6 Months Training. Recommendations/Tips

[leviathan85]

Hi there guys:

So, I have been working out for nearly 6 months by now. My goals are completely athletic and also functional strength -I have a job with a high demand of physical strength, agility, speed and also aerobic resistance- so I can't quit on any of those ones. Physique is a plus, but it's not a priority.

I started this summer by loosing some weight -loosing 22 pounds- and also started with stronglifts 5x5 in a home gym. Once the home gym was out of the question due to lack of plates I switched to 5/3/1 with a template I did on my own. It has evolved over this last few months and now it looks like this.

Monday:

Squat 5/3/1

Bench Press 5x5 using 80% of TM.

Weighted -30 lbs- hypers. Four sets, I usually do 20 reps per set.

Close grip pull up. Four sets. Try to do at least 25 in the entire session. The pull ups are like this:

Leg raises. 4 sets. Usually 20 reps per set.

I have changed recently the dips so I super set them with the bench. Before that I did them after leg raises.

Wednesday:

Deadlift 5/3/1

OHP 5/3/1

Close grip pull up. Same as Monday.

Push ups. 4 sets, 30 per set

Pull ups. 4 sets, 30 per set

Friday:

Squat 5x5 using 80% of TM.

Bench 5/3/1

Regular pull ups. 4 sets. I usually do around 20 in the entire session.

Plank. 4 sets, 60 secs per set.

Again, dips super set with bench.

My stimated 1TM -and the ones I use to calculate the TM of 5/3/1- are -perhaps they are a little conservative-:

Bench press: 130 lbs

Squat: 200 lbs

Deadlift: 200 lbs -I have a lower back injury and I want to take it easy on the DL-

OHP: 110 lbs

When I'm not working I run three times a week, everything done in the park or in the field -no treadmill-. When I'm working I usually do long runs -5 milers- 5 or 4 days a week.

Regarding my diet I do 1,5 grams of protein, around 0,5 of fats and depending how the feeling is I go with 1,5 or 2,0 of carbs a day. I have to say that I try to live a normal life and on weekends I go out, drink, eat a hamburguer or two, etc.

So, bottom line, any recommendations are really useful. Just let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!

BTW: The first pic is a pic of the close grip pull up. Not of me, obviously

[Chris_Colucci]

[quote]leviathan85 wrote:
My goals are completely athletic and also functional strength[/quote]
That’s still pretty vague for a goal. Get more specific so you have a better idea of what to dial in.

5 Surefire Steps to Setting Goals | T Nation

I have a job with a high demand of physical strength, agility, speed and also aerobic resistance- so I can’t quit on any of those ones. Physique is a plus, but it’s not a priority.

Can we ask what you do? That’s an interesting set of job requirements, especially with all the running you mentioned. Also, what’s “aerobic resistance”?

I started this summer by loosing some weight -loosing 22 pounds-

Good work. What’s your current height, weight, and general bodyfat level? (not a percentage, just a description.)

… I switched to 5/3/1 with a template I did on my own. It has evolved over this last few months and now it looks like this.

Unless that’s a template I haven’t read about yet, I wouldn’t try blending 5x5 with 5/3/1. Even if you can only lift three days a week, pick another template better suited to your specific goal and run it as-is. The 5x5 at 80% is fairly heavy work, so you might not be allowing enough recovery time.

You’re also doing barely any leg work. Just squats and deads leaves some gaps to be addressed. And no, before anyone says it, running is not the same as lifting for legs. A well-designed routine will improve your running, even if you have to run some everyday.

[quote]I have changed recently the dips so I super set them with the bench. Before that I did them after leg raises.
…
Again, dips super set with bench.[/quote]
Is this a typo, did you mean you’re supersetting pull-ups with the bench? If you’re really supersetting dips and bench, you’re fatiguing the pressing muscles which will limit your benching ability.

When I’m not working I run three times a week, everything done in the park or in the field -no treadmill-. When I’m working I usually do long runs -5 milers- 5 or 4 days a week.

This is a lot of cardio. That, combined with the fairly-minimalist lifting routine, has me worried about how much muscle you’re actually building. If you’re running that much during work, you may or may not want to scale down on the “extra” runs (depending mostly on your goals).

[leviathan85]

That’s still pretty vague for a goal. Get more specific so you have a better idea of what to dial in.
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/5_surefire_steps_to_setting_goals

Thanks for the response Chris. Let me expand on the goals thing. I want my strenght to be useful for me in my daily job, I don’t wanna compete in powerlifting or anything like that. It’s a mid/long term goal.

I have a job with a high demand of physical strength, agility, speed and also aerobic resistance- so I can’t quit on any of those ones. Physique is a plus, but it’s not a priority.

Can we ask what you do? That’s an interesting set of job requirements, especially with all the running you mentioned. Also, what’s “aerobic resistance”?
[/quote]

Sorry, my native language is not english so the translation of aerobic resistance was not the adequate. It refers to cardio vascular resistance -been able to run in fairly good times, let’s say 5 miles in less than 37 mins-. My job is the military.

I started this summer by loosing some weight -loosing 22 pounds-

Good work. What’s your current height, weight, and general bodyfat level? (not a percentage, just a description.)
[/quote]

Thanks. Height is 5’7, weight is 154 and my bodyfat must be something around 10 - 12%. The most visible part on which I have fat concentrated is the lower abdomen, the rest is fairly skinny.

… I switched to 5/3/1 with a template I did on my own. It has evolved over this last few months and now it looks like this.

Unless that’s a template I haven’t read about yet, I wouldn’t try blending 5x5 with 5/3/1. Even if you can only lift three days a week, pick another template better suited to your specific goal and run it as-is. The 5x5 at 80% is fairly heavy work, so you might not be allowing enough recovery time.
[/quote]

The template I pulled it out from the Jim Wendler forum. And I’m doing as-is.

You’re also doing barely any leg work. Just squats and deads leaves some gaps to be addressed. And no, before anyone says it, running is not the same as lifting for legs. A well-designed routine will improve your running, even if you have to run some everyday.

I did weighted lunges on friday for a while, but it was a very demotivating exercise for me, so I decided to pull it out.

[quote]I have changed recently the dips so I super set them with the bench. Before that I did them after leg raises.
…
Again, dips super set with bench.[/quote]
Is this a typo, did you mean you’re supersetting pull-ups with the bench? If you’re really supersetting dips and bench, you’re fatiguing the pressing muscles which will limit your benching ability.

Once again, my lack of proper english came on me. Yes, I’m supersetting the dips and bench. I do have noticed on some weeks that instead of doing 11 reps as I was usually doing, I did 8 or 9.

When I’m not working I run three times a week, everything done in the park or in the field -no treadmill-. When I’m working I usually do long runs -5 milers- 5 or 4 days a week.

This is a lot of cardio. That, combined with the fairly-minimalist lifting routine, has me worried about how much muscle you’re actually building. If you’re running that much during work, you may or may not want to scale down on the “extra” runs (depending mostly on your goals).[/quote]

When i’m working I only run what I do at work. I don’t add anything else.