Fierce 5 Take Two?

[Rdrummond77]

I'm 41, 5'10", 180 lbs. at about 21-22% bodyfat (most of the bodyfat is abdominal, typical middle-aged skinnyfat). I started lifting weights about a year ago, f***** for a couple of months, and started F5 in March 2018. Stuck with it til around late April, when some life things happened and I basically stopped going to the gym. Fast forward to now, I'm back in the gym and giving F5 another go. I've done a few workouts that I haven't logged here, but here are my current main lifts:

Squat: 185lbs. for 5
Bench: 135lbs. for 5
OHP: 85lbs. for 5
Deadlift: 235lbs. for 5
Rows: 95lbs. for 5 (Pendlays are still hard to go heavy for me without some body english) but I'm not subbing them out because Davis says "take the time to learn the damn lift" in the sticky.

A couple of questions:

-I know conventional deads are an acceptable sub, but I'm wondering if I will get the most out of the program by going with the original front squats and Romanian DLs. I know how to do both lifts.

-I'm not terribly overweight for my height and don't look fat in clothes, but my bodyfat is too high (would like to get to 15% to see how I look and then go from there). I'm not so much worried about appearance but hormonal profile for muscle-building once I really get going. I know the basics of bulking and cutting but given my weight and bodyfat%, I'd like some guidance on how aggresively I should cut or if I should cut at all yet.

-I'm a father of 3 busy kids and a busy career, so my recovery (particularly sleep) isn't always "optimal" (I hate that word). Would this still be a good routine for me or would I be better off on something like All Pros?

Thanks in advance ya'll!

[Anthony21]

I'm 41, 5'10", 180 lbs. at about 21-22% bodyfat (most of the bodyfat is abdominal, typical middle-aged skinnyfat). I started lifting weights about a year ago, f***** for a couple of months, and started F5 in March 2018. Stuck with it til around late April, when some life things happened and I basically stopped going to the gym. Fast forward to now, I'm back in the gym and giving F5 another go. I've done a few workouts that I haven't logged here, but here are my current main lifts:

Squat: 185lbs. for 5
Bench: 135lbs. for 5
OHP: 85lbs. for 5
Deadlift: 235lbs. for 5
Rows: 95lbs. for 5 (Pendlays are still hard to go heavy for me without some body english) but I'm not subbing them out because Davis says "take the time to learn the damn lift" in the sticky.

A couple of questions:

-I know conventional deads are an acceptable sub, but I'm wondering if I will get the most out of the program by going with the original front squats and Romanian DLs. I know how to do both lifts.

-I'm not terribly overweight for my height and don't look fat in clothes, but my bodyfat is too high (would like to get to 15% to see how I look and then go from there). I'm not so much worried about appearance but hormonal profile for muscle-building once I really get going. I know the basics of bulking and cutting but given my weight and bodyfat%, I'd like some guidance on how aggresively I should cut or if I should cut at all yet.

-I'm a father of 3 busy kids and a busy career, so my recovery (particularly sleep) isn't always "optimal" (I hate that word). Would this still be a good routine for me or would I be better off on something like All Pros?

Thanks in advance ya'll!

At 22% body fat i'd personally cut and make sure you drop weight slowly, not aggressively.

Front squats and RDL would be great to go with for a while unless you just prefer deadlifts and db lunges, which I believe is what you would replace it with.

In terms of your recovery you should be fine. Just make sure you're getting as much rest as you can while staying in a small calorie deficit to start off.

[Squid24]

It works well either way...Deadlift plus the called for Leg Curls, which are the proper sub for the Front Squat and RDL. I did the Deadlift/Leg Curls cause I liked the DL. It's just a preference thing from there....

[sooby]

I'm 41, 5'10", 180 lbs. at about 21-22% bodyfat (most of the bodyfat is abdominal, typical middle-aged skinnyfat). I started lifting weights about a year ago, f***** for a couple of months, and started F5 in March 2018. Stuck with it til around late April, when some life things happened and I basically stopped going to the gym. Fast forward to now, I'm back in the gym and giving F5 another go. I've done a few workouts that I haven't logged here, but here are my current main lifts:

Squat: 185lbs. for 5
Bench: 135lbs. for 5
OHP: 85lbs. for 5
Deadlift: 235lbs. for 5
Rows: 95lbs. for 5 (Pendlays are still hard to go heavy for me without some body english) but I'm not subbing them out because Davis says "take the time to learn the damn lift" in the sticky.

A couple of questions:

-I know conventional deads are an acceptable sub, but I'm wondering if I will get the most out of the program by going with the original front squats and Romanian DLs. I know how to do both lifts.

-I'm not terribly overweight for my height and don't look fat in clothes, but my bodyfat is too high (would like to get to 15% to see how I look and then go from there). I'm not so much worried about appearance but hormonal profile for muscle-building once I really get going. I know the basics of bulking and cutting but given my weight and bodyfat%, I'd like some guidance on how aggresively I should cut or if I should cut at all yet.

-I'm a father of 3 busy kids and a busy career, so my recovery (particularly sleep) isn't always "optimal" (I hate that word). Would this still be a good routine for me or would I be better off on something like All Pros?

Thanks in advance ya'll!

#1: Just stick with what you are doing

#2: Cut. anywhere from 0.5-1% of your current body weight a week, at whatever rate you feel comfortable with. Being a beginner you shouldn't lose much strength if any at all.

#3: If you are making progress, keep going. If not, re-evaluate your lifestyle, circumstances and determine whether or not this program is best for you going forward and if you need to make any changes.

[Rdrummond77]

At 22% body fat i'd personally cut and make sure you drop weight slowly, not aggressively.

Front squats and RDL would be great to go with for a while unless you just prefer deadlifts and db lunges, which I believe is what you would replace it with.

In terms of your recovery you should be fine. Just make sure you're getting as much rest as you can while staying in a small calorie deficit to start off.

Thanks, man. I appreciate the input.

[Rdrummond77]

It works well either way...Deadlift plus the called for Leg Curls, which are the proper sub for the Front Squat and RDL. I did the Deadlift/Leg Curls cause I liked the DL. It's just a preference thing from there....

Got it. Thanks!

[Rdrummond77]

#1: Just stick with what you are doing

#2: Cut. anywhere from 0.5-1% of your current body weight a week, at whatever rate you feel comfortable with. Being a beginner you shouldn't lose much strength if any at all.

#3: If you are making progress, keep going. If not, re-evaluate your lifestyle, circumstances and determine whether or not this program is best for you going forward and if you need to make any changes.

Sounds good. Thanks, man!