I am using a modified PPL as my workout routine. As suggested in your article (The Very Best Workout Split For YOUR Goals), in the whole-body day I only do a squat, chin-ups, bench press and deadlift. At the end, I find this split very motivating.
Additionally, I’m using this article ( This Kills Your Weight Training Results. Let's Fix It ) as a reference for how much volume to do. Considering that the whole-body day is where I train for strength, I feel that maybe the volume per bodypart in this session is somehow low, and it will decrease with weeks, as I started with 4x8, moved to 4x5 and next week it should be now 4x3.
Maybe the volume is too much shifted to the “hypertrophy” days (PPL), and hence the frequency is 1x? Now I’m doing 70 hypertrophy sets distributed in these 3 days.
At the end, I feel the whole-body day as only for strength, due to the low volume per bodypart.
What do you think about this workout split and volume distribution?
The split is great. If using the whole body day for strength work then why do you think the volume is low on those days? More intensity = less volume, you cannot do both.
From the “This Kills Your Weight Training Results” article…
If you don't want to plateau, choose one of these options:
1. Push each set to its limit and do a small volume of work.
2. Keep a lot of reps in the tank (3-4) and do a high volume.
3. Keep a small to moderate number of reps in the tank (1-2) and do a moderate volume.
Don’t forget that the strength work allows you to lift heavier weights for more reps on your volume days - they work in tandem together. When you consider that a lot of programs (5/3/1 for example) often have one top set for strength work then it’s actually quite a high volume.
Going to 4x3 may be less volume but the sets are more intense. The idea is when you finish that phase you go back to the 4x8 phase stronger than you were last time - this is basic periodization for strength.
It’s not 1x, it’s 2x. Whole Body = Once for all. PPL = One for each.
Volume is very much shifted that way. If you don’t like that then maybe the One Main Lift a Day split is better suited to you. You’ll be able to hit each of your big movements fresher that way, too.
Thanks for your answer. Maybe that’s what I needed, a confirmation that this strength day is also computing for the total weekly volume although with a higher intensity, and hence the volume of the session should be decreased. I shouldn’t be totally guided by feelings like soreness or the “pump” immediately after the strength work, as one can do in normal high volume hypertrophy sessions.
Chasing soreness is rarely a good strategy anyway, it does not confirm a good workout. The only sign you want that you’re moving forwards is progression; lifting a heavier weight, doing more reps than last time, a couple of dozen other things.
Don’t worry about a pump after strength work. The pump has value but mechanical tension is what’s gonna put slabs of muscle on you.
Awesome tips again. You’ve been really helpful. As you said, I am making progress every week, either in strength or with more reps/sets/intensification methods, so I guess what I am doing must be working.