By Shane Robert, July 3, 2026
There is a quote that is, likely incorrectly, attributed to Albert Einstein. Despite the authorship being uncertain, I think the message is a great one: “You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.” Not to diminish the intelligence of grandmothers, the idea is simply that true mastery means being able to break down big ideas into simple and very understandable explanations. All people, whether or not they are grandmothers, benefit from this type of knowledge.
When it comes to training, it can be very easy to get lost and confused in a world of mesocycles, loading phases, sarcoplasmic versus myofibral hypertrophy, periodization, and so on. While learning about and using these ideas is fun for someone who has been bitten by the iron bug, most people don’t have the time or inclination to care. They simply want to see improvement with the least amount of thought needed.
Are all of the bells and whistles needed for effective training? The simple answer is no. Indeed, they genuinely might be a waste of time for most people.
CYCLE TRAINING
There is a very basic concept within training that seems to have been lost over the years, and this concept is known as cycle training (see this post for a more in-depth discussion on cycle training). All it is, essentially, is progressing for a set number of weeks, dropping back to a little heavier than you started, and repeating the process of building up. Again. And again. And again.
How exactly you set up your cycle can vary as much as there are stars in the sky. The sets, the reps, the number of weeks. These are all variables that can be manipulated in a basic cycle. That, however, is getting a little too deep into the bells and whistles and would start to confuse grandma.
The following two programs are the most “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (or K.I.S.S.) cycle programs that can be done.
THE LINEAR GRANDMA CYCLE
- Week 1: Use a weight and do as many reps as you can very close to muscular failure. Somewhere around 12-15 reps. Record that number.
- Week 2: Add a small amount of weight to the movement and do as many reps as you can very close to muscular failure. Try to match or beat the previous week's number.
- Week 3: Add a small amount of weight to the movement and do as many reps as you can very close to muscular failure. Try to match or beat the previous week's number.
- Continue in that fashion for as long as you can. Stop when Grandma can’t do at least 10 reps. Start over again a little heavier than you did that first week.
THE GRANDMA STRENGTH CYCLE
- Week 1: work up to the heaviest 5 reps you can. Drop 10% and 2-3 more sets of 5
- Week 2: add a little weight from last week and work up to a 4 rep max. Drop 10% and 2-3 more sets of 4
- Week 3: add a little weight from last week and work up to a 3 rep max. Drop 10% and 2-3 more sets of 3
- Week 4: add a little weight from last week and work up to a 2 rep max. Drop 10% and 2-3 more sets of 2
- Week 5: add a little weight from last week and work up to a 1 rep max
At this point, you would start the cycle over again, attempting to use a slightly heavier weight for each week than you did previously.
These are truly the simplest possible styles of cycle training. There are many different ways to set up this type of training (see this previous blog post), but the essence is always the same: build up over weeks, push to your limit, rinse and repeat.
