How to Use APRE Training to Increase Strength & Improve Performance
There are an almost infinite number of ways to design a strength training plan, and most of them involve prescribing certain rep and set schemes with fixed percentages. These are types of linear periodization (LP) – which, as the name suggests – is intended to create a straight line of increased intensity over time. But much like in other areas of life, it’s unrealistic to expect your training to always progress in this way. Which is where a method such as autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) can be beneficial.
APRE was created by Bryan Mann, director of research at the University of Missouri’s Human Performance Institute. He adopted the principles from Dr. K.L. Knight and Mel Siff, who believed that prescribing brief cycles in which athletes focused on several foundational exercises once a week was a time-efficient way to develop strength based on what an individual was able to do in the moment.
In my most recent post, I gave you the lowdown on minimum effective dose (MED) strength training. APRE strength training is one expression of this philosophy, not least because of the four sets of whatever exercise is prescribed, only two are considered to be challenging “working” sets. It’s in this part of the session that you obtain the MED that prompts adaptations like increased strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth).
As Mann has explained, because the previous two sets are lower load, they don’t just serve as a warmup but also allow you to accumulate volume. Then you move on to testing your current ceiling by going to failure in the subsequent sets. In this way, it’s a nice combination of a controlled maximum effort wrapped up in minimalism.
The “to failure” term doesn’t mean junk reps with bad form though. As Mann explained in an article, “technical failure is a big component to APRE. This means that the athlete should stop a given exercise following any deviation from proper technique. Not only does this keep the athlete from hurting themselves with incorrect form, but it also allows us to ensure exercises transfer appropriately to athletic activity.”
Much like with other MED protocols, APRE can be applied to just about any exercise. I prefer compound, multi-joint movements like back squats, rear foot elevated split squats, press, and deadlifts, as these lend themselves to high intensity in a single session each week and then leave sufficient time for recovery. You can apply APRE training to the main lift of the day and then utilize other protocols for additional exercises.
APRE isn’t just very efficient due to its low time demands, but also effective. A study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research evaluated 23 college football players and concluded that “the APRE was more effective than the LP means of programming in increasing the bench press and squat over a period of 6 weeks,” improving one-rep maxes in each and the number of bench press reps with 225 pounds.
Like the authors of this study, I often guide clients through the three variations of this training type consecutively:
APRE 10, 6, and 3 – although they can be done in a different order. The numbers refer to three kinds of rep maximums (RMs).
APRE 10 is calculated as 75 percent of your one-rep max
APRE 6 is 83 percent of your one-rep max
APRE 3 is 92 percent of your one-rep max
All three iterations have four sets:
1st set: complete 50 percent of the given rep max
2nd set: complete 75 percent of the given rep max
3rd set: max out with the rep max
4th set: the target is adjusted based on the number of reps completed in set three using the chart below, varying both the rep target and weight (aka intensity) if needed
Giving Athletes and Coaches More Control
Making adjustments between sets is where the autoregulation piece of APRE comes in. For example, if your 1 RM was 100 pounds, then you should theoretically be able to do 10 reps of 75 pounds. If you can do 12, you need to go up in weight and adjust your 10 RM. In contrast, you might just hit the target or fall short, and so you won’t add load in set four. This shows how you can progress at your own rate from your present baseline with APRE.
As a coach, I’m meeting you at your current level and then advancing you from there. We want to start you at the lower end of the training pyramid and build up responsibly. It’s easier to add extra load exposure later with this kind of minimal program, rather than overdoing it and having to subtract.
APRE also allows everyone to achieve small wins that build confidence. According to one 2021 study, recreational athletes can -increase muscle size, strength, and power using APRE training templates. More experienced lifters also notice improvements in movement quality, neuromuscular control, and how it feels hitting a certain target in one workout compared to a previous one. It’s also fun to challenge or exceed your limits, have a say in your programming, and gain control over how far you go in each set and session. “It allows each athlete to move at an individualized pace, not a prescribed pace that may be too fast or too slow,” Mann wrote in another article.
Coaching also comes into play. When coaching athletes in person, it’s easy to see how some hold back and others push too hard. When I have eyes on you, I can offer encouragement to get another rep, provide positive reinforcement, or spot you with heavier loads. I might give cues or back off and ask how you felt during the set before sharing my suggestions. For online coaching, videoing remote sessions allows me to provide a coach’s eye afterward and give you pointers for next time.
Using the third set performance to inform the fourth is only one way that APRE facilitates self-regulation. I could also use subjective ratings to gauge your sleep, hydration, nutrition, and whether you’re rested or tired coming into each workout, and then adjust the set-by-set targets as needed. Wearables can indicate stress with a combination of resting heart-rate and heart-rate variability (HRV), while also providing insights on menstrual cycle hormone fluctuations, circadian rhythm, and sleep quality. Training load ratio might be the most interesting metric to apply to APRE, but we’ll wait to dive deeper into that in another article.
Placing Building Blocks
I often start clients with APRE 10 because it gives them a solid basis of muscular endurance. Then we’ll move on to the submaximal strength that APRE 6 offers, before obtaining absolute strength or power gains with APRE 3. The easiest way to do this is in a six-week block with two weeks spent on each variation. But some people may need more exposure to frequent sessions to get the neuromuscular benefits and feel strong in a given rep max range. So you have the option to spend extra time on a sub-block, such as four to six weeks on APRE 3s.
While going to failure for two sets will provide rapid gains in muscle size and strength, APRE allows for growth over time as well. As it’s not rigidly pre-planned, there’s wiggle room for adjustment as needed, both from week to week and within each session. If you can’t meet your session goals, you might be able to come back stronger next week because we’ve managed your load. Whether you’re able to do less, the same, or more than in a previous session, the on-the-fly changes between sets ensure you’ll get the most out of your current capacity. And then have a new marker to work from next time.
Who is APRE For?
I’ve found APRE works best with a client who knows their personal rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. They can be given more leeway, as they know when to push hard and when to back off. APRE is also well suited to advanced lifters who’ve plateaued, want to add mass, or to build an off-season strength base.
APRE is also a great program for athletes returning to play and needing to move muscles under tension through a full range of motion. A study of a football player returning from ACL surgery showed improvements with all three APRE iterations. If an athlete can’t do their usual intensity during their comeback, the 10-rep version offers a way to still add load tolerance with volume and allows those with chronic or acute issues to get a training load in a rehabilitative sense.
Someone with a lower training age might give up too early during an APRE workout or go way too far. That’s why it’s a great method for them to learn all about RPE, rep ranges, and – once they’ve mastered basic form to the point that they can add load – how to go to technique failure safely. They’ll also start understanding how many reps they might have in reserve. A beginner often benefits from going back through an APRE block again with different exercises and even a third time to focus more on tempo.
APRE can also help people who have autoimmune issues. They often need more time to recover and have less exercise tolerance with too much volume or intensity, so a program with built-in self-regulation allows them to pay attention to flareups, stress, and overall load. Even if they don’t feel great, they can still train effectively.
As Jack Niles stated in a post for All About Powerlifting, “The beauty of the APRE programs is that all categories of lifters from novices to experts can benefit with this type of program.” It provides a minimum effective dose to prompt strength gains and other adaptations, gives more advanced athletes control over their output, and upskills less experienced ones in technique, self-regulation, and strength training basics. APRE takes into account where you’re at now and individualizes what you should do next to get the results you are looking for.
Ready to try APRE in your training program?
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