Coming Off 7 month Layoff

[MISSINGLINK]

What routine would you recommend? I thought about SS but it is boring that I would do something else and lose focus. I have done all the sheiko preps, 5/3/1, Madcows 5x5. Just looking for ideas to get back at it after semi long layoff. TIA

[Squatticus]

all programs are good programs if you actually stick with them. Check out the Cube method

[Nikonguy]

Lots of 5/3/1 variations here: www.blackironbeast.com/

[connorpat1995]

do you think you need a set program?
if SS is boring you can just squat, bench and deadlift a bunch and add weight over time

[ethan1631]

What routine would you recommend? I thought about SS but it is boring that I would do something else and lose focus. I have done all the sheiko preps, 5/3/1, Madcows 5x5. Just looking for ideas to get back at it after semi long layoff. TIA

this depends on your experience prior to the pause in training, if you were previously training as an intermediate lifter and tapped out any progress you could get from a novice program then the amount of time you will spend doing SS or something of that novice nature to get back into it will be much shorter than when you first ran the novice program and i think it would be worth your while to take a few months and run a novice program before you go buck wild with volume and variations. goodluck!

[adamsz]

Hiya Missinglink. I remember you from years back for providing me lots of good information about Sheiko, so I'll try and repay that hopefully in this thread

I know you were always a big fan of Sheiko programming back in the day... have you considered giving it a shot to get back into training?

Being in a relatively untrained state at this point, there are a few sheiko programs you could do that I think would probably suit you fine with a lower average number of lifts and relative intensity.

If you're still using the spreadsheets, you could start with #39. 39 is the "easiest" # cycle besides 32 (the comp cycle), and ranks just below 29. It has a low number of lifts/volume, high bench intensity, medium deadlift intensity, and is pretty easy for every lift. You could give that a shot and see how you respond; if it's tough but manageable you could just repeat the cycle the following month, or if you flew through it with relative ease you could then move on to 29 after.

Also, I'm not sure if you're aware but Sheiko released an app for iphone/android within the last year or so as well. It has a bunch of programs broken up into "beginner" "intermediate" and "advanced" sections.

The beginner section has one 4-week prep cycle followed by a 4-week competition cycle. The prep cycle has 570 total number of lifts and the comp cycle 390. In the prep cycle the intensity ranges between 65%-71%, and in the comp cycle 66%-72% (excluding the testing day at the end of the comp cycle).

I think this might be a good transition back into training for you, as the beginner prep cycle will allow you to get some good technique work in at the low-moderate intensity range so you can "get your groove back" on the comp lifts, and then after 8 weeks total following the completion of the comp cycle you can test your maxes which will be useful moving forward for whatever program you decide to follow it with.



I'm coming off a similar situation myself and also didn't train for 7 months during 2014, and have been back in the gym for about 7 months now, hitting new PRs, and feeling good about training again. I know it can be hard to get back in the swing of things after a long layoff like that, but I feel as excited about my training as ever now that I've finally gotten back in the swing of things. Here's a thread I made about my 7-month anniversary back in the gym if you're looking for a little motivation

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=167962033


edit: here's a breakdown of the various # Sheiko cycles if you need a memory-refresher

[MISSINGLINK]

Hiya Missinglink. I remember you from years back for providing me lots of good information about Sheiko, so I'll try and repay that hopefully in this thread

I know you were always a big fan of Sheiko programming back in the day... have you considered giving it a shot to get back into training?

Being in a relatively untrained state at this point, there are a few sheiko programs you could do that I think would probably suit you fine with a lower average number of lifts and relative intensity.

If you're still using the spreadsheets, you could start with #39. 39 is the "easiest" # cycle besides 32 (the comp cycle), and ranks just below 29. It has a low number of lifts/volume, high bench intensity, medium deadlift intensity, and is pretty easy for every lift. You could give that a shot and see how you respond; if it's tough but manageable you could just repeat the cycle the following month, or if you flew through it with relative ease you could then move on to 29 after.

Also, I'm not sure if you're aware but Sheiko released an app for iphone/android within the last year or so as well. It has a bunch of programs broken up into "beginner" "intermediate" and "advanced" sections.

The beginner section has one 4-week prep cycle followed by a 4-week competition cycle. The prep cycle has 570 total number of lifts and the comp cycle 390. In the prep cycle the intensity ranges between 65%-71%, and in the comp cycle 66%-72% (excluding the testing day at the end of the comp cycle).

I think this might be a good transition back into training for you, as the beginner prep cycle will allow you to get some good technique work in at the low-moderate intensity range so you can "get your groove back" on the comp lifts, and then after 8 weeks total following the completion of the comp cycle you can test your maxes which will be useful moving forward for whatever program you decide to follow it with.



I'm coming off a similar situation myself and also didn't train for 7 months during 2014, and have been back in the gym for about 7 months now, hitting new PRs, and feeling good about training again. I know it can be hard to get back in the swing of things after a long layoff like that, but I feel as excited about my training as ever now that I've finally gotten back in the swing of things. Here's a thread I made about my 7-month anniversary back in the gym if you're looking for a little motivation

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=167962033


edit: here's a breakdown of the various # Sheiko cycles if you need a memory-refresher

Thanks a bunch. I am going to check for the app. I always considered sheiko coming back.