What else should I be doing?

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 12:11pm

This is less of a critique my routine question than a request to help me round out the routine.
I just started lifting again a few weeks ago. I started super light w/ 60lbs.
I'm doing 5x5 w/ Upright Rows, Overhead Press and ATG front squats.
I'm up to 80lbs on them and wondering if I should be doing anything else right now or not? I don't have a bench ATM so bench press is out, which sucks.
I've been looking at some of the crossfit workouts, but I lack a lot of the equipment.
What I DO have is a regular bar, a curl bar, a couple of adjustable dumb bells and about 350lbs worth of weight.

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 12:14pm

There is plenty more you can do with that eqipment. What, you ask?? I don't freakin know. I'm sure one of the more knowledable guys will come along and help you out though.

I've just started regular car-pushing, and I'm getting pretty good results. If you have someone to sit in the driver's seat and steer you away from mailboxes it's a good workout.

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 12:15pm

I'm sure there are all kinds of silly things I CAN do with that weight, but what things SHOULD I be doing is really what I'm trying to figure out.

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 12:27pm

Deadlift, pullups, assuming you're strength training for martial arts.

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 12:29pm

Yeah. strength training for MA, specifically BJJ. I'm trying to get my pullup bar to affix to something stable right now. Deadlifts I can definitely drop on. Any advice on where/how to add them in? Just another set of 5x5 maybe at the beginning then have the rows and the overhead between the deadlifts and the squats?

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:05pm

The way I usually see it organized (and the way I do it) is squats (because they're the hardest, they come first), bench press (because you need seperation between the two leg-intensive lifts and you don't want to work back before chest), then deadlift. I would make it another 5x5 and then do the other exercises in your routine.

**Emevas** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:18pm

I would remove the upright rows. They tend to be pretty destructive on the shoulders and serve more as a trap workout than a lat workout. When you get a pull-up bar, sub it in for that. If you want another day of weight training, you could arrange a schedule like this

Day A:
Squat
Overhead press
Bent over row

Day B
Deadlift
Floor press
Pull-up

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:21pm

I have a hard enough time getting the every other day weight lifting going. I was under the impression that upright rows were one of those "must have" lifts.
If I'm lifting every other day would it still be a good idea to do a A and B day or could I simply add Deadlift and later bech press to my workout?

**Emevas** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:26pm

Every other day as opposed to what specifically? I only am training twice a week nowadays because of my schedule, and I still rotate between two sets of movements.

I don't feel it would be ideal to just add deadlifts and benching to your routine. It would cause one of your movements to suffer. If you bench before you overhead, the overhead suffers, if you squat before you deadlift, the deadlift suffers. You'd also need to add in an extra pulling movement, brining you up to 6 movements to train in a high set, low rep fashion. You'd be in the gym a while, especially due to the short rest times.

I've never really heard of the upright row as a "must have" movement, usually it's more criticized. I've heard better things about the high pull, but considering you're looking to directly work the antagonist of the movements you're making, I can't see it being too beneficial.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 7/02/2008 2:33pm

Originally Posted by Kintanon

This is less of a critique my routine question than a request to help me round out the routine.
I just started lifting again a few weeks ago. I started super light w/ 60lbs.
I'm doing 5x5 w/ Upright Rows, Overhead Press and ATG front squats.
I'm up to 80lbs on them and wondering if I should be doing anything else right now or not? I don't have a bench ATM so bench press is out, which sucks.
I've been looking at some of the crossfit workouts, but I lack a lot of the equipment.
What I DO have is a regular bar, a curl bar, a couple of adjustable dumb bells and about 350lbs worth of weight.

That is basically what I have (in addition to some other **** I've built.)

Deadlifts, zercher lifts, cleans, overhead squats, walking lunges, giant lunges, presses, push presses, bradford presses, JM presses, standing JM presses, floor presses, barbell rows, barbell bicep curls (incredibly, good for the back), barbell face pulls, romanians into power shrugs, etc. There is a lot of good stuff that you can do with that equipment.

There will be two limiting factors, though:

1) The first limiting factor will be what you can hang clean (or clean, jerk and press behind the neck for a back squat.)

In cases like this, you can clean/jerk a bit less than your max for a back squat, and turn that into alternating side lunges, cossacks or step ups if you have a sturdy chair or platform. With step ups, if you keep your rear leg on its heel with the fingers curl back, it will negate most of its help, forcing the leg on the platform to take the brunt of the step up. Be careful at first as there will be almost no eccentric or stretch reflex. You'll be stepping up almost cold turkey.

2) The second one will be what you can safely bring to your chest for a floor or JM press. In cases like this, it will be better if you use a super-duper heavy dumbbell, which you can put in place with both hands for starting and ending a set of unilateral presses.

If you can build a platform like the one I built (it's in the DIY crap thread), you can do bench presses. As for squatting, I will most likely buy a pair of heavy duty sawhorses from Home Depot for front squatting from the bottom up (or build me a pair of "pillars of poverty".)

http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/safety.html