Hepburn Routine Advice

Bump. I just read it. It seems interesting, but a bit old fashioned. I like the method but I feel you could fit some more reps and work out in especially if you are a beginner

>>41894710
it's more meant for intermediate people who are struggling on strength gains.

>>41893795
tried it for a while OP, didn't like it. You can't just turn the weight you do for a double into a triple, unless you are very weak. So many doubles and triples are very taxing, mentally and physiologically, it sucks going to the gym knowing every set is going to break your balls and it really isn't sustainable for the average dude for very long. Try it yourself, you might be suited to this type of training but think only a very small number of people get a lot out of it.

>>41893795
It's funny to notice how this is naturally periodized without even attempting to make it so. Lets suppose you squat 300lbs for 8x2. With 16 reps total this adds up to a volume of 4800lbs. By the time you do 8x3 (24 reps), you've increased that to 7200lbs. When you increase the weight to 310lbs it drops back down to 4960lbs and the mesocycle starts anew. Granted it's the opposite of traditional periodization, which starts with higher volume and slowly drops the volume, but I think this slow change in volume over time and reseting to lower volume, effectively doing a deload with more weight, should still be enough to give you the benefits of periodization.

>>41894852
Did you start at a conservative weight?

>>41894910
This, you can't expect to do your 2RM for 8 sets and then increase that to a 3RM for 8 sets. You start with a weight that you actually can do for 8 doubles. Maybe start with 80% of your 1RM. Also, you're supposed to trying adding the third rep on your last set, then try to add it on the second to last set and the last one, and so on. It's already assuming that it's an actually manageable weight for you, otherwise this method is, as you noticed, not possible.

>>41893795
This is very similar to Greg Nuckol's "The Journey" programming. Nuckol's probably wouldn't suggest doing competitive lifts in the pump phase though, to ensure specificity is high and you don't encourage bad form.

>>41894852
What did you start your weights at? 8x2 at 80% of a 1RM (even less if it's a training max) is not balls to the wall at all. The paradigm is to be well into submaximal weights. It sounds like you did something like 95% of a 2RM for 8 sets, which is insane for any kind of longevity.

>>41894910
I ran it a couple of years ago, I can't remember of the top of my head what %1RM I used, but yes I would have started with something manageable. Regardless of starting weight you'll run into the same problem, linear progression programmes like this where you add weight or reps literally every session simply aren't sustainable beyond novice stages of training. Eventually you start brushing up against your actual 2RM (good luck trying to add a third rep to your last set at this point), often before you've seen too much progress and you just can't recover between sessions. Once you have trouble recovering the programme implodes. Like the other anon says starting at the right weight is crucial for success, but start too low and you'll have a lot wasted sessions and is not only slow but in-fact counterproductive (work capacity you gained previously won't stick around doing low intensity paired with low volume), too high and you'll not make it past a cycle or two of the programme. If you've already exhausted the gains from SS, SL, GSLP etc I don't think this programme has much more to offer you, something with appropriate recovery sessions, alternating light/heavy work, undulating periodisation etc will lead to slow but consistent strength gains, without requiring herculean sessions on the regular . Just my 2c OP.

>>41895173
You're adding literally one rep a workout or adding weight and dropping overall volume substantially

>>41895173
Those are all very valid points. It isn't designed for novices though. What would you recommend instead?

>>41894970
It actually uses 80% of 1RM as the bench mark so you're correct there. Then the pump phase is another 20% drop.

>>41895191
Texas Method is good and I have known several people to progress on it. RPE-based training can be very effective if used appropriately, though I wouldn't try it unless you have a lot of experience or someone to guide you. 5/3/1 is good too, though I'd avoid the popular n_suns variation and stick to something with a bit less intense. DUP sounds promising if you like varied sessions, but I've never tried it and don't know anyone who has, so I can't comment on its effectiveness.

>>41895187
But thats the point, you cant add a rep every session. If it was that easy people would never change their routines, they literally go to the gym everyday, add an extra rep and do that forever. The drop in volume doesn't help much when you have to add 10lb to the bar, 10lb is a very significant jump in intensity when you are operating close to your 2RM, the jumps in weight will eclipse the recovery benefits from cutting volume very quickly.

>>41893795

Start at 80% of your current 1rm if you're used to moderate/high intensity with low rest. Else start at 75% or less. Hepburn recommended in his book 2 minutes or less rest, so his Power & Pump as written should be anywhere from under an hour to 90 minutes or so depending on warmup time. This isn't supposed to be ballbusting until you have to move to another variant.

After, and per lift I'd recommend moving to singles, then transition back to P&P after that stops. Figure 3-6 months of P&P, then 2-4 months of singles. Rinse, repeat.

As for adding stuff, do it as written by Hepburn for 2 months. You might be surprised where you need help.

For me (and I'm just ending a singles phase), I've swapped to a variant on some pump/accessory work. Front squats afters squats, DB press after bench, cleans after DL. Pullups and rows get paired with OHP because OHP takes the least out of me. Add in some isolation work where you need it (need, not want)

My experience is it's very flexible. Do the same lift for pump work, switch to a variant, back to same, then pick another. Change it up occasionally. Do a 20rep set starting at ~ 50% of 1rm, add 5-10lb per time; they're not just for squats.

The last thing is keep as much as you can to the low rest philosophy. So for curls one possible technique is to pyramid it. 1 rep one arm, 1 rep other, 2 reps one arm, etc until 4-5 reps; no rest other than what it takes to do the opposite arm. Take a few deep breaths, do another set; go for 3-6 sets of this. I'm a big fan of low rest pyramids as well; I once ran my squats pyramid style at about 80% of 1rm. Got my volume in about 2/3 the time it was previously taking, and I could hit it 5x a week vs 2-3x

tl;dr Hepburn was right - easily recoverable volume done often enough and increased gradually works

>>41895350
Obviously you burn out he has a deload workout routine after

>>41895350
I'll just chime in with my Texas experience (10 months). Incredible squat gains, shit upper body lift gains, literally no deadlift gains and decent size gains over whole body. Also did pull ups in a TM style progression with ok strength gains and great upper body gains.

>>41895392

Since we're talking odd/old-school stuff, check out Steve Justa's DL writeup that Dan John did.

It sounds easy, I tacked it on to to any workout I was doing, and that's what finally convinced me that my DL volume had to 20-50% higher than my squat volume relative to each 1rm

>>41894710
>if you are a beginner

that's not for beginners

late intermediate/early advanced if anything

>>41895173
I was considering doing Hepburn but the lack of fatigue management is what turned me off. If I did 5x3, 3x2 on Monday for squat, there is no way in hell I could manage to even repeat that performance let alone do 6x3, 2x2 later in the week (assuming the weight was around 80% 1rm). It's just too much volume to recover from that quickly, when you consider the highest volume days on Sheiko intermediate large load are only like 6x3 @ 80% for squat and then the other squat day that week is easier.