How is this for volume? Am I doing enough? Critique this workout

bmwguy

I saw Hanleys thread but didn't want to derail it with my own program as there is plenty of chat over there. Just wondering if the volume here is comparable to the program he recommends, he seems to be resident expert and well respected poster on this forum so I assume his is good.

Bit of a how long is a piece of string question but just looking for opinions.

Firstly, yes I feel tired after it which probably answers my question. I refuse to spend more than 60 minutes in the gym (after a 5 minute warm up/stretch with bands) as I don't think it's required so breaks are minimal enough during the session I will describe below.

Ex 1: Squats, Bench or Deadlift depending on day.

10 x 50% 3rm
8 x 60%
6 x 80%
4 x 90%
3 x 100% 3rm

If the 3rm is hit, it goes up next time in the name of progress. I won't post the actual weights because I think it might influence people's perceptions of the work. Not embarrassed or anything, they are quite decent and I do feel quite tired in the targeted muscle group after this opener.

Then I drop the weight and move backwards through it working back down to 50%, up the reps if still feeling strong for last 2 movements might go to failure.

Assistance exercises can be the likes of incline bench with dumbbells, step ups with dumbbells/heavy plate, Romanian deadlifts, face pulls, lat pull downs, flute/hamstring raises, Bulgarian split squats, bent over dumbbell rows, press ups, walking lunges with weights, shoulder press and a few others.

Typically I would superset 2 of these exercises that hit different muscle groups to minimise breaks as much as I can.

So after my opening heavy bench/squat/deadlift I will do 4 supersets x 10 reps of 2 exercises, incline dumbbell press and Romanian deadlifts for example.

I will do 3 full supersets so in total in my assistance work I will be doing 3 x 4 x 2 which is 24 sets of typically 10 reps. The weights I use are close to max effort and I record how I feel after it to go up in weight next time or not. I try to move up a small increment in half the exercises next time, don't want to overload.

To finish I will do 4 sets of high intensity stuff like prowler push, battle ropes, or a medley of light barbell exercises (RDL, upright rows, overhead press, squats without once letting go of the bar) that kind of thing.

Is the volume here high enough? I do seem to get through it quickly and some guys are there before me, still there after me but I do know they are on their phones, chatting etc. My phone doesn't come in with me and I don't talk much, just a little.

I do this 3 times a week. I don't know what I am after to be honest, just getting stronger and fitter really. Combine it with some short runs and cycles every now and again.

So in summary it's the opening heavy lift of one of the big powerlifting 3 , 10 sets of varying reps

24 sets of assistance in a superset scenario.

Finisher, barbell medley or prowler or battle ropes.

Hanley

What sort of numbers are you moving?

bmwguy

Hanley wrote: »

What sort of numbers are you moving?

3rm on bench is 110kg, squat is 160kg and DL is 180kg at the moment. I don't ever go for 1rm max but I guess it's 10kg more or so on each.

I am just finished playing rugby so I have done a good bit of gym work as a means to an end, but now looking to get stronger for myself rather than for rugby. The assistance work is whole body each workout, not doing an upper body/lower body split day on the assistance exercises because I think it suits supersetting better that way.

The weights on the assistance work varies greatly depending on exercise of course. I do feel I worked after each and every set. I am getting through 30+ sets each workout in approx an hour 3 times a week

Mellor

Do you go for a 3rm every session?
And I'm I reading it correct that you pyramid back down. So the actual workout looks like;

10 x 50%
8 x 60%
6 x 80%
4 x 90%
3 x 100%
4 x 90%
6 x 80%
8 x 60%
10 x 50%


If thats the case, then imo there's lots of reps, but very little in the way of working volume.
The rest is prob very sub-max in terms of intensity. The 90% for example, is probably a true 85% (as its based off 3RM and not 1RM) so you should be able for 6-ish reps there. And so on in all the sets. Maybe by the end, accumulative fatigue makes these sets more like "work". But I think you'd be better on just warming up as normal and getting in some work set volume.

Why not follow the weekly target rep scheme Hanley posted with the assistance work above?