PPST3 - Starr Model Progression

[Tom Bryant]

Hi coaches,

I'm curious to know what a progression of the Starr Model looks like. On page 167, you have a table illustrating progression of training frequency and intensity, my question is; how would that look in terms of sets/reps?

So, a basic HLM would be:
Monday 5x5H, Weds 2x5L, Friday 3x5M. What would the next phase look like once you go to Heavy, Medium, Heavy, Light? 5x5H, 3x5M, 5x5H, 2x5L?

Also, in your experience, how long can an intermediate use weekly progression, 6 months, 2 years? I'm guessing there's variation for each individual but would be interested to know roughly.

Thanks for your time.

[Hayden-William Courtland]

I don't know exactly what Starr did to progress his program with his trainees, but my guess is he had to start cycling in other rep ranges instead of 5s, which is what most coaches do now when they program HLM. Once you move to intermediate programming with something like HLM you will get the best results if you customize to the individual. For example a younger trainee could move from 5s to 3x3s on their H day, but an older client may need sets across of 5s and then greater reductions in the L and M days.

How long a trainee lasts in each phase will vary with age, sex, training history and consistency of training. Most people will be intermediates for the rest of their lives due to various interruptions (sickness, vacation, children, etc.) Pure weekly progression actually doesn't last very long for most people. At some point they will need a deload, which technically breaks the weekly progression. But if you are ignoring the deloads as a break, then this type of program can be run for months. I haven't had any clients training consistently enough to see if this can last for a year or more, but I suspect it would not unless they were young when they started.

[Eric Larousse]

I think if you are making 5-10% gains every 9-12 weeks that is the expectation for most intermediates. If you aren’t you need to on change to individualized programming or refine your current programming.

I’m really starting to like the conjugate method because you do whatever you are capable of in that given day. I think it’s makes sense for most people plus there an entire section about conjugate style programming in PPST.

[Mark Rippetoe]

plus there an entire section about conjugate style programming in PPST.

Page numbers?

[Eric Larousse]

126-136

[Mark Rippetoe]

I’m really starting to like the conjugate method because you do whatever you are capable of in that given day.

We recommended RPE in PPST3?

[Eric Larousse]

No but you recommend working up to a max on the main lift(with possible backoffs) or a variant of the parent lift also dynamic effort. I know that the coauthor of the book is a huge proponent of that method.

[Satch12879]

126-136

These pages in my copy of PPST3 talk about implementing Dynamic Effort (DE) training into a Texas Method framework for later intermediates.

Louis Simmons is referenced in the first paragraph. Did you see this, think “conjugate,” and then stop reading?

By the way, Andy Baker has a lot of material on his website about his take on “conjugate” training. A sane take, as usual Andy Baker.

[Eric Larousse]

Satch I pay a monthly fee to be in his online group. What is in PPST is touching on what the conjugate method "style" programming is. I didn't mean it was the actual conjugate method that Louie Simmons promotes. The post was in reference to the original poster of this thread in which an SSC responded that actual weekly progress is only possible for a few months at most. The Dynamic effort/Max effort rotation becomes a viable programming model for an intermediate like the one laid out in PPST. Thats all ive got.