The Application of the Rule of 24 – Descending/Ascending Program

[ashley]

What better to do on a wet and cold Christchurch winter’s afternoon than to put a few ideas down for discussion, so here goes with a few thoughts that I have been contemplating lately.

The Application of the Rule of 24 – Descending/Ascending Program

Very simple wee program utilizing my basic philosophy of Pull, Push and Squat in conjunction with a 24 model, this can be used as a movement day as well, where all the exercises are dedicated to a particular aspect whether it be push, pull or squat.

I used the Bill Starr Big Three approach this morning, using the system I am about to outline. Again I favour the use of an Olympic or modified Olympic movement for my pull exercises but you can just as easily substitute other pull related movement such as weighted chins or bent row.

The Descending/Ascending part of the equation is just the application of Poliquin’s ideas on increasing sets as the repetitions decrease and vice versa, so if you are using 2’s and 3’s you use a high number of sets in comparison to if you are doing 6’s and 8’s.

So for today’s workout:

Split Snatch from platform 12 x 2

Box (47cm) Squats with straight bar 6 x 4

Incline Bench Press 3 x 8

Workout was in under 45 minutes, once you know your training 1RM you can get fairly close to the correct loading with basics percentage efforts in relation to the number of reps to be performed per set.

Randomisation versus Periodisation

Could be another 12 week challenge, not only a personal physical challenge but to challenge some philosophical issues as well. Imagine that you had no plan, but each day you came to the gym to train you had to blindly select exercises and then the set/rep loading percentage protocol from a box. Maybe it would be a three day per week, three exercises Pull, Pull and Squat/Deadlift or a five exercise Olympic, Squat, Hamstring/Lower Back, Upper Body Push and Pull session.

So today we select from the specific boxes the following five exercises and set/rep/load protocols:

Power Snatch 4 x 6 @ 80%

Front Squat 3 x 8 @ 75%

Push Press 6 x 4 @ 85%

Do all work sets at the listed percentage loading and record taking particular notice as the degree of difficulty as you do the workout, then next session two or three days later, you do the next grouping, again randomly selected from the boxes:

Squat Clean 12 x 2 @ 90%

Box Squat 4 x 6 @ 80%

Incline Bench Press 2 x 12 @ 70%

And so on for the 12 week period. I just wonder how much progress you would make, any takers, your feedback is very welcome, enjoy.

Ashley Jones

[bris83]

Ash,

Got your message, no worries. Thanks.

Tom.

[sthompson@getstrength.com]

mate, very interesting and exciting concept. Look forward to seeing the forum response. Will have to give this a crack after i finish the 12 week challenge.

[ashley]

Cheers Steve hopefully it will generate a lot of discussion and healthy debate, cheers, ash

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