Stronger By the Day programming uses a few abbreviations that you may or may not be familiar with. To help you better understand what they all mean, here's a description of each:
DB: Dumbbell
BB: Barbell
Alt: Alternating
DS: Drop Set. Complete an additional set right after with less or no weight. No rest.
SS: Superset. Two exercises set together with little to no break in between, resting between rounds.
AMRAP: As Many Reps (or Rounds) As Possible.
RPE: Rate of perceived exertion, rated out of 10. An RPE 8 would be a weight that is challenging and requires a solid effort, but you still have a couple of reps left in the tank by the time you finish your prescribed repetitions.
RIR: Reps In Reserve. This is a tool used to prescribe how challenging an exercise set is before reaching total failure. Something that is a 0 RIR would be truly maximal effort, where no more weight could be added, or reps could be performed at the given load and rep scheme. For example, if prescribed 8 squats with 2 RIR, you would select a weight that allows you to perform 8 squats with the possibility of being able to perform 2 more.
GS: Giant Set. Three or more exercises that get completed with little to no break in between, resting between rounds. Like a Superset, but giant! In the example below, you would perform the Leg Extensions, Cossack Squat, Farmer's Carry, and then rest. This completes 1 round with 2 remaining rounds to complete.
Cluster Sets:
A cluster set breaks up a larger set into smaller ones and adds a little bit of rest in between.
For the example below, you would complete 7 reps, rest for a short time, do 7 more reps, rest for a short time, then do 7 more reps. This would complete one set. All reps should be done with minimal rest in between.
You may see a bench cluster set programmed as a 3+2+1 with 15 seconds of intra-set rest.
Click on the link here if you want to see a video of Meg giving further explanation of what a cluster set is and why they are programmed: Cluster Sets
Negatives: This is often seen as the lowering portion of an exercise, such as lowering the barbell in a bench press or lowering your body down in a push-up. Similar to tempo work, where you control the speed of both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases of an exercise, negatives emphasize slowing down and controlling the eccentric phase specifically.
Negatives are particularly effective for muscle growth and strength gains because they create more time under tension, which can lead to greater muscle damage and subsequently greater muscle adaptation and growth. By focusing on the eccentric phase and slowing it down, you challenge your muscles in a different way than traditional lifting, potentially leading to greater gains.