Microloading and Weight Gain

[broseph]

Perhaps this seems silly to some, but I can assure you it is a serious question.

Assume a trainee is interested in microloading the squat, and he is gaining 2-4 pounds of body weight per week. His gym does not provide plates smaller than 2.5 lbs, and he doesn't want to purchase smaller plates to bring himself. Could he keep the weight on the bar the same every other workout, and his own weight gain would provide the microloads?

I realize the body mass increase is mostly gained below where the bar rests on the shoulders, but he is still moving an extra couple pounds total... Right?

Example:

BW= 190#
Squats for sets accross Mon= 280#

Squats on Wed= 285#

Squats on Friday= 290#.

BW the following Monday= 192#
Squats on Mon= 290# plus the 2# of extra body mass.

I know this is borderline impractical, and that he may be able simply defecate the extra 2 pounds out, but I think it warrants some thought.

[RobertFontaine]

I like microloading for small body parts as sometimes even 2.5 pounds is a big jump for an arm curl or a shoulder press BUT for a compound movement it doesn't make a lot of sense to fuss such small increments. If I'm stalling at a given weight I need to figure out what my weakness is and use accessory work or change my program to provide adequate recovery time or change the intensity cycle.

5 and 10 pound increments on the squat are as low as I would consider going personally. The difference between 400 and 400.5 is just too small for any kind of practical improvements to my mind.

[broseph]

Valid point, Mr. Fontaine. I agree with you on the 400 vs 400.5, but I'm talking about exhausting a linear progression, where weight gain is fairly rapid and weight on the bar should be increased every 48-72 hours.

I do suppose, however, that anyone who is taking recovery seriously while on a linear progression would get to pretty heavy bar weights before any microloading would be necessary.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Don't limit your concept of "micro" loading to .5lb increments. You could do 2.5lbs on the squat, although you would probably want to buy micro plates for that. I have seen various cheapo DIY microloading solutions; I'm sure googling around would net some ideas. I always thought sawing a 2.5lb plate in half and epoxying a couple small but burly magnets to one side of each half would be a good way to do it.

[MrMarbles]

This is stupid.

Get 'trainee' to pull his head out his ass and buy the 2 (at most $20 plates total with shipping) and bring them. Bodyweight is not permanent and as everyone here doing the program (including as you have) will attest to it varies from hour-hour, day-day, week-week.

Next topic...

[thersites]

Valid point, Mr. Fontaine. I agree with you on the 400 vs 400.5, but I'm talking about exhausting a linear progression, where weight gain is fairly rapid and weight on the bar should be increased every 48-72 hours.

I do suppose, however, that anyone who is taking recovery seriously while on a linear progression would get to pretty heavy bar weights before any microloading would be necessary.

Be careful of the pursuit of linear progression too far. Once you get below about 2.5 pound increases on squats, you are probably a candidate for intermediate programs. If you squat 3x per week, anything under 2 pound increments is at best a wash to the 5 pound weekly increment in intermediate programs like TM. If you can't maintain 2.5# increments in squats, you are probably not going to stretch things much longer at 2 pounds, so you will likely make more gains at 5 pounds a week.

Now the presses and cleans can benefit from smaller increments on linear progression.

You can always make your own micro plates using washers, so cost shouldn't be an issue.

[Beltshumeltz]

I know this is borderline impractical, and that he may be able simply defecate the extra 2 pounds out, but I think it warrants some thought.

It warrants more thought that it is worth at this point since you will be done with the linear progression long before you find a reliable and relevant answer to this question.

I would agree to factor bodyweight changes only on chin ups personally. On these, I always lift a heavier weight, but always factoring my own weight.

[Squatson]

I was under the impression that anything less than 5lb increase on squats was not enough to force adaptation for a novice.

[Carlos Daniel]

well, if one increases 1 pound every workout they are gonna be up ~25 pounds in two months. That requires adaptation. The thing is, there are better/faster ways to do it and intermediate programs is probably th way to go.

[Campbell]

The problem with microloading large movements that carry a lot of weight is that the variation in the weights makes it totally unworkable.

Imagine you are squatting 145kg. You put 3x20kg on each side of the bar and 2x2.5kg also. There is enough variation in those plates (and even the bar) that on any day you could actually be squatting a lot more or less than what you believe. If each 20kg plate is 250 grams out that is 1.5kg