Training to increase strength

[Depth]

I'm a huge fan of heavy compound lifting but that looks like a pretty unbalanced workout to me. I have no doubts good gains would be made from this but I'd be worried about doing this for any length of time.

No real upper back work, zero bicep work, zero calf work, little ham's work, zero rear delts work, little obliques work, upper chest?

I am naturally pretty heavy muscled, so I don't really worry about looking like a body builder. Most of my family are the same, I guess it's Samoan genetics, lots of polynesian's are big and strong. My calves and biceps are decent, and always have been. I have 9 inch wrists so my bone structure is on the large size, which helps I suppose! I have been doing this for about 5 years now, 3 times a week with the odd 2 week break, and have never been injured or felt over trained.

I don't care how I look as long as Im am strong as humanly possible

 

[Chong Warrior]

Some of your comments seem to imply you know it's an unbalanced workout...

Mon: Close Grip Pull-ups

Wed: Heavy Bent Over Rows

Fri: Wide Grip Pull-Ups

Just adding these other fantastic compound movements on each day would make your workout so much better balanced mate. Each will give you big strength gains and will probably even help with your deadlifts

 

[shez]

Monday: Squat, bench press, military press, dead lift

Wednesday: Squat, bench press, military press, dead lift

Friday: Squat, bench press, military press, dead lift

I would say that routine would be a total killer for a beginner and be too much of a shock to the body.

 

[Morba]

Wed: Heavy Bent Over Rows

ive got a big thing for bent over rows recently! not sure why, but im loving them!

 

[Shamrock]

I'm not saying that workout is perfect and those improvements you suggest chong, are perfect. But, for a complete beginner, surely a solid base of strength is more important than their bicep peak or trap development. For that purpose, a routine comprising of the "big 3" is best.

When it stops working, change it.

 

[Chong Warrior]

ive got a big thing for bent over rows recently! not sure why, but im loving them!

because they bring great gains that's why

I neglected these at the end of last year and just put all my effort into Deadlifts and pull-ups, then I'd be doing Bent Over Rows with like 40kg-50kg.. result? my upper back trailed in terms of development.
When I noticed I upped my effort ten fold and I'm using 90kg now and my back is much more balanced. That's why I used the word heavy when I mentioned them

I'm not saying that workout is perfect and those improvements you suggest chong, are perfect. But, for a complete beginner, surely a solid base of strength is more important than their bicep peak or trap development. For that purpose, a routine comprising of the "big 3" is best.

When it stops working, change it.

But the workout is more balanced and thus safer imho, especially for a beginner. Beginners make very quick gains in the first few months, any imbalances at the start will be even more apparent.
Also it depends of a few factors, like weight used, reps and sets performed, rest between sets, etc.

5x5 with all out effort every workout would kill any chance of progress... but if staggered to hit a peak every 6th workout or so like in the HST program* for example, then it would be an awesome program to follow, almost perfect even for a beginner... As long as a proper diet was eaten and perfect form was used with every exercise on EVERY rep.

* HST uses your 12 rep max, 8 rep max and 5 rep max and you hit each one in two week cycles. You perform 3 full body workouts per week, hitting your muscles every 48 hours to keep them continually growing. Hence the name HST - Hypertrophy Specific Training.

If your 12 rep max is 100kg on Bench Press then you'd perform it like this:

Monday 1: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 50kg
Wed 1: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 60kg
Friday 1: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 70kg

Monday 2: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 80kg
Wed 2: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 90kg
Friday 2: Bench 2 sets of 12 reps 100kg

Then you'd move onto a 8 rep cycle for 2 weeks, then your 5 rep cycle. Great program

 

[Shamrock]

Believe it or not thats what I've been using.

Except, I've done it a couple of times now so I just go 2x10, 3x5, improving 5rm for 2 weeks each.

Exercises I use are:

A - squat, SLDL, incline DB press, wide-grip pull-ups, military press, curls, CGBP.

B - deads, flat DB press, rows, seated DB shoulder press, close-grip chins, dips.

I can't quite do 10 pull-ups yet though so I just do what I can.

 

[Depth]

Some of your comments seem to imply you know it's an unbalanced workout...

Mon: Close Grip Pull-ups

Wed: Heavy Bent Over Rows

Fri: Wide Grip Pull-Ups

Just adding these other fantastic compound movements on each day would make your workout so much better balanced mate. Each will give you big strength gains and will probably even help with your deadlifts

I dunno if I mentioned it earlier, but Im very into body weight exercises, and pull ups (closed and wide grip) are part of what I do

I also do lots of training like farmers walks, and clean and pressing heavy sandbags.

I confident Im safe, I never get injured and have been doing all this for years now. I am also far stronger and bigger than any of my friends who lift., so I must be doing something right