First off is what I am doing, and then I will ask a few questions.
Mon - Off
Tues - Lifting Workout “A” (see below)
Wed - CF WOD
Thur - Lifting Workout “B” (see below)
Fri - CF WOD
Sat - Lifting Workout “A” (I keep alternating A-B)
Sun - 5k (outdoors, or treadmill if brutal outside)
Lifting Workout A (the sets and reps are after warm-up)
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Dips 2x8
Lifting Workout B
Squat 3x5
Push Press 3x5
Rows 3x5 (I use the “machine” where you put your chest on a pad, pull up using handlebars, and put plates on to weight)
Pull-ups 2x8 (weight assisted…now down to 70 pounds)
I do different warm ups, and add in a few things at the end of some days, but the above is pretty much the core of what I do.
Questions:
1) What do you think in general? My goals are general fitness, and increased strength…being totally honest, I’d love to be able to bench 315.
2) Am I squatting too much? With my routine, I am squatting 3 times a week. This is in addition to any WOD’s that also have squats, OH, Front, Back, Air, box jumps, etc.
3) Any other comments, thoughts? It’s a pretty light CF program…since I am really only doing WODs two days a week.
So far I have been pretty happy with my results..I’m in better shape, getting stronger, and have been losing weight. That said, I want to keep the results coming, and don’t want to plateau.
My goals are general fitness, and increased strength…being totally honest, I’d love to be able to bench 315.
That goal sounds like you should be doing CF 3-on-1-off, well besides the whole 315 bench thing. CF is GPP and can get you pretty strong! If focusing on strength is a key goal, then why not start with CFSB - adding some ME lifting to a regular CF schedule.
I would agree with JDG. If what you say your goal is general fitness then you need to follow the crossfit main page more. Then you can add the extra ME day’s. Tue, Wed, Thurs. do some lifting and a wod. take Fri. off. There now you have three CF wods already. Just an idea!.
I have to jet but I just saw this thread and will comment on it later today. Your bring up some interesting questions that several of us like to debate about (in a friendly manner).
It looks like you are following some variation of the starting strength program. Chances are your body will probably not recover if you do WOD’s the day after.
Cramz is correct. Let’s isolate just your lifting days and it looks like some template you pulled out of Starting Strength or Practical Programming. Regardless of where you got it, you have to understand what your goals are. You say your goals are increased GPP and improved strength. That’s great. But understand there are only so many hours in a day and your body can only take so much before it says no more when on a program as the one you have described above. If you are going to do a program like this, 5 days is generally a good number of days to train. For what you’re trying to do, I would even cut it down to 4. Understand that your weightlifting days should and are be taking a good amount of energy out of you.
Justin Lascek, one of Rip’s proteges—and a good friend of mine—outlined a general S&C program that takes two days of weightlifting and 2 days of conditioning:
Mon: Weightlift
Tues: Conditioning
Wed: Off
Thu: Weightlift
Fri: Conditioning
Sat: Off
Sun: Off
Others have taken this general template and have tweaked it to take more conditioning in by sticking with a general format of squat, press, pulling exercise for both weight lifting days. Deadlift and something like rows basically alternate. No benching is done. You can tweak it for however you need it.
Others have also taken this template and done something like this:
Mon: Conditioning
Tues: Weightlift
Wed. Off
Thu: Light Conditioning
Fri: Weightlift
Sat: Conditioning
Sun: Off
And then, of course, you can do a CFSB-type program where you split your weightlifting up over the course of the week. Is it still linear progression? Yes. Will your progress be a bit slower? Possibly, but you can only know if you try it. Most of us respond very well to a CFSB-type program for the recovery factor and mostly for the time constraints we have in our lives.
I’m digressing at this point. The point I’m trying to make is if you’re going to program for yourself, you have to consider your goals first, then consider your recovery factor, and then work backwards from there.
Justin Lascek, one of Rip’s proteges—and a good friend of mine—outlined a general S&C program that takes two days of weightlifting and 2 days of conditioning:
Mon: Weightlift
Tues: Conditioning
Wed: Off
Thu: Weightlifting…Is this second day of lifting a repeat of Tuesday’s lifting?
Fri: Conditioning
Sat: Off
Sun: Off
Others have taken this general template and have tweaked it to take more conditioning in by sticking with a general format of squat, press, pulling exercise for both weight lifting days. Deadlift and something like rows basically alternate. No benching is done. You can tweak it for however you need it.
Others have also taken this template and done something like this:
Mon: Conditioning…Would any CF WOD work? Even if it has sn element of lifting which will be seen the following day.
Tues: Weightlift
Wed. Off
Thu: Light Conditioning
Fri: Weightlift
Sat: Conditioning
Sun: Off
To answer your question RE: any CF WOD, you have to remember these programs are outlined with the strength portion being the prominent driver in the program. If your conditioning detracts you from making progress, then you’re not executing it correctly. Example: If you decide to do conditioning where you sprint and do heavy front squats, then this will invariably eat into your recovery prior to your next weightlifting day where you’re supposed to add poundage to your lifts.
This is where programming gets kind of tricky and very fun. You have to look at your ability to recover and remind yourself what your long term goals are. We @ Brand-X generally incorporate Olympic movements into our conditioning just because it’s so effective.
First, thanks to all for the info, especially gimpy.
I am experiencing what you’ve described….the lack of recovery. Since I am squatting 3 times per week, and then doing WODs that are sometimes leg intensive (e.g., run, box jump, wall ball), I’m not seeing great gains with my squat weight. I am sure some of this is do to my form (or lack of) too.
I get that the first question to answer is “what are your goals?” And my goals are general fitness and strength. If someone were to say, which one do you want, I would say “both”. Given this, I do like what I’ve been doing, and I like the plan you laid out. I tweaked the schedule a bit..since I workout early in the morning, and for me to try and workout on a Monday morning is just like going against a force of nature. I’ve also added a few questions…
Mon: Off
Tues: Weightlift - Squat, Press, Power Clean (Q: Assume Press is standing Push press? What about subbing HPC’s for the PC’s)
Wed: Pull-ups - Conditioning
Thu: Off
Fri: Weightlift – Squat, Bench, Deadlift (Q: what about adding dips too?)
Sat: Conditioning
Sun: 5k (sometime this is a slow deal, sometimes a bit more intense depending on how I feel. I just like doing a Sunday morning run, and I want to start getting into the occasional 5k walk/run with my friends)
What do you think of the program above? It’s very similar to what I was doing, but drops a day of lifting for another off day. With only benching once per week, do you think that’s enough to make decent gains? Remember my side goal of a 315 bench?
Press is the overhead press. All upper body, no lower body assistance.
Yes, you can add dips for _assistance work_.
As long as you are getting quality calories (protein, fat, carbs) into your body to aid in recovery (I hear whole milk and dead cow helps with this), you should be able to make consistence linear progress. You just have to remember that benching once a week means just that. You will be making weekly gains on that exercise as opposed to a schedule where you are benching more. Simple as that.
1) Your thoughts on subbing Hang Power Cleans for the Power Cleans?
2) I have been using a 3x5 program, what’s your thoughts on this versus a 5x5? Also, when moving up in weight, I will typically use the 3rd set to introduce the new weight. I might even do this for 2 workouts before starting the 3x5 with the new weight. Thoughts?
3) Do you have anymore recommendations for assistance work to help achieve a 315 bench? Currently, my 3x5 bench weight is 235.
b. Stick with 3 x 5. And, if you’re going to do N x 5 linear progression, do it for the same weight across all sets, not just the last set. Not the gospel but you will make great gains from it.
* Just put in work to make progress on your bench. No amount of assistance exercises will be more effective than just putting quality time in with your bench press.
Thanks for all your help. I plan to start the new program on Monday…which is a rest day!!!
I’m sure in a few months I will be benching 315 and looking like the guy below…just not so green. You know The Hulk would totally be a CF beast. Unlike the body-building set, he would also be able to bang out Oly Lifts, MetCons, trail runs, and all the gymnastic moves….yes, I’ve thought about this way too much….I’ll stop typing now.
Thanks for all your help. I plan to start the new program on Monday…which is a rest day!!!
I’m sure in a few months I will be benching 315 and looking like the guy below…just not so green. You know The Hulk would totally be a CF beast. Unlike the body-building set, he would also be able to bang out Oly Lifts, MetCons, trail runs, and all the gymnastic moves….yes, I’ve thought about this way too much….I’ll stop typing now.
Would his wall-balls be mountains? Wouldn’t he pull a Chuck Norris and push the world down with push-ups and HSPU?
Thanks for all your help. I plan to start the new program on Monday…which is a rest day!!!
I’m sure in a few months I will be benching 315 and looking like the guy below…just not so green. You know The Hulk would totally be a CF beast. Unlike the body-building set, he would also be able to bang out Oly Lifts, MetCons, trail runs, and all the gymnastic moves….yes, I’ve thought about this way too much….I’ll stop typing now.
Would his wall-balls be mountains? Wouldn’t he pull a Chuck Norris and push the world down with push-ups and HSPU?
I’m sure he does pose-running…given that he’s into the whole barefoot movement
Thanks for all your help. I plan to start the new program on Monday…which is a rest day!!!
I’m sure in a few months I will be benching 315 and looking like the guy below…just not so green. You know The Hulk would totally be a CF beast. Unlike the body-building set, he would also be able to bang out Oly Lifts, MetCons, trail runs, and all the gymnastic moves….yes, I’ve thought about this way too much….I’ll stop typing now.
Would his wall-balls be mountains? Wouldn’t he pull a Chuck Norris and push the world down with push-ups and HSPU?
I’m sure he does pose-running…given that he’s into the whole barefoot movement
I wonder how high his box jump is (jeez, where’s TP to really hijack this thread?).
