4 Day Split 5x5 - Good idea?

Hi guys,

Wanted to just seek people's opinions on a 4 day split using a 5x5 routine.

I would like some advice on how best to create a sensible routine e.g. If I did a heavy chest exercise on Monday, then on Tuesday I would NOT do triceps as they would be killing.

My idea:

Chest & Triceps Day

Squat, SLDL & Calf Day

Back & Biceps Day

Shoulder & Abs Day

On what day would you position each of the exercises? I can train anyday of the week, Monday-Friday. Are there any exercises that I have missed which I should be including?

Aim: I am training to cut and increase strength

Any help would really be appreciated

Personally I wouldn't try to do 5x5 over 4 days squeezed into the 5 weekdays. Ideally you'd need 1 days rest between each workout. 5x5 full body 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) is what I would do.

LiE said:

Personally I wouldn't try to do 5x5 over 4 days squeezed into the 5 weekdays. Ideally you'd need 1 days rest between each workout. 5x5 full body 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) is what I would do.

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I do agree, I am trying to find out if its possible to squeeze it in, valid point though

I get a bit bored and agitated doing nothing after work, so look forward to the gym after work each day of the week. I aim to do 10 minute interval training on the running machine after each weights session except on leg days.

If I used the traditional Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine, I would have Tuesday and Thursday free and I could do cardio on one of these days. I have done this in the past and found that long cardio sessions did not do anything for me, but rather lead to me shrinking which is why this time I am trying to keep it short and sweet (10 minutes). Opinions?

Agreed with LiE. Strong Lifts is a good basic routine to get in to, here's a related post I made recently:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20577890&postcount=3

I do the same, although I do some ancillary work also. My routine looks like:
Routine A:
Squats
Pull Ups
Bench Press
BORs
Rear Raises
Clean & Push Press (just as a finish off for fun)

Routine B:
Squats
Overhead Press
Deadlift
Dips
Rear Raises
Shrugs

Although if you're only a beginner, I'd stick to what I wrote in the post I linked to

MoNkeE said:

Agreed with LiE. Strong Lifts is a good basic routine to get in to, here's a related post I made recently:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20577890&postcount=3

I do the same, although I do some ancillary work also. My routine looks like:
Routine A:
Squats
Pull Ups
Bench Press
BORs
Rear Raises
Clean & Push Press (just as a finish off for fun)

Routine B:
Squats
Overhead Press
Deadlift
Dips
Rear Raises
Shrugs

Although if you're only a beginner, I'd stick to what I wrote in the post I linked to

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Thanks for the routine

I'm no beginner by any means, have been training on and off for 2 years now but always learning and willing to try new things

Monkage, I did heavy squats last week (95kg at 5'5 - heavy for me ) and then I just felt so dead I just about managed SLDL and Calf exercises.

I felt quite drained so I am wondering how I would then go on to do 5x5 bench? I have read your post (in the link you posted above) and you said don't get too disheartened lol!

I did do a search, but having read your thread, its exactly what I was saying in my post

Your conditioning will improve Dodger, don't worry. That's why you only do it 3 days a week so you can recover from the brutality

As LiE said, conditioning will improve. But it's also worth noting the order of exercises; after you do squats, you go for Pull Ups as these don't require leg muscles. After you've done Pull Ups, you do Bench Press as you're not using your back and barely using your bis. Then after given your back/bis a rest by doing bench, you do BORs.

Hitting opposite muscle groups between exercises lets the fatigued muscles recover. Add this to the improved conditioning from sticking to a full body routine for a few weeks, and you'll realise it's not that bad

Thank you guys, I believe I have found out the information that I was looking for (If anyone else would like to contribute, please do).

Monkee, if you don't mind me asking, what are your stats (height, bf, weight) and diet like?

My stats are terrible mate. I've only been doing this for a year and a half I think, but I've always strived to understand what it is I'm doing, and why I'm doing it.

Currently I'm a straight 6 foot, 79.5kg - currently trying to cut down to at least 75kg I think as my abs are hidden away, love handles are back and moobs are wobbly

My 1RM from MONTHS ago are:
Bench: 67.5kg
Squats: 117.5kg
Deadlift: 135kg

I found that before I was eating too less and doing too much cardio so I became really skinny but bf was still mid range.

I now do less cardio and eat a little more and have increased my strength whilst maintaining a strong muscular physique (still some way to go before I achieve what I want to achieve).

I take it when you do 5x5, you build up to your 1RM? so on either on the 4th or 5th set you do your maximum 1RM is that correct or am I mistaken?

Calorie count. Aim for 300 cals above your maintenance amount and stick to it. Post up a diet for everyone to critique, or read the stickied thread by Steedie.

As for the weights, you didn't read the whole of my post that I linked to earlier, did you?

I partially did yes

"5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise, start light and add 2.5kg to each exercise every session."

Would you be able to give me an example of your bench press routine for instance?

Diet:

Breakfast: 3 Whole eggs, fish oil or 5 Omega 3 fish oil tablets, coffee white no sugar

Snack: One pack of turkey breast ham, handful of unsalted cashew nuts, coffee white no sugar

Lunch: Chicken thigh with vegetables / Chicken and salad / Chicken shish kebab with salad

Pre-training: One scoop of whey protein (25g), fish oil or 5 Omega 3 fish oil tablets (Will only have a maximum of 5 tablets a day, if i've had them in the morning already then I will have fish oil in the afternoon instead)

TRAINING

Post-training: Two scoops of whey protein (50g), raisen and cinnamon bagel

Dinner: 3 Whole eggs in an omelette with ham and salad / Chicken thigh with salad / Pilchards with black beans / One pan fried chicken breast with salad

Snack: Green tea / coffee / tea / OR a protein shake if i'm still hungry

BED

Rinse and Repeat

Let me know what you guy's think

WHat are the kcals in that?

Sorry for quick reply, about to go in a meeting!

Bench Press is on routine B
My 1Rm is say 70kg

I start at 45kg doing 5x5 on week 1
Week 2 has two Routune Bs, so on the next session I do 47.5kg 5x5
The third B routine I do 50kg 5x5...

Keep on goin until you fail to complete your 5x5. If you fail, deload a bit. If you failed at 60, go back to say 52.5 and start building up again

I have not added all of the calories up to be honest, I haven't got round to doing that yet but I know it's leading to me losing 2lbs a week so as a rough guess it is going to be sub 2000 calories imo.

I weigh 152lbs at 5'5 from 158lbs three weeks ago. My lowest ever was 144lbs but I was very weak then, i'm much stronger now as I have concentrated on more compound lifts

I seem to be on the right track, just wondering if I need to / should be tweaking something?

Last night I did:

Incline bench press: 60kg x 5, 70kg x 5, 70kg x 4, 70kg x 3, 70kg x 3

Squat: 60kg x 5, 80kg x 5, 90kg x 5, 95kg x 5 (last rep with a spotter) - Felt dead after this so did not do a 5th set

BOR: 25kg x 5, 35kg x 5, 40kg x 5, 40kg x 5, 40 x 5 (Not my strength, need to work on my form and technique on this exercise)

Views / Opinions?

Would anybody be able to critique my diet?

Your diet looks good, macronutrient ratios look about right too. Only thing I'd recommend is to work out your total calorie and macronutrient intake so you know exactly where you stand. Any reason you limit yourself to 5 fish oil caps a day? I take 10 a day at the moment. If I could handle the oil straight it may work out cheaper but I really don't think I could!

I will update this thread with my total calorie and macro-nutrient intake in due course

I don't know why I limit myself to 5, should I be having way more?

This morning I had it straight, its got a little Orange flavouring so its not all that bad...

Also, I had 500ml of semi-skimmed milk with two scoops of Whey Protein (50g) as I was short for time for breakfast.

Would people consider this to be a decent breakfast or not? Remember, I am trying to lose 'fat', not just weight loss in general.

It's best to aim for 2g of EPA and 1.8g of DHA or somewhere around those numbers. Taking 10 high strength caps a day I get 1.8g of EPA and 1.5g of DHA which I deem sufficient from a cost perspective. Chances are you're getting enough if you're having oil too but might be worth checking.

I'd say that sort of breakfast is perfectly adequate. I eat my first meal at 1pm which is a double scoop protein shake, so technically that's my breakfast. Very shortly after I have a chicken breast wrapped in bacon which ups my protein and fat macros nicely. I see you normally have eggs for breakfast so you've got that base covered.

I'm also cutting at the moment, how much do you weight out of interest?

Mansize_tissue said:

It's best to aim for 2g of EPA and 1.8g of DHA or somewhere around those numbers. Taking 10 high strength caps a day I get 1.8g of EPA and 1.5g of DHA which I deem sufficient from a cost perspective. Chances are you're getting enough if you're having oil too but might be worth checking.

I'd say that sort of breakfast is perfectly adequate. I eat my first meal at 1pm which is a double scoop protein shake, so technically that's my breakfast. Very shortly after I have a chicken breast wrapped in bacon which ups my protein and fat macros nicely. I see you normally have eggs for breakfast so you've got that base covered.

I'm also cutting at the moment, how much do you weight out of interest?

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Okay thanks r.e. oil, I will look into this a littler further.

I weigh 152lbs which is 69kg. What do you weigh? Stats? Your aims?

Do you believe Bacon is a good source of protein and fats?

What are other people's view on Bacon?