More on my training regimen

Last time, I outlined the different workouts that are part of the Madcow program I've been on.  I'll talk a bit more about the setup, as well as the progression.  There are a number of set/rep schemes you can use for lifting, depending on your goals (or the goals of the program).  This program, for the most part, has you ramping up to a single set at the heaviest weight.  This is best for maximal strength, but not as good for bulk and endurance.  One of the changes I'm making for myself attempts to address this a  little bit, but first, I want to give the standard setup and progression.

To repeat from the previous post, there are 3 core lifts per day, the rest being assistance, or supplementary, work.  I'm going to start off talking about the core lifts.  The core lifts are the same on days A and C (Monday and Friday, if your schedule is Monday/Wednesday/Friday). 

Let's start with day A.  That scheme is simplest for the core exercises, simply 5 sets, and each set is 5 reps.  You calculate the weight starting from the heaviest set (let's say it's 100 pounds).  Each set leading up to the heaviest set should be about 12.5% lighter.  In other words, if the 5th set is 100, set 4 would be 87.5, set 3 would be 75, set 2 would be 62.5, and set 1 would be 50.  This does not have to be precise, but the ramp should be pretty close to linear.  The smaller the gaps, the more volume you'll do in terms of total pounds moved, but you run a higher risk of stalling.  Usually, you're not going to be able to lift 87.5 pounds or some weird number, so I just round it.  Some people drop to the next even 5 pound increment (assuming they have 2.5 pound plates).  Some people will actually microload, which as the name implies, means figuring out a way to get a very small increment of weight on the bar.  This is ideal.  It's also a pain, especially in a commercial gym, so I don't bother.

That's it for day A.  On day C (Friday for me), the first 4 sets are the same as day A, for each core exercise.  [I made a mistake on this last post, I said you only did 3 sets of 5, but you do 4 sets of 5.]  If you were successful on day A for the 5th set, then on day C, you increase the weight by 2.5% for the 5th set.  But, you only do 3 reps to compensate for that. To finish off each core exercise on day C, you actually do a 6th set for 8 reps, using the same weight you used for set 3.

If you successfully complete the heaviest set of 3 on day C, then the next time you lift (day A scheme), you bump up the weight for the 5th set.  It's interesting to note that you should always be able to lift 102.5% of a 5-rep weight for only 3 reps.  That is, if you can lift 200 pounds for 5 reps, it's theoretically easier to lift 205 pounds for 3 reps.  That does seem to be true in my experience, but it did surprise me.

So, that's how you move up the weights on day A and day C.  Day B (Wednesday) stands by itself.  First, for squats, the idea is that it's really a recovery day; you are not trying to push it.  So, your first 3 sets are the same as the first 3 sets on day A.  Essentially a couple pretty light warmups, then a little heavier warmup.  Then you do a 4th set with the same weight as the 3rd set.  You don't push yourself with squats at all on day B.

For the other two, if you complete all reps, you bump the weight by 2.5%.  And that takes care of the core lifts.  There's no real guidance given for the assistance lifts, other than they shouldn't get in the way.  The point of this program is to get your squat, bench, row, and deadlift increased.  The assistance stuff should assist in that, but it's not a big deal to the program if they don't increase.

I still haven't gotten around to the changes that I've made to the program for me, but this post is already tl;dr.

My training regimen

For the last several weeks, I've been following a slightly modified version of a training program commonly referred to as Madcow 5x5.  That program itself is a modification of a program created by a weightlifting coach (and competitor) named Bill Starr.  The focus of this program -- like all of Starr's programs that I'm aware of -- is strength, attained by doing a full body workout 3 times a week.  Starr's programs concentrate mainly on a few different compound free weight exercises.  A compound exercise is one that requires multiple joints and muscles, as opposed to isolation exercises.  Those, as the name implies, focus more on a single joint/muscle.

As you go through different phases of weight training, both compound and isolation exercises have their place.  But for beginners, and probably for intermediates as well, programs should be dominated by compound exercises.  And whether you're a beginner or intermediate lifter has nothing to do with how long you've been lifting.  It has to do with how much you can lift, relative to your body weight.  Until you can bench press more than you weigh, and until you can do a good-technique squat with 150% of your body weight, you should consider yourself a beginner and focus on compound exercises.  If I remember, I'll go more into why in a future post.

So anyway, I'm in the midst of this slightly modified Madcow 5x5 program.  I'm adding onto it a little bit, mostly.  This, by the way, is expressly against the advice of the program's creator, Madcow.  He specifically says to not fuck with the program.  But, like me, probably a lot of people do.  The biggest thing that people do wrong is that they use the wrong techniques on the lifts.  That's probably closely followed by trying to do too much.  Doing too much volume can lead to overtraining.  Doing too many isolation exercises is unproductive at best, but can also get in the way of interfering with your progress on the core exercises.

The program is designed, like I said, to be run 3 days a week.  It's supposed to go:
Day 1 -workout A
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - workout B
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - workout C
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - off

Workout A consists of the following:
Squats:  5x5 (5 sets, 5 reps per set)
Bench Press:  5x5
Barbell Row:  5x5
Back Extensions:  3x8-12
Situps:  3 sets


Workout B:
Squats:  4x5
Military press OR Incline bench press:  4x5
Deadlift:  4x5
Situps:  3 sets


Workout C:
Squats:  3x5, 1x3, 1x8
Bench Press:  3x5, 1x3, 1x8
Barbell Row:  3x5, 1x3, 1x8
Dips:  3x8
Biceps:  3 sets
Triceps:  3 sets


For each workout, the first 3 exercises are the core exercises.  Those are the ones that are supposed to progress.  I'll talk about the progression next time. The other exercises after the first 3 are assistance exercises, designed to help the primary exercises progress.  That's important. It means, for one thing, it doesn't matter whether or not you're getting better in the assistance exercises.


In addition to progression, I'll talk about the changes I made to the program for myself, and why.  I might even embarrass myself and tell you how much I'm lifting with all these exercises.  They're not great, but the important thing is that I'm working hard and progressively lifting heavier.