3 Upper, 2 Lower Days

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
#1

I’m going to play alot of basketball, do some plyometrics, agility drills, HIIT, short sprints, running up hills, and skill improvement work on a regular basis for basketball season.

So I think lifting for lowerbody 3 times a week might be too much even though I’m a 15 year old with little weightlifting experiance.

So I was thinking of lifting 2x a week for lowerbody, but 3x a week for upperbody since my body can handle it.

I’ve read DeFranco’s Westside For Skinny Bastards and they train Upperbody 2x a week and Lowerbody once a week.

So do you think I can make good strength and size gains lifting like this?

Monday: Upperbody
Tuesday: Lowerbody
Wednesday: Upperbody
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Upperbody
Saturday: Lowerbody
Sunday: Rest

Or should I just lift for lowerbody 3x a week to even it out?

Thanks.

#2

depends on what the sessions consist of hell you could lift upper bodty 15 times lower 10 if they are very brief, give time to recover etc.

You dont give us much to work on to give our opinions

#3

A lot of trainees have made great gains from Defranco’s program. A lot depends on your schedule from day to day. Doing plyos, HIIT, and skills training can start to accumulate fatigue on its own and then you add in resistance training and typically 3 days is enough.

#4

MONDAY:
Bench Press- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Rows- 2x10, 2x8, 1x6
Dips- 5 x near failure
Dumbell Curls- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Various core and ab excercises
Wrist training

TUESDAY:
Squat- 2x12, 2x10, 1x8
Lunges- 1x10, 3x8, 1x6
Leg Curls- 2x12, 2x10, 1x8
Calf Raises- 3x20, 2x15
PowerWheel workout
Shin work
Grip Training
Running up hills

WEDNESDAY:
DB Bench Press- Press- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Pull-ups- 5 x near failure
Skull Crushers- 2x110, 2x8, 1x6
Hammer Curls- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Various core and ab excercises
Wrist training

THURSDAY:
Various Bodyweight Lowerbody excercises
Running up Hills
Shin work
Grip Training
Powerwheel workout/Various core and ab excercises

FRIDAY:
Bench Press/Incline Press- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Row Variation- 2x10, 2x8, 1x6
Dips- 5 x near failure
Dumbell Curls/Preacher Curls- 1x10, 2x8, 1x6, 1x4
Various core and ab excercises
Wrist training

SATURDAY:
Squat- 2x12, 2x10, 1x8
Step-ups- 1x10, 3x8, 1x6
GHR(bodyweight)- 5 x near failure
Calf Raise variation- 3x20, 2x15
PowerWheel workout
Shin work
Grip Training
Running up hills

SUNDAY:
2 mile run

I will also be doing plyometrics and short sprints on the days I lift lowerbody. And I will do agilty/quickness drills almost everyday. I will do HIIT and jumproping on my upperbody lifting days. And I will do skill training everyday.

#5

how long are you going to do this training? Looks like a burnout will be coming on shortly.

#6

It would probably work if you did 1-3 lifts a day max.

#7

[quote]ballbuster wrote:
how long are you going to do this training? Looks like a burnout will be coming on shortly. [/quote]

What do you suggest?

[quote]BCpowder wrote:
It would probably work if you did 1-3 lifts a day max.[/quote]

Do you mean 1-3 lifts a week?

Because lifting 3 times a day is pretty crazy.

#8

No, I mean 1-3 different exercises for each day. For example:

Day 1
Bench Press
Bent Over Row

Day 2
Power Clean
Squat
Back Extensions

Day 3
Dips
Chins

Day 4
Front Squat
Romanian Deadlift
Weighted Sit-ups

Day 5
Overhead Press
Pull-up

#9

your going to try and lift 5 days a week on top of all of this:

“I’m going to play alot of basketball, do some plyometrics, agility drills, HIIT, short sprints, running up hills, and skill improvement work on a regular basis for basketball season”

I don’t care if your on roids and have an IV drip after every session your doing too much. Ever heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”? This means if you try to accomplish to many goals at a single time your not going to get overly great at any of them.

You need to figure out what you really need and what is going to help you the most. Are you really such an advanced athlete at 15 that you need all these different techniques to get better? Are you educated enough to properly implement all these techniques?

#10

How is this question any different than your other forum posts about the same topic that seem to come up every month?

You’re a 15-year-old that is playing basketball, yet, you are not even training for your sport correctly with the type of weightlifting programs you put together.

Train for your sport. It needs to be athletic based and structured so you will be able to perform at a high level during the season. Which means, devoting much of your core training/conditioning in the off-season and more sport-specific training closer to the season.

You should be following something like Renegade Training. This will help you cover all aspects of your training for basketball (speed, agility, strength, GPP, flexibility, etc.). Why don’t you go over to www.renegadetraining.com and order a basketball program and follow it as written?

You can’t just throw plyometrics and speed training into your weight workouts and expect it to work correctly, especially at your age level and skill level.

#11

You could do a more traditional “Westside” template with plyos and speed work on the DE day.

#12

I’m basically doing Kelly Baggets VJB workouts for legs twice a week(like it says). The only difference is I’m doing 3 upperbody workouts instead of the traditional 2. And I dont think that should be a problem since I’m a beginner and my body can handle upperbody muscle being 3x a week.

And infact I’m doing slightly less lifting for lowerbody than Renegade training since they squat 3x a week.

I agree, maybe all the plyometrics and speed work might wear me down. But I’m pretty sure my body will tell me if I’m doing too much.

#13

[quote]Baller1950 wrote:
I’m basically doing Kelly Baggets VJB workouts for legs twice a week(like it says). The only difference is I’m doing 3 upperbody workouts instead of the traditional 2. And I dont think that should be a problem since I’m a beginner and my body can handle upperbody muscle being 3x a week.

And infact I’m doing slightly less lifting for lowerbody than Renegade training since they squat 3x a week.

I agree, maybe all the plyometrics and speed work might wear me down. But I’m pretty sure my body will tell me if I’m doing too much.
[/quote]

You can’t say that about Renegade Training. At some points I may be squatting three times a week, and other times it may only be twice. But yes, legs do get worked at least twice a week in some way.

#14

But I dont really see what’s so crazy about my training I just laid out?

DeFranco’s WSFSB is kind of the same. Lots of conditioning and skill work along with weighttraining.

The only difference is I added an extra leg day and an extra arm day.

My legs get over 72 hours to recover from the lifting and my arms get 48 hours.

#15

For the love of God, every time I see one of your posts I cringe in horror and grab my testicles because of how beaten-down your endocrine system must be.

I wrote my manual for athletes like you.

Get a PLAN - not a program.

#16

[quote]Baller1950 wrote:
But I dont really see what’s so crazy about my training I just laid out?

DeFranco’s WSFSB is kind of the same. Lots of conditioning and skill work along with weighttraining.

The only difference is I added an extra leg day and an extra arm day.

My legs get over 72 hours to recover from the lifting and my arms get 48 hours.[/quote]

defrancos version of “Lots of conditioning and skill work”:

Monday, A.M. ? Energy System Training (change of direction focus)
Monday, P.M. ? Max Effort Upper Body Lifting
Tuesday ? Lower Body Lifting
Wednesday? Energy System Training (linear speed focus)
Thursday ? Repetition Upper Body Lifting
Friday ? Strongman Conditioning or Sport-specific Drills
Saturday ? OFF or light aerobic recovery workout (walk, jog)
Sunday ? OFF

  • I count 3 lifting sessions, 3 conditioning sessions, and two days off/optional active rest

Your version of “lots of conditioning and skill work”

“I will also be doing plyometrics and short sprints on the days I lift lowerbody. And I will do agilty/quickness drills almost everyday. I will do HIIT and jumproping on my upperbody lifting days. And I will do skill training everyday.”

-I count 5 lifting sessions, at least 5 conditioning sessions, 1 day active rest, 0 days off

Can you see a difference now? Also the WSSB II is for imediatly pre training camp, meaning if it was earlier in the off season their would be even fewer sessions.

You are stuck in the more is better mindset and that the fact that your a teenager your invincable. Hate to break it to you but your not! Your eagerness to improve your game is impressive but in my opinion your going way overboard.

Why not try something like WSSB II and pick up a copy of cressey’s book and also maybe James Smiths High/Low manual. You need time under the bar and knowledge to back it up to plan a succesful high level routine. On top of that you need to build up a physical capacity to handle a high volume of work!

You can’t just shove every training method into a single week and expect great results.

#17

What you’re not looking at is the accumulation of fatigue. The body works/recovers as a whole and you’re looking at as parts in isolation.

#18

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
For the love of God, every time I see one of your posts I cringe in horror and grab my testicles because of how beaten-down your endocrine system must be.

I wrote my manual for athletes like you.

Get a PLAN - not a program.[/quote]

Hey Baller,

This is definitely another fantastic option for you!

I know Eric isn’t a big fan of Renegade Training, but either one would work.

#19

If I cut down some of the conditioning and skill training, would my plan work?

#20

I have to get in shape for basketball. I need to lower my bodyfat and increase my endurance by doing HIIT and stuff. But I also want to get faster, so I do agility and quickness drills.

But at the same time I also want to get a stronger upperbody to increase my shooting range.

And I want to increase my vert so I do the plyometrics and lowerbody weightlifting.

And I have to increase my skill’s in basketball so I have to do skill training.