MASTERING THE LONG CYCLE FOR STRENGTH

MASTERING THE LONG CYCLE FOR STRENGTH
By Shane Robert

The first training programs that I was ever introduced to came from muscle magazines. These programs were supposedly written by a well known bodybuilder and supposedly reflected what they did to get huge. There was little explanation as to why you were doing something or what to do next. I suppose you were just meant to do 3x10 forever, or, if you were really serious and wanted EXPLOSIVE GROWTH …4x10. The following month would be another program from a new star that might have replaced leg press with hack squats or dumbbell bench with Hammer Strength machine bench. 

Fortunately not all magazines were simply a front for selling supplements; some actually had published authors who shared knowledge, not just programs. One such author was the late John Christy, who’s work I read at the library in back issues of HardGainer magazine. To me it was revolutionary and it was the first time that I was introduced to the concept of cycling as it applies to training.

The Long Cycle

One of the articles that had the most impact on me was titled “The Long Cycle” and laid out the basic concepts of periodization and progression. To this day, I think it is one of the best written articles on the subject. As much as I love getting into esoteric periodization schemes, the truth is, for 90% of people, myself included, they simply aren’t necessary. All most people need is the following: building up the workouts to a high intensity, then deliberately “backing off” to allow for recovery and supercompensation. This approach helps your body fully recover, become stronger, and prepares you to start the intense training again. This is how you get otherworldly strong and muscular.

What is the long cycle? Picking a starting weight, picking the reps or rep range, picking the rate of progression, and sticking to it as long as you can, until you can’t, and starting over a little heavier.

For years.

Setting up your own long cycle is not overly complex. Pick a movement, pick the reps, pick your starting point, pick your progression. I like a progression of 1-2.5% percent each week, though there is nothing wrong with microloading for as long as possible if you have access to small enough weights. Cycles often start somewhere between 70-80% of the best weight accomplished for the reps. For example, if your best set of 5 is 300, you’ll start your cycle between 210 and 240. Even though these weights are “light,” if you put as much effort into each rep as you can, ala Fred Hatfield’s CAT training, there will still be positive adaptations to your max strength.

I have learned that for my body, cycles of 6-8 weeks seem to work best. After that, I want to deload and start the cycle again. For this reason, I shoot to make a small (2.5-5 pound) PR at the end of each of those 6-8 weeks. You’ll have to experiment with what works best for you.

This can work with a single rep range, or a variety of ranges. It depends on your goals. If you are well outside of a competition, there is nothing wrong with sticking to 1 number for many, many cycles. If you have a competition on the horizon, cycling down to lower rep ranges is in your interest.

8/5/3

My favorite cycling involves the following reps: 8-5-3. I can’t remember where I first saw this concept, but I have seen different iterations of it used by many successful lifters over the years, including strength coach Andy Baker,  and, as Dan John says, success leaves clues. I feel that these numbers give a great combination of muscle, strength and power, respectively. You may think otherwise. Great! The principles still apply.

Let’s discuss three different ways that a lifter can cycle using these numbers. 

Old-man squatter David Ricks follows, or followed, a simple cycle using these numbers:

8 weeks of 8’s
5 weeks of 5’s
3 weeks of 3’s

I can’t speak for how exactly Mr. Ricks, but this is how I would prescribe this cycle for a lifter with a 300 pound squat single:

1. 180 2x8
2. 187 2x8
3. 195 2x8
4. 202 2x8
5. 210 2x8
6. 217 2x8
7. 225 2x8
8. 232 2x8
9. 240 2x5
10. 247 2x5
11. 255 2x5
12. 262 2x5
13. 270 2x5
14. 277 2x3
15. 285 2x3
16. 292 2x3

After this, it is totally reasonable that the lifter would now be able to squat 315-330. After which point the lifter would start the cycle over at 190-200 pounds. 

Another option is to start each cycle with a higher volume and drop it each week as you add weight, looking something like this:

5x8, 4x8, 3x8, 2x8, 1x8

Deload, start again 10-20 pounds heavier than last cycle. Or, continue in the same fashion using 5’s and 3’s.

I am also a fan of simply picking a number and sticking with it for as long as you can. For example, starting with 2x8’s and progressing for as many weeks as you can (usually 6 weeks for me), doing that for as many cycles as you can, then switching to 5’s a little lighter than you ended your last cycle, maybe 10 pounds. This gives you more runway to make progress. When that starts to get hard, switch to 3’s. Depending on the lifter, this could literally be years.

One way to really draw out progress is to do a 3 week wave of the different reps. This changes a 6 week progression into 18 weeks, which gives your body more time for adaptation. It is slower, but also more sustainable. I believe that a change like this is more applicable to late intermediate to advanced lifters because of the longer timeline.

Those who have read any of Jim Wendler’s work will recognize this pattern, which, as I understand it, he got from the Bigger, Faster, Stronger program that was popular in the 80’s and early 90’s with strength and conditioning coaches. It is also something that John Christy wrote about in the 90’s. It breaks down thusly:

1. 8’s
2. 5’s
3. 3’s
   

Add weight to each number and do this for as long as you absolutely can, likely surpassing previous rep PRs.

My preference is to do 1 top set at the prescribed number, then drop 20% for 3x8, 4x5, and 5x3, respectively, which equates to around a 20% volume drop each week to compensate for the higher fatigue that greater loads cause.

Using myself as an example, I would start this cycle with 295, which is about 80% of my best set of 8 reps for a beltless, high bar “olympic” style squat. It will take just around 6 months to squat 377 for 8, which is 7 pounds more than my previous best, assuming I don’t need to reset and cycle down. On paper, 6 months seems so insanely long. I agree if you are a beginner. That is too long and too slow of a rate of progression. As an almost 40 year old with 22 years of lifting under my belt, this rate of gain is totally acceptable and sustainable. It also gives me comfort to know that, in a mere year, I could be squatting 387 (or more) for 8, which will equate, based on past metrics, to somewhere around a 530 pound powerlifting squat and a 485 pound Olympic style squat, both of which are PRs. For not having to absolutely kill myself to get there.

Some of the best progress I made was when I followed this advice for a few years. As is often the case, it worked so well I stopped doing it (thanks again Dan John). Had I been smart enough to listen to my own advice, I know that I would be better than I am today. The simplicity of this type of training can make it seem too simple to work.

I will let Christy address that for you in his own words.

The “magic” comes from doing what you’re supposed to be doing day after day, month after month, year after year. What are you supposed to be doing? Training with good form, adding weight to the bar at a rate your body can adapt to, never missing workouts unless you’re sick or hurt, eating well every day, putting out as much effort as you can muster for every rep of each “live” set you do, and being patient. That’s pretty much it.