Alright, so it should look like this, if I got it -

Day 1 (Monday) - Chest + Light Triceps
Day 2 (Tuesday) - Back + Light Biceps
Day 3 (Wednesday) – Shoulders
Day 4 (Thursday) - Legs
Day 5 (Friday) - Arms

I have just started that 5x5 strength program again, and there it says that I will be doing abs every single workout-day in the week (5 days)

Is this really necessary?

What I want is that more ''Popping'' six-pack abs that bodybuilders got - atm I just got a six-pack, but it's just not ''Popping'' out so much as I want it

It's too flat basically

Hey there. I'm not exactly sure what you want. Are you asking for a light leg routine? Or something else to do entirely that avoids legs?

Looks good.

You can train abs 2-3 times per week, but go HEAVY with the abs to build them the way you want. You have to train them like you'd train chest. Very heavy sets, a lot of trauma will yield big abs (with proper nutrition/sleep/etc)

Obviously going to sign up for a power lifting competition 6 weeks out from today x-x.

:-p

Nah, I'm looking at getting the ROM back first with body weight movements.

Good man lol

hope you feel better and recover 100%

Well, if you can figure out a leg routine that doesn't stress the knee, I'd be most impressed.

Hey so lower back is coming along. Was able to squat today.

But of course, not being able to squat and trying to recover from ~40lb fat loss, my strength is poop.

BUT. My leg strength is fine. The problem is holding the weight. When im done squating, my legs are barely fatigued but my body is exhausted...

I guess the problem is with core then. But I've always thought I had an extreme amount of core stength from growing up as an athletic kid.

Ideas to help be able to sustain more weight to do squats?

Well you can still do legs without really attacking the knee....the problem is that I wouldn't want you to even touch the knee at all for now....wear a good brace, employ ice and rest as necessary.

As far as the routine for monday, you should probably revamp your whole routine to accommodate....try this:


Mon - Chest/bis/Abs
Tues - Back/Tris/Calves
Weds - Shoulders/Traps/Abs
Thurs - Chest/Bis/Abs
Fri - Back/Tris/Calves

The only reason I leave shoulders to one day a week is because they are already brutalized during chest day enough as it is, they don't require a second day. If you have sluggish traps, train them 2x per week, one on weds and one on friday.

That exhaustion you speak of can come from a few things....

1. Supporting muscles
2. Lung capacity
3. Abs/Core
4. Mental desire
5. Cardiovascular issues

From knowing you I would assume that it is most likely a combination of #'s 1, 2, and 3.

To fix that, I would recommend the following:


1. Start training more good mornings. I dont know if you do these frequently, but try to do them 2x per week in addition to lower back hyperextensions. This will help build some of the smaller supporting muscles
2. For lung capacity try doing breathing exercises. Try to take as deep a breath as you can to the point that it hurts, hold it as long as possible, and exhale as slowly as possible. Repeat this 5-6 times in a row, 3-4 sets a day. Focus on your breathing during the squat and make sure you are properly oxygenating yourself.
3. Try training HEAVY abs at least once a week. However this can risk spoiling your physique. If you want barrel abs...this is good. If you want very lean and sleek abs like arnold (which you already have a great foundation for) then this might not be a good idea.

Super, thanks, I'll try this one out.

And my traps are the part of my body that I like the most