full body routine + other questions

[Oscar_Actuary]

I think that rountinie would kill me 3x week if I were pushing myself on the bar, i.e. where 5-7 reps were a good challenge.

but of course, I'm oldish

so, give me alternatives :)

Mon:
Squat / Sgl Arm Kneeling Cable Press
OH Press / Bent Over Row
Romanian DL / Curls

Wed:
Bench / Db Row
Decline Db Press / Pull Ups
Overhead Cable Tricep Extension
Lateral Delt Raise
(I do Legs 2x Week, maybe Sprint or some Tabata style Burpees here for you.
Or lite Steps Ups, something not too heavy, jumps, idk)

Fri:
Deadlift / Planks
Incline Press / BB Delt Row
Lunges / Straight Arm Cable Pull Down


One thing with A/b though, is you might find it easier to keep up on less variety. I do Squats, Deads, Bench, and Press like 5/3/1, sort of, I call it 8/5/2.

You asked, otherwise I think this is best done by you or trainer or anyone but me.

[Jungledoc]

Lose the leg press.

Or you could do something like:

A) deadlift
bench
military press
rows
chin ups

B) squat
bench
military press
rows variant
chin ups

C )squat
chin ups
bench variant
military press
rows

I say "something like". I wouldn't military press all three times--maybe bar one time db one time and something completely different the other--maybe you could do your lat raises then. And I'd probably do some variant for one of the chin up sessions, like weighted, or band assisted for volume or something. Personally 5 lifts is a lot. I have 3 in my present routine, and I still take a long time, because I need long rests.

A lot depends on your own abilities and history. If you can handle benching 3 times a week, fine. Most people can handle more frequency for upper body stuff than lower. Also, most people can handle more frequent squatting than DLing.

[ephs]

i'm still not sure what i should do with the new 3rd workout day in the off-season. maybe im goin to do a calisthenics day and go hard on pull ups on that day, cause i really like pull ups. but the question is, if that would make sense.

why dont you like the leg press, doc?

i also decided to change my actual routine to:

squat (3x5)
bench (3x5)
deadlift (1x5)
military press (3x5)
rows/pull ups (3x5)(alternating every workout)

cause i had some issues with the lower back and couldn't improve at chin ups anymore after doing heavy rows. and i really want to improve at pull ups!

[ephs]

I think that rountinie would kill me 3x week if I were pushing myself on the bar, i.e. where 5-7 reps were a good challenge.

but of course, I'm oldish

so, give me alternatives :)

Mon:
Squat / Sgl Arm Kneeling Cable Press
OH Press / Bent Over Row
Romanian DL / Curls

Wed:
Bench / Db Row
Decline Db Press / Pull Ups
Overhead Cable Tricep Extension
Lateral Delt Raise
(I do Legs 2x Week, maybe Sprint or some Tabata style Burpees here for you.
Or lite Steps Ups, something not too heavy, jumps, idk)

Fri:
Deadlift / Planks
Incline Press / BB Delt Row
Lunges / Straight Arm Cable Pull Down


One thing with A/b though, is you might find it easier to keep up on less variety. I do Squats, Deads, Bench, and Press like 5/3/1, sort of, I call it 8/5/2.

You asked, otherwise I think this is best done by you or trainer or anyone but me.

i am not a friend of cable exercises, i like raw steel to lift hehehe. but the variety of your suggestion is good! this would def keep the fun up!

[stuward]

Don't discount cable work. There are exercises where cable works better than free weights. For example, Sgl Arm Kneeling Cable Press is actually an anti-rotational core exercise which is also a press. It would be hard to do that with a dumbbell. The trick is to take the best of each modality and don't exclude something just because it's not what you normally think of as best.

[robertscott]

cable stuff for chest is the business too

[KenDowns]

You could go the Dan John route and do full body compound movements, like dragging and carrying.

Day A:
Squat
Bench
Farmers Walks (heavy for long distance)
Backward Sled Pull

Day B:
Deadlift
Press
Overhead Squat
Forward Sled Pull

[stuward]

...
You asked, otherwise I think this is best done by you or trainer or anyone but me.

You don't give yourself enough credit sometimes.

[robertscott]

You could go the Dan John route and do full body compound movements, like dragging and carrying.

Day A:
Squat
Bench
Farmers Walks (heavy for long distance)
Backward Sled Pull

Day B:
Deadlift
Press
Overhead Squat
Forward Sled Pull

i would love to try that

[ephs]

ok guys, i gonna try the cable $h1t :)

farmer's walk is epic, i should try it!!! the sled exercises are also nice, but i don't have sleds. i think sled training would be very very good for soccer.

[ephs]

but is the back exercised enough in the Dan John routine?

[KenDowns]

but is the back exercised enough in the Dan John routine?

Back gets very heavy treatment. Farmers walks are 'epic' indeed for the back, same with those overhead squats. Of course, same with deadlift and squat.

EDIT: a backward sled pull can hit the back, if you do a "row hold". Before you begin dragging, retract your shoulder blades and keep them retracted through the entire drag. Hits the back isometrically.

By the way, that's not a Dan John routine that he ever published, that's Ken's interpretation of using Dan John's ideas to a two-day powerlifting-centric routine. Dan is into carries, sleds, and compound full body movements.

[ephs]

but is the back exercised enough in the Dan John routine?

Back gets very heavy treatment. Farmers walks are 'epic' indeed for the back, same with those overhead squats. Of course, same with deadlift and squat.

EDIT: a backward sled pull can hit the back, if you do a "row hold". Before you begin dragging, retract your shoulder blades and keep them retracted through the entire drag. Hits the back isometrically.

By the way, that's not a Dan John routine that he ever published, that's Ken's interpretation of using Dan John's ideas to a two-day powerlifting-centric routine. Dan is into carries, sleds, and compound full body movements.

but all these exercises don't hit the upper back so much? i like the kendowns routine!

edit: ah ok, the back walk with the sled performed like a row is going to hit the back really well!

[KenDowns]

but is the back exercised enough in the Dan John routine?

Back gets very heavy treatment. Farmers walks are 'epic' indeed for the back, same with those overhead squats. Of course, same with deadlift and squat.

EDIT: a backward sled pull can hit the back, if you do a "row hold". Before you begin dragging, retract your shoulder blades and keep them retracted through the entire drag. Hits the back isometrically.

By the way, that's not a Dan John routine that he ever published, that's Ken's interpretation of using Dan John's ideas to a two-day powerlifting-centric routine. Dan is into carries, sleds, and compound full body movements.

but all these exercises don't hit the upper back so much? i like the kendowns routine!

Farmers walks hit the upper back -- if you stand up straight. If you slouch, well, obviously not.

Deadlift hits upper back hard.

BTW, I just realized the routine says deadlift every other session, sometimes twice/week. That's probably way too much. You can skip it altogether every other B day, do squats that day if you like, or just add more carries, like waiters walks.

[ephs]

yes, i think its enough for upper back. i edited my previous post at the same time you replied. these crossfit style exercises are awesome!