Help with Strength training workout

R

rjc

0
I'm Six weeks into my strength training workout. And considering I'm still so sore with a days recovery. I get the feeling I'm doing too much.

My Goals are

1. Continually improve strength in Deadlifts, Squats, Bench and climbing strength. Leg power for quick bursts.

2. Improve Cardio
-400M <60s
-800m <2.30
-1600m <6m
-3200m <13.30
-10KM <40M

I've started out with a 6X6 workout, 6 sets 6 reps of exercises.

Monday

Chest/Triceps

1. Flat Bench
2. Decline Bench
3. Incline Bench
4. Close Grip Bench
5. Tricep Dips +10-20 KG depending on fatigue
6. 3 Sets tricep Pulldowns
7. 3 Sets Tricep Pushdowns
8. 3 Sets tricep overhead pulls
9. 3 sets 10 woodchoppers.
10. 10 mins ab work.

Wednesday

Biceps/Forearms

1. Preacher Curl
2. Wide Grip curl
3. Chin ups
4. Wrist curls
5. 10 Minutes of endurance lifting with fingers with 30kg weight on a bar. 1-5 fingers at a time. Trying to raise grip strength.
6. Ab work as previous workout

Friday

Shoulders/Back

1. Pullups +5kg Half ultra wide grip
2. Cable pulldowns (Wide)
3. Cable Pulldowns (Narrow)
4. Shoulder press
5. Shoulder raises
6. Upright Rows
7. Ab work as normal.

The problem with this workout is even after week 6 I'm incredibly sore. even with the recovery day. I also want to seriously improve my cardio. And in the last two weeks I've been doing Leg work inbetween arm sets.
I've been incorporating Squats and Deadlifts in my workouts. Aswell as the soreness, I'm in the gym for over 90Minutes and I think thats too long.

I know I've only done 4 sessions of deadlifts. BUT I went to 93Kg for sets last week, did it ok. But I can't even run at the moment due to soreness. I also have groin soreness from the squats. So something is telling me maybe I'm overtraining. Any thoughts???


I've finished the first Block of training and I'm not sure what to do now?

My thoughts on a training block I come up with today.Based on my goals and what I really need.

I'm doing a 5% Method for Bench/Pullups/Squat/Deadlift

Start at 4 Sets of 6 @ 80% for 3 workouts/1Week
Week 2 - 4 Sets of 5 @ 85%
Week 3 - 4 Sets of 4 @90%
Week 4 - 4 sets of 6 @ 80% Again for a drop
Week 5 - Then I think I go to 90% again for 4 reps
Week 6 - up to 95 %.for 3 or 4 sets (Don't have my book on my so don't quote
me on the reps)
Week 7 - 4 Sets of 6 @ 85%

This should give me a 10% gain according to the book I'm reading

ATM I don't want to go up too quickly on squats or deadlifts, so I'm leaving it at 93Kg until I get my form good and feel comfortable.

When should I start ramping up the weights on Squats and Deadlifts?

Monday

Chest focus

1. Flat Bench
2. Decline Bench
3. Incline Bench
4. Pullups (Start using 2 fingers etc for grip strength)
5. Close Grip Bench
6. Tricep pushups to failure
7. Squats
8. Deadlifts
9. 3 Sets of Hand grippers (Any time of day I guess) Every workout day
10. Ab Work

Tuesday

Rest Day

Wednesday

Cardio

1 X 3.2KM
1 X 1600M
1 X 800M
1 X 400M

Thursday

Shoulders/Back Focus

1. Pullups +Weight
2. Narrow pullups
3. Chin ups
4. Shoulder Press
5. Flat Bench
6. Squats
7. Deadlifts
8. Ab Work

Friday

Rest Day

Saturday

Cardio Again

Sunday

Leg Focus

1. Flat Bench
2. Squats
3. Pullups
4. Deadlifts
5. Lunges
6. Ab work

Monday

Rest Day

Tuesday

Cardio


Basically I have a 9 day workout session.

I'm hoping for some positive feedback on my workout sessions, perhaps with some ideas to improve it.

I have about 5 workout routines for strength building I want to use. But I'm wondering on the layout, to suit my goals.

I must say after that first 6 week block. I've gone from not even getting 4 reps at 63KG. To now getting 4 sets of 6 at 68KG. Body weight 62KG
 
It's obvious that you've put a lot of thought into this, which is why I feel like a bit of a jerk for breaking the news that that you really need to dumb down your program. I think you're chasing after too many goals at once to do well at any of them (there's what, half a dozen CV goals there in list two?), and the way your program's set out doesn't even necessarily target the goals you've listed anyway. You don't need 4 different bench press variations, 6x6 each, on the one day, for example.

I'm tired, so my advice may not be as good as it would be at another hour of the day, but you should be keeping it SIMPLE. Like, mindbogglingly simple. So simple that you'll think "that's not enough!" That simple.

I recommend you decide, first and foremost, which is more important to you: Strength, speed or endurance. You seem to have all of these things in your goals. A simple crosstraining program will help you develop all of these things, but there's always a trade-off between one or the other, and one thing will inevitably be prioritised. Here's what I recommend (NB The resistance training part of program is modelled from Rippetoe's Starting Strength, but you'll only be doing it twice per week rather than 3x/week):

Strength Day 1:
- Squats 3x5 (after proper warm up and weight acclimation at 20, 40, 60 and 80% working weight)
- Bench Press 3x5 (warm up/acclimation)
- Deadlift 1x5 (warm up/acclimation)
- Barbell Curls or Rows 2x8-12

Strength Day 2:
- Squats 3x5 (warm up/acclimation)
- Overhead Press 3x5 (warm up/acclimation)
- Power Clean 5x3 (warm up/acclimation)
- Pull Ups 2x8-12

Speed Day:
- 10-15min warm up.
- 10x400m, every sprint starting at the completion of a 3min period. The faster the run, the more rest time within that 3min between sprints.
- If doing this the day after a strength session, only do 6-8 sprints, instead of 10.

Endurance Day:
- 20-40min long slow distance run (steady state, continuous speed).

Whichever of the three goals is most important (strength, speed or endurance), you do on the first training day of the week. Let's assume a 4-day training week: Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri. Always have 1 training day between strength sessions (so if you do strength 1 on Mon, you do Strength 2 on Thur; if you do Strength 1 on Tue, you do Strength 2 on Fri). The lowest priority goal will always be trained for on Thur or Fri. The 2 strength sessions, the speed session and the endurance session are all to be completed within the week.
 
Thanks again for your comments. I can definitely see my goals are set high.

Definitely Strength is #1 Priority. Bench/Squat/Deadlift/Pullups, I do rock climbing so I want real good climbing strength.

I think the Cardio goals were too high. Lets face it. I'm not very fit cardio wise. I think I'm getting 450Mls on a breath which is crappy. I basically want to improve my cardio but its not a massive priority. Something that can come second.

I'm taking my routines from Jim Stroppani.

I did a 6 X 6 Workout last 8 weeks. And this routine is the 5% method, Then I move on to a 5-3-2, then perhaps drop sets. So I know the sets/reps that I want to do. But I'm not sure how to break this down into exercises.

If I want to get stronger in my bench. How many sets should I be doing. My current workout is 4 sets of 5 on the Flat, Decline and Incline for workout 1. Then just flat for workouts 2 and 3. So basically on Chest day I do all 3 sets for the bench.

I basically do back and shoulders on workout 2 and heavy on legs for workout 3.

I've started swimming aswell. I've been finding it hard to run, because I hit the deadlifts and squats too hard too early and have sore hips and groins.

Basically I'm happy to go for a swim every day. or when I get a chance.

But having said all of this. I've gotten huge results by working my butt off over the last 8 weeks.

I was 60-61Kg in November, All I'd done up to that point was bodyweight exercises with no extra weights. From November to Mid January I only worked out shoulders and back.

I was 61KG when I started out doing the strength workouts in the book I'm reading. I've been working hard, and In just 8 weeks. My lowest weight on any given day is 62.5KG. I'm also leaner than I've ever been. Clearly I've seen massive results.

My bench has also gone from 4 reps to failure at 62.5KG, to now being able to do 6 reps clearly at 70KG.

Again thanks for the comments. I have overset my goals a bit. But I really just want to work hard on strength and fill in with some cardio to improve gradually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top