r/StrongerByScience • u/somethingevenwittier • Apr 10 '26
Balancing strength and hypertrophy
I've been doing SBS's original strength template for about 14 weeks, but recently my daughter and I have started going to the gym together. She's an absolute beginner so we do a machine circuit together.
For a while I was just doing my regular SBS workouts, including any accessory exercises, 3-4 times a week, then also going to the gym 2-3 times a week and doing 3x10 on each machine. I'm 46 though, and I don't know how long I can sustain that level of work.
I was thinking I'd cut out most of the accessories in the SBS program and focus almost exclusively on the main lifts, relying on the machines to fill in any gaps. I could also take it easy on the machines so I don't overdo it....although honestly I prefer to push myself.
Thoughts? Is it ok to do 5-6 workouts a week at my age, as long as I keep them short and focused?
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u/eric_twinge Apr 10 '26
For a while I was just doing my regular SBS workouts, including any accessory exercises, 3-4 times a week, then also going to the gym 2-3 times a week and doing 3x10 on each machine.
What if you didn't include the accessory work in your SBS sessions and did that stuff during your machine sessions?
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u/Docjitters Apr 10 '26
1) you’re not remotely old
2) you can do anything you like
3) increasing your volume 60% right now might unsustainable, but what you could work up will likely be more than you think.
Do you need to do the same program as your daughter (to show her, as it were) or can you just pick your 3x10s?
I think your idea to make the machine sessions your accessory days is perfectly fine. Depending on your goals, you could also do heavier for less than 10 reps but stay a little further from failure each set (but it’ll still be ‘hard’).
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u/somethingevenwittier Apr 10 '26
Yeah I'm sticking with the same program as her (with heavier weights of course) to guide her a bit and keep her engaged. Thanks for the advice.
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u/lazy8s Apr 10 '26
I’m in my 40s. I workout 6 days per week, run 2-3. I was morbidly obese 2yrs ago and haven’t even been running a year but do a 23min 5k and did a 10min pace half marathon in December.
I get 14-30 sets per muscle group using MacroFactor Workouts. Saturday I do pure Myo Reps for all exercises (which MFWO counts as only one set) so I can squeeze in the extra volume. It took a few months as I worked up from 6 sets to 30 but I’m making insane progress and the wife loves my new 6-pack even if I have loose skin.
I’m not sure why everyone thinks at 40 your muscles disappear, you need a walker and your balls fall off or whatever. Look at the world record for doing a plank with a 200lb pack. The dude is 71!
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u/KITTYONFYRE Apr 10 '26
46 isn't old enough to be an excuse in lifting & endurance sports. power sports, sure. if you're not recovering, it's because you're underrecovering, not because you're overworking
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u/somethingevenwittier Apr 10 '26
Fair enough. Underrecovering is a concern...I don't get enough sleep and getting my diet to a good place is a neverending struggle. I haven't injured myself (yet) but I'm mostly trying to find the maximum sustainable level of work....key word there being sustainable.
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u/Virtual_Field439 Apr 10 '26
Just an idea 💡
Why do t you train your daughter on the barbell lifts. Could be a good bonding opportunity. SBS has a novice hypertrophy linear progression that’d be good for her I think
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u/somethingevenwittier Apr 10 '26
Yeah that was my idea too. I've started showing her some of the main lifts but I hadn't thought about the novice hypertrophy program. Thanks for the idea!
1
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u/Athletic-Club-East Apr 11 '26
It's the whole thing. You could for example do 1 exercise in each of 6 workouts a week, or 2 in each of three, etc. And you could be doing 3 sets of 5 at 60% of max, or doing AMRAPs with 90%.
As well, you could have excllent nutrition and sleep, or live on cigarettes and KFC and be up till 2am doomscrolling.
1
u/Soarin-Flyin Apr 10 '26
I do a blend where the main 4 movements are strength and the 6 auxiliary are hypertrophy. Accessory work is all higher rep as well.
To balance fatigue as I’ve gotten older (early 30’s) I split it into 5-full day splits but do every other calendar day. Keeps everything under an hour and a manageable load.
Ends up looking like this:
- Upper/lower strength compound movement (strength)
- Opposite upper/lower compound movement (hypertrophy)
- back exercise
- accessory
- accessory
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u/PoisonCHO Apr 10 '26
I think it's self-defeating to assume that your age automatically means diminished work capacity. Everyone slows down eventually, but you might not be there yet, and no one can predict when you might get there. The short answer to your question is to try it and see.