OMG not another Rippetoes blog!

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So I've been talking about how Rippetoes is no longer working for me lately and that I can't squat three times a week any more. I've decided to try out a new training method; one which is power based but includes plenty of variation on the exercises.

Workout A
Squat or box squat 2 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Work B
Bench Press or low board press or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

Workout C
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2 x 5
Front squat or leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Workout D
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns or dumbell skull crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

Train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Well, that's what I'm aiming for but no doubt my schedule will get mucked up so I might be doing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for some weeks ... as long as I'm not training back to back and get a two day break between every second and fourth workout. Obviously, since there are four workouts and only three sessions per week, workout D will be done the next week and then A will be done two days after ... you get the picture. This means that I will not be doing deadlifts or heavy back squats very often, which I think might be better for me. I only deadlift two or three times per month, which means I should be able to go hard on them without recking my CNS.

All working sets are the same weight, and should be heavier than the last session I did them. Reps are guidlines rather than set in stone, so getting, say, 8, 8, 8 and 6 or 7 isn't a wasted workout and I'll still try and add weight the next one. Sets are taken to one rep short of failure but never failure, although failing on the big lifts like bench and squat occasionally is no biggie.

Lifts are rotated once I stall, eg once I stall on the bench I'll move onto low board press, once I stall on the squat I move onto box squats. Then once I stall on them I move back. Every four to six weeks I deload by only lifting 85% intensity on all lifts and sets that week. However, if the minimum weight jump that I can make is too big to attempt then I'll add a few reps before upping the weight and lowering the reps to the original reps (eg bench pressing with 40kg dumbells: the next ones up are 42.5kg which means I'd have a 5kg weight jump; this is too big I think so I'll first get 4x8, then 4x10-12, then use the 42.5's to get 4x8 again).

I might drop the front squats/leg presses once I stall on regular back squats and see if that helps, since they aren't really necessary - most people will be fine with just deadlifts that day. I might drop the curls from workout A if I'm having problems with back or biceps on workout C since a predominantly back day is more appropriate to do them than a predominantly leg day.

I start on workout A tomorrow!

Reply 41

xlisajonesx

first

good luck man, I also train tuesday / thursday / saturday because of my schedule :yy:

What are your lifts?

Reply 42

Smack

Volunteer Team

My 1RMs are as follows:

Squat: 145kg wearing a belt, slightly below parallel
Deadlift: 145kg wearing a belt; done soon after squats which probably wasn't the best idea
Bench press: 75kg

Reply 43

xlisajonesx

Nice

Ive come to the conclusion that my squat should be higher.

Reply 44

Brotherhood

xlisajonesx

first

good luck man, I also train tuesday / thursday / saturday because of my schedule :yy:

What are your lifts?

Me too!

I really have nothing of any value to add to your thread except: nyce liftz!!1!

Reply 45

Chumbaniya

Nice squat you've got there. It looks like you need some work on your bench relative to others (I've got a lower squat and deadlift than you but higher bench, and I've always had good lower body strength relative to upper) and I'd definitely recommend putting dips in as they helped me immensely.

Reply 46

mart1203

yeah good call on the dips, they helped me and I feel no strain on my shoulders at all with them.

Reply 47

Smack

Volunteer Team

Just back from my first workout of the new routine.

Workout A:

Squats: 115kg, 2x5 - quite easy, no lower back problems like I got at Christmas time in my home gym. Started off lighter to get back into it. I'll add 5kg next time

Cable pull throughs: unknown kg, didn't check the stack but it was the last one of the smaller weights, 3x10 - did light weight to get accustomed to this new exercise that I've never done before and I've never seen anyone else do before. I was considering glute ham raises but I'm utterly useless at that kind of stuff and thought I might fall on my face. I'll wait until I stall on the pull throughs to gain some extra strength to see how a fare on these

Barbell rows: 60kg, 3x6, 1x4 - tried new technique where my body was 45 degrees to the floor and I didn't lift the weight dead from the floor. Was my first time doing them this way and they are hard. Will do same weight next time and get all reps

Dumbell curls: 10kg each hand, 3x8 - god damn, by biceps are destroyed after barbell rows! Was very hard. I'll do the same weight next time and see if I can get 10 reps before moving up to 12.5kg each hand.

Calf raises: didn't do, couldn't be arsed. Will do them next time, but I've got decent enough calves from doing squats and I had spent quite a while in the gym

Reply 48

xlisajonesx

Smack

Sounds good man!

Oh how I love curling 26's :wink:

(pity my squat is crap!)

I curl 18s. :h:

I do Tues/Thurs/Sat aswell, it's the future

Reply 51

Smack

Volunteer Team

I missed yesterday because I went out on Thursday night, got really really drunk, didn't feel like eating at all yesterday. I now think I might miss today as well because I'm still absolutely shattered.

Reply 52

Smack

Volunteer Team

Okay so started again with workout A:

Squats: 120kg 2x5 - felt OK. Will do 125kg next time.

Pull throughs: ?kg 3x10 - definitely add weight next time.

Barbell rows: 50kg 4x6 - easy enough, I decreased the weight so I could get used to doing them a new way (torso 45 degrees to floor and not deloading the weight before lifting again). Will do 55kg next time.

Barbell curls: 20kg 3x8 - easy enough. Experimented with different grip widths as some were uncomfortable on wrists. Will do the next barbell up next time.

Calf raises: 20kg 3x15 - could actually be assed to do them this time. Never done them before so didn't know what weight to use. Was too cautious, could have easily done more. Will do a lot more next time.

nice squats

Today was workout B:

Bench press: 60kg 3x3 - first time I benched since my weak attempt at a 1rm in late December, first time I did reps on bench for over a month I think. I thought that 60kg would be fairly easy but it was a bit of a struggle. Still managed all reps so will add weight next time.

Incline dumbell press: 25kg (2x12.5) 4x8 - first time I ever incline pressed or dumbell pressed. Wasn't sure what weight to pick so I tried to go for the 10s but they were taken. 12.5s were probably the right weight for my first time since on the last few reps of the last set I began to feel them. Should easily do the 15s next time though.

Standing military press: 40kg 3x8 - most reps per set I've ever done on this exercise, and the first time I've done it for a month. Bloody hell, very hard to do after flat and incline bench presses! Me triceps were bloody knackered! Will add weight next time.

Skull crushers: 20kg 1x10, 1x7, 1x8 - my triceps were battered after all the presses so I didn't manage to do very well on these. Next time I'll keep the weight and try and get all reps.

Very Niiiiiice!

What did you hit on your 1rm attempt for bench in december man

75kg.

cool

Today was workout C:

Deadlifts: 120kg 2x5 - not squatting/benching on the same day as deadlifts makes a big difference. This was the easiest set of deadlifts I've ever done. I though it best to be cautious given that I'm home for a week and train in my garage with the cold and the lack of a decent warm-up, and haven't done these in weeks. No belt either. Will do 130kg next time.

Front squats: N/A - nowhere to rest bar on front. I tried the cross arm method and the bar kept rolling back and hitting my throat. Dangerous. I'll do leg press instead until I build up enough chest and shoulders to be able to place the bar on my front.

Chin-ups: bodyweight 4x6 - never done these before. Needed a bit of a push to get off the ground so next time I will do pull downs instead until I get strong enough to do proper chin-ups.

Barbell bicep curls: 22.5kg 3x8 - OK, far easier to shift more weight on these if you didn't just do barbell rows first. But the problem is, though, that next time I curl will be after heavier than last time rows, so I might stick with this weight.

Calf raises: N/A - feet kept sliding off the plates and found it hard to balance the barbell and weight whilst standing on my tiptoes. Might try ghetto seated calf raises (put weight plates on knees, sit on bench, put plank under balls of feet, and raise!) next time I'm at my garage gym.

Overall, quite an easy workout since I didn't do half the bloody exercises!

Although this will change once I'm pushing myself on the deadlifts and actually front squatting/leg pressing.