A Serious Effort to Get Stronger

Hello all!
I am making a serious effort to get stronger. I wouldn’t say no too more muscles, but I feel I can work for that when I get stronger. So I have made a workout plan and would like to get your opinions on it.

Some background info:
Male
25 years old
Height 170 cm
Weight 72 kg

I have problems with my joints and doctors are checking it out but I need to become stronger, without gaining to much weight. Trying to increase the strength to weight ratio.

I like compound movements, I didn’t do them for a few years and did leg curls and stuff like that, but that didn’t help anything.

I want to workout 3 times a week.

Tuesday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical, I like this because it is impact free.
Deadlifts
Reps/sets
51 warmup, 60 kg
5
4 80 kg
Squats
51 warmup 50 kg
5
4 70 kg
Legraises (abs)
103
Situps on a swissball
10
3
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching

Thursday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical.
Benchpress
51 50 kg
5
4 60 kg
Bent over row (only done this before as a warmup exercise)
54 30 kg barbell
Explosive pushups
10
3 Bodyweight
Chinups
64 Bodyweight (I’m really weak so starting here and working my way up)
Saraturus Situps
10
3 with 10 kg dumbells
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching.

Saturday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical.
Power clean and jerk
51 40 kg
5
4 50 kg
Dips
103 bodyweight
Chin ups with reverse grip (working the biceps)
6
4 bodyweight
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching.

I would like to do Power cleans but dont know where to put it in the program, i would also like to do more deadlifting/squating. What do you think about this setup?

I would also like some tips on supplements, after the first exercise i get mentally very tired, so maybe try creatine? I have heard that it could be bad for the joints is this an urban legend or? I take fish oil + whey post workouts.

Thanks for all the replies

Hi wiiwii,

From looking at your workout plan I dont see enough exercises or muscle groups being worked enough, Doesn’t mean to say you wont get stronger with what you have as you will.

I have never programed a Compound Workout plan so I’m not quite sure myself.

What I do is Split workouts, 3 Days a week working all major muscle groups.

Others will give you alot more, Best of luck!

I feel the same, something is missing but i dont know what really. I would like to get in exercises like goodmorning in there, dragcurls, scullcrushers, other variations of squats. But don’t know where to put it in there :frowning:

Wiiwii, I’m going to offer a couple of bits of advice. Read the, ‘Are you a Beginner?’ thread. It will help you out.

Next, take a look at Chad Waterbury’s Total Body Training. That should be what you are looking for. It will also cover what you are missing and answer your questions.

Don’t forget to read the other thread though.

Arioch thanks for the advice! :slight_smile:

I should have read it before i posted but well i didnt :frowning:

I really liked the Total Body Training program. My only concern is that my main goal is strenght gains not hypertrophy. But maybe the program does both?

[quote]wiiwii wrote:
I feel the same, something is missing but i dont know what really. I would like to get in exercises like goodmorning in there, dragcurls, scullcrushers, other variations of squats. But don’t know where to put it in there :frowning:
[/quote]

Don’t worry about that kind of thing. In a strength program you want a small number of big exercises. The little muscles in the arms and core will be hit along with the big muscles so you don’t have to really worry about them.

Focus on the main variations, back squat, conventional deadlift, etc and from time to time, mix in some front squats, etc. If you want to add in accesory lifts, add them at the end and make them no more than 20% of your workout. They should be focused at what you perceive to be weaknesses or imbalances.

Stu

[quote]Arioch wrote:
Next, take a look at Chad Waterbury’s Total Body Training. That should be what you are looking for. It will also cover what you are missing and answer your questions.[/quote]

I disagree. The OP said his priority is strength, and, while TBT is an excellent program, there’s better programs out there for sub-maximal strength.

having said that, I would strongly recommend Rippetoes Starting Strength to you, Wiiwii.

It’s designed to increase overall strength in the compound lifts. And it’s for beginners.

Here’s how it basically looks:

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Pendlay Rows

You do it three times a week, either Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat (whatever rocks your boat).

I think it’s perfect for you. There’s a guy around here doing a journal so you can see how looks when done over a period of time.

More information can be found here: forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

I suggest you read ALL of it. It will only benefit you.

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the book that details the whole program, as well as the how&why of it: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Practical-Coaching-Beginners/dp/0976805464/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7192310-6662323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190984004&sr=8-1

But it’s not that necessary.

[quote]Der Candy wrote:
Arioch wrote:
Next, take a look at Chad Waterbury’s Total Body Training. That should be what you are looking for. It will also cover what you are missing and answer your questions.

I disagree. The OP said his priority is strength, and, while TBT is an excellent program, there’s better programs out there for sub-maximal strength.

having said that, I would strongly recommend Rippetoes Starting Strength to you, Wiiwii.

It’s designed to increase overall strength in the compound lifts. And it’s for beginners.

Here’s how it basically looks:

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Pendlay Rows

You do it three times a week, either Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat (whatever rocks your boat).

I think it’s perfect for you. There’s a guy around here doing a journal so you can see how looks when done over a period of time.

More information can be found here: forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

I suggest you read ALL of it. It will only benefit you.

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the book that details the whole program, as well as the how&why of it: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Practical-Coaching-Beginners/dp/0976805464/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7192310-6662323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190984004&sr=8-1

But it’s not that necessary. [/quote]

I mentioned TBT because the OP said he wanted to include Power Cleans in his workout. TBT allows that. Rippetoe’ is a good program, but as you listed, doesn’t include Power Cleans.

I agree that Rippetoes is a good program. Simplicity may be the way to go for the OP.

You can use cleans instead of Pendlay rows. in fact that is the recommended exercise. Rows were a substitute for people who can’t do cleans.

[quote]wiiwii wrote:
Hello all!
I am making a serious effort to get stronger. I wouldn’t say no too more muscles, but I feel I can work for that when I get stronger. So I have made a workout plan and would like to get your opinions on it.

Some background info:
Male
25 years old
Height 170 cm
Weight 72 kg

I have problems with my joints and doctors are checking it out but I need to become stronger, without gaining to much weight. Trying to increase the strength to weight ratio.

I like compound movements, I didn’t do them for a few years and did leg curls and stuff like that, but that didn’t help anything.

I want to workout 3 times a week.

Tuesday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical, I like this because it is impact free.
Deadlifts
Reps/sets
51 warmup, 60 kg
5
4 80 kg
Squats
51 warmup 50 kg
5
4 70 kg
Legraises (abs)
103
Situps on a swissball
10
3
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching

Thursday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical.
Benchpress
51 50 kg
5
4 60 kg
Bent over row (only done this before as a warmup exercise)
54 30 kg barbell
Explosive pushups
10
3 Bodyweight
Chinups
64 Bodyweight (I’m really weak so starting here and working my way up)
Saraturus Situps
10
3 with 10 kg dumbells
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching.

Saturday
Warmup 10 minutes on the eliptical.
Power clean and jerk
51 40 kg
5
4 50 kg
Dips
103 bodyweight
Chin ups with reverse grip (working the biceps)
6
4 bodyweight
Finish with 10-15 minutes of static stretching.

I would like to do Power cleans but dont know where to put it in the program, i would also like to do more deadlifting/squating. What do you think about this setup?

I would also like some tips on supplements, after the first exercise i get mentally very tired, so maybe try creatine? I have heard that it could be bad for the joints is this an urban legend or? I take fish oil + whey post workouts.

Thanks for all the replies

[/quote]

you should rethink your schedule and get hold of something that includes more compound lifts. and if you want to improve your relative strength, you should choose lifts that are in the 90-100% range of your 1RM. Plus keep the reps low (1-3).

need more help setting something up, PM me.

where are you from anyway?

More Compound exercises?

He has 5 sets of squats,5 sets of deadlifts, 5 sets of bench, 5 sets of T-Bar Rows. What are you telling him to do more sets? or other exerices that are compounds?

[quote]Arioch wrote:
I mentioned TBT because the OP said he wanted to include Power Cleans in his workout. TBT allows that. Rippetoe’ is a good program, but as you listed, doesn’t include Power Cleans.

I agree that Rippetoes is a good program. Simplicity may be the way to go for the OP.[/quote]

I’m sorry, I skimmed that part in his post. I didn’t notice that. But you know, in the ORIGINAL Rippetoes you are supposed to do Power Cleans instead of Rows. But I personally think it’s more productive for a beginner to do Rows (less CNS demand, and takes less time to get the form down).

Thank you all for your advice.

I have pretty good form for the power clean so I prefer to use that and the power clean and jerk. I will check out riptoes program, reading as I write.

I will do riptoes, I quite liked the setup. I am a former basketball player and coach. So I have learned that it’s better to go into the gym with a plan.

I have some longterm goals, I want too
Bench 100 kg
Squat 125 kg
Deadlift 140 kg
But still not weigh more the 75 kg.

Im from Sweden, stockholm by the way.

Will start a training log starting Tuseday :slight_smile:

[quote]wiiwii wrote:
Thank you all for your advice.

I have pretty good form for the power clean so I prefer to use that and the power clean and jerk. I will check out riptoes program, reading as I write.

I will do riptoes, I quite liked the setup. I am a former basketball player and coach. So I have learned that it’s better to go into the gym with a plan.

I have some longterm goals, I want too
Bench 100 kg
Squat 125 kg
Deadlift 140 kg
But still not weigh more the 75 kg.

Im from Sweden, stockholm by the way.

Will start a training log starting Tuseday :)[/quote]

Good luck, wish you the best!