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SweetDaddyPatty

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I have been doing a slightly modified version of Madcow's 5x5 with great results for the last 12 weeks. Now my strength gains have plateaued so i am going back to the beginning to deload and build up again.
Unfortunately my work schedule has changed and the length of my commute more than doubled. I will only be able to make it to the gym on Mondays & Thursdays. Historically working out 3x/week has been perfect for me, and during times when I had to work out only twice a week my concentration and motivation waver.
Trying to figure out a way to counteract this effect and to distribute the workload of the 5x5 program throughout the week.
I figured I can do Chins at home twice a week, so I will be doing full body (minus "upper back")in the gym 2x/week and a "Mini" chins workout for back 2x/week.


MON: Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Military 4x5

TUES: Chins: 20-25 reps x BW (7 is about as many as i can do per set. I weigh about 225). Will add a little weight around my waist each week.

THURS: Squat 3x5, 1x3, 1x8
Bench 3x5, 1x3, 1x8
Deadlift 4x5

FRI: Same as Tues


I'm just typing this out and keeping the log to keep myself "engaged" in the process since I won't be in the gym as often as I would like.
However, any feedback and/or suggestions are welcomed.
 
Conversely, I was considering doing a modified HST cycle where I would do full body 2x/week and take 3 weeks for each rep range.

Mon/Thursday:

Squat
Bench
Chin
Military
Deadlift


The problem is, I have found that STRENGTH is the goal that for me is easiest to track and the most psychologically satisfying, and I tend to look better as I get stronger.
I'm not sure if HST is going to allow me the ideal progression to develop strength.

Any opinions or suggestions?
 
SDP,
I think you need to think outside the box in a situation like this. Since nobody else answered you, I'll tell you what I would do. Do your regular madcow program as you've been doing it on Thurs. and Mon. with Thurs. being the 1st w/o and Mon. being the 3rd. On Saturday do body weight exercises. There are a sh*tload of very challenging and difficult body weight exercises that you could do in addition to the pullups that you mentioned. You could do pushups with your feet on a chair. Want to make it more challenging? Clap your hands after each rep. How about 1 arm pushups, hand stand pushups, 1 legged Romanian deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, or vertical jumps onto a sturdy table. And an exercise that I only hope to be able to do someday - 1 legged full squats aka 'Pistols' where your non-squatting leg is held straight out in front of you. If your financial situation allows it, you could buy 1 kettlebell and do all kinds of things in addition to your pullups.

I hope this gives you some useful ideas.
 
I agree. Just do day 1 and day 3 of the 5x5, then if you want to, you can do some stuff at home on saturday or whenever. You will still see strength gains on just those two days a week.
 
sounds good, i think that's what I will do (day 1&3 of 5x5)

One question- do you see any harm in doing deadlifts instead of squats?

I had this idea because deadlifts are "harder" so they feel more satisfying than squats.


Thanks for your input.
 
it would be nice if you could squat once and deadlift once in the given week.

add another top set on your back squat day to increase your intensity.

maybe you could add some front squats in on the dead day?

just ideas... what are your numbers looking like? let's see some workout logs.
 
I could definitely squat once and deadlift once per week...

I cannot locate my logs but here are my tops sets from the last week (week 12?) where I felt my strength stalling on bench, military press, and weighted chins

Squat 5x195
Dead 5x245
Bench 4x215
Chin 5x250 (bw +25)
Military 5x125

You may notice that my squat and deadlift numbers are very very low relative to my bench press. The reason for this is over the last several years every time I attempt to incorporate these movements or any type of bent over row into my routine, my back gets "thrown out" within a few weeks and I am out of the gym for a week or two and when I come back I avoid these movements

My latest strategy, which seems to be working so far, is to read and reread Starting Strength and learn perfect form for these lifts, starting with very light weight and progressing slowly.
 
<div>
(SweetDaddyPatty @ Mar. 26 2008,15:16)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">My latest strategy, which seems to be working so far, is to read and reread Starting Strength and learn perfect form for these lifts, starting with very light weight and progressing slowly.</div>
Honestly SDP - that is the best idea you could possibly have. The best gains you will have quite honestly will come from reps done with good form, and Rippetoe is one of the best to teach just that.
 
After digging around on this forum and others reading logs etc. I think I have decided to do Korte 3x3 routine.
The program will be for 12 weeks rather than 8 since Im doing it twice a week instead of thrice.

I think this will be a good program for me because it calls for a lot of repetitions with deadlift and squat, the two lifts I am trying hardest to master.

Also from all reports this routine is hard fuckin' work, so the extra day of rest each week may suit it well.

Any thoughts?
 
<div>
(SweetDaddyPatty @ Mar. 28 2008,15:21)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I think I have decided to do Korte 3x3 routine.
The program will be for 12 weeks rather than 8 since Im doing it twice a week instead of thrice.

I think this will be a good program for me because it calls for a lot of repetitions with deadlift and squat, the two lifts I am trying hardest to master.

Also from all reports this routine is hard fuckin' work, so the extra day of rest each week may suit it well.

Any thoughts?</div>
Good luck with that. The program is easy to understand; it's just hard to survive! Abandon all hope, ye who enter there.

I found Korte's 3x3 to be remarkably helpful in terms of strength gains. It also kept me out of trouble because I would regularly go home and collapse afterwards...

Make sure your bench form is proper. Forty-eight bench presses -- even if you only do them twice a week -- is a lot. I managed to screw up my shoulder (requiring months of physical therapy) because I wasn't doing them right.
 
<div>
(TunnelRat @ Mar. 28 2008,18:05)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Make sure your bench form is proper. Forty-eight bench presses -- even if you only do them twice a week -- is a lot. I managed to screw up my shoulder (requiring months of physical therapy) because I wasn't doing them right.</div>
Thanks for the tip... do you know what was wrong with your form? Is it something that could be described here?
 
<div>
(fearfactory @ Mar. 29 2008,07:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....t=14076</div>
So this is what he did wrong, or this is what he should have been doing?

I do mine a lot like this but without my elbows tucked in all the way... I basically try to imitate the form described in starting strength.
Will keeping my elbows closer (and therefore the bar a little lower) help minimize strain and/or injury over time?
 
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