Not sure where I should post this as I’m not a powerlifter or a bodybuilder, but rather an athlete. However, I wanted to ask for an opinion on the routine I just wrote up.
I started with the Madcow 5x5 template. I would plan on doing this for about 12 weeks unless told otherwise.
My primary goals are to increase my squat and gain muscle mass (about 20 lbs by next June). Secondary goal is to increase my shoulder press and/or bent row.
Uhhhh this seems like an insane quantity of work… Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of high volume training but wow… Do you honestly think you can recover from this? Also as an ‘athlete’ dont you have any sport specific training??
[quote]arramzy wrote:
Uhhhh this seems like an insane quantity of work… Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of high volume training but wow… Do you honestly think you can recover from this? Also as an ‘athlete’ dont you have any sport specific training??[/quote]
I haven’t had any trouble with programs like this in the past. And I’m in a unique position right now where port specific training isn’t terribly important I can explain if you’d like), but I can focus on strength right now.
If you’re going to do the madcow program, do it as written for god’s sake. You’re doing an entire high volume routine IN ADDITION to the madcow program. Pick one or the other.
Alright, I hate to leave out auxiliary work altogether though. Would it be ok if I cut out tuesday and thursday and just did what I ahve written for monday wednesday friday?
[quote]JGrace55 wrote:
Alright, I hate to leave out auxiliary work altogether though. Would it be ok if I cut out tuesday and thursday and just did what I ahve written for monday wednesday friday?[/quote]
I would just follow the assistance the way he laid it out or very similiar.
If I’m not mistaken, madcow’s assistance was this:
M- 4 sets of weighted abs, 2 sets of weighted hypers
W- 2 sets of abs
F- 3 sets of weighted dips, 3 sets of curls, 3 sets of tricep extensions
One easy alteration would be this:
M- 3 sets of abs
W- 3 sets of abs
F- 3 sets of curls, 3 sets of tricep extensions
You’ve got a whole lot of assistance work in there, and that much is definitely not neccessary. Put that energy into the main lifts.
For what it’s worth, the assistance right there ^^^^ is what I’m using for my full body template I’m starting today.
One other thing, you’re pretty fucking strong. I’m assuming you’re running the intermediate version of madcow (since you said you’re running it for 12 weeks).
If for some reason you start to stall early, or after you’ve done the 12 weeks, take a look at the advanced version of madcow. Might be a good idea for someone of your strength level.
I found my info on StrongLifts and I think it may be a little off…
The reason it doesn’t bother me to do all the auxiliary work (I think) is that I’m 18 and, as was said in the LiveSpill today, “your body is a steroid factory at that age”
Yeah I think your probably have a lot more in you than 185, for example my max bench is 350 touch n go, and my OH Press is 240, I think once you start doing it consistently that number will definitley rise. Many lifters feel that as their OH Press goes up so does there bench.
Alright, then I have two more questions on the Advanced vs Intermediate issue. First, is it possible to do the advanced program for some lifts (bench, deadlift) and the intermediate for others that have not been trained as hard recently (press, row, squat)?
And is there some way I can put more of an emphasis on the Press than on the bench? Maybe switch them so I press Monday and Friday and Bench WEdnesday?
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Yeah I think your probably have a lot more in you than 185, for example my max bench is 350 touch n go, and my OH Press is 240, I think once you start doing it consistently that number will definitley rise. Many lifters feel that as their OH Press goes up so does there bench. [/quote]
Not true regarding the ratios. I train pure powerlifting and can bench 500lb singly ply (not sure about raw… maybe 400 paused)… Yet I think my OHP max is like 185 at the most. Perhaps for some it offers carryover, but never has really done much for me when I add it in to a cycle.
[quote]JGrace55 wrote:
Alright, then I have two more questions on the Advanced vs Intermediate issue. First, is it possible to do the advanced program for some lifts (bench, deadlift) and the intermediate for others that have not been trained as hard recently (press, row, squat)?
And is there some way I can put more of an emphasis on the Press than on the bench? Maybe switch them so I press Monday and Friday and Bench WEdnesday?[/quote]
I doubt it, if so it would be pretty confusing. Google “madcow advanced” and give it a look.
After you read it, you’ll understand this:
You’ll notice that the program has you benching monday and friday, and pressing on wednesday. You can easily switch this, so that you press on monday and friday, and bench on wednesday. Just download the (free) excel sheet, and at the top where it has you put in your numbers, edit the one that says bench, change it to press, and vice versa. Then you’ll be good to go.
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Yeah I think your probably have a lot more in you than 185, for example my max bench is 350 touch n go, and my OH Press is 240, I think once you start doing it consistently that number will definitley rise. Many lifters feel that as their OH Press goes up so does there bench. [/quote]
Not true regarding the ratios. I train pure powerlifting and can bench 500lb singly ply (not sure about raw… maybe 400 paused)… Yet I think my OHP max is like 185 at the most. Perhaps for some it offers carryover, but never has really done much for me when I add it in to a cycle.[/quote]
First that’s a hell of a bench congrats. I didn’t say all lifters but many lifters feel this way with regards to OH press and bench. For me the ratios hold true, when I had a 225 max OH press my max bench was about 325 now that it is 240 my max bench is 350. You also don’t train the OH press, I am sure if you trained the OH press the way you train the big 3 movements it would be alot more than 185, maybe the carry over is more evident with raw lifters?
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Yeah I think your probably have a lot more in you than 185, for example my max bench is 350 touch n go, and my OH Press is 240, I think once you start doing it consistently that number will definitley rise. Many lifters feel that as their OH Press goes up so does there bench. [/quote]
Not true regarding the ratios. I train pure powerlifting and can bench 500lb singly ply (not sure about raw… maybe 400 paused)… Yet I think my OHP max is like 185 at the most. Perhaps for some it offers carryover, but never has really done much for me when I add it in to a cycle.[/quote]
First that’s a hell of a bench congrats. I didn’t say all lifters but many lifters feel this way with regards to OH press and bench. For me the ratios hold true, when I had a 225 max OH press my max bench was about 325 now that it is 240 my max bench is 350. You also don’t train the OH press, I am sure if you trained the OH press the way you train the big 3 movements it would be alot more than 185, maybe the carry over is more evident with raw lifters?
[/quote]
First off, no need to scream at me because this is just my opinion… BUT, I actually think the thought that “OHP increases my bench!” is quite a myth. Don’t get me wrong, it CAN help in certain cases but honestly if you go to IPF worlds and look at all the Russians and Ukrainians who win everything, they have no shoulders. Seriously. They have HUGE chests and triceps but very average shoulders. Talk to them, and they all train like me - bench practically every day and no other pressing movements.
The thing is, is that once you put on a single ply shirt (like IPF), the support it offers as a ‘fake shoulder’ is sufficient that shoulders don’t matter much. Therefore, like you say, there may be more potential for OHP to help raw lifters. But the thing is, is that I think if you bench with really tight form, the amount of shoulder rotation is so minimal that what do you really think the shoulders are going to do? Think about it - if you tuck your shoulder blase back really hard and are up on your traps, the shoulders rotate like 15 degrees… Anyways, thanks for the compliment.
Interesting points. I am starting to go with a closer grip on my bench because of some shoulder discomfort and it seems to be helping. For me anyway I think it still helps possibly with shoulder stabilization, but I love the OH press in itself.
BTW where did you get that I was yelling at you? I paid you a compliment for chrissakes lol