I’m a 6’2’’ 190lb basketball player. Didn’t really take weight lifting seriously because I was just focusing on improving my basketball skills. However, I can squat 225 x 5, dead 315lb x 5, bench 165lb x 5. Anyway, my goal is to increase my strength and explosiveness for lower body so I can jump higher and have more explosive lateral movements and first step.
Also, I want to get some muscle size on my upper body. My question, is it a good idea do the same full body workout routine 3 times a week? instead of alternating between A and B. I just gather my favorite exercises that I enjoy doing and I think they’re effective. Here’s my workout routine :
Athletic Workout :
Power Cleans 5x3
Back Squats 4x5 (ramp-up? or straight?)
Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts 3x8 (or/ Single Leg Hip Thrusts?)
Chin Ups 5xFailure
Bench Press 4x6
Face Pulls 3x8
Or should I just alternate between these 2 workouts A and B although some exercises I’m not really into them :
Athletic Workout A :
Power Cleans 5x3
Back Squats 4x5 (ramping up the weights?)
Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts? or/ Single Leg Hip Thrusts? 3x8 “HEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPPPP me to chose 1 exercise”
Chin Ups 5xFailure
Bench Press 4x6
Face Pulls 3x8
Athletic Workout B :
Push Press? or/ BB Squat Jumps? or/ Depth Jump Into Box? 5x3 “HEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPPPP me to chose 1 exercise”
Deadlifts 4x5 (ramping up the weights?)
Blugrain Split Squats 3x8
BB Rows 5x6
Dips 4xFailure
DB Shrugs 3x8
Do you think it’s better to ramping-up the weights on the squats and deads? because I play basketball one day and lift the other day and I take only 1 day to rest and I don’t want to suck at basketball the other day after heavy 4x5 squats for the same weight on all of the 4 sets. Also, I forgot to mention that I do some short sprints, few jumps, and explosive jumps before each workout sessions to activate the CNS. Ohh one more thing, on my lift day I do skill work on the morning and on my basketball day I do abs workout on the morning as well.
Yes ramping up the weights on the big lifts is absolutely necessary. I long jumped in college while lifting heavy (did some PL meets in offseason even), and they always went very well together. However what I found is that you are going to need to cut the fat. Less accessories, more focus on just progressing in the main lifts. The truth is most of those accessories are just overkill on what you are already working on in the court.
I will say that box jumps are excellent though. Your focus should be 1. Increase squat. 2. Increase Deadlift. 3. Get explosive work through the box jumps and powercleans. 4. Upper body work.
Squats are going to help your vertical more than anything else (even more than box jumps/power cleans). Make sure it is your number 1 priority and they are to proper depth (below parallel).
Alright man, I’m going with ramp-up sets on squats, deads. Yeah, my focus is on compound movements for sure. Actually, my main goal is to increase squat as much as possible. I was even thinking on forgetting about deadlifts and do squats instead but I don’t know. Thank you sir.
Okay, I’m gonna keep the deadlifts than. I think yeah, I’m a quad dominant person because I gotta jumper’s knee on my left leg and the DR said that I have imbalance on my leg muscles.
Hey man-- I’ve got a build similar to you; 6’2", 200 lbs
In order to build upper body mass, you’re going to have to do some higher rep, hypertrophy inducing workouts in addition to strength and conditioning. Try my programming I think you’ll like it.
[quote]SwoleFIT wrote:
Hey man-- I’ve got a build similar to you; 6’2", 200 lbs
In order to build upper body mass, you’re going to have to do some higher rep, hypertrophy inducing workouts in addition to strength and conditioning. Try my programming I think you’ll like it.
This is an absolutely awful program. Seriously, maybe the worst I’ve ever seen, especially for an athlete.
Op, I’d recommend one heavy upper day, one heavy lower, one higher rep upper, and one speed lower focusing on plyos and short sprints. Something similar to ws4sb, but with more volume on the big lifts and more traditional rep ranges for higher rep work. If you need any guidance, I’d be happy to write out a program. By the way, I’m 5’9", 175 and can dunk with ease even after two knee blowouts.
[quote]SwoleFIT wrote:
Hey man-- I’ve got a build similar to you; 6’2", 200 lbs
In order to build upper body mass, you’re going to have to do some higher rep, hypertrophy inducing workouts in addition to strength and conditioning. Try my programming I think you’ll like it.
This is an absolutely awful program. Seriously, maybe the worst I’ve ever seen, especially for an athlete.
Op, I’d recommend one heavy upper day, one heavy lower, one higher rep upper, and one speed lower focusing on plyos and short sprints. Something similar to ws4sb, but with more volume on the big lifts and more traditional rep ranges for higher rep work. If you need any guidance, I’d be happy to write out a program. By the way, I’m 5’9", 175 and can dunk with ease even after two knee blowouts.[/quote]
I agree with WhiteFlash. WS4SB would be good. If you’re still playing basketball, just lift and play. You’re at a point where you don’t have the raw horsepower to launch yourself into the air very high. Just don’t go overboard with the basketball as it could detract from your strength training. Don’t stop it though either. Maybe 3 hours of basketball a week.
My only problem with ws4sb is the lack of volume on major lifts, and the stupid high reps on rep day. So, I structure my workouts with a similar layout, except I use more volume on the big lifts (5x3, 4x5, 6x2, whatever) and seldom go to failure, and on rep day and accessories I stick with 8-15 depending. I also throw in super high rep calisthenics at the end (a set of 50+ pushups at the end of heavy upper for example).
I agree WhiteFlash that there is not a lot of volume with the main lifts on ME day, but if a person is lifting raw and does their dynamic work at a higher percentage than the recommended 50%-60%(since these percentages are with accommodating resistance), I feel there could be adequate volume on the main lifts with a high enough intensity for growth.
I just didn’t want to bring up what I’d change to complicate things. The OP could go with the 5x5 method that Pendlay uses so there can be a volume day, light day, and intensity day. Essentially the same philosophy as westside.
I think you should consider checking out Chistian Thibaudeau’s forum and look into doing some high pulls or some type of explosive lifts… I think that would pretty much take care of all the upper back development you would want along with really hitting your posterior chain and improving your explosiveness… Squats can help the vertical but if your quad dominant it wont hit your P-chain as much of you were hammy dominant…
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
My only problem with ws4sb is the lack of volume on major lifts, and the stupid high reps on rep day. So, I structure my workouts with a similar layout, except I use more volume on the big lifts (5x3, 4x5, 6x2, whatever) and seldom go to failure, and on rep day and accessories I stick with 8-15 depending. I also throw in super high rep calisthenics at the end (a set of 50+ pushups at the end of heavy upper for example).[/quote]
Hence the reason of the 2 high rep sets after you get to your 3-5rm. If you don’t want to do the high rep sets just take 80% of what you just did on the your RM for 2x8 that will build hpertrophy aplenty. Without over burning you out as well.