Sets and Reps for Power Zone Training – The Legs

-- More Commonsense, Old-School Training Advice from Bradley J. Steiner

(Note: On Wednesday, I covered Bradley J. Steiner’s favorite exercises for the Power Zones. Today, we’ll look at Steiner’s favorite set/rep systems for Power Zone training.

I should probably mention that I agree with some but not all of Bradley J. Steiner’s training ideas. In future emails, I’ll cover those differences. So if you see something in this email that’s “different” from my usual advice, remember that I’m covering what Steiner taught back in the 1970’s, not necessarily what I teach now.

Also, remember that Steiner was writing primarily for younger trainees who wanted to gain muscular bodyweight and build as much strength as possible. Older trainees will probably find that other leg and lower body exercises work best for them. That’s another topic we’ll cover in more detail in the future.)

For sets and reps Bradley J. Steiner liked the following for back squats (meaning parallel squats, which Steiner always recommended, as opposed to full squats), based on the trainee’s experience level:

For Beginners

1 x 10 gradually progressing to 1 x 20, then add weight, drop back to 10 reps and work back up to 20 reps.

Add two reps per workout – or two reps every other workout. If you prefer to add one rep per workout (or every other workout), that’s fine. The important thing is make your progress regular and consistent , while keeping it slow, gradual and manageable.

Note: this is not “one set to failure.” That would be far too difficult for a beginner. It’s one set with a relatively easy weight. Then, as you get stronger, you increase the reps to 20, add weight, drop back to 10 reps, and work back up.

For Intermediates

 2 or 3 x 10-12

These are harder sets than beginners would do, but again, you’re not training to failure.

For Advanced Trainees

3 x 8 to 10

4 x 6

5 x 5

Note: those are three different set/rep systems, and NOT to be used one after the other in a single workout!

For Weight Gaining Programs

20 rep breathing squats with no more than the trainee’s own bodyweight on the bar.

Steiner suggested starting with one set of 20 reps and adding one set per month until the trainee was doing a total of three sets of 20 reps.

For Strength and Power Training

10/8/6/4/3/2

Working Up to a Maximum Single

Note – start light and add weight on every set.

1 x 12

1 x 8

1 x 6

1 x 3

1 x 2

1 x 2

1 x 1

1 x 1

How Hard and Heavy to Train

Steiner believed you should work your squats very hard. He believed that back squats were one of the very best exercises you could do for building all-around strength and muscle mass, and for triggering growth throughout your entire body.

“Push, fight, drive!” he would write. “The squat is the builder of supermen!”

However, let’s be realistic – as Steiner himself was.

Steiner believed in home gym training. he himself trained in a very simple home gym that included a 210-pound York barbell and dumbbell set, another 200 or so pounds of extra weight, a standard York weight bench, and York squat stands.

Steiner used his home gym in a small apartment in Brooklyn – which I imagine meant it had. Avery small “footprint.”

To my knowledge, Steiner did not have safety bars or a power rack. Back in the 60’s, when Steiner began training, and through the 70’s and 80’s, when he did most of his writing, safety bars were more or less non-existent, and power racks were a very rare item for home gyms.

If you train without safety bars or a power rack, you need to always leave enough gas in the tank to be able to complete your final rep of any set of squats and safely re-rack the bar back on your squat stands.

If you can’t make your final rep, or if you can’t re-rack the bar, you risk severe injury – and you’ll end up dropping the weight on the floor – or through the floor.

Remember, Steiner trained in an apartment in Brooklyn. He used old-fashioned iron plates. There’s no way he ever dropped the bar during or after a set of squats!

Thus, Steiner did not train his squats to failure – and he didn’t suggest that anyone else should train them to failure.

He trained hard, but he trained safely given the constraints of his home gym and his equipment – and that’s how he wanted others to train.

Other Leg Exercises

For front squats, Steiner preferred 5 x 5.

For the straddle lift, Steiner preferred higher reps than the front squat, e.g., 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

For calf training, Steiner liked two or three sets of 10 to 20 reps. If you do one-legged calf raise, that’s two or three sets per leg, of course.

We’ll cover Steiner’s preferred sets and reps for back training in future emails.

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