Considering transition from a Starting Strength-like program twice a week to a 4 day split

S

slippingin

New member
35 y/o male, 6'4" 180 lbs.

Current (not all time) PRs:

Squat: 285x1

Seated OHP: 135x1

Bench: 185x1

Deadlift: 295x1

Chin-up: 20 w/o additional weight

I've put up better numbers in the past, but just recently finished losing 30 lbs. My wife has booked a trip in May of 2015 for us to ride mules down the Grand Canyon but I have to weigh in under 200 lbs w/ clothing (their policy for the mule ride).

I've got a well appointed home gym (power rack, bumper plates, dumbbells) and currently two friends come over Tuesdays and Thursdays to lift. Unfortunately my lifts are mostly stalled at the moment; I know the answer is to eat more but for the next seven months that isn't much of an option. The gym sessions are also starting to go long; usually an hour and a half to two hours to complete our lifts at the end of which I'm exhausted (and often still need to cook dinner for the family).

I'm considering making the transition to a more traditional 4 day split. The downsides are that my friends are probably out and strong consistency is needed. Upsides are that I can add in some accessory and isolation work which will improve my new, slimmer physique and get my big lifts moving again, plus I'll have more time after the workouts to get things done. Has anyone made this change or have any thoughts on it? I'm hoping it isn't just a late case of fuckarounditis. Depending on how I feel after the trip in May I want to do a clean bulk and switch over to 5/3/1.

TL;DR: Stalled lifts, can't eat more for the next seven months and considering adding accessory and isolation exercises.
 
@slippingin If you're eating to lose weight, don't expect to get much stronger if your lifts have already stalled. And gaining mass is a long shot to say the least.

Simply put, your diet does not match your goals. Changing your routine isn't going to fix that.
 
@levit7 I don't expect to see much progress if any on those core lifts for the next seven months, at this point it's more about retaining what strength I have.

That said, I wonder if going to a split routine and adding in accessory work and some hypertrophy-focused exercises wouldn't help me make the most of what strength I've got and also develop my physique a bit.
 
@levit7 Adding mass isn't my goal. That said I no longer need to eat at an overall deficit so I see no reason I can't run a surplus on workout days and a deficit on rest days and attempt a recomp.

I also figure adding in things like (weighted) dips, curls, flyes, lunges, skullcrushers and the like could add some ancillary gains as accessory muscles gain strength.
 
@slippingin The point of "hypertrophy-focused exercises" is to add mass. That's what hypertrophy means.

By all means, chase that recomp dream. Just know that's a pretty good way to keep spinning your wheels if you don't have everything 100% dialed in.

Keep in mind that adding in accessories is only going to tax your recovery even more, which you're already limiting by not eating enough. So you're going to want to pick ones that actually target a weak point, not just toss things in randomly. And remember, the best way to get better at the squat (for example) is to do more squats.
 
@levit7 I certainly don't disagree a recomp will pretty much feel like spinning my wheels; after lifting on a caloric deficit for the past 4 months I'm quite familiar with it. I do have some weaknesses and imbalances I've been combatting with smaller morning workouts consisting of exercises I learned in physical therapy (levator scapulae strain and a herniated disc fwiw).
 
@slippingin This is a serious logistical question: How heavy are the clothes/shoes you are going to be wearing? It sounds like you are allowing a larger margin of error than I would feel comfortable with.

I wouldn't stop lifting with your buddies; you will regret not having them there. I also don't believe that you must gain weight to increase your lifts. For your height, at a weight of 180lbs your PRs are not what I would think are the maximum you could attain.

This is what I'd do:
  • Weigh everything you are going to wear and see if you could edge up to 185/190lbs. If so, eat a little bit more and try to gain without adding too much fat.
  • Keep your current workout, but add volume on a weekend day. Do 5x5 at 60% of your 1RM for two exercises. (I'd alternate between squat/bench and deadlift/OHP) (although maybe 5x5 deadlift is a bit much, maybe 2x5 or whatever doesn't leave you exhausted going into Tuesday).
 
@cherisstyle Thanks much for the reply! I'm definitely giving myself some wiggle room on the weight since it fluctuates throughout the day (180-185) and I'll be doing a 500+ mile drive before the weigh in. I also agree on the PRs, I'm hoping now that I'm mostly recovered from my injuries (strained levator scapulae and a herniated disc) and no longer eating at a deficit I'll see a little bump.

I'll try adding a third volume day but it'll be inconsistent since I spend just about every other weekend between now and April out in the desert riding dirt bikes. Maybe working it in the opposite rest day (Do Thursday's exercises on Monday or Tuesday's exercises on Friday) could work out.
 
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