Kurt's Goals

[kurtjohnson]

My goal is to bench 225x1-2 by the end of this year. Another goal is to be able to squat atleast 225-275 A2G squats by the end of the year as well as being able to lift 185 on powercleans by the end of year. I havent really thought much on these goals but if anyone has any comments feel free to post.

[Darkhorse]

Did you look at the pm I sent you the other week? Bill Starr's power routine and a good diet will get you there.

The Bill Starr Power Routine

When I was a freshman in college, Bill Starr gave me this routine to follow. It was designed for off-season football and general strength training. In the first 16 weeks I was on it, I added about 35 pounds of bodyweight, and took my total from a paltry 600 to over 950. Of course, I was also on the dorm’s prepaid meal plan, and ate like it was going out of style. Plus, I only had four classes that semester, so I spent lots of time sleeping.

Perfect program description found by clicking Here...Highly recommended to read through.


Monday – Heavy Day
Squat – 5 sets of 5
Bench – 5 sets of 5
Powercleans – 5 sets of 5
2 sets of weighted hypers
4 sets of weighted Sit-ups

Wednesday – Light Day
Squat – 4 sets of 5
Incline Bench – 4 sets of 5
High Pulls – 4 sets of 5
Sit-ups – 3 sets

Friday - Medium
Squat – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple, back-off
Bench – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple, back-off
Powercleans – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple
Weighted Dips – 3 sets of 5-8
Triceps and Biceps – 3 sets of 8 each


Key Features:


* 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 should be increased evenly from your first to last set. If you are working up to bigger weights, say above 500, you can add a sixth set of 5 just to avoid making large jumps between sets. I’ll explain how to choose the top weight in a second…

* On light day, Squat the first 3 sets of 5 just as you 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 can be added. Incline bench is done using the same scheme, working up to 2-3 sets of 5, but with about 70-80% of the weight flat bench, to accommodate the leverage difference of the incline. High Pulls are done by feel, but usually pretty heavy.

* 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 you did for your fifth set on Monday. As you become more experienced with the system, you can experiment with the weight you use on this triple. This should NOT be a PR triple attempt every week. In fact, the goal is to come back the following Monday and get the same weight for 5 reps that you got for 3 reps the Friday before. To avoid missing reps, pick weights carefully. Take it easy the first few weeks, and don’t over do it. After the big triple, drop back to the weight you used for your 3rd set and try to get eight reps.

* Deadlifts, or Speed Deadlifts can be substituted with Powercleans if you so desire. Powercleans are pretty popular among football players for working on explosiveness. They are not as specific for the powerlifter, but they can add strength to your traps and shoulders as well as thicken up your back. They can also improve speed-strength.

* I always trained with three to five guys on a single bar. The rest time between sets was helpful for making an all out assault on that top set. I also used no gear except a belt, which we used only for squats and powercleans. Some guys used grip straps on powercleans or high pulls when attempting heavy 5’s and 3’s.

* The dips, bi’s and tri’s are what Bill called “Beach Work,” in that they tend to have a bigger cosmetic effect than squats or deads. The scheme for these varied by need and based on what I thought my weaknesses were. I went very heavy on the dips, for sets of 5, to help build up my triceps. Other guys did closegrips, or even added in some rowing movements for the lats. No matter what you pick, try and move quickly though this stuff, like one minute rests max.


Advantages:

* Some research shows that full body workouts tend to stimulate more hormone production than isolation workouts.

* Focus on the big three can help with developing good exercise technique for the beginner, and the weekly goal setting from Friday to Monday helps keep you motivated.

* The program is relatively simple, and easy to follow. If you can figure out how to pick your weights, then this can be a very effective program. By starting out with less than max poundage, you can work on form, and build good habits as you increase the weight. You also choose weight week-to-week by feel, instead of calculating reps and sets way in advance.


Disadvantages:

* Not a lot of exercise variety.

* Some people find training the Big three more than once per week to be too taxing, but the total volume is actually not that high because there is not much focus on assistance exercises.

* This method is good for muscle growth and strength, but may not be as effective if you are trying to lose weight, or maintain a weight class.


Recommended for:

* Beginners that are still learning how to squat and bench effectively. If you are new to free weights or to lifting in general, this is a good way to spend a lot of time with real iron learning the basics, because you can start off slowly and train each core lift more frequently.

* Lifters trying to gain both size and strength, who want to add to their core of muscle mass. If you stick with this for more than 12 weeks, you will make muscle gains if you keep up with food and rest.

Now, review this program, then go to the "Why aren't you growing" sticky at the top of the page and compare.. This program is a perfect fit.

[Darkhorse]

Originally Posted by 0311

Now, review this program, then go to the "Why aren't you growing" sticky at the top of the page and compare.. This program is a perfect fit.

Here's some exerpts from "Why aren't you growing" that coincide with Bill Starr's program:

Originally Posted by IronAddict

3. Too much focus on isolation exercises, not enough compound work. You can do all the “small” lifts until you are blue in the face, but until you are moving big poundage’s in the big lifts you will remain small. Which brings up point #4.

Think it through. Doing squats or deads activates 70-85% of the bodies overall musculature in one move. Doing a set of curls maybe 3-5%. Which sends a big signal that the body better get better at synthesizing protein and better at handling the need to grow as a unit? You will NEVER reach your potential without doing the squats and deads.

Originally Posted by Matt Reynolds

1) I believe in general that the majority of people don’t work hard enough. If there’s one thing we can learn from the old Eastern Bloc countries, it’s that they worked harder than us, and that primarily, is why they always beat us in the Olympics. Work hard in the gym (even if your program sucks) and you will be rewarded.

2) I also believe that most people don’t put near enough emphasis on lower body and core work. The key to getting big is full squats and deadlifts. If you are looking at your routine and you see that you are training upper body 3 or 4 days per week and lower body once, you have a serious problem. The majority of athletes should live and die in the squat rack.

3) And for that matter, EVERYONE’S program should be centered around these exercises: Full Squat, Deadlifts (or cleans or both), heavy barbell rows, bench press, and Standing Barbell Military/Push Presses. Add pull ups, barbell curls, dips, heavy abdominal work, and some core work (back extensions, reverse hypers, or glute hams) and that should make up 95-100% of the total number of exercises you do. The most effective training is simple and hard.

4) Training a bodypart once per week (and one bodypart per day) is one of the worst ways to train. It will create a rut in your training that you can’t dig out of.

Training a bodypart twice per week has always been shown to be superior to once per week training of a muscle. The problem is with the influx of "Weider Principles" and other bodybuilding trash that's posted in the magazines, the masses have been stuck in the one-bodypart-per-day-per-week rut for years.

No strength athletes train a bodypart once per week. Most olympic lifters, powerlifters, and strongman train their backs at least four times per week, and last time I checked, they weren't lacking in back width.

The simple fact is that training using an upper/lower split or a push/pull split or 3 full body days will provide double or triple the training stimulus than training a muscle once per week and thus, if done correctly will lead to much, much greater growth and strength gains.

6) Squat at least below parallel every time. Are you kidding me? I can’t believe some people are still quarter squatting and saying that riding a squat all the way to the ground is bad for your knees. Learn the facts. Stopping at or above parallel puts much more strain on your knees than going ass to grass. Plus going all the way down in an Olympic style back squat will put more mass on you than any other exercise. Period. :cool:

7) Isolation exercises are absolute crap. 90% of your routine should be made up of full squats, deadlifts or cleans, bench press, standing overhead press, heavy barbell rows, pull-ups, dips, and core work (abs, glute ham raises, back extensions, reverse hypers). Isolation exercises and machines are the worst thing that ever happened to the weight training world.

[kurtjohnson]

Yeah I am actually using the power routine you gave me. It is an intense workout. I just started so I am just learning how it works and I am trying to adjust to it. I added a few things to it though. Like weighted dips on mon and frid as well as regular dips on wed, and on mon and friday i added weighted crunches as well as regular ones on weds. Let me know what you think about the additions, like wheter or not they are going to be beneficial or not. and i still am not clear on what hypers are so i havent done those. I was also thinking about 15-20 mins of cardio on tues and thurs. thanx

[kurtjohnson]

Originally Posted by kurtjohnson

My goal is to bench 225x1-2 by the end of this year. Another goal is to be able to squat atleast 225-275 A2G squats by the end of the year as well as being able to lift 185 on powercleans by the end of year. I havent really thought much on these goals but if anyone has any comments feel free to post.

Today I made some new personal records in the gym. I hit 205 on bench press and I actually did it pretty easily so I think I can do around 210-215 maybe even 220. Lets see I also hit 275 on A2G squats, so i reached my end of the year goal already!!! I tried to hit 185 on powercleans but I didnt quite get it. I think I was a little taxed from the squats and bench. Oh yeah and i also hit 325 on deadlifts which is also a new personal record. Over the summer i went up 15lbs on bench, 10 on deadlifts(I actually haven't been even doing these like all summer, so i could have done better if i had been doing them) umm...I went up around 100lbs on A2G squats i think. I was still doing 1/4 squats until 0311 showed me a more perfect way of A2G squats. I am going to the gym probably on friday to max out again hopefully i can make some new personal records. but yeah im open to some feedback ok. thanks

[_Wolf_]

^^^ good work

[Darkhorse]

Damn, Bill Starr does it again..

[kurtjohnson]

yeah i really enojoyed Bill Star's Power Routine, now that i am familliar with it i can get more out of it the next time i do it. since school is starting on the 21st i will have to follow whatever my weightlifting teacher puts me on, he's pretty good at what he does so i will make gains on whatever workout he puts me on. but yeah my new goals are to bench 225-240x1, to squat A2G 315+x1, deadlift 365x1, powerclean 205x1, I hope i can meet these goals, i met all of my other goals for the summer that i had set and i already met my end of the year goal on A2G squats, i hope these goals are realistic, i was just sitting here trying to think of some realistic goals and these are what i came up with so i hope i can acomplish them. i got around 4 1/2 months to meet them. I know that it's possible so i am going to try my best to meet them. i will be keeping yall updated. i wanted to post these new personal records in the forum made for that but i couldnt remember where it was earlier so i guess i'll look for it right now. thanks 0311 for the workout, and thanks Bill Starr

[Darkhorse]

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