During this last Games Open, I discovered that I do a lot of things OK, and nothing great. But a big glaring weakness I have is in the strength category. By far my worst event was the one rep max clean and jerk. I got 205 lbs. That is actually a PR for me, but still by far my worst ranking event. This is nothing new. I have always known that I need to be stronger. But how will I get stronger with my limited time? I barely have enough time to do the daily workout. Jesse has programmed lifting for us in the past, but I never have enough time to finish it. So I need a new solution; a simple solution, and preferably a free solution.
I read an interesting article by End of Three Fitness called CrossFit makes you weaker. It doesn't really, he's just trying to get attention with the title. What he means is that if you are a strong person and switch to just doing CrossFit, then you will decrease in strength in all of your max lifts. But if you are like me, and weak to begin with, you will become stronger, but only up to a point. If you want to make gains in the strength department, you have to include a strength training program. So here I go looking for the right strength training program for me.
I start looking online for strength training programs. A lot of great programs out there, most of them for power lifters. One that I really want to try, but I would have to pay $40 for the ebook, is the One Man One Barbell program by End of Three Fitness. It looks like just what I'm after, but I don't want to pay, so I'm holding off. I find the Stronglifts 5X5 program. It looks great in terms of simplicity and very basic strength training, but it even says in the description, that if you can squat 300lbs properly then you are too advanced for the program. Maybe, maybe not. But one thing about it, is it will not help me at all with any of the olympic lifts, which is something I will have to work on as well. How about Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. It looks like another awesome program. He offers a little more flexibility with some of the supporting exercises. He even gives you most of the info for free, but to buy the program with everything there it's another purchase. Probably worth it, but I'm cheap. I keep looking and find the Starting Strength program. This looks like I'm getting closer. I have been checking all these programs out, and doing a lot of reading, so I have a pretty good idea about the basis for each of these programs and how they work.
Using the Starting Strength program as my template, I add in one more day per week to bump me up to 4 days a week. The program is so simple I can get through it pretty quick without having to switch a lot of weights around for each set. The movements are core and basic and because of the extra day a week I can add in some new stuff so that I can also work on clean and jerk and snatch. Here is what it looks like:
Week 1
Mon - Back Squat 3x5, Shoulder Press 3x5, Deadlift 1x5
Wed - Front Squat 3x5, Bench Press 3x5, Back Extensions 3x10, 3 max sets strict pullups
Fri - Back Squat 3x5, Shoulder Press 3x5, Power Clean 5x3
Sat - Overhead Squat 3x5, Barbell Row 3x5, Snatch 5x3
Week 2
Mon - Back Squat 3x5, Bench Press 3x5, Back Extensions 3x10, 3 max sets strict pullups
Wed - Front Squat 3x5, Shoulder Press 3x5, Deadlift 1x5
Fri - Back Squat 3x5, Bench Press 3x5, Back Extensions 3x10, 3 max sets strict pullups
Sat - Overhead Squat 3x5, Barbell Row 3x5, Snatch 5x3
You alternate weeks 1 and 2. I'm planning to go for at least 12 weeks and we'll see how it goes. As far as the weights to use, most of these programs follow a similar principle, which is to start light and progress from there. So I have determined a starting weight for each exercise that is well below my 5 rep max. Each time I successfully complete all of the reps on a given day, then the next time I do that lift, I increase by 5 lbs, except for back squat and deadlift, which I will increase by 10 lbs in the beginning and then as it becomes more difficult, slow that down to 5 lbs each time. With such light starting weights, my primary focus will be on form, so that when the weights get heavy, I will be better off and be able to do better.
I have also tried to record all of my known maxes, So that I can measure progress. Here are my one rep maxes as of now.
Bench Press 235
Back Squat 300
Front Squat 185
Deadlift 375
Shoulder Press (TBD)
Clean & Jerk 205
Snatch 155
OHS 175
So how am I to fit all of this into my schedule? Well I still want to do the daily workout at the gym in addition to this strength training program. I still have to leave the gym at the same time so that I can be to work on time. Extra trips to the gym will be hazardous to my marriage. So it looks like the best option for me is to get up a little earlier and get to the gym a half hour earlier than usual, so that I have time to complete this work before the workout. That will mean I need to make sure to get to sleep at a decent time. No staying up late watching TV.
I'll post back on this in a few weeks.
