How often to change assistant exercises

[Teaman1]

Not super related to hunting fitness, but I was wondering how often you switch your accessory lifts for deadlifts, squats, bench press, and overhead press.
When you switch, do you lose much on the accessory exercises that you did previously, or does the strength usually stay?

 

[jahaze]

I'm a bad example because I don't do a ton of accessory exercises. I stick to the big three, and usually do two-three accessories each week. I tend to vary the lifts to add some variety, and more often then not, they are used to balance something else. For example, you don't train biceps often in powerlifting. However triceps are worked all the time, so you need to do some curls to maintain balance in your arms and prevent injury.

My program pairs deadlifts with front squats, squats with core, and bench with back. As such, I don't focus much on the accessory weight as I do the form and range of motion.


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[mtwarden]

Yeah I'm not doing a ton of them or switching things up much either. I do squats/bench one day, deadlifts/overhead press the other.

On squat/bench day (warmup and four sets each) in between this sets I mix in 3 sets of pullups, 4 sets of core work and 2 sets of dips. On dead/press day- 3 sets of pullups, 2 sets of dumbbell lunges and 4 sets core.

Basically a set of one of my primary lifts, one set of accessory/assistant exercise, a couple minutes rest and move on to the next set— rinse & repeat until done.

I'm in and out of the gym in 45 minutes or less.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

I do the above as well just try to add some variety with squat and deadlift. A lot of heavy sandbags these days which I enjoy to break away from the barbell. Dips, pull-ups of all variety’s adding weight. And core stability with kettlebells. It’s good to switch things up, whatever you lose in a given lift will comeback as long as you stay consistent with that muscle group, just my opinion from being consistent for a decade