Hows this look for gaining size?

[glennpendlay]

its not exactly what i would do, but looks ok. but still, the most important part of the program is things you arent talking about, as i mentioned in my other post. depending on how you approach it, how you plan your progression, things like that, a person could make this a good program or a bad one.

awesome. i think the variety will keep it interesting in the long run, until i feel i've worked up enough to move on to the single factor 5x5 (when this stops working).

 

[Vita]

its not exactly what i would do, but looks ok. but still, the most important part of the program is things you arent talking about, as i mentioned in my other post. depending on how you approach it, how you plan your progression, things like that, a person could make this a good program or a bad one.

yeah, the rep/sets are just based off what i've gotten here. i'm going to start off with higher reps, to jump into it, and gradually work my way down to lower reps, and toss in some high rep days in the long run. but i'm just going to hammer away for the first 40 days before i start to really play with that stuff. eventually, i'll work it down to less than 4 different days, but want to mix it up at first so i don't get too used to the same movements. maybe even take focus off squats for a couple of the days, and put chest/back movements in first, and go lighter with higher reps on the squats so my legs aren't always priority. plenty left to learn, but i think it's a good starting point since my legs are the weaker link (currently can bench with reps just under what i can rep for squats).

 

[Slyder190]

You'll eventually go into a rut by going to failure all the time. You might wanna keep that in mind.

 

[Vita]

You'll eventually go into a rut by going to failure all the time. You might wanna keep that in mind.

me? where did i say i go to failure. i didn't notice the original poster mention this either...

 

[wooldog]

Isn't squatting 4 times a week too much? I know the overall volume is low, but still?

 

[Madcow2]

Isn't squatting 4 times a week too much? I know the overall volume is low, but still?

Depends on the volume, depends on the intensity (%1RM), depends on how long one intends to do something, and depends on the lifter. Frequency alone means little but very low frequency (i.e. 1x per week) is generally a pretty poor way to do things for most of the year.

As for 4x per week squatting, the famous/infamous Smolov squat cycle uses this frequency in its loading phase - at fairly high workload too, this program is a full bear. Considering it's reputation as one of it not the best pure squat program, I'd venture 4x frequency alone my might not be a bad idea - lots of people here use 3 without any issues. Check it out if you like. Make sure you realize that the sets/reps are reversed i.e. reps X sets not the standard sets X reps. Obviously, you'd need a pretty seasoned lifter to handle this workload in the squat so the "best program" largely will blow up right in the face of most people with a BBing background coming from a 1x per week training plan: http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/smolovsquatcycle.htm

 

[wooldog]

Depends on the volume, depends on the intensity (%1RM), depends on how long one intends to do something, and depends on the lifter. Frequency alone means little but very low frequency (i.e. 1x per week) is generally a pretty poor way to do things for most of the year.

As for 4x per week squatting, the famous/infamous Smolov squat cycle uses this frequency in its loading phase - at fairly high workload too, this program is a full bear. Considering it's reputation as one of it not the best pure squat program, I'd venture 4x frequency alone my might not be a bad idea - lots of people here use 3 without any issues. Check it out if you like. Make sure you realize that the sets/reps are reversed i.e. reps X sets not the standard sets X reps. Obviously, you'd need a pretty seasoned lifter to handle this workload in the squat so the "best program" largely will blow up right in the face of most people with a BBing background coming from a 1x per week training plan: http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/smolovsquatcycle.htm

OK, thanks madcow. How would you structure the intensity of the 4x per week program, posted earlier in the thread, to prevent overtraining? Assume that you'd run this program for 8 weeks.

 

[Madcow2]

Generally it will totally depend on the lifter. If 3x5 is straight sets 4x a week, all heavy - well, that could get real tough. I don't know that too many could handle it for long. I was only making the point that a good program can make use of 4x per week frequency. Even Smolov though doesn't use it for too long when pushing hard and reps/intensity change throughout.

This stuff is very individual and it is also governed by training experience (not so much in pure years but in terms of the kind of workload someone can handle - lots of 10+ year BBers that can't handle much at all due to the training they've been doing for that time). What might be great for person A might kill B, and what works for B might kill C. Without any frame of reference it's tough to know - hence you kind of wing it and use a cookie cutter approximation to get an idea so you have something to work off of. I wish I could say "Do X, Y, Z" but there is no easy perscription that will hold for one person and work accross a large spectrum at multiple levels.

These are the kind of details that I'd assume Glenn was getting at. How does this look within a week, and then week to week. Microcycle/Mesocycle - maybe even more than one mesocycle if this is being run in a periodized fashion.

 

[Vita]

i've decided to work every other squat to be heavy/light. strength/endurance respectively.

i'll let you know how it works out