Strength in the Time of Quarantine

[Wilhelm]

Thanks for the response.

I was just a little worried that, if I were to do that, it'd be too little frequency of squatting/deadlifting? Before I was used to squatting and benching almost every session (3x/week) and deadlifting twice. Doing it as you suggest would have me squatting and deadlifting just once a week. Is it not a problem?

I'm not great at the whole programming thing, but i did just do the DL portion of this template and expanded it to 6 weeks.
I prefer only deadlifting heavy/comp once a week, so i stretched it out.

But, i also added in the light day SGDL from the MM 2 week template as my second day.

See what lighter versions you can fit in to your 2 day schedule?

Light DL on squat day, light squat on DL day.

Good luck. : )

Or listen to @Hanley as below.

[Hanley]

Thanks for the response.

I was just a little worried that, if I were to do that, it'd be too little frequency of squatting/deadlifting? Before I was used to squatting and benching almost every session (3x/week) and deadlifting twice. Doing it as you suggest would have me squatting and deadlifting just once a week. Is it not a problem?

I think 2x week should be fine.

I'd modify things a little: 1) on the deadlift day, I'd add some sort of quad accessory work ((leg press, leg extensions, unilateral quad movements, etc), 2) on the squat day I'd add a back/butt movement (RDL, good morning, hip bridge, etc).

[Lurikeen]

Thanks a lot for the responses. I'll try it out and see how it goes!

[DPriest442]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

[Wilhelm]

Second day running the squat portion of this template.
So far i'm hitting the minimum total reps.

I'm not in a hurry, so i may just use increased reps and no load increase next micro.
I am using the high range for reps per set.
Just triples today, but it should be good to get used to 6s and 8s again.
It's been since october 2017 that i've done 8s for squat.

[Hanley]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

I only do those sorts of crazy volumes if I'm using a really low frequency (like 2 sessions every 9 days or something).

It just feels right sometimes. Works for me. Give it a try...just give yourself plenty of recovery time

[Wayne]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

I only do those sorts of crazy volumes if I'm using a really low frequency (like 2 sessions every 9 days or something).

It just feels right sometimes. Works for me. Give it a try...just give yourself plenty of recovery time

Hanley, I’m approaching the end of my second cycle of this and I’ve really enjoyed it. For what it’s worth your suggestion to vary rest days between sessions has been a game changer for me here.

I’ll be taking a break to do work capacity / hypertrophy phases before returning in due course. I know this was one of the suggested approaches earlier in this thread.

My current plan is to a work capacity block. Is that what you would advise for someone even if they are hitting the higher number of suggested reps per set/total reps in this?

For bench I’m hitting top end per set and in total reps for each day. For squats I’m hitting top end total reps but sets vary in size. Deadlifts generally hitting all my reps but in smaller sets.

My thoughts were a c.7wk work capacity block would give me a change of pace and at novel rep ranges for me.

Appreciate any input - and thanks again for putting this out there.

[Hanley]

Is that what you would advise for someone even if they are hitting the higher number of suggested reps per set/total reps in this?

Your work capacity is probably fine. But I'd still go ahead with your plan. More for the mental break & format change.

"Work capacity" is also "time-efficiency hypertrophy". Might be a nice change.

[Wayne]

Is that what you would advise for someone even if they are hitting the higher number of suggested reps per set/total reps in this?

Your work capacity is probably fine. But I'd still go ahead with your plan. More for the mental break & format change.

"Work capacity" is also "time-efficiency hypertrophy". Might be a nice change.

Thanks Hanley. I was planning to run the AtS hypertrophy template with their suggested work capacity tweaks (think the main one being run with conservative training maxes - c.80%) then over the first 7 week block the program should regulate me back to my usual weights.

As you say the change of scene will likely be good. Usually I would just re-run this routine until I’m grinding myself to death and making no progress, so it feels good to move on by choice then come at this fresh in a few months for hopefully more PR’s.

For work capacity and hypertrophy do you tend to keep “the big 3” in there? I don’t recall a sustained period of training where I’ve NOT done LBBS/flat bench/conventional DL so I was planning to keep them as the primary moves plus supplementaries/accessories to suit.

[Hanley]

For work capacity and hypertrophy do you tend to keep “the big 3” in there? I don’t recall a sustained period of training where I’ve NOT done LBBS/flat bench/conventional DL so I was planning to keep them as the primary moves plus supplementaries/accessories to suit.

I don't think it makes much difference, really.

For what it's worth, my favorite "hypertrophy variations" are

squat: high bar, SSB, front squat
bench: very wide grip, partial ROM bench (I only come halfway up off chest)
deads: deficits and SGDL

[Wayne]

For work capacity and hypertrophy do you tend to keep “the big 3” in there? I don’t recall a sustained period of training where I’ve NOT done LBBS/flat bench/conventional DL so I was planning to keep them as the primary moves plus supplementaries/accessories to suit.

I don't think it makes much difference, really.

For what it's worth, my favorite "hypertrophy variations" are

squat: high bar, SSB, front squat
bench: very wide grip, partial ROM bench (I only come halfway up off chest)
deads: deficits and SGDL

Thanks Hanley.

I’ve not tried partial ROM bench previously - might throw a few in to test them out. The others are already on my list so will see if I can mix them in. Front squats are going to be my ‘go to’ I think. I love / hate them....

[DPriest442]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

I only do those sorts of crazy volumes if I'm using a really low frequency (like 2 sessions every 9 days or something).

It just feels right sometimes. Works for me. Give it a try...just give yourself plenty of recovery time

I ask because I did the week 2 day 1 squats, ~20 reps @ 80% and deadlifts the next day felt horrible. Triples @ 77% felt way worse than triples @ 80% the previous friday. After two sets I felt like I was maxing out

[DPriest442]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

I only do those sorts of crazy volumes if I'm using a really low frequency (like 2 sessions every 9 days or something).

It just feels right sometimes. Works for me. Give it a try...just give yourself plenty of recovery time

I ask because I did the week 2 day 1 squats, ~20 reps @ 80% and deadlifts the next day felt horrible. Triples @ 77% felt way worse than triples @ 80% the previous friday. After two sets I felt like I was maxing out

[Wilhelm]

I ask because I did the week 2 day 1 squats, ~20 reps @ 80% and deadlifts the next day felt horrible. Triples @ 77% felt way worse than triples @ 80% the previous friday. After two sets I felt like I was maxing out

This is not in context of doing the complete template, i'm doing just the squat portion, and then the MM 2 week DL portion.

Squats end up Friday (with MM 2 week light% SGDL) and Sunday by themselves.
Then I don't deadlift until Wednesday.

**
Still in the first cycle with this, just finished W2 D2, and doing the higher rep count sets, but doing the lower total session reps.
Bit of an eye opener after doing just doubles and triples since mid September.
Planning on 5lb jumps, and adding in a few reps to the sessions as i go.
Tomorrow is triples w/ 325, and i feel like i can get more than the minimum session rep count with those.

Also planning on doing 4 cycles for this meso.
I'd like to link at least two of those meso together, possibly ending up with a 415 final day squat.

Long way to go though.
I know it's good i'm doing some work with higher rep sets now.

[Wayne]

@Hanley
I noticed in your own training that sometimes you do even higher volumes that in here (like 60 reps on bench)
Do you think an even higher volume, lower intensity of this template would work?

I only do those sorts of crazy volumes if I'm using a really low frequency (like 2 sessions every 9 days or something).

It just feels right sometimes. Works for me. Give it a try...just give yourself plenty of recovery time

I ask because I did the week 2 day 1 squats, ~20 reps @ 80% and deadlifts the next day felt horrible. Triples @ 77% felt way worse than triples @ 80% the previous friday. After two sets I felt like I was maxing out

Does your schedule allow you to have a rest day? I had similar issues but found I just took a day off lifting if I needed it. It did extend the duration a little beyond 3wks in total by a couple of days.

[michael]

I ask because I did the week 2 day 1 squats, ~20 reps @ 80% and deadlifts the next day felt horrible. Triples @ 77% felt way worse than triples @ 80% the previous friday. After two sets I felt like I was maxing out

You're loads are probably too high.

Here's how I calculated the loads I'm using for this program.

I ran Average to Savage reps to failure a few times, until I was hitting the rep out targets each workout.

This gave me a mapping of a percentage to a performance. For example the load I can hit 3-3-3-3-6 with is my 80% for training. I plugged the performance percentages from A2S and they work nicely with this program. For example on an A2S 80% day 3-3-3-3-6 becomes an easy 3-3-3-3-3-3-2.

One more controversial tip. I add 70% of my bodyweight to my squat load, calculate my percentages, and then remove the bodyweight to calculate bar weight. I find this maps better to reality for high rep sets than a straight percentage.

[michael]

This guy was either heavily influenced by @Hanley style programming, or he came to remarkably similar conclusions based on his research.

[Hanley]

This guy was either heavily influenced by @Hanley style programming, or he came to remarkably similar conclusions based on his research.

I think it's almost meme-level now. The basic approach has gotten lots of visibility from content from the Data Driven guys, Mike T, Baraki, etc.

[Wilhelm]

@Hanley

I'm doing week 3 day 1 squats, and it calls for 12 to 18 reps in sets of 1 to 3.
My default is "triples are better." but i am kind of wanting to do ladders today.
Partly because it seems more interesting, and partly because i just spent a few hours clearing snow and scraping ice from the driveway. (My legs are also still quietly expressing feelings about sets of 7 day before yesterday )

Does it matter?
Is missing out on "hard sets" a thing doing it that way.
It's not like triples are beyond me, i'm just slightly more psyched to do something different today.

I think i might get more total reps too.
I'd probably be tempted to just do 4 triples and call it good.
But 3 ladders will get me to the higher total rep option and might even be "fun."

[Hanley]

My default is "triples are better." but i am kind of wanting to do ladders today.

Do the ladders, dude. I think "ladder-y formats" are - indeed - more fun and [hand wave] sort of help with maintaining focus and detecting/correcting mechanical errors.

A single just seems like it's different enough from a triple that going on autopilot is undermined.