Starting Strength OR Push/Pull/Legs

[RJW719]

I have been following Starting Strength for about 8 months now. It has been great, however I am starting to feel like the squatting 3x a week is wearing me down. I have had to deload a couple of times on my squats already and recently deloaded again and i just feel like its getting to be too much for me doing squats every time I go to the gym.

I am also thinking that a change might be nice and was looking into a 3 day push/pull/legs routine. Do any of you have experience with such a routine? What were your gains like?

Or do you think I would be better off sticking with the starting strength for a while longer?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Gutterpump]

How long have you been training for?

I'm what I consider intermediate.. definitely not a powerlifter but been training for a while (years), and I've just finished 1 month of Starting Strength. I started at fairly heavy weight already, just scaled up the program for something new and to increase my lifts on some core compound moves.

I'm already ready to switch things up. I don't think the program was intended to run so long unless you truly were a beginner. For me, it won't be possible without injury to continue how I have. I've narrowly escaped injury in my elbow and lower back.

I also wouldn't do Starting Strength unless you were doing a true bulk, or else it is dangerous as you won't be feeding yourself enough to recover. I initially intended to recomp while gaining strength, but I had to eat my way to recovery on it and tossed aside my recomp goals for the past month.

So I guess what I'm saying is, maybe it's time for you to switch things up. A lot of newcomers tend to switch to 5/3/1 after Starting Strength... if you want to continue focusing on strength gains but allowing more time for recovery. Personally I'm about to setup and start the following:

Monday: Tension 1: Upper Body PUSH + Lower Body QUAD-DOMINANT
Tuesday: Tension 2: Upper Body PULL + Lower Body HAM-DOMINANT
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Metabolic Series Set
Friday: Ancillary Circuits
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: OFF

Or something very similar. If you want, I can post more details, or you can google "LEAN BULK "HARDGAINER’S" RECOMP WORKOUT"

 

[RJW719]

How long have you been training for?

A little over two years now. For the first year and a half I didnt know any better and was doing 4 day body part splits like the routines you find in the mags. After not making the kind of strength gains I was looking for I started doing some research and heard about SS and thought I would give that a shot, and as i mentioned, Ive been doing SS now for about 8 months.

I also wouldn't do Starting Strength unless you were doing a true bulk, or else it is dangerous as you won't be feeding yourself enough to recover. I initially intended to recomp while gaining strength, but I had to eat my way to recovery on it and tossed aside my recomp goals for the past month.

Its interesting you say that because I had changed my diet recently from a bulk to more of a recomp and added in some cardio. Shortly after that is when things started to go down hill for me with SS.




Thanks for your thoughts! Im going to google that routine you mentioned.

 

[Gutterpump]

Good luck! A lot of the movements are advanced, so you may need some coaching for proper form. Shouldn't be too tough to pick them up though if you decide to go with something like that.