Programming the weighted chin-up; and a general programming question (2-in-1 quiery).

[Bliss]

Hi, recently enjoyed catching up on your latest website material, especially the chin-up and the rotating rep ranges article.

Would like to clarify further:

1) Improving Your Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups: Do’s and Don’ts – Andy Baker

No mention of weighted movements, do you believe them not to be very useful for improving chin numbers?

If they can be, and a trainee simultaneously wants to improve consecutive BW chin-ups as well as absolute chinning strength, how could you modify your 2-day template to include something in the heavier range?
Thanks!

2) Apologies, if this seems long winded, but....

How to Cycle Training Volume (Example Programming Model) – Andy Baker

Plus your approach of rotating 8/5/2 ranges plus reading RPE based programming led me to roughly divide intermediate training approaches' backbone/structure into 3 common directions.

It would be great if you could provide some insight as to which approach might be preferred for a backbone of basic barbell movements in the strength range, onto which a trainee could tack on a good volume of bodybuilding/db/isolation assistance aimed mostly at hypertrophy.

A) This would be a classic Texas method style, or 5/1 variation where a lift gets 2 sessions in a rotation, divided drastically into volume and intensity (but little variation inside the divisions, like your suggested 6x5 - 5x5 - 4x4 for volume and "running out" Texas method a-la 1x5, 2x3, 3x1 etc).

B) is similar but a more averaged/smoothed out approach where there aren't dedicated volume/intensity days, rather a rotation of the lift shifts from volume-esque to intensity-esque over some time period (eg. Rotating 8/5/2)

C) volume and intensity grouped together either in the form of traditional % back-offs or rpe style single @8 followed by some volume.


Thanks again!

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

1) The article was tailored for those who cannot do or currently suck at chins. The assumption was that you probably cannot do weighted chins or even regular chins.
Weighted Chins early in the week and BW for Reps Chins later in the week is also a good option for improving both. Weighted Chins can be done anywhere from Singles Across to sets of 8-10 and then BW for Max Reps.

2) In my power-building programming I generally use the 8/5/2 rep scheme for the main lifts. It doesn't have to be that way, but it's just what I've done over the years and I haven't found a good reason to modify it since it works.