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.