Workout Thread II

[Park City Skins]

Powerblocks rock. Not an expert,but that does seem a bit lite in the intake department,(considering the energy output there). May want to add something else with that protein shake after the diet,and maybe a bit more before the workout. Could be just the portions you're eating are a little small. Some good recommendations on the net about diets with P90X.



Just got back from the gym. Bit crowded tonight,but managed to bit and piece the work out to completion.

Heavy day today. 3 sets of 4-6. Lateral Raises,Bench Press,Lat-Pulldowns,(with a closer grip),Front Military Presses,Shrugs,Squats,DB bent legged deadlifts,and calf raises.


I'll hit arms the next time in.

[IbleedBnG83]

Just started my third week of P90X and it's kicking my ass!

Just a question for you guys... I seem to be running out of gas in the second half of my workouts. I think it's more of a nutrition problem (I have a very light diet). I dropped about 8 lbs in ~10 days and now I'm holding steady at around 170-172. I'm guessing this can be a nutrition problem. What should I be eating more of to get my energy back up?

Roughly every day, I eat cereal (special K), a bagel, an orange, an apple, a cold cut sammich, cottage cheese and for dinner I usually have a salad with chicken/tuna/ or imitation crab/lobster. I normally eat one thing at a time over the entire course of a day. After working out after work I have a protein shake.

It's a pretty low-cal diet... perhaps that is it?

At 172lbs, you don't need to be starving yourself. Someone your age and you are doing P90X, you should be eating at least 300g of Carbs 45g of fat and 150g of protein.

You want to be losing 2-3lbs a week, no more. You will plateau like you have.

[IbleedBnG83]

I found a Crossfit gym in Frederick that is $100 a month for unlimited sessions. Its the best price I have seen so far. Its a bit of a drive for me, but its a great deal. Not to mention you can sign as little as a 6 month commitment as supposed to 12 month commitments with other gyms.

[KDawg]

I'm currently in a bind as to what I want to do at the gym. I was doing Madcow's version of the Starr 5x5 and I loved it, but I was getting in a funk due to the sheer volume of the exercises. I definitely got bigger and stronger in that time frame, though. I never overtrained either, I got bored. Power Cleans probably would have kept me interested, as would Oh presses, since I suck at those.

Then I looked at the Up Your Bench 30 lbs in 30 days and it just wasn't for me.

Tried Rippetoe's Starting Strength because I don't like where I'm at with my cleans/shoulder pressing.

In the end, I think I'm going to do a combo, more like the traditional Starr 5x5 method.

Something like:

Monday:
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Rows 5x5

Weighted Sit Ups 3x8

Wednesday:
Squat 3x3
OH Press 3x3
Deadlift 3x3

Friday:
Squat 4x5
Bench 4x5
Power Cleans 5x3

Unweighted Sit Ups

The squat on Wednesday is considerably lighter than the other two days, it's more like a recovery squat. The legs have so many muscles that when you squat 3 days a week it's not the same as benching three days a week. You recovery quite easily.

Plus the first 3 sets in the 5x5 really aren't much.

I'm not quite sure how this routine would effect me, though. I seem to do fine when doing the traditional versions of the routines, but I've never cleaned and deadlifted in the same week. I'm thinking about going every other week and with those and putting them in on Wednesday, but I'm not quite sure how I want to do things yet. Going to do some more reading, especially on the Texas Method and Starr's original 5x5 which incorporated Cleans and OH presses rather than Mad Cow's version which uses Incline and the Deadlift...

EDIT: I think I may even make Wednesday a 3x3... So originally I had it as a 5x5 day for all but the Dead lift, I changed it to a 3x3

[IbleedBnG83]

I'm currently in a bind as to what I want to do at the gym. I was doing Madcow's version of the Starr 5x5 and I loved it,

Whats the principle of the Starr 5x5? Sets, routines etc...

[PleaseBlitz]

Doing back and biceps at the gym today during lunch.

Back routine is:

4 sets of cleans.
4 sets of seated row.
3 sets of machine lat pulldowns.

I do lower back along with abs every other day, so it isnt included in back day. I could probably use a "finish up" exercise for back, something that would be easy if you did it at the beginning, but kicks your ass at the end.

Biceps workout is:

3 sets hammer curls
4 sets standing barbell curl
2 sets machine preacher curls
2 sets spider curls (which are just arm curls with the weights perpendicular to the floor instead of parallel.)

Biceps are my body part that is strongest relative to the rest of my muscle groups.

[KDawg]

Whats the principle of the Starr 5x5? Sets, routines etc...

Oy, this could take awhile.

Instead of typing it all out, I'm going to post a link:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow...Linear_5x5.htm

It's designed to add mass and strength. And it's based on weekly linear progress. You start with your maxes for each lift that you perform and place them in week 4 or so of the routine. Then you work backwards from there to week one.

Week three is 2.5% less than your current maxes. Week 2 is 2.5% less than that. Week one is 2.5% less than that.

Week 5 is 2.5% more than your maxes. Week 6 is 2.5% more than that. Etc.

Each set for the day is a 10-15% increase in weight.

So let's say for the first day of the prgram, week 1, my final Squat set is 225 (Obviously just an example, I can do a little more than that... /ego off ) pounds. I start there and work backwards for my sets. Let's say I'm using 12.5% increase in weights (common)

So It would look like this:
Set 1: 133 LBS
Set 2: 152 LBS
Set 3: 173 LBS
Set 4: 197 LBS
Set 5: 225 LBS

Obviously you round up or down in order to get to weights you can actually work with. Monday is the same for all the lifts.

Wednesday is a little different. Wednesday is a 4x5. The first 3 sets are the same as Monday's, with the fourth set being a repeat of the third set. For the squat, anyways.

The DL and the Military Press, or the Incline on Wednesday is a progression just like the way you worked up for Monday. Find your max and work backwards to figure out how much weight you'd move.

Friday, the first 4 sets of 5 are the same as Monday. Then you do a 1x3 that is 2.5% higher than your highest set on Monday. Then you do a 1x8 that is the same weight as your 3rd set for Friday. Friday's triple is always the same weight you'll use as your last set on Monday.

Do the same with the Bench. Do the same with the rows.

The routine looks like this:

Monday:
Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Bent Over Rows 5x5

Assistance Work if you're up for it: Weighted Hypers/Weighted Sit ups

Wednesday:
Squat 4x5
OH Press/Inclide 4x5
Dead lift 4x5

Assistance: 3 sets of situps

Friday:
Squat 4x5, 1x3, 1x8
Bench: 4x5, 1x3, 1x8
Rows: 4x5, 1x3, 1x8

Assistance: 3 sets dips, bicep curls, tri extensions

PS: This is the Madcow version. The most popular version. Great routine for size/strength.

[Skinz4Life12]

Biceps are my body part that is strongest relative to the rest of my muscle groups.

me too....my chest is nubs relative to my biceps

[IbleedBnG83]

Oy, this could take awhile.

Instead of typing it all out, I'm going to post a link:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow...Linear_5x5.htm

Great info, thanks for sharing. How are the results? Immediately noticeable or it will take some time?

I wonder if I can combine this while I do CrossFit.

[KDawg]

Great info, thanks for sharing. How are the results? Immediately noticeable or it will take some time?

I wonder if I can combine this while I do CrossFit.

Results are awesome. You may fail and not get all reps, if that were to happen you go back the next week and try again. If you fail again, drop the weight ten pounds and continue on using that weight to increase weekly.

I wouldn't do this at the same time as crossfit. It's contradicting goals. One is a mass gainer, another is one to help you shed some pounds. And besides that, you'd be exhausted. the 5x5 is exhausting, as is crossfit.

If you were to do the 5x5, I'd take 8-however long you progress weeks away from crossfit and then go back to crossfit if you want to.

[Riggo#44]

Speaking of burpees. Try this one out and tell me you don't feel like puking afterwards.

100 jumps with jump rope
10 burpees WITH a squat thrust
10 pushups

Do 10 sets of these (If you can) and rest no more then two minutes between sets. I've had friends try this with me and after the third set they say **** this and leave the room.

2 minute rest? No problem. Now if it was 100 double-unders...

Try this one:


21-18-15-12-9-6-3 (total 84 reps for all three)

Ring Dips
Medicine Ball Cleans
Burpees

[IbleedBnG83]

2 minute rest? No problem. Now if it was 100 double-unders...

Try this one:


21-18-15-12-9-6-3 (total 84 reps for all three)

Ring Dips
Medicine Ball Cleans
Burpees

That one sounds intense!!! Ring dip sounds like a bitches!

[Riggo#44]

That one sounds intense!!! Ring dip sounds like a bitches!

There is nothing quite like trying to do a burpee (with the push-up in the middle) with your shoulders and arms toasted from ring-dips, and your legs toasted from med-ball cleans...and you cannot seem to get oxygen into your lungs fast enough...

[IbleedBnG83]

There is nothing quite like trying to do a burpee (with the push-up in the middle) with your shoulders and arms toasted from ring-dips, and your legs toasted from med-ball cleans...and you cannot seem to get oxygen into your lungs fast enough...

Especially someone with asthma. I'm going to have to get a refill on my asthma meds before I do Crossfit!

[Riggo#44]

Especially someone with asthma. I'm going to have to get a refill on my asthma meds before I do Crossfit!

Probably check with a doctor as well. There have been times where I am breathing so hard, my lungs burn for lack of oxygen, like I am smoking again...