Alternating Max Effort exercises

[SFT]

Figured I'd ask this here. I am not a powerlifter, but using a variation of WS4SB to get stronger in the off-season. The sports training forum has about 98% of people who don't know a damn thing.

So basically I read the book Dinosaur Training and for a while I was on one of the workouts that was a 2 week schedule rather than 1, so for one week you would do workout A, followed by the workout B being during week 2, so technically the core lift would take 6 weeks to perform it 3 times.

Anyway, I had fairly good progress as far as always progressing that core lift every week when doing this. So this is what I was thinking and wanted to know if anyone knows people who have done this, or you have personally.

Say for example I have two max effort exercises.

Floor press and close-grip bench

So traditionally we would do something like:

Week 1: Floor press
Week 2: Floor press
Week 3: Close-grip bench
Week 4: Close-grip bench

This is assuming two weeks at each exercise, which is about where I am, can't seem to make progress for three weeks straight with a lift.

So anyways what if I were to do:

Week 1: Floor press
Week 2: Close-grip bench
Week 3: Floor press
Week 4: Close-grip bench

That would give me 14 days in between each Max Effort lift. Whereas I find it hard to beat my previous week, the week right after, I am thinking maybe the more days of accessory/supplemental lifts as well as the more rest from that lift may help me break records more frequently.

Any thoughts or has anyone tried something similar? I'd be curious if someone has a real good reason why this would or would not work well.

Either way I think I may just have to try and see what happens, but just wanted to get some input. Thanks

[John Prophet]

try it and see..it might work great

here is another idea ill just throw out.

wk 1) floor press 3x3 (or work to max triple maybe)
wk 2) floor press max
wk 3) close grip 3x3
wk 4) close grip max

[SFT]

Thanks for the input, maybe I'll give that a try too. I have 15 weeks of off-season to try different things.

I was thinking maybe:

Week One: Exercise A - 5rm
Week Two: Exercise B - 5rm
Week Three: Exercise A - 3rm
Week Four: Exercise B - 3rm

Or something along those lines.

I guess the possibilities are endless which is why I like the "Westside" template.

[John Prophet]

yeah, I sort of like the 5's idea better. I only put 3's since u were talking ME

do you have other ME stuff to choose from or are you just doing those 2 exercises?


here is what I am currently doing. Note, these exercises are specificially ordered from lightest to heaviest.

wk
1 incline bench 5rm
2 incline 3rm
3 incline max
4 floor press 5rm
5 floor press 3rm
6 floor press max
7 flat bench 5rm
8 flat bench 3rm
9 flat bench max
10 decline 5rm
11 decline 3rm
12 decline max

(ill probably actually deload after week 6 by having an "easy" week)


so thats 12-13 weeks where it gradually goes from lightest to heaviest but it also has little sub peaks and valleys due to the 5,3,1 variations

the idea being that I should then be able to start back over on the incline 5rm and be stronger than before etc.

Thats my attempt at actual "conjugate sequencing" where the training effect BUILDS over time.


on lower my sequence is:

front squat
gm
box squat
squat
dead
high box squat


btw, im not doign westside, lol...Im doing a ton of other volume on a bodypart split...first time ive done a bp split in a while

[SFT]

That makes some sense.

Although my sequence isn't perfect maybe I could do like:

Week 1: Floor press - 5rm (did this today)
Week 2: Incline press - 5rm
Week 3: Floor press - 3rm
Week 4: Incline press - 3rm

Week 5: Possibly deload/dumbbell work 5-8 reps
Week 6: Possibly deload/dumbbell work 5-8 reps

Week 7: Close-grip bench - 5rm
Week 8: 2 board press - 5rm
Week 9: Close-grip bench - 3rm
Week 10: 2 board press - 3rm

Not sure if the deload/dumbbell will be necessary, but figure I'd toss it in to the schedule and remove a week or both if it is unneeded.

That would kind of redeem some efforts to make progress from lighter lifts to heavier weights with the close-grip and 2-board presses.

To be honest I just picked floor press first because I haven't done it in a long time and need a break from regular flat pressing.

However the progress in max effort lifts as yours are arranged does make sense to me.

If I did the 10 week ME schedule I outlined above, I could even squeeze a 4 week cycle getting each ME exercise in one more time before my deload week before the season starts to just relax.

Regardless, your post lead me to thinking of different ways to arrange my exercises and for that as well as the time taken to give the input I thank you.

Steve

yeah, I sort of like the 5's idea better. I only put 3's since u were talking ME

do you have other ME stuff to choose from or are you just doing those 2 exercises?


here is what I am currently doing. Note, these exercises are specificially ordered from lightest to heaviest.

wk
1 incline bench 5rm
2 incline 3rm
3 incline max
4 floor press 5rm
5 floor press 3rm
6 floor press max
7 flat bench 5rm
8 flat bench 3rm
9 flat bench max
10 decline 5rm
11 decline 3rm
12 decline max

(ill probably actually deload after week 6 by having an "easy" week)


so thats 12-13 weeks where it gradually goes from lightest to heaviest but it also has little sub peaks and valleys due to the 5,3,1 variations

the idea being that I should then be able to start back over on the incline 5rm and be stronger than before etc.

Thats my attempt at actual "conjugate sequencing" where the training effect BUILDS over time.


on lower my sequence is:

front squat
gm
box squat
squat
dead
high box squat


btw, im not doign westside, lol...Im doing a ton of other volume on a bodypart split...first time ive done a bp split in a while

[John Prophet]

I wouldnt deload 2 weeks though...no need for that unless maybe its the end of the year etc. 1 week is a gracious plenty