As Joe said, the best thing to do is to feel it out. If you are going to use 2 X 4 as your planned start, use a weight that you can easily do 4 reps with with some in the tank. If it's way too easy you can always do more reps.

Second, order of prioritizing kinds of progression. Ashiem stated in this thread that he prefers to add reps, then sets, then weight.

Preference is one thing, but there is no prioritizing kinds of progression. Do what you can, when you can. The END purpose is to go back down to the base volume and add a good amount of weight to that. How you progress in the interim does not matter. The idea here is to allow yourself to progress in one of these ways when you can do so and not to limit yourself to only progressing by one parameter. So prioritizing certain parameters over others really just makes it too complicated. Given that, always add weight when you can!

First, setting the weight for the base. Ashiem has suggested to me that I start with 2 sets of 4, as that gives lots of room for progress. But if I start out with, or even near my 4-rep max, that WON'T allow much progress. On the other hand, I don't want to set the weight too low, or I won't really be progressing, just lifting a lot of relatively light reps. I'm thinking that around 80% of my 1RM would be a reasonable place to start.

My best advice would be to just start doing it. If you pick something too light, make it heavier, if you pick something too heavy, make it lighter. It is very much a feeling out process and highly reactive.

Second, order of prioritizing kinds of progression. Ashiem stated in this thread that he prefers to add reps, then sets, then weight. I assume that he doesn't make this a strict rule, and that it is legitimate for someone to prioritize them differently. If the base day really feels light, maybe add weight early on; when it feels like it would be tough to go up on weight, then add a few reps, or a set. Am I getting the right idea?

I always prefer to add weight, it is strength training after all. But in the end the general goal is to add weight, adding reps or sets is one (somewhat indirect) way to do this. That being said, progress in whichever way you are able to. :)

First, setting the weight for the base. Ashiem has suggested to me that I start with 2 sets of 4, as that gives lots of room for progress. But if I start out with, or even near my 4-rep max, that WON'T allow much progress. On the other hand, I don't want to set the weight too low, or I won't really be progressing, just lifting a lot of relatively light reps. I'm thinking that around 80% of my 1RM would be a reasonable place to start.

Second, order of prioritizing kinds of progression. Ashiem stated in this thread that he prefers to add reps, then sets, then weight. I assume that he doesn't make this a strict rule, and that it is legitimate for someone to prioritize them differently. If the base day really feels light, maybe add weight early on; when it feels like it would be tough to go up on weight, then add a few reps, or a set. Am I getting the right idea?

You just have to do more than last time in the most sustainable manner ever

Sums up things pretty much.

If you decide to take 150 x 4 x 3 to 150 x 8 x 3, then you are restricting yourself to just add reps: and there is nothing wrong with that. Say you do that and you get to your 150 x 8 x 3…and you can't add reps. Then you can add another set with 150 or you take 160 and do a few reps and then you build on that.

Does this make sense? You just have to do more than last time in the most sustainable manner ever.

I am a relatively new user with SDT. While going through the article again, queries pop up in my mind. I hope it is not stupid to ask it here.

Assuming a trainee has BV : 150 X 4 reps X 3 sets. He uses SDT and gradually moves upto 150 X 8 reps X 3 sets over some time. This is single progression via adding reps. Now, the next correct approach for the trainee should be:
a) Add Reps: Now if he adds reps then at what point of time should he consider adding sets. Is this lift specific?
b) Add Sets: If he adds sets and he does following: 150 X 8 reps X 3 sets and 150 X 5 reps X 1 set. Will this be considered as Single progression.

General: At what point of time in progression should a trainee consider adding sets and weights?

Thanks everyone.

eric

i always believed in " little knowledge is dangerous ".

that's what happened with this kid when he went on arguing.

It's all connected of course but not exactly useful in terms of simply learning to apply SDT.

Harish, I just want to reiterate something Eric has said a million times before: SDT is not a routine: it is a simple set of guidelines to help spur progress :-)

just finished reading the article and all the comments, man i head is spinning.

i need my beer to refresh !!!!

Hey Harish :-)

If you have any questions please feel free to ask all your questions or concerns :-)

i need my beer to refresh !!!!

I have noticed that adding another rep seems to be the last thing on everybody's mind.

That's too bad. Cause adding reps is personally at least one of the best ways to feel confident with a certain weight. I mean turning a 3 rep max into a 7 rep max is GOOD progress. You can be certain that, when returning to singles, there is going to be a new PR.

A beginner using SDT should not have to be wondering what weights to choose. At least they shouldn't be wondering very hard. The base volume should already be established if the person is beginning a new "phase" and if the person is starting from scratch then a period of time should be spend establishing this base volume. Then progression should be straight forward. It is merely deciding whether to add reps, weight, and if another set can be added.

This is true. Having a base volume to start from is VERY important. Personally, I prefer to add reps and sets before adding weight. If I can progress on the other two fronts (reps and sets in order of importance), then it provides sufficient buffer room to lift a heavy weight. This buffer room will keep injuries at bay and it will almost guarantee the new heavy lift to be a success.

But ultimately it is the BASE volume you are aiming to add weight to.

Great point. There is no point in doing 100x4x4 and then progressing to 110x2x2. You want to turn that 100x4x4 to 110x4x4 in the safest and most efficient way possible. I need to keep thing is mind.

This is especially for the more experienced people and my admins, mods. Everybody is hep on the SDT concepts and that's great but everybody seems to be missing, or glossing over the MOST important part.

I say, in the article, how we progress from an "existing number of reps and sets" and I call this the "base" or "baseline" volume. I bolded "base" in one of the charts. Without this base reference, or benchmark, SDT as a concept is absolutely meaningless and worthless. If this is not pounded into the trainees head they will not know what to do with all this. The baseline volume should be moderately challenging only. A "comfortable" place to start but a concrete one.

A beginner using SDT should not have to be wondering what weights to choose. At least they shouldn't be wondering very hard. The base volume should already be established if the person is beginning a new "phase" and if the person is starting from scratch then a period of time should be spend establishing this base volume. Then progression should be straight forward. It is merely deciding whether to add reps, weight, and if another set can be added.

I have noticed that adding another rep seems to be the last thing on everybody's mind. Everybody seems to be interested in adding weight only. That's understandable but it's not allowed! SDT is an "opportunistic' was of progressing. Without this aspect of it you may as well be more regimented.

Remember, if you were in an all fired hurry to progress at all cost, as quickly as possible, regardless of quality and performance, you wouldn't be training that way. And you wouldn't really be "progressing" because you would only be paying attention to one thing…weight on the bar. The weight on the bar is the end goal but there are many ways to get there. But ultimately it is the BASE volume you are aiming to add weight to.

I'll let the more experienced here hash this out because I am really tired of talking about this

What's more insulting though is he called you guys my cronies. Spelled it croonies though.