What would you do?
Thanks to my genetics and build, I have to train my ass off to achieve what I would call "average" maximal strength. Not average as in what any random 185 lb. guy on the street could do, but average compared to other guys who train regularly.
But thankfully, I have a naturally high potential for endurance (both muscular and cardiovascular) and leanness, so here's what I've decided to do:
Train six days a week, Scrapper no. 1 (with a few changes just for fun), lifting one day, and Scrapper no. 1 again. In between I'll do days of 30-40 minutes of cardio (mostly boxing type stuff) with a 30-40 minute long stretching session.
So what should I do on the one day that I lift?
Here's what I was thinking:
5x5 Squats
5x5 Overhead press
5x5 Stiff-legged deadlift
3 sets of dips (nowhere to do them in my apartment, so I left them off Scrapper days)
Then maybe some shrugs, farmer's walk, weighted ab work, I don't know. I know I won't be able to go too hard every time, I just don't want to totally neglect this aspect of training. I just want to concentrate more on my natural advantages.
"An advantage is only an advantage if you take advantage of it." - Dikembe Mutombo
Thanks.
THat looks similar to what I would do if only lifting
once a week. I would clean and press though not just
overhead press, and I would do a standard deadlift
instead of a stiff leg. You would already be doing lots
of chin-ups with the Scrapper routine right? I would
have a real hard time only lifting once though, I would
end up adding to many exercises and making the workout
to hard. Good luck though, it sounds like it could work
well for you.
I would do:
squats, bench, chins, dips, deadlifts, power cleans, all 5x5.
you will be doing a lot of chins with scrapper so you should be OK in that department.
how about
Sumo Deadlift 3x5 (kind of like a squat and deadlift in one)
Bench 3x5
2 heavy sets of heavy OH press
2 sets of heavy dips
and either a HEAVY row or power cleans
If I could only lift once a week, I would just deadlift.
See, I was subbing the stiff legged deadlifts in for regular ones so that I could work my hamstrings and lower back more, and to take a little of the burden off my quads because of the squats. But maybe I could just try skipping the squats altogether and do normal deadlifts.
I was leaving out bench press because I'll be doing a ton of pushups, and I figure squat and/or overhead press should pretty much cover any real life pushing movements I'll be doing. But I don't know.
I'll probably mix it up from time to time depending on how I feel. Thanks for the suggestions though, keep them coming.
no matter how many pushups I do, i feel they do not give me the same effects of good solid heavy explosive bench. if anything rotate it in every couple of weeks. I am interested in this thread too because I am currently in the middle of a planned solid 8 weeks of BW conditioning. I like the resuls I am getting A LOT. I feel like one day of weights plus consistent body weight routines would be perfect for me too.
I often do lift 1x a week unfortunately. My workout currently is
squats 5x8
oh press 3x5
pullups- as many sets of 5 as I can do, usually 3.5-4
hypers, abs, drink milk.
DB swing 4x5
Sumo Dead/Front Squat 5x5
Pull up/Dips 3 ladders
Ab work
If I could only lift one day a week I would make myself some sandbags and do the following exercises:
Deadlifts
Clean and Press
Turkish Get-ups
Squats
Last night I did deep squats, OH press, stiff legged deads, dips, neck bridges, and weighted crunches. Felt great, although the squats freakin killed me.
I think I've got a good new training partner if our schedules work out, we're of comparable size and ability, plus he played football in high school so he's knows the right form for most of the important lifts.