Help me restructure

[Brian Androsian]

I have been running myself into the ground. I'm going on vacation this Friday and would like to restructure things a bit when I get back in a week and a half. My current schedule looks like this

M,W,F - Wendler lifting with assistance work
T- Soccer
Th-Rest
Sat- Metcon
Sun- Work on the family's garden.

Sunday was a rest day, but now I go out there every week. Might not sound like much, but the past couple weeks have been 5-6 straight hours of working in the 90+ degree sun. Might not be the hardest thing on earth, but not a good way to rest.

I've done Wendler for about a month and I do love it, but I'm thinking about switching to starting strength when I get back. This was my first lifting program and I feel like I missed some good stuff by not doing ss. I'm gunna get the book this week and see what I think as I don't know a ton about it, so that may change my lifting structure, don't know.

I really don't want to cut down on anything, but I need another rest day. Sunday is not an option to cut out and soccer really isn't either until this session is over. I want to improve my lifts and my conditioning a lot, so I don't want to cut out anything, but I need another rest day.

Thoughts?

[Sandon Viers]

Typically 5/3/1 has less volume than SS. So if you are already wearing yourself down, running a linear progression isn't going to make anything better. How old are you? Do you do conditioning on M-W-F as well? How many calories a day do you eat? Do you do anything for recovery?

[Kirk Dragsbaek]

Starting strength doesn't sound like the best option because from what I've heard it doesn't provide much room for conditioning. I do GSLP on the 2 day a week format because I play soccer twice a week and like to get in other conditioning. It's worked pretty well for me.

[Brian Androsian]

Originally Posted by Sandon Viers

Typically 5/3/1 has less volume than SS. So if you are already wearing yourself down, running a linear progression isn't going to make anything better. How old are you? Do you do conditioning on M-W-F as well? How many calories a day do you eat? Do you do anything for recovery?

I'm 23 years old, 5'10 175 lbs. I do assistance work on m,w,f but really don't do much conditioning those days. I try to get around 3000 calories a day. Should be more, but I was so used to undereating, it's hard to cram down any more. I'm starting to add more protein shakes to up the calories. and what do you mean do I do anything for recovery? Are you talking about mobility type stuff? If so, other than basic stretching, not really. I know I need to, but it always slips my mind. Or are you talking about something else that I'm not getting?

Thanks for the tips. Like I said, I really don't know much about SS, if it's more volume then you're right, it probably won't work. GSLP is another one I don't know a ton about, maybe I'll pick up that book too if they have a 2 a week format.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Brian Androsian

I really don't want to cut down on anything, but I need another rest day. Sunday is not an option to cut out and soccer really isn't either until this session is over. I want to improve my lifts and my conditioning a lot, so I don't want to cut out anything, but I need another rest day.

Thoughts?

You can't argue with your body indefinitely. If it's telling you to take another rest day, you need to figure out what to cut.

Personally, I'd cut the Saturday metcon, letting soccer handle conditioning for the time being.

Drink more water. It wouldn't surprise me if that garden work is dehydrating you a bit.

Katherine

[Brian Androsian]

Originally Posted by Katherine Derbyshire

You can't argue with your body indefinitely. If it's telling you to take another rest day, you need to figure out what to cut.

Personally, I'd cut the Saturday metcon, letting soccer handle conditioning for the time being.

Drink more water. It wouldn't surprise me if that garden work is dehydrating you a bit.

Katherine

Oh, I'm not arguing. As much as I don't want to, I fully plan to drop something, just really didn't know if I should drop a lift day or the metcon. Letting soccer handle conditioning isn't a bad idea, thanks.

[Eric Montgomery]

98% of the SS book is discussion about technique on the big 5 lifts. The other 2% covers a little bit of programming, equipment, and nutrition. It's worth reading if you have any questions about how to do the lifts correctly, but it's not going to teach you anything earth-shattering about programming. And SS+conditioning is not going to work.

GSLP is doable with 2x per week lifting and 2-3x per week conditioning so that may be an option for you. The 2nd edition e-book covers all that.

Whatever you do, pick a program and stick to it for awhile. Switching programs every month is not going to get you anywhere.

[Paulo Santos]

I also play soccer and I'm only working out Monday, Wenesday, and Friday. Nothing else. I was working out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday before, but that was starting to be too much, especially while on a cut. I do my own programming based on the Westside Conjugate with 3 days of short Metcons and my conditioning is really good. If you need some ideas, just check my sigline below.

[Brian Androsian]

I don't plan to keep changing, not even sure if I'll be changing now. However, I could be wrong, but I can't see playing rec soccer once a week as enough conditioning. I want a good mix of heavy lifting with conditioning. I'm going to buy the GSLP ebook, so I can't speak much on it yet, but CFFB pretty much is exactly what I'm looking for. However, with living in an apartment and only having access to a planet fitness, I'm pretty limited in what I can do. There have been days where I don't have access much of anything for the CFFB DWOD.

[Sandon Viers]

Originally Posted by Brian Androsian

I'm starting to add more protein shakes to up the calories. and what do you mean do I do anything for recovery? Are you talking about mobility type stuff? If so, other than basic stretching, not really. I know I need to, but it always slips my mind. Or are you talking about something else that I'm not getting?

Foam rolling, mobility, contrast showers, massages, or active recovery such as easy rowing/air dyne or even the gardening (as long as you aren't hauling heavy objects). My adivce is try dropping the metcon completely or moving it from Saturday to either M/W/F, just do it after you lift, but keep it 8-10 minutes or less. That will give you another full rest day. Also, eat more food, at 23 you should be able to handle that workload fairly easily as long as you eat enough.