So I've been talking about how Rippetoes is no longer working for me lately and that I can't squat three times a week any more. I've decided to try out a new training method; one which is power based but includes plenty of variation on the exercises.
Workout A
Squat or box squat 2 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Work B
Bench Press or low board press or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
Workout C
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2 x 5
Front squat or leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15
Workout D
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns or dumbell skull crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10
Train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Well, that's what I'm aiming for but no doubt my schedule will get mucked up so I might be doing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for some weeks ... as long as I'm not training back to back and get a two day break between every second and fourth workout. Obviously, since there are four workouts and only three sessions per week, workout D will be done the next week and then A will be done two days after ... you get the picture. This means that I will not be doing deadlifts or heavy back squats very often, which I think might be better for me. I only deadlift two or three times per month, which means I should be able to go hard on them without recking my CNS.
All working sets are the same weight, and should be heavier than the last session I did them. Reps are guidlines rather than set in stone, so getting, say, 8, 8, 8 and 6 or 7 isn't a wasted workout and I'll still try and add weight the next one. Sets are taken to one rep short of failure but never failure, although failing on the big lifts like bench and squat occasionally is no biggie.
Lifts are rotated once I stall, eg once I stall on the bench I'll move onto low board press, once I stall on the squat I move onto box squats. Then once I stall on them I move back. Every four to six weeks I deload by only lifting 85% intensity on all lifts and sets that week. However, if the minimum weight jump that I can make is too big to attempt then I'll add a few reps before upping the weight and lowering the reps to the original reps (eg bench pressing with 40kg dumbells: the next ones up are 42.5kg which means I'd have a 5kg weight jump; this is too big I think so I'll first get 4x8, then 4x10-12, then use the 42.5's to get 4x8 again).
I might drop the front squats/leg presses once I stall on regular back squats and see if that helps, since they aren't really necessary - most people will be fine with just deadlifts that day. I might drop the curls from workout A if I'm having problems with back or biceps on workout C since a predominantly back day is more appropriate to do them than a predominantly leg day.
I start on workout A tomorrow!