Committing (maybe)
My default work will look like this
Day 1: Press + assistance (delts, tris, maybe back)
Day 2: Back Squat + assistance (quads, posterior chain, abs)
Day 3: Climbing
Day 4: Bench + assistance (chest, shoulders, tris, maybe back)
Day 5: Climbing
Day 6: Deadlift + assistance (quads, posterior chain, traps, maybe back)
Day 7: Off
Right now my weaknesses are my quads and my triceps. My hips shoot up on the squat, and on benching and overhead pressing my lockout is where I have the most trouble. Meanwhile, I have a way too easy time activating my chest and delts respectively.
“maybe back” means rhomboids/rear delts/lats. I have to figure out how much back work I need/can do anew. Ideally, I’d plan vertical pull on press, and horizontal pull on bench but might be a better bet to do both on deadlift day with all the climbing.
Therefore, out of the gate, I imagine I’ll run
Press: Push Press & DB Incline
Back Squat: Front Squat & Walking Lunges Front Rack
Bench: CGBP or JM Press & Incline
Deadlift: Frankenstein Squat from pins. Deadlifts are my strongest lift so I’d rather invest in my weak quads.
Taking a number from 531/HSS-100/A Fatal Mistake in Size Training (really, 351 gave me the idea), I borrow the progression and go,
“7/5/9/3”
It’ll play out like this
Block 1: 4x6-8; moderate intensity
Deload: Undecided
Block 2: 5x4-6; higher intensity
Deload: Undecided
Block 3: 3x8-10 (15/12/8/20 for squat); highest volume
Deload: TM test
Block 4: 6-8x1-3; highest intensity — emphasis on hard conditioning
Deload: Pump work
That’s for the main lift at least. The assistance lift(s) varies a little. If it’s a decent mass builder, it might be 6-8, 8-10, 12-15 (drop sets/RP et al), and 4-6 in a strength phase. But, for instance, with the front squat I want 5 sets of 3 good reps. And dead start frankenstein will be clusters.
The ranges might be double progression, or waves, or whatever the fuck that honors the spirit of the range. I.e., I might go into block 4 feeling like 3/2/1-waves and then that’s what I’ll do.
It becomes somewhat similar to two leaders and an anchor. A block is 3-4 weeks long and a “deload” is 1-2 weeks. I’ll also take every 6th or 7th week off from climbing totally to stop fucking up my hands.
And gain weight, because fuck.
I’d change assistance exercises every 4-6 weeks to something else that targets a weakness.
Climbing days usually involve some ab-work/handstand work/lever work so no real planned abs or carries. The lever work is another nail in the coffin for hitting my back 3x weekly as part of my gym sessions.
The deloads are meant to stave off the ADD’ness and just do whatever I’m not really doing in the main block. That might mean 3x full-body, or some olympic days, or going hiking, I really don’t care. Just… opposite.
And I really need to get back to doing yoga after my sessions because I’m sore as hell everywhere as it is right now.
Feedback welcome. I realise this is about as non-commital a plan can get as it… touches on everything. But at least it doesn’t touch on everything simultaneously! 4-6 exercises per session BTW.
Inspiration: 531,
and this guy had the same weaknesses as me so,