Best Split for Strength

[the.gladiator1987]

Fuck I need to get back in the game. Ive been so busy with life, I havent found time to eat right or hit the gym, and when I hit the gym it isnt anything special. I tried doing the 5x5 but I stopped for some reason. The 5x5 is good for strength but I need something that allows more isolation, but still have the bread and butter. I wanna start training with more volume but still get strength. Heres my planned split:


Monday:
Heavy Bench (5x5)
Heavy Squats (5x5)
GHR (3x10)
Dips (4x8)
Skullcrushers (4x10)

Tuesday:
Deadlifts (5x5)
Heavy Hang Cleans (5x5)
BB Row (4x6)
Pullups (40 reps)
Grip work/abs

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday:
BB Military (5x5)
Unilateral DB Military (3x12)
DB Curls (4x10)
BB Curls (4x6)

Friday:
Medium Squats (5x3)
Medium Hang Cleans (5x3)
CGBP (4x6)
Dips (BWxF)
Grip work/abs
Weighted Pullups

Saturday: OFF

Sunday: OFF

 

[Tblock1]

Wow heavy squats, bench, and power cleans on the same day? I'm liking the grip work though

 

[tha_burninator]

Pretty cool split. Looks solid. If you ever stall and want to change things up a bit, check out Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. It's great for strength and hypertrophy.

 

[Tblock1]

Ahh I like it more now that you moved power cleans. Have you thought about doing full clean and jerks or at least adding split jerks in there? I personally am loving split jerks. Also if you have enough time could you make it to the gym a 4th day a week? Cause that is a lot to do on deadlift day, and if you could split it up it might be better. But that is just personal preference.

BTW, are you planning another cycle anytime soon?

 

[the.gladiator1987]

check it now nigga

 

[Tblock1]

check it now nigga

Damn thats looking sick bro! I am loving the 4 days thing I'm doing now, best routine ever. Thats the thing you got to play with rep ranges and design yuor own routine, I have found out that one heavy top set like in the 5x5 doesn't work for me for bench and squats, but it works great for deadlift. So you changed up to hang clean instead of power cleans? If you can handle it is fine, but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in a row of lifting is going to be hard. Especially with the Deadlifts the next day after squats. Also have you thought about subbing cgbp for medium bench? Just suggestions though, but I am really liking your choices.

 

[Andalite]

You don't necessarily have to do 5x5 to get strong. That is just linear progression which can be done in a number of different ways. For example (since I know you like to lean a bit on the bodybuilder side), since you're just getting back into training, I think for the first 3-4 weeks you should do some Quality Volume Training. What that basically means is that you warm -up to a particular heavy weight depending on your perception of heavy. You perform 1-3 reps with that weight. Then you make increments in the 5-10 lbs range and you keep doing 1-3 reps and adding weight per set. So what that basically means (numerically) is that you come back from a layoff. You haven't Squatted in a while but you warm up and you are good to go at 315 where it is substantially heavy. Now, here is how you progression might look:

315 x 3
325 x 2
335 x 2
345 x 1
345 x 1
355 x 2
365 x 2

The goal here is to make sure every rep is QUALITY perfect.

You do this for 3-4 weeks increasing reps/weight every time and before you know it you'll have regained most of your neural capacity to handle big weights.

From that point on, you could do wave loading. Basically:
Week 1 = High Volume
Week 2 = Medium Volume
Week 3 = Very High Volume
Week 4 = Low Volume

So, lets say the exercise to pick from is Bench, alright? Your 4 week distribution of weight could be for sets x reps of:
Week 1 = 5x3, 2x5
Week 2 = 3x3, 2x5
Week 3 = 7x3, 2x5
Week 4 = 2x2, 1x5

The way you adjust the weight is as such:
Week 1 = Go balls to the wall and use as much weight as you can for that 5x3 (that means sets x reps btw). Now you have a basis to compare progress to.
Week 2 = Increase the weight from Week 1 and try to nail those 3 sets.
Week 3 = Try to use the weight from Week 1 and complete almost double the original number of sets. Talk about progress, right?
Week 4 = This is the week you increase the intensity (%1RM) to 90+ and you try to hit 3 solid reps.

This is just an example.

Good luck to you!

 

[the.gladiator1987]

damnit i want something for football, but i also want a lot of isolation

 

[Andalite]

damnit i want something for football, but i also want a lot of isolation

Well, those principles still apply to football and to isolation.

For football you need functional exercises. From the guys I've seen at UT Texas and I have a friend who plays first string for them, they do a lot of Front Squats, Power Cleans and Incline Bench Presses. You should focus on those lifts and use the principles I listed above, G.

As for isloation...dude, here's something that just occurred to me:

Day 1: Heavy Bench + Lots of Back Training
Day 2: Heavy Front Squats + Lots of Posterior Core Training
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Off
Day 5: Heavy Powercleans and other explosive type movements
Day 6: Isolation exercises ONLY. Pump till you drop.
Day 7: Off
Day 8: Off
Day 9: Repeat

 

[the.gladiator1987]

dude to be honest id rather not even focus on football shit because im not doin anything more with football other than this year. Id rather focus on strength/size/endurance but not football shit.