and conventional deadlift. I also cannot safely perform the Trap Bar bent-
legged deadlift. So my core leg and back exercises have had to change—to
the leg press and Trap Bar stiff-legged deadlift for a period, superseded
by the Tru-Squat and stiff-legged deadlift from just below knee height.
(e Tru-Squat is a unique patented machine manufactured by Southern
Xercise—see page .) And purely out of personal preference I no longer
bench press. I prefer the parallel bar dip.Exercise overlap
. When constructing an abbreviated and basics-first program of exercises,
there are two basic structures:a. Put movements that overlap (i.e., those that exercise similar muscle
groups) into the same workout, e.g., bench press and overhead press at
the same session, and squat and bent-legged deadlift at the same work-
out.
b. Divide the overlapping movements (i.e., those that exercise similar
muscle groups) over two days per week. For example, do the bench
press on Monday and the overhead press on ursday, and squat on
Monday but deadlift on ursday.. When putting overlapping exercises into the same workout, the involved
musculature is trained as often as you use that routine. But when the over-
lapping exercises are divided over the week’s training, the same basic struc-
ture is trained perhaps every time you get in the gym. Training each exercise
just once a week does not necessarily mean training each body part only
once a week.. Squatting and deadlifting on separate days each week, for example, means
your lower back in particular gets two poundings a week. Put both exercises
on the same day—with plenty of rest in between them so that the second
does not suffer from the first—and the lower back gets trained hard only at
that workout. You will then have as much rest for your lower back as you
have between sessions of the squat and deadlift workout.. Squats and deadlift variations are not the only exercises to stress the lower
back heavily. Overhead presses, and bench pressing with an exaggerated
arch, put a great deal of stress on the lower back. is can raise your poten-
tial for injury from the squat or deadlift. Reduce this source of lower-back