Re: Bill Starr's 5 x 5 program... Variation per Madcow2 (thanx) So here it is! K up n
If your strength is still increasing, you are not overtraining or really overreaching (performance deficit is a main indication).
As for determining workload, cookie-cutter shot in the dark based on your experience and what other people have done and work from there. Feel your way, no real other way to do it.
siamesedream said:Madcow, how exactly can one judge how much workload they can actually handle without overtraining themselves? As I've stated before, I can't do an already brilliantly-designed program like the 5x5 right now since I have a fairly serious back injury which will plague me for at least 6 more months or so (according to the docs). I've designed a program for myself utilizing exercises like one-legged squats, weighted push-ups, weighted dips, weighted pullups, weighted diamond push-ups, etc. and have been trying very hard to fine-tune it using your geocities webpage as a resource to help me in my design. Well, this week, I was forced to deload by decreasing frequency to 2x a week and dropping the volume since I fried a few of my muscles.
Since I'm deloading, it's no biggie and, as I've learned, it's beneficial to have planned overload and planned deload periods. However, I've been lifting for less than a year and also know that dual-factor training is not something necessary for myself yet, or at least it shouldn't be part of my plan at the moment. Therefore, how exactly can I guage what sort of workload I can handle in order to have a continuous training plan? I have a backpack and weights and add weights every week to stimulate progressive overload, so that part is taken care of. As per Glenn's advice, I know I shouldn't be planning failure and, once failure is reached for a 2-week period, I need to ramp the weights back down and start progressively overloading again. Thanks to that, I have not been training to failure, but I nonetheless realized earlier this week that my muscles were fried. I haven't reached failure yet, but my muscles got overloaded anyways. Obviously, this tells me that my workload has ben way too heavy for me to handle without a deloading period.
Of course, I now realize my workload will have to be less to avoid dual-factor training, but how will I know what I can handle or will I just have to find that out myself over time?
If your strength is still increasing, you are not overtraining or really overreaching (performance deficit is a main indication).
As for determining workload, cookie-cutter shot in the dark based on your experience and what other people have done and work from there. Feel your way, no real other way to do it.