I’ve been lifting consistently for about 18 months. In that time, I did 5/3/1 for Beginners and GCZLP.
I can squat 200 5x3, bench 145 5x3. I do lower weight deadlifts because I hurt my lower back last year doing them. I avoid overhead pressing because of right shoulder impingement.
I do accessory exercises as well.
I find myself getting bored doing these exercises. I want to continue to build muscle and strength, but I am not sure what to do.
I like to run but I am working through an injury so I am progressing slowly to get back to where I was a year ago.
What do you suggest I do?
Try a sport. Rock climbing, martial arts, etc
Would second rock climbing. Bouldering in particular is really fun.
It’s not that good workout for your legs, chest, or triceps though.
I thought it’s a workout for the whole body?
Not really. Some climbs will have pushing moved, but they’re not nearly common or strenuous enough to be a good stimulus.
If I do weighted pull-ups right after climbing, I do much worse than I would if properly rested. But if I bench right after climbing, I’m basically completely fine.
Watch videos of different weightlifting styles and see which ones look like the most fun. Try a different program every week until you find something interesting.
As ive gotten older and the big weights bring more problems than gains, I struggled with boredom for awhile. No measurable objectives. Then I started chasing higher rep records. How high can I get a 10rm, 15rm,20rm. Adding tempos, really squeezing the negative. Changing these factors created a lot of joy for me. I suggest getting off programs and write yourself one
Exactly, the best workout regimen is one you do yourself.
I started doing a one exercise per muscle group per day routine, alternating heavier and lighter exercises on different days for each group. It really changed lifting for me and cut down my gym time to 45-60 minutes since I was alternating Chest/Back, Shoulder/Legs, Bi/Tri, then Abs or cardio alternating. Five days a week resting on weekends.
My endurance during lifting has really improved, and it’s way more fun for me. Been doing it for three years or so now.
Glad you found a way to enjoy lifting. How old are you?
I’ve found changing up my accessory lifts keeps me engaged with lifting.
Personally I like riding bikes and hiking for cardio.
This sounds similar to my situation. I have been doing 5/3/1 for a couple of years. Pulled my back once (popped during a deadlift) and it made me a bit gunshy around that exercise. Gave the back a rest then started focusing on my core and glutes. It has helped my form a lot and given me more confidence in my deadlifts.
Also had the right shoulder impingement (rotator cuff) and couldn’t sleep on my right side. Thought it would heal on it’s own, but after a couple of months, I finally bit the bullet and went to a physical therapist. Was surprised by their diagnosis and where they wanted me to foam roll was back near the scapula and upper back, not where the pain was on the outer shoulder. Did the exercises and stretches they told me to and it cleared up in about a month. I can also tell when that area is getting tight now and I use their exercises for preemptive maintenance. Haven’t had a flair up in about a year and have my overhead press back up to 120. I recommend the PT and doing exactly what they prescribe if you haven’t given that a shot yet.
As far as getting bored of beginner 5/3/1. I recommend grabbing the book - 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength (2nd Edition). It has a lot of variations on the 5/3/1 routine and talks about how 5/3/1 for beginners is really an intro to the routine that initially focuses on a more full body workout. I still do the 4 main lifts on the regular, but there is a healthy amount of variation in the accessory work to keep it interesting.
You can always re-define your goals if you are bored. Flexibility, body fat percentage, aesthetics, strength, particular muscle groups, endurance, or stamina. I personally really like having the data so I can see my progress and that really motivates me. I use Fitnotes for exercise tracking. Hope you can find something that works well for you.
Good for you, doing what you need to get back to deadlifting and pressing. Too many people use a minor setback as an excuse to avoid difficult exercises.
With your injuries, maybe check out additional physical therapy exercises you could do. It won’t build aesthetic muscle but it will build a sturdier platform for you to experiment with. Not to mention improved mobility, flexibility, etc.
Try to cycle 100km in the country. I’ve done plenty of urban 100km going from one side of my city to the other but it’s way more fun on country roads especially if you’re in Adelaide (or LA if you’re from America) because of the hilly roads around that can be fun challenges to climb and descend.
Edit P.S. Cycling is less straining on the body than running so it’s good recovery cross training for runners. Make sure to carb up - it could be time for a cut cycle if you’ve been bulking for 18 months.
I’ve been doing calisthenics, yoga and bouldering in the past 5 years. It’s definitely interesting and makes you learn a ton on how you move and how your body reacts to different movements. It’s great for building strength, mobility and flexibility.
I suggest you just try activities until you find something you enjoy. There are a thousand ways to be fit. Put lifting on a backburner and try other fun things
I had issues with overhead press too, due to an old shoulder injury, but watching this video on technique fixed it. That guy has some excellent content about exercises and technique.
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Crossfit, mixture of weights, cardio, gym etc. For me by far the best sport as it combines everything, there’s a lot of weight movements in it though mostly bars, squats, bench press, snatches, deadlifts etc and you certainly won’t get bored
+1 for CrossFit. I’m a competitive powerlifter but do CrossFit once a week for conditioning and can confirm it’s a lot of fun.
I bought different equipment. This year I acquired: set of rings, 30lb slam ball, Thai skipping rope. I will watch a couple videos every couple of weeks and pick up new workouts, though the main ones still remain, but it helps to keep workouts fresh
Maybe try out calisthenics? Never been too into it outside of the basics, but its a good way to build strength and muscle without lifting weights. You should be good at long at you’re still training hard and applying progressive overload.
I guess you’re still lifting weights, but the weight you’re lifting is your own body weight.
