Questions about Sheiko

Hybrid_Killer

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Hey guys,

Sorry for another Sheiko topic (I found a few when I did a search on the topic)...I just did the first day of program #29 but there are still a couple of things I'm not 100% sure about when following the routine.

1. From what I've read from various training logs of people that do Sheiko, you do not have to follow the exercises Sheiko gives you exactly and that freedom to choose your own exercises is allowed (it's actually one of the things that attracted it to me in the first place). For example, today, instead of doing flys I ended up doing rows. My question about this is, for the guys who have followed this routine, do you have a general rule to follow when substituting exercises? Would you, for example, only substitute lifts that are related in some way (say front squats instead of back squats) or can they be generally unrelated (glute hams instead of flys).

2. I also have a couple of questions relating to the idea of basing a lot of the exercises off your one rep max. Do you increase the one rep max figure you base your lifts off as you progress through each program? Say at the beginning of #29 my oen rep max at bench is 140 kilos, and say three weeks into the program my max has increased to 150 kilos (unlikely I know but bear with me)...in the next workout where I bench would I base the percentages off the original or the new max? If based on the original, do you only reset your max lift numbers at the end of the program/as you move onto the next program?

3. I know Sheiko gives you a 5% leeway to increase/decrease the weight you use depending on how you feel etc., but do you guys allow yourself a bigger jump if you feel it is possible? For example the 5X5 squats today felt pretty easy, meaning I was probably a bit too conservative with my max squat number...can I just assume my max is higher than what I originally thought it was and base future lifts off a higher max?

4. Also, did any of you guys who did Sheiko max out for the hell of it just to see what your numbers were whilst still in the middle of a program? If so, when would you fit it in around the other 3 days of lifting?

5.I was reading one of the training logs (Tosa's I think) and I saw that he added in an extra day of lifting that was mainly revolved around pulling exercises. Did any of you find your pull lifts lacking whilst/after doing Sheiko? If you its needed, any tips for adding in an extra pulling day/not letting my pulls go downhill if there is a danger of that happening?

6. Instead of pulls to the knees, I'm going to do deficit pulls and just regular old deadlifts instead...is that ok (I pull conventional)?

7. Lastly, when it says stuff like "good mornings 5x5" or "pushups 10x5" am I ok to do these exercises at whatever weight I feel is suitable or what?

Thanks for the clarification guys.

EDIT: Also, when working out percentages for rackpulls and what not, is the percentage based ont he deadlift max or rack pull max ( I wouldn't really know what this is lol).
 
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#1, Do whatever you want or you could try what sheiko advises and see if you like it. the DB flys were fucking awesome which surprised me while i hated gm's and seated gm's so i did hypers instead.

#2 Don't max out after every cycle. Just do 29, then add 5lbs to your max, do another cycle, add 5lbs to your max, do another cycle, etc. If after at least 3 cycle you feel like maxing out, go for it.

#3 I would just stick with it because the training can start to beat up on you. If it's been a few weeks and it's still too easy then yes, increase it a bit.

#4 I did max out because i was feeling strong but I wouldn't recommend it as it's best to just keep getting stronger and not blow your load on a pr.

#5 I would just stick to the 3 days for now until you get used to it. I would add some extra upper back work though.

#6 Sounds good but for the deficit pulls, lower your max by about 5% or so.

#7 Do whatever weight you can do.

Edit question: Percentage comes off your regular dl max.
 
1. If you're substituting a main lift (ex squats for something else) it should be a variant of the main lift...although if the bench work for a particular day is rather light, I might do overhead presses instead. For the accessory stuff, I try a do something that's works the same quality, so instead of GMs it might be another posterior chain exercise. That said, I've found that I really like doing GMs and lunges, so more often than not I do that part as written. So it's worthwhile to try the exercises as written and see what you like.

2. Like Zerocrew said you can bump your maxes by a modest amount each cycle. The other thing you can do is wait until you find that you're bumping the weight +5% for most workouts because it feels light, and then increase your training maxes.

3. I would avoid a bigger jumps, or even increasing the weight until you get more of a feel for it. No one day or lift should be that hard, it's the accumulated affect. So if you do too much one day, and it negatively affects the next day or two, you didn't benefit by bumping the weight. Also, starting with consverative maxes, like you did, is generally a good idea.

4. No. It would be a bad idea, and mess up the routine.

5. I'm able to get in some chins and facepulls throughout the week, and then get in a bit more back work on saturday. This works for me, but I prefer higher training volumes. Even before doing Sheiko, my training volume was on the higher side.

6. Yes, although since the idea is the first pull empahsizes the pull off the ground, and the second emphasizes lockout, don't do regular old deadlifts too often. At least not until you get more of a feel for the program. Also, I suggest you try pulls to the knees...you might end up liking them.

7. Whatever weight that won't interfere with recovery. These aren't meant to be heavy sets...for example the GMs are suggested to be 30% or 40% of your squat, although it could be less or more depending on the individual.
 
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