I'm on a new olympic program that requires some form of squat four times a week (alternates between front and back, as well as including things like full cleans, snatch and snatch balance).
I was always under the impression that this will fry a person's CNS, but apparently this program is highly regarded for developing explosive and dynamic strength.
Working sets are generally between 80-90% of my 1rm. No sets greater than 3 reps.
Anyone else have experience performing a compound movement more than once a week? If so, what adjustments did you have to make to your diet/routine to accomodate for the increase stress being placed on your system?
Thanks in advance
Burning out your CNS by doing heavy compounds more than once a week is largley a myth that probably perpetuated along with the myth that bodybuilders should only train a muscle group once a week. Anyone who can squat once a week can squat 4x a week as long as you do it properly. You can see just how efffective frequent squatting is when you look at the thousands of football players who had success with the Bill Starr 5x5, or by looking most of weightlifting teams. Frequent squatting can increase the risk of burning out the CNS, but with proper implementation you should not have any problem.
Obviously, you will not squat with nearly the same volume per session as you would if you were squatting once a week. You will also not want to squat with the same intensity.
Basically you'll want to leave a couple reps in the tank for each set and do much lower volume per session overall. Instead of doing 5 heavy sets during a workout with 90%1RM, for example, you may only want to do 1-2 sets with 88%1RM. Even though you will not be pushing yourself to max intensity (at least in the beginning), focus on exploding up with maximal force (compensatory acceleration).
Microloading is also effective with frequent squatting. If you have fractional plates, such as 1.25lbs, be sure to use them. See if you can add 2.5-5lbs each session. Even if you feel you can add more weight, just stick to the prescribed progression. You will get stronger even if you aren't pushing yourself to the limit. Towards the end of the mesocycle it will get much tougher but as long as you're keeping volume in check you should be fine.
The advantage of more frequent squatting is that it allows you to do MORE work with better recovery, but this is also the disadvantage. Many people see 4x a week and think that means doing 4x the total volume compared with a 1x a week program. This is the wrong approach; instead you might want to shoot for 1.5x the volume for squats compared with a 1x a week program. Spreading out the volume over a week increases your recovery time, and the extra total volume often allows for faster increases in strength. At the same time, because you're doing more work you may not be able to stay on the same program as long.
Make sure you do a deload week (or two) before you begin and deload for a week (or two) after you complete the program. Also be sure to stay very conservative with your starting weights and adjust as you see fit.
I've back squatted and cleaned 4x a week before, made some very good progress, and my joints felt as healthy as ever. Your appetite will increase for sure and you will want to get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water. Make sure you are properly recovered and that your joints are healthy before you begin. Squatting 4x a week might just make you appreciate squats more. On a proper program, you'll probably find that your legs become LESS sore (it can even be better for your joints) and your form will become flawless.
