Strength Training Variations

djfriedman81

I have been working out with 3 day splits as follows for over a year.

Monday: 20 Minute eliptical 125 target HR
Legs/ Shoulders (all excercises done in 4 sets increasing weight each set and decreasing reps 10, 8, 6, max)
Leg Press
Shoulder Press
Supine Leg Curls
Lateral Shoulder raises (3 sets 10, 8, 6)
Leg Extentions
Front 2 dumbell Raise (3 Sets 10, 8, 6)
Calf Extentions (3 sets max)
Expresso Bike 3 miles

Wednesday: 20 Minute eliptical 125 target HR
Back/Bi (All exercises done in 4 sets increaing weight with each set and decreasing reps 10, 8, 6 max)
Pull Ups (Still not up to 1x body weight)
Preacher Curl
Cable Rows
Alternate Arm Seated Dumbell Curls
Lying T-Bar Row
Barbell Curl
Seated Machine Back Flys
Expresso Bike 3+ Miles

Thursday/Friday (depenign on work schedule: 20 Minute eliptical 125 target HR
Chest/Tri (All exercises done in 4 sets increaing weight with each set and decreasing reps 10, 8, 6 max)
Decline Chest Press
Tricep Cable Etentions with rope
Incline Press
Tricep Over head Extentions
Chest Press
Tricep Extention machine
Butterfly Machine
Expresso Bike 3+ Miles



I think I should be changing the exercises I do so as not to Plateau (sp?) I am looking to build up lean mass and mostly cut. Currently I am 5'10' 193lbs and 23% Body Fat as per my scale (biometric impededance reading). My target is 175lb and 10-15% BF.
I am a bit scared of squats, deadlifts and bench press as I work out alone, do not have a spotter and dont want to hurt my back (I know excuses)

Any help, advise, or suggestions would be welcome. (You can even tell me I'm totally screwign up and doing everything wrong if that is what you truely believe.)

Thanks

JenMc14

Go for the big lifts. I also workout alone. Yes, that means I can't really "max out" my lifts, but that doesn't mean I can't lift heavy. I've learned my limits, I know how to drop the bar if need be to avoid injury as well. I'm doing an upper/lower split right now, but still doing mostly big, compound lifts. My program is a bit scatterbrained at the moment, so I'm switching back to 3x a week full body, probably 5x5 style next week. I plan to do squats, bench, deads, over head press and bent over rows.

Loftearmen

Use heavy, compound, barbell exercises instead of isolation exercises. If you feel like you need more volume add sets to the heavy, compound, barbell exercises. If you feel like you need to change your program try lowering your reps and increasing the weight for a month. You have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much crap going on in that program. Here's an example of my training week:

Sat: Max Effort Bench Press
-Bench Press Variation: work up to a 3rm
-Overhead Press: 4x5
-Barbell Row: 4x5-10
-DB Press: 4x10
-Skull Crushers: 4x10

Sun: Max Effort Squat
-Squat Variation: work up to a 3rm
-Good Mornings: 4x5
-Speed Pulls or Romanian Deadlifts:
-Barbell Shrugs: 4x5-10
-Barbell Box Step Ups: 4x10

Wed: Repetitive Effort Bench Press
-Bench Press Variation (same as on saturday): 6xF at 75% of Saturday's 3rm
-Delt Raises: 4x10
-Chin Ups: 4xF
-Incline Flyes w/ tow chains: 4xF

Thur: Max Effort Deadlift
-Deadlift Variation: work up to 3rm
-Front Squat: 4x5
-Meadows Row: 4x5-10
-Farmer's Handle Shrugs or Farmer's Walks: 4x10 or 4x50meters

Keep in mind that I have been competing in powerlifting for years so this is probably more variety than you will need for quite a while. You could basically take the first three lifts from each one of my training sessions and leave it at that with some volume/intensity tapering over an 8-12 week cycle ending in a deload and a max out or you could use a progressive overload program like Madcow's or even 5/3/1.

ArroganceInStep

I don't have issue with the way your doing your split, or even the accessory move choices (though I do think there are better ones), but you have a leg day without squats, a back day without deadlifts, and a chest day with decline bench over flat bench.

djfriedman81

I have decline incline and flat chest press. no benches. I want to get into squats and deadlifts but am very fearful of lower back problems

danimalkeys

when you say you work out alone, do you mean at the gym, or at home? I've worked out alone for years. I have a squat cage with adjustable safety rails and I can use it for bench, squats, good mornings, etc. If I get stuck, I just let the bar down onto the rails. It's saved my teeth dozens of times while doing heavy benching alone.

Like Loftearmen said- you need more compound lifts and less isolation. Deadlifts are a safe lift to do alone, but like anything else, require practice and good form. Honestly, anything that says "extension" or "cable" in the name isn't worth doing- there is a free weight, compound lift that will serve you better.

Your routine now has way too much volume. You don't need incline, flat and decline bench in the same workout, combined with all of the extensions and flyes and things like that. Pick one and concentrate on that. Your shoulders will get overworked pretty easily with all that volume- and you don't have any rear delt work going on at all aside from 1 day of rows, which can lead to a strength imbalance and possible injury. The only things I'd keep in your current routine are the overhead press (if done with dumbbells or free weights), pullups, and bench. Get squats and deadlifts in there and watch all your lifts improve and your muscularity improve as well.

DavPul

stop being afraid of the major lifts. not having a spotter is not really an excuse at your level. deads don't get spotted, i'm assuming you're in a rack or cage for the squats so that's your safety, and with the amount you're going to be benching a while the worst that happens is the bars pins you, and you roll it off.

Mads1997

I was fearful of my back also when I started SL but in all honesty my back feels 10 times better than before lifting. I had a horse fall on me when I was 16 and I fractured 3 bones in my neck but always suffered with lower back pain from it.

Get the all clear from your doctor or chiro and start. make sure you lift with good form though.

jimmie65

Squats and deadlifts will actually help prevent back injury.

I work at home without a spotter. I picked up a decent squat rack ( / suspension trainer) with safety bars. It does mean I don't try to find a 1RM bench press (I've been thankful for the safety bars trying to find a 5RM max) or max out my squats, but I still lift heavy.

ArroganceInStep

Sorry missed the bit about being worried about it.

Start light, build up slowly

djfriedman81

Using the compound lifts what 3 day split would you all recomend?

ArroganceInStep

Using the compound lifts what 3 day split would you all recomend?

You can do basically what you're doing now, although you might find benefit doing chest between legs and back, so you have two or three rest days bewteen the lifts.

danimalkeys

Using the compound lifts what 3 day split would you all recomend?

The base 5x5 program is a great place to start. I'm an experienced lifter but have taken the last couple years off and it's what I'm doing to restart strength training. It covers all the bases, is a quick workout and will jump start your gains. Don't worry that it doesn't have curls and stuff- you'll get all the work you need with the lifts that it includes.

djfriedman81

The 5x5 work outs indicate calorie surplus for diet. wont that prevent me from droping weight?

JenMc14

5X5 you'd need a surplus if you're looking to really gain strength or add some muscle (which it isn't really a hypertrophy workout anyway, based on the reps.) You could do a 5X5 at a deficit (or at maintenance for slower fat loss), you just won't make as big of strength gains as you would at a surplus, I think. I'm going to start doing a 5x5 workout, but I'm not going to do an AB split. I'm going to do 3 full body workouts, squats, deadlifts (possibly doing 1 day as SLDL), bench, bent over rows and overhead press and see how that goes.

ArroganceInStep

When you're a beginner, you can still see large strength gains on a cut (though not as high as on a bulk)

djfriedman81

"strength" is not necessarily my main goal.

Main goal is to drop 10% in body fat and 20 lbs.

I realize increased strenght will help me to achieve goals but I am not looking to become a power lifter just a sexy beast

DavPul

The 5x5 work outs indicate calorie surplus for diet. wont that prevent me from droping weight?

Stay in a small deficit. -300 cal or so

ArroganceInStep

"strength" is not necessarily my main goal.

Main goal is to drop 10% in body fat and 20 lbs.

I realize increased strenght will help me to achieve goals but I am not looking to become a power lifter just a sexy beast

Then worry about your diet. Resistance training does help, but diet makes or breaks you reaching your goal.

waldo56

You've been working for a full year and still can't do a pullup?

Something is very wrong, if you're not obese a pullup is not particularly difficult to achieve for a male in a few weeks. Even if you are obese, as long as you are on the lower end of the scale a pullup is fairly achieveable rather quick.

You really need to start from scratch, as what you've been doing is totally ineffective.

djfriedman81

You've been working for a full year and still can't do a pullup?

Something is very wrong, if you're not obese a pullup is not particularly difficult to achieve for a male in a few weeks. Even if you are obese, as long as you are on the lower end of the scale a pullup is fairly achieveable rather quick.

You really need to start from scratch, as what you've been doing is totally ineffective.

I did not say I could not do a pull up. I cannot do more than 5 in any given set. Maybe I was not clear enough in my description. I use the assist cecreasing assist for sets 1-3 then doing set 4 on bodyweight only no assist. If you could provide a solution instead of just telling me I am doing it wrong that would always be better.

danimalkeys

"strength" is not necessarily my main goal.

Main goal is to drop 10% in body fat and 20 lbs.

I realize increased strenght will help me to achieve goals but I am not looking to become a power lifter just a sexy beast

More lean muscle mass increases your metabolism, burning more calories, so weight training is beneficial. Compound lifts as the 5x5 uses are the most effective because they use all of your largest muscles the most effective way. Give it a try for a few months and see what happens. Any type of fitness regardless of your goals is a long term investment so a few months wont hurt, since you seem to be spinning your wheels right now anyways.

djfriedman81

"strength" is not necessarily my main goal.

Main goal is to drop 10% in body fat and 20 lbs.

I realize increased strenght will help me to achieve goals but I am not looking to become a power lifter just a sexy beast

More lean muscle mass increases your metabolism, burning more calories, so weight training is beneficial. Compound lifts as the 5x5 uses are the most effective because they use all of your largest muscles the most effective way. Give it a try for a few months and see what happens. Any type of fitness regardless of your goals is a long term investment so a few months wont hurt, since you seem to be spinning your wheels right now anyways.

Great, really appreciate the advise. I think I will start the 5x5 next monday as I want to start a clean week

AnvilHead

"strength" is not necessarily my main goal.

Main goal is to drop 10% in body fat and 20 lbs.

I realize increased strenght will help me to achieve goals but I am not looking to become a power lifter just a sexy beast

Try a simple full-body routine such as this:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

Put your protein intake at 1g per pound of lean body mass and maintain your caloric deficit. The strength training and adequate protein intake will help you maintain your lean body mass while losing fat, while the caloric deficit will do the heavy lifting (so to speak) as far as weight reduction.

IMO, for your goals a 3-day split isn't necessary. A split program is more intended for intermediate/advanced lifters who are pushing very heavy weights - the bodyparts are split so they're worked more intensely/less often and not overtrained by being blasted with multiple sets, multiple times per week. A full-body routine consisting mostly of big compound movements is quicker and more efficient than what you're currently doing, and will fulfill the role you're looking for just fine - preserving the muscle you have while losing the fat.

As far as increased lean body mass burning more calories - true, but not to the extent most believe. A pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day, whereas a pound of fat burns 1-2. Also, when training in a caloric deficit you're not going to put on any appreciable amount of muscle mass beyond "noob gains", which may amount to a pound or two at most.

djfriedman81

I am thinking of starting the strong lift 5x5 routine any comments or suggestions?

ArroganceInStep

I am thinking of starting the strong lift 5x5 routine any comments or suggestions?

Try it for 6 months, and then decide if you want to stick with it longer.