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Keep up the great work 
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What does your strength training program look like?
For the first 18 months, I followed the āold guyā version of StrongLifts 5x5, which has you lift mostly 3x5 twice a week:
A: squat 3x5, bench 3x5, barbell row 3x5
B: squat 3x5, overhead press 3x5, deadlift 1x5
StrongLifts got me through the ānewbie gainsā phase, and after 18 months my squat, row, and deadlift were at or near the TR āsprinterā benchmarks. I hit some plateaus and started learning about programming, assistance exercises, periodization, etc., and tried a few different things.
Hereās my current routine:
A: squat 5x5 ramp sets, bench 3x5 back-off sets, chin-ups 3x10, good mornings 2x10
B: squat 4x5 ramp sets, overhead press 3x5 back-off sets, deadlift 1x5, dips 3x10
I lift twice a week and take a de-load week whenever I have a recovery week on the bike. Currently Iām still making gains with this routine. All my lifts except rows are now at or slightly above the āsprinterā benchmarks. I stopped doing rows after injuring myself and so far havenāt felt the need to start doing them again.
Iām taking my guidance from Rippetoeās āStarting Strengthā and āPractical Programming for Strength Trainingā. I highly recommend both books. Especially in āPractical Programmingā thereās good info about how to break through plateaus and recommendations for older lifters.
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That is some huge progress over the last few years! As someone who has transitioned from only a weightlifter, into now also being a biker, I fully grasp how much better you feel!
The TR bench marks are the first I have seen about general classifications for strength for bikers. Very good to know as I had no idea where I āsit.ā I basically feel like Iām strong enough and anymore I just aim to maintain my strength, have a comprehensive full body/plyo routine, and avoid injury. My DL & Squats are right at the sprinter category and my upper body lifts are quite a bit above. That supports my plan of not really aiming to build strength any further and just maintain and avoid injury.
In my younger days (Iām only 36 now) I was significantly bigger and stronger, but thatās behind me now. I used to bench 275x 10, squat 355x5, and deadlift 455x5. I was also 50-60 lbs heavier (and about the same body fat). The novelty eventually wore off and Iām much happier as a cyclist/lifter vs bodybuilder.
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Were you a weightlifter or bodybuilder? 
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They arenāt mutually exclusive hobbies 
Every bodybuilder is a weightlifter, like every crit racer is a bike riderā¦
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This is great! Thanks for the detailed response. I have used Wendlerās 5/3/1 program successfully in the past and was considering starting it again. Two days a week of StrongLifts might be a good way to work back into heavy lifting again.
Edit: I mixed up Starting Strength and 5/3/1.
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How much has your bench gone down to now? And at what body weight?
Iām working towards a single 225 lb bench but itās really hard work. Iād love to be able to do 225x10.
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My body weight now hovers around 160 lbs. I was near 220 lbs at my peak of just lifting.
Now most my workouts are just geared towards maintaining where Iām at, so I consider my strength at about a peak, easily maintainable number. For bench press Iāll usually do around 185x6. A few weeks ago I tried 225 for the first time in years and hit 3 reps.
With some decent focus on strength I could probably get to 225x8 for bench, 255x8 for squat, and 275x8 for deadlift, but Iām a bit over that anymore.
That being said, Iād encourage anyone interested in finding their strength potential. It can be a lot of fun.
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Is that natural? At your height that would put your FFMI well over 25 unless you were of the more powerlifter body shape. I can imagine it being hard work living and eating to stay at 220 lbs.
I can 5 reps at 185 lbs, maybe I could do a single 225 then. Iāll still wait till it feels a bit more comfortable though.
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When I was just lifting I was on TRT and my doctor was veryā¦ liberal with what he would prescribeā¦ I have now been completely off for 3.5 years. It is remarkable that I was able to get my levels back to a tolerable level. It was also a very miserable rollercoaster for 6 months. They are still low (around 250-300 ng/dl) but I feel ok. My muscle mass is fantastic all things considered. My energy and drive is a bit low but Iām able to get through a lot of high quality workouts (at about 370 hrs of training this year).
My BF was incredibly low at my peak, probably 6-8%. I still look very good and balanced now, just much smaller.
Youāre spot on regarding the food, and thatās the most underestimated. Eating enough healthy food is insanely hard. A typical day might be:
Morning shake with 1 cup dry oatmeal blended fine, 2 scoops Protein, 2 cups egg white, 2 cups almond milk, banana, amino energy
Over the course of the day - 2 protein shakes with 2 scoops each
8 hard boiled eggs with 2 packets oatmeal
Meals 2/3/4 were usually 1-2 cups rice or potatoes, veggies, and 6-8 oz of a meat
There is not much more challenging than sitting down to each meal, still completely stuffed from the last, and knowing that meal is whatās standing between you and your goals.
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Since TR added strength and I have a gym at home again I have finally started to get back into doing some supplemental strength training. I actually started months ago then a home project blew up the gym with boxes and finally cleared it out this weekend. Also for the first time decided to track via the garmin, overall decent at counting reps, the weight input via the watch was semi useless since I often do alternating sets, so like bench press and use a grip trainer or curls and situps. But that is easy enough to add back via the app.
It was nice to see after my workout that I hit most groups on the garmin heat map. I skipped some I had been doing previously for time but figured I would ask here for some suggestions for hitting the gray muscle groups. I can do a list of what I did in this workout too if that is useful.
Lunges and barbell good mornings are 2 I know I didnāt work on this time, I did some (50) situps and maybe doing alternating side/twist ones would hit some of this side ab muscles in gray? I think the lunges and/or good mornigns would hit that lower back and also probably make the hamstrings a primary. Not sure what they are showing for inside and outside of the thigh from the back, but are hit on the front.
I have a squat cage with pull up bar, barbell, more weight in plates than I can currently use, dumbbells from 20-55? and a few kb (I think 35lbs, 5lbs, and a 1lbsā¦ its a paperweight). I started to build a cable machine to use off the rack years ago and then never did it, now they sell them so may pick one up later this year, but money is tight. So right now canāt do anything with cables.
I thought I had seen before where you could enter a workout in garmin and see what muscles it hit but I canāt seem to find it now.
It looks like youāre missing a deadlift variation of some sort from your program. That should turn the yellows red.
The grey muscles on your abdomen are your obliques. You need an exercise that involves rotation or resisting rotation. The Internet will provide.
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Yeah no deadlifts in that workout. They are a favorite (why I have more plates than I can currently use) but for some reason I wasnāt doing them earlier this year so in my quick knock this out before the tot woke up didnāt think to add them in when going over my old routine. So that is on the list to work back in.
Had oblique in my head then for some reason thought I was wrong so didnāt type it, thanks for confirming. Will just switch up situps for something rotaty situpy for now.
I think total time on that as about 1:10 and that included me moving around stuff in my notes and overthinking weight selection and like 5 minutes of warming up (pvc pipe mimicing movements I planned to do that sort of thing). I also didnāt superset the first couple exercises so I should be able to work in 2-3 more to cover everything and still keep it around an hour.
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Russian twists are phenomenal for obliques. Stiff leg deadlift will really hammer your hamstrings. As an alternate to deadlift, bent over barbell rows or using a close grip attachment with landmine attachment/setup to do bent over close grip rows is also fantastic.
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Looked up russian twist, will watch a few videos to see if I like the movement.
Used to do barbell rows (2 houses ago) wasnāt working them in earlier this year, will give them a try.
I hadnāt looked into a landmine attachment due to ceiling height limitations, less than my barbell length, but for something like that it wouldnāt be an issue. Will look into other exercises I could do with it to see if it will be worth it.
Thanks
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Using the landmine attachment, also look up the landmine press (shoulders) and landmine press for rotation (shoulders and obliques).
I just started doing the landmine press a year or so ago and honestly now itās my primary shoulder exercise 90% of the time. Can use the body to squeeze out a couple extra reps vs seated shoulder exercises.
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Weightlifters compete in weightlifting - snatch & clean + jerk. Just like bodybuilders compete in bodybuilding - Physique, classic. Not mutually exclusive hobbies but they are different sports 
Iām only playing.
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In that aspect, I should have said powerlifting and bodybuilding, although I never competed in either
I just ended my subscription with Dialed Health. This was mainly due to the poor interface, web and app. I found it pretty frustrating. Also I found the programs included a lot of complex movements āanimal flowā is an example.
So Iām looking for a solid plan for the off season and will need an in season plan as well. Any recommendations?
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