Training for Strength vs. Hypertrophy - Volume Question

Hey, all!

Background: Intermediate lifter. Height: 5’6" Weight: 161lbs, down from 175 in July with the help of Vanessa, and 185 in Feb. 950-1000lbs total. 2018 is my first year of running real power-lifting programs (I’m not counting Madcow and SL5x5 and 5/3/1 and all the junk I used to run). This year I’ve run the Texas Method (gross), the Bridge 1.0, 12 Week Strength, and 7 Week Hypertrophy (current). I love BBM programming and RPE is a game-changer. The new templates are also very nice!

Last night I asked a training question on Leah’s IG live but I wanted to get into more detail here on the forum.

I asked Leah if she did any off-day training, focusing on 1 lift, for extra practice and volume. So, for example, if you’re running a 3 day per week program, Mon-Wed-Fri, and you do a comp style or some variation of bench, deads, and squats on those days, is it intelligent programming to use Sunday to focus a little extra on a single movement or movement variation? Leah cautioned against this for 3 reasons: 1) Time and priority issues, 2) Return on investment, 3) Using recovery days to truly recover.

I have some follow-up questions/details:

  1. Does this same caution apply if you’re training with a bias towards hypertrophy? That is, few or no heavy singles, with sets of 6-12+ reps instead of 1-5.

  2. Does this caution apply if you’re running a 3 day per week program as opposed to a 4?

  3. What’s the drawback, if any, of doing lower intensity/higher rep squat/bench/deadlift variations on GPP day in place of GPP? (not including steady state cardio, which I love).

  4. I train in my garage, so time and priority issues aren’t as relevant to me as they once were when I had to pack up and drive to the gym.

  5. Lastly, I want to send out another big thank you to BBM. It’s hard to articulate just how empowered I feel. After the Texas Method in April of this year, I had so much pain in my hips that I considered re-arranging my training and ONLY touching the barbell twice a week - Monday and Friday - so that I could fully recover before each session. Then I found BBM and now I have to be talked down from touching the barbell too much. Seriously. That’s crazy. Ya’ll could placebo me through a brick wall.

Best,

Brandon

Yes.

Yes.

The drawback is that it would be an extra training day, not GPP. GPP, or general physical preparedness, involves training general physical abilities - relative to the main aim of your training program. If your training program focuses on improving your SQ/BP/Press/DL abilities, then any training involving these movements would be way more specific than it is general.

Thanks for the kind words, Brandon!

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