Help with Programming/Training

[brisguy7]

Gday Ash/Damian/Steve.
Thanks for making/participating in this site, its great.
Im 20 years old, 88kg maybe 9-10¿ and training for my return to club rugby next season (i play #12).
At the moment i am 4 weeks into the Bill Starr 5×5 Madcow Intermediate programme in an effort to build some serious strength (planning on going for 4-8 more weeks depending on how the body feels). Progressing very nicely so far:
Deadlift 175kg x5, Squat 195kg x5, Bench 135kg x3. At the completion of this programme i am intending on doing German Volume training for 3 weeks followed by the 4 day split in the hypertrophy-options pdf. I have a weighted sled, a sandbag and i have just purchased plyo box’s (12,18,24 and 30 inch).
Basically what i would like to know is: 1) Do you guys have any programmes you can share/recommend with me for the use of plyo box’s? 2) When do you suggest i start incorporating them into my training? (bearing in mind that the 5×5 programme is hard on the hip flexors due to the fact im squatting 3 times a week). 3) When should i incorporate the weighted sled?..do you have any programmes to follow for them?
4) I intend on using the sandbag as i get closer to the start or pre-season training, as my training will become more specific/functional. Do you agree?

Thanks in advance for helping.

Nick D

[ashley]

Hi there, to answer your questions:

Basically what i would like to know is: 1) Do you guys have any
programmes you can share/recommend with me for the use of plyo box’s? 2)
When do you suggest i start incorporating them into my training?
(bearing in mind that the 5×5 programme is hard on the hip flexors due
to the fact im squatting 3 times a week). 3) When should i incorporate
the weighted sled?..do you have any programmes to follow for them?
4) I intend on using the sandbag as i get closer to the start or
pre-season training, as my training will become more
specific/functional. Do you agree?

I feel the plyo boxes are more towards the start of your pre season when
you shift to more emphahis on speed and power work since you are dopign
so much volume training at present it is difficult to incorporate
intensity work in around so much volume, although you could use the
boxes as a warm up to your squatting 3 days a week as well, by doing
some jump ups to the box or some depth jumps, these can be done for say
3 sets of 3 – 5 reps before you squat or as we often do you could
contrast them with the heavy sets in the main body of the workout. You
can use th eweighted sled as a recovery tool post the squatting session
say by walking 4 x 50 metres with the sled, or you may like to do some
sled work psot the repeated speed training as well, I would go on the
elitefts or westside sites to get how they use th esled since they have
done the most day to day training and research by doing that I know of,
sandbag work is fine as an adjunct to your training at any time you
like, but I disagree with the terms functional/specific, all training is
“functional”, cheers,ash

[Karsten]

@brisguy7 1632 wrote:

Gday Ash/Damian/Steve.
Thanks for making/participating in this site, its great.
Im 20 years old, 88kg maybe 9-10¿ and training for my return to club rugby next season (i play #12).
At the moment i am 4 weeks into the Bill Starr 5×5 Madcow Intermediate programme in an effort to build some serious strength (planning on going for 4-8 more weeks depending on how the body feels). Progressing very nicely so far:
Deadlift 175kg x5, Squat 195kg x5, Bench 135kg x3. At the completion of this programme i am intending on doing German Volume training for 3 weeks followed by the 4 day split in the hypertrophy-options pdf. I have a weighted sled, a sandbag and i have just purchased plyo box’s (12,18,24 and 30 inch).
Basically what i would like to know is: 1) Do you guys have any programmes you can share/recommend with me for the use of plyo box’s? 2) When do you suggest i start incorporating them into my training? (bearing in mind that the 5×5 programme is hard on the hip flexors due to the fact im squatting 3 times a week). 3) When should i incorporate the weighted sled?..do you have any programmes to follow for them?
4) I intend on using the sandbag as i get closer to the start or pre-season training, as my training will become more specific/functional. Do you agree?

Thanks in advance for helping.

Nick D

Hey Nick,

I would not recommend using any program for that long (4 4-8) after no more than 6 weeks you should swithc to another set-rep combination while your rate of progress is still god. An example would be 5,3,2,5,3,2 – which would naturally allow you to increase your loads.

Don’t go from lower 5×5 to higher volume unless you are a bodybuilder.

You could easily start doing single leg jumps to box and horisontal bounding using the sled as resistances.

Karsten JEnsen
Strength Coach

[brisguy7]

Thanks very much for the advice Ash/Karsten.
I wouldnt call myself a bodybuilder but i do like to use some of their methods to add a bit of variety to my training. I figure the GVT 10×10 training may help for a bit of hypertrophy.Karsten I have been intending on trying the Jim Wendler 5/3/1 programme, is the 5/3/2 you suggested a variation of this?
Ash i have seen in the pdf files on the site that most of the aerobic activities you have your athletes doing is interval work like boxing and other tabata based activities.In your opinion which gives the most bang for buck in terms of aerobic conditioning (if i were to incorporate 1 session per week)…may be a bit of a stupid question? I found when i incorporated boxing training 3x per week my aerobic fitness skyrocketed, however i still suffered from heavy legs come running time.

Thanks for your help, i appreciate it.

Nick

[ashley]

yes I think you could easily use the 5/3/2 instead of going to a heavy single although they are almost identical as far as working to a rep max on your heaviest loaded set, as to bang for your buck boxing is outstanding, but in isolation you could lose out a wee bit if you are in a running sport then you have to run, so I feel a repeated speed interval session would be the most productive and if you are leg tired/sore substitute something off of your legs, ash

[brisguy7]

thanks for the advice. very useful.
Nick Dorn

[Author]

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