Lifters will plan out a training cycle for their squat, bench press and deadlift down to the most nano of details. Sets, reps, RPEs, variations – there’s no such thing as too obsessive when it comes to training for a new PR. But accessory work? Nah, that’s just fluff, right? Do a couple sets, get a little pump and move on with your life.
Unfortunately, it’s that attitude that leaves many lifters less jacked and strong than they could be. Yes, heavy low-rep strength training in the competition lifts is what’s going to drive them up the most. But purposeful accessory work can build up lagging muscle groups and destroy weak points, resulting in an indirect-but-significant improvement in the main lifts.
Don’t just wing your accessory work. Plan ahead and execute the plan. Here are 3 ways you can strategically aim to actually get better at your accessory exercises instead of just setting them on cruise control.
8-10-12 Method
Here’s the simplest method of all that I still use all the time in our group training sessions at Bonvec Strength:
- Start with a weight you could lift about 12 times, and do 3 sets of 8 reps (leave about 4 reps in the tank)
- Next week, do the same weight for 3 sets of 10 reps.
- The third week, do the same weight for 3 sets of 12 reps.
- The fourth week, increase the weight, go back to 3 sets of 8 reps and repeat the whole process.
Most accessory exercises are done with hypertrophy as the main goal. Smaller muscle groups necessitate lighter loads, and therefore higher volume to elicit an adaptation. You’re not going to improve your bench press by chasing a biceps curl 1-rep max, but you probably WILL increase your bench if you add 2-3 inches to your arms as supportive tissue under the bar.
Add a Set Each Week
RIR-based training seemed to become popular in the powerlifting community thanks to the work of Renaissance Periodization and Dr. Mike Israetel. Because volume is the main driver of hypertrophy, it makes sense to steadily add volume each week if you want to get the most out of your accessory work. So pick an exercise you enjoy and follow along:
- Week 1: 2 sets x 3 RIR
- Week 2: 3 sets x 3 RIR
- Week 3: 4 sets x 3 RIR
- Week 4: 2 sets x 4 RIR (Deload)
- Week 5: 3 sets x 2 RIR
- Week 6: 4 sets x 2 RIR
- Week 7 : 5 sets x 2 RIR
- Week 8: 2 sets x 4 RIR (Deload)
- Week 9: 4 sets x 1 RIR
- Week 10: 5 sets x 1 RIR
- Week 11: 6 sets x 1 RIR
- Week 12: 2 sets x 4 RIR (Deload)
If you make it all the way through 12 weeks while being able to gradually add weight and still feel like you’re getting a benefit from a particular exercise, chances are you’re going to build some quality muscle. You certainly don’t NEED to deload every fourth week either, but it’s not a bad idea to help maintain a training stimulus without having to change exercises all the time.
Decrease RIR Each Week
If you find you respond better to intensity rather than volume (or simply don’t have the time to do 5-6 working sets per exercise), you can push your accessory work by decreasing the RIR each week. You’ll eventually have to add volume, but you can consolidate your efforts with a plan like this:
- Week 1: 2 x 3 RIR
- Week 2: 2 x 2 RIR
- Week 3: 2 x 1 RIR
- Week 4: 2 x 4 RIR (Deload)
- Week 5: 3 x 3 RIR
- Week 6: 3 x 2 RIR
- Week 7: 3 x 1 RIR
- Week 8: 2 x 4 RIR (Deload)
- Week 9: 4 x 3 RIR
- Week 10: 4 x 2 RIR
- Week 11: 4 x 1 RIR
- Week 12: 2 x 4 RIR (Deload)
By working at higher intensities, you may find you’ll have to rotate accessory exercises more often as you might struggle to add load each week and/or find an exercise growing “stale” quicker.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail
There are no gold medals for being the best at rows, biceps curls or direct core training. However, some careful planning can help you take your accessory work more seriously, deliver a higher level of effort and pack on more muscle mass.
