Minimum Effective Dose for Maximum Strength | Matt Reynolds

by Matt Reynolds

New complicated programs occasionally work and make you stronger. But the problem inevitably becomes one of information. If the new program worked, what variable or variables made the difference? And if it didn’t work, what should you change in your next program to see progress? This is critical because your response to training won’t look exactly like anyone else’s and changing too many variables makes it difficult to tell what changes caused what results.

Read article, Part 1

Read article, Part 2

This is a really great pair of articles, especially part 2. I’m in my last third (I think?) of LP, so this is a great roadmap as I navigate next steps.

If you get lost, the same material is in PPST3.

It seems to me that there should be a smaller change from daily progress before you get to weekly/TM - like maybe 2 workouts with intensity day being less intense (1 top set?) than TM and volume day with less volume (3x5? or Starr method to a 10% lower max). Is that just too inconvenient/confusing in practice, or am I missing something?

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Originally Posted by johnnys

It seems to me that there should be a smaller change from daily progress before you get to weekly/TM - like maybe 2 workouts with intensity day being less intense (1 top set?) than TM and volume day with less volume (3x5? or Starr method to a 10% lower max). Is that just too inconvenient/confusing in practice, or am I missing something?

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You mean like with the Wednesday light day, keeping Monday and Friday on a normal LP? (This is in the article).

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Originally Posted by Matt Reynolds

You mean like with the Wednesday light day, keeping Monday and Friday on a normal LP? (This is in the article).

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and in PPST3.
Great Articles Matt.

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Originally Posted by Matt Reynolds

You mean like with the Wednesday light day, keeping Monday and Friday on a normal LP? (This is in the article).

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No, the Monday and Friday are still single sessions that drive progress. TM is 3 sessions to drive progress. I’m asking why there isn’t an approach for 2 sessions to drive progress in between. I’d be happy to believe that it’s been tried and doesn’t work, so the TM light third session is critical, but I’ve not read that and it’s not intuitive given the effectiveness of the subtle tweaks to the single session approach.

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Originally Posted by MAD9692

and in PPST3.
Great Articles Matt.

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Oh, the book I bought, read and followed successfully before I bought, read and followed BBRx that got me to a 1200+ total? Thanks!

There seems to be a deliberate effort to conflate TM and HLM. I have heard it a number of times on the Podcast and also in the article. Could you expound upon this?

Are you saying that the intensity day on TM is a "medium" stress? Or, am I understanding it incorrectly?

I was glad to read the articles after having made an adjustment in my own novice program. Squats were draining me (still not missing any reps). I'm 49 so I've read warnings about volume for us aging guys in SS and PP but to be honest don't feel the same from deadlifts or bench and press. I moved my squat days to M and TH still adding 5 lbs each day and still deadlifting twice a week (probably going to one day soon on DL :)). Its going much better and I'm convinced I can stretch this novice LP out a long while. It's a modification I may not have needed when I was younger but way better than trying something intermediate...don't get me wrong...I'm game to try a texas method one day but realistically it won't be a long experiment and not one I want to hurry toward. Thanks for the great information.