Need help arranging a 3 day a week powerlifting routine

nuttynutskin

nuttynutskin

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Since starting back up I've been training full body workouts twice a week for a month now. Everything has gone good... My lifts, endurance and weight have all gone up so I think it's time to up it to a 3 day a week routine. Problem is I'm not exactly sure how to organize it.

So far I've been doing...

Day 1: Bench, overhead press, squats and accessories

Day 2: Overhead press, Squats, deadlifts and accessories

Typically I'll do arms the first day. Aside from that I alternate squat days, one being heavier, and the other more of a rep day. As far as accessories I alternate between things like dumbell rows, dumbell shrugs, pull-ups, etc.

So basically I want to start squatting 3 times per week and arrange the rest of my lifting around that. My main concern is what percentages to be using for squats I guess, since I'm already doing a heavy squat day and a rep day. Advice?

*Oh, I should probably add that I'm totally natural. Don't have anything against steroids and geared lifting, it's just not for me.
 
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nuttynutskin said:
Since starting back up I've been training full body workouts twice a week for a month now. Everything has gone good... My lifts, endurance and weight have all gone up so I think it's time to up it to a 3 day a week routine. Problem is I'm not exactly sure how to organize it.

So far I've been doing...

Day 1: Bench, overhead press, squats and accessories

Day 2: Overhead press, Squats, deadlifts and accessories

Typically I'll do arms the first day. Aside from that I alternate squat days, one being heavier, and the other more of a rep day. As far as accessories I alternate between things like dumbell rows, dumbell shrugs, pull-ups, etc. Advice?

So basically I want to start squatting 3 times per week and arrange the rest of my lifting around that. My main concern is what percentages to be using for squats I guess, since I'm already doing a heavy squat day and a rep day.
Click to expand...

Mates PL'ing total is currently 5th in the World so far this year, this is his routine, take your pick..!!

friday...
back squat:
10, 5, 5, 5x5
bench press:
bar x10, 5, 5, 5x5
barbell row:
x10, x5, x5x5

Sat...
conventional DL:
x5, x5, x5, 5x5
standing mil press (strict):
x5, 5x5

sun...
pull ups:
bodyweight x5x5
hang cleans:
x10, 5x5
power cleans:
x5, 5x5

Mon...
Box squat:
x5, x5, x5, x5, 5x5
bench press:
x10, x5, 5x5

Tues...
close grip bench press:
x10, x5, 5x5
standing mil press (push/press):
bar x10, x5, 5x5
db hammer curl (alternate)
x20, x20, x20x3

wed...
conventional DL:
x10, x5, x5, x5, 5x5

Thurs...
Pull ups:
bodyweight x5x5
hangcleans:
x5x5, x5x3, x3x3
 
Thanks for the reply... That's an interesting routine but I'm only looking for 3 days a week at this point and something more squat oriented. There's no way I would be able to recover working out 7 days a week.

Who's your mate btw?
 
I was thinking of running the Russian squat program but I like deadlifts too much and that would likely mess up the program progression. I think for now I'm going to go with something like this...

Monday

Bench
OHP
Squat

Wednesday

Squat

Friday

OHP
Front Squats
Deadlifts

That's just the main lifts obviously... I'll add in accessories how I see fit. Also, the first squat day I'll work up to a heavy single, triple or double, and the other will be rep oriented. Anyways, if anyone has any feedback let me know.
 
First of all, I don't understand your obsession with squats. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say at one point or another you have been thoroughly convinced that squatting is a panacea to all problems. People like mark rippetoe and bodybuilding.com are more or less responsible for this dream craze. They say squatting heaving will give you bigger arms via systemic response - in reality, doing arm exercises will give you bigger arms, while squatting super duper heavy will not increase the circumference of your guns much if at all. They say squatting and deadlifting heavy will stoke the flames to a massive surge in testosterone. The reality is they probably do stimulate increase in testosterone, but nothing worth getting excited about. As somebody who used to believe in these sorts of myths, I would encourage you to disabuse yourself of the notion that squatting will solve any of the muscular limitations of being natural. As simple as that.

Doing any sort of squatting movement before deadlift in training sessions is definitely contraindicated. You should treat your lower back better. I'm not a fan of doing singles with greater frequency than once every few months. No matter the level of experience, hitting one rep max or close to it every week or every other week is not advisable. I would only go as low as five repetitions and I've found a lot of linear success increasing my 8 rep max or 10 rep max in big lifts for a long, long time. The only lift I find really difficult is bench press because I have long arms and triceps/shoulder dominant.

In short, putting poundage on lifts is much safer by increasing the weight you can do for five or more reps on a consistent basis. There's no need to see what your 1rm or 3rm max is on such frequent basis, this is what calculators are for. For further feedback you would have to list height and bodyweight and approximate one rep max in each lift and the exact ideology of the program you're using which means you have to list set and rep schemes and how it will change on a week to week basis.
 
You seem to be making a lot of assumptions... In case you're confused I'm training for powerlifting not bodybuilding, so singles doubles and triples are all important. Back squatting twice a week and front squatting once is pretty tame compared to a lot of programs out there. Besides, don't you not even do squats because you're afraid of them or something? A friend of mine once put it this way... There's 3 reasons to not do squats. 1. You don't know how, 2. You have an injury preventing you, 3. You're a... Well you get the point.
 
nuttynutskin said:
I was thinking of running the Russian squat program but I like deadlifts too much and that would likely mess up the program progression. I think for now I'm going to go with something like this...

Monday

Bench
OHP
Squat

Wednesday

Squat

Friday

OHP
Front Squats
Deadlifts

That's just the main lifts obviously... I'll add in accessories how I see fit. Also, the first squat day I'll work up to a heavy single, triple or double, and the other will be rep oriented. Anyways, if anyone has any feedback let me know.
Click to expand...

In my younger days I did a fairly truncated PL routine a bit like this once for a short time (I love squats). I'd personally put the OHP after Squats on both days, and I'd be very tempted to put another Bench session on the Weds. Main thing is to tweak the routine and exercise order after the first week if it feels sub-optimal.
 
Yeah, I may put another bench session in after I see how this goes. I think when I was at my peak I was benching twice a week with one heavy day and another speed day.
 
Without assuming anything about your goals and keeping with your 3 days per week, here's what I'd recommend for a strength routine based on PL's big 3 lifts
Day 1 Squats & Deadlifts, 1 or 2 lower accessory movements such as rows, shrugs, good mornings, etc.
Day 2 Squats & Benchpress, 1 or 2 accessory movements, such as chins or lat pulldowns, etc.
Day 3 Shoulders and upper accessories
Days should NOT be consecutive.

Of course I would also recommend you mix it up more than what I have and also program a routine where the intensity varies week by week. For example work up to 75% of your projected 1RM goal on week 1 and go up up from there week by week. I'd also put in a high rep work weeks like bodybuilding as size ultimately leads to strength.
 
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