Thanks for sharing your experience! To be honest I also apply a Mentzer approach to my training, by listening to the body. If I am not recovered, I may extend the recovery period 1-2 days more.
I find it better to train approx every 3rd day, instead of having fixed training days in a week.
Mentzer eventually became a friend of mine but I think he went down a rabbit hole in the end. His early stuff was borrowed from some guy named Jones.
Full body workouts also are easier to deal with with respect to missed workouts.
Lately due to summer vacation, travel, minor illness, etc., I haven’t been able to stick to a consistent training schedule. With a full body routine, I just resume where I left off, be it a missed workout, or a week and a half of missed sessions
If you have a complex rotation of exercises, or multi-way splits, it isn’t always so obvious as to how to deal with missed days.
I will never go back to splits
I actually like following the various full body routines in Dardens older nautilus books and his killing fat routine
Just to be clear, I don’t believe in split routines either. I just don’t train every muscle group every workout
Exactly! And you may also do other training without disrupting a program.
and the new surge workout does just that
Al,
Over time I recognize a thinking man’s bodybuilder in your way of expressing yourself, as well as balanced, well thought opinions.
Would you mind sharing your current training routine/program - or more correct, your ideas for the autumn re routine/program? If I am not mistaken, you previously presented a wide minded fitness routine?
If you had a training log I would follow it with great interest. Good to have you here, Al!
Thanks for the kind words.
I have, over the past 15 years or so, made something of a hobby of reading about various approaches to strength training, as well as the supporting science and physiology. That doesn’t mean that I’ve tried every program that I’ve ever read about. There are guys on this board, mostly much younger, who are a lot more experimental than I’ve been. (It can take a lot of energy and physical robustness to do many of the programs that are promoted here, and I have less of both those than I used to.) But I have sampled a range of approaches, including machine based HIT programs and more classical barbell programs, as well as hybrids of those two approaches, so I have some opinions about what works best for my needs. (Haven’t ever done any really high volume or high frequency stuff, though.)
When the Surge Workouts were first introduced, I was curious about what was involved. But then I came to realize that my interest in actually experimenting on myself with that training program just didn’t exist. I suppose it has something to do with my age. At 69 years old, the reality is that making progress on a training program, be it big increases in lifting PRs or notable gains in muscle mass is pretty unlikely.
So at the moment, I am in more of a maintenance mode, trying to dial in the amount of the training that slows down the effects of aging without beating myself up or exceeding my slowly shrinking recovery abilities. I suppose I’m seeking the minimum effective dose that preserves my function. I’d also prefer the program to be fairly simple, straightforward, and something I don’t need a gym membership or basement full of equipment to perform.
So typically, I try to train at home around twice a week (or maybe 3 times in 2 weeks) alternating between two workouts:
A:
B:
In terms of execution, I try to get in about 3 working sets for each of the major exercises (Split squats are an exception; I’ll typically only do one heavy set).
On the main compound lifts, I’ll do some warm ups, hit a top set for about 5-8 reps, then back down the weight and do a couple more sets in the 8-15 rep range (depending on the exercise). I will go close to failure, but I avoid grinding reps except maybe on the last set.
For calf raises, curls, and pullups, I keep the resistance the same and do AMRAP sets.
Average workout last about 1 hour 15 minutes. Also do some cardio in between (walking or elliptical).
I don’t bother to log anywhere, because this is all basically maintenance for me.
Hey Al,
How do you do your split squats?
Barebell, dumbbell, etc. If dumbbell , one hand, both hands or one hand with dumbbell the other hold on to something to assist?
The photo shows my equipment setup. My back foot goes over the roller; that support stand is from Titan Fitness, designed for split squat support. I put my forward foot on an old aerobics step. The front foot elevation increases the range of motion. I put one hand on the black foam roller for balance. (I’m old, have vertigo, balance is for crap). The blue pad cushions my knee when I get to the bottom.
To add weight I hold a dumbbell in my free hand and/or wear a weighted vest.
You are not alone! I do my Bulgarian/split squat variations on an Olympic bench and use the weight saddle for support!
