Programming guides

Program with intent

Practical references on the building blocks of S&C programming, from structuring a season to choosing the load for today's top set.

PeriodizationPeriodization basics: macrocycles, mesocycles and microcyclesHow to break a season into blocks and weeks, and how linear, block and undulating models differ in practice.AutoregulationUsing RPE to autoregulate training loadHow the reps-in-reserve RPE scale works, how to teach it to athletes, and how to use it to adjust load day to day.TestingEstimating 1RM without testing itWhen an estimated max is good enough, how the Epley formula works, and why sets of 2–5 reps give the most reliable estimates.LoadingPercentage-based programming: building a block from 1RMHow to choose intensities and set-rep schemes from a max, with Prilepin’s chart as a starting point for volume.TechniquePrescribing tempo: reading 3-1-X-0What the four tempo digits mean, when tempo is worth prescribing, and how it changes the load an athlete can use.RecoveryWhen and how to deloadPlanned versus reactive deloads, what to cut and what to keep, and how to tell a deload is due from the data.