More Intense Routine

[Daywalker]

Hello All:

Usually I lift with a more traditional 3 day split, alternating between a volume based routine and a strength based routine. Though I have gotten some good results from this in the past, I was looking for a more intense routine that would better enhance my sparring. With this in mind I put together a routine about 3 weeks ago consisting of a full body workout, three times each week, supersetting various exercises (sometime completementatary and sometimes working completely different body parts in the superset). I include almost all compound exercises (though I do also include some curls and tricep isolations as well). All sets are 8-10 reps.

I am completely spent by the time I am done with this routine and I am working up a good sweat. Obviously, the size of my lifts has decreased, but I am also thinking that I am losing size. It is also getting hard to tell if I am losing stregnth since I cannot perform most of these exercises at 80-85% of my 1 rep max due to fatigue.

In order to stay on this routine and gain more anaerobic stamina do I have to lose size and strength? If not, does anyone have a full body routine that will still exhaust me yet continue to build size and stength?

Thanks for your assistance.

[TheMachine]

www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1 -- try the 5x5

Hello All:

Usually I lift with a more traditional 3 day split, alternating between a volume based routine and a strength based routine. Though I have gotten some good results from this in the past, I was looking for a more intense routine that would better enhance my sparring. With this in mind I put together a routine about 3 weeks ago consisting of a full body workout, three times each week, supersetting various exercises (sometime completementatary and sometimes working completely different body parts in the superset). I include almost all compound exercises (though I do also include some curls and tricep isolations as well). All sets are 8-10 reps.

I am completely spent by the time I am done with this routine and I am working up a good sweat. Obviously, the size of my lifts has decreased, but I am also thinking that I am losing size. It is also getting hard to tell if I am losing stregnth since I cannot perform most of these exercises at 80-85% of my 1 rep max due to fatigue.

In order to stay on this routine and gain more anaerobic stamina do I have to lose size and strength? If not, does anyone have a full body routine that will still exhaust me yet continue to build size and stength?

Thanks for your assistance.

[NaughtyKnight]

I really dont like massive superset workouts. They fatigue you so much that you cant focus on what is really important, increased poundage with perfect form. I'd definatly say go with 5x5, its much better than a mass of supersets done at 8-10reps for what you're after.

Its alright to have maybe 1 per workout, but anymore is just asking for overtraining.

[Daywalker]

This is an example of what I did yesterday:

dumbell squats 3X15/dumbell BP 3X10
Dumbell Mil Press 3x10/1 arm dumbell rows 3x10
SL Deadlifts 3x10/1 am dumbell lateral raises 3x10
Dumbell bicep curls 3x10/Standing skullcrushers 3x10
Lat Pulldown 3x10/crunches 3x40
Dips 3x10/leg raises 3x20

No more than 45 secs rest between sets @ about 2 minutes rest between execerises.


I follow this up with a whey and creatine shake. My diet is 90% clean (can't help junkfood at night). I am 190 pounds @ 14% BF.

I have done 5x5 routines, but it would be a lot in a full body workout to go 85% 1RM for all exercises and the whole body. Plus, the pace of the workout would be slower as there needs to be a little more recovery time. I am looking to wipe myself out the same way I get wiped out after a sparring class (10 rounds @ 2 mins). I do not want to sprint or jump rope (lack of time after classes and gym + boring), so I was hoping this routine would build stamina. Mostly I was lookiung at the tabatta type excercies and wondering at their worth.

Thanks for the responses so far.

[Daywalker]

TheMachine,

Thanks for the link. That site is loaded with some good informaton. I downloaded the spreadsheet and perhaps I will give it a try.

[TheMachine]

You're welcome :) YOu can use the advanced version by now and then do some Tabata to rev up your metabolism

TheMachine,

Thanks for the link. That site is loaded with some good informaton. I downloaded the spreadsheet and perhaps I will give it a try.

[Daywalker]

If I am using a 5x5 program 3 days each week, working all of the major muscle groups through compound exercises, is it possible to do something like tabbata in place of other cardio? Will that overwork my muscles? The 5x5 program has me either squatting or deadlifting 3 times each week -- I should not do tabbata squats on top of that, right? What other kinds of cardio can I do with resistance training that will not mess up my current program?

Thanks!

[TheMachine]

If I am using a 5x5 program 3 days each week, working all of the major muscle groups through compound exercises, is it possible to do something like tabbata in place of other cardio? Will that overwork my muscles? The 5x5 program has me either squatting or deadlifting 3 times each week -- I should not do tabbata squats on top of that, right? What other kinds of cardio can I do with resistance training that will not mess up my current program?

Thanks!

Do tabata after the 3rd workout of every week.