Current Style of Training You Prefer:

[danieltx]

Exactly. Train everything 2x per week (6 days total) and take Sunday off. I have gotten my BEST results doing this. I have steadily added muscle while staying lean. I would not necessarily do this for strength, but for adding decorative muscle, this program has me sold. Keep in mind, I have been training steadily since 1984 and have done just about every routine out there. For adding muscle AND staying lean...nothing has come close to touching:

PUSH/PULL/LEGS/PUSH/PULL/LEGS/OFF

then repeat week after week, month after month, year after year.....

I do take a week off 2x per year. So I generally follow this for about 50 weeks a year. Some weeks I might only get in 5x... I never go less than 5x per week. I would say 90% of the time I lift 6x per week, one hour per day.

This is exactly what I do and I've had my best size gains with it as well.

 

[xpoc]

From everything I've read throughout the years and from what science has thought us so far, I agree that this is probably the ideal thing to do training-wise. How does your volume look like per session?

I usually pick 3 compound movements and 2 isolation movements for a total of 5 exercises with 5 working sets per exercise. So 25 total working sets. Example:

Incline DB Press 5 sets
Barbell Military Press 5 sets
Bar Dips 5 sets
Skull crushers 5 sets
DB side lateral raise 5 sets

The next push day I might do

Incline Barbell Press 5 sets
DB Military Press 5 sets
Close Grip Smith Press 5 sets
PJR tricep pullovers 5 sets
Cable side lateral raise 5 sets

I usually take the last working set of each exercise to failure. In the compound movements I work in the 8-12 rep range. In the iso movements I work in the 15-20 rep range...sometimes even higher on exercises such as rear delt machine, leg extensions and leg curls.

 

[letmeinagain]

So you are basically training how Serge Nubret trained and how he recommended every bodybuilder train?


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[xpoc]

So you are basically training how Serge Nubret trained and how he recommended every bodybuilder train?


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I am not sure about Serge's philosophy. The only time I read about his was this article which was about pump training:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/serge-nubret-pump-training

I am a product of the 80's and back then Lee Haney was king. I believe I first heard of this from Haney, but I am sure it was around way before that. I think Push/Pull/Legs is just a staple that the masses have used for decades.

 

[HONGOGRIMES]

Very high volume.

Even doing keto (it goes agaisnt science? maybe), but since I've been doing slow reps, squeezing at the top for 2 secs, 3-4 sets per exercise, around 6 exercises for chest/back/shoulders, 7-8 for legs and 3-4 biceps/triceps, around 45-60 min intense training, 1 min rest... I've gained loads of quality.

6 days a week pre contest.

All the sets going to failure?

 

[flex22]

I would definetly say I made the most progress with fortitude tearing and second behind that was DC training. Loved reading the fortitude book and reading all of Dante’s writings on DC. Those 2 programs just made the most sense to me and gave me a sense of direction

 

[HONGOGRIMES]

I usually pick 3 compound movements and 2 isolation movements for a total of 5 exercises with 5 working sets per exercise. So 25 total working sets. Example:

Incline DB Press 5 sets
Barbell Military Press 5 sets
Bar Dips 5 sets
Skull crushers 5 sets
DB side lateral raise 5 sets

The next push day I might do

Incline Barbell Press 5 sets
DB Military Press 5 sets
Close Grip Smith Press 5 sets
PJR tricep pullovers 5 sets
Cable side lateral raise 5 sets

I usually take the last working set of each exercise to failure. In the compound movements I work in the 8-12 rep range. In the iso movements I work in the 15-20 rep range...sometimes even higher on exercises such as rear delt machine, leg extensions and leg curls.

Only the last set to failure? And the others sets?

 

[Swiper]

https://youtu.be/89fYj3fqSys

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Low volume and high intensity (partials, tmrest pause, drop sets...etc).

 

[xpoc]

Only the last set to failure? And the others sets?

Lead up working sets to near failure...usually leave 1-2 reps left in the tank. Last set on each exercise to failure.

 

[madg]

Lead up working sets to near failure...usually leave 1-2 reps left in the tank. Last set on each exercise to failure.

How abouy pull and legs ? Care to list a sample of each day ?

Im really interested in this kind of split

Respect

Madg

 

[tokon]

Lead up working sets to near failure...usually leave 1-2 reps left in the tank. Last set on each exercise to failure.

So you're "ramping" to that last top set?

 

[xpoc]

How abouy pull and legs ? Care to list a sample of each day ?

Im really interested in this kind of split

Respect

Madg

Typical PULL day:

• Wide or CG pulldowns. 5 sets pyramid style. 15 reps ^ lbs, 13 reps ^ lbs, 11 reps ^ lbs, 9 reps ^ lbs, then take the final set to failure which typically falls within 8-10.
  
• Chest supported DB rows. Same rep sequence.
  
• Upright rows, same.
  
• Incline DB curls. 5 sets but use a higher rep range.
  
• Rope cable curls. Same
  *I will flip flop the last exercise between rope cable curls and
• Rear Delt Machine (reverse pec deck) where I try to get 5 sets of 20 going for 100 total reps and max pump.

Typical LEGS day:

• Lying or seated leg curls 4 x20, 1 x failure

Superset with

• Leg Extension 4x20, 1 x failure
  
  
  
• Smith Machine Step Back Lunges, 5x12 (never hit failure on these)
  
• Hack Squats 5 sets. Pyramid up in lbs. 20 reps ^ lbs, 18 reps ^ lbs, 16 reps ^ lbs, 14 reps ^ lbs, final set, heaviest weight I can use for 12 reps, but I still don't hit failure since I don't want to get stuck at the bottom.
  
• Standing calf raise. 5 drop sets. Pick a weight I can handle for 12, then drop and try to get 8 (20 total) for all 5 sets. I usually hit failure by the 3rd set and can only get 10/7 or 9/6 .

If I am feeling froggy, I will add in a "rest pause" set of sissy squats (using the roman chair/sissy squat bench) and usually end up getting about 20x9x7 or so.

I have been training consistently for 30+ years and have tried just about every routine out there. I still experiment. But, ultimately I come back to this push/pull/legs split focusing on 5 core exercises per workout. It is my bread and butter.

 

[BoredStiff]

3 Days P/P/L. Bare minimum, basic stuff, 6-10 slow, controlled reps for 3 sets each.

A Back/Pull day might look like:
Hammer Strength Row
Pulldowns
Dumbell Pullover
Cable Facepulls
Machine Curls
Neck Extensions with 2 plates

I never felt the need to hit a muscle from every angle or be in the gym constantly, I just burn out. My recovery abilities are likely not the best though. Plus it depends but I feel once you've hit your limit (enhanced or not) you're just maintaining, I don't care if you eat 10,000 calories, you've built all the muscle tissue you can (until you up your dose) and doing more than the basics is going to do nothing but wear out your CNS and joints.

 

[tokon]

3 Days P/P/L. Bare minimum, basic stuff, 6-10 slow, controlled reps for 3 sets each.

A Back/Pull day might look like:
Hammer Strength Row
Pulldowns
Dumbell Pullover
Cable Facepulls
Machine Curls
Neck Extensions with 2 plates

I never felt the need to hit a muscle from every angle or be in the gym constantly, I just burn out. My recovery abilities are likely not the best though. Plus it depends but I feel once you've hit your limit (enhanced or not) you're just maintaining, I don't care if you eat 10,000 calories, you've built all the muscle tissue you can (until you up your dose) and doing more than the basics is going to do nothing but wear out your CNS and joints.

This fits wit my own experiences too!
Thanks.

 

[mruniverse2020]

I get best gains from higher volume, 6 days a week, heavy.

 

[HONGOGRIMES]

I just read this, thanks for your intervention! Your training proposal is interesting. I do something similar but the reverse (reverse pyramid), first the approximations, I go to the maximum in a range of 5-10 and then I go down the weight slightly without failing completely leaving sometimes 1/2 reps in the tank (in this way I do not get tired to the set of failure)

Lead up working sets to near failure...usually leave 1-2 reps left in the tank. Last set on each exercise to failure.

 

[astrosfan123]

I just read this, thanks for your intervention! Your training proposal is interesting. I do something similar but the reverse (reverse pyramid), first the approximations, I go to the maximum in a range of 5-10 and then I go down the weight slightly without failing completely leaving sometimes 1/2 reps in the tank (in this way I do not get tired to the set of failure)

nice, reverse is the way to go imo, couple of warm up sets and then hit your highest working set first. Don't really understand the regular pyramid. I feel you are just wasting energy and taking away from your top set. 1 load 6-8 set and one back off 10-12 set both 2 failure. Then exercise over. Best thing I ever did was lower volume, example being 4-6 working sets for chest for push day and that's it for the day..

 

[HONGOGRIMES]

totally agree with you with the low volume my intensity went up, at least in my experience. I recently discovered this form of progress and progress is fast in strength 5 weeks winning reps and weights! I do not feel over-trained.

nice, reverse is the way to go imo, couple of warm up sets and then hit your highest working set first. Don't really understand the regular pyramid. I feel you are just wasting energy and taking away from your top set. 1 load 6-8 set and one back off 10-12 set both 2 failure. Then exercise over. Best thing I ever did was lower volume, example being 4-6 working sets for chest for push day and that's it for the day..

 

[xpoc]

nice, reverse is the way to go imo, couple of warm up sets and then hit your highest working set first. Don't really understand the regular pyramid. I feel you are just wasting energy and taking away from your top set. 1 load 6-8 set and one back off 10-12 set both 2 failure. Then exercise over. Best thing I ever did was lower volume, example being 4-6 working sets for chest for push day and that's it for the day..

When I was into powerlifting this is exactly what I did. Hit my heaviest set first, then got my volume by backing off the lbs on subsequent sets. I still think this is the best way to go for power because I didn't hit failure on that first set.

For bodybuilding purposes, if I hit failure on that first heavy set, whatever follows is usually lacking volume/tension. Example of a rev pyramid for ME. 100x 12 until failure. 85x 8, 75x 6. So that is around 26 total reps. On a standard pyramid it might look like 75x15, 85x 12, 100x 10 until failure. That is 37 reps. Under both scenarios I hit failure, one in the beginning and the next at the end. But, by saving it for the last set I was able to complete 11 more total reps, albeit 2 less with my top weight.