SuperTotal Basics

This is an introduction into Supertotal training. If you have a general understanding of all 5 lifts this is a good place to start. This program is 4 days a week with 4 exercises per week. The days are mostly broken down as a main lift for powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting and a secondary lift (differentiated by colour). The program flows in 4-week blocks. Each block is followed by a block of less volume and greater intensity. Culminating on the 12th week where you test your 1RM in all 5 lifts. The program is designed around the idea of training at a submaximal load and cycling between different relative intensities. This should enable you to master technique, build strength and prevent injuries. In this program you should not consistently miss reps. The program focuses on specific movements and I advise to program additional accessory. What does relative intensity mean? This stands for relative intensity. This program is designed to cycle between different levels of relative intensity which is how far you are away from an RPE 10 (absolute failure). This is a way of keeping track of how intense each week is. The next block Once you have performed all lifts in the performance week, you use the 1rm calculator to prescribe weights for the next block. If you achieved less, that is ok if it within 10%, if lower it may be a good idea to drop your working weight for the next block. If your estimated 1rm is now higher, put that into the “Max” for the next block. If you make astounding progress (20+kg) which can happen with beginners I advise changing the max in intervals (10kg for the first 2 weeks, 5kg the next 2 weeks leading into performance).