Post Novice Training spread out over 4 days instead of 2?

[VinceC]

I will be 58 later this year and have done barbell training on and off since my late 20's. I have recently gotten back into it and have progressed slowly to the post novice training outlined in your Practical Programming book.

Monday - Squats (5X5 ascending) Bench (1X3-5 2X5 back off) Chins
Thursday - Squats (4X5 ascending) Press (1X3-5 2X5 back off) Deadlift (1X3-5 1X5 back off)

I am retired and wanted to ask you if I could take the same routine and spread it across 4 days

Monday - Squats Chins
Tuesday - Bench Ab work
Thursday - Light squats Deadlift Light chins
Friday - Press Light Ab Work

I enjoy training and have the time to do it more than twice a week. I understand at my age, I must watch the volume so wanted to ask you if adding 2 extra sessions (without adding sets/reps to the main exercises) would be OK.

Thank you,
VinceC

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Yes this could work well. If you need more volume then you could always add in light press after heavy bench, light bench after heavy press.

[VinceC]

OK, for light squat day, I do all sets/reps except the 1X5 work set. If I add light press and bench, I will do 3 sets of 5 at 40%, 50%, and 60% of my work set max. Does that make sense or should I do bench and press like squats?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

You can do Bench and Press a little heavier than that. About a 10% offset is fine.

[VinceC]

Andy when you say light press or light bench, do you mean doing sets of 5,5,5,3,1 reps and stopping at the last warm up set? Or do you mean doing all the warm-up sets to the reduced 10% work set, followed by a few back-off sets of another 10% reduction? Thank you.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

In general we mean a set of 5 that is 5-10% less than your last heavy set of 5. Or 2-3 sets of 5 at 5-10% less than your last sets of 5 across workout. Depends a bit on the actual template you are following.