Power of Five By Gavin Westenburger

THE POWER OF FIVE

by GAVIN W.

Five. This is probably one of the best numbers a powerlifter or strongman can ever utilitze. Five sets, five reps. . .always pushing heavy weight, always trying to add the next five pounds.



So what's with this number five. How do you use it in your workout? Going back to old school roots of powerlifting five comes into play all the time. Most notably in the 5-4-3-2-1 workout or the 8-6-6-4-4 workout. I bet your wondering what these workouts are and the best ways to use them. . .well wonder no further, I will let you know.



First let's start with the 8-6-6-4-4 workout. This routine can be used in all aspects of your training, from bench, to squats, shoulder press, rows, lat pull down, hell even for curls if you want. It is a great way to set goals, meet them, and exceed them in the aim of getting as strong as possible. The basics of how the routine works: on a day you are feeling up to it, max on whatever exercise you feel like needs work. Once you have determined your max for that specific lift, you can implement the 8-6-6-4-4 routine. On week one, you will start with 60% of your max for your set of 8, 65% of your max for the two sets of 6, and 70% of your max for your two sets of 4. The on week two you start with 65% for your set of 8, 70% for the sets of 6, and 75% for the sets of 4. Keep going like this, increasing the starting weight 5% of your max until you can do you max for your sets of 4. If you notice the power of five here, you do 5 sets for each lift and increase the weight 5% each week. You don't want to over train the lifts you are doing so sticking with no more then five sets per lift is perfect. That way you can get the maximum out of your workout without risking the injuries that can come with over training.



Now for my favorite, the 5-4-3-2-1 workout. This is a prime power workout and not for the faint of heart. This workout can be done at your own discretion when it comes to weights. The basic idea behind this routine is to push as much weight for reps as you can. I primarily use it for my squat work, and have used it for bench and shoulder work in the past as well. The only thing you need to remember with this one is to make equal jumps between your weights. Drawing on the power of five theme here, I would recommend a minimum weight jump of 25lbs (5 X 5) per set. In my squat routine, I make 50lb jumps in between my working sets starting at 550lbs for 5 reps and ending at 750lbs for 1 rep. If done right and consistently you can build a lot of raw power with this routine. Since you are always working each weight to your maximum capactiy (don't pick weights that you know you can do for say 5 or 4 reps, pick weight that are harder for you to do in these rep ranges) you will build a lot of overall power. Again, since you are only doing 5 sets here, you won't risk over training injuries.



Think about five. Five pounds, five reps, five sets. Something you incorporate into your everday lifting routines. Well now you can change it up a bit, try the 8-6-6-4-4 to make steady last gains, or for those of you who like to push to the edge, do a heavy 5-4-3-2-1 routine and watch as people crowd around you and stare when you are pressing more weight then they have ever seen. Trust me, the routines work. I have used them on and off in my training for the last 10 years and I didn't get this big just doing weights I knew I could handle. Be well, lift heavy. For any questions, email me at liftgod@hotmail.com



I am not including any sample workouts with these routine descriptions this time because the 8-6-6-4-4 and 5-4-3-2-1 have so many potential uses for gym lifts that it is up to you to find the best way to incorporate these into your existing workouts.