Breaking in high frequency training

The founding fathers of lifting are at the forefront of internet debate and discussion on a routine basis.

The founding fathers being volume, frequency, intensity, rep range, and recovery.

I have very particular thoughts and opinions in regards to each for myself, and for the majority of lifters.  However there are always guys that gravitate towards certain ideologies that run counter to my own beliefs, and make it work for them.

This isn't to say I'm wrong, and they are right, or vice versa.  As I wrote on the LRB Facebook page a little while back, people tend to gravitate towards a training methodology that "speaks" to them as a lifter.  Because it resonates with them as a lifter, they tend to make it work and work well.

The best methodology will always be the one you buy into, and adhere to with a passion.

One principle that gets debated often is the case for high frequency training.  That is, in powerlifting, training the big three multiple times a week.

For myself, I have found sort of a middle ground in this regard.  It's more or less represented in The Zenith routine in Base Building.

I squat twice one week, then once the next week.

I press twice one week, and then once the next week.

Some weeks I do assistance work twice that week, and then other weeks not at all.

I have found a balance in all of this that works for me, and keeps me progressing.

Lots of guys gravitate towards doing the big 3 three, four, and even five times a week.  I personally would not train that way.  For a myriad of reasons.

For one, it gets monotonous to me.  Doing the same movements over and over again with nothing in the way of variety makes me stale on training very quickly.  Not that I have a lot of variety in terms of movements I do use, but they do get a rotation and that keeps my mind and joints fresh.

Second, after more than two decades of training my elbows can't press three times a week.  If you want to watch your numbers plummet then train with achy joints or overuse injuries, and you'll be moving a lot less weight than if you feel "good" in that regard.

With that said, training the movements more often does have an enormous amount of benefits.

You get more "practice" with the movements, and sharpen the motor cortex to a greater degree, increasing efficiency in that regard.  And increased efficiency will translate over into better lifts, i.e. bigger lifts, over time.

Of course, this only works if you adhere to the sliding scale of intensity and volume, and adjust those two factors accordingly.  That means, you need to make sure you're training in an intensity zone (70-85%) that can be worked in without overreaching/under-recovering, and apply the optimal amount of volume within that intensity range while ALSO taking frequency into account.

So there are benefits to training the lifts more frequently.  I mean that goes without saying (so why am I saying it?).

However the issue for most guys that want to transition from training the big 3 from once a week, to multiple times a week, is that they don't "break in" higher frequency in a proper way.

When a lot of guys decide to make the choice to go from a traditional split of hitting the big lifts once a week, to multiple times a week, they tend to make the change immediately.  Then they wonder why after a few weeks, that they are beat to shit, and their lifts are in the shitter.

Like most things in life, a big change can fuck with your life.  Where small changes tend to be easier to deal with, and implement.

So if you are training the bench, squat, and deadlift once a week, it's not a good idea to show up on Monday and start a week of squatting three times a week, benching three times a week, and pulling twice a week.  It's better to make small changes to your CURRENT routine, and then over time massage it so that it becomes a high frequency routine.

This might take six months or longer.  That's ok.  Because it will give you time to acclimate to the changes imposed on your body, and you have more time to make proper adjustments to volume and intensity, to find the most efficient zones for those principles.

For a guy that is using a traditional, or standard routine of squat, bench, deadlift once a week, he'd be wise to do nothing more than add in a light squat day some other time during the week.

For example...

Day 1 - Squat
Day 2 - Bench
Day 3 - Deadlift
Day 4- Light Squat / 50% of what was used on Day 1, for 3 sets of 5

This kind of small change shouldn't impact recovery at all, and can be seamless in regards to the routine.

After a few weeks of this, throwing in a light bench day could be added.

Day 1 - Squat
Day 2 - Bench
Day 3 - Deadlift
Day 4 - Light Bench / 60% of what was used on Day 2 for 3 sets of 8
Day 5 - Light Squat

Again, this is nothing of significant impact in regards to recovery and shouldn't cause any issues.

After a month and a half of this, you could simply up the intensity on the "light" days, giving you a bit more of a meaningful workload for the week.

Day 1 - Squat
Day 2 - Bench
Day 3 - Deadlift
Day 4 - Light Bench / 70% of what was used on Day 2 for 3 sets of 8
Day 5 - Light Squat / 60% of what was used on Day 1, for 3 sets of 5

Once again, we're easing in to things, so that the body has time to adjust to a slightly higher workload for the week.  This still shouldn't be terribly taxing, and someone could use this day as more of a "speed" day as the intensities have risen within a proper range for that.

After a few months of this, the lifter could make a few new small changes and once again, give it a few months to acclimate.

They could simple combine some movements, or once again just up the intensity on the "light" days.

For example....

Day 1 - Squat
Day 2 - Bench
Day 3 - Light Squat Day/Deadlift
Day 4 - Light Bench / 70% of what was used on Day 2 for 3 sets of 8
Day 5 - Light Squat / 60% of what was used on Day 1, for 3 sets of 5

Now there are two "light" squat days over that same period of time.  Bringing up squatting frequency from twice a week, to three times a week.

The other option is to just up the intensity AND volume slightly on the existing "light" days.

Day 1 - Squat
Day 2 - Bench
Day 3 - Deadlift
Day 4 - Light Bench / 70% of what was used on Day 2 for 5 sets of 8
Day 5 - Light Squat / 70% of what was used on Day 1, for 5 sets of 5

Again, we're making small changes over time to allow for acclimation, so that overuse and fatigue management are kept in check.

This could continue on for quite some time as small changes are made.  Within a year or so, the lifter could be squatting three or four times a week, benching three times a week, and pulling once or twice a week.  Once again, making sure to keep the sliding scale of intensity and volume in check as these changes are implemented.

If you want to venture into higher frequency training from a more traditional "once a week" type of split, this is what I would recommend to do so.  It will give you time to adjust to more training, and allow you manage all of the principles involved in lifting, in accordance to how you feel as you institute each change.

Don't try to overhaul everything all at once.  That's the best way to end up being "that guy" that writes "I tried this for me and it just fucked me up."