Hi Paul,
I want to organize my next couple months by prioritizing different muscle groups in each cycle (with a single cycle lasting about 6-9 weeks), it would be a cycle focused on pulling, one on pushing and one on legs, since I’ve been loving the PPL approach ever since I read your article about it.
So while the focus area gets pushed, I want to keep the others in “maintenance mode” - one other thing of yours I read but never tried is that a training option could be to stick to the same weight and sets/reps until it feels stupid light, was wondering if this approach could be used for the areas in maintenance mode?
So while I push a specific area, the others don’t progress in volume and weight, but I can focus on bar speed, technique and such, mastering the weight and getting a starting point for the following focus area(s).
Thanks!
Maintenance work is just that - you’re just maintaining. The main thing is to not detract from your recovery that is needed to train really hard for whatever area you’re specializing.
I for maintenance I would always just get in and out in 30-40 minutes and get a pump. You don’t have to do very much work at all just to maintain something.
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Thanks!
That’s more or less what I had in mind for the maintenance workouts
-main exercise, a few sets in strength range (moderate intensity);
-either a few light backoff sets of the main exercise or a supplemental exercise done in 350 method;
-one “bigger” assistance exercise (machine based, i.e. leg press) OR two smaller assistance exercises done zig-zag (i.e. db bench and cable cross);
by picking a moderate intensity and sticking to the same weight throughout all the weeks it’s perfectly doable in 30-40 mins, including the prehab work I do at every workout (pull aparts, dislocators, face pulls)
I think that’s way too much thought into “maintenance”.
Literally maintenance is “walk into the gym…pick something…do 1-2 sets and be done”. Way way too much overthinking about maintenance.
Is that enough to maintain both strength and hypertrophy? How would you do those 1-2 money sets? Maybe a heavy-ish triple followed by a backoff set of 8-10 “challenging” reps?
Another thing, if you usually train (say) bench and press on separate days, when you put the push workouts in maintenance do you still train both on separate days, or reduce frequency too and just hit one per week?
LOL they weren’t “money sets”. Once again I think you’re putting way too much thought into this.
Like WAYYYY too much thought into it.