4 day TM split?

[Latissimus65]

I'll give a short background. 5'9". I'm a little heavier/stronger than this now but lifts @ 181lbs using 1RM calculator = 405/345/460 (never full out maxed on dead, so this is probably higher too). Squat is high bar and deadlift is conventional if it means anything. Poor shoulder flexibility caused me to injure something in my back while doing low bar last December. Haven't been able to do it since.

Training styles:
December 2007 - May 2009 = Only bodyweight exercises
June 2009 - July 2012 = Typical bodybuilding style splits
End of July 2012 - Present = Strength routines and actually training correctly

So from late July 2012 to early April 2013 I was on Madcow. I didn't gain weight too quickly throughout this time (2-3lbs/month) and made awesome strength and size gains. Since my goals are half bodybuilding and half powerlifting, I added a bit of accessory work that wasn't part of the program to target weaknesses. This only really included an additional bicep iso, and some calf raises. For the past 1.5 months I've been on a 4 day upper/lower intermediate routine modeled after one recommended from Alberto Nunez of Team 3DMJ. But I realized that I'd much rather be on an actual strength program and just manipulate the accessories to target weaknesses, etc. So I went looking for a 4 day strength program (4 days so I can add additional accessories without harming the main lifts or making the days much longer than they need to be). Madcow was already taking me a couple hours while I was making sure I hit all the weights. So I realized that I could split up the volume day of TM and change it to upper volume, lower volume, upper intensity, and lower intensity. This is just a random template I came up with.

Upper Volume:
Bench 5x5
Row 3x6
Tricep iso 3x8
Chin 3x10

Lower Volume:
Squat 5x5
Front Squat 3x8
Leg Curl 3x10
Calves 5x6
Abs 3x10

Upper Intensity:
Press 1x5
Row 3x8
Incline Bench 3x8
Bicep Iso 3x10

Lower Intensity:
Squat 1x5
Deadlift 1x5
GHR 3x8
Calves 5x10
Abs 3x10

Bench and Press would be switched the following week, then repeat. I also feel as if there's a bit much leg work that might hinder progression from one lower to the next. Legs/calves are my biggest weakness. I was also thinking of volume benching 3x5 (press still 5x5) instead b/c I don't really need the extra pushing and my wrist tends to act up with the heavy volume work. That may screw up the volume to intensity ratio for bench though.


What do you think about this set up? Thanks for any feedback.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I would need to know where your actual lifts are at today, not based on a 1rm calculator. Only thing that jumped out at me on this program was the 3x8 front squats right after 5x5 squats. Ouch.

[Latissimus65]

I would need to know where your actual lifts are at today, not based on a 1rm calculator. Only thing that jumped out at me on this program was the 3x8 front squats right after 5x5 squats. Ouch.

Yea, I meant to remove the front squats before submitting. The other reason being that I already do high bar and they're too similar. And I assumed the lifts wouldn't matter at this point in terms of structuring a split. I'm working off of 3x5, 5x5, etc style sets right now, so I'm not sure of my single sets. I haven't hit full out maxes on these volume sets either. Squat seems to be getting close and I'll be doing 325x5x5 later today. I peaked up to 350x4 squat, 300x5 bench, and a 390x5 deadlift 1.5 months ago. The maxes wouldn't be too much higher than that because I reset everything after.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

1RMs are not necessarily important. Just any viable strength training rep range and the weight you use will give me an idea of where you are at in your training.

My favorite "power building" split for a late stage intermediate is:

Mon - Bench + Chest stuff
Tues - Squats + Prowler
Thurs - Press + Delt/Tricep stuff
Friday - Deads + Back stuff

Basically the focus of each workout is on the one main lift for that day in some sort of planned out scheme for increasing weight on the bar over time. Then once that is done, you follow up with a limited amount of bodybuilding type crap to get a pump and grow.

This is my plan and I am an enormous fucking beast.