I have been getting some fairly good results over the last few months utilizing a high rep/low rep split that looks like this:
Monday- Heavy Squat Day
4-5 sets/3-5 reps of heavy squat work, followed by the same set/rep scheme for chest. I would then do moderate shoulder work and follow with weighted dips or something heavy for triceps.
Wednesday- Dynamic DL Day
4-5 sets of 8 reps of DL, followed by same set/rep scheme for chins or pullups. Moderate shoulder work and finish with 2-3 sets/8 reps or so of bicep work.
Friday- Dynamic Squat Day
4-5 sets of 8 reps of squat work, followed by same set/rep scheme for chest. Moderate shoulder work and finish with 2-3 sets/8 reps or so of tricep work.
Following Monday- Heavy DL day
4-5 sets/3-5 reps of heavy DL work, followed by the same set/rep scheme for back (weighted chins or pullups). I would then do moderate shoulder work and follow with heavy curls or something heavy for biceps.
Repeat cycle. Before switching to the 3 times a week format, I used a similar structure but did them on MT, rest Wednesday and then ThF, so it went Heavy Squat, Light DL-rest-Light Squat, Heavy DL. I had great success on this program for 4-5 weeks, but then started to taper off. I was losing interest and having a hard time putting my best effort into each workout. When I switched to 3x a week, I felt like I had more energy to invest into each workout, and progress continued. My BodPod results have been improving each time at a slow and steady pace. I've lost fat a lot quicker in the past, but most likely at the cost of muscle mass. Right now I'm around 170 and would like to put on about 5 or 6 pounds, while slowly changing my body composition and minimizing fat gain. I thought for a change of pace, I'd dust off an old training manual I used in High School that gave me great results. Of course, as a teenager, nearly anything will work, but I reread it the other day, and a lot of the information holds true- some of which was seen as radical and unconventional in the 90s, but has since been verified by science. The protocol calls for 4 days a week again, but because each session is very short and intense, I'm going to give it a shot. This is primarily a mass gaining program, and I'm typically not one who puts on mass very quickly, so I'm curious to see what would happen. I still am much more fond of strength training as opposed to hypertrophy training, but aesthetics are still important enough to me to try and get the size and shape that's right for my body and then build as much relative strength as is possible. I'd much rather be strong than big, but I still need to be able to pummel any of Ava and Aria's boyfriends should the need arise.
I've been doing zero cardio since the beginning of the year, which is new for me, but as hypertrophy is a primary goal as of right now, I don't want to induce more stress to the adaptive systems of the body than is necessary. I've walked on the treadmill a few times to burn a few extra calories, but mostly I've just been lifting weights. As it is difficult to put on mass while minimizing fat gain, I've been very conscientious about how many calories I'm eating on a daily basis, but as an experiment in long term diet adherence, not so concerned about what I'm eating. I'm trying to hit the right macros, but have eaten cereal nearly every night, burgers two or three times a week and pretty much whatever else I want when I'm in the mood. As long as I'm within my macros, I eat it. Interestingly enough, I've been eating this way since last December, and my bf% has consistently gone down. Granted, I let myself put on a bunch of fat before I decided to take it off again, (currently at 18%) so I'm starting with a lot more than I traditionally carry, (around 12%) but nonetheless, it is coming off and I hardly notice any discomfort. Bottom line is, if I can eat the way I eat and still lose fat, no matter how gradual it is, I'm okay with it, because I could live this way forever. The no white sugar, flour or awesome Hostess Powdered Donettes, diet- though effective, is no way to live your life. Food is too awesome to avoid. Just don't be an idiot. Self-mastery in everything, right? Eat whatever you want, just not as much as you want. (Most the time- ain't nothing wrong with an occasional churrascaria)
So yesterday was my first day on this new program and I'll get a new BodPod tomorrow so I can get a good indication of what is and isn't working. If I start to lose strength over the next few weeks, I'll probably bag it and get back on my strength programs, because I've worked too hard to sacrifice all my strength even for prettier looking muscles. As of right now, my main lifts are as follows: (last test was at 165 lbs)
Deadlift 345 lbs x 1
Squat 325 x 1
Bench 240 x 1 (This is cool because the last time I benched was several years ago and my max was 215. All of the strength gains came from ring work and db incline presses. I steer clear from bb work on the bench because it irritates my bursitis in my shoulders.
Not powerlifter numbers by any means, but still respectable and the results of a lot of hard work. I'm interested to see where my strength and size will go after revisiting this new program for a season. Stay tuned!
