Advanced Novice 4 Day Split

[Jake Leuty]

I have been doing the NLP for just short of 4 months now and have made great progress. I am 5'9" 260 lbs.

My lifts started at:

Squat 115
Press 95
Bench 185
DL 185

Currently:

Squat 320
Press 167.5
Bench 250
DL 335

I cut cleans a few weeks back because I have a broken heel and they were giving me tendinitis in my Achilles. I asked on a Barbell Logic video, and they confirmed that I should switch to rows. The only other change I have made is I made Wednesday a light squat day because I was having a hard time recovering after I broke 310 lbs.

Long story short, with a new baby a 4 day split would fit much better into my schedule. With that in mind I have made the following program, but I am waiting for you input to start:

Monday:
Squat 5x3
Press 5x3
Chins AMRAPx3 (Usually 3-5 reps. I am fat so I use a band)

Tuesday:
DL 5x1
Row 8x3
Bench 5x3

Thursday:
Squat 5x3
Press 5x3
Chins AMRAPx3

Friday:
DL 5x1
Row 8x3
Bench 5x3

Thanks for your input!

[Michael Wolf]

I'd just start an upper/lower split if you need four shorter workouts. DL and bench the day after squat and press won't work as well, when you're trying to add weight rapidly as you are right now.

Mon: Press 3x5 add weight, Bench3x5 @90% of last time, chins
Thurs: Bench 3x5 add weight, Press 3x5 @90% of last time, chins
- so you'll do both 2x/week, but add weight to each once a week. Quasi early intermediate but OK, you're making a lifestyle compromise now anyway.

Tues: Squat 3x5 add weight, DL 1x5 add weight
Fri: Squat 3x5 add weight, Rows 3x5-8

[Jake Leuty]

Thanks! I don't mean to further complicate things, but do you think it would still be effective to cut chins and replace with rows on Mon & Thurs, then replace the former Friday rows slot with a second DL? Will I be sacrificing much in the way of strength gains by moving away from a 3 day/wk program?

[Michael Wolf]

If you want to DL twice a week, cut rows out altogether for now. You can put them back in later.

[johnsonrock]

Would this template you propose work for a 3/week schedule? You have four workouts detailed here. So Monday: workout 1, Wednesday: workout 2, Friday: workout 3, Monday: workout 4, Wednesday: workout 1. Or do you think it’s not enough exposure to the movements in a week the week ay I have it proposed? I like the idea of training two lifts/workout. I’m married with a family and work full time so these 2 hour workouts are starting to not work so well

[Michael Wolf]

Doing a 4 day split over 3 days a week isn't something I've used a lot of personally, but I'm pretty sure many of my colleagues at SSOC have used it with people who have time limitations like you do - family, job, etc... and it's been successful for many I do believe.

[johnsonrock]

Doing a 4 day split over 3 days a week isn't something I've used a lot of personally, but I'm pretty sure many of my colleagues at SSOC have used it with people who have time limitations like you do - family, job, etc... and it's been successful for many I do believe.

I’m going to see if I can implement the four workouts/week you have structured above. I could probably get them done in ~ one hour. One other question: on day three you have bench press 3x5 add weight and OHP 90% of previous 3x5. Would it be ok to swap out OHP 90% of previous 3x5 with incline barbell press 3x5 add weight?

[Michael Wolf]

Probably ok to swap PR for Incline Bench 1x/week, but I don't think you'll find the "add weight" part will work for long without impeding on the main lifts ability to go up each week.

I should note that I am not personally a fan of the incline bench at all and almost never use it with my lifters until they're quite advanced and often even not then, but I know others have different opinions and have used it for upper body work successfully.