I’ve been following an article from John Berardi’s homepage about how he trains off-season anaerobic athletes. The program involves a weights split of push/pull/legs and 3 separate days of HIIT cardio (row,cycle and run), i.e.
Day 1 - 1.5 hours of Resistance Training (Upper Body - Pushing Type Exercises)
Day 2 - 30 minutes of Anaerobic Interval Training (Rowing)
Day 3 - 1.5 hours of Resistance Training (Lower Body)
Day 4 - 30 minutes of Anaerobic Interval Training (Cycling)
Day 5 - 1.5 hours of Resistance Training (Upper Body - Pulling Type Execises)
Day 6 - 30 minutes of Anaerobic Interval Training (Running)
Day 7 - Rest
I’m not quite sure how to structure the weights days though, as he’s saying 1.5 hours for each workout and I’ve always though 45-60 minutes was about tops for a weights workout. For example, for my last ‘push’ workout I did:
Incline Bench 4x8
OHP 3x12
Dips 3x12
Lateral raises 3x12
Flyes 3x12
(and some core work supersetted in)
This only took around 45 minutes though, and I feel like I’m not following the program right.
Anyone else followed this programme and modified it for shorter weights sessions? Am I miles off here?
No I’m not stevo_, but the article makes a lot of sense to me and would match a lot of what I like to do with exercise. For example I’ve fannied about with long, slow cardio in the past at the expense of weights almost exclusively, and I learned the hard way what that does to you.
But also I’ve gone down the road of doing a cardio-fearing weights only routine and worried about the loss of CV fitness that has been such a big part of my sports upbringing. So this program, blending weights with ‘helpful’ cardio ticks all the boxes for me. Thus I just sought a bit of guidance specifically about the weights sessions length from the chaps here, as this is a forum about weightlifting.
[quote]Paulinho wrote:
“I’ve fannied about with long, slow cardio in the past…”
“worried about the loss of CV fitness that has been such a big part of my sports upbringing.”
“blending weights with ‘helpful’ cardio ticks all the boxes for me.”
“as this is a forum about weightlifting.”[/quote]
This is a forum about Bodybuilding, as a trainer who has worked training clients in both areas (muscle and also sports cond.) i can safely say that the type of program you seek is really quite different from the type of poster here.
For example, would you go to a high jump forum and ask about how to increase your long jump sneering - “Well, this is a jumping forum.”
No.
I am not trying to be a twat (its TOTALLY natural), it is just that you will have a better chance at success taking it to the conditioning forum… where like minded people reside.
As per your question - i would opt for super sets or a circuit type deal, including the core exercises too to bring up the total volume.
You should also look into complexes and such.
Also maybe Escalating Density Training.
Also some sort of Cross training plan where you place shorter, intense cardio bouts amidst various other energy system work etc…
But you will have a better reception with those who specialise in such goals.