Squat – Press – Pull

 

A Split Training Program for Strength, Power, and Mass

     In general (even if you’ve only read a small smattering of my writing, you probably still know this), I’m a fan of full-body workouts.  When training with a split program, I typically like 2-way splits and little else.  There are times, however, when a “multi-split”—splitting your body into 3 or more sessions—can be effective.  In this article, I want to present one such program.  This program will be great for anyone who is at least at the “intermediate” level and is looking to gain even more mass, strength, and power.

     Before we go any further, let’s look at the reasons that I generally favor full-body workouts and problems I have with most split training programs.  Once you understand that information, then you can make an informed decision over whether or not this program would be right for you.

     Full-body programs are ideal if you are trying to gain weight.  If you need muscle above all else, and you’re a natural athlete, then full-body training is the way to go.  Full-body workouts done 3 times a week should be the only form of training if you are just starting out.  You shouldn’t even look at a split program until you’ve been training 6 months at the minimum with full-body workouts.  If, however, you have been training for at least 6 months, have acquired some good results from full-body training but you are now looking for an effective form of split training, then this program might just be for you.

     One of the main problems with split workouts is that the vast majority of lifters—especially men—end up skipping days for bodyparts/lifts they don’t really enjoy training.  I can guarantee you that a whole heapin’ lot of men make it to the gym each week for chest day, arm day, maybe even shoulder day or “lat” day, but skip out on a lot of their leg and back days.  (I write “lats” being separate from back, as a lot of gym-goers have no problem—and even enjoy—endless sets of lat pulldowns or various cable rows, but won’t go near a heavy deadlift, power clean, or high pull.)  So, if you’re going to do a split program, make sure you know you’re the type of lifter that won’t skip leg or back days.  If you’re the kind of guy or gal that loves to get in the squat rack and use it for, you know, actually squatting, and, in fact, you look forward to a heavy squat session above all else, then split workouts should work out just fine for you, however.

     A favorite form of split training among the masses—and it has been popular among bodybuilders since the ‘80s—is the so-called “push/pull/legs” split.  “Push” means you will train your chest, shoulders, and triceps on one day.  The pull day is reserved for your back (especially lats) and biceps.  And the leg day is, well, for your legs.  This split can be either good or bad, depending on what exercises, sets, reps, and overall frequency that you use.  If you utilize it using machines, cables, and needlessly high reps, it will end up being essentially worthless.  If you use it to do some heavy pressing (particularly overhead work), some heavy pulls with an emphasis on deadlifts and/or the quick lifts and use the leg day to focus on heavy squats instead of other lower body movements, however, you end up with a heck of a good program that is capable of packing on the mass along with the strength and power to go along with the hypertrophy gains.

 

The Program

Day One: Squat

Squats: 8 sets of 5 reps.  After a few warmup sets (the amount will depend on your strength level), put a weight on the bar where 10 reps would be really tough for one, all-out set.  Do 8 sets of 5 reps with that weight.  If you manage 5 reps on all 8 sets—which you very well might do—then add weight at the next session.  On average, rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

Front squats: 5 sets of 5 reps.  Select a weight on these where you know that 5 reps will be hard for 5 sets, but a weight that you’re pretty sure you’re capable of getting for 5 sets of 5 reps.  Add weight at the next session if you do manage to get 5 reps on all 5 sets.

Day Two: Press

Barbell bench presses: 8 sets of 5 reps.  Use the same methodology as the squats from Day One.

One-arm dumbbell overhead presses: 5 sets of 5 reps (each arm).  After a couple of warmup sets, select a weight where 5 reps will be tough for all 5 sets.  If you get 5 reps on all sets, add weight at the next press day.

Military presses: 3 sets of 5 reps.  Do these with strict form.  Do not turn them into a push press as the sets get harder.

Day Three: Pull

Power cleans OR deadlifts: 8 sets of 2-3 reps.  I don’t think deadlifts need to be trained near as frequently as most other lifts.  In fact, a lot of deadlifts—conventional, sumo, deficit of both types—will continue to increase in strength with infrequent training as long as (and this is the key) the muscles that are worked in the deadlift are trained frequently.  This is the reason that Westside Barbell got such good results from hardly ever training their deadlifts.  In fact, a lot of Westside lifters would only deadlift at meets.  Now, I don’t think that level of infrequency is needed, and, in fact, I think training that infrequently would hurt most lifters’ deadlifts, but the lesson is still valuable.  You simply don’t need to train the deadlift very often.  To keep it simple, here I want you to alternate deadlifts with power cleans.  If you’re an advanced (or at least “intermediate”) lifter, you could also try subbing in another form of deadlifting, such as sumo or deficit deadlifts, into the rotation.

One-arm dumbbell power snatches: 5 sets of 3 reps (each arm).  Dumbbell versions of the quick lifts are highly effective at building muscle and strength, despite the fact that they are rarely ever performed by your average gym-goer.  So do these (if for no other reason than) to be different.

Weighted chins: 5 sets of 5 reps.  Select a weight where you know that 5 reps will be tough for 5 sets, but a weight where you think you might be able to 5x5.  If you get 5 reps on all sets, add weight at the next session.

Barbell curls: 5 sets of 5 reps.

 

Tips and Pointers

·         One of the things that I love about this program is its inherent flexibility.  You can train on a 3 on, 1 off routine.  You can train on a 3 on, 2off rotation.  You can train on a 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off schedule.  You can train on a 6 on, 1 off schedule if you respond better to more work.  And, conversely, you could just train every other day if you are the kind of lifter who knows that you respond better to less.

·         If you decide to train on a 6 on, 1 off or a 3 on, 1 off rotation, you may want to cut out the last exercise of each training day.  At least until you adapt to the program.  In fact, you could even just do the first exercise on each training day and make that your only movement of the day.  That often works well for lifters who need to train frequently but can only do so much work at each session.  Different lifters respond well to different levels of volume and frequency.  Once you discover how you respond, then the sky’s the limit as far as your progress goes.  At that point, if you put in the work, you’ll get the results.

·         Often, after writing a program such as this, I will receive—almost inevitably so—an email that will ask something as brilliant as: “If I don’t squat on the squat day, but do leg presses instead, is that just as good?”  Or “Is it okay to replace the power cleans and deadlifts with lat pulldowns?”  Let me be perfectly clear:  The answer to those questions, and anything remotely similar, is a resounding no!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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