Choosing Attempts

Choosing attempts is a tricky one that we get asked about a lot. There is an art to getting yourself up to working sets without misses, and still feel good enough to complete your sets, or even PR. I have a quite simple protocol to use and it’s a mix of common sense and a few rule you should stick to.

The key is to improve and maximize technique technique as you are warming up. If you are squatting this might mean doing a few more reps than your working sets ask for at lighter weights such as the bar or under 60%. If you are performing more explosive lifts like the snatch or clean & jerk maybe rather than doing more reps, we just do an extra set or two until it feels right. What we want is to ‘grease the groove, and stimulate the mind and body for the next weight up. As the weight gets heavier however our goal shifts. now we want to maintain technique and actually minimize the amount of pre-working set (or PR) fatigue. This means you need reduce your reps/sets (volume) as the weights get heavier.

The other protocol we want to take into account is how we actually jump from weight to weight. It is both fine and beneficial to take bigger jumps between weights at the start (if you can handle it). As the weights get heavier however you must take smaller jumps if you really want to get to your goal weight. This will get you where you need to be without a major shock to your technique or body!

I hope this helps. If you have any question please contact us, and please share this on social media!