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Loading zones for resistance training

This is an excerpt from Individualized Training by Tom Sheppard.

Guide to Different Loading Zones

In this section, we will go through each loading zone individually to look at the potential benefits each one has to offer a lifter. Remember that every loading zone can be of use to a lifter at some point in their training, depending on their goal. The important thing is to realize that we can’t train all of them all the time. So, the idea is to use this guide to help decipher which loading zones you should be allocating more, or less, of your work to, or perhaps none at all.

For convenience, I have divided these zones into 10% increments. However, the effects and adaptations we are talking about exist on a spectrum. It is not that when you go from 79% to 80% 1RM the stimulus suddenly becomes that which I speak about in the 80% bracket and has nothing to do with what occurs in the 70% bracket. But I must draw lines in the sand somewhere to make this comprehensible. For a quick reference guide, table 5.1 outlines the main benefits of each loading zone.

0% Loading Zone: Bodyweight/No External Load

Bodyweight training is often looked down upon, but it can give us a lot of great benefits. Let’s not forget that, historically, incredible feats of strength and performance have been achieved using only bodyweight training. Look at the world of martial arts and gymnastics.

When it comes to building explosive strength and speed, bodyweight-based work is important. Jumps and sprints, for example, are probably the single best way to improve how explosive a lifter is. Many attempt to perform explosive, lifting-based methods before they can even move their bodyweight alone explosively. This is a mistake. If you find you are struggling to make your barbell lifts more explosive, try developing your capacity to be explosive with your bodyweight first with jumps and exercises such as incline plyo push-ups.

For many, skipping/jump rope and box landings are the best place to start. Skipping teaches the lifter to “bounce” on their Achilles tendon, use the stretch reflex, and be reactive. Box landings teach the lifter the vital skill of landing. After all, we shouldn’t be performing jump training if we cannot first land safely.

Remember that plyometric movements are taxing on the nervous system, even though they don’t include any external load. Producing high degrees of power requires a high neurological output. So, keep the volume low, especially when starting out.

Bodyweight movements such as squats, push-ups, inverted rows, and lunges can also be used to develop strength–endurance. For most lifters, bodyweight-only movements, except for pull-up variations, won’t be taxing enough to be used efficiently for strength or hypertrophy. However, since they are well tolerated, they can be used in higher volumes to develop this capacity. In fact, with some creativity, such as adding pauses or tempos or using limited rest periods, many lifters can create a much greater stimulus from body weight than they think.

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