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young_squatters Single Factor 5x5 Journal

young_squatter

young_squatter

New member
Ive been doing dual factor before this and have not seen really great results, been only lifting seriously for 6 months, right now im 6 foot 160lbs. I will be starting this routine on monday, We will see how it goes.

Starting lifts
Full Squats 205x6
Bench Press 135x5
Deadlift 240x5
Barbell Rows- Unknown never done them parallel so i will be starting them this week.
Military Press-75x5 Weak lift


Monday: Heavy Day
Full Squats 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Rows 5x5
Sit ups 4 sets
Weigted Hypers 2 sets

Wed: Light Day
Squat 5x5
Military Press 4x5
Deadlifts 4x5
Sit ups 3 sets

Friday: Medium Day
Squats 4x5 with one triple, back off
Bench 4x5 With one triple, back off
Bent Over Rows 4x5 with one triple
Close grip bench 3x5-8
Triceps and Biceps 3x8 each

On Monday, the weight for each lift is increased on each set of 5, from a light warm-up to an all out set of 5. For squats, something like 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5. The weight will be increased evenly from your first to last set.

On light day, I will Squat the first 3 sets of 5 just as I did on Monday, and then do a fourth set of 5 with the weight used on the third set. An extra fifth set at this same weight might be added. Military Press is done working up to a top set of 5.

On Friday, the first four sets are the same as they were on Monday. The fifth set, done for three reps, should be a jump of about 2.5% over what I did for my fifth set on Monday. the goal is to come back the following Monday and get the same weight for 5 reps that I got for 3 reps the Friday before. After the big triple, I will drop back to the weight I used for your 3rd set and try to get eight reps
 
Cool bro. Your military isn't THAT far out of line with your BP. It'll come up. Are you starting conservatively? I would advise doing so, as starting right around your current PRs may be asking a bit much. Just a thought.

Good luck. Eat big.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Cool bro. Your military isn't THAT far out of line with your BP. It'll come up. Are you starting conservatively? I would advise doing so, as starting right around your current PRs may be asking a bit much. Just a thought.

Good luck. Eat big.
Click to expand...

Yeah im starting conservative to get used to the program and then set pr in 2 or 3 weeks. Thanks
 
Start light with the rows, just to be sure you don't hurt yourself. Try to get a video or have someone watch your form. Someone that knows how to do them. They're a great exercise, but can really strain your lower back if you're not ready for 'em.

Jesus, another single-factor journal haha. Dammit, Butters, what have you done?
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Start light with the rows, just to be sure you don't hurt yourself. Try to get a video or have someone watch your form. Someone that knows how to do them. They're a great exercise, but can really strain your lower back if you're not ready for 'em.

Jesus, another single-factor journal haha. Dammit, Butters, what have you done?
Click to expand...

No body at my gym does barbell rows the correct way, everyone does them at a 45 degree angle.

So ill try to get the form down good and try to feel the exercise in my back. Hope single factor works well.
 
I was new to 90degree bb rows when I started the 5x5. I haven't increased the weight that much from week to week. But my body has responded very well to them. I would say focus on getting the form down, then worry about increasing weight.

Don't worry if you don't increase the weight week to week. You can still make good gains in mass.
 
wooldog said:
I was new to 90degree bb rows when I started the 5x5. I haven't increased the weight that much from week to week. But my body has responded very well to them. I would say focus on getting the form down, then worry about increasing weight.

Don't worry if you don't increase the weight week to week. You can still make good gains in mass.
Click to expand...

Alright thanks. :)
 
Here is my diet, just thought i post it

Monday

Meal1:8:40-9:00
1 whole egg 70 calories, 6 protien, 0 carbs, 4.5 fat
3 egg beaters 90 calories, 18 protein, 3 carbs, 0 fat
100 grams oats 375 calories, 12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat
1/4 cup cc 45 calories, 8 protein, 2 carbs, 0.5 fat
1 ser fruit 50 calories, 0 protein, 12 carbs, 0 fat

Total Calories-630
Total Protein-44
Total Carbs-84
Total Fat-12.5

Class:9:00-9:50

Lift Weights 10:15-11:15

Meal2:Post Workout 11:30-11:50
1.5 scoop whey protein 165 calories,34 protein, 3 carbs, 2 fat
100 grams oats 375 calories, 12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat
50 grams of strawberries 50 calories, 0 protein, 12 carbs, o fat

Total Calories-590
Total Protein-46.5
Total Carbs-82
Total Fat-9.5

Class:1:00-1:50

Meal3:2:30-3:00
4 oz. lean beef 140 calories, 23 protein, 0 carbs, 4.5 fat
2 Ser.EggBeaters 60 calories,12 protein, 2 carbs, 0 fat
80 grams Oats 300calories,10 protein,54carbs, 6 fat



Total Calories-500
Total Protein-45
Total Carbs-56
Total Fat-10.5

Meal4:5:30-6:00
1 pack tuna 90 calories, 19 protein, 1 carb, 1 fat
1/2 cc 90 calories, 16 protein, 4 carb, 1 fat
80 grams oats 300 calories, 10 protein,54 carbs, 6 fat


Total Calories-480
Total Protein-45
Total Carbs-59
Total Fat-8

Meal5:8:00-8:10
1 whole egg 70 calories, 6 protien, 0 carbs, 4.5 fat
3 egg beaters 90 calories, 18 protein, 3 carbs, 0 fat
1 ser fruit 50 calories, 0 protein, 12 carbs, 0 fat

Total Calories-210
Total Protein-24
Total Carbs-15
Total Fat-4.5

Meal6: 10:00-10:20
4 oz lean beef 140 calories, 23 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
1 whole egg 70 calories, 6 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
2 egg beaters 60 calories, 12 protein, 2 carb, 0 fat

Total Calories-270
Total Protein-41
Total Carbs-2
Total Fat-9

Meal7: 12:00
1 cup cottage cheese 180 calories,32 protein, 8 carbs, 2 fat
1 tbs peanut butter 90 calories, 3.5 protein,1 carb, 7.5 fat

Total Calories-270
Total Protein-35.5
Total Carbs-9
Total Fat-9.5

Totals:
Calories-2950
Protein-281
Carbs-307
Fat-63.5
 
Good start on the diet but I'd wager a hefty sum that you'll need to bump up the cals substantially. But start as planned and see how it goes. No sense adding more bf than you have to :)
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Good start on the diet but I'd wager a hefty sum that you'll need to bump up the cals substantially. But start as planned and see how it goes. No sense adding more bf than you have to :)
Click to expand...

young squatter, have you considered adding a weight gainer to the mix? I use Prolab N-Large2 twice a day. It's 600 kcals per serving. If you just added that to your current diet, you'd be over the 4000 calorie mark.
 
Wow, you're diet looks really good. Someone's been doing their homework :)

A couple of things I'd change though. After you've worked out, you want simple carbs to replenish your energy levels as fast as possible. Oats are complex carbs and take a long while to release their energy. If you can get hold of some dextrose, that's perfect and pretty cheap. A lot of people use gatorade, which contains dextrose.

I'd try to follow that with a whole food meal within the next hour, say at 12:30. Something with a higher GI that will help further replenish energy levels. Something like a chicken sandwich on white bread and a banana, or a chicken breast with a baked potato if you can. Try to keep the fat content down in this meal because it slows digestion.

All the other meals are spot on.

In terms of overall calorie count, keep track of your weight and try to put on around 1lb per week. Use that as your guide as to whether to add or reduce the amount you're eating. You'll probably have to increase it quite a bit as 3000 cals isn't a huge amount. Make increases gradually, say 300 cals per week, don't just dump another 1000 calories on yourself overnight or you'll put on fat. I ended up around the 4000 mark, which surprised me.
 
anotherbutters said:
Wow, you're diet looks really good. Someone's been doing their homework :)

A couple of things I'd change though. After you've worked out, you want simple carbs to replenish your energy levels as fast as possible. Oats are complex carbs and take a long while to release their energy. If you can get hold of some dextrose, that's perfect and pretty cheap. A lot of people use gatorade, which contains dextrose.

I'd try to follow that with a whole food meal within the next hour, say at 12:30. Something with a higher GI that will help further replenish energy levels. Something like a chicken sandwich on white bread and a banana, or a chicken breast with a baked potato if you can. Try to keep the fat content down in this meal because it slows digestion.

All the other meals are spot on.

In terms of overall calorie count, keep track of your weight and try to put on around 1lb per week. Use that as your guide as to whether to add or reduce the amount you're eating. You'll probably have to increase it quite a bit as 3000 cals isn't a huge amount. Make increases gradually, say 300 cals per week, don't just dump another 1000 calories on yourself overnight or you'll put on fat. I ended up around the 4000 mark, which surprised me.
Click to expand...

I would take dextrose post workout but im in college, so my schedule dont work out for me that well, first i wake up have breakfast in my dorm go to class come back take creatine go lift weights come back hurry up and eat then I have classes, So if i took a simple carb post workout i would not be able to get a whole food meal in for 2 to 3 hours. Also there have been studies to show that simple carbs post workout are not needed post workout. And my gains have been a lot cleaner with oatmeal and fruit post workout other then dextrose, i used to do dextrose and it didnt work well with me.
Yeah I know im going to have to increase my calories as time goes on, I aim to gain 1lb a week. Thanks for the suggestions, i appreciate it.


Also thanks ripstone im pulling for you also.
 
Week 1 Day 1
10/24/05
Weight 160

Monday

Squats
145x5
160x5
175x5
190x5
200x5

Bench Press
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5

Barbell Rows
65x5
75x5
85x5
95x5
105x5

Weighted Hyperextensions:
65x8, 8, 8

Dumbbell Curl
35x7, 30x8, 30x7


Duration:62 min

This workout was good, The squats were feeling really heavy and same with bench press. Everything felt really good though, This is the first time I have ever done barbell rows at parallel so i had to start light and work up.

Couple questions for you guys?
For bench press should my fingers be outside the rings or inside the rings?

Also do you think I pyramid the weight up good? Or do you think that I shouldnt increase the weight so close? Like for bench press instead of what I did should i have done like 75x5, 90x5, 105x5, 120x5, 135x5?

Also 135x5 is my top set for bench, I have never gotten 140x5 before. Do you think next week I should go for 140x5 already or stick with 135 for another week?
 
YS- I believe for your weight progression for squats you could have started out lighter. Maybe 95x5, 125 or 135x5, 160x5, 180x5, 200x5. That is closer to how I did it today(check my journal, hehe).

For bench press, how did 135x5 feel? Did you struggle to get up the 5th rep? See what you do for your triple on friday and then use that weight for your max set of 5 next Mon.

Of course, I am new to this routine too so I would be intersted in what others have to say.
 
I'd spread the warmups out more than that. You're flirtng wihth your workoing weight at set 2. Remember, it's all about the top set. Don't jeopordize it.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
I'd spread the warmups out more than that. You're flirtng wihth your workoing weight at set 2. Remember, it's all about the top set. Don't jeopordize it.
Click to expand...

Thanks ripstone and guisness.

Well right now my max for bench is 135x5
and my max for squat is 200x5

So what should my sets look like? Should I try and increase by like 20lbs each time or more?
 
young_squatter said:
Thanks ripstone and guisness.
Click to expand...
Hey Guinness, I'm beginning to like this chap, what do you think? :)

YS, I'd spread them out a bit too. Maybe squat 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 and bench 80, 90, 105, 120, 135. See how it feels. If they feel really light, increase them a little bit, but not so much that you risk missing the top set. The top set's the important one.

Try to get hold of some smaller plates if your gym doesn't have any. You can't add 5lb to your bench every week. It's important to keep increasing the weight, even if it's only a small increase. Try to get hold of some 1lb plates or something around that, then you can make the smaller increases. Try to add roughly 2-3% per week. So aim for 205 squat and maybe 137 bench next week (starting with three reps on Friday).
 
anotherbutters said:
Hey Guinness, I'm beginning to like this chap, what do you think? :)

YS, I'd spread them out a bit too. Maybe squat 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 and bench 80, 90, 105, 120, 135. See how it feels. If they feel really light, increase them a little bit, but not so much that you risk missing the top set. The top set's the important one.

Try to get hold of some smaller plates if your gym doesn't have any. You can't add 5lb to your bench every week. It's important to keep increasing the weight, even if it's only a small increase. Try to get hold of some 1lb plates or something around that, then you can make the smaller increases. Try to add roughly 2-3% per week. So aim for 205 squat and maybe 137 bench next week (starting with three reps on Friday).
Click to expand...

My gym only has 2.5 lb plates, so the best i can do is a 5 lb increase, Where can I get the smaller Plates at?
 
young_squatter said:
Alright, Ill go a search, if i cant find any then im going to have to try and increase 5 lbs a week which sounds hard.
Click to expand...
More than just hard to bump bench by 5lb week on week. You'll have to aim for increasing your top set every other week or maybe even less often and place more attention on the earlier sets to increas overall load from week to week.
 
Yep, that's a start. Just make sure whatever you buy is for an olympic bar, i.e. 2" hole. You can try increasing every other week, but I don't know how easy that will be. With smaller increases, you barely notice it going up, so it's a bit like sneaking a bit on without your muscles noticing that much.

If you get those plates, try to improvise something at half that weight like a chain from a hardware store, then you can use a combination of the two.
 
anotherbutters said:
Yep, that's a start. Just make sure whatever you buy is for an olympic bar, i.e. 2" hole. You can try increasing every other week, but I don't know how easy that will be. With smaller increases, you barely notice it going up, so it's a bit like sneaking a bit on without your muscles noticing that much.

If you get those plates, try to improvise something at half that weight like a chain from a hardware store, then you can use a combination of the two.
Click to expand...

Yeah I understand, Im going to try to go up 5 lbs next week because those plates wont be in until next week

Thanks for all the help I appreciate it.
 
Cardio: Eliptical Machine
Time: 30 Minutes
Distance: 3.5 miles
Calories burned: 430

Had a good sweat going today, felt really good after I was done.
My pre cardio meal was 1 scoop of whey and 1 ser strawberries. Gave me the energy I needed to complete my cardio.
 
Hey guys I just got off the phone with Mark Ripptoe and asked him what a good routine would be and he told me this

Workout 1
Squat 3x5
Bench Press 3x5
Deadlift/ Power clean (Alternate every workout)
This has you deadlifting or cleaning every 5th workout
For the deadlift he said to pyrmaid to a top set of 5, and for power clean to do 5x3.

Workout 2
Squat 3x5
Military press 3x5
Hyperextensions 3x5
Chins 3x5

He told me to go heavy every workout, He said that I should try to increase my squat by 10lbs every workout and so should deadlift, also he said my other lifts should increase 1-3 lbs every workout. And for me not to settle a workout without increasing the weight every workout.

Also he told me pretty much to eat like it was going out of style, He told me that I had to drink 1 gallon of WHOLE MILK a day. He said I should gain like 3 lbs a week and this is why my lifts should fly up. He told me not to do any isolation arm work at all. Just do what he said and then get the hell out of the gym.
Then he said when my squat and other lifts start to plateu that I should drop the weight 20lbs then work my way back on and then start making 5 lb jumps on squats. He said this should work for about 1 Year.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK I SHOULD DO? I WANT TO TAKE HIS ADVICE BUT EATING AS MUCH AS HE WANTS ME TO WONT I JUST GET FAT?
 
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Guinness5.0 said:
I'd def. take his advice. How the hell do you know him?
Click to expand...

Well I just started emailing him this week, and he emailed me back telling me that he rather talk to me on the phone, so he gave me his telephone number and I called him and he gave me that routine, He told me I should be able to put 10lbs on my squat every workout for a while if I eat like he said, He said if I dont eat like he said then I wont make that good of progress.
After he gave me the program and told me everything to do he told me to call him back as much as I wanted and to keep him informed, and said when this program stops working that he will customize it again to make it work again. He said he could put 30 lbs on me fast.

He is a very nice guy, so I gave him my number so now he can call me and I can call him.
 
young_squatter said:
Well I just started emailing him this week, and he emailed me back telling me that he rather talk to me on the phone, so he gave me his telephone number and I called him and he gave me that routine, He told me I should be able to put 10lbs on my squat every workout for a while if I eat like he said, He said if I dont eat like he said then I wont make that good of progress.
After he gave me the program and told me everything to do he told me to call him back as much as I wanted and to keep him informed, and said when this program stops working that he will customize it again to make it work again. He said he could put 30 lbs on me fast.

He is a very nice guy, so I gave him my number so now he can call me and I can call him.
Click to expand...
Well I'd take his advice for sure.

If you talk to him again tell him about Elite. Tell him there's lots of guys here that bought his book and would love his input.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Well I'd take his advice for sure.

If you talk to him again tell him about Elite. Tell him there's lots of guys here that bought his book and would love his input.
Click to expand...

Ill do that.
I plan on talking to him again next week.

The diet he recommends is kinda crazy, I think it will put a lot of fat on me, but he said that I have to eat like that or I wont see progress on the routine.
 
First, it's awesome that you're getting personal help from Rippetoe. Like guinness said, mention Elite next time you email/call him (and feel free to pass along the appreciation of everybody who's bought Starting Strength).

IMO, you should definitely try the routine he gave you. Its provenance pretty much guarantees that it'll be effective, and it'd be really interesting to compare the results to those others have gotten Bill Starr's single-factor.

Regarding the diet advice, the relevant thing to keep in mind is that he's a strength coach, not a bodybuilder. That statement isn't intended to imply any value judgment; obviously, there's a ton of overlap in the types of methods that are effective (of which many in the latter group are almost wholly ignorant), but, equally obviously, there's a different set of emphases. Bodybuilding has, in essence, the aim of maximizing muscle mass and minimizing bodyfat. For strength training, it's gaining as much functional strength as possible for athletics. The combination of diet and training that guys like Rip advocate will maximize this variable; conditioning drills and practice before and during the sports season then naturally takes care of a lot of the fat gained. You're quite right that you'll gain more fat with the diet he gave you than with a mildly hypercaloric clean diet. Ultimately, it's just a personal decision based on your short- and long-term strength and aesthetic goals.
 
Cynical Simian said:
First, it's awesome that you're getting personal help from Rippetoe. Like guinness said, mention Elite next time you email/call him (and feel free to pass along the appreciation of everybody who's bought Starting Strength).

IMO, you should definitely try the routine he gave you. Its provenance pretty much guarantees that it'll be effective, and it'd be really interesting to compare the results to those others have gotten Bill Starr's single-factor.

Regarding the diet advice, the relevant thing to keep in mind is that he's a strength coach, not a bodybuilder. That statement isn't intended to imply any value judgment; obviously, there's a ton of overlap in the types of methods that are effective (of which many in the latter group are almost wholly ignorant), but, equally obviously, there's a different set of emphases. Bodybuilding has, in essence, the aim of maximizing muscle mass and minimizing bodyfat. For strength training, it's gaining as much functional strength as possible for athletics. The combination of diet and training that guys like Rip advocate will maximize this variable; conditioning drills and practice before and during the sports season then naturally takes care of a lot of the fat gained. You're quite right that you'll gain more fat with the diet he gave you than with a mildly hypercaloric clean diet. Ultimately, it's just a personal decision based on your short- and long-term strength and aesthetic goals.
Click to expand...

Thanks great advice, Im going to start his routine next week or the week after, Im waiting to recieve his book. I plan on talking to him one more time about the diet before I start his routine he gave me.
 
Yeah, ask him about the diet, 'cause a gallon of whole milk is a lot of saturated fat, among other things. If you're also getting your red meats, I would be skeptical of that just a bit.

Still, I'm sure what he recommends has worked for many in the past, so just ask him and see what he says in terms of how much to eat, how often, and what to make your meals out of.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Yeah, ask him about the diet, 'cause a gallon of whole milk is a lot of saturated fat, among other things. If you're also getting your red meats, I would be skeptical of that just a bit.

Still, I'm sure what he recommends has worked for many in the past, so just ask him and see what he says in terms of how much to eat, how often, and what to make your meals out of.
Click to expand...

Alright ill do that next time.
 
Thanks, I really wanna hear what he thinks about that kinda stuff in more detail. I get his training approaches, and I follow those more or less, but his diet ideas seem a bit skewed.

What's his e-mail?
 
Don't post his email. Afford the guy a little bit of privacy or everyone will be emailing him! Send it to AI in a PM instead.

The gallon of milk a day is probably the easiest thing to get someone who is starting out to follow, without having to worry about preparing meals and working out the details of what we might consider a typical bodybuilder diet. I expect that along with four big meals per day would have been his advice. The milk gives you a big boost in calories and plenty of protein without much regard for the macros.

You will do well to listen to what Mark has to say. You're in a priviledged position if he's giving you one-to-one advice.
 
Cynical Simian said:
\Regarding the diet advice, the relevant thing to keep in mind is that he's a strength coach, not a bodybuilder. That statement isn't intended to imply any value judgment; obviously, there's a ton of overlap in the types of methods that are effective (of which many in the latter group are almost wholly ignorant), but, equally obviously, there's a different set of emphases. Bodybuilding has, in essence, the aim of maximizing muscle mass and minimizing bodyfat. For strength training, it's gaining as much functional strength as possible for athletics. The combination of diet and training that guys like Rip advocate will maximize this variable; conditioning drills and practice before and during the sports season then naturally takes care of a lot of the fat gained. You're quite right that you'll gain more fat with the diet he gave you than with a mildly hypercaloric clean diet. Ultimately, it's just a personal decision based on your short- and long-term strength and aesthetic goals.
Click to expand...

^^^He hit the nail on the head as far as Ripptoe's diet advice.

You defintley have to keep in mind that Ripptoe is used to dealing with people that are soley concerned about strength/muscle gains. While are friend YS is concerned with strength/muscle gains, he would still like to achieve his goals of an asethicly pleasing physique. IMO YS can do this still without drinking a the whole milk and just eating a clean diet at a huge calorie surplus.
 
RipStone said:
^^^He hit the nail on the head as far as Ripptoe's diet advice.

You defintley have to keep in mind that Ripptoe is used to dealing with people that are soley concerned about strength/muscle gains. While are friend YS is concerned with strength/muscle gains, he would still like to achieve his goals of an asethicly pleasing physique. IMO YS can do this still without drinking a the whole milk and just eating a clean diet at a huge calorie surplus.
Click to expand...
Yeah Thanks ripstone, I just got done talking to rippetoe and he told me to email him about the diet so I did now im waiting for a response.

Another butters- I didnt plan on giving out his email because if I did the guy would be getting messages left and right.

Also im 6 foot, 160lbs, 18 years old.

Ill be starting this routine today, but without drinking all that milk, i will aim for 1-1.5 lbs a week of gain on bodyweight.
 
Last edited:
How'd you even get his e-mail to contact him in the first place? It's awesome you're getting advice directly from him. I only asked you to post it up, 'cause I figured it was just from some forum somewhere.

The milk thing will work. Just don't use whole. Use 2% milk and throw in ANPB to make up for the loss of calories in 2% as opposed to whole. Much better tasting, and a better source of fat. A gallon of whole milk is about 40 grams of saturated fats. That's no good.

His routine recommends two workouts...when are they done? Monday - Wednesday - Friday, rotated like a DC routine?
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
His routine recommends two workouts...when are they done? Monday - Wednesday - Friday, rotated like a DC routine?
Click to expand...

Yep, also i rather eat my calories then drink them, im going to call him next week and ask him about a different diet
 
Wed 10/26/05

Started mark rippetoes routine

Squats
195x5
195x5
195x5

Military Press
75x5
75x5
75x5....PR

Chins
BWx4
BWx3
BWx3

Weighted Hyperextensions
85x5
85x5
85x5.....PR

Duratio:45 minutes

Overall good workout, For some reason the top of my leg was killing me on the squats, it felt like it was going to tear. But I worked through it. Also I just found out today on squats when I go past parallel that my knees go across my toes, Is this bad? Will it effect my gains at all? I decreased the weight to work on form but for some reason no matter what I do I can barlley make parallel without knees going across toes? Is this a problem or is it ok?
 
young_squatter said:
Wed 10/26/05

Started mark rippetoes routine

Squats
195x5
195x5
195x5

Military Press
75x5
75x5
75x5....PR

Chins
BWx4
BWx3
BWx3

Weighted Hyperextensions
85x5
85x5
85x5.....PR

Duratio:45 minutes

Overall good workout, For some reason the top of my leg was killing me on the squats, it felt like it was going to tear. But I worked through it. Also I just found out today on squats when I go past parallel that my knees go across my toes, Is this bad? Will it effect my gains at all? I decreased the weight to work on form but for some reason no matter what I do I can barlley make parallel without knees going across toes? Is this a problem or is it ok?
Click to expand...

Are thoe just work sets that you posted or are you doing a few warm up sets like we talked about on AIM? For example...

squats: (warmups) 95x5, 135x5, 165x3 (worksets) 195x5, 195x5, 195x5

Also, did Mark Ripptoe suggest what percent of your 1 RM you should be working with on your work sets?

About knees going past your toes, I have always heard that is not a good thing to do if you only go to parallel, but if you go past parallel I believe it's ok....not 100% sure on this so someone correct me if I am wrong.
 
RipStone said:
Are thoe just work sets that you posted or are you doing a few warm up sets like we talked about on AIM? For example...

squats: (warmups) 95x5, 135x5, 165x3 (worksets) 195x5, 195x5, 195x5

Also, did Mark Ripptoe suggest what percent of your 1 RM you should be working with on your work sets?

About knees going past your toes, I have always heard that is not a good thing to do if you only go to parallel, but if you go past parallel I believe it's ok....not 100% sure on this so someone correct me if I am wrong.
Click to expand...

Yeah ripstone I did those warm up exactly like that, just was to lazy to post them, LOL.
For squats I can do parallel without knees going past toes, but past parallel they go past, but I have made good gains this way so I am guessing its fine.
 
Your Starting Strength book will help you with squats when it arrives. When you start the squat, your knees will go forwards initially. Your height and limb lengths will determine how far that is. But once they've gone forward a bit, they should pretty much stay there. The rest of the movement is done with your butt going further back and down. In the book, he demonstrates teaching this by putting a tall block of wood (chair, whatever) a short distance in front of your knee. Let your knee go to that, then stay there.

Also, try to get the weight towards the middle/back of your foot, not on your toes.
 
anotherbutters said:
Your Starting Strength book will help you with squats when it arrives. When you start the squat, your knees will go forwards initially. Your height and limb lengths will determine how far that is. But once they've gone forward a bit, they should pretty much stay there. The rest of the movement is done with your butt going further back and down. In the book, he demonstrates teaching this by putting a tall block of wood (chair, whatever) a short distance in front of your knee. Let your knee go to that, then stay there.

Also, try to get the weight towards the middle/back of your foot, not on your toes.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, My knees dont go that far in front of my toes, But I do have long legs so they do go across a bit.
Also I do have the weight towards the back of my foot.

Also I just emailed mark about the diet, and this is what he had to say.

Mark Rippetoe,
If you gain 30 lbs. of muscle and 5 lbs. of fat, your bodyfat percentage goes down. When you can see the sense of this, then you're okay. Until then, you will never make gains in muscle, because an excess of calories is required to gain muscle, and if you're worried about "getting fat", you will never eat enougfh to gain muscle.

Stop worrying and start eating and training heavy. Worry about your strength, not your appearance.
 
Well, he makes a good point in relation to diet. Real simple stuff, like it should be. Of course, you can toy with macronutrient ratios all day to try to optimize things, but that's no fun. :FRlol:

Glad to see he's this helpful. From what I understand, you're supposed to perform 3x5 with a working weight for the listed exercises. Before that, you use warmups to work up to it, correct?

And he suggests you push the weights up for squats by 10 lbs. every session? That's 30 lbs. a week. I would think that'd stop after two weeks, tops.

He said to drop back 20 lbs. when you plateau. Is this on all lifts, first off? Second, how often does he recommend you add weight back to your squat in those 5 lb. jumps? Weekly from that point, after your first stall? And, once you stall in the other lifts, do they go up every workout or do you start upping it only once a week?

Sorry, just trying to clarify things.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Well, he makes a good point in relation to diet. Real simple stuff, like it should be. Of course, you can toy with macronutrient ratios all day to try to optimize things, but that's no fun. :FRlol:

Glad to see he's this helpful. From what I understand, you're supposed to perform 3x5 with a working weight for the listed exercises. Before that, you use warmups to work up to it, correct?

And he suggests you push the weights up for squats by 10 lbs. every session? That's 30 lbs. a week. I would think that'd stop after two weeks, tops.

He said to drop back 20 lbs. when you plateau. Is this on all lifts, first off? Second, how often does he recommend you add weight back to your squat in those 5 lb. jumps? Weekly from that point, after your first stall? And, once you stall in the other lifts, do they go up every workout or do you start upping it only once a week?

Sorry, just trying to clarify things.
Click to expand...

Yes I warm up for the 3x5 before I do them with 3 sets, like for squats today I warmed up with 95x5, 135x5, 165x2.
He said I should try to up my squat 10lbs a session but im going for 5 because im on a bodybuilding diet. When he said drop back 20 lbs that was just if i stalled on squats, then I would work my way back up, for the other lifts I would drop like 10 lbs because there not as heavy. This is pretty much a deload and he said I should be able to make gains again. He said if I do this program correctly that it will work for 6 months to a year. He said when it stops working that he will costimize the routine so it started working again.

So this is pretty much what he recommends for novice lifters. Im pretty sure that after I stall for good on this program that he will tell me to do the original SF routine where im make PR once a week. Then after that routine stops working he would most likely tell me to switch to dual factor and so on.
 
I assumed you'd get to the SF or something very similar within the first 3-4 months. I can't imagine anyone being able to raise their squat more than once a week for more than 3-4 months, even if you have to back off and ramp up again a few times.

I'm not saying you won't, and I hope you do. I just thought the initial quick gains would slow down after 3-4 months. It'll be interesting to see how you get on.
 
Even in Starting Strength, he says adding about 10 lbs. to the bar every workout for 3-4 weeks is as far as that usually gets. From there, a trainee can back off and ramp up again, and also begin making smaller jumps in weight.
 
Thanks anotherbutters, I thought the same thing, he told me eventually I said I would probably stop adding that much weight when I get to 265 lb squat and im at 200 squat right now, so thats about right, then im sure ill move into the SF routine I was going to do before.

Also the only problem I have with the routine he recommend is he told me not to do barbell rows? But that means that my back is not getting work, do you guys think I should add barbell rows in here somewhere?

Workout 1
Squat 3x5

Bench Press 3x5

Deadlift/Power Clean
(alternate the two) Deadlifts are pyramided to a top set of 5, Power cleans are 5x3

Workout 2
Squat 3x5

Press 3x5

Hyperextensions 3x8-12

Chins 3 sets to failure
 
Power cleans are fantastic back work, as are deads. Bench will work your lats plenty (if you bench properly - and since you're gonna read SS, you will :))

EDIT: Did he recommend the chins or did you add 'em? I ask b/c in the program he outlines in SS he doesn't mention them.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Power cleans are fantastic back work, as are deads. Bench will work your lats plenty (if you bench properly - and since you're gonna read SS, you will :))

EDIT: Did he recommend the chins or did you add 'em? I ask b/c in the program he outlines in SS he doesn't mention them.
Click to expand...

Alright thanks Guinness that help a lot, I was worried that my back would be lagging if I didnt do barbell rows. Which I dont want to happen.

Yes he recommend that I do chins.
 
10/27/05 Week 1 Thursday

Cardio: Treadmill
Speed/Length:
5mph/5 min
8mph/3 min
7.5mph/2 min
5mph/3 min
5.5mph/2 min
5mph/3 min
7.5mph/2 min

Distance: 2.10 Miles
Calories Burned: 250

Comments: Good cardio workout overall, I hate the treadmill though, had no choice but to do it because all the elipticals were taken like usual.

Next week I am upping my calories on workout days, But I dont know if I should increase carbs or protein?
 
Week 1 Friday

Squats
*95x5
*135x5
*165x5
200x5
200x5
200x5

Bench press
*65x5
*95x5
*110x2
130x5
130x5
130x5

Deadlifts
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
245x5....PR

Duration: 52 minutes

Comments: On squats I went really deep which was butt to calves, For some reason everytime I squat I get a sharp pain in the top of my leg, it hurts like a mother ****** but I always push through the pain, the last rep on the third set of squats was really bad for some reason, didnt know what happened, just kinda lost my form. Bench Press felt super heavy today, bench press has always been my weakness. Deadlifts felt awesome today, my form was damn good and got a PR which made me happy. Hope my leg heals over the weekend so I can squat heavier. Got my 1.25 lb plates today, im happy about that.

Also I didnt do any isolation tricep exercises this week, I think I should have some isolation arm work somewhere, what you guys think?
 
young_squatter said:
Also I didnt do any isolation tricep exercises this week, I think I should have some isolation arm work somewhere, what you guys think?
Click to expand...
Don't bother. Work on the core stuff ONLY for now.

Maybe some stretching post workout will help the leg soreness.

Are you FORCING yourself down on squats, or jsut going as deep as you canm then going up? It's possible to squat too deep.
 
Congrats on the deadlift PR.

If you want to increase your calories, then assuming you're already getting enough protein, add carbs and fat (good fats of course).
 
Thanks guys,

I am squatting a lot deeper now then I ever used to but thats not the reason for the pain in the leg, Sometime last week when I was squatting I went down to fast and it hurt my leg, been hurting ever since.

The deadlifts 245x5 felt pretty easy guys, I think I got 250-255 in the bag next week.

Also my mom just said that she was going to give me 100-150 dollars a month for supplements, What should I buy each month with this, I need to get some stapels. I already have five 5 lb tubs of whey protein so I dont need any of that. Any suggestions?

Just ordered these
http://store.yahoo.com/bodybuilding-qfac/frpl8plsetmi.html
 
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Spend the money on chicken breasts, tuna, oats, brown rice, veggies, milk... Just eat a ton of food. Whey protein is best after a workout. Maybe add some creatine but that's about it. Eating lots of food is the best thing you can do.
 
Just stick to the basics on supplements in addition to whey: a multivitamin, EFAs, and creatine all have pretty much indisputable benefits. For nearly everything else, it's a bit more dubious whether the return is worth the money. Basically, don't feel obligated to find a way to spend a few hundred dollars a month on supplements just because your mom offered that amount.
 
Alright thanks guys, I was thinking about getting some xtend to sip during workouts, but just figured I didnt really need it for the program that I am on. So ill just stick to a good diet and try to learn as much as I can about training.
 
young_squatter said:
Alright thanks guys, I was thinking about getting some xtend to sip during workouts, but just figured I didnt really need it for the program that I am on. So ill just stick to a good diet and try to learn as much as I can about training.
Click to expand...
Good idea. Outside of some basic food and making sure you eat decently, your effort is best spent working hard and learning. Don't throw money at the 1% - put some effort into getting the 99% right. In most cases it won't mean crap and I have yet to see anybody that didn't get big and strong or got there significantly more slowly because they lacked isolated monkey ass oil. Worry about that after everything else is solid. The first book that you should probably buy is Starting Strength. Think of it as an investment in yourself and $70-125 saved this month.
 
there's nothing wrong with a multi, some whey, and something like muscle milk to add wehn you can't get a solid meal in, but yeah supps are 1%, the training and eating are the other 99%.
 
Thanks guys

Madcow I already bought starting strength, I ordered it from mark rippetoe after I talked to him on the phone, It should be here any day now.

Supplements That I have right now: Higher Power CEE (Got a new creatine coming to replace), AST multi, NOW ADAM, Dymatize Elite Whey (3 different flavors), Optimum nutrition gold standard whey (2 different flavors), Isopure whey protein isolate (2 different flavors), Vitamin C capsules, Vitamin E capsules, Joint Supplement, Just purchased Dymatize Energized Xpand.

I know I got a lot of different whey proteins, but I love the taste of them so thats why I buy so many of them. I really dont rely on supplements for much except to make sure I get enough vitamins.
 
young_squatter said:
Thanks guys

Madcow I already bought starting strength, I ordered it from mark rippetoe after I talked to him on the phone, It should be here any day now.

Supplements That I have right now: Higher Power CEE (Got a new creatine coming to replace), AST multi, NOW ADAM, Dymatize Elite Whey (3 different flavors), Optimum nutrition gold standard whey (2 different flavors), Isopure whey protein isolate (2 different flavors), Vitamin C capsules, Vitamin E capsules, Joint Supplement, Just purchased Dymatize Energized Xpand.

I know I got a lot of different whey proteins, but I love the taste of them so thats why I buy so many of them. I really dont rely on supplements for much except to make sure I get enough vitamins.
Click to expand...

These guys are right on about supplements. The basics are all you need. One thing I would add though is fish oil caps and green tea. Good natural supplements that are great for your overall health.

BTW, you got a lot of different whey flavors bro....which one do you like the best? I am partial to PVL gourment whey...kinda pricey, but damn good.
 
Here are my thoughts on my whey powders Ripstone.

Dymatize Elite Whey Butter Toffee- Awesome, One of the best tasting protein powders I have ever tried, I recommend everyone try this.
Dymatize Elite Whey Cafe Mocha- Awesome, Taste a little bit like coffee with a hint of chochlate, very tasty, If you like coffee then this you will love. Even if you dont you will love, its really that good.
Dymatize Elite Whey Berry Blast- Good, taste a little bit like a strawberry shake, its a really good taste and I recommend it, but not as good as the previous two.
Optimum Nutrtion Rocky Road- S***, I cant stand this one, it has way to strong of a flavor, When I first took a sip I thought I was going to die from the strong taste, I DONT recommend this one at all, even though some people do love it.
Optimum Nutrition Chochlate- Good, Im not really a big chochlate lover that is why I said it is just good, but it is a really great tasting chochlate.
Optimum Nutrition Chochlate Mint- Taste exactly like a peppermint patty, it is really good. I highly recommend it.
Optimum Nutrition Strawberry- Best strawberry flavored protein ive tried, which isnt saying much, but it is good, not as good as the previous two.
Optimum Nutrition Vanilla- Sucks, Way to weak of a flavor.
Isopure Dutch Chochlate whey Isolate- Good, Has a different kind of chochlate taste, it is a little weaker then ON'S, but it is still good none the less.
Isopure Strawberry Whey Isolate- Ok, I dont really recommend this one because it dont taste like strawberry at all, It taste like cotton candy.
 
New diet, This is only for MWF, On non workout days I eat 2600-2800 calories

Meal1:8:20-8:40
4 Egg Beaters 120 calories, 24 protein, 4 carbs, 0 fat
1/4 Cup Cottage Cheese 45 calories, 8 protein, 2 carbs,0.5fat
100 grams oats 375 calories,12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat
1 ser Strawberries 50 calories, 0 protein, 12 carbs, 0 fat
(Supplements-Multivitamin, 1 gram Vitamin C, 400 IU, Joint Supplement, 1 green tea capsule)

Total Calories: 590
Total Protein: 44.5
Total Carbs: 85
Total Fat: 8

Class: 9:00-9:50

10:15: 1 serving of Dymatize Xpand

Lift Weights:10:40-11:20

Meal2: Post Workout 11:30-11:50
1.5 scoop whey protein 165 calories,34 protein, 3 carbs, 2 fat
100 grams oats 375 calories, 12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat
50 grams of strawberries 50 calories, 0 protein, 12 carbs, o fat

Total Calories: 590
Total Protein: 46.5
Total Carbs: 82
Total Fat: 9.5

12:20 1 serving of Dymatize Xpand

Class: 1:00-1:50

Meal3: 2:30-3:00
1 pack tuna 90 calories, 19 protein, 1 carb, 1 fat
1/2 cc 90 calories, 16 protein, 4 carb, 1 fat
100 grams oats 375 calories, 12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat
(Supplements- Joint Supplement, 1 gram Vitamin C, 1 green tea capsule)

Total Calories: 555
Total Protein: 47.5
Total Carbs: 72
Total Fat: 9.5

Meal4: 5:00-5:30
1 pack tuna 90 calories, 19 protein, 1 carb, 1 fat
1/2 cc 90 calories, 16 protein, 4 carb, 1 fat
100 grams oats 375 calories, 12.5 protein,67 carbs,7.5 fat

Total Calories: 555
Total Protein: 47.5
Total Carbs: 72
Total Fat: 9.5

Meal5: 7:40-8:00
4 oz lean beef 140 calories, 23 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
1 whole egg 70 calories, 6 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
2 egg beaters 60 calories, 12 protein, 2 carb, 0 fat

Total Calories: 270
Total Protein: 41
Total Carbs: 2
Total Fat: 9

Meal6: 10:00-10:20
4 oz lean beef 140 calories, 23 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
1 whole egg 70 calories, 6 protein, 0 carb, 4.5 fat
2 egg beaters 60 calories, 12 protein, 2 carb, 0 fat
(Supplements- Joint supplement)

Total Calories: 270
Total Protein: 41
Total Carbs: 2
Total Fat: 9

Meal7: 12:20
1.25 cup cottage cheese 225 calories,40 protein, 10 carbs, 2.5 fat
1 tbs peanut butter 90 calories, 3.5 protein, 1 carb, 7.5 fat
5 fish oil capsules 50 calories, 0 protein, 0 cabrs, 5 fat
(Supplements- Multivitamin, 1 green tea capsule)

Total Calories: 315
Total Protein: 43.5
Total Carbs: 11
Total Fat: 12.5


Totals:
Calories: 3195
Protein: 307.5
Carbs: 327
Fat: 69.5
 
Thanks for the whey reviews. I have tried Dymatize BCT and it is a staple....great taste. I have also tried ON vanilla and I agree with you....its nasty.

For your diet, everything looks great. The only thing I would think about is a little less protein in favor of more fats. Or keep the same amount of protein and just add more fats.
 
Ok ripstone, I had a feeling you were going to say I needed to increase fats because I also believed they were kinda of low.

Also I hope that this program will put muscle mass on, It just doesnt seem like enough volume to stimulate muscle growth just strength, But I could be wrong. What do you guys think? Right now my main focus is size and strength but im so damn small right now that I really need to pack on muscle.
 
Last edited:
StiLL_ShurGGIN said:
hey man u seems to focus quite alot of diet and training now lol. wanna be a bber?
Click to expand...

That is my main goal down the road, right now I just want to get bigger, Im so sick of people looking at me and telling me why are you not big yet you have been lifting for 6 months and stuff like that and it gets me really down because I want to be bigger, And I want to make sure I am doing a routine that is going to help me get to my goals, I am sticking to this routine and hope I get big from it.
 
Last edited:
At 6', I bet you won't put a pound on until you start eating more than that. Start adding your bodyweight to your journal so you can track it. You need to put on at least 1lb per week.
 
young_squatter said:
That is my main goal down the road, right now I just want to get bigger, Im so sick of people looking at me and telling me why are you not big yet you have been lifting for 6 months and stuff like that and it gets me really down because I want to be bigger, And I want to make sure I am doing a routine that is going to help me get to my goals, I am sticking to this routine and hope I get big from it.
Click to expand...

I am gonna tell it to you straight up bro no BS: You are dedicated as hell and I really respect you for that. You do things right. However, I think the problem may be the FFB inside of you being afraid of eating too many calories and reverting to your former self. I have to tell you man, its not gonna happen, you arent gonna get fat if you eat 3500+ calories a day. You have to realize that your body composistion and life style is completley different now. Essentialy you are a fat burning machine and you can eat a lot of calories and still not gain too much fat. But what will happen is you will start gaining more size and muscle like you want to. And the very worst thing that happens is that you can a little too much fat, but you will have gained a ton of muscle too so you will look pretty good. And dont worry cus you know how to lose fat, you have been very successful doing it before and now its gonna be a helluva lot easier to lose any extra fat due to your body composistion and high metabolism. Just eat bro...its fun anyways :)

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks rip, that helps a lot. Im just really scared to eat a lot on this program because it dont feel like im doing enough work to put on muscle, but I could be wrong. Ill work on the diet a little more to get more calories in. Ill aim for 3500 or so and see how that works.

I appreciate the response ripstone, helped a lot. :)

Thanks anotherbutters.
 
Just track your weight and use that to determine whether you need to eat more or not. After two or three weeks you'll find the right level.
 
Dude, take in from anotherbutters. That guy was the diet master. He should post a pic from his original spreadsheet that I saw or link it in some way. All that hard meticulous work was one of the main reasons I registered on another board just so I could PM him. And let me just say that all that work won't mean a thing unless caloric excess is present and good training in place. From what I gather he isn't nearly going to the extremes he used to and is making much better gains and progress. He's meticulous now about learning more about training, making sure he's progressing, and making sure he is eating enough when he wants to gain weight.

Bottom line - without caloric excess you are going to go nowhere. You don't suddenly wake up one day and find you are a lard ass. Just like adding muscle, adding fat comes over a time period. I give you my one and only diet post - why one? Because no one is screwing up not getting enough Ape Ass Oil or Isolated Dog Nutz in their diet but a ton of people are screwing themselves by not eating enough. http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4866519&postcount=465
 
Alright guys, Im increasing the calories, All I was really saying is I want to make sure im on the right program for muscle gains.
Ill increase my calories, im working on it right now. Ill post the new diet later on.
 
Thanks madcow. Here's my old diet spreadsheet, in all it's analysed to hell glory. I've used it for cutting and bulking, although it didn't go up to enough calories for bulking.

http://tinypic.com/f3z68p.jpg

It's laid out more as a list of quantities of food than a meal list. I had a column for each 100 calorie increment from 2000-3000 cals, so if I wanted to eat 2300 cals one day, I'd just look at that column. There are also calculations showing the percentage of each macro eaten within the 3 hour post-workout window, which I had a thing about. Crazy stuff.

My diet's much simpler now. I worked out a rough 3500 calorie diet to get me in the right ball park, then added more/less carbs (rice/oats/potatoes) until I gained my desired amount of weight each week. To be honest, I don't know how many calories I eat now, but I eat relatively consistently and let my weight changes guide me.

I don't think you need rework your diet, just increase the amount of carbs and maybe fat (I aim for about 20% fat) in the existing meals. But again, let the feedback from your weight changes guide you.
 
Alright thanks,
Hey guys I was wondering what you thought of this, I am doing the routine mark gave me but I want to throw in some assitance work so nothing lags behind, If its not good then tell me and I will elimanate the changes to the program. I just want to make sure I get as much size as I can. If this is to much then ill take it all out and just stick to the regular 3x5 mark gave me and hope it packs on muscle.

Workout1
LOAD:
Squats 3x5
Bench Press 3x5
Dealifts/Powerclean 3x5/5x3

Assitance:
Lat Pulldown 3x8-12
Close Grip Bench 3x5
Dumbell Curl 3x8-12




Workout2
Squats 3x5
Military Press 3x5
Chin Ups 3x5
Hyperextensions 3x5

Assitance:
Seated Rows/Barbell Rows 3x8-12
Incline Dumbell Press 3x8-12
Leg Curl 3x8-12
 
From reading his book, I think Mark sure knows how to train people. I get the impression he's trained a few hundred people in his time. If he laid out a program for me, I know what I'd do.
 
Yeah I know, Im an idiot though.

3x5 just doesnt seem like it will cause much hypertrophy. Seems great for strength though. But like you said mark is one of the best strength coaches in the world.

I was just wondering if some assitance work could be throw in anywhere, If not then thats fine, ill just stick to what mark gave me. Im just so used to doing so much more that this is a change of pace for me.

Thanks
 
lol, I know, it's quite a reasonable thing to want to do. If he's trying to help you, you should be open with him and mention it to him next time you speak. You never know, he might say it's ok to add certain things in. I wouldn't add stuff in without telling him though because then he won't be seeing the whole picture and won't be able to help effectively. He's on your side, remember. You both want to get you bigger and stronger.
 
Yeah I totally agree, I just dont like emailing him or calling him everytime I have a question, I need to learn how to do things on my own, something im not really good at.
But really adding that work in doesnt seem like it would hurt, only help. Its not a whole lot of extra work, its just helping to cause hypertrophy in my opinion, but I also dont have a lot of experience so I dont know whats good or bad for me
 
anotherbutters said:
I don't think you need rework your diet, just increase the amount of carbs and maybe fat (I aim for about 20% fat) in the existing meals. But again, let the feedback from your weight changes guide you.
Click to expand...

I agree with AB. I mean your diet, young_squatter, is very good right now. Your just may beed a few additonal calories. Few more carbs(like 1/2-1/4 cup of oats) pre and post workout and another tbsp on NPB at night and there is another 200-300 cals.

Also, as far as the assistance work for hypertrophy, ask Mark about it. IMO it shouldnt be a problem. I mean in Madcow's SF 5x5 there is some assistance work. I think Madcow mentions that Bill Starr called it "beach work".
 
I just talked to mark, and he pretty much said NO ASSITANCE WORK.
Also he said that Im not following the program right, he said I have to gain more then a lb a week or this program is not going to work. So I think I might need to start a new program because there is no way im going drink that much milk and gain as much weight in a week as he wants me to, Im not trying to get fat.
 
Last edited:
Alright guys, after talking to mark he says I need to be gaining more weight then 1 lb a week for the program to work, So I was wondering If you guys thought I should stick with marks routine and still gain a lb a week and make as much gains as i can, or switch back to the original single factor routine, Or switch to the routine below?


Monday: Upper Strength
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5
Military Press 5x5
Close Grip Bench Press 3x5

Tuesday: Lower Strength
Squats 5x5
Deadlifts 5x5 Pyramid up to top set of 5
Leg Press 5x5

For strength 5x5 I will keep the weight the same until I can do 5x5 with that weight then ill bump the weight up.

Wed: Cardio

Thursday: Upper Hypertrophy
Incline Dumbell Press
Seated Rows
Lat Pulldown
Seated Dumbell Press
Lying Tricep Extension
Dumbell Curl

Friday: Lower Hypertrophy
Squats
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
Leg Press/ Leg Extension
Hyperextensions

My sets and reps for hypertrophy will vary, I will aim for a set rep scheme of 36-50
So either, 4x12, 5x10, 6x6 is what ill use depending on how I feel.
 
I don't get your logic in abandoning the Rippetoe program: "If I can't or don't want to gain three pounds a week, I can't gain 1 (or some other amount with which I'd be comfortable".

To be unequivocal about it, you need figure out what your goals are and stop looking for an instant path to gaining muscle and realize that it will take time regardless of the program you choose, particularly if you want to have a small caloric surplus to try to minimize fat gain. To paraphrase what madcow has said when trying to spread the word about these programs: put your trust in the proven methods of some of the best strength coaches in the world.
 
Hey guys im sticking with marks routine, he just sent me an email saying that even if i do gain 2-3lbs a week he gurantees it will be muscle mass not fat. So im going to increase my calories again and we will see how well this works.
 
Last edited:
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