Frequent training with a twist...

[Leviathan]

Hey gang, haven't been here in a while to post, but have been lurking for a while and have recently changed my training a little bit to be more frequent.

I got to reading some of Lats and Phil's posts about more frequent rotations for bodyparts, as well as read some of the ideas of HST (Bryan Haycock's brand of training), and also some stuff by Chad Waterbury. I haven't hit a bodypart twice in a week since it went out of fashion in 91, when the majority of us changed to hitting everything once a week like Dorian. So about 7-8 months ago, I tried hitting everything twice a week, really low volume and to failure on all sets. Well, in less than a couple weeks I got really overtrained, sleeplessness, you name it. Switched back to once a week and started using higher reps and made some nice progress.

Well, a few weeks ago I got to reading some of Bryan Haycocks stuff, and got to thinking I could give it another shot but with some changes: cycling the weights over the course of two weeks, so in affect only hitting close to failure once every couple weeks. So far I have been hitting each bodypart with two movements, 2 sets each, twice a week and increasing the poundage each time I train.

I have to say: it's making me a believer. I'm getting some nice growth, even with all the submaximal effort on the sets. It's as if I have to back off once I hit the heaviest I can muster, just like a powerlifter. I can't just go in there and kill it like I used to when I was younger. I'm also dropping a little fat, something I didn't expect to see happen.

Eventually, I would like to move into a 3 times a week per bodypart format but am unsure how to set it up. This is the current plan I am going to use for the next month.

Day one: chest, back, delts, traps, calves
Day two: hams, quads, bis, tris, forearms, abs.
Day three: off
Day four: repeat day one
Day five: repeat day two
Days five and six: off

Anyone have some suggestions on how I can move it into 3 days a week without going into an overtraining spin? Even just going to failure makes me overtrain, so I'm a bit skittish to actually make a change in my current program, yet at the same time, I'd like to see the shape I get into training 6 days a week. Thanks for your responses.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

I personally love my split. I take long rest periods during the big lifts at the beginning of the workout, then pick it up for a killer pump at the end.

Chest, Shoulder, Tri
Back, Bi
Legs
Rest
Chest, Tri
Back, Shoulder Bi
Legs
Rest
REPEAT

 

[Insurance]

Can this be explained in more detail please

I've been reading this on the site about mixing it up....but what exactally is this going for?

My days now are very traditional

Chest/Tri
Back Bi
Shoulders/abs

repeat

 

[ncsports]

the only way i can think of to do 3x per week w/o over training (for most people) would be the HST style workout.

i really enjoyed that workout except for the 15 reppers.

 

[MassMachine]

You could use a full body 3x a week and alternate movements.
Bench on Mon, Flyes on Wed, Incline Press on Fri and do this with every bodypart.
You can also do the what the 80's bodybuilders did do your split but rotate it 6x a week.
A
B
A
B
A
B
OFF

Again alternating movements yet keeping the worouts brief.

Fullbody training works well. More muscle has been built with this than any other routine.
MM

 

[Girth]

See Mr_Magoo's explanation of his full body workout. I too am using it. It does take a bit longer, but I'm a performance athlete and like to spend the off days doing other things. So 3 days per week is great.

 

[Leviathan]

Perhaps I needed to be more clear: I'm not looking to only train 3 times a week, I want to eventually work this into a 6 days a week program, but am unsure how if I should alter the volume or keep it 4 sets per muscle per session, but train them 3 days a week.

The point? It's just a change in training. I've been doing this since 87/88 and need more variety as the years go on in order to keep my interest.