I have not started this program as of yet, but it sounds pretty cool. Just wondering what type of splits and exercises and frequency everyone has been experimenting with and what you thought. Thanks for the input.
I’ve been incorporating the Perfect Rep system for the past couple of weeks. My split looks like this:
Day 1: Upper body (horizontal plane)
Day 2: Lower body (mostly quads)
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Upper body (vertical plane)
Day 5: Lower body (mostly posterior chain)
Day 6: Off
Repeat
I’ve been using the Force-Spectrum Ramping, that CT outlined in the article, on a big compound movement at the beginning of each session mostly for CNS activation. I’ve found that I feel much stronger at the end of the ramping (usually 8 sets of 3 for me), and that I’m surprised at how much weight I can still “dominate.” After ramping I lower the weight by about 10-15% and do 5 sets of 5, still explosively. Then I finish it off by dropping the weight by another 10-15% and doing one set of max reps, usually getting around 10-12 reps.
So, for example, my upper body vertical day looks like this:
A1: Wide grip pull-up, ramp to MFP with sets of 3
A2: DB shoulder press, ramp to MFP with sets of 3
B1: Wide grip pull-up, 5 x 5 (85-90% of MFP load)
B2: DB shoulder press, 5 x 5 (85-90% of MFP load)
C1: Wide grip pull-up, 1 x max reps (bodyweight only, usually get 12-14 reps)
C2: DB shoulder press, 1 x max reps (10 lbs lighter than last set of 5)
This is how I’ve chosen to do it, I figure I’ll stick to this for 6 weeks or so, maybe longer if the gains remain steady. When I leave the gym I feel like I’ve done plenty of work, yet I’m never “worn out” and later in the day I always feel motivated to train again. I’m not using the ANACONDA protocol (for lack of money) but I’m using the similar Surge protocol to spike insulin peri-workout.
As I said, I’ve only been doing this a couple weeks, but I have already had significant strength gains and my physique is looking harder/fuller. My main goal right now is hypertrophy, but the strength gains alone have me excited to go to the gym every day. Dominating 3 reps with a load that I struggled to lift once not long ago is an awesome feeling.
This is from an earlier post of mine…
The training split - not that important
I’ve said it a dozen times in the past: the training split you are using is just about the least important of all the training parameters you can plan; as long as it is not totally idiotic it will work!
I find it funny when people who are asked “what is your training like?” always seem to answer “Oh, I train chest and tris on Monday, legs on Tuesday and back and bis on Wednesday,” etc. This is not what your training is like folks, it is only how you are structure your training in time. Your split is kinda like the drawers you put your stuff in: it is not the drawers that are important but the stuff inside!
Total body, upper and lower, push-pull-legs, antagonist pairings, etc. It can all work provided that:
-
A training session doesn’t interfere or negatively affect with the next one (for example, doing a killer triceps and shoulders session the day before a chest session is dumb)
-
The daily stress of the workout is matched with the weekly frequency a muscle is being trained (train it more often with less work or less often with more work)
-
The session isn’t so long and voluminous that a good portion of the exercises performed are done in a wasted state
As you can see the actual decision of how to divide your workload during the week isn’t that important. Then what is?
Proper weekly stimulation and optimal performance - it matters
From my own experience most peoples need to stimulate each muscle group twice in a 6-8 days period for optimal results.
Some exceptions will get their best gains from training each muscle directly 3 times a week and other exceptions will get their best gains from training each muscle once a week.
But 90% of the population will respond best to two weekly stimulations per muscle group, and 100% of the population can get very good results with this frequency.
This means that these non-idiotic splits will work well for everybody:
Upper-lower splits (requires 4 weekly workouts)
Push-pull-legs (requires 6 workouts per 8 days)
Antagonist pairings (requires 6 workouts per 8 days)
Lower-Upper-Total body (requires 3 weekly workouts)
Push + quads, Pull + hamstrings (requires 4 weekly workouts)
Total Body Training* (requires 2-3 weekly workouts)
*Total Body Training can be adequate only if the second “condition” is respected, and that is:
The workout structure should allow for a high quality performance of all the exercises in a session
If it doesn’t, then your workload repartition is idiotic. That is my main beef with TBT for bodybuilders: it is difficult to do the proper quantity of stimulation for every muscle group without suffering from a bad performance before the end of the workout.
I’m not saying that it can’t be done. Obviously if you stick to one push, one pull and one lower body movement per session you should be fine. However this amount of volume might not be optimal for maximum growth to occur in a vast proportion of the population and might need to imbalances in others.
Yea, CT pulled that right from his “Things that don’t matter much . . . Things that do” posting.
Here is my training journal for the past week, similar to what CT posted in the ANACONDA Protocol Users forum. This is based on my leg-push-pull split. I don’t consider it idiotic since my current goals are lots of leg development and shoulder and tricep strength.
Plus I’m also trying to work on my bench press technique (since my current bench press is total shit, especially after checking out this article): Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION
Day 1 (January 5, 2010) - Legs
A. Exercise: Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
B. Exercise: Seated Leg Extension
Method: Eccentric Isometric Contrast (stopped eccentrics with 3-6 sec. pauses)
Load: 60-80% concentric max for sets of 5 reps (partner lifting for me on concentric portion)
C. Exercise: Seated Leg Extension
Method: 2/1 (Bilateral/Unilateral) Eccentric Technique
Load: 100-150% concentric “two-limb max” for sets of 5
D. Exercise: (Unilateral) Bulgarian Split Squats
Method: Overcoming-Isometrics
Load: 45 lb. olympic barbell and safety pins (power rack), sets of 5-10 sec. holds
Day 2 (January 6, 2010) - Push
A. Exercise: Standing Overhead/Military Press
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
B. Exercise: Bench Press
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s with an emphasis on PROPER bench press technique
C. Exercise: Bench Press
Method: Superslow Eccentrics, executing negative portion in 6-12 sec. (my body definitely responded positively to this)
Load: 60-85% of concentric max, sets of 4s
D. Exercise: Weighted Dips
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
Day 3 (January 7, 2010) - Pull
A. Exercise: Weighted Pull-Ups
Method: perfect rep style, autoregulation, ramp up to MFS
Load: sets of 3s
B. Exercise: Upright Rows (barbell)
Method: shock training (to prime nervous system); drop/catch/lift
Load: 25lb. x 3, 35lb. x 3, 45lb. x 3
C. Exercise: Upright Rows (barbell)
Method: perfect rep style; autoregulation, ramp up to MFS
Load: sets of 3s starting at 50% concentric max
D. Exercise: Bent Over Rows (supinated grip)
Method: perfect rep style; autoregulation, ramp up to MFS
Load: sets of 3s
Day 4 (January 8, 2010) - Off
Day 5 (January 9, 2010) - Legs
A. Exercise: Front Squat (I activated/potentiated my quads with 20" box jumps for 3 sets of 10 reps)
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
B. Exercise: Walking Lunges with Dumbbells, emphasis on long step for hamstring stimulation (I activated/potentiated my hamstrings with some alternating split-squat jumps for 3 sets of 6 reps)
Method: working in between MPP and MFP
Load: starting at about 50% (which for me was 15lb. dumbbells)–> ramped up to 30 lb. dumbbells and stayed with the 30lb. dumbbells for sets of 6 reps (for this day, my body told me to stay at the 4 set minimum for perfect rep style autoregulation)
D. Exercise: Front Squat
Method: Blast Isometric (the finisher) from strongest point in range of motion up to the safety pins about mid-waist area of my body if I were standing
Load: 45 lb. olympic barbell for two sets of 6 reps (holding for 6 seconds after contact with pins)
Day 6 (January 10, 2010) - Push
A. Exercise: Overhead/Military Press
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
B. Exercise: Bench Press, with an emphasis on PROPER bench press technique
Method:ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
C. Exercise: Close-Grip Bench Press
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
Day 7 (January 11, 2010) - Pull
A. Exercise: Power Snatch (from floor, used as a potentiating explosive movement for back)
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: sets of 3s; I actually ended up just dropping the weight down to something I could dominate for 5 reps after that Max Force Point because I’m not an advanced Olympic Lifter BY ANY MEANS
B. Exercise: Corner Rowing
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
C. Exercise: Bicep Curls (barbell, medium-wide grip)
Method: ramp up to MFS
Load: autoregulation/perfect rep style; sets of 3s
D. Exercise: Bicep Curls (barbell, medium-wide grip) → added this because I felt like getting a “pump” in my biceps today
Method: Drop Set with little rest in between sets below / BLAST ISOMETRICS with safety pins 4" apart
Load: 85lb. x 8, 75lb. x 10, 65lb. x 15, 55lb. x 20, 45lb. x 25 / 45lb. x 6, 55 lb. x 6
Day 8 (January 12, 2010) - Off
Day 9 (January 13, 2010) - Off
I may use the back squat instead of the front squat next time around. But for the most part, I’m feeling “in the zone” with the way I am executing the reps for the exercises in this split. I will stick with this for the next month or so to help me reach my goals.
Thanks for the input guys!
I’m fdoing this, plus activation and plyo work each day…
Monday: Bench press + Front Squats
Tuesday: Dumbell Rows + Sumo Deadlifts
Wednesday: Lunges + Chest Dips
Thursday: Snatch-grip Deadlifts + Pull-ups
Friday: Cardio in the morning and Optional isolation work in the evening, f. example som chest flies, dumbell kickbacks, curls and some abdominal work…
Rest saturday and sunday.
Ok. Here is mine. Someone tell me if this looks wrong. I am trien to incorporate as many exercises that I think stimulate the most growth for me.
2 exercises per muscle group per day using the FSR method. Then one iso exercise per muscle group per day. (6 exercises per day, 4 using FSP, 2 3X10-15)
Day 1
Legs/Chest
Back Squat/Romanian D.L. w/ Leg curl, extension, or calf.
DB bench/BB incline w/ a fly or peck deck.
Day 2
Shoulders/Back
Standing OHP/Seated DB press w/ fly or shrug
D.L./pull ups w/ a row movement
Day 3
Core/Cardio/Bis
Complex/ Abs circuit w/ 3 bi exercises
Day 4
Back/Shoulders
D.L./A Row movement w/ Lat pulls
Seated BB press/ Standing DB OHP w/ a shrug or fly
Day 5
Chest/Legs
BB Bench/DB incline w/ a fly or peck deck
Front Squat/Hack squat w/ curls, extension or calf
Day 6
Core/Cardio/Tris
Complex/Abs circuit/ 3 tri exercises
Day 7
Off
This is my first week using this split, but my second week using the FSR method. I have never seen such an instantaneous effect from any method I have used so far. I have been ramping up to what I previously thought were my 1 rep max (obviously not my 1rm anymore) and still dominating the lifts. I have been in a rut with my bench and my OHP for a long time now and I am finally adding weight to both. I still cant believe we are getting these golden nuggets for the price of an internet connection. Huge thanks to CT and Tim.
[quote]decapsk8 wrote:
I still cant believe we are getting these golden nuggets for the price of an internet connection. Huge thanks to CT and Tim. [/quote]
They truly have outdone themselves!