My workout (cuz Ford asked)

[IronFist]

Here's what I've been doing for the past 2 months or so. It's been a welcome change from all the 5 rep stuff I was doing before. I gained some size off of it, but then I stopped eating enough and I lost most of it. But my strength endurance is going up, which is awesome. Like when I started, I kind of had trouble doing 12 box squats with 135lbs, but now I start every squat day with that and it's pretty easy (knock on wood). I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Box squats own me!

Ok, here's the workout.

Monday
Bench - 10, 8, 6, 6, 8, 10 (recently changed to 12, 10, 6, 4, 8, 10, instead) - 2:00 rest, tempo: whatever

Cable crossovers (because I need isolation here to overcome a weakpoint). I put the cables at the high position, and pull the handles down to my sides, or just in front of my body. I've found, after much trial and error, that this way engages the pecs with the least amount of front deltoid involvement (which is what I'm trying to avoid) - 2 or 3 sets of 10.

Biceps machine curl (because I need isolation here to overcome a weak point) - 5 sets of 10 (or thereabouts) 1:00 rest, tempo 1 sec up, 3 secs down.

Hammer Curls (if I feel like it) - 10

Wednesday
Deadlift (only to maintain strength) - 5, 5, 3, 2 or something like that. Just working up to a 2 or 3RM each time. 5:00 rest between heavy sets. tempo: normal DL tempo (I don't time it)

Lat Row Machine with seperate left and right arm movement (because I need isolation here to overcome a weak point) - 5 sets of 10, and then 1 set of left arm only. 2:00 rest. Tempo: 1 sec concentric, 3 secs eccentric

Skull Crushers - 5 sets of 10. 1:00 rest. tempo: 1 sec concentric, 3 secs eccentric

Friday
Box Squats - 12, 10, 6, 4, 8, 10. Tempo: I don't time it. But sometimes I rest for a second on the box if I'm tired. 2:00 rest (ideal), but sometimes I take longer if I'm tired.

Shrugs - 3 sets of 12. Tempo: 1 sec up, 3 secs down.

Calves - Mix it up. I should do more calves but I don't, and it shows.

Ok I think that's about it.

[IronFist]

Notes: if I reduce the amount of reps in a set, the weight increases. When I increase reps, it decreases. I always start with 135 for my first set of 12 (bench and squat) and then increase from there, and I always increase each weight of each set after the starting one by 5lbs each week.

I work biceps on chest day and triceps on back day because when I was doing chest/tri and back/bi, after doing the first one, my tris or bis would be too fatigued to get a decent workout from them, and thus are underdeveloped. This way, after hitting chest, for example, I can go focus on a complete biceps workout. Before, after doing back, my biceps would be kinda tired already, which would screw everything up. I like it this new way.

This program was designed to give me muscular endurance, size, and strength, in that order. I am amazed, however, at how well my squat has been progressing strength wise. I'm hitting sets on the box now that I could barely get without a box before!

[ComeToJesus]

Why are your eccentrics so much longer than the concentrics?
I'm guilty of lifting slowly, but really quickly lowering the weight.
Is taking the extra time really beneficial? :confused:
I'm not challenging, just asking. I'm new to the whole weight lifting thing.

[IronFist]

The eccentric portion is generally connected with muscle growth. Since my arms are lagging, I decided to increase their eccentric portion to help stimulate growth.

For a huge over simplification,

concentric - strength
eccentric - growth

This is why you're not going to gain very much size off of concentric-only lifts.

Also, the eccentric part is supposedly more responsible for DOMS, or something.

I'm really tired right now and can't think. Sorry.

[Ford Prefect]

Cool. So you trying to bulk up?

[ElPietro]

Eccentrics can be great for strength and hypertrophy. The reason being they can handle a ton more weight that way. I'm not sure how much increasing the TUT will help with this, but who knows.

That's why a lot of growth, and even strength programs will include some heavy negatives. You can often handle 30-50% more weight on the eccentric ROM of the lift than the concentric.

This means that you will be creating more stimulus for the Type IIb fibre types, which are the ones that exert the most strength and hypertrophy. But it's not something you should do often anyway as it's pretty hard on the body.

Also, I don't really believe in training for fibre types either, as all of them fire in some way during a lift. Just train for your goals.

Are you finding at all that squats on friday are limited by lower back fatigue from deadlifts on wednesday? Don't know if you use sumo or conventional stance. Sumo would probably spare your erectors a bit more, but tax the hips/glutes more as well, so still taxes the squat.

Seems like a decent enough split though.

I think the best way to increase anaerobic endurance is by doing mid to high rep work with short breaks in between. It's all about the rest periods for that kinda stuff. If strength were the primary focus then obviously you should take longer breaks, such as 2-5 minutes depending on what you are doing.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by wall
No aerobic effort? No agility/speed drills? No stretching? ...no MA??

Is this just your "strength" routine or your whole weekly training? It just seems hugely incomplete, especially for someone "belonging" to a MA community :) Just curious.

W

I go to MMA class twice a week usually. That takes care of my aerobic stuff. Also I shadow box sometimes in my off days. I just posted the weightlifting part of my workout.

[wall]

Hi Iron,

with the same logic that an MA class taxes your strength somewhat but you still need specific strength training to have good levels of strength, so an MA class taxes your aerobic and anaerobic capacity somewhat but you still need specific training to attain good gains. That's why pro-fighters jog and sprint and skip, they don't just spar for fitness.

Also stretching should be a vital part of any MA practitioner routine, and it's best done before and after intense muscular effort, thus on your strength days as well as the MA days.

Finally agility and speed drills are important to teach the brain and body to coordinate all that strength + aerobic + anaerobic + flexibility into combined and complex explosive motions.

Just a few thoughts towards avoiding developing a "looks-only" physique with little functional abilities, especially when applied to MA.

:)

W

[rubthebuddha]

IF,

go do some cardio, you big wuss. ;)

[Lynux6gold]

What happened to Stone Warrior?

[IronFist]

I quit doing that 4 years ago :)