8 sets of 6-8 repetitions? For one exercise? That doesn’t sound right. It looks like something a bodybuilder would do.
Well, it don’t matter what it sounds like. It’s a fact. And no, it’s not for “hypertrophy” but we also will do 8-10 sets of 4-6 repetitions as well.
I’m curious… why’s that? Why so many sets? How exactly do you set it up? i’m not trying to bash you. I’m just keeping my mind open and listen to their reasonings. What training methods are you influenced by?
A lot of bompa’s work combined with practical experience. It just makes sense that in an SPP phase, you would do high-volume high-intensity work not only for the sprint and technical skill training, but for the strength training as well (and of course not always in the same day, week, or month). The # of exercises goes down to between 3-5 and we use the vertical sequence, kind’ve like circuit training but we take full recovery between sets (1st exercise, 2:30-3:00 rest, 2nd exercise, 2:30-3:00 rest, etc., etc., repeat).
-What is vertical sequencing? Is it just going through 3 exercises sequentially? Like Squat, rest, bench, rest, row, rest, repeat? 8x?
-What is the purpose of this? DB also does this.
-What would a sample session have as exercise choices? Full body or upper/lower?
The volume in the tier is not very high. In a 3x5 tier you are only using 5 exercises 3x/week. Generally speaking you would do the speed movement for 8x2-3, strength for ~5 sets or build to a 1-3rm, and volume work for 4 sets. the other 2 exercises can be done for 2-3 sets. The 3x3 tier would follow the same loading for the first three and that would be the end of the session. (~20 sets/ workout)
I can’t imagine overtraining on 3 exercises 3 times per week. If it is too much then you are out of shape and must build your work capacity, especially for a competitive athlete. Three exercises 3x/wk is not much work.
Your other option would be to do speed work for 6 sets, strength work for 5 sets and volume work for 4 sets
BTW Joe Kenn’s athletes use the 3x3 tier in season and they break pr’s during the season.
The oly work in the middle of the workout scares a few people. You can do the work with dumbbells, which is less frightening for most. There is no rule that says that oly’s must go first. They are an exercise, just like any other, they are NOTHING special. You can place them anywhere.
People get way too hung up on olympic lifts.
Some say if you do them you may not need to do speed squats. Well guess what, if yu are using oly’s you still need a limit strength movement, heavy squatting. Oly’s fill the DE method. In the end you are still left with a westside esque training program (oly’s for DE, Heavy squatting for ME) the only difference is the use of cleans/snatches instead of box squats.
BTW, Other total body movements include high pulls and deadlifts and all their variations, stiff leg, sumo, traditional, off boxes, Dumbbell, etc…
Oh, I can handle the volume, it just seems high.
For example, on Monday, my secondary core for L is front squat. You’re supposed to do 5 sets and then on Wednesday w/ primary core for L you’re supposed to do back squats for 6 sets, and then secondary core for T on Friday is snatch grip deadlifts for 5 sets. You don’t think that’s a little too much? Especially if you’re using pendulum to periodize it. I had to switch it up to higher reps on monday, 3s on wednesday, 5s on friday. Instead of strength for the whole week.
3x3 would not be hard at all and sounds like a good idea for in-season. I was/am doing 3x5.
I still don’t like the idea of doing oly lifts in the middle. I moved them to the beginning. With something that has such an emphasis on technique, I’d rather do them when fresh, then try to simulate working under fatigue which is hyper-specific IMO.
What’d you think of the split I sent you?
That’s the reasoning behind vertical sequencing, to perform all exercises while not in a state of fatigue. Normally, we do sequence exercises of highest demand first. That’s what always kills me about some of this work coaches have athlete do. They train them in fatigue and when they’re exhausted by using shorter rest intervals and sacrificing intensity. I’d rather have my athletes not get tired 
I thought I repsonded to your PM. I see why you are having trouble. You are doing a pendulum. In the strength phase then the volume may be on the high side. Including warm ups it must take forever if all movements are trained for strength. I just picture you struggling under heavy weights for all 3 movements 3x/week. The picture is painful. If you use the split as is in the book then on a strength week/cycle you have
Day 1
T1- Total - strength- 6 sets (High Pulls or Deadlifts)
T2- Lower- Speed- 5 sets (speed squat 40-60%)
T3- Upper- Volume- 4 sets (Row/chin)
Posterior chain, Lats, abs, cuff, abs
Day 2
T1- Lower - strength- 6 sets (Olympic Squat)
T2- Upper- Speed- 5 sets (speed Bench 40-60%)
T3- Total- Volume- 4 sets (uni lateral DB Snatch x 3-6reps)
Posterior chain, Lats, abs, cuff, abs
Day 3
T1- Upper- strength- 6 sets (Board Press)
T2- Total- Speed- 5 sets (Power Clean 40-60%)
T3- Lower- Volume- 4 sets (uni lateral Lunge x5-8 reps)
Posterior chain, Lats, abs, cuff, abs
This way strength is emphasized and power/strength speed is not neglected.
For a speed phase
speed= 6 sets
strength= 5 sets
volume= 4 sets
A hypertrophy week would have
speed= 6 sets
strength= 4 sets
volume= 5 sets
Posterior chain, Lats, abs, cuff, abs get 2-3 sets x 8-15 reps
Hope this helps
Never got the PM. Maybe I should send it again?
Yeah, that helps alot. I actually sort of abandoned pendulum before the strength week because I figured it was too much.
On the stuff you outline, wouldn’t it make more sense to have day 3 as day 2 in order to have a gap between sq and dl.
Also, did you really mean 6 sets of speed on a hypertrophy week? I’d think that’d be volume instead, right?
A hypertrophy week would have
volume= 6 sets
strength= 5 sets
speed= 4 sets
“On the stuff you outline, wouldn’t it make more sense to have day 3 as day 2 in order to have a gap between sq and dl.”
Honestly I don’t see why you couldn’t. Actually Joe includes many variations on the program, L-U-T, and T-U-L are among them.
“Also, did you really mean 6 sets of speed on a hypertrophy week? I’d think that’d be volume instead, right?
A hypertrophy week would have
volume= 6 sets
strength= 5 sets
speed= 4 sets”
I meant it as I wrote it. As an athlete power/speed strength is the name of the game and should be the priority. Despite the need for mass an athlete should never stray too far from his goals. As outlined volume is emphasized more than strength, so an athlete will see improvement.
Ok, but whether it’s LUT or TUL, there’s always going to be an U day in between the two, right? You wouldn’t want to Sq & DL back to back.
More speed work makes sense.
Yeah,
The
Day 1 T
Day 2 U
Day 3 L and LUT’s would work.
The TLU is the primary weekly split