The DAPRE Technique
Terrance L. Foust, PTA
Joyner Sportsmedicine
State College, Pennsylvania
T
he athletic therapist is exposed to a multitude of new
training regimens every day and
it becomes h a r d to decide
which one is right for the athletes. T h e DAPRE program
(daily adjustable progressive resistive exercise) is an alternative
form of strength training that
provides a more objective approach to resistance increases. It
was designed by Kenneth Knight
in 1979.
DAPRE's versatility lends it to
athletic training as well as strength
and conditioning settings. The
I
Martin A. Fees, MS, PT, ATC, CoZumn Editor
basis of the program is the &repetition maximum (6-RM) .
The use of 6-RM for incremental increases allows for the recruitment of both the fast- and
slow-twitch muscle fibers needed
for increases in strength and
power. The regimen entails 4 lifting bouts of each exercise per session; subsequent increases are
determined by the number of repetitions performed in Set 3.
The first step in implementing the program is to establish the
athlete's working weight (6-RM) .
This can be found by using the
I
Testinn 1-RM
+ u
Completed Repetition
Failed Repetition
Increase weight by 5-1 0 Ibs
Decrease weight by 5-1 0 Ibs
I
Continue
following
completed
I
I
completed
rep Droaram
I
I Figure 1 Xvo-failure criterion for I-KM testinn.
two-failure criterion for 1-RMtesting (see Figure 1). This criterion
is superior to normal 1-RM testing
because it takes into account the
fact that as an athlete reaches his
or her 1-RM, the neuromuscular
system becomes increasingly
activated.
This activation helps the athlete lower the weight and complete the bout successfully, then
increase the weight again to obtain
a higher 1-RM. The technique
has proven highly successful to
Eastern European and Soviet
weightlifters. Once the 1-RM is
found, it can be converted to a 6RM through a repetition conversion chart by dividing the 1-RM
by 1.20, the conversion factor
for 6-RM.
For athletes in rehabilitation,
1-RM determination may be unreasonable due to the strain and
joint compressive forces encountered in this high-intensityprocess.
In this case, determination of the
10-RMis more reasonable and can
be converted to a 6-RM by multiplying the 10-RM by 1.36, the conversion factor for 10-RMs. At this
time the athlete is ready to begin
the training phase.
Although the DAPRE program builds in a warm-up period
O 1997 Human Kinetics
November 1997
Athletic Therapy Today
13
by starting off with 50% and 75%
of the athlete's GRM, it is safer and
more effective to add a low-intensity, high-repetition bout (approx.
15 reps) to make sure the athlete
is fully prepared to begin the
higher intensity portion of the program (see Table 1).
I
I
DAPWE Technique
r~ight
of reps
r l r ~nu1111
ii
tecl w/f
C'
',
\
reps co
brmines
It is imperative that the athlete get enough rest between lifting sets. This assures adequate
neural, muscular, and cardiovascular recovery to allow peak performance during each set. Highly
trained athletes can rest for 2 to 4
minutes between each bout and
still maintain the proper amount
of conditioning.
In the clinical setting, however, others may need access to
equipment. This means that work-
I
Table B
I
Adjustment to Working Weight
No. of reps
during Set 3
For Set 4
Fm next day
0-2
Decrease by 5-10 lbs, repeat set
Decrease by 5-10 lbs
3-4
Decrease by 0-5 lbs
Keep weight the same
5-7
Keep weight the same
Increase by 5-10 lbs
8-1 2
Increase by 5-10 Ibs
Increase by 5-15 lbs
13+
Increase by 10-15 lbs
Increase by 10-20 lbs
o u t sessions may have to be
speeded up with shorter rest periods. A rest of approximately 75 sec
should be adequate, as most physiological recovery will have taken
place in this time frame.
A major problem with many
workout programs is stagnation
and performance plateaus. Although DAPRE is intended to
limit plateauing, it can still happen. A good way to avoid this
and offer a refreshing change to
the regimen is to add cycles of
periodization. These fit in well
during the 4th week of a 1-month
program.
An assessment of the athlete's
weak points will guide you during
this period. If the athlete lacks
muscular endurance, or atrophy is
evident, a program of 3 to 5 sets
of 6-15 reps will help increase
endurance and resistance to fatigue.
A lack of power or strength is
best overcome by completing 3 to
5 sets of 1-5 reps. This will change
things enough to allow a fresh start
into the next month of the DAPRE
cycle.
By design, DAPRE curtails
arbitrary determination of the
amount of weight to add to a
strength program every day. The
DAPRE technique works well for
this and, with individual modifications, can become a firm foundation for strength training. It takes
the guesswork out of strength
training and offers a more objective means of progression for training and rehabilitating athletes.
Terrance L. Foust is a staff physical therapist
assistant with Joyner Sportsmedicine Institute.
He is a member of the Pennsylvania Physical
Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. He is a pre-med student at Penn State.
"Hydration Throughout Life"
Palais des Conges Vittel-France, June 9-12, 1998
Topics:
14
Sports & Hydration
Thirst and its Control
Homeostasis and Hydration
Hydration of the Newborn
Hydration of the Elderly
Contact:
Perrier Vittel Water Institute
Conference secretariat
BP 101 - 88804 VITTEL Cedex
(tel): t33-(0)3-29-08-7041
(fax) : t33-(0)3-29-08-7049
e-mail: [email protected]
Athletic Therapy Today
November 1997