Opinions please

[shaolin kungfu]

Is this a good weight training plan?

bicep curls- 3 sets of 12
shoulder press- 3 sets 0f 12
chest press- 3 sets of 12
lat pull down- 3 sets of 12
tricep extension- 3 sets of 12
leg extension-3 sets of 12
leg curl-3 sets of 12
leg press- 3 of 12
sit ups-2 sets of 20
elbow to knee sit ups-2 sets of 20
repeater knee sit ups-10 each side-2 sets

Comments? Suggestions?

[abobo]

First things first - you'll get more useful replies if you can answer the following questions:

1) What are your goals? In what order?
2) How experienced are you in strength training?
3) Have you had any previous injuries?
4) What kind of equipment do you have access to?
5) How often will you be able to train?
6) What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses?

[shaolin kungfu]

I'll answer the questions in the order you asked them.

1) I'd like to increase speed first, then strength.
2) Apart from push ups and sit ups, not much.
3) A couple torn ligaments in my knee last year from playing soccer. It's been ok for a while now.
4) I have access to free weights mostly, I'd have to check to see exactly what the gym has for machines.
5) I can weight train every weekday in the morning.
6) Basically, everything is weaker than I'd like it to be.

[harry_the_monk]

I would not train this routine every day.
There are a lot of exercises there for you to do.
There is a lot of leg work there for you to do.
I would not perform them in the order mentioned, but would train major muscle groups first.
Plyometric exercise is best for building speed, it can also help with strength.IMO


This is purely MHO.

om mani peme hung.

[shaolin kungfu]

Thank you.

[abobo]

Ok, I can give you a few suggestions now. I am going to be thorough – I’ll try my best to explain the basis for what I suggest. Yes, it is going to be long.

Now, from your goals it definitely sounds like you are after speed strength (aka power). Strength can be defined in many ways, some of which are probably intuitive to you already. It’s not really necessary to define them all right now, but it will make for good reading later on. What is important is that one way to increase speed strength is through development of max strength, i.e. the maximal amount of force your muscles can generate.

So, we’ll look at weight training protocols that promote maximal strength gains:

1) Performing compound movements – i.e. involving multiple joints / muscle groups
2) Intensity at ~ 85% 1 rep max for lifts
As a beginner you should ramp up to this percentage. That will give you time to practice your form and keep you from burning out too quickly.
3) Corollary to (2): Higher intensity lends itself to low rep ranges (5 or fewer). Also, I’m against taking any set to failure under these circumstances. Failure usually means bad form, which can lead to injuries. Also, it makes recovery take longer.
4) Long rest periods between sets – 3 minutes or more.
5) Progressive overload – this should be fairly obvious. But I will add that a linear pattern (e.g. constantly adding X weight every Y weeks) is not necessarily the best way to go about this.
6) Using free weights when possible

The physiology behind it is outside of the scope of this discussion, but I’ll provide some links at the end.

Now, let’s make a skeleton for a training program. I’ll take some of the exercises you named (which I assume you used because you are familiar with them), and apply some of those principles.

Of the upper body exercises, I strongly recommend both a compound press and a pull. For the press you could either choose the shoulder press or the chest press, or both, depending on how you schedule your workouts.

Can you do pull-ups? If you can do can do 10 pullups, and you have access to a bar and belt, you don’t need to do lat pulldowns.. For a secondary pulling movement you can do curls.

I consider the squat to be a fundamental movement, provided that it doesn’t aggravate any existing injuries. If proper form is used, and enough flexibility is built up in the joints, it is one of the most productive lifts you can do.

Other lifts to consider are: deadlift, shrug bar deadlift, lunges, etc.

Check out Chip Conrad's articles on Dolfzine for an introduction to the squat and deadlift form.

I don’t like doing sit-ups, but if you do, what you have written is fine, as long as you have enough resistance to challenge yourself.

Finally, I’d add calf raises because for me, squats don’t really do much for the calves.

Depending on your fitness level, you may want to spend the first couple of months using lighter resistance such as bodyweight exercises. It's my understanding that this allows the tendons and joints to adapt to stress, which will prepare them for the strain of heavier lifting.

You could do these workouts two or three times per week, depending on the number of exercises. Keep the reps from 3-6 as mentioned above, and lift in a controlled fashion. Three sets probably a good number to start with. If you start with something light, such as your 12RM and add 5 lbs each workout. When your form begins to suffer, take a few days off and start back at the bottom, say 5 lbs above your 12RM this time.

eg)
day 1: 75 lbs
day 2: 80 lbs
...
day 7: 110 lbs

start over at day 8: 80 lbs


This is a wave pattern kind of like Power to the People, with more lifts and less frequency. It should get you strong and provide a good introduction to productive lifts.

Further reading:

http://www.myodynamics.com/articles/principles.html

[shaolin kungfu]

WOW! Thanks!

[Serpent]

Very interesting. Thanks Abobo.

[Samurai Jack]

Abobo, I agree with your advice on every point except your last. Three days a week will be productive for this guy for about two weeks max. Personally, I'd look to weight train no more than twice a week with a power program like that, and certainly would be leaning toward once a week or less.

You are going to start noticing diminishing returns if you don't give your body ample time to manifest the growth you've stimulated, and adding martial arts to the mix is going to accelerate your race toward overtraining with a three day a week protocol.

Rather than go for a "wave pattern", I'd look to a Mon/Fri split. You'll be able to maintain that for less than a month, but bear in mind that your weights should be going up by five or ten pounds on all of your lifts. Once you hit a plateau, i.e. the VERY first day your weights don't go up (they might even back slide) add a minimum of three days of rest between workouts.

You can also just skip the exercise you didn't gain on until it comes around on the next cycle. Either way, you've gotta account for over training in your program, because it will always happen in a progressive strength training routine. It's simple physics that as your training intensifies you will require more rest.

You've gotta ask yourself this question Shaolin Kungfu, "Do I want to get stronger, or do I want to see how much exercise I can take until I can't continue?". Obviously, your goal should be the former.

[nospam]

1) I'd like to increase speed first, then strength.
2) Apart from push ups and sit ups, not much.
3) A couple torn ligaments in my knee last year from playing soccer. It's been ok for a while now.
4) I have access to free weights mostly, I'd have to check to see exactly what the gym has for machines.
5) I can weight train every weekday in the morning.
6) Basically, everything is weaker than I'd like it to be.

Speed - then stretch daily and practise your MAs in a productive and segmented way. I always say train hard but smart. I assume when you say 'speed' you mean in your physical movement in MAs. Proper practise will increase speed.

To over simplify things, your routine is fine. To even things out I'd include dumbbell rows for the back or machine rows if you have access. Most beginners think more is better - it aint. I always say if you the time, then a total body workout is a good way to start. Then as you make gains - say 3-4 months later, break the body up in parts. Some folks do opposing muscle sin one day such as arms (bi's & tri's) & chest/back & quads/hams. If you have the time to do this, then 3 days (segmented) a week in the gym is a great schedule.

Do your research on the Net and read. Buy some bodybuilding mags - good source for various training methods. We're all different and what works for me might not work for you.

But if speed in your MAs is what you're looking for, then this can be gained without pumping iron. But do remember...good technique is better than speed of technique. To gain speed. You must first practise slow..then for each 100 slow punches say...you get to do 5 quick punches. Then slow it down and slowly increase speed while watching technique. In the heat of combat or performance the only thing we can rely on is our fundamentals. And fundamentals are the first to go out the door when the pressure's on.

For whatever it was worth..

nospam.

[abobo]

You could try the first exercise as your 'big' lift, the second should be to target weaker areas. And since there will be some overlap, you can keep them at a lower percentage of your max.

Which gives me an idea: maybe the lifts should be in sets of 5,4,3

Then, for the day's second movement, instead of adding weight every week, you can add reps. So it would look something like

543,544,554,555

and then at this point you might add 5 lbs

That should make it more sustainable.

[shaolin kungfu]

Great posts everyone. Thank you.