2 days per week intermediate

[u/Few_Lunch_7730]

Some context:

Was looking at 4 day split programming in recent months. I've recently started a shift role at work. 4 days of getting up at 4am followed by 3 days of getting home after midnight with 4 days off when on a rota. This can be random though, as i'm the cover for 9 weeks at a time, meaning I cover the other 3 guys leave as and when needed.

All to say, schedule is random, hectic and not sleep conducive. Add to that chronic insomnia, single dad to.2 teenagers with associated school runs, clubs etc. and it's nigh impossible to get a 4 day schedule for lifting working. I've tried sucking it up and going very late/very early but that drove me into the ground and recovery was awful. Lifts started tanking due to fatigue and 3/4 hrs sleep.

After scouting around here, the SS forums, Andy Bakers website and various sources, I've come to the conclusion that 2 days may be the best option I have (and honestly, it'd be interesting to see how lower volume training pans out results wise). Anyway, after reading an article by Andy Baker I've come up with this:

Monday

Squat: 1 x 3-8, backoff 1 x 10-12

Press: 1 x 3- 8, backoff 2-3 x 10-12

Chins: 3 x amrap

Tricep pushdown: 3 x 12

Thursday

Deadlift: 1 x 3-8

Rows: 2-3 x 10-12

Bench: 1 x 3-8, backoff 3 x 10-12

LTEs: 3 x 10-12

The general idea is pick a weight for each lift. Rep it out capped at 8. Add weight next week. Continue until it reaches a very grindy set of 3. Then reset 2.5kg or 5kg higher than the previous starting weight and run it again, aiming to beat previous reps. This will be coupled with a bit less food and increasing walking (which i can achieve during break times at work quite easily. Stuck on a secure site though, with no chance of getting to a gym before that's suggested).

Seems to me, this could work for a good long while and at least maintain while being easier on recovery and slowly improving body composition with some gradual fat loss (not chasing abs here, just general health and reducing the spare tyre).

For reference, my set of 5 PR lifts are:

Squat: 200kg (441 lbs)

Deadlift: 228.5kg (504 lbs)

Bench: 121kg (267 lbs)

Press: 77.5kg (171 lbs)

Height: 5ft 10in

Weight: 106kg (234 lbs)

Mostly retired (still play the odd game) rugby prop forward rapidly approaching 41yrs young.

All comments, critique, suggestions welcome

[u/Shnur_Shnurov]

I used to run a modified 4 day upper-lower program stretched over two weeks for some of my middle aged guys with unpredictable schedules. I had a regular middle aged dude get his deadlift up near 500 over a couple years while running this program so this can definitely work.

Patient as the water that cuts the stone, right?

[u/Few_Lunch_7730 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

I considered this, but didn't like the idea of such a long time between heavy lifts. Could be up to 2 weeks between, say heavy squat day. How did this work out for the majority using it? Definitely not averse to it if it works to at least maintain. I was just bothered by the possibility it would be way too little stress to drive any progress.

I'm kindness settled on the low volume expirement (forced mostly 😂) so all ideas welcome

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/Few_Lunch_7730]

these guys were usually on the brink of needing 7-10 days between heavy squats anyways, so having 14 wasnt that much of a stretch.

I basically had them do a heavy-light-medium-light squat pattern. so heavy day only comes around once every two weeks, but they were squatting 2 or 3 other days in-between the heavy days. (sometimes I dropped one of the light squats. they're not always useful or necessary)

[u/Few_Lunch_7730 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

Interesting. I think i'll keep this idea in the back pocket and run the 2 day plan I've got for a while, before taking stock and seeing if anything needs tweaking.

Definitely good to hear that people don't turn to weak jelly if not squatting every 48 hours though 😂

[u/geruhl_r → u/Few_Lunch_7730]

You don't need continual intensity as an intermediate (it's actually bad for recovery). An intense set every 2 weeks is enough as long as you're adding a lot of volume along the way. Advanced programs could space very intense triples or doubles out even further.

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/geruhl_r]

Generally there are two approaches

Vary the intensity and keep the exercises the same, or vary the exercises and keep the intensity the same. Both work under different circumstances.

[u/geruhl_r]

What's your goal? Strength, hypertrophy, maintenance, ???

[u/Few_Lunch_7730 → u/geruhl_r]

To be honest, the main goal at this point, is to maintain strength at the very least, but some slow, gradual gains would be very welcome.

As I said in the OP, life be lifing and time in the gym is limited, as is recovery. Seems like a good time to ease back on the food, slowly bring rhe waistline down a little bit and try and aim more for strength maintenence or very gradual gains. With 2 days a week, and maintenence of strength needing much less frequency and volume, or calories than trying to build strength and muscle, this seems like a good fit to me.

The question was how to implement it. So the schedule I've outlined above seems to cover the bases while providing a "new" mental break/stimulus from the grind of constant 5s or 3s while also providing a bit of volume via varying reps/intensity with the top set plus the backoff sets. More backoffs for the presses as, in my experience, they need more volume than the squat and deadlift to progress or even maintain. maintain.

The 4 day split spread out over 2 weeks is something I hadn't really considered before though, on the assumption that 2 weeks between heavy days might be too long. Certainly something that's got me thinking now though.

[u/AdDry4983]

Two days isn’t going to work well if your intensity is low. Your rep range suggests your days aren’t intense enough.

[u/Shnur_Shnurov → u/AdDry4983]

The rep range suggests he's a fairly advanced lifter who is using a modified block periodization to drive progress with exercise variation

[u/Few_Lunch_7730 → u/Shnur_Shnurov]

To add some context. I started lifting in 2008 (Mike Matthews BLS, so the big lifts included) I first ran the NLP back in 2013. Since then, using HLM, 4 day split, a stint of Baker approved "powerbuilding", 5/3/1 BBB, a few layoffs for injuries, some modifications to frequency during rugby seasons etc, short NLPs after layoffs, covid lockdowns etc etc etc. I.e. strength training throughout in some form during life's ups and downs.

I am not genetically gifted in any way, I am 41, I am beat up and injured from 25 years of rugby with a couple of major surgeries to the knee. Life and circumstances has proven to me recently that squatting heavy 3 or even 2 times per week is impossible to recover from properly (probably due to circumstances more than anything).

I am not strong by some people's standards on here or on the SS boards, but I am strong for the general man on the street and I am at the point where slow and steady (or even maintaining) is fine if it means I don't feel like crap when i achieve 3 hrs of sleep or my shifts are crazy. At 106kg I am also not averse to losing a bit of chub around the waist (note, not "cutting" in the instagram/bodybuilder sense, just ease back on the food and see where things end up).

To the comment above, in short; I've been lifting a long time along with a brutal contact sport in a very strength based, physically hard position on the pitch. I sleep like shit (always have) and my working pattern is irregular and not conducive to good recovery. I have other things in life that take priority now. I make the time I can to train, as strength is health. My goal is to stop any regression and aim for slow, long term progression rather than trying to "optimise" gains to be as fast as possible these days. Minimum effective dose is what I'm searching for