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Originally posted by TIMMEH
i presume 3x5 will still gain mass not far off 5x5? like i said im probably slighty more interested in strenth but id still like to put on about 5kg of muscle and lose a few pounds of fat but im not in any hurry plus this time of the year i dont have much of an appetite so im probably better off focusing on strenght for next 3 months.
You can't focus on strength, mass, and losing bodyfat without making suboptimal gains in all three areas. Chose the most important one and focus on it.
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I'll do 3x5 instead of 3x3 cos ive no powerack or spotter and im still pretty new to lifting weights so i dont want to kill myself :) (ill do 3x3 for deadlifts tho)
Without a powerrack or spotter I wouldn't work any lower than 8 reps on squats, benches, etc. If you get stuck under an 8 rep weight, you can usually get out from under it safely. A 5 rep weight is a different story. Obviously, you can use 5 rep weights on exercises where you don't need a spotter.
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On pull day will i change to using dumbells for rows i used barbell last routine and what are turkish getups? Also do you have any links to proper form on rows ? link to a video of it being done would be nice.
I would encourage you to stay with barbell rows as they are a better mass builder than dumbbell rows. If you really need a change, then why not try wide grip chins. For proper form on rows read my comments in this discussion:
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=63894
I have yet to see a video that illustrates correct form on barbell rows, so I can't refer you to one. For Turkish get ups, lie down on your back. Pull a heavy sandbag, a couple of 45 pound plates, or some other heavy object on top of you. Now get up into the standing position without letting your hands touch the ground. My sandbags have always leaked, so I've filled a couple of old suitcases with books and old weights. Not only works great but also hits my grip hard. Turkish getups will build your trunk strength like nothing else.
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On leg day i did back squats last routine so i was going to try front squats instead. Should i stick with back squats? I don't have a thick bar for sldl's its ok to do normal bar? And why situps without feet pinned?
You can do either back or front squats. I alternate from cycle to cycle. Yes, you can do SLDLs with a normal Olympic bar. I like to do them with a thick bar because the thick bar works my grip and saves me time. I don't have to do thick bar deadlifts too.
Doing situps without your feet pinned works your trunk more. When your feet are pinned you can use leg and hip muscles to pull yourself up.
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One last question is there somewhere on the net where the average ratios from exercise to exercise are listed? like if a person can do 100kg bench how much should they be able to squat etc to have proportional strength all over the body?
There may be, but I don't know of one. Nevertheless, an average guy that trains hard and heavy for years and years should be able to reach a 300 pound bench, 400 pound squat, and 500 pound deadlift. These are more or less the numbers Brooks Kubik cites as well.