Grouping Squat & Deadlift on same day

[Justin Hurley]

I have been discussing my overtraining of the lower back and have decided to follow Phil Watkin's lead and group heavy squat and deadlift together on the same day. This is Phil:http://www.ukmuscle.co.uk/wsa_feb2005/13.JPG , he can pull 300kg @ 90kg drug free.

It would mean on a monday, I would do an ME day of max lifts for the squat followed by the deadlift, and swapping the compound exercises for different variations every few weeks, I would also do some speed bench on this day, so it would be like a mini comp compressed into 1 hour.

Thurs - ME Bench + assistance.

I would then do on a friday, a day of DE box squats and deadlifts.

Thanks to Dai Squires for all his help, wish him and Craig Coombs all the luck in the BPO British.

Go on lads!!!

[Rob Thomas]

I've thought about doing my squats and deadlifts on the same day but I think that the second exersise would suffer as I'd probably be all shagged out from the first one. It'll be interesting to see how you get on...

[Justin Hurley]

TBH I don't feel like I have done much after doing 3's and singles. Plus the lower back should be warmed up nicely, might even make the exercise harder.

[Rob Thomas]

Yeah, that's a good point about the lower back, I wouldn't mind taking a look at your routine when you get it sorted mate. I hurt my back on saturday morning doing deads and shouldn't have done squats last night as it's even worse today - doh!

[Robert]

If the volume of squts is lowish, then pulling is not an issue unless your the kind of guy that pussies out half way through a session.

Squat 6x3
Deadlift some heavy sinlges

Is a favorite of mine.

[Justin Hurley]

I'll stick my routine onto an excel sheet and post it over to you rob.

Just need the five mins to get to do it.

[Robert]

Kewl.

[Rob Thomas]

I'll stick my routine onto an excel sheet and post it over to you rob.

Just need the five mins to get to do it.

Cheers mate. Ken Williams sent me a routine aswell, it's the one he's using to prepare for the British Masters later in the year.

[Justin Hurley]

Be interested to see that.

I was discussing this with Dai, how we don't think there is any secret training routine or we would all be doing it by now. The volume of training that the Eastern Europeans put in is phenomenal though.
I used a basic routine to gain most of my strength I have, it has only been this year that I have incorporated dynamic training.
My training is simple, basic and heavy. My body has done the rest.

[Rob Thomas]

Yeah, I'm the same. I've only ever done simple, basic stuff but usually heavy. I think I'm suited to that sort of training. As you said, there's no real secret, it's just lots of hard work in the low rep range with heavy weights on the basic compounds. I also throw in a couple of assistance exersises for good measure and take plenty of rest.

My biggest problem is that I love the beer and junk food aswell. Although I do eat plenty of quality food, I then spoil it by eating loads of crap and sinking a case of stella over the weekend - perhaps I'll cut down to half a case and see how it goes......

[Justin Hurley]

Got to sort the diet out Rob, it's half the battle.

Our basic training is great for getting us novice lifters up to a certain level but to progress from were we are now we need to make our routines a bit smarter.

I was thinking last night about my monday session.
I might instead of grouping the deadlift and squat together, actually alternate between them, similar to westsides max effort except no good mornings. I will incorporate GM's as an assistance exercise.
I will change from a variation of squatting exercises to a varaition of deadlifting exercises every week or every other.
I was concerned I was losing a week of productive max effort leg training, but as I use a lot of leg drive in the deadlift and with the speed box squat also in the week I think I have legs pretty well covered.

Mondays would look something like this:

wk1 - parallel box squat, wk2 - deadlift, wk3 - back squat, wk4 - deadlift off 4" box, wk5 - 2" below parallel box squat, wk6 - Partials, wk7 - Back squat with band & / or chains, wk8 - Sumo deadlift, and so on...........

I could then do two things on the dynamic squat / deadlift day.
1) Perform dynamic squat and deadlifts in same session.
2) alternate to be opposite as max effort, i.e. speed deadlifts on fridays if you have done ME squats on monday and vice versa.

What do you think??

[Rob Thomas]

I can't really comment on that mate as I just do the basic stuff week in week out. There are no facilities to do things like box squats etc at my current gym as it's a bit ponsy but I'm hoping to get the garage kitted out over the next month or two so I can give those things a go then.

I'm going to have to look further into this westside way of training as it looks pretty complexed but "interesting"! Where did you get the box, chains and bands from then Jus?

[Justin Hurley]

Made the box and boards for board presses. The chains I got from an old employer and the bands from the USA.

When you get your gym together let me know. I have wood left, enough to make another box, just give me the distance from your ass to the floor when you are parallel. I will make like mine. If you put it the one way it's parallel box squats, but if you flip it on it's side it's 2" below. I can get you chains, they are all old scrap chains, nice and dirty and greasy, so you'll have to jet wash them first, or every time you use your hands will be black.

The doors to my humble garage gym are always open to you Rob, if you ever fancy trying out some westside routines. I must warn you though, it is very small until I build the new one. With all the shit that's building up in there, you can hardly move. We could always take the box to another gym, strange looks but who gives a shit.

[Rob Thomas]

Justin, that would be great mate, I'll definately take you up on your offer for the box when it all arrives, thanks. I'd also be interested in some of those chains too mate - I've already got a jet washer as I can't get my bloody car through any of the car washes!

You can also pop over my place and have a go on my steel log if you like - it's a bit light at the moment but will be awesome when my oly plates arrive!

Cheers Mate.