Method Breakdown: Prilipen's Chart
How to choose optimal volume and intensity.
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Key Takeaway
Prilipen’s chart was/is a heavily researched set of data (more details below) that was created by Alexander Sergeyevitch Prilepin, a former Soviet weight lifting coach. He compiled the training of about a 1000 of weightlifters and was able to find what he believed to be optimal sets and reps based off of percentages of the lifters max. I use this as a guideline often in our programming, as well when training athletes in any sport.
The Details
Sometimes it is challenging to figure out how many sets/reps/weight to use in training. Combine this with online advice that says train to failure on every set, or just the last set, or NEVER train to failure...then there is 5x5, 3x8, 3x10, or even 10x10, etc...it can be a lot to try to understand and many just do whatever they were told when they first started training,
There is a time and a place for almost any reps/sets/programming in existence, it just depends on our goals.
In our sample programming you can see that I sometimes program somewhat nontraditional sets x reps it is because at one point it was..traditional.
If you’re still reading I want to restate what Coach Prilepin did- he created a general outline of sets/reps completed of a given percentage of a weightlifters one rep max, and by weightlifter I mean athletes who concentrate on the clean and jerk and the snatch as their sport. He then combed through at least a 1000 lifters training logs and found what he believed to be the optimal loading patterns for most of them.
Important to note, these were elite Soviet weightlifters who were more than likely on the sauce (heavy amounts of performance enhancing drugs). This puts some limitations on how to use this data. These weren’t tactical heroes running on 4 hours of sleep because court held them over on their shift.
With that said, it is still a phenomenal tool as I have seen it used with collegiate athletes to great effect...you just need to take into consideration who you’re coaching and understand athletes do more than just weightlifting- This is particularly crucial to understand for first responder and tactical populations.
Below is the findings of a study completed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association where they used Prilipen’s chart for training experienced powerlifters. I think it is valuable to review because it is a population that was not the focus of the initial data.
Cliff notes: They got stronger.
There is a reason for everything you see written in our We Go Home Human Performance Programming. We use a combination of both experience and research to shape out philosophy on how we train our Tactical and First Responders. Questions? Please reach out.
References:
Pritchard, H. J., Barnes, M. J., Keogh, J. W., & McGuigan, M. (n.d.). The effectiveness of Prilepin’s chart for powerlifting strength ... https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hayden-Pritchard/publication/304540647_The_effectiveness_of_Prilepin’s_chart_for_powerlifting_strength_improvements_in_resistance_trained_males/links/5772d9fa08ae07e45db24606/The-effectiveness-of-Prilepins-chart-for-powerlifting-strength-improvements-in-resistance-trained-males.pdf
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