Activation

I stopped my heavy Prilepin cycle early so as to start this one. Not bad for 4 weeks. I would have finished it but my Navy PRT is on May 8 and with my son's basketball games on my schedule, I want to finish a light cycle a week before so I can taper off. Also, considering that I had done a short, heavy cycle in December, I was mentally ready to move on.

I took the Prilepin cycle and adjusted it for a 53-69% 1RM range (24 reps optimal). The heavy day uses sets of 4 reps except for the 18" incline pushups, which will use sets of 6. The light day will be set up as a speed day, with sets of 2 for the front squat and sets of 3 for the 18" incline pushups. All the assistance exercises will be using 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps at 45-60% 1RM. Rest periods will be short, 30-45 seconds. My goal is base building and also endurance, since I'll also be doing more running to get lean and for the running portion of the PRT. The cycle looks like this (Notation is %1RM x reps x sets):

a.) Prilepin Heavy Day: 69% x 4 x 5 (wk 1), 60% x 4 x 5 (wk 2), 66% x 4 x 5 (wk 3), 70% x 4 x 5 (wk 4), 60% x 4 x 5 (wk 5), 66% x 4 x 5 (wk 6). One of my warmup sets is 4 reps at 55% 1RM, so there are the other 4 reps. As noted, 18" incline pushups will be 4 sets of 6 reps.

b.) Prilepin Light Day for Front Squat: 62% x 2 x 11(wk 1), 65% x 2 x 10 (wk 2), 53% x 2 x 12(wk 3), 62% 2 x 11 (wk 4), 65% x 2 x 10 (wk 5), 53% x 2 x 12 (wk 6). Prilepin Light Day for 18" Incline Pushup: 8 sets of 3 reps, with emphasis on speed.

I've spent this week resting on various movements. A lot of them are different, since I don't wan't to accomodate. The Romanian Deadlifts will sub for good mornings and will now be a heavy day movement, while a low box front squat will be done on the light day for speed in an isometric/explosive fashion (from a dead stop, no stretch reflex) so I can teach myself to generate more power out of the hole. My lat movements stay the same, they just switch days. My upper back movements will be the Nautilus Nitro Pulldown done with an overhand grip and pulled like a row, and a barbell row pulled high. GHRs stay and progress the same, but the assist weight drops to 80 lbs. I'll be shrugging with a trap bar and with dumbbells on an incline bench, to build trap strength. No calf work on machines, time to whip out the Strength Shoes. 21s for biceps; Nautilus Nitro Laterals and incline dumbbell laterals for shoulders. This is still a work in progress, since I'm going to test on the Romanian Deadlift and Nautilus Nitro Bicep machine today.

While this is light work, I've gained some strength doing activation, since at light weight the muscles do almost all the work and form improves. Bring it on!