Reverse hypers
Hamstring curls
Overhead Press
3x5 110
Power Cleans
5x3 171
Chins
Back is feeling healthier. I think when I start squatting and deadlifting again I’m gonna make a new routine, starting strength is way too intense for me now, and I can still gain with less work.
Reverse Hypers
3x5
Hamstring curls
2x5 150
Bench Press
1x3 1x4 1x3 182
Pull ups
5, 2, 2
Dips
8, 3
Weight: 195lbs
Reverse Hypers
Hamstring curls
Overhead press
2x5 1x3 116 (PR)
Power Cleans
5x3 176
Chins
Reverse Hypers
Bench Press
1x5 2x4 182
Chin ups
Dips
Back is feeling pretty healthy, but going to wait a bit longer before starting squats and deads again.
Bench Press
1x5 1x4 1x2 182
Reverse Hypers
Chin ups
Dips
Starting a new training program that has me squatting 2x a week instead of 3x. It got slated as being too pussy, but I’m going with it because I want to try something new as I keep stalling on rippetoe’s. Everything written are work sets.
Deadlift
1x5 265
Bench Press
3x5 171
Pull ups
5, 3
Dips
6, 2, 3
Some comments:
You are doing very low volume, low frequency. You said you’ve gained 2% bodyfat? (an estimate)
If I read it correct, I think you might be eating lots (which is good, and necessary at some point) but not training lots, or moving heavy weight, so basically you are telling your body ‘let’s store fat’.
I don’t think that rippetoes is any good at all mate. I think it’s shit. There is not enough accessory work, or frequency, and it certainly is not ideal to be used in conjunction with an ‘eat all out to gain weight’ sort of diet.
Unless you have a serious spinal/muscle problem (in which case see a doctor and physiotherapist to sort this out) if squats and deads hurt your back, you are doing them wrong. Practically anyone who can do them ‘right’ could give you detailed and articulate pointers about how to do them, if you wanted.
Before you fall into the trap of only doing some random lifts, and not moving too much weight in those, please read this cautionary tale from Artem: http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/blog_sports_training_performance_bodybuilding_alpha/my_first_cut?id=3073643&pageNo=12
Sorry mate, I realised my comments were a bit negative, I meant them to be positive.
Your back (absent a medical condition) should not hurt doing squats and deadlifts. 1) Make sure your glutes are firing (do ‘jane fondas’ and ‘glute bridges’ and 2) keep an arch in your lower back at all times during the lifts. Job done
I weigh more than you, yet I can gain weight at 2500kcals, no joke. Maybe because I was fat as a kid, I don’t know, but this is true. FOR ME, 4000 kcals a day: gain at least 2 lbs of unnecessary fat per week. I just get in 250-350g protein per day, 50-75g fat, and vary carbs depending on the training day (more carbs on days where I do more total reps or complexes).
And as for a good program, something like Big Beyond Belief would be ideal for you to put on size for strength if you wanted to, judging from reports around here.
If you wanted to just gain strength (although not really possible to separate out muscle/strength) 5-3-1 has been praised a lot, and seems to have put a name in Rippetoe’s coffin (program wise) as I have tried Starting Strength some years ago, and found it to be no good for gaining. Not enough volume.
Also, since you’ve just got back into training, and it’s a good and positive habit you should keep for a lifetime (:)) it’s important to make it a permanent thing in your life. That way, you’ll stick at it. To use me as an example I will workout pretty much everyday (maybe take Sunday off) in the evening. It’s a ritual, I will never skip it. There are no excuses, no missed workouts, it is just like brushing my teeth, only better. If you train more days in teh week, you will allow yourself to become conditioned to get into the habit also, whereas 3 days per week won’t instill that habit as well, IMO.
Good luck mate and keep up the hard work
Interesting points Danny. I think it all boils down to the fact that different people’s bodies respond to different things. For example I’ve always been very naturally skinny and had a high metabolism, so I have to eat a lot just to stop myself losing weight. 2500 calories for me just means that within 2 weeks of non training i’d lose half a stone. Whereas I have maintained my diet through periods of not training (except without the 4 pints of milk a day) and have found that I have minimised the weight loss, with little fat gain. So for me the big eating is more essential than the training.
As for the back pains, they have gone now, and I am ensuring that I maintain proper form and walk more to ensure a healthier back. I think the problem resided with squatting 3x a week thus not letting my body recuperate quick enough leading to small form issues that became detrimental over time no matter how much work I put into maintaining correct form. So hopefully my new program will provide a different approach to gaining strength and squatting. It’s just a theory, but I’ll see how it goes.
As for volume, like I said before our bodies all work differently and call me lazy, but I think mine is more adapted towards lower volume for stimulus. Again I’ll see if this theory is correct through testing out this program. If not then I('ll start 5/3/1.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
If it’s working for you, you don’t need to change it.
[quote]Waylander wrote:
Interesting points Danny. I think it all boils down to the fact that different people’s bodies respond to different things. For example I’ve always been very naturally skinny and had a high metabolism, so I have to eat a lot just to stop myself losing weight. 2500 calories for me just means that within 2 weeks of non training i’d lose half a stone. Whereas I have maintained my diet through periods of not training (except without the 4 pints of milk a day) and have found that I have minimised the weight loss, with little fat gain. So for me the big eating is more essential than the training.
As for the back pains, they have gone now, and I am ensuring that I maintain proper form and walk more to ensure a healthier back. I think the problem resided with squatting 3x a week thus not letting my body recuperate quick enough leading to small form issues that became detrimental over time no matter how much work I put into maintaining correct form. So hopefully my new program will provide a different approach to gaining strength and squatting. It’s just a theory, but I’ll see how it goes.
As for volume, like I said before our bodies all work differently and call me lazy, but I think mine is more adapted towards lower volume for stimulus. Again I’ll see if this theory is correct through testing out this program. If not then I('ll start 5/3/1.
Thanks for the encouraging words.[/quote]
You’ll be fine i’m sure. Continue in the way you are (as you say, you’re a different body type to me, different metabolism etc) as long as it works. Good luck mate
Squats
1x5 176
2x5 154
OHP
3x5 99
Cleans
3x5 154
Chins
5, 2
Deadlift
1x5 276
Bench Press
1x5 1x3 1x2 176
Chins
Dips
I’ve decided to try out high bar squats rather than low bar squats, as I have a short torso, thus good morning out of a squat is a common problem for me. I’ve found this has helped my technique and is easier on my back.
HB Squat
3x5 165
OHP
3x5 105
Cleans
2x3 165
Stopped here because I felt a little pain in my back
Pull ups
6, 4
Deadlift
1x5 287
Bench press
1x5 2x3 176
Chins
6, 3, 4
Dips
6, 2
HB Squat
3x5 176
OHP
3x5 110
Power Cleans
3x5 160
Pull ups
3
Deadlift
1x4 298 (PR)
Bench Press
3x5 165
Chins
6, 2
Felt a bit off today, probably seeing as i did an early morning sesh before lunch, so skipped on the dips
HB Squat
3x5 187
OHP
1x4 1x1 116
Pull ups
3
Felt absolutely knackered after the squats and couldn’t finish the workout
Deadlift
1x4 298
Bench Press
3x5 171
Chins
6, 3, 2
Dips
6, 3
HB Squat
3x5 193
OHP
1x4 1x3 1x2 116
Pull ups
6, 5, 2
Felt really hungry during workout so skipped cleans