Some misc questions.

[nitecrawler]

hi all,
I having some questions for past 2-3 week which i am thinking of clubbing and putting here

1. I have been working hard on legs and i have seen great improvements in Quads / hams but i feel abductors (inner thigh) has not shown much improvement.

current schedule for legs is like :

Day 1-->

overhead squat (only with barbell)
Back squat
Split Squat.
stiff leg deadlift
Lunges variation

Day 2 -->

overhead squat (only with barbell)
Deadlift
Front squat
Good morning
Lunges variation

I keep changing the order of deadlift and sqaut on weekly basis !

should i modify a bit ?
or just keep following this one


I do not have access to any abductors machine and don't have ankle strap for pulley.

[nitecrawler]

2. for past 2 months i have definitely added some muscles and lot stronger on lifts like Deadlift and squats. I can less fats in midsection and as well as in thighs and arms , but weight has increased a bit.

I was thinking of following a plan where I will reduce 1 session of weight lifting to running / biking for about next 2 week. also it may give more rest to elbow although its much better now

so old schedule was :
4 day lifting (2 lower body + 2 upper body)+ 3 days HIIT (10-15 mins)

to

new
3 days lifting (2 lower body + 1 upper body) + 3 days HIIT (10-15 mins) + 1 day high/moderate intensity session (30 mins)

does this make any sense ?

[nitecrawler]

Yesterday I set PR for deadlift at 130 Kgs...tried for 135 KG too but missed.. it took me around 8 weeks to progress from 60KG to 130Kg
but squat is struck only at 80Kg !! as I am a tall guy so that could be due to leverage. should i concentrate more on squats or keep going as i am going.

Also I have planned to add more single limb exercise i think that should work . but i generally face difficulties regarding how much should I load them...

[swanso5]

sorry mate missed this one....

- being tall will hurt more in the squat than the dead as you can "cheat" more with the dead than squat
- maybe concentrate on squats while maintaining deads
- how will the iso excersies work? work for what???
- nothing wrong with gaining a little muscle weight
- you'd be silly to replace wts with cardio, not silly, retarded (a bit harsh but trying to send a msg there)
- rest elbow by decreasing load and/or vol of heavy lifts, don't stop completely
- how about 2 heavy days for lower/upper than 2 bodybuilding type days like a westside type approach
- keep cardio as is and clean up diet if you think you've gained fat
- why do you want inner thigh development?? do you like chafe???
- probably just changing the exercises you use will do the trick i would say
- single leg will be working inner thigh enough if keeping knee in line with foot and not letting knee cave inwards
- if going for heavy/light workouts, than lower should look like this: day 1 - squats heavy and usual stuff with light deads added...day 2 - deads heavy with usual stuff and light squats added...may need to take an exercise out actually to fit them in...do light deads/squats after heavy squat/deads

[nitecrawler]

thanks for the reply swanso..

- Yep..I have decided to go for MAX(1RM)only once in 2 weeks and i guess I have reached max for grip and I don't wear any straps so it will definitely take some time to progress further.
- also I do not have access to power rack and I cant find some one to support me so I am afraid regarding increasing load.
- for same reason I have decided to work out front squat as its easy to dump the bar,
- 2 Months back i was at 90 and now I am 92 though I am more defined then before and I can see great improvements in midsection too. but I guess 85KG would be apt weight for me, so thats the reason for the thought..
- actually little frustrated with elbow situation.. thats why planned to reduce weight day.
- alternate statergy could be use complexes as mentioned by "Alwyn Cosgrove" as the load wouldn't be much so shouldn't be a problem.
- Lol I do not like chafe, just a bit muscular like sprinter
- Actually I am doing same. diffrent combinations I follow are:

1. Heavy back squat/light Stiff leg DL/RDL
2. Heavy Front squat/ Light DL
3. Heavy DL / Light front squat

I generally do not max out with RDL as I feel they are too much for back.
- planning to change RDL to single leg RDL to reduce pressure on back a bit.

[swanso5]

- probably once a month would be better...a good way is to cyle through weeks such as low vol, med intensity than med volume and med intensity than low vol, high int than high vol mod to high intensity than retest etc...can't quite rememebr as it's at home but i'll look tonight and post the proper one tomorrow hopefully if i rememeber
- increase load but maybe do more sets and less reps finishing each set 1 rep before failure which you should be doing anyway adding the smallest load you can each workout
- front squat is good to include but as an accesroy exercise maybe...on second thought it may be a better option for someone tall..waht do you think? i'm a short so wouldn't and will never know
- if stomach is better than i wouldn't try and lose wt as you'll more than likely lose muscle making you look worse than now and also strength...how about maintaining where you are now/
- have you had it looked at yet? if so what's wrong and what are you doing for it? it won't itself
- i'm doing complexes now and they are hard...good luck with them
- if you want to be muscular like a sprinter than sprint...that's how they did it...i wouldn't make inner thigh any sort of priority though
- i wouldn't be doing heavy 3/week...heavy back or front and heavy deads with a light version as ou are should be suffice
- day 1 heavy squat front or back / light single leg single arm db stiff leg deadlifts....hold db in opposite hand to foot on ground...does that make sense?? let free leg end up behind you parallel to floor...day 2 - heavy deads / light back or fronnt squat whatever you didn't do day 1

[nitecrawler]

- that would be good too. I was currently trying to go 90% every week, but I guess you cant lift heavy forever.
- Its not about reps...If i am confident that I can make it then there is no problem else I am unable to go deep. I am thinking of following some thing like this: Lets say best for 5 sets X 3 reps of full squat is 75 Kgs. then I would do 4sets of full squats followed by 1/2 squats with 80Kg.
- In case of front squat load on back is lot less but still I lift more weight with back squat only....but the gap is closing.
- yea this level would be ok too until and unless weight doesn't increase further.
- only rest and some shoulder rehab work. will meet physio soon. was hoping rest will this. I am so desperately waiting to do some overhead work but can't
- yes they are very hard..hope won't have much trouble.
- Ok. sprinting 1X a week then.
- this Dead/squat routine make sense.

Thanks a lot swanso..

[swanso5]

here's what alwyn basically does for hic clients which is what i tied to rememeber:
• a summary of training a client looks like this…every client uses a 4 week mini periodisation doing each workout 4 or so times…#1 – 80% of previous best, focus on technique, low fatigue, no sets to F, stop 2 – 3 reps short of F, very conscious of vol…#2 – 90% or previous best, focus on good recruitment patterns, excellent technique, higher levels of fatigue, complete all sets…#3 – 100 – 105% or previous best, max work, does not attempt a rep you are not sure you can do…#4 – set new records, technique to be maintained, likely to go to F on some lifts and may use drop sets or some other intensifier…#5 – start again

- why not lower the wt 5kgs and do 5 x 3 full range of motion?
- you won't probably do overhead weork for a while i would think...does doing back squats hurt elbows?
-

[nitecrawler]

-why not lower the wt 5kgs and do 5 x 3 full range of motion?
what I was saying that 4 X 3 with full range of motion but only on last set I do 1/2 squat. and next week will try to do full squat with that....

- you won't probably do overhead weork for a while i would think...does doing back squats hurt elbows?
yep they do hurt..but if i widen the drip a bit then its ok.


also regarding periodisation routine dosen't 3rd week and 4th week are same as we are trying to lift heavy (MAX) in both of these..if i lift a weight at 105 % of MAX then it would be new MAX ??

[swanso5]

- just do as many full range reps as tou can...if you get 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 than get 1 extra erep next time
- still not helping i don't think
- week 3 do 100 or 105% but do not attempt a rep you don't think you can do full range of motion...week 4 work up to new max if possible and maybe add some drop sets for volume...that being said i would probably go for a 2 - 3 rep max instead of a single

[nitecrawler]

- thanks for clearing it up. as per schedule today is back squat day, lets see how it goes..
- u talking about squat or overhead press
- will follow this from coming week !! currently i am just deciding intensity based on mood !!

[swanso5]

- shoulder pressing
- get in the mood...plan ahead and work up to it

[nitecrawler]

- yes, uptil now I was just planning the exercise that I need to do but not the weight i am going to use. will keep a log for that too !!

Thanks swanso for all your help !!

[nitecrawler]

yesterday for the first time I increase intensity for single leg exercise.. single leg RDL, Bulgarian split squat and step up lunges and today I am having difficulties even to sit down.
as the main exercise I did Back squat with medium intensity..

[swanso5]

main exercise should remain high in intensity no matter what your doing after it