Madcow calculator

http://www.vicjg.com/aspx/madcowint.aspx

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Thats actually pretty cool. Don't know how reliable it is though.

Red PittBull's Log.

It is reliable. Madcows routine is based off %, which is what that calculator uses.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I see.

I've heard of this routine, but never actually read into the details...

You have any good links on the principles?

Red PittBull's Log.

http://www.geocities.co...5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

http://www.geocities.co...ogram/Periodized_5x5.htm

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Thank you.

Interesting program, I may try it one day. Seems complicated to keep up with though

Red PittBull's Log.

That's what the calculator is for.

Just type in your current 5RM's and it gives you what you should do for your 12 weeks.

I just started it myself.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I might hit it up soon. Once I get my power clean form perfect. I've been working real hard on it. At the moment I think I've got it mostly down.

Red PittBull's Log.

You wouldn't use power cleans. The routine consists of

1) Squats, Bench, Row, Hyper extensions, sit ups

3) Squat, Press, Deadlift, Triceps Accessory

5) Squat, Bench, Row, Biceps Accessory

What is in italics are accessory exercises. I would personally replace the biceps accessory with pullups though.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Row/PowerCleans is what the thing says.

Red PittBull's Log.

Squat 5x5 Ramping weight to top set of 5 (which should equal the previous Friday's heavy triple) Bench 5x5 Ramping weight to top set of 5 (which should equal the previous Friday's heavy triple) Barbell Row 5x5 Ramping weight to top set of 5 (which should equal the previous Friday's heavy triple) Assistance: 2 sets of weighted hypers and 4 sets of weighted sit-ups                     Wednesday   Squat 4x5 First 3 sets are the same as Monday, the 4th set is repeating the 3rd set again Incline or Military 4x5 Ramping weight to top set of 5 Deadlift 4x5 Ramping weight to top set of 5 Assistance: 3 sets of sit-ups                       Friday   Squat 4x5, 1x3, 1x8 First 4 sets are the same as Monday's, the triple is 2.5% above your Monday top set of 5, use the weight from the 3rd set for a final set of 8 Bench 4x5, 1x3, 1x8 First 4 sets are the same as Monday's, the triple is 2.5% above your Monday top set of 5, use the weight from the 3rd set for a final set of 8 Barbell Row

^ That's what it said to me. But you would be better off with rows because they work the antagonist of the bench press, for better balance at the joint.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Look at the calculator you posted.


But I think Power Cleans are a more beneficial to the body. More muscles being recruited etc.

I'll have to decide later on, not sure if I want to do this yet.

Red PittBull's Log.

It's not about muscle recruitment, squats and deadlifts will do that. It's about working the antagonist of the bench press (which should be done with each movement). Without rowing in the routine the posterior delts and lats would be neglected through direct stimulation and the overactive chest and front delts would then allow the shoulders to pull forward for potential rotator cuff injuries.

Prime function of the back is pulling infront and not just below, which is what you want to do. And I don't necessarily agree that power cleans work more muscle groups, they are PC dominant and while the row isn't PC chain dominant, the posterior chain is stimulated isometrically in order to stabilize the hips to prevent hip recruitment and taking tension off the agonists and synergists - biceps, lats, and posterior delts.

Every routine should have a horizontal and vertical pull, especially if they acquire a horizontal and vertical push.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

heh. I typically prefer Powercleans over rows, and have for the past 2 programs I have done.

I think its fine to sub with, but me and mvp have already had that discussion :P

Anyway I really like the calculator, only thing im a little confused about is the multiple lines of each exercise. What do those mean?

pretty accurate as far as my 5rm go, and next time I run mad cows which will probably be after I do this 20 rep squat program soon, ill have to use this.

Bookmarked, thanks!

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Well the vertical lines means sets, so if you type in 315 for your 5RM on squat, Monday they'll have you do the first set 145, second set at 180, third set at 220, fourth set of 255, and fifth set at 290.

As far as the horizontal lines go, that's weekly progress. It gives you 12 weeks of your workouts, so I'm assuming it means follow those guidelines for 12 weeks.

I thought of something cool earlier (don't know if it's been done before or not), but weighted magnets for the micro loading, meaning putting a 1lb magnet on each side of the barbell and/or if you're only adding 1lb just put it in the center of the bar or something, I thought it sounded pretty cool.

I'm using the calculator for my 12WK run with the routine. I don't remember trying this routine before although I've heard great things about it.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Someone on here uses small sections of chain to up it up like two-three pounds. jHeft I think.

Red PittBull's Log.

I workout at home (for now), not sure of anything I could do to add 1 and 2 lbs at a time.

Any ideas, I'd be thankful.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I assume you gotta scale. Go to home depot. Get some chain.


Cut it into short sections to get about one or two pounds per little section. then you can just drape it over the bar, or tie it around.

Red PittBull's Log.

That's not a bad idea, thanks.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

No problem.

I think there are websites that sell like one pound or half a pound plates. But they're to expensive and not worth it in my opinion.

Red PittBull's Log.

MVP


As far as the horizontal lines go, that's weekly progress. It gives you 12 weeks of your workouts, so I'm assuming it means follow those guidelines for 12 weeks.

Thats what I was referring to. There are multiple lines for every exercise. Im pretty sure from top to bottom it starts with a lower % of your RM and gets heavier each line you go down.

In fact i typed in my previous 355 squat max and from lines 1-4, on no week do you hit 355. The last line has me hitting above 355 in week 7.

I was just wondering what the purpose of having these lines were, as in whats the meaning of each line. Is it beginner down to advanced? im not really sure.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

If you read the training primer where you got the calculator from, it actually says that power cleans are preferred over rows.  Assuming you are deadlifting, cleaning, and doing pullups, uour rear delts will be fine without adding rows.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

brihead301


If you read the training primer where you got the calculator from, it actually says that power cleans are preferred over rows.  Assuming you are deadlifting, cleaning, and doing pullups, uour rear delts will be fine without adding rows.

Thats what I was thinking.

And I've read articles about him since, and Bill Starr advocates the big three. Cleans, Bench, Squat.

Red PittBull's Log.

me and mvp had that discussion a while ago, he feels really strongly about having rows incorporated while benching.

I feel that with cleans in, instead of rows as long as your doing deads and Pull ups, you will be more then fine in the balance department.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

N$ it shows you weeks 1-12 what poundages you'll be using. If you typed in 355X1 as your max, on week 7 or wherever it is going to try to have you working out with it. I'm not sure if this is the beginner or advanced version but probably the beginner version since it has you repping your max in 2 months.

brihead301


If you read the training primer where you got the calculator from, it actually says that power cleans are preferred over rows.  Assuming you are deadlifting, cleaning, and doing pullups, uour rear delts will be fine without adding rows.

I disagree. Power cleans and certainally deadlifts do not work the posterior delts in relation to a row. Primary function of the barbell row is transverse abduction. I do not believe that power cleans, deadlifts and pullups's (basically vertical pulling) is enough in a routine nor do they cover the same range as a routine with 90 degree separation in comparison, there are plenty of parts of the back the deadlift and pullup do not overload in relation to a row. Infront pulling is a primary motion of the back, it's not just above and below only, which equals the stimulus of direct posterior delts seeing the barbell row is based on transverse abduction. The deadlift and the power clean do not provide this movement.

Pullups primarily work lats as the agonists and the upper back muscles that act as synergists, and as mentioned in a discussion with N$ recently, post power cleans and deadlifts are posterior chain dominant and share generated force from the hips and legs and all work the vertical plane which involves pulling or pushing (in this case pulling) from below the midline of the body and above the midline of the body.

While rows require the posterior chain to be stimulated, it's only isometrically, in order to stabilize hips so the desired 90 degree range of motion can stimulate overloading the back and posterior delts, giving more emphasis can be placed upon that muscle in a relation to a person with imbalance or trying to avoid imbalance in the lower body than upper body making the dominant muscle groups more involved.  All that is required to work the 90 degree compromise of the two movements  is to force the elbows into the point of flexsion while they are at a 90 degrees.

Strength training is all about working the prime motions of each body part and prime motions of the overall posterior involves pulling from the front and not just the above and below. The range cannot be separated and you cannot say the work the row would provide wouldn't factor in more utilization from the back to work the three movements in relation to the two posterior chain focused exercises.

Rounded shoulders and rotator cuff injuries are becoming more common since more routines are neglecting horizontal pulls. Most routines anymore do not take beginner imbalances into the formula when being created. They don't think that there have been doing barbell curls longer than tricep extensions so the elbow joint is imbalanced, which can result in injuries. Of course the way to avoid this is to eliminate arm isolations from a beginners routine completely and that's what most routines have successfully done but this also applies at the shoulder which involves working the opposing movements and working the antagonist at the joint in order to balance the shoulder muscles. 

I do not believe power cleans, deadlifts, pullups, which is basically vertical pulling (none performed in the transverse plane, which is the posterior delts primary plane), can develop the upper back and posterior delts, which serve as antagonists of the bench press and horizontal pulling is not necessary. My opinion is that rows NEED to be in routines at all levels of experience and that focus on pushing horizontally in which opposes pulling and a routine should incorporate a pull from below, infront and above to work the entire back sufficiently.

I believe strength training in general is about working primary motions and the motions that are worked are motions that we perform and motions that work the muscle group adequately. Dominant stimulus to the back and posterior delts muscle comes from pulling from the overhead or infront, not explosive pulling from the ground compromising alternating stimulus to the rest of the muscle groups and larger muscle groups the body contains in general (like the leg muscles) that a deadlift and power clean acquire.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Just realized I made a few typos in this as I had just woke up when I typed it.

Primary function of the posterior delts are transverse abduction, not the barbell row. Hyper extending the shoulder is the posterior delts prime function, which means pulling from the infront pulling the shoulder back beyond it's own region (just think of a back hyper extension with a shoulder).

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I made my own weights out of pennies then put them in a sock to make ones weighing around 1.5 pounds each.  

Thanks, but I'm just going to use the chains idea for now.

Maybe later on I'll find some micro plates.

Or I could just temporarily tape one of the 2.5lb weights in the center of the bar or something when I need to increase by 2lbs.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

here's a good link as well, especially if u wanna do HST routine because it gives u your 5/10/15 RM

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=18

1RM calculators are usually not accurate. Neither are %'s when it comes to lifting. Why? Everyone doesn't have the same muscle tissue, most of us have more slow twitch of fast twitch.

A person with more fast twitch fibers 10RM will be less than the general rule of thumb (70%) and a person more slow twitch fibers will be more than the general rule of thumb.

It's always different, although sometimes it can serve accurate but just like calorie calculators, can give you a general idea so your not making blanket statements.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant