modified 5x5

[kurtjohnson]

Okay so now that I'm in the gym again I need to have some kind of direction as to what I'm doing. These past two workouts have pretty much just been to work myself back into the routine of lifting. I can definitely tell that I have lost muscle. Here is a picture from about 6 or so months ago... I will try to get up a picture of me later tonight of a current one, I need someone to take the pic of me or else I'd post it up right now...I wasn't a beast or anything but as I said in a previous thread I had made some great progress. Okay swoo, so I was trying to throw together a moded 5x5 program that 0311 had originally sent me last year.



Here's the Original Workout Routine

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


Here's the Moded Routine

Monday – Heavy Day
Squat – 5 sets of 5
Bench – 5 sets of 5
Deadlift – 5 sets of 5
4 sets of weighted Sit-ups <===This may go as well...

Wednesday – Light Day
Squat – 4 sets of 5
Incline Bench – 4 sets of 5
High Pulls – 4 sets of 5 What could I substitute these with? Pullups perhaps? Or should I go ahead and leave these?
Sit-ups – 3 sets <===May go...

Friday - Medium
Squat – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple, back-off
Bench – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple, back-off
Deadlift – 4 sets of 5, 1 triple
Weighted Dips – 3 sets of 5-8
Triceps and Biceps – 3 sets of 8 each <===I don't really like curls or the like... So these will probably go as well, should I substitute something here or just drop it all together? I'm thinking just drop it all together, but I'm looking for feedback so point me in the right direction and if I'm wrong in my mod's to the Routine let me know. I will also be doing cardio after each workout so Mon, Wed, and Fri I'll do about a mile or so on the treadmill...Maybe 2miles tops I know how to eat so as long as I keep my coloric intake high I should be okay right? Okay this was a long post but thanks for everyones help in advance!







Kurt

[kurtjohnson]

oh and here's what I did today in the gym...


Bench:

115X5/135X5/145X5/155X5/165X2/175X1/185missed

Squats:

135X5/155X5/165X5/175X5/185X5

Pull-ups:

3X1/2X1/2X1/3X1

Cardio:

Jogged about 1.25miles



I was actually quite pleased with my bench today. I was able to throw up 175 quite easily, probably could've done it 1 or 2 more times. IDK what happened when I tried to put up 165 on bench because the 175 felt easier for some reason..I was thinking maybe I wasn't warmed up enough but IDK sometimes that's just how it goes. Okay and on squats I was able to do much better this time around, still not where I used to be but I was pleases that I was able to go heavier and do more sets than my first day back. Got some pretty good sweat rolling down my face so I was quite happy. On Friday I hope to find my 5rm's along with my 1rm so I have something to go off of to see my progress. I know it wont be all that accurate because I have liften more before but It's going to help me plan my workouts and will help to keep me motivated by seeing my progress. Also, by what week should I be hitting my current 5rm's? wk6 or earlier?




Kurt

[kurtjohnson]

bump....







Kurt

[_Wolf_]

bad modifications

1.) u cant do deads 2x a week heavy. that will burn u bad.
2.) ur deadlift volume is crazy. 5x5 on day 1 and 4x5, 1x3 on day 2. even if this is pyramiding its a lot of weight
3.) high pulls are dead variations which are very taxing
4.) ur doing deads on monday after a new PR of squats and bench. dont u think this overkill?

kurt, ur modded program could work for a short while like 4-5 weeks maybe but what i am interested in, what are your justifications for modifying this in the first place? im curious.

sorry if i sound short. im in a hurry. i just highlighted the main elements which struck out to me. Eric, Dave, 0311, matt, etc will probably be able to give more info on the subject

cheers mate

[EricT]

Well basically the original routine is the Madcow one with high pulls on Wendnesday instead of deads. I actually think that is pointless since high pulls are very similar to powercleans. Kind of like a powerclean without the clean. You already have two sessions with a power lift in there so why not take the oppurtunity to do a HEAVY pull on wednesday. I.E. deads. With that said I've always favored just doing 1 or 2 sets of 5 for deads on that instead of the ramped sets. And keeping the militaries to 3 sets of 5...at least at first.

What you've done with the modified version is tried to replace powercleans with deads. They are not even close to being interchangeable. Like anuj said that is killer volume for deads. If you don't want the powercleans then you would have to replace them with something like rows or another OL pull like the high pulls or hang cleans or whatever you like.

[hrdgain81]

Kurt, can i ask why you moded the routine? what about it didnt make you happy last time? Just my observation, but if it worked well before why not run it again?

[kurtjohnson]

Okay so no go on the mods....this is exactly why I made the thread, thank you guys soo much. Okay so here's my last version of 5x5 I did...

Mon:
Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Powerclean 5x5

Wed:
Squat 4x5
Incline 4x5
Deadlift 4x5 <===So I should do about 2-3 sets of 5?

Fri:
Squat 4x5, 1x3, 1x8
Bench 4x5, 1x3, 1x8
Powerclean 4x5, 1x3, 1x8



So on Wed I should drop my Deadlifts to 2-3X5? Also @ what weight should I be doing deads? Oh and I modded the program for a few reasons..One being that my gym is small and the other one is that well, just bein lazy I suppose..I know cleans KILL, but they are pretty much a FUNDAMENTAL lift so I shouldn't try to avoid it. Here's where I got the idea that I could interchange them, cleans and deads pretty much work the whole body so that's where i got the idea...But one is more of a "quick powerful movement" whereas one I suppose is more of a "slower controlled heavy lift" idk...And how should I go about setting my daily routine with what I'd be lifting weight wise? By what week should I be hitting my current 5RM? Tomorrow I am going to find out my current 5RM so I know kinda what to base everything off of, I guess I moreso just need to know by what week I should be at my current 5RM....Any other suggestions for my program? I'd also like to throw in some pull-ups somewhere in there if that's okay, let me know what you guys think...Thanks for the help! It is greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!






Kurt

[EricT]

One or two sets of 5 on deads would be good. But not 2 to 3. In that case do the 4 ramped sets.

Aim for hitting you current max on week 4.

You'd be much better off doing militaries instead of incline bench on wednesday unless there is some specific reason you can't overhead press. But if you do militaries try 3 sets instead of 4. It never ceases to amaze me how people don't recognize that mp's are really taxing despite the fact you use a lighter load. With bench your whole body is being supported so you only need to stabilize the WEIGHT. With overhead pressing not only do you need to stabilize the weight OVERHEAD but you need to stabilize the body with this....that is a whole body lift. Doing 5 less reps on wednesday with mp's isn't really going to make it much of a "light day" just because the weight is ligher. Lighter means lighter with the same exercise.

If you do inclines you can get away with the 4 sets but depending on how heavy your inclines are. If they are really significantly lighter then it's probably a pretty high incline which to me pointless and you may as well do MP's.

This is kind of like using leg press for you primary exercise and then using squats for "light day", lol, just because the leg press uses a "heavier" weight.

If you use inclines and it is a high enough incline to be significantly lighter then you may as well do MP's, imo, because to em anything more than a slight incline is pointless.