5x5 programs with more benching and less squatting?

[Norbu]

Hello,

I enjoy old-school 5x5-style programs, but my legs are already pretty muscular and my arms and chest are still fairly small. For this reason, I don't think that doing these routines which involve squatting 3 times per week would help me achieve my goals.

Are there any strength-based programs which emphasize the bench press and arm training? I know that there is "Dinosaur Arms" by Brooks Kubik, but I was wondering if there are any others...

 

[SFW]

squatting 3 x wk? Thats too much, too much. You took too much.

 

[vancouver]

You should be alternating squat and deadlift.

Monday - squat / overhead press
Wednesday - Bench / BB Row / deadlift
Friday - Squat / overhead press.

I skip squats every once and a while and blast arms after overhead press.

 

[Norbu]

squatting 3 x wk? Thats too much, too much. You took too much.

But that's the way Starting Strength, and most classic 5x5 programs are set up, and then everyone who comments on them often says, "Don't mess with the program!" However, if a program is making my legs big and arms small, then it needs to be messed with!

You should be alternating squat and deadlift.

Monday - squat / overhead press
Wednesday - Bench / BB Row / deadlift
Friday - Squat / overhead press.

Yeah, that's the conclusion I came to, too, and that's what I'm doing now. I also switched from overhead presses to incline presses because my shoulders look good, but my chest looks bad.

So no one out there has tried the "Dinosaur Arm" program?

 

[Norbu]

Here's the higher rep version of "Dinosaur Arms":
http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/at...5-brooks-kubiks-dinosaur-arms-program-000.jpg
http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/at...2-brooks-kubiks-dinosaur-arms-program-000.jpg

There's another version which involves doing barbell curls and close-grip bench presses for max singles in addition to the 5x5 stuff.
I'll post it if I can.

 

[Norbu]

Here's the version of Dinosaur Arms with singles:

http://s9.postimage.org/ams5mct3j/dinosaur_Arms2.png

 

[AmM]

Squatting 3 x a week is overkill yet eliminating squats from any routine is counterproductive. JMO.

 

[CowPimp]

Squatting 3 times per week is not necessarily counter productive. It depends on all of the other variables in the routine. At what intensity? At what volume? Are you reaching failure? What other leg work is being performed? What other upper body work is being performed? What is your nutritional status? How are your sleeping habits? What is your everyday routine like?

It's a bad idea to make blanket statements like "squatting 3 times per week is too much." It depends on too many other factors. The 5x5 programs that I have seen balance out the volume and intensity quite well for most people.

There are plenty of bench press programs out there. I'm going to guess that, if anything, you are just in decent proportion. Most people don't even know what big legs are because they focus entirely on upper body aesthetics when evaluating others. I am not sure I have EVER seen someone in the gym who needs to tone down their lower body work to focus on upper body improvement.

 

[x~factor]

You must be doing really well if you can say, 'my legs are already pretty muscular'.