Troubleshooting My Current Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

lately I’ve been on a bulk on a 4 day a week full body Waterbury type plan, with extra frequency for my lagging upper back.

A couple problems:

  1. I started off doing stiff-legged deadlifts at first, but I got mad back soreness afterwards, and switched to sumo, and now I’m fine. I used to do plenty of SLDLs and never had a problem with them, but recently it came up. One thing I’m thinking is that per someone’s suggestion an adjustment I made was to increase my ROM (I used to go to right above knees, now a few inches below), and I fear it may have resulted in my rounding my back at the bottom, possibly. Or it could be a whole another reason. Thoughts?

  2. One day is 8x3 of Clean and Jerks, Wide-grip pullups, Zercher Squats, and Trap-Bar Rows. I do the AB thing for ZS and TBR (as in one set of one, then rest then 1 set of the other, etc.) and still my workout is consistently 1 and a half hours. I make sure to take in about 15g of BCAAs during the workout, but I’m still worried cause that’s way over the hour that’s recommended. Any suggestions here?

Otherwise the program is going well.

Thanks

2

[quote]TheBlade wrote:

  1. I started off doing stiff-legged deadlifts at first, but I got mad back soreness afterwards, and switched to sumo, and now I’m fine. I used to do plenty of SLDLs and never had a problem with them, but recently it came up. One thing I’m thinking is that per someone’s suggestion an adjustment I made was to increase my ROM (I used to go to right above knees, now a few inches below), and I fear it may have resulted in my rounding my back at the bottom, possibly. Or it could be a whole another reason. Thoughts?
    [/quote]
    Snatch grip deads are great for your upper back, and for DL form in general. Going back to regular deads will feel so easy after a month or two with the snatch grip. Be cautious with the weight at first. Keep your head high. I found that stretching my neck (up and back, teeth together, sternocleidomastoids, I guess) before DLs made it easier to keep my low back flat. Weird, huh?

[quote]2) One day is 8x3 of Clean and Jerks, Wide-grip pullups, Zercher Squats, and Trap-Bar Rows. I do the AB thing for ZS and TBR (as in one set of one, then rest then 1 set of the other, etc.) and still my workout is consistently 1 and a half hours. I make sure to take in about 15g of BCAAs during the workout, but I’m still worried cause that’s way over the hour that’s recommended. Any suggestions here?
[/quote]

Do you feel like you’re running out of gas towards the end of the workout? If you do, you could take some more bcaas, or drink some Surge or whey between the 1st pair and the 2nd.

If you feel strong all the way through, 1.5 hours isn’t going to kill you. If it’s a schedule problem, get a watch with a timer, and be strict about your rest periods.

3

First problem with the SLDL is the name. It should actually be called the SEMI stiff-legged deadlift. If you can perform them safely, you should touch your shoes with the bar, but you must slightly unlock your knees. Do NOT lock the legs.
Try to maintain a flat back and consciously keep the scapulae pulled back, do not relax into it in the low position. Keep the bar very close to your body.

As far as the second issue, stick to the 60 sec intervals I believe CW recommends between sets of 8x3. If you’re not wasting time between movements, or in a really busy gym, you should be able to get a bit closer to 1 1/2 hrs. There’s no magical number that I know if in terms of workout duration. And yes, I’ve read the studies about hormone dropoff, etc.
Good luck.