Strength Building

            Alright so in previous posts and articles I have discussed strength building. But what is it exactly? Well it is exactly what you think it is when you hear the name, it is a work out procedure to build strength and form. The work out structure is based on the 5x5 scale. Where you do a few set workouts of five sets of five reps every other day. So generally you are in the gym three to four days a week with a rest day in between.

            The workouts are centered around the use of a Olympic barbell and do compound lifts, that is for those who don’t remember is where you use groups of muscles to do lifts. The exercise used are squats, bench press, overhead press, deadlifts and upright rows. Lets outline the work out now.

One rep max= 1RPM

Monday

1.      Squats- 5x5 at 90% of 1RPM- so if your one rep max is 150lbs then you do 5 sets of 5 reps each of 135lbs

2.      Overhead press (Standing)- 5x5 at 90% of 1RPM

3.      Deadlift- 5x5 at 90% of 1RPM

Tuesday- Rest day

Wednesday

1.      Squat- 5x5 at 90% of Monday weight – this allows you to tighten your muscles for Fridays work out

2.      Bench press at 90% of Monday weight

3.      Upright Row at 90% of Monday weight

Thursday- Rest day

Friday

1.      Squat- 5x1 at 1RPM- If you can do more then one rep add weight by increments of 5lbs until you can only do one or none at all. This is now your new 1RPM.

2.      Overhead Press- 5x1 of 1RPM – Same rules apply as squats

3.      Deadlift- 5x1 of 1RPM – Same rules apply as squats

Saturday-Sunday: Rest day

Then on Monday you start the exercise over but switch the beginning exercises. So if you do as I have laid out for Monday with squats, overhead press then deadlift, you switch to squats, bench press and upright rows. This will cause a small amount of muscle confusion.

Also please remember the few rules of strength training.

-          Rest often, don’t do each set of reps one right after another, rest about 3-5 minutes in between and take rest days. You should never exercise every day, it hurts your muscle too much.

-          Don’t exercise until muscle failure. It wont allow you too get the proper power for the next exercise day.

-          Drink a lot of water, a gallon a day and eat more then 3000 calories a day.

-          Protein, protein, protein. Eat your weight in grams of protein. Example I weight 190lbs so I try to eat 200 grams of protein a day.

-          Stretches, do about 5-10 minutes of stretches after your exercise. This will allow your muscle to stretch and expand.