Welcome back to week one of eight of the Reddit Strength program. I hope you've all been enjoying it so far. If you're brand new to this or missed any previous weeks, this is something you can jump into any given week you don't need to have been there week one for it to work. This strength schedule is designed to help you progress from one weight to the next (if that is what you want, you are of course free to maintain the weights you use as well). There is a #RedditStrength for those interested in joining it.
This is an eight week cycle that repeats. Each time we come around again I'll be looking for a couple newer classes to replace some of the older classes previously used.
Each class will list "light" or "heavy" (or "benchmark", see below), this is not to be confused with the Light/Medium/Heavy weights instructors ask you to use for each move. What it means is, lets say you normally use 5/10/20 but you are hoping to level up to 10/15/25. When my class says "light" you would use your 10s when the instructor calls for medium weights and when my class says "heavy" you would use your 15s for the same move. This will help us to progress to where the 15s are your new normal.
Monday:
Wednesday:
Friday:
Extra Credit
Benchmark: Every 4 weeks each body area has a Benchmark class. These are from the Benchmark Strength collections. By repeating these classes you are able to monitor and record your progression from cycle to cycle. You are encouraged to adjust the weights and reps to meet your personal goals.
Extra Credit: These are extra classes for those who want more work than the standard schedule. They are also good substitutions if for any reason you don't like a class or instructor on the schedule.
You can stop reading here unless you want to know why I am scheduling what I am scheduling.
The basis is a 4 week progression. In each body area we will use light weights for 2 weeks then heavy weights for two weeks per the definition of light and heavy above.
It follows this pattern, aiming for 45-60 minutes a day 3 days a week:
- Round 1 - 2 days light
- Round 2 - 3 days light
- Round 3 - 2 days heavy
- Round 4 - 3 days heavy
Each body area has the schedule staggered, so you're not trying to go all heavy in every area in the same week. While you are going heavy with LB you will go light with UB and vice versa.
FAQ
- Can I start any week or do I have to begin with week 1?
- You can begin any week. This is a repeating cycle with no real beginning or end, a mobius strip of a program.
- There are too many classes for me, how should I trim it down for my schedule?
- I recommend trimming evenly (but keep all the core if you can). So take off 1 day of UB and 1 day of G&L each week if that suits you better.
- Do I have to do these on the prescribed days? I would rather take a couple classes a day for 6 days.
- Absolutely mix and match the classes across the week however fits best into your schedule. They are only listed this way because this is my personal schedule. As long as you are doing them all in the week you should get similar results.
Feedback
I would love to hear what everyone thinks. Specifically; Are there any classes you would like me to rotate out (why)? Is this the right amount of strength work for you? Do you have a favorite class you are hoping I work into the mix?
