Well Rounded

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
1

If I would like to possess all facets of athleticism (strength, power, hypertrophy, speed, endurance, agility/mobility), and I am able to exercise 5-6 days/week, which programming idea below is recommended?

  1. Try to incorporate all/many of those facets in each session, each day alternating upper/lower, push/pull, vertical/horizontal, other…

  2. Each training day focus on only one, possibly two, of those facets then repeat the following week.

  3. Break into weekly/monthly phases for each facet (eg strength for 2 mo, hypertrophy next 2 mo, etc…)
    I have been doing #3 for several years and am fairly satisfied with the results. But, I often wonder if I would have even better results taking a different approach.

2


Uh can we get some more information please.
Age
Health history (injuries etc)
From your name I assume a female?

3

Ha! Thought I’d get some flack for the name, but no, I’m a male who just loves his wife (I know, isnâ??t that sweet!).
40 yrs old, 6’2, 195 lb, 11% body fat, no injuries/health issues, played sports and exercised for 20+ years, not the strongest or fastest but happy with my PRs. I could be happy maintaining current levels but incremental improvements would make me happier.

I’d just like to have a general feeling of “ability” and athleticism that I currently don’t have until I’m into my cut phase when I’m doing HIIT/Crossfit activities. But even then I feel so exhausted all the time because I’m on a caloric deficit to cut and I lose muscle mass. When I’m in my strength phase my joints ache and I lose endurance. During my bulk phase I get fatter than I’d like and I lose mobility. I do foam roll, dynamic stretch before and static stretch after my workouts.

I realize for aesthetics the phased approach is what’s recommended by most T-Nation [and other] writers. But I not only want to look good I want to feel good. So I’m wondering if incorporating all exercise types into one session, or each day of the week focus on one aspect rather than the phased approach.

4

Cool

I love my wife so no biggie.

Why do you wear a cape?

5

Just joking, I actually struggle with the same problems you do.

6

What about a crossfit-type program without cutting calories? The traditional bulk/cut model is becoming a thing of the past. Especially for the average person who doesn’t have a ‘season’ to prepare for, and just wants to be in good shape. I feel like this is what I would do if I put on fat easily. Find a caloric intake level that keeps you at a weight you’re comfortable with, and just tweak it based on what you see in the mirror. If you begin putting on fat, adjust accordingly. If you feel like shit because you’re not eating enough, adjust.

Another thought would be to rely on dynamic, olympic-based movements in your weight training. I’ve always felt like power cleans, power snatches, and the full versions of these if you can do them, have good all-around effects on the body. They can help to improve all the areas you mentioned in your post.

EDIT: forgot to mention, doing too many things in every session can have 2 major flaws. 1. Burnout/excessive fatigue. This sounds like something you’re trying to avoid. 2. you won’t get good at anything, because you’re focusing on everything. I’m only 28, and there’s no way I could give 100% to half a dozen training methods in 1 session.

7

You could rework conjugate training to work all these items together. Rough idea:

Day 1
Lower speed/agility/conditioning
Plyo Box jumps

Speed box squats or jump squats

abs/core work

sprints/prowler/run hills

Day 2
Upper speed/hypertrophy/agility

plyo push ups (clapping push ups, etc)

overhead press 5 x 10
chins/rows/pulldowns 5 x 10

rotator/shoulder work

speed bag/heavy back work; sledge hammer swings

Day 3
Recovery/endurance

foam roll/stretch

steady state cardio (job, swim, bike) 30-45 min

Day 4
Lower Strength/Power, hypertrophy, conditioning

Alternate squat/deadlift each week, either w 5x 5 or work up to 3 or 5 rep max

hypertrophy work, quads: pick one or two: lunges, leg press, front squats, etc

hammies/low back: sldl, back extension, ghr, rev hyper

abs

hard conditioning: sprints, intervals, prowler, etc

Day 5
Upper Strenth, power, hypertrophy

Bench press 5 x 5 or work up to 3 or 5 rep max

dips 5 x 10
pulldown/row 5 x 10

bicep/tricep work

delts and shoulder rehab stuff

Day 6
same as day 3

Day 7 off

rough template, hope this helps

8

PeteS, that program sounds great. I may give it a shot…just hope my CNS can handle it. I’ll take Flipcollar’s advice on diet…let the mirror guide me.

Flipcollar - I’ve often connsidered doing Crossfit without dieting, but it just seems so anaerobic and short TUT that I’ve been afraid muscles would shrink. I guess I could give that a try too and if i don’t see/feel results in a month-or-so change to something else.

Thank you both for the responses. Be well.

9

I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4.

10

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food?

11

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food? [/quote]

I would say rest, but I don’t think most people really understand what overtaxing the CNS is. It has gotten bandied about last couple of years and now seems to replace ‘overtraining’. In all honesty the only people I have seen with a truly overtaxed CNS are geared powerlifters. Too many near max squat and bench sessions where you are handling weights 150 to 300 lbs over what you could do raw will fry the fuck out of your CNS. I could see it happening perhaps with high frequency training like Sheiko as well, but there again I think that is more akin to overtraining/underrecovering than it is overtaxing the CNS.

12

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food? [/quote]

I would say rest, but I don’t think most people really understand what overtaxing the CNS is. It has gotten bandied about last couple of years and now seems to replace ‘overtraining’. In all honesty the only people I have seen with a truly overtaxed CNS are geared powerlifters. Too many near max squat and bench sessions where you are handling weights 150 to 300 lbs over what you could do raw will fry the fuck out of your CNS. I could see it happening perhaps with high frequency training like Sheiko as well, but there again I think that is more akin to overtraining/underrecovering than it is overtaxing the CNS. [/quote]

Okay rest in what way? Between sets, between lifts, between sessions?

13

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food? [/quote]

I would say rest, but I don’t think most people really understand what overtaxing the CNS is. It has gotten bandied about last couple of years and now seems to replace ‘overtraining’. In all honesty the only people I have seen with a truly overtaxed CNS are geared powerlifters. Too many near max squat and bench sessions where you are handling weights 150 to 300 lbs over what you could do raw will fry the fuck out of your CNS. I could see it happening perhaps with high frequency training like Sheiko as well, but there again I think that is more akin to overtraining/underrecovering than it is overtaxing the CNS. [/quote]

Okay rest in what way? Between sets, between lifts, between sessions? [/quote]

between max intensity sessions

14

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food? [/quote]

I would say rest, but I don’t think most people really understand what overtaxing the CNS is. It has gotten bandied about last couple of years and now seems to replace ‘overtraining’. In all honesty the only people I have seen with a truly overtaxed CNS are geared powerlifters. Too many near max squat and bench sessions where you are handling weights 150 to 300 lbs over what you could do raw will fry the fuck out of your CNS. I could see it happening perhaps with high frequency training like Sheiko as well, but there again I think that is more akin to overtraining/underrecovering than it is overtaxing the CNS. [/quote]

Okay rest in what way? Between sets, between lifts, between sessions? [/quote]

between max intensity sessions[/quote]

So what is your rule of thumb? I know everyone is different, but what do you recommend between say max squat sessions?

15

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:

[quote]Derek542 wrote:

[quote]PeteS wrote:
I don’t think what I laid out would overtax the CNS. Of course, what I consider overtaxing the CNS might be different, but that should just promote speed, strength, agility, and endurance all at the same time. Not make you the best at any one, but pretty good at all 4. [/quote]

Pete in your opinion if someone is having a problem with overtaxing the CNS what do you think is the culprit? To much volume or not enough food? [/quote]

I would say rest, but I don’t think most people really understand what overtaxing the CNS is. It has gotten bandied about last couple of years and now seems to replace ‘overtraining’. In all honesty the only people I have seen with a truly overtaxed CNS are geared powerlifters. Too many near max squat and bench sessions where you are handling weights 150 to 300 lbs over what you could do raw will fry the fuck out of your CNS. I could see it happening perhaps with high frequency training like Sheiko as well, but there again I think that is more akin to overtraining/underrecovering than it is overtaxing the CNS. [/quote]

Okay rest in what way? Between sets, between lifts, between sessions? [/quote]

between max intensity sessions[/quote]

So what is your rule of thumb? I know everyone is different, but what do you recommend between say max squat sessions? [/quote]

The reason why I think conjugate training works is because you almost never ‘max out’ in the primary lifts. Max effort days use variations (good mornings, front squats, zercher lifts, etc) that will build squat/deadlift, while most of the competition lifts are done submaximally on DE days. every so often when you feeling good you kick it up a notch on DE day, but that should only be every third session or so. Squatting, benching, and deadlifting maximally fries the shit out of you. I think I left a lot on the platform last month because I strayed from that kind of training for that cycle and pulled full range way too often in prep for that meet. Learned my lesson.

sorry for the hijack btw

16

Thanks Pete, your a wealth of knowledge in the Iron game sir.

17

Thanks Pete, your a wealth of knowledge in the Iron game sir.

18

Thanks Pete, your a wealth of knowledge in the Iron game sir.

19

No worries on the hijack. Your additional info actually completes/explains your template so i needed it anyway.