Hi all,
Breif background: 19, used to play rugby, herniated l5-s1 in november 2010. Have had a few dislocated shoulders.
Current numbers are
Bench 230
Front squat 275x3
Trap Bar deadlift 405 x 5.
weigh 195, if i had to guestimate around 12-14% bodyfat.
I’m seeing great progress right now on a Westsideish aproach. However, my body is pretty banged up, and even after I hurt myself I never really eased up on the weights. I’ve really improved my mobility lately, but I figured maybe spending a month doing a pure bodybuilding aproach with something like GVT, which uses pretty light weights would let my body work out some of its issues, with the added bonus of maybe putting on some muscle and dropping a little fat. I figured if I’m focusing on deloading my spine and everything using single leg work instead of front squats would make sense. I really don’t like the way leg presses make my back feel or I would use that.
What do you guys think? what movement should I use? I’m trying to decide between lunges/split squats and single leg leg presses. Also for the hamstring movement, I have never really done the leg curl machine, usually did RDLsand glute hams when I was training for rugby and it stuck. I feel the seated leg curl in my calves which is pretty weird? can anyone explain that?
I was going to follow exactly the GVT program outlined on the poliquin web site. psyched to have an arm day!
Thanks for your help
Bump.
I dont really like single leg exercises, but I find it hard to believe that there is nobody here with an opinion on the matter.
-Zep
ive been using non spine loading leg exercies for the past year due to back issues, my favorites are the single dumbell loaded split squat, where you just hold one bell like u would a front squat, i like it better than holding 2 at the sides. Also try working up to standing on 2 25lb plates and do reverse lunges off of them, these will work the fuck outta ya legs.
Try adjusting where the pad is resting on leg curls, it may be pinching something and putting pressure on the calfs, also where the seat is may help. For hamstrings…GLUTE HAM RAISES BABY, no weight, i do things like one all out set of like 30+ reps, or multiple sets of 20-25, plus if u lunge or split squat with a decent stride it should honestly be pretty good ham and glute stim as well as the quads.
If your shoulder is feeling like junk, try doing some cable flies actually ltying on a bench, i really like a low to medium incline for these, you can set the bench a lil in front of the cables to it pulls back and down pretty much perfect for the pecs. Work up to a really good range of motion on these over a few weeks, working the squeeze and stretch, these should help bring back some natural ROM to your shoulders/pecs from spending so long benching and not much bbing ect…
hope some of this helps
[quote]bignate wrote:
ive been using non spine loading leg exercies for the past year due to back issues, my favorites are the single dumbell loaded split squat, where you just hold one bell like u would a front squat, i like it better than holding 2 at the sides. Also try working up to standing on 2 25lb plates and do reverse lunges off of them, these will work the fuck outta ya legs.
Try adjusting where the pad is resting on leg curls, it may be pinching something and putting pressure on the calfs, also where the seat is may help. For hamstrings…GLUTE HAM RAISES BABY, no weight, i do things like one all out set of like 30+ reps, or multiple sets of 20-25, plus if u lunge or split squat with a decent stride it should honestly be pretty good ham and glute stim as well as the quads.
If your shoulder is feeling like junk, try doing some cable flies actually ltying on a bench, i really like a low to medium incline for these, you can set the bench a lil in front of the cables to it pulls back and down pretty much perfect for the pecs. Work up to a really good range of motion on these over a few weeks, working the squeeze and stretch, these should help bring back some natural ROM to your shoulders/pecs from spending so long benching and not much bbing ect…
hope some of this helps[/quote]
Thanks for the reply. I have just started to do some flies with dumbells at the end of my workouts mainly as a stretch, but I’ll have to start trying them with cables. Do you think lunges/split squats for 10 sets of 10 would make sense? and I definitely can’t do glute hams for 10x10, as I don’t have a bench anymore and do them natural.
This is the 5 day split I was going to use for 25 to 30 days, lifted right from the poliquin website
Day 1: Chest and Back
Exercise
A-1 Decline Dumbbell Presses, Semi-Supinated Grip (palms facing each other)
10x10
A-2 Chin-Ups (palms facing you)
10x10
B-1 Incline Dumbbell Flyes
3x10
B-2 One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
3x10
Day 2: Legs and Abs
Exercise
A-1 Back Squats
10x10
A-2 Lying Leg Curls Feet Outward
10x10
B-1 Low-Cable Pull-Ins*
3x15-20
B-2 Seated Calf Raises
3x10-12
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Arms and Shoulders
A-1 Parallel Bar Dips
10x10
A-2 Incline Hammer Curls
10x10
B-1 Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises*
3x10
B-2 Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises
3x 10-12
Day 5: Off
lunges and split squats will work fine for sets of 10. I wouldnt do walking lunges for that many sets though, probably just do reverse stationary lunges and the split squats. I would get to winded to do that many walking lunges hahah
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