Beginners powerlifting program

Brian?

I was thinking of giving this a go, did an aul google for beginners powerlifting program.

5X5 Program


Below is the 5x5 program. This is what I advise for beginners as far as their training routine goes.

Monday

Squats: 5 sets of 5 with the same weight. Start with a moderate weigth and add 5-10 pounds every week.
Front squats or leg extensions: 3 sets of 8-10. Add 5-10 pounds every week for all sets.

Glute/Ham raises: 3 sets of 8-10. If you can not do 8 reps, do as many full reps as you can then do partials to finish.

Calves: 3-4 sets to failure. Use slow reps. Add 5 pounds per week for all sets.

Click here for printable workout log!

Wednesday


Bench Press: 5 sets of 5 with the same weight. Start with a moderate weigth and add 5-10 pounds every week.
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 8-10. Try to increase the weight as often as possible. It is harder with dumbbells.

Close Grip Bench press: 3 sets of 5. This is a core lift. Add 5-10 pounds every week.

Tricep Pushdowns: 2 sets of 10. Add weight every week. When you can do the stack for every set do weighted dips.

Click here for printable workout log!

Friday


Deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 with the same weight. Start with a moderate weigth and add 5-10 pounds every week.
Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Try to add weight every week though it wont always be possible. Strive to make personal records.

Reverse hyperextensions/hyperextensions: 3 sets of 10-15 reps. These are for rehab and preventitive strengthening of the lower back (use a lighter weight for this exercise).

Barbell Curls: 5 sets of 5 reps. Start with a moderate weigth and add 5 pounds every week.



Any opinions?

FunkZ

Yeah, for squats, deads and bench do warm up sets, jumping straight in would **** ya up I'd imagine.

And if it's PL I don't see the point in isolation exercises. But I'm sure Hanley will pop along now in a few minutes with his Superman costume and help ya out, he knows his stuff!

tribulus

I'd add in rows on the bench days too and maybe use a free weight exercise instead of tricep pushdowns.

Looks fine for a beginner, don't be afraid to change or add in sets/exercises if you see feel you need it. e.g swapping close grip bench press for overhead press or adding some RDL's in too on the DL day.

Hanley

First off, what are you looking to do?

Get stronger? Or peak on a specific date?

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

First off, what are you looking to do?

Get stronger? Or peak on a specific date?

I am just looking to get stronger, in 3 days a week if possible.

I have been mostly doing 3x8 deads, bench, etc. but seem to have plateued over the last month. I even took a most of a week off to see if it was fatigue but it made no difference. I am dropping fat and gaining muscle mass fine, which was my goal originally, but the longer I'm lifting the more I'd like to lift.

A typical routine for me is:

all 1 warm up set, then 3x8
Bench press
Front squat
Military press
bent over barbell row
dead lift
lat pulldown

Then usually some isolation to finish like curls, tricep pulldowns, calf raises.

celestial

briankeating wrote: »

I am just looking to get stronger, in 3 days a week if possible.

I have been mostly doing 3x8 deads, bench, etc. but seem to have plateued over the last month. I even took a most of a week off to see if it was fatigue but it made no difference. I am dropping fat and gaining muscle mass fine, which was my goal originally, but the longer I'm lifting the more I'd like to lift.

A typical routine for me is:

all 1 warm up set, then 3x8
Bench press
Front squat
Military press
bent over barbell row
dead lift
lat pulldown

Then usually some isolation to finish like curls, tricep pulldowns, calf raises.

Have you looked at doing Rippetoe's and Kilgore's Starting Strength?

Hanley

You're not looking for a powerlifting routine so. You're just looking to get stronger.

Split it up. Bench one day, squat anoter, deadlift another. Mon/Wed/Fri would probably work well.

Do the main lift of the day, something like 5x5 for 6 weeks trying to add weight each week, follow it up with and ONE exercise that will directly increase your main lift (front squats/leg press, close grip/incline bench, stiff leg deads/rack pulls), then do two or three exercises that will build the muscles that are used during that lift.

Think shoulders, triceps and lats for bench. Hams and abs for squat. Lower back, upper back and abs for deadlifts

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

You're not looking for a powerlifting routine so. You're just looking to get stronger.

Split it up. Bench one day, squat anoter, deadlift another. Mon/Wed/Fri would probably work well.

Do the main lift of the day, something like 5x5 for 6 weeks trying to add weight each week, follow it up with and ONE exercise that will directly increase your main lift (front squats/leg press, close grip/incline bench, stiff leg deads/rack pulls), then do two or three exercises that will build the muscles that are used during that lift.

Think shoulders, triceps and lats for bench. Hams and abs for squat. Lower back, upper back and abs for deadlifts

I see what you mean, is the routine I posted not doing pretty much this though? Or is it doing too much for what I want?

Brian?

celestial wrote: »

Have you looked at doing Rippetoe's and Kilgore's Starting Strength?

Have had it downloading on bittorrent for weeks, might just bite the bullet and buy it.

Hanley

briankeating wrote: »

I see what you mean, is the routine I posted not doing pretty much this though? Or is it doing too much for what I want?

Similar enough yeah.

brianon

briankeating wrote: »

Have had it downloading on bittorrent for weeks, might just bite the bullet and buy it.

If you want great strength/size gains then SS is the bees knees.
If you are buying there is a 2nd edition. Superb book and teaches the Squat, Dead, Bench, Press & Power Clean.

hunter164

brianon wrote: »

If you want great strength/size gains then SS is the bees knees.
If you are buying there is a 2nd edition. Superb book and teaches the Squat, Dead, Bench, Press & Power Clean.

+1

Bought it off the Aasgard Company.Was delivered in less than a week and has everything you need in the book.
It was around 30 euro including postage and here's the link.
http://www.aasgaardco.com/store/store.php?crn=199&rn=312&action=show_detail

Brian?

so here's what I did today(hopefully its a good start):

Bench press:
1x12 empty bar
1x12 25kg
1x8 35kg
1x8 45kg
5x5 60kg

3x8 incline DB bench press, 17.5kg DB's
3x8 DB shoulder press 15kg DB's
Tricep pullsdowns.

Run back to work.

Any input?

agentgreen

Hanley wrote: »

You're not looking for a powerlifting routine so. You're just looking to get stronger.

Split it up. Bench one day, squat anoter, deadlift another. Mon/Wed/Fri would probably work well.

Do the main lift of the day, something like 5x5 for 6 weeks trying to add weight each week, follow it up with and ONE exercise that will directly increase your main lift (front squats/leg press, close grip/incline bench, stiff leg deads/rack pulls), then do two or three exercises that will build the muscles that are used during that lift.

Think shoulders, triceps and lats for bench. Hams and abs for squat. Lower back, upper back and abs for deadlifts

What set and rep range would you use here? 5x5 again?

Thanks.

Hanley

agentgreen wrote: »

What set and rep range would you use here? 5x5 again?

Thanks.

Probably 3x6 or something like that. Starting with a conservative enoguh number, one you can expect to keep increasing by 2.5-5kg a week for 6-8 weeks.