Specificity Alpha Loads

[NKB88]

Can anyone explain why the hypertrophy days in Specificity Alpha call for heavier loads than the other templates? Week one starts with 4x12 @65%, compared to Mass Template which starts with 4x8 @65% and Specificity Bravo with 4-5x12 @ 50%. Not only does that seem much more iintense on it's own, you also are doing two maximal strength days per week as well. Did anyone else notice this?

[Maxrip13]

Can anyone explain why the hypertrophy days in Specificity Alpha call for heavier loads than the other templates? Week one starts with 4x12 @65%, compared to Mass Template which starts with 4x8 @65% and Specificity Bravo with 4-5x12 @ 50%. Not only does that seem much more iintense on it's own, you also are doing two maximal strength days per week as well. Did anyone else notice this?

Those H days give you the chance to use more isolation type exercises. 65% of a bicep curl at that load and volume is less strenuous overall than 65% of a deadlift for that amount of load and volume. You are right in that these sessions will be hard and intense but hypertrophy work is. It might take you a couple cycles to get used to it if you are used to operator.

The strength days are relatively lower volume and the H days have some higher volume but still aren’t that excessive unless you pick a large cluster. Give it a crack and follow the recovery,/nutrition recommendations and see how you go. If you are worried about volume pick a small cluster for your H day and build from there.

Hopefully that answers your question.

[NKB88]

Can anyone explain why the hypertrophy days in Specificity Alpha call for heavier loads than the other templates? Week one starts with 4x12 @65%, compared to Mass Template which starts with 4x8 @65% and Specificity Bravo with 4-5x12 @ 50%. Not only does that seem much more iintense on it's own, you also are doing two maximal strength days per week as well. Did anyone else notice this?

Those H days give you the chance to use more isolation type exercises. 65% of a bicep curl at that load and volume is less strenuous overall than 65% of a deadlift for that amount of load and volume. You are right in that these sessions will be hard and intense but hypertrophy work is. It might take you a couple cycles to get used to it if you are used to operator.

The strength days are relatively lower volume and the H days have some higher volume but still aren’t that excessive unless you pick a large cluster. Give it a crack and follow the recovery,/nutrition recommendations and see how you go. If you are worried about volume pick a small cluster for your H day and build from there.

Hopefully that answers your question.

Thank you for the reply! That makes sense for the isolation work. My concern was his recommendation to perform the same compound lift on one of the H days. I re-read the chapter and saw another chart several pages later with different parameters than the first one. In the second example K Black says to do MS days with 3x5 instead of 3x6, and use 60% on 4x12 H days not 65%. This seems much more realistic, especially for repeating a compound movement. I'm currently doing mass template and can't see myself doing that kind of intensity without missing lots of reps.

[Maxrip13]

Can anyone explain why the hypertrophy days in Specificity Alpha call for heavier loads than the other templates? Week one starts with 4x12 @65%, compared to Mass Template which starts with 4x8 @65% and Specificity Bravo with 4-5x12 @ 50%. Not only does that seem much more iintense on it's own, you also are doing two maximal strength days per week as well. Did anyone else notice this?

Those H days give you the chance to use more isolation type exercises. 65% of a bicep curl at that load and volume is less strenuous overall than 65% of a deadlift for that amount of load and volume. You are right in that these sessions will be hard and intense but hypertrophy work is. It might take you a couple cycles to get used to it if you are used to operator.

The strength days are relatively lower volume and the H days have some higher volume but still aren’t that excessive unless you pick a large cluster. Give it a crack and follow the recovery,/nutrition recommendations and see how you go. If you are worried about volume pick a small cluster for your H day and build from there.

Hopefully that answers your question.

Thank you for the reply! That makes sense for the isolation work. My concern was his recommendation to perform the same compound lift on one of the H days. I re-read the chapter and saw another chart several pages later with different parameters than the first one. In the second example K Black says to do MS days with 3x5 instead of 3x6, and use 60% on 4x12 H days not 65%. This seems much more realistic, especially for repeating a compound movement. I'm currently doing mass template and can't see myself doing that kind of intensity without missing lots of reps.

If you are using just compound movements and you are on the upper ends in your strength, H days will definitely feel like a struggle until you adjust.The good part is that you would only be doing 3 exercises at most for 4x your rep range. So while it’s heavy it isn’t a crazy amount of volume. It’s still on the lower end of typical bodybuilding programs in magazines and Online.

What you found above seems a great way to program it for your goals.

[NKB88]

Those H days give you the chance to use more isolation type exercises. 65% of a bicep curl at that load and volume is less strenuous overall than 65% of a deadlift for that amount of load and volume. You are right in that these sessions will be hard and intense but hypertrophy work is. It might take you a couple cycles to get used to it if you are used to operator.

The strength days are relatively lower volume and the H days have some higher volume but still aren’t that excessive unless you pick a large cluster. Give it a crack and follow the recovery,/nutrition recommendations and see how you go. If you are worried about volume pick a small cluster for your H day and build from there.

Hopefully that answers your question.

Thank you for the reply! That makes sense for the isolation work. My concern was his recommendation to perform the same compound lift on one of the H days. I re-read the chapter and saw another chart several pages later with different parameters than the first one. In the second example K Black says to do MS days with 3x5 instead of 3x6, and use 60% on 4x12 H days not 65%. This seems much more realistic, especially for repeating a compound movement. I'm currently doing mass template and can't see myself doing that kind of intensity without missing lots of reps.

If you are using just compound movements and you are on the upper ends in your strength, H days will definitely feel like a struggle until you adjust.The good part is that you would only be doing 3 exercises at most for 4x your rep range. So while it’s heavy it isn’t a crazy amount of volume. It’s still on the lower end of typical bodybuilding programs in magazines and Online.

What you found above seems a great way to program it for your goals.

Thank you Maxrip13!.