ES over a year ago and didn't mesh well with the programming; I think I was doing too high of a frequency and I also just really don't like lifting to a certain RPE and repeating weeks (training felt like a chore).

What I have found though is my own bro science says that I drop off a recovery cliff when I do "medium to high stress" lifting consistently on Squats and Deads at the end of the 5th week and 6th week for Bench and OHP. It's happened 3 separate times in the last year to me and feels like clockwork.

RTS calls the "falling off a cliff" the time to peak (TTP). They would say that you should deload/pivot after 4 weeks.

I think you can use emerging strategies both with RTS style training and with HVLF style training. You can even use it to compare the two. In doing that though, I think it is necessary to have a way to equate the training stress. My plan is to use the RTS app metric for Total Stress. I don't fully understand this metric, but it is a number to use.

So two different approaches:
1) Hold the style of training constant and vary the stress from block to block. I would take the approach of increasing the stress slowly. Start low.
2) Hold the total stress constant and vary the style of training.

If one can figure out the best approach in terms of volume of stress and style of training, then you can move on to exercise selection, etc.

This approach definitely takes patience. I'm okay with repeating a microcycle. I get enjoyment from the N=1 experiments.

[SnakePlissken]

If you figure it out less us all know. I had a stint of trying ES over a year ago and didn't mesh well with the programming; I think I was doing too high of a frequency and I also just really don't like lifting to a certain RPE and repeating weeks (training felt like a chore).

What I have found though is my own bro science says that I drop off a recovery cliff when I do "medium to high stress" lifting consistently on Squats and Deads at the end of the 5th week and 6th week for Bench and OHP. It's happened 3 separate times in the last year to me and feels like clockwork.

RTS calls the "falling off a cliff" the time to peak (TTP). They would say that you should deload/pivot after 4 weeks.

I think you can use emerging strategies both with RTS style training and with HVLF style training. You can even use it to compare the two. In doing that though, I think it is necessary to have a way to equate the training stress. My plan is to use the RTS app metric for Total Stress. I don't fully understand this metric, but it is a number to use.

So two different approaches:
1) Hold the style of training constant and vary the stress from block to block. I would take the approach of increasing the stress slowly. Start low.
2) Hold the total stress constant and vary the style of training.

If one can figure out the best approach in terms of volume of stress and style of training, then you can move on to exercise selection, etc.

This approach definitely takes patience. I'm okay with repeating a microcycle. I get enjoyment from the N=1 experiments.

I use RTS APPS too because it's a solid planner. There's a video Mike T. made a while back explaining the stress is essentially an index. Peripheral stress is most related to individual muscle stress (high volume, low intensity) and Central stress is essentially systemic stress (more high intensity work and typically lower volume). The 3, 6, and 12 day options show you how you're reacting over time. So the 3 day snapshot shows you more how you do "day-to-day" and the 12 shows you your ebs over time. The 6 day is a blend of the two measures.

I really don't find a lot useful about it honestly, I can feel when I'm about to fall off a cliff before the charts show me anything I can use.

[cole]

is this still the most current stuff for RTS? it looks almost like @Austin is doing ES, i've heard him mention he pretty much repeats the same week over and over.

i dont trust myself enough to write my own program, so in the meantime ill continue to do the the free RTS intermediate program. just curious how things are going in that world though.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

is this still the most current stuff for RTS? it looks almost like @Austin is doing ES, i've heard him mention he pretty much repeats the same week over and over.

i dont trust myself enough to write my own program, so in the meantime ill continue to do the the free RTS intermediate program. just curious how things are going in that world though.

I think ES is still the current stuff, based on RTS podcasts (or at least the few that I listened to).

Regarding what you said about not trusting yourself to write your own programming, I've been doing ES for a few cycles, with some success, and I feel that one of the key takeaways is that if you've been training for a while and logging everything you do, you can probably write yourself a better program than any stock program, even if the stock program was written by an authority in the lifting world. I'd trust my own program over any stock program because I've already explored the alternatives to some degree. The guy who wrote the stock program might be a genius, but he hasn't looked at my training log.

It's not even that hard to do honestly: do a few blocks with backoffs at 70%, then do a few block with backoffs at 80%, and then you'll pretty much know what percentage drives more strength gains, do a few high volume blocks a few low volume blocks and you'll know your target volume etc.

Actually I feel that ES is one of the simplest (if not the simplest) programming framework that exists.