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Old 01-14-2007, 09:21 PM
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III. Programming
**A. The basics
**B. Stalling and Resetting
**C. What to do after Rippetoe, Part 2
**D. General Questions
*****1. How much weight should I use?
*****2. What about sets and reps?]

What to do after Rippetoe, Part 2

Moving on to the intermediate stage

Now that you have advanced in both conditioning and strength, you require more of a workload each training session to disrupt homeostasis. However, the weight you use and the workload you require is too much for you to recover from in only 24-72 hours.

Progression and planning will no longer be from workout to workout, it will be from week to week. Congratulations, you have advanced to the next stage, that of the intermediate!

There are TONS of different things you can do. Chances are good you will want to branch out and play with a bunch of fancy machines and cable exercises and set up a 5-day bodypart split and give teh bicepts their own day, etc. If you want to do that, then go for it, but you'll need to look elsewhere for that type of info.

After speaking at length with Mark Rippetoe, and reading through the appropriate chapters of the Editor's copy of Practical Programming, there is quite a bit of info on intermediate programming, which picks up, in detail, where Starting Strength left off.

Generally, after several months of consistent, hard training with proper rest, nutrition and recovery, progress will eventually stall and daily workout-to-workout progress will no longer be possible. The body is simply conditioned to the point where the amount of stress necessary to disrupt homeostasis is greater than the body's ability to recover in a few days. Additionally, the amount of weight being used is going to be much higher than it was when training first began.

In other words, in order to get the "training affect", you need to pound yourself harder than you can recover from. Your workout abilities have exceeded your recovery abilities.

A simple training period (training period = period of training and recovery whereby homeostasis is disrupted by training, and sufficient time is allowed to recover and progress) no longer is comprised of 1 workout, but of several. By this point, the trainee, now at the intermediate stage, may have some specific direction or specialization they desire, and may have decided that he/she wants to become a powerlifter or a football player or a bodybuilder or a track/field athlete, etc. As such, more complex training protocols are going to be needed.

Rippetoe describes in great detail several methodologies for progression in Practical Programming. I will reproduce a very few of these here so as not to "steal his thunder", as well as give a few of my own that I didn't see him mention. He discusses, at length, 4, 5, and 6-day per week training routines, upper/lower, push/pull, and variations on the Starr model. I will discuss and explain the application of a few here.

Question - What are some very basic adjustments I can make to the program?

Here are some more examples using substitution semi-core exercises. Some are mentioned in PP, some are of my own design. All are obviously intuitive for the experienced individual or strength coach.

Incorporating front squats, doing more chinups, all sets 3x5, cleans 5x3, deadlifts = 1x5, chinup/pullups = 3x8-15

Week 1
Monday: Squat/Bench Press/Chinup
Wednseday: Front squat/Press/Deadlift
Friday: Squat/Bench press/Pullup

Week 2
Monday: Squat/Press/Chinup
Wednseday: Front squat/Bench Press/Row or clean
Friday: Squat/Press/Pullup


Front squats, deadlift variations

Week 1
Monday: Squat/Bench Press/Chinup
Wednseday: Front squat/Press/Romanian Deadlift
Friday: Squat/Bench press/Pullup

Week 2
Monday: Squat/Press/Chinup
Wednseday: Front squat/Bench Press/SLDL
Friday: Squat/Press/Pullup

Once an increase in volume is possible, adding a single "backoff" set of 8 repetitions after the 3x5 is done can also be useful (not needed for regular deads or cleans)

So, here we have the "Bodybuilder" variation

Week 1
Monday: Squat 3x5, 1x8/Incline Bench Press 3x5, 1x8/Chinup 4x8-15
Wednseday: Front squat 3x5, 1x8/Seated Press 3x5, 1x8/SLDL 3x5, 1x8
Friday: Squat 3x5, 1x8/Incline Bench press 3x5, 1x8/Row 3x5, 1x8

Week 2
Monday: Squat 3x5, 1x8/Incline Bench Press 3x5, 1x8/Chinup 4x8-15
Wednseday: Front squat 3x5, 1x8/Seated Press 3x5, 1x8/SLDL 3x5, 1x8
Friday: Squat 3x5, 1x8/Incline Bench Press 3x5, 1x8/Row 3x5, 1x8

General guidelines about accessory exercises still apply.

Understand that you should be using heavier weight each time you hit the same specific exercise, in some way or another. The workload must go up consistently until a reset is necessary.

Question - What about the Bill Starr/Madcow 5x5 and stuff? Can I do them next?

Sure. They are excellent training programs!

Bill Starr-type 5x5 workouts
****************************
"Beginner's" 5x5

Monday (Heavy Day - > 85%)
Back Squats: 5 x 5 Ramping to max set of 5 reps across 5 sets
Bench Press: 5 x 5 Ramping to max set of 5 reps across 5 sets
Deadlifts: 5 x 5 Ramping to max set of 5 reps across 5 sets

Wednesday (Light Day - <70%)
Back Squats: 5 x 5 using 60% of Monday's weight
Bench Press: 5 x 5 using 60% of Monday's weight
Pullups: 5 x 5 Ramping to max set across 5 sets

Friday (Medium Day - 70-85%)
Back Squats: 5 x 5 using 80% of Monday's weight
Bench Press: 5 x 5 using 80% of Monday's weight
Rows: 5 x 5 Ramping to max set across 5 sets

Each Monday should be heavier than the previous. As such, Wednesday and especially Fridays will be a bit heavier as well, from week to week.
*******************************
The well-known "Intermediate 5x5" and "Advanced 5x5 by Pendlay" can be found at Madcow's website

**********************************
Another of Bill Star's workouts, this time with a bit more variety and choices:

Monday (Heavy Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Bench Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Deadlifts: 5 x 5 ramping to limit or Bent-Over Rows: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Incline Dumbell Press: 2 x 20 (light weight)
Calf Raises: 3 x 30

Wednesday (Light Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 using 50 lbs less than Monday or Lunges: 4 x 6 ramping to limit
Good Mornings: 4 x 10 or Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: 4 x 10
Standing Overhead Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Dips: 2 sets, when you can do 20 reps, start adding weight and drop the reps back to 8
Curls: 3 x 15

Friday (Medium Day)

Back Squats: 5 x 5 ramped, using 20 lbs less than Monday
Incline Bench Press: 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Shrugs: 5 x 5 ramping to limit or Clean High Pulls 5 x 5 ramping to limit
Straight Arm Pullovers: 2 x 20
Chins: 4 sets to failure

You can choose either of the optional back exercises and stick with them or set them up as follows and alternate:

Odd weeks: Monday - Deadlifts, Wednesday - Good Mornings, Friday - Shrugs

Even Weeks: Monday - Bent Rows, Wednesday - SLDL, Friday - Clean High Pulls

After two or three weeks, you can add in back-off sets (lighter weight, 8-10 reps) on all of the pressing exercises, squats, and lunges. No back-offs for any back movement. Should you want to work more on any back exercise, do another top-end set.

If you get 5 reps on your top set, add weight next week.

**************************************

Overall, note that Wednesday is a "recovery" day, where you do a workload that is going to be noticeably lighter than either Friday or Monday's workout. it's not just %age of 1-RM, it is also "effort".

Page 150 of Practical Programming - Editorial Edition, has a great table which shows %-1RM and how it corresponds with repetitions and difficulty.
On Wednesday, you might only use 70% of your 1-RM, but if you do 4x10 with it, that is going to be HARD, even if it is "low intensity". If you only do 3x8 with that same 70%, that would be a "medium" type workout, and 2-3x5 would be a "light" workout. This is VERY VERY important and is darn near worth the $15 "preorder fee" of PP alone.
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