micro-increments

[stevie]

I am curious to know if anyone has any experience with using micro increments for strength gains.

lets take someone with a bench press 5RM of 100kg. When this person adds 2.5kg (102.5kg) he can only make 3reps. This lifter is then stuck at 102.5kg for many weeks trying to make 5reps before he can make the next jump to 105kg.

A micro incrementation stratergy would have this person incrementing with 0.5kg every week. Which would look like this:

100kg x5
100.5kg x5
101kg x5
101.5kg x5
102kg x5
102.5kg x5
103kg x5
etc

Does anyone know from experience whether the reality resembes the ideal?

 

[Aaron_F]

I dont like the small increments. I just prefer changing the rep scheme and try and bust past it. Small increments make it seem like you are never going anywhere, and you can still stall.

Others like it, but JMO

 

[Vaymigade]

wouldn't it be simpler to up the weight that you do and lower the reps until you hit say a plateu at around 2 reps and then strategically decondition and go back?

 

[Aaron_F]

More for strength rather than Hypertrophy, hence the lack of requirement for SD

I still perfer a more linear approch to the program tho.