Hernon 2-way split routine

[Dens228]

This is the routine I received years ago from Phil. I didn't like it at the time because I was too obsessed with it not seeming like enough for each bodypart in a given workout. I also had trouble even getting one rep on the third set of any given exercise.

Day 1-chest, shoulders( shoulder presses) , triceps, quads, crunches
Day2- Back ( pull ups-rows) biceps, hamstrings, calvs.
Just rotate between days..........
Same exercises......declines or dips for chest/squats for quads.......stiff leg deads for hams.......rotate between seated and standing for calv.......1 set crunches..........HERE is the key......pick a weight you can do 7-10 reps with.........do set, rest 1 second, do next set, rest 1 second, do 3rd set..........train every day until u need a day off.

He preferred laterals over shoulder presses but at the time I was having elbow tendon issues.

Now many years later I've started it for a workout or two then stopped.

Now I've been on it for three weeks with a few changes. The big one is I take four breaths between sets, unracking on the fourth breath, this way I can get 2-3 reps on the second set and always 1-2 reps on the third set. Plus I'm doing laterals for shoulders instead of presses. I also aim for between 10-15 reps on the first set.

I'm also working out at most two days in a row but am not adverse to going every other day. It all depends on how I feel.

I will say I feel so much more energetic for both my workouts and the rest of the day. My lower back is no longer as tight, my shoulders feel better and my workouts are strong start to finish. For me, chest, back, and quads are the most exhausting. In a two way split combining chest and back that's three exercises that are especially tiring in one workout, and quads on their own. Combining chest with a quad for one and then width and thickness in another evens it out a bit.

Having hit the big 6-0 in January I feel it's even more important to recover and stay healthy and injury free. This just may be the ticket.

 

[micro2000]

How can you do a set and only have a 1 sec rest? Even rest pause use 10-30 sec rest to allow some recuperation. Three sets with 1 sec rests are essentially 1 set.

 

[Shelby]

I feel like either Phil was fucking with you or he made a typo

 

[Dens228]

You can’t. That’s why I didn’t like it.

Nope. Unless he was flat out lying to a paying client for fun we had lengthy discussions about it merits. Plus he bolded the 1 in his email

 

[Shelby]

Ok so squats are listed for quads (?)
So you do a hard set of squats, rack it, rest 1 second, then do another set, rack it, rest 1 second, then 1 last set
How does that even work? Just the time to rack it and get back under the bar is longer than 1 second, and if you did anything close to a hard set the first time, you're just asking for trouble on the subsequent sets.
I wouldn't do this at any age, especially 59/60.
Rest pause is 3 failure points with about 30 seconds rest in between
Cluster sets in traditional fashion are 6 sets of 4 reps, with about 10 seconds in between, but you're not hitting failure until the latter sets (choose a weight you can do about 15 reps with, and end up doing 24ish)
But 1 second... sounds fictional and unsafe.

 

[Shelby]

I'm sure Phil had a lot of different routines. When I trained under his guidance (around 2007) he told me to rest "until my breathing returned to normal".
I think that's a pretty good guideline, generally speaking. I still kind of use that as a guideline, most of the time.

 

[madg]

I'm sure Phil had a lot of different routines. When I trained under his guidance (around 2007) he told me to rest "until my breathing returned to normal".
I think that's a pretty good guideline, generally speaking. I still kind of use that as a guideline, most of the time.

I do this since i was 17

 

[Dens228]

I'm sure Phil had a lot of different routines. When I trained under his guidance (around 2007) he told me to rest "until my breathing returned to normal".
I think that's a pretty good guideline, generally speaking. I still kind of use that as a guideline, most of the time.

That's the original routine he gave me too. And I still use it most of the time.

 

[tornquad201]

I’ve talked to Phil many times it was a typo but the routine was solid

 

[alfresco]

I feel like either Phil was fucking with you or he made a typo

; a ‘test’ a mistake. I caught that too.

 

[TrippplePPP]

Why did PH seem to have so many unique quirks to his routines? Like squat every day and one second rest periods.

 

[Shelby]

Why did PH seem to have so many unique quirks to his routines? Like squat every day and one second rest periods.

A combination of nature, nurture, and epigenetics.

 

[emeric delczeg]

I feel like either Phil was fucking with you or he made a typo

Probably typo.

 

[emeric delczeg]

Why did PH seem to have so many unique quirks to his routines? Like squat every day and one second rest periods.

I workout with Phil, he never did 1 second rest between stets, you mean 1secont rest on the the top with each reps?

 

[Dens228]

I workout with Phil, he never did 1 second rest between stets, you mean 1secont rest on the the top with each reps?

As posted above, this is the cut and paste directly from the email I received from him, years ago.

Day 1-chest, shoulders( shoulder presses) , triceps, quads, crunches
Day2- Back ( pull ups-rows) biceps, hamstrings, calvs.
Just rotate between days..........
Same exercises......declines or dips for chest/squats for quads.......stiff leg deads for hams.......rotate between seated and standing for calv.......1 set crunches..........HERE is the key......pick a weight you can do 7-10 reps with.........do set, rest 1 second, do next set, rest 1 second, do 3rd set..........train every day until u need a day off.

Decipher and interpret it as you wish.........lol

I'm not trying to defend or explain it. I also stated my issue with it as written, which is the same as everyone here. I was merely noting some changes I made to the routine he provided to make it workable for me.
I should also add that I don't do squats, I've substituted hacks due to a neck injury from many years ago that caught up with me.

 

[SABAGOY]

Back in the day when he suggested this routine to me he said don't over think it just "Rack it...take a breath...unrack and go again...rack it...take a breath...and go again", this was after I asked him the same questions here.

 

[qbkilla]

I personally don't think it's "optimal" due to the overall low volume...but it does have very high frequency for all parts. Kinda like a version of DC training but even more extreme in terms of lower volume and higher frequency. Very simple and doesn't involve much thought so I like it. The routine you can stick to, enjoy, and gets you training hard beats the " optimal science backed" routine that you hate and always tweak...that's the main lesson I've learned. Might try it one day but my favorite " just train hard" program is still the bro split which is basically the opposite of this.

I think rotating this with a high volume bro split would be a sensible approach for over thinkers like me

 

[275bills]

I personally don't think it's "optimal" due to the overall low volume...but it does have very high frequency for all parts. Kinda like a version of DC training but even more extreme in terms of lower volume and higher frequency. Very simple and doesn't involve much thought so I like it. The routine you can stick to, enjoy, and gets you training hard beats the " optimal science backed" routine that you hate and always tweak...that's the main lesson I've learned. Might try it one day but my favorite " just train hard" program is still the bro split which is basically the opposite of this.

I think rotating this with a high volume bro split would be a sensible approach for over thinkers like me

If you can train a bodypart 2 or 3 times a week and recover. To me that is more optimal.

 

[tornquad201]

As posted above, this is the cut and paste directly from the email I received from him, years ago.

Day 1-chest, shoulders( shoulder presses) , triceps, quads, crunches
Day2- Back ( pull ups-rows) biceps, hamstrings, calvs.
Just rotate between days..........
Same exercises......declines or dips for chest/squats for quads.......stiff leg deads for hams.......rotate between seated and standing for calv.......1 set crunches..........HERE is the key......pick a weight you can do 7-10 reps with.........do set, rest 1 second, do next set, rest 1 second, do 3rd set..........train every day until u need a day off.

Decipher and interpret it as you wish.........lol

I'm not trying to defend or explain it. I also stated my issue with it as written, which is the same as everyone here. I was merely noting some changes I made to the routine he provided to make it workable for me.
I should also add that I don't do squats, I've substituted hacks due to a neck injury from many years ago that caught up with me.

He suggested dropping 10% in weight then repeat set

 

[Dens228]

He suggested dropping 10% in weight then repeat set

Yes he did, in a completely different routine. He had more than one. I'm referring to the one he gave me after the routine you're talking about.

Here's the original routine he gave me......copy and paste from his email

1. Chest, Back, Standing calvs-Day 1

2. Quads, hamstrings, abs- Day 2

3. Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Seated calvs- Day 3

4. Off

3 Sets ONLY per body part. After warm up, do heaviest set first, maybe in the range of 5-9 reps to failure, then drop 10% for another set, then another 10% drop for last set. Rest between sets until breathing returns to normal. Use compound movements only. No cables. Choose between declines and dips only for chest .Side laterals only for shoulders, no pressing movements. Squats for quads only. Choose stiff legged dead lifts, abductors and leg curls for hamstrings, and you can rotate these exercises or do 1 set of each as per how you feel. Rotate standing and seated calvs when it is their turn to train them. Pull ups and rows for your back because it is so big, 3 sets each. DBs for bicep curls, dips or close grip bench for triceps. Do not go all the way up or all the way down on any exercise, stay in the 80% zone. Keep a fast smooth pace, no kinks or stopping to catch breath. Take each set to failure, do not count reps after the first set. Do 7-10 minutes of hard cardio every day except for leg day, after weight training.