Guest guest Posted February 8, 2004 Report Share Posted February 8, 2004 Hello all, Got some free advice about this and the Dr. (once ranked in the top ten of his weight class) recommended for mass doing 2 workouts a day 3-4 times a week of 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, at least to start the cycle. Now, I respect this man but that seems like a lot of frequency for me, especially at my highly advanced age of 35. Plus, I don't want to be sore all the time, so that's a concern. If I were to do just squats and deads, some rows and presses in this fashion, I still think I would wear myself ragged. Doing squats 6 times a week? Okay, maybe only 3 sets of 10 and not coming that close to failure might leave me enough energy to do them again later that week. I suppose I could do 3-5 sets of 10 of some percentage of 1RM and be able to do them again in a couple of days. If I had to. What I was thinking of doing, based upon the research I've done, is do 3-10 sets of 12 reps squats and some higher rep sets of rows on Monday, and then some presses on Thursday. (That's the first part of my cycle anyway) Then doing deads the next WEEK. Is this not enough volume? Whenever I've tried doing more volume I've tended to overtrain, get tired, get sick. But of course I was using too much intensity and training to failure with each set (thanks for nothing HIT). Maybe if I was using less weight it would be sustainable. So, how often does everyone squat? I am not a beginner, but learning all the time. This fellow ranks pretty high in my esteem, but I am wondering what you all thought of doing squats, or deads for that matter, more than once per week? Thanks Impy McFerguson Fargo, ND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 I'm not suprised that someone would have had good success with the routine you described. I recently read a biography of , " God's mightiest preacher " Somedays he used to do squats all day long at the family farm, sometimes using home made apparatus. Whole milk was the sport drink he sipped between sets and I got the impression his efforts were sub maximal both in weight used and in never going to failure, but the volume spread out through the day would have been tremendous. I'm not a bodybuilder but I understand that Bill Pearl used to leave a rep or two in the bag and did more sets and greater volume that way. I'm sure there are many variations in Olympic lifting ie: the Bulgarian method. I haven't read Siff's Supertraining in awhile so I can't quote chapter or verse where this might have been covered..anyone else out there?? Hal Lloyd Nome Alaska Impy McFerguson wrote: Hello all, Got some free advice about this and the Dr. (once ranked in the top ten of his weight class) recommended for mass doing 2 workouts a day 3-4 times a week of 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, at least to start the cycle. Now, I respect this man but that seems like a lot of frequency for me, especially at my highly advanced age of 35. Plus, I don't want to be sore all the time, so that's a concern. If I were to do just squats and deads, some rows and presses in this fashion, I still think I would wear myself ragged. Doing squats 6 times a week? Okay, maybe only 3 sets of 10 and not coming that close to failure might leave me enough energy to do them again later that week. I suppose I could do 3-5 sets of 10 of some percentage of 1RM and be able to do them again in a couple of days. If I had to. What I was thinking of doing, based upon the research I've done, is do 3-10 sets of 12 reps squats and some higher rep sets of rows on Monday, and then some presses on Thursday. (That's the first part of my cycle anyway) Then doing deads the next WEEK. Is this not enough volume? Whenever I've tried doing more volume I've tended to overtrain, get tired, get sick. But of course I was using too much intensity and training to failure with each set (thanks for nothing HIT). Maybe if I was using less weight it would be sustainable. So, how often does everyone squat? I am not a beginner, but learning all the time. This fellow ranks pretty high in my esteem, but I am wondering what you all thought of doing squats, or deads for that matter, more than once per week? Thanks Impy McFerguson Fargo, ND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 With anything except light endurance-level loads, that kind of squat workload definitely sounds nutty to me. Capacities for intensity/frequency/volume vary widely among individuals. If you don't have a clear idea of what works for you based on your own experience, I suggest experimenting upon yourself to obtain this information. This way you won't have to believe Dr. Whoever or try to choose between the opinions of others. The way to do this is to measure your own progress via lifting performance. Many do this via periodic RM testing, but there is another, simpler way to measure more frequently: namely, using your performance in each workout as measurement. Bascially, you set up a scheme with volume/frequency/intensity in reasonable parameters and shoot for fairly linear progress in the form of better performance each week or each workout. If performance stagnates for a few weeks or declines, this is your negative feedback, and a signal to change one of the parameters. If you want to try this scheme, measuring volume and frequency is strictly quantitative, but for intensity, you'll use a subjective assessment of " ______ reps from failure " . For instance, you could set up a plan whereby you start doing 2 or 3 worksets of squats about 1-2 reps from failure in the 8-10 rep range - that is you stop at the point where you know you could do one more, but probably not two without failing partway. Let's say you start out doing this twice per week. You start adding a pound or two per workout, or a rep every week and you are able to do this at rougly the same intensity level. If you can keep it up... great, you know it's working. If you want faster/better progress, maybe you increase the intensity every workout or every other, or you add a set, or you try to do it 3 times per week. Whatever. The point is that you only change one variable at a time and cruise along for a little while to make sure it's working sustainably. If, at some point, you change a variable and performance stagnates or decreases... great, now you have concrete knowledge about exactly where a line is for you. Once you start to accumulate this kind of real self-knowledge, you will be more able to progress to more complicated schemes like heavy/med/light, or other kinds of periodisation, because you won't be just guessing at how to set up the parameters of your routine. This kind of plan probably isn't suitable for advanced athletes, but for those of us who are mere recreational athletes or fitness enthusiasts, I think it is a very workable system that can eliminate much guessing. Credit where credit is due: the writings and message board of Casey Butt largely taught me this method and got me results. You can read his many articles for free on his weightrainer site: http://www.engr.mun.ca/~butt/index.html Wilbanks ville, FL > Hello all, > > Got some free advice about this and the Dr. (once ranked in the top > ten of his weight class) recommended for mass doing 2 workouts a day > 3-4 times a week of 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, at least to start the > cycle. Now, I respect this man but that seems like a lot of frequency > for me, especially at my highly advanced age of 35. Plus, I don't > want to be sore all the time, so that's a concern. > > If I were to do just squats and deads, some rows and presses in this > fashion, I still think I would wear myself ragged. Doing squats 6 > times a week? Okay, maybe only 3 sets of 10 and not coming that close > to failure might leave me enough energy to do them again later that > week. I suppose I could do 3-5 sets of 10 of some percentage of 1RM > and be able to do them again in a couple of days. If I had to. > > What I was thinking of doing, based upon the research I've done, is > do 3-10 sets of 12 reps squats and some higher rep sets of rows on > Monday, and then some presses on Thursday. (That's the first part of > my cycle anyway) Then doing deads the next WEEK. Is this not enough > volume? > > Whenever I've tried doing more volume I've tended to overtrain, get > tired, get sick. But of course I was using too much intensity and > training to failure with each set (thanks for nothing HIT). Maybe if > I was using less weight it would be sustainable. > > So, how often does everyone squat? I am not a beginner, but learning > all the time. > > This fellow ranks pretty high in my esteem, but I am wondering what > you all thought of doing squats, or deads for that matter, more than > once per week? > > Thanks > Impy McFerguson > Fargo, ND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 Hi At the moment I am squatting 4 times a week Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat. Mon is 4 set of 9 (70%), wed is 5 sets of 7(75%), fri is 7 sets of 5(80%) and sat is 10 sets of 3(85%). Mon and wed are quite easy, not really working that hard, but fri and sat it starts to get heavy. The whole process is built up over 3 weeks with 10kg added week 2 and 5kg week 3, I then change to a lower frequency for the next few weeks. I am obviously focusing on squats during those few weeks so everything else is worked at a much lower level of intensity. This is part of a program that was designed by Master of Sports S. Y. Smolov. Carry out a search on google to find out more. I've had good results with this program, it is hard work but the results are worth it. Iain Murray Aberdeen, Scotland Squat frequency question? Hello all, Got some free advice about this and the Dr. (once ranked in the top ten of his weight class) recommended for mass doing 2 workouts a day 3-4 times a week of 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, at least to start the cycle. Now, I respect this man but that seems like a lot of frequency for me, especially at my highly advanced age of 35. Plus, I don't want to be sore all the time, so that's a concern. If I were to do just squats and deads, some rows and presses in this fashion, I still think I would wear myself ragged. Doing squats 6 times a week? Okay, maybe only 3 sets of 10 and not coming that close to failure might leave me enough energy to do them again later that week. I suppose I could do 3-5 sets of 10 of some percentage of 1RM and be able to do them again in a couple of days. If I had to. What I was thinking of doing, based upon the research I've done, is do 3-10 sets of 12 reps squats and some higher rep sets of rows on Monday, and then some presses on Thursday. (That's the first part of my cycle anyway) Then doing deads the next WEEK. Is this not enough volume? Whenever I've tried doing more volume I've tended to overtrain, get tired, get sick. But of course I was using too much intensity and training to failure with each set (thanks for nothing HIT). Maybe if I was using less weight it would be sustainable. So, how often does everyone squat? I am not a beginner, but learning all the time. This fellow ranks pretty high in my esteem, but I am wondering what you all thought of doing squats, or deads for that matter, more than once per week? Thanks Impy McFerguson Fargo, ND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 At this time I would ask Hobman to relate his experience again with the (sic?) Korte 3x3 workouts, which advocated sq/bp/dl 3x a week with varying intensities. Part of the question would also be this - if by DR you mean Dr. Fred Hatfield, was he not primarily known for his squat? (just to clarify, given we have several Ph.D. here on the List and Mel himself was Dr. Siff..) Thus leading to Dr. Hatfield's clear wish to squat more often? Kuc had a workout published in PLUSA which called for 2x a week deadlifting. <grin> Mr. Kuc was MUCH famed for his powerful deadlift. Many strong benchers suggest 2x a week benching. If squat is your favorite lift OR if you require better form and feel more emphasis would improve you as a lifter overall, then perhaps more than one squat workout a week will benefit you. Personally I'm a puller so I'd lean toward that Kuc workout if I ever wanted to take the plunge into " more than once a week " in a lift myself. Performing one of the powerlifts more often than 1x a week is either a correction for form or other issues OR a reinforcement of a prevailing strength that does not show in the other two lifts. It seems to mostly be of the two extremes, not the way of a lifter who is more balanced in the three competed lifts. Doing more of what you LOVE or what you well, HATE to either be better at your best OR better at your worst event. That's my opinion on the topic, I believe we have several good PL on the list who might comment as well. The Phantom aka Schaefer, CMT, CSCS, competing powerlifter Denver, Colorado, USA It was written: > Hello all, > > Got some free advice about this and the Dr. (once ranked in the top > ten of his weight class) recommended for mass doing 2 workouts a day > 3-4 times a week of 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, at least to start the > cycle. Now, I respect this man but that seems like a lot of frequency > for me, especially at my highly advanced age of 35. Plus, I don't > want to be sore all the time, so that's a concern. > > If I were to do just squats and deads, some rows and presses in this > fashion, I still think I would wear myself ragged. Doing squats 6 > times a week? Okay, maybe only 3 sets of 10 and not coming that close > to failure might leave me enough energy to do them again later that > week. I suppose I could do 3-5 sets of 10 of some percentage of 1RM > and be able to do them again in a couple of days. If I had to. > > What I was thinking of doing, based upon the research I've done, is > do 3-10 sets of 12 reps squats and some higher rep sets of rows on > Monday, and then some presses on Thursday. (That's the first part of > my cycle anyway) Then doing deads the next WEEK. Is this not enough > volume? > > Whenever I've tried doing more volume I've tended to overtrain, get > tired, get sick. But of course I was using too much intensity and > training to failure with each set (thanks for nothing HIT). Maybe if > I was using less weight it would be sustainable. > > So, how often does everyone squat? I am not a beginner, but learning > all the time. > > This fellow ranks pretty high in my esteem, but I am wondering what > you all thought of doing squats, or deads for that matter, more than > once per week? > > Thanks > Impy McFerguson > Fargo, ND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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