Quick overview of the differences between Accumulation (Hypertrophy) and Intensification (Strength) training:
Accumulation: More exercises (2-4 per body part), higher reps (6-7 or more), fewer sets (2-4 sets per exercise), higher volumes (number of sets times number of reps), lower intensities (below 80% of 1RM), shorter rest intervals (30-90 seconds).
Intensification: Fewer exercises (1-2 per body part), lower reps (1-6), more sets (10-12 total sets per body part), lower volumes, higher intensities (80% and above of 1RM), longer rest intervals (3-5 minutes).
That being said, I agree with everything above. If you want to get stronger pick a few lifts and stick with them. After 5-6 sessions focusing on them, you could shift to new ones for a while for a change of pace. If you’re interested in focusing specifically on one lift, try a specialization program. Maybe you use a Westside routine, or just pay attention to strengthening your external rotators, delts, chest, lats, and triceps for improving your bench press.
Again, if you plan to train twice per day with strength as your goal, you should use the same exercises in each session. According to Poliquin, some options would be:
Option A
Morning: Heavy
Evening: Light
For example, do 4-6 reps in the morning and 12-15 reps at night. The higher reps might even yield some size increases.
Option B
Morning: Low reps, fast tempo
Evening: Low reps, slow tempo
For example, do 4-6 reps on a 30X tempo in morning, and 5-7 reps on a 505 tempo in the evening.
Option C
Morning: Heavy
Evening: Eccentric-only
For example, do heavy front squats in the morning (6 sets of 2-3 reps on a 501 tempo), and eccentric back squats in the evening (7 sets of 1 rep on a 10-0-1 tempo). Some people would debate me on using eccentric training in a strength program, but my feeling is that you’re young; try some new things and learn to love variety.
Be sure to pay close attention to post-training nutrition and to make sure that ONLY 4-6 hours elapse between sessions. Also, don’t train with two-a-days for more than two weeks without shifting to once-a-day training for at least one week.
Lastly, from one college student to a soon-to-be college student, I think you need to really think about what you’re doing. Are you going to college to lift weights or get an education? MILLIONS of students fail out in their first semesters because they just don’t put enough of a priority on their studies, and they aren’t even diligent trainers. Right now, you’re looking at three hours a day, three times per week dedicated to training. And, assuming that you watch your diet, that’ll be some more time out of your schedule. After a while, you might find that you can swing such a schedule. However, I would strongly urge you to stick with a once-a-day training program (3-4 days per week) until you get acclimated to your new surroundings. Also, you can count on training in very crowded gyms if you’re only going on MWF. I like to organize my training so that I go both Saturday and Sunday. I’m sure that you’re aware that the vast majority of the college population is either hungover or still drunk on those days. As such, you’ll not only have relatively empty gyms, but you’ll also know that those around you are at least somewhat dedicated trainers and, as such, competent spotters:) Good luck.
