Supercompensation curve and frequency

[arby]

This is mostly a question for Warrior but I think the rest of this forum can benefit from it, so I'm posting it.

How exactly do you hit your supercomensation curve? It looks by your diagram as though the best way to do it is to do a maximum intensity activity, then skip a day, and start working out like a maniac the morning after the skipped day. I know this is not what you meant, but I can't quite understand how to time the peak and how to sustain it (with maximum intensity?). If you could just explain it to me in more practical terms (by example) it would be really useful.

Also you mention that the size of a muscle determines its ability to recover and that, for maximum gains, muscles should be worked every x days depending on their size. Now, what happens if, say, chest day falls right after triceps. It's well-known that fatiguing a muscle before it's fully recovered will prolong recovery and hinder growth. Would you just bump chest day 2 days, or 3 days, up?

And do you mean by power indexing? I searched the forum and the web but can't find a thing on it.

Thanks!

[Warrior]

I think you are refferring to a thread I started in March, Supercompensation Explained...

How exactly do YOU hit your supercomensation curve? There are sooo many variables to it. If it was easy - we could all be world class athletes. The best way is to have a coach (or even a training partner) who can watch and see when you are making improvements or when you are training off the curve (or losing motivation and overtraining). If you are stuck and feel you are not progressing you - when you were for the previous several months.... you fell off. So not only finding it is the trick - but staying on it. Cause your degree of conditioning and capabilities advance every day, month, year that you stick with your program. And nearly any successful athlete will tell you consistency is what makes you the best. But it's consistecy with continued improvement.

You don't sustain the peak but rather peak and then peak again. It's getting the system worked before involution (a return to previous potential) and at maximum overcompensation.

It also deends on the goals of the training cycle. Whether is to become a faster runner, increase lean bodyweight, sport specific or to increase limit/relative strength...

Let's say your 1RM for Bicep Curls in 100 pounds and you are currently training to increase your limit strength.

First example: every week you are having a hard time staying at 100lbs and sometimes lose strength. Possible probems: you are training before your body has time to compensate and becoming overtrained. Too much of this could lead to a severe state that would require many days of rest to overcome.

Second example: every week you are unable to increase but always stay at the same limit strength for barbell curls. Possible probems: you are training with too much recovery time and falling near or at involution - so you never reach any improvement. You missed the peak by resting too long.

Third example: every week you are able to increase but it is a very modest increase and sometimes it takes a degree of cheating. Possible probems: you are training near [but not at] overcompensation or the stimulus is not great enough to allow enough overcompensation (you are not working with enough intensity for your stage of development).

Fourth example: every week you are able to increase the load at least 5 pounds and plan on having a 135 pound curl with in the next 8 weeks. Possible probems: no problems.

In the simplest terms you always fall into one of three categories: Undertrained, Overtrained or within Supercompensation. And not only does HOW you train effect your results - but outside the gym is diet and rest, which also play major roles in progress. The best way to know where you fall or if you are headed in a wrong direction is to keep a training journal and have a workout partner/coach to give you feedback.

[Warrior]

Originally posted by arby
Also you mention that the size of a muscle determines its ability to recover and that, for maximum gains, muscles should be worked every x days depending on their size. Now, what happens if, say, chest day falls right after triceps. It's well-known that fatiguing a muscle before it's fully recovered will prolong recovery and hinder growth. Would you just bump chest day 2 days, or 3 days, up?

This can be a problem and can lead to overtraining a bodypart. So being able to accuratly focus on the bodypart you are trying to work or taking this secondary involvement in consideration for your training split is a smart idea... but in the end - it's what is geting positive results. In bodybuilding - it is what gets results porportinatly for all bodyparts.

[Warrior]

Originally posted by arby
And do you mean by power indexing? I searched the forum and the web but can't find a thing on it.

There is a book called Power Factor Training, written by Sisco and Little. Go get it and read it. It is a short read, inexpensive text and will thoroughly explain power factor training and working with a power index.

There ideas on using partial range movements I don't totally support unless a current plateau is less to do with being stronger but more to do with your mental state... you keep thinking "fuck - this is a lot of weight!" That kind of thinking can sike yourself out even before you begin - so I believe using the partial range movements are good to help get you used to heavy loads.

But anyway - a basic spin on Power Indexing is like this...

Lets say you train biceps with heavy barbell curls. You do 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps with 100 pounds in 15 minutes. Multiply the load and reps... 100X15, 12, 10, 8, and 6 for 1500, 1200, 1000, 800, 600 and then add them together for a total of 5100 pounds. The divide by the time you took to do it... 5100/15= 340 pounds per minute. So when someone asks you how much you can curl, you can say 340 pounds per minute.

Next time you workout you do 110 pounds for 5 sets of 10 and take 30 minutes to do it. Did you improve... add it up. You lifted 5500 pounds in 30 minutes for a power index of 183 pounds per minute. So you certainly are not improving...

That's a simple explanation and Sisco and Little do a much better job in their book and explain it more for different bodyparts and movements.