Wondering about the best program for specific strength needs

[MatthewJay]

This may be a bit of an odd first post, but every word is true. Don't say you haven't been warned. <grin>

Anyway, I'm 31, 5' 10", 220 lbs, approximately 17% body fat assuming I'm using the caliper correctly. No history of weight training except for last spring and summer, but I'm naturally large, have a lot of muscle inherently, and tend to build it fast. I was on a 5x5 routine most of last year and was making decent progress until my workout area was taken over for a remodeling project. I got to a 265lb squat (5x5, to parallel or below), 145lb bench, and a 300lb deadlift.

I've been off the weights for a few months now but would like to get started again in the next week or two. However, I think I may need to shake things up a bit since I have some rather specific strength gains in mind. Forgive me if the following is too much information, but I don't know how to describe what I need other than to just describe it:

Basically, my wife and I are expecting our second baby late this summer. I'm going to be a participating member of the delivery team, and for our first daughter, this involved holding most of my wife's full weight (about 160 lbs at the time) in a standing posture for each contraction over the course of about half an hour. (I'd guess roughly 20 minutes of lifting/holding, and 10 minutes of rest, with the rest periods only lasting about a minute each.) Also, I couldn't get directly behind her, so I was having to support that much weight from one side, while leaning in quite a bit from the waist.

I almost killed myself doing that, and since we anticipate much the same scenario this time, I want to be as prepared as I can be to support her weight for as long as she needs, even if it has to be from only one side again.

So, all that to say, what kind of strength training should I be looking at to prepare my body for that kind of exertion?

Secondary goals are to lower body fat percentage and generally improve health, strength, and looks (listed in order of importance).

[RussB]

Sounds like a highly technical lift. You'll need lots of general strength first, so do SS as written. Then in about June you'll need to begin getting some specific practice, so go to the hospital's maternity ward, barge in on some deliveries, and hold the women as you described. It sounds weird, but you'll need the live batting practice, so to speak.

[melody]

Lucky for you the second birth is almost always really fast so I don't think you need to worry about your endurance. Also get her a yoga ball to sit on. I am sure you will be fine.

[veryhrm]

(i may not be imagining this correctly and i'm resistant to looking it up, but is this procedure "normal" ? holding 160lbs in some off-centered stance for 30 seconds for reps sounds hard and not too good for you. Is this something about being in an equivalent amount of pain or something ? :-) )

(edit: and also if you care about an absolute number for your BF percentage get yourself a DEXA composition scan. 17% sounds quite low at your height / weight / strength / training level )

[melody]

(i may not be imagining this correctly and i'm resistant to looking it up, but is this procedure "normal" ? holding 160lbs in some off-centered stance for 30 seconds for reps sounds hard and not too good for you. Is this something about being in an equivalent amount of pain or something ? :-) )

When women give birth without a shitload of drugs we like to use things like gravity, which sometimes involves standing, which is hard to do when you are having hard contractions.

[Tall Texan]

What about a plunger?