I am woman looking to build lean muscle mass and get some overall body strength/fitness. I am also trying to reduce fat at the same time- I have been using a reduced calorie healthy eating plan and getting regular cardio. My question is, does anybody have a plan or routine to recommend to get a total body workout the most efficient way? I'd like to stay away from isolation exercises and focus on compound exercises.I've heard some mentions of the Bill Starr 5X5 workout, but the article I read about seemed it more focussed on bulking. I've also heard about calisthetics, but i'm not sure if those are targeted for building lean muscle mass. So if anybody has any suggestions, i'd really appreciate it!

The 5x5 program is for strength training and lean mass building depending on the rest periods. Resting for like 2 minutes between each set is supposedly ideal. Try doing power cleans, deadlifts, squats, bench press, and the clean and press. Remember to master the form and go heavy.

Simple:

Squats
Deadlifts
Chin/Pull Ups
Snatches
Swings
Military Press
Lunges
Turkish Get Up

If you did these 8 exercises 2-4 times a week with a challenging weight you would DEFINATELY see the effects.
If you dont like/know any of these exercises replace with:

Woodchops
Cable Push
Cable Pull/Lat Pulldown
Good Mornings
Dips
Bench Press
Bent Over Row
Clean + Jerk
and others

Well, the Bill Starr program is a tried and true program for your goals. Good luck.

sent my reply to your PM
cheers

does anyone have a link for that bill starr 5x5?

Also, does anybody have advice for how to work up to chin ups if your upper body strength is lacking?

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=375215