Training programmes

First topic message reminder :

I have been having a look at the Wendler 5-3-1

Has any of you guys used it? Or any other programmes.

Or do you just do your own training?

5x5 is a good workout. In fact the stronger guys above, should be doing the texas method 5x5.

Sohotnot, you will get stronger and build thick muscle. You won't be huge if natural, but you will look solid.

AdamT wrote:5x5 is a good workout. In fact the stronger guys above, should be doing the texas method 5x5.

Sohotnot, you will get stronger and build thick muscle. You won't be huge if natural, but you will look solid.

Thanks to everybody for your input, began the 5 x 5 today and will continue up until my holiday in June. After that who knows. Will interesting to see how I progress.

You will progress great. Really attack the squats. Don't wimp the barbell out of the rack. A lot of lifting is down to mental attitude. Have fun making great gains man.

AdamT wrote:You will progress great. Really attack the squats. Don't wimp the barbell out of the rack. A lot of lifting is down to mental attitude. Have fun making great gains man.

That is something that I have learnt, I often underestimated my strength and also forced out an extra rep or 2 with bad form, not anymore. I increased the weight on squat & bench press to what I was recommended and will do the same on overhead press.

With the overhead barbell press would you recommend thumb by fingers or wrapped around the bar? Saw something on internet where they recommended thumbs by fingers.

It doesn't matter really. The bar travels better with a false grip. I prefer to get a good grip though. Especially when going real heavy.

AdamT wrote:It doesn't matter really. The bar travels better with a false grip. I prefer to get a good grip though. Especially when going real heavy.

Makes sense. I'll continue with the false grip for now.

Good man. Keep pushing yourself. You will reap what you sow. You're willing to listen. Many don't, me included. Keep me updated on your progress. I'm no pro, but happy to help anytime.

AdamT wrote:Good man. Keep pushing yourself. You will reap what you sow. You're willing to listen. Many don't, me included. Keep me updated on your progress. I'm no pro, but happy to help anytime.

Thanks for your support man

Don't always reap what you sow...Bodybuilding isn't a level field..

Unfortunately some find muscle harder to acquire than others..

I find it was now lol

I find it easy now.

Also he Is doing 5x5. Not technically bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is rubbish.

Well just completed my 2nd week on 5 x 5 and so far so good. I think I got my starting weights right but the next 2 weeks will tell if I have. Squats and overhead press are going to starting hurting the next 2 weeks, I've never had much strength in my shoulders, overhead press whether with barbell or dumbbells has always been my weakest exercise. Chest & back will probably begin to hurt week 5 onwards. What has surprised me is how much your abs come in on the lifts, I had previously read this but this is the first time I have felt it. I don't think I will be adding any extra abs work in the near future. What I like about this workout is its simplicity and that it is not time consuming, in & out of the gym in around 30 minutes at the moment.

I don't do ab exercise mate. I do some planks from time to time. I do a lot of squats and deads without a belt. No need for endless crunches, if you hit compounds hard.

Shoulders is my forte. After you do your sets. Put an extra 5-10 kilos or so on the bar. Hit a couple of reps, but only go halfway. It will give you a good feel of heavier weight and help strengthen shoulders.

I do this sometimes for squats. If I did a set of 5 with 170. I would put 180-185 on my back to get a feel for the weight. So when I do go for 180 or so, I will know how that weight feels.

It's all about strengthening your core and firing your CNS.

sohotnot wrote:Well just completed my 2nd week on 5 x 5 and so far so good. I think I got my starting weights right but the next 2 weeks will tell if I have. Squats and overhead press are going to starting hurting the next 2 weeks, I've never had much strength in my shoulders, overhead press whether with barbell or dumbbells has always been my weakest exercise. Chest & back will probably begin to hurt week 5 onwards. What has surprised me is how much your abs come in on the lifts, I had previously read this but this is the first time I have felt it. I don't think I will be adding any extra abs work in the near future. What I like about this workout is its simplicity and that it is not time consuming, in & out of the gym in around 30 minutes at the moment.

Glad it's going well. 30 minutes is an incredibly quick workout! Believe me, it will start to take longer and longer. Do you do accessory lifts with it?

AdamT wrote:I don't do ab exercise mate. I do some planks from time to time. I do a lot of squats and deads without a belt. No need for endless crunches, if you hit compounds hard.

Shoulders is my forte. After you do your sets. Put an extra 5-10 kilos or so on the bar. Hit a couple of reps, but only go halfway. It will give you a good feel of heavier weight and help strengthen shoulders.

I do this sometimes for squats. If I did a set of 5 with 170. I would put 180-185 on my back to get a feel for the weight. So when I do go for 180 or so, I will know how that weight feels.

It's all about strengthening your core and firing your CNS.

I'll give this a go

bluestonevedder wrote:

sohotnot wrote:Well just completed my 2nd week on 5 x 5 and so far so good. I think I got my starting weights right but the next 2 weeks will tell if I have. Squats and overhead press are going to starting hurting the next 2 weeks, I've never had much strength in my shoulders, overhead press whether with barbell or dumbbells has always been my weakest exercise. Chest & back will probably begin to hurt week 5 onwards. What has surprised me is how much your abs come in on the lifts, I had previously read this but this is the first time I have felt it. I don't think I will be adding any extra abs work in the near future. What I like about this workout is its simplicity and that it is not time consuming, in & out of the gym in around 30 minutes at the moment.

Glad it's going well. 30 minutes is an incredibly quick workout! Believe me, it will start to take longer and longer. Do you do accessory lifts with it?

Well I am at beginner level, have not done weights seriously in years. Joined a gym a couple of months ago, did an 8 week beginners full body workout off of bodybuiding.com then decided on 5 x 5. So you can imagine the weights I started with are low but I think suitable for me. I get the impression that the first couple of weeks is conditioning the body especially with squatting 3 days per week. Week 5 onwards I think I will be really feeling every set. At the moment my rest time between sets isn't that much hence why its a quick workout. I am under no illusion that it will remain that way as you can be resting up to 3 minutes between sets as you progress. Not doing any accessory lifts at the moment, intending to do 12 weeks on the basic program then take it from there.

Don't need accessory work just yet. Maybe a bit of arms, if you can be bothered.

Fair enough sohotnot- best of luck with it and let us know how you get on!

I used to throw an arms session in on either Tuesdays or Thursdays depending on when bench press was that week. I used to hate not training arms.

Well the way my arms feel after yesterdays workout I think I'll skip the arms! Was thinking about doing a set of dips and some curls either on a Friday, having 2 full days off or Monday when maybe I'm freshest.

A few sets of curls, doesn't do any harm. I throw them in at the end of workouts, from time to time.

I thought curls were for girls! I'll see how I feel after tomorrows workout and if all good maybe I'll give them a go on Friday.

Do you think dips would be the best exercise to add for triceps and all round strength?

I have big triceps, so need to do curls lol

Well disaster struck. Began week 4, workout B which was my hardest so far, felt every rep, went home felt good then went for a run in the afternoon, woke up the next day feeling like I'd been run over, then wednesday woke up with a chest infection. Taken almost 2 weeks to get over it. Trained Monday and have lost a bit of strength. Rather than up my weights by 2.5 kg I've had to drop by 2.5 kg on squats and keep the weight the same on bench press. Had to miss Wednesday as legs really sore but back tomorrow but will keep the same weight on squats. I know this is not recommended but I want to have good form and be back in the gym Monday.

sohotnot wrote:Well disaster struck. Began week 4, workout B which was my hardest so far, felt every rep, went home felt good then went for a run in the afternoon, woke up the next day feeling like I'd been run over, then wednesday woke up with a chest infection. Taken almost 2 weeks to get over it. Trained Monday and have lost a bit of strength. Rather than up my weights by 2.5 kg I've had to drop by 2.5 kg on squats and keep the weight the same on bench press. Had to miss Wednesday as legs really sore but back tomorrow but will keep the same weight on squats. I know this is not recommended but I want to have good form and be back in the gym Monday.

Cardio is hard when doing 5x5, or any strength training. Easy to over train. Eat more calories and drink plenty of Fluid. Also get a foam roller if you don't presently have one.

I will still try and fit some cardio in but I will decrease the distance I run. I ran almost 2.5 miles so maybe on a training day start off with a mile. I will probably look to add some form of cardio in at the end of my workoutrs, to sore day after.

Any foam roller you recommend? Seen this for 15 quid at sports direct.

http://images.sportsdirect.com/images/imgzoom/76/76459012_xxl.jpg

That foam roller is perfect. Use it every morning and after every session. You can also use it before, if you feel tight.

In regards cardio. Do it after you workout. It is very hard to squat and deadlift to your max, if you do cardio before.

If you insist on doing cardio the day before, make it easy or do sprints, but not too many.

Well I'm finally back on track with 5 x 5 after my chest infection and my weights are back to what they were before although I didn't lose any strength on row or deadlift and was able to continually increase the weight on these. Unfortuantely that wasn't the the case on the others. Definitely need to increase my rest time between sets, failed to get 5 on my fourth set on OHP, app told me to rest 5 minutes and that I'd get my next set and did, so definitely something for me to consider.

Got myself the roller and it has helped massively, not the most enjoyable experience I must add.

Take your time mate. No rush in strength training.

Ive had bad problems with my calves over the years, the left one in particular. I find the roller is a godsend.

My gym has one of those with all the nobbly bits on...its not a pleasant experience at all...but It does seem to help.

When I stop doing it for a longer period, the problems come back.

It's temporary relief, but it helps with any muscle tightness.

Will anyone be changing there training regime in response to the United Kingdoms imminent withdrawal of membership to the European Union?

aja424 wrote:Will anyone be changing there training regime in response to the United Kingdoms imminent withdrawal of membership to the European Union?

I do seven push-ups each day now instead of five.  Sometimes my willy touches the ground and I do a few more.

Galted wrote:

aja424 wrote:Will anyone be changing there training regime in response to the United Kingdoms imminent withdrawal of membership to the European Union?

I do seven push-ups each day now instead of five.  Sometimes my willy touches the ground and I do a few more.

Careful Galted, you may find that the soothing lotion needed to care for your badly scraped bell-end has to be imported from Europe and then you're in big trouble.

As for changing my training regime, I simply take note of how much the pubs are charging for a pint each time I run past. the price hasn't changed yet, mind you there are still England flags up in the windows so Lord only knows what's going on.

aja424 wrote:Will anyone be changing there training regime in response to the United Kingdoms imminent withdrawal of membership to the European Union?

Yes, after much consideration it is with regret that I will no longer perform Romanian deadlifts or Bulgarian split squats.

The discussion of the moment then. Bodyweight workouts?

As we are stuck in isolation and mostly inside many of use will be doing them I suspect.

I'm on a cut currently and had been working on conditioning more than strength prior to the cricket season so it hasn't impacted my training as much as others. I am missing the 3 weight sessions a week though and have had to drop my calories a bit without them.

Skipping rope
A fantastic cardio or HIIT training tool that I'm using a lot currently. Often in circuits of 1 minute intense skipping, 1 minute burpees, rest 1 minute. Also 1m30s on, 30s off for 15 sets gives a good 30 minute workout.

Burpees
Already mentioned above but few things will spike your heart rate up quicker than burpees done properly (chest to floor, press up, feet off the ground, hands over your head). Aiming for a hundred a day as a benchmark, also to offset not being able to go hill walking which I tended to on my days off.

Moby - Flower
Press up challenge to the 'Moby' song 'Flower'. Bring Sally up, bring Sally down. Many will have heard of it I imagine, if you haven't it's a good one to google as it's an simple but tough challenge for muscular endurance.

Hi Carlos,

ive got some belter workouts for you to try...ill put them on here tonight

i only do two heavy powerlifting sessions a week (which im missing big time) but do lots of circuits and thai boxing. I particularly love kettlebell training.  Big heavy kettlebells for power sessions and light ones, with skipping etc for endurance. Cant beat them. Thats what i miss most at the moment, aswell as pull ups.

Try this little one...we use it as a litle warm up  / burner

45 secs Burpees                                          
15 secs rest
45 secs push ups
15 secs rest
45 secs chest to ground burpees
15 secs rest
45 secs squat jumps
15 secs rest
45 secs Burpees
15 secs rest
45 secs Plank
15 secs rest
45 secs chest to ground burpees
15 secs rest
45 secs Lunges
15 secs rest
45 secs Burpees
Then 60 secs Plank

king_carlos wrote:The discussion of the moment then. Bodyweight workouts?

As we are stuck in isolation and mostly inside many of use will be doing them I suspect.

I'm on a cut currently and had been working on conditioning more than strength prior to the cricket season so it hasn't impacted my training as much as others. I am missing the 3 weight sessions a week though and have had to drop my calories a bit without them.

Skipping rope
A fantastic cardio or HIIT training tool that I'm using a lot currently. Often in circuits of 1 minute intense skipping, 1 minute burpees, rest 1 minute. Also 1m30s on, 30s off for 15 sets gives a good 30 minute workout.

Burpees
Already mentioned above but few things will spike your heart rate up quicker than burpees done properly (chest to floor, press up, feet off the ground, hands over your head). Aiming for a hundred a day as a benchmark, also to offset not being able to go hill walking which I tended to on my days off.

Moby - Flower
Press up challenge to the 'Moby' song 'Flower'. Bring Sally up, bring Sally down. Many will have heard of it I imagine, if you haven't it's a good one to google as it's an simple but tough challenge for muscular endurance.

We have done it to The Police's Roxanne....everytime he says that name.

Used that circuit you put up to finish off my workout tonight GF. Brutal. During the second round of chest to ground burpees my abs and shoulders were screaming at me!

We did the Roxanne press up challenge at an old rugby club. Press up on 'Roxanne' and mountain climbers (just 1 rep each leg) on 'red light'. Not as intense as Moby - Flower given it doesn't leave you in the bottom position of the press up for long periods of time but still a good conditioning tool. Most the squad can get a long way into the song as well which many didn't when first using Flower.

I'm missing Kettlebell training as well. Back when I did a lot of rowing we used 10 x 10 x 10 (10 sets, 10 reps, in 10 minutes) kettlebell front squats religiously for muscular endurance training. A lot of rowing is on the mental side, i.e. keeping the stroke rate up through the pain given you get a lot of lactic buildup. 10 sets of 10 reps was great for that mental side as it teaches you the importance of stringing reps together. If you get 5 sets in and start trying to take the reps as 5 doubles then you're ******. Only way to keep up with short rest times is stringing the 10 reps together.

Rowing and workouts such as that and the old school 20 rep squat routine are absolutely brutal but taught me so much about the mental aspect of S&C training.

Ah yes the 20 rep squat routine. Awful

Glad you liked that little burner above. It gets you working.

Im going to try that 10 x 10 x 10 ...do you just do it for squats or do yo udo it for all exercises?

I've just done it with front squats to be honest, GF. Rowing is such a leg and core heavy movement that it worked great for conditioning as you're basically hammering your quads whilst having to really concentrate on keeping your chest up (hence core locked) for good form. That plus the short rest times means it gets the heart rate pumping too. Perfect for rowing conditioning.

The other one from my rowing days that's kind of similar was 15 minutes of:

- EMOM (every minute on the minute) 10 kettlebell swings
- Plus as many press ups as possible in the 15 minutes

Our coach used that as a good way of teaching pacing for intermediate distances (such as the 5km erg test that is standard in UK rowing). At the beginning 10 KB swings at the start of each minute feels like a breeze so the press-ups can be pumped out easily. If you go too hard too early then your heart rate spikes and the start of each minute seems to come by in much less than 60 seconds!

Yeah we do quite a lot of those sorts of workouts...they're great.

...ive always been a sprinter, in athletics, rugby etc, and 400m runner.

I always blast out the blocks whatever im doing especially circuit training / boxing training...and then kind of hang in there at the end...whereas all my pals are long distance runners...so they pace it nicely then ramp it up at the end.

Makes for fun training sessions.

Rowing was definitely a learning curve for me in terms of pacing myself. I played rugby, squash and cricket largely growing up both. All have endurance involved but are predominantly short bursts of high exertion followed by a rest period. So rowing was a big change in that regard.

I was never any good in athletics but did use 400m repeats for rugby training back in the day. Such a simple but brutal workout.

The 400 is a tough event. i Went to the national trials for that, the high jump and the shot put...

My school coach wanted me to do the Decathlon, but i was never really that bothered. It does make me wonder what if..lol