Genuine question, seeking constructive advice. New cycle split.

[OmL]

I’ve been cruising for 20 weeks, all markers are back to base (Liver, kidneys, bloods, prostate, everything is well within normal ranges.) and I’m shaping up for another blast. I did a modified 5x5 program while cruising and even at 175mg test a week, while cutting, the strength gains were above my expectations.

This blast will be solely for building size. I’ve been working and researching some pretty specific things. And I’m looking to incorporate two types of overloading into a new program; Pre-Exhaustion and Drop-Sets. I’ve dove deep into research from Greg Knuckles for example, and looked into EMG activation for specific (again for example, an exercise) areas of the chest, Tricep and delts that fire up the most during bench pressing.

So let’s say Monday will be chest, back. And I’m thinking of something like this;

1- Chest flies, Frontal raises, Tricep push downs. All on the 10-12 zone.

2-Reverse flies, prone-grip bicep curls, shrugs. All in the 10-12 zone.

3-Incline Bench press drop set to absolute failure of form.

4-B/O barbell row Drop set to absolute failure of form.

Done on the sequence of; 1,2,1,2,1,2,3,4.

The idea would be to absolutely burn and deplete the muscle, get a deep stretching isolation move going and beat it up quite a bit. As John Meadows would say, so it “burns like fire” after a finisher drop-set. I have a similar plan worked out for three days. Going Chest/Back, Legs with alternating squats/deadlifts for the final compound, and then shoulders/lats. Cardio and core work would be daily. And I know it’s odd to have a lat day, but my back is my best area. Lat work is addictive for me.

The goal is pure size. My diet would increase up to a blast standard. I would also be incorporating Anavar at the start and end of the 20 week cycle of 500mg test a week. Mainly for recovery and collagen synthesis. (I’m not interested (somewhat fearfull in any other compounds outside of testosterone e/c and Anavar/Tbol).
My question, will this be effecting should I give it dedication and consistency? Ideally, the workouts would go 1,2,3,1,2,3,r. But I’d also take a rest day randomly if I’d feel it was needed. All work would be barbell and dumbell as my home gym doesn’t have any machines besides pull/push down machine and leg ext/curl. Reinventing the wheel is not my intention.

 

[Eman]

I don't quite get it - are these tri sets you're doing several times over?

It seems backwards to me and this setup isn't really overloading.

It's backwards in the sense that, ideally, you'd start with a compound movement like the barbell row and then move on to your other stuff like you have it.

It's not really overloading in the sense that you're going straight into drop sets... With overloading you'd make some sort of change to the programming. You'd either increase weight every week or change the rep scheme week to week. 20 weeks straight of going to failure doesn't seem like a great way to periodize the program either... Ideally you'd build up to that every few weeks on compound lifts.

 

[OmL]

Yes, I understand it’s backward in that respect. Effectively three tri-sets of opposing muscles (chest first, working chest helps stretch the back. Working back helps stretch the chest) followed by a drop set compound finisher. And that’s where it catches my curiosity in that the muscles would be hit hard by isolation moves first, and then forced into working together in a heavy compound finisher as a drop set. The weights would ideally be increasing something like 1.25-2.5kg a week.

I have never done this now, mind you, but it just has my interest. I did guess as much that as no one really talks about it that it’s not widely used or done. That should be enough of an answer for me. But I think there is some merit to it for sheer exhaustive training that could (possibly) only be utilised while on a blast for the recovery boost.

Maybe I’ve gone mad. But it’s only a discussion anyway. Everyone in this world knows something that I don’t, so it’s a learning experience.

 

[Themassterplan]

Any updates?

 

[Test_Subject]

I get using activation sets, but I feel like you’ll be burning yourself out and not maximizing your big mass movements doing it this way.

Doing squats after your quads are already on fire isn’t going to be fun.

 

[eery]

I get using activation sets, but I feel like you’ll be burning yourself out and not maximizing your big mass movements doing it this way.

Doing squats after your quads are already on fire isn’t going to be fun.

i agree on the first one, but squats deeper into a leg session can actually be great, you are all good and warm and get a better MMC in the quads a lot of the time.

I would do it in this order:

Incline Bench press drop set to absolute failure of form.
B/O barbell row Drop set to absolute failure of form.
Chest flies, Frontal raises, Tricep push downs. All on the 10-12 zone.
Reverse flies, prone-grip bicep curls, shrugs. All in the 10-12 zone.

I also agree on the points earlier regarding failure, barbell rows to failure sounds like a bad longterm idea. Go to failure on exercises that are more safe and keep 1-2RIR on compounds like bench, squat, barbell rows and deadlifts

EMG studies arent the end all of muscle activation of hypertrophy either, scott stevenson, paul carter and kassem hanson has some info on this if you want to understand more about the limits of EMG.

I'd also suggest you read up on stimulus to fatigue ratio and think about how that translates into this way of programming.

You just mentioned one of your sessions without any mention of training volume, frequency, restdays and how the other days look so its hard to give any advice without more context..

 

[OmL]

Any updates?

Is this question directed at me?

 

[NLM36]

Well that sounds like terrible programming.