New program

LishieFruit89
LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
I'm currently doing SL after completing Stage 1 of NROLFW ( got far too complicated for me and I didn't have access to all the required equipment)

I'm looking to switch programs but I definitely don't have enough knowledge to create my own.
I've got a friend who does and will help me come up with one.
But it's my lunch time and I'm bored so I looked at bb.com and found this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beginner-to-advanced-bodybuilder-in-12-weeks.html

It's 4 phases and transitions into a split.
But since I'm at work, I can't watch the lifts be performed (so I'm also kind of using this thread as a sticky for me to check later lol)

Has anyone else done this or something similar?
Or can offer insight on why it's good/bad/etc?

I'm not 100% sure what my goals besides reaching BW for the big 3 and 0.5BW for OHP (1RM for bench, for reps on the others) and not hitting myself in the face with OHP.

tl;dr, thoughts?

Replies

  • extraordinary_machine
    extraordinary_machine Posts: 3,028 Member
    Check into Wendler's 5/3/1...but I highly recommend that you buy the book because it explains it pretty well. Basically, there are the 4 "big" lifts that are your focus. Some of the templates have you doing assistance work, some have you just doing the big lift a bunch of times, and there's one (called, I'm Doing Jack *kitten* or something) were you just do your one big lift for the day and leave.

    It's a 4 week cycle--week 1 is light, week 2 is a bit heavy, week 3 is heavier still, week 4 is a deload...then rinse, repeat.

    I'm doing the Triumvirate template, so a big lift and 2 assistance lifts.
    Example: Bench press (6 sets...3 warm up, 3 work) and then dumbbell bench press and dumbbell rows.

    I just finished my first week and I really like it. I have the book, but it's a Kindle version...but I think I might be able to share it with you.

    Something to think about!!
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    I'm not 100% sure what my goals besides reaching BW for the big 3 and 0.5BW for OHP (1RM for bench, for reps on the others) and not hitting myself in the face with OHP.

    Can I ask why you want to switch programs?

    For your goals the one you are doing right now is probably the most suitable. Your goals are strength based, and this is a bodybuilding routine.

    There is nothing 'wrong' with that program suggested but it is really overkill for what you are trying to work toward currently. (plus I just have a bit of an issue with anyone saying you can become and advanced bodybuilder in 12 weeks...................)

    5/3/1 is great but I think beginner lifters need to being doing each lift as often as possible, or at least more than once a week.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Check into Wendler's 5/3/1...but I highly recommend that you buy the book because it explains it pretty well. Basically, there are the 4 "big" lifts that are your focus. Some of the templates have you doing assistance work, some have you just doing the big lift a bunch of times, and there's one (called, I'm Doing Jack *kitten* or something) were you just do your one big lift for the day and leave.

    It's a 4 week cycle--week 1 is light, week 2 is a bit heavy, week 3 is heavier still, week 4 is a deload...then rinse, repeat.

    I'm doing the Triumvirate template, so a big lift and 2 assistance lifts.
    Example: Bench press (6 sets...3 warm up, 3 work) and then dumbbell bench press and dumbbell rows.

    I just finished my first week and I really like it. I have the book, but it's a Kindle version...but I think I might be able to share it with you.

    Something to think about!!

    I do not recommend Wendler to people unless they are relatively advanced, have their form down and are not seeing progress on something like SL - context is important when recommending a program.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I'm not 100% sure what my goals besides reaching BW for the big 3 and 0.5BW for OHP (1RM for bench, for reps on the others) and not hitting myself in the face with OHP.

    Can I ask why you want to switch programs?

    For your goals the one you are doing right now is probably the most suitable. Your goals are strength based, and this is a bodybuilding routine.

    There is nothing 'wrong' with that program suggested but it is really overkill for what you are trying to work toward currently. (plus I just have a bit of an issue with anyone saying you can become and advanced bodybuilder in 12 weeks...................)

    5/3/1 is great but I think beginner lifters need to being doing each lift as often as possible, or at least more than once a week.

    Agreed. When you are trying get form down (and it takes years to really get it tweaked), doing a lift 1 x a week is not ideal.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    How long have you been doing SL for? What level are your lifts? What are your goals?
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I'm definitely not advanced.
    I've been doing SL since January and I'm getting bored with it and kind of hitting a wall. I plan to finish out April with SL but I'm looking now for the next thing.

    I definitely don't think I can go bodybuilder in three months haha. Its just something new to try.

    I stated some vague lifting goals before but id like to get my bf down (I'm at about 20.5% now) and really that's all I got haha. I'm useless, sorry lol

    I'm open to suggestions, I'm not a super newb but I don't think I'm quite at intermediate level yet.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    I think sl need to be run for much longer than that to get the real benefits, at leat until you have done several de-loads/re-sets.....but if you are determine to change things....

    These are what I would think of as more 'advanced-beginner' routines

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

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148036063&page=1

    The second one especially will be far more volume/workload that what you are used to
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I'm definitely not advanced.
    I've been doing SL since January and I'm getting bored with it and kind of hitting a wall. I plan to finish out April with SL but I'm looking now for the next thing.

    I definitely don't think I can go bodybuilder in three months haha. Its just something new to try.

    I stated some vague lifting goals before but id like to get my bf down (I'm at about 20.5% now) and really that's all I got haha. I'm useless, sorry lol

    I'm open to suggestions, I'm not a super newb but I don't think I'm quite at intermediate level yet.

    Hitting a wall re progress or motivation?
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    snip

    Hitting a wall re progress or motivation?

    Both honestly.
    I know some of it is in my head for squats but I'm not really going anywhere with rows - like I up weight and my form sucks.
    I like lifting and I like being in the weight area (not a separate room here lol) but I'm getting a little bored.

    I'll check out what Hendrix posted when I'm home.
  • extraordinary_machine
    extraordinary_machine Posts: 3,028 Member
    I suggested 5/3/1 because I thought you'd been lifting for a while. I'll take my hand slap and move along.:laugh:
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    snip

    Hitting a wall re progress or motivation?

    Both honestly.
    I know some of it is in my head for squats but I'm not really going anywhere with rows - like I up weight and my form sucks.
    I like lifting and I like being in the weight area (not a separate room here lol) but I'm getting a little bored.

    I'll check out what Hendrix posted when I'm home.

    If you are getting bored with it after only 3 months, you may want to look at a completely different approach to resistance training and not focus on heavy compounds (and as a result possibly not make the goals you did state). You need to grind no-matter what program you do. You say you only did stage 1 of NROL. Did you lift before that?

    You can always drop bb rows however and swap out for an alternative like DB rows.

    Without firm goals it is hard to recommend anything specific.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member

    If you are getting bored with it after only 3 months, you may want to look at a completely different approach to resistance training and not focus on heavy compounds (and as a result possibly not make the goals you did state). You need to grind no-matter what program you do. You say you only did stage 1 of NROL. Did you lift before that?

    You can always drop bb rows however and swap out for an alternative like DB rows.

    Without firm goals it is hard to recommend anything specific.

    I did some lifting before that but it was anything specific, I tossed some dumbbell stuff together that I had found. I knew it wasn't a good plan since it wasn't really a plan. So I started reading the lifting threads and picked NROLFW. And mesha posted on another thread about NROL getting too fussy and suggested SL to someone else so I looked into that and read up on it and switched.

    Before the haphazard DB stuff, I was using the weight machines which I knew weren't the best. I used them at college as well - wasn't afraid of the weight room there - it just smelled AWFUL. No windows, no ventilation, bunch of dudes training for football and ROTC so you can imagine the smell.

    I enjoy squats, deads, and bench. I'm not a ginormo fan of OHP but that's because my shoulder strength blows but I'm working on it (read below lol). I could & probably should swap the BB row for a DB row...

    I've been thinking about my goals and I've got a few already:

    Goals:
    -approx 140#
    -<19% BF
    -unassisted pull up
    -squat BW for reps
    -DL BW for reps
    -bench BW 1RM
    -OHP 0.5 BW
    - 25 perfect push ups
    -60s plank
    -beat my official 5k time

    There's only a time frame on the 5k time one and the pull up. I'd like to hit by the end of the year. So I added assisted pull ups to SL on B.
    I've got a 105# squat for reps, I hit 122.5# for DL last week but my form was bad so my best good form DL is 110-120# (I don't have my notes with me). I'm up to 65# for reps on bench. 50# for OHP - not hitting 5x5 though (its like 5-4-4-4-3). 12 push ups in a row currently (but I've survived 10 then with 9 jumping jacks, 9 push ups, 8 jacks, 8 push ups, 7 jacks before dropping to my knees). And last night was the most perfect 30s plank I've ever heard ever.

    I do SL MWF, now that running season is back that's TTh and probably Saturdays too. I take krav maga class - I show up as much as I can so that would be MTWTh nights or once a week. And if I can, I do the powerstrike class on MW, and I shoot for Saturdays as well - it's push ups, planks, burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps, crunches, whatever he comes up with (I've dubbed it "Insanity Krav Maga style" since we've done strikes during the class and some days it feels like what the insanity commercials look like)

    My cals are currently set at 2k - which is just over a 10% cut from a "moderately active" TDEE ( a 10% on very active would be 2300). BMR: 1489. I realize I might not have my cals set high enough but I *just* got back into running (since it's nice enough) so when that becomes a habit again, I'll up my cals if need be.
    I don't know the percentages for p/f/c off the top of my head but it's 150g/78g/175g respectively. I only need to aim for 113g protein for 1g/1lb LBM so my goal is a tad high lol.

    ^I really don't know if you need all this info but I'm trying to not be useless lol
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    Also, I'm considering doing a figure comp in 2014 but I'm not 100% because I want to talk to one of my MFP pals who is competeing soon about her experiences and someone I know IRL which is why I'm not 100% on my goals.

    And more honesty, I haven't been 100% with eating and exercising through mid February & March - I was like 85% (those months sucked personal life wise) but I really want to give 100% and have at it - which is why I'm posting. I've really been trying to push myself further in Powerstrike and such since I know to get the body I want I need to give it my all and a little more lol
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Oh frig...this got missed. So sorry - will respond asap. Let us know id you have anything to update in the mean time.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    So to get better at the lifts that you have listed that you have goals for, continuing SL would be the best imo. You can always tack the other goal strength activities onto the end of the sessions.

    It sounds like you a have solid plan re calorie intake - tweaking as needed based on your results/activity levels.

    If you are really bored with the program, as I mentioned, then heavy compound lifts may not be the way to go, however, a 'happy medium' may be to try out the AllPro routine Hendrix gave the link to. Note though that this will not have you lifting quite as heavy as the rep range is higher.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Locking to try to help track open threads. Feel free to PM either myself or SideSteel to unlock if you want to add anything or have questions. Please link this thread in the PM.
This discussion has been closed.