I really like Strong Lifts, but it isn't working well for me anymore. Too many resets and not making it past previous resets. Admittedly, my lack of progress is likely attributable more to my lack of proper nutrition and sleep than to a fault in the program. I've been told that Greyskull is a good intermediate program, so I reason that it requires less recovery than novice programs like SL. But I do wonder whether it is possible for someone who is still a novice to make progress on an intermediate program. Is the following enough stimulus to cause significant adaptation?
The reason for making a hybrid is that I like BB rows, but they are not feasible in GS. I would just include them as an add-on to bench days but, on days with bench, row and deadlift, my deadlift would suffer from fatigue from the rows.
A day:
- Bench 2x5, 1x5+
- Row 2x5, 1x5+
- Squat 2x5, 1x5+
B day:
- OHP 2x5, 1x5+
- Some kind of curl in a 3x8
- More?
- DL 1x5+
Note: the 1x5+ set is an AMRAP set, with a minimum of 5 to be considered successful.
And these would be alternated on MWF, like SL. As in, one week, A on Monday, B on Wednesday, and A on Friday; then the opposite next week.
And I'll be using GS weight increments. That's 5 lb increases on Squat and DL and 2.5 lb on everything else. Weight is increased any time at least 5 reps are completed in every set.
About me: I weight around 200 lb at 5'8" and my current squat 1RM is 225 lb and bench is 165 lb. My goal is primarily strength.