Okay, so Madcow...

[Slyder190]

I've seen all different versions of the 5x5 routine and some have a few more exercises, like power cleans, and ab, bi and tri work. My arms and traps are horrible. Even after deadlifting (or rack deadlifting) for some time, my traps still don't wanna grow. I'd like to find a version where I can add in bi's, tri's and traps (power shrugs) in addition to the core lifts you ahve in your program. I'd have the exrecises set up in similar fashion as the overall routine. Too much?

 

[anotherbutters]

My traps and arms were horrible too, but 3 months into the single factor 5x5 (without extra arm/trap work) and eating a lot has changed that. How much do you weigh? Have you been gaining weight whilst you've been doing whatever you've been doing so far?

 

[Micker]

My traps grew a lot from dumbell shrugs and Behind then neck barbell presses. As far as arms go for 5x5, do a couple sets of barbell curls and close grip bench on fri. workouts. Do a couple sets of pullups with palms facing you. Do rows with palms facing away from you. Add a couple sets of behind neck press/shrugs after your military presses on wed. routine.

 

[Island Son]

the 5x5 routine doesn't say you CAN'T add them in
on the main mc2 version he says you can add them in once a week
but don't let them affect the core work, e.g. so much tris that your bench goes down

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough. If you're not eating enough, you won't add mass.

If you've already considered that, and have been adding weight with no mass to the arms and traps, you have to continue to up your poundages in the core lifts. You will have to grow on your arms eventually.

As for traps, I'd drop deadlifts and learn to do high pulls. They're such a basic, explosive movement. I bet you'll see great things happen to your back with it.

 

[Madcow2]

I've seen all different versions of the 5x5 routine and some have a few more exercises, like power cleans, and ab, bi and tri work. My arms and traps are horrible. Even after deadlifting (or rack deadlifting) for some time, my traps still don't wanna grow. I'd like to find a version where I can add in bi's, tri's and traps (power shrugs) in addition to the core lifts you ahve in your program. I'd have the exrecises set up in similar fashion as the overall routine. Too much?

Arms are inconsequential, add them anywhere but make sure you aren't doing so much direct arm work that it impedes your progress on a core lift - you could very well get less arm size over the mid-long term by interferring with your progression in something important.

Given your past history and plans to run this program assisted so to speak, you can probably layer powershrugs on M/W. Go with 2-3 working sets of 10 - do not scale them in line with the core lifts just bring them up week to week to where you are working hard. Do them from the high hang. If you were to swap out rows to do pulling I'd advise you to do clean pulls or clean pulls from the traditional hang (which would be a powershrug with a longer range of motion making it more suitable for a core replacement). Practice the lift beforehand so you aren't bumbling around with it or potentially get hurt in an effort to scale the weights. It needs to be fast and explosive. Start conservatively. When you get to the 3x per week phase you plan on running, scale them to 3x5 - at that point you should be accustomed to handling heavy weight and you won't keel over as these can be damn hard with heavy weight.

I might have suggested you try 5x5 on both M/W for this phase but if you are inclined to layer a lot of stuff on it's better to undershoot than overshoot as you learned with DFHT. Settling for 80% is way better than getting 10%.

 

[go2failure]

This is good info to know... Thanks for the tip MC

 

[Slyder190]

Arms are inconsequential, add them anywhere but make sure you aren't doing so much direct arm work that it impedes your progress on a core lift - you could very well get less arm size over the mid-long term by interferring with your progression in something important.

Given your past history and plans to run this program assisted so to speak, you can probably layer powershrugs on M/W. Go with 2-3 working sets of 10 - do not scale them in line with the core lifts just bring them up week to week to where you are working hard. Do them from the high hang. If you were to swap out rows to do pulling I'd advise you to do clean pulls or clean pulls from the traditional hang (which would be a powershrug with a longer range of motion making it more suitable for a core replacement). Practice the lift beforehand so you aren't bumbling around with it or potentially get hurt in an effort to scale the weights. It needs to be fast and explosive. Start conservatively. When you get to the 3x per week phase you plan on running, scale them to 3x5 - at that point you should be accustomed to handling heavy weight and you won't keel over as these can be damn hard with heavy weight.

I might have suggested you try 5x5 on both M/W for this phase but if you are inclined to layer a lot of stuff on it's better to undershoot than overshoot as you learned with DFHT. Settling for 80% is way better than getting 10%.

I was thinkin somethin simple, like 3 sets of 10 with the same weight 2x a week. Too "Scaled up with the program? I assume that's what you meant. Wouldn't this be perhaps less taking than 3 sets of 10 to near failure? Doin abs pushin it?

 

[Slyder190]

bump

 

[Madcow2]

I was thinkin somethin simple, like 3 sets of 10 with the same weight 2x a week. Too "Scaled up with the program? I assume that's what you meant. Wouldn't this be perhaps less taking than 3 sets of 10 to near failure? Doin abs pushin it?

Abs and core work isn't pushing it at all unless you are psychotic with it. That stuff isn't very strenuous.

3x10 M/F sounds fine. Start doing them before the program though so you have the feel and technique down. That bar should be weightless, don't pull with your arms, extend fully on your pull. Straps are a good idea. Read over that description in my TOC and read it again after you do them for a while.

 

[Slyder190]

Cool. I think I'm good to go then. Just gotta find a few maxes for the core lifts again over the next 2 weeks. Thanks so much for the input. It's bros like yourself that are the mentors to a lot of others.