I have used a Westside upper/lower protocol with great success for since March. However, I am looking to switch it up now and am looking to use an A-B whole body routine using an undulated periodization for the loading parameters. The following is an example of how it would play out over two weeks:
Week 1:
Day 1: 5 x 2 (Workout A)
Day 2: 4 x 6 (Workout B)
Day 3: 3 x 10 (Workout A)
Week 2:
Day 1: 5 x 2 (Workout B)
Day 2: 4 x 6 (Workout A)
Day 3: 3 x 10 (Workout B)
What do you guys think?
What do you hope to accomplish with the program? Strength increases primarily, gains in absolute strength, etc.?
Also, if you post what a given training week might be like in terms of exercise selection, that might help as well.
-MAtt
I dont think you can name the third letter of the alphabet.
Only 2 reps? That’s probably to hard on your joints, especially if you plan to do that every week.
I’d go something like this
5x5
4x7
3x10
[quote]Matgic wrote:
What do you hope to accomplish with the program? Strength increases primarily, gains in absolute strength, etc.?
Also, if you post what a given training week might be like in terms of exercise selection, that might help as well.
-MAtt[/quote]
I will be dropping some weight (from 200-205 to 189) for wrestling for most of the time I am going to be using this, although I will have two weeks of doing this without being on a diet. I will be looking for overall strength gains as well as the preservation of muscle mass or possibly an increase. I won’t have the time to do a Westside-based routine (which I have used since March) nor the recovery capacity in the fall with an outside wrestling club and school, and I have read undulating routines are very effective for both strength and muscle mass. Here is what I plan on the routines being:
Routine A
A1) Thick-Bar Overhead Press (vertical push)
A2) Weighted Chin-Variation (vertical pulling)
B1) Barbell Bulgarian Squat (unilateral quad dominant)
B2) One-Leg RDL (hip-dominant unilateral)
C1) Abdominal Exercise
C2) Grip Exercise
Routine B
A1) Dead-Stop Front Squat(quad-dominant push)
A2) Stiff-Leg Deadlift (hip-dominant bilateral)
B1) 1-Arm Barbell Row (horizontal pull)
B2) Weighted Suspended Chain Push-Up (horizontal push)
C1) Abdominal Exercise
C2) Grip Exercise
So with an A-B routine and three days per week to train, routine A would be performed twice the first week and once the second week, routine B once the first and twice the second. You wouldn’t repeat the same exercise selection with the same set/rep range for two weeks.
Honestly looks like a good workout, I’d love to know how it goes. Looks like a good routine for a MMA guy, as well as wrestlers like you. Good luck!
[quote]supermick wrote:
I dont think you can name the third letter of the alphabet.[/quote]
LOL
Isn’t undulating when those women go “LALALALALALALA” with their tongues? That stuff is so cool.
Not that it matters, but I’d switch days 1 & 2.
Hi Kombatathlete,
The routine looks good. But I might suggest splitting up the unilateral/bilateral lower body exercises.
For instance, do the Stiff-legged deadlift on the day that you do Barbell Bulgarian split squats, and do dead-stop front squats on the day you do one legged RDL.
Personally I’ve found that trying to do 2 heavy compound lifts (like deads and squats) on the same day is not only much harder on the CNS, but also ends up with one of the exercises suffering on intensity.
In other words, after 10 sets of 3 heavy reps of dead-stop front squats, you’re probably going to find that you can’t go as heavy on SLDL’s as you normally could (or vice versa).
By splitting the exercises up between the 2 routines you’ll be able to put your all into both of your heavy compound lifts.
I’d also agree as well that if your goals are strength and size, then an 8 x 2 set/rep scheme probably isn’t ideal. I’d suggest that you try to at least get a total volume of 24 reps.
Good luck and good training,
Sentoguy
oops, my bad, I meant to say 5 x 2 isn’t ideal.