Increase Volume, Lower Frequency?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hi Guys,

I’ve been on a 3day split for a while now and was thinking of mixing things up a bit, to keep the interest up.

I’m thinking of upping the volume whilst lowering the frequency over the next 12 weeks.

Something along the lines of

4 weeks of 3xfull body, then
4 weeks of a 2day split and finally
4 weeks of a 3day split.

I particulary need a change to help keep motivation up.

My fullbody workout is currently

(All 2sets of 8 reps)

O/H Press
Squats
SLDL
Dips
Rows
EZ Skulls
EZ Curls

This would be split over the 2 and 3 day split periods with extra sets added.

What do you guys think?

Training for size mostly.

Phil

2

[quote]bunnykilla wrote:
…
My fullbody workout is currently

(All 2sets of 8 reps)

O/H Press
Squats
SLDL
Dips
Rows
EZ Skulls
EZ Curls

[/quote]

You’re missing a vertical pulling movement (Chin-up, Pull-up or Pull-down) and horizontal pressing movement (some Bench Press variant).

You planned to be doing same workout 3x a week for 4 weeks. To pull it off, I think you would have to decrease volume to just one work set, with 2-3 lighter warm-ups.

In fact, I think better solution would be to make each phase last just 2 weeks. Then you could start with 2 work sets, possibly 3 for leg exercises, since you have just two of them.

How exactly? I was thinking that in the second phase you can still keep doing full body each time, but split the exercises, like:

A - Squat, Bench, Row, Triceps
B - DL, OH Press, Pulldown, Biceps

With this you can try doing 3 work sets of 6-8.

Finally, in the third phase, make a legs/push/pull split.

A - Squat, DL, Abs
B - Bench, OH Press, Triceps
C - Rows, Pulldown, Biceps

Try going for 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps here.

So, what do you think?

3

For the 2 day split I was thinking

Mon: Legs and Shoulders
Tues: Back, Chest and Arms
Wed off
Thursday repeat Mon
Fri repeat Tues

For the 3 day iy’s

Mon: Legs ans Shoulders
Wed: Chest and tris
Fri: Back and Bis

I’ve been on 3xfullbody for about 9 weeks now, I may shorten the forst 3xfullbody phase to two weeks like you suggested and keep the 2x8 work sets.

Phil

4

Ok. Good luck, Phil.

5

I’ve been thinking about alternating the sessions between maximum exertion and repitiion workouts (ala westside for skinny bstds).

Would this be a viable way to go for a bit of variety?

6

Whilst?

7

[quote]Magister Ludi wrote:
Whilst?[/quote]

Sorry, Whilst on

3xfullbody eg
Mon Max Exertion
Wed Repitions
Fri Max Exertion

2 day split
Mon Max Exertion
Tues Repitition
Wed off
Thurs repeat Mon but Repition
Fri repeat Tues but Max Exertion

Just thinking out alound, trying to inject some variety into the training to keep the interest up whilst still keeping it productive,

Phil

8

You say you training for size, and you’re doing 3 whole-body workout per week already, why you try to increase volume AND decrease frequency?

you better follow Chad Waterbury’s High Frequency style.

increase frequency first, then increase volume.

this way you can improve your recovery ability, and gaining a lot of size at the same time!!

and for variety, you can read his articles more, in the program he provided there’re lots of exercises you can choose.

it works for me. i think it should work for you.

9

Thanks Monster,

I’ll have a look for Chad articles on high frequency.

Phil

10

[quote]Monster Wong wrote:
…
you better follow Chad Waterbury’s High Frequency style.

increase frequency first, then increase volume.
[/quote]

The way I see it, increasing frequency IS acutally increasing volume, in a way that might spare your CNS, since daily load is limited. You also get the benefit of synaptic faciliation, or simply put, you practice lifts more often. On the other hand, possible problems include overworking a certain weak link (low-back, shoulders), and using too much volume in total, since high-frequency is something you have to work ease up into.

What is better is hard to say since there are successful programs which use more volume per single session or high-frequency. But, I think bunnykilla has made a decent plan, and if he works hard on it, he will have personal expirience of what works for him.

11

[quote]slotan wrote:
Monster Wong wrote:
…
you better follow Chad Waterbury’s High Frequency style.

increase frequency first, then increase volume.

The way I see it, increasing frequency IS acutally increasing volume, in a way that might spare your CNS, since daily load is limited. You also get the benefit of synaptic faciliation, or simply put, you practice lifts more often. On the other hand, possible problems include overworking a certain weak link (low-back, shoulders), and using too much volume in total, since high-frequency is something you have to work ease up into.

What is better is hard to say since there are successful programs which use more volume per single session or high-frequency. But, I think bunnykilla has made a decent plan, and if he works hard on it, he will have personal expirience of what works for him.

[/quote]

you should read Chad’s Bodybuilding’s Next Frontier, in there he explain so detail how he put together a high-frequency program.

why i suggest bunnykilla to increase frequency rather than volume because he’s already doing whole-body program 3x per week, he can work right up to 4x per week with careful control of total volume. he’s on the right track on increasing training frequency.

12

[quote]Monster Wong wrote:

you should read Chad’s Bodybuilding’s Next Frontier, in there he explain so detail how he put together a high-frequency program.

[/quote]

I already did a while ago. And I don’t agree with him on everything. He also took quite a bit of criticism for that one.

[quote]
why i suggest bunnykilla to increase frequency rather than volume because he’s already doing whole-body program 3x per week, he can work right up to 4x per week with careful control of total volume. he’s on the right track on increasing training frequency.[/quote]

You seem to think that increasing training frequency in particular is sort of a magic bullet. I see it just as a way of increasing total volume, with some positive aspects and some drawbacks.

13

[quote]slotan wrote:
You seem to think that increasing training frequency in particular is sort of a magic bullet. I see it just as a way of increasing total volume, with some positive aspects and some drawbacks. [/quote]

that’s not “Magic” bullet, but i’ve been training for 10 years, and i start with bodypart splits, and after several years i’m bigger, but my cardiovascular system sucks. At that time i come to T-Nation, and follow some of Chad’s whole-body program, and i found out that it takes me very long time to build back up the frequency, and after i get used to it, my body’s recovery ability improved!! and now i can train 4x per week, using whole-body workouts with no problem.

i just see because he try to back down on frequency, later it may take longer to build back up. that’s why i suggest him to continue the “High Frequency” way.

14

[quote]Monster Wong wrote:

that’s not “Magic” bullet, but i’ve been training for 10 years, and i start with bodypart splits, and after several years i’m bigger, but my cardiovascular system sucks. At that time i come to T-Nation, and follow some of Chad’s whole-body program, and i found out that it takes me very long time to build back up the frequency, and after i get used to it, my body’s recovery ability improved!! and now i can train 4x per week, using whole-body workouts with no problem.
[/quote]

I understand what you’re saying, so our disagreement is purely technical: I just happen to think that before trying 4x a week fullbody, Phil could try a bit more volume on 2-3x a week program. But, I guess it’s a matter of personal preference.

But, he plans to do that as a part of a 6 or 12 weeks program. Decreasing frequency and increasing volume per workout in this case isn’t permanent decision, but a way of carrying out training periodization.

Thanks for the discussion.