We’ve got a new guy who wants to start training with us- 140 lbs benching 230 in good form, very ecto-meso (very, very lean- legit single digits body fat). Typical bench and curl training background, never really trained squats or deadlifts for any amount of time but wants to get bigger overall.
Any insight as to good training splits to emphasize back and legs? 4 day Push/Pull comes to mind.
Ya, probably 3-4 day push pull (depending on he’s gaining weight on 4 day)
or
TBT
But he should cut his bench volme down 50% and not increase it until he’s doing pullups with 230+ lbs overall.
Cool, anyone have other insight?
My only advice would be to include heavy deads. I remember the skinniest kids putting up the biggest numbers on my powerlifting team it HS.
I know skinny bastards that have gotten great results from Defranco’s WSFSB. But then again, if he has never trained squats/deadlifts, it might be better for him to start off with stronglifts 5x5 until his first deload on the squat and then start defranco. Just my 2 cents
At this point just get him to do squats and deads in any fashion and he’ll improve.
I’d say he can’t go wrong with 5x5 as long as his technique on the big lifts is OK.
Whatever program you get him on scold him on eating enough.
if he havnt been working out, and if he is in his teens, then dont worry bout trainin, jus make him do the work out and concentrate on his dietry need, more then the training, make him do basic movement and strentgh training, .
I’ve found that what works best for me is a pull/push/leg split with a rest day between pull and push day and after leg day. I like to do a shitload of heavy deadlifts on pull day, along with pullups and various rows and then do a lot of squats on leg day along with sumo deadlifts.
I usually go a little lighter on the sumos than on the regular deadlifts and sometimes I do romanian deadlifts instead.
But with this split, I get more than one leg workout per split essentially because I go heavy on deadlifts on pull day. Deadlifts work pretty much everything but the chest, tris and front delts so it’s a good one to do before press day.
I’ve always neglected my legs in the past and I’ve put the same emphasis on my back as on my chest at best, so this split lets me put more focus on those areas without overdoing it.
I’d also start him out slow on squats and deadlifts until he’s developed flawless technique. If he’s never hit those two up a whole lot, this is a perfect time to drill good technique into him.
I developed pretty good squat technique by performing body weight squats with my hands behind my back and my chest a couple inches away from a wall. With perfect technique, you shouldn’t touch the wall at all on the way down or up. Deadlift technique will build off of good squat technique.
I’d also get him into a lot of hip and shoulder mobility shit now, too. I hate doing it, but I’ve had some problems in my shoulder from years of pitching and some tweaks in my hip from going too heavy too fast on deads and squats. I was basically learning good technique while doing 5x5. If I could do it over again, I would have eased into it more at the beginning.
Maybe just something really simple? Just a regular program but put the weak areas at the start of the week.
Starting strength? Seems like a good launch pad to teach him all the basic compound moves.