Old Forum Feedback on a Barbell Split

[LoneRider]

For the past three plus years the Rule of Ten, as outlined in both Power to the People and later Easy Strength done in an A/B split 2-3x a week has been my go-to program if for some reason (generally a boss that likes us to do PT as a group) I cannot train as I normally would like to train.

I recently encountered an article on Myosynthesis.com that inspired another 2-3x/week split for barbell training that I wanted to share with the forum and get some feedback on.

First off the article is linked here: Article on Bulgarian Style Training on Myosynthesis.com

I don't intend to train 7/week as Abadjiev's athletes would. To me that defeats the purpose of the Rule of Ten (however intoxicating strength training is) and strength training easily without affecting other things I have to worry about.

However the article gave a nice 3x exercise template for an A/B split that I liked quite a bit. The general template is below and sounded like a nice same but different of what I've been doing all along (squat, deadlift, press, bench press, pullups are my five staple exercises whenever I have to 'go minimalist' with my training):

Session A
Squat
Press
Pull
Session B
Pull
Press
Pull

My own split is this one:

Session A:

Front Squat
Military Press (powercleaning bar at start of each set)
Deadlift

Session B:

Weighted Pullups
Bench Press
Snatch Grip Deadlift (I read a recent article on this exercise at T-Nation and on Elite FTS and was curious to add this to the repertoire)

Training would be done 2-3 times a week with an A/B format and following this scheme of sets and reps from Easy Strength: 

3x3 (Heavy)
5x2 (Heavier)
2x5 (Light)
6x1 (Sorta Max)
5,3,2 (Moderate, with increasing weight each set)

Just looking to see if there are any recommendations anyone has to this particular split and also wanted to share this idea with the forum on the barbell side of the fence.

 

[Journeyman]

Matt Perryman is brilliant. You can't go wrong by reading his stuff.

I think your idea is quite solid. Basically, it is similar to the 40-day plan but has more variety (alternating A and B days).

The only thing I'd worry about is doing PC and DL day one and then SNGDL on day 2. You might have to go very very light in order to recover effectively, and the volume isn't high enough to really GTG, especially if you aren't doing the same movements every day. Perhaps just do FS/C&P/PU day one, and BP/SNGDL day two?

The other thing, just to get used to it I'd personally stick with 2x5 or 5-3-2 (pick one) every day for a little while just to get more accustomed to putting the movements together in this manner, before incorporating the set/rep variety.

 

[LoneRider]

I've been a big fan of 5,3,2 (I especially love Dan John's variant that increases weight between sets and challenges the athlete to 'make that double') so I'd probably go with 5,3,2 on that one.

I assume for deadlifting and powercleaning in one day is a lot of risk to the lower back? I've done so before with a previous barbell program with no issues, granted the split (a more Sheyko inspired split since I was pressing quite a lot) was more like this:

Session A:

Clean and Press
Bench Press
Front Squat

Session B

Clean and Press
Bench Press
Deadlift

I assume that a single deadlift variant for the idea I designed in the original post is a better idea versus two different deadlift.

aris, thanks for the feedback, it's giving me a lot to think of.

 

[LoneRider]

I've done some further refining on this one, actually and instead of having two deadlift variants I simplified it to using the snatch grip deadlift on both days to allow for 'greasing the groove' and targeting the  upper and mid back as well for my pulling work.

To start I probably would use a structured wave cycle, with a 5,3,2 rep scheme (adding weight with each subsequent set, like Dan John mentions in his versions of 5-3-2, making that double with solid form).

My refined A/B split would look like this:

Session A:

Front Squat
Clean and Press
Snatch Grip Deadlift

Session B:

Weighted Pullups
Bench Press
Snatch Grip Deadlift

Following the words of Thoreau I decided to 'simplify, simplify' this particular split that I would use if I ever have a dogmatic boss that insists that everyone do mandatory unit PT instead of individual PT.

 

[Journeyman]

Looks good to me, man. All there is to do now is put it into action.

I do believe that doing two pulls off the floor in the same day (C&P, SNGDL) might be a bit taxing. I doubt you'd risk injury as long as your technique is sound, but it could add up fast if you plan on lifting every day.

Straps might also be a good idea if you plan on DL daily... your hands will thank you. If not, you could DL every other day and arrange all your pulls on one day to save your hands:

day 1-FS, BP

day 2-C&P, PU, SNGDL

So day one is squat/press and day 2 is pull/press

Yet another idea:

day 1-BP, FS, SNGDL

day 2-C&P, PU

so press/squat/pull and pull/press/pull. Which, iirc, is Perryman's recommendation for daily training.

So there are a bunch of different ways to juggle this; I think your current idea is good though and after just a few days you'll probably be able to tell if things might be better were they shifted around just a bit.

 

[LoneRider]

I figured as much. I figure start conservatively with loading and the like, because its usually arrogance and stupidity that injure most would be strongmen.

Thanks for the feedback, again, Aris.

I would keep this to 3x or at most 4x sessions per week, or as few as 2x/week as this low volume, heavy load program would be done around mandatory unit physical training (which tends to never emphasize strength/power).

I had used a PTTP inspired routine built around the three powerlifts and overhead press in a 2x5 (later 2x3 so I could handle heavier weights) scheme of sets and reps (one heavy and the other 90% of the first) in order to get the strength training I found lacking in the PT program the major had the staff doing at the time.

 

[LoneRider]

This program described here is a 'nuclear option' so to speak if I once again encounter a boss that insists the entire staff PT together instead of take ownership of their own fitness and train alone.

 

[Journeyman]

Wow, that's awful. How do people go along with a policy like that?!

Varying the frequency is a good way to work this, I think. Just take a day off here or there as needed, and as long as you're doing it at least a few days a week, and more often when possible, the cumulative effect will be such that forward progress will be quite sustainable.

And no problem man, always happy to talk shop especially about programming.

 

[LoneRider]

How do people go along with a policy like that? Well we obey and follow the routines. Some guys don't train off duty some do train off duty. I was in the latter camp, training at lunch or after work.

I read through my old training logs and saw my notes on how I recovered, how I trained, etc. Pulling out the original Power to the People (thank you again, Pavel for writing that), I built a routine that was like this:

Session A:

Bench Press
Back Squat

Session B:

Overhead Press (from rack)
Deadlift

A scheme of 2x5 (later 2x3) with the second set as a drop set allowed for some cumulative gains of strength between the winter of 2011 and summer of 2012. In that timeframe I actually broke 200 lbs benching for a triple at 165 lbs of bodyweight (not impressive but for me breaking 200 for more than a single rep was a big deal at the time) and on 5 May 2012 I deadlifted 385 lbs at the Tactical Strength Challenge. Before that 315 lbs had been my heaviest deadlift sometime in the fall of 2011 (I followed a CrossFit gym run by the US Marines online until I got told to train with the unit).

In the military one's boss and thus policies on everything from physical training to briefings can change rapidly and it helps me cope to have ways of being StrongFirst even if the regime's PT program doesn't emphasize strength training and I have to to train on my own to be strong.

 

[Journeyman]

Are you a serviceman? For some reason I thought you were a trainer and wondered how/why the gym owner would make everyone do the same routine.

If you have to cope with a regular PT regimen, shifting to a more autoregulated approach with that simple layout would probably be the best idea.

I know of one fellow who made tremendous progress as a powerlifter in the Marines, had to train instinctively to work around a rigorous PT schedule but ended up with a 300kg deadlift at 181 or so.

 

[LoneRider]

I am in the service, aris, with the US Army.

 

[LoneRider]

Power to the People's flexible wave cycle seems like the best way to go about it. I've normally used a blended approach of structured wave with aspects of flexible wave (like back cycling earlier than intended depending on how I feel that day) in the past with some success.