Twice a week set-up

[davidM]

Hi,
I’m 45 and can only train twice a week now because of job problems. I cannot make up my mind, my first set-up is a simple:


A SQUAT BENCH
B DEADLIFT PRESS
For these, I’d like to follow the 2x5 1x5+ style.
What kind of assistance exercises and sets/reps schemes would you add here?

My second option is:


week 1
Tue. SQUAT
Thu. BENCH

Week 2
Tue. PRESS
Thu. DEADLIFT

In this case I’m a litte concerned about doing the big exercises only once a week. Assistance work could be RDL or volume DL on Squat day; volume Press and chins on bench day; volume incline or close grip Bench and curl on Press day and volume Squat and Db row or Lat pulldown on DL day.
I’d like to focus on size and strenght now, at least for a couple of months.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks a lot.
David

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I like this very simple program:

Squat - 4-6RM, Back off 10-15
Bench - to 4-6RM, then 2 x 8-12
DB Row/Lat Pulldowns/Chins 3-5 x 8-12
Accessory Upperbody

Squat - 5 x 5 - light
Press - to 4-6RM, then 2 x 8-12
Deadlifts 4-6RM, then back off 8-12 (could be sldl)
Accessory Upperbody


This is hard but effective

[Dillman]

Andy do you mean one back off set for squats between 10 and 15 reps or several sets adding up to 10 or 15 reps at a back off weight? Also how do you determine the back off weight?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

One back off set for 10-15 reps. Just pick a weight that seems reasonable for that amount of repetitions. You might start conservatively to get yourself used to that type of rep range. Maybe do 15 reps with a weight that could be done for a steady paced set of 20.

[barna284]

I'm sorry if I´m being dense, but does the 4-6RM in the Squat-Bench-Press-Deadlifts indicate to work up to a (daily, reasonable) 4-6RM max? If so, how many sets do you usually take? I'm used to straight sets and never really worked a lot with ramp ups to a max.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Yes, just one set between 4-6 reps.

Example workout:

Bar x 20
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 6
225 x 12

[quinn]

KSC,

A while back you mentioned using a Starr-ish two day H/L setup for older trainees. Is this it? Or would you put all the heavy work on day 1 and all the light work on day 2?

[Dillman]

Andy this program seems pretty interesting. If one were to add conditioning to it would you do it between the workouts or the same day. For conditioning I am thinking of a tabata of some sort, barbell complexes, or sled pulling/pushing.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

The heavy light set up can be formatted many different ways. This is just one iteration of that program.....which really isn't a program, but a set of principles.

I generally put the deadlifts on the light squat day. it doesn't seem to matter whether you bench or press on heavy or light day when doing the twice weekly program. I suppose if I HAD to pick I would squat heavy and bench on one day, and then squat light, press, and deadlift on the other. It seems to work well.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Monday - Lift heavy
Tuesday - Condition
Weds - Off
Thursday - Lift light
Friday - Conditiion
Sat - Condition
Sun - Off