lift for 5 singles and progress to where you can complete 8 singles with the weight. After you have done your singles, go back down to a weight at which you can complete 5 sets of 3 reps. At this intensity step you want to get to the level where you can successfully complete 5 sets of 5 repetitions. For success with this strength building system you must adhere to the following guidelines: • Perform the singles with 95 percent effort. It is the volume of high intensity, not just the intensity, that dictates the training effect. • On the 8th single, if you feel particularly strong, increase the weight for the next workout • Provide enough rest between sets to ensure adequate recovery (at least 120 seconds) Part 2: High-Threshold Hypertrophy Work
At this intensity step, you should work with about 72 to 78 percent of your 1RM. Again, rest at least 120 seconds after each set to ensure adequate recovery. The idea is that once you have excited the nervous system with the singles completed in part 1, you do hypertrophy work for the higher-threshold motor units. For a practical example, let’s look at one individual’s progression – we’ll call him Tom – using this training system. In this case, Tom’s best incline press is currently 320 pounds. His workout progression for his first three workouts could look like this: Workout 1 Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 305 x 1 Set 2: 305 x 1 Set 3: 305 x 1 Set 4: 305 x 1 Set 5: 305 x 1 Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo Set 1: 240 x 3 Set 2: 240 x 3 Set 3: 240 x 3 Set 4: 240 x 3 Set 5: 240 x 3 Tom was conservative on his first workout to ensure he completed all his reps. Let’s look at his next workout. Workout 2
Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 305 x 1 Set 2: 305 x 1 Set 3: 305 x 1 Set 4: 305 x 1 Set 5: 305 x 1 Set 6: 305 x 1 Set 7: 305 x 1 Set 8: 305 x 1 Tom reached the goal of completing 8 singles. For his next workout, Tom should aim at doing 8 singles with an even heavier weight. Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo
Set 1: 240 x 5 Set 2: 240 x 5 Set 3: 240 x 5 Set 4: 240 x 4 Set 5: 240 x 3 Tom fell short of his goal by three reps, so he will stay at that weight for his next workout. Workout 3 Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 310 x 1 Set 2: 310 x 1 Set 3: 310 x 1 Set 4: 310 x 1 Set 5: 310 x 1 Set 6: 310 x 1 Set 7: 310 x 1 Set 8: 310 x 1 Tom again reached the goal of doing 8 singles, so he needs to try to perform 8 singles with more weight on his next workout. Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo
Set 1: 240 x 5
Set 2: 240 x 5 Set 3: 240 x 5 Set 4: 240 x 5 Set 5: 240 x 5 Tom completed all 5 sets! He should now increase the weight so he is back down to at least 5 sets of 3. After completing seven workouts using this system, Tom should rest five days and then attempt a new max on the incline press. At the rate he was progressing he would probably finish with 347.5 pounds, which is 27.5 pounds above his previous best. This training system can be used for other body parts. For example, here is an advanced arm workout, performed twice a week with at least two days rests between workouts: A1. Decline Close-Grip Bench Press, 8 x 1, 50X0, rest 120 seconds A2. EZ Bar Reverse-Grip Scott Curl, 8 x 1, 50X0, rest 120 seconds B1. Decline Close-Grip Bench Press, 5 x 3-5, 40X0, rest 120 seconds B2. EZ Bar Reverse Grip Scott Curl, 5 x 3-5, 40X0, rest 120 seconds You can’t find a more solid formula for strength training than Doug Hepburn’s. Hepburn died in 2000, but his legacy is proving that the human body has not dramatically evolved in the last 50 years and that basic hard work still prevails. There are no shortcuts – that’s the Doug Hepburn way!
Chapter 6
Bulgaria’ Yoto Yotov (left) is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and Belgian’s Serge Reding (right), a three-time Olympian who also won a silver medal. Both reached the elite level of their sport with strikingly different physiques.
7. The Okunyev Formula SUMMARY: With all the variables that can influence performance on a given day, including what time of day the you lift or how much sleep you got the night before, it is nearly impossible to predict the exact weights to use in a given exercise. With the Okunyev Method, you use an intensity bracket that provides a range of s pecific weights to use based upon a percentage of an athlete’s 1RM (one-repetition maximum).
The Okunyev Formula
Weightlifters and other strength-power athletes often use percentages for exercises to determine how much weight to lift. An alternative is to use intensity brackets. This is a formula for program design that appears to have been introduced 30 years ago by M.S. Okunyev, a former head coach of the USSR National Junior Weightlifting Team. One issue with percentage systems is that they lock you into specific weights, regardless of what you are capable of lifting that day. If you are not having a good training day, the weight will be too heavy; on a good training day, too light. Further, many individuals get frustrated trying to follow precise percentage-based workouts and thereby may increase their risk of injury. If a weightlifter is told to perform 90 percent of their best clean and jerk for three sets of two reps and they miss both reps on that first set, rather than reducing the weight they may continue trying that same weight for their remaining sets, thus subjecting themselves to a greater risk of injury as their technique becomes compromised. The bottom line is that with all the variables that can influence performance on a given day, including what time of day the you lift or how much sleep you got the night before, it is nearly impossible to predict the exact weights to use in a given exercise. With the Okunyev Method, you use an intensity bracket that provides a range of specific weights to use based upon a percentage of an athlete’s 1RM (one-repetition maximum). Here are a few examples:
Here are a few examples: 1RM: 100 kilos (220 pounds) Intensity Bracket: 90-95 percent Weight Range: 90-95 kilos (198-209 pounds) Workout:
Set 1: Warm-up: 50 kilos x 5 Set 2: Warm-up: 70 kilos x 4 Set 3: Warm-up: 85 kilos x 3 Working Sets: 90-95 kilos x 5 x 2 – or to use another form of notation: (90-95 x 2)5 Using the above formula, here is what a workout could look like if an athlete is feeling strong: Strong Training Day
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 2: 92.5 x 2 Set 3: 95 x 2 Set 4: 95 x 2 Set 5: 95 x 2 As you can see, each set is dependent upon how many reps are performed in the previous set, or how difficult the previous set felt. If you are having an off day, stay at the lowest weight in the intensity bracket, as follows: Weak Training Day
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 2: 90 x 2 Set 3: 90 x 2 Set 4: 90 x 2 Set 5: 90 x 2 As a general rule, the intensity bracket depends upon the complexity of the exercise. A complex exercise that requires a high skill level or is especially taxing, such as a snatch or deadlift, would require a wider intensity bracket (such as 5-10 percent); simpler exercises, such as a bench press or biceps curl, a narrower bracket (such as 2.5-5 percent). Further, with the Okunyev Method, you can build in some safety guidelines about what weights to select in an intensity bracket. For example, using the above exercise prescription, establish a rule that if a rep is missed, for the next set you must drop down to the lightest weight in that intensity bracket. Here are
some possible workout scenarios: Example 1
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 2: 95 x 0 Set 3: 90 x 2 Set 4: 92.5 x 1 Set 5: 90 x 1 Example 2
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 2: 92.5 x 1 Set 3: 90 x 2 Set 4: 92.5 x 2 Set 5: 95 x 2 Example 3
Set 1: 90 x 2 Set 2: 95 x 2 Set 3: 95 x 2 Set 4: 95 x 1 Set 5: 90 x 2 This system could also be effective with a form of cluster training in which extended rest periods are used between repetitions in a set. If you can front squat 80 kilos for three repetitions, but with a 15-second rest between reps, you may be able to use 82.5 or even 85 kilos for three reps. Here is how such an exercise prescription could be written using the Okunyev Method: A. Front Squat: (80-85 x 1/1/1)5, 15 seconds rest between sets You can also vary the number of sets, for example: A. Front Squat: (80-85 x 1/1/1)3-5, 15 seconds rest between sets And you could experiment with a form of cluster training in which you use short rest intervals between sets, for example: A. Front Squat
Series 1: (80-85 x 3)2, 1 minute rest between sets Rest 3-5 minutes Series 2: (82.5-87.5 x 2)2, 1 minute rest between sets
Rest 3-5 minutes Series 3: (85-90 x 1)2, 1 minute rest between sets …or you can proceed in the other direction so you can use heavier weights (as there is less cumulative fatigue before the heaviest sets): B. Front Squat
Series 1: (85-90 x 1)2, 1 minute rest between sets Rest 3-5 minutes Series 2: (82.5-87.5 x 2)2, 1 minute rest between sets Rest 3-5 minutes Series 3: (80-85 x 3)2, 1 minute rest between sets This form of cluster training also helps prepare weightlifters for competitions when they find they are following themselves in the weight progression and consequently only have two minutes to perform their next attempt. If weightlifters train allowing 4-5 minutes of rest between sets, or even longer, often they find themselves experiencing undue stress during competitions when the rest time between sets is shorter. Online coaching is extremely popular today, and this flexible system works well for them because they do not have direct, daily contact with their clients. Whether you train yourself or train others, the Okunyev Method is a great alternative program-design system to help you fine-tune your workouts for maximum results.
Chapter 7
Russia’s David Rigert is an Olympic Champion who set 68 world records in his career, establishing records in three different weight classes. Rigert was heavily muscled and in training power cleaned 485 pounds, snatched 440 pounds, bench pressed 463 (with legs raised), and did a strict military press with 374 pounds.
8. One Lift a Day SUMMARY: The number of training systems available is seemingly countless, and many are especially complex. “One Lift a Day” is about the simplest method of training available because you just perform one exercise a day, such as a squat or a deadlift. For those who have little time to train and want to get the most “bang for your buck” from a workout, this program might be just what you need.
One Lift a Day
Training stuck in a rut? Confused about all the complex workout systems with combinations of supersets, tri-sets, and giant sets – prescribed with confusing variations of light, medium, and heavy poundages? Want to take a break with a ridiculously simple workout system that increases strength and muscle mass fast? Then consider the workout philosophy, “One Lift a Day.” One lift a day workouts entail focusing on one multi-joint exercise in a single workout. This training approach has been around for so long, and there are so many variations of it, that it’s difficult to determine its origins. However, one sport that has embraced the concept for over a half a century is weightlifting. Unlike bodybuilding or sports-specific training in which pumping iron is used to achieve a specific goal, such as physique transformation or athletic fitness, weightlifting is unique in that the barbell is the sport. A lifter performs snatches and clean and jerks in training, and performs those same lifts in competition. Also, because of the technical complexity of the lifts and the lower number of reps performed, a large number of sets are needed to adequately warm-up for the heavier attempts and to achieve sufficient training volume. The problem is that performing both the snatch and the clean and jerk in a single training session is not the best way to perfect the technique of the lifts. A relatively lighter weight is used in the snatch than the clean, and lifters have found that performing one lift before the other can adversely affect the timing of the second exercise.
For example, if snatches are performed first, a lifter may try to pull the bar too fast off the floor in the clean. Pulling too fast off the floor in the clean for one’s strength level may cause the lower back to flex excessively, reducing the acceleration on the bar and placing excessive stress on the spine. If the clean is performed first, the lifter’s lower back may become too fatigued to achieve optimal speed during the lift. For these reasons, weightlifters often design their workouts such that they only focus on one lift per training session, with the addition of an auxiliary exercise, such as a pull or a squat. In fact, Bulgarian weightlifting guru Ivan Abadjiev said that following the concept of training specificity, he could see weightlifters only performing two lifts in training: the snatch and the clean and jerk, with no squats. Other Iron Game athletes who have used the concept of one lift a day are powerlifters. A powerlifter might focus on the squat on Monday, bench press on Wednesday, and the deadlift on Friday. Bodybuilders have also used the concept to bring up a lagging body part that was hurting their symmetry, such as devoting a single workout session to overhead pressing exercises to widen their shoulders and thus improve their V-taper. In effect, these bodybuilders are practicing structural balance. From a training intensity perspective, performing one lift a day may increase the intensity of the exercise. Bulgarian strength coach Angel Spassov lectured to strength coaches in the US in the late 80s and early 90s that testosterone levels would achieve their highest levels in about 15 minutes into the workout, and maintain that level for about 30 minutes; after 30 minutes testosterone levels would decrease, and as such the quality of the workout would suffer. Using this idea as part of their scientific foundation, weightlifting coaches from Bulgaria designed their workouts to last about 45 minutes. However, to achieve sufficient volume in their workouts, their athletes would train several times a day. For example, a lifter might snatch in the morning, clean and jerk in the afternoon, and squat in the evening; many Bulgarian weightlifters who won Olympic gold were known to train five times a day, six days a week, using this system. In the late 80s, this idea of one (or a few) lifts per training sessions inspired the creation of a popular bodybuilding workout by Leo Costa and Dr. R.L. Horine called “The Bulgarian Power Burst System,” which presented the idea of a bodybuilder performing multiple training sessions a day and performing relatively few exercises each workout. However, it should be noted that when asked about the program at an Eleiko Strength Summit in 2011, Coach Abadjiev said that he was not consulted in the development of this workout system nor had he read the book written by Costa and Horine. From a psychological perspective, one lift a day workouts provide a refreshing change from traditional workouts. Knowing that you only have to go all-out in a single exercise may increase your motivation to train. On a more subjective level, there is research suggesting that focusing on a single exercise may have advantages over training multiple lifts in a single workout session.
In 2012, researchers from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences presented a study that looked at the differences between training 3 days a week and extending that same workout to 6 days a week. This study involved 16 powerlifters (13 men, 3 women) who had competed in national competitions. The workouts lasted 15 weeks, with the athletes performing 3 or 6 weekly training sessions. Total training, volume, training intensity and exercises for both groups were nearly identical. The authors concluded, “Dividing total training volume into 6 smaller sessions was more effective than the traditional 3 sessions per week regime both for the increase in 1 RM [1-repetition maximum] in squat and benchpress, as well as for the increase in thigh muscle CSA [cross sectional area]. The mechanisms behind the superior effects of more frequent and smaller sessions cannot be directly addressed in this study, but more frequent stimuli for hypertrophy and less fatiguing sessions might be possible explanations.” The lifts performed in a one lift a day training session should be those that involve a maximum amount of muscle mass. To use an extreme example, a bench press would be better than a triceps kickback. It follows that a leg press would be more effective than a leg extension, but a squat would be more effective than a leg press. Example of a weekly “One Lift a Day” program:
Monday: Back Squat Tuesday: Chin-up Wednesday: Military Press Thursday: Deadlift Friday: Bent-Over Row Saturday: Bench Press Sunday: Rest How many reps and sets to perform for each exercise depends on the training goal. Lower reps would develop the highest level of relative strength, medium reps functional hypertrophy, and higher reps, hypertrophy and strength endurance. Using a back squat, for example, the set/reps could be programmed as follows: 6-8 sets x 2-4 reps (relative strength), 4-6 sets x 4-6 reps (functional hypertrophy), 4-5 sets x 10-12 reps (hypertrophy). Combinations of these loading parameters could also be used, such as alternating between phases of hypertrophy and functional hypertrophy, for those who want to develop high levels of size and strength. Although the core idea of this workout is one lift a day, often an auxiliary exercise using the same muscle groups is included. Mark Rippetoe, in his book Practical Programming for Strength Training, offered this example: Monday: Bench Day + Assistance (shoulders and triceps) Tuesday: Squat Day + Assistance (hamstrings and lower back) Thursday: Press Day + Assistance (chest and triceps)
Friday: Light Squat + Deadlift + Assistance (back) Expanding on this idea, Rippetoe says on Monday the sequence could be bench press, seated dumbbell press, seated triceps extension. As for reps and sets, he said for the bench press you could do 5x5 on week 1, 5x3 on week 2, and 5x1 on week 3; the remaining exercises would be performed for 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps each week. Another appealing aspect of the one lift a day workouts is that because there are more rest days between a lift, you can supposedly train harder. No need to cycle your training intensities among “light, medium, and heavy” workouts. So rather than have heavy/medium/light days in various combinations, you simply perform the heaviest weights you can for that day based on the number of reps prescribed. One lift a day workouts would probably be more effective for immediate-level trainees (i.e., those with at least one year of training experience) and advanced trainees. It’s not to say that a beginner cannot make progress on this type of workout, but that they may achieve better results with a more conventional program that has a greater training frequency for each lift. If you want to try a simple, proven weight training system that has you going “hard and heavy” every workout, “One Lift a Day” workouts may just be the workout system for you. REFERENCES Raastad T, Kirketeig, A, Wolf, D, Paulsen G. “Powerlifters improved strength and muscular adaptations to a greater extent when equal total training volume was divided into 6 compared to 3 training sessions per week” (abstract). Book of abstracts, 17th annual conference of the ECSS, Brugge 4-7 July 2012. Rippetoe, Mark; Barker, Andy. Practical Programing for Strength Training, 3rd Edition, 2013, pp. 156-157, The Aasgaard Company, Wichita Falls, Texas
Chapter 8
Mike MacDonald is the only powerlifter to hold the world record in the bench press in four bodyweight classes at the same time. His best lifts are 522 at 181 pounds, 562 at 198 pounds, 603 at 220 pounds, and 635 weighing 232 pounds. With the help of Warren Tetting who builds exercise equipment, MacDonald designed a cambered bar that enabled him to work the pectorals through a greater range of motion.
9. Patient Lifter Method SUMMARY: The rationale for the Patient Lifter Method is that using the same weight over and over becomes so boring that the desire for change motivates trainees to get stronger so they can move on to a new workout. With this training method, trainees start off with weights they can handle comfortably for 6 sets of 2 reps. They are not allowed to increase the weight until their strength increases to the level where they can perform 6 sets of 4 reps. That’s it!
Patient Lifter Method
Slumps are a part of sports, with the Iron Game no exception. When a basketball team misses a lot of foul shots in a game, the coach will often have the players perform a tedious number of free throws during the next practice. In effect, this method uses boredom to achieve the desired result. Such is the inspiration for the Patient Lifter Method. With this training method, trainees start off with weights they can handle comfortably for 6 sets of 2 reps. They are not allowed to increase the weight until their strength increases to the level where they can perform 6 sets of 4 reps. That’s it! The rationale for this type of training is that using the same weight over and over becomes so boring that the desire for change motivates trainees to get stronger so they can move on to a new workout. From a more scientific perspective, the Patient Lifter method works by the law of repeated efforts. One definition of that law is that adaptation will occur if an activity is repeated enough, which suggests that if you continue to use the same load workout after workout, the nervous system will eventually be forced to accept that weight as normal. This process is not a visualization (such as saying to yourself, “Next workout I know I can hit 6 sets of 4 reps!); rather, it is a physiological adaptation. Regarding the starting weight, it will be 80 to 87 percent of your 1-repetition maximum,
depending upon your current neurological efficiency. Neurological efficiency refers to how effectively an individual recruits their higher-threshold muscle fibers. Athletes who are neurologically inefficient, as in the case of beginners, will respond better to the 80 percent load because they cannot effectively recruit the higher-threshold muscle fibers to help them lift the weight. Neurological efficiency is one reason that the Advanced German Volume Training Program (designed for trainees who have at least five years of training experience) uses sets of 6 reps instead of the 10 reps prescribed in the German Volume Training program. When using the Patient Lifter method, you need to take 4-5 minutes’ rest between sets to allow your nervous system to recover completely. However, if you pair exercises for agonist and antagonist muscles, you can cut that rest time just about in half. If you pair the biceps with the triceps, for example, you could rest 120 seconds after each exercise so that by the time you return to the biceps, you will have nearly 5 minutes’ rest (it adds up to more than 4 minutes because you have to include the time it takes to perform the triceps exercise). Here is a sample arm workout using the Patient Lifter method:
A1. Close-Grip Barbell Scott Curl, 6 x 2-4, 4010, rest 120 seconds A2. Close-Grip Bench Press, 6 x 2-4, 4010, rest 120 seconds B1. Standing EZ Bar Curl, 6 x 2-4, 4010, rest 120 seconds B2. Close-Grip Bench Press Rack Lock-Out, 6 x 2-4, 2210, rest 120 seconds If you’re fouling out with poor gains in your lifting, it’s time to turn things around. Let boredom work for you by trying the Patient Lifter method.
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
As a child, Marv Phillips fell from a tree and reportedly tore his right arm completely from his body. Surgeons used 287 internal stitches and 167 external stitches to sew his arm back on. Phillips was a 1974 national champion in powerlifting and broke the world record in the squat seven times, with a best of 848 pounds in the 242-pound bodyweight class..
10. Priority Training SUMMARY: A sensible guideline in training is to perform the most effective exercises early in the workout. The popular name for this approach is Priority Training.
Priority Training
The 1966 Mr. Universe was one of the few bodybuilding competitions Arnold Schwarzenegger lost. The winner, America’s Chet Yorton, was not nearly as massive as the Austrian Oak but distinguished himself with large, diamond-shaped calves that were an apparent weakness for Arnold. This loss convinced Arnold to make calf work a priority in his training, and the result was that he turned a weakness into a strength and went on to an undefeated run in the Mr. Olympia. Arnold’s story is testament to the value of Priority Training, which suggests that you need to perform the most important exercises early in your workout. Those who write time management books and planning diaries always talk about setting priorities with “To Do” lists. This is good advice because to achieve your goals it’s best to focus first on those tasks that will provide the most impact, increasing the likelihood they will get completed. Likewise, a sensible guideline in training is to perform the most effective exercises early in the workout. What are the most effective exercises? There are a number of factors to consider – here are a few: 1. Exercises that recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers. For example, the triceps has three heads: long head, lateral head, and medial head. You should generally perform
exercises that work all three heads rather than just one or two. An excellent resource on what exercises work which muscle groups is Target Bodybuilding by Per A. Tesch, PhD. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Tesch was able to determine which muscle groups were used in 60 common exercises, many of them arm exercises, and how hard they worked. A practical way to determine which exercises activate the most muscle fibers is by how much weight can be used in those exercises, obviously assuming that proper form is respected. Therefore, dips on V-bars will do far more for your triceps development than triceps kickbacks, and triceps pushdowns will not be as effective as close-grip bench presses or seated-half presses in rack for rapid strength and mass gains in the triceps. For the elbow flexors, one-arm Scott hammer curls will recruit more fibers than lying prone dumbbell curls or incline bench concentration curls. 2. Technical complexity. Compound exercises with a high technical component, such as the Olympic lifts and their variations, need to be performed first in a session; also in this category are exercises used in the training for strongman competition, such as keg and sandbag lifts. These exercises require a great deal of concentration and coordination, and therefore they should be performed when the trainee’s energy lev- els are highest and the nervous system is rested and in a wakeful state. Thus, a snatch should be performed before a push press, a push press before a squat, and a squat before a biceps curl. One bonus of this training method is that it saves time. Many complex exercises involve a large amount of muscle mass, and as such they serve as an effective warm-up for other exercises. For example, if you started your workouts with the military press, you might need ust three warm-up sets before you would be ready for maximal-effort sets. 3. Muscle fiber type. For optimal recruitment of the fast-twitch fibers from an exercise, one must train them when the central nervous sys- tem is fresh; hence, at the beginning of the training unit (or session). Here is an example of a workout that starts with an explosive exercise followed by a strength exercise. A. Power Clean, 7 x 3, 11X1, rest 150 seconds B. Front Squat, 6 x 5, 4, 3, 3, 4, 5, 3010, rest 150 seconds A practical example of how to apply this principle would be when working the calves. The gastrocnemius is roughly 60 percent fast-twitch fibers, and the soleus is approximately 88 percent slow-twitch fibers; therefore, the gastrocnemius should be trained first. By the same logic, in the case of elbow flexor training, the brachialis should be trained before the biceps brachii because the brachialis has more fast-twitch fibers than the biceps brachii. Other examples of muscles that are primarily fast-twitch include adductor longus, biceps femoris, pectoralis major, psoas, rectus abdominus, and triceps. There are exceptions where you would perform a slow speed exercise before a fast speed exercise in a superset. This is the case with contrast training, where a heavy weight is used first in a superset to stimulate the nervous system before an explosive exercise. Here is an example.
A1. Back Squat, 8 x 3, 4010, rest 45 seconds A2. Barbell Jumps, 8 x 6-8, 10X0, rest 180 seconds 4. Training Goal. The order of the exercises will change as the goals of the individual change. A chain is only as strong as its weakness link, and the exercise order should be arranged to reflect these goals. For example, when many bodybuilders decide they want to compete, they often find that their calves are relatively weaker compared to their other body parts. As such, calf exercises should be performed first, or at least early, in a training session. The same principle applies to sports specific training. A short-term training goal for a downhill skier might be to improve hamstring strength in the off-season. Often the stress on the quadriceps from practicing their sport is enough to maintain, and even increase, strength in the quadriceps. However, without supplemental weight training, during the season it’s easily possible to develop a relative weakness in the hamstrings. As such, performing hamstring exercises first in a workout can help athletes achieve structural balance. Now that you have your priorities straight, it’s time to get to work!
Al Feuerbach broke the world record in the shot put in 1973 with a put of 71’7”. He competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, and in 1974 won the Senior National Weightlifting Championships in the 242-pound bodyweight division with lifts of 341 in the snatch and 418 in the clean and jerk.
11. Reg Park’s 5x5 Program SUMMARY: Reg Park was one of the most popular bodybuilders in the early days of physique competition, winning the most prestigious titles of his era. He also possessed tremendous strength, being the first bodybuilder to bench press 500 pounds, and was one of the few bodybuilders who possessed 20-inch arms. As such, this program is designed to make an individual as strong as they looked.
Reg Park’s 5x5 Program
One of the most popular workouts during the past half-century is Reg Park’s 5x5 System. Not to be confused with the version developed by strength coach Bill Starr that has proven to be especially popular with football players, Park’s workout is designed to develop a physique that is as strong as it looks. There have been many variations of the 5x5 training system, but one source can be found in Reg Park’s book, Strength and Bulk Training for Weight Lifters and Body Builders , published in 1960. It was a workout that helped Park become not just a bodybuilding legend and one of the strongest bodybuilders in his time, but also a movie star. Park played Hercules on the big screen in five movies, his first being Hercules and the Captive Women in 1961. In the days before CGI, if you wanted an actor to look like Hercules, that actor had to pack on a lot of muscle in the gym. Park had done just that, building a balanced physique that included 20-inch arms. Park’s first major bodybuilding competition was the Mr. Britain in 1946, where he placed forth, winning the title in 1949. In the amateur NABBA Mr. Universe competition in 1950, Park placed second to Steve Reeves, another bodybuilder who played Hercules in movies. Park won the overall title in the amateur NABBA Mr. Universe in 1951, and the pro divisions in 1958 and 1965. He placed second to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1970 by just ½ point, and again placed second in 1973. Very few professional athletes have stayed at the top of their game for nearly three decades, which is why there has been considerable interest in
how Park trained. Park believed that one of the benefits of using a 5x5 protocol it that it develops tremendous strength. Many years later Starr said he used 5x5 for his workout because the available research at the time suggested that the optimal range of reps to build strength was between 4-6. For Park this was certainly true, as he was the first bodybuilder to bench press 500 pounds. He did this lift in 1953, long before the creation of the supportive gear used today by many powerlifters. Consider too that the first man to bench press 500 pounds was Canadian weightlifter Doug Hepburn. Hepburn outweighed Park by 60 pounds and accomplished this milestone lift just 10 days before Park matched him. Although you can use this set/rep protocol with any exercise, it is usually reserved for core exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Park would use 5x5 for these core exercises, but perform higher reps for isolation exercises such as calf raises and triceps extensions. The basic goal of Park’s workout is to perform two progressively heavier sets of 5 reps of an exercise, then three sets of 5 using the same weight. When you can complete all three sets with the heavier weights, increase the weight on all five sets by 5-10 pounds. Supersets were not performed in Park’s system so that you could focus on putting the maximum effort into each set. Here is a three-phase outline of Park’s workout: Phase 1
(3 months - M/W/F) Back Squat, 5x5 Bench Press, 5x5 Deadlift, 5x5 Pull-up, 5x5 45-Degree Back Extension, 5x5 Abs, 5x5 *Super-set the last two exercises (back and abs). Phase 2
(3 months - M/W/F) Front Squat, 5x5 Back Squat, 5x5 Bench Press, 5x5 Standing Barbell Shoulder Press, 5x5 High Pull, 5x5 Deadlift, 5x5
Standing Barbell Calf Raise, 5x25 Pull-up, 5x5 45-Degree Back Extension, 5x5 Abs, 5x5 Phase 3
(3 months - M/W/F) Front Squat, 5x5 Back Squat,5x5 Standing Barbell Shoulder Press, 5x5 Bench Press, 5x5 Bent-over Barbell Row, 5x5 Deadlift, 5x3 Behind-the-Neck Press or One-Arm Dumbbell Press, 5x5 Barbell Curl, 5x5 Lying Triceps Extension, 5x8 Standing Barbell Calf Raise, 5x25 Pull-up, 5x5 45-degree back extension, 5x5 Abs, 5x5 The problem with this system is that when an individual reaches a higher level of strength, more warm-up sets are needed. If someone can squat 350 pounds for five reps, performing one set of let’s say 135x5 and one of 300x5 may not be enough warm-up to perform 350 for sets of 5. Squatting is a skill, and two warm-up sets is probably not enough work to prepare especially strong individuals physically and mentally to lift maximum poundages. Further, at the higher levels of strength, more volume (total reps) of maximum weights is often required to make optimal progress. A modern twist of Park’s program for an advanced trainee on major exercises would be to perform 4-5 warm-up sets of 5 reps, followed by 5 sets of 5 reps with a primary weight. Let’s see how this program can be used for the bench press. Let’s assume your best result in this lift is 200 pounds for 5 reps. Warm-up with four sets using these weights: 45, 95, 135, and 185. Now put 200 pounds on the bar and try to complete five sets, resting 3-5 minutes between sets. If, during your first workout, you could only perform an average of 2 reps per set with the primary weight, the weight is too heavy as you should be able to complete at least a total of 14 reps. To get you back on track, for your next workout back off to 190 pounds and start the cycle again.
Now let’s say you completed the following reps for each set with 200 pounds: 5,4,3,3,3. That’s 18 reps, so stay with that weight for your next workout but try to add at least another rep to each set. If you fall short, use 200 pounds again for your next workout. If you get all 25 reps, then increase the primary weight to 205 pounds. Park recommended performing a 5x5 workout 3 times a week. If you were to increase the volume of training with the variation described here, you would probably be better off only using it twice a week (with at least two days rest between workouts), depending on the exercise. Reg Park’s contributions to the Iron Game were considerable and his achievements as an athlete were remarkable. For these reasons you should consider trying some variation of the 5x5 method if you want to pack on slabs of quality muscle. For a bodybuilder it’s great to be big, but it’s better to be big and strong! REFERENCES: http://superstrengthtraining.com/strength-and-bulk-training-reg-park http://startingstrength.com/articles/olympic_press_starr.pdf Starr, Bill. The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football , Aasgaard Company (8th printing, Revised First Edition, 2011)
Chapter 11
Mario Martinez (left) and Ken Clark are two US Olympians trained by Jim Schmitz. Martinez competed in three Olympics, earning a silver medal in 1984.
12. The Sports Palace System SUMMARY: The champion weightlifters of today are known to train multiple times per day, often six days a week. Here is a program designed to improve performance in the sport of weightlifting but only requires a commitment of three days a week to training. It is a program created by three-time US Olympic Team Coach Jim Schmitz and has been called the Sports Palace System, named after his gym.
The Sports Palace System
The champion weightlifters today are known to train multiple times per day, often six days a week. Here is a program designed to improve performance in the sport of weightlifting but only requires a commitment of three days a week to training. It is a program created by three-time US Olympic Team Coach Jim Schmitz and has been called the Sports Palace System, named after his gym. Schmitz is one of the most successful weightlifting coaches in the US. He is a three-time US Olympic Team coach and has coached athletes in seven Olympic Games. He coached three athletes who clean and jerked 500 pounds, and two who have snatched 400 pounds. His lifters, many that he coached from Day 1, enabled him to win the team title at the national championships multiple times. He has also personally coached three women lifters who competed in the World Championships. What makes these accomplishments even more remarkable is that all his athletes only trained three days a week, once a day, and no more than two hours in a single training session. Rather than sponsored athletes who lived, slept and breathed weightlifting, Schmitz’s lifters held full-time jobs, had families, or were full-time students – they also had their weekends free! And with four rest days per week – regardless if you were a beginner or an Olympian – his athletes tended to be injury-free and thus able to make gradual improvement, year after year. Schmitz is a 1968 graduate of San Francisco State College who received his degree in
physical education. He played on the defensive line, but after graduation decided to focus on weightlifting because he didn’t believe he had the size to play football in the pros -- he was 5’10” and 200 pounds. Schmitz eventually reached a level where he could Olympic press 281 pounds, snatch 275, and clean and jerk 347 at a bodyweight of 200 pounds. In 1972 Schmitz opened a gym on Valencia Street in San Francisco he called the Sports Palace. Ten years later his team won the national championships, defeating the York Barbell Club, which had won the championships for 29 years in a row and had sponsored athletes who didn’t train in York. Getting into Schmitz’s workout system, it is based on one-month cycles. These cycles repeated, fulfilling the basic definition of periodization. The workouts focused on the snatch, clean and jerk, power variations of these classical lifts such as the power snatch, front and back squats, and pulls. The pulls were essential because with so limited training time, they kept the volume of lifting higher and strengthened the first pull of the lifts. Schmitz also included some unique variations of the lifts, such as power snatching or power cleaning a weight on the first two reps, and then doing the full lift on a third. About 5-6 exercises were performed in a single training session. Here is an example of the exercises used in a single week: Monday
Back squat, power snatch, power clean, push jerk, bench press Wednesday:
Push jerk and jerk, jerk support, overhead squat, hang power and squat snatch, hang power and squat clean, bench press. Friday:
Power and squat snatch, power and squat clean, snatch high pull, clean high pull, front squat and jerk, front squat, bench press The system used percentages based upon one-rep maximums. As a general guideline, the percentages would look like this: Week 1, 75%; Week 2, 85%, Week 3, 95%, Week 4, 100%. This follows the trend of many popular strength programs in that it builds up to higher intensity in three weeks, followed by an unloading week. Friday was the hardest day of the week and focuses more on full lifts; Wednesday is the easiest; and Monday focuses on power movements and often heavier squats. Except for squats when higher reps were occasionally performed, most of the reps performed were usually between 1-3. The higher the percentage, the lower the repetitions. For example, 70% weights might be performed for 3x3, 80% for 3x2, 90% for 3x1, and 95100%, 1 rep. Schmitz says with the classical lifts, it’s best to focus on doubles and singles because form breaks down with fatigue and you increase the risk of injury. Pulls can be performed for 110% and deadlifts up to 120%. Here are samples set/rep percentage prescriptions for several lifts performed during a 100% week: Monday
Push Jerk, 50x3x3, 60x2, 70x2, 75x3x2 Back Squat, 50x10, 50x7, 70x5, 80x3, 90x2, 95 x 1, 100x1 Friday
Snatch: 50x3x3, 60x2, 70x2, 80x1, 87.5x1, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 100x1 Clean Pull: 80x2, 95x2, 105x3x2 Clean Deadlift: 110x1, 115 x1, 120x 1 Consider that only a few exercises are performed at the highest intensities in this system. For example, on week three (95%), during one Monday workout the only exercise performed for 95% is the front squat; four other exercises are performed using weights between 75-80%. The week before a competition the training consists of weights that range between 60-80 percent, with the 60 percent lifts coming two days before a competition. The week after a competition, the weights range from 60-80 percent to allow the athlete to completely recover. Although it seems that not much strength development is taking place in the first two weeks, consider that maximal strength training methods are not the optimal way for a weightlifter to improve their speed and power (as the bar is moving slower with the heavier weights). Certainly, a weightlifter needs to lift heavy weights to get strong, but there are other aspects of training that must be addressed. In fact, if you examine translated weightlifting textbooks and coaching articles from Russia, you’ll find that the primary weight used in most workouts is about 75-80% of maximum. Such a conservative approach to training keeps the joints healthy and provides plenty of time for recovery. What has often been seen in international competition with US lifters is they hit a peak quickly and then struggle to maintain it, often getting injured. In many cases, the US sent lifters to the World Championships who had not made any significant progress in their lifting totals in five years. Although these athletes earned their positions on the team because they were the best in the country, it raises the question that perhaps some of these athletes were pushed too hard? The best international lifters of today are following programs that often have them training 5-6 days a week, and often performing multiple training sessions per day. With today’s competitive environment, that may be the only way to reach the highest levels of the sport. But if you are looking for a practical, proven workout system that enables you to lift extremely heavy weights while still having a life, consider Jim Schmitz’s Sports Palace System. REFERENCES: http://www.ironmind-store.com/Olympic-style-Weightlifting-Beg-Int-Manual-DVD-Set/productinfo/1203/
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Powerlifters squat in such a manner as to use the most weight possible, and weightlifters perform the squat to carryover to the classical lifts. Shown are (bottom) Jo-Jo White, a US powerlifter who attempted a 1,000 squat in 1978; and (top) Yurik Vardanyan, a Russian weightlifter who won the 1980 Olympics and broke 41 world records.
13. Squat Every Day SUMMARY: “Squat Every Day” is a workout system that challenges conventional thinking about optimal training intensity and frequency. It is designed not just to improve your squat max, but your overall strength, muscle mass, and athletic ability.
Squat Every Day
“Squat Every Day” is a workout system that challenges conventional thinking about optimal training intensity and frequency. It is designed not just to improve your squat max, but your overall strength, muscle mass, and athletic ability. Those promoting the system include John Broz, Cory Gregory, Matt Perryman, and other respected strength experts. Perryman wrote a book about the program called, appropriately, “Squat Every Day: Thoughts on Overtraining and Recovery in Strength Training.” All of these programs recommend that you squat every training day and begin each workout with squats. Because the squat is unquestionably the single most effective exercise for increasing overall strength and size, proponents of this program believe that specializing on this exercise will produce significantly faster results than other strength and mass-building programs. One of the appeals of the program is that it represents a training philosophy that challenges current thinking about how much hard work the body is capable of lifting on a consistent basis. Proponents of the program believe that how you feel going into a workout can be deceptive, such that you might not feel strong when starting a workout but could still end up breaking personal records that day. As such, the program doesn’t involve getting locked into predetermined percentages of an individual’s one-repetition maximum (1RM), but rather to
adjust the weights you use on a given day based upon how the workout progresses. Many readers of the Perryman’s book may be disappointed with the lack of detailed workout programs, but in a way this makes sense because the author believes that every training session should be flexible to adjust to the physical capabilities of the individual. That being said, reading his book cover-to-cover will give you a good understanding of how to design a workout that is best for you. Gregory’s version of the program goes into much more specifics about how the workouts should be designed. He provides recommendations for 11 different squat variations that can be performed, suggests auxiliary exercises, and provides precise prescriptions for sets and reps. Sample, here is a general outline of a seven-day split:
Monday: Squat and Chest Tuesday: Squat and Pull Wednesday: Squat and Shoulders Thursday: Squat and Arms Friday: Squat and Chest/Back Saturday: Squat Sunday: Squat On a squat and chest day, here is the order of exercises for one of Gregory’s workouts: Bike and Walking Lunge (warm-up); Close-Stance Deep Squat with Belt; Glute-Ham Raise supersetted with Walking Lunge; Bench Press; and a tri-set consisting of the Incline Dumbbell Press, Push-up, and Dumbbell Fly. Before going further, consider that the concept of squatting every day is not new. Weightlifters are known to squat daily, and elite weightlifters have been known to squat multiple times a day. Two countries that have national weightlifting teams using highfrequency squatting are Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. During a 6-day training week, Bulgarian coaches might have their athletes squat 12 times in a week, as follows: Mon/Wed/Fri
Front Squat: 2 sessions, morning and evening Tue/Thur/Sat
Back Squat: 1 morning session Front Squat: 1 evening session Consider that these squats are performed with as many as 24 additional sessions of classical lifts and pulls. The Kazakhstan program for elite lifters is similar to the Bulgarians, but focuses on the front squat. In one workout shared by one of their national coaches, their athletes front squatted twice a day, six days a week, with three of those workouts working
up to 100 percent, with the fourth begin at 95 percent. It should be noted, however, that many weightlifters from Bulgaria and Kazakhstan were banned from international competitions in recent years for violating doping policies. Regarding intensity, with Perryman’s program you set a minimum weight to be lifted each day and slowly warm-up to it. When you reach that weight you have several options, depending upon how difficult that set was. For example, if that set was not a limit weight for the day you can continue going heavier to try for a new personal best. If it was especially heavy, you can do back-off sets with lighter weights. One of the expectations of the program is that those using it will be more comfortable with handling heavy weights more frequently, and proponents of the system often support their beliefs with by referencing the coaching methods of Bulgarian lifters. For example, former Bulgarian National Weightlifting Coach Ivan Abadjiev made this comment about training intensity: “When observing animals, for instance, they don’t have micro and macro cycles. They don’t have leisure periods. They are all the time active. They don’t have performance of 80% or 70%. They only have performance achievements of 100% all of the time. The way that animals prey, whatever they do, they do it their best and they do it at 100%. This is the way they survive.” If nothing else, the squat every day programs can increase technical proficiency in the lift. This feature by itself may rapidly increase squatting results because the technique for lifting a max weight is different that lifting a sub-max weight. As an analogy, consider that weightlifting coaches often don’t count lifts below 70 percent of their 1RM in their workout logbooks as they believe the technique with these relatively lighter weights is considerably different than with heavier weights. Likewise, Abadjiev thought that the best way to improve technique with heavy weights is to lift heavy weights, and as such his athletes performed more maximal lifts in training compared to conventional training programs. Advanced training protocols such as German Volume Training and Cluster Training are taught in PICP courses. These methods are not meant to be used more than a few times a year. Perhaps the squat every day program might be included in this category as a way to shock your system into rapid increases in strength and muscle mass? In any case, if you’re serious about getting bigger and stronger, and especially in improving your squat max, the squat every day system may be just the training system for you. REFERENCES http://www.sportivnypress.com/2014/scientific-methodological-aspects-of-training-the-kazakhstan-select-team/ http://weightlifting.informe.com/ivan-abajiev-training-lecture-dt186.html Zatsiorsky, V.M. (1992). Intensity of strength training facts and theory: Russian and Eastern European approach. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal, 14
Shane Hamman broke the world record in the squat in the super heavyweight class with a best of 1008 pounds, which he did in 1996; he also placed second in the 1995 IPF World Championships. Hamman made the switch from powerlifting to weightlifting, winning nine Senior National Championships and competing in two Olympic Games.
14. Strongest Shall Survive Program SUMMARY: One of the most popular workouts for building total body strength is Bill Starr ’s 5x5 program. There are many variations of 5x5 workouts, but Starr’s program is one of the first and is primarily designed for athletes.
Strongest Shall Survive Program
One of the most popular workouts for building total body strength is Bill Starr’s 5x5 program. There are many variations of 5x5 workouts, but Starr’s program is one of the first and is primarily designed for athletes. The program was introduced in Starr’s book, The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football, first published in the 70s and now in its eighth printing. Starr was an international-caliber weightlifter and one of the industry’s first strength coaches. He was also one of the Iron Game’s most prolific writers, having been an editor at Strength and Health magazine and a contributor to numerous popular bodybuilding magazines. One of the primary appeals of Starr’s program is its simplicity: it focuses on three lifts and one set/rep protocol. Let’s take a closer look. Regarding sets and reps, Starr decided on a protocol of 5x5 because he said that the available research at the time determined that the optimal range of both sets and reps to develop strength was between 4-6. Starr said that he used the 5x5 formula because it “… was the exact median and it was easy to remember.” In his book published in 1960, Strength and Bulk Training for Weight Lifters and Bodybuilders, British bodybuilder Reg Park outlined a 5x5 training program to build muscle mass. For the primary exercises in this workout, the trainee would do 2 warm-up sets of 5 reps of the primary exercises followed by 3 sets of 5 reps at maximum effort; for smaller muscle groups, such as the calves and forearms, more reps would be performed but only for 2 sets. One of the major differences between Park’s workout and Starr’s was the use of
percentages. Starr would have athletes perform each lift three times a week using a heavy/medium/light percentage system. More specifically, the heavy weight would be a 100 percent effort, the medium 90 percent, and the light 80 percent. All heavy lifts could be performed on the same day, with medium weights the second day and light weights the third. However, to ensure quality work for every exercise, many strength coaches would have their athletes perform only one heavy lift per workout, such as with the following example: Monday
Exercise 1: Heavy (100%) Exercise 2: Medium (90%) Exercise 3: Light (80%) Wednesday
Exercise 1: Light (80%) Exercise 2: Heavy (100%) Exercise 3: Medium (90%) Friday
Exercise 1: Medium (90%) Exercise 2: Light (80%) Exercise 3: Heavy (100%) For the 100% series, not every set is taken to failure, but rather each set should be progressively heavier until a 5-repetition maximum (5RM) is used on the last set. If an athlete could bench press 200x5, a heavy workout might look something like this: 5 reps x 135, 155, 175, 190, 200. In turn, a medium workout would finish at 180x5, and a light workout at 160x5. As a general guideline, a 5-repetition max could be converted by determining 85 percent of a 1RM. There are also several spreadsheets available for free on the Internet that will perform these calculations for you (see reference section). These spreadsheets progressively increase the top end weights each week, which in turn increases the weight during the medium and light workouts. This is key: to ensure progress, the trainee should attempt to progressively use heavier poundages for nearly every sets, every week. As for rest intervals, Starr said the rest time should be brief, but 3-5 minutes rest can be taken before the heaviest set of the day to ensure maximum effort. For his core lifts, Starr decided on the power clean, bench press, and back squat. He had wanted to use the overhead press rather than the bench press as one of his “Big 3,” but decided not to for several reasons. The lift was controversial because the overhead press performed in weightlifting competition at the time was known to cause lower back problems. He thought the incline press would be a good compromise, but when he wrote
the book incline benches were rare. Since most high schools and colleges had flat benches, this is the pressing exercise he settled on. However, in this book Starr says substitutions can be made, such as using the deadlift rather than the power clean, and additional exercises can be added for several sets but using higher reps (such as dips for 3x5-8 reps and hyperextensions for 2x8-12 reps). Using our outline above, here is what a weekly workout could look like for the core exercises: Monday
Power Clean: 115 x 5, 135 x 5, 145 x 5, 155 x 5, 165 x 5 (heavy) Bench Press: 135 x 5, 150 x 5, 160 x 5, 170 x 5, 180 x 5 (medium) Squat: 135 x 5, 150 x 5, 160 x 5, 170 x 5, 180 x 5 (light) Wednesday
Power Clean: 115 x 5, 115 x 5, 115 x 5, 125 x 5, 135 x 5 (light) Bench Press: 135 x 5, 155 x 5, 175 x 5, 190 x 5, 200 x 5 (heavy) Squat: 135 x 5, 155 x 5, 175 x 5, 190 x 5, 205 x 5 (medium) Friday
Power Clean: 115 x 5, 125 x 5, 135 x 5, 145 x 5, 150 x 5 (medium) Bench Press: 135 x 5, 145 x 5, 155 x 5, 160 x 5 (light) Squat: 135 x 5, 165 x 5, 185 x 5, 205 x 5, 225 x 5 (heavy) For more advanced athletes, Starr offered variations in the number of repetitions and sets performed. Rather than 5x5, he might prescribe a total of 7 sets, as follows: 5-5-5-3-3-3, with a back-off set of 6-10 reps. Here is an example of this system provided by Starr: 135x5, 175x5, 225x5, 275x3, 305x3, 315x3, 255x6-10. The simplicity of Starr’s 5x5 program make it an effective system to use with a large number of athletes, and it was the go-to program for numerous high school football programs in the 70s and 80s. You are probably not trying to prepare for the gridiron, but Bill Starr’s 5x5 workout may be a good basic program to try if you want to get stronger fast. REFERENCES: https://www.lift.net/workout-routines/bill-starr-5x5/ http://williamge.github.io/Intermediate5x5/ http://startingstrength.com/articles/olympic_press_starr.pdf Starr, Bill. The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football, Aasgaard Company (8th printing, Revised First Edition, 2011)
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Jon Cole was a champion powerlifter, weightlifter, track and field athlete, and strongman from the United States. He was the first to squat 900 pounds (raw, but with knee wraps) and total 2200 and 2300 in the three competition lifts. He threw the discus 231’7” (winning the 1969 National AAU Championships) and the javelin 241”, put the shot 71’4”, and ran the 100-yard dash in 9.9 seconds at a bodyweight of 258 pounds.
15. Westside Barbell Program SUMMARY: The Westside Barbell program in its current form was developed by Louie Simmons, a veteran powerlifter who achieved elite status in five bodyweight classes. Simmons calls his method of training the conjugate sequence system, such that it is not a single workout program but a combination of three workout systems that rotate. The core of Westside program is three workout systems: the maximal effort method, the repeated effort method, and the dynamic method.
Westside Barbell Program
In the Iron Game, the popularity of a workout program is often influenced by the charisma of its creator. Workouts such as Heavy Duty, The Nautilus System, and Sweating to the Oldies became popular not necessarily because they produced superior results quickly, but because their creators Mike Mentzer, Arthur Jones, and Richard Simmons marketed them effectively. Likewise, the popularity of the Westside Barbell program should be credited to the efforts its creator. The Westside Barbell program in its current form was developed by Louie Simmons, a veteran powerlifter who achieved elite status in five bodyweight classes. Simmon’s best lifts include a 920-pound squat, 600 bench press, and a 722 deadlift. Simmons has worked with collegiate and professional athletes and has written extensively about his training system. Further, Simmons’s invitation-only Westside Barbell Gym in Columbus, Ohio, is home to many of the world’s strongest powerlifters. The original Westside Barbell Gym was located in Culver City, California. Their training methods, especially with exercises such as the box squat, influenced Simmons’s training such that he named his gym the Westside Barbell Club. Other methods that influenced Simmons were those promoted by Russian and Bulgarian coaches and sport scientists. For example, Simmons beliefs on the optimal sets and reps to perform are based upon a table
developed by Russian sports scientist A.S. Prilepin. Simmons has always been active in giving seminars and interviews about his training system. His ability to recite sports science literature in rapid-fire fashion, along with the successes of Iron Game and other athletes who used his system, can be quite imitating. The bottom line is that if you dare to get into an argument with Simmons, you’d better be prepared as Simmons has been doing this for a long time and has a good answer for every hard question. Simmons calls his method of training the conjugate sequence system, such that it is not a single workout program but a combination of three workout systems that rotate. For this reason it could be considered a periodization model, which is defined by sports scientist Dr. Mike Stone as a form of fatigue-management that contains periods that repeat. The core of Westside program is three workout systems: the maximal effort method, the repeated effort method, and the dynamic method. The maximal effort method is used to create high levels of muscle tension. It accomplishes this by using a large number of sets for low reps. A typical set-rep sequence might be to perform 8 sets of 1-3 reps, with the last 3 sets using up to 95 percent of an individual’s 1repetition maximum for the exercise. Typically, two maximal effort workouts are performed each week, one for the upper body and one for the lower body. The dynamic effort method uses sub-maximal weights taken to failure to create a high level of fatigue. As with the maximal effort method, a high number of sets and a low number of reps are performed. The resistance is usually around 40-60% of the single repetition maximum for a lift. Bands and chains are often used to increase the resistance at the end of the movement, where the athlete is strongest in lifts such as the bench press, squat, and deadlift. An emphasis on moving the weight as quickly as possible is the focus of this workout. A sample workout might consist of 8 sets of 1-3 reps with 60 percent of the 1RM and an additional 20 percent resistance with bands. As with the maximal effort method, two dynamic effort method workouts are performed each week, one for the upper body and one for the lower body. The repetition method uses considerably less than maximal resistance with sets taken to failure. This method is used after the core lifts performed on the dynamic effort and maximum effort days. Less sets and more reps are performed. As such, 3-4 sets of 10 reps to failure could be used. All four workouts use repetition training after the primary exercise is performed with one of the other two training methods. Although the intensity level is high during these workouts, Simmons believes that using a variety of training methods and exercises helps avoid overtraining. However, as a method of unloading for recovery, on the fourth week of a cycle the maximum effort work can be substituted with repetition work as it is less stressful on the nervous system. Putting it all together, here is what a Westside-inspired workout performed four days per week could look like in outline form: Day 1: Dynamic Effort Bench
Bench Press Auxiliary lifts for shoulders, triceps, lats, upper back Day 2: Max Effort Squat or Deadlift
Squat or Deadlift Auxiliary lifts for hamstrings, lower back, abs Day 3: Rest Day 4: Max Effort Bench Press
Bench Press Auxiliary lifts for shoulders, triceps, lats, upper back Day 5: Rest Day 6: Dynamic Squat or Deadlift
Squat or Deadlift Auxiliary lifts for shoulders, triceps, lats, upper back Day 7: Rest
Breaking it down even further, here is how a Westside-inspired program could look for a single week: Monday
Box Squat: 8 x 1-3 (Max Effort) Reverse Hyper: 4 x 10 Standing Crunch with Cables: 4 x 15 Wednesday
Bench Press, 8 x 1-3 (Max Effort) Dips: 4 x 10 Barbell Triceps Extension: 4 x10 Dumbbell Row: 4 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug: 4 x 10 Friday
Deadlift with Bands: 10 x 2-3 (Dynamic Effort) Leg Curl: 4 x 10 Weighed Incline Sit-ups: 4 x 10 Saturday
Bench Press with Bands: 8 x 1-3 (Dynamic Effort)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 x 10 Seated Cable Row: 4 x 10 Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 x 10 Reverse Curl: 4 x 10 The Westside Barbell program should be looked at more as a set of training principles than a single workout program, a perspective that allows for considerable flexibility in program design. Simmons is a prolific writer and has written numerous articles, available free online, about the details of his system. Before trying this program, you should spend a considerable amount of time studying his ideas to ensure you are performing his training system correctly. The Westside Barbell program is a proven workout system that is considered a “go-to” program for powerlifting. Other Iron Game athletes, and athletes in other sports, have also enjoyed success with it. For these reasons, the Westside Barbell program is here to stay! REFERENCES: https://www.scribd.com/document/317159386/Special-Strength-Development-for-All-Sports-Louie-Simmons
Glossary Abadjiev, Ivan: weightlifting coach who introduced a high volume training approach that enabled the Bulgarians to become a world power in the sport Agonists and Antagonists: the agonist is the muscle that causes the primary movement; the opposing muscle, the antagonist, is relaxed during this movement Anello, Vince: the first man under 200 pounds bodyweight to deadlift 800 pounds Blagoev, Blagov: a Bulgarian weightlifter who broke 18 world records and is considered the greatest snatcher of all time Borzov, Valeriy: a Russian track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprints at the 1972 Olympics Clark, Ken: an Olympian in weightlifting who broke numerous American records. He was coached by Jim Schmitz. See Jim Schmitz Cole, Jon: a champion powerlifter, weightlifter, track and field athlete, and strongman from the United States. He was the first powerlifter to squat 900 pounds (raw, but with knee wraps) and total 2200 and 2300 in the three competition lifts. Concentric Contraction: the type of contraction in which a muscle shortens, such as when an individual curls a barbell to the shoulders; if X is used in the formula, it implies explosive action with full acceleration Circuit Training: a training system introduced in 1953 by physiologists at the University of Leeds in England to describe a system of integrating several components of fitness into a single workout Cluster Training: a method of developing strength popularized by US weightlifting coac h Carl Miller Conjugate Sequence System: a combination of three workout systems that rotate. Popularized by powerlifting coach Louie Simmons, the systems are the maximal effort method, the repeated effort method, and the dynamic method. Descending Sets: a training method in which virtually no rest time is taken between weight changes Eccentric Contraction: the type of contraction in which a muscle lengthens Feuerbach, Al: a former world record holder in the shot put who won the Senior National Weightlifting Championships Gastrocnemius: an upper calf muscle that is approximately 60 percent fast-twitch fibers German Body Comp Program: a workout system characterized by short rest intervals and multijoint movements to generate maximum growth-hormone production German Volume Training: a workout that produces results from prolonged muscle tension instead of high levels of muscle tension. See German Volume Training, Advanced German Volume Training, Advanced: a variation of the German Volume Training program that uses 6 reps per set rather than 10 reps to account for the neurological efficiency of advanced trainees Giant Set: three exercises for the same muscle group performed in sequence Hepburn, Doug Ivan: a weightlifter, powerlifter, and strongman who was the first man to bench press 500 pounds and won the 1953 World Weightlifting Championships. His nickname was the “Grandfather of Modern Powerlifting.” Hamman, Shane: a two-time Olympian in weightlifting from the US who broke the world record in the squat with 1008 pounds Hoffman, Bob: a prolific writer in the field of weightlifting and physical fitness training who was nicknamed, “The Father of American Weightlifting” Isometric Pause: the isometric pause that usually occurs between the eccentric (lowering) phase and the concentric (lifting) phase of a repetition, such as when a barbell makes contact with the chest during the bench press Kuc, John: a three-time world powerlifting champion who was the first to deadlift 850 pounds in competition MacDonald, Mike: the only powerlifter to hold the world record in the bench press in four bodyweight classes at the same time. His best lifts are 522 at 181 pounds, 562 at 198 pounds, 603 at 220 pounds, and 635 weighing 232 pounds. He created a cambered bar for bench pressing that enables the trainee to perform the exercise through a greater range of motion Martinez, Mario: a three-time Olympian in weightlifting who earned a silver medal in 1984. He was coached by Jim Schmitz. See Jim Sc hmitz
Matveyev, Leonid: a Russian sports scientist known for his work in periodization for weightlifting Nikolov, Andon: an Olympic c hampion in weightlifting from Bulgaria who broke several world records Okunyev, M.S.: , a former head coach of the USSR National Junior Weightlifting Team Olympic-Style Weightlifting: competition that consists of the snatch and clean and the jerk; also known simply as weightlifting Overload Principle: the concept that a muscle will get bigger or stronger only if overload is applied to it Park, Reg: a Mr. Universe who played Hercules in five movies. He was the first bodybuilder to bench press 500 pounds, and the second man to accomplish this feat Phillips, Marv: a powerlifting champion who broke several world records, eventually squatting 848 pounds at 240 pounds bodyweight. When he was 7 years old his right arm was nearly detached from his body, but doctors were able to reattach it Post-Tetanic Facilitation: the process by which a more powerful muscular contraction is achieved if that contraction is preceded by a strong muscular contraction Reding, Serge: a three-time Olympian who also won a silver medal. Known for his massively-muscled physique Rep: a complete movement of an exercise, from start to finish Relative Strength: ratio of strength to muscle mass Repetition Maximum: the weight that can be lifted in an exercise for a single repetition; also known as 1RM Rippetoe, Mark: a popular strength coach best known for his book, Starting Strength Rigert, David: an Olympic Champion in weightlifting who set 68 world records in his career, establishing records in three different weight classes Schmidtbleicher, Dietmar: a German sports scientist who did pioneering research in plyometric training Schmitz, Jim: a three-time US Olympic Weightlifting Team coach who has coached athletes in seven Olympic Games Set: a single series of reps Simmons, Louie: an accomplished powerlifter and powerlifting coach who runs the Westside Barbell Gym in Columbus, Ohio Soleus: a lower calf muscle that is approximately 60 percent fast-twitch fibers Speed of Contraction: rate of movement of the implement or limb involved in any given strength exercise; it is described or measured scientifically in terms of degrees per second. See tempo. Stabilizers and Fixators: terms that describe the function of muscles when they are used to anchor a body part so that the prime movers have a stable base to pull or push from Starr, Bill: a former elite weightlifter from the US who was known for his training system and book, The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football Strength Curve: the natural strength curve is the amount of force a muscle can exert at specific angles Suleymanoglu, Naim: a three-time Olympic champion who is considered, pound-for-pound, the greatest weightlifter in history Supercompensation Effect: the body’s response to stress in which a decrease in an individual’s fitness preparedness is followed by a resistance phase that results in the body adapting to a higher fitness state Superset: a pairing of two different exercises for different muscle groups performed in sequence; pairing agonist and antagonist muscle groups is the most common form of supersets Tempo: total amount of time it takes to complete an entire repetition. Tempo Prescription: a four-digit abbreviation that describes the four types of muscular contractions during a repetition, such as 4210 Time Under Tension (TUT): the time it takes for a contracted muscle or muscle group to complete a set Training Frequency: the number of training sessions performed per week Training Volume: the total number of repetitions completed in a given time frame
Wave Loading: a training method in which an individual works up to a maximum weight for a specific number of reps, backs down in weight for one or more sets, and then works up to even heavier weights White, Jo-Jo: a US powerlifter who attempted a 1,000 squat in 1978 Vardanyan, Yurik: a Russian weightlifter who won the 1980 Olympics and broke 41 world records Yorton, Chet: one of the few bodybuilders to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in competition, which he did in winning the 1966 Mr. Universe title. Yorton was known for his symmetry and exceptional calf development Yotov, Yoto: a two-time Olympic silver medalist from Bulgaria Young, Doug: a massively-muscled powerlifter who won three IPF World Championships and bench pressed 612 pounds without any supportive gear
