I would stick with it while you are making progress a month is nothing, why change something that works.
Personally I would set the exercises out a bit differently but that is up to you, I also use a A and B workout, and have added some isolation exercises to that basic compounds, check my training dairy for the workouts. I did however stick to the one workout for the first three month of getting back into it.
They work for me, but everyone is different and you have to work with the equipment you have as well if you are like me and train at home.
Work on nutrition before adding supplements my friend.
For me stalling was a mind over matter thing.
When i first started lifting my squat was 40kgs. I would unrack the increased weight and start doubting myself. And wuss out. I even started wussing out hours before lifting. So i stopped lifting.
Find out what is causing you to stall. Do you have a training partner?
I liked the idea of rippetoes A and B workouts so I added some exercises and made it into 2 seperate workouts which ended up looking like this
A-
Squat 3x10
Bench 3x10
Bent rows 3x10
Deadlift 3x10
Dips 3x5
Bb Curl 3x10
B-
Squat 3x10
Military 3x10
Incline 3x10
Chins (Close and wide grip) 3x5
Close grip bench 3x10
SLDL 3x10
Hi Sam,
I'm sure you've read by now that one of the tenets of starting strength is not to add any additional exercises... I tend to agree, build a strong platform first and then add the extras down the track. I think this is an important consideration if you have already started to stall.
Sookie is correct, check the calories, btw the nutrition is not sorted if you're not eating enough even if you're eating healthy!
Big Mick is also correct. Best to stick with a program for an extended period of time. Combine this with an increase in calories.
If you do decide to switch to A and B please consider the following
bigD
- The dead lift is one of the prime movements you should be training. with this in mind, move the dead lift to exercise number 3 in workout A. Stuff the rows, save that energy for a dead lift!
- Workout B has too much shoulder work. Drop the incline or close grip bench. Heck, i would drop both at your level. Give those shoulders some time to recover.
- Consider dropping the SLDL from Workout B. 3 sets of squats a week plus 2 (or 1) dead lift session is more than enough
I've been on a basic compound workout for about a month now and I just wanted to know what everyone else thinks of it? I've gathered a whole lot of info from all of the starting strength and beginner threads here and I set out a workout planner from that which combines the basic compound lifts as well as some others that were mentioned.
I started off with this as my basic lifts -
Squat 3 x 10
Bench press 3 x 8
Bent row 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
SLDL 3 x 8
BB curl 3 x 8
I liked the idea of rippetoes A and B workouts so I added some exercises and made it into 2 seperate workouts which ended up looking like this
A-
Squat 3x10
Bench 3x10
Bent rows 3x10
Deadlift 3x10
Dips 3x5
Bb Curl 3x10
B-
Squat 3x10
Military 3x10
Incline 3x10
Chins (Close and wide grip) 3x5
Close grip bench 3x10
SLDL 3x10
I've been on this for around a month and i'm making steady progress. I was thinking of sticking to a proper set out plan or changing it a little. I was wondering if this is too much or the wrong thing to be doing? Just looking for opinions guys. Thanks. Sam.
Okay thanks for the help. To answer to that, firstly the exercises vary in order depending on whats available at the time. Sometimes the one rack in the gym will be taken so we'll move on to something different.
Okay I can definately think of changing that around a little. Might take some exercises out but I feel like my triceps don't get worked at all since I can only manage a few good dips and thats basically the only exercise that really hits the tri's? I know thats not the point of starting strength but It really bugs me that I never get a buzz when it comes to tris unless I do the close grip.
I can definately drop the SLDL. Its been giving me all sorts of trouble and I always feel completely drained afterwards.
I suppose i'll give it a try. Do you think that if I drop a few of these exercises and focus on less it will promote new growth even though i'm doing less? Also. For future reference. When is it time to stop with starting strength style programs and what would you go onto afterwards? More isolation style exercises with some compounds included?
You need upper back work both days and more pulling work in general so I've swapped the bent rows to the non-DL day and added chins both days. Choose one of the B presses, lose the other. I don't think a DL variation on both days is bad but I've reduced the volume on A.
This is what I'd do...
Squat 3x10
Bench 3x10
Deadlift 3x5
Chins (Close and wide grip) 5x5
Dips 3x5
Bb Curl 3x10
B-
Squat 3x10
Bent rows 3x10
Military 3x10
Chins (Close and wide grip) 5x5
Incline 3x10 or Close grip bench 3x10
SLDL 3x10
1.Try to do the exercises in their proper order, they're organised like that for emphasis and to give you better recovery.
2. Pull more than push as a general rule.
3. Why are SLDLs trouble?
4. You could lose an exercise each day and not need to worry about it.
5. Run this program for a very long time, at least until you have made decent gains in both size and strength from it. Then if you wish you can turn to splits but don't make the iso orientated. Always base programs around compounds and add a few isos as an afterthought. Compounds make big, isos are just masturbation.
Some good advice there, it's really up to you mate.
I generally will not to squats and deads in the same workout now, as I can not give 100% effort in both and they are both important. So I will do three workouts a week.
Week one I will do squats Monday and Friday (plus some other exercises)and deads on Wednesday, the following week in will be deads on Monday and Friday and Squats on Wednesday, seems to help me recover better, and allows me to put 100% effort into the main exercise.
So it looks something like that:
Workout A
Squats 3 x 10 reps
Bench Press 3 x 8 reps
DB Flyers(not neccessary but I like the pain they cause usually light weight and higher reps 3 sets of 15-25 reps)
Bent over BB rows 3 x 8 reps
Military Press 2 x 8 reps and I add two isolation excercises to the end
Alternate DB Curls 3x 15-30 reps
Tricep push downs 3 x 10-30reps
Workout B
Leg extensions 3 x 15-50 reps
Leg Curl 3 x 15-50 reps
Dead Lift 3 x 8 reps
BB Curl 3 x 8 reps
Lat pulldown 3 x 8-10 reps
Seated row 3 x 8-10 reps
DB Tricep kick backs 3 x 10-30reps
I will do some ab work, chins, hyperextensions, and HIIT as well as normal cardio on my 'rest' days.
The weight sessions take me around 40 minutes to 1 hr to complete, 'rest' day training is about 10-20 minutes, might seem like a lot to some but it's only about 5-6hrs out of my week all up and I train at home so no time wasted travelling to gym and waiting for equipment.
I vary my reps as well and will at times do lower reps and more sets with heavy weights or will do higher reps with less weight. if I am pressed for time or extra sore I might drop some exercises some days as well to get extra rest (remember you grow while you rest not while you train as long as you are training hard and pushing yourself when you actually do train)
My goal is over all conditioning as well as gaining strength, I want to be strong and look the part, with lean muscle mass, not a power lifter body.
Some good advice there, it's really up to you mate.
I generally will not to squats and deads in the same workout now, as I can not give 100% effort in both and they are both important. So I will do three workouts a week.
Week one I will do squats Monday and Friday (plus some other exercises)and deads on Wednesday, the following week in will be deads on Monday and Friday and Squats on Wednesday, seems to help me recover better, and allows me to put 100% effort into the main exercise.
So it looks something like that:
Workout A
Squats 3 x 10 reps
Bench Press 3 x 8 reps
DB Flyers(not neccessary but I like the pain they cause usually light weight and higher reps 3 sets of 15-25 reps)
Bent over BB rows 3 x 8 reps
Military Press 2 x 8 reps and I add two isolation excercises to the end
Alternate DB Curls 3x 15-30 reps
Tricep push downs 3 x 10-30reps
Workout B
Leg extensions 3 x 15-50 reps
Leg Curl 3 x 15-50 reps
Dead Lift 3 x 8 reps
BB Curl 3 x 8 reps
Lat pulldown 3 x 8-10 reps
Seated row 3 x 8-10 reps
DB Tricep kick backs 3 x 10-30reps
I will do some ab work, chins, hyperextensions, and HIIT as well as normal cardio on my 'rest' days.
The weight sessions take me around 40 minutes to 1 hr to complete, 'rest' day training is about 10-20 minutes, might seem like a lot to some but it's only about 5-6hrs out of my week all up and I train at home so no time wasted travelling to gym and waiting for equipment.
I vary my reps as well and will at times do lower reps and more sets with heavy weights or will do higher reps with less weight. if I am pressed for time or extra sore I might drop some exercises some days as well to get extra rest (remember you grow while you rest not while you train as long as you are training hard and pushing yourself when you actually do train)
My goal is over all conditioning as well as gaining strength, I want to be strong and look the part, with lean muscle mass, not a power lifter body.
Well mate the above photos confirm thats not what I want to look like
Re the recovery, I still consider myself a beginner, and I definitely can not recover doing squats and dead lifts three times a week, but then again I am not 25 years old either. I also find after doing squats my efforts in the dead lift are somewhat half hearted, as I run low on energy.
I used to follow the basic beginners program for three months and found I had to cut back to training twice a week as I was not recovering, so I listened to my body and went with what I posted which seems to work for me.
As I can put more effort (lift heavier) when I train and I recover enough between workouts, the reps I use for different exercises will give an indication of the weight I use.
My workouts are very flexible but always intense, and sometimes too intense. where after last week I had to have some time off, as I was completely destroyed, just started back today on the weights
Sam, you have a severe case of fuckarounditis. Everyone here is too nice to tell you how it is.
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