1 primary and 1 supplementary lift per week

Hello - has anybody tried something similar to the below and had any success?

Background - we have a toddler and another baby on the way so thinking of training time when it arrives. I want to get in and out ASAP whilst still hopefully making gains. I was going to trial something like the below so I hit each lift twice per week, once as a main lift and once as supplementary. I don’t think training 6 days in a row will negatively affect me as I currently split my training week over 5 days currently, and with me only hitting 1 lift per day I think recovery would be fine. I could probably do each session in under 30 minutes.

Monday - Primary squat - work up to 1@8 followed by 75%ermx30 reps (split into however many sets it takes)
Tuesday - Primary bench - same rep scheme
Wednesday - Primary deadlift - same rep scheme

Thursday - Supplementary bench (e.g. pause bench/close grip/pin bench) - work up to 5@8x3
Friday - Supplementary squat (e.g. beltless squat/pause squat/tempo squat) - same rep scheme
Saturday - Supplementary deadlift (e.g. rack pulls/paused deadlift) - same rep scheme

Sunday - off

Thanks

Congrats on the new addition on the way!

I would say go for it. You could probably go for myoreps for additional volume at the end of any of your training days should you have the time, although it does sound like your time is limited. Most of us none-time constrained individuals currently train 6 days in a row with a four day-main lifting/two day-gpp days so I don’t see how this would be an issue. However, there are a few considerations that come to my mind,

  1. if your a relatively trained individual, if this represents a big dropoff from training dose or volume, you could be getting stronger via tapering but not necessarily accumulating volume to improve in the long term
  2. if this is the case, perhaps seek a way to periodize your training (perhaps slowly increase volume as the weeks go by, holdat a reasonable Maximum recoverable volume as your time allows, until performance stalls, then deload or take a pivot week)
  3. no gpp work in my opinion will hurt a lifter in the ling haul for their overall development. However, i don’t want to nocebo you because you very much can (and probabaly will) get stronger in the squat, bench, and deadlift doing those lifts and thier variants twice a week
  4. i’m not sure how much this matters or where you are with training, and im sure you wont be running this for an extended period of time, but you could rotate heavy singles at rpe @8 with other variants of top sets (5 reps @8, 4 reps @8, etc.), especially if you dont have a meet coming up. I myself don’t respond well heavy singles for a long period of time. Similairily, running a hypertrophy based program where you can fit in mire volume in the time alloted may benefit you in the long term, although admittingly the literature is fuzzy here. YMMV.

Good luck, and good on ya for still finding time to train!

Nice one thank you - I was also thinking of adding in myoreps throughout the week so will look at adding that in.

My focus lately has changed more from always seeking PRs to focusing more on health and getting the workouts done, and taking the PRs when they come so it’s good to know you think I can still get stronger.

I’ll also look at periodisation and messing with different top sets, thanks for the pointers!

Cheers