NeW StYlE - WuT u ThInK?

[mekannik]

You could also fill in the extra days with some technique work on power cleans/snatches and make an effort to learn the olympic lifts - for the most part it's concentric only so it won't be as fatiguing and people new to the lifts don't lift enough weight to really put a wrench into the CNS. A few sets for reps, core work, and some cardio would flush out T/R giving you 5 days plus expand your arsenal of good effective lifts substantially.

.... It's a big world with a lot of cool stuff to explore, try, and learn about. Maybe pick up a musical instrument or some type of art work. There are so many things I wish I had taken the time to try to learn.

That is a bold statement/comparison. Olympic lifiting to playing a musical instrument???

JKurz - what about just some GPP (general physical prerparedness) drills on alternate lifting days? Sled dragging? Overhead weight walking? Strongman stuff? You will get cardio, concentric only training, and a physical/mental release all in a short amount of time.

My only concern about learning/utilizing the olympic lifts is that - even with a light load - the impact to the CNS can be significant. Along with the soreness imparted to the traps. Using just 40 kilos on hanging power snatch can leave you with a reminder for 3-4 days.

 

[Debaser]

Yeah...train the mind.

You're so passionate about bodybuilding, why not spend 2 of those nights a week researching sports science or something? Or, *gasp*, read a book?

 

[Madcow2]

That is a bold statement/comparison. Olympic lifiting to playing a musical instrument???

It wasn't a comparison, merely a suggestion for an alternative worthwhile use of time as training M-F doesn't fit with the program in question. For a person stating it's either training at night after work or a large bottle of Jack Daniels, it's not exactly a bad thing to broaden one's horizons outside the gym and develop some other interests.

 

[JKurz1]

You missed my point with the JD comparison bro..........I need a PHYSICAL release from sitting in an office all day and building up stress.........I have a ton of extra-curr. activities, but none give me the release as a good, intense sweat......it's comparable to sex.........just like Arnold said.........and I get enough of that later in the day, so that leaves training........Why won't a 2 day on 1 off work with this routine? Hit every bp 2x a week, short, and intense? One day heavy low reps, the next session, high rep high volume?

 

[Madcow2]

.Why won't a 2 day on 1 off work with this routine? Hit every bp 2x a week, short, and intense? One day heavy low reps, the next session, high rep high volume?

First, the problem is that if you look at the program it doesn't remotely resemble that. It's 3 full body workouts. Every bodypart is hit each time and in the first phase you are squatting 3x per week. The reps are in sets of 5 initially and sets of 3 later. You are doing 5x5 with a target weight and a pyramid of 5 sets culinating in a single target set of 5 for the exercises performed 2x per week (3x3 and 1x3 targets in the intensity phase).

Second, I thought you needed to train M-F, not 2 on 1 off which by it's nature will have your training rotating to all kinds of days of the week over time (7 days in a week).

I'm not going to tell you how to live and train but merely that the way the 5x5 is arranged, you're going to have to bring in weekends to get 5 days and not hurt something somewhere. Personally, I'd opt for core, arms, cardio (a good interval sprinting program), and stretching on the off days and not screw with it or draw up something different more to your own liking. For most people the 3x weekly is a benefit as it allows extra time to be spent doing sport specific training, general conditioning, or whatever else.

You can certainly split the volume up more over a week but changing the sets, reps, scheduling of the phases, exercises, volume, and intensity pattern risks compromising the program. So that leaves frequency which is the distribution of volume. If you really want to try it, just move the exercises around to something that makes sense for you but people who change the other factors generally blow it up as a rule.

 

[JKurz1]

I did the routine for a week, but too many neg. responses from you guys so I decided to nix it........felt really sore (esp. chest), but prob. just becuase it was "different"...as I feel thats all it takes every once in awhile........I'm trying to muster up a way to incorporate madcows 5x5 into a 5-6 day split...........right now it's looking like this:

M - CHEST/CLVS
T-BACK WIDTH/TRAPS
W-DELTS, REARS
TR- ARMS
FRIDAY - QUADS/HAMS
SAT = BACK THICKNESS

 

[Debaser]

The whole point of the program is the frequency of hitting squats (and pretty much the rest of the body) three times a week, without isolation exercises (maybe 1 or 2 tops).

This program works extremely well. So does HST. Both hit the entire body frequently, with relatively low volume. Hmmm...maybe they're onto something here. All you're doing is completely bastardizing the program by turning it into another 5 or 6 day split routine, and utterly eliminating the premise of the program.

Here's a thought, try the program the way it's actually presented and proven to be effective, rather than completely changing it.

 

[Madcow2]

Yeah, when I said you can move some things around that still entails squatting 3x per week, bench/row twice, DL/chins/military once for that required sets/reps. Move what you want but make sure you are doing all of this - and to be honest there aren't that many ways to set it up and the 3 day version is likely the most optimal. At an absolute minimum you have to leave the squats alone, they are the fundemental core of the program and to a large extent drive the entire loading/deloading pattern which is the whole reason why it works.

 

[psychedout]

I personally find HST to be a bit to extreme in terms of low volume high frequency. DC seems like a good choice for someone like me and you (JKrurz) who typically go with a pro-style routine.

 

[Debaser]

If there comes a time where people wake up and say,

"Wait a minute, maybe the pros don't know a lot about training. Maybe with 5+ grams of gear, and 8000 calories a day, pretty much the only thing that matters is that they lift weights."

It will never come too soon.