Some lifters like simplicity and sameness, while others prefer complexity and frequent change. For those who prefer simplicity, I recommend The 6-15 Workout. You can learn the details of this workout by clicking here. For those who prefer complexity, I recommend the book, 4-Way Loading, which is what I want to focus on in this article. You can read this book by clicking here.
4-Way Loading
4-Way Loading is a strength training concept that provides a systematic loading method for adding weight to your lifts over a 21-week training period. The method is based on four different aspects of loading which consist of loading from workout to workout, week to week, block to block, and cycle to cycle. To be more specific:
1. There are three workouts within the same week, and each workout will grow heavier than the previous workout
2. There are three weeks within a training block, and each week will grow heavier than the previous week.
3. There are three blocks within a cycle, and each block will grow heavier than the previous block. The exception is the last cycle, which is only one block of three weeks.
4. There are three cycles, and each cycle will grow heavier than the previous cycle. It takes a 21 week training period to complete all three cycles. The goal is to gain 10 to 20 pounds of strength by the end of 21 weeks of systematic loading. The details of how to accomplish this will be explained as you read through the rest of the book.
I have been around long enough to know that a gain of 10 to 20 pounds over the course of 21 weeks sounds pathetic to lifters who constantly drink the muscle media hype that make promises of quick gains if you follow their programs. If you are at a point in your lifting journey where you can make quick gains, you may find that some of those promises are true and that the programs work. However, no one, no matter how gifted they are will continue to make quick gains forever. Every lifter who continues to work out for more than a few years is going to reach the point where it is hard to make any gains at all. This is when long term planning becomes important in order to gain ten to twenty pounds of strength over the course of a twenty one week training cycle.
If you like clearly outlined loading strategies that enable your body to gradually adapt to increasingly heavier loads over time, consider reading the book, 4- Way Loading, so that you can implement the program into your training. May God bless you with the best of training.