What do we think about breaking these workouts into shorter, more frequent bouts when we're just running out of hours in the day? I could devote an hour to the barbell just about every day, but my life is such that it's very hard to find 2 hours in any day. I'm 52 years old and a perpetual novice who tries very hard to keep progressing but understands that at my age "deloads happen." My work schedule is not flexible. I train in my garage so I don't have to travel to the gym, deal with locker room crap or wait for equipment. But it is hot in summer and cold in winter (St. Louis) and I do have to move stuff around before and put it back after I train and I have to set up the bar and rack for each lift. Taking a lighter squat day on the days I press and deadlift has been good. Also subbing cleans for deadlifts on the heavy squat days has not hurt. And I've been resorting to broken sets more frequently. Like the last time I benched it went 5,4,3,3. Still got 15 reps, just took 4 instead of 3 sets. Whenever that happens I almost always get the weight (or even progress the weight) in unbroken sets of 5 the next time. So why not break up some of these workouts? Like just heavy squats one day, presses and some conditioning another, cleans and deadlifts another, and light squats and bench press another. There is something super macho about going full out in the squat rack then turning around and pulling a 5rm deadlift in the same workout, but is it essentail for progress? Is there some training effect from working "full body" every session that is missed when we focus our entire workout on one movement?
This is exactly what is described in the 4 day split in the Grey book.
i f you read BBrx by sully, he mentions that this type of modifcation for a master is just fine. sounds like youre doing good. unless you plan to compete, i dont think squatting and DLing heavy in the same session is a neccessity.