Thoughts On New Routine

Hello Coach,

Could you tell me your opinion on the following routine? (And any response from anyone is much appreciated, of course.)

For the first 4 weeks

Day 1
Squat: 5-4-3-2-1
Bench press: 5-4-3-2-1
15 degrees incline dumbbell press: 5x8-10 with double progression
Bulgarian split squat: 5x8-10 with double progression

Day 2
Sumo deadlift: 5-4-3-2-1
Push press: 5-4-3-2-1
Barbell row (torso parallel to floor): 5x8-10 with double progression
Seated dumbbell press: 5x8-10 with double progression

Day 3 off

Day 4 repeat day 1

Day 5 off

Day 6 repeat day 2

Day 7 off

For the next 4 weeks

Day 1
Squat: 3-2-1 wave loading
Bench press: 3-2-1 wave loading
Close grip floor press: 4x6-8 with double progression
Paused squat: 4x6-8 with double progression

Day 2
Sumo deadlift: 3-2-1 wave loading
Push press: 3-2-1 wave loading
Deficit deadlift (torso parallel to floor): 4x6-8 with double progression
Strict military press: 4x6-8 with double progression

Day 3 off

Day 4 repeat day 1

Day 5 off

Day 6 repeat day 2

Day 7 off

Thank you in advance

Hello,

I just want to point out if you mean with 3-2-1 wave loading , waves where you start with 88% and do 1 rep than 2 than 3 and after you complete wave 1 you increase the weight by 2-3% that you normally will complete 18 + reps at ~ 90% and with 5-4-3-2-1 you will have 6 reps at 90% + .
What I want to say is that 3-2-1 waves are way harder than 5-4-3-2-1. That is also my personal experience. I don’t know if that is true what I have written and how it will influence your program …

Yes, 3/2/1 waves are among the hardest loading schemes on the CNS. Doing 2 main movements with this scheme AND 2 assistance lifts that are compound movements is WAY too much for the nervous system.

I would honestly start with a lot less assistance work during both phases. Doing two main lifts hard PLUS two other big lifts for assistance with a lot of volume is too much for most.

I have created programs in the past with 4 compound movements in a session but when I did that the main lifts were periodized in a way that the sets for the main movements were not all-out efforts during most of the program.

The way I understand it every single one of the big lifts (4 exercises per session) will be trained all out on every set (3/2/1 waves are all-out and the fact that you are mentioning the double progression tells me that you will push as hard as possible on the ses of assistance work).

Unless you are a man with Godly recovery capacities I give you 2, maybe 3 weeks before you solidly crash.

Thanks for the response coach. I wasn’t thinking of going all out while doing 5-4-3-2-1. What if I don’t go all out with 5-4-3-2-1 and plus change the assistance work to 3 sets of easier movements? And when it comes to the second phase (3-2-1 waves) do only the main lifts without any assistance?

If you lower the number of sets from 5 to 3 you probably don’t need to go for easier movements.

For the second phase I would prefer that you keep one assistance exercise per session but only do one of he main lifts with a 3/2/1 scheme.

For example on you DAY 1 only do the 3/2/1 waves for the squat. Do some lighter technical work on the bench press… something like 5 x 3 @ about 80%. Then on DAY 4 (when you repeat the workout) do the opposite… bench 3/2/1 and squat 5 x 3.

If you do that, on DAY 2 do the 3/2/1 with the push press as the legs will be too taxed for the deadlift.

Keep one assistance exercise… the one that goes with the lift you are training hard that day

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Man… Thanks a lot. Is the split okay for the first phase or would it be better if I did one main lift a day and technical work for the other movement and then switch it, like you explained for the second phase.

I’m all for frequency. But it might be better to pair lifts that go together (upper body day/lower body day). With that set-up you will never in good form for the DAY 2. There is less problem with the second half of the week since you have a rest day between workouts.

So you could (during the 1st phase(… do the upper body lifts on day 1, lower body lifts on day 2 and keep the other 2 workouts days as you planned them, meaning that you hit both the lower and upper body 3x a week.

One last question… Can I do the muscle snatch instead of push press and use the push press as a secondary exercise? Thank you for your time

Sure, I you are efficient at the muscle snatch

Thanks a lot for all the answers coach.