Prilepin’s Chart is a weightlifting-derived chart that gives suggestions for volumes throughout differing coaching intensities.
It may be utilized to powerlifting, however with out understanding its execs and cons, you might not be utilizing it successfully.
So, how do you employ Prilepin’s Chart for powerlifting? Prilepin’s Chart needs to be used as a programming software moderately than a tough algorithm to comply with. It could actually information you on how one can construct depth whereas lowering reps or construct work capability throughout a coaching block. You must also contemplate your coaching historical past and present coaching frequency to maximise its effectiveness.
Moreover, Prilepin’s Chart will sometimes go well with newbie lifters higher than these with extra expertise.
On this article, I’ll cowl:
- The historical past of Prilepin’s Chart
- The professionals and cons of utilizing it for powerlifting
- Whether or not or not it really works for powerlifting
- program a powerlifting routine utilizing Prilepin’s Chart
By the tip of this text, you’ll perceive the strengths and limitations of utilizing Prilepin’s Chart and how one can use it successfully for powerlifting.
Prilepin’s Chart Wasn’t Designed For Powerlifting: Historical past
Prilepin’s Chart was created by Alexander Sergeyevitch Prilepin, a extremely regarded USSR weightlifting coach.
Prilepin spent 10 years working with the Soviet weightlifting groups. He was head coach of the nationwide junior workforce between 1975 and 1980 and head coach of the nationwide senior workforce between 1980 and 1985.
He developed his chart primarily based on coaching logs from over 1,000 elite weightlifters from the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies to offer goal rep and set ranges for given percentages of a one-repetition most (1RM).
Nonetheless, these percentages are derived from the Olympic lifts: the snatch and the clear and jerk. These lifts require a excessive degree of technical proficiency and loads of energy and explosiveness.
Whereas technical proficiency is required for the powerlifts (squat, bench press, and deadlift) as properly, they’re executed very in another way than the Olympic lifts. Due to this fact, we should take the suggestions from Prilepin’s Chart with a grain of salt when making use of them to the powerlifts.
Questioning if doing the Olympic lifts is helpful for powerlifters? Try Ought to Powerlifters Do Olympic Lifts? (In Some Circumstances, Sure).
How To Interpret Prilepin’s Chart: What Does It All Imply
Beneath is an instance of what Prilepin’s Chart appears to be like like:
The primary column is the proportion of your 1RM for that train. So, the suggestions apply to that share vary.
The second column is what number of reps per set you must carry out at that depth.
The third column is what Prilepin decided to be the optimum variety of reps at that given depth inside a session.
The fourth column then offers a variety past this optimum variety of reps. In principle, doing lower than this vary could be ineffective, and going past the highest finish of this vary would affect restoration and future performances an excessive amount of.
Whereas there is no such thing as a advice for set rely, you’d merely carry out units to succeed in the given optimum goal or vary of repetitions. For instance, when you had been doing 5 repetitions at 65% 1RM, you’d full 4-6 units.
To search out out extra about how one can program your units for powerlifting coaching, take a look at High Units vs Straight Units vs Working Units: Use Them?
Ought to You Use Prilepin’s Chart For Powerlifting: 3 Execs, 3 Cons
Prilepin’s Chart, like every programming technique or software, has its execs and cons.
Figuring out these positives and negatives will assist you to use it to the very best of your capacity and apply it to your or your purchasers’ coaching.
Three Execs of Prilepin’s Chart for Powerlifting
1. It Gives a Beginning Level
Prilepin’s Chart offers a base advice of volumes for given intensities.
As a newbie coach or lifter, understanding the place to begin when it comes to general volumes (reps, units, and loading) might be tough.
You’ll be able to simply take a look at this chart and take away tips on the place to begin. You’ll be able to both begin on the backside finish of the ranges and construct upwards or begin on the optimum finish of the ranges and regulate up or down as wanted.
Getting began and having a base reference level is at all times going to be helpful, and Prilepin’s Chart can present this.
In case you are not sure about when differing rep schemes might fit your coaching, take a look at 5×5 vs 3×10: Which Set & Rep Scheme Is Higher?
2. The Chart Helps Submaximal Coaching
The suggestions from Prilepin’s Chart align with the favored precept of submaximal coaching, or performing a number of units of decrease exertion to enhance method and general competency moderately than pushing units to failure.
Whereas this precept will nonetheless apply past the rep and set ranges within the chart, these suggestions nonetheless fall inside cheap expectations for a lot of lifters.
RPE and RIR are a good way to gauge how removed from failure you’re every set. Try RPE vs RIR: What Are The Distinction? How To Use Them? to be taught how one can incorporate these your self.
3. Sensible Suggestions on Quantity Throughout Intensities
Merely put, Prilepin’s Chart recommends larger volumes at decrease intensities and decrease volumes at larger intensities.
Whereas this isn’t a shocking idea, seeing it laid out with structured suggestions for reps per set and complete volumes could also be extremely helpful for a lot of.
This additionally affords perception into how one can scale coaching quantity as you progress from one depth vary to the following.
Three Cons of Prilepin’s Chart for Powerlifting
1. It Was Not Developed for Powerlifting
The obvious con is that it was not developed for powerlifting.
Whereas there are clear similarities between weightlifting and powerlifting, it’s also clear they don’t seem to be the identical sport and that there are drastic variations between the actions in every sport.
In powerlifting, there are sometimes notable variations in coaching volumes and/or intensities between the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Prilepin’s Chart doesn’t account for these variances. Understandably, there are limitations once we begin drawing suggestions derived from coaching logs of weightlifters.
2. It Was Developed Primarily based on Information From Elite Lifters
Elite lifters are sometimes outliers moderately than a mirrored image of your complete inhabitants. On condition that the chart’s suggestions are derived from the logs of lifters who competed on the highest degree, it’s laborious to consider these are reflective of your common lifter, particularly freshmen for whom this chart has essentially the most benefit.
The primary saving level right here is the rep ranges. Specializing in using these ranges and beginning on the decrease finish moderately than aiming for the optimum vary at first goes to make this chart far simpler for powerlifting.
3. Per Session Quantity is Not as Vital as Whole Quantity
Quantity per session suggestions might be helpful. Nonetheless, an athlete’s capacity to get well must be thought-about alongside their coaching frequency.
A single session doesn’t make or break an athlete’s efficiency or restoration. A lifter’s complete weekly quantity will likely be extra reflective of how properly they’re progressing and recovering.
Elevate frequency may also have an effect on how you’d use the really helpful volumes from the chart. For instance, it’s going to have a really totally different impact for these benching twice per week versus thrice.
Questioning what the optimum bench press frequency is for you? Try How Many Instances Per Week Ought to You Bench Press?
Does Prilepin’s Chart Work for Powerlifting?
Prilepin’s Chart works for powerlifting when you use it as a programming software moderately than an specific algorithm to comply with.
Whereas the overall suggestions and ranges supplied are baseline, the optimum reps, reps per set, and complete volumes will differ from lifter to lifter, elevate to elevate, and block to dam.
The additional into your lifting profession you get, the extra you must use your personal earlier coaching knowledge, and the much less you must seek advice from instruments comparable to Prilepin’s Chart.
Nonetheless, it might supply preliminary guideline for a way you construction your programming. For freshmen, it’s useful for looking for a sign of how one can get began.
Individualizing coaching to go well with your self or the lifter at hand ought to at all times be the first focus. This will imply striving beneath or above the suggestions within the chart, and greater than possible, using a mix of intensities inside a single session.
Programming With Prilepin’s Chart For Powerlifting: How-To
Prilepin’s Chart can be utilized in a wide range of other ways, and the way you employ it’s going to differ throughout lifters.
Nonetheless, there are two major strategies I like to recommend utilizing it for inside your programming:
- Constructing depth and dropping complete repetitions
- Constructing quantity and work capability
You could possibly additionally mix these two strategies, as I’ll clarify beneath.
1. Constructing Depth and Dropping Whole Repetitions
Prilepin’s suggestions might be helpful for constructing depth inside a singular block and even throughout a coaching cycle main as much as a powerlifting competitors or testing session.
For instance, your coaching block might appear like this:
- Week 1 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 70%
- Week 2 – 4 Units of 5 Repetitions at 75%
- Week 3 – 5 Units of 4 Repetitions at 77.5%
- Week 4 – 6 Units of three Repetitions at 80%
The block begins with the underside finish of the really helpful depth and the highest finish of the really helpful complete repetitions. Week to week, the depth climbs to the highest finish as complete really helpful repetitions are lowered to the underside of the vary.
Growing the variety of units whereas decreasing the variety of reps per set is useful for sustaining the goal volumes whereas not pushing units nearer to failure by attempting to keep up the identical reps per set as depth will increase.
This can be prolonged throughout coaching blocks as you shift from totally different focused share ranges.
For instance, you possibly can prolong the above block to:
- Week 5 – 6 Units of three Repetitions at 82.5%
- Week 6 – 5 Units of three Repetitions at 85%
- Week 7 – 5 Units of three Repetitions at 87.5%
- Week 8 – 4 Units of three Repetitions at 90%
- Week 9 – 3 Units of two Repetitions at 92.5%
- Week 10 – 2 Units of two Repetitions at 95%
At the same time as depth climbs in the direction of 100%, you continue to don’t wish to push to failure. Try Do Powerlifters Practice To Failure? (Not Usually, Right here’s Why) to know why coaching to failure might be detrimental.
2. Constructing Quantity and Work Capability
Prilepin’s Chart might be helpful for rising quantity inside a block and in addition bettering the lifter’s work capability.
Quantity might be measured in a number of other ways, however for this text allow us to outline quantity as reps x units x load.
Growing quantity could also be achieved by manipulating the set and/or rep rely at a set depth, by rising depth at a set rep and set rely, or by a mix of the 2.
For instance, rising quantity at a set depth might appear like this:
- Week 1 – 3 Units of 6 Repetitions at 60%
- Week 2 – 4 Units of 5 Repetitions at 60%
- Week 3 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 60%
- Week 4 – 5 Units of 5 Repetitions at 60%
- Week 5 – 5 Units of 6 Repetitions at 60%
Depth has remained mounted over the course of the 5 weeks, however quantity per session and complete rep rely has elevated from the underside finish of the really helpful vary (18 repetitions) to the highest finish (30 repetitions).
Nonetheless, you possibly can additionally goal to sit down at a constant rep and set scheme with progressing intensities.
For instance, rising volumes with a set set and rep rely might appear like this:
- Week 1 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 55%
- Week 2 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 57.5%
- Week 3 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 60%
- Week 4 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 62.5%
- Week 5 – 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 65%
3. A Mixed Method
In most common powerlifting applications, you will note some type of selection between classes.
Sometimes, this can come down to 1 larger depth, decrease quantity session and one decrease depth, larger quantity session.
Utilizing Prilepin’s chart, you might have a session that falls within the 80-90% 1RM vary and one which falls into the 55-65% 1RM vary.
This will appear like this:
Week 1
- Session 1: 6 Units of three Repetitions at 80%
- Session 2: 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 55%
Week 2
- Session 1: 6 Units of three Repetitions at 82.5%
- Session 2: 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 57.5%
Week 3
- Session 1: 5 Units of three Repetitions at 85%
- Session 2: 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 60%
Week 4
- Session 1: 5 Units of three Repetitions at 87.5%
- Session 2: 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 62.5%
Week 5
- Session 1: 4 Units of three Repetitions at 90%
- Session 2: 4 Units of 6 Repetitions at 65%
You’ll discover that the set and rep scheme for session 1 adjustments each couple of weeks however stays the identical in session 2 all through your complete 5 weeks. This helps preserve coaching a bit of extra predictable and manages expectations from week to week.
You might, nevertheless, see benefit in repeating weeks. As a substitute of progressing load each week on each classes, you could progress one and preserve the second session mounted. Alternatively, you possibly can improve load at a slower price — for instance, each two weeks.
Not sure how one can arrange your powerlifting coaching every week? We cowl how finest to construction your coaching for 2, three, 4, or 5 days within the beneath guides:
Remaining Ideas
Prilepin’s Chart has its deserves as a programming software for providing baseline steering for goal rep and set counts at a given share of your 1RM.
Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be seen as a set algorithm you can not deviate from. Programming past a newbie degree ought to prioritize utilizing earlier coaching knowledge moderately than generalized suggestions.
The important thing limitations to Prilepin’s Chart are that it was derived from an elite weightlifting inhabitants, which brings into query its utility to a broad vary of talents inside powerlifting.
For use successfully, coaches and lifters ought to contemplate elements past the chart, comparable to lifter expertise and former coaching historical past, block to dam and elevate to elevate variables, and general coaching frequency.
About The Writer
Jacob Wymer is a powerlifting coach and PhD Candidate in Biomechanics and Power and Conditioning, researching the appliance of barbell velocity measurements to powerlifting. He’s concerned in powerlifting throughout the board, from athlete to fulfill director. Jacob runs his teaching providers at EST Barbell. You can even join with him on Instagram.
