Critique My Workout Please

[GoonLife]

Could you guys offer suggestions to help me improve my offseason workout? It's a football workout but I also want it to benefit my fighting. Also keep in mind it is specifically geared to football so there are bodybuilding type lifts included because the goal is to build and maintain size as well as strength.

Monday
Bench press 5x5
Incline bench 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Band pull ups 3x30

Tuesday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Leg press 3x10
Back extension 2x25
Hammer curls 3x10
Straight bar curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

Thursday
Bench press 5x5
Shoulder press 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Tire flips

Friday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Deadlift 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Back extension 2x25
Preacher curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

 

[wushurichard]

Could you guys offer suggestions to help me improve my offseason workout? It's a football workout but I also want it to benefit my fighting. Also keep in mind it is specifically geared to football so there are bodybuilding type lifts included because the goal is to build and maintain size as well as strength.

Monday
Bench press 5x5
Incline bench 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Band pull ups 3x30

Tuesday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Leg press 3x10
Back extension 2x25
Hammer curls 3x10
Straight bar curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

Thursday
Bench press 5x5
Shoulder press 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Tire flips

Friday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Deadlift 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Back extension 2x25
Preacher curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

can i suggest dropping some weight training for more conditioning and perhaps put some sticky hands drills in there

thansk you

 

[pliftkl]

Could you guys offer suggestions to help me improve my offseason workout? It's a football workout but I also want it to benefit my fighting. Also keep in mind it is specifically geared to football so there are bodybuilding type lifts included because the goal is to build and maintain size as well as strength.

If you lift heavy with progression and have excess calories, you will get big. There's an advantage in football to being heavier (to a certain extent), but there's no inherent advantage to having a big bicep or a big tricep. I think you could cut out more than half of the work that you do in the gym and still get great results. For example, you have 85 reps of direct tricep work in addition to the 65 reps of bench variations. You'd be hard pressed to convince me that the 150 combined reps for your triceps are somehow critical to your football goals. It's also very unlikely that you've ever screwed up in a big play because your biceps were not strong enough.

 

[Cratos]

Looks good, TS. You are well on your way.

Good luck with your training goals in the future.

 

[silvasurfer5253]

Could you guys offer suggestions to help me improve my offseason workout? It's a football workout but I also want it to benefit my fighting. Also keep in mind it is specifically geared to football so there are bodybuilding type lifts included because the goal is to build and maintain size as well as strength.

Monday
Bench press 5x5
Incline bench 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Band pull ups 3x30

Tuesday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Leg press 3x10
Back extension 2x25
Hammer curls 3x10
Straight bar curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

Thursday
Bench press 5x5
Shoulder press 4x10
Triceps extension 4x10
Skullcrushers 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x10
Shrugs 3x20
Tire flips

Friday
Squat 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Deadlift 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Back extension 2x25
Preacher curls 3x10
Reverse curls 3x10

I like the split, but the second day I would supplement 3 x10-15 for the 5 x5. One day for power, one for technique and endurance. Also, I'd add some more back exercises on Monday, and Thursday.

 

[GoonLife]

If you lift heavy with progression and have excess calories, you will get big. There's an advantage in football to being heavier (to a certain extent), but there's no inherent advantage to having a big bicep or a big tricep. I think you could cut out more than half of the work that you do in the gym and still get great results. For example, you have 85 reps of direct tricep work in addition to the 65 reps of bench variations. You'd be hard pressed to convince me that the 150 combined reps for your triceps are somehow critical to your football goals. It's also very unlikely that you've ever screwed up in a big play because your biceps were not strong enough.

I mean I'm already lifting heavy progressively on my base bench/squats/powercleans, wont doing the other lifts just help me get even bigger? And I could be wrong but I've heard having more muscle mass makes it easier to gain strength, so I think having bigger biceps or triceps would help my bench.

 

[pliftkl]

I mean I'm already lifting heavy progressively on my base bench/squats/powercleans, wont doing the other lifts just help me get even bigger?

More isn't necessarily better. You can add some size to your arms by working them directly. However, you'll probably find that your arm size tracks closely to your overall body weight, and much less so to your arm workouts. If your arm size is tracking body weight, then it makes sense to just focus on the big lifts that stimulate overall body growth. What you are doing isn't inherently wrong, but I think you are chasing something that will have very limited returns for you.

And I could be wrong but I've heard having more muscle mass makes it easier to gain strength, so I think having bigger biceps or triceps would help my bench.

I usually give people the opposite advice: form follows function. If you want to get big, get strong and your body will adapt. Having strong triceps can definitely help your bench, the question is whether doing an extra 85 reps of triceps work after your bench is helpful at all. I'm not going to suggest that the extra work is necessarily harmful, but I will say from anecdotal experience that when I backed way off of the assistance exercises my core lifts got stronger faster.

You mention that this is your off season lifting routine. What does your on season routine look like?

 

[Kennethguye]

if you stick with that routine, you ll be a beast in no time, good luck ts

 

[GoonLife]

More isn't necessarily better. You can add some size to your arms by working them directly. However, you'll probably find that your arm size tracks closely to your overall body weight, and much less so to your arm workouts. If your arm size is tracking body weight, then it makes sense to just focus on the big lifts that stimulate overall body growth. What you are doing isn't inherently wrong, but I think you are chasing something that will have very limited returns for you.

Well I'm focusing on my core lifts so wouldn't doing extra arm/leg workouts be just an added benefit? I mean I guess it would be one thing if I was focusing on those lifts rather than my core lifts, but since I'm doing my base lifts first when I have all my energy will doing extra work be a dertiment? Or are you saying that the added lifts geared towards building size are just unnecessary?

You mention that this is your off season lifting routine. What does your on season routine look like?

On season workouts are just supposed to maintain the strength and size you build during the spring and summer but right now we're working with a new conditioning coach who doesn't really know what he's doing so I'm not getting much out of it.

 

[pliftkl]

Well I'm focusing on my core lifts so wouldn't doing extra arm/leg workouts be just an added benefit? I mean I guess it would be one thing if I was focusing on those lifts rather than my core lifts, but since I'm doing my base lifts first when I have all my energy will doing extra work be a dertiment? Or are you saying that the added lifts geared towards building size are just unnecessary?

I'm primarily arguing that they are unnecessary (at least to the extent that you are doing them). Detriment? I don't know. I propose anecdotally for me that taking out those extra sets seems to help me recover better, but I'm probably twice your age, so recovery is harder for me.

 

[toonie]

How long are your work-outs with all that work? If it's less than an hour and a half, you would probably do better to axe a lot of your isolation lifts and use more weight for your core lifts and use longer rest times. Because if you can get through all that work in less than 1.5 hours, you're probably not using enough weight.

Plus, doing all that accessory work is just going to drain you and make it harder for you to recover. 2-3 Accessory for a work-out is fine after your core lifts. They're called accessory because they are there to help your core lift. You have 5-8 accessories per workout!

Read the FAQs if you haven't already to understand why more work isn't necessarily better. Keep it simple.

edit: Just curious, what are your numbers for the squat/bench/deadlift, how much do you weigh and how long have you been weight training?

 

[Deathmonkey]

You're doing a lot of weight lifting, are you doing anything else? What about distance running or sprinting? Are you doing any speed, agility, balance or quickness drills? What about power lifting for overall strength, and stability ball for core strengthening? I'm not trying to rip you kid I'm being serious. If you want to be the best athlete you can be, then you need to train like an athlete not a bodybuilder.

 

[Tosa]

It's a big mess.

If you want a 4 day a week routine that includes a variety of exercises, something like this:

Westside Barbell Basic Template

or this:

T NATION | How to Build Pure Strength

Also good would be a Bill Starr routine.

 

[Aleks Sytsevich]

If the goal is size and strength, perhaps one of the 5x5 from the faq would be better suited. Typically assistance work is to strengthen weak points for the compound lifts. ie - GHR for weak hams, cgb for weak bench lock out.

Rip's view is that your body is a link, and assistance is used to strengthen the weak parts. However, dependent on where you are in terms of overall strength or cns development, you are probably a weak link everywhere. Using the big four alone could be greatly beneficial to you, and the mass will come with a surplus of calories.

Check out one of the Starr 5x5s, there's some in the faq. Or, check out the starting strength wikia -- there are quite a few there as well (not too mention SS itself)

 

[Aleks Sytsevich]

It's a big mess.

If you want a 4 day a week routine that includes a variety of exercises, something like this:

Westside Barbell Basic Template

or this:

T NATION | How to Build Pure Strength

Also good would be a Bill Starr routine.

When Tosa tells you something, it's in your best interest to listen. I have found that he has a wealth of info re: S+C.

Tosa=cool

 

[vision1]

Monday
Bench press 5x5
Incline DB bench 3x10
Triceps extension 3x15
Shoulder raises 3x15
Shrugs 3x20
Band pull ups 3x30 **Does this mean you can't do real pullups?**


Tuesday
Power clean 5x3
Squat 5x5
Calf raise 3x15
Back extension 3x15
Ab Circuit 3 sets


Thursday
Overhead Press 5x5
Row Variation 5x10
Curl Variation 4x10
Shoulder raises 3x15
Tire flips **Are you using these for conditioning?**

Friday
Deadlift 5x3
Single-Leg Squat Variation 3x10
Calf raise 3x15
Leg curl 3x15
Ab circuit 3 sets

Improved with questions in quote

 

[tinker_190]

It's a big mess.

If you want a 4 day a week routine that includes a variety of exercises, something like this:

Westside Barbell Basic Template

or this:

T NATION | How to Build Pure Strength

Also good would be a Bill Starr routine.

I love the way Westside is set up, but I feel that, for me at least, I want a program with very specific protocol so that I know exactly what I need to do when I'm in the gym.

Also, tosa, in your opinion, how well does Westside put on muscle?

 

[Tosa]

I love the way Westside is set up, but I feel that, for me at least, I want a program with very specific protocol so that I know exactly what I need to do when I'm in the gym.

That's one thing about westside, there's so many options in terms of which exercises to do. It could easily be overwhelming.

Also, tosa, in your opinion, how well does Westside put on muscle?

I've never done Westside, so I can't speak from experience (although at some point in the future I might like to try it, if for no other reason than I think I'd learn something from the experiene).

But the combination of heavy work with the main lifts, and solid effot on the assistance work should work quite well. That said, any powerlifting program that isn't low volume, combined with sufficient eating should produce gradual muscle gain, even if some do work better than others.

 

[yocan]

I like westside did it for 2 months (the skinny bastard one) and gained 12 lbs or so.Then my goals changed.

Its in westside but I didn't see it in the OP, grip strength. I would think that would be huge in football. I wasn't big enough to play until I was in college then it was too late. But I would think if you can't hold on to the guy your screwed.

I also think some sort of ply work is absolutely necessary. Again westside incorporates that in most of their programs. You can get in shape later which appears to be your plan, but plyos take as long as size and strength to develop.

 

[GoonLife]

How long are your work-outs with all that work? If it's less than an hour and a half, you would probably do better to axe a lot of your isolation lifts and use more weight for your core lifts and use longer rest times. Because if you can get through all that work in less than 1.5 hours, you're probably not using enough weight.

Plus, doing all that accessory work is just going to drain you and make it harder for you to recover. 2-3 Accessory for a work-out is fine after your core lifts. They're called accessory because they are there to help your core lift. You have 5-8 accessories per workout!

Read the FAQs if you haven't already to understand why more work isn't necessarily better. Keep it simple.

edit: Just curious, what are your numbers for the squat/bench/deadlift, how much do you weigh and how long have you been weight training?

It lasts about 1 and a half to 2 hours. I've been lifting for around two years and I squat 350, deadlift 405 and bench 210.