Starting Strength --> 3/4 Day Split

An Citeog

I've just finished week 8 of the Starting Strength programme and although I've seen some decent gains, I've started to stagnate and feel it's time to mix it up a little. It's become fairly tedious and repetitive aswell, so motivation is rapidly declining.

Anyway, I'd like to change from that into a 3/4 day split. I'm currently going to the gym 3 times a week, as per the programme, but I'd like to up this to 4 and add an outdoor run on another day. Thing is, I'm not quite sure how much exactly I should be doing and when it gets counterproductive. One thing to bear in mind is that my gym doesn't have a squat rack, which is a pain in the hole. Depending on the time of day it can get very busy aswell which may mean switching from barbells to dumbbells.

I was thinking of something along the lines of:

Day 1:Shoulders and Back

Deadlift (not quite sure on sets and reps, maybe 5 x 5?)

Bent-over row (barbell): 3 x 8-12

Pull-ups (wide grip w/ palms facing away): 3 x Max (assisted if necessary)

Military Press (standing w/ barbell) 3 x 6-8
or seated with dumbbells or both: or 3 x 8-12

Shrugs: 3 x 8-12

Face pulls or chest-supported row: 3 x 8-12

Power Cleans (not sure where these should go tbh): 3 x 6-8


Day 2:Chest & Arms

Bench Press: 3 x 6-8

Dumbbell Flys: 3 x 8-12

DB Bench (maybe?): 3-8-12

Bicep Curl: 3 x 8-12

Preacher Curl: 3 x 8-12

Chin-Ups (narrow grip, palms facing me): 3 x Max

Dips: 3 x Max

Skull Crushers: 3 x 8-12


Day 3:Legs

This is where the lack of a squat rack comes in!:(

Bulgarian Split Squats (w/ dumbbells): 3 x 6-8

Leg Press: 3 x 8-12

Leg Extensions: 3 x 8-12

Leg Curls: 3 x 8-12

Calf Raises: 3 x 8-12

Lunges (?): 3 x 8-12


There seems to be quite a bit of volume in there and a lot of excercises that I'm missing. Not too sure about that leg day either. Maybe a 4 day split would be better. Anyone got any suggestions on how best to do that. I feel like I've got a decent enough base to build on after SS and I want to continue progressing, rather than taking a step backwards or sidewards even.

Btw, I plan on ending each workout with decline sit-ups (weighted) or hanging leg raises.

About me:

Age: 20
Height: 6'1"
Weight: ~80kg
BF %: Somewhere between 14-18% (not exactly sure)

My main goal is to increase lean muscle mass while maintaining a bodyweight of circa 80-85kg. I plan on getting back into playing hurling and gaelic football when I come back to Ireland at the end of the summer, so I'm hoping to increase my explosive power and my non-existent pace! I'll also have access to a decent gym then (hopefully!).

So what do y'all think? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.:)

Jonny303

no this is sorta off topic, bt in the starting strength program, is it a typo or correct that its only one set of deadlifts? was on this program up until 3 weeks again till my dodgy hammy decided to act up again!

Edwardius

Jonny303 wrote: »

no this is sorta off topic, bt in the starting strength program, is it a typo or correct that its only one set of deadlifts? was on this program up until 3 weeks again till my dodgy hammy decided to act up again!

One set of deadlifts is correct.

OP, out of curiosity, what kind of gains did you see on the programme? Did you drink the quantities of milk that Rip recommended? I'm going on to week 2 (just going to do it for 6 weeks) and I'm curious to see what gains other folks made over the course of a month or 2.

An Citeog

Dead Ed wrote: »

One set of deadlifts is correct.

OP, out of curiosity, what kind of gains did you see on the programme? Did you drink the quantities of milk that Rip recommended? I'm going on to week 2 (just going to do it for 6 weeks) and I'm curious to see what gains other folks made over the course of a month or 2.

Tbh, I went a bit mad half way through and started going to way too many Erasmus parties!:o

My gains were alright but nothing spectacular. I'd never deadlifted before and can now do 108kg for 5 reps. Nothing major, but we all have to start somewhere. My quads and glutes are a lot firmer now and I could really feel the difference when I played a 5-a-side football match a couple of weeks ago for the first time in ages. I just felt a lot stronger physically and found it easier to get around the pitch. I also went from not being able to do a single pull up (wide grip, palms facing away), to being able to do 3 and I can bang out 10 chins fairly handily now aswell. Basically, all my lifts increased although my bench is fairly pathetic and is something I really need to work on over the coming months. My weight hasn't really changed and I'm not sure on my exact BF%, but I look and feel better now.

I'd usually drink a fair bit of milk at home but all I can find over here is that UHT crap!:( I get a decent enough amount of protein but could probably be doing better diet-wise. I've got my last exam tomorrow and after that things should get back to normal(ish).

To summarise: I started off well, lost my way half way through, got back on track and now feel it's time for a change.

So, anyone recommend a 3/4 day split programme that they think is fairly good? I've had a look around google and at other threads on this forum but I'm still fairly lost tbh. Think I'll probably just have a go at this from exrx.

Back & Biceps

Chest & Triceps

Quads, Glutes & Hip Abductors

Shoulders, Calves & Abs

Any guidance you can give me would be much appreciated.:)

BobbyOLeary

8 weeks on starting strength and you stopped making gains? I've been on it since the middle of jan really, with two weeks off recently because of a back injury so I've been on it about as long as you have. I'm still making gains like mad (well, like mad for me!). I find it hard to believe that it would stop so quick.

Dead Ed, it depends on what level you started at I suppose. My gains (taken before I hurt my back, mma by the way, not lifting) since I started were:

Squat: 50kg to 90kg 5RM, don't know my 1RM, probably ~100kg.
Bench: 50kg to 65kg 5RM, 72.5kg 1RM now
Deadlift: 40kg to 105kg 5RM, old 1RM was 100kg, I guess my new one is about 120kg.
Press: 30kg - 45kg 5RM, 50kg 1RM now
Power Clean: 45kg 5RM (Only learnt these recently so this doesn't count!)
Dips: 3 to 20 max, 30kg 1RM
Pull-ups: 1 to 8 max

This was training 3 days a week and drinking about two litres of milk a day plus some RAM after sessions. Now I'm on to 3.5 litres a day and I tend to recover a lot quicker.

An Citeog

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

8 weeks on starting strength and you stopped making gains? I've been on it since the middle of jan really, with two weeks off recently because of a back injury so I've been on it about as long as you have. I'm still making gains like mad (well, like mad for me!). I find it hard to believe that it would stop so quick.

Dead Ed, it depends on what level you started at I suppose. My gains (taken before I hurt my back, mma by the way, not lifting) since I started were:

Squat: 50kg to 90kg 5RM, don't know my 1RM, probably ~100kg.
Bench: 50kg to 65kg 5RM, 72.5kg 1RM now
Deadlift: 40kg to 105kg 5RM, old 1RM was 100kg, I guess my new one is about 120kg.
Press: 30kg - 45kg 5RM, 50kg 1RM now
Power Clean: 45kg 5RM (Only learnt these recently so this doesn't count!)
Dips: 3 to 20 max, 30kg 1RM
Pull-ups: 1 to 8 max

This was training 3 days a week and drinking about two litres of milk a day plus some RAM after sessions. Now I'm on to 3.5 litres a day and I tend to recover a lot quicker.

Tbh, the main reason I want to change is that I found myself losing motivation and it just got really repetitive. I just want to mix it up a little and hit the gym 4 days a week rather than 3. I certainly wouldn't rule out going back to SS when I come home and get myself back into a decent gym.

You've made some really good gains anyway and it definitely works. Think I probably just get bored too easily!:D