I am fairly new to lifting weights. I am 20 years old. I started last October (16th 2008) at about 150 lbs at 6 feet and a few days ago i weighed in at 186lbs at about 11% bf. I did a few random workouts to start with, but then i got serious and did starting strength and my lifts exploded. Currently my deadlift 1RM is at 355, Squat is at 235 for a set of five, Front squat is 205 for a set of five, my bench is at 145 for a set of five, and my standing press is at 100 lbs for a set of 5. I currently can’t do widegrip pullups for more than 3 reps without a spot. I can also squat 195 for a 20 rep set. As you can see from my weights my upper body is lagging quite a bit. My question is, how can I help my upperbody catch my lower body? Right now I am going 3 days a week: mon: back wed: chest Fri Legs + shoulders.
2)I am in currently in university right now, and my finals are coming up in two weeks and I must do well on them. I am planning on doing a full body workout twice a week for the next two weeks just to maintain. Is that a good strategy or is there a better one?
3)I was thinking of switching up my gym plan, so far I’ve done starting strength for about 5 months and now I’m just on a split program, any suggestions for what I should be doing. (My current goal is 200lbs with 8% bf by next year)
My calorie intake varies quite a bit from day to day depending on my schedule, some days im taking in an excess of 4500 some days I barely hit 2000 cause of work and school. Any suggestions on quick meals I can make t the beginning of the week and take along to school and work with me?
I never really stretch before or after a workout, should I change this or is it fine? ie will i have pains in 20 years or is it negligible.
2)I am in currently in university right now, and my finals are coming up in two weeks and I must do well on them. I am planning on doing a full body workout twice a week for the next two weeks just to maintain. Is that a good strategy or is there a better one?
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Learn how to manage your time in a manner that is efficient enough to allow you to lift for an hour a day everyday. (Not that should or shouldn’t lift 7 days a week, that isn’t my point.)
This is going to be a skill you will need in the working (real) world. Learn it now. If training is important to you, make time for it by managing your responsibilities. It really isn’t that hard once you start to get the hang of it.
As ghey as it sounds, learn how to plan your life, and you get pretty good at making time for the important shit. If you can’t lift on a normal schedule because of finals you are fucked when it comes to working full time, wife, mortgage and kids.
As a wise man once said, “don’t expect extraordinary results from ordinary effort.”
2)I am in currently in university right now, and my finals are coming up in two weeks and I must do well on them. I am planning on doing a full body workout twice a week for the next two weeks just to maintain. Is that a good strategy or is there a better one?
Learn how to manage your time in a manner that is efficient enough to allow you to lift for an hour a day everyday. (Not that should or shouldn’t lift 7 days a week, that isn’t my point.)
This is going to be a skill you will need in the working (real) world. Learn it now. If training is important to you, make time for it by managing your responsibilities. It really isn’t that hard once you start to get the hang of it.
As ghey as it sounds, learn how to plan your life, and you get pretty good at making time for the important shit. If you can’t lift on a normal schedule because of finals you are fucked when it comes to working full time, wife, mortgage and kids.
As a wise man once said, “don’t expect extraordinary results from ordinary effort.”[/quote]
I pretty much agree with countingbeans. However, I will say this: organizational skills are learned and require working on to perfect, so it’s kind of a longer term goal. I still suck at them, but I’m working on it. For the short term, yes getting into the gym during finals week and just maintaining is a good strategy.
Doing something in the gym is always better than doing nothing at all and just forgetting about it.
I am fairly new to lifting weights. I am 20 years old. I started last October (16th 2008) at about 150 lbs at 6 feet and a few days ago i weighed in at 186lbs at about 11% bf. I did a few random workouts to start with, but then i got serious and did starting strength and my lifts exploded. Currently my deadlift 1RM is at 355, Squat is at 235 for a set of five, Front squat is 205 for a set of five, my bench is at 145 for a set of five, and my standing press is at 100 lbs for a set of 5. I currently can’t do widegrip pullups for more than 3 reps without a spot. I can also squat 195 for a 20 rep set. As you can see from my weights my upper body is lagging quite a bit. My question is, how can I help my upperbody catch my lower body? Right now I am going 3 days a week: mon: back wed: chest Fri Legs + shoulders.
2)I am in currently in university right now, and my finals are coming up in two weeks and I must do well on them. I am planning on doing a full body workout twice a week for the next two weeks just to maintain. Is that a good strategy or is there a better one?
3)I was thinking of switching up my gym plan, so far I’ve done starting strength for about 5 months and now I’m just on a split program, any suggestions for what I should be doing. (My current goal is 200lbs with 8% bf by next year)
My calorie intake varies quite a bit from day to day depending on my schedule, some days im taking in an excess of 4500 some days I barely hit 2000 cause of work and school. Any suggestions on quick meals I can make t the beginning of the week and take along to school and work with me?
I never really stretch before or after a workout, should I change this or is it fine? ie will i have pains in 20 years or is it negligible.
Thank you for your time
maakul[/quote]
Huge fan of the Westside Barbell template. Helped me pack on a ton of muscle and lots of strength over the years. look for something called the “beginner’s template” or “9 week beginner program” or something like that to start you off. If that’s not your style look up Joe Defranco and use the westside for skinny bastards program (any of the 3 he has).
In general I feel like a 4 day upper/lower split (2 upper, 2 lower) works extremely well for a lot of people.
take a cooler with you. Just a small one, but you can pack some food in it. Or take a shaker bottle and keep a protein shake with you for emergencies. Or grab a tortilla, some cheese and some chicken or tuna and make a couple wraps for a quick meal and carry them in a tupperware container.
Yes, change this. I would stretch after a workout, and mobilize before a workout. In other words I would do mobility drills and active warm-ups before a workout and stretch statically afterwards.