The Math That Matters

When we get right down to it strength and conditioning is a math game. How much tonnage of stress can you recover and benefit from? If you haven't ever done the math before this becomes an important process to consider. More stress at some point is just more stress and a lack of recovery options just creates an environment ripe for injury issues to show up. The big question is what is sustainable? If getting strongER for your lifetime is more important than getting strong 1 time in your life then the value lies on the side of the fence where there is greater long term participation in training.

Here are some fundamental equations to consider from the training and programming side of the fence.

Program 1

Week 1-BSQ(AKA the strongest variation) 5X5 @ 225=5,625lbs

Week 2-BSQ 5X5 @ 230=5,750lbs

Week 3-BSQ 5X5 @ 235=5,875lbs

Week 4-BSQ 5X5 @ 240=6,000lbs

Week 5-BSQ 5X5 @ 245=6,125lbs

Week 6-BSQ 5X5 @ 250=6,250lbs

Week 7-BSQ 5X5 @ 255=6,375lbs

Week 8-BSQ 5X5 @ 260=6,500lbs

Week 9-BSQ 5X5 @ 265=6,625lbs

Week 10-BSQ 5X5 @ 270=6,750lbs

Week 11-BSQ 5X5 @ 275=6,875lbs

Week 12-BSQ 5X5 @ 280=7,000lbs

Total Program Training Stress=75,750lbs

Program 2

Week 1-BSQ(AKA the strongest variation) 5X5 @ 225=5,625lbs

Week 2-OHSQ(AKA the weakest variation) 5X5 @ 115=2,875lbs

Week 3-BSQ 5X5 @ 230=5,750lbs

Week 4-OHSQ 5X5 @ 120=3,000lbs

Week 5-BSQ 5X5 @ 235=5,875lbs

Week 6-OHSQ 5X5 @ 125=3,125lbs

Week 7-BSQ 5X5 @ 240=6,000lbs

Week 8-OHSQ 5X5 @ 130=3,250lbs

Week 9-BSQ 5X5 @ 245=6,125lbs

Week 10-OHSQ 5X5 @ 135=3,375lbs

Week 11-BSQ 5X5 @ 250=6,250lbs

Week 12-OHSQ 5X5 @ 140=3,500lbs

Total Program Training Stress=54,750lbs

Program 3

Week 1-BSQ(AKA the strongest variation) 5X5 @ 225=5,625lbs

Week 2-OHSQ(AKA the weakest variation) 5X5 @ 115lbs=2,875lbs

Week 3-ZSQ(AKA the moderate variation) 5X5 @ 155lbs=3,875lbs

Week 4-BSQ 5X5 @ 230lbs =5,750lbs

Week 5-OHSQ 5X5 @ 120lbs=3,000lbs

Week 6-ZSQ 5X5 @ 160=4,000lbs

Week 7-BSQ 5X5 @ 235lbs=5,875lbs

Week 8-OHSQ 5X5 @ 125lbs=3,125lbs

Week 9-ZSQ 5X5 @ 165=4,125lbs

Week 10-BSQ 5X5 @ 240lbs=6,000lbs

Week 11-OHSQ 5X5 @ 130lbs=3,250lbs

Week 12-ZSQ 5X5 @ 170lbs=4,250lbs

Total Program Training Stress=51,750lbs

Program 4

Week 1-BSQ (AKA the strongest variation) 5X5 @ 225=5,625lbs

Week 2-OHSQ (AKA the weakest variation) 5X5 @ 115=2,875lbs

Week 3-ZSQ (AKA the moderate variation) 5X5 @ 155=3,875lbs

Week 4-FSQ (AKA the middle variation) 5X5 @ 170lbs=4,250lbs

Week 5-BSQ 5X5 @ 230=5,750lbs

Week 6-OHSQ 5X5 @ 120=3,000lbs

Week 7-ZSQ 5X5 @ 160=4,000lbs

Week 8-FSQ 5X5 @ 175=4,375lbs

Week 9-BSQ 5X5 @ 235=5,875lbs

Week 10-OHSQ 5X5 @ 125=3,125lbs

Week 11-ZSQ 5X5 @ 165=4,125lbs

Week 12-FSQ 5X5 @ 180=4,500lbs

Total Program Training Stress=51,375lbs

What you see in this example is that you have 4 programs with different amounts of training stress built into them. What you want to consider is as your strength improves so do the progressive overload demands. What once was a challenging but recoverable process as you adapt to the loading becomes a monster problem from a recovery perspective. In other words what you develop long term is the ability to hit yourslf with a really big stick of stress every single week!

Imagine what Program 1 looks like about 2-3 years down the line

Week 1-BSQ 5X5 @ 500

Week 2-BSQ 5X5 @ 505

Week 3-BSQ 5X5 @ 510

Week 4-BSQ 5X5 @ 515

ETC!

Does that seem sustainable over long periods of time? Then variations have to take precedence over specificity! If squatting is GPP(general physical preparation) for sport and your sport also is very stressful to recover from then the issue becomes not how hard your GPP can be but how recoverable it is. If you train with the intention to get the benefit out of training instead of getting a hot bolus of stress every single time you train then you get the opportunity to recover AND IMPROVE!!

As soon as you do the math a lot of this becomes really clear. Are you training to build your body or break you body? The big question becomes when problems arise with a variation restricted highly specific plan do you pivot and keep training or are you constantly training in pain OR taking weeks, days and months off because you are injured? The math is pretty black and white here. Do you want a program that causes you problems or creates solutions for your long term progression?