Only Doing Deadlifts, Bench Press and Rows

Training
41

Firstly, I didn’t realize your age and experience level, so I feel more comfortable if you listen to Jake and Chris on this.

As far as swapping out to incline bench, no, I think you should stick with regular bench for now. In fact, I wouldn’t try to focus on your front delts at all, they grow pretty easily with everything else. Most people need to focus on their lateral and rear delts, because their front detls end up disproportionately large from benching in any form. FWIW, incline is usually used to grow the upper chest, whereas decline and flat are used to grow the whole chest. (There’s an upper and lower muscle.)

A 5x5 program would probably do you some good; something like StrongLifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. Even if you don’t do either of them, I suggest reading the free report from StrongLifts, and also reading Starting Strength. You can learn a lot from them.

However, I’ll let Chris and Jake direct you from here. Good luck.

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Do you think you can post a video of your squat sometime?

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
First of all I’m all for intelligent discussions thats how we all learn, Open minds build bigger bodies.[/quote]
Without a doubt. When there’s a chance to actually educate in threads like this, it’s a great opportunity for all.

I can pretty much agree with this. They’re absolutely comparable in that, if someone didn’t have a rack (for example), they wouldn’t be missing all that much by focusing on deads or trap bar work in the meantime.

I like this idea, kinda earning the right to be on your own. Very cool motivator.

I think this is just where we differ. Maybe we interpreted the first post differently. I read it, as the kid was screwing up his squat technique and was looking for an out. I didn’t see it like he didn’t necessarily want to squat. I’m personally not a fan of diagnosing technique over the Internet with video or whatever (I have my own “method” that works best live and in-person), but for my money, the sooner the kid learns to squat properly, the better.

I think you’re approaching it like, he’s not missing much by not squatting so there’s no real rush to learn it because he can still progress without it. We’re coming at it from different perspectives, but I think our core idea is the same… somewhere down the road, the kid needs to squat.

Cool beans. Yep, again, we’re pretty much on the same page.

No prob. I’ll take a look.

44

[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
I have also followed yours and other peoples advice on eating healthy and eating big and have gained around 8-10 pounds since. I am also continuing my bike rides for a bit of cardio as well as playing rep basketball 3 times a week.[/quote]
As long as you are eating plenty to recover from all the cardio, that’s one thing. Just realize that biking and basketball are, essentially, cardio workouts and they can effect your lifting accordingly.

That’s fine, just don’t forget that you’re pretty much at the most ideal time in your life to make some major muscle gains relatively-easily. “Train for strength and eat for size” is a basic motto for serious results, even moreso with younger guys.

5x5 has been used for decades as a simple, straightforward way to build size and strength. That, or Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program, would be great for doing what you want to do. The only trick with those is… they require squatting. Conundrum.

You need to worry about building your front delts like Miley Cyrus needs to worry about her Grammy acceptance speech. It’s so very much not a priority right now. There’s nothing “wrong” with the incline bench, but let’s talk about front delts again when you’re benching 195, overhead pressing 165, and weighing 180.

I’m going off very minimal information here, but if this is the only big exercise you’ve been doing for this many reps, it could be a simple case of poor strength endurance in your low back and/or abs causing them to fatigue first. Stick with lower reps (but not necessarily heavier weight) and see if you can maintain form and feel okay head to toe.

This is one of the problems with higher rep work. You can end up causing fatigue in the wrong places, and that changes how the workout turns out. Try to keep most sets in the 6-10 range, but not so heavy that have to stop at the end of the set. End the set feeling like you could still do a few more good reps. It’ll take some playing around to nail the right weight, but you should be able to figure it out.

Why start with 85 pounds when you can start with 45 (just the bar). Think about what Mark Rippetoe has suggested in Starting Strength: Start with the bar, do a set of 5, rest a while, add 10 pounds, do another set of 5, rest a while, add 10 pounds, do another set of 5. Where those all pretty easy? Feeling good? Fine. Next week, start with a little more and repeat the process.

(I’m not trying to say that Starting Strength is the way to go, but it’s one option to consider.)

45

Ok Thank you for your advice once again Chris my next workout is tomorrow so I will start with the empty bar and workup fro there with my squat (I know it will take some time but it sounds like it is worth it!).

I will try out this program for a few months using the squat, deadlift, BB row, Bench Press and OHP and see how my strength gains and defiantly continue to eat big!!!

I was just curious do you have a rough idea of what a person should be lifting for these major lifts for my age, size and weight?

Thanks again guys for the support :slight_smile:

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[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
I was just curious do you have a rough idea of what a person should be lifting for these major lifts for my age, size and weight?
[/quote]

A little bit more each week.

Do this, stay consistent, and the numbers will take care of themselves.

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[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
I was just curious do you have a rough idea of what a person should be lifting for these major lifts for my age, size and weight?[/quote]
“Should” is a tricky word, since all you really need to lift is more than last session, week after week and month after month. Basically x2 what Jack just said.

But if it helps…

295 bench weighing 165. I believe he’s about 17.

457 squat weighing 148. He’s 15. Certified freak.

500 deadlift weighing 181. He’s 17.

So maybe as a mid-term goal, think about what’s called the 2-3-4 club. 200-something bench, 300-something squat, 400-something deadlift. That, not coincidentally, gets you pretty much right into the 1000 Total club that Jake talked about.

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Ya, most of the kids I’ve trained can hit 1000lbs in around a year, and a half, with a year being exceptional, and two years for the hard gainers. Most of the kids I’ve trained start at the 150-170lb BW range, and will average 20lbs gain of muscle on the way to 1000lb total. I’ve never officialy tracked this, but seeing as 1000lbs is our goal with all our young guys before they leave for collage.

These would be pretty good paramiters to go by. Keep in mind the bench press is the slowest of the 3 lifts for adults, but for teenagers it can be ridiculously slow, don’t get down hearted, it’s the same for eveyone. Somthing I do track are yearly gains, with 25% being good targets for your total and most of the big lifts the first couple years. This quickly drops down to 10% when you get a little older, and stronger, so enjoy it while you can.

I hope some of this helps you gauge where you are, and where your headed. Good luck with the squat, don’t be afraid to try lots of different styles, and bar placements, track your depth, and whats comfortable. Also I’ve found that the goblet squat, and KB swing are probably the two greastest tools for learning to squat comfortably. Anyway Blah blah blah, I’ve worked 82hrs, and it’s only Thurs, I can’t see straight, hope some of this helps goodluck !

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Holy crap those are some big numbers to work up to!!!

But as long as I keep progressing each week I will be able to reach that in the next 18 months with a bit of luck but you have to start somewhere I guess!

Thanks again for everyones advice because it is much appreciated!!

I will be sure to keep updating my progress and will probably start a log about it :slight_smile:

Cheers

50

You are 15yr, so your a year or two younger than my average client, so don’t get overwhelmed. I was really overtired the other night, and sort of just threw some numbers out there, remember lifting’s a journey that takes a lifetime, with small steady progression winning the race. If you only added 5lbs a month to your squat, thats 60lbs in a year, if your squat was 200lbs to begin with, thats a 30% increase, slow and steady wins the race. Your on the right track, first don’t worry about the weight for a couple months, give yourself till newyears to really learn technique, and form on the big three, and whatever other big lifts you like (front squat, military ect,). Then go to the gym on a day when you have lots of time, and have a friend or trainer help you find your 5rep max in each of the lifts, use a rep calculator to get you 1RM (this is safer at your age) Now seeing as it’s Jan. set up a good program, and try to add 25% in a year to your total, or whatever big lifts you choose to build a program around. This is exactly how we do it, we have a mock PLing meet between christmas, and New Years every year, to find or training maxes, then set our lifting goals for the year ! So for example if your Bench 1RM was 180lbs you would aim, and build a program to hit 225 over the next year, that would be 25%. You have to bite these things off in chunks, and be paitent, and consistant. I hope this helps, this is the system I use with all my young guys, thats eveolved over 20yrs. We follow a simple program 3-4 days a week, on a upper lower split similar to 531, or 5x5 program. If your serious I think you should set up a log, hopefully with vids, and let Chris, myself, and other knowlagable guys help you through the journey. I have an 18yr old right now thats 195lbs solid with 1100lb total, and started with me when he was 15yr, all his friends that pissed around with BB mag programs, all still look the same, while he’s put on 30lbs of muscle (he gets acussed of steroids) nobody believes the simple program he’s on, they don’t believe getting stronger on 4-5 exercises is all he’s done. Read the Wendler article he wrote to his younger self, be paitent, have fun, and Goodluck :slight_smile:

Post script; if you manage to set up a log, I’ll try to get a couple of the kids I’ve worked with to join in with info, and posibly before, and after pics. Latter

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Sorry mate I only just saw your post now!!! Yes I think setting up a log would be a great idea and will help to keep me motivated and progressing.

Im not really sure how to post it though? should I but it in the beginner section or somewhere else?

Cheers

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actually don worry I found the training log section!!!

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I’d just like to put out a big thankyou to everyone who helped me along to a good workout routine especially Chris Colucci

Body weight: 151 pounds

Stats for the Big 3 are now

Deadlift - 205 pounds x 2

Squat -165 pounds x 2

Bench Press - 160 pounds x 3

My squat is still alot lower in comparison to the bench and deads but considering I have only started squating the last 2 months it is quickly catching up!!!

54

[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
I’d just like to put out a big thankyou to everyone who helped me along to a good workout routine especially Chris Colucci

Body weight: 151 pounds

Stats for the Big 3 are now

Deadlift - 205 pounds x 2

Squat -165 pounds x 2

Bench Press - 160 pounds x 3

My squat is still alot lower in comparison to the bench and deads but considering I have only started squating the last 2 months it is quickly catching up!!![/quote]

Keep it up, and don’t sacrifice your health (like lift with ridiculesly awful form) to add more weight on the bar. Just keep going, and keep getting stronger.

55

[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
Body weight: 151 pounds

Stats for the Big 3 are now

Deadlift - 205 pounds x 2

Squat -165 pounds x 2

Bench Press - 160 pounds x 3[/quote]
Great work, man. Keep it going with a good plan and you should stay right on track.

But… … … how did you manage to lose bodyweight?

You dropped 10 friggin’ pounds in these 2 months. Someone your height can’t afford that kind of loss. It’s good that you’ve still seen the strength increases, but you’re fading away. Get the eating back on track and you’ll be golden. Plus, that’ll definitely help to keep the strength gains coming too.

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Hermann Goener the first man to deadlift 800 and one of the strongest men to ever live never did squats

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Thanks guys for your support and encouragement as it is much appreciated!!

Yes I was thinking the same thing how I managed to loose that much weight but I guess it just means I have to eat even more and keep lifting weights hard.

By the way, to improve posture does anyone know the best excercise to do to balance out the shoulder girdle?

I was thinking lots of Bent Barbell Rows because I think started to very roll my shoulders forward due to a dominate chest and front delts.

Thanks in advance.

58

[quote]TheLifterdude wrote:
Yes I was thinking the same thing how I managed to loose that much weight[/quote]
Yeah, definitely not a good thing if you didn’t notice it along the way. But it’s totally fixable.

What, exactly, did you eat yesterday?

Focus on the foods and tips I discussed here:

Simple stuff, don’t get too crazy or overthink it. 3 big meals every single day and a shake when you lift. Weigh-in once a week (before eating but after using the bathroom) to make sure you’re on track.

Pull-ups by the truckload would be a great way to go, for a bunch of reasons. Full range, dead hang pull-ups. Face pulls would be the next best bet. Barbell rows are good but wouldn’t necessarily help the upper back/shoulder girdle as much, depending on form.

59

Okay so yesterday for breakfast I ate:

Breakfast:
1 large bowl of plain cooked oats with 1 table spoon of honey
2 eggs and 3 shortcut rashes of bacon with almost all fat removed (dont normally have bacon very often)

Snack 1:
Small bowl of Greek Yogurt
handful of almonds

Lunch:
2 scrambled eggs with two slices of wholegrain toast
350ml of reduced fat milk

Snack 2:
350ml of reduced fat milk with 1 and 1/2 dessert spoons of soy protien powder added (30 grams of pure protien)
1 carrot chopped up with 50 grams of homus dip

Dinner: (Can vary alot from night to night)
Large bowl of pasta with lean mince and pasta sauce roughly 500 grams
Bowl of mixed lettuce, avacado, tomato, cheese and casear dressing

Snack 3:
300ml reduced fat milk

The meals can vary depending on if its a school day or weekend/holiday and most nights have meat a veggies for dinner (steak, chicken breast, sausages, ground beef)

Okay that sounds good then, as of lately I am doing 45 pullups 2-3 times a week so I guess I will keep going with that a hopefully improve my posture to some degree.

For my assistance work for the big three, would only doing pullups be enough for back or would it be smarter to add in barbell rows?

60

Also what muscles in the upper back would Bent Barbell Rows mainly work?