My "strength" workout

[Leigh]

ok so this is where I think your program is specific.

you're already strong and in shape. you've exceeded triple bodyweight squat! what about the guys who do want/need to increase strenght while staying within a weight class? (other than playing the sport itself)

and if my questions are FAQ then I'm way more comfortable annoying you...

As I said, if you want to increase strength without gaining weight, practise the movements you want to get strong at. Unless you're actually weak, in which case a 12 week block of my workout wouldn't hurt. But if you have a reasonable level of strength, getting better at lifting weights without increasing muscle won't help your strength in MMA, rugby, car pushing etc.

If you want more strength in MMA, you have two options - get bigger and/or get better at MMA.

 

[vermonter]

I am here to agree with Leigh. One way to go about this is to do structured drills in the positions you feel the weakest. E.G. holding someone down in your guard, lifting off a shot, hitting a heavy bag, etc. You will essentially be doing strength training within the confines of the techniques you wish to use. If you do this, you'll get stronger.

 

[regular john]

As I said, if you want to increase strength without gaining weight, practise the movements you want to get strong at. Unless you're actually weak, in which case a 12 week block of my workout wouldn't hurt. But if you have a reasonable level of strength, getting better at lifting weights without increasing muscle won't help your strength in MMA, rugby, car pushing etc.

If you want more strength in MMA, you have two options - get bigger and/or get better at MMA.

ok with a little bit more of thought into it and this post I realize that I was overthinking asking an imposible question. usually the most simple answer is the right one. the answer is in your first paragraph in the thread.

you either gain muscle or get better at the stuff.


"Jason Blaha advises a Hypertrophy specific workout after 5x5 when you are strong enough."

I tried to ask about this approach but I'm not sure I made it clear. like once you hit double bodyweight squat there's no point at getting better at squatting. at that point, Leigh's Awesome Workout is the way to go.

but for me who was barely doing my bodyweight on the bar 6 months ago and haven't lifted since?

 

[regular john]

I was doing the Tactical Barbell fighter template are you familiar with it?

first I will only lift two days a week. plus I don't wanna spend too much time at the gym. so I loved it. it was just bench, squat, deadlift and pullups. 5x5 @ 70-75%RM, increasing until the "heavy" week when it would be 3x3 @ 90-95% RM. only the pullups were bodyweight plus whatever light weight I could handle. topped at like 30 lbs on the "heavy week".

plus the program specifies 2 minutes rest between sets at the least. that' the only thing I hated. what's your take on rest time between sets?

and do I ask here or we'll start a thread about deloading?

 

[Leigh]

@regular john

I am not familiar with the Tactical Barbell. Sounds like a variation of 5-3-1. I have no doubt it would work at building strength but it would also have a significantly greater effect on your CNS. The CAT protocol is so much easier on your body that deloading isn't really necessary. If you want a week off, have one, it won't make much difference.

It also means rest times are pretty arbitrary. I always advocating resting long enough until you feel recovered and ready for your next set but 5 reps at 60% is a doddle. I sometimes super set exercises if I'm in a rush, doing a set of chins followed by a set of bench, for example.

Don't worry about over thinking and missing the point, I've done that numerous times myself. Its usually when you have a preconceived idea (we all do) and someone says something that challenges that, it can take a little while to get your head around the logic, even if it is simple.

 

[regular john]

thank you very much.

I love your approach of not taxing the body too much. like I said that's what I see happen with the guys who start lifting, sooner than later they're pacing themselves in muay thai training because "today is leg day, ughh".

the skinny guy in me does want to do some heavier lifting and build more strenght before going the LAW route. do you agree that two times bodyweight is a good treshold?

 

[Leigh]

Depends on your build and weight. If you're tall, your leverages will not be as good for squat as they are for deadlifting. Efficiency in lifting can also make a huge difference and doesn't transfer.

Here is a quick anecdote - I use to train with 2 guys. Warren was short, weighed around 80kg and competed in powerlifting. John was tall and 90kg and had the same lifting total as Warren. On the mat, John was WAY stronger. He could hold Warren in place like a kid, despite having a much lower squat.

My point is, lifting numbers don't mean too much. I've doubled a guys deadlift in 10 minutes by cleaning up his technique.

To answer your question of a strength goal, carry as much muscle as you can for your weight class and be lean when you weigh in to compete. I compete at 135 and I walk at about 155. Diet down to 150, then cut to 135 (day before). At 155 I'm already a bit heavy for 135, so I don't need to build any more muscle. If I was competing at 145, I'd put on a little, although it would require more lifting, which, as you've highlighted, eats into my recovery for MMA.

I am a fighter, not a weightlifter or bodybuilder.

 

[Simpleman]

Thanks for bringing this post to my attention! I am a rock when it comes to these types of things. I usually just follow something I find online (jim stoppani's shortcut to size, body for life, wolverine workout...). I got to the gym on T/TH/SAT, BJJ on M/W/F. Would I do ALL 5 of the exercises:

• Some kind of bench-press

• Some kind of row/pull

• Some kind of over head press

• Some kind of squat (I do single leg squats to reduce lumbar loading)

• Some kind of deadlift

All of these are done 5x5 with 60% 1rm

on ALL 3 days I go to the gym? I have ZERO problem doing this, I just usually overdo everything. And is it: 5 sets of 5 reps at 60% of 1 max rep? I don't want to loose strength (80/90/100/110# dumbbells for bench (12/10/8/6 sets) right now)

You always put a lot on this site. How can we give back?

Thanks!

 

[Leigh]

All done 5x5 60%. You might lose top end numbers simply due to lack of practise of lifting heavy weights. You will be stronger though and should be able to get it back very quickly.

Frequency is something @vermonter and I were discussing today. If you want to get stronger, you'll have to get bigger. To get bigger, train as frequently as your recovery allows. You could probably split the workouts to incorporate each exercise twice a week. So maybe 4 lifts on one day and 3 on the others, if you are lifting 3 times a week.

If you are doing a lot of rolling and cardio, that volume may be too high. You want to generate hypertrophy without stressing yourself too much, so that you have quicker recovery and can get back in the gym and generate more hypertrophy.

Hope that makes sense. Don't worry about giving back. Maybe buy a shirt from the site or give them a shout out on twitter.

 

[vermonter]

I'd only do hypertrophy if there's a good reason to get larger

 

[Leigh]

Yeah, I personally just tick over with maintenance to maintain my muscle mass, as I'm at the top of my weight class. I do each exercise once per week, in either one or two workouts.

 

[Leigh]

OP updated with bodyweight workout info

 

[yoshi]

Thanks a lot for all of the free advice leigh and Vermonter! I've been following your posts on another site for some time. I got really into the kettlebell/high intensity stuff a few years ago and couldn't believe how little improvement I saw in my mat strength and conditioning.

 

[TFK_likatiga]

Hey Leigh, with DLs and hypertrophy, do you literally yank the bar up as fast as you can? That's the only lift I have a hard time understanding how the hypertrophy movement works.

Also, just as a note, I completely accidentally came upon your workout system. Not from this thread, but about 2 years ago, after a lifetime of being fit (former pro Muay Thai fighter who has continued to train into my late 30s) I decided to start getting strong as well. So, I did strong lifts 5 X 5 for about a year and then got into hypertrophy.

It's pretty great.

 

[Leigh]

No, I can't recommend yanking up deadlifts. Agree that's one lift I'd be careful with.

Thanks but I've just pieced together what I've read from other people. The CAT method isn't mine and I just applied it to my 5 lifts. It works though.

 

[Teen Gohan]

TTT

 

[RedDragonUK]

ttt

 

[Leigh]

@Galt

Didn't want to hijack pitbull's thread.

For strength, I do:
Dips
Pull ups
Handstand push ups
Bulgarian split squats
Skin the cat to front levers (YouTube them)
Hyper extensions

I add some weight to my exercises but not much. Bodyweight will work fine.

 

[Disciplined Galt]

@Galt

Didn't want to hijack pitbull's thread.

For strength, I do:
Dips
Pull ups
Handstand push ups
Bulgarian split squats
Skin the cat to front levers (YouTube them)
Hyper extensions

I add some weight to my exercises but not much. Bodyweight will work fine.

Awesome! I actually knew the skin the cat in Swedish as we did them in gym class, it's called Fla Katt. I always thought it was English "flaw cut" lol that'll be plenty for a long time without adding any weight. Thanks!

 

[TheAwkwardTitan]

@Galt

Didn't want to hijack pitbull's thread.

For strength, I do:
Dips
Pull ups
Handstand push ups
Bulgarian split squats
Skin the cat to front levers (YouTube them)
Hyper extensions

I add some weight to my exercises but not much. Bodyweight will work fine.

Hell yeah. Calisthenics are the best for overall, useful strength in life. That and you can build a very athletic body with just body weight exercises as well. Just look at gymnasts for instance. Shit even at a low level gymnasts are fit as hell. I competed for a while in my teens and everyone walking around looked like an Abercrombie model. Sadly a lot of the girls looked like male models too. Sticking a girl in gymnastics at an early age make their entire body look like a big toe.

Edit: by the way i'm not saying people shouldn't add lifting and other forms of exercise into their routine. From what i've seen the best may be a balance between a variety of workouts. I personally enjoy body weight exercises and i'm familiar with them so that's what I stick to. Going into a gym with other people doing the same unnatural movements over and over again makes me want to blow my brains out, so I jog to a jungle gym or whatever you call it and I work out shortly before the paranoid moms call the police on me for being a predator. Evading the cops is faze two of my workout, brah. I'll let em get within 5 feet and then i'll do the sprint portion of my workout.

 

[Disciplined Galt]

Hell yeah. Calisthenics are the best for overall, useful strength in life. That and you can build a very athletic body with just body weight exercises as well. Just look at gymnasts for instance. Shit even at a low level gymnasts are fit as hell. I competed for a while in my teens and everyone walking around looked like an Abercrombie model. Sadly a lot of the girls looked like male models too. Sticking a girl in gymnastics at an early age make their entire body look like a big toe.

Edit: by the way i'm not saying people shouldn't add lifting and other forms of exercise into their routine. From what i've seen the best may be a balance between a variety of workouts. I personally enjoy body weight exercises and i'm familiar with them so that's what I stick to. Going into a gym with other people doing the same unnatural movements over and over again makes me want to blow my brains out, so I jog to a jungle gym or whatever you call it and I work out shortly before the paranoid moms call the police on me for being a predator. Evading the cops is faze two of my workout, brah. I'll let em get within 5 feet and then i'll do the sprint portion of my workout.

I reckon gymnastics is a brilliant first sport for a kid. My little sister did gymnastics for years and is now one of the best dancers in the country. Lays a foundation for any athletic endeavor.

 

[Leigh]

I also think gymnastics are great but it becomes harmful when kids are pushed too hard and become injury prone.

My wife teaches pre-school gymnastics.

 

[Disciplined Galt]

I also think gymnastics are great but it becomes harmful when kids are pushed too hard and become injury prone.

My wife teaches pre-school gymnastics.

fn ballet ain't no joke either.

 

[TheAwkwardTitan]

I reckon gymnastics is a brilliant first sport for a kid. My little sister did gymnastics for years and is now one of the best dancers in the country. Lays a foundation for any athletic endeavor.

Yeah aside from maybe combat sports I can't think of a single sport that's strenuous as gymnastics. It build strength, character and flexibility. I agree it definitely benefits you in any physical activity you partake in if you have that base as a kid.

 

[TheAwkwardTitan]

I also think gymnastics are great but it becomes harmful when kids are pushed too hard and become injury prone.

My wife teaches pre-school gymnastics.

Yeah some of the coaches are ridiculous. Shit if I looked back on my Russian coach i'd probably be a little alarmed at some of the stuff he did to push the kids. He always liked me because I never complained tho...... sadly he got fired for drinking while the team was at a meet. Classic russian.