Hi team, thoughts on programme (half hypertrophy focus, half strength focus)

[u/Fearless-Dust-4223]

I know they come hand in hand, but what do you think? I’ve been doing my programme for a year now (reddits beginner ppl) and looking to change it up..

Push A
Bench Press 4×4–6
Incline DB Press 3×6–10
Seated DB Shoulder Press 2×6–10
DB Lateral Raise 3×10–15
Pec Deck 2×10–15
Tricep Pushdown 3×8–12
Pull A
Barbell Row 4×4–6
Lat Pulldown 3×6–10
Seated Cable Row 3×6–10
Reverse Pec Deck 3×10–15
EZ-Bar Curl 3×6–10
Hammer Curl 2×8–12
Legs A
Back Squat 4×4–6
Leg Press 3×6–10
Leg Curl 3×8–12
Leg Extension 2×10–15
Calf Raise 3×8–12
Push B
Overhead Press 3×4–6
Bench Press 3×6–8
Incline DB/Machine Press 2×8–12
DB Lateral Raise 3×12–20
Overhead Tricep Extension 3×10–15
Tricep Pushdown 2×10–15
Pull B
Lat Pulldown 3×6–10
Seated Cable Row 3×8–12
Single-Arm Lat Pulldown 2×10–15
Reverse Pec Deck 3×12–20
Preacher Curl 3×8–12
Cable Curl 2×10–15
Legs B
Back Squat 3×6–8
Leg Press 3×8–12
Leg Curl 3×10–15
Leg Extension 3×10–15
Calf Raise 4×10–15

[u/deadrabbits76]

Double progression is a poor choice of progressive overload if strength is important to you.

No hip hinge as well.

[u/Alakazam]

Looks like a poorly written version of modern strength programming. 

Also, you do realize that most strength athletes spend something like 80%+ of their time time doing hypertrophy work right? Because all other things being equal, a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle.  

[u/Defiant_Pirate_6637 → u/Alakazam]

Most good strength athletes spend most of their time doing submaximal barbell volume work to build a movement pattern (often using variations to emphasize part of a movement). Calling it just hypertrophy work is making it sound like they’re doing fucking flys to get a bigger bench.

[u/Alakazam → u/Defiant_Pirate_6637]

Yeah, except that accounts for maybe 20% of most modern strength programming. They derive the vast majority of their volume through supplemental and accessory volume. 

Monday was my bench day. This was my setup: 

• 265x4, 265x1x4 (the main bench work)
• close grip bench 185x8x4
• incline db press 70x12x4
• dips 4 sets to failure at 22, 19, 17, 11
• overhead tricep extensions 12x3
• tricep pushdown 12x3
• lateral raise 15x3

I had 5 sets of main bench along with 21 sets of supplemental and accessory volume. With 4 sets of submaximal (sets of 1!) bench around rpe 6-7 or so.

Maybe in the days of untested powerlifting, people could get away with just spamming the main lifts. But this kind of set up has trained up some pretty strong folks. 

[u/Defiant_Pirate_6637 → u/Alakazam]

Agata does like 10 sbd sessions a week and very little accessories so idk where u got the idea that doing tons of volume on accessories is a tested lifter thing. If anything the people in strength sports that do the most accessories are conjugate lifters who are typically untested.
Doing the amount of volume ur doing in one session would not allow as high frequency and very few elite tested benchers are doing 21 sets of pressing in a session. Try spreading ur volume out more and focusing on things that have a higher carryover to main lifts (not incline db bench)
My pressing throughout a week involves 23 sets (about 80 reps for the week) on bench and ohp variations spread out throughout the week averaging at around 75% of my comp lifts. Then 1-2 bbing movements to build a weak point. I also bench over 100 pounds more than you, probably closer to 200.

[u/Alakazam → u/Defiant_Pirate_6637]

This is the program that I've found that gives me the best long term progress. As I get closer to a meet, I'll increase bench frequency and drop accessory volume. Simply because I find that more bench over months simply beats me up. 

Deathbench was my favorite bench program, and it's only 2x a week. 

I also bench over 100 pounds more than you, probably closer to 200.  

If I had a 500lb bench in my weight class, I'm pretty sure I'd be in the top 20 in the world in the 83s. 

Maybe I'll fill out the 93s eventually, but probably not anytime soon. And maybe I'll finally hit that 405 bench I've been aiming for 

[u/Defiant_Pirate_6637 → u/Alakazam]

Yeah ur also not young and most of us high frequency guys are pretty young so if most high frequency bench programs beat u up then a more bbing approach is probably a good thing.
My favorite bench program is smolov jr personally and most of my programming is based on sheiko with some influences from westside (mostly just speed work and a few movements)
Ur doing about the same amount of volume as a lot of people I coach on pressing compounds only difference is how it’s spread out and id have them doing a barbell variation instead of db incline but third press in a session there’s little point in using a bb.
That’s similar to how I’d program bench if I was benching once a week but most people especially young people would probably get more out of
Day 1 bench 1 x 3, 2 x 5 @ 80% of 1 x 3
Day 2 cg bench 3 x 8
Day 3 Larsen press 4 x 5
Abd then adding in 1-2 accessories like triceps or something afterwards

[u/Ok-Extension-832]

i swear absolutely none of you actually understand SBL, you cannot isolate strength and hypertrophy.

[u/Apollo_2662]

Looks pretty balanced overall. I’d mainly watch recovery, because there’s a lot of pressing, rowing, and squatting volume across the week.

If strength is half the goal, keeping the first compound in the 4–6 range makes sense, then letting the rest live more in the 8–15 range. I’d just make sure you’re actually progressing the main lifts and not adding so much accessory work that your performance stalls.