Optimizing strength with little time

Switching programs

Lately I alternated between power and strength endurance and had a quite demanding training schedule, weights didn’t really increase so I decided its time to go back to basics and make my training more efficient. Less is often more when it come to strength training even thought it sometimes feel like I’m too lazy.

Now I want to focus on pure strength for a while again, to make substantial strength gains, now that I am not training any martial arts that is very injury prone in combination with heavy weights.

The efficient Power routine

So the current strength training schedule is Pavel’s:

• Squat Heavy 5x5

• Bench Heavy 5x5

• Deadlift Heavy 5x5

• Squat Light 5x4

• Bench Light 5x4

• Rest day

• Rest day

I added a few compounds to it: Bent over row and Overhead press.

Cardio

To keep working on my cardio I still try to do 80% heart rate zone 2 training and 20% zone 3/4. I’m a great fan of the Assault Airbike, that I use for these sessions (the zone 2 training = 1 hour 50 rpm).