So after watching the Louie Simmons video, I’ve decided to use box squats because I tried them and they felt better on my knee which had ACL reconstruction about a year and a half ago. Then I started reading more westside stuff and wanted to use more of their methods in my own program.
I’ll be using the same rep scheme every cycle, but the exercises will switch back and forth every 4 weeks. So box squat/deadlift would mean I’m going to do box squats for 3 weeks, then have a deload week, then deadlift. This program is similar to the one I put up about a month ago.
My workout days would be tuesday,thursday,saturday,sunday.
Day 1 ME Lower Body
-Dynamic warmup
-Box squat/Deadlift- Warm up sets, then try to hit new PR’s each workout + 3 lifts over 90%
-RDL/GM- 4x6
-Jump Squat- 5x3 (25%/30%)
-GHR- 3x8
Day 2 ME Upper Body
-Dynamic warmup
-Bench/Incline Bench- Try to hit new PR’s each workout + 3 lifts over 90%
-Pushups- 2x as many as possible
-Pull ups- 3x as many as possible
-Push press- 3x4-6 / 4x1-3
-Bicep curls- whatever
Day 3 DE Lower Body
-Dynamic warm up
-Footfire and agility work(1 or 2 sets)
-Box squat jumps 4x4
-Box squat/Deadlift 50%-85%(I have to find what wave works best for me)10x2/10x1
-Deadlift/Speed squat 6x1/5x2 50%
-Pull Through- 3x8
Day 4 DE Upper Body
-Dynamic warmup
-Speed Bench/Speed Incline Bench- 6x3 50%
-Seated Row- 3x8
-Explosive Pushups- 4x3
-Chin ups- 3x as many as possible
Right now I’m more into gaining just absolute strength and a little RFD in there. When it warms up here in seattle, I’ll do more sprinting and plyos. I guess you could say I’m training for basketball, but not really because I just play for fun and for a little rec league. I just train because I can and I enjoy it.
So for my first day trying this program so I had no idea what my max was. The most I ever did for free squats was 310. For my box squats my rep scheme was,
Does that look about right with what my rep scheme should be as far as all my warm up sets and all that?
Also, I asked this before, but didn’t get an answer. For RDL’s should I really use weights that I can really do for 10 even though I only do 6 reps, or should I use a weight that I can only do for 6 reps. I’d move down to around 225 for my RDL’s if I only used a weight I can do for 10 reps, but I used 265 today.
Your box squat 1rm was within 5 lb of your best squat?! Is your box set up higher than your normal squat depth? Are you relaxing any muscles when you hit the box or just using it to notify you of depth?
Your goal on ME day is to get 3 lifts above 90% as well as straining. You have 6 lifts at or above 90%. For many people that’s going to be too much, so if you’re not making progress that’s going to be where I’d look first.
You also have a high volume of speed work. Don’t do box squats and deadlifts and jumps on speed day. I’d say do box squats, then jumps afterward, then agility work in another session if at all. Then once in a while swap speed deadlifts for jumps.
My box height is 13’‘. Maybe that’s a little high for me? I’m 5’8’‘. The depth feels about the same as my free squat. I tried using a 11’’ box, but I do not have the mobility for that yet. I just kind of fall on it. Also, I relax when I sit on the box.
I feel good with the number of singles for me. If I ever do start to kind of get stagnent, I’ll back off, but since I have my deloading weeks, I think I’ll be fine.
I see what you’re saying about the speed day. I’ll stick with the box squats and jumps. The agility work is low intensity stuff. It’s almost like it is part of my warm up.
I wish I had more bars to use, but I go to a fitness club, so all they have are straight bars.
My knee was bothering me. I think I might try deadlifts for a while to let my knee heal up. Hopefully it won’t take too long. I think my knee started to hurt because I wasn’t opening my groin on my squat when it got up to 305 and my knee might have caved in a little bit. I wanted to get a few more singles in, but I was hurting.
I disagree with the only 3 lifts at > 90% especially for beginners to ME training. If you can get 6 then go for it, but if you start missing often then stop and reduce your volume. If you stall this would not be the first place I look. The first place I would look at is the fact you are only rotating 2 lower body movements. Thats not going to work.
It might work fine for about 8-10 weeks, but then you are going to crash bad. You need at least 4. Same thing with upper body. Rotating incline and flat bench is bad idea. Pick 2 other partial range of motion lifts. Floor Press, (2 Board or lockouts) are good choices. I would rotate partial/full/partial/full.
So for lower body, what if I box squats, deadlifts, back squats, deadlifts from a deficit, front squats, and rack pulls? Then for upper body, I did flat bench, floor press, incline bench? Again, I work out at a commercial gym, so I cant change bars, and don’t have boards.
I don’t know your weaknesses, but how about zercher squats (with a box some weeks, without some weeks), front squats on a low/med/high box, back squats with a low/med/high box, deadlift, deadlift standing on plates, rack pulls, snatch grip deads as well as good mornings. I personally can’t deadlift too often (once a month is about right)
You can do flat bench, floor, press, incline all with close, medium, and occasionally wide grip. You can also do dips as an ME exercise. Depending on your sport or needs, you can do pullups/chinups as an ME exercise.
If you have chains, you can do all those exercises with and without chains. If you have a power rack, you can do most of those movements with reverse band tension.
As for the 6 vs 3 lifts above 90%, he went in to do the same amount of weight as the week before and hurt himself. He should have broken his record. I was also pointing out that when Louie or Dave or whoever says 3 singles over 90%, that the 100% they’re basing it off of counts as 1 as well as any other lift at 90% beforehand.
I’m pretty sure I could’ve gotten more. I kind of tweaked my knee playing basketball a few days before and didn’t really let it heal all the way. Mistake on my part. It feels good now, but I’ll still change to deadlifts for now. I might throw in some isometrics to strengthen my knee as well. Maybe do some squats with just the bar to reinforce my form.
You have a rack, so why not rotate rack-lockouts into your upper body stuff too.
I would probably put GMings in my ME lower rotation. I know that people tend to be scared of maxing out on GMins. I am too, but to over come that I started doing them off pins. Just set the pins in the Powerrack so that your back is about parallel to the floor when you bend over…a little higher is ok. I like to start standing up and GMing down to the pins. Make sure you pause and let the pins take most of the weight. The reason I don’t start from the pins is that it is too difficult for me set up right and stay tight under bar. By starting standing the I am in right groove at the bottom. I still only do 3RMs for these.
If you are going to back squat and box squat then I would squat to a low box…as low as you can get. I have to bring my stance in when I do these. I still wouldn’t box squat and then free squat back to back.
Are your deads weak off the floor. If they’re not then I wouldn’t even bother with deficit deads.