Strength Programming Help

[coco]

Hi All,

New to the forums here and have been doing some reading. Just a little background before I get to the question.

Male, 29, 185ish
DL - 315
Squat - 315
Press - 170
Bench - 240
Power Clean - 205
Front Squat - 265

I really want to get my numbers up. I am currently using the 5/3/1 system and want to take it to a new level.

I CrossFit about 4-5 times a week and the box has bands/chains and box squat.

What I am wondering is what type of program do you think would best suit me?

What type of program do you recommend to increase strength/power while still maintaining conditioning or can you only achieve one at a time?

Westside Hybrid
Texas Method
ME Black Box
Westside For Skinny Bastards

I just need help on where to go from here.

I want to improve on my DE lifts as well as the ME lifts.

Please advise and/or help.

Thanks.

[ChrisGibbons]

Are you following the 5-3-1 program (i.e. do you have the book?) or are you doing your own thing with it? 5-3-1 should be just fine for getting your numbers up. Are the numbers you quote your maxes or are they for 5x3?

I'd stick with 5-3-1 and be PATIENT. Eat plenty. Make sure that your conditioning work is just that (conditioning) and isn't messing up your strength training. Hill sprints, sled pulls, prowler pushes are just fine. 1.5hrs of metcon 4 times a week may not be the best idea. Make sure you are recovering adequately and doing lots of stretching, foam rolling and mobility work.

Only other thing is that is a bit odd that you can't deadlift more than you squat.......

How tall are you?

[gzt]

The first thing is that CrossFitting(TM) 4 or 5 times per week will interfere with getting stronger. With 5/3/1, you can certainly get stronger without losing much "conditioning" ability. This may take a while, but you're in it for the long haul. Something that will be shorter will be going through a dedicated strength phase, where you try linear progression and then weekly progression for about, oh, 6-9 months, putting in hard work with not too much thought about conditioning.

[coco]

Thanks for the reply.

I am about 5-8 5-9ish.

Those are maxes and I have not attempted new maxes in a few months.

I have the 5/3/1 book.

In terms of my squat vs deadlift, will you always or should you always be able to dead lift more. I am very strong in leg region from years of soccer training etc, if that makes sense.

So going to a new program will not benefit me then?

As for conditioning, how many times a week should I incorporate sled, prowler etc...

[spiderman]

I've never looked at the 5/3/1 for football program but that must have more conditioning than regular 5/3/1.

How do you manage to do both crossfit and 5/3/1 at the same time without destroying yourself?

[coco]

This is my daily routine.

Warm-Up
5/3/1
CF WOD
Assistance Work (just started doing this routinely)

Some days, depending on how hard I push through the WOD, I do not have energy to even stand so assistance work is not done.

[spiderman]

How long has it taken you to work up to those lift numbers? Were there stalls along the way? Did you ever do linear progression?

[coco]

Those numbers were achieved within the first two months of CrossFit.

I always lifted at the gym, but just hadn't done serious CrossFit.

No major stalls as I haven't retested so I can positively say I've stalled.

As for Linear Progression, the answer is no, I have not done anything like that.

It was regular lifting at a gym, (i.e. M- chest/bis, T - back, tris etc...) until CrossFit and then the addition of 5/3/1.

Would it benefit to do something like Rip's Starting Strength or a 5 x 5 program?

[coco]

So in short, if the WOD had deads in it you didn't do your deadlift on that day but if it didn't you do it.

I just want to increase strength, that's my overall goal. I am logging everything I do right now.

Personally, I know my squats, deadlift will increase over time. I am more worried about getting the strength for increasing the ME lifts. Up until about 2 months ago I wasn't doing any sort of program aside from the WODs and my number had gone up, but now I just want to take them and my strength to a new level.

My Power Snatch is only 205 and I just can't seem to get pass that. I can't hold onto the bar at the 210 and want to get strong and be able to do more. I feel like I'm letting myself down in the area of the lifts. And if I were to compete in say some sort of CF Games I better be able to do these kinds of lifts with a good load and efficiently in order to be successful.

It may also be important to note that I can recover fairly quickly. Soccer and running over the years as helped in this area of conditioning so when I do the 5/3/1 and then the WOD I am always good to go come WOD time.

[scoppi]

http://www.crossfitfootball.com/

seriously though. john has done the best job of combining strength training and crossfit. there are other programs, like the black box method and crossfit wichita falls, but john has done the crunchwork of creating a program that uses modified linear progressions as well as crossfit. if getting better at crossfit is your goal, id go with crossfit football, and if your box wont let you do those wods, well, then, firstly fuck them, and secondly just do the wods they want you to, but be smart about doing the strength wod.

and lastly, getting strong for ~8 months, and then going back would be a good way to go as well.