Thoughts on my starting strength based routine + extra abs?

geebusuk
geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been doing the big three and a bit for a while now, thought I'd mix it up a little, so I'm thinking:

Day 1:
Squats
Bench press
Deadlift

Day 2:
Squats
Weighted Pullup on flat beam
Overhead press

Day 3:
Squats
Power Clean
Dips (if I make something to dip on)

Also, is it worth me doing extra abs work (maybe on non-weights days) and if so, any suggestions? - - purely for tart value of wanting a 6 pack if I can get my weight back down and loose skin isn't too much of an issue.
My uppermost ab muscle has certainly got bigger - did some weider 6 before starting proper lifting and this has no doubt helped to keep it there. But not much else going on it seems.

I plan to add some climbing 'finger board' training on non-workout days when I've made something to do it on.

Replies

  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Anyone?
  • bdoug1234
    bdoug1234 Posts: 28
    What are your goals? Looks like you are quite focused on legs.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    General good base of strength. And a 6 pack for said tart value, if I can get the kitchen side sorted :).

    I've basically added a couple of moves to 'starting strength' (which says squats every time).

    Would like to be better at climbing - but it's rare that my arm strength or core strength lets me down - almost always finger strength that's the issue.
  • phjorg
    phjorg Posts: 252 Member
    This is actually a very fair modification of SS. you still have the 1 push 1 pull 1 legs basic template, and the changes are actually still compound based and remove some the common criticisms of the program.

    If you want to add abs and even arms or whatever accessory you want here and there after you finish all your compound sets, go nuts. it won't hurt. Just make sure the 3 compounds get bulk of your time and effort.

    Once you get your lifts to intermediate strength level, then you can graduate to a template more suited to your continuing goals.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Cheers!

    Will get at least some abs and finger stuff around - I believe both can be done on non-workout days with less issues.
    (Fingers because it's more about tendons than muscles and abs many reckon can be done every day if desired.)

    I'm not too far off intermediate level.

    Current focus really should be losing a bit of weight before Glastonbury in a couple of months, so anything I've managed with my Abs does show :).
  • croooz
    croooz Posts: 48 Member
    You don't really need to add ab work at least not once you're lifting some serious weight. Trust me you'll get plenty of ab training at the heavier weights. If you must then just do planks and L-sits. Abs are like any other muscle so it depends on your goals with abs. If you want core stability then daily is fine. If you want the washboard then give them time to rest. I'm noticing that abs really are made in the kitchen. The lower my bodyfat gets the more I see the hint of something underneath the jelly rolls...under the right light it looks like I have one real good ab on my left side. lol
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Cheers - that's what I'd read and early on after a couple of workouts I really noticed my 'core' being a bit stiff the next day.
    However while I've definitely got a bit on my upper abs, the rest don't seem to be matching (I do have too much fat at the moment I know).
    It was quite noticeable on my upper abs as where previously the skin had ducked in around my ribs (I'm reasonably 'barrel chested'), the skin then carried on down a bit before going. Initially worried that it was a swelling or something, but upon prodding realised it was actually muscle!
    However, that's the only place it's prominent.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Just a note on the abs I'm going for 3x12 in...
    Decline weighted crunch
    Weighted hanging leg raise.
    'Ab roller'
    Dumb bell side bend.

    Chucking curls in there occasionally too for that "Big man must have big biceps" broscience thing :). 3x12

    Still not sorted out finger stuff.
  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
    I don't really see the benefit of using this program over the traditional starting strength. It sounds like you have more physique goals than you do strength goals. If that's the case I would split it up like this:

    Squat 5x5
    Bench Press 5x5
    Chins 5x10
    Dips 5x10

    Front Squat 5x5
    Overhead Press 5x5
    Deadlift 5x5
    Barbell Curls 5x10

    Squat 5x5
    Barbell Row 5x5
    Power Clean 5x3
    High Pulls 5x5

    Extra ab work isn't really necessary unless you are already really strong and abs are your weak point. Your abs will get PLENTY of stimulation doing this many compound lifts. If you do decide to do abs, do them standing and on the ab roller. crunches and side bends and siht like that are pretty useless unless you do them with a significant amount of weight.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    As above really, especially on the ab work.

    The only suggestion I would throw in, is that if you're more interested in physique, than sports performance\strength and power, I would drop the power cleans. Purely because the pull for a clean is actually quite a technical move, and I see so many horrible attempts at it in the gym, especially from the jump and shrug crew, and\or the catch it using your wrists people, that I would only include it if it adds to your goals.
  • ahmadfahmy
    ahmadfahmy Posts: 214 Member
    I've been doing the big three and a bit for a while now, thought I'd mix it up a little, so I'm thinking:

    Day 1:
    Squats
    Bench press
    Deadlift

    Day 2:
    Squats
    Weighted Pullup on flat beam
    Overhead press

    Day 3:
    Squats
    Power Clean
    Dips (if I make something to dip on)

    Also, is it worth me doing extra abs work (maybe on non-weights days) and if so, any suggestions? - - purely for tart value of wanting a 6 pack if I can get my weight back down and loose skin isn't too much of an issue.
    My uppermost ab muscle has certainly got bigger - did some weider 6 before starting proper lifting and this has no doubt helped to keep it there. But not much else going on it seems.

    I plan to add some climbing 'finger board' training on non-workout days when I've made something to do it on.

    This kind of looks like 5/3/1 full body template
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I don't really see the benefit of using this program over the traditional starting strength. It sounds like you have more physique goals than you do strength goals. If that's the case I would split it up like this:

    Squat 5x5
    Bench Press 5x5
    Chins 5x10
    Dips 5x10

    Front Squat 5x5
    Overhead Press 5x5
    Deadlift 5x5
    Barbell Curls 5x10

    Squat 5x5
    Barbell Row 5x5
    Power Clean 5x3
    High Pulls 5x5

    Extra ab work isn't really necessary unless you are already really strong and abs are your weak point. Your abs will get PLENTY of stimulation doing this many compound lifts. If you do decide to do abs, do them standing and on the ab roller. crunches and side bends and siht like that are pretty useless unless you do them with a significant amount of weight.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Oops; damn, it seems to have eaten my last post :(, so it went something like....

    Cheers for the thoughts!

    Anyway, first off, I'm making a bit more of an effort for abs because I'll have a little loose skin at very low weight (hopefully will go with time) and because I've got a big chest - here's a pic of me breathing in as an example http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18968307/pics/chest.jpg . Still got some fat to lose, but you can see that my chest already sticks out a fair bit above the stomach. I've only had a couple of times (fairly early on) that I really noticed 'feeling' my abs the day after a workout, but I've got reasonable strength there generally.

    However, while I do have physique goals, I'd prefer to achieve them with functional strength training mostly - there's lots of things I'd like to be stronger for. As well as general life stuff and climbing; on and off tarmac motorcycle riding/racing, push biking, running; keep meaning to try and get into playing with free running, hang gliding, doing Krav Maga again and various other things.

    To some degree I'd like the more 'explosive' power from stuff like the Power Clean for that real-world functional strength.

    I've been steadily increasing the weight on the decline crunches - just under 10kg now. Just over 20kg on the sidebends and starting to 'notice' that a bit.
    Cheers for the 'standing' suggestion for the ab-roller, now moved to that.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Looks like a good SS program. You say you are approaching intermediate strength already. That's really good. How long have you been lifting? I use this site to determine where I am:

    http://www.strstd.com

    Also, are you still getting stronger? I am doing SS and adding weight has been tough because I am still in a caloric deficit trying to lost fat.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I've been lifting since December, however I've naturally got a reasonably bulky body and in the middle of last year I was doing a lot of heavy manual work - moving a whole unit of car parts to another upstairs unit - carrying gear boxes up long flights of stairs certainly helped with my weight loss at the time :).

    The site you linked to lists me as generally between a third and half way above Intermediate towards Advanced (losing a few pounds in the last week or two will have helped bump my stats up a bit.)

    My lift improvements are certainly much slower on 'the big three', which I've consistently done for the longest time.
    I floundered a bit on the squat, but thanks to now making some safety bars for my DIY squat rack I've got the confidence to do it properly again (which I did end up testing with 122.5kg and worked nicely - no broken neck :)

    However, I've only just started properly going at the calorie deficit.
    The plan was to be do a lean gain style approach where I eat over TDEE on workout days and under on not, but I left it a bit too late with still eating a fair lot as I wanted to lose weight for Glastonbury festival at the end of June, so I'm now back to more of a deficit more of the time. May well stall significant further strength gains.

    Around the festival time (I'm working another festival two weeks before), I'll be away for what may be getting on for a month. I'll try and take that time to work out a new program for when I'm back, I think.

    Also, think I missed out from before, on why I had thought something like this over basic SS (and I'm far from an expert on it of course, this was just my logic from research I'd done)- I definitely wanted a weighted pull up in there on top of the main starting strength - my aim is to get to the point I can do a one handed pull up for climbing (which in some cases can be pretty useful, never mind the 'tart' factor :) ). But as I shouldn't be eating a massive amount, my thought was it'd be better to add something else to make it three separate days, hopefully giving other muscles a bit more time to repair to some degree.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    You are advanced enough that you may want to consider a 5/3/1 program over SS. If you are still progressing on SS, then stick with it. But 5/3/1 may be a better option for you.

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