Is this an optimal plan for strength and cardio?

Question

• I’m a 33 year old male.
• 5’11. 156 pounds. I'm approx 14% bodyfat.

I’m looking to get ‘fit’. I’ve worked out (5km-half marathon, swimming, squat, bench) at various times in my life and tracked calories, macros etc.

Current Stats Have not worked out in a few years.

Cardio

• Can run 5km in about 23 mins
• Can do half marathon in around 2hrs

Strength (have not lifted in a few years) - 1 rep max

• Prob Bench around 100 pounds
• Prob Squat around 100 pounds (squat has always been relatively weak compared to bench)

I’ve lifted weights before, including squats and bench. I’ve got the starting strength book.

Goals

In general I’m looking to improve functional strength and cardio. I’m not looking to be able to lift really heavy in gym. Or put on a ton of size. I’d prefer to optimize first for cardio, then for aesthetics, then for strength, In order of priority:

• I’d like to get to 9% bodyfat
• I’d like to run a 5km in sub 20mins
• Swim: Not sure, but I’d like to increase swim performance
• I’d like to increase my strength to Bench:150lbs http://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/bench-press
• Squat: 200lbs http://strengthlevel.com/strength-standards/squat •
• I’d like to put on 5-10 pounds of muscle - but most of all I’m optimizing for body fat loss, while increasing strength to novice-ish levels.

I’m confident I can hit the right meal goals, as I’ve dropped down to 11% body fat fairly ‘easily’ by heating a bit cleaner.I may get a BodPod test

Meal Plan

• 1g of protein p/pound:
• 120G - 150g protein
• No sugar, sweet, snacks except on cheat day
• Breakfast: 3 eggs, smoothie
• Lunch: Rice, Chicken, Salad
• Dinner: Sandwich, Pasta, health protein
• Supplements: Whey Protein, Caffeine

Workout

• M - Starting Strength program (beginning from start)
• T - rest
• W - Starting Strength program (beginning from start)
• T - rest
• F - Starting Strength (beginning from start)
• S - Swim
• S - Run

Questions

• Anything you’d change?
• Should I be looking to run more crossfit type programming than Starting Strength, if I'm looking to build functional strength?

Answer 1

I’m only going to be able to address a small subset of what I’d have clients do. Cross-fit – is backwards.

Starting the most technical and power centeric Olympic lifts and doing them to exhaustion is sloppy and dangerous.

My abridged recommendations are as follows:

Proceed all workouts with a 5-10 min dynamic warmup

On Lifting Days

• Dynamic Lifts (Unilateral to Destabilize) as your routine Progresses decrease stability (heavy lifts first).
• Alternate Push/Pull and UE/LE exercises
• ~30 second rest period between lifts
• ~10-15 reps

---

• Sun Rest
• Mon:Steady State Run 1.5x Target Distance (Best Time Focus)
• Tues: Lift & 3:1 ratio as tolerable ~ 20-30 min Intervals
• Wed: Lift and Steady State Run to 3/4 Target Distance
• Thrus: Rest
• Fri:Intervals 3:1 ratio as tolerable ~ 30 min
• Sat: More Intense Lift – Light Steady State Cardio

Answer 2

Sub 20 5k run is in my opinion not that difficult if this is your main goal.

I have reached 19'50 5k without looking at my diet.

Build your aerobic Base (aerobic treshold), increase your lactic treshold (treshold training) and work on your running technique (might require an external coach). Then plan strength training around that and rest accordingly.

Read good books to get an understanding of Training in both endurance and strength and you will be good (Chris hinshaw, Cal dietz triphasic are ressources I recommend)

Answer 3

Absolutely, more functional strengthening in your case.

II'd focus on improving all major energy systems and raise your bodies H+ tolerance -- it's actually not lactic acid that causes the burn, it's a build up of excess H+ atoms.

Just a few meal things -- Post workout you want simple sugars (dextrose is best but table sugar is just fine) to spike you insulin levels so protein can be delivered to your muscles post workout.

Healthy fats before bed to to increase natural hormone production.....

Good luck!

Answer 4

Preface:

Why should you listen to me? I have created fitness plans that, most importantly, people have stuck to and seen progress on. There is no point prescribing a program you won't follow for more than 3 months. I am a level 2 fitness instructor (UK qualification). In terms of DYEL BRO I am at the top end of intermediate in all lifts (Power/Olympic/Crossfit).

Background Fitness

You clearly can run well, I'm personally training for my first half-marathon and my running is very average but I know that a sub 20min run take a lot of dedication. Fortunately running programming is fairly simple to plan and to follow.

You aren't fat but want to get a lower body fat, this makes that task hard. What also makes your task harder is you want to make strength gains while losing body-fat. It is do-able, just hard.

Goals

Your goals are a bit all over the place, you have quite a few conflicting ones: you say you want functional strength but tote the starting strength book and a arbitrary strength standard you want to meet.

In order of difficulty (for you) here are your goals:

• 9% bodyfat
• Run 5km in sub 20mins
• Squat: 200lbs
• Bench 150lbs
• I’d like to put on 5-10 pounds of muscle
• Increase swim performance

Planning

Some of them work well together and we should pair them up. You have also expressed a interest in starting strength so we should include that (aside, I personally am not in favour of SS for most clients, however you want your squat to go up a lot more than your bench so it is suitable).

Running takes significant time to get good at, you might see a 30 second improvement on your 5k time after 6 weeks running. Especially since your run times are fairly good already (diminishing returns).

Your strength goals aren't really that aspirational though and at most 6 months of training should get you there.

Personally I would recommend the following: 2 running days to build up distance and experience while you work your way through starting strength (3 days a week). If you feel that is too easy and feel restless then you should look to move onto 3 days running and 3 days strength training (this is what I currently do).

You week would look like this, I have purposely not given rest days as its up to your schedule when you take them (take them between any of the sessions):

• Day 1: Starting Strength 1
• Day 2: Alternate Weeks Easy/Fartlek Runs (40-50 mins)
• Day 3: Starting Strength 2
• Day 4: Long Run (50mins-1h15m)
• Day 5: Starting Strength 3

I personally would cut out the swimming for now but you have explicitly said you want to do it, so if you do then do it on one of your rest days.

---

Footnotes:

• CrossFit is a workout, nothing more, nothing less. I personally have done 6 months of it and became frustrated with the lack of a consistent program where I can see clear progress over time. The movements are usually fun (plyometric, gymnastics, Olympic lifts) but the coaching isn't high level (you won't often get a Olympic weightlifting coach leading a CrossFit gym). However, the social atmosphere is often very good and can help you keep coming back.
• Yoga, seriously. Every person should be doing yoga. Even more so if they are regularly (>4 times a week) doing exercise. The benefits are enormous and the time to be mindful and relax is great. Depending on the instructor you can have good fun too (ours always does handstand holds). Only downside is the cost of classes. 1 session a week can make a lot of difference.
• Don't go overboard with the exercise. Never go full 7 days a week.
• When you run out of progress with starting strength look at 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler.

Answer 5

You indicate that you'd "prefer to optimize first for cardio, then for aesthetics, then for strength", and that you're "looking to get ‘fit’".

Increased strength and muscular bodyweight will help you run faster and burn more calories. I suggest first training for strength, including gaining muscular bodyweight (and some bodyfat, inevitably). Contrary to the BMI calculators, etc., you are underweight for your height.

Cardiovascular adaptations occur much more quickly than strength adaptations; decreased bodyfat depends primarily on a caloric deficit, which is most-effectively achieved by consuming fewer calories.

I'm glad to hear that you have Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training. I see three "Starting Strength" days per week in your workout schedule. Please consider using these to do a "novice linear progression".

Contrary to another answer, you can indeed use "Starting Strength" even when you're no longer a novice (that is, you can't add weight to the bar on each successive workout). You can use the barbell lifts to gain strength for years; you will need to adapt your programming of those lifts as you progress.

But, keep it simple (and hard!): lift heavy, get stronger, gain muscle. Your other goals will come more easily thereafter.