advanced novice variation

[simonsky]

what do you guys think about my program:

Mondays
squat
bench/press
cleans (fixed on this day)

Wednesday
squat
b/p
chins or snatch (fixed)

Fridays
squat (light)
b/p
deads (fixed)

as you can see its like the advanced novice template where there is a light squat day though i put it on fridays so that it goes with my deads.

i put those on friday coz i want and still can pull 2x a week unlike the real advanced novice template where you only pull once a week though as you can see I prioritize my cleans and have a light pull day in between my clean and dead session to not avoid overtraining.

the only problem I have with is squats, does the light day on friday serve its purpose considering that it follows two rest days? or it is just plain stupidity and why dont i just not squat on fridays instead of putting light days?

[PVC]

Why don't you just put the light squat day on Wednesday?

[simonsky]

like i said i want to have the light squat day along with my deadlift, and i only deadlift on friday.

i'm not doing this program just want you opinion

[PVC]

My opinion is that the light squat day is supposed to be in the middle of the training week, or else it kind of defeats the purpose.

[Greg C]

My opinion is that the light squat day is supposed to be in the middle of the training week, or else it kind of defeats the purpose.

Really? Isn't that a bit microscopic in view? If I look bigger picture, his plan looks like:

M BS/BP/PC
W BS/SP/Chin
F light BS/ BP/DL
M BS/SP/PC
W BS/BP/Snatch
F light BS/SP/DL

instead of

M BS/BP/PC
W light BS/SP/Chin
F BS/BP/DL
M BS/SP/PC
W Light BS/BP/Snatch
F BS/SP/DL

so, why does it matter, really? The long weekend is only in there for convenience for most people anyway, since most people are on a week to week cycle. So who cares where the light day is in advanced novice. I can easily look macroscopically and say its in the middle of the week in either plan. Just depends on perspective - in his version, the week starts on Wednesday.

OP - This works fine, although there are some other differences from the PPST adv novice that I think are interesting.

[simonsky]

my question is that do the light days seem to be just a break and the two days after fridays serve that purpose or a light day on wednesday, monday, or friday give the same results in terms of giving a break?

Greg can what are some variations that you say are interesting? are there any more variations that make you pull from the floor more than once a week?

[Greg C]

The way I read PPST (and you should read it and determine your opinion, as well as search to make sure Rip has clarified it here - I'm sure he has) is that the light day is included as a precursor to intermediate programming. You are at the point where you can no longer recover fast enough to add 5# each session, but 2 out of 3 is possible. The light sets aid in recovery. Does this answer your question?

I thought the addition of oly interesting. (I have a plan to do something similar if I ever get this old body healed and get through novice, sigh).

I had a plan to use the light day for oly work (alternating C&J with SN and OHS depending on the cycle)

[PVC]

Riddle me this: if someone is advanced enough that they need a light day of squatting, it's because they can't increase their squat by 5#, 3 times a week. Right?

If the light day is as the OP prescribed, i.e.:

Mon - Heavy Squat
Wed - Heavy Squat
Fri - Light Squat

Then you alternate between a two day break and a five day break between heavy squat sessions. But I was under the impression that the light day is required because two days isn't enough recovery time for the trainee to squat heavy again.

Also, you've misunderstood what I meant by "middle of the training week". I meant it as the day that is preceeded by a training session two days earlier, and is followed by a training session two days later (on a 3-day-per-week training schedule). So the middle of the training week couldn't be Friday on a MWF schedule, because the Friday is followed by a training session three days later. Friday would be the middle of the training week on a Wed-Fri-Sun schedule. See?

Anyways, if the light squat day is programmed in the middle of the training week, such as:

Mon - Heavy Squats
Wed - Light Squats
Fri - Heavy Squats

then you alternate between having three and four days between heavy squats. This just makes more sense to me. If the trainee has trouble recovering from squats after a two day break, then why would you program heavy squats two days apart and then have a five day break before you do them again?

[DV]

I like this setup on the pulling excercises. I've wondering how to get chins in my programme (for my shitty elbows), when I reset, and start programming light squats.

Considering that I find that my squats need more of the active recovery than the pulling excercises, I would probably follow your template, but just put the light squats on wednesdays in stead.

Back in the day when I did some TM (and could lift somewhat heavy) I used Wed as a truly "light" day, which made squatting and deadlifting heavy on friday less of a chore.

But in your case I'd just try it out, and see how it went. You can always switch the squats around, if you feel bombed on wednesdays.

[Greg C]

Also, you've misunderstood what I meant by "middle of the training week". I meant it as the day that is preceeded by a training session two days earlier, and is followed by a training session two days later (on a 3-day-per-week training schedule). So the middle of the training week couldn't be Friday on a MWF schedule, because the Friday is followed by a training session three days later. Friday would be the middle of the training week on a Wed-Fri-Sun schedule. See?

I didn't misunderstand you. But I see your point here. If the OP is dead set on DL on Friday, then the shift to a Friday as mid- training week point makes the best sense.