Elitefts - Programs That Work 2

Programs that Work 2 44 More PR Breaking Training Programs

Complied by Team elitefts™

Table of Contents 6.

Intro from Dave Tate

7.

Josh Bryant—Three days a Week Strength Routine

13.

Clint Darden—Speed Deadlift Program

19.

Chad Walker—Squat Cycle

22.

Chase Karnes—Strongman Nationals

33.

David Allen—4 Weeks to Bigger Arms

36.

Jo Jordan—Six Week Squat Program

38.

Adam Driggers—12 Week Meet Cycle

41.

Mike Robertson—Save Your Ball and Sockets!

45.

Craig Rasmussen—Fat Loss for Dudes

53.

Al Caslow—Hang On

56.

John Meadows—Mountain Dog Training

103.

Christopher Smith—Ten Commandments

105.

Matt Rhodes—8 Week Athlete Training Template

107.

Josh McMillan—12 Week Cycle

109.

Molly Gallbraith—6 Exercises Young Athletes Must Master

112.

Dave Kirschen—The Enes Project

117.

Todd Hammer—Triphasic for the Gear Powerlifter

120.

Mick Manley—12 Week Training

126.

Joe Giandonato—225 Program

138.

Clint Darden—Floor Press Program

141.

Jen Petrosino—Raw Meet Prep

154.

Alexander Cortes—12 Week Mixed Martial Arts Strength Program

162.

Dave Tate—Bust a Bunch PR by the End of the Year

167.

Julia Ladewski—Sample CBL Weekly Meal Plan

172.

Marshall Johnson—My Use of Bands and Chains

3 | Programs That Work 2

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Table of Contents

173.

Clint Smith—Deadlift Training Cycle

176.

Bill Wallers—A 12 Week Quicky for the Older Gentleman

181.

Jason Pegg—Block Periodization

185.

JL Holdsworth—Bigify Diet

190.

Brian Schwab—12 Week Raw Bench Routine

193.

Doug Beringer—Comeback Training

202.

CJ Murphy—DL Emphasis SMT Training

211.

Vincent Dizenzo—Triples, Doubles, Singles

214.

David Allen—4 Weeks to Bigger Arms

216.

Steve Goggins—Off Season DL Routine

218.

Clint Darden—Westside and 5/3/1 Mix

223.

Brad Kelly—The One-Two Punch

225.

Brian Carroll— 8-Week Strength Peaking Program

228.

Zane Geeting— 8-Week Off-Season Squat Cycle for the injured Lifter

230.

Adam Plagens—Training the Tactical Athlete

232.

Scott Yard—A Meet Cycle for Success

235.

Steven Diel—Former Weekender Program

249.

Brandon Patterson—Deadlift Cycle for Average Joes

257.

Dave Tate—Complete 31-week S4 Program

323.

a.

Reflections on the S-4 Program by Steve Colescott

327.

b.

Reflections on the S-4 Program by Steve Gabrielsen

329.

c.

Reflections on the S-4 Program by Ted Toalston

BONUS PROGRAMS 335.

Mike Wunsch-TTraining for Busy Joes and Janes

344.

Dianne Sykes-Scope-A Runner’s Guide to the Galaxy

347.

Ryan Jobs-Creating a Champion: The Complete Off-Season Approach for Volleyball

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Programs That Work 2 | 4


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Three-Day Week Strength Routine By Josh Bryant

Can you build impressive strength on a three-days a week program? Damn straight… if done right. This eight-week plan will bring about big increases in the three power lifts. If it doesn’t, you just didn’t train hard enough! •• All core movements should be performed with maximal force/speed while maintaining good technique (Compensatory Acceleration Training). •• If rest periods are not specified, use 2-5 min. on compound movements and 1-2 minutes for single-joint exercises. •• Keep exercises in the specified order. •• Follow this routine for eight weeks. After you have completed the eight weeks, retest your maxes on week nine. •• Weights are based off of the percentage of your current one-repetition max. It is very important that you start this program with an accurate max.

YOUR 8-WEEK PLAN: THE FIRST FOUR DAY

EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4 (Deload)

1

Barbell Squats

6/3 (75%; rest 60 sec.)

6/3 (80%; rest 90 sec.)

6/3 (85%; rest 120 sec.)

3/3 (60%; rest 60 sec.)

1

Barbell Front Squats

3/3

3/3

3/3

3/3 (70% of weight used on week 3)

1

One Leg Deadlifts Dumbbells

3/5

3/4

3/3


1

Glute Ham Raises

3/6

3/6

3/6

3/6

1

Land Mines

3/8

3/8

3/8



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EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4 (Deload)

1

Standing Weighted Crunches

3/10

3/12

3/12


1

Barbell Bench Press

3/10

3/12

3/12


2

Standing Overhead Barbell Press

6/1 (75%; rest 60 seconds)




2

Dead Bench Press (Barbell)





2

Dicks Press (Barbell)

3/8

3/8

3/8


2

Pull-ups

3/6

3/6

3/6


2

Zottman Curls

3/10

3/8

3/6


2

Planks (30 seconds)

3/1

3/1

3/1

3/1



EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4 (Deload)

2

Deadlift (Barbell)





3

Sumo deadlifts (Barbell)

2/5 (55%)

2/5 (60%)

2/5 (65%)

2/3 (55%)

3

Barbell Bent Over Rows

3/8

3/8

3/6


3

Barbell Shrugs

3/12

3/12

3/12


3

Neutral Grip Pull Ups

3/10

3/8

3/6

3/6

3

Glute Ham Raises

3/6

3/6

3/6

3/6

3

Close-Grip Bench Press w/resistance bands




OFF

For the last set of the Close-Grip Bench Presses, you will perform as many reps as possible, stopping one repetition shy of failure.


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YOUR 8-WEEK PLAN: THE LAST FOUR DAY

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EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8 (Deload)

1

Barbell Squats

5/2 (90%; rest two minutes)




1

Pause Squats (Barbell)

3/3 (70%)

3/3 (75%)

3/3 (80%)

3/3 (55%)

1

Dead Squats (Barbell)




OFF

1

Bulgarian DB Split Squats

3/8

3/8

3/6


1

Glute Ham Raises

3/6

3/6

3/6

3/6

1

Land Mines

3/8

3/8

3/8


1

Standing Weighted Crunches

3/12

3/10

3/10




EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8 (Deload)

2

Barbell Bench Press w/ resistance bands

OFF

3/1 (1RM)

OFF

OFF

2

Dead Bench Press

OFF

OFF

3/1 (1RM)

OFF

2

Barbell Bench Press





2

Standing Overhead Barbell Press





2

Dead Bench Press



OFF

OFF

2

Floor Press Close Grips (Barbell)

3/6

3/6

3/6


2

Pull-ups

3/6

3/6

3/6


2

Reverse Curls to failure/Barbell curls to failure superset

3/12 rep approximate reverse curl weight

3/15 approximate reverse curl weight

3/15 Approximate reverse curl weight


2

Planks (30 seconds)

3/1

3/1

3/1

3/1

3

Deadlifts, Reverse bands

3/1 (1RM)

OFF

OFF

OFF


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EXERCISE

SETS/ REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

SETS/REPS

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8


2/1 (105%; rest 180 seconds)



(Deload)

3

Deadlifts

3

Deficit Deadlifts

OFF

10/1; (60%; rest 45 seconds)

10/1; (70%; rest 45 seconds)

OFF

3

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

3/8

3/8

3/8


3

Dumbbell Shrugs

3/12

3/12

3/12


3

Neutral Grip Pull ups

3

One Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts

3/6

3/5

3/5


3

Close-Grip Incline Press




3/3 (50%)

3/6 (max)

3/5 (max)


3/5 (max)

For the last set of Close-Grip Incline Bench Presses, you will perform as many reps as possible, stopping one repetition shy of failure.

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Speed Deadlifts to Build The Deadlift By Clint Darden

Watching people deadlift is often like watching a train wreck for me. Painful to watch, but I just can’t take my eyes off of the screen. Most of the time what I see when people deadlift is wrong technique, and the fact that they just lack the attitude to pull big. There are a few “Beauties’ about the deadlift: 1. It is the only lift I know of where you can crank it up to an eleven, and you don’t have to dial it back to lift big weights. I have to dial the squat back to about a nine on the stupid level of intensity and the bench press back to about an eight. The deadlift is just a matter of me stepping on the gas, hitting the nose torque, and riding it like it is a roller coaster. 2. It is technical… but not much. 3. I’m good at it! When I see people who are having deadlift issues, and they either fall into the category of having wrong technique or lacking attitude, speed deadlifts is the direction that I like to tell them to take. I’m sure that people are going to argue with me until the cows come home, but I’ll say it anyway. It is not a speed pull unless band and/or chains are on the bar. I’m really not sure how anyone can call any lift a Speed/ Dynamic lift unless there are bands and/or chains on the bar…but that is better left for another time and another website—noob argument! Deadlifts with chains are awesome! They feel very similar to straight weight and have a great carryover to your full pull. The downside is that they are often very expensive, won’t make your weaknesses stick out like a sore thumb, and TSA gets upset when you try to put them in the overhead compartment of the guy sitting in front of you. This leaves us deadlifting with bands. Now, a few years ago the “powers that be” came out with about 42 different short pro bands, and I just had to have them all. So far, I haven’t found a use for the Freaky Deaky Strong Yellow Bands, except for keeping my snorkel in place when I’m doing cardio… but I bought them anyway. Okay, I bought every single band that they had, and this is what I learned… The bands that seem to be the most useful for deadlifting are the Short Pro Monster Mini (thin black), Short Pro Light (orange), and Short Pro Average (grey). Much less than this and I don’t think that they are really giving you much to pull against, and anything more… well, you had better be a Freak Show of a puller to make use of them. A lot of people complain to me that using bands for their deadlifts ends up changing their technique and really throwing things off for them. Why is this, they ask? They really have no idea until they get it on video and send it to me. If you have a technical weakness or a weakness in your deadlift, pulling against bands will make them stick out like a sore thumb! Most often, I see people locking out their knees FAST and then using all lower back to pull the weight up. Rather than fixing this issue (let us call it a weakness), they just choose to go back to what was not working for them in their previous comfort zone and avoid the bands. So, why use the bands? Tons of reasons! 1. They WILL make your weaknesses stick out like crazy. I call this an OPPORTUNITY rather than a bad thing. It is an opportunity to discover a weakness, fix it, and then watch everything else skyrocket up! 2. They will give you a choice: either pull with attitude or enjoy not making any of your lifts. 3. If technique is your major issue, you can use bands to train the deadlift with intensity and purpose… and not get beat up. 4. You can “West Side” this mother up and set all kinds of new PRs, as long as you buy tons of bands!


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5. Okay, so I only came up with four reasons off the top of my head… So how do we set up a proper speed deadlift session? We don’t… we program a full week! I train in the gym three days per week, and I’ve had great success with a three-day-a-week program. What? Deadlifting three days a week is crazy? Everyone knows that deadlifting beats up your CNS more than any of the other three exercises combined. Louie even said that “the Russians said it back in the 50s and 60s…” (OK, that was funny right there…). Over time, the best deadlifters have all had one thing in common: A huge work capacity, especially in the entire posterior chain (traps to ankles). So, you want to be a big deadlifter? You had better increase your work capacity A LOT! You need to be CAPABLE of pulling three times a week at least!

Day 1: For me this would be Sunday, Another Fun Sunday, where I will normally deadlift, overhead press, and finish off with two to five Strongman Events, GHR, and ABS. My deadlift program will look like: 65% of my 1RM + Short Pro Average Bands (220 pounds at the top) 5 singles with 30 seconds of rest between This will be an extremely tough pull and should basically end up being Max Effort. Your eyes might bleed, and this is optimal.

Day 2: For me this is Tuesday, my Bench Press Day, and I’ll do this near the end of the training session. 40% of my 1RM + Short Pro Monster Mini Bands (90 pounds) 4-6 singles with 30 seconds of rest between I will normally stop around the sixth set—as long as they are feeling good, fast, and have a lot of attitude. NO GRINDERS! This is what I call an “easy” day.

Day 3: This is my Box Squat Day, no matter if I’m doing a DE Lower or 5/3/1 Variation. After my box squats and Good Mornings I will do: 45% of my 1RM + Short Pro Light Bands (145 pounds) 4-6 singles (MINIMUM) with 15-30 seconds of rest between sets. I will often push these towards the 8-10 set range to be honest, as this is a really productive weight/band/percentage to build the deadlift. The goal

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is to pull until I have pulled TWO CONSECUTIVE sets in a row that are getting slightly slower… then I’ll stop. Whatever that takes! Sometimes you have a bad set, and it just ends up slow. So that doesn’t count unless you have two bad sets in a row… then you are done, and you need to go sit in a corner and think about what you have done for a while. So, what does this do? If technique is your limiting factor, then you need to be getting in the reps on the exercise, and deadlifts are no exception. I’m a firm believer that the point where the deadlift “beats you up” is at the starting position. A couple of great ways to unload that portion is to buy a METAL KING PRO Deadlift Suit (shameless I am), or pull with bands so that the weight is less at the bottom but gets heavy fast. If you are on a standard Westside or 5/3/1 Program, AND you are deadlifting every week, you only get to deadlift once a week and just for a few reps. THIS IS KEY! You need a chance to not only correct things (shin position, get your shoulders behind the bar), but also you also (and this is a huge thing that people often forget) need a time to try new things! Like what? Are you wondering if you need to look at slightly changing your foot position? Maybe they should be a ½ inch wider or closer? Closer or farther from the bar (depending if you pull raw or geared)? Would a slightly wider stance with your toes turned out help you after you’ve lodged one too many Bid Mac’s into your mid section? You don’t want to waste an “IMPORTANT” day like your ME or 5/3/1 Deadlift day finding out! Speed deadlifts give you a great opportunity to do so, as I’ve often pulled as many as 30 working reps in a week… that is something that most people would not dare dream of doing. Why not just pull a set of 4-10 reps and call it a day? Because pulling for reps does very little to build your 1RM deadlift technique. For starters, I don’t care what bearded tattooed guy tells you that you can bounce your deadlifts—you shouldn’t. Have you ever noticed how many people have a horrible looking first rep, yet their second and third and tenth look easy? Yeah, that’s because they don’t know how to pull a single. They don’t know how to get into proper position (physically and mentally) to pull a good 1RM. So, making every “rep” into a “single” is a great way to learn! Get used to going from a full standing position, pulling the rep, and back again. The benefit of chains is that you can even take one step away from the bar and back to the bar just as you would when pulling a 1RM, where as the bands require you to keep your feet stationary. So why are the bands important? Can’t I just pull straight weight? No… it isn’t the same. If you ever wonder why, then I encourage you to put 65% of your 1RM on the bar, and then add in the Short Pro Average Bands and give a nice good pull. If you are not in the right frame of mind, you will not make the lift. Is it hard? Not really (okay, so I’m not mentally normal and deadlifts are the highlight of my week), but you will be required to give some serious effort on your first couple of reps. If you haven’t made up your mind that you are going to pull hard, fast, and that you WILL FINISH THIS REP, then that REP will quickly turn into R.I.P. How long should one follow this program? Isn’t that just the million Peso question? I have varying answers to all kinds of situations. For people that need to really increase their work capacity and have technical issues, I’d say to do it at least a month before looking to take it down to two days per week (Day 1 and Day 3). Is this a good program to peak the deadlift? Probably not unless you have time, and you can take another two to four weeks at the end to refine your full pull, work in your gear, and make sure that you are ready. Saying that, I’ve followed this up with a new 1RM pull directly at the end, but I also know my strengths and weaknesses fairly well. Normally, I’d have a client go in after four to six weeks off of this and pull straight weight up to 88-90% x 3, THEN add another 10% in chains and pull a single. The next week would either be a similar repeat… or taking a trip to PR City! Of course, it would all depend on how the training sessions were going, how he felt, and if any adjustments needed to be made.


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So, if you are having issues with the deadlift, especially if you are one of those guys who like to tell me that “deadlifting every week just beats me up,” then I encourage you to give this an honest shot for four to eight weeks. Build something. Get video. Review it! Have others review it! Send it to me, and if I don’t poke my eyeballs out watching it… I’ll get you some feedback. Gain perspective on what real attitude and work ethic means when it comes to deadlifting. Learn something! But hey, who knows… I just love to deadlift, and I’ve always been decent at it. I’m also more than a little psycho in the head (even though I look like a banker), but I’m also one of the few that have trained through two decades AND STILL added 100 pounds to his deadlift through training intelligently. Get To Work! Clint

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XPC Meet Squat Cycle By Chad Walker

This is the squat cycle I used for the XPC meet last March where I hit a 1,100-pound squat. My goal for this cycle was to overload weight on my back so that when meet day came, I didn’t feel like I was getting crushed on the platform. I am a believer in using reverse resistance bands and feel they play an important role in all three lifts. The following cycle was a mix of some reverse band work I learned from reading and watching BIG IRON videos. I learned the percents from my training partner Don Daubert. He has a ton of experience and ever since I started using percents, I have consistently gotten stronger.

SQUAT CYCLE WEEK 1: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw Add briefs and work up to a heavy set of 5 reps. I base my set of 5 off of my 1-rep max (1RM). I do this by multiplying my 1RM in briefs and knee wraps by .82%. If your 1 RM is 1,000 pounds, then you would use 820 pounds for your set of 5. On this day I use a mini band for Ab/Adductors. I also work abs every week. I very my ab exercises between hanging leg raises, decline, and cable abs. WEEK 2: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw Add briefs and work up to a heavy single in just briefs and knee wraps. I don’t add my knee wraps until I am over 800 pounds. After you have hit your 1RM, add average reverse bands and throw on 100 pounds over your last set. If your 1RM is 1,000 pounds, then you would add average rev bands and put 1,100 pounds on the bar. On this day I like to do high rep leg extensions and hamstring curls. I also work my abs again. I work my Ab/ Adductors, too. WEEK 3: Warm up raw to 500 pounds Add briefs and work up to a heavy set of 3 reps. I base my set of 3 reps off my 1Rm. I do this by multiplying my 1RM by .88%. If your 1RM is 1,000 pounds, then you will use 880 pounds for 3 reps. My accessories are the same this week as they are for WEEK 1. WEEK 4: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw Add briefs and work up to a 1RM. The goal is to go heavier then you did during WEEK 2. After establishing your new 1RM, add 100 pounds and the average reverse bands for a single rep. Accessory work is the same as WEEK 2.


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WEEK 5: I don’t squat this week. I know this is against popular belief, but it works well for me. Taking a week off of squats will not make you weaker, and you will not forget how to squat. If you want to do something on this day, just hit high rep accessory movements. A day off from squats keeps my brain and body fresh. After this rest week, you will be adding your suit on top of your briefs. Your weights may vary, but to keep the math simple, I went with basic numbers and jumps. The theory is still the same, so whatever you handle for a 1RM, the percents still apply. I usually put my suit on just before 800 pounds. WEEK 6: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw. Add briefs and your suit and work up to a 1RM. You should be shooting to go heavier than you did in WEEK 4. After setting a new 1RM, add 100 pounds to the bar and average reverse bands and do that for 1 rep. Keep the accessory work the same as WEEK 4. WEEK 7: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw. Add briefs and your suit and work up to your set of 5 reps. This will be a personal record for you since your 1RM is growing. If your new 1RM is 1,050 pounds, then you will multiply that by .82%. That will be your set of 5: 860 pounds. Keep the accessory work the same. WEEK 8: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw. Add briefs and your suit and work up to a new 1RM. Again, go for a personal record (PR). After setting your new PR, add the average reverse bands and add 100 pounds. Keep the accessory work the same as the previous heavy weeks. However, if you feel something specific needs more work, add it in. If you feel that your hamstrings are weak, hit some high rep sets with the heaviest weight you can handle for 15-20 reps and knock out a few sets. If you do not have a hamstring/leg curl machine, you can always choke a resistance band around a fixed object and do seated hamstring curls with it. Just hook it around the back of your heels, walk out to a box, sit down, and start working your hamstrings. WEEK 9: Warm up to 500 pounds, raw. Add briefs and work up to your new set of 3 reps using 88% of your previous 1RM. So if things are going great, then you are around 1,075 pounds for a new 1RM. So multiply 1,075 by .88% and your new set of 3 reps is with 946 pounds. Keep the accessory the same and keep the reps high. WEEK 10: This is your last squat day before your meet. Add your briefs and your suit and work up to your opener. If you are still feeling good, hit your projected second attempt with reverse bands and call it a day. elitefts.com


WEEK 11: I take this as a rest week. If anything, just hit your accessory work then take it easy. Week 12: MEET DAY! NOTE: Remember that this is what has worked very well for me in the past. Everyone responds differently to heavy training, so listen to your body. If you are feeling beat up and need some rest, take it easy. Also remember that since I have been following these percents, they have never let me down. What I mean by that is percents never lie. So even if your 1RM seemed easy, still follow the planned percents. Your body and mind will appreciate it. Most importantly, have fun and train hard!


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Training Program of the 2012 North America’s Strongest Man Runner-Up By Chase Karnes, CSCS

I used the following program to prepare for the 2012 North American Strongman National Championships—a competition in which I took 2nd place in the Lightweight 200-pound class. This was designed with my strengths and weaknesses in mind. I have been weight training consistently for fourteen years, but I have only been training and competing in strongman for three years. The events for my weight class for 2012 Nationals were: Day 1: •• •• •• ••

Axle Clean & Press for reps with 250 pounds in 60 seconds Yoke Walk/Frame Carry Medley (50 feet each): 600-pound Yoke/590-pound Frame Car Deadlift for reps in 60 seconds Atlas Stone over Bar (54 inches): 330-pound Stone in 60 seconds

•• •• ••

Circus Dumbbell Clean & Press for reps with 175 pounds in 60 seconds Husafell Stone Carry for max distance – 350 pounds Suicide Medley (50 feet each): 225-pound Sandbag, 230-pound Keg, 360-pound Duck Walk, 650-pound Sled Drag (90 second time limit)

Day 2:

This training program was designed with the following factors in mind. •• The overhead press is one of my stronger events. The competition weight is about 75% of my 1RM. •• My best on Yoke before beginning this program was 750 pounds for 80 feet. This is also one of my weaker events. •• The frame carry is one of my better events. I have a solid grip and can move well carrying weight. At 590-pound grip won’t be an issue. •• My car deadlift is pretty strong. Last year the car deadlift was unbelievably heavy. I’m expecting it to be the same this year. •• Stones are another one of my stronger events. The weight of the stone shouldn’t be an issue. The height is pretty tall, but as long as I perfect the technique of getting the stone high on my chest, this shouldn’t be an issue either. •• The circus dumbbell is heavy. Previously, my best on this is 170 pounds. I’ll need some tech nique work here and some shoulder stability. I’ve got the strength, but I don’t have much practice on the dumbbell. •• I’m decent at the Husafell stone. •• The suicide medley is just going to be brutal. The program is divided into two 6-week training phases with a deload after the first six weeks and before the competition. The training split is 14 days total, alternating workouts for the entire six weeks. In regards to gym lifts, weeks one, three, and five are the same and weeks two, four, and six are the same. This is in terms of exercises performed, but other variables change. Event days rotate on the same schedule, but there is a bit more variation.

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Block 1 began before events had been posted for Nationals. However, based off of the past two years of Nationals, I had some ideas as to what they may be. Once events were announced during Block 1, I made the appropriate changes to gym lifts and events so that they would be more specific to the events for Nationals.

Block 1 – Week 1 Monday A. Overhead Press – 3x3+ B1. Bench Press – 3x3+ B2. Chin Ups – 4x10 C1. Z-Press – 8,8,6 C2. Cross Body Hammer Curl – 3x10 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. SLSU – 3x10 Wednesday A. Power Clean – 3x3 @ 85% B. Deadlift – 3x3 C. Good Mornings – 8,8,6 D. Walking Lunges – 2x15 E. Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3x18 Saturday A. Log Clean & Press – Work up to a 4RM B. Yoke – 1 run for 80 feet @ 83% C. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set for max distance D1. GHR – 3x8 D2. SLSU – 3x10

Monday

Week 2

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a 5RM B1. Incline Bench Press – 3x3+ B2. Suspension Rows – 5x10 C1. Barbell Curl – 5x10 C2. Close Grip Bench – 8,8,6 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. Hanging Leg Raises – 3x10


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Wednesday A. Speed Deadlifts – 50% 6x1 with a 45-second rest B. Front Squats – 3x3+ C. Walking Lunges – 2x15 D. Reverse Hypers – 2x10 E. Suitcase Carries – 2x50 ft. Saturday (*Events have been posted) A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a 3RM B. Axle Press from Rack – 2x1 @ 90-95% C. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 80% Yoke/530-pound Frame D. Atlas Stone Over Bar – 1 set AMAP in 1 minute @ 80% E. Prowler Backwards Drag – 2 runs of 80 feet F1. GHR – 3x10 F2. SLSU – 3x12

Monday

Week 3

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a 5RM B1. Overhead Press – 3x5+ B2. Chin Ups – 4x10 C1. Z-Press – 3x10 C2. Cross Body Hammer Curl – 3x10 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. SLSU – 4x8 Wednesday A. Power Clean – 3x3 @ 80% B. Deadlift – 3x5+ C. Good Mornings – 3x10 D. Walking Lunges – 2x15 E. BLSU – 3x10 Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – 250 pounds x AMAP in 1 minute B. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 88% Yoke/580-pound Frame C. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set for max distance D. GHR – 2x5, 1x10 E. Sandbag/Atlas Stone/Prowler Drag Medley (50 feet each) – 1 set

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Monday

Week 4

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a 5RM B1. Incline Bench Press – 3x5+ B2. Suspension Rows – 5x10 C1. Barbell Curl – 3x10 C2. Close Grip Bench – 3x10 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. Hanging Leg Raises – 3x12 Wednesday A. Speed Deadlifts – 40% 6x1 with a 45-second rest B. Front Squats – 3x5+ C. Walking Lunges – 2x15 D. Reverse Hypers – 3x10 E. BKSU – 3x12 Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a 5RM *This day was programmed to include the following: B. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 83% Yoke/530-pound Frame C. Keg/Sandbag/Stone/Prowler Drag Medley – 225/150/150/Heavy (50 feet each) D. Atlas Stone to 54 inch Platform – 340 pounds for reps I shut it down after axle clean & press. I felt like crap and my axle performance sucked bad. I had no “pop” on the cleans or press. My body was achy and I was feeling beat up. I’ve been training long enough to know my body and when I need to stop training. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. This was just one of those days. I knew after axle that nothing positive was going to come of training, so I went home to recover.

Week 5 *Quick note on this week: With Nationals being a two-day event, I start to program some back-to-back event days. This does two things: (1) It allows my body to get accustomed to training with some accumulated fatigue. (2) It allows me to experiment with different recovery methods to see what seems to help the most.


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Monday A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a true 1RM and shoot for a PR B1. Overhead Press – 5/3/1+ B2. Chin Ups – 4x10 C1. Z-Press – 3x5 C2. Cross Body Hammer Curl – 3x12 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. BLSU – 4x6 Wednesday A. Power Clean – 3x3 @ 90% B. Deadlift – 5/3/1+ (min reps) C. Suited Deadlift – 1x1 @ 90% C. Good Mornings – 3x5 D. Walking Lunges – 2x15 E. Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3x20 Friday A. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 88% Yoke/580-pound Frame B. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set for max distance C. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy single B. Atlas Stone over 54 Inch Bar – 340 x AMAP in 1 minute C. GHR – 3x6, 1xAMAP

Monday

Week 6

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a double at 90% of 1RM B1. Incline Bench Press – 5/3/1+ B2. Suspension Rows – 5x10 C1. Barbell Curl – 3x10 C2. Close Grip Bench – 3x5 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. Hanging Leg Raises – 3x12

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Wednesday A. Speed Deadlifts – 60% 6x1 with a 45-second rest B. Front Squats – Work up to a true 1RM. Shoot for new PR C. Walking Lunges – 2x15 D. Reverse Hypers – 3x10 E. BKSU – 3x12 Friday A. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set for max distance B. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – 250 pounds x AMAP in 1 minute. B. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 95% Yoke/530-pound Frame C. Stone Over 54 inch bar – 340 x AMAP in 1 minute D. GHR – 3x10

Week 7 Typically this would be a deload or off week. I decided to take the week off from gym lifts as planned; however, I didn’t like the idea of also taking off from events this week since I had already taken a day off from events three weeks prior (the day I left after axle). So I decided to see how I felt that Friday and then make the decision. I felt rested and recovered, so I went ahead and hit back-to-back event days. Friday A. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set for max distance. B. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy single B. Axle Press form Rack – 1x1 at 92% C. Yoke – 50 ft. – 100% x 1 D. Atlas Stone over 54 inch bar – 300 x AMAP in 1 minute E. GHR – 3x15


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Monday

Block 2 – Week 1

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to 3RM B1. Overhead Press – 3x3+ B2. Chin Ups – 3x10 C1. Z-Press – 8,8,6 C2. Barbell Curl – 3x20 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. BLSU – 4x6 Wednesday A. Deadlift – 3x3+ (min reps) B. Suited Deadlift – 1x1@90% C. Car Deadlift – Work up to heavy triple D. Good Mornings – 8,8,6 E. Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3x15 Friday A. Axle Clean & Press – 250 pounds x AMAP in 1 minute B. Atlas Stone over 54-inch Bar – 340 x AMAP in 1 minute C. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy Saturday A. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 95% Yoke/580-pound Frame

Monday

Week 2

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a 3RM B1. Incline Bench Press – 3x3+ B2. Suspension Rows – 5x10 C1. Barbell Curl – 5x10 C2. Close Grip Bench – 8,8,6 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. Hanging Leg Raises – 3x10

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Wednesday A. Front Squats – 3x3+ B. Car Deadlift – Work up to a heavy double C. Walking Lunges – 2x15 D. BLSU – 4x7 Friday A. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set max distance B. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy double B. Axle Press from Rack – 1x1 @ 94% C. Yoke Walk – 810 x pick, 810 x as far as possible until drop x 1 C. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 88% Yoke/580-pound Frame D. GHR – 5x10

Monday

Week 3

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy single B1. Overhead Press – 3x5+ B2. Chin Ups – 3x10 C1. Z-Press – 3x10 C2. Barbell Curl – 3x20 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. BLSU – 4x7 Wednesday A. Deadlift – 3x5+ B. Car Deadlift – Work up to heavy single D. Good Mornings – 3x10 E. Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3x15


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Friday A. Axle Clean & Press – 250 poundsxAMAP in 1 minute B. Axle Cleans – 230 poundsxAMAP in 1 minute B. Atlas Stone over 54-inch Bar – 340xAMAP in 1 minute Saturday A. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 95% Yoke/530-pound Frame B. Husafell Stone Carry – 1 set max distance C. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy D. GHR – 3x8 Sunday Prowler Pushes – 90 seconds work: 2 minutes rest x 3 rounds

Monday

Week 4

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a 5RM, back off sets 3x1 holding lockout B1. Incline Bench Press – 3x5+ B2. Suspension Rows – 5x10 C1. Barbell Curl – 3x20 C2. Close Grip Bench – 3x10 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. Hanging Leg Raises – 3x12 Wednesday A. Speed Deadlifts – 50% 6x1 w/45-second rest B. Front Squats – 3x5+ B. Car Deadlift – Work up to a heavy triple Friday A. Sandbag/Keg/Duck Walk/Prowler Drag – 215/230/300/Heavy

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Saturday A. Axle Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy double B. Axle Press from Rack – 1x1 @ 90% C. Frame Carry – 2x50 feet with 580 C. Atlas stone over 54 inch bar – 1x3, 1x2 D. GHR – 4x8 Sunday A. Prowler Push/Prowler Drag – 45 seconds push/45 seconds drag : rest 2 minutes x 4 rounds

Monday

Week 5

A. Circus DB Clean & Press – Work up to a heavy double B1. Overhead Press – 5/3/1+ B2. Chin Ups – 3x10 C1. Z-Press – 3x5 C2. Barbell Curl – 3x20 D1. Face Pulls – 2x20 D2. BLSU – 4x8 Wednesday A. Deadlift – 5/3/1+ (min reps) B. Suited Deadlift – 1x1@90% C. Car Deadlift – Work up to heavy set of 5 D. SLSU – 4x8 Friday A. Axle Clean & Press – 255 pounds x AMAP in 1 minute B. Yoke/Frame Medley (80 feet): 1 run – 88% Yoke/530-pound Frame C. Atlas Stone over 54-inch Bar – 340 x AMAP in 1 minute

Tuesday

Week 6

A1. Ab Wheel Rollouts – 2x15 A2. GHR – 2x15 B. Prowler Push/Prowler Drag – 45 seconds push/45 seconds drag : rest 2 minutes x 2 rounds 31 | Programs That Work 2

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Wednesday-Sunday Foam Rolling, Mobility Drills, Massage, Light Walking

Week 7 – Competition Week Foam Rolling, Mobility Drills, Light Walk (early in the week) *Exercises with pairings are done as alternating sets. (Example: A1 and A2) A set of A1 is performed followed by a short rest. Then A2 is performed followed by a short rest. This is repeated until all sets/reps are completed. *Where percentages are listed, this is a percentage of my current 1RM (rep max) for the particular lift. * A modified version of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 percentages and sets/reps are used where you see (3x5+, 3x3+, 5/3/1+), but as you can see, it’s not a traditional 5/3/1 set up – it’s 3/5/1. Instead of the 90% that Jim recommends, all numbers are based off of 95% for the first training block. Ten pounds is then added to the lower body lifts and five pounds to the upper body lifts for the second training block. Max reps are done unless otherwise noted by an abbreviation for minimal reps – (min reps). *When working up to a RM – Such as a 5RM – I worked up to the heaviest weight I could handle with good form for the target rep max. *SLSU – Straight Leg Sit Up *GHR – Glute Ham Raise *BKSU – Bent Knee Sit Up

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Four Weeks to Bigger Arms By David Allen

If there are any constants across the board among all who engage in weight training, the desire for bigger arms is one of them. Combined with a huge yoke and a wide chest, sleeve-stretching arms are the best way to show the world you work out. In addition to their aesthetically pleasing attributes, large guns also aid the lifter in strength-based activities. Total cross sectional area of a muscle group is a major determinant of multiple strength categories for that muscle group as well. Due to changes in lever arm length, larger arms can also provide better leverage in certain lifts. In the end, bigger arms are always better than smaller arms. So how do we make them grow? First, we must analyze the three mechanisms through which hypertrophy occurs. These three mechanisms are 1) maximal mechanical tension, 2) muscular damage, and 3) metabolic stress. In short, this means that in order to induce the greatest hypertrophy in a muscle, you must maximize the amount of weight lifted, the amount of protein degradation you cause within the muscle, and the amount of metabolic stress you put upon the muscle group. Another aspect of muscle growth to consider is fiber type. It is known that fast twitch muscle fibers have more potential for growth than slower twitch fibers, although they have growth potential as well. In order to maximally tax all of our fast twitch muscle fibers, we have to engage our highest threshold motor units. This can be achieved with varying methods that cause the greatest mechanical tension within the muscle. Vladimir Zatsiorsky defined three methods for achieving this: 1) max effort method, 2) repetition effort method, and 3) the dynamic effort method. Taking all this into consideration, we can come to the conclusion that a program that uses multiple training methods and incorporates varying movements, varying tensions, and varying sets and rep ranges is the best method to induce the greatest possible arm growth. Also, it is important to prioritize our arm growth while maintaining other muscle groups and fitness characteristics. Therefore, we will use a four-week training block that has two training days dedicated specifically to arm growth and two days dedicated to the maintenance of our other body parts. Since the arms are smaller muscle groups, I do not think it is necessary to have—nor do I believe that they can handle—training blocks longer than four weeks when they are being trained with such high intensity, volume, and frequency. Here is the general template for our arm training:

Arm Hypertrophy Template: Exercise 1: Explosive lift using accommodating resistance, 3X1 tempo (3-second eccentric, explode up at the bottom of the lift, 1-second contraction at the top), 5 sets of 5-7 reps Exercise 2: Isolation lift with constant tension, 3 sets of 8-12 reps Exercise 3: Major lift with extended intensity using accommodating resistance, 2 sets of 10 reps, 1 set of max reps followed immediately by 1 or 2 drop sets. Exercise 4: Pump exercise with full range of motion and a focused contraction at the top, 3 sets of 15+ reps


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Weekly Training Template: Monday: Arms Tuesday: Rest Wednesday: Lower Body Maintenance Thursday: Arms Friday: Rest Saturday: Upper body Maintenance Sunday: Rest

Weeks 1-4 Training Monday Standing Swiss Bar Curls against bands, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Cable EZ Bar Curls, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Barbell Curls w/chains, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Single Arm DB Preacher Curls, 15+____15+____15+____ Close Grip Bench Press against bands, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Single Arm Overhead DB Extension, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Dips w/ chains from belt, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Rope Pressdowns, 15+____15+____15+____ Wednesday Squats (or box squats), 5____5____5____5____5____ Leg Press, 10____10____10____ Glute Ham Raises or Russian Leans, 5____5____5____5____5____ RDL or Reverse Hypers, 10____10____10____10____ Standing Calf Raises, 50 total reps Any Abdominal Exercise, 100 total reps Thursday EZ Bar Skull Crushers w/ chains, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Single Arm Grenade Ball Cable Side Triceps Extension, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ JM Press against Bands, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Both Arm Overhead Kettlebell/DB Extension, 15+____15+____15+____ Seated Both Arm Chain Curls, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Cable Rope Hammer Curls, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Alternating DB Curls against bands, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ EZ Bar Preacher Curls, 15+____15+____15+____

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Saturday Incline Bench Press, 5____5____5____5____5____ Pull-ups/Pull-downs, 10____10____10____10____ Face Pulls, 15____15____15____ Any Abdominal Exercise, 100 total reps Stretch There you go—a very simple four-week training block to put some size on your arms. Make sure your nutrition is in check and you are taking in the requisite amount of nutrients necessary for growth. DO NOT try to do any extra work on top of this or max out on your maintenance days. I know the maintenance days do not seem like much, but that is the point. The training block only lasts four-weeks, so you can suck it up and tone it down a notch on those days. If grip becomes a problem on some of the exercises, you can use chalk or lifting straps. Your forearms will get plenty of work in so there is no need to do any extra. After you finish the four weeks, take your arm training back down to one day a week or as accessories on your other days. You could do an arm prioritizing block like this probably three or four times a year. Be smart, train hard, and make sure you’ve got plenty of short sleeve shirts to show off your new guns.


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Six-Week Squat Program By Jo Jordan

This is a short squat template that I put together with the help of Jeremy Frey. It’s short because it was the result of a last minute decision to enter a meet, and I had been training randomly in briefs but hadn’t been in full gear yet. It’s designed to help me handle weight but to also work around back pain that I had been dealing with—which later turned out to be the herniated disk that I had repaired. This cycle allowed me to move an adequate amount of weight with slightly more reps than I’m used to, but still accomplish the intensity and load I needed to make gains in my squat. All of the percentages were based off the estimated max in both briefs and full gear that are listed at the top of the template. As you will see, I started with a deload week due to the training intensity and time period of my previous training regimen, which required a deload period to be fresh for what was ahead of me. As you look at the template, you will also see that I also reduced the number of accessory movements I was doing. This was so I could focus on the main movement since it was an abbreviated training cycle.

Full Gear

950 pounds

Brief

785 pounds

%

Weight (lbs)

Reps

Accessory Set

Range

Gear

Bar

Deload full

70%

550

2x2

2

8-20 reps

Briefs

Texas bar

5

full

85% 88%

810 835

2x3 2x2

2

8-20 reps

Straps-up

Texas bar

4

full

88% 92%

835 875

2x2 2x1

1

8-12 reps

Straps-up

Texas Bar

3

full

95% 97%

905 920

x1 x1

1

8-12 reps

Straps-up

Texas Bar

2

Opener

90% 95%

855 905

x1 x1

8-20 reps

Straps-up

Texas Bar

bar

x15

95 135 225

x10 x8 2x1

Week

1

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Box/Full

Deload raw

Sunday Squat

bar

x10

135 225 315

x7 x4 2x1

Tuesday Bench


Notes: •• You might have to Deload for Week 2—you will have to see how you feel before we go there. •• Only be lifting three days a week: one squat, one bench, one dead. •• Do two to three accessory exercises after each: two sets between 8-10 reps.


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Twelve-Week Meet Training Program By Adam Driggers

The following is a “12-Week Meet Training Program” aimed at those who have competed for a long time or those of us who are aging. Regardless of age, if you fit into either of these groups, you most likely experience all of the same aches and pains that I do. Shoulders, low back, and elbows always creep up and sideline the gains we were hoping to make. I’ve talked about this program before, but it’s a little different now. Before it was an idea—something I thought, was even sure, would work, but it wasn’t proven. Now it has been proven. It has seen me through two meets. It has given me two PRs on my deadlift and a near PR on my bench. My old bench PR was set in 2007. Let me first give you an update on my last two meets and a little history leading up to those meets. I needed to qualify for the XPC Semi-Finals and was determined to do only what was needed to do to get there. In spite of a conservative strategy, I would need to get a shirted bench in. If successful on the bench, it would be the first time in two years that I hit a shirted bench in a meet. I had been bombing or backing out of meets because of my elbows for two years… and getting lucky before that. I truly believed that I was done. If the program I’m giving you here didn’t work, I was putting aside all desires to compete. I would concede. The plan was to hit a conservative squat to open and put away the squat suit. The squat is what beats up my shoulders and elbows. (My elbows, remember, are what makes me bomb on the bench). So, I wanted to hit a squat and save everything I had for the bench. That went well with an 850-pound squat, but I didn’t expect anything different. I put on my shirt to open with 605 pounds. My shirt blew on the attempt, but it was successful… my first real bench in a meet in over two years and it was successful. It was a huge relief. I was able to pull a small PR at 710 pounds. Qualifying for the Semi-Finals made me realize that I would need to step it up. Not knowing what the lineup would look like, I figured that I would need two or three squats and two or three benches to advance. I had to truly test the program to see if it would carry me back to serious competition. Having now competed in the Semi-Finals, I didn’t need to worry. I was the only 220-pound competitor left at the end, but I still needed to test my elbows. Thankfully, it proved very successful. I successfully squatted my first and second attempts, and I made a go with a third. On the bench I did the same—successful on the first and second attempts, and a really close ride with a PR third. After all of that, I was still able to make three successful attempts with the pull, ending with a PR. That gave me a PR total at 220 pounds and left me only seven pounds short of an all-time PR for me in any weight class. More importantly, I finished the day with only a slight discomfort in my elbows. With all of that being said, I’m very excited about clearly writing out this program to share with the elitefts™ readers. It works. It works better than I expected. This is the exact program I will be following as I prepare for the XPC Finals. It is a twelve-week program. It can be longer, but I don’t recommend shorter since you are limited as to the number of times you are able to get into your gear (if you are a geared lifter). Although I will write this for a geared lifter, you can also follow it to save your elbows if you are a raw lifter. You will simply follow it exactly as written, but geared days will be heavy raw days. Let’s get to it. You will read this calendar from the start of my cycle to the end, but I prepare my schedule backwards. Start at your meet day and work back twelve weeks.

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SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

Shirted Bench 550x1

Light Pulls 550x1, 3 sets

Suited Squat 800x1 Rev Band 850x1

Light Bench acc. work

SSB GMs

Cambered bar Box Squats in briefs

Shirted Bench 600x1

Light suited Pulls 500x1, 3 sets



Cambered Bar GMs

SSB in briefs

Shirted bench 625x1

Suited Pull 650x1 (opener)



Heavy Pin Pulls


Shirted bench 650x1

Suited Pull 700x1 (second attempt)



SSB GMs Light Pin Pulls

SSB in briefs

Last shirt 675x1 to a half-board

Light Suited Pull 550x1 3 sets

Last Suited Squat 950x1 Rev Band 1025x1


Cambered Bar GMs


Last shirt 700x1 off a 1-board

Light Suited Pull 500x1 3 sets

Light Squat Straight bar

This week: Rest, no lifting, stay mobile, watch weight

MEET DAY

Let me explain why this works. Remember that this is designed for those of us who are beat up by age, years of lifting, or both. What this program does is offer an adequate amount of time for a lifter’s shoulders and elbows to heal between lifts. My specific issue was my elbows. Shoulders were secondary. Squatting with a straight bar kills my elbows— it literally makes it impossible to bench heavy. Notice what this program does.


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This program utilizes specialty bars to give your elbows adequate recovery time while allowing you to maintain heavy- to moderate-squat training. Using this program, you will squat with a straight bar followed by a very light bench session two days later. That shouldn’t be an issue. The following squat day, which is a week later, is performed with a specialty bar that will take the elbows completely out of the lift. On the following bench day, which is exactly nine days after your last heavy straight bar squat, is your heavy shirted bench day. If you have done everything correctly, your elbows and shoulders should be completely recovered and ready for the carnage of a heavy shirted day. Let me address back day here. A straight bar shouldn’t be on your shoulders at all for any work done on your back day. All good mornings are done with specialty bars. Pulling tractions the elbows, and personally makes mine feel better, so that shouldn’t cause an issue. After your heavy shirted bench day, you have four (plus) days of recovery before you squat heavy with a straight bar again. For me, that is plenty of recovery. The squat is what really does work on my elbows, so I usually come out of my bench sessions feeling okay. This is especially true after this program kicked in. In the past, I had elbow pain constantly. Now I rarely have it. Some notes: I did not add accessory work to this program. Your accessory work should target your weak areas. Those are impossible for me to know and address here. Arm Training! This is extremely important. If you are experiencing pain in your shoulders and elbows, start training your arms lightly but with tons of volume. You will find that, in a short period of time, you can begin adding weight and cutting volume. However, while you are hurting, stay light and utilize quantity. This type of work moves blood, and blood brings healing. Flush those joints. Once the pain is retreating, add weight so that you can strengthen the areas that have become weak. Believe me, they are weak since you have backed off due to pain. I truly hope this program helps you like it has helped me. For two years I was on the edge of retiring. Currently, I feel like I have several years of competitive lifting left in me. What a relief, considering my desire to compete is still as strong as ever. Good luck. Powerlifting is a brutal sport.

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Save Your Ball and Sockets! By Mike Robertson, MS, CSCS, USAW

You push your body to the limits each and every workout. And when all of your time and energy is focused on getting stronger, sometimes little things like mobility, flexibility and joint health become after-thoughts. While I’m not the strongest guy you’re ever going to meet, I’ve worked with, evaluated, and coached the strongest of the strong. The freakazoids that routinely squat, bench press, and deadlift more than most mere mortals can comprehend. Why do they come to me? Or why would they ask someone such as myself for advice? Because I know that if I can find that little weakness or limitation that’s holding them back, I can effortlessly help them add pounds to their total. I have a very specific belief: You already know how to get strong. If you follow time-honored and proven principles, we can all get far stronger than we’ve ever imagined. If we can stay healthy. My goal with this article is simple: To give you some basic tools to help you preserve the ball-and-socket joints in your body—namely, your hips and shoulders. These ball and-socket-joints are vital for your long-term health, mobility, and quality of life. If you can keep these four joints moving and shaking well, you’ll not only be rewarded by less pain, but bigger totals to boot. Let’s do this! A Brief Overview of the Ball-and-Socket Joints In the first anatomy class I ever took, the professor took a fair amount of time covering the different types of joints in the body. Regardless, I think even as a young buck I realized that ball-and-socket joints were pretty cool! Your hips and shoulders are unique, not only in their structure, but also in their function. Ball-and-socket joints have incredible ranges of motion and mobility. For instance, while you have large ranges of motion around the knee or elbow joints, you only have that motion in one direction. In contrast, the hips and shoulders have a fair degree of movement in all planes of motion.


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However, while there are many similarities between the hips and shoulders, there are a few fundamental differences as well. Without getting too geeky here, the biggest difference is in the passive (non-muscular) stability provided by each joint. The ball sits much deeper in the socket of the hip, versus that of the shoulder. In fact, many biomechanists would describe the ball of the shoulder as something similar to a golf-ball sitting on a tee! So while both need tons of range of motion, the shoulder will always inherently have more motion than the hip, just due to its structure. Your Joint-Health Arsenal I’ve actually covered the “how to” section of this extensively before on elitefts.com. If you missed it, please make sure to check out the link below: The Keys to Upper Body Injury Prevention and Strength What I want to focus on are a handful of joint health measures, and get you focused on doing them religiously to keep yourself healthy over the long haul. Joint Traction Traction is awesome because it helps “open up” the joint at hand. Think of it like this : every time you squat, bench press, or deadlift, you’re compressing your joints together. And if you’re out of alignment or move poorly, this will increase the wear-and-tear on specific sections of those joints. To counteract this, joint traction (also known as “distraction”) can help open that joint space back up. Not to mention the fact that it just feels good! For the big guys I’ve worked with, I like to throw in a quick traction session both pre- and post-workout. Pre-workout is beneficial because it helps open up that joint space, improves mobility, and just gets you feeling good. Post-workout, you’ve just spent the last one to two hours beating the hell out of your joints with heavy weights. I don’t want my clients walking out of the gym feeling like shit, so a few minutes of traction helps open that joint back up and gets it feeling immediately better. Dynamic Mobility Exercises

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Dynamic mobility exercises are critical as well. In this case, I also like to do them at two times: 1. Pre-workout (after your traction and self-myosfascial release work), and 2. On off-days as an active recovery session. Dynamic mobility exercises/stretches are fantastic pre-workout because they not only work on the flexibility/ extensibility of a muscle, but they also use the nervous system to help control that motion and provide stability. Stability really is the name of the game if you want to be big and strong. If you’re floppy and unstable, you’re not going to be able to turn on those big prime movers (pecs, lats, quads, hamstrings, glutes, etc.) the way you’d like. On off-days, rather than sitting on our duff and doing absolutely nothing, why not perform a quick-and-dirty foam rolling routine/dynamic stretching routine to loosen up and get ourselves feeling a bit better? Guys and gals who are consistent about this report less soreness between workouts, better mobility, and fewer injuries. Quite simply, why wouldn’t you start doing this? Static Stretching While dynamic stretching/mobility work is all the rage, I’m still a fan of the old school static stretching. When your goal is to move 1000-pound squats, or to break into the 308-pound or superheavyweight class, you get bigger and stronger. Big and strong is cool, but big and strong also means stiffer. Stiffness can help you move bigger weights, but ultimately, you need to have enough flexibility/mobility to get into the right positions to compete in your sport. When it takes you that same 1,000 pounds to break parallel? Houston, we have a problem. I like to recommend five to ten minutes of foam rolling, followed immediately by 15-20 minutes of static stretching right before bed. This helps you unwind and relax, which has another additional benefit: better sleep and recovery. If you want the quick and dirty static stretching session, focus on these critical areas: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Pecs, Lats, Hip Flexors, Quads, Calves, Hips, Hamstrings, and Lower Back.


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If you do nothing else in this guide, try stretching three to four times per week for 15-20 minutes. I guarantee you’ll see and feel a noticeable difference in your body. Summary Powerlifting is an amazing sport. I always enjoyed training, but it wasn’t until I started competed in powerlifting that I realized how much I loved it. I meet powerlifters all the time that are every bit as passionate, and it always hurts me to see them have to quit the sport they love due to injury. By following the basic guidelines I’ve provided here, you can add pounds to your total and years to your career. What do you have to lose?

It may not be ingrained in our male DNA, but when most of us started lifting weights, it sure seemed like all of our workouts (no matter what the goal) were genetically predestined to be bench press, biceps curl, and

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Fat Loss for Dummies By Craig Rasmussen

triceps pushdown marathons four to five times per week… and not much else. I know that my own workouts sure looked like this when I first started weight training way back in the late 80s. I don’t get to visit the typical commercial gym too often these days, but each time I do, I feel like I have time warped back to the 80s—as I see most guys doing the same stuff I did over twenty-something years ago. For whatever reason, not much has changed, and it’s not their fault. They just don’t know any better. So, what’s a dude to do? I am going to show you how to do better based on several things that we have learned over the years. First, let’s be honest, dudes: you could probably stand to lose some “L-B’s” of body fat (I should note that back in the 80s and 90s, we referred to guys most often as “dudes” in our vernacular instead of the currently in vogue term of “bros”). Many guys, myself most definitely included, tend to find ourselves in a perpetual “bulking” or mass-gaining mode. Why is this? Interestingly, for a lot of us dudes, the mirror often lies, and we will see a much leaner version of ourselves staring back at us. However, if we were to take an honest selfevaluation, such as a body composition test or to take some simple photos with only trunks on, many may be very surprised and/or shocked with the results. It can be a real eye-opener when you learn that you are not nearly as lean as you think you are. In other words, that 14-15% body fat that you think you are sporting… it’s probably much closer to 21-22%. If you have taken this evaluation and have decided that it is time to get leaner, it is also time that you overhaul your training program and make it more suited to the task at hand. I write training programs at one of the leading fat loss gyms in the world, and we have quite a few males who have come from the same place that you and I have. These guys are now typically middle aged and looking to shed some fat, stay strong, and still feel a bit athletic while holding on to their inner “dude.” I am going to share with you what I feel are some of the biggest mistakes that I see most guys make—when left to their own devices—in regards to formatting their weight training programs for fat loss. Fixing these mistakes immediately will fast track your progress and get you to your fat loss goals. I am then going to share a snapshot of an eight-week training program that we have used with great success for dudes just like us. 1. Dudes Organize Their Training Like a “Bodybuilder.” I certainly mean no disrespect to the competitive bodybuilding community by the above statement, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with bodybuilding as a competitive pursuit—I am a fan. There is certainly a lot to learn from bodybuilders. In fact, most dudes get our first exposure to weight training through bodybuilders via muscle magazines and the Internet. The problem is that most guys think that following the routines of competitive bodybuilders is the best way for the average person to train for fat loss. They will typically organize their training sessions in terms of the body parts or muscles trained. This is actually not very logical and not as productive as it could be since, in reality, your body works as an integrated unit—not as individual parts or muscles. By the way, have you ever wondered how it was decided that certain muscles get their own day while others don’t? It doesn’t really make sense to base how we allocate exercises to our training days simply by using muscle groups as the main organizing factor. It makes much more sense to base the allocation in regards to what the body does as it relates to basic human movements. If you think more in terms of training basic movements and the body as a whole (the way it actually works), you will actually train muscles as a by-product and get the results you desire. I really like a quote that I originally heard from strength coach Nick Winkleman of Athletes’ Performance who stated, “When we just train muscles, we forget movements, when we train movements, we never forget muscles.” The other big problem with this approach is that time is a major limiting factor for most typical dudes. We all have extremely busy lives with jobs and families. Do you really have the time to dedicate to training that a


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professional bodybuilder (whose job is usually his training) would have? I don’t think so. In our experience at Results Fitness (as we are currently working with well over 300 clients multiple times per week on individualized programs), full body weight training routines done three times a week—based on a split of basic human movements—will work far better for most dudes in terms of fat loss training. This allows you to train with a higher frequency (you will actually hit muscle groups more often than typical body part split routines) and get better results. At Results Fitness, instead of classifying our exercises by muscle group or body part, we classify them simply based on what they are: basic movements. The classification that we use is as follows: • • • • • • •

Squat Bend Push Pull Single Leg Stance Lunge Core

We will then allocate these movements to training days, as you will see in the following sample program. 2. Dudes Think More is Better. More than likely, because of the heavy mainstream bodybuilding influence on general training as mentioned above, most dudes usually think that to get results, they must train on that good ol’ five to six times per week body part split routine with extremely high volume. They also often think that they must use multiple exercises for each body part with tons of sets. You must realize that you make gains while you are recovering from training, not during the actual training itself. There is usually no need for exercises that are redundant. Think about it, what the heck is the leg extension going to do for you that the squat doesn’t? The key is to focus on quality and not so much on quantity. As fitness expert Paul Chek has stated, “exercise is like a drug.” With the correct dose and the correct drug, you will get the desired response, and it all works. If you overdose or take the wrong drug, you can do more harm than good and not get the desired response. One of the reasons why a three times per week full body routine works so well is that you get a high frequency of training without overdoing it in terms of volume. 3. Dudes Do Too Many Single Joint Exercises. Is it a federal crime to do some biceps curls and triceps pushdowns? Nope, but when the volume/number of these types of exercises dominate your program, you will greatly diminish the effectiveness of your workouts, particularly when it comes to fat loss. If you focus your training on heavy, multi-joint (compound) exercises— such as squats, deadlifts, various presses, push ups, rows, chins/pull-ups, etc.—you will train much greater amounts of muscle overall, and this will lead to more calories burned during and after your workouts. As a general rule, the more muscle involved in an exercise the better.

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But what if a dude’s goal is to also get bigger guns? Realize that spending the majority of your time and effort on getting stronger on chin-ups/pull-ups, various rows, and various types of presses will get your arms bigger faster than anything else. If you are unable to only do a single unassisted chin-up, what do you think will do more for your biceps size: those 25- to 30-pound curls or focusing all of your time and energy on working on that chin-up and getting to the point where you are doing multiple reps with an extra 25- to 50-pounds hooked up around your waist? 4. Dudes Neglect Lower Body Training. Squats aren’t simply a leg exercise, and deadlifts aren’t simply a back exercise. They are full body exercises that involve just about every muscle in the entire body. If you have a 315-pound bar on your shoulders or upper back, and you are getting ready to bang out a set of squats for eight reps, realize that your legs are not the only things involved in the exercise. Your shoulders, upper back, core, etc., are all very heavily involved. They need to be big enough and strong enough to support and move that load. A lot of dudes think, “I get enough ‘leg’ work from running and playing hoops, so I don’t need to do squats, deadlifts, lunges, step ups, etc.” Sorry, but that’s just not the same thing! Understand that approximately 70% of your muscle mass is in your back, hips, and legs. If you omit these exercises, you are severely limiting your results. Dare to be different and dare to get better results. At our gym, you will see everyone doing deadlifts, squats, lunges, and various single leg exercises, thereby training “legs.” It is part of our culture here and one of the reasons that we get the results that we do. 5. Dudes Rest Way Too Long Between Sets. You know the scene at the local gym: guys taking five to ten minutes between sets of the same exercise, shooting the breeze with their buddies while discussing any number of topics and paying no attention to the time. This is not very effective if your goal is fat loss! Research and practical experience has shown us that shorter rest periods lead to maximal metabolic disturbance, possibly due to the hormonal influence that is set off by these shorter rest periods. It also allows us to increase overall caloric burn and total work performed in the time allotted for the training session. The key is being able to combine shorter rests without compromising the use of heavier loads in our compound exercises. How do we do this? Quite simply, we pair non-competing exercises with short rests (30-60 seconds) between them. As an example, we might use the following pairing in a program: 1A: Push Ups 1B: Reverse Lunges

2-3 sets 2-3 sets

12 reps 12 reps each

60 sec. rest 60 sec. rest

This allows us to increase the actual amount of work density done in a specified time period—as opposed to doing each exercise one at a time with longer rests—which again leads to better fat loss results. 6. Dudes Think, “The Bench Press is More Than Just an Exercise, it is a Way of Life!” I don’t think that there is any doubt that the bench press is the most overused exercise of all time. But, let me state this up front, there is nothing wrong with the bench press! I love the bench press (as most dudes do).


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The problem is when the bench press becomes your entire workout each time, rather than simply a part of your training program. In other words, most dudes simply bench press way too often and with way too much volume. This creates massive imbalances about the shoulder girdle. You need to strive for some sort of balance in the amount of pushing and pulling movements that you perform. Since most guys have been doing way more pushing for such a long time, it is a wise plan to purposely imbalance your training in the other direction in performing more pulls than pushes. You need to include a lot of inverted rows, face pulls, dumbbell rows, and cable rows. Remember the fact that 70% of muscle mass is in the back and legs? This will do your shoulders a lot of good and help out with the fat loss process all at the same time. By the way, in looking at the push pattern from a fat loss standpoint, the good old-fashioned push up is probably a better choice than the bench press actually, as it involves a greater amount of muscle mass and integrates the core to a greater extent at the same time. With all of that said, let’s take a look at what a sample eight- to twelve-week training program would look like.

The Dude Weight Training Plan for Fat Loss Phase 1: 4-6 weeks Day A Range of Motion, Activation, & Movement Preparation. (Dynamic Warm Up of 8-10 drills) 1A: Horizontal Cable Woodchops 2 sets 10 reps each way 0s Rest 1B: Ab Wheel Roll Outs 2 sets 10 reps 60s Rest 2A: Front Squat 2-3 sets 6 reps 60s Rest 2B: Single Leg Ankle Mobility 2-3 sets 8 reps each side 0s Rest OR 2A: Hex Bar Deadlift 2B: Hip Flexor Stretch

2-3 sets 2-3 sets

6 reps 30s each side

60s Rest 0s Rest

(Alternate using the front squat pairing and the deadlift pairing each workout day) 3A: TRX Inverted Rows 3B: Reverse Lunges 4A: Push Ups 4B: Neutral Grip Face Pulls

2-3 sets 2-3 sets 2-3 sets 2-3 sets

10 reps 10 reps each 10 reps 10 reps

60s Rest 60s Rest 60s Rest 60s Rest

Day B Range of Motion, Activation, & Movement Preparation. (Dynamic Warm Up of 8-10 drills) 1A: Side Plank 1B: Prone Jackknife 2A: Bench Press 2B: Figure Four Hip Stretch elitefts.com

2 sets 2 sets 2-3 sets 2-3 sets

20-40 sec. hold ea. 0s Rest 10 reps 60s Rest 6 reps 60s Rest 20s each side 0s Rest Programs That Work 2 | 48

OR 2A: Chin-Ups 2B: Leg Lowering Drill

2-3 sets 2-3 sets

4-6 reps 60s Rest 6 reps each side 0s Rest

(Alternate using the bench press pairing and the chin-up pairing each workout day.) 3A: 3-Point DB Rows 3B: Cross Over Step Ups 4A: DB Overhead Presses 4B: Swiss Ball Leg Curls


10 reps each side 10 reps each side 10 reps 10 reps


Phase 2: 4-6 weeks Day A Range of Motion, Activation, & Movement Preparation. (Dynamic Warm Up of 8-10 drills) 1A: High to Low Cable Woodchops 2 sets 8 reps each way 0s Rest 1B: TRX Fall Outs 2 sets 8-10 reps 60s Rest 2A: Back Squat 2-3 sets 5 reps 60s Rest 2B: ½ Kneeling Ankle Mobility 2-3 sets 8 reps each 0s Rest OR 2A: Deadlift 2B: Quadruped T-Spine Rot

2-3 sets 2-3 sets

5 reps 60s Rest 8 reps each side 0s Rest

(Alternate using the back squat pairing and the hex bar deadlift pairing each workout day) 3A: Single Arm Cable Rows 3B: RFE (Bulgarian) Split Squats 4A: T-Push Ups 4B: Neutral Grip Face Pulls


12 reps each side 12 reps each side 6 reps each way 15 reps


Day B Range of Motion, Activation, & Movement Preparation. (Dynamic Warm Up of 8-10 drills) 1A: Kettlebell Windmills 1B: Prone Pike 2A: Close Grip Bench Press 2B: Prone Piriformis Stretch


2 sets 2 sets 2-3 sets 2-3 sets

5-8 reps each side 0s Rest 8 reps 60s Rest 5 reps 60s Rest 20s each side 0s Rest

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OR 2A: Neutral Grip Pull-Ups 2B: Leg Lowering Drill

2-3 sets 2-3 sets

3-5 reps 60s Rest 6 reps each side 0s Rest

(Alternate using the close grip bench press pairing and the neutral grip pull-up pairing each workout day.) 3A: TRX Inverted Rows 3B: Single Arm Single Leg RDL 4A: Barbell Overhead Press 4B: Swiss Ball Leg Curls


12 reps 12 reps each side 12 reps 12 reps


Notes: Use this program three days per week on non-consecutive days, e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thus/Sat. You can choose to do it only two days per week, but you will need to extend it over six weeks instead of four weeks if you do this. Alternate the A and the B program each training day. For example, weeks 1 through 3 will look as follows: Week 1: Monday - Workout A / Wednesday – Workout B/ Friday - Workout A Week 2: Monday - Workout B / Wednesday – Workout A/ Friday - Workout B Week 3: Monday - Workout A / Wednesday – Workout B/ Friday - Workout A

About Craig Craig Rasmussen is a program design specialist and performance coach at Results Fitness in Newhall, California. Results Fitness has been named one of America’s top ten gyms by Men’s Health magazine multiple times. Craig has been featured in several national publications including Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, and Runner’s World. He is a competitive powerlifter and Craig also coaches our powerlifting team at Result’s Fitness. Craig Rasmussen is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. For more information, please visit: www.resultsfitnessuniversity.com.

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Hang On! By Al Caslow

When this routine was originally created, the one key objective was to make a strong deadlifter STRONG(ER). When you consider the difficulty in improving an elite lifter’s deadlift, while also improving in the squat and bench, it seems like a suicide task. Regardless of common sense, we had to try—and try we did. This is the original routine that I drew up for Shawn Frankl after he had stalled multiple times in the mid700s. Our sole goal was to not slow down the other lifts while simultaneously hitting the deadlift hard—at least hard enough to get it stronger. The first thing we knew that was lacking was a specific and formal cycle. However, we also needed to identify indicators. We needed to find which lifts would harness his weaknesses while also improving his technique. Technique is easy; there’s no better way to get something better than to practice. Therefore, we knew that the volume was going to get higher than it typically has been for him. Indicators were a different item for us, as we really didn’t know where he was stalling. So we started from scratch, which makes this routine ideal for someone looking to get his deadlift out of a rut. The funny thing is that I had a million and one requests for this routine after Shawn hit his 780-pound deadlift, which turned out to be about a 40-pound PR for him. This was also the third consecutive time that he hit a PR using this routine (with minor tweaks and changes). So, without further ado, here it is in its original form: 55%

3x6

Conventional

60%

3x5

Conventional

65%

6x4

Sumo

70%

3x4

2” platform Sumo

75%

3x3

2” platform Sumo

77%

3x3

2” platform Sumo

82%

3x3

2” platform Sumo

70%

4x2

2” platform Sumo

70%

2x4

Sumo

77%

2x3

Sumo

90%

3x2

Rev. Bands

79%

3x3

Sumo


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86%

3x2

Sumo

95%

3x2

Rev. Bands

88%

2x2

Sumo

93%

3x1

Sumo

100%

3x1

Rev. Bands

70%

4x2

Sumo - Unload

95%

2x1

Sumo

98%

2x1

Sumo

90%

1

Sumo

93%

2x1

Sumo

70%

3x2

Meet week

Key notes about the cycle:

• Be very aggressive in your pulling. This doesn’t mean that you need to yank the crap out of the bar; it means to be aggressive but technical in all reps.

• Do not be passive with any set and any rep. That won’t help your form; form needs to be improved while firing in all cylinders—this is the very reason it’s easy to look amazing with lighter weights.

• The last key is to never use your biggest max. You’re not 100% every week, so using your max could be more damaging than helpful. Be conservative. We used 95% with Shawn—never more but never less. The guy was a machine and could handle about anything thrown his way.

As for the specifics: Notice we used deficit pulls at 2”. When using a platform, it needs to be 2” minimum, 3” max. Or you can use all 35s instead. The purpose here is not to improve starting strength, but to help force you into proper position. American powerlifters have the worst flexibility and hardly get into proper sumo position. Extending the amount of stretch needed to get it right helps increase the range of motion in the hips. You won’t get the necessary effect from one week, which is why we dedicated three weeks to this. There is always room for general improvements like technique, form, and ROM.

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As for the reverse band cycle after the platform work—this was solely to get more work from the floor but to focus on working the mid/upper back more so than the hips. The reverse band allowed for full range (to continue hammering technique), but it also relieved hip activation enough so as not to bang them too much. It also increased the mid/upper back recruitment to lock out the heavier weight. I love this routine so much that I kept it and have used it on many other lifters who were looking to improve their deadlift. In fact, it was the template Mick Manley used (with some slight modification) to go from a mid600s pull to a low-700s pull. I also used this exact routine to get my first 700. Enjoy—it’s not as easy as it looks!


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Mountain Dog Training Champoinship Season - Program 3 By John Meadows www.mountaindogdiet.com Week 1 of 3 - Phase 1 Weeks 1-6 – Phase 2 not started Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – not started Week 1 – Low/Moderate Volume Legs – 12 sets: Barbell stiff leg deadlifts – 2-3 warm up sets. Push your hips back, keep back flat, and keep a slight bend in the knees. Work into a good stretch. Use continuous tension with no locking out. Pyramid up to a good weight and do 3 sets of 6 with it. 3 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands– 2-3 warm up sets. Use 1 set of elitefts™ pro mini bands (black bands). There is a “mountain dog training band pack” that can purchased here If you get this, you’ll have all the bands you need for this program plus the next few. FYI: I don’t make any money from it, I just think they are awesome. You’ll see. Look at the video of me doing them on my YouTube channel. Look at where I have them attached. Make sure you have somewhere where you can attach them. I also have a video showing you how to attach them. How to attach the bands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veSA3N_L6LE&feature=share&list=PLIDutekxQQ GUfuCdBflfWkQR9KNCBsm0D Do sets of 8 all the way up until you can barely get 8 reps. Stick with that weight and do 2 more sets with it. FYI: I typically go up to 7or so plates a side with the bands for 8 reps, and without bands I can do more like 10-11 for 10 reps. They make the movement hard and difficult. You are going to have to push all the way through the rep, which will help your quads grow. These are awesome. 3 total work sets. Hack squat – 1-2 sets of 6 reps to get your knees nice and warm. Place feet wherever you are your strongest on these. Then do 1 hard set of 8 reps rock bottom with a pause at the bottom. I then want you to do a 2nd set, which will include 2 weight drops. Start off the same weight you just did for 8 reps, and do 8, then cut weight down, and do 8 more, then cut weight down, and do 8 more (so 24 reps total on this set). 2 total work sets. Step-ups – Hold dumbbells in your hand, or even plates, whichever you prefer. I want you to step up onto a platform with the weight. Step up high enough so that you are stretching glutes well, and don’t just drop down and slam your calf onto the ground when coming back down. I don’t want any ruptured Achilles tendons. LOWER yourself down slowly. Stay on each leg for all reps, and then switch to other leg. I want 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg. 2 total work sets. Lying leg curls – 2 sets of 25 – 2 regular sets of 25 reps with standard form. 2 total work sets.

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Chest - 10 sets & Shoulders – 11 sets: Nautilus or Hammer incline press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want you to start with an incline machine for this workout. If you don’t have any machines, you can use a Hammer Strength Incline. I want you to pyramid up on these to a very heavy weight. Your rep scheme is 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps. Hopefully you have machine that will allow you to drop into a good stretch. 4 total work sets. Incline (very slight angle) dumbbell press – 2 sets of 6 to pyramid up to a heavy weight. Once you get there I want 2 sets of 8 reps, with a good deep stretch at the bottom. 2 total work sets. Bench press – 2 sets of 15 reps. Do not pause these, and do not lock them out. Touch your chest on each rep though. These will burn like fire at this point. 2 total work sets. Stretch pushups – These I have on my YouTube channel and website. Watch the video so you can see how I use the step benches to assist with stretch, and also something to prop your feet up on for even more stretch. This is going to feel awesome with the pump you will have at this point. 2 sets to failure. 2 total work sets. Heavy side laterals - 4 sets of 8. It is ok to swing these a little. I want you to use more weight then you usually do. Lean forward just a tad to engage your rear delts some too. 4 total work sets. Machine rear delt raises – 4 sets. Do 30 reps on first set. Rest 2 minutes then do 25 reps, rest 2 minutes then do 20 reps, and one more for 15 reps. 4 total work sets. Ultra wide grip overhead barbell presses – These will be done with light weight. Watch the form on my YouTube channel and website. You take your grip all the way out to the end of the bar, and you lower it all the way until it touches your chest. You only raise it to the top of your head. I want 3 sets of 12 reps. To give you an idea of how hard these are, I use about 70-80 pounds on a good day. 3 total work sets.

Back – 12 sets: Dumbbell Rows – Work up to a heavy weight and kill 3 sets of 8 with it. Make sure you are getting a good stretch at the bottom on these. 3 total work sets. Meadows Rows – I know this may seem identical from the first exercise, but it’s not. Your hand is pulling with a different grip, and you are hitting lats from a different angle. Again, bust your ass and do 3 sets of 10. Watch on my YouTube channel or website if you forget how to do these. 3 total work sets. Deadlift – Now that your lats are trashed, let’s go crazy on some deadlifts. Your entire lat should be full of blood from top to bottom, so this may feel way better in your lats than it ever has. I want you to do traditional deadlifts off the floor. Do sets of 3 going up until you get to a weight that will be a tough 3. Once you get there, you are going to do 10 reps with a 10 second break between reps. Do a rep, then step away and take a few deep breaths, then get back in there. So it’s kind of like 10 sets of 1. This is going to destroy your back. I am going to count this as 3 sets, not sure why—just feels right. 3 total work sets.


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Stretchers – With all the blood that is in your back, this will loosen everything up and help with lat width. Watch the video on YouTube or on my website. Notice how I drop my head, straighten my arms, and stretch on these. It will feel uncomfortable at first, but as you go it will be better and better. This movement is great for width and detail. I want 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Arms - Biceps –12 sets & Triceps 12 sets: Rope pushdown - 3 sets of 12 to warm up and dumbbell curls 2-3 sets of 15 to warm up. Tri-set 1 Dumbbell kickbacks for 12 reps then do seated dumbbell curls for 8 (palms facing up through entire range of motion and do both arms at once). Then Bent over rope extension for 12 reps. On the kickbacks, read carefully. We are going to hit all heads on the triceps. The first 6 reps do a standard kickback in terms of hand position, and then on the last 6 reps turn your hands over so that your palms are facing UP the whole time. It will crush the long and medial (inner heads) of your triceps with that grip. Work your weight up on these, heavy reps with that palms up grip are brutal. The 3rd exercise, bent over rope extensions, is when you face away from a pushdown and bend over at waist, and extend arms out in front of you. Do 4 rounds. 12 total work sets via 4 tri-sets. Tri-set 2 Barbell curls for 8 reps with a 3 second negative on all reps, then do the Seated dip machine for 8 reps with a 3 second negative on all reps. Finish with Machine preacher curls for 8 reps with a hard flex at the top. Do 4 rounds. 12 total work sets via 4 tri-sets. Enjoy…this should only take about 30-40 minutes total… Calves - 10 sets & Abs - 7 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. Toe presses on leg press – Do 1-2 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Do 6 sets 15 with 30-second breaks. 6 total work sets. Tibia raises – If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also. Do 4 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 4 total work sets. Hanging Leg Raise – 4 sets of 20 reps. 4 total work sets. Incline sit-ups – 3 sets of 25 reps. 3 total work sets. elitefts.com


Week 2 of 3 - Phase 1 Weeks 1-6 – Phase 2 not started Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – not started Week 2 – Low/Moderate Volume Legs – 13 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. I want you to do 3 sets of 10 reps. After the 10 reps, do 10 more partial reps out of the stretched position on every set. 3 total work sets. Squats– 2-3 warm up sets. Pyramid up doing sets of 8 reps. Once you get to a weight that you think will be a tough 10, I want you to do that for your first set. Your second set I want you to go heavier and do 8 reps. On your third set, I want you to go heavier and do 6 reps. On all 3 sets I want you to execute a 3 second negative on the descent, on every rep. Go to parallel this week, no need to go below that. 3 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands - Do 1 to 2 sets of low rep warm up. I want you to beat what you did last week. Last week you basically did 3 sets of 8. You may not be as fresh after doing the squats first this week, but PUSH yourself. You can beat what you did last week. I want 3 sets of 8 again, but I want you to do more weight and use the exact same form (place your feet where you are strongest). 3 total work sets. Use one Pro mini like you did last week on each side. Heavy dumbbell lunge – Use straps to hold heavy dumbbells. I want you to do these one leg at a time. So step with one leg, and bring trail leg back to even. Then step with the same leg again. Come to a complete stop between each rep to kill momentum. Take 10 steps with one leg, then turn around and take 10 steps coming back with the other leg. I want 2 rounds. 2 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Work the stretch on these. I want 2 sets of 20 reps. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. 2 total work sets.

Chest – 11 sets & Shoulders – 11 sets: Nautilus incline press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want you to start with an incline machine for this workout, same as last week. If you don’t have any machines, you can use a Hammer Strength Incline. I want you to pyramid up on these to a very heavy weight. Your rep scheme is 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps. 4 total work sets. Decline (very slight angle) dumbbell press – 2 sets of 6 to pyramid up to a heavy weight. Once you get there, I want 3 sets of 8 reps with a good deep stretch at the bottom. Flex these at lockout for a second before coming back down. 3 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – 4 sets of 8 reps. This is just like last week, except we made this inclines this week and brought the reps down a tad. Do not pause these and do not lock them out. Lower to an inch or so above your chest before driving back up. 4 total work sets.


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In between sets of incline barbells, I want you to get a flexible tubing type band and do the stretching that I have in the high intensity chest video on my website and YouTube channel. This is where you straighten your arms out in front of you holding the band, and then rotate back until band comes behind you to lower back, then back overhead and out front. Arms should be straight the whole time. I want 10 reps per set. Machine side laterals with extra eccentric load – Do 8 hard reps of side laterals on a machine with extra resistance on the way down (someone pushing your arms down), then pump out 8 more without the extra resistance. 4 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Your shoulders will be on fire. Machine rear delt raises – 4 sets of 20 reps with 90-second breaks. Flex hard on each rep. 4 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Over and back barbell presses – These will be done with light weight. Watch the form on my YouTube channel and website. I want 2 sets of 12 reps. To give you an idea of how hard these are, I use about 90100 pounds on a good day. 2 total work sets.

Back – 13 sets: Meadows Rows – Yes, we are doing these again. Get after these: use perfect form, but push the weight ok. Do a few warm up sets then do 4 sets of 8 hard reps. Watch on my YouTube channel or website if you forget how to do these. 4 total work sets. Lat pulldowns – I want you to do regular front lat pulldowns this week, with a squeeze at the bottom. Make sure you stretch out at the top of the movement too. Start with a wide grip and then as you add weight, bring your grip in a little bit closer each set (slightly closer so you can handle more weight). 3 sets of 10. 3 total work sets. Cable low rows w/ single handles– Sit up straight and really focus on flexing your lower lats by driving elbows back as you do these. Do not lean forward and stretch on these this week. Flex the crap out of your lower lats. 3 sets of 10. 3 total work sets. One-arm lat pulldowns– This is a pulldown version where you drive your elbow down with your palm facing toward you (like an underhand grip). Use a single handle, and do all 8 reps on one side, before doing other side. Don’t arch your back on these excessively. I sit/tilt back a bit and then just drive my elbow straight down to the floor and flex lower lats. 3 total work sets.

Arms - Biceps - 12 sets & Triceps 12 sets: Rope pushdown - 3 sets of 12 to warm up

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Superset 1 Rope pushdowns – Sets of 12 with a hard flex at the bottom. Immediately to: Dip Machine – Try to work up to a very heavy weight. Rep scheme is 15, 12, 9, and 6. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets. Superset 2 Heavy pronated dumbbell kickbacks - Sets of 8 reps. I want you to use a heavy weight and, most importantly, I want you to keep your palms facing UP THROUGHOUT the movement. In other words, your thumbs stay at your sides, and pinkie is away from body. Tilt your body down a bit more than usual and really drive the weight up high. Immediately to: Bent over rope extension - Sets of 12. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets. Do 2 sets of dumbbell curls to warm up biceps. Superset 3 Seated dumbbell curls - Keep palms up the entire time. No supinating. Lower with a 3-second descent. Sets of 8 reps. Immediately to: Machine preacher curls - Use both arms at once. Flex hard at top for 10 reps. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets. Superset 4 Reverse EZ bar curls – Sets of 15 reps. Immediately to: Hammer curls – Sets of 10 reps. Do both arms at once. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets.


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Calves - 10 sets You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. Toe presses on leg press – Do 1-2 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Do 10 sets of 15 reps with 30-second breaks. 10 total work sets. Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also. Do 4 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 4 total work sets. Abdominals– 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:

•• Hanging Leg Raises •• Leg raises with your elbows supported on pad •• Leg raises on a decline board/bench •• V ups Pick one exercise from the following to hit upper abs:

•• Incline sit ups •• Rope pulldowns/crunches •• Band crunches For abs – these will always be simple. You will pick an exercise from the first list and do 4 sets of 15-25 reps depending on how hard they are. Next, you will pick an exercise from the upper ab list and do the same. Each ab workout will be 8 sets.

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Week 3 of 3 - Phase 1 Weeks 1-6 – Phase 2 not started Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – not started Week 3 – Moderate volume

Legs – 13 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. I want you to do 3 sets of 15 reps. I want these done one leg at a time so you can focus on each ham. Do all 15 reps on one leg and then repeat on the other leg. 3 total work sets. Squats– 2-3 warm up sets. Pyramid up doing sets of 8 reps. Once you are ready to go, we are going to do sets of 6. The first set should be something you can usually do for around 10 reps. You are going to leave a few reps in the tank on each set except for the last one. Add some weight and do 6 again. Then on one final set, add weight again. This last set should be a very hard 6, but should still be done with perfect form. Go to slightly above parallel this week, no need to go below that. 3 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands - Do 1 to 2 sets of low rep warm up. I want you to beat what you did last week AGAIN. I want 3 sets of 8 again, but I want you to do more weight and use the exact same form (place your feet where you are strongest). 3 total work sets. Use the monster mini bands this week in place of the pro minis. They will be a bit tougher. Smith machine lunges – I want 10 reps with each leg. Do all the reps on one leg before moving to the other leg. This should burn like fire. It won’t take much weight. 2 total work sets. Smith machine stiff legged deadlifts – Work the stretch on these. I want 2 sets of 15 reps. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. 2 total work sets. Chest - 14 sets & Shoulders – 11 sets: Hammer strength incline press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want you to pyramid up on these to a very heavy weight. Your rep scheme is 10, 8, 6, and then a drop set. For the 4th set/drop set: Do the weight you did for 6 reps again for 6, then drop the weight and do 6 more, and then drop the weight again for another 6 reps. Remember to stretch at the bottom. 4 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – 4 sets of 6 reps. Take 1-2 sets to get to a weight that is a challenging 6 (but you can do with perfect form). Do 4 sets of 6 with it. Lower bar to one inch above chest and do not lock out. We want continuous tension. 4 total work sets. Flat bench press – I want you to do 3 sets of 15 with a wide grip. Take these down and touch your chest and drive to ¾ lockout. 3 total work sets.


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Stretch pushups – These I have on my YouTube channel and website. Watch the video so you can see how I use the step benches to assist with stretch and also something to prop your feet up on for even more stretch. This is going to feel awesome with the pump you will have at this point. 3 sets to failure. 3 total work sets. In between sets of stretch pushups, I want you to get a flexible tubing type band and do the stretching that I have in the high intensity chest video on my website and YouTube channel. This is where you straighten your arms out in front of you holding the band and rotate back until band comes behind you to lower back, then back overhead and out front. Arms should be straight the whole time. I want 10 reps per set. Dumbbell Rear raises – 1 warm up set then 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Your shoulders will be on fire. Machine press with palms facing each other – 4 sets of 12 reps. Flex hard on each rep. 4 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Ultra wide grip overhead barbell presses – These will be done with light weight. Watch the form on my YouTube channel and website. I want 3 sets of 12 reps. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell rear delt raises lying on an incline bench – Destroyer set—hang and swing heavy dumbbells for 60 reps. Drop the weight in half, and do 30 more reps, then drop the weight in half again and do 10 reps. On the last 10 reps, flex your rear delts as hard as you can. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 1 total work set.

Back – 15 sets: Meadows Rows – Yes, we are doing these AGAIN. Get after these: use perfect form, but push the weight ok. Do a few warm up sets then do 3 sets of 10 hard reps. Try to do the heavy weight you did for sets of 8 last time for sets of 10 this week. Watch on my YouTube channel or website if you forget how to do these. 3 total work sets. Smith machine barbell row – For all the reps on these, do a rest/pause. Set the stops so that the weight goes to about mid-shin. Set the weight down and relax, then DRIVE it up as hard as you can. Pull these up a little higher this week. Pull into your upper abs—lets get some extra rhomboids and traps. 3 sets of 8 rest/ pause reps. 3 total work sets. Narrow grip chins– I want you to do these with a palms facing in/each other grip ok. 3 sets to failure. I am hoping you get 8-12 reps. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers– These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. 3 total work sets.

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Barbell shrugs – Do 3 sets of 15 on these. Pause at the top for 1 second and flex. Try not to let your arms bend. Use your traps! 3 total work sets. Arms - Biceps - 16 sets & Triceps 16 sets: Rope pushdown - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. Superset 1 Single arm pushdowns – Sets of 12 with a hard flex at the bottom. Use an overhand grip. Let your arm forearm come up high for a good stretch, then ram it down and flex tris. You should feel a hard contraction in outer/long head. Switch your starting arm each set. Immediately to: Dip Machine – Try to work up to a very heavy weight. Rep scheme is 12, 10, 8, and 6. On the last set of 6, I want these to be a set of negatives only. Load the machine up and lower the weight slowly (lower as in the eccentric part of the movement). Have your partner help you push weight down and repeat on this set. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets. Superset 2 Heavy Dumbbell kickbacks - Sets of 8 reps. I want you to use a heavy weight and, most importantly, I want you to keep your palms facing UP THROUGHOUT the movement, just like last week. In other words, your thumbs stay at your sides, and pinkie is away from body. Tilt your body down a bit more than usual and really drive the weight up high. Immediately to: Lying EZ bar extensions/skullcrushers - Sets of 10. This stretch should feel superb after all the flexing up to this point. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets. Do 2 sets of dumbbell curls to warm up biceps. Superset 3 Seated dumbbell curls - Keep palms up the entire time. No supinating. Lower with a 3-second descent. Sets of 8 reps. Then after you do your 8 reps, continue the set by doing 8 more hammer curls. You don’t need a 3-second descent on these. Just use that on the seated dumbbell curls. You can do the dumbbell curls standing too if you like. Immediately to: Machine preacher curls - Use both arms at once. Flex hard at top for 8 reps. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets.


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I just stand right beside the machine curl with my dumbbells and do those, then drop them and sit down on this machine and keep going. Superset 4 EZ bar curls – Sets of 8 reps with a 3-second descent. Immediately to: Reverse EZ bar curls – Sets of 15 reps. No slow descent, but flex arm for 2 seconds in contracted position. Do 4 rounds of the above. 8 total work sets via 4 supersets.

Calves - 10 sets & Abs - 7 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. Standing calf raise – Do 1-2 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Do 6 sets of 15 reps with 60-second breaks. 6 total work sets. Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also. Do 4 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 4 total work sets. Hanging Leg Raise – 4 sets of 20 reps. 4 total work sets. Incline sit ups – 4 sets of 25 reps. 4 total work sets.

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Week 3 of 3 - Phase 1 Complete Weeks 1-6 – Week 4 overall Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – not started

Week 4 Legs – 16 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. You are going to do a standard pyramid. Do 15, 12, 9, and 6 reps going up in weight each set. I want perfect form on every set. 4 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands - Do 3-4 sets of warm ups. Whatever you did for your hard 3 sets of 8 last week, I want you to do for 3 sets of 10 this week. Beat what you did last week AGAIN. Use the exact same form (place your feet where you are strongest). 3 total work sets. Use the monster minis again this week! Barbell Squats– 2 warm up sets. I want you to do 3 sets of 15 going just below parallel. Use the same weight for all sets. These should be a tough 15. These should hammer you. Place your feet a little wider than shoulder width with your toes turned out. 3 total work sets. Teardrop leg extension – Do 3 sets of 8 reps with a HEAVY weight. Kick as hard as you can. Hold every rep in the contracted position for 1 second. There is video of this on my YouTube channel and website so you can see how to position your body. 3 total work sets. Barbell stiff legged deadlifts – Work the stretch on these. I want 3 sets of 10 reps. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. 3 total work sets. Chest - 15 sets & Shoulders – 11 sets: Machine flyes – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. On these, I want you to do 3 sets of 8. Keep your sternum lifted, chest high, and flex hard at the top for 1 second on every rep. 3 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – 5 sets of 8 reps. Take 1-2 sets to get to a weight that is a challenging 8 (but you can do with perfect form). Do 5 sets of 8 with it. Lower bar to one inch above chest and do not lock out. We want continuous tension. This is a lot of reps on the incline and should crush your upper chest and front delts. 5 total work sets. Flat dumbbell bench press – On these I want you to keep your palms facing each other (neutral grip) as you lower the dumbbells. Let the weight stretch you good at the bottom. Keeping your palms facing in will allow your inner chest fibers to stretch and fire better than a standard grip. Pause at the bottom, feel the stretch, and drive up hard to ¾ lockout. Pick a good weight and do 4 sets of 8 with it. With this style, you won’t be able to move extremely heavy dumbbells (I usually use 120+ and did these with 80’s). 4 total work sets.


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Regular dips – Do 3 sets of dips to failure. Let your elbows flare out, tuck your chin into your upper chest, and stretch good at the bottom. Don’t come up all the way. Keep constant tension on the pecs by coming up ¾ of the way. 3 total work sets. In between sets of dips, I want you to get a flexible tubing type band and do the stretching that I have in the high intensity chest video on my website and YouTube channel. This is where you straighten your arms out in front of you holding the band and rotate back until band comes behind you to lower back, then back overhead and out front. Arms should be straight the whole time. I want 8 reps per set. Dumbbell Rear raises – 1 warm up set, then 3 sets of 35 reps. Time to burn the hell out of the delts this week. 3 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Your shoulders will be on fire. Dumbbell side laterals – 4 sets of 15 reps. Bring the dumbbells up to just above ear level. 4 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 8 reps. Cage presses – These will be done with heavy weight. Watch the form on my YouTube channel and website. I want you to pyramid up. Do 9 reps, 7 reps, 5 reps, and 3 reps, adding weight each set. Remember to lock these out and lean forward a bit and then flex your delts and traps. 4 total work sets. Back – 17 sets: One-arm barbell rows – These are the rows where you stick a bar in a corner and stand beside it, executing the row. Watch my YouTube channel or website video if you are unsure of which row this is. These are BRUTAL on lower lats. Pyramid up using smaller than 45-pound plates. I use 25-pound plates. Do sets of 8, adding a plate of your choice each set until you finally get to a weight that nearly kills you to get 8. We’ll count that set and the previous 2 as working sets. 3 total work sets. Partial pulldown – These are the heavy pulldowns taken down only to the top of your head/forehead, and also be sure to stretch out at the top. Use a very wide grip on these. There is video of this on my YouTube channel and website. Do 4 sets of 8 reps. 4 total work sets. Cable low row w/ wide grip– I want you to do these with a palms facing in grip and a very wide grip. No need to lean real far forward on these between reps. Squeeze the hell out of your lower lats while doing these. I want 4 sets of 10. 4 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers– These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. 3 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 3 sets to failure of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 3 total work sets.

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Arms - Biceps - 15 sets & Triceps 15 sets: Rope pushdown - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. Pushdowns – Pyramid up on these. Instead of using a rope, use a little v-bar this time. Reps should be 20, 15, 12, 10, 8. Rest about 1 minute between sets. 5 total work sets. Kickbacks with a pronated grip – You did these last week, let’s keep going with these. Try to add 5 pounds or so to what you did last week. These are awesome for destroying the long/inner head of your triceps. Tilt your body down further than normal and really try to drive the weight up high. Flex for a second at the top. The key to these is your grip. Use a pronated grip. I have video of this on my YouTube channel so you can review form. I want 5 sets of 8 on these. 5 total work sets. Bent over rope extension – These are when you place your back against a pad facing away from the machine, bend over to 90 degrees, and extend arm so that it locks out. I want 5 sets of 15 reps on these. These should burn like hell. 5 total work sets. Cross body dumbbell curls – These are just like the cross body hammer curls, except I am doing them with a supinated grip like you would with normal dumbbell curls. Actually, kettlebells are good for these too if you have some at your gym. Flex your arms across your body. Do all reps on one arm, then do the other. 4 sets of 10 reps. The crossbody alignment just does something that allows you to feel extra squeeze. You’ll see what I mean. 4 total work sets. EZ bar preacher curls - 4 sets of 8. Lower weight with 3-second descent. Do not lower until arm is straight. Stop just short. 4 total work sets. EZ bar curls – 4 sets of 6 reps with a 3-second descent. 4 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar curls – 3 sets of 20 reps. No slow descent, but flex arm for 1 second in the contracted position. Burn the hell out of your forearms. 3 total work sets. 3 total work sets. Calves - 10 sets & Abs - 12 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. This week do your calves and abs twice, ok! Toe presses on leg press – Do 1-2 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Pyramid up doing sets of 15. When you get to a weight you can’t do for 15, try to do a solid 10 with it, then extend the set by doing another 10 partial out of the deep stretch position. Do 5 sets total. 10 total work sets (since doing 2x this week). Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe press sets. Do 4 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 10 total work sets (since doing 2x this week).


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V Ups – 6 sets of 15 reps. When I do these I lay flat and extend my arms over my head, straight. When I come up, I keep my legs straight and bring them up as I lift my arms up and bring them toward my legs. The key is to push your lower back into the ground and flex your abs while you are doing this. At the end of the contraction, I lay totally flat on the mat again with arms stretched overhead and start over on the next rep. Some people don’t reset, I prefer to as it keeps my lower back out of it. I will get video up on this soon. They are very simple to do, and very effective, but kind of hard to describe. 12 total work sets (since doing 2x this week).

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Week 5 – High volume Legs – 16 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. You are going to do 4 sets of 10, then a drop set. On the drop set, I want the same weight for 10, then drop weight and do 8 more, then drop weight and do 8 more. It should be a very painful 5th set. 5 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands - Do 3-4 sets of warm ups. Whatever you did for your hard 3 sets of 10 last week, I want you to try to add 50-100 pounds to that this week and see how many you can get. Do 3 sets again. Use the exact same form (place your feet where you are strongest). 3 total work sets. Use monster minis again this week. Barbell Squats– 2 warm up sets. Let’s pyramid up. I want a hard set of 10, 8, and 6. Form is to just hit parallel. I want these done with a 3-second descent. 3 total work sets. Hack Squat – Do 2 sets of 10 working your way up. Then for your third set, I want a drop set. Do what you did on the last set for 10 reps, and then drop the weight some and do 10 more, then drop the weight some and move your feet lower on the platform to hit teardrop and do 10 more. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Work the stretch on these. I want 3 sets of 12 reps. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. 3 total work sets. Chest – 14 sets & Shoulders – 12 sets: Incline hammer strength machine – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. Pyramid up on these. Do 15, 12, 10, and 8 rep sets. On each rep, pause at the bottom for a second, and then blast the weight back up. Do not lock these out. Take them to just shy of lockout. 4 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – I want rest pauses on these too today. Let’s do 4 sets of 6 with each and every rep rest paused. Get to your target weight in 2 warm up low rep sets. Do not lock these out, I want continuous tension at the top of the movement. 4 total work sets. Decline dumbbell bench press –Nothing fancy here. Just use a slight decline angle and do 3 sets of 10 with a flex at the top of each rep. 3 total work sets. Regular dips – Do 3 sets of dips to failure. Let your elbows flare out, tuck your chin into your upper chest, and stretch good at the bottom. Don’t come up all the way. Keep constant tension on the pecs by coming up ¾ of the way. 3 total work sets. 71 | Programs That Work 2

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Just like last week, in between sets of dips, I want you to get a flexible tubing type band and do the stretching that I have in the high intensity chest video on my website and YouTube channel. This is where you straighten your arms out in front of you holding the band and rotate back until band comes behind you to lower back, then back overhead and out front. Arms should be straight the whole time. I want 8 reps per set. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – 1 warm up set then do the following rep scheme. I want 30, 25, 20, and then 15 reps. Take 60 seconds in between each set. 4 total work sets. Continue with the band stretching in between sets for 10 reps. Your shoulders will be on fire. Dumbbell side laterals – 4 sets of 20 reps. Bring the dumbbells up to just above ear level again. 4 total work sets. Ultra wide grip military presses – These are done standing with light weight. Take the barbell all the way down so that it touches your upper chest, and then drive it up to just above your forehead. Your grip should be way out to the end. Watch my YouTube channel or website video to see how I do these. Do 4 sets of 10 reps with a 60-second break in between sets. 4 total work sets. Back – 18 sets: Meadows rows – 2 warm up sets of 10, then pyramid up. I want 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps. Work these hard. 4 total work sets. Partial pulldown – These are the heavy pulldowns taken down only to the top of your head/forehead, and also be sure to stretch out at the top. Use a very wide grip on these. There is video of this on my YouTube channel and website. Do 4 sets of 8 reps. 4 total work sets. Conventional deadlifts – I want you to do triples all the way up to a weight that you can barely get it with. We’ll count the last 3 sets as working sets. 3 total work sets. Conventional deadlifts off a box– You will pull from a deficit on these. Stand on a box, so getting out of the hole is harder. The box should be 2-3 inches high. These are not meant to do heavy, ok. Use a lighter weight and accelerate out of the bottom. Be especially careful with posture and keeping your back tight. These are a bitch. These are very difficult. Let’s do 3 sets of 3 here. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. 3 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 1 set to failure of these. You should be able to suck it up and get 20+ reps. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 1 total work set.

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Arms - Biceps - 15 sets & Triceps 16 sets: V-bar pushdowns - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. V-bar pushdowns – Pyramid up on these. Reps should be 15, 12, 9, 6. est 30 seconds between sets. 4 total work sets. Seated dip machine – Do a 3-second slow descent/negative as you allow weight to come up, then drive it down and flex for a split second before coming back up. 5 sets of 8 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets. 5 total work sets. Triangle pushups – On these, I just touch my thumbs together and first fingers to form a triangle and go to failure. If you can’t do it this style, just brings your arms apart some and do these. If you want to do something really bad ass, you can have someone put a chain or 2 on you (across upper back) when you do them regular style. 3 sets to failure. 3 total work sets. If you want to experiment with the chains, they can be ordered off of elitefts.com. Decline lying extension – On these, I laid down an incline sit up bench close to flat (same low angle I use for smith machine decline presses – you know, the small angle), and lay back and do lying extensions. These should feel great at this point, as your elbows are juiced up and triceps pumped. Rest 60 seconds between sets on these. 4 sets of 15 reps. 4 total work sets. Seated dumbbell curls – I want you to do these leaning back a tad on something. The way I do these is to sit in a preacher curl facing out. Your body is naturally sitting back some. Place your elbows against the pad behind you so they can’t move. You can curl very strictly like this. Do 4 sets of 12. It should burn like fire. You can supinate as you come up. 4 total work sets. EZ bar preacher curls - 4 sets of 8. Lower weight with 3-second descent. Do not lower until arm is straight. Stop just short. 4 total work sets. Close grip chin ups – Use an underhand grip. Try to use as much bicep as possible! 4 sets to failure. 4 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar curls – 3 sets of 8 reps. Standard form, nothing special. Give them a flex at the top for 1 second. 3 total work sets. Calves - 5 sets You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. This week do your calves and abs once, ok! Standing calf raises in smith machine or other machine – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Pyramid up doing sets of 10. When you get to a hard 10, stick with the same weight for 5 sets of 10. Do 5 sets total. 5 total work sets


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Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your standing calf raises. Do 5 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets Abdominals – 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:


•• Incline sit ups •• Rope pulldowns/crunches •• Band crunches

For abs – these will always be simple. You will pick an exercise from the first list and do 4 sets of 15-25 reps depending on how hard they are. Next, you will pick an exercise from the upper ab list and do the same. Each ab workout will be 8 sets.

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Week 6 – Moderate to High Volume Legs – 16 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. Let’s pyramid on these today. I want 14, 12, 10, and 8 reps. On the last set, add 25 partial reps after the 8 reps. 4 total work sets. Leg press with elitefts™ bands - Do 3-4 sets of warm ups. I want a close stance this week. I want to really tax your teardrop. So hit sets of 8 pyramiding up until you can’t do 8 anymore. We’ll count the last 3 sets of 8. 3 total work sets. This is your last week of banded leg presses—use both the pro minis and the monster minis this week. It will be brutal. Teardrop leg extension– 2 warm up sets. This is where you sit out toward the end of seat with butt off seat. Let’s pyramid up to a heavy weight! I want 3 sets of 8 with a 2-second flex. 3 total work sets. Smith machine split squats/lunges – Do this one leg at a time. Hit 10 reps on one leg, and then do 10 on the other. I want you to only take 60-second rest breaks on these. These are going to be tough. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Work the stretch on these. I want 3 sets of 8 reps. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. I also want you to use more weight than last week. Try to do these slow and heavy. 3 total work sets. Chest – 14 sets & Shoulders – 12 sets: Flat Dumbbell Press – We are going to pyramid these this week. After a couple of warm up sets, do a hard set of 12, then go up and do 10, then 8, then 6, ok. So 4 total sets. You don’t have to lock these out. Take them to ¾ lockout and come right back down. Keep continuous tension on your pecs. Do get a good stretch at the bottom also! 4 total work sets. Incline barbell press – I want an old school 5 sets of 5 done after 1 set to get the feel of the movement. I want continuous tension on these, too—no locking out, just go to ¾ lockout. Lower the bar to about 1-inch above your chest, ok. 5 total work sets. Barbell bench press –3 sets of 15 on these and again no lockout. This one is going to set your chest on fire. 3 total work sets. Pec minor dips – Do 2 sets of dips to failure. These are the dips where you keep your arms straight and just lower your body and flex your chest to bring yourself back up. If you need a refresher on form, check out my 75 | Programs That Work 2

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website or YouTube channel. 2 total work sets. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – I want 4 sets of 15 reps. Flex each rep hard for 1 second in the contracted position. 4 total work sets. One arm leaning side laterals – This is where you hang onto a pole or something stable and upright, leaning your body away from it. With the non-support arm, perform a side lateral. Take the weight above ear level. Do all your reps on one side, then switch and do the other. These are brutal if you do them right. Again, get the dumbbell up above ear level. I want 4 sets of 15 with each arm. 4 total work sets. Barbell over and backs – I want 3 sets of 10. If you need a refresher on form check my YouTube video or website for video. 3 total work sets. Hang and swing destroyer set – So for your last set of the day, grab some moderately heavy dumbbells and lay face down on an incline utility bench. Do 60 swings, and cut weight in half and do 30 reps. Now stand up and do 10 reps of banded rear lateral pulls. There is video of this on my website and YouTube channel also. 1 total work set. Back – 17 sets: One arm barbell rows – 2 warm up sets of 10, then pyramid up. I want 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps. Grind on these. 4 total work sets. Cable low rows – Nothing fancy here, just do 4 sets of 10 low cable rows. On each rep, lean forward and stretch lats out, then drive weight back with your elbows (you should be sitting up straight when you have weight pulled back). 4 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Rack deadlifts – Start pull at mid-shin. Find a weight that is a tough 5 reps, and do 4 sets of 5 with it. 4 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 2 sets to failure of these. 2 total work set. Arms - Biceps - 12 sets & Triceps 14 sets: V-bar pushdowns - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. V-bar pushdowns –High reps on these today, do 4 sets of 20 reps. 4 total work sets. Seated dip machine – Do a 3-second slow descent/negative as you allow weight to come up, then drive it down and flex for a split second before coming back up. 6 sets of 6 reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets. 6 total work sets.

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Decline lying extension – On these, I laid down an incline sit up bench close to flat (same low angle I use for smith machine decline presses – you know, the small angle), and lay back and do lying extensions. These should feel great at this point, as your elbows are juiced up and triceps pumped. Rest 60 seconds between sets on these. 4 sets of 15 reps. 4 total work sets. Seated dumbbell curls – I want you to do these leaning back a tad on something. The way I do these is to sit in a preacher curl facing out. Your body is naturally sitting back some. Place your elbows against the pad behind you so they can’t move. You can curl very strictly like this. Do 3 sets of 10. It should burn like fire. You can supinate as you come up. 4 total work sets. Machine preacher curls - 4 sets of 15. Find a weight you can do for 15 reps, then do 4 sets with it, only resting 45 seconds between sets. Let’s load your bi’s up with blood. 4 total work sets. Hammer curls – Give me 4 sets of 10 reps with a hard flex at the top of every rep. 4 total work sets. Calves – 10 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. This week do your calves and abs twice, ok! Standing calf raises in smith machine or other machine – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Focus on a good stretch at the bottom and flexing calves at the top of the movement. Pyramid up doing sets of 10. When you get to a hard 10, stick with the same weight for 5 sets of 10. Do 5 sets total. 10 total work sets since you are doing 2 x this week. Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your standing calf raises. Do 5 sets of 15 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets Abdominals– 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:

•• Hanging Leg Raises •• Leg raises with your elbows supported on pad •• Leg raises on a decline board/bench •• V ups


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Pick one exercise from the following to hit upper abs:

•• Incline sit ups •• Rope pulldowns/crunches •• Band crunches

For abs – these will always be simple. You will pick an exercise from the first list and do 4 sets of 15-25 reps depending on how hard they are. Next, you will pick an exercise from the upper ab list and do the same. Each ab workout will be 8 sets.

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Week 7 – High Volume Legs – 17 sets: Barbell stiff legged deadlifts – 2-3 warm up sets. Use 25 plates so you can stretch better at the bottom. Work into the stretch as you go. Don’t rush it. I want 4 sets of 10 reps. Once you get to a fairly hard 10, count that, then add a little weight each set for the next 3 sets also. Keep a slight bend in your knees while doing these. 4 total work sets. Lying leg curls – You are going to do 3 sets of 15. Nothing fancy here, just do perfect reps with someone gently pushing down on your lower back. 3 total work sets. Leg press - Use the exact same form as last week and work your way up, doing sets of 10 until you can no longer get 10 reps. We’ll call that 3 sets. 3 total work sets. Barbell Squats– 1-2 low rep sets working your way up. I want 3 sets of 6 reps on these with 3-second descents. Go to just above parallel. These are meant to be done heavy, but you should get every rep. Do not use a weight so heavy you can’t get the reps with perfect form. Drive out of the hole hard. 3 total work sets. Hack Squat – Ok, this is where the rubber meets the road, baby. Time to finish this one in style. I want 4 sets of 10. The first 2 probably won’t be too hard. For example, you might do 1 plate a side for 10, then 2, then 3, then 4. So it’s a pyramid. On the first two sets, I want you to rest pause them. So get down deep, rest, then drive them up. On the last 2 sets, that is not needed. Just get the 10 reps. Your legs should be on fire, and toasted. 4 total work sets. Chest – 15 sets & Shoulders – 11 sets: Dumbbell Press on a slight elevation – These are the ones where I put a 25-pound plate under each end on one side to gift it the slight elevation. 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. Pyramid up on these. Do sets of 8 all the way up until you can’t get 8 reps on the last one. Don’t make huge jumps. So for example, you might do 45 x 8, 55 x 8, 60 x 8, then 65 x 6 (failing). I want the 4th set to be the set where you fail before 8. 4 total work sets. Stretch pushups – You will be supersetting these with rear delt raises. Go to failure on the pushups. There is video of these on my website and YouTube channel so you can see how they are done. 4 total work sets. Supersetted with: Dumbbell rear laterals – Sets of 20 reps. Do the bent over hang and swing version, not the full range of motion. Please see my website or YouTube channel for video. 4 total work sets. 79 | Programs That Work 2

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Banded barbell bench press –5 sets of 5 with a 1-second pause on your chest. Use the same weight for all sets. You shouldn’t fail on any of these sets, the reps should be explosive off your chest. Lockout on these and flex for a second! If you are not sure how to set up the bands and do these, check my website or YouTube channel for instruction. 5 total work sets. Use Pro Mini bands Dumbbell swings –These are the side laterals where you tilt your head back and do a short range of motion. Use heavy weight and do 3 sets of 25 reps. Your delts will light up. 3 total work sets. Regular dips – Do 2 sets of dips to failure. Let your elbows flare out, tuck your chin into your upper chest, and stretch good at the bottom. Don’t come up all the way. Keep constant tension on the pecs by coming up ¾ of the way. 2 total work sets. Just like last week, in between sets of dips and machine rear laterals, I want you to get a flexible tubing type band and do the stretching that I have in the high intensity chest video on my website and YouTube channel. This is where you straighten your arms out in front of you holding the band and rotate back until band comes behind you to lower back, then back overhead and out front. Arms should be straight the whole time. I want 8 reps per set. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) –1 warm up set, then do the following rep scheme: I want 25, 20, 15, and then 10 reps. Take 60 seconds in between each set. 4 total work sets.

Back – 19 sets: Meadows rows – 2 warm up sets of 10, then pyramid up. I want 5 sets of 8. Grind these out, bust your ass. 5 total work sets. Low cable row – Nothing fancy here, just pyramid up. Rep scheme is 14, 12, 10, 8. 4 total work sets. Chins – Regular chins, do 3 sets to failure. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell Shrugs – Do these with a 3-second hold at the top. Should be painful. 3 sets of 10. 3 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 2 sets to failure of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 2 total work set.

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Arms - Biceps - 14 sets & Triceps 16 sets: V-bar pushdowns - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. QUAD SET – 4 rounds for 16 total sets. V-bar pushdowns – Set of 12. Dips between benches – Sets of 10. Work the top part of the motion. DO not go real low. We will get more stretch on the 4th exercise. Pronated dumbbell kick backs – If you aren’t sure what the form is on these, please visit my YouTube channel or website under the training tab. It is important to use the pronated grip throughout the whole movement to hammer the long/inner head of the triceps. Do sets of 6 reps on these. Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion (just the opposite of the bench dips). Do sets of 6 reps. Your tris will be JACKED with blood. Standing dumbbell curls – Just your typical standing alternating dumbbell curls. Supinate as you come up and flex. I want 4 sets of 10 reps with the same weight. 4 total work sets. EZ bar preacher curls - 4 sets of 6. Do not lower until arm is straight. Stop just short. 4 total work sets. EZ bar curls – Use a 3-second negative. Do 4 sets of 6 reps. 4 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar curls – 2 sets of 15 reps. Standard form, nothing special. Give them a flex at the top for 1 second. 2 total work sets. Calves – 16 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. This week do your calves and abs twice, ok! Toe presses in a leg press machine – Pyramid up doing sets of 10, until you find the max weight you can get 10 with. Do 4 sets of 10 with that weight. Work the stretch! 4 total work sets Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your standing calf raises. Do 4 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 4 total work sets


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Abdominals – 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:



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Week 3 of 3 - Phase 1 Complete Weeks 5-6 – Week 8 overall Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – not started Week 8 – High Volume Legs – 17 sets: Seated leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. 3 sets of 10 hard reps, then I want you to do a drop set. Start with the same weight you did for 10 but do 8. Then drop some weight and do 8 again, and then one final drop of weight for 8 more reps. 4 total work sets. Ham killers – 3 sets to failure (should be around 8 reps per set). 3 total work sets. Leg press - Pyramid up in weight. Do sets of 10 all the way up until you can’t get 10 on a set again this week. We’ll count the last 3 sets as working sets. 3 total work sets. Barbell Squats– Just standard squats here. Go to just a bit above parallel and do 3 heavy sets of 10 reps. Don’t worry about a 3-second descent, use normal speed. 3 total work sets. One leg press in a machine – Do these in a machine as pictured in my website and YouTube video. Do 10 reps on one leg, then 10 on the other. Take a 45-second break and do it again. Repeat 2 more times with 45-second breaks. 4 total work sets. Chest – 14 sets & Shoulders – 13 sets: Machine press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. Pyramid up on these. Do 4 hard sets of 8 reps with a flex in the contracted position. 4 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – Do sets of 6 all the way up until you get to a weight you can barely get 6 with. Do not touch chest, lower the bar to 1-2 inches above your chest and do not lockout. Keep continuous tension on muscle. We’ll count the last 3 sets of 6. 3 total work sets. Banded barbell bench press –5 sets of 6 with a 1-second pause on your chest. Use the same weight for all sets. You shouldn’t fail on any of these sets, the reps should be explosive off your chest. Lockout on these and flex for a second! If you are not sure how to set up the bands and do these, check my website or YouTube channel for instruction. 5 total work sets. Use the Pro Minis again this week. Dips– Do 2 sets of failure. Let your elbows ride out, tuck your chin on your chest, and get down deep. DO not lock out, I want all tension to be on chest. 2 total work sets. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – 1 warm up set then do the following rep scheme: I want 35, 30, 25, and then 20 reps. Take 60 seconds in between each set. 4 total work sets.


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Dumbbell rear laterals – I want you to do heavy hang and swings laying on an incline utility bench on these. 3 sets of 20 reps. Do the bent over hang and swing version, not the full range of motion. Please see my website or YouTube channel for video. 3 total work sets. Over and back press –You will not be able to use heavy weight on these. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. Over and back = 1 rep. Watch my website or YouTube video so you can see exact form. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell Side laterals – Nothing fancy here, just do 3 sets of 10 on side laterals with moderately heavy dumbbells. 3 total work sets. Back – 19 sets: Row-a-thon Meadows rows – 2 warm up sets of 10, then pyramid up. I want 4 sets of 8. 4 total work sets. One arm barbell row – Grind out another hard 4 sets of 8 here. 4 total work sets. Seated cable rows – I want 3 sets of 10. I want you to hold these for a split second in the contracted position to give your lats a huge flex. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Barbell good mornings – Do 3 sets of 10 with a moderate weight. 3 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 2 sets to failure of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 2 total work set. Arms - Biceps - 15 sets & Triceps 15 sets: V-bar pushdowns - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. Tri Set – 4 rounds for 12 total sets Bent over triceps extension – This is where you face away from the pushdown, bend at the waist, and extend your arms. I want sets of 12 reps on these. Pronated dumbbell kick backs – I want you to use more weight than last week on these! If you aren’t sure what the form is on these, please visit my YouTube channel or website under the training tab. It is important to use the pronated grip throughout the whole movement to hammer the long/inner head of the triceps. Do sets of 6 reps on these.

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Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow, just like last week. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion. Do sets of 8 reps. After all tri-sets are completed, go to exercise below: EZ bar lying extensions – Now that your tris are jacked full of blood, let’s do lying extensions with a light to moderate weight. Work hard on the stretch at the bottom. I want an additional 3 sets of 20 reps here. 3 total work sets. Standing dumbbell curls – Keep your palms up throughout the whole movement this week and flex hard. I want 4 sets of 8 reps with the same weight. Do both arms at once if you prefer. 4 total work sets. EZ bar curls - 4 sets of 6, with a 3-second descent. 4 total work sets. Hammer curls –Do 4 sets of 10 reps. Flex hard at the top. 4 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar curls – 3 sets of 12 reps. Standard form, nothing special. Give them a flex at the top for 1 second. 3 total work sets. Calves – 5 sets & Abs - 6 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training day you choose. This week do your calves and abs once, ok! Toe presses in a leg press machine – Pyramid up doing sets of 20. Do 4 sets of 20 for your working sets once you are warmed up. Work the stretch, as always! 5 total work sets Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe presses. Do 5 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets V Ups – 6 sets of 15 reps. This is the same as last week. I love these. When I do these, I lay flat and extend my arms over my head, straight. When I come up, I keep my legs straight and bring them up as I lift my arms up and bring them toward my legs. I try to touch my toes. You will work your lower and upper abs with this exercise. It’s my favorites for abs. The key is to push your lower back into the ground and flex your abs while you are doing this. At the end of the contraction, I lay totally flat on the mat again with arms stretched overhead and start over on next rep. Some people don’t reset, but I prefer to as it keeps my lower back out of it better. I will get video up on this soon. They are very simple to do, and very effective, but kind of hard to describe. 6 total work sets


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Week 9 – High Volume Legs – 19 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. 5 sets of 10 hard reps. Nothing fancy, just grind them out with perfect form. 5 total work sets. Barbell Squats– 2-3 warm up sets of 10 reps. Now I want you to do sets of 6 all the way up to a weight you can barely get 6 with good form. I am looking for 4 hard sets. So for example, you might do 135, 185, and 225 for easy sets of 10, then do 275 for 6, 315 for 6, 365 for 6, and then 405 for 6. That is an example of how this should look. Get down to parallel on these. In between your sets of 6, I want you to try something. Do a split squat (this is where you put one foot on a bench and lunge down with the other leg. This is good for activating your hip flexors to get them firing. These split squats should be very easy. Just 5 reps on each leg (with bodyweight only). You will feel better driving out of the bottom of your squats, as your hips will be looser and not pulling on your spine so much. 4 total work sets. Hack squat - Pyramid up in weight. Do sets of 10 all the way up until you can’t get 10 on a set. We’ll count the last 3 sets as working sets. 3 total work sets. Heavy dumbbell lunges – I want you to use the style where you step forward with one leg then bring the trail leg back to even (feet together). Then step forward with the same leg. Do 10 reps with one leg, then turn around and come back doing 10 with the other leg. Use straps on these, as I expect you to be using heavy dumbbells. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Do 4 heavy sets of 8 on these. Keep a little bend in your knees. 4 total work sets. Chest – 14 sets & Shoulders – 13 sets: Flat dumbbell press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. Pyramid up on these. Do sets of 8 all the way until you can’t get 8 reps. So for example, you might do 25, 45, and 65-pound dumbbells for 10 to warm up. Then you might do 80, 90, 100, and 110s for 8 reps. That is the idea, anyway, in terms of the pyramid. 4 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – Do sets of 6 all the way up until you get to a weight you can barely get 6 with. Do not touch chest, lower the bar to 1-2 inches above chest and do not lockout. Keep continuous tension on the muscle. We’ll count the last 4 sets of 6. 4 total work sets.

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Banded barbell bench press – 4 sets of 5 with a 1-second pause on your chest. Use the same weight for all sets. You shouldn’t fail on any of these sets, the reps should be explosive off your chest. Lockout on these and flex for a second! If you are not sure how to set up the bands and do these, check my website or YouTube channel for instruction. Use more weight then you did last week on these. 4 total work sets. Use the Pro Monster mini bands this week. Machine flyes– Do 2 sets of failure. I want high reps on these, and you do not have to flex on these this time. Try to get 2 sets of 20 reps. 2 total work sets. Dumbbell Side laterals – Do 1 warm up set of 15 reps. Do 4 sets of 8 on side laterals with moderately heavy dumbbells. 4 total work sets. Ultra wide grip overhead press – You will not be able to use heavy weight on these. Do 4 sets of 10 reps. Watch my website or YouTube video so you can see exact form. Make sure you touch your chest and only go to the top of your forehead on the press. 4 total work sets. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – Do the following rep scheme: I want 15, 12, 10, and then 8 reps. Flex each rep hard at the contracted position. 4 total work sets. Dumbbell rear laterals – I want you to do a “destroyer” set of these today. Do the bent over hang and swing version, not the full range of motion. Swing a heavy weight for 60 reps, then drop the dumbbells, cut the weight in half and do 30 more reps. Finally, drop the weight, cut it in half, and do another 10 reps trying to flex at the top. Please see my website or YouTube channel for video. 1 total work set. Back – 19 sets: Row-a-thon II One arm barbell row – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Use 25-pound plates for a greater range of motion. Grind out another hard 4 sets of 10 here. 4 total work sets. Meadows rows – I want slightly higher reps for a shock on these today. Do 3 sets of 15. 3 total work sets. Supported chest rows – I want 3 sets of 10 with a massive stretch. Check out my website or YouTube channel for an example of these. Basically, I want you to do a row where your chest is supported by a pad, and for you to reach out and really stretch your lats hard. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell shrugs – Do 3 sets of 10 with a 3-second flex at the top of the movement. 3 total work sets. Hyperextension with a band – Do 3 sets to failure of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. 3 total work set.


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Arms - Biceps - 14 sets & Triceps 16 sets: V-bar pushdowns - 3 sets of 12 to warm up. Quad Set – 4 rounds for 16 total sets Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion. Do sets of 8 reps. Pronated dumbbell kick backs – I want you to try again to use more weight than last week on these! If you aren’t sure what the form is on these, please visit my YouTube channel or website under the training tab. It is important to use the pronated grip throughout the whole movement to hammer the long/inner head of the triceps. Do sets of 6 reps on these. Bent over triceps extension – This is where you face away from the pushdown, bend at the waist, and extend your arms. I want sets of 12 reps on these. Triangle pushups – Touch your thumbs and forefingers to see how many pushups you can do. If that’s too hard, move your hands out some but make sure you keep your elbows tucked into your side so that you are working more triceps then chest. Sets to failure on these. Rest 45 seconds between all sets for biceps. Hammer curls – Do 2 warm up sets, then do 4 sets of 10 reps. Flex hard at the top. 4 total work sets. EZ bar curls - 4 sets of 6, with a 3-second descent. 4 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar preacher curls – 3 sets of 8 reps. Flex at the top for 1 second. 3 total work sets. Standing dumbbell curls – Keep your palms up throughout the whole movement this week and flex hard. I want 3 sets of 8 reps with the same weight. Do both arms at once if you prefer. 3 total work sets. Calves – 10 sets & Abs - 12 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training days you choose. This week do your calves and abs twice, ok! Toe presses in a leg press machine – Pyramid up doing sets of 8 on these. Go heavy this week for 5 sets of 8 after warming up. 5 total work sets Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe presses. Do 5 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets

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V Ups – 6 sets of 15 reps. This is the same as last week. I love these. When I do these, I lay flat and extend my arms over my head, straight. When I come up, I keep my legs straight and bring them up as I lift my arms up and bring them toward my legs. I try to touch my toes. You will work your lower and upper abs with this exercise. It’s my favorites for abs. The key is to push your lower back into the ground and flex your abs while you are doing this. At the end of the contraction, I lay totally flat on the mat again with arms stretched overhead and start over on next rep. Some people don’t reset, but I prefer to as it keeps my lower back out of it better. I will get video up on this soon. They are very simple to do, and very effective, but kind of hard to describe. 6 total work sets


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Week 3 of 3 - Phase 1 Complete Weeks 6-6 – Phase 2 Complete Weeks 1-3 – Phase 3 – week 10 overall

Week 10 – Moderate to Low Volume Legs – 13 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. 2 sets of 10 hard reps. Nothing fancy, just grind them out with perfect form. For your 3rd set I want 10 reps, drop the weight and do 8 more, then leave the weight the same and do 25 partials out of the bottom. 3 total work sets. Barbell Squats– 2-3 warm up sets of 10 reps. This is just like last week, but I want you to push the weight a bit more. Try to add weight to your hard sets of 6. Do sets of 6 all the way up to a weight you can barely get for 6 with good form. I am looking for 4 hard sets. So for example, you might do 135, 185, and 225 for easy sets of 10, then do 275 for 6, 315 for 6, 365 for 6, and then 405 for 6. That is an example of how this should look. Get down to parallel on these. In between your sets of 6, I want you to do what you did last week to loosen up your hip flexors and get them firing. Do a split squat (this is where you put one foot on a bench and lunge down with the other leg). These split squats should be very easy. Just 5 reps on each leg (with bodyweight only). You will feel better driving out of the bottom of your squats, as your hips will be looser and not pulling on your spine so much. This is the same thing you did last week for hip flexors, so hopefully you noticed you were stronger and more stable at the deep squat position. 4 total work sets. Hack squat - Do 2 light sets of 6 reps as a knee warm-up. I want one hard drop set here. Use a weight that is a tough 10 reps, and after your 10, drop the weight and do another 8 reps. Finally, lower your feet on the platform some and pump out 20 reps for teardrop. 1 total work set. Smith machine split squats/lunges – Do one leg at a time. Crank 12 reps on one leg, then do 12 on the other. I want 2 sets total, with only a 30-second rest between the two sets. 2 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Do 3 heavy sets of 8 on these. Keep a little bend in your knees. 3 total work sets. Chest – 11 sets & Shoulders – 9 sets: Machine flat press – 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want 3 sets of 8 reps on these done with a 1-second flex at the top. Get the blood pumping on these. 3 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – Just like last week, do sets of 6 all the way up until you get to a weight you can barely get 6 with. Do not touch your chest, lower the bar to 1-2 inches above your chest and do not lockout. Keep continuous tension on the muscle. We’ll count the last 3 sets of 6. I want you to beat what you did last week. 3 total work sets.

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Banded barbell bench press – Pyramid on these this week. Rep scheme is 6, 5, 4, and 3 reps. All reps are done with a HARD 1-second flex against the band in the lockout position. I uploaded video to my website and YouTube channel of how we attach the elitefts™ bands to do these. 4 total work sets. Use the Pro Monster minis again. Bar dips– Do 1 set to failure on these. Tuck your chin into your chest and flare your elbows out. Go deep but do not lock out. 1 total work set. Do your band stretches in between each set of shoulder work today! Do 8 stretches in between each set. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – Do the following rep scheme: I want 20, 15, 12, and then 10 reps. Flex each rep hard at the contracted position. 4 total work sets. Bent over barbell rows – Do these with a wide grip and keep your elbows up (not against your sides) to work rear delts. Do 3 sets of 15. Try and flex your rear delts on each rep. These should feel good after doing the machine rear delt work. Since your rear delts are a bit fatigued, you may notice your traps taking over and trying to help. That’s ok. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell Side laterals – Do 1 warm up set of 15 reps. Do 2 sets of 12 on side laterals with medium heavy dumbbells. 2 total work sets. Back – 16 sets: One arm barbell rows – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Use 25-pound plates for a greater range of motion. Grind out a 3 sets of 8 here. 3 total work sets. Reeve’s Deadlifts – After 2 warm up sets of 6 reps, I want 4 sets of 6 pyramiding up. 4 total work sets. Wide grip pulldowns – Grip all the way on the end of the bar. Use a heavy weight and relax and let your scapulae stretch at the top. Only pull the bar down to the top of your head. Do 3 sets of 8 reps. 3 total work sets. Dumbbell pullovers – These are to be done in the style where you lay on the bench—not across it. You hang your head off the end of the bench and slowly work into a nice stretch. Only bring the dumbbell back to the top of your forehead. Watch my YouTube video or website video to see exact form. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Good mornings with a band – Do 3 sets to failure (hopefully around 15-20 reps) of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. Bands are from www.elitefts.com. We typically use the orange bands (thick ones—not short ones, obviously). 3 total work sets.


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Arms - Biceps - 12 sets & Triceps 11 sets: Rope pushdowns – 2-3 sets of 15 to warm up. Pyramid up. Rep scheme should be: 20, 15, 12, 10, and 8. 5 total work sets. Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion. Do 3 hard sets of 8 reps. 3 total work sets. Pronated dumbbell kick backs – 3 sets of 8. Go heavy and flex as hard as you can in a contracted position. 3 total work sets. Rest 30 seconds between all sets for biceps this week! Standing dumbbell curls – Keep your palms up throughout the whole movement this week and flex hard. I want 3 sets of 8 reps with the same weight. Do both arms at once if you prefer. 3 total work sets. EZ bar curls - 3 sets of 6, with a 3-second descent. 3 total work sets. Hammer curls – Do 2 warm up sets, then do 3 sets of 10 reps. Flex hard at the top. 3 total work sets. Reverse EZ bar preacher curls – 3 sets of 8 reps. Flex at the top for 1 second. 3 total work sets. Calves – 6 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training days you choose. This week do your calves and abs once, ok! Standing Calf Raises – Pyramid up doing sets of 10 on these. Go heavy this week for 6 sets of 10 after warming up. 6 total work sets Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe presses. Do 5 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets Abdominals– 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:

•• Hanging Leg Raises •• Leg raises with your elbows supported on pad •• Leg raises on a decline board/bench •• V ups

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Pick one exercise from the following to hit upper abs:



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Week 11 – Low volume Legs – 11 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. 2 strict sets of 15 reps. 2 total work sets. Leg press– 2-3 warm up sets of 10 reps. Keep pyramiding up until you can’t get 10 reps. We will count the last 3 sets you do as sets. Use a medium width stance with feet towards the upper part of the platform. 3 total work sets. Hack squat - Do 2 light sets of 6 reps as a knee warm-up. Let’s pyramid these too. I want you to keep going up until you can barely get 8 reps. Go deep, but don’t pause. Fire back up to ¾ lockout. Keep continuous tension on those quads. We’ll count the last 2 sets on these. 2 total work set. Walking dumbbell lunges – Do one leg at a time. Use straps and heavy weight so you can only get around 10 steps on each leg. So step forward with the right leg and then bring the left leg up to even (so feet are beside each other), and then step forward with the right leg again. Go until you can’t do any more on the one leg. Rest 30 seconds, then come back on the other leg. Do 2 rounds. 2 total work sets. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Do 2 heavy sets of 10 on these. Keep a little bend in your knees. 2 total work sets. Chest – 8 sets & Shoulders – 8 sets: Machine flyes– 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want 2 sets of 12 reps on these done with a 1-second flex at the top. Get the blood pumping on these. 2 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – Just like last week, do sets of 6 all the way up until you get to a weight you can barely get 6 with. Do not touch your chest. Lower the bar to 1-2 inches above your chest and do not lockout. Keep continuous tension on the muscle. We’ll count the last 3 sets of 6. I want you to beat what you did last week. 3 total work sets. Reverse band bench – I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. These are awesome for overloading the chest and tris at the top. You will be able to use a lot of weight because you will have help getting out of the bottom from the bands. I use the long grey bands from elitefts.com on these. Study how to put these on. It takes a little while to get it down perfectly, but I’m telling you, you will love these once you get the hang of them. Hook up the thick orange “light” bands from the top for these.

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If you don’t want to try these or can’t get the bands hooked up, do the regular banded bench presses (with monster minis) where bands are on bottom. Either way I want 3 sets of 5 reps. 3 total work sets. Do your band stretches in between each set of shoulder work today! Do 8 stretches in between each set. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – Do the following rep scheme: I want 3 heavy sets of 10 on these. Flex each rep hard at the contracted position. 3 total work sets. Superset with: Rear delt band pulls – I use the skinny orange elitefts™ bands for these. Double up the band and grab in closer and nail your rear delts. Watch my YouTube channel or website video so you can see how I do these. I want 3 sets to failure. 3 total work sets. Cage press – Do 2 solid sets of 8 reps on these. Remember to lean forward and flex delts at top. Watch my YouTube channel or website video to see how these are done. 2 total work sets. Back – 10 sets: Meadows rows – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Pyramid up to a weight that is tough to get 8 reps with. Do 3 sets of 8 with that weight. 3 total work sets. Cable rows – Use separate handles so you can pull back an inch or two farther. Keep your elbows in tight and drive your elbows back hard. Focus on squeezing lats. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. 3 total work sets. Wide grip pulldowns – Grip all the way on the end of the bar. Use a heavy weight and relax and let your scapulae stretch at the top. Only pull the bar down to the top of your head. Do 2 sets of 8 reps. 2 total work sets. Banded hyperextensions – 2 sets to failure. This should torch your lower back. 2 total work sets. Good mornings with a band – Do 2 sets to failure (hopefully around 15-20 reps) of these. I have video of this on my YouTube channel and website. Bands are from www.elitefts.com. We typically use an orange or grey band on these (thick ones—not short ones) 2 total work sets. Arms - Biceps - 9 sets & Triceps 10 sets: V bar pushdowns – 2-3 sets of 15 to warm up. Pyramid up. Rep scheme should be: 12, 10, 8, and 6. 4 total work sets. Pronated dumbbell kick backs – 4 sets of 8. Go heavy and flex as hard as you can in a contracted position. 4 total work sets. Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion. Do 2 sets of 25 reps. I want you to fill them with blood. 2 total work sets.


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Standing dumbbell curls – Keep your palms up throughout the whole movement this week and flex hard. I want 3 sets of 8 reps with the same weight. Do a 3-second descent on each rep. Do each arm separate this week. 3 total work sets. Just a note – If you happen to have a pair of those “fatgripz,” those are what I used for the dumbbell curls and for the regular bar curls. If not, no worries. Barbell curls - 3 sets of 6, with a 3-second descent. 3 total work sets. Barbell reverse curls – Do 3 sets of 20 reps. 3 total work sets. Calves – 8 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training days you choose. This week do your calves and abs twice, ok! Standing Calf Raises – Warm up doing a couple sets of 10 on these. Let’s rep these this week for 4 sets of 25 after warming up. 4 total work sets ( 8 sets for the week) Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe presses. Do 5 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets Abdominals– 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:


•• Incline sit ups •• Rope pulldowns/crunches •• Band crunches For abs – these will always be simple. You will pick an exercise from the first list and do 4 sets of 15-25 reps depending on how hard they are. Next, you will pick an exercise from the upper ab list and do the same. Each ab workout will be 8 sets. elitefts.com



Week 12 – Low volume Legs – 10 sets: Lying leg curls – 2-3 warm up sets. 3 strict sets of 15 reps. 3 total work sets. Squat– 2-3 warm up sets of 8 reps. Keep pyramiding up until you can’t get 8 reps. We will count the last 3 sets you do as sets. Use constant tension, do not lockout, and only come up ¾ of the way. 3 total work sets. Leg Press – I want you to do a few 6 rep sets to get you up to a hard weight and then do 1 drop set. The set should look like this: X plates for a HARD 10 reps, then take weight off and do 8 more, and take weight off and do 8 more, and then take weight off and bust ass to failure. 1 total work set. Hack squat - Do 1 low rep set to get your knees used to the movement. Next, I want 1 drop set. The set should look like this: Do X plates for 6 reps, drop weight and do 6 more, then drop weight and shoot for 1215 reps. Keep your foot stance high and medium width on the platform. 1 total work set. Dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts – Do 2 heavy sets of 10 on these. Keep a little bend in your knees. 2 total work sets. Chest – 9 sets & Shoulders – 10 sets: Machine flies– 2-3 sets of 10 to warm up. I want 2 sets of 12 reps on these done with a 1-second flex at the top. Get the blood pumping on these. 2 total work sets. Incline barbell bench press – Just like last week, do sets of 6 all the way up until you get to a weight you can barely get 6 with. Do not touch your chest. Lower the bar to 1-2 inches above your chest and do not lockout. Keep continuous tension on the muscle. We’ll count the last 4 sets of 6. I want you to beat what you did last week. 4 total work sets. Flat Dumbbell Twist Press – I want you to do 3 sets of 8 on these. Put a 25-pound plate under one end of utility bench so that you are on a very slight incline. 3 total work sets. Do your band stretches in between each set of chest work today! Do 8 stretches in between each set. This is where you take the band over your head and behind your back all the way down to lower back, then go in reverse and come back around to front. Machine rear delt raises (reverse peck deck) – Do the following rep scheme: I want 3 sets of 20 on these. Flex each rep hard at the contracted position. 3 total work sets.


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Superset with: Rear delt band pulls – I use the skinny orange elitefts™ bands for these. Double up the band and grab in closer and nail your rear delts. Watch my YouTube channel or website video so you can see how I do these. I want 3 sets to failure. 3 total work sets. Use a skinny orange micro band for this. Dumbbell side laterals – I want you to do 4 normal sets of 8 reps with a moderately heavy weight. 4 total work sets. Back – 15 sets: Meadows rows – Do 2-3 warm up sets. Pyramid up to a weight that is tough to get 8 reps with. Do 3 sets of 8 with that weight. 3 total work sets. Smith machine bent over rows – No pausing on these like before. Use a weight that allows you to hold and flex for one second. These will feel awesome after the Meadows Rows. Do a pyramid. I want 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps. Remember, don’t go too heavy and lose mind-muscle connection! 4 total work sets. Reeve’s modified deads with short bar (or EZ curl bar) – We will give your arms a break and pound on your lower back and traps. Watch my video on my website or YouTube channel if you need a reminder on how to do these. I want 5 sets of 5 after 2 warm up sets of 5. 5 total work sets. Stretchers – 3 sets of 10 reps. After the rows and modified deads, these should also feel great in your lats. 3 total work sets. Arms - Biceps - 9 sets & Triceps 12 sets: TRISET – 4 ROUNDS This is the same as last week, but I am turning it into 4 tri-sets this week. You go from one exercise to the other with little to no rest. This should jack your arms up. V bar pushdowns – 2-3 sets of 15 to warm up. I want sets of 12. 4 total work sets. Then immediately to: Pronated dumbbell kick backs – 4 sets of 8. Go heavy and flex as hard as you can in a contracted position. 4 total work sets. Then immediately to: Dip machine – On these, let the weight ride up and stretch your tri near your elbow. Do not lock out. Work the top part of the motion. Do sets of 8. Try to go up in weight on each set of these. 4 total work sets. Standing dumbbell curls – Keep your palms up throughout the whole movement this week and flex hard. I elitefts.com


want 3 sets of 8 reps with the same weight. Do a 3-second descent on each rep. Do each arm separate this week. 3 total work sets. EZ bar preacher curls - 3 sets of 6, with a 3-second descent. Squeeze for 1 second at the top. 3 total work sets. Barbell reverse curls – Do 3 sets of 8 reps. Try to actually go a little heavy on these today. Just bring your arm up to 45 degrees on these. 3 total work sets. Calves – 8 sets: You can do calves and abs on any training days you choose. This week do your calves and abs once, ok! Standing Calf Raises – Warm up doing a couple sets of 10 on these. I want 8 sets of 8. 4 total work sets Tibia raises – Same as last week. If you have one of the tibia raise machines, I want you to do these also between all of your toe presses. Do 5 sets of 10 reps on each tibialis anterior. If you don’t have one of those machines, disregard this. 5 total work sets Abdominals – 8 sets Pick one exercise from the following to hit lower abs:


•• Incline sit ups •• Rope pulldowns/crunches •• Band crunches For abs – these will always be simple. You will pick an exercise from the first list and do 4 sets of 15-25 reps depending on how hard they are. Next, you will pick an exercise from the upper ab list and do the same. Each ab workout will be 8 sets. I have video of the band crunches, V ups, and Rope crunches on my YouTube channel.


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Biography Health and Fitness became a passion of mine at a very young age. I remember very vividly traveling to the local sundry store with my grandmother and sitting on the floor in the magazine section, reading the “Anatomy and Physiology” section in Muscle and Fitness. I don’t think too many other 12 year olds were interested in this kind of thing, but I thought it was really cool. My grandmother was a very well known cook in our local restaurant, where much of the town ate. Since she would always run into people and chat with them, I had ample time to memorize all the muscle names, exercise routines, etc. When I was 13-years old, I entered my first bodybuilding competition. Back in those days, there was a 13to 17-year old teenage class. Of course, I got last, as all the 17-year olds crushed me, but I was hooked. Through the years, I did spend a lot of time in a variety of organized sports including football, wrestling, and track. The bodybuilding efforts I was putting in did carry over to the other sports, as I wasn’t the biggest and strongest guy without weight training. The increased strength, flexibility, and endurance I had paid dividends. This was one facet I really enjoyed about bodybuilding—the amount of work I put into it was what I got out of it. Hard work equals success. I continued to compete over the years, and I have won something like 18 contests along the way, including many state and regional titles, as well as a national title. I also have, and continue to, work with a number of athletes from differing backgrounds. I still train extremely hard and try to practice what I preach. I have been fortunate through the years to work with some very smart people like Dr. Serrano and others. I have always made it a goal to seek out the smartest people and try to learn the most I can from them. Nutrition is a passion of mine that I love to share with others. There are many things about my program that do not necessarily agree with mainstream theory, but you will see that the philosophies I have are rooted in fact—not fiction. You will learn that saturated fats aren’t all that bad for you—neither is dietary cholesterol— and many other nutritional truths that can be applied to eating for better results. Warm Regards,

John Meadows

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Ten Commandments of Strength & Size for Skinny Guys By Christopher Smith

So, I headed to the gym the other day—squat day—ready to crush it. Everything seemed to indicate that it was going to be a good day, and I was eager to hit the bar. Then, as I was grinding through my top set, something amazing happened. As I drove out of the hole, everything seemed to white out. Now, I know that’s not really that amazing, as it’s not all that uncommon during the last rep of a really tough set of squats. However, the amazing thing is what happened during that time: an image appeared to me and gifted me with the 10 Commandments of Strength and Size for Skinny Guys. 1. Thou shalt focus on classic compound lifts – The squat, deadlift, bench, standing press row, and pull-up are well established as the most effective lifts at building strength and size. Even so, many lifters seem to dedicate too much of their time to inferior lifts. For a skinny guy, these are especially important because they recruit so many muscle fibers and allow you to lift the most weight. More weight equals higher intramuscular tension, which yields a bigger stimulus for muscle building. In addition to this, these lifts build neuromuscular strength most effectively. Basically, you should be spending most of your time on these lifts. 2. Thou shalt consume at least 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight – If you’re trying to get bigger, you need to eat… and eat a lot. For building muscle, however, protein is key. If you’re not getting enough protein to meet your needs, there is no way you’re going to put on muscle. And if you don’t put on muscle, there is no way you’re going to get stronger. One and a half grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good place to start for muscle building; however, consuming up to two grams per pound of bodyweight has worked very well for many lifters in the past. 3. Thou shalt admit you need to eat more – Every time I talk to a skinny guy who is struggling to put on weight, one of the first things I ask is what he is eating. Inevitably, I have to listen to him explain how he “eats so much” and can’t possibly eat any more… followed by an explanation about how his turbocharged metabolism is the reason he can’t gain weight. After suggesting that he keep a food journal, though, it becomes clear that he isn’t eating enough. If your goal is to build muscle, you need to accept that you need to eat and eat plenty. It is also just as important to eat the right things. More often than not, lifters I’ve spoken to who have this issue are eating mostly junk. Processed carbs, in particular, seem to be a recurring theme. If your diet revolves around junk and sugar, it is not only impeding your attempt to build muscle, but these things also are taking up space in your diet that could (and should) be dedicated towards high quality foods. If you’re following the 2nd Commandment, this should be less of a problem. 4. Keep holy the rest day – Recovery is paramount for muscle building and strength development. From a structural standpoint, your body needs time to rebuild the muscle fibers and connective tissues that are damaged during strength training. Neurologically, your body needs to recover from the strain of heavy lifting. Days off from the gym can be just as important as training days and should be treated as such. Specifically, you should focus on nutrition during your off days. It’s very easy to get great nutrition in on training days and then slack off when you’re resting. Don’t fall into that trap. The same rules apply! 5. Thou shalt train different rep ranges – What’s the best rep range for building muscle? All of them! Sure, you should prioritize one rep range based on your program phase, but that doesn’t mean you should totally neglect others. Different muscle fiber types respond best to different rep ranges, and training different ones maximizes muscular potential. How you vary your ranges will depend on your program, but the important part is that you make sure to vary your rep ranges at some point.


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6. Thou shalt monitor thy volume – As established above, you should be training different rep ranges to make sure you are maximizing the growth of all muscle fibers. However, if you’re just doing three sets—no matter your rep range, you’re selling yourself short and compromising gains. A good rule of thumb is to add up your total work reps and try to stay within a certain range. For lower rep ranges (i.e. 1-3), you should shoot for 10-20 total reps, which means you could be doing up to 10 work sets. For moderate rep ranges (4-8), aim for 20-40 total reps. For higher rep ranges, try to get at least 30 reps, but don’t be afraid of going much higher. Doing a little math could be the difference between making huge gains and seeing nothing. 7. Thou shalt not program hop – Training A.D.D. is a rampant problem. If you think you can do Westside one week, rest-pause the next, and then try a single cycle of 5/3/1, you are never going to get anywhere. The most often you should be changing your program is every four weeks if you are using a block style system. Some programs, like 5/3/1, should be followed for a longer period of time in order to maximize gains from them. Give your program the time it deserves. Gains aren’t made overnight, so don’t expect magic results by running a program for a week. 8. Thou shalt not fail – If strength is your primary goal, then failing reps is the last thing you want to do in the gym. Strength is a skill, and you always want to practice succeeding. Frequently failing reps exposes your body to extra stress, increases your chance of injury, and prolongs recovery time. Hitting failure can be useful once in a while, but it shouldn’t be something you do on a regular basis, especially on the big lifts. Accessory movements, normally done for high reps, can tolerate going to failure a little more often. Still, try not to make it a habit. If you can’t lift it by yourself, you can’t lift it! 9. Thou shalt not neglect general physical preparedness – Unfortunately, since skinny guys are so focused on putting on weight, the first thing to get thrown out of their program is often GPP work. Since GPP work is often associated with fat loss, it’s viewed as unnecessary. While it is true that skinny guys don’t really need to worry about fat loss, GPP work still has value. It can help improve recovery and also improves overall conditioning. Better conditioning means that you will most likely need less recovery time between sets, you will generally carry less body fat, and you will just be in better shape overall. If the guys at Westside place value on this, then maybe it’s something you should consider, too. All you need to do is to throw in some sled dragging a couple of times a week. That’s not too much to ask. 10. Thou shalt get strong(er) – More important than anything else is to constantly strive to make progress. Don’t be the guy in the gym who is just there to “maintain.” Resist the temptation to be complacent with where you are and what you have done. Don’t lose hope if you aren’t seeing the results you want immediately. Step back, reevaluate what you are doing, and don’t be afraid to get a second opinion if necessary. It takes extraordinary resolve to reach your fullest potential. Stay dedicated and continue in the relentless pursuit of strength. Of course, these are just guidelines to lead you along your path to becoming a successful lifter. There is no substitute for hard work. You can’t expect anyone else to lift the weights for you. If you stay dedicated, there is no reason why you can’t achieve your goals.

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Eight-Week Athlete Training Template By Matt Rhodes

This program is developed for athletes looking to build explosive strength, power, and muscular hypertrophy. It is loosely based off of Western Periodization style and the Block Periodization template. The percentages are based off of a two-rep max, so all sets and reps should be completed without failing. I am currently using this with the baseball team. They are making tremendous progress, and I look forward to their testing results. I will be using RM tests—not a true one-rep max to test the athletes. There is really no reason for athletes to do one-rep maxes. Rep maxes are safer, and if they are in the three to five rep range, they are very accurate when calculated for one-rep max. This should improve the players’ 60-yard dash, pro agility, and vertical jump tests, as well as helping to build their overall body strength that can then be transferred onto the baseball field. Hang Clean/Snatch/High Pull Progression Weeks 1 and 5 Weeks 2 and 6 Weeks 3 and 7 Weeks 4 and 8

– 4x5 – 4x4 – 4x3 – 4x2

Squat/Bench Press Progression Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

– 5x5 @ 70-75% – 5x5 @ 72.5-77.5% – 5x5 @ 75-80% – 5x5 @ 77.5-82.5% – 5x3 @ 80-85% – 5x3 @ 85-90% – 5x2 @ 90-95% – Test 1, 2 or 3-RM

Training Template: Monday – Squat (Power/Strength) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Snatch or High Pull – follow progression Squat – follow progression RDL – 4x10 Reverse BB Lunge – 3x5 each leg Single-leg Hip Ext. (glute bridge) – 3x10 Abs

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Behind the Neck Jerk – 3x3 Bench – follow progression DB incline – 4x10 DB Rows – 4x10 Shoulder 21s (3-way Shoulder Raises) – 3x Biceps/Triceps – 3x10 Abs

Tuesday – Bench Press (Power/Strength)


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Thursday – DE Squat (Speed/Power) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Hang Clean DE Squat 8x3 Step-ups Concentric Only RDL Lateral Squat Abs

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Box Jumps Close-grip Bench Military Press Pull-ups Seated Rows Biceps/Triceps Abs

– follow progression – follow progression – 3x5 each leg – 4x10 – 3x6 each leg

Friday – Bench/Military Press (Hypertrophy) – 3x5 – 12, 10, 8, 6 – 3x10 – 4x5-10 – 4x10 – 3x10

Notes: When calculating max weights, use a two-rep max not a one-rep max. All percentages are based off of a two-rep max. This will ensure that all of the sets will be performed and no repetitions should be missed. This is a lot of work. You will be sore, and you will feel tired. At the end of the eight-week cycle, I suggest taking one or two weeks to back off and let the body recover. After that, you can start the program over with a new 2-RM if you see fit.

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Twelve-Week Training Cycle By Josh McMillan

I am laying out my 12-week training cycle that I will use to get ready for my next powerlifting meet. Some things may change during the course of this 12-week cycle due to injury or recovery from other lifts. So things are never set in stone, but at least this is the plan, and I hope to stay on track. Listed below you will also find the diet protocol and supplementation I will be using during this powerlifting meet cycle. ** Disclaimer- my diet protocol is based off my weight and what works for me. It will need to be altered for each individual. 12 WEEK DEADLIFT TRAINING: Week 12: 50-55% deadlifts for 4 sets of 5 reps Week 11: Rack pulls from above knee for 4 sets of 3 reps (heavy) Week 10: 60-65% deadlifts for 4 sets of 3 reps Week 9: Deload week (speed pulls), 8 singles with 55% Week 8: 70-75% deadlifts for 3 sets of 2 reps, (add METAL deadlift suit, straps either up or down) Week 7: Cambered bar GMs (or whatever bar you have), 5 sets of 5 reps Week 6: 80% deadlifts for 3 sets of 1 rep, (Deadlift suit on, straps up) Week 5: Deload week (speed pulls w/ chains)—50% bar weight +4 chains (80 pounds), 5 singles Week 4: Last Heavy Pull, this will go by feel—90%x1, 95%x1, 100%x1 (full gear, you will figure out a new opener here) Week 3: Rack pulls from below knees, 3 sets of 5 reps (not too heavy) Week 2 (or 1 Week Out): Light assistance work, form pulls with 40%-45% for 4-5 singles. DONE Week 1/ Meet Day: New PR (Usually by this time, I hope to open with 90% of my last PR with ease)


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Some Examples of Accessory post-deadlifting: • • • • • • • • • •

Glute ham raises Calves Shrugs Stiff leg deadlifts for reps Rack pulls with bands for reps Back work (hammer machine back, barbell rows, dumbbell rows, lat pull downs, etc) Hamstring work 45 degree back raises Weighted back extensions Band pull aparts

**I will choose some accessory work to do after my deadlifting. It will depend on where I feel I need the work. Example: Week 11: 50-55% deadlifts for 4 sets of 5 reps, then... • Stiff leg deadlifts, half reps- 3 sets of 12-15 reps • Hammer back machine rows- 3 sets of 10-12 reps • Calf machine- 3 sets of 15 reps • Barbell shrugs- 3 sets until failure 12 Week Diet Protocol: “My” SET MACROS per meal (This will differ per individual) **This will be seven meals a day, not including pre-training and during training shakes. • •

Training Days: 50 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbs, 20 grams of Healthy fats. Non-Training Days: 50 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs, 20 grams of Healthy fats.

SUPPLEMENTATION: • Leucine • BCAA’s • Whey and Casein Proteins • Fish Oil • Mag 10 from Biotest • Waxy Maize

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Six Basic Exercises Young Athletes Must Master By Molly Galbraith

If you’re a strength coach who works with teenage athletes, your goal should be to get them stronger, make them faster, and keep them healthy. This is the role of a strength coach, right? Right! (If you didn’t answer yes to that question, then what the hell do you think your role is anyway?) If your athletes are anything like the kids who come into my facility, they are often weak, injured, and overall don’t move very well. Say what?! When the heck did this happen? When did 13-year-olds start blowing their shoulders off playing baseball? When did the majority of the 13- to 17-year-olds who play high school sports start having pain? Is this normal? Absolutely not… or at least it shouldn’t be. My business partner, Jim Laird—of J&M Strength and Conditioning, spoke at the Kentucky NSCA conference two years ago on the subject of strength training for young athletes. To gather data that drove home the point of his presentation, he did an informal poll with over a dozen prominent strength coaches in both the private and the collegiate sectors. His question was as follows: “How many D1 athletes do you see who can do a proper body weight squat, a proper push-up, and who move well, in general?” The consensus among the coaches? Less than 10%. 10%! And these are D1 athletes. These athletes are supposed to be the cream of the crop. Just imagine how poorly prepared the rest of the kids are. The root of this problem appears to be threefold: 1. Kids don’t play or do manual labor anymore. 2. Kids play the same sport year-round from the time they are very young. 3. Sport coaches try to also be strength and conditioning coaches for their teams.

Since we can’t do much to change the issues listed above, we have to work with what we’ve got and do our part to help these kids move better, feel better, and perform better. So how do we do that? We start with the basics. Sure, a kid who gets stronger in the deadlift or the power clean is most likely going to perform better in his or her sport due to increased strength levels. But what if that kid doesn’t move well enough to perform that lift properly? Are kids actually getting stronger? Or are they getting stronger in places where they are already strong and increasing their risk of injury? I would argue that for most kids, it’s the latter. For my business partner, Jim, and myself, there are six movements a young athlete must master before we allow them to move on to more advanced exercises. They are as follows: 1. Goblet Squat – Popularized by Dan John, the goblet squat is a fantastic way to teach athletes the basic squat pattern, and allow them to load it, before putting a bar on their back. Once an athlete becomes proficient in the goblet squat, you can have them perform other squat variations (front squat, barbell back squat, safety bar squat, etc.). At that point, they will have grooved a proper squat pattern, be using the correct muscle groups to perform the squat, and be less likely to get injured. We like for an athlete to be able to goblet squat 40% of his or her body weight for 8-10 reps before loading their spine.


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2. Pull Through – The pull through is a fantastic exercise that teaches the all-important hip hinge pattern. As my friend and Coach Mike Robertson says, “Every great athlete has a great set of hips.” I couldn’t agree more. The problem arises when a young athlete doesn’t know how to hinge at the hip, and they are then forced to start deadlifting. Since they haven’t grooved this pattern, they tend to round their lumbar spine instead of hinging back into their hips. This not only prevents their hips from getting strong and limits the amount of weight they can lift, but it also puts their low back at high risk for injury. The pull through teaches an athlete how to push back into their hips and effectively load their glutes and hamstrings. Once they have been doing pull throughs with good form for a month or two, we will allow them to deadlift with a kettlebell. Once they master the kettlebell deadlift, they can move on to a trap bar deadlift. In time, they will eventually learn the barbell deadlift. This is the safest and most effective hip hinge progression we have found for our young athletes. 3. Bear Crawl – The bear crawl is a highly underrated exercise that every young athlete should be doing. Crawling is one of the most fundamental human movement patterns. Babies develop the crawling pattern in order to crawl away from danger and towards sustenance. However, once children start walking and no longer have a need to crawl, they tend to lose this pattern. That, coupled with sitting at a school desk all day and sitting in front of the TV or computer all night, hinders children’s ability to crawl properly. The way we teach the bear crawl is very different from the classic bear crawl. We teach the bear crawl as a moving plank—where your core stays very still and you are only moving your arms and legs. We have our athletes start out in a push-up type position—with their feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and their hands and toes turned out slightly, around 20 degrees. We cue them to take small steps and to keep their core as stable as possible. This will force them to open up their hips and will improve the strength and stability of their shoulders and scapulae. Once your athlete can perform several 10- to 15-yard bear crawls with good form, you can have them progress to backwards bear crawls. You can also load the bear crawl by putting a band around his or her waist and hooking chains around the band. 4. Push-up – Ah, the classic push-up. One of the first bodyweight exercises a young athlete learns, and with good reason. When done properly—which is rare—the push-up is good for many things, including but not limited to: teaching proper protraction and retraction of the scapulae, training anti-extension of the core, teaching the athlete to control his/her body weight, and increasing overall upper body strength. When your athletes are performing push-ups, make sure that they maintain a neutral spine and head, maintain a tight core and tight glutes, and keep their elbows tucked into their sides at around 45 degrees. It’s also imperative to make sure that their scapulae is protracting at the bottom of the push-up and fully retracting at the top and that they are using a full range of motion. This will ensure your athletes are getting the maximum benefit from their push-ups. Once they can perform sets of 15 push-ups, they can progress to weighted push-ups or other weighted horizontal pressing exercises, if applicable. 5. Suitcase Carry – Carrying variations are great exercises for young athletes to perform, and one of our favorites is the suitcase carry. We love suitcase carries for several reasons: they integrate hip and trunk stability, they teach the athlete to resist lateral flexion, the offset load has real world carryover, they strengthen the grip, and it’s an exercise that reflexively puts you in a good position. Suitcase carries are extremely uncomfortable if you don’t have a tight core, tight, glutes, and a packed shoulder. These things naturally happen without much cueing. Once an athlete can carry elitefts.com


40% of his/her body weight in one hand for 15-20 yards, you can progress them to more difficult variations such as: suitcase carries in the rack position, offset farmer carries, trap bar carries, and much more. 6. Inverted Row – Inverted rows are an incredible row variation for young athletes. Firstly, most young athletes cannot perform a proper chin-up. In order to perform a proper chin-up, athletes must fully retract their scapulae and get their chest out at the top of the chin-up—while keeping their ribs down and keeping their core stable. Very few young athletes are capable of this. The inverted row is fantastic because it can be progressed and regressed very easily by simply changing the angle of the body slightly (even in the middle of your set). Inverted rows are fantastic for improving core stability, increasing upper back strength, and teaching an athlete how to properly protract/retract their scapulae. Make sure your athletes can do at least 10 solid inverted rows with their body almost parallel to the floor before they attempt chin-ups or heavy rows. There you have it: six basic exercises that young athletes must master before moving on to more difficult variations. Remember, doing these correctly will develop a solid foundation of strength and groove proper movement patterns to get your young athletes strong and keep them healthy at the same time!


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The “Enes Project” Bench Program By Dave Kirschen

Justin Enes has been one of my training partners for the past two years, although we’ve known each other for around 10 years or so. It was just by chance that I happened to be at Iron Island Gym in Oceanside, New York—the day Justin walked into his first powerlifting gym. To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement. Justin was around 20 years old, about six feet tall, and maybe 170 pounds. At the time, Iron Island was a hotbed of East Coast powerlifting and home to some of the strongest lifters in the world. Walking in, he had the classic wide-eyed expression of someone who had not only bitten off more than he could chew, but also of someone who was about to be swallowed alive. The only thing close to an interaction I had with him was when my training partner, Rocco, bitched at him for showing up to squat in running shoes. Yes, my training partner was actually named Rocco… what can I say, it was Long Island. Aside from a general curiosity about the “new guy,” I remember being happy to see him there because I was at the beginning of my own career, and it’s always good to have another guy a few rungs down from you on the ladder. That was about as much thought as I gave him at the time. Although most guys would have turned right around and continued training in the safety of their own “fitness center,” Justin kept at it—even despite living a solid hour from the gym. As a result, he got stronger... Much Stronger. Throughout the better part of the decade, Justin and I did not train together regularly, but we’d see each other at meets and whenever I visited Iron Island. After a few years, Justin got his first elite total and became an impressive deadlifter (because he is a gorilla-armed freak). Fast forward to two years ago. Due to my work schedule, I could no longer train at Eastside Barbell, but I knew that my buddy, Anthony Ditillo, and Justin had a small crew at Apollon Gym in Edison, New Jersey. Luckily for me, their bench day also fit my new schedule. Justin now weighed around 230 pounds and was squatting and benching over 700 pounds. Yet, there was one thing holding him back from that elusive pro total. His bench sucked. As a long armed guy, he was never what you’d call a good bencher, and he spent most of his career using his 700+ deadlift to compensate for his lack of pressing power. After bugging him about it for almost a year (he is as stubborn as a damn ox), I finally convinced him to let me program his benching. Although he was working extremely hard, there were a couple of things I thought he could be doing better. First off, his work ethic—which was responsible for his awesome pull—was killing him and beating him up on bench. The first thing I did was scale back his volume and force him to take deloads throughout the cycle. Secondly, although he had been using a shirt for many years, he had some bad habits that we corrected. His biggest issue was that he automatically lifted his head, causing him to lose support at the bottom. Now, he uses the head lift as a last resort to get the weight to touch. Finally, I forced him to touch more frequently while in a meet cycle. Justin used a lot of board work, and while this helped his top-end, it hurt his technique. He still uses boards in the shirt once per month to keep his top end strong, but he will also touch progressively heavier weights throughout the cycle.

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After hovering in the 400s for YEARS, Justin finally hit his first 500-pound bench with 505 pounds in November of 2011. Seven months later, in June of 2012, he hit 550 pounds. The following program is his training from April 2, 2012, to the meet on June 24th. Rather than just print up the blank template, I decided to use Justin’s actual log, with his weights, PRs, and misses included. For context, training weights were based off a 505-pound meet PR. 4/2 Raw bench: up to 315x1 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 365x1 4-board with shirt: 405x1 3-board: 455x1 2-board: 495x1 1-board: 530x1(pr) & 550x1 (pr) We generally do not log assistance work, but after the main exercise, Justin will do high (four or five) board presses with a very close grip for sets of 3-5, dumbbell bench presses (flat or incline) for sets of 8-12, triceps extensions (barbell or dumbbell), and TONS of back work (rowing, pulldowns/ups, face pulls, and rear delt raises). None of the assistance work is structured. He will go by how he feels and how the main exercise goes. If he is beat up, he will do less. If he feels great, he will do more. 4/5 Speed work: 9 x 3 with 35% of raw max and 2 chains 4/9 3-board press with minibands: up to 320x1 (pr) Down-set with 305 x 1 4/12 Speed work: 9x3 with 40% of raw max and 2 chains 4/16 Raw bench: up to 315x1 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 375x1 3-board with shirt: 405x1 2-board: 455x1 1-board: 495x1 Half-board: 510x1 (pr) 4/19 Speed work: 9x3 with 45% of raw max and 2 chains 4/22 Close-grip 2-board: up to 355x1 (pr) Down set with 335x1 113 | Programs That Work 2

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4/25 Speed work: 9x3 with 35% of raw max and minibands 4/30 Raw bench: up to 315x1 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 375x1 4-board with shirt: 405x1 3-board: 455x1 2-board: 495x1 2-board: 525x1 2-board: 555x1 (pr) and 575x1 (pr) 5/3 Speed work: 9x3 with 40% of raw max and minibands 5/7 Close-grip floor press with 80 pounds of chain: up to 300 x 1 (pr) 5/10 Speed work: 9x3 with 45% of raw max and minibands 5/14 Raw bench: up to 315x1 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 375 x 1 3-board and shirt: 405x1 2-board: 455x1 1-board: 495x1 Full-range: 515 pounds (miss) & 530 pounds (miss) Justin was having shirt issues today. He was strong as hell, but he was also beat up and starting to out-grow his shirt. We decided to take another full-range shirt the next week (after his raw special exercise), deload the next week, and put the shirt on again the week after to find an opener. I also recommended that he cut the seams off the bottom of his sleeves because I believed that he was unable to get the shirt set right. 5/17 Speed work: 9x3 with 35% of raw max and monster minibands 5/21 Close-grip bench: up to 345x1 (pr) 3-board and shirt: 405x1 2-board: 455x1 1-board: 485x1 Full-range: 510x1

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Cutting the sleeves worked, and the shirt fit him perfectly. He was back on track. 5/24 Speed work: 9x3 with 40% of raw max and monster minibands 5/28 Deload—just assistance work because he was starting to get beat up. 5/31 Speed work: 9x3 with 45% of raw max and monster minibands 6/4 Raw bench: up to 315 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 345x1 Slingshot: 375x1 3-board with shirt: 405x1 2-board: 455 x 1 1-board: 485 x 1 Full range: 510 (Miss—couldn’t touch) Full range: 530x1 (20-pound pr… CRUSHED IT) At this point, due to Justin’s weight gain (he was now a bloated and uncomfortable 252 pounds), we decided that we needed to raise his opener to 530 pounds. This was despite the fact that it would be a 25-pound meet PR. While I don’t normally advocate opening with a PR, this made more sense than making him struggle to touch a lighter weight. 6/9 Speed work: 9 x 3 with 35% of raw max and 2 chains 6/11 Reverse average (grey) band with close grip. Worked up to 455 (pr) 6/14 Speed work: 9x3 with 40% of raw max and 2 chains At this point, Justin was done—nothing but assistance work from here on in. Meet 530-pound opener: good 550-pound second: miss 550-pound third: good… 45-pound meet PR! In addition to a big bench PR, Justin also totaled 2,100 pounds at 242 (SPF pro). As of this writing, Justin is using the same program for a meet in January. So far, he has already touched 555 pounds in the gym with two months to go.


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I’m extremely proud of Justin’s progress—not only throughout this cycle, but also for what he has accomplished over the course of his career. He is one of the hardest workers I know, and it’s been a privilege to see him progress from a complete newbie to an up-and-coming pro.

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Tri-Phasic for the Geared Powerlifter By Todd Hammer

This is the current program I am doing going into a push/pull in December of 2012. I have taken what I have learned over the years and combined much of it to create this program. Recently, Cal Dietz’s tri-phasic training has been gaining attention, and I have read and reviewed this information for over a year. With that in mind, I figured it was time to add his ideas to my programming. I am sure I will receive emails telling me that this is not tri-phasic as Cal wrote it, and I am aware of that. I don’t think I will, or have ever, followed anyone’s program to a “T.” This is noteworthy in that I feel a program is like a great song—it is dynamic and should be able to grow. Yo-Yo Ma released a CD a few years back and asked musicians who were fans of his to add a track over the top of his songs and send it to him. Yo-Yo Ma understands that music is fluid and should be growing and changing as it is played. A program must be the same way. So without further ado, here it is: The Tri-Phasic plan for the geared powerlifter. Weeks 1-3: Heavy Eccentric and Gear work Day 1 1a) Bench Press: 5x3 with 5-second eccentric and explosive concentric (60% of raw bench) 1b) Plyo Push-ups: 5x3 or explosive Push-ups (rest 60 seconds, then repeat) Close Grip Bench 4x10 1a) Rows: 5x10 1b) High Rep Triceps Work (example: 5x20 pushdown or 5x15 Triceps Extensions) 2a Delt Work 3x10 (BB Front Raise, Lat Raise) 2b Light Abs: 3x10-15 (H Leg Raise) 2c Grip: Pick one and rotate Day 2—Ecc. Squats Conventional Deadlift: Work up to a heavy double, then 6x1 @ 80% of that weight 1a) Back Squat: 5x3 (5-second ecc.) 1b) Hurdle Jumps: 5x3 (use a hurdle low enough so that this is not near a max jump, roughly 75%) Good Morning BB: 3x10 1a) Glute Ham: 4x10 1b) Light Band AM: 4x20 2a) Plank: 3x1min 2b) Glute Bridge (weighted): 3x1min Day 3—Gear Shirt Work Depending on your efficiency in gear, boards may be very important Heavy Board work: 3-6 sets of handling max weight, 1-2 reps (if you don’t need boards, go to www.elitefts.com and buy a new shirt). 1a) DB Bench: 4x10 1b) Pull-ups: 4x10 2a) BW Row: 3x12 2b) Band Raise to a Pull Apart: 3x10 2c) Timed Band Pushdowns: x1min x45 sec x30 sec


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Day 4—Gear work for deadlifts Heavy single off plates, elevated three inches. Leave suit on, straps down. Back Squat: work up to a heavy set of 5. (This is done to get more comfortable in your gear and to get stronger). After this, you should be dead tired. Pick accessories based on how you feel. This will be the first three weeks. The only change is that you are trying to add weight each eccentric day. So if on week 1 you get good sets at 65%, then try 67% for week 2. If you get over 75%, then your math is wrong or your percentages are wrong. Week 4-6: ISO Work Day 1—ISO Bench 1a) Bench Press: 5x3 with 5-count iso, ½-inch off your chest. (Weeks 2: 4-seconds on chest, Week 3: 3-seconds on chest) 1b) Explosive Push-ups: 5x3 (rest one min) JM Press: 5x6 Croc Rows: 2xmany Finish with some high rep accessory work. Day 2—ISO Deads Conventional Deads: Pull one inch off the ground, hold for a 4-count and then pull. 6x3, start around 60% and adjust accordingly. Technique should not fall apart on these. Back Squats: 6x3 with 2-count iso at the bottom. While doing these, be sure to bring your stance in if you are a super wide stance squatter. This will affect the weight greatly. It should be in the ballpark of 60% of your best at that stance. Pin Pulls (competition stance): work up to 90-100% for 1-2 sets of 1. Accessories of your choice. This depends on how heavy your heavy sets are. If you are a 500-pound deadlifter, you can probably do more accessories. If you are a 700-pound deadlifter, at this point you may not have much left in the tank. Day 3 Gear Bench During these three weeks you may need to take one or two workouts out of your shirt. This will depend on many things. One how good you are with your shirt two, how strong you are three, how new your shirt is and how new it is to you. My goal for these three weeks is to get down to a one board and be able to get one rep. So there is some freedom here just train heavy! Day 4 Geared Rev Band Deads (Comp Stance) Heavy double on the first week and second week last week is a single. Box Squat 6x2 with straps down 60% Zercher Good Mornings 4x6 Abs, Glutes, Hamstrings

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Week 7-9: True Dynamic work with a twist Day 1 Dynamic Bench Press the only change from the classic 8-10x3 with 55% is that we will not touch our chest and will reverse hard as close to our chest as possible and hold lock out for a split second. Heavy Board Work Week one heavy triples, week 2 heavy doubles, week three heavier doubles. Accessories of your choice again. Day 2 Dynamic Deadlifts: 10-20 singles with short rest and competition stance Dynamic Back Squats: 8-10x2-3 with 60%, +contrast of your choice. Accessories based on where you are. Day 3—Time for some Gear Benching Weeks 1&2: light rev band for rep ranges of 1-3. Try to get some weight down! Add boards in to handle heavy weights for 3-5 sets of 2-3 reps. 1a) Mod Grip Bench: 2x10 1b) Pull-ups: 2x10 Add in accessories as needed. Day 4 Gear Deadlifts off the floor: work each week based on feel, but you should hit reps around 90% for at least two of these weeks. RDL: 4x5-6 reps—work on that lockout strength for when the gear lets go! More accessories. Week 10: the week before the meet Set openers: Sunday or Monday Train light the rest of the week if you are up to it. Now do your meet and set a PR or two! I realize that the science coaches out there are going to tell me why this program is no good, as the science is not perfect. Also, the powerlifters will tell me how this program is not possible due to the percentages being too high or too low. Understand that this is written for a middle level powerlifter who is also coaching all day long. This is why I left the accessories open to what you need. As I said at the beginning, this workout is here for you to interpret how you see fit. Add to it, subtract from it, and see what works for you. If you think there is one good thing in this workout, then please steal it and tell me how it helped—or did not—help you. Good Luck & Be Strong!


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Mick Manley’s Twelve-Week Training Cycle By Mick Manley

My training is usually derived from a one-rep max on squat and deadlift. I first take percentages and determine the weights I’ll be doing, and then I put them into three-week waves, increasing the weight and decreasing the volume over time. It is a program that my friend Al Caslow had originally sent to me. We had bounced ideas back and forth and finally came up with this, which is a little different than the original program but seemed to work well for me. For my bench training, I decided to try some things that I felt had worked for me over the years, which in this case were heavy boards. However, I also took some ideology from Brad Heck and decided that I would touch every week so that when the meet came, I wouldn’t be like a lot of shirted lifters and not be able to touch. Squat: You take your most recent one-rep max to depth. EX: Let’s say it’s 835 pounds. You then take this and multiply it by .95. This makes the base number 795. Week 12: 85%, 3 sets of 2, reverse bands 100% 2 sets of 2 Week 11: 80%, 2 sets of 3 and 1 set of 2, reverse bands 90-95% (depending on how you feel) Week 10: 75%, 5 sets of 3, reverse bands 85% 2 sets of 3 Week 9: 90%, 3 sets of 2, reverse bands 100% 2 sets of 3 Week 8: 85%, 4 sets of 2, reverse bands 90-95 3 sets of 2 Week 7: 80%, 5 sets of 3, reverse bands 90-95% 3 sets of 3 Week 6: 80%, 2 sets of 4 (this is your down week) Week 5: 95%, 2 sets of 1 Week 4: Max out: you want to hit a minimum of 100% for 3 singles. I would usually go up to 100%, and if it’s easy make another jump. If it’s easy yet again, I’d go up. Week 3: 75%, 4 sets of 2 (you are now de-loading) Week 2: 65%, 4 sets of 2 Week 1: 55%, 4 sets of 2 (this should be one week out from the meet) When doing this training style, you will want to gauge how you feel on that day. If you are feeling really beat up, drop the weight a bit—but make sure you get the allotted sets and reps listed for that day. The work is what makes you strong in a program like this, so you want to make sure it gets done. If you are unsure whether you want to go straps up or straps down with your briefs, I personally like to just go straps up on all my working sets and adjust the tightness of them to ensure I hit depth. Some people may not be able to get to depth with straps up on some of the lower weights, so you can do straps down. I really prefer to wear straps up though, due to the fact that many people fall apart when the straps go up. Using them as much as possible allows you to be more comfortable when the weight gets heavier. Accessory work is the same for all of the lifts. Find out which lifts are you worst and work them. In regards to the squat: if you are terrible at good mornings, work these into your routine. If you have weak hamstrings and glutes, start hitting the glute ham raises. Admitting to yourself you have a weakness is a huge step forward. Everyone has them, and they should be addressed. Many guys will do what allows them to do the most weight; however, this is going to build deficiencies. I didn’t do much training for my quadriceps for a long period of time, and I developed a huge deficiency. This lead to a slew of injuries because I was compensating for this with other muscles.

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I pick an accessory movement and stick with it until it stops making progress. Some may not agree with this and switch it up every three weeks or so, but I think a lift can increase steadily for a lot longer than three weeks. Some of my favorite accessory movements include: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Good mornings: 3 sets of 8 Band assisted glute ham raises: 3 sets of 8 SSB squats (very deep): 3 sets of 5 Lunges: 3 sets of 10 Band leg curls: 3 sets of 8 Leg extensions: 3 sets of 8 Machine leg curls: 3 sets of 10 Weighted planks (abs): 3 sets (30-45 seconds)

Your accessory work shouldn’t be as hard as your main movements. If you are doing all of the sets, you should be very tired and not even want to do the assistance work. You should have 3-5 more reps left when doing your assistance work. Deadlift: You take your most recent one-rep max to depth. Ex: Let’s say it’s 733 pounds. You then take this and multiply it by .95. This makes the base number 695. Week 12: 70-75%, 4 sets of 3, 60-65% standing on one 100-pound plate for 4 sets of 3 Week 11: 65-70%, 4 sets of 4, 70-75% pulls off a 2-block (rack pulls are ok) for 6 sets of 4 Week 10: 75-80%, 4 sets of 3, 75% pulls off a 3-block for 5 sets of 3 Week 9: 80-85%, 4 sets of 3, 65-70% standing on one 100-pound plate for 3 sets of 3 Week 8: 75-80%, 5 sets of 3, 70-75% pull off a 2-block for 3 sets of 3 Week 7: 85-90%, 4 sets of 2, 75-80 pull off a 3-block for 2 sets of 2 Week 6: 75-80%, 2 sets of 4 (this is your down week) Week 5: Max out: you want to hit a minimum of 100% for 3 singles. I would usually go up to 100%, and if it’s easy, make another jump. If it’s easy yet again, I’d go up. Week 4: 95%, 2 sets of 1 Week 3: 70-75%, 4 sets of 2 (you are now de-loading) Week 2: 60-65%, 4 sets of 2 Week 1: 50-55%, 4 sets of 2 (this is done Tuesday, the week of the meet) Just like in the squat, you want to make sure you are getting the work in. It is not going to be fun doing almost 40 working reps in a workout, but IT WORKS! If you are feeling weak, do the lower end of the percentages. Just make sure the work is done. I usually put my suit on every week during my training cycle. The straps will go up for anything over 500 pounds, but I don’t wear briefs under my deadlift suit either. I like to make sure every pull looks the same, so I think wearing straps up will help ensure this. My accessory work is pretty minimal on these days because I am usually destroyed from this routine. I would


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usually do some ab work, a little light lower back work to get the blood flowing, and also some quad work. •• Front squats: 3 sets of 5 •• Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 8 •• Ab wheel: 3 sets (I usually do 2 kneeling sets and 1 standing set) Bench: Most of you will probably stop reading after this because my bench sucks! Haha! It has come a long way, though. During my first meet, I benched a whopping 303 pounds in a shirt. During my latest training cycle, I hit 485 pounds… and it was very easy. For my bench workout, I don’t have a set percentage I use. I just picked some numbers that allowed me make progress with the setup I designed. You should start with weights that are easy and will get harder over time. I still used the three-week waves, so I wasn’t constantly going heavy. I worked up to a heavy 3-board and then went down in boards. I think this method gets you pretty close to what you would feel like after doing a squat in a meet since you are overloading with the 3-boards and coming down to your chest. You will start over with your light week every third week. Your light week weights will be the same weights as your last medium week. 3b = 3-board 2b = 2-board 1b = 1-board Here is a copy of the exact weights I did for my last training cycle: Week 12 (light) 405x2, 3b 455x2, 3b 475x2, 3b then 2b 455x1, 1b Week 11 (heavy) 455x2, 3b 495x2, 3b 520x2, 3b, 475x2, 2b then 1b 455x1, chest Week 10 (medium) 455x2 3b 495x2, 3b 455x2, 2b then 1b 435x1, chest

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Week 9 (light) 455x2, 3b 495x2, 3b 455x2, 2b then 1b 435x1, chest Week 8 (heavy) 455x2, 3b 495x2, 3b 530x2, 3b 485x2, 2b then 1b 465x1, chest Week 7 (medium) 455x2, 3b 505x2, 3b 465x2, 2b then 1b 445x1, chest Week 6 (light) 455x2, 3b 505x2, 3b 465x2, 2b then 1b 445x1, chest Week 5 (heavy) 455x2, 3b 495x2, 3b 540x2, 3b 495x2, 2b then 1b 475x1, chest Week 4 (medium) 455x2, 3b 515x2, 3b 475x2, 2b then 1b 455x1, chest Week 3 (light) 455x2, 3b 515x2, 3b 475x2, 2b then 1b 455x1, chest Week 2 (heavy) 455x2, 3b 505x2, 3b 550x2, 3b 123 | Programs That Work 2

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505x2, 2b then 1b 485x1, chest Week 1 Work up to 95% of your opener to your chest or 1b (1b if you touch easily, chest if you don’t) At Big Iron, we wear our shirts every week. Rick Hussey was a huge advocate of this, and I’ve stuck to it. My accessory work is dependent on my weaknesses. I recently found that I am terrible at the standing military press, so I started working those in. Find what you are bad at and work it! Since my deadlift day doesn’t have any upper back work, I usually do about four back movements on my bench day. Some of my favorite accessory movements include: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Incline barbell: 3 sets of 5-8 reps Chest machines: 3 sets of 8 Hammer dumbbell press: 3 sets of 8 Dips: 3 sets of 8 Dumbbell lateral raises: 3 sets of 8 Reverse flyes: 3 sets of 8 Military press: 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps (these can be tough, so choose sets and reps based on how you feel) Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8 Low rows: 3 sets of 8 Face pulls: 3 sets of 12

When doing my accessory work, I will usually do one to two exercises for chest, two to three exercises for shoulders, and three to four exercises for back. Fourth training day—Lockout work and additional accessory: Since I don’t do a lot of accessory work after my bench and dead lift days, I add most of the accessory work onto this day since I’m usually pretty beat and am usually at the gym for over two hours each time. This allows me to get in and out of the gym in a timely fashion and allows more quality accessory work. Rick always stressed lockout work for bench. Some of the bench-only guys would be in their shirts twice a week—once on bench day and the other on lockout day. For me, it causes too much stress and my weights go down, so I don’t usually shirt up on my lockout day. I will usually pick out a movement that works on the lockout first. On many weeks, we are doing some form of close-grip bench press (CGBP). There are a lot of different variations you can do with this movement. You can do them to your chest, to boards, against bands, reverse bands, with chains, against bands with boards, reverse bands with boards, or with boards and chains. You can also vary the grip you are using—three fingers in from your regular bench grip to shoulder width. I will usually do three to five reps and three to five working sets. You want to keep these pretty easy and fast as this is not a main movement—it is an accessory day. elitefts.com


Next, I will usually do something like weighted dips. I prefer doing compound movements that hit the majority of the muscles I’m training that day. Thus, since dips hit chest, shoulders, and triceps, it’s a very good lift. I do three sets of eight reps for weighted dips and try to increase the weight a little bit each week. Next, I would move on to standing dumbbell shoulder press or the military press. I would usually do three sets of five to eight reps. My next movement would be a rear delt movement, like the reverse fly machine or reverse dumbbell flyes. I do three sets of eight reps on these. After my shoulder movements, I move on to back. I like to do weighted pull-ups or some sort of row first. If I do pull-ups, I try to do at least 30 reps total. Depending on the weight, I may do six sets of five or four sets of eight. It doesn’t matter; I just go for 30 reps total. If I’m doing a rowing movement, I do three sets of five. Next, I will usually do pulldowns supersetted with face pulls. Pull downs are three sets of eight, and face pulls are three sets of twelve. As you can tell, this day is not as structured as the other days; however, since it’s an accessory day, a lot of it is determined by how you feel. If you are feeling really run down, then you will want to do the lower end of weights and sets. If you are feeling good, you can push it a little. The best piece of advice that I can give anyone who has started lifting, has been lifting, or is thinking about lifting is this: Stay consistent. That is the hardest thing to do, in my opinion. Whether it’s lifting, dieting, sleeping, or stretching, all of it needs to be consistent. Set a reasonable goal and get it done. It’s great to have long-term goals and to dream big, but in this sport that usually takes a lot of time. So setting short-term goals is going to keep the progress steady and the discouragement at a minimum!


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225 Program: An Eight-Week Program to Improve Your 225-Pound Press Performance By Joe Giandonato, MS, CSCS

The NFL combine and numerous pro days punctuate the dreadfully long hockey and basketball seasons and provide us with the glimmer of gridiron we desperately need—following the hangover of bowls, bandwidth burdening fantasy football leagues, and heated bar side debates. The NFL combine and pro days, specifically the battery of performance indicator tests, reinvigorates the training spirits of weekend warriors that seemingly froze over during the barren and frigid winter months. Legions of meatheads, hailing from every training sect and athletic background imaginable, undeservingly attempt to hold themselves to the standards of college football’s elite. Sometimes curiosity and male bravado temporarily encroach on our training focus, forcing many of us to surrender to the question of where we’d stand among NFL prospects. One test, in particular, has had a mystifying stranglehold on meatheads and strength training brethren—the 225-pound bench press test. Some coaches swear by it. John Lott, the very animated Arizona Cardinals strength coach and unofficial combine bench press cheerleader, feels that if a player performs well on the test, then it’s evident that they busted their ass preparing for it—exemplifying the requisite accountability and dedication it takes to become a professional football player. Some feel that the test is a measure of unearthing shoulder health issues. Others denounce it, questioning its validity and correlation to on-field performance. A number of the all-time top performers in the 225-pound bench press didn’t even crack a game day roster, and those that did didn’t necessarily enjoy noteworthy careers. Either way, it’s a test that’s going to be cemented in football combines and showcases for a while, so all of the football players reading: You better get damn good at it. Fair or not, your athletic, academic, and financial future will unnecessarily hinge on tests to measure your speed, agility, power, and in the case of the 225-pound bench press, muscular endurance… even if you have some electrifying game tape and an impressive résumé. The 225-pound Bench Press

Whether your goal is to have a bronze bust in Canton or to get enshrined into the Commercial Gym Meathead Hall of Fame, you better possess a workable foundation of strength and a rock solid technique on the bench press. If you can’t bench 225 pounds for a single, you might want to honein on improving your limit strength. Moreover, if you register fewer than 10 reps of 225 pounds, or can’t perform a one-rep maximum with 300 pounds, you should invest in getting stronger before you worry about tackling 225 pounds for more reps. These numbers may appear as if they were plucked out of the sky; however, they represent numbers of which a majority of dedicated lifters and football players should be capable. Although research indicates that local muscular endurance does not correlate well to one-rep maxes in trained subjects (2), it should be noted that this holds true when repetitions are performed below 75% of 1RM. Muscular Endurance

Again, the 225-pound bench press is a test of muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is defined as the ability of a muscle or muscle group to sustain a specific force of power output. A person’s muscular endurance is determined by a constellation of factors which include: limit—or maximal strength, muscle mass, muscle physiological cross-sectional area, muscle fiber type distribution, elitefts.com


innervation and neural drive, mitochondrial and capillary density, contractile protein content, muscular force production, and subsequent power output. Lactate production and subsequent clearance rates also influence muscular endurance, as does hydrogen ion accumulation and buffering capacity. Also, a person’s unique system of leverages also impacts muscular endurance. Longer levers require a more forceful contraction to generate more torque than the opposing torque to overcome the resistance. This is why longer armed lifters tend to adopt a moderate- to competitionwidth grip when they perform pressing exercises. Repeated dynamic muscle contractions, such as a prolonged set of 225-pound bench repetitions, are fueled by ATP. The longer the set, the more ATP is used. Individuals with a max bench press hovering around 225 pounds may only tap into their instantly usable phosphate compounds, whereas lifters who are capable of multiple repetitions are generating ATP through glycolyctic pathways. As the sets become longer, there are considerable contributions from the oxidative energy system, which is a commonly overlooked factor in 225-pound bench press performance. As the bouts of work lengthen and/or the rest intervals shorten, reliance on the oxidative energy system grows as it is providing the muscles working dynamically (agonists) and statically (stabilizers) oxygenated blood. The stabilizers are also working hard to provide the body with the rigidity it needs to stay locked on the bench and the heels on the floor, while also maintaining full hip extension—thus, preventing energy leaks and compensatory movements which might precipitate injury. So, if you dream of hoisting 225 pounds in sets of 30 or 40, your cardiorespiratory fitness better match your level of strength. Pressing Matters

Inherently critical to bench press performance are scapulae positioning, torso rigidity, glenohumeral joint angulation, leg drive, grip, and the ability to control your breath. Scapulae Positioning

The scapulae or scapulothoracic joints, are freely movable, highly mobile joints. Its movement and stability is achieved through numerous muscles that attach to the shoulder blades, which include the upper, middle, and lower trapezius; levator scapulae; and the superior and inferior aspects of the serratus anterior muscles. These muscles must work in unison to reduce excessive movement from occurring at the shoulder blades. However, the bench provides artificial scapular stability by compressing the scapulae, pinning it against the posterior thorax. In spite of these compressive forces, the scapulae retract during the eccentric and protract during the concentric. A lack of control during the eccentric, along with excessive protraction during the lift, may increase the likelihood of injury—which is why the upper back should remain tight. Coaches advocate screwing your shoulder blades down and into the bench since this maximizes upper body stability and minimizes the chances of shoulder injuries. Torso Rigidity

The torso should also be kept tight. Don’t coil up too tight during a set of max reps, otherwise your stabilizer muscles, which include the upper back, lats, and erectors, will fatigue quickly. Instead, 127 | Programs That Work 2

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gradually tighten the muscles of the upper back as the set wears on. This will help you derive the necessary stability to complete the set. The lower back should remain slightly arched, with the butt making contact with the bench at all times. If the hips rise from the bench, the rep won’t count or the set may be terminated by the counter. GH Joint Positioning

Glenohumeral joint positioning and movement of the humerus is impacted by scapular stability and torso rigidity. Ideally, the arms should not stray too far from the torso. Research has indicated that staying between 50 and 70 degrees of shoulder abduction during the lift will maximize performance by proportionately recruiting the agonists involved during the movement. It will also help ward off shoulder injuries precipitated by instability, such as clavicular osteolytis, pectoralis major ruptures, and subacromial impingement, which are typically experienced as the arms approach 90 degrees of abduction. Longer limbed lifters can venture into greater amounts of abduction; however, it must be accompanied by scapular stability and torso rigidity at all times. Leg Drive

Leg drive is also immensely critical. The heels should be firmly planted on the floor and placed slightly behind the back of the knees. The knees should be maintained at hip width, which will get the glutes to fire and help keep the hips extended. As fatigue begins to set in, rely more on leg drive, initiating it by digging the heels into the ground more and more as you start to lose steam. The final few reps will require the most leg drive. Grip

Establish a firm grip once you start the set. Don’t try to crush the bar as if you’re performing a maximal attempt. As your power output begins to wane, it’s imperative that you tighten your grip. Tightening your grip will enhance neural drive and irradiate a slew of muscles, including the muscles that dynamically stabilize the rotator cuff and further engage the lats. You should begin progressively tightening your grip once you’ve eclipsed 75% of your number of goal reps. At this point, you should add either lateral forces on the bar (if your chest begins or tire) or tug on the bar inwardly (if your triceps start to burn). Breath

The way you respire will also have implications on your bench press performance. Become efficient with your breaths. Inhaling too deeply or minimally will greatly affect you, especially as the reps add up. Control your breath—inhale as you bring the bar to your chest and begin exhaling as you pop the bar off your chest. As fatigue starts setting in, begin to treat the final few repetitions as if they were maximal attempts. Bigger breaths will engage the intrinsic and extrinsic core muscles, bolstering torso rigidity and allowing the transfer of energy initiated by the leg drive to travel through the kinetic chain without disruption. Employing this practice will prevent energy leaks and reduce the chances of lower back injuries. elitefts.com


Vital Components to a 225 Bench Press Training Program 1. Directed grip training, which includes exercises to develop crushing and pinching grip strength, must be included in the program. Incorporating thicker bars and Fat Gripz will also strengthen the muscles that keep the wrists neutral, enabling the wrists to stay in line with the elbows during the eccentric and linking them together with the shoulders upon lockout. Two studies demonstrated that training with bars of thicker diameters triggers greater neuromuscular activity, potentially leading to enhanced performance on lifts when switching back to an Olympic bar (3,4). 2. Training reversal strength may also help, as it will maximize elastic contributions during the early concentric portion of the repetition. The 225-pound Bench Press is all about rapidly performed, yet controlled, eccentrics. So eccentrics and explosive horizontal rowing movements should be a mainstay in a program looking to maximize performance on this test. 3. While maximal strength training for the bench press shouldn’t be abandoned entirely, it should be shifted lower on the scale of priorities, unless of course the athlete is deficient in limit strength. 4. The program should entail the movement and incorporate supporting exercises, which will have carryover to improving performance of movement. 5. The training program should commence after baseline testing occurs. There will be no need to retest during the program. 6. Muscular endurance of the agonists, synergists, and stabilizers will be developed through a series of timed sets (performed dynamically and isometrically), cluster sets, and bonus sets in which the barbell is racked at technical failure and then unracked and reps are performed again following a brief rest period. Techniques such as the pre-exhaustion method for the bench press should be avoided, as research has shown it leading to a maladaptive response of tonic control of the central nervous system (1). Muscular fatigue stemming from the pre-exhaustion method creates aberrant movement patterns that may cause performance to deteriorate and precipitate injury. 7. Remember, specificity reigns supreme. If you want to get good at benching, bench often. If you want to improve your 225-pound bench reps, master your technique and improve your muscular endurance. Every aspect of resistance training is rooted in the law of specificity. Adaptations to a specific training program are governed by numerous neural mechanisms. Does a movement or series of movements have a direct correlation to improving a specific attribute or achieving a certain goal? The bench press and its variations have a dynamic correspondence to the 225-pound bench press test.


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Week 1 Day 1 A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by three sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

225

3

x

B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

75

2

AMRAP

B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric

Variable

2

15

Banded Pull Apart

Variable

Day 2 A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform 80% of the number of reps completed with 225 lbs on day one in three sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

250

3

x

A2) Bottom Range Partial Dumbbell Presses on Bench at 30-degree incline (Only come halfway up) B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isometrics (each Cluster Iso is one rep) 6-second Iso, 5-second Iso, 4-second Iso, 3-second Iso, 2-second Iso

1:00

TIME

REST During Stretch

:15

3

1:00 65

3

20 1:00

3

5

Variable

Day 3 A1) Three-Board Bench Press (halve the reps performed with 225 lbs and divide them over 8 sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

315

8

x

A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and 2-second eccentric

135

4

10

A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric and 2-second eccentric

80

3

10

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During Stretch

100

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

REST

:15

3

B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso

TIME

Variable

100 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

100



WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

230

3

x


80

2

AMRAP


Variable

2

16

Banded Pull Apart

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

260

3

x


3

REST During Stretch

1:00

20

1:00 3

5

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

325

7

x


155

4

10


85

3

10


TIME

:15

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

1:00

110

3 70

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME

Variable

110 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

110

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WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

235

3

x


80

2

AMRAP


Variable

2

17

Banded Pull Apart

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

270

3

x


3

REST During Stretch

1:00

22

1:00 3

5

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

335

6

x


175

4

10


90

3

10

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TIME

:15

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

1:10

120

3 70

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME

Variable

120 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

120



WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

240

3

x


80

2

AMRAP


Variable

2

18

Banded Pull Apart

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

280

3

x


3

REST During Stretch 1:00

24

1:00 3

5

Variable


WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

345

5

x


185

4

8


95

3

10


TIME

:15

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

1:20

130

3 70

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME

Variable

130 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

130

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Week 5 Day 1 A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by two sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

2

x


80

1

AMRAP


Variable

2

20

Banded Pull Apart

Variable

Day 2 A1) Barbell Bench Press Eccentrics (match two set on Day One total number in as few sets as possible)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

x

x

A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set) B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isometrics (each Cluster Iso is one rep) 10 second iso, 9 second iso, 8 second iso, 7 second iso

2


AMRAP

1:00 2

4

Variable

Day 3 A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (halve the number of reps performed on Day Two, distributing them over 8 sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

315

8

x

A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2 second isometric and 2 second eccentric

205

4

6

A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2 second isometric and 2 second eccentric

100

3

10

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TIME

:15

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

1:30

140

3 Variable

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME

Variable

140 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

140


Week 6 Day 1 A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by two sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

2

x


80

1

AMRAP

B2) Fast Band Rows with One Second Iso (performed bilaterally or unilaterally)

Variable

2

20

Banded Pull Apart

Variable

Day 2 A1) Barbell Bench Press Eccentrics (match two sets of Day One’s total number in as few sets as possible)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

x

x

A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set) B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isometrics (each Cluster Iso is one rep) 11-second Iso, 10-second Iso, 9-second Iso, 8-second Iso

2


AMRAP

1:00 2

4

Variable

Day 3 A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (halve the number of reps performed on Day Two, distributing them over 7 sets)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

325

7

x


225

4

5


100

3

10


TIME

:15

Banded Pull Apart

Banded Pull Apart

1:30

150

3 Variable

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME

Variable

150 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

150

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Week 7

Day 1 A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform as many repetitions within a three-minute period)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

x

x

B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch A2) Paused Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press (three-second pause on chest) B2) Fast Band Rows with One-Second Iso (performed bilaterally or unilaterally)

65

2

12

Variable

2

20

Banded Pull Apart

Variable

Day 2 A1) Barbell Bench Press Cluster (perform as many sets of ten within a three minute period)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

245

x

x

A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set)

2

TIME 3:00

REST During Stretch

:15 1:00

AMRAP

2

4

Banded Pull Apart

Variable

Day 3 A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (reduce the number of sets performed from 7 to 6 and increase load)

WEIGHT

SETS

REPS

335

6

x


245

4

4


100

3

10

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1:30

1:00

B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isometrics (each Cluster Iso is one rep) 12-second Iso, 11-second Iso, 10-second Iso, 9-second Iso

Banded Pull Apart

1:30

160

3 Variable

REST During Stretch

:15

3


TIME 3:00

Variable

160 TIME

REST 2:30

2:00

1:30

160


Week 8:

Retest – Perform as many Barbell Bench Presses with 225 pounds as possible. So there you have it—a program to get better at benching 225 pounds. If you’re a college football player, it might work wonders for you in impressing your coach or scouts. However, if you’re a washed-up meathead, you’ll be hailed as commercial gym royalty and seek solace in the fact that you could bench with college football’s best.

References

1. Brennecke A, Guimaraes TM, Leone R, et al. Neuromuscular activity during bench press exercise performed with and without the preexhaustion method. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23:1933-1940. 2. Desgorces FD, Berthelot G, Dietrich G, et al. Local muscular endurance and prediction of 1 rep maximum for bench in 4 athletic populations. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24:394400. 3. Fioranelli D, Lee CM. The influence of bar diameter on neuromuscular strength and activation: inferences from an isometric unilateral bench press. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22:661-666. 4. Ratamess NA, Faigenbaum AD, Mangine GT, et al. Acute muscular strength assessment using free weight bars of different thickness. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21:240-244.


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The Progress Puzzle: Turning Up The Volume By Clint Darden

We all have our weaknesses. And as athletes, we must make a choice to either attack them and get better or be satisfied with ourselves and our failures. After 18 years of hard training, I must admit that every once in a while I will go through a period of being “satisfied with failures.” However, this is generally followed by attacking them head on. The method of attack is one of the most important pieces of the Progress Puzzle, and it is most often the area where people go completely wrong. Every time someone comes to me seeking out some advice, it seems as if they always end up saying, “I just took a little time off of it for some extra recovery because I’m pretty sure I was over trained and…” At that point, I just tune them out and start making judgment calls on their testicular fortitude. But I’m not immune! Not too long ago Matt Ladewski called me out and said, “Sounds like you are just satisfied with having a very poor press…” He said it straight, and it is what friends say to friends when they need to hear it. So, you have a weakness. What do you do? We can’t go back to the “Good Bro-ly” Internet Guru advice of “Take some time off and come back to it later. You are probably just over-trained and burned out”! Not only does that attitude kill insane brain cells, but it also kills the GOOD ONES! Not the crazy ones that we need to deadlift big—and with deadlifting you only need a couple of brain cells, and they need to be mentally unstable anyway—but the good ones that we need to put pounds onto our bench press. Let me take you back a bit though. Most of you know me and know that my sole responsibility in life is to take care of my son. If I get through the day without cutting off my daddy parts, and my son gets to bed at night safely, I’ve done my job! Most days it is a TOUGH JOB! If you have ever raised a child (especially if you are a stay at home Trophy Husband), then you will know that one of the biggest issues that you may have is “what do I do with the kid all day long?!?!” When the weather is nice, we go to parks, the playground, the beach, etc. But what do you do with a two, three, or four-year-old when it is pouring down rain or “winter” outside? Well, we can watch cartoons… but a man can only watch Thomas The Tank Engine so many hundred times before he has a nervous breakdown. A man can only watch Sponge Bob Square Pants for so many minutes before someone else gets hurt. I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical when my Best Man (my son’s God Father) suggested The Simpsons, but I must admit that it is a wise choice. Few bad words, not much violence, a good bit of humor, and something that I can enjoy too! And if you spend hours watching every episode of every season (EVER) with your child sitting in your lap, you can actually teach your child the lessons that Bart/Homer learned and make it Men-ducational. So, there I was: smack dab in the middle of a Simpson’s marathon with my son, and Homer has just gotten a new job in Cypress Creek. Bart sits in his new classroom making fart noises with his armpit and is immediately the coolest kid in the room. Yet, as soon as the teacher asks him to read cursive handwriting, everyone quickly learns that he does not have the skills to be on par with the rest of the class. He has a weakness. So what did they do? They moved him to a “remedial environment” they called “The Get A Leg Up Program.” Sure enough, the teacher walks to the front of the classroom and says, “Okay, now everyone take out your safety pencil and a circle of paper. Now, this week, I hope that we can finish our work on the letter A.” At this point, Bart inserts his one point of genius that comes out within every episode by saying, “Let me get this straight. We are behind the rest of our class, and we are going to catch up to them by going SLOWER than they are?” That little nugget right there should impact you just as much as anything else you have read for a long time. Years ago, I talked to Jon Anderson on the telephone. (If you don’t know who he is, he was a Pro Strongman from the USA who could win a strongman show and also a bodybuilding show in the same month. Absolutely insane). I’d talked to friends that had trained with him before, and they all said that his training methods were insane. His work ethic: insane! They said that he would always go first and last on every single elitefts.com


event—just to make sure that he did more than everyone else out there in training. During our hour-long conversation on the phone, he made it very clear that there was no “fix” for my press or for anyone else’s weakness. His one statement said it all—the one I can still hear coming through the ear piece, with his deep, raspy voice that sounded like every half sentence took a monster effort just to get out of his mouth: “Clint, if you want to be like all of the guys above you, then you have to do what they are doing… just more of it!” There was no “hidden meaning” behind what he was saying. If you want to press big, you have to press more—not less. More often, more reps, more times, more intensity, and more intelligently. How can I give advice on this when my best ever shirted bench press in a two-ply shirt and is in the mid 460s? And my best ever Axle Clean and Press is 331 pounds? Because not long ago I couldn’t bench press 400 pounds in a shirt. A year ago, I couldn’t clean and pres 220 pounds. I’ve made progress despite every injury and limitation that I have, and I think that speaks a decent amount about my knowledge on what it takes to at least “get stronger.” One of the things that I have my clients do, and they love to hate me for it, is to greatly increase their volume—especially on their press. We can do this a variety of ways. For instance, you can add in a bench press shirt; work through a series of board presses; incorporate many different Sling Shot variations; and practice strict press, push press, jerks, etc. And this works. What is the downside? They are core movements that can also beat the heck out of you, and you can’t do them with the frequency needed to make progress. So what do I suggest? Dumbbell Floor Presses. But not just any Dumbbell Floor Presses. I suggest you do them with at least a pair of Fat Gripz, if not Fat Gripz Extreme. The Fat Gripz take a ton of stress off of your wrists, bicep tendons, elbows, pec tendons, and shoulders. One of the keys to doing the Dumbbell Floor Press is that when your elbows are on the floor, your palms are facing you, and when you are at lockout position, you rotate your hands/elbows into a normal bench press position. This will fry your triceps! So how do we set up a program, and on what day do we do this magical exercise? ALL OF THEM! It takes some intelligence to monitor volume and intensity, as well as recovery. It also takes some acceptance of the fact that you might not put up huge weights in the first couple of weeks during your training sessions. However, it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out the principle of the Progress Puzzle. Week 1: Dumbbell Floor Press: 4 sets of 25 reps with 20-25 pounds (dumbbells), pre-training every session

These should hurt.

Week 2:

Dumbbell Floor Press: 4 sets of 25 with 20-25 pounds, pre- and post-training every session

These should make you sore.

Week 3:

Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets of 15 reps with 45-55 pounds, pre- and post-training

These should be hard and near failure.


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Week 4:

Dumbbell Floor Press: 2 sets of 10 reps with 65-75 pounds, pre- and post-training

These should be nearing or at failure on each of these sets. Attempt to set PRs every session.

Week 5: None OR post-training Only OR if the program was working well for you—wash, rinse, and repeat!

Notes Take note that you don’t need much time to complete these sets. I normally rest less than one minute between sets. For the first two weeks, I’ll only rest about 30 seconds at best. The weights that I’ve listed are for someone that can press very similarly to myself. I have quite a few clients who know my program and also watch me do these in my training. They purposely decide that they are going to be stronger than I am, so they use heavier weights than I do. I welcome and encourage it! If you can do your 4 sets of 25 reps with the 40s with little rest between sets… DO IT! If you can rep out the 100s (or better) on your sets of 10 to failure… DO IT AND LET ME KNOW! What do I mean by EVERY SESSION? Just upper body and pressing sessions, right? Wrong! If you train four times per week, then do this four times per week! Do this before you squat, before you deadlift, before your Strongman Events, before your Axle Press, and before your cup of coffee if you decide that you are tired of having a weak press. Get them done and do them often! Increase the volume! You will get sore and you will recover. Most of my clients hate me during the first two weeks. However, at the end of week four I will ask, “Are you feeling beat up? How are you liking the triceps volume? Ready to take a break?” And they always reply, “I could use one or two training sessions off of them… but not only am I making such good progress by doing them, but they are also getting me warmed up better to bench than whatever I was doing!” So there you have it: Increase Your Volume to solve the Progress Puzzle!

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Raw Meet Prep By Jennifer Petrosino

Here is a glimpse into the training cycle I used to bring my squat from 200 pounds to 220 pounds, my bench from 95 pounds to 110 pounds, and my deadlift from 214 pounds to 240 pounds. Unfortunately, for the meet following this prep, I had a cut go very wrong and the gains were not realized on the platform. With that being said, I still felt like this cycle worked very well, and I will be revisiting it again in the near future. I created this program because I felt that I was (1) lacking confidence under heavy weights, (2) struggling out of the hole on squats when the box was removed, and (3) lacking strength off my chest in my benches. Thus, to correct these problem areas I: (1) added a reverse mini band single after all max effort lifts—to give my CNS a small overload without the band tension being too extreme to make hitting the weight unrealistic without the mini band, and (2 and 3) added back down pause squats and bench work on max effort days to work on building strength out of the hole and off the chest. I should also add that the assistance work listed is reflective of MY weak points, so I’m going to assume that yours and mine are not the same. So, as you read this, feel free to change out any assistance that does not serve to build your weakness and replace it with something that does. Also, it should be noted that my goal was to minimize muscle gains in this cycle and maximize strength to allow me to drop down to the 97-pound weight class. So, if your goal is to gain muscle, I would change the rep ranges on the assistance work to the 8-12 range. In addition, I only rotated assistance work every six weeks because I find that if I spend time progressively overloading my assistance work, I develop the best strength gains. However, if you are the kind of person who needs to rotate assistance work more often, then by all means do! Also, since this tends to be a very demanding cycle, I would suggest that you use contrast showers each night when you get home consisting of five rounds of a one-minute hot shower followed by a 30-second ice cold shower. This was something that really helped me recover. Finally, I want to note that my ability to adapt to volume tends to be higher than most. If you are a volume-sensitive person, it may be better for you to either cut out a set of the assistance work or cut out an entire exercise. If you decide this is something you want to try and are confused about an exercise or anything else, feel free to shoot me an email and I will help you out! 12 week training cycle Before I start, I will list the warm ups I do on upper and lower days. This might be too much for some of you, so this is by no means what I think you need to do, but rather what works for me. I use the warm up to throw in some volume for my weak points. Also, I do not do mobility work beforehand because I do a TON of stretching and mobility in my free time. It is very rare that I am tight, and by a lot I’m talking upwards of nine hours of yoga a week (insert ridicule here). Upper warm up 3x10 lat pulldowns 3x20 triceps pushdowns 3x20 scap push-ups 3x20 band pull aparts Lower warm up 3x20 Terminal Knee Extensions (TKEs) against average band or 3x10 SL squats 3x10 low box squats with mini band around knees 3x10 back extension into GHR


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Speed Squat Waves—Weeks 1-12 (Saturday) Week 1 •• Squat into chains at an inch below parallel: 10x2x50 • Deficit sumo pulls, straight weight 8x2 up to RPE 7 (With the speed pulls I work off RPE and not percents because I have found that, with my deadlift, the integrity of my CNS has a big impact on my pull’s ability to increase, and if I am spending too much time grinding, my pull will stall. Thus, the RPE allows me to auto-regulate my body and avoid overtraining my CNS—the way going off percents has done in the past). • Box jumps—20 reps total • 3x6 heavy GHR • 2x20 band seated abduction • Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes • Abs Week 2 •• Squat into chains at an inch below parallel: 10x2x55% •• One-inch conventional block speed pulls—6x3 against bands up to RPE 7 (I hit my block pulls conventional to build up my weakness, and I only go from one inch because it makes the time under tension comparable to the time under tension of a sumo pull from the floor. Thus, I am working the weakness for the same time under tension as my sumo pull since when I pull sumo, the distance is shorter). •• Box jumps—20 reps total •• 3x6 heavy GHR •• 2x20 band seated abduction •• Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes •• Abs Week 3 •• Squat into chains at an inch below parallel: 9x2x60% •• Sumo rev kettlebell speed pulls: 10x2 up to RPE 7 (Attach kettlebells to both sides of bar and pull them off when the bar gets below your knee caps. So, this basically overloads the bottom and lightens the top. Then hit the second rep fast straight weight—we started this because I was having trouble pulling max weights off the floor, and it helped me bring my deadlift from 215 pounds to 240 pounds). •• Box jumps—20 reps total •• 3x6 heavy GHR •• 2x20 band seated abduction •• Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes •• Abs

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Week 4 •• •• •• •• •• ••

Rep effort front squats: 5x5 at RPE 7 (Deload Week) Rep effort leg press 3x10 3x20 GHR 2x20 band seated abduction Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 5 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Pause (2 count) speed squats: 10x2x50% Deficit sumo pulls straight weight 6x2 up to RPE 7 Box jumps—20 reps total 3x6 heavy GHR 2x20 band seated abduction Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 6 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Pause (2 count) speed squats: 10x2x55% One-inch conventional block speed pulls—5x3 against bands up to RPE 7 Box jumps—20 reps total 3x6 heavy GHR 2x20 band seated abduction Sled lunges with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 7 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Pause (2 count) speed squats: 9x2x60% Sumo rev kettlebell speed pulls 8x2 RPE 7 Seated db jumps—15 reps total 3x6 heavy GHR 2x10 single leg reverse hyper Sled drags backwards, forwards, and sideways with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 8 •• •• •• ••

Rep effort front squats: 5x5 at RPE 7 (Deload Week) Leg press 3x10 3x20 GHR 2x20 reverse hyper


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•• Sled drags backwards, forwards, and sideways with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes •• Abs Week 9 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Squats into parallel chain: 10x2x50% Deficit sumo pulls straight weight 5x2 up to RPE 7 Seated db jumps—15 reps total 3x6 heavy GHR 2x10 single leg reverse hyper Sled drags backwards, forwards, and sideways with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 10 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Squats into parallel chain: 10x2x55% Conventional block speed pulls—4x3 against bands up to RPE 7 Seated db jumps—15 reps total 3x6 heavy GHR 2x10 single leg reverse hyper Sled drags backwards, forwards, and sideways with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes Abs

Week 11 •• Squats into parallel chain: 9x2x60% •• Straight weight speed pulls 5x1x60 •• Sled drags backwards, forwards, and sideways with a plate—continuous for 20 minutes (I kept this in to help me make weight, but if you don’t need to, I would pull this out this week) •• Abs Week 12 Meet week—work on mobility

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Speed bench waves—Weeks 1-12 (Monday): With speed bench, I always went three sets close-grip, three sets thumb from smooth, and three sets index on ring to help work my bench through various grips and account for any weakness. Also, I ran two-week waves on bench verses three-week waves because I found that at the third week, I was getting burned-out and it was just too much for my nervous system to handle. Therefore, I turned the third week into a rep effort day and it helped immensely! Also, as I mentioned before, I was volume crazy—you can really see this on days like DE bench. So please reduce if your volume sensitive! Week 1 •• Speed bench, paused, v. mini band: 9x3x50% •• 3x3x4 board, paused (Use the weight you hope to hit on a third attempt at the meet. You will use this weight for the rest of the weeks on speed bench days regardless of board height, so be realistic when choosing the weight. For me, I picked 110 pounds and ended up hitting a max bench in training of 110 pounds, paused, a week before the meet). •• 3x5 seated military press •• 3x6 heavy dips •• 4x5 cambered bar rows with pause at the top •• 2x20 band face pulls •• 2x20 band pull aparts •• Abs Week 2 •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, v. mini band: 9x3x55% 3x3x4 board paused 3x5 seated military press 3x6 heavy dips 4x5 cambered bar rows with pause at the top 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 3 •• •• •• •• ••

Rep effort bench: 2x20 with db 2x20 seated military 2x20 seated cable row 2x20 face pulls Abs


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Week 4 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, straight weight: 9x3x50% 3x3x3 board. paused 2x5 seated military press 2x5 cambered bar rows with pause at the top 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 5 •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, straight weight: 9x3x55% 3x3x3board paused 3x5 seated military press 3x6 heavy dips 4x5 cambered bar rows with pause at the top 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 6 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Rep effort bench: 2x20 with db 3x5 seated military press 3x6 heavy dips 4x5 cambered bar rows with pause at the top 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 7 •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

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Speed bench, paused, v. Chains: 9x3x50% 3x3x2 board, paused 3x5 seated db military press 3x6 barbell extensions 4x5 db rows-single arm 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs


Week 8 •• •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, v. Chains: 9x3x55% 3x3x2 board, paused 2x5 seated db military press 2x5 db rows—single arm Abs

Week 9 •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Rep effort bench: 2x20 with db 3x5 seated db military press 3x6 barbell extensions 4x5 db rows—single arm 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 10 •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, on chest v. Bands: 9x3x50% 3x3x2 board, paused 2x5 seated db military press 2x6 barbell extensions 3x5 db rows—single arm 2x20 band face pulls 2x20 band pull aparts Abs

Week 11 •• •• •• ••

Speed bench, paused, on chest v. Bands: 9x3x55% 3x3x2 board, paused 2x5 db rows—single arm Abs

Week 12 Meet week


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Max effort lower—Weeks 1-12 (Wednesday): On all max effort, please shut it down at an RPE of nine because missing weights is the biggest thing that can hurt your progress and your confidence when it comes to lifting! So please, always leave something in the tank and avoid getting too hyped in training—you don’t want to use the tricks you should be saving for meet day when you are in training! Also, with back down pause work, do your first set at 60 percent of your one-rep max on that day, and then go up from there if you feel it is too light. Finally, and I know that many people will disagree with me on this, I start putting on my knee wraps as far as 12 weeks out. I do this because I feel like it really allows me to get my body used to max weights and teaches me how to really sit back into my wraps so that I can get the most out of them!

Week 1 •• One-rep max squat into chains below parallel, then rev mini band single 10 pounds heavier, then 3x3 back down set with a three-second pause in the hole •• SL leg press 4x5 •• Heavy GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 2 •• One-rep max ultra wide squat, then rev mini band single 10 pounds heavier, then 3x3 back down set with a three-second pause in the hole •• SL leg press 4x5 •• Heavy GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 3 •• One-rep max rev band deadlift against monster bands in competition stance, then back down sets without monster bands of 3x3 •• SL leg press 4x5 •• Heavy GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs

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Week 4 •• One-rep max concentric Anderson front squat up to RPE 7—Deload week (Using the concentric lift for max effort allows you to deload the body and the nervous system, but it still allows you to hit heavy weights since concentric is less damaging to the body). •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 5 •• One-rep max front squat, then rev mini band single 10 pounds heavier, then 3x3 back down set with a three-second pause in the hole •• SL leg press 4x5 •• Heavy GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 6 •• One-rep max rev mini band squat, then rev monster band single 10 pounds heavier, then 3x3 back down set with a three-second pause in the hole and no bands •• SL leg press 4x5 •• Heavy GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 7 •• One-rep max Olympic squat, then rev mini band single 10 pounds heavier, then 3x3 back down set with a three-second pause in the hole •• Ultra wide belt squat on pit shark 4x5 (If you don’t have a belt squat, just go leg press ultra wide). •• Explosive GHR 3x6 (For the eccentric part, you hold a med ball and when you get to parallel, you drop the ball and fire up un-weighted. Your partner throws you the med ball, and you repeat). •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 8 •• One-rep max concentric Anderson back squat from pins or chains up to RPE 7 •• Ultra wide belt squat on pit shark 2x20 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 149 | Programs That Work 2

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•• Abs Week 9 •• One-rep max deadlift competition stance up to RPE 9, then rev monster band single 10 pounds heavier •• Ultra wide belt squat on pit shark 4x5 •• Explosive GHR 3x6 •• Reverse hyper 2x20 •• Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips •• Abs Week 10 •• •• •• •• •• ••

Squat up to second attempt, rev mini band third attempt Ultra wide belt squat on pit shark 2x5 Explosive GHR 2x6 Reverse hyper 2x20 Heavy sled drags 20 feet backwards and forwards x 6 trips Abs

Week 11 •• Squat up to opener, mini rev band second attempt •• Explosive GHR 3x6 •• Abs Week 12 Meet week

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Max effort upper—Weeks 1-12 (Friday): With the back down sets, start at 50 percent and then increase the weight if you feel that you need to. The reason I used sets of five instead of threes (like on squat) is because I found that with my bench, it responds best to the five-rep range. Also, the volume is high because my bench strength is low; thus, I get to a onerep max much sooner than someone who’s benching in the raw 300s or 400s. If this is you, then I defiantly suggest that you reduce the volume. However, when typing up this program, I wanted to list things exactly as I did them. Week 1 •• One-rep max decline bench, paused and close-grip, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 2x5 close-grip bench •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head •• 3x6 heavy cable seated row with isometric hold at chest •• Abs Week 2 •• One-rep max incline close-grip bench, paused, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 2x5 close-grip bench •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head •• 3x6 heavy cable seated row with isometric hold at chest •• Abs Week 3 •• Five-rep max ultra wide grip bench, paused, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 2x5 close-grip bench •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head •• 3x6 heavy cable seated row with isometric hold at chest •• Abs Week 4 •• •• •• ••

Three-rep max top of the head concentric barbell military press seated (Deload week) 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head Abs


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Week 5 •• One-rep max close-grip bench, paused, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 2x5 close-grip bench •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head •• 3x6 heavy cable seated row with isometric hold at chest •• Abs Week 6 •• One-rep max competition grip decline bench, paused, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 2x5 close-grip bench •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 Kb extensions paused at head •• 3x6 heavy cable seated row with isometric hold at chest •• Abs Week 7 •• One-rep max competition grip incline bench, paused, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 db extensions with pause at head •• 3x6 chest supported row •• Abs Week 8 •• •• •• ••

One-rep max concentric (from puns) bench (Deload week) 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) 3x6 chest supported row Abs

Week 9 •• One-rep max floor press, then rev mini band set 10 pounds heavier, then 3x5 three-second paused back down set •• 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) •• 3x6 db extensions with pause at head •• 3x6 chest supported row •• Abs

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Week 10 •• •• •• •• ••

Paused bench up to second attempt, rev mini band third attempt 50 reps total pull-ups (neutral grip, chins, and regular pull-ups) 3x6 db extensions with pause at head 3x6 chest supported row Abs

Week 11 •• •• •• ••

Paused bench up to opener, rev mini band second attempt 2x20 lat pulldown -3x6 db extensions with pause at head -Abs

Week 12 Meet week

Overall, this training cycle is the one that I have found to be the most successful for myself as a raw lifter. However, everyone is different and if you choose to follow this program, let it be a loose guideline—not the end all be all. At the end of the day, when undergoing a training program, the most important thing is to listen to your body and adapt the program to what your body is telling you it needs. That means, if it’s feeling burned-out, please back off! Overall, best of luck and I wish you many PRs at the end of these 12 weeks!


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No One Man Should Have All That Power-MMA Strength & Power In Twelve Weeks By Alexander Cortes Foreword: Mixed Martial Arts is a very young sport, having held its first professional event a little over 20 years ago. It is only in the last five to six years that it has become a “mainstream” sport in the United States, doing steady business on PPV and acquiring more and more fans. Since MMA is such a young sport, MMA training is still in its infancy, and there is an enormous lack of training knowledge within all levels of the sport. The majority of MMA practitioners, both recreational and professional, lack proper instruction in regards to basic strength training and conditioning. While there are a few excellent coaches that have begun to specialize in strength and conditioning for MMA, there is still an enormous dearth of knowledge and practical experience. This program is designed for a serious Mixed Martial Arts athlete that is looking to develop balanced strength, explosive power, and improved conditioning. This program is NOT meant to be used as a pre-fight “peaking program.” Peaking a fighter is a comprehensive process in which all the training variables must be accounted for and the fighter’s recovery abilities must be monitored. Ideally, the athlete using this program is between fights and is taking a dedicated three to four month block of time to improve his athletic qualities of strength and power. This program utilizes some uncommonly used weight lifting movements and places an enormous emphasis on the development of the posterior chain, particularly the glutes, hamstrings, and low back. MMA Power is divided into two training phases of eight and four weeks, with the option of extending phase I or II based on the needs of the fighter. The workouts are all total body and none should take longer than 60 minutes to complete. A common misconception with MMA training is that fighters shouldn’t lift heavy or that their training should be conditioning-based. This is entirely untrue. MMA fighters are like any other athlete, and a stronger and more powerful athlete delivers a better performance in the cage. MMA fighters are unique in the fact that their sport necessitates strength and conditioning in three different movement levels: 1) on the floor while wrestling or rolling, 2) in close quarters while grappling or in the clinch, 3) at a distance during striking. Fighters can be very well conditioned in one area while being extremely bad at another. While this program will not make a striker a well-conditioned wrestler, it will give him the strength and power to improve at wrestling should he attempt to practice and incorporate it into his training. MMA Power is designed for strength first, muscle gain second. This program is meant to correct the most common imbalances seen in fighters and increase their functional strength. While a fighter could certainly gain muscle on it, it is not meant to add 25 pounds to someone’s frame and vault them into a new weight class. Glutes, hamstrings, and low back: These three muscle groups are the holy trinity of explosive power and muscular strength for an MMA athlete. Regardless of size or specialty, a fighter with strong and developed glutes, hamstrings, and low back will have explosivity and strength that others lack. A strong low back will anchor the torso and grant a powerful core. Strong glutes and hamstrings will power punches, kicks, and take downs; grant more power in wrestling and submissions; and give the fighter a strength advantage in the later rounds of a fight. Not having these three muscles groups equally developed and in union with one another will leave the fighter at a competitive disadvantage. These three MUST be strong. These three groups are often called the lumbo-pelvic complex. While that is certainly very technical, I don’t particularly find it useful in regards to training. When training my fighters, I simply use the short hand acronym: GHL (Glutes-Hamstrings-Lowback). This is easy to remember, and I find it a better teaching tool than the technical terminology.

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This program is divided into two training phases, which can vary in length. At minimum, the program should take 12 weeks to complete Phase I—The Power of 10 During this phase you establish proper movement patterns with your fighter for pressing, pulling, squatting, and hinging. This phase is the foundation for all training and teaches the fighter the basics in weight training and how it will apply to MMA. During this phase no “power” movements are utilized; the goal is entirely strength in the selected compound movements. The periodization during the strength phase is one of progressive overload. The sets and reps do not change. When one has made sufficient progress in the Prime 10 movements and strength has increased, then he/she can enter Phase II of the training. At minimum, Phase I should be eight weeks in length. Phase II (6-12 weeks)—Developing Power Phase II will typically last four to eight weeks. Phase II workouts always begin with a power movement, followed by heavy strength movements, followed by loaded bodyweight. Phase II training movements are designed to be cycled, with new exercise variations introduced every four to six weeks. Example for power: barbell jump shrug > barbell high pull > barbell power clean > power snatch. Example for strength: deadlift > snatch grip deadlift > deficit deadlift. For BW movements: suspended pushup > pushups with chains > Weighted suspended Pushup. As the fighter grows stronger, the rep schemes would also be periodized as well, depending on the length of the training cycle.

Power Strength Bodyweight

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

4x4 4x6-8 3xAMAP

5x4 5x5-7 4x Straight sets

6x3 4x5-7 3x Ascending set

10x2 3x4-6 3xAMAP + weight

The 10 prime movements are the following 1. Goblet Squat—This is by far the most spine friendly of all squatting variations. The benefits are numerous: improved hip flexibility, proper squat depth, learning to keep the chest up, being able to lockdown the core, shoulder blades pulled back. The Goblet is also very easy to progress, and the goblet carry position can be used for unilateral squat variations as well. A strong fighter should easily be able to goblet squat half his bodyweight for 10+ reps, with 20 reps being the goal. These are limited by the size of the DBs. However, if one has access to heavy kettlebells, then double kettlebell front squats would be the next level of progression.


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2. Dip—This is purely anecdotal, but I have never seen a big bencher that was a big puncher. Barring a few very notable exceptions, barbell flat bench pressing is not, in my opinion, the most effective pressing movement a fighter can be doing. Dips, preferably done on rings, allow for much more natural movement of the scapula and the connection of the lats to the triceps and pec minor— three muscles that play a big role in striking mechanics. Done properly, they strengthen the chest, arms, and shoulders, and are far more shoulder friendly than heavy pressing. While I will utilize various dumbbell and kettlebell pressing variations, dips are always my go-to pressing exercise for fighters. At a minimum, a fighter must be able to do multiple 20-rep sets of dips before adding weight. 3. Pull-ups—These have to happen. Doing a weak five or six pull-ups isn’t good enough. Every fighter should be able to execute sets of 12 on command and aim for a long-term of 20 reps. When they can do 20, then start adding weight. No one that can do 20 pull-ups or reps with BW+50 is going to have a weak back or grip 4. Waterbury Press/Single Arm Floor press with Hip bridge—I learned this from Chad Waterbury over a year ago and have been using it ever since. It’s basically a single arm floor press done with a same-side hip bridge—very similar to a get up. It’s a fantastic pressing movement that mimics a punch and builds core and hip strength at the same time. A strong fighter should be able to press 0.5 x BW with both his dominant and non-dominant side. 5. Deadlift—There is no substitute for the deadlift. I’ve pulled both conventional and sumo, and I do not favor one over the other. It’s whatever my guy prefers. I do prefer a double overhand grip for as long as possible, at which point I will allow my fighters to use a mixed grip. The cutoff point I use is 1.5xBW. At that point, a mixed grip is allowable. As they get stronger, I program in many deadlift variations that work the grip and yoke, and these are excellent “armor building” movements to quote Dan John. The deadlift has carryover to literally EVERYTHING. You’re not getting stronger if you are not deadlifting. 6. Barbell Hip Thrust—I feel this movement can be an enormous game changer. Most fighters have woefully underdeveloped glutes and hamstrings. The hips are the powerhouses in the kinetic chain when striking or executing takedowns. Striking power WILL increase if a fighter improves his glute and hamstring strength. Additionally, powerful hips will strengthen all aspects of his wrestling and submission game. A strong fighter should be able to thrust 1.5xBW for 10 reps. 7. Kettlebell Swing—Every athlete should be swinging. Kettlebell swings build dynamic hip strength and power and can be used for all forms of energy systems development. A fighter that can’t swing is leaving power on the table. All fighters should start with 24kg Kettlebells, and a strong fighter should be able to use a 32kg or 48kg for multiple sets. 8. Inverted Rows—Highly underrated, inverted rows work the lats, upper back, biceps, and grip. Often dismissed as a warm up exercise, inverted rows can be used to effectively build muscle and strength. A strong fighter should be able to perform 20 consecutive reps with bodyweight. Inverted rows are easy to recover from and are an excellent tonic exercise for shoulder health as well.

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9. Glute/Ham Hyperextension—Not everyone has access to a GHR, but hyperextensions are found in every gym. A GH Hyper is credited to Bret Contreras, and it is a torso raise performed by contracting the hamstring and glutes and essentially extending the hips forward into the hyper. It is NOT a lumbar flexion exercise. The lumbar spine should remain neutral the entire time. A fighter should be able to perform multiple sets of 20 reps with bodyweight. From there, weight can then be added. 10. Suspended + weighted push-ups—Every fighter can do push-ups. But can they do them with a 50-pound weight vest? Or how about incline ring push-ups with 25 pounds of chains around his neck? Advanced push-up variations are a phenomenal way to build upper body strength while keeping the shoulders healthy, and they are easy to recover from as well. *Program notes: You will see that the Phase I workouts put the primary strength exercise third in the workout. This is for a few reasons: 1) the fighters will initially have poor muscular recruitment. Doing the lighter movements first allows us to groove technique and be thoroughly warmed up to avoid injury. 2) Intensity wise, it also lets you grade the workout to protect the fighter from overdoing it. 3) Many fighters have an “all-or-nothing” attitude to training. Forcing them to slow down in the beginning is both for the sake of their health and to teach them that proper training takes time. Progression—Reps, sets, and weight: Ascending set—Increase the weight each set. Always start light with the last set being the heaviest set AMAP (As many as possible)—This does not mean grinding/straining out reps or rest-pausing to do more. Once the athlete begins to grind, the set is over. L/M/H—This is an ascending set that starts light (50-70%), goes medium (70-85%), and finishes heavy (85% and above). Straight set—The same weight is used for all sets. + denotes an alternating/superset Percentages—I do not use percentages in this program for the fact that a novice lifter’s “max” will often increase every week, and it makes the 1RM negligible. For beginners, I simply use a perceived exertion scale of “how heavy was it?”—ranging from “do you think you could get five reps with it?” to “Can you do at least three reps with this weight?” I don’t believe in using 1RM for athletes with beginner levels of strength, and the lowest I would ever go to test strength would be a three-rep max. Beginners’ bodies are not sufficiently conditioned enough to execute a one-rep max without significant risk of injury. Injuring yourself by trying to deadlift your 1RM of 275 pounds is both retarded and happens all too often in commercial gyms already. Determining reps for bodyweight exercises—Have the athlete perform a single set of the exercise to failure. If he can do 20 reps, he can add weight and do the weighted version of the movement. If form breaks down before 20 reps, then subtract two reps from whatever number he did and that’s the number of reps he should aim for each set.


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Determining Additional weight for Bodyweight exercises—I start with a 20-pound weight vest, regardless of the fighter’s size. You could also use chains or a dip belt if you have those available, or even a backpack filled with plates. Never add weight in more than 10-pound increments. Adding too much weight to BW movements will quickly stall any progress being made. Phase I Training (6-8 weeks) Workout 1GH Hyperextension 3x15-20 + Kettlebell Swing 3x20-Straight set Deadlift 5x3-Ascending set Inverted Rows 4xAMAP + Dips 4xAMAP Workout 2 Suspended Pushups 3xAMAP + Single Leg Hip Thrust 3x15/15 each leg Goblet Squat 6x5-Ascending Sets Barbell Hip Thrust 4x15, ascending sets + Waterbury Floor Press 4x6, ascending sets Workout 3 Pull-ups 4xAMAP + Goblet Squat 4x10-Straight set Barbell Hip Thrust 5x6-Ascending sets Weighted Pushup-3x8+ -Straight sets with 8-rep minimum per set and 20-rep maximum. + Inverted Rows 3xAMAP

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Phase II Workouts (4-6 Weeks) Workout 1 Dumbbell Single Arm Snatch 6x3/3-Ascending Sets Deadlift 3x5-Ascending set-L/M/H Pull-ups 4xAMAP-Alternate wide and neutral grip + Weighted Dips 4x10+ Straight sets and MUST be able to perform at least 10 reps with added weight + Leg curl + hip bridge on stability ball or suspension trainer 4xAMAP Workout 2 Goblet Jump Squat 5x5-Use load that is no more than 30% of fighter’s BW Heavy Kettlebell Swing 3x10 + Waterybury Floor Press-5x5-Ascending Sets Inverted Rows 4xAMAP + Weighted GH Hyperextension 3x10+ Workout 3 Barbell High Pull 5x4, Ascending sets Barbell Hip Thrust 4x10 Straight set Zercher Good Mornings 3x10 Straight set Pull-ups 3xAMAP + Weighted/Suspended Pushups 4x10+ Straight sets with 10-rep minimum per set


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Commonly Asked Questions: -Why no back squats?Back squats are awesome, but as anyone can attest to when back squatting heavy, they become very draining and take time to recover from. Fighters often train upwards of three hours a day, and that’s not counting the lifting I would like them to do. Between sparring, learning different techniques, roadwork, padwork, and the extra conditioning their coaches will inevitably make them do, having them squat heavy is just unnecessary training stress they won’t recover from. Furthermore, fighters often have continuously strained hips with all manner of mobility and flexibility imbalances. Trying to teach a fighter with tight hamstrings, strained hip flexors, and crappy t-spine mobility how to barbell squat is simply not worth it. The Goblet squat is an idiot proof, maximally effective exercise that everyone immediately “gets.” It acts as a tonic for the hips, and it’s damned near impossible to injure yourself doing it. It’s also an easy to measure progress, and I feel confident my guys can do it without me there coaching them. -Why no bench pressing?Fighters throw thousands of punches in any given week. Their rotator cuffs already have a great deal of wear and tear on them. Add in practicing submissions, and the joint doesn’t, in my opinion, need additional training stress. The majority of the guys I encounter already bench press enough, and all they have to show for it is bad posture and a bench press that hasn’t gone up since their senior year of high school. While I’m not opposed to bench press variations for a fighter that needs to add muscle mass, the vast majority of the time it just isn’t a maximally effective lift. The goal is to improve punching power by the most effective means necessary. -Can I do something other than deadlift?Only if injuries absolutely prevent you deadlifting with straight bar, in which case you may deadlift with a trap bar, there is no other substitution. You will notice that the only traditional barbell lift I readily utilize is the deadlift. I believe the barbell deadlift is the preeminent strength building exercise, especially in regards to expanding the power of the central nervous system and building grip strength and endurance. There is no substitution for deadlifting -I seem to be repeating a lot of the same bodyweight movementsYes you are. This is on purpose. One of the advantages to bodyweight movements is that they can trained with a high frequency without inhibiting the body’s recovery. They are easy to progress forward, and they give fighters instant feedback to how strong they are. -Will all the hip hinging hurt my back?No, it will actually make your back pain free. The majority of individuals that have bad backs have nothing congenitally wrong with their spines. What they do have is weak hamstrings, weak glutes, and woefully underdeveloped erector spinae and posterior transverse abdominis. Simply said, your back and ass are fucking weak. If you get them stronger, they won’t hurt. -How will stronger glutes help my striking power?Try to punch hard while sitting in a chair. Now try punching hard while standing, but don’t turn your hips at all. Every fighter is constantly told, “it’s all in the hips.” Your ass is your hips, and the stronger your glutes can fire and snap, the stronger your punches and kicks are going to be.

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-What if I want to train four days a week?Please stop with is. Every guy I train is constantly telling me about how beat up, tired, in pain, hurting, strained, pulled, caffeinated, and under slept they are, but then they still want to work out on their one “off day” a week. If you are getting enough sleep, good food, etc., then I am not unopposed to a fourth day of training. This day four is usually a strongman sort of day with some sled pushes and drags, some tire flips, some heavy bag tosses etc. A sample fourth day could look like this: Sled push with Bodyweight-6 x 25 yards Sled Rows with BW-6 x 25 yards Heavy Bag throw 6 x 3 Tire Flip-20 total reps Farmers walk for distance with sandbag duffel bag *DO NOT TURN THIS INTO ANOTHER CONDITIONING DAY. You’re doing this stuff to get stronger, not to make yourself puke. -I’ve got heavy weight sized guys I’m training, and I don’t feel comfortable with them doing all the bodyweight stuff. What should I have them do?So basically your guys are too fat to do pull-ups and push-ups is what your saying? They need to lose body fat then. I’ve trained “heavyweights” that are basically just overweight light heavies. I’ve also trained heavyweights that are just fat heavyweights. There is no excuse for a fighter’s body fat being higher than 15%. NO FRICKIN’ EXCUSE. Being fat does not help any athletic quality other than making you slower. If your guy is overweight, he needs to stop following the Mickey and Wendy’s diet and shed pounds. Every sized fighter should be able to execute BW exercises, no matter how big they are. Keep in mind, that a legitimate heavyweight sized man with an athletic body fat percentage of 12% is rarely going to be larger than 250 pounds—barring him being unusually tall (6’4 and up) or being built like Alistair Overeem and eating a lot of horse meat and Deca…I mean shark fin soup. That’s a whole other issue though. -Can I use this program before my next fight?No, no you should not. A pre-fight program should take into account your current level of strength and conditioning, your overall training volume and particular focuses, and be periodized according to how many weeks out you are from a fight. Pre-fight training should be optimal, not general.


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Bust A Bench PR by the End of the Year By Dave Tate

Saturday Bench Press: •• 20-30 total warm-up reps using PERFECT technique (see videos listed at the end of this program) with weight under 50%. These sets should all be in the 3-5 rep range. •• 50% for 9 sets of 3 reps. Three sets will use a close grip (index finger on the smooth part of the bar), three sets will be with a moderate grip (pinky on the rings), and three sets are wide (forefinger on the ring). Flat Dumbbell Presses: •• As many warm-ups as you need. •• Work up to 2 heavy sets of 8 reps. Tricep Work: Do your normal triceps training, but cut the volume in half. Delt Work: Do your normal shoulder work, but cut the volume in half. NOTE: If you can’t do this first session, don’t worry about it. Just start with the second one. Wednesday Close-Grip Incline Press: Work up to a max set of 3 reps. Tricep Work: Do your normal triceps training. Delt Work: Do your normal shoulder work.

Technique Bench Press with Reverse Bands: •• Use a weight that is equal to 50% at the bottom if the bands were NOT on the bar. •• Perform 10 sets of 3-5 reps using PERFECT TECHNIQUE (see videos).

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Saturday Bench Press: •• 20-30 total warm up reps using PERFECT technique with weight under 50%. These sets should all be in the 3-5 rep range. •• 50% for 9 sets of 3 reps. Three sets will use a close grip (index finger on the smooth part of the bar), three sets will be with a moderate grip (pinky on the rings), and three sets are wide (forefinger on the ring). Flat Dumbbell Presses: •• As many warm-ups as you need. •• Work up to a max rep set of 15 reps. Rest five minutes and try to get 15 or more reps with the same weight. Tricep Work: Do your normal triceps training, but cut the volume in half. Delt Work: Do your normal shoulder work, but cut the volume in half. Wednesday Pin Presses: Using a moderate grip (halfway between what you would consider close and what you would consider wide), work up to a heavy set of three by using small jumps (20-30 pounds). This heavy set of three should be done with a weight you could do for five reps on a good day. Rope Pushdowns: 3 sets of 15-20 reps—just get the blood flowing. This shouldn’t be hard at all. Side Delt Raises: Use a weight that is 50% of what you would normally use and perform 2 sets of 20 reps. Saturday Bench Press: •• Perform 5-7 warm up sets with 20% or less, keeping the reps in the 3-5 rep range. •• Keep working up using 3 reps until you get to 50%. This should be another 2-3 sets. •• At the 50% mark, begin doing singles and working up to a new 5-pound record. •• As you near the 90% mark, make sure your second to last set (the last set will be the PR) is not a ballbuster. Think of it as an opener. It should be a weight you can do for a hard triple. •• Break your record by 5 pounds. If this goes well, take one more record and call it a day!


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NOTE: This will NOT work if you’re an elite or pro lifter, unless you are in meet shape. The Videos So you think you can bench series Dave Tate Teaches the Bench Press at the UGSS The Six-Week Bench Cure

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Sample Carb Back-Loading Weekly Meal Plan By Julia Ladewski

I’ve been Carb Back- Loading for a year and a half now, and it has helped me maintain my weight class and get stronger. There are many adjustments that can be made based on an individual’s weight, muscle mass, and goals. Below is a sample week of my meals… along with a few mistakes that I’ve made along the way. Sunday- Training and carbs at night 8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m. TRAINING- 4:00-6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

6:45 p.m. 9:30 p.m.

2 cups coffee w/ 1 tbsp heavy cream (each cup) Coffee w/ coconut oil, cream, and whey isolate 2 grass fed burger patties (with almond meal, egg and spinach mixed in) and 1 piece of cheese added to each 1 tsp fish oil (liquid) 1 tsp homemade peanut butter String cheese Pepperoni Post-workout shake: 5 grams leucine 5 grams creatine 30 grams protein 3 pieces of pizza 1 chocolate cookie Protein shake: 30 grams protein 5 grams leucine 1/2 cup ice cream

Total carbs during backload: 160 grams

Monday- Training and carbs at night 8:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Afternoon TRAINING- 5:00-6:00 p.m.


2 cups Coffee w/ 2 Tbsp heavy cream Homemade Flax Wrap 1 scrambled egg with red pepper, onion, and green pepper 3 slices of bacon 1/2 cup sautéed zucchini w/ grated parmesan cheese 1 cup coffee w/ 1 Tbsp cream Post-workout shake: 5 grams leucine 5 grams creatine 30 grams protein 25g dextrose

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7:30 p.m. (Dinner)

6-8 ounces ham (fresh from hog) 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and a dash of brown sugar

9:00 p.m. (Snack)

Protein shake: 25g protein 5 grams each Leucine/creatine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1 tbsp raisins 1 ounce chocolate

Total Carbs during backload: 110 grams Tuesday- Carb day prior to morning training 8:00 a.m. 12:00 a.m. (Lunch)

3:00 p.m. (Snack) 6:00 p.m. (Dinner) Snack

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2 cups coffee & 2 Tbsp heavy cream Flax meal wrap topped with: Low carb pizza sauce A little cheese Some crumbled sausage *A Delicious pizza! Iced coffee (1-2 cup coffee, heavy cream, stevia, and ice) 4 ounces ham 1 white potato 4 mild buffalo wings 1 fun-size M&M 1 serving ice cream


Wednesday- Low carb morning training day 7:30 a.m. TRAINING- 8:30-9:45 a.m.

12:00 p.m. (Lunch)

4:15 p.m. (Snack)

7:30 p.m. (Dinner)

9:30 p.m. (Snack)

2 cups coffee w/ 2 Tbsp heavy cream Post-workout shake 25 grams protein 5g creatine/leucine 6 ounces ham 1/2 cup green beans w/ 1Tbsp butter 3 grams of fish oil 1 hard boiled egg 1 piece of bacon 1/2 piece of a square sausage patty 2 eggs scrambled 3 ounces ham 1 ounce cheese 2 low carb brownies w/ 1 tbsp homemade peanut butter

Thursday- Low carb non-training day 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12:15 p.m. (Lunch)

4:00 p.m. (Snack)

2 cups coffee w/ 2 tbsp heavy cream 1 cup coffee w/ 1 tbsp coconut oil and whey isolate 2 grass fed burger patties (with almond meal, egg and spinach mixed in) and cheese on top 3 pieces of bacon- fresh from a hog Bit of ketchup 3 grams of fish oil 2 celery stalks 2 Tbsp homemade peanut butter 2 hard boiled eggs

Extra workout- 6:30 p.m. 7:15 p.m. (Dinner)

9:15 p.m. (Snack)


2 hard shell tacos 4 ounces grass fed ground beef 1 ounce cheese Romaine lettuce 2 Tbsp salsa 2 Tbsp sour cream Protein shake 30g protein 5g leucine 2 pieces cinnamon raisin toast w/ butter

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Friday- Training and carbs at night

8:00 p.m. 11:45 a.m. (Lunch)

3:00 p.m. (Snack) TRAINING 4:00-6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

6:45 p.m. (Dinner)

9:00 p.m. (Snack)

2 cups Coffee w/ 2 Tbsp heavy cream 3-4 ounces ham (fresh from hog) 2 ounce sausage patty fresh from hog 1.5 cups roasted brussel sprouts with olive oil 1 cup coffee w/ heavy cream Post-workout shake: 30 grams protein 25g carbs (dextrose) 5g leucine 5g creatine 1-1.5 cups squash & apple soup 3 slices french bread 2 grass fed hamburger patties 1 serving French fries Protein shake: 30g protein 5g leucine Gluten-free cupcake 2.5 rectangle graham crackers w/ homemade peanut butter

Total carbs during backload: 150-160 grams Saturday- Low carb non-training day 8:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. (Lunch) 4:00 p.m. (Snack) 7:00 p.m. (Dinner)

9:00 p.m. (Snack)

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2 cups coffee and 2 Tbsp heavy cream 5-egg omelet with bacon and cheese Handful of almonds Rotisserie chicken: Breast Wing Part of a leg Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix w/ 1 tbsp butter Low Carb brownie Whipped cream (made from real heavy whipping cream)


Mistakes I’ve made with Carb Back-Loading: 1. Back-loading every night. When I first started, I back-loaded every night. It was a great start, but the results were a little slower. 2. First meal post-workout wasn’t lower fat. Ideally, the post-workout shake and subsequent meal should be lower in fat—more like a bodybuilder type meal. For a while, I just ate whatever I wanted and paid no attention to choosing lower fats or leaner meats. 3. Too much junk. The great thing about carb back-loading is that it allows for you to have some junk. However, there was definitely a limit for me. If I grazed on junk instead of making it an actual meal, I felt worse and saw slower results.


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My Use of Bands and Chains By Marshall Johnson

One of the best training methods/tools that I have come across and have incorporated into my training is the use of resistance via bands and chains. There are multiple benefits to using resistance tools in your training, and there are two resistance options from which to choose: resistance bands or chains. Both have very similar effects, but I wouldn’t say that they feel and work the same. Chains just have this badass feeling and look to them—you feel like a monster with links just hanging. You also add a level of instability to whatever lift you are doing if you keep the chains swinging freely off the ground—an amazing way to build stability and core strength. When you use bands, you don’t get the feeling of instability, but the payoff is that you can add a sick amount of tension at the top. I will discuss the two reasons why I started, and continue, to use resistance. These tools have helped take my training to the next level.

Training with resistance is a great way to blow past barriers for many reasons. First, let’s start with the obvious: chains and bands provide accommodating resistance. Your body can use an overloaded amount of weight because chains/bands are only loaded about half the time. On squat and bench, the weight is at a maximal level when the lift starts; however, as you descend, the resistance starts to deload, making the weight on the bar lighter. (For your squat and bench, this is where there is the most strain on your body). As you press up, the weight increases because the resistance increases. This allows you to work with heavier weights while keeping a lot of the extra stress off of your joints and body. With deadlifts, you start with little to no tension. However, as you lift the weights, the bar gets heavier and heavier. This allows you to hold—at lockout—a weight that you probably couldn’t do from the floor. So, in summation, resistance training allows you to work with heavier weights than you are accustomed, making you strong(er).

The reason I started working with chains and bands had nothing to do with the actual purpose of using these tools. It was totally a mental thing. Training with chains looked badass. Simple as that. If you feel like a monster, you will train like a monster. Chains actually kept me in powerlifting. When I started powerlifting, I was still a bodybuilder, devoting half of the year to each sport. When it came time to train for powerlifting again, I was hitting walls and getting extremely frustrating. I kept focusing on numbers and numbers and numbers… until I was sick of lifting and wanted to give up on powerlifting altogether. You are always going to have off days—days when you’re not able to lift the weights you should be lifting. However, I hit walls and could not break them down. I was at my wits end, and I actually decided to just bodybuild. The thing that saved me was a five-hour trip to Minot to train with my initial powerlifting motivator, Bob Bruner. Bob was deadlifting with chains. It was the most badass looking thing I had ever seen! It just called out to me, screamed at me: you have to do this. I hit a deadlifting session with chains, and I was hooked and back on the road to powerlifting. The reason why this spoke to me was simple: With resistance training, you never actually know how much weight is on the bar. I started focusing less on the weight and more on just going to the gym and training my ass off. I dedicated an entire month to using strictly chains on all three lifts. After that month, I went back to straight weight and BOOM! I was moving heavier weight and hitting PRs left and right. Chains saved my powerlifting future. This was, and still is, the reason I use resistance. I use bands as well, but chains are by far my favorite. If it looks badass, I will train like a badass. Also, since I never really know the exact weight on the bar, I get to simply focus on training as hard as I can—until the bottom falls out.

There are so many ways, both physically and mentally, that resistance training can benefit your training, both raw and equipped. It allows you to train with weights that you normally couldn’t handle. Additionally, it still allows your body to stay healthy by releasing much of the tension in the hole of your lifts. Train heavier, harder, more confidently, AND stay healthy.

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Deadlift Training Cycle By Clint Smith

Background For the past couple years, I have set up and followed an off-season deadlift cycle. I found that this helped give my training more structure and direction. Without a meet on the horizon, it was hard to get motivated to make progress, or even just to get in a decent deadlift session at times. This wasn’t really the case with the squat or bench. I guess the deadlift is just not as fun to train for me, but it definitely can be once I have direction and start to see progress. I have tweaked this routing each time I have followed it, and modified the assistance to suit my needs as I see them. The Plan My focus on the deadlift during the off-season has always been raw strength. I am fortunate to get a lot out of my gear on the deadlift. So, I reason that gains in raw strength will benefit my pull once meet preparation comes around. So, then I throw the gear back on. Therefore, this program is all raw. The basic premise of the plan is simple: I set up a 10-week periodized plan for full range deadlifts. I also pick two second movements that I aim to increase as well. Full Range Work Put some thought into whether you want to pull conventional or sumo with your full range work. For most of the time that I have used this template, I pulled the opposite of my competition style (conventional is the opposite form for me). I like this because it allows me to work on a weak point. Working the opposite style will place different stress and emphasis on the muscles of the deadlift, which can benefit you when you go back to your preferred technique. You will also give your CNS a break from the style with which you’ve been pulling for a long time. This way, when you enter meet training mode again, your competitive style will be fresh—which means your body might be more receptive to strength and size gains. Having said that, I chose to stay with my competitive form (sumo) during my most recent run of this routine. This is due to the fact that I am trying to switch to a hook grip, and I noticed that the different grip changes my form. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to stay sumo so that I can figure out how to tweak my form for the new grip, as well as gain practice with the hook grip. I mention this as an example so that you can see how you need to give thought to the selection of this lift. There is no wrong answer necessarily. Just think it through and try to use some logic. Second Movements Selection of your two second movements should be based on what weak points you want to target. Analyze video of max attempts or failed attempts to determine what point(s) you struggle with. Seek out input from other lifters or training partners to see what weak points they can identify. After this process, you may find that you have a laundry list of “weak points.” That’s okay! At least it shows that you have plenty of room for improvement. Based off this list, pick two exercises that will attack your two biggest problems. It is quite possible that one of your biggest problems is your form. If you find that you are still exhibiting a lot of form flaws, you may want to make one of your two second movements be light speed deadlifts (50-60% of 1RM). Try to focus on and practice flawless form on these lifts in order to perfect the movement. Video your lifting so that you, or other trusted lifters, can scrutinize your technique and suggest aspects to practice/ emphasize. Here is a list of some assistance exercises—and the weak point they train—in order to help with exercise selection. This is by no means an absolute list. If you think of one not included below, it is definitely still fair game.


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Exercise Elevated Deadlifts (Standing on Block) Stifflegs

Block/Rack Pulls

Weak Point Emphasis Bottom of lift. Lower back. Hamstrings/Lower back

Double-Overhand Grip Romanian Deadlifts Narrow Stance Squats Reverse Band Deadlift

Lockout and/or sticking point. Adjust the height to match a specific sticking point. Grip Strength Hamstrings/Middle of Lift Quads Lockout and Bar Speed

Chain Deadlifts

Lockout

The Template The training template below is based off of training the deadlift one time per week. All percentages are based off of your one-rep, full range max. Just take a guess at what your one-rep max is when you begin the program. It doesn’t matter what your best-ever attempt was, unless that is what you are capable of lifting, when you begin the program. Be honest with yourself when you estimate this. Over-assuming your max will easily screw up this entire cycle. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to just low-ball your max a little bit. You will still get stronger, and you may actually be fresher going into the final weeks of the program—which could lead to a great max session at the end. Each week you will work to your projected full range weight. The set/rep scheme for your warm ups to get to the projected set is not an exact science. As a general rule, do sets of five for your first couple of sets and then transition to doubles. If you feel like you need more work, or more of a warm up, you could do an extra set of five or work more triples on your warm ups instead of doubles. Use your judgment. After the full range work, roll directly into the selected second movement for the prescribed number of sets and reps. It is intended to alternate the two second movements every week.

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Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Full Range DL 2x2 2x2 1X2 1X2 5x3 2x2 1X2 1X2 --

Percentage 75% 80% 85% 90% 80% 85% 92% 97% --

Rack Pulls 3x3 -2x3 -3x3 -2X3 ---

Percentage 85% -93% -100% -110% ---

SLDL -3x8 -3x5 -3x5 -3x3 --

Percentage 50% 55% 60% 70%

10

Max


Assistance It would be a good idea to add in one or two exercises at the end of your session that focus on lagging muscle groups. Use higher reps and try to pump a lot of blood around. My reps are typically 8-20 on the assistance movements. Shrugs, Rows, Pulldowns, GHR, Abs, and Forearm work are all great choices. My Personalized Routine The following was my approach the last time I implemented this training cycle. •• I chose to work my raw sumo DL with a mixed hook grip and increase the weight to improve my technique and pain tolerance with the new grip. •• I included rack pulls and double overhand Stifflegged Deadlifts (SLDL) as my second movements in order to work three other weak points that I have targeted: •• Grip: Double overhand SLDL will emphasize this. I also do the rack pulls with a mixed grip to build grip strength. •• Erectors: The stifflegs tax my erectors, which also carry over well to the squat. •• Lockout: I usually get stuck right at the top of my missed deadlift attempts, which is when my grip fades. Assistance My assistance will be shrugs almost every week. This will also work my grip. I am going to alternate high and low rep days for shrugs. I will also rotate in double-overhand shrugs for some more grip work. When I feel like it, I will throw in some rowing. Closing I hope that you find this routine helpful. Even if you don’t actually do it, I think that the article has shown the factors I consider when I set up my training programs. A sound training program starts with someone evaluating his weaknesses and developing a sound plan to strengthen them. If you have any questions regarding this article or the training program, please feel free to contact me at http://asp.elitefts.net/qa/ default.asp?a=ask.


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A Twelve Week Quick & Dirty Program for “The Time Poor Older Gentlemen” By Bill Wallers

This program is a variation of a training protocol that I adopt when I know I have a crazy period coming up—when my ability to train “balls to the wall” will be limited by other demands on my time. The program is a hybrid of the programming methodologies of two of the genuine “Rock Gods” in this area: Jim Wendler and Dan Johns. While the title implies it is for “Older Gentlemen,” it can be done by anyone who finds himself starved for time over a short period. This program is designed to keep you strong and moderately fit during periods where you know other things are going to get in the way. I last following a similar program when I was working full-time in the corporate world, studying for a Diploma of Fitness, running a nutrition and personal training business on the side, and coaching my son’s basketball team. The good part about this was that it kept the mind active. The downside, of course, was that it left very little time to train. Hence, this program—which involves lifting two days per week, high intensity cardio one day per week, and an extended walk with the significant other once a week (for a couple of weeks there, this walk was pretty much the only time we saw each other – a problem that has now been rectified). The program is built around four principles:

• Lifting some heavy weights with minimal repetitions twice per week; • Getting in some heavy duty cardio when time permits; • Getting in and out of the gym as quickly as you can; and • Doing all of the mobility and flexibility work us “older gentlemen” require at home (in front of the television, and hopefully watching a sporting event of some description). Without further ado, here is the twelve-week program broken down into three cycles of four weeks each.

Weeks 1-4

Tuesday (Lower Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up: Don’t spend too long on this. Get moving, get the blood flowing, warm up the areas you’ll be working, and get on with the lifting. • Deadlifts: Two to three warm up sets followed by eight singles at something over 90% of your one-repetition maximum. (We don’t have much time to get this done so keep the rest between sets low). • Hyperextensions: Three sets of ten to strengthen the posterior chain (You can add weight to do these at your discretion, just make sure the repetitions are quality reps—move through the range of motion. Don’t sprint).

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• Hanging Leg Raises: Three sets of ten of possibly my favourite abdominal exercise. There is no cheating permitted with this. The range of motion has the shins making contact with the bar from which you are hanging, with legs as straight as your flexibility permits. • Go Home. At the completion of the work day—during the fifteen or so minutes you get to relax—foam roll the legs, back, and traps, and do mobility exercises for known problem areas—you know what they are; stop living in denial. If it creaks, it’s probably a mobility issue of some description.

Thursday (Upper Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up: Once again, don’t spend too long on this. Get in some quality work and get started. • Incline Bench Press: Two to three warm up sets followed by eight singles at something over 90% of your one-repetition maximum. • Chin Ups: Eight sets of three supersetted with the Incline Bench Press. (I did mention time was at a premium, there’s no time to be wasted resting). • One Arm Rows: Three sets of ten. If they are good enough for Kroc, they’re good enough for me. Keep the weight moderate and the rest between sets minimal. • Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: Three sets of ten. • Dumbbell Curls: Three sets of ten done in a superset with the Triceps Extensions. (Hey, summer is coming up in Australia, and I need to be prepared—Suns out, Guns out). • Go Home and be sure to foam roll and complete mobility exercises whenever you get a chance. Saturday (Cardio) This day is normally a mixed bag depending on whether I am at the gym or whether the weather is nice enough to get in some exercise outside. If I am at the gym, it’s strap yourself into the rower and go. A typical rower program would be to complete one of the following (after a warm up of course):

• 6 x 500 metre rower sprints with a 2-minutes rest in between. (Thanks to Brian Mackenzie for this); or • The Olympic Sprints: You complete sprints of 1,500 metres, 800 metres, 400 metres, 200 metres, and 100 metres with decreasing rest periods in between (2 minutes, 1 minute and 30 seconds, 1 minute, 30 seconds).


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If the weather is nice, I’m off to the local park for sprints. In normal conditions, I would try to get in two kilometres of sprints. How I got there depended on how I felt. Some days it would be 20x50 metres, while other days it would be 5x400. In all cases, the emphasis was on keeping the rest periods low and the heart pounding. The only problem I had with doing sprints was that the local park is also a leash-free dog park. Many was the time that I added agility training to my sessions as I dodged dogs, dog turds, or their owners. Happy days. (Oh, and end the day with more foam rolling and mobility work).

Sunday (Walk) This was not really a training session per se, more of an opportunity to get out in the sun, chat with the wife, and stretch out any muscles that were sore from the week’s training. These walks lasted about an hour and averaged five kilometres, as I had no interest whatsoever in turning this into anything more than a social walk.

Weeks 5-8

Tuesday (Lower Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up • Squats: Two to three warm up sets followed by eight triples at something over 80% of your one-repetition maximum. (Again, keep the rest between sets low, get the stars out of your eyes, get your breath back, and go again). • Good Mornings: Three sets of ten to keep the posterior chain strong. (This is being done as an assistance/supplementary exercise, not a maximum effort lift. Focus more on the movement rather than the weight). • Abdominal Rollouts: Three sets of ten of possibly my least favourite abdominal exercise. The fact that it is my least favourite is why I do it—not for any special mental challenge, but just the fact that I hate it suggests that I probably need to do it. • Go Home and get your rolling and mobility work in when time permits.

Thursday (Upper Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up. • Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Two to three warm up sets followed by eight triples at something over 80% of your one-repetition maximum.

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• Chest Supported Rows: Eight sets of three supersetted with the Shoulder Press. • Chin Ups: Three sets of as many as you can do. • Triceps Pushdowns: Three sets of ten. • EZ Curls: Three sets of ten done in a superset with the Triceps Pushdowns. • Go Home and be sure to foam roll and complete mobility exercises whenever you get a chance. Saturday (Cardio) Same as for the previous cycle—boring I know, but hey, sometimes you just have to get it done without overthinking it (and it is Saturday).

Sunday (Walk) Once again, this is the same as the previous cycle.

Weeks 9-12 If things look like they will be remaining out of control for a while longer, add in another cycle. It could look something like this:

Tuesday (Lower Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up • Squats: Two to three warm up sets followed by eight triples at something over 60% of your one-repetition maximum. • Deadlifts: Eight triples at something over 60% of your one-repetition maximum. • Power Cleans: Eight triples at something over 60% of your one-repetition maximum. These exercises are done as a giant set—that is one set of squats followed by one set of Deadlifts followed by one set of Power Cleans. Keep the rest periods to a minimum and blast your way through it.


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Thursday (Upper Body Day) • Dynamic Warm Up. • Kettlebell Snatches: Two to three warm up sets followed by four sets of ten. • Kettlebell Swings: Four sets of ten. • Kettlebell Rows: Four sets of ten. • Kettlebell Turkish Get Ups: Four sets of ten. • Go Home and be sure to foam roll and complete mobility exercises whenever you get a chance. If you do this workout properly, you will also get in some serious conditioning work since you once again do the exercises as a giant set with minimal periods. If you use the same kettlebell for each exercise, you can try and do giant sets with no rest, which is one hell of a challenge.

Saturday (Cardio) This is unchanged from the previous cycles.

Sunday (Walk) This is unchanged from the previous cycles.

Wrapping it Up This program is not designed to improve your strength levels or overall musculature. It is intended to minimize the damage one might suffer during an extended timeframe when it is difficult to train for long periods with a definitive goal in mind. Given that I only do this program (or a variation of it) during crazy periods when there are all sorts of demands for on my time, try to keep the eating under control in an effort to further minimize the damage from your reduced training volume. This program will not save you from three trips a day through the Golden Arches. About the Author Bill Allars is personal trainer in Frankston, Australia.

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Block Periodization for Powerlifting By Jason Pegg

This is an almost exact replica of the training cycle I used the first time I implemented the Block Periodization Concept, as Issurin lays it out, into my training. Rather than bore you to death with details, I am going to lay it out very simply—no technical terms or fancy titles. While the information it took to put this together could be an e-book its self, I will instead plot it out week by week for you—sets, reps, and percentages. I will also take a second to say thank you to Jeremy Frey. He helped me out a ton with setting up the initial program and putting the thoughts and concepts to paper. This is certainly not the only way to program using the BPC, but it is one of the ways that I have programmed my own training and produced successful results for myself. For those of you who are unfamiliar to the Block Periodization Concept, there are a myriad of articles on www. elitefts.com that really delve into the theories, concepts, and principles behind the programming. Rather than drag this article into the double digits page-wise, I’ll just say that if you want the science, buy the manuals, read the articles, and go from there. For those of you who just want the program, this is for you. This is a 14-week pre-meet training cycle. If you don’t compete or aren’t close to a meet, you can simply rotate back and forth between the accumulation and transmutation blocks. If you don’t think you’re in good enough shape, you can also deload for a week and repeat the accumulation block again before advancing to the accumulation phase. As employed for the multiply lifter, you are going to need three maxes for the squat, two for the bench, and three for the deadlift. A raw lifter will only need his 1RM for the three competition lifts. The multi-ply lifter will need a raw; a suit and briefs, straps down; and a suit and briefs, straps up—training max for both the squat and deadlift. You can guesstimate roughly what they are; there is no need to test them. In the bench, a raw and shirted max will do. The week-by-week and day-by-day breakdown is at the bottom if you need to see how the training is laid out for the entire training cycle. Accumulation Block • • • •

For the main lift (sq/bp/dl), use the percentages of max listed. Rest between sets is one minute on all exercises. ALL bench work in this block is raw. Pick six accessory lifts to do after the main lift, five “weight” exercises, and one prehab/rehab.

Weeks Out

Main Lift Percentage

Volume of Main Lift

Volume of Accessory Work

14

55 (raw)

60 (12-15 reps/set)

13

60 (raw)

12

65 (briefs)

11

70 (briefs)

30, (15 for low volume bench) 5-6 reps/set 24, (12 for low volume bench) 4-5 reps/set 18, (9 for low volume bench) 4 reps/set 14, (6 for low volume bench 3-4 reps/set


50 (10-12 reps/set) 45 (8-12 reps/set) 40 (8-12 reps/set)

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For the accessory work, pair two exercises and alternate between them for the prescribed number of sets. For example, on squat day: alternate between leg curls and pulldowns until you have all 60 reps for both exercises, and then you can move on to the next two exercises. The training sessions should not exceed 90 minutes per session—75 minutes is better. Work hard. The main point of this block is to ensure that you can recover from the training sessions in the next block. Transmutation Block •

Week 10 is a deload week. If you’re feeling beat down, take the week off.

•

Use the highest percentage listed for the last two work sets on the main lift.

•

Complete recoveries between sets on the main lifts.

•

Bench work is in shirt. Squat work is suit and briefs, straps down. DL work is straps up if conventional, down if pulling sumo.

•

RPE of 8 is 3-4 reps left in the tank

•

RPE of 8.5 is 2-3 reps left in the tank

•

RPE of 9 is 1 rep left in the tank

•

90% of the strength gains in the cycle will come from this block.

Weeks Out

Main Lift Percentage

Volume of Main Lift

DELOAD

60 (raw)

12

9

70-72-75 (straps down/shirt) 77-80-82 (straps down/shirt) 84-87-89 (straps down/shirt)

20 (3-4 reps/set)

22-25 (RPE 8)

30 (10 reps/set)

16 (3 reps/set)

18-22 (RPE 8.5)

30 (10 reps/set)

10 (2 reps/set)

14-18 (RPE 9)

20-30 (10 reps/set)

8 7

Volume of Supplemental Lifts

Volume of Accessory Work 20 (10 reps/set)

The supplemental work is what you would do for accessory work in a more standard-type template: floor presses, board presses, block pulls, safety bar box squats, etc. On the main bench day, you will do one Supplemental lift, and then you will do the accessory work. On the squat day, you will do the main work, a supplemental exercise for the deadlift, and then one for the squat. It would look like this: squat/block pull/ low box SSB squat. The accessory work in this block is two exercises each session, in the same alternating fashion.

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Realization Block •

Week 6 is a deload week. Do the work if you can. If not, stay home. Easy.

•

Squat work is briefs/suit, straps up and with knee wraps.

•

Bench work is shirted.

•

Deadlift work is straps up.

Weeks Out

Percentage of Main Lift

Volume of Main Lift

Volume of Specialized Preparatory Lifts (Accessory)

DELOAD 5 4 3 2 1

80 (raw) 92 (gear) 95 (gear) 97-100 (gear) 90 Opener 65 (raw)

6 6 (1-2 reps/set) 4 (1-2 reps/set) 2 (1 rep/set) 1

30 (10-15 reps) 8-20 (8-10 reps) 8-20 (8-10 reps) 8-10 (8-10 reps) 8-10 (8-10 reps)

Accessory work is one exercise for one or two sets, depending on the week. Pick something important but don’t hammer it. Weeks Sunday out

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

14

Squat

Bench (low)

Lower (sq or dl)

Cardio (60 min)

Bench (high)

13

Squat

Bench (low)

Lower (sq or dl)

Cardio (60 min)

Bench (high)

12

Squat

Bench (low)

Lower (sq or dl)

Cardio (60min)

Bench (high)

11

Squat

Bench (low)

Lower (sq or dl)

Cardio (60min)

Bench (high)

10

Deload

Deload

Deload

Deload

Deload

9

Squat and Supp

Supplemental Bench

Dead and Supp

Cardio (30 min) and recovery work

Bench and Supp


Saturday

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8

Squat and Supp

Supplemental Bench

Dead and Supp

7

Squat and Supp

Supplemental Bench

Dead and Supp

5

Squat

4

Squat

3

Squat

2

Squat Opener

Supplemental Bench and Cardio (20min) Supplemental Bench and Cardio (20min) Supplemental Bench and Cardio (20min) Upper Recovery

1

Lower Body recovery work

Cardio (30 min) and recovery work Cardio (30 min) and recovery work

Bench and Supp

Cardio (30 min)

Bench

Cardio (30 min)

Bench

Cardio (30 min)

Bench

Bench and Supp

6

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Upper body recovery work

Bench Opener KILL EVERYTHING


The Bigify Diet Plan By JL Holdsworth

Bigify (Verb): The act of becoming very jacked and/or swoll. I have always been good at manipulating my weight. Whether it was cutting for wrestling (before I knew how to diet) or moving my weight up to an all-time high of 312 pounds, I have been able to make it happen. Now, there are those out there who say that they are “hard gainers,” but I say they are just “non-committers.” I say this because I’ve never seen an overweight/obese person who had trouble gaining weight, and he/she isn’t even trying. The following diet is what I used to push my weight up to an all-time high, and if you follow it, you will see new size gains as well. Now, most diet “gurus” out there prescribe to one philosophy or another. It may be a high carb plan or one that focuses on high fats. It may even push for no fats… just whatever doctrine they have deemed as the best for everyone. For me, there is no “one best way” to eat but rather an “every person has an optimal way that he/she should eat.” For example, Dave Tate is a carb guy and does very well with a lot of carbs. I, on the other hand, cannot eat many carbs without becoming extremely sluggish, and I will actually loose mass. So, although the following diet worked extremely well for me, it may not be the best diet for you if you need to consume a different food source. With that said, you can’t know what is best for you until you actually stick to a diet and see what kind of results you get. That is why I say that “hard gainers” are just “non-committers,” because I believe everyone can find a way to eat that will make them jacked. This diet plan is based on cycling nutrients that I believe are essential to keeping your body growing. Your body is very smart and adapts to whatever nutrient profile you feed it. Therefore, you have to always keep it guessing. If not, it will adapt and you will stop growing, or worse yet… shrink. I started using a form of nutrient cycling over ten years ago—after I noticed that the guys who were “hard gainers” said they were very strict with their food plans and never cheated. On the other hand, those guys who were really jacked would eat shitty meals on a pretty regular basis; however, most of the time they ate plenty of protein and other good foods. That’s when I began telling these “hard gainers” to eat shitty food… and they would look at me like I was crazy. They would say that they didn’t want to get fat, but I would remind them that they had been at the same weight for five years, despite hard training and dieting. Some listened and grew; others didn’t and stayed the same or got smaller. In this diet there will be four “Base” diet days, two “High Carb” days, and one “Fat Load” day. You want to put your high carb days on your hardest training days. When I did this diet, my high carb days coincided with my leg days, but you can choose according to what days you feel are your hardest. Some of the food choices in this diet may seem odd, especially the amount of oil, but just drink it. It will put size on you. If you think you can’t stomach drinking 1/4 cup of oil, then stop reading because you just don’t have the commitment to “Bigify.” For the meat choices, I recommend eating grass fed beef and wild salmon, but your budget dictates what you can afford. So, it’s better in my book to get eight ounces of regular beef over two ounces of organic beef if you have a limited budget. I also recommend organic cream, milk, butter, and vegetables, but again what is best and what you can afford may be two different things. I didn’t put bacon on the menu, but feel free to add as much man-making bacon to the breakfast as you want (except on high carb days) so long as you get the other foods in. Bacon with no nitrates is preferred. On the high carb day, I have cereal listed because I love crappy breakfast cereals like cinnamon toast crunch and peanut butter captain crunch. You don’t have to use cereal for your carb source as much as I like to, but make sure to substitute relatively the same amount of carbs with another source that you enjoy. Supplement wise, I used all Biotest supplements for my training protocol. I also used Mag-10 and leucine between meals. Don’t get caught up too much in the times I have listed; they are just a rough estimate. You need to eat every two to three hours. When there is a big gap between meals, you need to supplement with


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either leucine or Mag-10. The pre, during, and post workout nutrition is very key to the plan. So if you are not going to take Biotest, you need to get something that is comparable to these products or this plan will not work nearly as well. Training wise, you need to train at least four times per week. Since this isn’t a training article, I won’t get into what you should be doing—but lift hard and heavy so that you can put on good muscle. I recommend that you don’t really train on your high fat day, but make sure to do a 30 to 45-minute sled dragging routine. This will keep your GPP up while you are packing on the pounds. As part of your high carb days, I would also recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of GPP post-workout or as part of your warm up. In my plan, I trained four hard workouts and one feeder workout where I worked on arms or anything else that I felt didn’t get worked enough in my other workouts. There are a million ways to skin the cat, but you need to push heavy weights while taking in all these calories. You will have plenty of fat lubricating your joints, so you can add a good bit of strength with the weight you will gain. In closing, I just want to let everyone know that this diet is designed around for someone wanting to weigh 300 pounds. It consists of consuming roughly 6,000 calories per day. That may be more than you need if you are only 150 pounds, so you need to adjust the food accordingly. The simplest way to do this is to multiply your body weight by 20—that is the number of calories that you will start with. So, a 150-pound person will start by consuming 3,000 calories (150x20=3,000). To adjust the diet, just cut the portions in half and you will get to the 3,000-calorie mark. If you aren’t putting on weight fast enough with that level, than up your intake by 500 calories the next week. Everyone thinks that gaining weight is fun and easy, but if it were, everyone who touched a weight would be super jacked. The reality is that gaining weight takes just as much diet discipline as loosing fat—just instead of refraining from eating, you have to force yourself to eat. Both directions take commitment, and if you can commit to this diet, you will definitely Bigify!

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6 organic whole eggs

Base Day - Training Item 5:00 a.m. - Meal 1 (Multi Vitamins)

½ cup Colby Jack

1 cup spinach 1 tbsp. cream of rice

½ cup cream 1 banana

2 scoop metabolic drive 1 banana 4 tbsp. flax seed oil

2 scoop metabolic drive 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 1 banana 8 oz. lean red meat 1 cup amaranth in chicken broth 4 cup spinach salad 2 tbsp. ranch dressing 8 oz. pork 4 cups of spinach ¼ cup mushroom ¼ cup celery 1/4c olive oil

7:00 a.m. - Meal 2

8:00 a.m. - Pre-Workout 1 Scoop Anaconda 1 Scoop Surge Workout Fuel 8:30 a.m. - During Workout 1 Scoop Anaconda 1 Scoop Surge Workout Fuel 1 Finibar 10:30 a.m. – Post-Workout Protocol 2 Scoop Surge Recovery 11:30 a.m. - Meal 3

1:30 p.m. - Meal 4

2:30 p.m. - 1 Scoop MAG-10 3:30 p.m. - Meal 5

6 p.m. - Meal 6

8 oz. red meat, pork, salmon or 6 whole eggs 3 cup spinach 2 tbsp. ranch dressing 1c pistachios 8 p.m. - Protein shake before bed 2 scoop metabolic drive 4 tbsp. flax seed oil


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High Carb Item 6:00 a.m. - Meal 1 (Multi Vitamins)

1 cup egg whites ¼ cup shredded part skim milk mozzarella 1 cup spinach 2-3 cups cereal 2 cup skim milk 1 banana 7:00 a.m. - 1 Scoop MAG-10 8:30 a.m. - Meal 2 2 scoop Metabolic Drive 2-3 cups cereal 2 cups skim milk 1 banana 9:30 p.m. - 1 Scoop MAG-10 10:30 a.m. - Meal 3 8 oz. low fat lunch meat 2 pieces whole wheat bread 1 p.m. - Meal 4 8 oz. turkey or chicken breast 4 cups of spinach ¼ cup mushroom ¼ cup celery 1 cup white rice 2 p.m. - Pre-Workout 1 Scoop Anaconda 1 Scoop Surge Workout Fuel 2:30 p.m. - During Workout 1 Scoop Anaconda 1 Scoop Surge Workout Fuel 3:45 p.m. - Post-Workout 2 Scoop Surge Recovery 5:00 p.m. - Meal 6 2 scoop metabolic drive 15 Frosted Mini wheat biscuits 2 cups skim milk 1 banana 7: 30 p.m. - Meal 5 8 oz. meat 3 cup spinach 1 cup sweet potato Protein shake before bed 2 scoop metabolic drive (low carb)

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High Fat Item 5 a.m. - Meal 1

6 organic whole eggs ½ cup Colby Jack 1 cup spinach 1 tbsp. cream of rice ½ cup cream

7:00 a.m. - Leucine 7:45 a.m. - Meal 2

6 organic whole eggs 1/2c Colby Jack 1 cup spinach 1 tbsp. cream of rice ½ cup cream

10:00 a.m. - Meal 3

2 scoop Metabolic Drive ¼ cup olive oil

11:30 p.m. - 1 Scoop MAG-10 12:30 p.m. - Meal 4

8 oz. ground beef 2 cups spinach 6 grams flame out/fish oil

3:00 p.m. - Meal 5

2 scoop Metabolic Drive ¼ cup olive oil 5 grams Borage Oil 2 Scoop Anaconda 2 scoop Metabolic Drive 2 tbsp. olive oil

4:00 p.m. - Pre/During Sled Dragging 5:30 p.m. – Post-Workout Protein Shake

8 oz. salmon or red meat (steak) 4 cups of spinach ½ oz. (approx. 15 grams) walnuts 6 grams flame out/fish oil 2 scoop metabolic drive 4 tbsp. flax seed oil


7:30 p.m. – Meal 6

Before Bed

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Brian Schwab’s 12-Week Raw Bench Routine (Featured in Brian Schwab’s 12 Weeks to a Bigger Bench E-Book) By Brian Schwab

When I first began training, I followed a basic bodybuilding template of a five-day split, training just one muscle group a day as follows: Monday: Chest Tuesday: Biceps Wednesday: Quads Thursday: Shoulders and Triceps Friday: Back and Hamstrings Saturday: Off Sunday: Off While following this routine, I would bench heavy on Monday, squat on Wednesday, close-grip bench on Thursday, and deadlift on Friday. Therefore, I was still focusing on the Powerlifts. However, my lifts eventually stopped increasing, and I needed a change. This is when I began researching the Westside template. I followed the basic Westside split for a while as follows: Monday: Dynamic Effort Squat Tuesday: Dynamic Effort Bench Wednesday: Off Thursday: Off Friday: Max Effort Squat Saturday: Max Effort Bench Sunday: Off After following this for a while, I felt like I was neglecting my accessory work since I was too tired after the primary movements to put enough effort into them. Therefore, I modified it to this: Monday: Dynamic Effort Squat Tuesday: Dynamic Effort Bench Wednesday: Accessory Day (GHRs, abs, hips, biceps, and grip) Thursday: Off Friday: Max Effort Squat Saturday: Max Effort Bench Sunday: Off Once again, I followed this for a while but began to feel like my speed was no longer improving and that my joints were getting too beat up from the speed work. So, yet again, I modified it to this: Monday: Raw Squats with upper back Tuesday: Raw Bench Wednesday: Accessory Day (GHRs, abs, hips, biceps, and grip) Thursday: Off Friday: Equipped Squat Saturday: Equipped Bench Sunday: Off

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Finally, I decided that my deadlift was being neglected, but I also needed to keep working on my squat depth, so I made the change to my most recent routine: Monday: Alternating Max Effort Deadlifts (block pulls) with low box speed squats with upper back Tuesday: Raw, Repetition, or Speed Bench Wednesday: Accessory Day (GHRs, abs, hips, biceps and grip) Thursday: Off Friday: Equipped or Max Effort Squat Saturday: Equipped or Max Effort Bench Sunday: Off With this program you will begin with week twelve and countdown to week 0 of the meet. You’ll notice that each range of reps is based off of only two working sets. After strength training for 24 years and competitively Powerlifting for the last 17, I’ve found that performing two sets to failure is optimal to stimulate increases in strength while still preventing overtraining, minimizing time spent in the gym, and optimizing work capacity and performance. I recommend performing an exercise for the mid-range, lockout, and lower portion of the bench during every max workout. I opt for board presses as the primary, followed by lockouts/pin-presses, and then followed by either decline or floor presses. I alternate between dumbbells and the bar on floor press to maintain balance between each side. Raw Bench Routine recommendations: Max Effort: Week 12: 2-board singles Week 11: 1-board singles Week 10: 3-board triples Week 9: 2-board triples Week 8: 1-board triples Week 7: 3-board doubles Week 6: 2-board doubles Week 5: 1-board doubles Week 4: 3-board singles Week 3: 2-board singles Week 2: 1-board singles Week 1: 3-board triples Week 0: Meet Repeat with new projected max Raw repetition day: Week 12: 8,7 Week 11: 7,6 Week 10: 6,5 or speed w/50% for 8 sets of 3 reps Week 9: 5,4 Week 8: 4,3 Week 7: 5,4 or speed with 52.5% for 7 sets of 3 reps 191 | Programs That Work 2

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Week 6: 4,3 Week 5: 3,2 Week 4: 4,3 or speed with 55% for 6 sets of 3 reps Week 3: 3,2 Week 2: 2,1 Week 1: Deload- 5,4 Week 0: Meet Repeat with new projected max This would be followed by two triceps and two shoulder exercises of your choice for one warm up set of five and two working sets using the following rep scheme: Week 12: 8,7 Week 11: 8,7 Week 10: 7,6 Week 9: 7,6 Week 8: 6,5 Week 7: 6,5 Week 6: 8,7 Week 5: 8,7 Week 4: 7,6 Week 3: 7,6 Week 2: 6,5 Week 1: Deload- 6,5 Week 0: Meet, if applicable Now you have a definitive 12-week plan that will ideally be used immediately prior to a meet to add a significant amount to your bench.

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Comebacks are Hard, Not Impossible By Doug Beringer

The thrill of the silence in the air. The eyes of the crowd on you, and only you. The quickness of the movements. The hours practiced for those short moments of desired excellence… I’m talking about the things I miss most about weightlifting competition. There are not many things in this world like it. If you take the time to study the training weightlifters go through, many of you would appreciate the sport on a whole new level. At best, I was a very good, local-level weightlifter. My ultimate goal is to qualify and compete at the American Open, which is the second biggest national meet behind the Nationals. (In an Olympic year, it would be the third biggest because the Olympic Trials knock it down one). Anyway, due to injury and the very possible fact that I have the genes of a competitive endurance athlete (in graduate school I had a VO2 Max of 54 ml/kg/ min, which was highest in the class—after not conditioning for years), I have not made that goal a reality. However, this is not going to keep me from continuing to pursue that goal. I’ve been out for nearly a year and a half, but I’m back and ready to work. This article will take you through my training plan, and how I hope to make a comeback in weightlifting. Use this as a guided case study for any future athletes you may need to help make a comeback in their sport. Where I’m Starting: The Scenario Every coach needs details when planning out a program for any athlete. You cannot get to “point B” without a “point A.” Here is where I’m coming from, and where I plan to go. I’ve just finished a complete 16-week program, where I reached my deadlift goal. My intention, while going through the program, was that starting off in the 10s phase would allow me to start squatting again. This would start very light and allow my knee (I have calcium deposits below both patellae and tendonosis in the left) to get better, while also strengthening my tendons and ligaments around my joints. This was all in preparation for the ultimate goal of being able to compete in weightlifting again. On a side note, when I first started competing in 2007, I jumped right in. I never did any variations of the movements. There was no preparation for my joints. It was all-in, right to the full-squat Snatch and Clean. In hindsight, this was a stupid idea from a physiological and anatomical standpoint. My body was not ready for the load and force absorption requirements for those movements. There were three separate occasions where one, or both, of my knees held me back from training. Presently, I’m back to squatting relatively pain-free. I believe going through a couple of higher-volume, lowerintensity blocks allowed my knee the time to heal. Also, it does not hurt that I’m able to see a physical therapist once a week. The last two weeks prior to writing this article, I’ve done electrical stimulation on my quads and ultrasound on my knee, which seem to have helped alleviate the pain. My first week in the new program was pain-free. I’ve been keeping up with rolling out and stretching a little more than normal as well. Questions Answered: Developing the Program How did I come up with the template idea, the exercises involved, and the progressions needed? I first looked at what I was trying to accomplish: what are my goals? From there, I determined where I needed improvements: what areas of my body needed more strength, mobility, and stability? What exercises would ultimately help me “fix” these areas? Next, I focused on the volume and intensity: what mix is required to produce the desired physical adaptations? 193 | Programs That Work 2

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The summation of answering all of these questions led to the development of the program. Below is what I came up with for myself. The program will look to accomplish all of these outcomes/goals with the proper exercises, volume, intensity, and rest. Desired Outcomes - -

- -

-

Goals

- - - - -

Higher training frequency (4 days > 5 days/week) Block system o Technique work o Power/max strength focus  Combined F-V curve o Lower volume/session More unilateral work More mobility work o Left ankle o T-spine o Shoulders More stability work o Abdominals o Right ankle (slight sprain six years ago…never properly healed) Increased bodyweight (180 pounds) Increased squat max (400 pounds) Increased frequency of pulls/squats without pain Decreased unilateral strength deficits of lower-extremity Increased abdominal strength/stability

Training Protocol In the past, I have tried many different schemes that often lead me back to a linear protocol from weekto-week and month-to-month. However, I have found that it is hard for me to recover well enough for the following cycle. Therefore, this new program follows more of a wave-loading pattern, where the volume and intensity fluctuate greatly from week-to-week. The idea is that this should allow me to recover (especially CNS) more on the lighter days/weeks, while still getting work done. I used Prilepin’s chart to plan my volume (shown below). Another side note: In the past two years, I have followed more of a natural, instinctive training approach—a “listening” to my body. If I hurt or I’m tired, I’ll deviate from the plan to accommodate appropriately. I know John Broz says that “your body is lying to you,” but I tried that approach. I did not listen at one point and that definitely did not do my knee any favors. I’m not saying that his method does not work; it just does not work for me.

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Phase I (Learning) Volume/ Intensity

High Volume/ Moderate Intensity

Main Lifts

5-7x4-12@75-85%

Phase II (Practicing) Moderate volume/ moderate-high intensity 5-8x3-8@80-92%

Phase III (Training) Low volume/ high intensity

Phase IV (Competing) Moderate volume/ moderate intensity

Accessories

3-5x8-15

3-4x8-12

7-10x1-5@85100% 2-3x6-10

5-8x4-8@80-90% 3-4x8-12

Total Reps (Approx.)

44-159

39-112

19-80

44-112

Maintaining the Little Things It is important to pay attention to the details in any endeavor. This is especially true in Weightlifting. When you are full-swing in a training program, it is easy to forget the little things like mobility work and foam rolling. However, these little things add up quickly and can halt progress easily. Some of my goals above included improving my mobility and stability in certain areas. This work is not reflected in the charts below but it is worked on. I try to hit all major joints, labeled as mobile joints, in my warm ups. Usually I’ll use the foam roller and specific mobility drills. I also like to use mini bands for my right ankle and shoulders. This helps work the stability in certain ranges of motion, like Dorsiflexion in the ankle. The New Program What is this new program, you ask? It is another 16-week program, but this time I planned it. It will slowly lead me back into competition while also properly preparing my body for the technique, strength, and power required for Weightlifting. In fact, those physical qualities are exactly the order in which the program follows. The first two 4-week cycles are focused on technique and strength work, while the last two 4-week cycles are focused on strength and power. The first eight weeks have much more variation in exercises. This is more of a general preparation phase, if you will, where I will be working on a lot of partial movements of the Snatch and Clean (which I never worked on previously). Could this be one of the reasons that I was hurt many times—lack of variation in training? Overuse injuries due to the same repetitive movements? I think, yes! Not to mention this probably caused a lack of adaptation due to monotony. During my last year of training when I still competed, all I did was Snatch, Clean and Jerk, some form of squat, and some other assistance exercises… but I digress to the present. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some great coaches and observe their training models in 2012. I base some of my current programming from their knowledge. I should note that the percentages of 1RM used from week to week are more of a guide. Since I have not maxed in any of the Weightlifting movements in a very long time, I am just using these percentages to know when I will be going slightly, or greatly, heavier than previous weeks. The last eight-weeks focus more on improving the full competition lifts. There is still a small percentage


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of technique work—devoted to partial movement—to keep the program from getting monotonous and also allowing me to brush up on technique. Following this program, there will be even more focus on the full competition lifts. The targeted competition is the 2013 Arnold—held the first weekend of March in Columbus, Ohio—where I’ll hopefully be able to step back on the competition platform. Navigating The charts below show the detailed plan for the next 16 weeks. I want to point out that it is just that: a plan. At any time, I may deviate from it like I previously mentioned. I have only completed the first two weeks of the first phase at this point, and I have already deviated a little. Some of the weeks are higher in volume than I have programmed in the past, so I’m unsure at this point how well my body will adapt. This is where instinctive training becomes useful. I also want to point out that the percentages in parentheses in the Day 1 chart for each phase show the total percent of reps for each week of the entire phase. For example, in Week 1 of Phase I: 31% of the reps for the entire 4-week phase will be performed. I also laid out the percent of each day for the entire phase. So, Day 1 totals 17% of the total reps for Phase I. Phase I (Learning) Total Reps/Phase 2,406

Total Reps/Week 282-921 Total Reps/Session 43-210

Day 1 (17%) Snatch Lift-Off SOT Press Snatch RDL Anderson Squat Total Reps Day 2 (21%) Snatch Pull (knee) OHS Press Pull-ups Total Reps

Day 3 (21%) Clean Lift-Off

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Week 1 (31%) 73-78% 5x5 5x5 5x8 5x10 140

Week 2 (18%) 80-85% 5x3 4x3 5x4 6x5 77

Week 3 (38%) 75-80% 7x4 5x5 6x8 7x8 157

Week 4 (11%) 80-85% 3x3 3x2 4x3 4x4 43

Week 1 73-78% 5x5

Week 2 80-85% 5x3

Week 3 75-80% 7x5

Week 4 80-85% 4x3

3x10 5x10 5x10 (bwt) 155

4x5 6x5 7x5 100

7x6 6x8 5x12 (bwt) 185

4x4 4x3 6x3 58

Week 1 73-78% 5x5

Week 2 80-85% 5x3

Week 3 75-80% 7x4

Week 4 80-85% 3x3


Clean RDL Bulgarian Squat SL Leg Curl Total Reps

5x8 4x12 3x15 158

5x4 5x5 4x8 92

7x6 5x12 5x12 190

4x3 4x4 4x6 61

Day 4 (21%)

Week 1 73-78% 5x5 5x10 4x8 (4 ea.) 3x15 152

Week 2 80-85% 5x3 4x6 4x4 (2 ea.) 4x8 87

Week 3 75-80% 7x5 6x10 5x8 (4 ea.) 5x15 210

Week 4 80-85% 4x3 3x5 4x2 (1 ea.) 4x5 55

Week 2 80-85% 4x3 4x3 4x3 6x4 92

Week 3 75-80% 8x3 8x3 5x5 7x10 179

Week 4 80-85% 5x2 5x2 5x2 3x5 65

Clean Pull (knee) Deadlift Press (in split) Dips Total Reps

Week 1 73-78% Power Snatch (PP) 5x4 Power Clean (PP) 5x4 Power Jerk 4x5 Back Squat 5x12 Total Reps 150

Day 5 (20%)

Phase II (Practicing) Total Reps/Phase 2,277


Day 1 (16%) Snatch Lift-Off (Pause @ knee) Snatch RDL SOT Press Front Squat Total Reps


Week 1 (23%) 85-90% 5x3

Week 2 (34%) 80-85% 6x5

Week 3 (24%) 85-92% 6x3

Week 4 (19%) 80-83% 5x3

6x5 5x4 5x3 80

5x6 6x4 6x5 114

7x3 6x3 8x3 81

4x6 4x4 5x5 80

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Day 2 (19%) Clean Pull (Floor) OHS Push Press NG Pull-ups Total Reps

Day 3 (22%) Clean Lift-Off Deadlift Good Morning BB Glute Bridge Total Reps

Day 4 (18%) Snatch Pull (Floor) Clean RDL Jerk (in split) Push-ups (WTD) Total Reps

Day 5 (25%) Hang Power Snatch Hang Power Clean Split Jerk KB Swings Back Hypers Total Reps

Week 1 85-90% 5x3 6x3 5x4 5x10 103

Week 2 80-85% 8x3 6x5 5x6 5x12 144

Week 3 85-92% 6x3 5x3 6x4 5x8 97

Week 4 80-83% 5x3 5x3 4x4 4x8 78

Week 1 85-90% 5x3 6x4 3x10 4x10 109

Week 2 80-85% 6x5 6x8 5x10 5x10 178

Week 3 85-92% 6x3 8x4 5x8 5x8 130

Week 4 80-83% 5x3 4x5 3x10 3x10 95

Week 1 85-90% 5x3

Week 2 80-85% 8x3

Week 3 85-92% 6x3

Week 4 80-83% 5x3

6x5 5x4 (2 ea.) 4x10 105

5x6 5x6 (3 ea.) 5x12 144

7x3 6x2 (1 ea.) 5x8 91

4x6 3x4 (2 ea.) 3x10 81

Week 1 85-92% 5x3

Week 2 80-85% 6x4

Week 3 85-92% 6x3

Week 4 80-83% 5x3

5x3 5x3 4x10 4x10 125

6x4 6x3 5x12 5x12 186

6x3 6x3 5x10 5x10 154

5x3 4x3 3x10 3x10 102

Phase III (Training) Total Reps/Phase 1,239


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Snatch

Week 1 (35%) 80-85% 5x3

Week 2 (22%) 90-95% 6x2

Week 3 (32%) 85-90% 8x2

Week 4 (11%) 95-100% 3x1

Snatch RDL SOT Press Front Squat Total Reps

5x5 4x4 6x5 86

5x3 4x2 6x2 47

6x3 5x2 8x3 68

3x3 2x2 3x1 19

Day 2 (18%)

Week 1 80-85% 5x3 6x2 5x4 6x5 77

Week 2 90-95% 6x2 6x1 5x2 6x3 46

Week 3 85-90% 8x2 8x1 6x3 8x5 82

Week 4 95-100% 3x1 4x1 3x2 4x2 21

Week 1 80-85% Snatch Push Press 5x4 Clean RDL 5x5 Snatch Deadlift 5x3 BB Step-up 3x6ea Total Reps 96

Week 2 90-95% 5x2 5x3 6x2 4x4ea 69

Week 3 85-90% 6x3 6x3 8x3 5x5ea 85

Week 4 95-100% 3x2 3x3 3x3 3x2ea 30

Week 1 80-85% 3x3 5x3 6x4 4x4 64

Week 2 90-95% 4x2 5x2 6x2 5x3 45

Week 3 85-90% 5x3 6x3 8x3 6x2 69

Week 4 95-100% 2x2 3x2 4x2 2x2 22

Day 1 (18%)

Clean & Jerk Jerk (in Split) Push Press Chin-ups Total Reps

Day 3 (23%)

Day 4 (16%) Muscle Snatch Hang Snatch Snatch Pull (BK) Snatch Balance Total Reps


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Day 5 (25%) Hang Clean Clean Pull (BK) Split Jerk KB Swings BB Rows Total Reps

Week 1 80-85% 5x3 6x4 6x2 3x10 3x10 111

Week 2 90-95% 5x2 6x2 6x1 3x6 3x6 64

Week 3 85-90% 6x3 8x3 8x1 4x6 4x6 98

Week 4 95-100% 2x2 4x2 4x1 3x4 3x4 40

Phase IV (Competing) Total Reps/Phase 1,605


Snatch Balance

Week 1 (35%) 80-83% 5x5

Week 2 (22%) 85-90% 5x3

Week 3 (31%) 80-85% 5x4

Week 4 (12%) 88-90% 4x2

Snatch Snatch Pull (AK) Bulgarian Squat Total Reps

6x3 6x4 6x6ea. 139

6x2 5x3 6x4ea. 90

7x3 6x3 6x5ea. 119

8x1 4x2 3x3 42

Day 2 (21%)

Week 1 80-83% 6x3 7x5 4x8 5x6 115

Week 2 85-90% 6x2 6x3 4x6 5x3 69

Week 3 80-85% 7x3 7x3 5x8 6x4 106

Week 4 88-90% 8x1 4x3 4x3 4x2 40

Day 1 (24%)

Clean & Jerk Clean Deadlift BB Row Front Squat Total Reps

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Day 3 (16%) Clean Pull (AK) Press (in split) Pull-ups Total Reps

Day 4 (17%) SOT Press Hang Power Snatch (Knee) Snatch RDL Press Total Reps

Day 5 (22%) Hang Power Clean (Knee) BHN Split Jerk Clean RDL KB Swings Total Reps

Week 1 80-83% 6x4 5x4(2ea.) 4x10 84

Week 2 85-90% 5x3 5x2(1ea.) 4x8 57

Week 3 80-85% 6x3 6x4(2ea.) 4x10 82

Week 4 88-90% 4x2 4x1 4x6 36

Week 1 80-83% 4x4 5x4

Week 2 85-90% 4x3 6x2

Week 3 80-85% 5x3 6x3

Week 4 88-90% 3x2 4x2

4x8 5x6 98

4x5 5x3 59

5x6 4x4 79

3x4 4x2 34

Week 1 80-83% 5x4

Week 2 85-90% 6x2

Week 3 80-85% 6x3

Week 4 88-90% 4x2

4x4(2ea.) 4x8 4x12 116

4x2(1ea.) 4x5 4x10 80

5x4(2ea.) 5x6 4x12 116

4x1 3x4 2x10 44

The Arnold and Beyond As I said, I hope to be on the platform at the Arnold. If I reach that goal, I will be writing on that experience and how this program paid off, or how it did not. In any case, you will hopefully be seeing a “Part II” of this article on my experiences following this program. My hope is that this program will help some of you program through your injuries and make a comeback in your respective sports. Remember, comebacks are hard, but not impossible! About the Author Doug Berninger received his master’s degree in kinesiology from Bowling Green State University. He has been a competitive weightlifter with bests of 101 kg in the snatch and 125 kg in the clean and jerk in the 77-kg class. He has also competed in two Powerlifting meets with bests of 335 lbs (Olympic squat), 245 lbs, and 475 lbs in the 165-lb class. He holds a CSCS*D, RSCC, and USAW Level 1. Visit Doug’s websites at dougberninger.com and http://www.tacticalstrengthtraining.com/.


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Deadlift-Emphasis Strongman Training By CJ Murphy

This workout is primarily designed to introduce you to strongman training while building the deadlift. The person for whom it was written was a very fit female with a 185-pound one-rep max in the deadlift. She hit a 225-pound one-rep max six weeks later! It will work equally well for males and females. Strongman events are added given the consideration that you will not have access to every implement and changes can be made. For example, if you don’t have a Log Press—5 foot, 10 inch diameter, a thick bar is fine, or you can use Grip4orce Regular on a barbell. It is not for raw beginners but for those with some experience and a decent base of strength. In the warm up section, all exercises are done as a circuit. When a number is given for reps, do as many as you can in a row, leaving one or two in the tank and move on to the next exercise. Do the total number for all exercises. This is done before all workouts and after a suitable dynamic warm up. If you don’t know how to warm up, I highly suggest the Parisi Warm Up Method DVD. Adding the bodyweight circuit to your warm up does a few things: • It builds GPP—a fancy way of saying, “getting in shape.” • It adds low intensity volume to your training, making you stronger without taxing your nervous system. • It makes you bring up points that are generally weak on EVERYONE. (lats, torso, posterior chain, etc.) I like to use jumps and med ball work before training to activate the nervous system. Do not skip the jumps and med ball work. When choosing rest periods, only rest as long as you need. There is almost no need to rest five minutes between sets unless you are a double body weight squatter or bencher. The big lifters do it because they need to. Most people do not. I won’t give a specific time period for most exercises, but I will say don’t f*#% around. Get to work as soon as you can. Resist the urge to do more work than is suggested. This workout is proven to do exactly what it says: boost your deadlift and get you strong all over, as well as in shape. It will also get you fairly good at basic Strongman events. Abbreviations: MBOT—medicine ball overhead toss SSB—*SS Yoke Bar™ (Safety Squat Bar) GM—Good Morning FG Pull-up—Fat Guy Pull-ups (See: http://youtu.be/IAXXck4q_n4) GHR—Glute Ham Raise (See: http://youtu.be/8j5swE-m1b4) SLSU—Straight Leg Sit-up Plank Row—(See: http://youtu.be/2ZuygvcNw0c) Keystone—(See: http://youtu.be/60LvwycQm5U) CSR—Chest Supported Row Rope Curl—(See: http://youtu.be/Ol2Xu6O7CuI) Kettlebell Hammer Curl—(http://youtu.be/0nAmGYMEfeo) TGU—Turkish Get Up (See: http://youtu.be/LFm8_kP0vsU) Side Plank Row—(See: http://youtu.be/D0xFDVj6r9s) CGI—Close-Grip Incline Bench Press elitefts.com


Walking Lunge—video shows Safety Bar, use a weight vest or dumbbells (See: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qwD6_lFTBow) SLRDL—Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (See: http://youtu.be/EMluwK8hQzA) TRX Pike—(See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvCMHJ_bMnQ) HFBR—Hatfield Back Raise (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQeLBzBuJys) HCOP—Hammer Curl to Overhead Press

Week 1 DAY All days—by yourself do a 5-minute sled drag + 20 FG pull-ups/ strict GHR/ pushups as a circuit first.

1

3

1.Jump for height (3x5)

1. Med Ball Throw to wall (5x5)

2. SSB Bar Squat w/2 chain (5RM)

2. 10“ Log Press (5RM)

3. SSB GM (3x1215) + 2 pull-ups between sets

3. Incline Press w/ Grip4force + 2 pullups between sets (4x10-12)

3. Keystone (3x12-15)

4. EFS GHR (35)

4. Kroc Row (3x)

4. Walking Lunge w/ vest (50 feet x3)

5. Farmers Walk 100ftx4

5. Hammer Curl

6. Plank Row (1215) + SLSU w/ HEAVY Weight (5) 4x


2

w/ Grip4orce (3x12-15)

1. Jump for height (3) + MBOT (3) 3x 2. Deadlift w/ 2 chain (5rm)

4 1. Tire Flip (5x10 flips) 2. HEAVY Sled Drag (100ftx6) 3. Arm Over Arm Prowler Drag (100ft x4) 4. Dips (AMAP) + Tate Press (12-15) 3x

5. CSR (12-15) 3x 6. Side Bend (4x6-heavy)

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1

2

3

4

1. Jump for height (3x5)


1. Jump for height (3) + MBOT (3) 3x

1. Tire Flip (6x10 flips)

2. SSB Bar Squat w/ 2 chain (3RM)

2. 10“ Log Press (3RM)


3. Incline Press w/ Grip4force + 2 pull-ups between sets (4x8-10)

4. EFS GHR (45) 5. Farmers Walk 100ftx4 6. Plank Row (1215) + SLSU w/ HEAVY Weight (5) 4x

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4. Kroc Row (3x) 5. Rope Curl (4x810)

2. Deadlift w/ 2 chain (3RM) 3. Keystone (3x10-12) 4. Walking Lunge w/ vest (50ftx4)

2. HEAVY Sled Drag (100ftx4) 3. Arm Over Arm Prowler Drag (100ftx6) 4. Dips (AMAP) + Tate Press (12-15) 4x

5. CSR (10-12) 3x 6. Side Bend (3x5-heavy)



1

2

3

4




1. Tire Flip (3x10 flips)

2. SSB Bar Squat w/2 chain (1RM)

2. 10 “ Log Press (1rm)


3. Incline Press w/ Grip4force + 2 pullups between sets (3x8-10)

4. EFS GHR w/ weight (25) 5. Farmers Walk 100ftx2

2. Deadlift (1RM) 3. Keystone (2x10-12) 4. Walking Lunge w/ vest (50ftx2)

4. Standing Cable Row (3x)

5. CSR (10-12) 2x

5. KB Hammer Curl (4x8-10)

6. Side Bend (3x5-heavy)

2. HEAVY Sled Drag (100ftx2) 3. Arm Over Arm Prowler Drag (100ftx4) 4. Dips (AMAP) + Tate Press (12-15) 2x

6. On your own: Plank Row (12-15) + SLSU w/ HEAVY Weight (5) 2x


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1

2

3

4




1. Tire Flip (5x5 flips) work on doing it RIGHT


2. 10“ Log C&P.P. each rep (5RM)

2. Deadlift w/ 2 chain (3x5)

3. SSB GM from pins (3x12-15) + 3 pull-ups between sets

3. CGI w/ Grip4force + 3 dips between sets (3x12-15)

3. SLRDL (3x5 each as heavy as possible) + 3 pull-ups

4. EFS GHR w/ mini band (40) 5. Farmers Walk 50ftx4 (AHAP) 6. On your own: Alligators 50 feet + TRX Pike (AMAP) (4x)

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4. Kroc Row (4x) 5. Hammer Curl w/ Grip4orce (3x12-15) 6. TGU (3x5)

2. Yoke (4x100ft) 3. Heavy Sandbag load to high box (4x60 seconds)

4. Walking Lunge w/ sled and goblet (3x100ft) 5. Shrugs (3x1215) 6. Side Bend (4x8-12) + Side Plank/Row w/ low cable (4x8 each)




1

2

3

4




1. Tire Flip (4x6 flips) work on doing it RIGHT


2. 10“ Log Clean & Push Press each rep (3RM)

2. Deadlift w/ 2 chain (3RM)

3. Front Squat (3x12-15) + 4 pullups between sets

3. CGI w/ Grip4force + 4 dips between sets (3x10-12)

3. Pullthrough (4x12-15) + 4 pull-ups

4. EFS GHR w/ mini band (50)

4. BB Row (4x)

4. HFBR w/ weight (3x12-15)

5. Farmers Walk 75ftx4 (AHAP)

5. Rope Curl (3x1215)

5. Face Pulls (3x12-15)

6. On your own: Alligators 100ft+ TRX Pike (AMAP) (4x)

6. TGU (3x3)

6. Side Bend (4x8-10) + Side Plank/Row w/ low cable (4x8 each)

2. Yoke (4x50ftheavy) 3. Heavy Sandbag load to high box (5x60 seconds)

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1

2

3




1. Dips (AMAP) + HLR (AMAP)

2. SSB Bar Squat (1RM)

2. 10“ Log Clean &Push Press each rep (1RM)

2. Deadlift (1rm)

2. Pull-ups (4x AMAP + 2x AMAP w/orange band) + SLSU w/ weight (5)

3. Step Ups (3x8) + 4 pull-ups between sets 4. EFS GHR w/ weight (35) 5. TRX Pike (AMAP) + Ab Wheel (AMAP) (4x)

3. CGI w/ Grip4force + 4 dips between sets (3x5) 4. BB Row (2x) 5. HCOP (3x8-10)

3. KB Swings (3x12-15) 4. HFBR w/ weight (3x8-10)

4

3. Body weight Walking Lunge (200ft) + Rainbows (1215) 3x

Good Luck, C.J. Murphy MFS www.totalperformancesports.com

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Equipped Bench Cycle By Vincent Dizenzo

This program is for an equipped lifter approaching a 500 lb bench. However, it can also be used for an equipped bencher going after any number; just start somewhere around 70%, and make a constant jump until you get to the number you are looking for. I used a program like this early in my career to go from the mid 500’s all the way up to the mid 700’s. Hmmm…makes me wonder why I ever stopped? The program might seem like it’s starting light, but triples in the shirt are no joke. There are to be no boards used when performing your reps, simply bring the bar down as close as you can with good speed. Oh yeah, you must keep your breath for the entire set. It is important so don’t punk out. Make sure to try and touch. For the triples, you shouldn’t touch the first, but you might the second, and have to on the third. On the doubles you may not touch the first but need to touch the second. You definitely need to touch on the singles weeks. I have seen many lifters pass out trying to touch reps while holding their breath; it’s ok…just make sure you have excellent spotters. During the triples and doubles cycles, the equipped bench will not be your first exercise. Because the weight is lighter, that movement is almost like a supplemental exercise. Plus, being a little fatigued can actually help touch lighter weights in the shirt. When you get to your singles, the equipped bench will be your first movement. Just warm up raw on the bench until the weight feels a little heavy. You should never struggle with a raw warm-up rep. Then throw your shirt on for a few singles to a three board before your working set to the chest. You’ll have two upper body days. I hope I don’t have to tell you to keep them a few days apart. On the raw day you can do speed work or rep work. For the assistance work, don’t get caught up about what exercises to do or the minutia of sets and reps. Just make sure you feel sufficiently terrible when doing the work. If it feels easy, it’s not working. Use 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps as a general guideline. Again, I have had very good success with reps in the shirt. As a matter of fact, I am going to run them again when I get back in my Metal gear. Good luck and don’t forget to SFW! Shirt Days Week 1 3-board close-grip 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 340x3 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 2 2-board 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 360x3 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 3 3-board close-grip w/bands 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 380x3 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt


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Week 4 Floor press, 1 set 3 reps Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 5 3-board close-grip 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 400x2 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 6 2-board 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 420x2 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 7 3-board close-grip w/bands 3 sets 1-3 reps Shirt 440x2 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 8 Reverse band, 1 set 3 reps Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 9 3-board warm-up Shirt 460x1 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 10 3-board warm-up Shirt 480x1 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 11 3-board warm-up Shirt 500x1 Pull-up/pulldown Rear delt Week 12 Floor press, 1 set for 3 easy reps Pull-up/pulldown elitefts.com


Rear delt Week 13 Meet Opener 480 Second 500 Third by feel Raw Days Raw bench Dynamic or Rep work Tri Extension Back row Delt Bicep


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4 Weeks to Bigger Arms By David Allen

If there are any constants across the board of all who engage in weight training, the desire to have bigger arms is one of them. Combined with a huge yoke and a wide chest, sleeve stretching arms are the best way to show the world you work out. In addition to any aesthetically pleasing attributes of large guns, they also aid the lifter in strength based activities. Total cross sectional area of a muscle group is a major determinant of multiple strength categories for that muscle group as well. Due to changes in lever arm length, larger arms can also provide better leverage in certain lifts. In the end, bigger arms are always better than smaller arms. So how do we make them grow? Well, first we must analyze the three mechanisms through which hypertrophy occur. These three mechanisms are maximal mechanical tension, muscular damage, and metabolic stress. In short, this means that in order to induce the greatest hypertrophy in a muscle you must maximize the amount of weight lifted, the amount of protein degradation you cause within the muscle, and the amount of metabolic stress you put upon the muscle group. Another aspect of muscle growth to consider is fiber type. It is known that fast twitch muscle fibers have more potential for growth than slower twitch fibers, although they have growth potential as well. In order to maximally tax all our fast twitch muscle fibers, we have to engage our highest threshold motor units. This can be achieved with varying methods of causing the greatest mechanical tension within the muscle. Zatsiorsky defined three methods for achieving this: max effort method, repetition effort method, and the dynamic effort method. Taking all this into consideration, we can come to the conclusion that an approach with multiple training methods using varying movements, varying tensions, and varying sets and rep ranges is the best method of inducing the greatest arm growth possible. Also, it is important to prioritize our arm growth while maintaining other muscle groups and fitness characteristics. Therefore, we will use a four week training block that has two training days dedicated specifically to arm growth and two days dedicated to maintenance of our other body parts. Because the arms are smaller muscle groups, I do not think it is necessary, nor do I believe they can handle training blocks longer than four weeks when they are being trained with such high intensity, volume, and frequency. Here is the general template for our arm training: Arm Hypertrophy Template: Exercise 1: Explosive lift using accommodating resistance, 3X1 tempo (3 second eccentric, explode up at the bottom of the lift, 1 second contraction at the top) 5 sets of 5-7 reps Exercise 2: Isolation lift with constant tension, 3 sets of 8-12 reps Exercise 3: Major lift with extended intensity using accommodating resistance, 2 sets of 10 reps, 1 set of max reps followed immediately by 1 or 2 drop sets. Exercise 4: Pump exercise with full range of motion and a focused contraction at the top, 3 sets of 15+ reps Weekly Training Template: Monday: Arms Tuesday: Rest Wednesday: Lower Body Maintenance Thursday: Arms Friday: Rest Saturday: Upper body Maintenance Sunday: Rest

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Weeks 1-4 Training Monday Standing Swiss Bar Curls against bands, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Cable EZ Bar Curls, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Barbell Curls w/chains, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Single Arm DB Preacher Curls, 15+____15+____15+____ Close Grip Bench Press against bands, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Single Arm Overhead DB Extension, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Dips w/chains from belt, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Rope Pressdowns, 15+____15+____15+____ Wednesday Squats (or box squats) 5____5____5____5____5____ Leg Press 10____10____10____ Glute Ham Raises or Russian Leans 5____5____5____5____5____ RDL or Reverse Hypers 10____10____10____10____ Standing Calf Raises, 50 total reps Any Abdominal Exercise, 100 total reps Thursday EZ Bar Skull Crushers w/chains, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Single Arm Grenade Ball Cable Side Triceps Extension, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ JM Press against Bands, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ Both Arm Overhead Kettlebell/DB Extension,15+____15+____15+____ Seated Both Arm Chain Curls, 3X1 tempo, 5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____5-7____ Cable Rope Hammer Curls, 8-12____8-12____8-12____ Alternating DB Curls against bands, 10____10____Max____Drop____Drop____ EZ Bar Preacher Curls, 15+____15+____15+____ Saturday Incline Bench Press 5____5____5____5____5____ Pull-ups/Pulldowns 10____10____10____10____ Face Pulls 15____15____15____ Any Abdominal Exercise, 100 total reps Stretch There you go, a very simple 4-week training block to put some size on your arms. Make sure your nutrition is in check and you are taking in the requisite amount of nutrients necessary for growth. DO NOT try to do any extra work on top of this or max out on your maintenance days. I know the maintenance days do not seem like much and that is the point. The training block only lasts 4 weeks so you can suck it up and tune it down a notch on those days. If grip becomes a problem on some of the exercises, you can use chalk or lifting straps. Your forearms will get plenty of work in so there is no need to do any extra. After you finish the 4 weeks, take your arm training back down to one day a week or as accessories on your other days. You could do an arm prioritizing block like this probably 3 or 4 times a year. Be smart, train hard, and make sure you’ve got plenty of short sleeves shirts to show off your new guns.


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Off-Season Deadlift Routine to Improve Lockout By Steve Goggins

This routine is designed to help a lifter finish off a big pull. How many times have you had that big pull you wanted right in your hands? It flies off the floor, past your knees, and then it’s kind of like getting that girl or lady friend to give in—you’re all excited and then… a big let down. You can’t finish the task at hand. Just like that big pull: all the way to the top, just above the knees, and you feel like there’s no way. Well, think of my solution like Viagra or Cialis for your personal woes. Let’s get to work. Rack pulls: This exercise will not only help your deadlift, but it will also improve your stability on squats and add to your power. Here’s a 10-week off-season routine that will help you. Rack pulls are done just barely above the top of the knee caps. Straps are highly recommended. Week 1 Rack Pulls Work up to 85% x 5 reps x 3 sets Go to floor and pull 60% of your max for 2 top sets of 8. Week 2 85% x 5 reps x 3 sets Go to floor and pull 65% of your max for 2 top sets of 8. Week 3 80% x 5, 85% x 5, 90% x 5 Floor: 2 x 8 @ 70% Week 4 85% x 5, 92.5% x 5, 95% x 5 Floor: 2 x 8 @ 20% Week 5 (Light) Work up to 75% x 2 sets x 5 reps No floor work this week. Week 6 Warm up to 90% x 3, 98% x 3, 100% x 3 Floor: 2 x 5 @ 75% Week 7 Warm up to 95% x 3, 105% x 2 sets x 3 reps Floor: 2 x 5 @ 80% Week 8 Warm up to 110% x 3 sets x 3 reps Floor: 2 x 3 @80% Week 9 110% x 3, 115% x 2 sets x 2 reps Floor: 85% x 3 sets x 3 reps

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Week 10 100% x 1, 110% x 1, 120% x 2 sets x 2 reps Floor: 85% x 2 sets x 3 reps This routine is designed to improve back and hip strength, not grip strength. This should be done conventional no matter how you pull (sumo or conventional). I also like to use baby powder, or even baby oil, during training in order to cut down on friction. Good luck. May your pulls be BIG!


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Westside and 5/3/1 Mix By Clint Darden

I’ve put certain clients on variations of a Westside and 5/3/1 Program now for over a year. Much of the programming depends on their strengths, weaknesses, needs, available time, and recovery, etc…but this is an example of a program that I have recently designed for a client who needs to focus on getting stronger in the gym and leaner in the kitchen. The following is the first six complete weeks (that will be constantly changing and adapting) of the program. Week 1 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench Press: 4 sets of 3, 15-second rest between sets. This is one cluster. Rest 1 minute between clusters, complete 4 clusters. o 35% + mini bands o Remove Bands • 3 sets of 3 reps with 90% of your 1-RM Full Press, 3-board • Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets of 10 to failure • Lats (I prefer Chins): get 100 reps in a session (4-6 sets) • 1 set of hamstrings and abs • Whatever you want to do for arms Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 8-12 sets of 2, 45-second rest between, 45% bar weight + Bands (average) • Good Morning: 3 sets of 3 with same bands on the bar, deadlift stance • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set Day 3—Bench 2 • 3-board: 3s up to a 3-RM • 2-board: 80% of this x 2 sets of 3 • 4-board: 90% of your full 1-RM x 3 x 2 sets • Incline Bench Press: sling shot, 3 moderate sets of 8-10 • Lats: 50 reps • Hamstrings and Abs: 1 light easy set Day 4—Deadlift • Deadlift: 70% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 • Sumo Deadlift: 3 easy sets of 5 reps • Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less • Abs: 4 hard sets of 10

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Week 2 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench: 4 Clusters, same weight, sets of 4 reps o Remove Bands o 3 sets of 4 reps with 90%, 4-board • Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets of 8 to failure • Lats: 100 reps • 1 set of hamstrings and abs • Whatever you want for arms Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 5/5/5+ with 65/75/85% of your Training Max • Speed Deads: 45% + bands x 1 x 5-10 sets, 15-second rest between sets • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set Day 3—Bench 2 • 3-board: 1s up to a 1-RM • 2-Board: 80% of this x 2 sets of 1 rep • 4-Board: 90% of your full 1-RM x 3 x 2 sets • Incline Bench Press: sling shot, 3 moderate sets of 8-10 • Lats: 50 reps • Hamstrings and Abs: 1 light easy set Day 4—Deadlift • Deadlift: 80% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 • Plates elevated 2-5 inches: 3 easy sets of 5 reps • Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less • Abs: 4 hard sets of 10

Week 3 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench: 4 Clusters, same weight, sets of 5 reps o Remove Bands o 3 sets of 5 reps with 90%, 5-board • Dumbbell Incline Press: 3 sets of 10 to failure • Lats: 100 reps • 1 set of hamstrings and abs • Arms


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Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 8-10 sets of 2, 45-second rest between, 50% bar weight + Bands (Average) • Good Morning: 3 sets of 5 with same bands on the bar, deadlift stance • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set Day 3—Bench 2 • 2-board: 3s up to a 3-RM • 1-board: 80% of this x 2 sets of 3 • 5-board: 85% of your 1-RM x 5 x 2 sets • Decline Bench Press: sling shot, 3 moderate sets of 8-10 • Lats: 50 reps • Hamstrings and Abs: 1 light easy set Day 4—Deadlift • Deadlift: 72.5% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 • Sumo Deadlift: 3 easy sets of 5 reps • Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less • Abs: 4 hard sets of 10

Week 4 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench: 8 sets of 3, 45-second rest between sets, 65%, sling shot o Rest o Continue to take sets of 3 with the sling shot near, at, or above your 1-RM • Dumbbell Incline Press: 3 sets of 8 to failure • Lats: 50 reps • 1 set of hamstrings and abs • Arms Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 3/3/3+ with 70/80/90% of your Training Max • Speed Deads: 45% + bands x 2 x 5-10 sets, 15-second rest between sets • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set Day 3—Bench 2 • 2-board: 1s up to a 1-RM • 1-board: 80% of this x 2 sets of 1 rep • 5-board: 90% of your 1-RM x 3 x 2 sets • Decline Bench Press: sling shot, 3 moderate sets of 8-10 • Lats: 50 reps • Hamstrings and Abs: 1 light easy set elitefts.com


Day 4—Deadlift • • • •

Deadlift: 82.5% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 Plates elevated 2-5 inches: 3 easy sets of 5 reps Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less Abs: 4 hard sets of 10

Week 5 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench: 8 sets of 3, 45-second rest between, 75%, sling shot o Rest o Continue to take sets of 3 with the sling shot near, at, or above your 1-RM • Decline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 10 to failure • Lats: 50 reps • 1 set of hamstrings and abs • Arms Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 8 sets of 2 with 45-second rest between, 55% bar weight + Bands (Average) • Good Morning: 5 sets of 3 with same bands on the bar, deadlift stance • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set Day 3—Bench 2 • 1-board: 3s up to a 1-RM • Touch: 80% of this x 2 sets of 1 rep • 3-board: Same weight x 3 sets of 1 rep • 4- or 5-board: Same weight x 3 sets of 1 rep Day 4—Deadlift • • • •

Deadlift: 75% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 Sumo Deadlift: 3 easy sets of 5 reps Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less ABS: 4 hard sets of 10


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Week 6 Day 1—Bench • Speed Bench: 6-8 sets of 3, 45-second rest between, 80-85%, sling shot o Rest o Continue to take sets of 1 with sling shot near, at, or above your 1-RM • Decline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8 to failure • Lats: 50 reps • 1 set of hamstrings an abs • Arms From here we can repeat, look at your rep speed, and determine what reps/sets/ programming suits your current needs, etc... Day 2—Squat • Box Squat: 5/3/1+ with 75/85/95% of your Training Max • Speed Deads: 45% + bands x 3 x 5-10 sets, 15-second rest between sets • Hamstrings: 4 hard sets • Abs: 4 hard sets • Lats: 1 light easy set • Box Squat: Deload or Begin Circa Max Phase for 3-5 weeks Day 3—Bench 2 • 1-board: 1s up to a 1-RM • Touch: 80% of this x 2 sets of 1 rep • 3-board: Same weight x 2 sets of 1 rep • 4- or 5-board: Same weight x 3 sets of 1 rep From here we would either prepare for a new 1-RM, Deload, or begin the process again if it is working perfectly. Day 4—Deadlift • Deadlift: 85% + 55 chains or 70 bands x 3 • Plates elevated 2-5 inches: 3 easy sets of 5 reps • Hamstrings: 3 hard sets of 10 or less • Abs: 4 hard sets of 10 At this point we could repeat, take a 1-RM, or move to another method of improvement. Extra Day—At least one day per week you can go to the gym and: • Front Squat: 3s up to an easy 60-70% • Low Back Warm up • Abs • Make up any light accessory work you didn’t get to during the week. • More arms

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The One/Two Punch Program By Brad Kelly

When choosing a program for this book, it made perfect sense to submit a program from Chuck Sipes. Not only did Chuck spend a huge majority of his time helping children in the California Youth Authority for 20 years, but he was also one of the strongest men of all time—performing strength exhibitions worldwide and attaining a near 600-pound raw bench. He termed the concept the one- and two-rep method, and it utilizes principles that have become popular in modern strength training. Due to its unique approach, this could be a perfect change of pace to your training in order to kick-start your results. Better yet, since his training was always simple and effective, it has worked for countless people worldwide. Workout A: Upper Body 1a. Barbell Press Behind Neck: 4 sets of 2 reps Supersetted with 1b. Front Raise with Barbell: 4 sets of 10 reps 2a. Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 1 Supersetted with 2b. Barbell Pullover: 4 sets of 12 3a. Lying French Press: 4 sets of 2 Supersetted with 3b. Triceps Pushdowns: 4 sets of 15 4a. Cheating Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 1 Supersetted with 4b. Barbell Preacher Curl: 4 sets of 12 5a. End of the Bar Lat Rowing: 4 sets of 2 Supersetted with 5b. Lat Machine Pulldown: 4 sets of 15 Workout B: Lower Body 1a. Squats: 4 sets of 2 Supersetted with 1b. Leg Extensions: 4 sets of 12 2a. Deadlifts: 4 sets of 2 Supersetted with 2b. Front Bends with Broomstick: 4 sets of 12 3a. Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets of 2 Supersetted with 3b. Standing Bodyweight Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20


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4. Incline Sit-ups: 3 sets of 20 5. Leg Extensions: 2 sets of 12 6. Leg Curls: 2 sets of 12 Further Directions • • • • •

Workout A and B are both to be performed twice a week based on your individual recovery ability. An example could be Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday training days. Strive to increase weights whenever possible, but do not sacrifice proper form. If behind the neck pressing causes pain, standard pressing from the front may be used. End of the Bar Lat Rowing is performed by placing a barbell in a corner, putting weight on the end, and rowing the weight to your chest. (An early method of T-Bar rowing). If you find that you are not recovering fast enough, cutting the volume of the entire routine from 4 sets each to 3 sets each may be a good option.

Brad Kelly is a sought after National Academy Of Sports Medicine(NASM) Personal Trainer, Correctional Exercise Specialist(CES), and Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) located in Panama City, Florida. Driven to help trainees in his local community and worldwide, he now regularly writes articles on various subjects such as training routines, corrective exercise, and nutrition. Brad has also directly helped over 50 National Academy of Sports Medicine Trainers pass their own exams and performs online training to help people reach their fitness goals—whether it is gaining muscle, weight loss, or just leading a healthy lifestyle. Truly understanding the value of a healthy lifestyle, Brad is now fully recovered from a chronic sickness that lasted seven years and left him weighing 120 pounds.

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Brian Carroll’s Eight-Week Program By Brian Carroll

Intro: This is an eight-week pre-contest or “peaking phase” that I have put together for those that really want to learn how to take their strength to the next level either for a meet or just to show off in the gym. If you don’t have access to specialty bars, you can simply use a front squat harness or rig up a belt squat to use instead. The purpose of this is to give your shoulders a break from the heavy training that has been done and that which lies ahead. I have programmed many templates like these and have seen an average of 100-pound PR totals made. My purpose of creating this program was not only to help, but also to teach YOU how to work up while trying to peak for an all-out day in a meet. As you can see, the program starts off slow and builds momentum in three-week waves. It also has you primed to take your lifting to the next level. After week eight, you should take one full week off from training. After a seven- to eight-day recovery, you will be chomping at the bit to kill PRs!

Eight-Week Program Week 1

2


Squat

Bench

Dead

75%x2 – 2 sets RB: 85%x2 Oly squat: 3 sets of 5 Walking lunge: 100 yards Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 50 reps

Chest: 75%x2 - sets 80% x3 -2bd CG: heavy triples 3bd Band fly: 3 sets of 12 Band press-down: 3 sets of 12

80%x3(comp stance) 6” Block pull: 85%x3 SSB wide stance squat(raw): 3 sets of 8 GHR: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 50 reps

80%x2 – 2 sets RB: 85%x2 – 2 sets SSB GM: 3x8 Leg press: 3 sets of 20 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 60 reps

Chest: 80%x2 – 2 sets CG: heavy 3bd max triple Floor press: 3x10 Band fly: 3 sets of 15 Band press-down: 3x15

85%x3 – 2 sets(comp stance) 4”block pull: 90%x2 – 2 sets SSB close stance(raw) squat: 3 sets of 8 Barbell shrug: 3 sets of 10 Up and down plank: 65 reps

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Eight-Week Program Week 3 Deload

4 Reload

5

6

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Squat

Bench

Dead

60%x3 – 2 sets(SSB) Wide stance GM: 3 sets of 5 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Plank: 3x45sec hold

Floor press: 5 sets of 5 Incline DB press: 3 sets of 15 Band press-down: 3 sets of 15 Band fly: 3 sets of 15

(form work): 60%x1x6(comp stance) SLDL 2 sets of 5 Kroc row: 3 sets of 10 Up and down plank: 50 reps

Singles opener RB for 2nd and projected 3rd Pause squat(brief): 3 sets of 6 Pause squat: 60%x5x3 Reverse hyper: 3x12 Up and down plank: 70 reps

Chest: Last warm-up x2 Projected 1st Projected 2nd PR – double – 2bd CG: heavy triples 3bd – max double Incline DB: 3x15 Band fly: 3 sets of 12

90%x2 – 2 sets(comp stance) 6in block pull: 95%x3 GHR: 3 sets of 10 Barbell shrug: 3 sets of 10 Up and down plank: 80 reps

Speciality bar: 60%x3 – 5 sets Wide GM: 3 sets of 10 Oly squat: 3x10 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Plank: 3 sets of 1min hold

Floor press: 3 sets of 8, 2 sets of 5 Incline BB: 3 sets of 8 Flat DB hammer press: 3x20 Band press-down: 3 sets of 20

SLDL: 3 sets of 5 Oly squat: 3 sets of 8 Kroc row: 3 sets of 10 DB shrug: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 90 reps

Singles Opener Then attempt PR(101%) Then one heavier RB set(105%) Pause squat: 60% 3 sets of 3 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 75 reps

Last warm-up x 2 Opener x 2 2nd x1 Try new PR CG 3bd: 3x5 Band fly: 3 sets of 20

PR double 4” block pull: PR double GHR: 3 sets of 12 Barbell shrug: 3 sets of 12 Up and down plank: 75 reps


Eight-Week Program Week 7

8 Deload

•• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Squat

Bench

Dead

Last warm-up x 2 Opener x2 Pause squat: 65% 3 sets of 3(SSB) Stationary lunge: 3x20 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 12 Plank: 3 sets of 1min holds

Chest: Last warm-up x2 1st 3rd PR CG 3bd: 3x5 Incline DB: 3 sets of 5 Band fly: 3 sets of 20

Last warm-up 1st 2nd 6” block pull: 100%x2 Barbell shrug: 3 sets of 10 Plank: 3 sets of 1min holds

Specialty bar: 3 sets of 5 close, 3 sets of 5 wide(light and fast) Box Pause squat(SSB): 3 sets of 5 Reverse hyper: 3 sets of 15 Up and down plank: 50 reps

Floor press: 3 sets of 5 Floor press close grip: 3 sets of 8 Band press-down: 3x20 Band fly: 3 sets of 20

Form pull 60%x1 – 4 sets – comp stance Lat pull-down: 3x10 GHR: 3 sets of 15 Barbell row: 3 sets of 10 Up and down plank: 50 reps

Use %’S of your best lift (either in meet or gym)—DO NOT use a crappy lift for your %! Opener will be about 90% Last warm-up will be about 80% Then you will figure out with my feedback what good seconds and thirds will be Do your best to rig-up the reverse bands in any way that you can. It’s very important to the program but if you can’t then get with me for an alternate route. Use a light for the RB (reverse band) work. Use orange or “light”, from EliteFTS.com Assistance work without percentages: this should end up with the top set being about 3-4 reps shy of failure. Now, on some of the movements with less than 8 reps, this is harder to judge, so don’t apply. This mainly applies to the higher rep assistance: Lat pull-downs or fly etc. I want the block pulls, stiffs, decline, close grip work’s top set to be heavy, but not to failure. 4th day Incline DB press: 3x20 Side lateral: 3x20 Band press-down: 3x15 OHP: 3x15 – keep it light Rear delt raise: 3x15 Upright row: 3x15


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Eight Week Off-Season Cycle for the Injured Lifter By Zane Geeting

The following cycle is one that I used when I tore my pec and could not use a regular bar for squatting. This is a great cycle for anyone dealing with a similar type of injury, or for anyone who is simply suffering from beat up shoulders. Not only did this off-season cycle let me maintain my squat strength while injured, but it also actually sent me into my meet training cycle stronger than ever. My best squat before running this cycle was 885 pounds. At the following meet I squatted 935 pounds. Keep in mind that this cycle did require the use of a Buffalo bar, SS bar, and Rackable cambered bar. If you don’t have these bars, you can make substitutions, but be conscious of what bar you are using and what the purpose of the day is. I originally got this format from an article that Matt Wenning wrote—one that I used when I was having some stability issues. The format works because everything is done with a purpose. Through my own modifications, I made the cycle work to perfectly suit my needs. Week 8: Technique *6 sets of 2 reps with the cambered bar. 35% bar weight and 35% band tension off of a parallel or slightly below parallel box. Briefs and belt only. Week 7: Stability *8 sets of 2 reps with the safety squat bar. 40% weight and 20% fully suspended chain. Chains will never touch the ground. Briefs and belt only. No box. Week 6: Strength *Cambered bar. Work up to a heavy double with 50% band tension. Shoot for 6-8 sets working up. Parallel box Briefs and belt only. Week 5: Unload *Safety squat bar. 50% straight weight and 4 sets of chains for 8 sets of 2 reps on a parallel box. Briefs and belt. Week 4: Technique *Cambered bar. Work up to 70% in full gear. Work on depth and technique. Week 3: Technique

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*Safety squat bar. 60% weight and 4 sets of chains for 6 sets of 2 reps. Then 2 heavier singles, adding 10% on each. Parallel box. Briefs and belt only. Week 2: Stability *Safety squat bar. 40% straight weight and 25% of suspended chain for 6 sets of 2 reps. Briefs and belt. Week 1: Sticking Point Training *Buffalo bar. Set chains or straps to sticking point. Work up to a two-second paused max. Briefs and belt. A few notes here:

1. When I squat with bands on the cambered bar, I place the bands over the top of the plates so that there is constant tension.

2. When I squat with chains, they fully unload from the ground at lockout—unless the session calls for “suspended chain.” If this is the case, the chains should be suspended from the bar so that they never touch the ground. 3. Don’t get crazy on the unload sessions. These are light for a reason. They are meant to give you some stimulus, but at the same time they are also there to help you recover from the heavier weeks. So, that’s it. Give it a run, but be prepared to work. I’ve found that this cycle looks much easier on paper than it actually is. Some of the sessions can be extremely tough, especially if you have issues with stability or tightness while squatting. Even if you don’t, I feel that this is one area that can always use improvement. Sometimes training through an injury can be extremely frustrating, but I’m living proof that you can still make great progress during these periods of time. That is, if you have the right plan in place and execute it with total confidence. Videos: SS Bar Squat with Chains: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGe7HgUnSQ&feature=share&list=UUltf0QB2H6AmYTt2ZebWJIg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gELnAK04ek&feature=share&list=UUltf0QB2H6AmYTt2ZebWJIg


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Training the Tactical Athlete By Adam Plagens, CSCS

As a veteran of the US Army, and current DOD employee, my intent behind writing this manual is simple: military personnel are a unique breed, and their training needs to be unique. As training has evolved, bodybuilding style training, Conjugate training, and even CrossFit training have emerged as tactical training concepts. Yet, the big question—or test, rather—has to be whether or not the defined training program does the following:

1) Does it make you a more effective and functional warrior?

2) Does the training program impact the ability to pass the DOD required physical fitness test for your respective branch of service? Yes, the Fitness Test has merit. You can get big and strong but ultimately fail a fitness test. Strength training has to be balanced with a number of components in relation to military training. Does this mean you need to scrap your goals of an elite total? Absolutely not. However, there is a balance that needs to be maintained if you, as a member of the US military, plan to stay a member of the US military. That means incorporating running into your training program and understanding that the path to an elite total will be longer due to the demands of Uncle Sam. This is a six-week general prep program followed by a four-week strength phase that emphasizes rep strength as well as one-rep effort training. Essentially, I’ve ripped off Westside training and 5/3/1 and put this into a system that makes sense, at least to me. Some things have changed in terms of military physical fitness training since my departure from military service, but there are a few things that remain. First off, the aerobic component (running) is a significant portion of test points. To ignore this fact is to establish failure. As a member of the military, you’re going to have to run. This doesn’t mean you’re stuck with an inability to get strong. You simply have to rotate your training focus in relation to Physical Fitness testing requirements. This is based on your commanders, so I can’t really control this. However, you can plan out training and make sure that training the required test components is accomplished over the given time period. The plan I’m laying out will work for US Air Force, who I currently work with, and US Army personnel. Marin Corps will need additional running distances, and that will be in the listed in the USMC listing. When looking at the training programs, the conditioning is SEPARATE from the running. This reason is twofold:

1) Conditioning is intended to initiate or improve a specific metabolic response. 2) Running is intended to be done as quickly and intensely as possible.

I’m going back to my days of military service, but it’s a safe bet that you (the soldier/airman/marine/sailor) are performing mandatory unit PT. This isn’t a bad thing, and it shouldn’t be frowned upon. I’m going to use a plan I developed based on my own unit’s training patterns. This might have to be adjusted, but the flexibility is there.

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Training Program Okay, so enough about the whole running thing. Let’s talk lifting and getting stronger. The premise of this training is to improve the physical capacity of military personnel so that they will be better at combat-related actions than the enemy (read this as,“ you live, they die”). This requires a more athletic focus to your training. The main lifts are as follows: deadlifts, squats and front squats, military press, and bench press. I’m not reinventing the wheel here, folks. The lifts selected are tried and true strength builders. Plus, these lifts and their variants can make you better at your job. Accessory work will focus on core strength and stability, as well as injury prevention and rehabilitation. The training program is designed to build strength while simultaneously maintaining some level of military conditioning and mobility. The weights listed are 90% of current 1RMs and allow for strength progression while also limiting fatigue. This may seem like too little training volume, but the focus is to improve universal strength, not just the one-rep max. I’m also anticipating at least three days of mandatory physical fitness training a week, so adding extra sets could limit recovery. This is, of course, a challenge as deployments, duty assignments, 24-hour operations, etc. already impact optimal recovery periods. Again, this program is to assist you in getting better—not simply to beat you down day-in and day-out. Final Thoughts There are a ton of programs out there, and each has its own drawbacks and benefits. The reasoning behind this training setup is to improve your overall strength while also allowing you to maintain military standards in relation fitness testing. This isn’t a very complex program because it doesn’t need to be. The simplicity also allows the lifter to maintain or reintroduce training on deployments, as the mission permits. The only piece of equipment that can be a challenge is the use of the Prowler®. However, this can be replaced by finding a hill or by running with a ruck or weighted vest. It’s not the same lung-puking event as Prowler® sprints, but it does the job.


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Conditioning Program

Week 1 Day 1

Day 2 Reps / Distance

Mobility

Warm-up

Run

10

Jumping jack

10

Bodyweight Squat

10

Bodyweight Squat

10

Lunge

6 per leg

Lunge

6 per leg

Lateral Lunge

6 per leg

Lateral Lunge

6 per leg

Good Morning

10

Good Morning

10

Walking knee hug

10 per leg

Walking knee hug

10 per leg

Extreme Lunge

6 per leg

Extreme Lunge

6 per leg

High knee

20 yards

High knee

20 yards

jog pace

1 mile TIME:

COOLDOWN

Sprint

Core circuit fashion

3 min walk

3

45 sec rest

100 yards

4

45 sec rest

50 yards

4

30 sec rest

50 yards

6

30 sec rest

30 yards

2

20 sec rest

V Crunch

15

V Crunch

15

Toe Touch

15

Plank

Calf

30 sec 15 30 sec each leg

do twice no rest

Toe Touch Plank Crunch Calf

Hamstring

30 sec

Hamstring

Quadricep

30 sec

Quadricep

T Spine Rotation

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No Distance Running

_____________

100 yards

Crunch

Stretching

Reps / Distance

Jumping jack

10 each side

T Spine Rotation

15 30 sec

do twice no rest

15 30 sec each leg 30 sec 30 sec 10 each side

Butterfly

30 sec

Butterfly

30 sec

Iron Cross

10 each side

Iron Cross

10 each side


Tactical Training General Physical Prep Phase Week 1 Exercise

Day 1 Sets/Reps

Week 2 Percentage Weight

Day 1 Sets/Reps

Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day 1 Sets/Reps


Day 1 Sets/Reps Percentage Weight

Week 5


Week 6


Mobility Circuit Jumping jack, seal jack, lunge, lateral lunge, squat, drop squat, push up

2 rounds 10 reps each

Barbell Warmup

1X5

Back Squat

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU

45

RDl, Power Clean from power, Mil Press, Front SQ

335

Keep Chest up sit back Push knees out

RDL

115

1X5

145

1X8

135

1X8

135

1X8

135

1X8

1X6 2X4 3X6

50% 55% 60%

170 185 205

1X6 2X5 3x6

55% 60% 70%

185 205 235

1X6 1X6 2X5 2X5

50% 60% 65% 75%

170 205 220 255

1X6 1X6 2X5 2X4

55% 65% 75% 80%

220 255 270

1X6 1X6 2X5 3X4

55% 70% 75% 85%

185 235 255 285

1X5 1X3 2X3 3X3

55% 75% 85% 90%

135 185 255 285 305

3X8

50%

170

3X10

55%

185

3X12

60%

205

4X8

55%

185

4X10

60%

205

4X12

65%

220

bwt bwt 25

3X10/leg 3X12 3XAMRAP 3X10

45 bwt 25


45 bwt 25

4X10/leg 4X10/leg 3XAMRAP 3X15

60 bwt 25

4X12/leg 4X10 4 4X12

80 AMRAP 25

4X15/leg 4X15/leg 4 4X15

bwt bwt

2X12 2X20

25 25

3x12 3x20

25 25

3X12 3X20

45 45

2X12 2X20

45 45

3X12 3X20

Circuit Walking Lunge Back Extension Pullups Wtd neck exercise


Pikes Toe Touch

2X12 2X20

front, L side, R Side, back

Week 1 Exercise

Day 2 Sets/Reps



Day 2 Sets/Reps


Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day 2 Sets/Reps




bwt front, L side, R Side, back

Week 5



15 each leg 90 AMRAP 25

45 45

Week 6


Mobility Circuit

Jumping jack, seal jack, lunge, squat, front raise, side raise, push up


Barbell Warmup

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

Bench Press

1X10 1X8 1X8 2X8

55% 65% 75%

95 110 130 150

1x8 1X5 1X5 2X8

65% 75% 80%

115 130 150 160

1x8 1X5 1X5 1X3 1X1+

50% 70% 80% 90%

55 100 140 160 180

1x8 4X4 3X3

70% 80%

Mil Press

1X5 1X6 2X4 3X6

WU 50% 55% 60%

95

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

WU 55% 65% 70%

65

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

WU 60% 65% 75%

65

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

WU 65% 70% 80%





45

1X5

WU

55 140

1x8 4X4 3X3

75% 85%

65

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

WU 60% 75% 85%


45

1X5

WU

55 150

2x6 2x4 2x3

80% 95%

65

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

45


200

5 pullups each set

135

90%

95%

55 160

100% WU 65% 75% 90%

65

Circuit DB Inc Press 1 arm row Seated Row Dips Hanging leg Raise Sprinter Sit Up

2X8 2X10 2X20 2XAMRAP 2X12 2X20

25 bwt bwt

Week 1 Exercise

Day3 Sets/Reps

3X10 3X12 2X15 3XAMRAP 3X12 3X20

25 bwt bwt


Day3 Sets/Reps

3X12 3X15 3X20 3XAMRAP 3X15 3X20

25 bwt bwt

Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day3 Sets/Reps

4X10 4X15 4X15 4XAMRAP 3X20 3X20

45 bwt bwt


Day3 Sets/Reps Percentage Weight

4X15 4X15 4X20 50 4X15 4X15

45 bwt bwt

Week 5


4X20 4X20 4X20 50 4X25 4X25

45 bwt bwt

Week 6


Mobility Circuit



Barbell Warmup

1X5

Box Squat

1X8

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

2X6

WU


45

2X6

WU

45


315

300

115

1X8

135

1X8

155

1X8

135

1X8

135

1X8

50%

160

1X5 1X6 5X5

50% 60% 65%

160 190 205

1X6 1X5 4X6

55% 65% 70%

175 205 225

3X4 2X5 3X5

60% 65% 75%

190 205 240

1X8 2X5 2X3 3X5

50% 65% 75% 80%

160 205 240 255

1X6 1X5 2X4 3X5

50% 65% 70% 85%

160 205 225 270

1X6 2X4 2X3 3X2

60% 75% 85% 90%

190 240 270 285

1X6 1X5 2X5

50% 55% 60%

150 165 180

1X6 2X5 3X4

55% 65% 70%

165 195 210

1X6 2X5 3X4

60% 70% 80%

180 210 240

1X5 2X4 3X1

60% 70% 80%

180 210 240

1X8 2X5 3X4

65% 75% 85%

195 225 255

1X6 1X5 2X3 4X1

60% 70% 80% 90%

180 210 240 270

3X5

50%

160

3X5

60%

190

3X6

70%

225

3X6

75%

240

3X5

80%

255

3X5

85%

270

bwt bwt

3X8/leg 3X12/side 2X10 2X15 2X12 2X20

Deadlift Keep Chest up sit back Push knees out

Front Squat Circuit

DB Split SQ OH side raise Pull ups Hammer curl Knees to elbows Sit Ups

2X8/leg 2X12/side 2X6 2X12 2X12 2X20


25

bwt bwt

3X10/leg 3X15/side 2X12 2X20 3X12 3X20

25

bwt bwt

4X12/leg 4X12/side 3X8 3X15 3X15 3X 1 min

45

bwt bwt


45

bwt bwt


45

bwt 25

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Tactical Training Strength Phase Week 1 Exercise

Day 1 Sets/Reps


Day 1 Sets/Reps

Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day 1 Sets/Reps

Percentage

Weight

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6







Mobility Circuit Jumping jack, seal jack, lunge, lateral lunge, squat, drop squat, push up

Barbell Warmup


2X5


45

2X5

45


2X5

45

2X5

45

45

2X5

45

2X5

RDl, Power Clean from power, Mil Press, Front SQ 335

Back Squat

145

1X8

135

1X8

145

1X5

55%

185

1X5

55%

185

1X8

135

1X8

50%

170

Keep Chest up sit back Push knees out

1X5 1X5 1X5 1X5+

55% 60% 70% 80%

185 205 235 270

1X5 1X3 1X3 1X3+

55% 65% 75% 85%

185 220 255 285

1X3 1X5 1X3 1X1+

65% 70% 80% 90%

220 235 270 305

1X6 1X5 1X2 3X1

65% 80% 90% 95%

220 270 305 320

1X5 1X5 1X5

45% 55% 65%

155 185 220

1X8 1X8 1X8+

55% 65% 75%

185 220 255

RDL

4X8

60%

205

4X8

65%

220

4X8

70%

235

4X8

75%

255

4X10

80%

270

4X12

85%

285

1X8 1X8

135

135

1X8

Circuit DB split SQ Box jump Pullups Wtd neck exercise

2X8/leg 2X10 2X15 2X15

Pikes Toe Touch

2X20 2X30

bwt 25

3X10/leg 3X12 30 3X15

bwt bwt

2X20 2X50


Week 1 Exercise

Day 2 Sets/Reps

25 25

3X12/leg 3X15 40 3X15

25 25

3X20 3x20

45 front, L side, R Side, back


Day 2 Sets/Reps

25 25

4X10/leg 4X10/leg 50 4X15

25 25

3X15 3X20


Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day 2 Sets/Reps

Percentage

Weight

45 25

4X12/leg 4X10 50 4X15

45 45

2X12 2X20


45 25

4X15/leg 4X15/leg 50 4X20

45 45

3X12 3X20


15 each leg 90 front, L side, R Side, back

60 25

45 45

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6







Mobility Circuit


Barbell Warmup




1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

WU

45

1X10 1X5 1X5 1X5+

55% 65% 75%

95 110 130 150

1x8 1X5 1X3 1X3 1X3+

55% 65% 75% 85%

115 110 130 150 170

1x8 1X5 1X5 1X3 1X1+

50% 70% 80% 90%

55 100 140 160 180

1x8 1X5 1X5 2X2 3X1

50% 80% 90% 95%

95 100 160 180 190

1X5 1X5 1X5

45% 55% 65%

90 110 130

1X10 1X8 1X8 1X8+

55% 65% 75%

95 110 130 150

1X5 1X6 2X4 3X6

50% 55% 60%

45 70 75 85

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

55% 65% 70%

45 75 90 95

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

60% 65% 75%

65 85 90 105

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

65% 70% 80%

65 90 95 110

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

60% 75% 85%

65 85 105 115

1X5 1X8 2X5 3X4

65% 75% 90%

65 90 105 125

25 25 bwt bwt

3X12 3X15 3XAMRAP 3XAMRAP 3X15 3X20

25 25 bwt bwt


45 45

4X15 4X15 50 50 4X15 4X15

45 45 bwt bwt

4X20 4X20 50 50 4X25 4X25


Bench Press 3 pullups each set add 1 rep each week

135

Mil Press

Circuit DB Inc Press 1 arm row Pullups Dips Hanging leg Raise Sprinter Sit Up


25 25 bwt

Week 1 Exercise

Day3 Sets/Reps



Day3 Sets/Reps

Week 3 Percentage

Weight

Day3 Sets/Reps

Percentage

Weight

bwt bwt

45 45 bwt bwt

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6







Mobility Circuit


Barbell Warmup


1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU


45

1X5

WU

45

1X5

155

1X8

225 255 285

1X5 2X5 2X3 3X3

WU

45

2X6

135

1X8

205 225 255 300

1X6 1X6 1X6

55% 65% 75%

WU

45

2X6

135

1X8

175 205 240

1X8 1X8 1X8 1X8

WU

45


300

Box Squat

115

1X8

135

1X8

1X5 1X6 5X5

60% 70% 80%

190 225 255

1X6 1X5 4X6

65% 75% 85%

205 240 270

3X4 2X5 3X5

145

1X8

1X8 1X5 1X5 1X5 1X5+

55% 60% 70% 80%

135 165 180 210 240

1X8 1X5 1X3 1X3 1X3+

55% 65% 75% 85%

145 165 195 225 255

1X5 1X3 1X5 1X3 1X1+

55% 65% 70% 80% 90%

165 195 210 240 270

1X5 1X6 1X5 1X2 3X1

55% 65% 80% 90% 95%

165 195 240 270 285

1X5 1X5 1X5

45% 55% 65%

135 165 195

1X8 1X8 1X8 1X8+

50% 55% 65% 75%

150 165 195 225

3X5

50%

160

3X5

60%

190

3X6

65%

205

3X6

70%

225

3X3

80%

255

3X5

85%

270

bwt bwt

3X8/leg 3X12/side 2X15 2X15 2X12 2X20

1X8

Deadlift Keep Chest up sit back Push knees out

Front Squat Circuit DB Split SQ OH side raise Lat Pulldowns Hammer curl Knees to elbows Sit Ups

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70% 80% 90%

1X8

2X8/leg 2X12/side 2X12 2X12 2X12 2X20

25

bwt bwt

3X10/leg 3X15/side 3X20 3X20 3X12 3X20

25

bwt bwt


65% 70% 80% 95%

135

45

bwt bwt

135 60% 65% 75% 80%

135

1X8

4X12/leg 4X15/side 3x25 3X20 3X20 3X 1 min

45

bwt bwt


190 205 240 255

45

bwt 25



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A Meet Cycle for Success By Scott Yard

I know many of you are reading this manual for two things: 1) You wanted give to charity, and 2) most of all you want to get stronger. I decided to tailor this article for the novice powerlifter; the lifter that wants to compete but isn’t sure he is ready. Most lifters have the same fear: Am I strong enough to compete? The best thing about powerlifting is that anyone can do it as long as you can pay the meet fee. Now for the hard part: How do I train? I am going to share six rules that I have learned over the years that I believe every lifter should consider, and I have since applied these rules to make a very simple and effective training cycle. (A16-week cycle that I have used many times for meet PRs and is included at the end of this document). I have learned the hard way about many things when it comes to meet preparation, so I hope this will give you a road map for meet success. Rule number one: Base your program off what you can do. Many lifters fail at programming right off the bat because of their ego. Never build a program based off goals and dreams. Always use numbers that you have actually done. The cycle below contains percentages. Be honest with yourself—you will thank yourself come meet day. Rule number two: Always start off slow. Take the first three weeks of the cycle to get acclimated to the routine. This is the time to dial-in technique and focus on your mistakes. You can’t fix mistakes on a squat or bench while going balls to the walls the first week out. Be slow and methodical. You will have 16 weeks to kill yourself, so don’t jump into the deep end right out of the gate. Rule number three: Learn when to go easy. A program should have easy days. Some people call this day a “deload” day. Some even call this day an “unload” day. Whatever you call it, just make sure the workout is easy. This should be done every four weeks. This gets you in meet mode and primes your body to know that after you rest for a week, it’s time to lift heavy. Rule number four: Always make room for a moderate day. I like to do a day that is very low key and a day when you don’t need to get hyped up to lift. This day can be hard and be a solid workout, but it doesn’t have kill your body. A good weight for this is in the 70% range. This is almost like a moderate-active rest week. It will be enough to make you push, but not enough to make you sore the next day.

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I know many of you are reading this manual for two things: 1) You wanted give to charity, and 2) most of all you want to get stronger. I decided to tailor this article for the novice powerlifter; the lifter that wants to compete but isn’t sure he is ready. Most lifters have the same fear: Am I strong enough to compete? The best thing about powerlifting is that anyone can do it as long as you can pay the meet fee. Now for the hard part: How do I train? I am going to share six rules that I have learned over the years that I believe every lifter should consider, and I have since applied these rules to make a very simple and effective training cycle. (A16-week cycle that I have used many times for meet PRs and is included at the end of this document). I have learned the hard way about many things when it comes to meet preparation, so I hope this will give you a road map for meet success. Rule number one: Base your program off what you can do. Many lifters fail at programming right off the bat because of their ego. Never build a program based off goals and dreams. Always use numbers that you have actually done. The cycle below contains percentages. Be honest with yourself—you will thank yourself come meet day. Rule number two: Always start off slow. Take the first three weeks of the cycle to get acclimated to the routine. This is the time to dial-in technique and focus on your mistakes. You can’t fix mistakes on a squat or bench while going balls to the walls the first week out. Be slow and methodical. You will have 16 weeks to kill yourself, so don’t jump into the deep end right out of the gate. Rule number three: Learn when to go easy. A program should have easy days. Some people call this day a “deload” day. Some even call this day an “unload” day. Whatever you call it, just make sure the workout is easy. This should be done every four weeks. This gets you in meet mode and primes your body to know that after you rest for a week, it’s time to lift heavy. Rule number four:


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Always make room for a moderate day. I like to do a day that is very low key and a day when you don’t need to get hyped up to lift. This day can be hard and be a solid workout, but it doesn’t have kill your body. A good weight for this is in the 70% range. This is almost like a moderate-active rest week. It will be enough to make you push, but not enough to make you sore the next day. Rule number five: Find out how strong you are a month out. This contradicts rule number one, but hey, these are technically just guidelines anyway. A month out from the meet is a good time to see how strong you are for the meet. This is the heaviest workout of the cycle. This is where you take some guesses on where you may be. Take an honest assessment of your best workouts of the cycle, and try to get an idea of what you might be able to do for a single. Take that number and go for a triple. If you miss the third rep, it’s smart to deduct 15-20 pounds from your estimated single. If you hit four reps, then add 15-20 pounds to your estimated single. Rule number six: Always taper down before the meet. It’s been said a million times, and I will say it again. You will not get any stronger three weeks out from a meet. As the meet nears, it’s time to lighten the weight and the reps and start thinking about resting. Take your opener when you are two weeks out from the meet. (The last week before the meet deload). Most people get nervous and feel insecure about strength come meet time. They always say, “I just want to feel the weight again” or “I just need to hit that opener one more time.” Don’t do this. If your opener was slow two weeks out, that is okay. You just put yourself though 14 weeks of a 16-week long cycle. You should be sluggish and slow. The glorious part is that you now get to rest all week and then deload. Then you get to take another seven days to rest before the meet. The Meet Cycle: Here is the final product. Plug in your own numbers for weeks 1, 2, and 3. Then get going. Weeks 1-3 are easy and a time for technique. Weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16 are deload weeks. Take it very easy here. Weeks 5, 7, 9, and 11 are your weeks to go for max reps. Go hard, but don’t miss. Weeks 2, 6, 10, and 14 are your moderate weeks. Week 13 is your time to test the waters and try to find out what kind of number you can hit at the meet. Week 15 is a time for your opener. Below is the cycle in table format:

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Programming a Former Weekender By Steve Diel

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Percent of Meet best 80% 70% 85% 50% 10 lbs more then week 1 70% 10 lbs more then week 3 50% 20 lbs more then Week 5 70% 20 lbs more then Week 7 50% 90% 70% 85% 50% Meet

Reps Triple Set of 5 Single Single Max reps 5 Max Reps Single Max reps 5 Max Reps Single Triple 5 Single Single New PR

Conclusion: It is never too soon or too late to do a meet. Once you do one, you will be pissed that you didn’t do a meet sooner. In fact, most people are planning they’re next meet before they even leave the meet they’ve just finished. So come on… Jump in the fire! Author: Scott Yard is a 2004 graduate of Western Maryland College. He is a 12-year veteran to the sport of powerlifting and has lifted on many stages. As an equipped lifter in 2006, Scott broke the all-time world record total for the 275-pound class. This was done at the age of 23. His 2,605-pound total consists of a 1,050-pound squat, an 840-pound bench, and a 715-pound deadlift. Scott’s 840-pound bench was at one time one of the heaviest recorded benches to date in a full meet across all weight classes. In early 2007, Scott placed third overall in the 242-pound plus division at the WPO ARNOLD bench bash. Later that year, Scott placed third in the 242-pound plus division at the inaugural IPA PRO-AM. Scott currently competes raw. In November of 2010, he fulfilled a long-term goal of totaling 2,000 pounds raw in the 275-pound weight class. Scott’s best competition raw lifts include 765 pounds in the squat, 505 pounds in the bench, and 755 pounds in the deadlift. Scott currently competes raw in the USAPL and won 2011 USAPL Raw nationals in the 242-pound class. In March of 2012, Scott competed at the Arnold Raw Challenge in the 231-pound weight class and came in second place. Scott trains out of Club Natural Gym in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and hopes to compete for many years to come. By day, Scott is the Community Living Manager for a nonprofit agency that supports adults with developmental disabilities. Background I am a former Weekender at the elitefts™ S4 Compound. Due to a job-related move, I now reside many 239 | Programs That Work 2

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states away and have taken to training solo in my garage. While my best equipped total is nothing to brag about, it did increase almost 600 pounds (from 1,540 to 2,130) in my two-and-a-half years while being coached by Dave Tate and Todd Brock at S4. This happened from the ages of 37-39, so I was not exactly a spring chicken riding the wave of youth. What follows is my current meet training cycle at age 40, which is based on an original template developed by Dave and modified to accommodate solo training and the equipment I have available. The Program – 15 Weeks The program follows a fairly common layout of two max effort (ME) days and two dynamic effort (DE), or speed days, per week. Due to work and family commitments, the DE work is done on Tuesday (lower) and Thursday (upper) mornings before the sun rises, and ME work is done Saturday (lower) and Sunday (upper) around 9 a.m. Referring to a lower session means that I am focusing on lifts to improve the squat and deadlift. Upper days are focused on improving the bench press. Reps are high (from a powerlifter’s perspective) in the early stages in order to build a foundation of conditioning that will be needed on meet day. Accessory lifts comprise a decent percent of the overall volume in the early weeks. This allows for weak points to be addressed as I build the lift. By becoming more proficient at certain accessory or secondary movements, I can become better at the actual competition lift. As an example, I know my bench press is highly correlated with my floor press. So, a two-week block of ME days are spent doing floor presses as the primary movement. The secondary movement of barbell band press is chosen to increase stability and upper back strength in order to build the floor press. Rows are then chosen as a third movement in order to build the barbell band press. Each of the three lifts is meant to complement the preceding exercise and achieve the ultimate goal of building the competition bench press. The training cycle can be thought of as a handful of distinct blocks, each with its own purpose of hypertrophy, strength, power, circa max, and peak. For those not familiar with circa max, I think of it as extreme loading with heavy band tension, where you handle weights out of the rack that are greater than 100% of your max. This shocks your body into accommodating a greater load, which makes the weights on meet day seem notso-bad. Circa max is also immensely taxing on your system and requires that you trust the program as you feel beaten and weak. The trust lies in the fact that the peaking period will provide the rest necessary to fully recover and hit new highs on meet day. As the meet gets closer, accessory work and higher reps give way to a greater focus on the competition lifts at heavier weights and lower reps. There are no deloads. I hate the thought of losing an entire week, or even one session, to a deload. If I’ve done my off-season work correctly, I should be injury free and decently conditioned heading into the program. Certainly I can make it through 15 weeks without needing to take time off. I am firmly of the opinion that more sleep and food are better at fighting CNS fatigue than taking time off from training. If you are feeling absolutely run-down, instead of a weeklong deload, just throw in a feeder workout as described by Dave Tate here. I’ve incorporated this into the program in place of a DE upper session prior to starting the circa max block. For all weeks, DE bench is done using three different grips (narrow, medium, and wide) with one minute or so of rest between sets. DE squats are also done with a target of one minute of rest between sets. Sets noted are work sets and, unless stated otherwise, should be done with the heaviest weight you can handle for the

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prescribed reps. DE Lower, ME Lower, and ME Upper percentages are based on equipped squat, bench press, or deadlift maxes. DE upper percentages are based on raw bench press max. Weeks 1 to 4 – Hypertrophy Goals for this phase are to improve conditioning, build the lifts and use accessory work to bring up weaknesses. WEEK

DAY

DE Lower

DE Upper 1 ME Lower

ME Upper


EXERCISE • Box Squats with Briefs – 12 sets x 2 reps at 47% •

SSB Good Mornings – 4 sets x 8 reps; light weight and strict form

•

Glute Ham Raise – 3 sets x 8 reps with two mini bands used as resistance

• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 12 reps; light weight and strict form Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps at 37%, plus doubled mini bands

•

Close-Grip Shoulder Saver Bar Press – 3 sets x 12 reps

•

Machine Rows – 3 sets x 8 reps

• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 30 reps SSB Suspended Good Morning – work up to 1-rep max

•

Deadlift – 12 sets x 2 reps at 46%, plus 2 chains per side

•

Barbell Hip Thrusts – 3 sets x 8 reps; moderate weight

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 20 reps Floor Press – work up to max set of 2 reps with two chains per side

•

Band Barbell Press – 3 sets x 12 reps; moderate weight with 100 lbs hanging from bar with mini bands

•

Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps with core blaster and barbell

•

Free Time – whatever you want for 15 minutes, but focus on triceps

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DE Lower

DE Upper

2 ME Lower

ME Upper

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•

Box Squats with Briefs – 10 sets x 2 reps at 51%

•


•

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 10 reps

• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 12 reps with light weight and strict form Bench Press – 9 sets 3 reps at 45%, plus doubled mini bands

•

Close-Grip Shoulder Saver Bar Press – 1 set x 4 reps heavy; drop down for 2 sets x 8 reps

•

Machine Pulldowns – 3 sets x 10 reps

• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 20 reps SSB Suspended Good Morning – work up to 1-rep max; beat last week’s weight

•

Deadlift – 12 sets x 2 reps at 53%, plus 2 chains per side

•

Barbell Hip Thrusts – 3 sets x 8 reps; moderate weight

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 20 reps Floor Press – work up to max single with three chains per side; rest 5 minutes and repeat the max single

•

Band Barbell Press – 3 sets x 12 reps; moderate weight with 100 lbs hanging from bar with mini bands, plus one chain per side off the floor

•

Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps with core blaster and barbell

•

Free Time – whatever you want for 15 minutes, focused on triceps


DE Lower

DE Upper 3 ME Lower

ME Upper

DE Lower

DE Upper 4

ME Lower

ME Upper


•


•

Glute Ham Raise – 3 sets x 12 reps

•

Lying Leg Raises – 2 sets x 30 reps

• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 8 reps with moderate weight Bench Press – 9 sets 3 reps at 45%, plus doubled mini bands

•

Close-Grip Shoulder Saver Bar Press – 3 sets x 6 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 15 reps Squat with Briefs – 3 sets x 5 reps at 66%

•

Deficit Deadlift – 10 sets x 1 rep at 68%

•

Back Raises on GHR – 3 sets x 6 reps; moderate weight

• •

Pulldown Abs – 4 sets x 12 reps Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 15 reps

•

Dips – 3 sets x 15 reps

•

Blast Strap Push-ups – 3 sets of 10 reps

• •

Pulldowns – 3 sets x 8 reps Box Squats with Briefs – 12 sets x 2 reps at 47%

•

SSB Good Mornings – 4 sets x 8 reps with light weight and strict form

•


• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 8 reps with moderate weight Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps at 45%, plus 2 chains per side

•

JM Press with Fat Gripz – 3 sets x 10 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 30 reps Squat with Briefs – 3 sets x 8 reps at 63%

•


•

Back Raises on GHR – 3 sets x 6 reps; moderate weight

• •

Pulldown Abs – 4 sets x 12 reps Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 15 reps

•

Weighted Dips – 3 sets x 10 reps

•

Blast Strap Push-ups – 3 sets of 10 reps

•

Pulldowns – 4 sets x 10 reps

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Weeks 5 to 8 – Strength Goals for this phase are to begin to introduce heavier loads, use secondary movements to build the primary lifts, and continue to use accessory work to bring up weaknesses. WEEK

DAY

DE Lower

DE Upper 5 ME Lower

ME Upper

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•


• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 12 reps with moderate weight Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps at 45%, plus 2 chains per side

•

Close-Grip Bench Press with Fat Gripz – 3 sets x 8 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 12 reps Reverse Band Deadlift with Briefs – 2 sets x 3 reps using Average bands

•

Narrow Stance SSB Squat – 2 sets x 10 reps

•

Step-Ups – 3 sets x 20 reps per leg

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 2 sets x 30 reps Reverse Band Bench Press – 2 sets x 3 reps using Average bands

•

T-Bar Rows – 3 sets x 6 reps

•

Pulldowns – 4 sets of 8 reps

•



DE Lower

DE Upper 6 ME Lower

ME Upper


•


•


•


• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 8 reps Bench Press – 9 sets 3 reps at 45%, plus 4 chains per side

•

Close-Grip Bench Press with Fat Gripz – 3 sets x 6 reps

•

Wide Machine Rows – 3 sets x 10 reps

• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 15 reps Reverse Band Deadlift with Briefs – Max single using Average bands

•

Narrow Stance SSB Squat – 2 sets x 10

•

Step-Ups – 3 sets x 20 reps per leg

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 2 sets x 30 reps Reverse Band Bench Press – Max single using Average bands

•


•


•


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DE Lower

7

DE Upper

ME Lower ME Upper

DE Lower

DE Upper 8 ME Lower

ME Upper

•


•

SSB Good Morning – 4 sets x 8 reps with light weight and strict form

•


• •


•

Swiss Bar Press – 3 sets x 6 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 12 reps Squat with Full Gear – Max single, but do not miss when working up

• •

Free Time – whatever you want for 30 minutes Bench Press with Shirt – Max single, but do not miss working up

• •

Free Time – whatever you want for 30 minutes Box Squats with Briefs – 10 sets x 2 reps at 51%

•


•


• •

Reverse Hypers – 3 sets x 12 reps with moderate weight Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps at 45%, plus doubled mini bands

•

JM Press with Fat Gripz – 3 sets x 6 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 20 reps Squat with Briefs and Suit with Straps Down – 3 sets x 2 reps at 83%

•


•

Back Raises on GHR – 3 sets x 6 reps; heavy weight

• •

Pulldown Abs – 4 sets x 12 reps Dead Bench (rack press lying on bench with safety pins set at chest height) – 3 sets x 3 reps

•

One-Arm Rows – 3 sets x 8 reps per side

•


•

Shrugs – 3 sets x 15 reps

Weeks 9 and 10 – Power elitefts.com


Goals for this phase are to work singles or doubles for max effort lifts and get acclimated to heavy loads in anticipation of the circa max block. WEEK

DAY

DE Lower

DE Upper

9 ME Lower

ME Upper




•


• •


•

Swiss Bar Press – 3 sets x 4 reps, plus 4 chains per side

•

Meadows Rows – 2 sets x 10 reps

• •

Face Pulls – 1 set x 15 reps SSB Squat with Briefs – 3 singles, plus 4 chains per side

•

Rack Pulls from Pin 2 – 3 sets x 3 reps

•


•

Reverse Hypers – 2 sets x 12 reps with moderate weight

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 15 reps Dead Bench (rack press lying on bench with safety pins set at chest height) – 3 sets x 2 reps

•


•

Dumbbell Delt Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps

•

Shrugs – 3 sets x 15 reps

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DE Lower

Feeder Upper

10 ME Lower

ME Upper

•


•

SSB Good Morning – 4 sets x 8 reps with light weight and strict form

• •

Glute Ham Raise – 4 sets x 12 reps Bench Press – 1 set of max reps at 75% of bodyweight to feed blood into muscles and aid recovery

•


•

DB Shrugs – 3 sets x 12 reps

•

Superman DB Front Raises – 3 sets x 12 reps

• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 12 reps SSB Squat with Briefs – Max single, plus 4 chains per side

•

Rack Pulls from Pin 2 – Max single

•


•

Reverse Hypers – 2 sets x 10 reps with moderate weight

• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 15 reps Dead Bench (rack press lying on bench with safety pins set at chest height) – Max single, plus 4 chains per side

•

Shirted Bench Press – Three sets of 3 reps with the lightest weight you can use to touch the chest

•


•

Dumbbell Delt Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps

•

Free Time – whatever you want for 15 minutes

Weeks 11 to 13 – Circa Max The goal for this phase is to overload your system in anticipation of lifting huge weights on meet day. For circa max band tension, use the following as a guide: TENSION SELECTOR: 301-500 Pounds – Strong Band 501-700 Pounds – Strong and Light Band 701-900 Pounds – Strong and Average Band 900 Plus Pounds – Strong and Strong Band

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WEEK

DAY

DE Lower

EXERCISE • Dimel Deadlifts – 3 sets x 15 reps at 40% of your one rep deadlift max •

Glute Ham Raise – 4 sets x 8 reps with 25-pound plate

•

Lying Leg Raises – 3 sets x 10 reps with mini band attached to the bottom of a rack and then hooked around your feet Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps with 45%, plus circa max band tension

• DE Upper

•

Close-Grip Shoulder Saver Bar Bench Press – 1 set x 10 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 2 sets x 10 reps Box Squat with Briefs and Suit with Straps Down – 6 sets x 2 reps at 47%, plus circa max band tension

•

Deadlift with Chains in Full Gear– 5 singles at 70%, plus 4 chains per side

•


•

Reverse Hyper – 2 sets x 15 reps with light weight and strict form

• •

Pulldown Abs – 3 sets x 8 reps Shoulder Saver Bar Bench Press Raw – 1 set x 3 reps

•

Shoulder Saver Bar Bench Press with Shirt – 1 set x 3 reps

•


•

Dumbbell Front Delt Raises – 2 sets x 12 reps with very light weight

11 ME Lower

ME Upper


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DE Lower

•

Dimel Deadlifts – 3 sets x 15 reps at 45% of your one rep deadlift max

•


•

Lying Leg Raises – 3 sets x 15 reps with mini band attached to the bottom of a rack and then hooked around your feet Bench Press – 9 sets x 3 reps with 55%, plus circa max band tension

• DE Upper

•

Swiss Bar Bench Press – 3 sets x 10 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 15 reps Box Squat with Briefs and Suit with Straps Up – 5 sets x 2 reps at 51%, plus circa max band tension; then raise the box 2” and continue working up to a heavy set of 2, BUT DO NOT MISS

•

Deadlift with Chains in Full Gear– 5 singles at 75%, plus 4 chains per side

•


•


• •

Pulldown Abs – 3 sets x 8 reps Bench Press Raw – 1 set x 3 reps to a 2-board

•

Bench Press with Shirt – 1 set x 3 reps to a 2-board

•


•


12 ME Lower

ME Upper

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DE Lower

DE Upper

•

Dimel Deadlifts – 3 sets x 10 reps at 50% of your one rep deadlift max

•


• •

Lying Leg Raises – 3 sets x 20 reps with mini band attached to the bottom of a rack and then hooked around your feet Bench Press – 9 sets 2 reps with 65%

•

Rolling Dumbbell Extensions – 3 sets x 8 reps

•


• •

Face Pulls – 3 sets x 30 reps Box Squat with Briefs and Suit with Straps Up – 5 sets x 2 reps at 53%, plus circa max band tension; then raise the box by 2” and continue working up to a heavy set of 2, BUT DO NOT MISS

•

Deadlift with Chains– 5 singles at 75%, plus 4 chains per side

•


•


• •

Pulldown Abs – 3 sets x 8 reps Bench Press Raw – 1 max single to the chest

•

Bench Press with Shirt – 2 sets x 2 reps to the chest

•


•


13 ME Lower

ME Upper

Weeks 14 and 15 – Peak Goals for this phase are to work up to the weights you want to use as opening attempts and then begin the recovery process.

WEEK


DAY

EXERCISE

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DE Lower DE Upper

•


•


• •

Hanging Leg Raise – 3 sets x 20 reps Pushdowns – 4 x 20 with light weight

• •

Pulldowns – 4 x 15 with light weight Squats in Full Gear – 1 set of 3; then work up to an opening attempt; possibly work to a planned second attempt using reverse bands

•

Deadlift in Full Gear – work up to an opening attempt; possibly do a second single at the opening attempt

•


• •

Hanging Leg Raises – 3 sets x 15 reps Bench Press with Shirt – 3 singles with opening attempt to chest

•


14 ME Lower

ME Upper

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Deadlift Cycle for the Average Joe By Brandon Patterson

DE Lower DE Upper 15 ME Lower

ME Upper

•


•


• •

Hanging Leg Raise – 3 sets x 10 reps Pushdowns – 4 x 20 with light weight

• •

Pulldowns – 4 x 15 with light weight Squats in Full Gear – 3 singles at 75%; focus on flawless form

•

Deadlift in Full Gear – 5 singles at 50%; focus on flawless form

•


•


• •

Pulldown Abs – 3 sets x 8 reps Bench Press Raw – 4 sets of 3 with moderate weight and 4 chains per side

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The final ME Upper day should be six to seven days before the meet. There is nothing needed during meet week other than rest and stretching. If you feel the need to move around, use very light weights for high reps—similar to the feeder session referenced above. The goal for the final days is simply to let your body heal and prepare itself for meet day. Diet I am no diet expert. Therefore, I will give no diet advice here other than to increase calories, particularly carbohydrates, when you feel rundown. For my part, I just try to continuously eat a lot over the course of the 15 weeks and don’t care about what it does to my health or appearance in that timeframe. Once the meet is done, I will clean things up and bring everything back in line with a more sustainable long-term wellness profile. But, the objective during these 15 weeks is to maximize my total. Period. As a follow-on to that point of a short-term health-be-damned philosophy, I sodium load every Friday and Saturday and drink plenty of water. Given that both max effort days fall on back-to-back days, maintaining energy levels necessary to train is difficult. I feel that by loading an extra five to eight pounds of water into my system, it helps my body not only deal with the stressors but it also adds more fluid around the joints, allowing for better performance. I am not doing my blood pressure monitor any favors by doing this, but I feel that it helps. Closing


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I truly hope that you have as much success with this program as I have over the last few years. I trusted in the program, even when the going got rough a few times, and have been rewarded with quality results over time. Good luck.

I was towards the tail end of a pretty successful cutting phase where I’d used a few rounds of 5/3/1 as a way of keeping the intensity up, while also not beating up my joints or my CNS too much. It worked so well I decided, “Aw, hell. Let’s scrap the whole thing and hit a ton of max-effort deadlifts.” So I did, and I hit two conventional deadlift PRs—which were my first in a few years—and still lost a pound or two a week. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t anything impressive. I was about 200 pounds at the time and ended up pulling 410 pounds. There are guys at elitefts™ who warm their bench up with 410 pounds. However, if you’re like me and the double-bodyweight pull is a bit of a milestone, there are some things I did that I think work well for guys like us (but would consequently stall out elite lifters). For my big-picture approach, the main thing I did was incorporate a few tenets from back in the past. Over the course of the cycle, I transitioned from leg drive-dominant work to exercises that were more pull-dominant. This kept my lower back fresh. I also did a lot of traction-based work for the same reason. I kept my grip work up throughout. Finally, I kept in some prehab work (like leg extensions and Bulgarian squats) just because they help my knees and hips. That was something I just threw on top of the cycle, so feel free to leave them out if it doesn’t apply to you. I used a bastardized Westside ME/DE split with some routine maintenance stuff for the upper sessions. For the lower sessions, I added weight or reps for the assistance work every week within microcycles, and even continuing on through the microcycles when I kept lifts around for longer. On my ME lifts, I strained but still kept a little in the tank during a first-week squat or pull session.

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By the third session, I was fully red faced and veiny necked. If you look at my log, I actually pulled two PRs in the same week—I think moderating my earlier ME lifts helped me do that. I also pulled heavier (as a percentage) on DE days to keep my technique up. I actually pulled a lot of +90% singles during the cycle. Again, I got away with this by recognizing that I was near that 90% threshold and throttling back, by being relatively detrained in ME pulls, and by not exactly being a titan of neurological resources to begin with. Every fourth week was to some degree a deload, though I played it by ear as far as how much I cut volume and intensity.

The Training Log

Pre-Cycle Conventional DL

Max Single

Microcycle 1: Week 1 Sumo Deadlift

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

3x3 (w/ gray bands)

Leg Press

2x3

Pull-Through

3x10

Zercher Squat

2x5

Shrugs

3x8

Bulgarian Squats

2x8

Pallof Press

3x10

Week 2 Sumo Deadlift

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

3x3 (w/ gray bands)

Leg Press

3x3

Pull-Through

3x10

Back Extension

3x6

Leg Extension

3x10

Zercher Squat

3x3

Shrugs

3x8

Pallof Press

3x6-8

Week 3 Sumo Deadlift

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

4x3 (w/ gray bands)

Leg Press

3x2

Leg Ext

3x10


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Back Extension

2x6, MR

Pull-Through

3x10

Zercher Squat

3x3

Pallof Press

3x10

Dynamic Deadlift

70% 2x3

Leg Press

3x3

Back Extension

2x7

Week 4 Off

Microcycle 2: Week 5 Squat

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

75% x 8x1

Back Extension

3x6-8

Leg Extension

2x10

Leg Press

3x5

Pull-Through

2x10

Timed Barbell Hold

4x8 seconds

Shrugs

2x15

Squat

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

75% x 8x1

Leg Press

3x4-5

Leg Extension

3x10

Back Extension

3x6

Pull-Through

3x10-12

Timed Barbell Hold

4x8 seconds

Shrugs

2x15

Squat

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

LME, 70%x5x1

Leg Press

3x5

Leg Extension

3x10

Back Extension

3x5

Pull-Through

4x10

Timed Barbell Hold

4x8 seconds

Dynamic Deadlift

75%x4x1

Ab Pull-downs

2x20

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8 Off

Microcycle 3: Week 9 elitefts.com


Deadift

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

75%x4x1

Leg Press

3x3-4

Power Cleans

1x3

Back Extension

3x3

Ab Pull-downs

3x15

Ab Pull-downs

3x5

Seated Good Morning

3x7-9

Pronated Dead Hang

3xMT

Leg Extension

2x10

Deadlift

Max Single

Dynamic Deadlift

75%x4x1

Leg Press

3x5

Power Cleans

1x3

Back Extension

3x5

Ab Pull-downs

3x15

Ab Pull-downs

3x5

Seated Good Morning

3x7-9

Pronated Dead Hang

3xMax Time

Leg Extension

2x10

Deadlift

Max Single (PR)

Deadlift

Max Single (PR)

Ab Pull-downs

3x5

Pallof Press

3x5

Week 10

Week 11

Notes Microcycle 1

The week before starting, I pulled a heavy conventional test single to see what my percentages would be. To keep the leg-dominant focus when I actually began training, I used as upright a sumo stance as I could manage. For the leg press (and on through the entire full cycle) I kept my foot position as close to my conventional deadlift stance as possible. The Zerchers added a little ab work in without prematurely taxing my grip. I went with gray short bands for the dynamic deadlift because I wanted to get more specific as I advanced in the cycle. I think I owe the back extensions a lot of credit for my progress. I performed them off a GHR with a dumbbell in each hand. I kept the bells rowed up tight and tucked throughout each set. I call them “back extensions,” but they were really more “hip extensions” since I kept my hips ahead of the GHR enough so that my back stayed rigid the entire time. Microcycle 2

For the squats, I used my regular raw form. I’d thought about using front squats to hit my upper back more, but anything close to a heavy load displaces my shoulder. Like the back extensions, the pull-throughs were all done at the hip, so there wasn’t much lower back flexion. For the timed barbell hold, I set the bar up near the top of my thighs and loaded with 110% of my last deadlift 257 | Programs That Work 2

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single. Since this was a short cycle, I used the same mixed grip I pulled with. Were the cycle longer, I would’ve eased from double-overhand to mixed. Finally, I moved to straight weight on the dynamic pulls. For the Week 7 dynamic session, I pulled a heavy single just to see how it felt.

Microcycle 3

With my grip shored up and leg drive feeling good, it was time to focus on my abs and lower back. The seated good mornings I did while straddling a bench. The dead hangs weren’t so much about strength as they were a way for me to loosen my back at the end of the session. I’d basically hang and wriggle a little bit. I consider ab pull-downs to be a money exercise for me, though they’re also a little tougher on me so I kept them for the end. The dynamic lifts became “groove greasers.” I hit a couple of rough-looking power cleans just because I like cleans after pulling heavier dynamic lifts. I put the most thought into the max effort deads. I tried to stay aware of where it felt like I was losing the lifts, and no surprise my arch was failing. So for Week 11, I hit a smooth (almost easy feeling) PR. Then, instead of slapping more weight on and trying to muscle up a tough one, I went for the heavy ab work. The ab sets were real grinders, almost rest-pause like. I was feeling so good by the time the following dynamic day rolled around that I ended up going for another PR and bested my prior pull by ten pounds.

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S4 Training Program By Dave Tate

This program started out as a plan to take Ted Toalston and Steve Gabrielsen to their meets in November and December of 2012. Two less-experienced lifters, Matt Goodwin and Steve Colescott were added into the mix. It is based on the constantly-evolving conjugate training system and was adapted based on their results.

S4 Training Program – WEEK 1 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 50% for 10 sets of 2 reps 2. GHR 4 sets to failure (2 minutes rest) 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 HEAVY reps — use some swing. 4. Hanging Leg Raise I don’t care how many your fat ass can do. Do 4 sets to failure. Hahaha 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want, but it has to be done in 15-20 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press (legs straight, using floor press pad) Work up to 50% of your best floor press (or guess), and then start adding one chain per side. Do 3 reps until you feel you have to drop to singles. Work up to max single. 2. Fat Zig Zag Bar Extensions 3 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). 3. One-Arm Seated Dumbbell Press 3 warm-up sets. 3 work sets of ? reps (don›t use over 100 pounds). A good rep range would be 10-15. 4. Face Pulls 4 sets of 15 5. Free time — same protocol


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TUESDAY 1. Suspended Good Morning Work up to a heavy set of three. Rest 5 minutes and repeat. 2. GHR 4 sets of 8 but change the style in how they were done last session. 3. Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 8-10 reps — HEAVY 4. Back Raises 2 sets of 50 reps 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (don’t care how you change them) 50% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 5 reps 2. Chest-Supported Rows 4 sets 8-10 reps 3. Pushdowns — any style 4 sets 12-15 (Go for a GIANT pump. This is to get blood into the tissue.) 4. Band or Machine Flyes 3 sets 12-15 (Again, try to get blood into the tissue.) 5. Side Raises 2 sets 30 — light weight, big pump, lots of blood. 6. No Free Time While this is speed day it is also a BIG recovery day — thus all the blood work.

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S4 Training Program – WEEK 2 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box Wearing briefs. 50% for 12 sets of 2 reps. (45-60 second rest). 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5 reps. 3 work sets of 6 reps Hold a medicine ball on the way down, drop and come up without it. Have someone hand it back to you and repeat. Keep a normal tempo for all reps. 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 HEAVY — use some swing. Use more weight than last week. 4. Hanging Leg Raise 5 sets to failure. If you can do over 20 reps, attach weight to your ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want but it has to be done in 15 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press (legs straight, using floor press pad) Work up to 50% of your best floor press (or guess) then start adding one chain per side. Do 3 reps until you feel you have to drop to singles. Work up to max single. Beat your record from last week by 5 pounds. If this feels good go for broke on one more set. 2. Fat Zig Zag Bar Extensions 3 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). week you will cut the rest period between sets to 45 seconds.

This

3. One Arm Seated Dumbbell Press 3 warm-up sets. 2 work sets of ? reps (don’t use over 100 pounds). A good rep range would be 10-15. Beat the number of reps you did last week 4. Face Pulls 4 sets of 15. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol


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TUESDAY 1. Suspended Good Morning This week you will work up with small jumps and end with one max set of 5 reps. 2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 5-8 reps. 1 max-rep set — as many as you can do. 3. Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 10-12 reps. HEAVY! Use same weight as last week. 4. Back Raises 1 set of 30 reps 1 set of 40 reps 1 set of 50 reps 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (don’t care how you change them). 50% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 5 reps. 2. Chest-Supported Rows 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 6-8 reps (these should be hard work sets). 3. Pushdowns — any style 3 sets of 15-20 (Go for a GIANT pump in order to get blood into the tissue). 4. Band or Machine 2 sets 15-20 (go for giant pump). 5. Side Raises Do these as swings. Only move the weight 4-5 inches. Keep your head up. Use a weight that is hard to do for 30 reps. 3 sets of 30 reps. 6. No Free Time While this is speed day it is also a BIG recovery day — thus all the blood work.

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S4 Training Program – WEEK 3 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 55% for 8 sets of 2 reps (45-60 second rest) 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5 reps. 2 work sets to failure. 3. Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 8 HEAVY — use some swing. Use more weight than last week. 4. Hanging Leg Raise 5 sets to failure. If you can do over 20 reps, attach weight to your ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want but it has to be done in 15 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press (legs straight using floor press pad) Work up to 50% of your best floor press (or guess), and then start adding one chain per side. Do 3 reps until you feel you have to drop to singles. Work up to max single. Beat your record. If this feels good, go for broke on one more set. (This will be the last week of floor presses, so get a small PR, and then go for another one). 2. Fat Zig Zag Bar Extensions 3 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). This week you will cut the rest period between sets to 45 seconds. 3. One Arm Seated Dumbbell Press 3 warm-up sets. 2 work sets of ? reps (don’t use over 100 pounds). A good rep range would be 10-15. Beat the # of reps you did last week. 4. Face Pulls 4 sets of 15. While these need to be done, there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol


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TUESDAY 1. Suspended Good Morning This week you will work up with small jumps and end with one max set of ONE rep. This will be the last week of these, so go for broke. 2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 5-8 reps. 2 sets 10. 3. Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 10-12 reps. HEAVY. Use the same weight as last week. 4. Back Raises 2 sets 50 reps. 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 55% of your raw max (or guess) for 9 sets of 3 reps. 2. Chest-Supported Rows 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 6-8 reps. These should be hard work sets. 3. Pushdowns — any style 3 sets of 15-20. Go for a GIANT pump in order to get blood into the tissue. 4. Band or Machine Flyes 2 sets of 15-20 to get blood into the tissue. 5. Side Raises Do these as swings. Only move the weight 4-5 inches. Keep your head up. Use a weight that is hard to do for 30 reps. 3 sets of 30 reps 6. No Free Time While this is speed day it is also a BIG recovery day, thus all the blood work.

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S4 Training Program – WEEK 4 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 58% for 8 sets of 2 reps (45-60 second rest). 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5 reps. 1 work sets to failure — max # of reps. 3. Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 15 LIGHT — very strict sets. Cut weight from last week in half. 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep lower back flat and pressed into pad. 3 sets to failure. If you can do over 12 reps, add one chain around ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want but it has to be done in 15 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Three-Board Press (legs straight using floor press pad). Work up until the weight feels heavy for five reps. Add 10 pounds and do 2 more sets of 5 with that weight. 2. JM Press 3 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 5. These should be one rep shy of failure. 3. Machine Overhead Press 3 warm-up sets. 2 heavy work sets of 10 reps. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 4 sets to failure. While these need to be done, there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol


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TUESDAY 1. Close-Stance Low Box (10-12 inch) Yoke Bar Squats. Use a close (shoulder-width or closer) stance. Work up to a weight that feels heavy for three reps. Rest, then repeat this weight for 5 reps. 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5-8 reps. 2 weighted sets (hold medicine ball) of 5 reps. 3. Kneeling Pulldown Abs (kneel on floor, facing the machine) 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY. Use same weight as last week. 4. Back Raises 1 setof 100 reps. 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench Use 4 different grips (don’t care how you change them). 58% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps 2. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows — Pause each rep on the floor for 1-second. 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 6-8 reps (these should be hard work sets). 3. Pushdowns — any style. Use an attachment you haven’t used before. 3 sets of 15-20. Go for a GIANT pump, to get blood into the tissue. 4. Band or Machine Flyes 3 sets of 15-20. (Get blood into the tissue). 5. Side Raises Do 3 sets 12 reps — seated, using a full range-of-motion. 6. No Free Time 15 minutes of whatever you want

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S4 Training Program – WEEK 5 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 60% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-90 second rest). 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 6 reps. 1 set of 10 with light weight. 1 set of 8 with more weight. 1 set of 6 with more weight. In other words, you will do 3 work sets but add weight and lower reps each set. The last set should be hard to do 6 reps. If it is easy, keep adding weight and doing 6 reps until it is hard to finish. 3. Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 15 LIGHT — very strict sets. Same weight as last week. 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep lower back flat and pressed into pad. 3 sets to failure. If you can do over 12 reps, add one chain around ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want but it has to be done in 15 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Three-Board Press (legs straight using floor press pad) Work up until the weight feels heavy for 3 reps. Add 10 pounds and do 2 more sets of 3 with that weight. 2. Rolling Dumbbell Extension (look up in exercise index) 3 warm-up sets. 3 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). 3. Machine Overhead Press — alternating, with the rest arm held at top. 3 warm-up sets. 2 heavy work sets of 10 reps. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 4 sets to failure While these need to be done, there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol.


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TUESDAY 1. Close-Stance Low Box (10-12 inch) Yoke Bar Squats. Use a stance (shoulder width or closer). Work up to a weight that feels heavy for three reps. This week will be a max set for 3 reps. 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5-8 reps. 1 set of 15-20 reps. 3. Kneeling Pulldown Abs (kneel on floor, facing the machine) 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY. Use MORE weight than last week. 4. Back Raises 2 sets of 50, with a band around your traps. 5. Free time — same protocol. THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench Use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 60% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps. 2. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows — Pause each rep on the floor for 1-second. 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 10-12 reps (these should be hard work sets). 3. Pushdowns — any style. Use an attachment you haven’t used before. 3 sets of 15-20. (Go for a GIANT pump to get blood into the tissue). 4. Band or Machine Flyes 3 sets of 15-20 (Get blood into the tissue). 5. Side Raises Do 3 sets of 12 reps. Do these seated, using a full range-of-motion. No Free Time.

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SATURDAY 1. Pulls with plates on stands Use the pulling blocks. These look like box squat risers. Use a 4” and 2” for each side. Load the bar with one plate per side and see where the bar lines up. I’m looking to have the bar right under your knees. If this isn’t high enough, build up with rubber mats. Make sure these are set up steady and tight. You will work up to 405 and then begin adding 2 chain per side. You will need to use the EZ chain loaders for the DL. All sets will be for 3 reps and work up to a max set up 3. 2. Box Squats with Briefs 40% for 8 sets of 2 reps using one set of strong bands per side. You will set these up using the band pegs. Make sure there is one space between two pegs and hook the band over one peg then pull under the seconds and then up to the bar. The band will go on the bar first. After you get 8 sets, work up for 2 more sets doing singles. Nothing super crazy, just get in a couple heavy doubles. 3. Bench Press — Dynamic 50% with 2 sets of chain per side for 5 sets of 2 with 60-seconds rest between sets.

DONE. This is all you will need to do for the week

S4 Training Program – WEEK 6 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 50% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-90 second rest). 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 6 reps. 100 total reps — doesn’t matter how many sets. 3. Reverse Hypers 3 sets of 15. HEAVY. 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep lower back flat and pressed into pad. 3 sets to failure. If you can do over 12 reps, add one chain around ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want, but it has to be done in 15 minutes .


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SUNDAY 1. Pin Press — close grip (one finger away from smooth) Bar set so you have to push 4—6 inches. Work up until the weight feels heavy for 3 reps. Add 10 pounds and do 2 more sets of 3 with that weight. 2. Rolling Dumbbell Extension (look up in exercise index) 3 warm-up sets. 3 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). Use more weight than last week. 3. Machine Overhead Press — alternating with the rest arm held at top. 3 warm-up sets. 2 heavy work sets of 10 reps. Use more weight than last week. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 4 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol

TUESDAY 1. Close-Stance Low Box (10-12 inch) Yoke Bar Squats. Use a (shoulder width or closer) stance. Work up to a weight that feels heavy for three reps, then work up to a one-rep max . 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 5-8 reps 3. Kneeling Pulldown Abs (kneel on floor, facing the machine) 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY! Use MORE weight than last week. 4. Back Raises 3 sets of 50, with a band around your traps. 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 50% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps 2. One-Arm Barbell Rows 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 8 reps (these should be hard work sets).

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3. Pushdowns — any style (use an attachment you haven’t used before). 3 sets of 15-20 (to get blood into the tissue). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for giant pump to get blood into the tissue). 5. Side Raises Do 3 sets 30 reps — standing and only do the first 1/3 range of motion. Keeping your head up. 6. No Free Time 15 minutes of whatever you want

S4 Training Program – WEEK 7 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 52% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-90 seconds rest). 2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10. 3 heavy set of 6 — use medicine ball. 3. Reverse Hypers 5 sets of 10 moderate weight 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep lower back flat and pressed into pad. 3 sets to failure. If you can do over 12 reps, add one chain around ankles. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want, but it has to be done in 15 minutes. SUNDAY 1. Pin Press Use a close grip (one finger away from smooth). Sets the catches so you have to push 4-6 inches. Work up to a max single. Drop 15% and do 3 sets of 3. 2. Rolling Dumbbell Extension (look up in exercise index) 3 warm-up sets. 3 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). Use more weight than last week. 273 | Programs That Work 2

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3. Machine Overhead Press — alternating, with the rest arm held at top. 3 warm-up sets. 3 heavy work sets of 10 reps. Use more weight than last week. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done, there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol. TUESDAY 1. Close Stance Low Box (10-12 inch) Yoke Bar Squats. Use a shoulder width or closer stance. Beat your one-rep max from last week. 2. GHR 5 sets of 12 reps 3. Kneeling Pulldown Abs (kneel on floor, facing the machine). 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY. Use MORE weight than last week 4. Back Raises 2 sets of 60, with a band around your traps. 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 52% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps. 2. One-Arm Barbell Rows 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 8 reps (these should be hard work sets). Use more weigh than last week. 3. Pushdowns — any style. Use an attachment you haven’t used before. 3 sets of 15-20 reps (go for a GIANT pump in order to get blood into the tissue). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets of 15-20 (for a giant pump). 5. Side Raises Do 3 sets of 30 reps — standing and only doing the first 1/3 range-of-motion. Keeping your head up. 6. No Free Time — 15 minutes of whatever you want

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S4 Training Program – WEEK 8 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 55% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-90 seconds rest). After those sets work up to a heavy max set of 2 reps. 2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10. 4 heavy set of 6. Use a medicine ball 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 10 with moderate weight 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep lower back flat and pressed into pad. 2 sets to failure. 5. Free Time You can do whatever you want but it has to be done in 15 minutes SUNDAY 1. Close-Grip 2-Board Press — close grip (one finger away from smooth) Work up to a max set of 3 rep. Drop 15% and do 2 sets of 5 2. One-Arm Cross Body Dumbbell Extension (look up in exercise index) 3 warm-up sets. 5 work sets of 8 (these should be one rep shy of failure). Rest 30-seconds between sets. 3. One-Arm Dumbbell Press — alternating with the rest arm held at top. 3 warm-up sets. 3 heavy work sets of 10 reps. Use more weight than last week. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Free time — same protocol

TUESDAY 1. Suspended Giant Cambered Bar Squat (not the rack-able one) Suspend bar with straps from rack so if you dropped your hands down like you were to pull they would be equal to where the bar would be. Work up to a max set of 5 reps.


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2. GHR 10 sets of 5 reps 3. Standing Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 10-12reps — HEAVY 4. Back Raises on GHR (bend way over) 3 sets of 25 reps 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (don›t care how you change them). 55% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps. 2. One Arm Barbell Rows 2 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 8 reps (these should be hard work sets). Use more weigh than last week. 3. Pushdowns — any style (use an attachment you haven’t used before). 3 sets of 15-20. Go for a GIANT pump in order to get blood into the tissue. 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (for pump) 5. Side Raises using some type of grip (grip4orce, fat grips or fat grip extreme) Do 3 sets 30 reps — standing and only do the first 1/3 range of motion. Keeping your head up. 6. No Free Time 15 minutes of whatever you want.

S4 Training Program – WEEK 8 SATURDAY 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 50% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-90 seconds rest). After these sets, work up to a heavy max set of 1-rep. DO NOT MAX OUT. MAKE IT A HEAVY SINGLE BUT LEAVE SOME IN THE TANK. SHOULD BE OVER THE WEIGHT YOU DOUBLED LAST WEEK.

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2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10. NO WORK SETS 3. Reverse Hypers 2 sets 10 reps 4. Lying Leg Raise Use a flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep your lower back flat and pressed into pad. 1 set to failure. SUNDAY 1. Close-Grip 2-Board Press (one finger away from smooth) Work up to one-rep max. 2. One-Arm Cross Body Dumbbell Extension (look up in exercise index) 3 warm-up sets. NO WORK SETS. 3. One-Arm Dumbbell Press - alternating with the rest arm held at top. 3 warm-up sets. NO WORK SETS. 4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts.

TUESDAY 1. Deadlifts with plates on 3 inches of mats Work up to a single, LEAVING SOME IN THE TANK. 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY 4. Back Raises on GHR (bend way over) 3 sets of 10 reps 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 60% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps 2. One-Arm Barbell Rows 2 warm-up sets. NO WORK SETS. 277 | Programs That Work 2

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3. Pushdowns — any style (use an attachment you haven’t used before). 3 sets of 15-20 (with the goal of a GIANT pump) 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for giant pump to get blood into the pecs and delts).

S4 Training Program – Week 10 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 54% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-second rest) After these sets, work up to a heavy max set of 1 rep. 2. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10. 4 work sets with a 20-pound medicine ball to failure. 3. Reverse Hypers 2 sets of 30 reps 4. Lying Leg Raise Use flat bench and hold onto rack to make sure you keep your lower back flat and pressed into pad. 2 sets to failure. SUNDAY 1. Close-Grip 3-Board Press (one finger away from smooth) Work up to a one-rep max. 2. One-Arm Cross-Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade (Look up in exercise index). 2 warm-up sets. 3 work sets, failing between 12-15 reps. 3. Seated Leverage Machine Overhead Press 3 warm-up sets, then work up to a VERY heavy set of 5 reps.

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4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts.

TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pin Pulls — Pin 3 WORK UP TO SINGLE — LEAVING SOME IN THE TANK 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 10-12 reps — HEAVY 4. Back Raises on GHR (bend way over) 3 sets of 20 reps, holding a 20-pound medicine ball. 5. Free time — same protocol THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 60% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps. 2. One-Arm Barbell Rows — Using the core blaster and handle 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. 3. Pushdowns — any style (use an attachment you haven’t used before). 3 sets of 15-20 (go for a GIANT pump to get blood into the triceps). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for giant chest pump)


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S4 Training Program – Week 11 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pulls with plates on 4-inch blocks Work up to heavy triple, rest a few minutes and repeat for heavy single 2. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 56% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-second rest) 3. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10. 3 sets to absolute failure. 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 4 work sets of 6-8 reps HEAVY 4. Hanging Leg Raise 2 sets to failure SUNDAY 1. Close-Grip Floor Press (one finger away from smooth) Work up to a one-rep max. 2. One Arm Cross Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade 2 warm-up sets. 3 work sets, failing between 8-10 reps. 3. Seated Leverage Machine Overhead Press (the red one) 3 warm-up sets. Work to a VERY heavy set of 5 reps. BEAT LAST WEEK 4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs

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1. Suspended GM with yoke bar Work up to a triple — LEAVING SOME IN THE TANK 2. Standing Pulldown Abs Sets of 6-8 reps — HEAVY 3. Back Attack with bands and plates Work up to 3 heavy sets of 5. 5. Free time — same protocol (but add in some type of pulldowns) THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 60% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps 2. One-Arm Barbell Rows — Using the core blaster and handle 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. BEAT LAST WEEK. 3. Pushdowns — any style (try to use an attachment you haven’t used before). 3 sets of 15-20 (go for a GIANT pump to get blood into the triceps). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for a pump)

S4 Training Program – Week 12 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pulls with plates on 2-inch blocks. Work up to heavy triple, rest a few minutes and repeat for a heavy single. 2. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 58% for 8 sets of 2 reps (with 60-second rest) 281 | Programs That Work 2

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3. GHR 2 warm-up sets of 10, 4 sets 8 with no added weight — should be easy 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8, 4 work sets of 8 easy reps 4. Hanging Leg Raise 2 sets to failure SUNDAY 1. Close-Grip Floor Press (one finger away from smooth) Work up to one-rep max — BEAT WHAT YOU DID LAST WEEK. 2. One-Arm Cross-Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade (look up in exercise index) 2 warm-up sets. 3 work sets, failing between 8-10 reps 3. Seated Leverage Machine Overhead Press 3 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 10 — moderately heavy (you should be able to do 15 if you pushed hard) 4. Band Pull-Aparts 2 sets failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Suspended Good Morning with yoke bar Work up to a heavy single. 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 3 sets of 6-8 reps — HEAVY 3. Back Attack with bands and plates Work up to 3 heavy sets of 5 — BEAT WHAT YOU DID LAST WEEK. 5. Free time — same protocol (except add in some type of pulldowns)

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THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 50% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 5 reps. Rest 30—45 seconds between sets 2. Chest Supported Rows 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps 3. Pushdowns — any style (try to use an attachment you haven’t used before) 3 sets of 15-20 (go for a GIANT pump to get blood into the tissue) 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for giant pump)

S4 Training Program – Week 13 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pulls with plates off one mat Work up to heavy triple, rest a few minutes and repeat for heavy single 2. Speed Squats off Box with Briefs 60% for 8 sets of 2 reps (60-second rest) 3. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 10 Using medicine balls, work up to a HEAVY set of 6, rest 3-5 minutes and repeat 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8 3 HEAVY sets of 6 (I mean REALLY heavy) 283 | Programs That Work 2

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4. Hanging Leg Raise 2 sets to failure with light medicine ball, held between your feet SUNDAY 1. Pin Press (pressing the bar the top 1/4 of the bench) with a close-grip (one finger away from smooth) Work up to heavy triple. It would be WAY better if you did this using suspension straps instead on having the bar sitting on pins. This is much easier on the elbows and shoulders. 2. One-Arm Cross-Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade (look up in exercise index) Let’s keep this in again this week BUT after your warm-up sets, hit 6 sets of 10 reps. You will partner up and go back-and-forth, only resting when your partner is lifting, until all six sets are done. Rest should be under 45 seconds totals. 3. One-Arm Dumbbell Press (done seated) 3 warm-up sets. 3 sets of 10 — moderately heavy (you should be able to do 15 if you pushed hard) 4. Rear Delt Machine 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Belt Squats Work up to 5 sets of 5 reps using the same weight. 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 2 sets of 15 reps. Try to use the same weight you were using for 8 reps last week. 3. Back Attack with bands and plates Work up to 3 heavy sets of 5. BEAT WHAT YOU DID LAST WEEK. 5. Free time — same protocol and continue to include some type of pulldowns. THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them).

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50% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 5 reps. Rest 30—45 seconds between sets. 2. Chest Supported Rows — attach chains (one or two chains) 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 5 reps. 3. Pushdowns — If at all possible, use an attachment you haven’t used before. 3 sets of 15-20 (get that monstrous triceps pump) 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (move some of that blood to the pecs and delts)

S4 Training Program – Week 14 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pulls with plates off floor Work up to heavy single. 2. Speed Squats off Box with yoke bar and Briefs. Use box that is 1 or 2 inches high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on the box for a ONE count — then flex, and explode up as fast as you can. 50% of your squat for 12 sets of 2 reps (60-second rest). 3. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 10. Using medicine balls, work up to a HEAVY set of 8. Rest 3-5 minutes and repeat. Use the same ball as last week. 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 3 HEAVY sets of 8 (I mean REALLY heavy). Use the same weight as last week. 4. Hanging Leg Raise 2 sets to failure while holding a light medicine ball between your feet. SUNDAY 1. Pin Press (pressing the bar the top 1/4 of the bench) with a close grip (one finger away from smooth) Work up to heavy SINGLE. Drop 20%, and do 3 sets of 5. It would be WAY better if you 285 | Programs That Work 2

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did this using suspension straps instead on having the bar sitting on pins. This is much easier on the elbows and shoulders. 2. One-Arm Cross-Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade (look up in exercise index) Let’s keep this in again this week BUT, after your warm-up sets, hit 6 sets of 10 reps. You will partner up and alternate back-and-forth like last week. Rest should be under 45 seconds totals. ADD ONE MORE CHAIN THAN LAST WEEK. 3. One-Arm Dumbbell Press (done seated) 3 warm-up sets. Work to 3 max sets of 6. 4. Rear Delt Machine 2 sets to failure. While these need to be done there is no need to go ape shit or work that hard. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 15 reps TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Belt Squats Work up to 5 sets of 5 reps using 10% more weight than last week. 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 15 reps — use the same weight as last week 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 15 — moderate weight 4. Free time — same protocol, and add in some type of vertical pulls (pulldowns) THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 55% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 3 reps. Rest 30-45 seconds between sets. 2. Chest Supported Rows — attach chains (one or two chains) 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 5 reps. 3. Pushdowns — any style (use an attachment you haven’t used recently). elitefts.com


3 sets of 15-20 (go for that familiar GIANT pump)

4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (from the Greek, pumpitus maximus)

S4 Training Program – Week 15 SATURDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Speed Squats off Box with yoke bar and Briefs. Use a box that is 1-2 inches high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on box for a ONE count — then Flex and explode up as fast as you can. Use 54% of your best squat for 12 sets of 2 reps (with a 60-second rest). 2. GHR 3 warm-up sets of 10. Using medicine balls work up to a HEAVY set of 8. Rest 3-5 minutes and repeat. Use the same ball as last week. 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 4 HEAVY sets of 8 (I mean REALLY heavy). Use the same weight as last week. 4. Hanging Leg Raise 4 sets to failure with a light medicine ball held between your feet. SUNDAY 1. Pin Press (pressing the bar the top 1/4 of the bench, with your regular grip) Work up to heavy SINGLE, then drop the weight by 20% and do 3 sets of 5. Give your elbows and shoulders a break and use suspension straps instead on having the bar sitting on pins. 2. One-Arm Cross-Body Dumbbell Extension using chains and 3-inch grenade Let’s keep this in again this week BUT after your warm-up sets hit 6 sets of 10 reps. You will partner up and do your sets and as soon as you are done the next guy goes, you will go back to back until all six sets are done. Rest should be under 45 seconds totals. ADD ONE MORE CHAIN THAN LAST WEEK.


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3. One Arm Dumbbell Press (done seated) 3 warm-up sets. Work up to 3 max sets of 12. 4. Rear Delt Machine 2 sets failure (20-30 reps). Once again, there is no need to go ape shit. Just do the movement and get some blood in the traps and rear delts. 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 30 reps TUESDAY Warm-up * 2 light sets of GHR * 2 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Belt Squats Work up to 5 sets of 5 reps using 10% more weight than last week. 2. Standing Pulldown Abs 4 sets of 8 reps — heavy 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 — moderate weight 4. Free time — same protocol, and continue to add in some type of pulldowns THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them). 55% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 3 reps. Rest 30-45 seconds between sets. 2. Chest-Supported Rows 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 12 reps. 3. Pushdowns — any style (try to use an attachment you haven’t used recently). 3 sets of 15-20 (get as much blood as possible into the tissue). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15—20 (go for the big pec pump)

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S4 Training Program – Week 16 SATURDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Speed Squats off Box with yoke bar and Briefs. Use a box that is 1-2 inches high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on box for a ONE count, then flex and explode up as fast as you can. Use 56% of your squat max for 8 sets of 2 reps (with a 60-second rest) — then work up to one-rep max. 2. GHR 3 sets to failure, with hands behind head 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 4 HEAVY sets of 8 (I mean REALLY heavy). Use the same weight as last week. 4. Hanging Leg Raise 10 sets of 10 reps (yeah, you read that right). SUNDAY 1. Bench Press with chains Work up to 50% of your max and add one chain per side for each additional set. Work up to your heaviest set of three reps. 2. Fat Bar Extensions — 6 sets 10 reps with 45 seconds rest. 3. Swiss Bar Overhead Press (sliding against rack). This is known as a cage press or stripping the rack. 3 warm-up sets. Work to 3 max sets of 12. 4. Rear Delt Machine 2 sets to warm-up. 2 sets of 40 reps. 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 30 reps


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TUESDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Belt Squat Work up to 5 sets of 5 reps using 10% more weight than last week. This will be the last week of this, so push it hard. 2. Seated Abs Bench 4 sets of 8 reps — heavy 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 — moderate weight 4. Free time — same protocol (continue to include some type of pulldowns) THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 55% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 3 reps. Rest 30-45 seconds between sets. After your sets work up to a heavy triple 2. 3-Board Press Work up to two very heavy sets of 5 reps. 3. Meadows Rows 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. 3. Pushdowns — use any attachment but take a reverse-grip this week. 3 sets of 15-20. (This should give you that giant triceps pump). 4. Machine Flyes 3 sets 15-20 (go for t-shirt stretching pump)

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S4 Training Program – Week 17

SATURDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Speed Squats off Box with yoke bar and Briefs. Use box that is 1-2 inches high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on box for a ONE count, then flex and explode up as fast as you can. 45% for 15 sets of 2 reps (30-second rest) 2. GHR 5 sets to failure with your hands behind your head. 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 2 light sets of 25 4. Hanging Leg Raise 5 sets of 20 reps SUNDAY 1. Bench Press with chains Work up to 50% of your max and add one chain per side for each additional set. Work up to your heaviest set of three reps. Add 10 pounds more than you used last week — for your base weight. 2. Fat Bar Extensions 8 sets 10 reps with 30 seconds rest. 3. Swiss Bar Overhead Press (sliding against rack). 3 warm-up sets. Work to 4 max sets of 8. 4. Rear Delt Machine 2 sets of 40 reps 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 30 reps


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TUESDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pin Pull (pin 3 using the collegiate rack) — use the rod and pipe to pull off of. Work up to a heavy single. 2. Seated Abs Bench 3 sets of 20 reps 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 — moderate weight 4. Free time — same protocol (keep doing some type of pulldowns) THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 58% of your raw max (or guess) for 10 sets of 3 reps, resting 30-45 seconds between sets 2. Two-Board Press Work up to two very heavy sets of 5 reps 3. Meadows Rows 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. Use more weight than last week. This will be it for the day…

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S4 Training Program – Week 18 SATURDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Speed Squats off Box with squat bar and Briefs. Use a box that is 1-inch high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on the box for a ONE count, then flex and explode up as fast as you can. Use 50% for 10 sets of 2 reps (with a 45-second rest). 2. GHR 4 sets to failure with your hands holding weight behind your head 3. Reverse Hypers 2 warm-up sets of 8. 3 light sets of 25 4. Hanging Leg Raise 5 sets of 25 reps SUNDAY 1. Fat Bar Floor Press with Chains Work up to 50% of your max and add one chain per side for each additional set. Work up to your heaviest SINGLE. 2. Dumbbell Extensions 8 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest. 3. Swiss Bar Overhead Press (sliding against rack). 3 warm-up sets, and then work to a max set of 5 reps 4. Rear Delt Machine 4 sets of 30 reps 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 30 reps


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TUESDAY Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Pin Pull (pin 1 using the collegiate rack) — use the rod and pipe to pull off of. Work up to a heavy single 2. Seated Ab Bench 3 sets of 20 reps 3. Reverse Hypers 4 sets of 8 — moderate weight 4. Free time — same protocol (no more than 15 minutes and add in some type of vertical pulls (pulldowns) THURSDAY 1. Speed Bench — use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them) 40% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps with double mini band. Rest 60 seconds between sets 2. Three-Board press Work up to two very heavy sets of 3 reps. 3. Meadows Rows 2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. Use more weight than last week. 4. Horizonal Rows I don’t care how you do these, just do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 5. Vertical pulls I also don’t care how you do these, but do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

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S4 Training Program – Week 19

SATURDAY      Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown abs      1. Speed Squats off Box with squat bar and Briefs (Or use suit with straps down if you have one). Use box that is 1-inch high. Focus on SPEED. Make sure to pause on a box for a ONE count, then flex and explode up as fast as you can.  Use 50% for 10 sets of 2 reps (with a 45-second rest).   2. GHR      4 sets to failure. Hold hands behind head with weight       3. Reverse Hypers      2 warm-up sets of 8. 3 light sets of 25.      4. Hanging Leg Raise      5 sets of 25 reps    SUNDAY      1. Fat Bar Floor Press with Chain Work up to 50% of your max and add one chain per side for each additional set. Work up to your heaviest SINGLE.     2. Dumbbell Extensions 8 sets 10 reps with 30-seconds rest.      3. Swiss Bar Overhead Press (sliding against rack).   3 warm-up sets, then work to a 5 max sets of 4 reps.      4. Rear Delt Machine      4 sets of 30 reps 5. Reverse Hypers 2 light sets of 30 reps


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        TUESDAY      Warm-up * 3 light sets of GHR * 3 sets of Pulldown Abs        1. Pin Pull (pin 1 using the collegiate rack) — use the rod and pipe to pull off of.    Work up to a heavy single.      2. Seated Ab Bench 3 sets of 20 reps       3.Reverse Hypers   4 sets of 8 — moderate weight      4. Free time — same protocol (you should really have mastered all manners of vertical pulls by now)       THURSDAY      1. Speed Bench Use 4 different grips (I don’t care how you change them)    . Use 40% of your raw max (or guess) for 8 sets of 3 reps with double mini band. Rest 60 seconds between sets.    2. Three-Board press Work up to two very heavy sets of 3 reps 3. Meadows Rows    2 warm-up sets. 4 work sets of 8 reps. Use more weight than last week.    4. Horizonal Rows I don’t care which row you do, just do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.    5. Vertical pulls Use any machine or type of handle and do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

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S4 Training Program – Week 20 SATURDAY Warm-up • 3 light sets of GHR • 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Reverse-Band Squats Double a light band around the top of the monolift and around bar (one band per side). Loop in bar around mono and back on bar again. Wear full gear. Free squat (no box). You are going to start using a PM (perceived 1 RM). You will work up using triples until you feel like you can guess (within 40 pounds) what you could hit for a single if you kept working up. YOU WILL NOT WORK UP TO ESTABLISH THIS SINGLE. Once you figure out the PM, you will use 85% of this for 2 sets of 3 reps. 2. Pulls Against Bands Use the new signature rack that has the band pegs for pulling. The bands will run from the platform pegs to the first peg on the power rack. Use 30% of your best deadlift with as much band tension as you can handle. 8 sets of 1, with 60 seconds rest. 3. GHR No extra weight needed. Do four sets to failure. 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. Do four sets to failure. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total. Focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press with Chains Raw. Rest as needed between set. Work up to a heavy single. After this set, you will rest a few minutes and do one more set with 10% less weight for as many reps as you can get. 2. Flat Dumbbell Press 297 | Programs That Work 2

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Warm-up however you like. Rest two to four-minutes between sets. Work up to the heaviest set of 8 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 3. Magnum Shoulder Press Machine Use a palms-in grip. Work up to the heaviest set of 8 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 4. Rows Doesn’t matter what type of row, or if you use a couple movements instead of one, BUT make sure these are movements you did not do last week. Leave one to two reps in the tank with every set. Four sets of eight reps. 5. Close-Grip Push-up Put bar in the bottom of the power rack or machine at the lowest setting. Do one set of max reps with only bodyweight for resistance. 6. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts, or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up 3 light sets of GHR 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Warm-up to a box height that is 70% of your best one-rep max jump. Perform four sets of one jump with 120-seconds rest 2. GHR Do 3 sets of 15 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 4 sets of 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range.

WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following.

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1. Wide Grip Pulldowns Use a weight you could do for 20 reps and do 5 sets of 8 reps. Change the bar or grip every couple of sets. 2. Special Exercise #1 • Not needed at this time. 3. Special Exercise #2 • Not needed at this time. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 30 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of five reps with 45% of your CM (competitive max). 60-seconds rest between sets and an explosive tempo. 2. Fat Bar Extensions Eight sets of eight reps with 45-seconds rest using a weight you could do for 15 reps. 3. Seated Dumbbell Side Raise Use a weight you could do 20 reps with lax form. Do three sets 12-15 reps with tight form. Leave a few reps in the tank at the end of each set. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 2 sets to failure 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.


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S4 Training Program – Week 21 SATURDAY Warm-up 4 light sets of GHR 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Reverse-Band Squats Double light band around top of mono lift and around bar. One band per side. Loop in bar around mono and back on bar again. Wear full gear. Free Squats (no box). This week you will do a triple with 20 pounds more than you used last week. After this triple, reduce the weight by 20% and do a set of 5 reps. 2. Pulls Against Bands Use the new signature rack that has the band pegs for pulling. The bands will run from the platform pegs to the first peg on the power rack. Use 35% of your best deadlift with as much band tension as you can handle. 8 sets of 1 with 60-seconds rest. 3. GHR No extra weight needed. Do four sets to failure. 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. Four sets to failure. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press with Chains Raw. Rest as needed between set. Work up to a heavy single that is 5 pounds more than you did last week. After this set, you will rest a few minutes and do one more set with 10% less weight for as many reps as possible. 2. Palms-In Flat Dumbbell Press Warm-up however you like. Rest two to four-minutes between sets. This week you will work up to 2 heavy sets of 15-20 reps. Make sure you fail between 15 and 20 reps.

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3. Magnum Shoulder Press Use palm in grip. Work up to the heaviest set of 8 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 4. Rows Doesn’t matter what type of row, or if you use a couple movements instead of one, BUT make sure these are movements you did not do last week. Leave one to two reps in the tank with every set. Four sets of eight reps. 5. Close-Grip Push-up Put bar in the bottom of the power rack or Smith machine at the lowest setting. One set max reps with only body weight for resistance. Beat the number of reps you did last week. 6. Free Time You have 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (10-12). If it hurts, or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it.

TUESDAY Warm-up 3 light sets of GHR 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Squats with Bands If you squat under 500, use choked light bands. If you squat over 500, use choked average bands. Do 8 sets of 2 reps, pausing on the box for a second count and then exploding up as fast as you can. Wear briefs or suit bottoms. 2. GHR Do 3 sets 15 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 4 sets of 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range. WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that, do the following. 1. Wide Grip Pulldowns Use a weight you could do for 20 reps and do 5 sets 8 reps. Change the bar every couple of sets.


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2. Special Exercise #1 Not needed at this time. 3. Special Exercise #2 Not needed at this time. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 34 steps with moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of five reps with 50% of your CM (competitive max). 60-seconds rest between sets. Explosive tempo. 2. Fat Bar Extensions Eight sets of eight reps with 45-seconds rest, using a weight you could do for 15 reps. 3. Seated Dumbbell Side Raise Use a weight you could do 20 reps with lax form. Do three sets of 12-15 reps with tight form. Leave a few reps in the tank at the end of each set. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use a mini band for 3 sets to failure. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 22 SATURDAY Warm-up 4 light sets of GHR 4 sets of Pulldown abs

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1. Reverse-Band Squats Double light band around top of monolift and around bar. One band per side. Loop in bar around mono and back on bar again. Wear full gear. Free squats (no box). This week you will work up to a heavy single. 2. Pulls Against Bands Use the new signature rack that has the band pegs for pulling. The bands will run from the platform pegs to the first peg on the power rack. Use 40% of your best deadlift with as much band tension as you can handle. 6 sets of 1 with 60-seconds rest. 3. GHR Do four sets to failure with medicine ball 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. Four sets to failure push for 30 per set 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Floor Press with Chains Raw. Rest as needed between sets. Last week on this. Work up a break your PR by 5 pounds. If this goes well, take another one. 2. Palms-In Flat Dumbbell Press Warm-up however you like. Rest two to four minutes between sets. This week you will work up to 2 heavy sets of 10 reps. 3. Magnum Shoulder Press Use palm in grip. Work up to the heaviest set of 8 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 4. Rows Doesn’t matter what type of row, or if you use a couple movements instead of one, BUT make sure these are movements you did not do last week. Leave one to two reps in the tank with every set. Four sets of eight reps. 5. Close-Grip Push-up


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Put bar in the bottom of the power rack or Smith machine at the lowest setting. One set max reps with one chain around your upper back and neck. 6. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Warm-up to a box height that is 50% percent of your best one-rep max jump. Use a box squat box. Sit back on the box as you would squat, pause and then jump on the box. 6 sets of 2 reps 2. GHR Do 3 sets 15 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 4 sets 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range.

WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Pulldowns (2 sets with each grip) Use a weight you could do for 15 reps, but only do 10 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps, and if you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps.

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4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 34 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work using the Rumble Roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of 5 reps with 55% of your CM (competitive max). 60-seconds rest between sets. Explosive tempo. 2. Dumbbell Extensions Eight sets of 8 reps with 45-seconds rest using weight you could do for 15 reps 3. Seated Dumbbell Side Raise Use a weight you could do 20 reps with lax form. Do three sets 12-15 reps with tight form. Leave a few reps in the tank at the end of each set. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 23 SATURDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Giant Cambered Bar Box Squats Work up using triples until you reach a max single. Wear briefs or a suit with straps down. 2. Pulls Against Bands Use the new signature rack that has the band pegs for pulling. The bands will run from the platform pegs to the first peg on the power rack. DOUBLE THE BAND TENSION FROM LAST WEEK. Use 30% of your best deadlift with as much band tension as you 305 | Programs That Work 2

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can handle. 6 sets of 1 with 60-seconds rest. 3. GHR Do four sets to failure with 20-pound medicine ball 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. Four sets to failure push for 30 per set 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. 3-Board Press with Fat Bar Raw. Rest as needed between set. Work up to a very heavy set of 5, rest 3 minutes and do a set of 3 with the same weight. 2. Palms-In Flat Dumbbell Press Warm-up however you would like. Rest two to four minutes between sets. This week you will work up to 2 heavy sets of 10 reps. Use more weight than last week. 3. Magnum Shoulder Press Use palms-in grip. Work up to the heaviest set of 8 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 4. Rows Doesn’t matter what type of row, or if you use a couple movements instead of one, BUT make sure these are movements you did not do last week. Leave one to two reps in the tank with every set. Four sets of eight reps. 5. Close Grip Push-up Put bar in the bottom of the power rack or Smith machine at the lowest setting. One set max reps with one chain around your upper back and neck. Do 100 total reps, taking as many sets as it takes. 6. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it.

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TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Squats with Bands If you squat under 500, use choked light bands. If you squat over 500, use choked average bands. 8 sets of 2 reps, pausing on the box for a one seconds count, and then exploding up as fast as you can. Wear briefs or suit bottoms. 2. GHR Do 3 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 4 sets 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest. Go heavier than you ever have. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range.

WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that, do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip for 12-15 reps each set, flexing lats hard at the bottom 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20-seconds 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 38 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use the Rumble Roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. 307 | Programs That Work 2

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THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of five reps with 40% of your CM (competitive max). 60 seconds rest between sets. 2 chains per side. Explosive tempo. 2. Dumbbell Extensions Eight sets of eight reps with 45-seconds rest, using weight you could do for 15 reps. 3. Seated Dumbbell Side Raise Use a weight you could do 20 reps with lax form. Do three sets 12-15 reps with tight form. Leave a few reps in the tank at the end of each set. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use a mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 24 SATURDAY Warm-up

• 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Reverse-Band Deadlifts using Average Bands Work up using triples until you reach a max single, Wear briefs or a suit with the straps down. 2. Belt Squats RAW. 5 sets of 5, using a weight that would be very hard to get 10 reps with. 3. GHR Do four sets to failure with a 35-pound plate. 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. 3 sets of 10. Add chains around your ankles. elitefts.com


5. Free Time 20 minutes total: Focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and tools to hit the legs, etc.

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SUNDAY 1. 2-Board Press with Fat Bar Raw. Rest as needed between set. Work up to a very heavy set of 3, rest 3 minutes and do a set of 3 with the same weight. 2. Palms-In Flat Dumbbell Press Warm-up however you like. Rest two to four-minutes between sets. This week you will work up to 2 heavy sets of 6 reps. Use more weight than last week. 3. Magnum Shoulder Press Use a palms-in grip. Work up to the heaviest set of 5 you can get. Take smaller jumps so the last three sets will be work sets. 4. Rows It doesn’t matter what type of row, or if you use a couple movements instead of one, BUT make sure these are movements you did not do last week. Leave one to two reps in the tank with every set. Four sets of eight reps. 5. Close Grip Push-up Put the bar in the bottom of the power rack or Smith machine at the lowest setting. One set max reps with one chain around your upper back — neck Do 100 total reps — as many sets as it takes 6. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Squats with Bands Squat with 46% of your max. If you squat under 500, use choked light bands. If you squat over 500, use choked average bands. 8 sets of 2 reps, pausing on the box for a one seconds count, and then exploding up as fast as you can. Wear briefs or suit 309 | Programs That Work 2

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bottoms. Regardless of the percentage this weight should be hard but still move with a POP off the box. If the weight doesn’t allow this lower the weight. 2. GHR — Do 3 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 4 sets 15 reps with <60 seconds rest — go heavier than you ever have 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range.

WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns (2 sets with each grip) 12-15 reps each set, flexing lats hard at the bottom. 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using light band. Do 100 reps, if you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 40 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of five reps with 30% of your CM (competitive max) 60-seconds rest between sets. 2 chains per side with an explosive tempo. 2. Dumbbell Extensions

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Eight sets of eight reps with 45-seconds rest, using weight you could do for 15 reps. 3. Seated Dumbbell Side Raise Use a weight you could do 20 reps with lax form. Do three sets 12-15 reps with tight form. Leave a few reps in the tank at the end of each set. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use a mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 25 SATURDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Full Gear Squats Wear briefs or a suit with the straps down. See if you can set the suspension straps up so they will hit the bar when you are 4-inches above parallel. So a high squat, but not SUPER high. You will squat down to the suspension straps but NOT pause on them. They are there to be a gauge and that’s it. Work up to 70% of your best squat (or 70% of your PM). You will do 2 sets of 5 with this weight. 2. Speed Pulls 8 sets of 2 with 50% of your best 1-RM 3. GHR Do four sets to failure with a 35-pound plate. 4. Hanging Leg Raises No extra weight needed, but make sure your hips stretch out at the bottom. 3 sets of 10 — add chains around your ankles 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow.


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6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. 1-Board Press with Fat Bar Raw. Rest as needed between sets. Work up to a very heavy set of 3, rest 3 minutes and do a set of 3 with the same weight. 2. Shirt Work off a 3-Board Warm-up and work up to a moderately heavy set of 5 reps off a 3-board. After than drop down and do 2 heavy sets of 3 off a two-board. I WANT your arms to be shot before you do this so make sure you busted your ass on the fat bar one-board. If not, go back and do a downset using 50% of your top weight and do as many reps as you can. This is a shit pile of work so that will be it for the day. Proceed to free time work if you think you need anything else. 3. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Work up to a max jump Do 8 sets of 2 reps with 50% of your max jump 2. GHR Do 3 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 5 sets 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest. Go heavier than you ever have. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-legwork in the 12-15 rep range.

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WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that, do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set, flexing lats hard at the bottom. 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps, if you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps moderate intensity. 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use the Rumble Roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Bench Press Six sets of five reps with 30% of your CM (competitive max). Rest 60-seconds between sets. Use 3 chains per side and an explosive tempo. 2. Dumbbell Extensions Do eight sets of 8 reps with 30-seconds rest, using weight you could do for 15 reps. Use more weight than last week 3. Standing DB Swings Use a heavy weight. Keep your head up. You will only swings about 4-5 inches. Do 3 sets of 30 reps. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 3 sets to failure, shooting for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.


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S4 Training Program – Week 26 SATURDAY 1. Full Gear Squats Work up and get a good feel with your total gear. SUNDAY 1. Shirt Work Work up and get a feel for full gear TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Squats with Bands Warm-up to a box height that is 48% of your best one rep max jump. If you squat under 500, use choked light bands. If you squat over 500, use choked average bands. Do 8 sets of 2 reps, pausing on the box for a one seconds count, and then exploding up as fast as you can. Wear briefs and suit bottoms. Regardless of the percentage this weight should be hard, but still move with a POP off the box. If the weight doesn’t allow this, lower the weight. 2. GHR Do 3 sets 30 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 5 sets 20 reps with less than 60-seconds rest. Go heavier than you ever have 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-leg work in the 12-15 rep range.

WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore, pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that, do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set, flexing lats hard at the bottom. elitefts.com


2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use the Rumble Roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Flat Dumbbell Presses Warm-up using 7 warm-up sets, working up to a moderate weight (10 reps per set). Work up to a heavy set of 12. Rest 5-7 minutes and do another set with same weight, but try to do 15-20 reps. 2. Dumbbell Extensions Eight sets of 8 reps with 30-seconds rest 3. Standing DB Swings Use a heavy weight. Keep your head up. You will only swings about 4-5 inches. Do 3 sets of 30 reps. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use a mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 27 SATURDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 315 | Programs That Work 2

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1. Full Gear Squats Wear briefs or a suit with straps down. See if you can set the suspension straps so they will hit the bar when you are 2-inches above parallel. So a high squat but not SUPER high. You will squat down to them, but NOT pause on them. They are there to be a gauge, and that’s it. Work up to 75% of your best squat (or 75% of your PM). You will do 3 sets of 3 with this weight. 2. Speed Pulls 8 sets of 2 with 50% of your best 1RM 3. GHR Do four sets to failure with 35 pound plate 4. Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 10 — add chains around your ankles 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 20 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. 1-Board Press Raw. Rest as needed between sets. Work up to a very heavy set of 3. 2. 2-Board Press Raw. Rest as needed between sets. Work up to a very heavy set of 3. 3. 3-Board Press Raw. Rest as needed between sets. Work up to a very heavy set of 3. 4. Shirt Work off a 2-Board Warm-up and work up to a moderately heavy set of 3 reps off a 2-board. 5. Free Time 20 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement then don’t do it.

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TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Work up to a max jump. Do 8 sets of 2 reps with 50% of your max jump 2. GHR Do 3 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 5 sets 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest Go heavier than you ever have. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-leg work in the 12-15 rep range. WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set flexing lats hard at the bottom 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20-seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can.


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THURSDAY 1. Close Grip Incline Press Work up to 3 sets of 5 with a moderate/heavy weight (you should have 2-3 reps left at the end of each set). 2. Chain Extensions Use the grenades or a single D-handle. Do 8 sets of 8 reps with 60-seconds rest. 3. Seated Side Raises 3 sets of 15 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 28 SATURDAY Warm-up • 3 light sets of GHR • 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Full Gear Squats Wear briefs — suit with straps UP, and knee wraps (FULL GEAR). See if you can set the suspension straps up so they will hit the bar when you are at parallel. You will squat down to them but NOT pause on them. They are there to be a gauge, and that’s it. Work up to 80% of your best squat (or 80% of your PM). You will do 5 sets of 1 with this weight. Do your best to NOT be emotional. Just do the work. 2. Speed Pulls 8 sets of 1 with 60% of your best 1-RM using the mastodon bar 3. GHR Do 3 sets to failure with 35-pound plate

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4. Hanging Leg Raises 2 sets of 10 — add chains around your ankles 5. Free Time 15 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 15 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Shirt Work off boards to chest Warm-up and put on your shirt. Determine what you would like to touch (if you don’t know, go off 30 pounds less than what you did off the 2-board last week or go 30-40 under your opener). Work 40 pounds back with each board. So if your touch weight will be 300, you will go to chest with 300, 1-board with 260, 2-board with 200, 3-board with 180. Basically, you are going to use the boards to work the shirt down until you touch. 2. JM Press with Fat Bar Work up to 3 sets of 3 with the same weight. 3. Free Time 15 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Work up to a max jump. Do 5 sets of 2 reps with 60% of your max jump. 2. GHR Do 3 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 5 sets 15 reps with less than 60-seconds rest. Go heavier than you ever have. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-leg work in the 12-15 rep range.


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WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set flexing lats hard at the bottom 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100 rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Close Grip Incline Press Work up to 3 sets of 3 with a moderate/heavy weight (you should have 1-rep left at the end of each set) 2. Chain Extensions Use the grenades or a single D-handle. Do 8 sets of 5 reps with 60-seconds rest (more weight then last week). 3. Seated Side Raises 3 sets of 15 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 3 sets to failure — shoot for over 30 reps per set 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

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S4 Training Program – Week 29 SATURDAY Warm-up • 3 light sets of GHR • 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Full Gear Squats Wear briefs, suit with straps UP — and knee wraps (FULL GEAR). See if you can set the safety straps up so they will hit the bar when you are at parallel. You will squat down to them, but NOT pause on them. They are there to be a gauge, and that’s it. Work up to 85% of your best squat (or 85% of your PM). You will do 3 sets of 1 with this weight. 2. Speed Pulls 8 sets of 1 with 65% of your best 1-RM using the Texas power bar 3. GHR Do 2 sets to failure with 35 pound plate 4. Hanging Leg Raises 2 sets of 10 — add chains around your ankles 5. Free Time 10 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 10 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Shirt Work off boards to chest Warm-up and put on your shirt. Determine what you would like to touch (if you don’t know, go off 30 pounds less than what you did off the 2-board last week or go 30-40 under your opener). Work 40 pounds back with each board. So, if your touch weight will be 300, you will go to chest with 300, 1-board with 260, 2-board with 200, 3-board with 180. Basically, you are going to use the boards to work the shirt down until you touch. 2. JM Press with Texas Power Bar Work up to 3 sets of 3 with the same weight.


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3. Free Time 10 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high for now (1012). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Work up to a max jump. Do 5 sets of 1 reps with 65% of your max jump. 2. GHR Do 2 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets. 3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 3 sets 15 reps with at least 60-seconds rest. Go heavier than you ever have. 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-leg work in the 12-15 rep range. WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set flexing lats hard at the bottom 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns and use a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20 seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps moderate intensity 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use the Rumble Roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can.

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THURSDAY 1. Close-Grip Incline Press Work up to a heavy set of 3 2. Chain Extensions Use the grenades or a single D-handle. Do 6 sets of 5 reps with 60-seconds rest (more weight then last week) 3. Seated Side Raises 2 sets of 15 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use a mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set. 5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 30 SATURDAY Warm-up • 3 light sets of GHR • 3 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Full Gear Squats Wear briefs and your suit with straps UP, and knee wraps (FULL GEAR). See if you can set the suspension straps up so they will hit the bar when you are at parallel. You will squat down to them, but NOT pause on them. They are there to be a gauge, and that’s it. Work up to 90% of your best squat (or 90% of your PM). You will do 2 sets of 1 with this weight. 2. Speed Pulls 6 sets of 1 with 70% of your best 1-RM using the Texas deadlift bar. 3. GHR Do 2 sets to failure with 45 pound plate 323 | Programs That Work 2

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4. Hanging Leg Raises 2 sets of 10 — add chains around your ankles 5. Free Time 10 minutes total: focus on single-leg movements, abs and lower back work. Take 10 minutes to do whatever you want for your squat and deadlift. Just avoid anything that will work the upper back too much as you will bench tomorrow. 6. Foam Roller Work the crap out of your lats and upper back, but also use The Stick and other tools to hit the legs, etc. SUNDAY 1. Shirt Work off boards to chest USE THE EXACT SAME WEIGHT AS LAST WEEK AND DO THE SAME THING. Warm-up and put on your shirt. Determine what you would like to touch (if you don’t know, go off 30-pounds less than what you did off the 2-board last week or go 30-40 pounds under your opener). Work 40 pounds back with each board. So if your touch weight will be 300, you will go to chest with 300, 1-board with 260, 2-board with 200, 3-board with 180. Basically you are going to use the boards to work the shirt down until you touch. 2. JM Press with a Fat Bar Work up to 3 sets of 3 with the same weight 3. Rear Delt Machine 3 sets of 20 reps 4. Free Time 10 minutes to do what you want. Don’t be an idiot and keep the reps high (10-12). If it hurts or has ever hurt to do the movement, then don’t do it. TUESDAY Warm-up • 4 light sets of GHR • 4 sets of Pulldown abs 1. Box Jumps Work up to a max jump. Do 5 sets of 1 reps with 70% of your max jump height. Rest 45-seconds between sets. 2. GHR Do 2 sets 25 reps with a moderate tempo. Rest two minutes between sets

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3. Standing Pulldown Abs with Cable 3 sets 15 reps with <60 seconds rest — go heavier than you ever have 4. Free Time 20 minutes total. Keep movements to machines or single-leg work in the 12-15 rep range. WEDNESDAY This is a restoration and recovery day. If anything is sore pick any movement that trains that muscle and do a few very light sets of 20-30 reps for it. After that do the following. 1. Swiss Bar Reverse-Band Pulldowns 2 sets with each grip. Add a monster mini on top of what you have been using. 12-15 reps each set, flexing lats hard at the bottom. 2. Special Exercise #1 Do 100-rep band pushdowns using a light band. Do 100 reps. If you have to pause, try to make it less than 20-seconds. 3. Special Exercise #2 Do 50-rep banded good mornings, using average bands. Stand on the strap (running under your instep) with the other end around your traps. 4. Conditioning: Prowler of Sled Work Six trips of 50 steps at moderate intensity. 5. Foam Roller – Massage Work Very hard and deep work. Use rumble roller, baseballs, etc. Work as deep and as hard as you can. THURSDAY 1. Flat Dumbbell Presses Work up to a heavy set of 6 reps. Rest 5 minutes, then use the same weight and do a max set of reps. 2. Barbell Close-Grip Push-Ups Place barbell in the bottom setting of the Power Rack. Do 100 total reps 3. Standing Side Swings 2 sets of 30. Remember this is a partial range-of-motion movement. Just swing the weights about 1/8 range-of-motion. 4. Band Pull-Aparts Use mini band for 3 sets to failure. Shoot for over 30 reps per set.


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5. Free Time 20 minutes total: focus on chest, delts, arms and keep to machines, dumbbells or cables.

S4 Training Program – Week 31 Take M-F off and test all three lifts on SATURDAY or SUNDAY

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Reflections on the S-4 Program Can one program fit four very different lifters? By Steve Colescott

Senior Content Manager at elitefts.com “It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” — Unknown Like most training crews, the four of us were as different as any selection of lifters could be. That didn’t really matter though. The desire to get stronger in the three lifts and smash PRs is a great commonality that trumps differences in age, body type, personality or biomechanics. We were lucky getting a good crew, but I was curious to see if this one program would work well with such a diverse group of lifters. Here is my assessment of our crew: Ted Toalston has taken the role of senior lifter in our crew. Ted has a pro total of 1,845 at 198, and is an absolute technician when it comes to lifting. He provided all of us with performance cues to get our biomechanics and heads in place for each heavy lift. While the rest of us benefitted from a healthy bloat, Ted is bodybuilder-level lean all year long; an iron-moving machine of muscle and gristle. As a lifter, he has everyone’s respect but he also kept the attitude in the entire gym upbeat because he is one of the funniest guys you are going to meet. I started to jot down some of the hilarious comments overheard in the gym (for another article) and the best ones came from Ted and Dave. During this cycle he was preparing for the WPC World Championships in Vegas, so the jokes just lightened the mood for a serious mission. Toalston turned out to be a snitch (but we will get to that later). You would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated lifter that Steve Gabrielsen. Every weekend, he drove three-and-a-half hours to train with us…each way. Even more impressively, he makes that trek on both Saturday and Sunday. At 6’5” and 350+ pounds, Lil’ Stevie is a powerhouse that shakes the monolift like it was one of those erector set power racks the crossfitters use. He is freakishly flexible for a guy his size, smart as hell, an admittedly unrepentant gear whore, and has a Rain Man-like head for numbers. My favorite thing about Stevie is that he always has a positive attitude and sincerely cares about my progress so much that he makes me feel like a self-absorbed ass. He is preparing for the RPS XXX meet, which will be his fifth meet in the past three years. Most of you know Matt Goodwin as the Director of Sales for elitefts™ (or from his “Equipment 101” videos). Matt is a former high school athlete that began lifting for sports (I forget, he may have been on cheer squad or something). Despite a bad shoulder, he is a bench pressing machine. Compared to Ted and Lil’ Stevie, Matt is less serious about his lifting. He wavers back and forth about ever competing, but I think he will eventually end up doing a bench-only meet (the gateway drug to three-lift meets for guys like Matt). He lives a pretty normal life. He has a wife and young son, is a sports fanatic and likes to knock down a few beers on the weekends. What kills me is that Matt can have a weekend where he drains a keg, stumbles in late looking a bit green-tinted with bloodshot-eyes, but when he gets under a heavy weight, his jaw juts forward and he drives it up. I would never bet against him to make any weight he attempts. On weekdays, I defer to his busy schedule since my life is less cluttered. My top priority is work, with lifting coming into second place.


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And then there is me, Steve Colescott, Senior Content Manager at elitefts™. Strength has never come easily for me. Dave once jokingly referred to me as, “having been stuck in a 10-year lifting plateau.” That is pretty accurate, but it is more a matter of my entire life being stuck in place. Trying to find a career at a company I wanted to be a part of when you have a very targeted skillset took precedence over the other aspects of my life. Starting my job here on February of this year provided me with both the career direction I was looking for and a great gym in which to train. After a couple weeks of just randomly screwing around with the weights to get my body used to training again, I got sucked in. Here’s how they do it. You’re doing your thing in the gym. Matt calls you over for a spot. Then Lil Stevie asks you to run the mono when they go for their heavy sets. Then Ted asks if you have ever done band deload benches. “Try it…” he says, in the very same voice as the neighborhood troublemaker handing you the beer he stole from his father’s garage. From there, they pull you along to the next exercise as if you agreed to train with them from the very beginning. After a week or so of this, Matt told me that Lil Stevie was starting this program and he had asked Dave to copy him on the weekly e-mails. I timidly asked Dave if he would be so kind as to add one more name to that weekly mailing. In that first weekend, I enjoyed the structure of the program and knew that if I was going to follow anyone’s direction, it would be Dave’s. Things jumped up a level for me a few months later when Ted, yelled to me, “How much can you bench in a shirt?” “No friggin’ clue…” I replied. “Well, there’s a Metal Bash shirt that looks to be your size in the back room. Grab it!” Most novice powerlifters think they want to start out with a raw meet, then maybe later on work up to singleply and see where it goes from there. But once you have tried gear, it is so damn fun that going back does NOT seem like a good idea. Most of our max effort work was done raw, but the gear we added in at the end was when things got really interesting. Dave walked in as I was getting the shirt set for the first time. He grinned because he knew I had taken one more step deeper into powerlifting. It wasn’t a warm, happy grin. It was more like a grin you might see a degenerate drug-dealer make when he sees two eleven-year olds trying crack for the first time. Yeah, they would never admit to it, but it is like a secret conspiratorial con to pull someone new into their chalk and ammonia inhalants fraternity. I have written magazine features and articles on Westside, Ed Coan, the Metal Militia and more. I have used all of the popular powerlifting methods but I have NEVER trained for an extended period using a pure powerlifting program. My strength always crept forward slowly and the bench press has never been anything but abysmal. This program changed that. Part of my game plan was to put on weight during this training cycle. Knowing that my body was primed to add some muscle, I wanted a caloric surplus. In the first seven months of the program, my bodyweight increased from 188 to 232 pounds. (Yeah, I also really like food, so that was part of it.) The added bodyweight was not composed exclusively of solid weight, but a significant amount was. I capped it off at 230 so that I could solidify some of that weight. elitefts.com


When we started the program, converting my form was the biggest challenge, particularly the hip mobility required to squat PL-style. I had done a ton of rack pulls but had no deadlift form or strength at the bottom. With my long arms and flat ribcage, my range-of-motion on the bench press was extensive. All three lifts were deconstructed and the form retooled. With help from Ted and Molly Edwards, I have relearned a great deal but I am far from mastering things. A month into training, my elbows started to ache terribly. Triceps extensions with 20-pound dumbbells caused sharp pains. This was followed closely by shoulder pain and then, of course, my lower back wanted to join in. I foolishly thought that my recent years of patchy training would pay off with young, fresh joints and ligaments. Ryan Smith, one of Dave’s training partners and a chiropractor and active release therapist, helped me out when things got too bad (which I defined as “too painful to sleep well”). Fortunately, these issues mostly alleviated themselves as I acclimated to the heavier loads. The elbows would still hurt a bit but seemed to get better the day before my next upper body session. The fifth (recover-based) workout day that was added into the program on Wednesdays around week 20 (as well as foam roller work) helped this out quite a bit. The first few months saw me finishing up my max effort work a few sets ahead of everyone else. This isn’t Crossfit, so being the first one done is not a sign of superior lifting. It is a despicable sign of weakness. This indicates that you do not require as many sets to reach your heavy sets and, even though I did not expect to be at the strength level of Ted or Lil Stevie, this really bothered me. As the weeks progressed, this evened out a bit. On the weekends, Matt and I trained our max effort work with Ted and Lil’ Stevie (with Molly Edwards joining in when her work schedule allowed). During the week, it was usually just the two of us. For a short time, we had two friends of Matt Goodwin (Dan and another Matt with red-hair) training with us. They both work as prison guards and prior to their first workout with us, told a story about a guy that had eaten his own feces so he could spit it at the guards which, quite frankly, made me question if the human race should continue. The second Matt bailed after about a dozen workouts, sending a text that said, “This powerlifting stuff is too hard. I’m doing Crossfit!” that I am hoping was meant as a joke. Dan was a naturally strong guy that broke his ribs doing heavy squats with band tension. He was out for about six weeks and then broke his finger on his first day back. I think he will last if he does not die in a freak leg raise accident. In the office, Dave treats Matt and I like equals. He is the boss, but he often asks for our counsel before making certain decisions. In the gym, it would be ridiculous to consider ourselves anything less than students to the top PL training programmer in the world. The fact that he takes the time to write our programs for us is an honor, and he cares about our progress. I honor that by giving it my all. As the program got further along, and Dave’s training was in a down-phase, he came over and watched our form and provided suggestions. I remarked once in the office that his programming was amazing, particularly how some of the changes seemed to come about exactly when a particular part of my body was feeling pretty beat up. Dave said, “Oh, Ted has been keeping me updated on every aspect of your training. Those changes are no coincidence.” So yeah, Ted was a snitch, but I really appreciate it as it made for a great program.


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As we slip into our second time following this program, there are a few things I plan to change (or, more accurately… things I plan to focus more on). They include: 1) More accurate numbers. I easily had the most failed lift attempts (usually at times when we REALLY weren’t supposed to miss a lift). This is because I was completely guessing what numbers my percentages should be based on. I like to say I was just “optimistic about my abilities” but the truth is that I just lacked the experience to judge my jumps based on my warm-up progression. 2) Tighter nutrition. I’d like to put another ten to fifteen pounds on (and feel I have it in me) but I also think I can make it a lean gain of weight this time… provided I eat cleaner. 3) Prehab. I intend to be smarter and avoid injury through proper warm-ups, mobility work, foam rolling and corrective exercises (particularly band pull-aparts and shoulder stabilizer exercises). I may also look into deep tissue massage and active release therapy. 4) Targeted free time. I plan to put some serious thought into choosing my free time exercises (rather than just doing the things I WANT to work on that day). 5) Form. I have made huge improvements in my form, but I have a long way to go. So, as you can see, I expect my second time through to be more productive. The S4 Program itself was brilliant and I am not just saying that because its creator is responsible for any upcoming salary raises I may receive. It is common to wrap up a training article with the advice to “give it a try.” I will say that if you are going into things with that attitude do not even bother. Decide to do the S4 Program. Commit to it. Follow through consistently and you will see improvements… guaranteed!

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Reflections on the S-4 Program By Steve Gabrielsen

Hey guys and gals Lil’ Stevie here. I’m a 24-year old warehouse worker from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am a 6’3” tall super-heavy. I got into powerlifting at the end of 2009. I have done four meets (two raw and two multi-ply). This is the first program that I have followed using the Conjugate Principles and I have been following the program for the last 31 weeks (as of today) leading into my next meet, RPS XXX in Columbus, Ohio. My current PRs are 710, 445, 600. First off, I want to say that great training partners will take this program from great to awesome. I am fortunate enough to train with Ted Toalston, Molly Edwards, Steve Colescott, Matt Goodwin, and on several weekends some of Dave’s old training partners from Westside. These are the people that have really helped maximize my progress throughout this program. This program was the first Conjugate Method program I have done. You can expect the normal dynamic effort and max effort days as well as some repetition days thrown into the mix. Dave did a great job keeping things fresh with this program so movements never got stale. Like any other program, I did have some trouble with parts. For the first 20 weeks we did our dynamic lower work on Saturday at the elitefts™ S4 Compound. But did our Max Effort Upper work on Sunday. This was a new thing for me that took quite awhile to adjust to. The other problem that I had with this was my lack of spotters when I am not at the Compound. At week 20, Dave decided that it was time to bring back in the Squat-based ME movements on Saturdays. This is the week that things really will begin to go up a notch. I have been fortunate enough to stay pretty injury-free during this program. As long as you stay on your mobility work, as well as following the restorations methods that Dave has written into the program you should be good to go. As far as just feeling awful, you can expect that come the start of Week 21. That first band wave is going to be a brutal one if you have followed the 20 weeks leading up to it. Here is the big one. There is always a way to perform a movement, regardless of what is written in the program. Dave has included a lot of specialty bars in the program. Some of you guys won’t have them all. I know I didn’t. This is why, if you have the chance to drive somewhere within two-hours that has this equipment, do it. Any number of guys will tell you that. Ted Toalston has always been a lifter that I’ve looked up to. He competed around week 12 of this program and jumped in with us around week 16. Ted suffered a low back injury over a year ago and this was his first meet back. He showed well, but not where he was before the injury. Ted really got his legs back during this program. You could see his confidence coming back with each week. While Ted did not have the meet he wanted at WPC Worlds, the progress was evident in all three movements! With Dave’s programming, there is no doubt Ted will destroy his PRs in the coming months! Matt Goodwin, whom some of you may know, is the equipment sales guy here at elitefts™. Matt has trained off and on with us for while, but really committed to training at the beginning of this program. He also decided to throw on gear. Not only have Matt’s raw numbers gone up, but so have his equipped numbers. Where he really learned the most was during our speed squat work the first 20 weeks. Look for Matt to hit a big bench at the RPS XXX meet! 331 | Programs That Work 2

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Last but not least, Mr. Colescott! Steve has made the biggest strides during this program. Not only strengthwise, but in form and confidence. Steve along with Matt decided it was time to throw on some gear. Regardless of the gear, Steve’s bench has made the largest strides during this program. He is hitting raw off the chest, what he was hitting the first few weeks in the shirt! Steve still has tons left in the tank! As this training cycle comes to an end, I am looking forward to the next. I am going to try and focus on making sure I get the most out of the raw work that is done during the program. The only other thing that I will be focusing on is recovery work. Making sure that the little things that come up during the training cycle, don’t turn into big things as meet day approaches. I want to wrap this up by just encouraging you that, no matter which program you decide to use out of this book, commit to and believe in that program. If you put in the work and believe this program will work for you, it will! Dave does an amazing job keeping you from overtraining, while giving you just the amount of work and GPP that you need.

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Reflections on the S-4 Program By Ted Toalston

I have been fortunate to have had Dave write almost all of my training programs. My preparations for the WPC Worlds this year was another training cycle that was drafted on point. Something that Dave does frequently in his programs is to include “free time”. This part of the program is added with very vague guidelines on what to do and allows me, or whoever is following the program, to work on weak points that have been identified during the session or in previous sessions. For example, if I was struggling with keeping my knees out during today’s training I would do banded abductors during “free time” in some of the following training sessions. Something that I struggled with during this cycle was estimating my perceived max (PM). This training cycle included basing many of the training weights off a percentage of a perceived max. The idea is great and it would work splendidly by sparing having to actually take a max attempt but the variable is whether or not your PM is accurate. In hindsight, I believe that I overestimated my max and as a result trained at a higher percentage than what my body could properly respond to and recover from. At about five weeks out from the meet, my body basically crashed and everything felt heavy and labored. This also took a mental toll and had me questioning whether or not to move forward with the meet. In addition, at about four weeks out, I pulled a muscle in my right pec. At that point, I had a large knot in my pec and a considerable amount of tightness. After about a week, it was feeling much better and the range of motion was almost 100%. Feeling good again, I continued with my bench training and at about three weeks out, while doing a moderate incline bench press, I tore something in the pec. This time things felt dramatically different than they did a week earlier. There was a lot of bruising and a very distractive amount of pain associated with it. My range of motion was also very limited. At this point, the decision was made to not bench again until the meet and to determine attempts based on the likeliness of placing and how the warm-ups felt. Looking back, I have determined two likely factors that contributed to this injury. The first is my misunderstanding the training program. I was basing my raw bench work off my competitive shirted bench max when this training should have been based off my raw bench max. This is a substantial amount of weight difference and overtaxed by body. The second factor I believe contributed was keeping my bodyweight lower during the training cycle. I simply did not have the mass to support the rigors of training and an injury was the result. I feel that the most improvement from this training cycle came in my squat. While I did not achieve a PR and on meet day this was not oblivious I made substantial gains in my form, confidence and strength. Since my back surgery and prior to this training cycle I struggled mentally while squatting and physically my form was a constant effort. During this training cycle my form became automatic and my hesitation was eliminated. I believe this was a result of squatting high in the beginning of the cycle and gradually working to a competitive depth. This focused on the stronger points of the movement first and as confidence, and strength, was built we worked the lower and more challenging parts of the movement. Participating in this training cycle was Lil Stevie, Matt (Goodwin) and Medium Steve (Colescott). Matt and Medium Steve are newer to powerlifting training and they showed dramatic improvement in every aspect of 333 | Programs That Work 2

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their lifts. Lil Stevie has competed several times and has a good amount of training under his belt. I noticed that during this training cycle he made dramatic improvement in his overall strength, confidence and form. He really showed improvements in his ability to handle the pressures of the gear and improved his squat depth. I believe these improvements were a result of his discipline but also because the design of the program focused on the stronger points of the movements early in the cycle and gradually introduced work for the sticking points and more challenging parts of the movements.

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Creating a Champion: The Complete Off-Season Approach for Volleyball By Ryan Jobs

The goal of this article is not only to lay out a great volleyball program, but also to address a few of the less emphasized (but by no means less important) performance principles. We will touch on and challenge coaches and athletes alike to take a hard look at the fuel they are putting into their bodies. Additionally, we would be remiss if we didn’t address the mindset of an 18- to 22-year-old elite volleyball player. Often, too much is sought after in too little time and all that is achieved is mediocrity across the board. Athletes often become overwhelmed by coaches’ requests or outside influences (internet) and just aim for the status quo. I believe that there is a disconnect along the lines somewhere between what the athlete thinks is expected of him/her and what the coach needs. An example of this is the off-season program: said athlete goes away from the season thinking he/she needs to add six inches to his/her vertical. Yet, in reality, the coach is hoping for a bit more explosiveness, the intuition to be in the right place at the right time, and durability. (We could argue that the first two are interconnected, as improved strength and explosiveness will lead to the ability to get to positions faster). Now, as a college athlete, your coach has recruited you for a reason, sometimes two. If the main reason you were brought in was because you were the best server in the league, plus you can also dig balls with best, then you better be able to bring it every night on every serve. So while adding six inches may seem cool, coach just really wants a consistently great serve and a positionally-sound player—and he needs it all season long. How do we get that? How do we improve on it from year to year? As an overhand athlete, there are several repetitive movement patterns that need to be solidified from the get-go. If your shoulder joint is sloppy, it is only a matter of time before you spend time in rehabilitation. We understand that a volleyball player’s shoulders are generally more flexible than most—it’s what has predisposed them to success in the sport up to this point. They have a bigger power producing range. However, the downside is that the majority of athletes have built up hitting strength and reinforced that movement pattern, but they have not equally addressed the ability to control the deceleration of the arm. Over time, this can produce a sloppy shoulder… and the potential for a shortened season and possibly a shortened career. In addition to getting into positions quickly and efficiently, there needs to be a base of strength that allows for such movement to happen all year, without injuries creeping in. I know that sounds harsh, but the fact is that training has changed. The program below is an example of a great overall strength program with minor focuses on injury prevention. Although it would easily be argued that overall strength inherently reduces the risk of injury, what we are zeroing in on is shoulder and hip stability—the two prime culprits in volleyball injuries. It is no longer good enough to ‘hit the weights’ in the summer and hope things are better in the fall. Athletes need to focus their training to reach the next level of their athletic abilities.


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FMS and Movement Prep First off, it should be known that we FMS (Functional Movement Screen) every athlete. They are then given a priority corrective pattern or two. The Mobility/Stability Suggestions in the programming grid are dictated solely by an athlete’s individual assessment. Get screened and put your individual correctives in that space in order of priority. It has been incredibly eye opening to see how such high level volleyball athletes can score so low on the FMS and still perform well. Where we have seen immense benefit is in injury reduction. Top players getting hurt less = more wins. Simple. Corrective examples may be:

• Stiff Arm Pulldowns • ½ Kneeling t-spine rotations • Hip flexor mobility • Leg Lowering Progressions • Push-plus, Wall Slides (Scapulae Work) • Ankle Mob work

Each and every lift begins with a movement prep phase. This 8- to 10-minute span covers SMR (foam rolling, lacrosse ball, stick work), thoracic mobility, shoulder stability, ankle mobility, glute activation, and entire body locomotion in multiple planes of motion. Movement prep example would be: 6-8 reps per side: 1 set of each. Ball SMR / Foam Roll Hip Flexor Mob w/ CE Double Leg Hip Bridge w/ Knee Ext Bent Knee 4 Way Mini Band Walks Heel Sit Quadruped T/S Ext/Rot Top of Push Up SL Ankle Mob Feet Elevated Scap. Pushups Squat Prying Forward Walking SL RDL Walking Lunge w/ Overhead Reach Cross Behind Lunges

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Phase 1- Hypertrophy Emphasis Alternate between days 1, 2 (& 3 if included in phase). Lift 3-5 times per week, avoiding 3 consecutive days of lifting. Day 1 Order

Exercise

Sets x Reps

Rest

Notes Focus on landing mechanics with proper hinge patterning, avoiding excessive forward movement at the knee joint and rising of the heels, as many quad-dominant volleyball athletes have fallen into the habit of doing. Adjust variation accordingly. Depending on hamstring flexibility and body proportions and height, some players may need to be doing rack deadlifts to keep a neutral spine at the bottom.

1

Box Jumps

3x6

90s

2

Deadlift Variation

3x6

120s

3a 3b

Prone DB Row DB Bench Press or DB Floor Press

4x8 4x8

60s 60s

4a

Hip Flexor Stretch

0

4b

Shoulder Elevated Barbell Hip Extension

2x30s each side 3x10

45s

5a 5b

Face Pulls Rollouts- Ab Wheel or Swiss Ball

3x10 3x10

45s 45s


DB Floor Press can be a more shoulderfriendly option, especially for some of the excessively tall athletes common in volleyball.

Additional posterior chain work helps to correct quad and hamstring imbalance which is commonly present in volleyball athletes.

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Day 2 Order

Exercise

Sets x Reps

Rest

1

Medicine Ball Slams

3x6

60s

2

Squat Variation

3x10

120s

3a

Standing DB Shoulder Press

4x8

60s

3b

4x6-10

60s

3c

Glute Ham Raises or Swiss Ball Leg Curls Pec Stretch

0s

4a 4b 5a

Pull-ups YLTWs Farmer’s Walk

30s hold each side 4x8 4x6-8* 2 walks each hand

5b

Mobility/stability

Notes

Depending on experience and proportions, choose appropriate variation. Avoid excessive external rotation at the shoulder joint, keeping elbows ahead of frontal plane when elbows are flexed.

60s 45s 30s

Add bands or weight as needed. *Perform 6-8 of each movement. Keep torso completely vertical. Walk as though it is a normal farmer’s walk.

Sets x Reps

Rest

Notes Use 30-50% of squat 1RM. Rapid countermovement jump and mechanically sound landing. Adjust variation accordingly. Work up to two heavy sets at ~5RM load. Use weight belt or band to adjust as necessary

Phase 2: Strength Emphasis Day 1: Order

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Exercise

1

Squat Jumps

3x5

120s

2

Deadlift Variation

2x5

180s

3a

Neutral Grip Pull-Ups

4x5

120s

3b 4a 4b

Mobility/Stability Bulgarian Split Squats Rear Delt Flies

3x6 3x10

90s 90s


Day 2 Order

Exercise

Sets x Reps

Rest

Notes

1

Hang Clean

2x5

120s

2

Squat Variation

4x5

180s

3a

Shoulder Press

3x5

180s

3b

Mobility/Stability

4a

Romanian Deadlifts

3x8

60s

4b 5a

YLTWs Single Arm Farmer’s Walk Mobility/stability

3x6-8* 2-3 walks

30s 30s

*Perform 6-8 of each movement.

Exercise

Sets x Reps

Rest

Notes

2x5

120s

2

Overhead Med Ball Toss Bench Press

3x5

180s

3a

One Arm DB Row

4x8

120s

3b

Mobility/Stability

4x6-10

4a 4b 5a

Lateral Lunge ½ Kneeling Chop Face Pulls

3x5/side 3x8/side 3x10

5b

Depending on experience and proportions, choose appropriate variation. If shoulder and experience permits, use barbell press, but DBs can be used if necessary.

Day 3 Order 1


90s 90s 90s

Depending on experience and proportions, choose appropriate variation.


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Phase 3: Power Emphasis Day 1- Lower Power, Upper Strength: Order

Sets x Reps

Rest

4x5 3x6 3x8

180s 180s 180s

4a

Power Cleans Depth Jumps Repeat Maximum Vertical Jumps DB Bench Press

3x6

90s

4b

Bent Over Row

3x8

90s

4c 5a 5b

Mobility/Stability Barbell Rollouts Prone Ys

3x10 3x10

90s 90s

Sets x Reps

Rest

1 2 3

Exercise

Notes

Adjust variation accordingly. Work up to two heavy sets at ~5RM load. Use weight belt or band to adjust as necessary

Day 2- Upper Power, Lower Strength: Order

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Exercise

1

Med Ball Slams

4x5

120s

2

3x8

120s

3 4a

½ Kneeling Med Ball Rotation Throw Plyo Pushups Squat Variation

3x8 2x5

120s 120s

4b

Mobility/Stability

5a

Romanian Deadlifts

3x8

60s

5b

YLTWs

3x6-8*

30s

Notes

If shoulder and experience permits, use barbell press, but DBs can be used if necessary.



Day 3: Order

Exercise

Sets x Reps

Rest

Notes

1

Hang Clean

3x5

180s

2

3x8

120s

Alternate landing legs.

2

Box Jumps w. Single Leg Landing Deadlift Variation

1x5

180s

Depending on experience and proportions, choose appropriate variation.

3a

Chin-Ups

4x8

120s

3b

Mobility/Stability

4b 4b 5a 5b

DB Shoulder Press Glute Ham Raise Standing Wood Chop Mobility/Stability

4x6-10 3x5/side 3x8 3x8/side

90s 90s 90s


As we near the pre-season, we will add in a GPP day. This is also a day to add in a few more positional specific movements and reasoning that will be talked about in the mindset section below. This generally includes mini circuits of the following:

•

Prowler Pushes

•

Sledge Hammer Strikes (overhand rotational power)

•

Uphill Bounds (power development for blocking and hitting)

•

Uphill Bear crawls (vest +sled for increased resistance)

•

Reactionary change of direction drills (getting to positions efficiently)

•

Battle Ropes (Just because they are cool)

•

Farmer Walks (increased grip strength is tied to improved shoulder health

•

Various sled work (rows, presses, Ys, carioca) (no eccentric loading)

•

Hand-over-hand rope rows

•

Some ladder/footwork patterning (great for telling the newly strengthened muscles to move explosively in a real world scenario)


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Nutrition: Many athletes and coaches have the off-season training down. We included the program above because it works with the athletes we have, and they have had great success. Programming aside, we had the best results when we can get the athletes to make small but significant nutritional and mindset adjustments. Coaches: spend the time here before your athletes head off for the summer. Don’t just send emails with information after they have left; lay everything out. Many of your athletes are visual learners— bring the actual food in to a practice. The time invested here will pay in spades later on. Most of the kids we see now are finally catching on to the fact that breakfast is a non-negotiable meal. The problem is we haven’t gone far enough and are having to clarify that Rice Krispies are not fuel for an athlete! Often we get the “I don’t have time” objection. One of my favourite tricks for eggs is the “omelette in a bag.” Put everything you would normally eat in an omelette in a Ziploc freezer bag, seal it, and drop it in a pot of boiling water. Go do your hair (for the ladies). Come back... done. There are a ton of other tricks, but the point here is that we are taking things a step further now. If a typical 18-year-old isn’t practically walked through something, he/she will forgot it like a four-minute-old post on his/her newsfeed. You may be surprised how many athletes aren’t at least taking a multivitamin, let alone fish oil and eating an appreciable amount of veggies...These are the new basics, folks. No excuses. Sample off season meal plan: Breakfast

• 3-5 egg omelette with peppers, onions, spinach. • 1 piece of sprouted grain toast with natural almond butter and honey • 3 fish oil capsules

Mid-Morning

• Multivitamin • A couple handfuls of raw nuts • A fruit of your choice (apple, pear, mango)

Lunch

Afternoon Dinner

• A hardboiled egg • Chicken spinach salad- spinach, one chicken breast, cashews, peppers and onion. (Consider cottage cheese, olive oil and vinegar, or even frozen blueberries as an alternative to dressing) - You can make the salad into a whole-wheat wrap if some extra carbohydrates are needed. • Fruit/Protein shake (ex. milk/water, frozen blueberries, mangoes, whey protein powder, Greek yogurt) • Vegetable stir fry with spices (frozen vegetable medleys work great for quick stir fries). • 1 Large piece of salmon

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Mindset - This one is a tough nut to crack. Eating and lifting are things young athletes can comprehend for the most part. Mental mastery, or at least the ability to objectively look at one’s abilities, is a skill that very few young athletes grasp until much later in their careers. As coaches, we need to be clear here, and athletes—you need to ask more questions. In the end, everyone wants to win, and doing that little extra that helps facilitate that is the coach’s job to communicate and the athlete’s job to own. Self promotion at the detriment of the team is selfish and short-sighted. Make two small things very clear to each athlete that will help the team improve as a whole (on top of the main off-season goal—improved strength, more vertical, etc.): 1) As an athlete, you need an extremely tight focus in your training regimen. If you chase too many rabbits, you will catch none since chasing a single rabbit is already an immense challenge in itself. Hence, if your goal is overall strength and you are using a program like the one above, take a minute to go over some drills or exercises that will allow you to keep your focus on your goal. 2) Know your weak points, and if you don’t know them, ask! What I am getting at here is that there needs to be some connection between the movement patterns we are looking to improve and how they are specific to volleyball. For example, getting to a position is huge in volleyball. If you struggle with being a step too slow, strength program is only going to go so far with helping that. So don’t forget to include some footwork patterning. On the other hand, if you have a tough time opening with your lead foot to recover, spend a few minutes really pushing the boundaries of your comfort level on that movement. It will do wonders for grooving that skill when it is required next season. Increased strength is certainly important, yes, but on top of that is solid technique. Therein lays the key to an off-season mindset—to improve those little techniques along with making strength gains… and being able to see that it is those small things that show up in the fifth set of the state championship. About the Author Ryan Jobs, B.H.K., is FMS Level 2 certified and is the owner/director of Coastal Fitness and Coastal Athletic Performance in Langley, British Columbia. Working with Volleyball Canada at a grassroots level, Ryan and his team are working hard to bring the quality of young volleyball players to a higher level as they finish their high school careers and begin post-secondary play. Team Coastal is also the strength and conditioning team for Columbia Bible College, having produced the 2011 BCCAA Men’s Volleyball National Champions. “We have a strong passion and commitment to raising the level of coaching for young athletes. We’re helping them move better, feel better, and perform better through proper screening and assessment, solid progressionbased program design, and nutritional and mindset support. This complete approach is the new standard in athletic performance training, and Coastal is proud to be on the leading edge.” Ryan is a member of the Results Fitness University Mastermind Group. For more info check out www.coastalfitness.ca


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A Runner’s Guide to the Galaxy By Dianne Sykes-Scope

The constant stream of high-energy runners in flashy gear wiz through the NYC ING Expo as I write this. The marathon has just been cancelled. In the wake of Sandy, life here in New York seems to be altered indefinitely. Now that race day has passed, runners that we train with did not lose perspective. Although disappointed, many of them stayed grounded by the unprecedented destruction throughout the area. In fact, one woman ran 26.2 miles that morning with a pack on her back, delivering food and supplies to folks in Long Beach and the Rockaways who lost everything except the very clothes they were wearing. The original purpose of this article was to share a training plan for the middle distance runner to increase performance, decrease injury, and hit a PR on race day. I still offer the program, but I do so now with a different goal in mind. The initial danger, immense cleanup effort, and subsequent gas shortages that Sandy caused have certainly supported Darwin’s Theory. Every human being has the incredible power to put one foot in front of the other and run. The following guide will show you just how to harness that power to survive, thrive, and rise to go anywhere in the galaxy! The average human being has enough energy in storage (our fat cells) to run at least a dozen back-to-back marathons without stopping. Furthermore, this incredible biological engine requires very little fuel and can keep us going for hours. It is a masterpiece in efficiency and gives us serious rank as endurance animals. It is your special responsibility to develop the fundamentally human skill of running to your full genetic potential. Your life depends on it. Here’s how: Create massive strength. Many people who consider themselves runners are part of an almost counter culture in the world of fitness. They wouldn’t be caught dead in a gym. Bad move! Creating exceptional endurance starts with building muscle strength. To prevent common running injuries like plantar fasciitis, Patellar-Femoral Syndrome, and bursitis, it’s imperative to create balance in the musculoskeletal system.

• Start with three days of resistance training per week. • Use weights heavy enough to fatigue you within 30-40 seconds. • Incorporate power movements. • Use corrective exercises to warm up. • Centralize your workout with core training. • Build strength in your “off” season.

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Here is an example of the program we used to prepare our athletes for the NYC marathon: Warm-up:

• Butt kicks: 45 seconds • Leg Swings: 15 each leg • Clam Shell: 15 each leg • Total Body Extension: 45 seconds • Inchworm: 10 reps • Figure 4 Stretch: 30 seconds per side • Bird Dog: 10 each side • Crossover lunge: 10 each leg • Core—repeat this circuit three times with 30 seconds rest between circuits: o Plank with alternating reach: 30 seconds o Stir the Pot: 30 seconds o Superman: 30 seconds Power—repeat this exercise 2x with 1-minute rest between sets: • Turkish Get ups: 8 on each side Strength 1—repeat 3x with 1 minute of Figure 4 Stretch between each circuit: • Single Leg Deadlift: 10 each leg

• Renegade rows: 10 each arm • Pushups: 30 seconds • Spiderman crawl: 30 seconds Strength 2—repeat this circuit 3x with 1-minute hip flexor stretch between circuits: • Lateral lunge: 10 each leg

• Push Press: 10 reps • Clockwork: 20 seconds each direction


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Finisher—do 8 rounds of the following:

• Speed Squats: 20 seconds • Squat Jumps: 20 seconds Foam roll to cool down. This strength training program is a great foundation for building strength in runners. If you have recently competed or peaked your performance, this plan can be used during a maintenance cycle in your overall run training. In order to launch the endurance beast within, begin with the following running program. The best thing about this particular training format is that it allows you to work through your personal challenge pace— which we define as the point at which you can keep moving but can’t talk. Day 1—Run 4 miles at your challenge pace Day 2—Run 5 miles at the same pace as Day 1 Day 3—Run 6 miles at the same pace as Day 1 Day 4—get to a local track and run 3 miles of the following intervals:

• Warm up for 1/2 mile • 400m (1 lap) at your maximum effort (Time it) • 400m slow jog Repeat for the 3 miles, timing each fast 400m and set a goal to keep your time within 5 seconds of your start pace. This program coincides with the strength training plan as part of your maintenance or foundation phase. Whether you are training for an upcoming five miler, recovering from a marathon, or just starting out, this guide fosters the growth of your innate stamina. It is your opportunity to create fitness you can always count on—and in times of great chaos, immense endurance is your best asset. About the Author Dianne Sykes-Scope is the owner and head trainer at http://www.achievefitnessny.com and is a member of the Results Fitness University Mastermind group.

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Training for Busy Joes and Janes By Mike Wunsch

The Story Our society has gotten busier and busier with jobs that have us move less and less. Long gone are the days when most of us had physically demanding jobs and also physically demanding hobbies. Now it appears that the “average Joe and Jane” are more overweight, in more pain, and move with more dysfunction than previous years. Time spent establishing careers and families quite often takes up all of our time. In fact, time is the number one excuse for people not exercising properly or enough. If we take this into consideration, it becomes apparent that exercising four to six days a week for one to two hours is not typical for Joe and Jane. Many people are hard pressed to lift more than two days a week consistently and even fewer can maintain three times a week for any extended period of time. The ones who steadily train for extended time frames are not Joe and Jane—they are the exception these days. The Program This program is geared for busy Joe and Jane who want to Look, Move, and Feel better. It has an A day and a B day that are alternated every workout. It has two phases, and it is designed to be performed two to three times per week. In turn, each phase is designed to be performed for four to six weeks. Thus, we now have a plan that can be done twice a week for two months and up to three times per week for three months. Each phase begins with low volume and “light” loads. The number of sets performed and the load both increase with each passing week. There are two nutrition goals that are to be completed during phase one and two more for phase two. The session begins with Self Myofascial Release (SMR). This is done with LaCross balls and foam rolls at Results Fitness (use whichever implement is available). It then proceeds to the RAMP section of the session. The (R)ange of Motion, (A)ctivation, (M)ovement, (P)reparation begins with very basic moves with low intensity and RAMPS up in intensity. These stretches and moves are designed to prepare the body for a high intensity, total body sessions. The idea of the RAMP is that it starts out very simple and slow—with low metabolic and muscular demands progressing to more complex moves and higher demands. Once the RAMP is finished, the core temperature is elevated, the muscles are activated, and the mind is ready for more intense work. The idea of the RAMP is that it is composed of stretches and exercises that are intertwined with each other in a specific order to improve movement as a whole. It is associated very closely with the Functional Movement Screen. The quality of movement will improve while the RAMP is being performed.


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The Core Training part of the session is done immediately after the RAMP. The exercises are noted with an A and a B. The A exercise is done first, followed by the B exercise. When the first set is done, the A exercise is repeated and is followed by the second B set. There is no rest after the A exercise, only after the B exercise. One will notice that the core training section of the workout consists of exercises that keep the spine stable and transfer force. These are the main functions of the core. The Power Development section is done after the Core Training on Day A. As one ages, the loss of muscle tissue increases at a slow and steady rate. However, the loss of power development is even faster. Power Development exercises are excellent for fat loss and coordination. These are typically explosive in nature and done with tremendous force. They tend to be very fun as well! After Core Training on Day B, the Combination section is performed. These are exercises that require total body movement that don’t necessarily fit into any one perfect category. They require a lot of muscle contraction throughout the entire body and really elevate the heart rate and metabolism. Resistance Training is the fourth section of the program and is the backbone of the entire program. This is the traditional strength-training portion. These exercises rely heavily on the muscular system and are the main force behind elevated metabolism. Multi-joint, total body strength exercises are chosen. Exercise 4a is performed followed by a sixty-second rest. Exercise 4b is then performed and immediately followed by an active recovery exercise. Then, 4c is performed. After the 4c exercise, the second set of 4a exercises can be performed. The main idea is that one can add in several exercises and/or stretches that improve movement quality without adding more time to complete the session. The moves have a very low intensity level, allowing one to recover before the next strength move is performed. This can be considered “Active Recovery.” These exercises are the same ones performed during the RAMP. This allows a higher frequency of corrective strategies to be performed. Once all the desired sets of 4a, 4b, and 4c are done, move on to the 5a, 5b, and 5c exercises. Energy System Training (EST) is performed after the Resistance Training section is done. This can be thought of as “cardio.” Only after the entire program has been completed up to this point can the EST performed. These are very short, high intensity intervals for an extra caloric burn at the end of the session. There are no parameters for long, slow-duration cardio, as the main goal of this program is to look, move, and feel better. The session is not complete until post workout nutrition and SMR are done. A protein shake is taken and the same SMR that was done at the beginning is repeated. This allows one to recover quicker and be able to perform better for the next workout. Phase Two is to be performed after Phase One has been completed. Phase One can last up to six to eight weeks as long as progress is being made. Phase Two is executed the same as Phase One. The difference is that the number of repetitions is lower, allowing for more load and intensity. All of the categories have been progressed with slightly more challenging moves and intensities. The nutritional guidelines have also been changed, along with the corrective strategies during the RAMP and as active recovery exercises. Mike Wunsch is the Training Director at Results Fitness www.resultsfitnessuniversity.com elitefts.com


RESULTS FITNESS Elite FTS Phase 1 Transform

Elite FTS Phase 1 Transform Day:

DAY A Order

Date:

Sets Reps TempoRest

RAMP

1 Ball SMR / Foam Roll

1ea

5-10

slow

0

Hip Flexor/RF Stretch

1

1ea

30s

0

Passive Lock SL Hip Bridge

1

8ea

121

0

Side Lying Clam Shells

1

8ea

121

0

Sidelying rib pulls

1

8ea

slow

0

1/2 Kneeling Ankle Mob w/ Dowel

1

8ea

121

0

Scapular push ups

1

8

222

0

Toe Touch Squat to Stretch

1

8

slow

0

Wall Knee Drive

1

5ea

151

0

Dowel RDL

1

8

222

0

Bottoms Up Split Squat

1

6ea

slow

0

1

6ea

slow

0

Alternating Lateral Squat Order

Sets Reps TempoRest

Core Training

2a Front Plank

1-2

1

30-60

0

2b Tall Kneeling Anti-Rot Press

1-2

12ea

121

60s

Order

Sets Reps TempoRest

Power Development

3 Medicine Ball Slams

3-4

10

X

Order

Memb:

slow

0

Hip Flexor/RF Stretch

1

1ea

30s

0

Passive Lock SL Hip Bridge

1

8ea

121

0

Side Lying Clam Shells

1

8ea

121

0

Re-test score:

Sidelying rib pulls

1

8ea

slow

0

1/2 Kneeling Ankle Mob w/ Dowel

1

8ea

121

0

Date:

Scapular push ups

1

8

222

0

Toe Touch Squat to Stretch

1

8

slow

0

Wall Knee Drive

1

5ea

151

0

Dowel RDL

1

8

222

0

Bottoms Up Split Squat

1

6ea

slow

0

1

6ea

slow

0

ASLR

#1 Take your fish oil & multi-vitamin daily. (check box on right if completed) #2 Write down what you eat in your journal.

1ea 5-10

Alternating Lateral Squat

(check box on right if completed)

Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Order

Sets Reps Tempo Rest

Core Training

2a Prone cobra

1-2

4

181

0

2b Farmers carry

1-2

1

30s

60s


60s

Date:


RAMP


FMS Priority: SM


Combination

3 Squat - SA Cable Row

Resistance Training

2

12ea

mod

Sets Reps TempoRest

4a Goblet Squat

1-3

4b Standing Cable Rows 4c sidelying rib pulls


Exercise


15

Slow

60

4a Romanian Deadlift

1-3

15

Slow

60

1-3

15

Slow

0

4b Overhead Press

1-3

8ea

slow

0

4c sidelying rib pulls

1-3

15

Slow

0

1-3

8ea

slow

0

5a 1 Arm DB RDL off step

1-3

15ea

Slow

60

5a Split Squat

1-3 15ea

slow

60

1-3

15

Slow

0

5b Kneeling Wide Grip Pulldown

1-3

15

Slow

0

5c pass leg lowering

1-3

8ea

slow

0

5c pass leg lowering

1-3

8ea

slow

0

6

bike intervals

FMS Priority: SM ASLR Re-test score: Date: #1 Take your fish oil & multi-vitamin daily. (check box on right if completed) #2 Write down what you eat in your journal. (check box on right if completed)

Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs


60s

5b Push Ups

Energy System Training

Memb:

Resistance Training

Exercise

Order

Day:

DAY B

Sets Reps Work Rec 1

3-7

15s

Reps

45s

Energy System Training 6

bike intervals

Sets RepsWork Rec Rec Reps 1

Notes Regeneration Foam Roll Protocol


3-7

15s

45s

Notes Regeneration Foam Roll Protocol

We are the best part of our members day everyday


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RESULTS FITNESS Elite FTS Phase 2- Transform

Elite FTS Phase 2- Transform Day:

DAY A Order

Date:

Sets Reps TempoRest

RAMP


1ea

5-10

slow

0

3 Position Hip Flexor Stretch

1

1ea

30s

0

Hip/Thigh Extension

1

8ea

121

0

Standing Mini Band Knee In/Outs

1

5

151

0

Bent Over T/S Ext/Rot

1

8ea

slow

0

SL Wall Ankle Mob

1

8ea

121

0

Inchworms

1

6

slow

0

Squat to Stand 1

1

8

slow

0

Walking Knee Hugs

1

8ea

norm

0

In Line Lunge

1

6ea

slow

0

Walking Lateral Lunge

1

8ea

norm

0

Day:

DAY B Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Memb:

Lbs Order


FMS Priority: TSPU RS Re-test score: Date: #3 Drink a Post Workout Recovery Shake (check box on right if completed) #4 Eat Protein at Each Meal

Date:


RAMP

slow

0

3 Position Hip Flexor Stretch

1ea 5-10 1

1ea

30s

0

Hip/Thigh Extension

1

8ea

121

0

Standing Mini Band Knee In/Outs

1

5

151

0

Bent Over T/S Ext/Rot

1

8ea

slow

0

SL Wall Ankle Mob

1

8ea

121

0

Inchworms

1

6

slow

0

Squat to Stand 1

1

8

slow

0

Walking Knee Hugs

1

8ea

norm

0

In Line Lunge

1

6ea

slow

0

Walking Lateral Lunge

1

8ea

norm

0

FMS Priority: TSPU RS Re-test score: Date: #7 Drink a post workout recovery shake. (check box on right if completed) #5 Eat protein at each meal.

(check box on right if completed) Order

Sets Reps TempoRest

Core Training

2 Side Plank Order

1-2

2-3

Resistance Training

Exercise

10

fast

4a Lateral Lunge

2-4

10ea

mod

4b 3 Point DB Row

2-4

10ea

4c Standing Mini Band Knee In/Outs

2-4

5


Core Training

2 Horizontal woodchop


45

Sets Reps TempoRest



20-40s 60s

Sets Reps TempoRest

Combination

3 DB Front Squat - Press

Order

1ea

1-2 12ea

3-4

Resistance Training

Exercise

10

X


90

4a Step Ups

2-4 10ea

mod

mod

0

4b SA DB OH Press

2-4

10

mod

0

151

30

4c Standing Mini Band Knee In/Outs

2-4

5

151

30 90

2-3

10

mod

90

5a Front Squat

2-3

10

mod

10

mod

0

5b 1/2 Kneeling MG Pulldowns

2-3

10

mod

0

5c Birddog

2-3

8ea

121

30

5c Birddog

2-3

8ea

121

30

Foam Roll Protocol

60

Reps Notes



90

2-3

Sets Reps Work Rec


45s

5a High Handles Hex Bar DL

6 BW circuit: 1 3-6 15s/ea Speed squats, Mtn climbers, jumping jacks Regeneration


60s


Power Development

3 KB Swings


mod

5b Push Ups


Memb:

Sets RepsWork Rec Rec Reps

6 MB circuit: 1 3-6 10s/ea MB chest pass, side throw w/ step, scoop toss Regeneration

60

Notes

Foam Roll Protocol


elitefts.com


RESULTS FITNESS Client Name : Phase 3 Transform

Client Name : Phase 3 Transform Day:

DAY A Order

Date:

Sets Reps TempoRest

RAMP

1ea

Ball SMR / Foam Roll Hip Stretch / Mobilization

5-10

slow

Memb:

0

TYPE

1

0

Hip Stability (sagittal)

1

0

FMS Priority: Pattern

Hip Stability (multiplanar)

1

0

Pattern

Thoracic Spine Mobility Exercise

1

0

Ankle Mobility Exercise

1

0

Scapular Stabilizer Exercise

1

0

Squat Patterning / Mobility Exercise

1

0

Hip Separation Exercise (SL Stance)

1

0

Sagittal Plane Lunge

1

0

Frontal or Transverse Plane Lunge

1

0

Order

Core Training

1 Dynamic/Integrated Stab Order

Power Development

2 Power

2-3

Sets Reps TempoRest

Exercise

Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed) Nutrition Steps to Success

Date:


RAMP

1ea 5-10

Ball SMR / Foam Roll Hip Stretch / Mobilization

Date:

slow

1

0

1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0



Core Training

1 Dynamic/Integrated Stab


2-3

2-3

Resistance Training


Exercise


2-3

12

mod

0

3a Squat

2-3

12

mod

0

3b Push

2-3

12

mod

0

3b Pull

2-3

12

mod

0

3c Lunge

2-3

12

mod

0

3c Single Leg Stance

2-3 12ea

3d Mobility/Stability

2-3

60s

3d Mobility/Stability

2-3

mod

2-3

12

mod

0

4a Push

2-3

12

mod

0

2-3

12

mod

0

4b Combination Exercises

2-3

12

mod

0

4c Mobility/Stability

2-3

4c Mobility/Stability

2-3

Sets Reps Work Rec

Finisher

Regeneration Foam Roller Protocol

Reps Notes

Energy System Training 5

Pattern Re-test score: Date: Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed) Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed)

Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs


0

4a Pull

5


60s

4b Combination Exercises


Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs TYPE

45s

3a Bend

30s

Memb:

60s


Power Development

2 Power

Lbs

0



45s

Sets Reps TempoRest

Order

Re-test score:

60s

2-3

Resistance Training Order

Sets Reps TempoRest

Day:

DAY B

30s

Sets RepsWork Rec Rec Reps

Finisher

Regeneration

Notes

Foam Roller Protocol



elitefts.com

RESULTS FITNESS

Client Name : Phase 4- Transform

Client Name : Phase 4- Transform

Day:

DAY A Order

RAMP Ball SMR / Foam Roll Hip Stretch / Mobilization

Date:

Sets Reps TempoRest 1ea

5-10

slow

0

Memb:

TYPE

1

0


1

0



1

0

Pattern


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0

Order

Core Training

1 Dynamic/Integrated Stab Order

Combination

Sets Reps TempoRest 1-2

60s

Sets Reps TempoRest

2 Combination Resistance Training

Exercise

Order

Day:

DAY B Order

RAMP Ball SMR / Foam Roll Hip Stretch / Mobilization

Re-test score: Date: Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed) Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed)

Date:

Sets Reps Tempo Rest 1ea 5-10

slow

0

1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


1

0


Core Training

1 Basic/Static Stability


Combination

Sets Reps Tempo Rest 1-2

Sets Reps TempoRest 3-4

Pattern Re-test score: Date: Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed) Nutrition Steps to Success (check box on right if completed)



3b Push 3c Single Leg Stance

Resistance Training


Exercise



0

3a Squat

3-4

10

mod

0

3-4

10

mod

0

3b Pull

3-4

10

mod

0

3-4

10ea

mod

0

3c Lunge

3-4 10ea

mod

0

3d Pull

3-4

10

mod

0

3d Push

3-4

mod

0

3e Mobility/Stability

3-4

3e Mobility/Stability

3-4

90s

Sets Reps TempoRest


10

90s


4a Bend (EST)

1-2

0

4a Squat (EST)

1-2

0

4b Push (EST)

1-2

0

4b Pull (EST)

1-2

0

4c Locomotion

1-2

0

4c Locomotion

1-2

0

4d Pull (EST)

1-2

120s

4d Push (EST)

1-2

120s

Foam Roll Protocol



mod

Regeneration

Lbs Lbs Lbs Lbs TYPE

60s

10

Notes

Memb:

2 Combination

3a Bend


Lbs

Notes

Regeneration Foam Roller Protocol


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