Article courtesy of LIAM TWEED

Advanced Training, Part One 

by Steve Davis (1976)

The process of selecting goals and training techniques to achieve those goals is basically the same for both the advanced and beginning trainee.

The differences arise when goals have been defined. The advanced trainee has physique competition as a goal whereas the beginner and intermediate trainee have improved health and appearance as primary objectives. This is not to say that the advanced man has forsaken health as a goal. Instead, the advanced trainee has chosen to seek a level of physical excellence far beyond the obvious benefit of progressive weight-training and improved nutrition. The search for the right formula to achieve success in competitive bodybuilding has been the main subject in bodybuilding circles around the world. Even though it has been established that "what works for one man may not work for another," I am offering this article as a framework around which the advanced trainee can construct a balance between his bodybuilding goals, physical attributes and training routines. 

Step One: Self Evaluation 

The three basic male body types are ectomorphic, mesomorphic and endomorphic. These classifications are generalities, however, since each of us is more likely a combination of traits from each classification. The point here is that there are definite physical attributes associated with each body type. The advanced trainee must become aware of his body type to include analysis of both strengths and weaknesses as well as the relation of his physical limitations to his long range bodybuilding goals. Vince Gironda and Frank Zane are living exponents of this process of physical analysis. Both men made accurate physical evaluations of their body type and then set about to develop their strengths and reduce their weaknesses to the point of physical perfection. Vince Gironda, you will recall, literally invented the concept of muscularity in the 1950's and was able to attain a level of physical excellence that did not become the standard until some 15 years later. Frank Zane too has made a tremendous contribution to the philosophy of physical culture. Frank, though not as massive as his competitors, has utilized the idea of physical self evaluation to the "Nth degree." Zane trains to maintain a balance of all his muscle groups so that none are overwhelming separately, but when taken as the bodily sum total can be devastating enough to defeat Arnold, which he did.

The first step in the process of "Advanced Training" is the analysis of your body type, because your physical structure will ultimately determine which exercises produce results. The second step is to personalize your exercises. For example, a man with long arms does not have as good of leverage in the bench press as the man with shorter arms. Therefore, the first man would be better off doing some other kind of pec movement such as flat flyes. This concept is known as "Instinctive Training." Larry Scott personalized each of his exercises. Between 1965-1967 Larry used the standing dumbbell press as his main deltoid exercise. However, the way he performed that movement was nothing at all like any standard description of that movement you have ever read. 

More here:

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2011/03/advanced-deltoid-routines-larry-scott.html 

He started the movement with the dumbbells parallel to each other in front of his chest. Next he rotated his elbows down and back and pressed the bells to about 2/3's extension for 6 reps. Then, he tilted the dumbbells in such a way as to have the elbows behind the body with the little finger side higher than the thumb side. In this position, he performed another 6 reps. End of Set! I hope I made the point clear enough. After analyzing which exercises are best suited for your body structure, the next step is to "personalize" each exercise you've chosen so as to make any exercise you do exactly what makes you respond. I think it's safe to say that Larry's dumbbell press gave him more development than the standard version ever would have. If you take the time to personalize each of your exercises, the primary benefit will be that you will be able to isolate the muscle you are working and isolation will produce results.

The third step in this process is to establish your training tempo. There are a few rules about tempo for the advanced man. One, never carry on a conversation while training - talking takes mental energy away from the needed concentration. I'm not suggesting the use muzzles, but I have noted that as the elite stars train together, there is no deep conversation - maybe a joke or a mock insult between sets, but no real thinking is involved. Two, never rest more than 30 seconds between sets and I mean never. The work you do is a function of the amount of weight and reps used, and the time between sets. The longer you rest between sets, the less work you do. It's as simple as that. If you gym does not have a clock with a second hand, then wear an old watch. Time yourself between sets and be amazed at the results. One method I have used before a contest is to cut the time to 20 seconds between sets for 4 weeks, and then the last 2 weeks to 10 seconds. You may have to use lighter weights but the results in increased muscularity will surprise you. Finally, strive to make each workout more intense than the last. In this way, your work load will accumulate. One of the most depressing phenomena for me is the student who uses the same weight, workout after workout. If you don't get stronger, you'll never get bigger. 

The fourth step is to determine your work load - that is the amount of sets, reps and times per week you train each body part. The principle here is to strive to do as little as possible and still obtain maximum results. Over-training is the advanced man's biggest downfall. Quality training means getting the most out of the work you do. The minimum amount of work would be 6 sets of 6-10 reps per body part three times per week. The maximum amount would be 20 sets of 6-10 reps three times per seek. Somewhere between these two limits will be ideal for you. Note the reps listed are 6-10. This holds true for all body parts except calves and abs which should be between 15-30

This is the first part of a two part series for the advanced student. The second part will contain valuable information on the following topics of interest: Diet, Mental Attitude, The Training Year, Contest Preparation and Posing.

This is the second part of my series. To review, in the first part I covered Self-Evaluation, Personalizing Your Exercises, Training Tempo and Work Load. In this article, I will discuss Diet, Mental Attitude, The Training Year, Contest Preparation and Posing. The intent of these two articles is to give the advanced trainee a framework on which to build his own unique, personalized program. I might add that I have purposely confined my writing to generalities rather than the specifics of my own program. Other than for general information, I see very little value in talking about what works for me. Your first goal, which, by the way, is the most difficult to achieve, should be to find what works for you individually and NEVER DEVIATE FROM ITS APPLICATION.    

There are two basic diets: one, to increase muscularity while retaining as much size as possible and two, to increase muscle density without canceling out all definition. To increase muscle density you must "burn" the stored layer of carbohydrate (glycogen) that is located between the muscle and the skin. In order to force your body to burn this layer, you must restrict carbohydrates from your diet. Obviously your energy level will drop too low for a decent workout, so within reasonable limits, you must take in enough carbohydrates to blast through a workout, but that is it. Each person can burn fat at a varying rate, so let it suffice to say that you must find how much carbohydrate you can get away with while increasing your muscularity. Remember too that these are the best sources from which to select your daily allotment: potatoes, fruits, vegetables and other natural or honey sweetened dairy products.

During the off season, when you are working your weak points and trying to increase overall muscle density, you should not, at any point, lose sight of your abdominals. Getting fat during the off season is detrimental to your success. Depending on your bone structure and height, I would say never to go over 10 pounds above contest body weight. Indulging in restricted foods after a contest is good for the soul, but don't overdo it. Stay in shape.

To increase muscle density you must train heavy and create a dietary plan that is high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrate. I get bigger quickly when I use dairy products such as raw cheese, raw cottage cheese, raw milk and raw yogurt. Don't confuse refined sugar with energy. I never use sugar. Also, a good milk and egg protein powder mixed with raw milk will supply your system with readily available protein. I find that by having a protein drink one hour before my workout I can put a lot more into my training. For a more complete explanation of nutrition and bodybuilding, get a copy of my course "Total Muscularity." 

More Books by Steve Davis:

"The Magic of Symmetry"

"Gaining Muscle Size and Density"

 "Raw Muscularity"

"A New Direction in Calves" 

 https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Davis/e/B00BHZEDNC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1458048579&sr=1-1-spell&linkCode=sl2&tag=gregsushinsky-20&linkId=b25e3756bcba81f2e5154a44222580c0

 

   

Adequate pre-contest planning can mean the difference between winning and losing the physique contest of your choice. Plan for your big show at least one year in advance. 12 months is sufficient time to correct your weak body parts and still obtain sharp muscularity. Here then is an outline for the training year:

I. 12 to 9 months prior - 

a) Train heavy.

b) Increase your intake of carbohydrate, but do not get fat or say, 10 pounds above contest weight.

c) Concentrate on your weak body parts. 

II. 8 to 5 months prior - 

a) Moderate weight, slightly higher reps.

b) Go on a low carbohydrate diet, start increasing your muscularity.

c) Train for overall symmetry.

III. 4 to 2 months prior - 

a) Lighter weights, high reps, never more than 15 seconds rest between sets.

b) Use only as much carbohydrate as you need to get through a workout.

c) Train for maximum pump and burn.

IV. 1 month prior - 

a) Train in a frenzy! 

b) Use pre-contest diet. (see III) 

c) Concentrate on lagging body parts, so that by contest time you have balanced muscularity.    

We have all heard words like motivation, determination, instinctive training and positive attitude. I have written about and lectured to many of my education classes on the subject of mental attitude, but I am convinced that for bodybuilding, motivation for example is the most effective concept. At present, I can think of no better example than that of my training partner, Harvey Keith. After a long layoff, Harvey turned the light back on. He took a long look at those areas of his physique that needed improvement and specialized relentlessly on these muscles, particularly the calves. Each morning, Harvey got to the gym at 6:00 a.m. and pounded his calves for one hour before he worked any other body part. He never got to the gym late, never missed a workout and literally beat his calves into submission. Harvey had heard all the myth cop-outs about the near impossibility of diamond-shaped calf development, but he never listened. Instead, he analyzed his weakness, designed a scientific training program, made each workout for his calves more intense, thought only that he would succeed and after one year's efforts, he can claim a one-inch increase of each calf while weighing the same. If you can match Harvey's intensely positive attitude and apply that to your training, you would HAVE TO SUCCEED. 

But can you?   

  

 

   

  

      

Optimizing Strength Training: Designing Nonlinear Periodization Workouts explains how nonlinear periodization works and then demonstrates how to create nonlinear periodization training programs, including programs for special populations. Readers will learn that by creating different workouts for each day, they can emphasize exclusive training styles in every workout to maximize adaptation as well as ensure adequate recovery from the rigors of training. Fitness professionals and coaches will discover that this unique training style reduces the boredom encountered when using similar workout protocols for two to four weeks at a time and therefore lends itself to creating a more satisfied client base.

Using practical and user-friendly terms, the authors provide the knowledge required for understanding nonlinear periodization and training principles, selecting acute program variables, and discerning the practical considerations of nonlinear periodization before undertaking training. They also provide sample workouts using nonlinear periodization methods and discuss critical assessment techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of a program and determining training readiness. Fifty case studies at the end of the text serve as an exceptional feature for grasping a realistic approach of how nonlinear periodization meets physiological and scheduling demands while achieving optimal training goals.

No other book on the market teaches how to design, implement, and assess a nonlinear workout program. With knowledge gained through Optimizing Strength Training: Designing Nonlinear Periodization Workouts, professionals, coaches, fitness enthusiasts, and students will find themselves on the cutting edge of resistance training, able to employ this unique method of training that leads to superior performance.

Chapter 1. Periodization of Resistance Training

• Eastern European Influence on Periodization Training
• Classic Strength and Power Periodization
• Efficacy of Classic Strength and Power Periodization
• Nonlinear Periodization
• Efficacy of Nonlinear Periodization
• Efficacy of Session by Session Variation
• Impetus for the Flexible Nonlinear Approach to Periodization
• Summary

Chapter 2. Training Principles

• Specificity
• Progressive Overload
• Training Frequency
• Summary

Chapter 3. Acute Program Variables

• Exercise Choice
• Exercise Order
• Number of Sets
• Training Intensity
• Length of Rest Periods
• Summary

Chapter 4. Practical Considerations

• Comparison of Periodization Models
• Physiology of Nonlinear Periodization Workouts
• Optimal Program Sequencing
• Master Schedules
• Individualization
• Readiness to Train
• Summary

Chapter 5. Workout Design

• Base Program Phase
• Exercise Stimuli
• Standard Workouts
• Active and Total Rest Days
• Summary

Chapter 6. Assessment

• Preexercise Assessments
• Alternative Workouts
• Evaluating Training Progress
• Summary

Chapter 7. Training Tips and Tools

• Training Logs
• Choice of Exercise
• Muscles Exercised
• Muscle Soreness, Tissue Damage and Recovery
• Aging Considerations
• Youth Considerations
• Sex Consideration
• Summary

Chapter 8. Case Studies

Excerpt One:

The exact origin of nonlinear periodization, also termed UNDULATING PERIODIZATION, is unclear, but it is a more recent development than the classic strength and periodization model. Nonlinear programs may have originated in the late 1980s with 2-week training periods using various training zones to meet the needs of athletes. Likewise nonlinear programs may have originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s with strength coaches designing programs to meet the needs of America football players. 

In these training plans, two very different types of training days were developed. The different training days were termed hypertrophy and functional strength days. On the functional strength days, multi-joint exercises (e.g., power clean, squat) were performed using lower numbers of repetitions (4-6 per set), while on the hypertrophy days more single-joint exercises (arm curls, knee curls) were performed using higher numbers of repetitions (8-12 per set). Additionally, it was noted that when more mesocycles (e.g., 2 to 6 weeks)  were used in a macrocycle (e.g., year long cycle), better results were achieved. Essentially that meant that the different patterns of loading had a greater frequency of exposure as microcycles shifted from 4 weeks to 2 weeks; some now use 1-week microcycle changes.      

Although many variations of the nonlinear training model can be developed to meet the needs and goals of a trainee, the following is a representative model. If weight training is performed 3 days per week, three different RM (Repetition Maximum) training intensities, or zones, will be used on each of the 3 training days. On the first, second, and third training day of each week, training zones of 4-6, 12-15, and 8-10 repetitions per set using RM resistances will be performed, respectively. Other training zones, such as a very heavy 1-3 RM) zone, can be included in the training program's design if they meet the needs and goals of the trainee. In addition, percentages of the 1RM can be used for certain lifts addressing the same types of loading ranges. 

Care must be taken because the percentage of 1RM and the RM vary depending on the muscle mass involved in an exercise and for machines versus free weights (e.g., 80% of 1RM in a squat may result in only 8-10 repetitions, whereas in the leg press 15-20 repetitions may be possible at the same percentage of 1RM.

Note that the training zones are not necessarily performed sequentially such that training volume and intensity follow a consistent pattern of increasing or decreasing over time. For example, during 1 week of training, the zones might be performed in the sequence of 4 to 6 reps, 12 to 15, and 8 to 10 per set. During the next week of training, the sequence of zones might be 8 to 10, 4 to 6, and 12 to 15 per set. With nonlinear training, long periods (weeks) using the same training intensity and volume are not performed. Thus the need for a high training volume phase (hypertrophy phase), as used in the classic strength and power model, is avoided. 

Another advantage of the nonlinear model is ease of administration. Once training zones have been chosen that meet the goals of the training program, they are simply alternated on a session-by-session basis. So continuing with the current example, if, during the course of a season during one week only two weight training sessions can be performed because of a competition, the first training session of the next week might use the training zone that was not used during the previous week and the sequence of training zones begins with that training zone. 

There are other possible ways to make the decision concerning which training zone to use, such as if there is lingering fatigue resulting from the weekend competition, which minimizes the ability to develop maximal power. In that case if a power training zone is part of the training program, it might be advisable to use a different training zone for the first training session of the week after the competition.

However, once training zones have been decided, it does not mean that over time different training zones cannot be incorporated into the training program. For example, during the early preseason, a very heavy or a power training zone might not be used. But, during the late preseason, a very heavy or power training zone might be used. 

Thus the choice of training zones to use at a particular point in the training program can be changed to meet the goals and needs of the trainee as training progresses. Similar to the classic strength and power training model, planned light training periods or rest periods can also be incorporated into nonlinear training programs. Typically these recovery periods are scheduled approximately every 12 weeks of training.

Nonlinear periodization offers advantages over classic strength and power periodization in some training situations. A major goal of the strength and power periodization model is to reach a peak in strength and power at a particular time. For many sports with long seasons, such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, and baseball, success is dependent on physical fitness and performance throughout the season. When resistance training for general fitness, peaking maximal strength and power at a certain point may not be important, but continued gains in strength and power are important training outcomes. Training goals for many sports and for general fitness need in part to focus on development and maintenance of physical fitness throughout the season or throughout the year. For sports with long seasons, peaking maximal strength and power at the end of the season in preparation for major competitions, such as conference tournaments or other major tournaments, is important.

However, using the classic strength and power periodization model for those sports presents some difficulties. If a classic strength and power model is used as a program approach in the off-season and preseason, the peaking phase will occur at the start of the competitive season. This may ensure the best possible performance at the start of the competitive season; however, strength and fitness must be maintained throughout the season. If the peaking phase occurs at the end of the competitive season in preparation for major competitions or tournaments, then high-volume resistance training must be performed during the beginning of the competitive season. That may result in less-than-optimal performance at the beginning of the season because of fatigue and could result in losses in early competitions. If those early games are lost, qualification for tournaments at the end of the season may be jeopardized. Thus the application of the classic strength and power periodization model for many sports and activities presents some difficulties in the training program's design.

Nonlinear periodization is more flexible in how and when a peak in performance is created, depending on the goals of a particular mesocycle. It also allows for more frequent exposure to different loading stimuli (e.g., moderate, power) within a particular weekly workout profile. It does not progress in a planned linear increase in intensity with a reduction in volume as seen in the linear model, but it varies training volume and intensity in such a way that consistent fitness gains occur over long training periods. Note: by now you should likely be starting to see the uses of non-linear periodization for the average trainee.

Excerpt Two: 

Optimal program sequencing is a matter of making proper choices based on evaluation of the training load over the various training cycles. Optimal sequencing is dependent on the recovery of the body's musculature from the stress of resistance exercise, practice, physical labor, or mental state that occurs prior to the workout. 

The stress of resistance exercise can be depicted in a pyramid of volumes and intensities that lead to higher and higher levels of physical stress. Each of the acute program variables can be combined to create exercise stimuli that span a continuum of stress from low to high. Volume and intensity are only two noteworthy variables, but others can be interfaced with them (e.g., going from long to short rest periods between sets and exercises). The higher the stress of the workout, the greater the recruitment of a muscle's major motor units, the greater the potential tissue damage, and the longer recovery may take after a given workout. Optimal sequencing is really a coaching or clinical art of assessment and understanding the science behind the design of a workout and its ramifications.

Pyramid of Physical Intensity for Resistance Workout Stresses Related to the Muscle Tissue Activation, From High (1)  to Low (4): 

1. High Volume / High Intensity

    High Volume / Moderate Intensity

2. Moderate Volume / High Intensity

    Moderate Volume / Moderate Intensity

    Moderate Volume / Low Intensity

3. Low Volume / High Intensity

    Low Volume / Moderate Intensity

    High Volume / Low Intensity

    Moderate Volume / Low Intensity

    Low Volume / Low Intensity

4. High Volume / Very Low Intensity

    Moderate Volume / Very Low Intensity

    Low Volume / Very Low Intensity

    Active Rest

    Rest 

    

In general, workouts from a resistance loading perspective can go from very light to very heavy. We use this in our subsequent examples of workouts. This essentially addresses the variation that can be achieved from using the perspective of size principle. With this type of loading sequence, a trainee keeps some of the other program variables in line with optimizing this particular feature. 

Exercise order is chosen to support the appropriate exercises - from large-group to small-group exercises. The number of sets is consistent with the necessary decreases in volume to accommodate increases in load. 

Finally, lengths of rest periods are positioned to allow for the necessary force production or augment the endurance aspects of lighter loads. Thus, the programs are created with a loading variable as the primary feature to be varied over the workout sequence. 

Other acute program variables can be set as a focus of the workout sequences as well. For example, if there were a need for the trainee to develop the ability to buffer high acidic conditions and perform under these demanding physiological conditions (e.g., wrestler, 800-meter sprinter), rest periods could be the primary acute program variable in a mesocycle. Therefore the exercise sequences would all be related to a reduction in length of rest periods. In this case the rest periods would be progressively lowered even when using the heavier RM loads despite the resulting use of lower resistances caused by fatigue. With training, the resistances used with the shorter rest periods would increase, representing the adaptation for this type of priority in the workout sequence.

Each of the acute program variables can therefore be used in some type of prioritization of the workout sequences. Even order of exercises may be the priority because of a complex training design. Whatever the goal, the interaction of the various effects caused by the variety of combinations of the acute program variables is evident and needs to be considered.

In a Scheduled Nonlinear Sequence Program, a trainee simply rotates through the various workout protocols (varied training volumes and intensities) in a pre-planned format. This has been termed a Planned Daily Rotation of workouts. For example, the training sessions rotate through the following sequence of training sessions: 

1.) Light intensity and High volume (12-15 RM)

2.) Moderate intensity and High volume (8-10 RM)

3.) High intensity and Moderate volume (4-6 RM) 

4.) Very High intensity and Low volume (1-3 RM)

5.) Power day (1-6 RM with power exercises)

6.) Very Low intensity and Very Low volume (20-23 RM for 1 set)

7.) Active Rest microcycle.

The primary core exercises are typically periodized, but a trainee can also use a protocol of 2  training sessions to vary the small-muscle-group exercises. For example, in the hamstring curl, the trainee could rotate between the moderate (8-10 RM) and the heavy (4-6RM) cycle intensities. This would provide the hypertrophy needed for isolated muscles of a joint and also provide the strength needed to support heavier resistances of the large-muscle-group or multi-joint exercises. The key in any nonlinear workout day is to keep the stimuli to the muscle unique for that training day by using various types of training sessions.     

Practically speaking, if a trainee misses a workout on Monday, she could perform it on Wednesday and continue the rotation or even skip it and make it up later in the rotation of sessions. Specifically, if the light 12-15 RM workout was scheduled for Monday and the trainee missed it, she would just perform it on Wednesday and continue on with the rotation sequence. In this way no workout stimulus is missed in the training program. A mesocycle can be set for a given number of weeks or when a certain number of workouts is completed. 

It is important to develop a master schedule for the macrocycle even when using either a scheduled or flexible nonlinear program. With the flexible nonlinear approach, a trainee checks off a workout when it is completed. Schedules can be created for any number of workouts per week. Three or four weight training days a week are typical for most athletes, especially considering other conditioning demands. It is also important after each mesocycle to have a period of 1 to 2 weeks of active rest. On a given weight training day, an active rest may be required even if it is not planned for, especially within the context of various sports during the in-season (see Tables 4.1 to 4.4 below).

Ultimately, it is important to have a master plan for each mesocycle and determine the priorities for the workout that must be performed. In a planned nonlinear program, a trainer of trainee can intentionally place the workout sequence on the calendar.


Table 4.1 - Sample Mesocycle With Emphasis on Power

Note: An active rest day can be used for any workout needed.

Week 1:
Day 1 - H (heavy intensity workout)
Day 2 - P (power workout)
Day 3 - VH (very heavy intensity workout)

Week 2:
Day 1 -L
2 - P
3 - P

Week 3:
H
P
P

Week 4:
H
P
H

Week 5:
P
H
VL (very light intensity workout)

Week 6:
P
VH
VL

Week 7:
P
P
VL

Week 8:
L
P
H

Week 9:
P
P
L

Week 10:
H
P
L

Week 11:
P
H
P

Week 12:
P
P
VH


Table 4.2 - Sample Mesocycle With Emphasis on Strength

Week 1: H/L/VH
Week 2: L/VH/M (moderate intensity workout)
Week 3: H/M/M
Week 4: H/P/H
Week 5: L/H/VL
Week 6: P/VH/L
Week 7: P/H/VL
Week 8: L/VH/H
Week 9: H/H/L
Week 10: H/H/L
Week 11: L/H/P
Week 12: H/L/VH


Table 4.3 - Sample Mesocycle With Emphasis on Hypertrophy and Strength

Week 1: H/M/M
Week 2: L/M/H
Week 3: M/H/L
Week 4: M/H/L
Week 5: M/H/VH
Week 6: L/M/H
Week 7: H/M/VL
Week 8: L/L/M
Week 9: H/L/VH
Week 10: M/M/H
Week 11: L/M/VH
Week 12: M/M/L


Table 4.4 - Sample Mesocycle With Emphasis on Endurance and General Preparation

Week 1: L/M/L
Week 2: L/VL/H
Week 3: M/H/L
Week 4: VL/H/L
Week 5: M/M/L
Week 6: L/M/H
Week 7: VL/M/L
Week 8: H/VL/M
Week 9: L/L/VH
Week 10: M/M/VL
Week 11: L/M/VL
Week 12: VL/H/L


In the flexible nonlinear periodization model, the athlete has to have a plan. But the days on which specific sessions will take place are only tentative; each type of session is dependent on the ability of the athlete to do the workout. The flexible nonlinear periodization is more dynamic and may be more effective in getting the best out of the trainee during a given training session. Again, each mesocycle will have a priority element that may dominate the workout (e.g., power workouts), or in fitness sequences the trainee may balance the workouts among all of the training elements (e.g., strength, local muscular endurance). Trainers and athletes must consider what acute program variables are to be periodized over a mesocycle and macrocycle and then use microcycles to define them.

A master plan functions as a guide for the goals of the training cycle. With the scheduled nonlinear program, the type of session to be performed on a given training day is predetermined. However, with the flexible nonlinear program, the type of workout to be performed is decided on the day of the training session. Thus, the concept of flexible nonlinear periodization really refers to waiting until the day of the workout to make the decision about the type of training session to perform.

Flexible nonlinear periodization does not mean there is no overall training plan or goals of the training cycle. It actually means having a training plan for a given microcycle in order to understand if an athlete is able to meet the demands for adaptation needed. For example, if, because of other circumstances, an athlete cannot perform two power training sessions a week that emphasize power development, it is doubtful that the athlete will be able to make any progress on power development. So, in the subsequent microcycles, the athlete would have to compensate for the decrease in power development over the mesocycle by picking up those missed power sessions later in the mesocycle because the athlete must train a muscle group with a particular stimulus at least twice a week over a 12-week mesocycle. Thus, extenuating circumstances can affect a well-planned program despite good intentions.

The decision about when to administer the workouts is the key factor in the flexible nonlinear program. There needs to be some level of confidence that the quality of the workout will be adequate to produce a training effect. Using both the art and science of conditioning helps in the challenge of making such decisions. For the strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer, and trainee, this requires some preliminary assessment and information immediately before the workout. During the workout the trainer and trainee can observe how the session is performed. And, using the workout log, they can determine how the performance progresses compared to prior workouts in the training cycle for a given workout type. If a decrease in performance or quality of the training session is seen, rest or an alternative workout is indicated.


      








 

Leverage Dumbbell - Wrist Abduction 

 

 Wrist Twister

 

 Left - Press With Leverage Dumbbell

Right - Leverage Bar Curl, contraction

 

 Left - Leverage Bar Curl, extension

Right - Zottman Exercise

ARTICLE COURTESY OF LIAM TWEED

Chuck Sipes

Casey Viator

Frank McGrath 

Massive Forearms Can Be Yours

by Bradley Steiner (1979)

There's certainly no denying that large upper arm muscles rate high in popularity among bodybuilders. This has always been the case, as far back as I can remember, and, judging from some of the routines being urged today as "guaranteed to build 20"-plus biceps," huge upper arms STILL promise to rank high on the lift of "must have" items on the agenda of the bodybuilder of the 21st century! 

Still, even considering the importance attached to the biceps and triceps, it is impossible to overlook the enormously impressive appearance that powerful, large FOREARMS impart to their possessor! I am, I admit frankly, more impressed by a pair of rugged looking forearms and thick wrists than I am by over-bloated biceps. 

Forearm muscles are PRACTICAL muscles. And I don't mean "practical" for impressing some idiot who gasps when he shakes a strong man's hand. I mean that well-developed forearms are - OF ALL THE MUSCLES IN THE ARM ASSEMBLY - the singularly most useful for practical, everyday needs. On the job, good forearm development makes work easier, and delays fatigue brought about by working with one's hands. At play, strong forearms often permit us to play a better game of tennis, maintain a better control in golf, etc. And, in an emergency, a hefty pair of strong forearms can be a formidable aid in self-defense. In climbing a rope, ladder, or scaling an obstacle, the forearms are brought more heavily into play than any of the arms' muscle groups. And tell truth: Don't you envy the guy who, in normal street attire, rolls up his sleeves nonchalantly and reveals massively bulging sinewy forearm development? 

The Bone Structure Question

To start off I want to make it clear that your inherent bone structure will determine, to a degree, how much forearm and wrist development you can obtain. The most massively-impressive forearms can be attained, obviously, by those who start with the most favorable natural potential - the endomorphs and mesomorphs (big-boned and medium-boned people, respectively). Small-boned people (like myself) have the disadvantage of not being able to develop size that is actually "huge," yet still, these small-boned trainees can often LOOK huge, because even an slight, slight size increase shows up tremendously anywhere on the slender natural frame. 

So, nobody can be a loser in this quest for forearm development. Only a few exceptional people can build forearms like clubs, but all of us can guild a good pair of forearms - with effort! 

How the Forearms Work

The forearm muscles work when:

a) The wrists bend or turn

b) The fingers clench

c) The hands hold onto something

d) The arms support and lift.

Quite obviously, from the list above, you can see that the forearms come into play OFTEN, even when we are engaged in activities far removed from training.

The key to organizing an effective forearm specialization course is to duplicate an intense form of workload that forces the forearms to exert themselves in a manner conducive to their growth.

One particular myth that has build up around forearm development (and that I'd just as soon clear out of the way now) is the notion that forearms are an especially "troublesome" part of the body to develop, or are, in many cases, "the most difficult" body muscle to build. Nonsense. Forearm training, put simply, is TOUGH and PAINFUL. But if you do it, you'll build big forearms, and it will only be a short time until you do! 

I am going to introduce you to a rather special piece of training equipment. It is easily made up from an ordinary dumbbell bar, and is called a "leverage bar" or "leverage bell." All this is is a dumbbell loaded with a moderate weight AT ONE END ONLY. When the free end is grasped and held, the weighted exerts a force of leverage against the grip retaining the bar, and thus the name "leverage" bar. There is probably no finer device in existence for developing all-round forearm size and power. And here I am taking into consideration the "wrist roller" device when I say this.

To make up a leverage bar simply remove the sleeve from one of your dumbbell bars and use two collars to lock a small (say 2.5 to 5 lb.) plate at one end. That's all you need to do! This leverage bar can, incidentally, be improvised by using a 15 inch length of strong broomstick and cementing a cement-filled tin can on one end. You'll never need a heavy weight in the exercise I'm going to teach you, so a homemade, improvised leverage bell of fixed-weight is just fine.

Here is a book chapter by David Willoughby on Leverage Bell Forearm Training: 

Stand erect and hold the leverage bar at your side, arm straight down. Slowly raise the bar until it points directly forward. Hold it, feeling the force of gravity all the time. Now lift the bar to a position where it is pointing upward, all the time keeping your arm at your side, and using wrist and forearm strength alone. Lower the bar deliberately to the side, then repeat the sequence. I would suggest that this be done in the following set/rep scheme, every-other-day: 

3 sets of 12 complete reps, each arm. The important thing, I caution you, is FORM. It matters not a bit how little weight is on the bar. In fact, for many new pupils, the bar alone might be enough, with even 1.25 lb. plates being too much resistance!

This is a leverage-resistance movement, please remember. That means that it HAS TO FEEL AWKWARD. That very "awkwardness" is what's making the exercise productive. It is imposing an unusual stress on the forearm muscles - one they'd not normally get. 

One other excellent exercise: 

Stand as you did before, holding the bar at one side. Now move the weighted end in a complete and deliberate circle using the strength of the supporting hand and forearm ONLY, until one full repetition - one way - is completed. Reverse the circle, and do a full movement in the opposite direction. Repeat. I suggest 3 sets of 12 circles (6 each way) per arm. 

The wrist roller is a good forearm developer, but I don't think everyone can gain well from using it. Personally, I find it effective, but I recall instances where I placed people on a wrist roller schedule and the results were, to put it politely, marginal.

I suggest that, if you're interested in developing your forearms, you TRY the wrist roller, to see how well you respond to its use. You needn't buy one (though they're very inexpensive). You can make one from any short, thick, rounded length of wood by drilling a half-inch diameter hole through the center. Pass a two-foot length strong cord through the hole, knot one end, and presto . . . you've got a wrist roller! Tie a weight to the free end of the cord and you're ready to stand on a block or a bench and "roll" the weight up on the wooded support by turning both ends of the piece. When the weight reaches the top, "unroll" it, and roll it again when the rope is fully unwound. Again, some people gain on this and others don't. It's worth a try- that's for sure! I recommend the following as a good wrist roller routine: 

Wind and unwind steadily for 10 minutes without a rest, using a moderate weight, and forcing the wrists and forearms to do all the real work. Do this every other day. NOT in conjunction with the leverage bar exercises. 

Finally, WRIST CURLING with a light barbell rates very high as an excellent forearm builder. This exercise has not, to my knowledge, been known to fail in helping anyone who used it correctly, to build great forearms.  

Hold a light barbell in your hands - palms up, as for curls - and sit down on a bench or stool, permitting the forearms to rest on the thighs, hands extended with the bar in their grasp. Permitting only the wrists to bend, lower the hands and raise them rapidly, while maintaining a tight, TIGHT grip on the bar. Speed it up! Don't count reps! Keep going! After a while your hands and fingers will burn unbearably. This is never harmful, so don't worry. Gradually, your wrists and fingers will seem to melt and fall apart. The bar will then drop to the floor. At that point (if you push that hard - and you should) you'll notice that your forearms grew about an inch! They'll feel so congested and tight that it may worry you. Well, stop worrying. Do another set instead. Same way.

Wrist curls can be done with palms facing down as well, if that style suits your fancy. In fact, I'm going to give you this variation in your program, which is to come shortly.

Whenever doing any exercise for the forearms always keep in mind that THE TIGHTER YOUR GRIP THE BAR, THE BETTER THE RESULTS WILL BE. You can increase the value of any forearm exercise you do simply by tightening your grip on the bar.

A Forearm Specialization Routine

Up to now I discussed the major and best forearm exercises, with recommendations on how to use them in the most efficient set/rep schemes. Now, let me outline two fundamental forearm routines, the first for a relative beginner, and the second for a rather advanced fellow. Remember these basic pointers regardless of which routine you employ:

1) Train three days a week. NO MORE. 

2) Always work as STRICTLY as possible, and with as much concentration on correct movement as you can muster. 

3) Do not train slowly - try to keep a forceful, rapid pace when training forearms. 

4) Use a weight that is only as heavy as you can properly manage.

5) Keep a tight, TIGHT grip on your bar! 

A Beginner's Course

1) Seated palms-up barbell wrist curls, 1 set of 30 reps

2) Seated palms-down barbell wrist curls, 1 set of 15-20 reps, done as soon as possible after the first exercise. 

3) Leverage bar circles, 1 set of 16 reps, each arm (8 circles each way before changing sides).

An Advanced Forearm Course

1) Warm up with 5 minutes of fast wrist roller work

2)  Seated palms-up wrist curls, doing 2 sets with a moderate weight VERY FAST until the weight falls out of your hands. 

3) Seated palms-down wrist curls, doing 2 sets with a moderate weight VERY FAST until the weight falls out of your hands.

4) Leverage bar combination movement: This merely incorporates the two basic leverage bar exercises into one, and is done as a single exercise. Holding the bar in the arm-along-side starting position, do one full, regular straight raise to an "up" position. Now, from there, do a complete circle, on one direction. Do a reverse circle, ending up in the "up" position. Lower to the side and repeat the entire sequence, 1 set of 6 movements each arm. 

No one can guarantee you'll develop the proverbial blacksmith's forearms, but I'll promise you great gains if you give one of these routines an all-out effort. Follow as schedule for six weeks, then discontinue specialization or staleness with set in. By the end of six weeks you ought to have a pair of forearms that puts your present ones to shame.

Here are some final tips:

Try extra hard to literally CRUSH the bar in your hands when doing any form of arm, shoulder, chest, or back exercise, as this sort of added effort adds materially to forearm exertion. Also, remember to make the still-legged deadlift with NORMAL GRIP your back exercise, instead of standard deadlifts - since this exercise most affects your forearms strongly. If possible, try your hand at rope climbing. This activity produces and maintains fantastic grip and forearm strength.

With the thoughts and instructions I've given you in mind, you can rest assured that you now know what is necessary in order to build a great pair of forearms. Only one thing is needed beyond the knowledge, and that is the doing . . .   

    

    

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Daily max training defies a lot of the basics of modern periodization theory except for the SAID principle. But it works - if your body can handle it. For me personally, as a drug-free lifter, I added almost 100 pounds to my squat in 10 weeks by walking into a gym, working up to the heaviest set of squats I could manage with good form and no psychological arousal, wrapping up my squat training for the day, and repeating the process 6 to 7 days per week. Volume was "too low," intensity was "too high," frequency was WAY "too high: . . . and none of that mattered, because it worked. 

Again, that's not to say it's the universal best approach for all people at all times, and it's not saying that perhaps something else couldn't have worked better for me at that time. But, however you look at it, IT DID WORK.

Identifying trends of things that usually produce results or that should produce results is worthwhile, but keep an open mind and don't automatically write off something that is counter-intuitive conceptually but that's getting people the desired outcomes in practice. 

This is the last thing I want to leave you with in our Stuff That Matters discussion.

Picking things up and putting them down is a hobby.

There are things that REALLY matter in life. Close friends and loved ones, cultivating empathy, providing for yourself and your dependents financialy, etc. 

Unless your ability to pick up heavy things or your ability to pose on stage or in front of a camera is contributing to those things and putting food on your table, it's a hobby.

That's not to say hobbies are unimportant. They give us a sense of release from the grind of day-to-day life, they help us keep our sanity, they give us personal depth, they give us a sense of fulfillment via mastering skills, and a host of other things. Heck, the gym may even be your "third place," which many consider essential for the cohesiveness of human communities. 

However, never forget context. 

Does lifting give you more confidence, help you be a better spouse/parent/friend, alleviate stress, and help contribute to a sense of enjoyment of life, self-worth, and achievement? Great! You're doing it 100% right. If you never gain another pound of muscle, or never hit another PR, but working out continues to fulfill those other purposes to contribute to the really important things in life, you're doing it right.  

Does lifting stress you out, distract you from the people and interactions around you, make you feel like you'll never be good enough, and detract from the more meaningful aspects of life? If so, it's irrelevant what you achieve in the gym or in a sport. It if builds your body up while tearing the rest of your life down, you're doing it wrong, your physique or PRs be damned. 

Because, keep in mind - this is a hobby. Pursuing gains isn't a reasonable excuse for missing work, skipping family gatherings, neglecting time with your friends, or feeling bad about yourself.

It should be fun, it should be challenging, and it should enhance the rest of your life, not consume it.

 

Article Submitted by Liam Tweed

Usually the average person who has never been concerned about bodybuilding is very impressed by huge shoulders. Maybe you have attained some very impressive measurements such as 18" arms and 28" thighs but unless you have developed a good set of wide shoulders even the average person can sense that there is something missing.

Some very lucky individuals have naturally wide looking shoulders. By naturally wide shoulders I mean someone who has never exercised, but has wide shoulders nonetheless. Aren't you envious? The natural width of the shoulders is constituted by the length of the clavicle bones. The longer the clavicle bones, the wider the shoulders. If we intend to increase our shoulder width beyond the natural width the clavicle bones create we must increase the size of our deltoid muscles. So, let us concern ourselves here with the muscles which cover the shoulder joints, the DELTOIDS. 

The delts consist of three main segments. 

I will refer to the front part as the Anterior segment, the side part as the Lateral segment, and the rear part as the Posterior segment. All exercises found in this article do stimulate the complete deltoid to some extent, however, in most cases one segment will receive more benefit than the others. In order to avoid any unnecessary confusion I shall list each exercise and describe the effects of each. I will also point out the segment which is mostly effected. 

1) Military Press and Dumbbell Press:

These exercises are listed together because the movement is the same, so the effects are almost identical. Regardless of how much weight is used or how many repetitions are employed this exercise will primarily stimulate the anterior segment of the deltoid. 

2) Press (From Forehead Level Off The Rack): 

This (partial range of motion) exercise stimulates the deltoids incredibly. The weight is pushed from about forehead level to lockout position. A maximum amount of weight should be employed. This is one of the very best deltoid exercises in use today. I would say it effects all three segments approximately the same. This aspect makes it even more attractive. Maintain a very erect position. A wider than average grip is advisable. 

Two Arm 

One Arm 

All of the 10 exercises listed are very well known and need little explanation. I am sure you employ most of them in your present routines. In fact there are many of you who do most of them in each exercise period. There is a possibility that you may be doing too many exercises which target the deltoids and the result is that you are overworking them. Don't do too many at any one training session! 

True, the deltoids are a strong group of muscles but they are not of great mass and one must be careful not to overtrain them. The lifter puts great stress and strain on them while exercising many other body parts.  Every time a lifter makes a lift he puts unusual stress on the deltoids in one way or another. 

 

If you have noticed there are some lifters who do not have sufficient deltoid development to withstand the necessary stress and strain of lifting. These same individuals train like madmen on the Press in order to increase their pressing poundage. The main reason they cannot gain is because they continually overwork their deltoids. Some people can survive such punishment, but most cannot. If one keeps in mind that his deltoids are one of his MOST VULNERABLE BODY PARTS he will make much more progress in the long run. 

 

Naturally it is necessary to train rather heavy in order to obtain superior deltoid development, but you must not handle too many heavy weights in a single workout because you will not recuperate before the next scheduled workout period. 

 

Try to list several upper body exercises you can do when you have a "bum" shoulder. You will find that you are very limited. This proves just how important your deltoids really are. Many bodybuilders are so interested in getting big lats and pecs that they forget all about the deltoids.

 

To me there is nothing worse than a lifter with well-developed lats and pecs that are lacking equally developed deltoids. This type of development very unnatural and phony looking. Even in Mr. America competitions you can find this type of development, so as you can see it is not very unusual. This fact does not rectify the case. The only thing that could possibly remedy the situation would be proper training methods. Even more basic than that . . . COMMON SENSE. 

 

 

General Application

 

If your deltoids are definitely lagging in development you should do something about it. Base all your upper body routine around your deltoids. Do your heavy pressing and cleaning movements first in your routine. Place your other body parts as secondary. All the exercises listed above are very good ones. Regardless of which exercises you choose, very favorable results can be obtained if you follow my simple suggestions. 

 

I realize that there are other body parts to be considered during every workout, so in order to avoid overworking the delts try doing two (2) heavy exercises listed in this article. NO MORE. Do approximately 5 sets of 5 reps. You should choose at least one shaping exercise listed also. Approximately 3-4 sets of 8 reps. NO MORE. Remember, the heavy exercises encourage more growth than you may realize! 

 

Otherwise continue in your usual manner. This simple change could make a day and night difference in your development and strength. I certainly wish you the very best. 

 

  

Vern Weaver

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GET M & F'ING HUGE

by Andrew Gutman (2017) 

The go-to bulk-up formula is often to add weight to the bar, reduce the reps, rinse, and repeat. It'll work, but it's not optimized for maximum results. In fact, a review of 15 studies published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that periodized training - implementing various training phases in one program - had a greater effect on performance improvements compared with programs that applied no variance.

And that's what Pat Davidson, Ph.D., had in mind when he developed Mass, a 16-week periodized program that trains all your energy systems, or pathways.

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"If you don't train a particular pathway, it won't develop," says Davidson, a New York City-based personal trainer. Just one underdeveloped pathway can lead to diminished strength, lackluster conditioning, and less muscle mass. 

Davidson's Mass regimen, he's adapted to an 8-week program for Muscle & Fitness, targets one pathway per workout and requires balls to the wall intensity from start to finish - but it's worth it. "If you complete this program, you're going to put on muscle mass and get a lot stronger," he says. "You'll also be a grittier, more confident person." 

Day 1: Training Explained

Work Capacity - 

Davidson named this specific protocol "Staring Down the Barrel of a .45" since you'll be completing 45 total reps for your first two lifts, resting 45 seconds between sets. This combination of high volume with minimal rest is designed to increase your work capacity and trigger a huge hormonal response. "The moderate load combined with the short rest periods is going to create a lot of metabolic stress," Davidson explains. "The person should get a pretty significant growth hormone response, which should last up to 72 hours post lift. This increases your potential to build muscle and burn off some fat." 

How to Do It 

Perform exercises marked A, B, and C back-to-back, resting only after the last exercise is complete.

Back Squat, 9 sets of 5 reps - 45 seconds rest between sets.
Bench Press, same as above.
Seated Cable Row, 3 x 10 - 45 secs rest.
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press, same as above.
1A) Dumbbell Curl, 3 x 10 -> go immediately to
1B) Triceps Pushdown, 3 x 10 -> go immediately to
1C) Dumbbell Lateral Raise, 3 x 10.

continued . . .

Originally Published in This Issue (July 1968)

Once upon a time there was an enthusiastic young man who trained very hard weights. He wanted to look like Mr. America - only more so. He took York supplements wisely and he went through all the proper training routines. He bulked up with power training, high set pumping routine, and enough food to supply the British 8th Army. When he began to get a little soft looking, he hardened up with intensive P.H.A. training, running, and the definition diet.

At the end of the first cycle he owned a strong, shapely, muscular physique. Still he wasn't satisfied.

"Something," he said, "is lacking." 

One evening he went into the living room to discuss the problem with his father who was watching "Star Trek" on the television.

"Dad," he said. "I'd like to ask you something." 

His father was crouched on the edge of his chair and leaning tensely forward.

"Dad," the young man said. "You know more about bodybuilding than anyone else I know." 

His father stared straight ahead.

The young man spoke louder. "Sir," he said. "I consider you an authority." 

His father stirred slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Spock," he said. 

The young man shook his father's shoulder. There was no response.

"Sir," he said. "I've got a problem. I train real hard. I get results. But I still don't look good enough. How fast can I reasonably expect to improve?" 

There was no answer. 

"At what speed should I improve, sir?" 

His father looked at him. His eyes were glassy. "Eh?" 

"What speed, sir?" 

"Warp seven, Mr. Suto." 

The young man leaned down and looked carefully at his father for a long time. He turned and looked at the television. He watched it for a while, and then very slowly and without taking his eyes off the screen he pulled a footstool towards him and sat down. They sat side by side in the semi-darkness and watched the flickering figures. Finally the crew beamed back aboard the Enterprise. The ship broke orbit and streaked away. The picture faded and the commercial came on with a burst of fanfare. The young man's father leaned back and exhaled slowly. He looked around. "Hi," he said. "Just come in?"

"Not exactly," the young man said. "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Does it involve money?" 

"No." 

"Okay," his father said. "What is it?" 

"It's about my training," the young man said. "I don't look good enough." 

"You look real good," his father said. "What're you complaining about?" 

"I don't know," the young man said. "I seem to lack something." 

"Take off your shirt," his father said. "Let me have a look at you."

The young man took off his shirt and his father studied him for a moment.

"I know what it is," the father said. "You're ready to specialize on your showy muscles for a while."

The young man stared blankly at him.

"There're certain muscle groups that are more showy than others," his father said. "Generally speaking, they're the areas where untrained people show no development at all. When these areas are highly developed, they look incredible to the average person. The three most impressive areas are the deltoids, pectorals, and abdominals. Develop them to the maximum and you'll look like something from another world." 

"Like in 'Star Trek'?" the young man said.

His father gave him a cold look. "What you need to do now is to specialize on those areas for a short time. It'll transform you from merely looking good into looking sensational." 

"Okay," the young man said. "Tell me how." 

"Work out six days a week," his father said. "Work the specialization areas on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Work the rest of your body on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On your specialization days, do this:

 "Start with seated presses behind neck. Do 5 sets of 7 reps. Use a moderate weight for the first set, a little more for the second set, and all you can handle for each of the last three sets. Use a wide grip and work up into very heavy poundages. Use the rebound style. Don't let the bar rest on your shoulders between reps. Just touch the back of your neck and drive it right up again.

"Next, lay face down on a 45-degree incline board and do dumbbell lateral raises. Do 4 sets of 10 in rigid style. Don't worry too much about the poundage. Hold the position for a split second at the top of the movement.

"As soon as you finish, lay on your back on the incline board and do forward raises with a light barbell for 4 sets of 10. Keep your arms straight and do these in strict style also.

"Your last deltoid exercise is a bit different. You use weights and cables both. Tie plates to the handles of the cables. Then do lateral raises using the weights and cables simultaneously. This keeps tension on your deltoids all the way - from the cables at the start and from the weights at the top of the movement. Work hard and do 4 sets of 10.

"Take a short rest and then start the pectoral work. Begin with incline dumbbell presses. Do 5 sets of 7.  Moderate poundage for the first set, more for the second set, and all you can handle for each of the last three sets. Keep the dumbbells well out to the sides all the time. Use a 45-degree incline and work into very heavy weights.

"The next exercise isn't too well known. You need flying rings suspended about shoulder-width apart. Get into position face down with your hands holding the rings and your feet on a bench or something about the same height as the rings. Bend your arms a trifle. Now, keep your elbows locked in that position. Don't bend your arms any further, and don't straighten them out. Let the rings go out to the sides while your body drops down between them. Now pull the rings together so that your body is levered up again into the original position. Pull the rings together till your hands meet and then squeeze your hands together for a split second. Do 4 sets of 10. It takes a little getting used to, but it's the best localized pectoral exercise. 

"The next exercise is the flying exercise on the incline board. Do 4 sets of 10.

"Take a rest and then do your abdominal work. Start off with incline situps alternated with side bends. Do the situps 4 sets of 25 and the side bends 4 x 50. Do 25 situps. Then 50 side bends with the weight in one hand, and then 50 more with the weight in the other hand. Now another set of situps and then another set of side bends as before, and so on for 4 sets each. 

"When you finish the situps and side bends, alternate high bar leg raises and seated twists. Do 4 sets each, 25 reps for the leg raises and 100 reps for the twists.

"That completes the specialization part. On alternate days work the rest of your body.

"Start with prone hyper-extensions. Do 3 sets of 10.

"Now do your squats. 5 sets of 5. Use the first two sets to warm up on, and go all out for poundage on the last three sets.

"Do a light set of pullovers after each set of squats.

"As soon as you finish the squats and pullovers, go to the calf machine and do 5 x 25 on the calf raise.

"That completes the leg work. Now you do wide grip chins behind the neck. 4 x 8. Tie weights around your waist for added resistance, and try to work up into fairly heavy poundages.

"From there you go to your arms. Do incline bench dumbbell curls alternated with triceps extensions on the lat machine. 4 sets of 8 reps each.

"As soon as you finish your workout, put on a heavy track suit and go for a run. Run about two miles at a nice easy pace.

"Keep your protein intake high. You don't have to cut out carbohydrates completely, but keep them to a minimum. Stick to meat, eggs, cheese, milk, fish, and poultry for the bulk of your diet.

"Take supplements. Vitamin/mineral. some form of oil, and the best protein supplement you can afford.

"Now," the young man's father said. "Do you think you can handle all that?" 

"I'll try," said the young man. "And you figure it'll make me look more impressive?" 

"I guarantee it," said his father. "You'll get mobbed when you step on the beach this summer." 

"Good," said the young man. "Any idea how I can hold off the admiring hordes without hurting them?" 

"Certainly," his father said. "Set your phaser on stun." 

   

 

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Ed Coan is widely recognized as the greatest powerlifter of all time. He has set more than 71 world records in powerlifting. Ed's best single-ply lifts are a squat of 1,019 pounds, bench press of 584, and deadlift of 901, for a total of 2,504 pounds. His 901 deadlift was at a bodyweight of 220. Ed became the lightest person in history to cross the 2,400 pound total barrier. 

Note from Tim Ferriss: This profile is a bit different from the rest. Ed is a childhood hero of mine and one of the best lifters the world has ever seen. I couldn't resist asking a bunch of training-specific questions, in addition to this book's tried-and-true set of questions toward the end. 

Tim Ferriss (TF): Were you always good in sports? 

Ed Coan (EC): When I was a little kid, I had no hand-eye  coordination. I had to to go Illinois Institute of Technology at night and wear something like horse blinders because I couldn't even bounce a ball. I was really little. My freshman year in high school, I was 4'11" and 98 pounds, so I never went out for baseball and never went out for foot. I was scared. Eventually, I wrestled, because there was a 98-pound class. That's when I found lifting.

I could dive into lifting by myself. It was only me and the weights. I'd sit in the basement at midnight on these ad hoc machines with little weights, going nuts for hours because no one was watching me. It was just me. 

TF: Were there any counterintuitive or particularly surprising findings that you found when looking at your notes from 28 years of training? 

EC: At the time I wrote the notes down, no. But when I look back at them, yes. The biggest surprise was that I took my time and made a little, tiny bit of progress four or five times a year. When you make a little progress four times a year over 28 years, you're going to be pretty good at what you do. I never thought, "Oh, I have to lift X amount of weight or accomplish Y." I just thought, "I'm going to get better, and this is what I have to do to get better. "These are my weaknesses; let me correct my weaknesses."

TF: What are some of the most common novice mistakes you see in lifting? 

EC: They don't take their time. They don't look at the long term goals, the big picture. I'll ask kids an old question that every old guy asks: "Where do you want to be in five years? Where do you see yourself?" If I apply that question to lifting, a lot of people don't get it. They're only thinking, "What am I going to do within six months?" They don't realize that if you make the whole body strong in every aspect that you possibly can over a period of just three years, you've created an impenetrable machine that won't get hurt, that won't break down, that you can have for the rest of your life because you followed what you're supposed to at the beginning.

They don't take the time to to dot their i's and cross their t's. By analogy, they can write the best paper in the world and turn it in to the teacher, but based on grammar, they're going to get a D. They don't take the time to do the little things: the assistance work, extra technique work, proper diet, prehab (injury prevention) exercises, etc.

I was fortunate because I was introverted - I realized what all of my weaknesses were. I only did two contests a year because I like to get better and have all that time to work on my weaknesses. So, for instance, my strength is my back and my hips. During my long off-season (roughly December to mid-June), I would do a high-bar Olympic close stance squat. Instead of regular deadlifts, I would do deadlifts with no belt and off of a deficit (an elevated platform) or use stiff-legs off of a deficit.

For the bench press, I would ask myself, "How can I make this harder so it will help with my lockout?" I'd then bench with my feet up and do more close-grip and incline benches, things like that.

What do I know will help me not only get (generally) strong but also transfer over to the main lifts? It doesn't matter if you have a pretty peak on your biceps if it doesn't do anything.

TF: When is it okay to max out with a lift? 

EC: Twice a year at meets. 

Usually, when people max out in a gym, they're pretty insecure and not confident about what their end results are going to be. Years ago, I went to Russia with Fred Hatfield and a few other people. This is before perestroika, and the USSR was incredibly powerful. I was in one of their old gyms, something you might see in a Rocky movie. I talked with the guys about training and they said, "You only have so many max attempts in your body over your lifetime. Why waste them in the gym?" I tend to agree with that.

TF: Are there any particular exercises that you think are neglected or that more people should incorporate? 

EC: Usually it's the hard ones like sets of pause squats. Guys can't use as much weight, it's harder, and a lot of the time they don't do them. The only way to get out of the bottom once you stop is for your whole body to push and sync at the right time. You can't have bad technique or you fall forward right away. I don't pause to a box . . . I taught myself how to stay tight with the barbell. 

TF: What are the most common mistakes you see in a squat? 

EC: People don't focus on the body as a whole when they squat. Everyone thinks you just use your legs. They think, "You don't want to hurt your back, so don't use your back." But you need an equal amount of push going down through the floor, which is your legs, and push going up, which is your back driving against the bar. This dual action is what allows your hips to activate and move forward like a hinge on a door. If one of those is not working, you fall forward. So I concentrate on hitting the hole, driving with my legs and driving straight up with my back into the bar. That makes the hips react. It's the same principle in the deadlift.

TF: Are there any particular prehab exercises that you like or dislike? 

EC: Layne Norton has suffered hip and back injuries over the last four years, and he came back. He has a tutorial of hip exercises on his Instagram account (@biolayne) that really helped him. I tried them, and they work phenomenally well.  

I also do some Kelly Starrett stretching with bands to open things up, and I use a lacrosse ball to work on the pecs, rhomboids, etc.

For the pecs, for instance, you stand at the side of a door frame, place the lacrosse ball directly on the pec tendon, then lean against the wall. If you're working on your right pec, you'd stand in front of the left side of a door frame, and your right arm would be straight out in front of you, inside the door frame, the right pec pressing the ball into the wall. The key is that you don't move the ball. Instead, you move your straight arm up and down while pushing against the ball, and you'll feel that sucker roll over the tendon. You're causing your own pain, which is more tolerable. 

TF: During your competitive career, did you find anything unusual to help with recovery? 

EC: Four times a week I received chiropractic care from a friend of Dr. Bob Goldman. Every time I went to see him, he worked on me from my feet up. Now you see a lot of people like Chris Duffin and Kelly Starrett rolling out the bottoms of their feet and doing ankle prep. At the time, we used something that looked like an abacus. Right after using it, I'd walk around and, all of a sudden, my knees didn't hurt and my back was tight. These days, I use a lacrosse ball. 

TF: I've heard you never missed lifts in training, which is rare. Where did you learn that approach? 

EC: I'm pretty sure it was on my own. I used to read Powerlifting USA when I was younger, but my routine was a basic linear periodization with a lot of thought put into picking assistance exercises. So here's what I would do: If I had a 12-week training cycle, I would start from week 12 - sets, reps, weights - and work my way back(wards) all the way to week one. I would have every set, every rep, and ever weight for every single exercise predetermined. I didn't care if it was a leg curl or a pause squat or shoulder press or bent row; whatever it was, my weight, sets, and reps were all figured out for the entire training cycle.

Then I would stop and I would look at that routine, all written in pencil, of course. I would ask myself, "Okay, is every single thing here doable?" If you have to think about it, change it. Make it so that you know 100 percent everything is doable. When you start that routine, imagine how positive your mental outlook is. It's huge. 

I was never depressed. I was never stressed. I never worried about "Can I do this next week?" I always knew I could. 

TF: Looking back at your peak training, what did your weekly split look like during that period of time?

EC: Mondays would be squats and all other leg assistance. Tuesdays would be off. Wednesdays would be bench with chest assistance and a lot of triceps work. I would come in on Thursdays, after pre-fatiguing the triceps on Wednesday, and only hit shoulders (primary go-to exercise: seated behind neck press, working up to 400-plus pounds). I would deadlift on Friday (with light squats as a warmup), do all of my back work. Saturday would be a light bench day for recovery using wide-grip bench, flyes, etc., with occasional smaller exercises like light curls and grip work. Sundays were off. 

TF: If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? 

EC: "BE NICE!"

As angry and "focused" as I was as a younger man, I found that those two words made my life much easier. I used to have a scowl on my face if anything differed from what I believed in any way, shape, or form. I don't know if this was because it was hard for me - as such an introvert - to express things outwardly, or if I was just a jerk. I don't think I was a jerk because I never acted on much.

Then, one day, there was this idiot in the gym who really, really used to get under my skin.

I took a deep breath, let it go, walked up, and said, "Hey, how are you doing? You look great. Congratulations on finishing school." Suddenly, I thought, "Holy Crap! This is amazing!" It was like I'd set myself free. it was gone. So even now, I just try to relax (with something like) "Hey, how are you doing? Nice to see you." If I really don't like something, or if something doesn't agree with me, I just walk away or talk to someone more positive.

I see this a lot with powerlifters Mark Bell and Stan Efferding. They don't let anybody or anything get to them. It's like water off a duck's back. 

TF: When you feel overwhelmed of unfocused, what do you do?   

EC: When I travel and I'm on long plane rides, I'll go through my last two weeks: What I did, what I thought of, how I can improve it, and what I'm going to do so I don't make mistakes. Stan Efferding actually taught me how to do that by writing lists (and it might only take 30 minutes) . . . When I put it on paper, it takes the emotion out and makes it easier to follow.

For instance, it's usually my procrastination and fear that have stopped me from doing things. I tend to think of things as a big whole and get overwhelmed. If I break it down, put it down on paper, then look at it a half hour later, all of those smaller things don't seem like a big deal. When I write it down on paper, it looks so much easier, because the fear in my mind is externalized, I can look at it and realize that it's not so scary.

TF: In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life? 

EC: I have been doing Jeet Kune Do counter-violence training for some years since I stopped competing in powerlifting, and I love it. That would be on the short list. I had to teach myself how to move again, because I wanted to be an athlete and not a one-dimensional gorilla.   

TF: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?

EC: It's a picture of my parents that I had framed. I've never heard my mom or dad badmouth anybody. The picture makes me think about how I should treat everyone I love.

The picture was taken only a few years ago, and it's my mom and dad together, next to each other - an upper torso shot. I'd never really seen them showing that much affection. My whole life, I never really saw it because of the five kids. and now the grandkids. They hadn't really had a chance to show it. They're both around 87 years old now, and they've had their health problems, but they're still kicking. They love life, they love their kids and grandkids, and it keeps them going. 

I think what they instilled in my without me even knowing it was the ability to observe. Still today, I think that's one of the things I'm really good at: just sitting back and observing. I've never been one to try to be the life of the party or to be too loud. I usually just sit back and observe with a smirk on my face. I don't think you realize how much your parents have given you until you get older and can reflect on it. 

TF: What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

EC: I love my routine and when nothing upsets my routine. My dad used to tell me, "I know never to die and have my wake or funeral on a lifting day, because I know you won't be there." 

I've also taken a nap every day since I was a kid. I still try not to miss it. Usually it's 45 minutes to an hour and ideally around 3:30 or 4 p.m.

TF: What is the best purchase you've made in recent memory? 

Not too long ago, right after a surgery, the pulmonary doctor and anesthesiologist came in my room, and it was like the TV show Intervention. I said, "What's up, guys? You're not smiling." They said, "We have to talk. Your surgery took a little longer than usual because of the density of your bone and the size of your muscles and tendons." 

Now, that's fine with me. I'm happy. Then they said, "The hardest part of your whole surgery was keeping you breathing." Subsequently, I went in for a sleep study. They figured out that when I fall asleep on my side, I stop breathing eight times a minute. When I fall asleep on my back, I stop breathing 24 times a minute.   

So I got a CPAP machine, and it changed my life. It's helped me improve my focus, overcome negative thoughts akin to depression, and more. Your blood pressure comes down, your blood work starts changing, everything starts to happen because of it, I guarantee I'd been dealing with sleep problems my entire life. I just didn't realize it.

TF: What are bad recommendation you hear in your profession or area of expertise? 

EC: "The newest training ideas are the best!" Wrong. Tried-and-true basics lay the foundation for everything we do in and out of the gym.

TF: I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but why do you spell your name "Eddy"? It's an unusual spelling.

EC: The reason I don't spell it E-D-D-I-E is because of the first guest lifting appearance I ever did. I did a deadlift exhibition when I was young in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was on St. Patrick's Day of all days, and I already look like a freaking leprechaun. I pulled a deadlift and, after, some lady came up to me with Bill Pearl's book Keys to the Inner Universe, which is a gigantic book, and she said, "Would you sign this for me? I think you're going to be famous some day in powerlifting." I said, "Sure," but my hand was still shaking from the adrenaline of having just lifted. I still had my belt on and chalk on my hands. So I went to sign it and out came E-D-D-Y. I thought to myself, "You know what? I have to sign my name E-D-D-Y for the rest of my life so I don't negate the signature that I did for this lady." 

    

Get Your Copy Here:

Some Articles by Josh Bryant:

https://www.t-nation.com/all-articles/authors/josh-bryant 

https://www.elitefts.com/author/josh-bryant/ 

Here's an Article by co-author Adam benShea

on Deadlifting for MMA:

And here's a great 2017 documentary film on the Roots of MMA! 

Outstanding film footage and interviews, a real sweet one:

Table of Contents

 Preface

The Original Members of the Tijuana Barbell Club

Introduction 

Chapter I: The Origins of Charuto and Cluster Sets

Cluster Set Arm Workouts

Cluster Set Shoulder Workout

Cluster Set Leg Workout

Cluster Set Back Workout

Cluster Set Chest Workout

Chapter II: Body Types and Individualism

Ectomorph Traits

Ectomorph Challenges

Ectomorph Training Tips

Ectomorph Training Frequency Guideline

Mesomorph Traits

Mesomorph Challenges

Mesomorph Training Tips

Mesomorph Training Frequency Guidlines

Chapter III: Gas Station Ready Interval Training

Chapter IV: Pause to Build Strength

Rest-Pause Training Explained

How to Use Rest-Pause Training

Kirk Peters' Plateau-Busting Chest Routine

Charuto's Bulging Back, Arms and Biceps Routine

Big Wheel's Rolling Leg Routine

Charuto's Strong Back equals Strong Man Routine

Oso's Male Stripper Shoulder Routine

Tijuana Barbel Club Rest-Pause Limit Strength Program 

The Program

Chapter V: Watching Waves and Building Sets

Wave Loading Overview

Why It Works

The Program

Accessory Exercises

Further Guidelines

Wave Loading Squat Program

Accessory Exercises

Further Guidelines

Wave Loading Deadlift Program

Accessory Exercises

Further Guidelines

Chapter VI: The Shock Method Challenge

Shock Training Workout Programs

Shock Training for the Chest

Shock Training for Shoulders

Shock Training for Biceps

Shock Training Triceps

Shock Training for Forearms

Shock Training for Calves

Shock Training for Quadriceps

Shock Training for Hamstrings 

Conclusion 

Here's that small excerpt, from Chapter VI: 

When Sugar Murray coerced Charuto into joining a strongman show, Charuto did not expect that the experience would morph into a traveling vaudevillian spectacle. Murray, the consummate hustler, thought that they could get a following if they traveled to Nogales, Juarez, and Monterrey. 

For the most part, Charuto could read people well. It was a trait cultivated by his time working the door, where he would be required to make a quick judgement about someone's violent intentions. However, he would always believe in Murray's scatterbrained plans and it was no different when Murray suggested this itinerant idea.

To prepare for this next stage in the strongman show, Charuto needed to develop his leg training beyond the rest-pause routine. So he created the shock training workout for quadriceps, like the one included below.

Front Squats, 5 x 5

Fronts are more knee-dominant than back squats. In other words, the quads are more active. Start light. The second set should increase in weight. The third set should be your top weight; maintain that weight for the remaining two sets. Rest three to four minutes between sets. 

Day 2 

Tyson Squat Workout (see description to follow)

Bodyweight squats force you to sit deeper, use your back less, and torch your quads in the process. Furthermore, reps with just your bodyweight will facilitate active recovery.

Start with 10 playing cards, and line them up two to four feet apart. Squat and pick up the first card, then move to the next card and place the first card on top of the second card . . . after which you squat twice more to pick up each card individually before moving to the third card. Walk to the third card and squat twice to stack each card, then squat three times to pick up each card before carrying the cards to the fourth card, and proceed with the pattern. You will continue this pattern of individually stacking and picking up the cards until you move through all 10 cards in the line. At that point, you will have completed 100 squats. You can add cards as your strength and endurance increase.

Day 3 

Toes Pointed in Leg Extensions 5 x 10 reps.

Squatting variations are functional and do a great job of inner quad or "tear drop" development, but they don't cut the mustard in developing "the sweep" or vastus lateralis. 

No human movements isolate the quads from the hamstrings, but a large sweep is the ideal in bodybuilding circles. So to acquire the sweep, you have to step outside of the functional training paradigm and hit the leg extensions. This unnatural movement unnaturally overloads the sweep to fully develop the quads and vastus lateralis.    

To further accentuate the vastus lateralis, we will point the toes while performing leg extensions. Per A. Tesch used MRI scans in the 1990s, showing that pointing the toes in better isolates the vastus lateralis and more recent EMG studies confirm this. 

Use a tempo of three seconds on the eccentric, two seconds on the concentric, and hold at the top contracted position for one second. [3/0/2/1 tempo]

http://www.ebook777.com/target-bodybuilding/ 

Olympic Pause Squats, 3 x 8 reps

Olympic lifters have some of the best teardrops in the game. Let's emulate their success and squat like an Oly lifter. Pause at the bottom so the muscles are forced to do the work, rather than using the stretch-shorting cycle to assist us out of the hole. Furthermore, the pause will prolong time under tension. As we know, no muscle will fully develop without heavy, eccentric work.

Squat as low as possible. Think "ass to grass," not just breaking parallel. Pause each rep at the bottom for one second. Go as heavy as possible. Rest three to four minutes between sets.

2 (legs) Up, 1 (leg) Down Leg Press, 3 x 5 reps.

Use full range of motion. Start with a weight that you can do 20 reps with in a two-legged leg press. Lower with one leg for a steady tempo of five seconds. From the bottom position, forcefully push up to the starting position and repeat. Rest three minutes between sets.

Repeat Day 2.  

Sissy Squats, 3 x 15 reps

Get a good stretch at the bottom to reap the benefits of this movement. Use your bodyweight. Do not add additional resistance. Rest one to two minutes between sets.

Toes Pointed In Leg Extensions

Use a tempo of three seconds on the eccentric, two seconds on the concentric, and hold at the top contracted position for one second. Go heavy, but do not sacrifice technique or tempo for additional weight. Rest 90 seconds between sets. 

Day 7

Pistol Squats, 5 x 8 reps

If you are unable to complete pistol squats, do them on a bench or holding onto the squat rack. Once that becomes too easy, do them holding a towel. Rest one to two minutes between sets. 

Get a Copy Here:

I'm always interested in books and articles written about strength training for the matured lifter. Seasoned, sure, but not ready to fall off the vine yet, No Way! 

Over 350 pages, written by a guy who's been there and done that . . . and is still doing it, all the while introducing people to the sport, the skill, and the fun of powerlifting, no matter their age. 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Powerlifting Training Over Age 50

Chapter 2 - Developing Powerlifting's Unique Athletic Skills

Chapter 3 - Sport-Specific Conditioning: An Overlooked Factor

Chapter 4 - Training for Power: Building Training Plans

Chapter 5 - The Squat: King of Power Exercises - Proper Technique 

Chapter 6 - Training Cycles for the Squat

                    Cycle 1: Foundation Cycle   

                    Cycle 2: Partial Squats and Deep Pauses

                    Cycle 3: Elastic Band Training

                    Cycle 4: Box Squats and Front Squats

                    Cycle 5: Peaking Program

Chapter 7 - Bench Press: THE Most Popular Lift - Proper Technique

Chapter 8 - Bench Press Training Cycles

                   Cycle 1: Foundation Cycle

                   Cycle 2: Explosive Strength I

                   Cycle 3: Power Cage Training

                   Cycle 4: Explosive Strength II

                   Cycle 5: Peaking Program

Chapter 9 - Deadlift: Pulling Monster Iron - Technique and Core Assistance

Chapter 10 - Deadlift Training Cycles

                      Cycle 1: Foundation Cycle

                      Cycle 2: Strength Builder Cycle 

                      Cycle 3: Elastic Band Training  

                      Cycle 4: Power Max Cycle 

                      Cycle 5: Peaking Cycle 

Chapter 11 - Isometrics: A Forgotten Training Method That Promotes Big Gains

Part III - Getting the Most From Your Training 

Chapter 12 - Pathway to Success: Small Steps to Big Improvement

Chapter 13 - Nutrition for Power

Chapter 14 - Overtraining and Injuries

Chapter 15 - Supplements and Performance Enhancing Drugs: A Cautionary Tale

Chapter 16 - Entering a Powerlifting Meet: A Step by Step Guide

Afterword 

Here's a small excerpt from the book.

What Do You Do Better Than Younger Lifters? 

The main thing in this category is the ability to use your mind, and your life experience to know your body better, train smarter and learn new skills.

As I will say over and over again, Strength is a Skill. It can be very hard for younger lifters to have the patience to master a difficult skill. Being a superior lifter is about mastering skills. My observations led me to believe that a lot of young athletes want instant gratification.

Older lifters will take the time and have the patience to really nail the skill aspects of powerlifting.

Better skill yields better performance. Better skill means you can get much closer to your biological limit than someone who is trying to lift on emotion and adrenaline.  

Experienced athletes are usually able to compete more effectively, because the "pressure" of competition does not get to them the way it does to less experienced lifters. This can take the form of anything from reacting to missing a lift, to training or competing in unfamiliar places, to dealing with any difficult circumstance. Much more on this later.

Finally, if you have been training steadily for a long time, you will have built up an unbelievable amount of basic body strength. Body strength declines very slowly as we age, and if you have been training for a long time, your base-load body strength will stay with you for what seems like forever.

Younger lifters don't have the accumulated body strength that comes from years of training. Thus they are somewhat less resilient when it comes to recovering from heavy training. Younger lifters may also not have toughened tendons and ligaments that come from long years moving big iron.

The biggest advantage older lifters have is that they can have the sense to "train smart" rather than simply blast away and train as hard as they can. The old lions may not put in all the gym reps the cub does, but the older folks will get more out of what they do.

One of the biggest problems older lifters face is recovering from heavy training.

In general, older lifters recover more slowly than they did in their younger years. By training smart you will take this into account, and not over train. Your progress in lifting will be limited by your recovery . . . so pay as much attention to recovering as you would to any other critical factor in your training. 

If you have been lifting weights already for years, I want to explain that lifting heavy weights is NOT the same activity as lifting lighter weights. Lifting heavy requires a unique type of muscular conditioning and endurance that is different from that needed for training with light weights.You will have a head start on someone who has not been lifting before, certainly, but be aware that you need to work into heavy lifting gradually.

If you have NOT been training for some time, even a few months, it is critical that you get back into heavy lifting slowly. If you try to do too much weight or too much of a workload before your body is ready for it, you are at risk for a significant injury. This will set you back months, or even longer.

If you have been in training and/or sports for many years, you will probably have some cumulative wear and tear on your joints and connective tissue. If you are still in the game, probably you have learned how to keep these injuries at bay so you can keep playing hard.

Remember, the sports doctors and the physical therapists are your pals. They can be huge in helping you have a great lifting career. Don't hesitate to learn about the good ones who practice close to where you live.

Bottom line: older people recover from heavy training more slowly than younger ones. But, if you manage your recovery and condition yourself to lift heavy, you can get great results. 

Then there is the metabolism factor. It declines slowly as you age, so you will probably need to eat less than you did when you were 30, or even 40. Extra chow tends to quickly become "table muscle' (a.k.a. fat), and you don' want extra portions of that stuff hanging around you.

Each person has unique dietary needs. You will probably need to spend some time figuring out what pattern of eating is best for you. For example, I tend to eat one main meal a day, have some small snacks, and have a 14 to 16 hour period when I eat nothing. This works great for me. However, my wife found that this pattern made her feel awful. She now has a completely different pattern from me.

You may find that you need more sleep than you did in your 30's. Extra sleep is one of the few "silver bullets" for better strength and health. You will see a lot of references to the huge power of sleep throughout this book. 

Finally, like it or not, it may take longer to recover from injury than it did when you were younger. Obviously, do all you can to avoid getting injured. If you do get hurt, be diligent about your recovery, and you will be back training again. This will never happen as fast as you want it to, but you can shorten the time by training smart.   

Becoming a Better Powerlifter

It really helps if you understand the big picture of what you are trying to do. A good place to start is breaking down how you think about your task of becoming a better lifter.

If you ask the average lifter if they would like to make significant improvements on their strength, everyone will quickly say "Yes!" It is easy to "want" to be stronger, but doing what is necessary to get there is far more challenging. 

In this book I'll give you a guide on how to improve your lifting. The approach may be different from what you are used to seeing. I break down the process of making improvements into the following areas: 

 - Improving the sport-specific skills needed to improve. 

 -  Doing the sport-specific conditioning need to train hard. 

 - Understanding the pathway to success: desire, persistence and planning.

 - Doing the work, and monitoring your progress.

All of these elements systematically fit together to help you to become the best lifter you can be.
Let's look at each one . . .      

THANKS AGAIN TO LIAM TWEED! 

Here's a link to Peary Rader's Isometronic Power and Muscle Development Course:

With all the various successful York Courses published to date, you may wonder why there should be another course of training. What can another course offer that we have not already supplied? What can we furnish to those who want the limit in weight lifting ability, in strength and physical perfection that has not already been offered in the courses which have served so well, in the 19 books Bob Hoffman has written, in the thousands of articles that Bob Hoffman has written. 

The new isometric training system will have an important place in the realm of weight training. It will not replace the good courses which have proven their worth, but it will prove to be a time saver and super strength builder. It will bring superior results faster, with less effort, in far less time. It will be a body-saver, because its scientific methods build the maximum of strength and development, with a minimum strain upon the muscles, tendons and ligaments. When combined with the training principles, the exercises, the weight lifting training, and other long successful, superior weight lifting training, and other long successful, superior Bob Hoffman methods, it will build strong men, superbly developed men, weight lifters and athletes, with an ability which has never been seen before. It applies force where force is needed. Dr. Drury and Al Roy prophesy that all world records will be broken within two years. Most of them will be broken and re-broken by means of training with this new and scientific Functional Isometric Contraction method.

The readers of this course will never realize the time, the study, the hard and continuous work, the research, the experimentation, the utilization of little known scientific principles, which has led up to this system of training. I was almost a lone pioneer in formulating and proving the training systems included in the courses enumerated. I was almost a lone pioneer in weight training for athletes (going ahead slowly for many years) until finally, like an avalanche, like a huge snowfall, it became great - the principle of weight training was accepted. The point is now reached where nearly all athletes are training with weights to improve their athletic ability, and those who don't train with weights will simply be pushed around and defeated by those who are training with weights.

I wrote 19 books without assistance, and although I am writing this course, I have help, very worthy help. The material in this book contains and includes the thinking, the knowledge, the training, the research, the demonstrations, the persistent work of a number of men. It has been my work to coordinate, to assemble this jigsaw puzzle of scientific facts which make this new training system so great. I am fortunate indeed to be associated for years in this work with a medical doctor, a Ph.D., a professor of Physical Education, a famous trainer, and particularly, two great athletes who proved the truth, the superiority of these training principles we are offering, with experiments on their bodies. They risked their reputations as weightlifters. They took a big chance that if the little known principles they were to follow did not prove as successful as other methods, they would not win the national championships, or a coveted place on the world's championship team. Nevertheless, they put their wholehearted efforts into the new training system and were successful pioneers in this great training system which means so much to the future of our country.

Each of these men, with whom I am so closely associated, played a very important part in proving this system, in preparing it so that it is now offered as the greatest training system the world has ever seen. I am actually awestruck at the miracles it has already wrought, at the speed with which it develops great strength and improved functional condition, and all around physical ability.  Muscles with all their health giving and health maintaining qualities, with their potential athletic ability, grow before my eyes, almost like a mushroom grows when the conditions are favorable. Had you seen the miracles I have seen as a result of this new system of training, you too would be as thrilled, as excited, as happy as I am. After a lifetime spent in the search for strength and better strength building methods, we can now offer this faster, better method of building superior physical ability - through Functional Isometric Contraction Training.


The Development of the Theory and the Application of Functional Isometric Contraction

The theory and application of Functional Isometric Contraction is the result of the combined efforts, the experience and the thinking of five men who were brought together by their mutual interest in the process of developing muscular strength. These men are John Ziegler, M.D., a physician from Olney, Md.; Bob Hoffman, the Father of weight lifting in the U.S.A. and Olympic Weightlifting Coach since 1932; Dr. Francis A. Drury, a professor of Physical Education at Louisiana State University; Alvin Roy, a former Olympic Weightlifting Trainer; and Louis Riecke a 34 year old competitive weightlifter with 15 years of weight training experience.

Dr. Ziegler who has done considerable muscular rehabilitation work, and cell growth research, became interested in applying some of the practices used in rehabilitation to the training of athletes. Bob Hoffman and Dr. Ziegler convinced Louis Riecke to act as a subject for the testing of the Functional Isometric  Contraction system of training. Dr. Drury, who had know Louis Riecke from his college days when Riecke was a member of the L.S.U. team, had also talked to Louie about the research on Isometric Contraction done at L.S.U. Alvin Roy, a close friend of Riecke, made the trip from Louisiana to California for the national weight lifting meet with Louie. Bob Hoffman followed this experiment by phone, by letter, by personal visit and encouraged Riecke to put his maximum effort back of the experiment. Louis Riecke's experiment was climaxed by his selection as a member of the five man team which went to compete against the Russians in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Tbilisi, and later in London, England.

As a result of this lengthy and result producing experiment, all five of these men, the Medical doctor, the Olympic coach, the Professor, the Olympic trainer and the lifter agree that Functional Isometric Contraction is a truly superior method for developing strength.


What is Functional Isometric Contraction?

Functional Isometric Contraction is a method of developing functional strength through static contraction of the muscles in the position the muscle is to be used. This system is especially applicable to many athletic sports, notably weight lifting. It is a new method and has proven to be a superior method of building functional and all around physical strength.

The Functional Isometric Contraction method of developing strength is the result of research done in several of our major universities in the United States and Europe. Psychology and Physiology of Exercise and Kinesiology are the sciences that contributed the basic scientific facts which are used as a foundation for this new system of weight training. Dr. Ziegler, Dr. Drury, Al Roy and Bob Hoffman are among the first in the world to apply this proven strength building principle to heavy exercise, heavy athletics, strength and muscle building.

The Functional Isometric Contraction method of training brings together all the known scientific facts of strength development and body mechanics. The resulting course offers the most up to date and most result producing concepts of strength development.

Functional Isometric Contraction is a scientifically proven, very rapid way to develop super strength. Functional Isometric Contraction will develop functional strength more quickly than any other method known to man.


Functional Isometric Contraction Produces Maximum Muscle Tension

A muscle can produce energy in the form of heat and work. The heat and work produced by a muscle will work in reciprocal relation to each other. the amount of work may vary from zero to about 40% of the total energy produced. If resistance to he muscle is so strong that the muscle can not move the weight or object the muscle stiffens and does not shorten. This is pure Functional Isometric Contraction (meaning that the muscle continues to measure the same length.) All the muscle energy is used in tension and none in movement when performing Functional Isometric Contraction. Consequently, it develops the maximum amount of muscle tension. This is one reason why Functional Isometric Contraction is a quick method of developing strength. More muscle tension can be exerted by Functional Isometric Contraction than by contraction, where by short means of movement the muscle is allowed to shorten and work. there is more cell action as a result of functional isometric contraction


Functional Isometric Contraction Develops Maximum Coordinated Effort

Another basic principle of the Functional Isometric Contraction System of training is that it develops the nervous system to give a maximum coordinated effort in the position of the needed force. The world record jumping of Valeri Brumel is a case of this form of coordinated effort, the ability to put forth a greater explosive effort which records a higher jump. Brumel has this ability. The old method of developing strength did not develop maximum functional strength in the position the strength was to be used. Functional Isometric Contraction trains the muscles and the nervous system to respond to their maximum in a functional position. This training for maximum coordinated effort is one of the new concepts of training. It trains the muscles to exert an explosive strength in the desired direction. This concept of training, as incorporated in the Functional Isometric Contraction System, results in greater strength and new records.


Functional Isometric Contraction: The Training System of the Future World Record Holders

All weight lifting records will be broken in the next two years. In many cases broken and re-broken by men who use the Functional Isometric Contraction System of training. The phenomenal rise of Louis Riecke is the result of Functional Isometric Contraction combined with a weight training program. Louis Riecke trained the best way he know how, for 14 years using the old method of training and never became even one of the nation's best lifters until he included the Functional Isometric Contraction System of training. Now he is known over all the world, and is on the verge of breaking world records.

By using the Functional Isometric Contraction System, in six months Riecke developed into of the the world's greatest lifters. This sensational improvement made by Louis Riecke can be made by all other lifters who follow this new system of training, the Isometric Contraction System, combined with weight lifting training.

Every lifter can not become a world champion, but every lifter can greatly improve his lifting records of the past by following this new, all-around system of training. In the next two years there will be tremendous gains made in all the lifts - the press, the snatch, and the clean and jerk. These gains will be made by men who use this most modern system of training. If you want to keep up with the best lifters, if you want to build your strength and muscles to their maximum, you must start now to use the Functional Isometric Contraction System. All good lifters will be using this system in the near future, certainly in the next two years.


Functional Strength: The Secret of Better Lifting

One of the important factors in Louis Riecke's sensational improvement was his rapid development of functional strength. Functional strength is having the strength in the body position where the strength is needed and used. The Functional Isometric Contraction system develops functional strength by causing the lifter to execute all exercises in the position of movement used in competitive lifting. All lifters have seen men who looked strong but were not strong. Their muscles were developed by isolated exercises and movement, rather than by heavy weight lifting. These men do not have functional strength - they have isolated strength. They appear to be strong, but they will never be great lifters. Great lifters have functional strength. The quickest and surest way to develop functional strength is through the Functional Isometric Contraction (F.I.C.) system of training.


A Superior Method of Strength and Muscle Building

The Functional Isometric Contraction system combined with isometric training with weights is a superior system of strength and muscle building which is the culmination of many years of effort, many years of scientific study, years of experimentation and practice. It is a superior method of building great strength and unusual muscular development.

The Functional Isometric Contraction system combined with isometric training with weights works on the principle that only through progressive training, with very heavy weight resistance can super strength and the maximum of muscular development be built. There must be a constant effort to work against more and more weight resistance. It is nature's way to meet demands made upon the muscles, so that they will become stronger and more enduring. Only with progressive weight training can physical progress be measured accurately almost with micrometer-like precision.

With the combined Isometric-Isotonic Training with weights you can continue to train with very heavy weights and heavy weight resistance. In fact, progressively heavier weights and weight resistance can be used day after day. With the usual training system you practice many exercises and perform many of them in sets. This old method is time consuming, tiring and requires a considerable period of recuperation between training sessions. In the past many men failed with these training systems because they trained on their nerve too often and did not give the muscles time to recuperate and rebuild after the day of vigorous training. As only a few supermen have the needed and exceptional endurance and recuperative powers to progress with this type of training, more men fail than succeed. Only a comparatively few men make the gains you read about in the strength books and magazines. On the other hand, many men fail because they do not extend themselves enough, they do not progress beyond many repetitions with with light weights and do not make satisfactory gains.

This Functional Isometric Contraction system of training operates on a different system than any other. This system was developed from the newest discoveries concerning cell growth, tissue and muscle building, yet it contains training principles which have actually been secret methods used by some of the world's greatest strong men and the world's greatest specimens.

The Functional Isometric Contraction system of Super Power Training is founded on the proven, but little known principle, that a muscle can only grow so fast regardless of how many exercises you practice or how much effort you deliver. To obtain best results it is far better to subject the muscle or muscle group to a single maximum contraction and all around strength will more quickly be attained. Strength will appear in the tendons, the ligaments, the muscles, and even greater strength in the bones.

Only maximum contractions, only the application of great force will develop the strongest muscles. With this system of weight training, wherein the absolute limit of force is applied, only a single contraction is made in each exercise. The Hoffman Isometric-Isotonic Super Power Rack is a combination machine which permits the practice of a great number of exercises and permits a variety of methods of training. But when it is used for pure isometric contraction or isometric contraction with weights, contraction is practiced in each exercise.

With this method of Functional Isometric Contraction and Isometric Contraction with Weights, the muscles do not tire although subjected to the limit of force. Rather, there is a feeling of exhilaration, of well-being at the end of the training period. Your muscles start immediately to grow in strength and are ready and able to perform even harder work the next day, and the next and greater work as the days pass. With the usual training system much time is lost waiting for the muscles to become rested. A muscle will not increase in size and strength after demands have been upon it by the ordinary training system until it is thoroughly rested. This may take 24-36 hours of rest between training periods. With the Functional Isometric Contraction and System of Power Training, advanced men (those who have gone through the preliminary training) can work their muscles to the limit of their strength - and beyond - yet the muscles do not become fatigued. New growth in cells and in muscle tissues takes place at one. With this Isometric Super System, you can train twice as often, six times a week if you wish, without tiring. You can make strength and muscle gains two to four times as fast as the usual training system which has been followed in the past.

We recommend that all muscular contraction exercises be performed over the full range of movement for a reasonable or satisfactory period, a period which is to be determined by your starting condition, before you follow the advanced routine of maximum force for single contraction (known as Isometric Contraction). Although the Hoffman Isometric-Isotonic Super Power Rack is primarily designed to build great strength, the maximum of strength, development and athletic ability. It offers advantages to those who are satisfied with only a little physical benefit, for they can make pleasing gains with only a little time and a little effort. Although a weakling, an invalid or a cripple can obtain good results with the Hoffman Isometric-Isotonic Super Power Rack, we repeat, it is primarily designed for those who want the limit in strength and development. The training system we are offering is the best, the superior way to build great strength and development. The training system we are offering is the best, the superior way to build great strength, shapely, strong muscles and unusual physical ability. You get out of isotonic exercise what you put into your training. To obtain the maximum benefits in strength and development you must constantly endeavor to overcome more and more resistance. This can be done with maximum Functional Isometric Contraction and Isometric Contraction With Weights. Only with weights can you accurately measure the effort you are putting forth. Only with weight can you measure the gains that you have made with Functional Isometric Contraction. Any exercise is better than no exercise, even pushing one hand against another is better than nothing, but if you want the maximum of physical strength, development and physical ability, you must follow he best methods. Experience counts! The combined experience of Olympic coach Bob Hoffman, John Ziegler, M.D., Francis Drury, Ph.D., and Olympic Trainer, Al Roy (a man who has a lifetime of athletic and training experience), will guarantee your success. For greater success follow their methods to the exclusion of all others.

The Functional Isometric-Isotonic System of Super Power Training requires little energy. It is not tiring, yet it builds super strength and development, strength and size in the muscles, as well as strength in the tendons and ligaments. Although Functional Isometric Contraction, Isometric Contraction With Weights and Muscular Contraction With Movement, Super Power Rack Training are worth ways to strength, super health and development in themselves, they succeed more rapidly and much more fully when they are combined with a complete weight training program. Functional Isometric Contraction is a time saver. On some days as few as five exercises, 12 seconds each, are performed. Most weight lifters and body builders train three times a week, rest days between. As Functional Isometric Contraction and Isometric Contraction with weights, Super Power Rack Training make such moderate demands upon the body, yet bring such sensational results, they can be practiced on what would normally be rest days. With this method of training, you train twice as many times, although the Functional Isometric Contraction and Isometric Training with weights are easy training days. It would be reasonable to believe if you train twice as much you train twice as fast. With this new system, many actually gain not only two times as fast, but three or four times as fast. 5% a week is the average gain for beginners, twice as much strength in 20 weeks. Naturally an advanced man can not double his strength in 20 weeks, but he can and will show sensational gains.

With ordinary training methods there are two good reasons why some succeed and others fail. Those who succeed have the right combination of the right system of training, they follow the rules of healthful living. Those who fail most often do not have the right system of training. They usually exercise some of the muscle groups too much, neglect others. They may train too little, use too little weight resistance, or they miss training periods for every possible excuse. "It is too late, it is too hot, I am tired, I will train tomorrow, I want to go out tonight." These are only a few of the common excuses. Actually laziness is at the root of all the excuses.

Then there are some who are so ambitious that they train too hard and too often. Perhaps their bodies do not have enough natural recuperative power. they extend themselves to their limit too often. They work too much on their nerves and of course, there are those who have poor living habits, such as irregular sleep, and the failure to maintain a tranquil mind. So many people do not supply their bodies with the proper food. Not enough food for energy, not enough protein to build the body. The body is built only when there is a surplus of the right kind of protein. Protein will be used first for maintenance and repair, even for energy, if there is not enough of the energy producing materials. No muscular growth is possible unless there is an ample supply of complete protein. Some people smoke too much, drink too much of alcoholic beverages, some drink too much of tea, coffee and soft drinks which are loaded with white sugar. They eat too much of foodless foods such as white flour and white sugar products. Good, natural foods are best for building strength and muscular development.

Isometric and Isotonic Power Rack training can not overcome these poor living habits, these omissions and  commissions. It will help you in spite of bad habits, but you will succeed much faster and succeed better if you follow the rules of healthful living as closely as possible. One of our rules of successful training, and body building is, never miss an exercise period. It is so easy to miss again when you have missed once. It becomes a habit of missing, and failure is sure to result. With the Functional Isometric Contraction and Isometric Training With Weights System of Super Power Training you need not miss your training. You can train at any time, even at odd moments. With the Isometric System, you have no excuse not to train. Your Super Power Rack is right in your home. You can train at any time you wish with little expenditure of energy. Being tired, or being late, or having little time is no excuse, it takes so little time.

This system of training will be a boon to the average family. The Super Power Rack can be used by the children, by Father and Mother, by the old folks, by the neighbors. It is excellent for people of all types. It is a big step forward in building a stronger and healthier America, because here we have a simple, easy-to-follow, result producing system which brings sensational results with a minimum of effort. There is no valid excuse in the future to be out of shape, to be fat, to be pepless, to be sick, when it is so easy to keep superlatively fit, strong and super healthy.

There should be an Isometric-Isotonic Super Power Rack in every home, to be used by every member of the family as well as relatives and friends.


True Facts About Functional Isometric Contraction Training

The limit of maximum effort is set by many inhibits or restraints within the body. This is nature's way of preventing injury to the body. Many lifters have the muscular strength to lift much more than they have ever lifted but they have inhibitions within themselves that prevent them from making a maximum effort . . .

CONTINUED IN PART TWO   


  













   

 

   

Danny Padilla

More Articles by Curtis Schultz:

ROCK SOLID TRAINING:

Getting Big With the Back to Basics Approach

 The following routine is a version of a program that emphasizes the basics from IRONMAN'S Mass Training Tactics. The book includes 19 other complete, basic programs. 

Monday/Thursday

Quadriceps - 

Squat, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Sissy Squat or Leg Extension, 1 x 8-12

Hamstrings - 

Stiff-legged Deadlift, 3 x 15, 12, 9

Leg Curl, 1 x 8-12

Calves - 

Donkey Calf Raise, 2 x 12-20

One-Leg Calf Raise, 1 x 12-20

Chest - 

Bench Press, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Incline Flye, 1 x 8-12

Triceps - 

Lying Triceps Extension, 3 x 10, 8, 6.

Tuesday/Friday

Back - 

Front Chin or Pulldown, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Barbell Pullover, 1 x 8-12

Bentover Barbell Row, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Bent-arm Bentover Lateral, 1 x 8-12

Deltoids - 

Front Press, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Lateral Raise, 1 x 8-12

Biceps - 

Barbell Curl, 3 x 10, 8, 6

Forearms - 

Reverse Curl, 2 x 8-12

Abdominals -
Crunches, 2 x 12-20
Hanging Knee-ups, 1 x max.


Power Pyramid Tips

The workout above doesn't include warmup sets. Do one or two warmup sets with 50% of your first work set on each exercise you pyramid. Remember, a warm muscle contracts more efficiently than a cold muscle.

Any exercise for three sets of decreasing reps is a power pyramid, so add weight on each successive set. The weights in all the work sets should take you close to failure, so whenever you can get 12 reps on the first work set of a power pyramid, up the weight on all three sets at your next workout.

Feel free to incorporate intensity techniques like 1-1/4 reps, but don't abuse them.

Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ9WgkFuCrc

Nick Nilsson's Powerful Training Secrets:
http://www.powerfultrainingsecrets.com/


If you start feeling overtrained, cut back on your use of them. Intensity techniques will probably work best on the isolation exercises.

Take in extra calories, but don't let yourself get fat.

Strive for strength and power, and size will follow.   

Dave Draper

Forearms are a lot like calves. For one thing, if yu have high insertions of the extensor (top of the forearm) and/or the flexor (underside of forearm) muscles, it's harder to build mass - similar to having high calves. Also, forearms tend to respond to higher reps, much like calves, probably because they have a lot of endurance-oriented fibers due to the extensive use they get in everyday activities.

So, what's the solution? Super-sets or tri-sets, which not only build muscle but also increase vascularity. Keep in mind that a vascular forearm appears much more massive than a smooth one, even if the vascular forearm is smaller, so try to get the veins to surface.

You should also work the brachialis, which can help beef up the top of the forearm as well as heighten the peak on your biceps. Here are a couple of result-producing routines. 

  

Superset:

Hammer Curl, 2 x 8-10 ->

Rope Cable Curl, 2 x 8-10

Superset:

Reverse Wrist Curl, 2 x 8-10 ->

Forearm Rockers, 2 x max

Superset:

Wrist Curl, 2 x 8-10 ->

Behind the Back Wrist Curl, 2 x 8-10

Tri-Set:

Hammer Curl, 1 x 8-10 ->

Rope Cable Curl, 1 x 8-10 ->

Rope Cable Curl (lighter weight), 1 x 8-10

Tri-Set:

Reverse Barbell Wrist Curl, 1 x 8-10 ->

Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Curl, 1 x 8-10 ->

Forearm Rockers, 1 x max 

Tri-Set:

Wrist Curl, 1 x8-10 ->

Behind the Back Wrist Curl, 1 x 8-10 ->

Forearm Rockers, 1 x max.

Those are pretty extensive forearm routines, so you may want to cut back on other parts of your workout. For example, you could reduce your direct biceps work somewhat, as the brachialis exercises will also indirectly target the biceps. If you can't handle cutting back, you may want to try doing only one set of each of the exercises listed in the first routine - but really push them hard, working through the pain barrier. You have to punish the forearms to force new growth.

To do Forearm Rockers, stand, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging down and the dumbbells next to the outsides of your thighs, pointing forward. Contract your flexors, curling the dumbbell toward your body as hard as possible. Then reverse the movement, taking them up away from your body as high as possible to contract your extensors. Do that till you can't hold the dumbbells any longer, but rack them quickly before you drop them on your feet. Pick a weight that has you screaming after about 45 seconds . . . and stay close to the rack.

   

Article and Photos Courtesy of Liam Tweed and Michael Murphy

This is a very rare treat, and it allows us a view of just how different the world of weights was not long ago. Now, we suffer from a deluge of training info and nutritional details. Call it The Poverty of Abundance if you like. Back then for the majority of lifters it was for the most part word of mouth, hand written letters and experimentation on oneself. But make no mistake, there was, as this article on our first Powerlifter J..C. Hise shows, no lack of passion and an almost iron-like bond between practitioners of the Barbell Arts. 

Joseph Curtis (J.C.) Hise

A few years ago there was a little magazine published by the Milo Publishing Company and edited by Mark. H. Berry. I have had many Iron Men tell me that never before or since has there appeared a magazine of such value to the barbell man. Anyhow Mr. Berry in his little magazine and also in the old Strength Magazine made a practice of promoting the squat or deep knee bend exercise as the finest growing exercise in existence. He always gave the stories of men who had used the squat to gain their desires of added bodyweight. All of them were startling enough but one day while reading through the latest issue of the "Strong Man" which was the Feb. 1932 issue I came across a letter in the back from a man who neither gave his name or address.

His gains on the squat and milk drinking were so great as to seem absolutely impossible. However the simple and compelling style of his letter proved to me that he was really telling the truth and had made the marvelous gains he claimed. I was very much impressed for I, myself, had for years labored unceasingly in my efforts to gain much needed bodyweight. I at once decided to go on this program which was sketched in his letter and I too received the same results though not quite so startling yet sure and certain never the less. 

To be sure I had read all of Berry's instruction in regard to the squat as a weight gaining medium but never seemed to get the true meaning until I read of the efforts of this man. Well, I went on with my squat program and milk drinking and continued to gain until I had made a gain of 75 pounds in bodyweight. 

From time to time more appeared about this man, whose name I had not yet found, showing that he was still making the same fast gains and surely becoming the world's strongest man on the squat and dead lift. At last I got hold of this man's name. It was J.C. Hise of Homer, Ill. I at once wrote him telling him of my own experiments since reading his letter. He wrote back at once a very long letter full of very helpful advice and details that were very valuable to me in my training. Since that time we have corresponded regularly and several years ago he visited me at my home here in Alliance for 10 days and I came to know him very well . . . 

Continued     

Bill West Spotting Merjanian at Muscle Beach

Click Pics to ENLARGE

 - ARTICLE COURTESY OF LIAM TWEED - 

Meet "Powerhouse" Steve Merjanian

by Vern Weaver (1965)

 In this modern era of strength athletes there are very few men who can equal or surpass the great feats of Steve Merjanian. He is truly a man of super strength.

Steve began his athletic career as a high school football player. He attended Manual Arts School in Los Angels and was chosen all city lineman in 1952 and '53. Steve also participated as a wrestler during this same period.

When Steve began weight training twelve years ago he was interested in becoming a bodybuilder. However, somewhere along the line he must have been extremely impressed by great feats of strength, because his present training routine consists of mostly POWER exercises. Everything he does is a great feat of strength. He employs stupendous poundages. 

Steve is capable of performing the following feats: 

Seated Incline Press (60 degrees) - 470 lbs.

Bench Press - 500 

Press Behind Neck - 335

Dumbbell Press - 190's for 2 reps

Front Lateral Raise - 165 lb. dumbbell.

As all great athletes, he has set for himself very definite goals. He intends to do an incline press with 500 pounds; also press a pair of 250-lb. dumbbells. I have no doubt that he will succeed in these feats. In fact I think he will surpass both goals. No telling when or where he will stop. 

Steve has an overabundance of drive and energy. Here in California we refer to him as a "swinger." Needless to say, he trains every day.

He is periodically employed as a movie extra. In fact, he had a very energetic role in "Muscle Beach Party." Big Steve is also the proud owner of a jewelry shop in downtown Los Angeles. (How about a nice watch? Only $29.95, guaranteed for 30 months.). When he isn't doing any of the above mentioned occupations he can be found at any one of the major film studios employed as an electrician foreman.

Steve's diet consists mostly of juices, meat, and eggs. He made no references to milk or supplements. I did not pursue the subject further, although I do assume that he never leaves the table in a state of starvation.

I have never seen a man as big as Steve with such an amazing symmetry. He maintains relatively small hips, thighs and waist. Of course this is no accident. Obviously he has planned his training schedule well. 

As I mentioned earlier, Steve trains seven days a week. WOW! He mentioned that he is very much in favor of running. He runs at least twice a week. That's a real athlete. Steve is one heavyweight who doesn't fit into the lazy category. It's a pleasing change.

Steve's routine is as follows: 

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Dumbbell Press, 5x7 reps

Dumbbell Laterals, 5x7

Front Dumbbell Raises, 5x7

Pulley Rowing Motion, 5x7 

Dumbbell Curl, 5x7

Dips, 5x7

Lying Triceps Extension, 5x7

60 Degree Incline Press, 10x7 reps, 7x1 with max minus 20 lbs. 

Bench Press, 5x7.

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday

Calf Raise, 10 to 15sets x10 reps

Pulley Forearm Curl, 10-15x10

Pulls on Pulley Machine (for posterior deltoids), 10-15x10

Standing Triceps Extension, 10-15x10

Running, approximately one mile.

As you can see, his training days are somewhat flexible.

As in the the case of most athletes, Steve has a source of inspiration. In his case it just happens to be the "Mystery Man of the Iron Game" - Chuck Ahrens. They are both members of the Bruce Conner gym in Westwood, California. I can assure you that there is a lot of iron being hoisted around there when these two men are training! 

In case you're interested in Steve's measurements, they are as follow: 

Arms, 20.25 inches

Forearms, 18.5

Chest, 59.75

Waist, 39

Thighs, 28.5

Calves, 19.5

at 280 pounds bodyweight. 

In closing I'd like to mention that Steve is now in the process of writing a book on building greater body power. But between his training,  movie work, and jewelry store his time is very limited, but he hopes to finish it one of these days and reveal the his methods and those of others.  

  

Note: This is an excerpt from Maximum Muscle Bible by Christian Thibaudeau and Paul Carter. 

Go Here to Get Your Copy: 

https://maximummusclebible.com/
or Here:
https://thibarmy.com/product/maximum-muscle-bible/

See the Table of Contents Here:

https://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Muscle-Bible-Christian-Thibaudeau/dp/1926659325 

This book is loaded with applicable muscle-building info.

Check It Out!

Chapter Eight: Hypertrophy for the CrossFit Athlete

by Christian Thibaudeau

There is this idea that CrossFit guys are small. That may be true when you look at those who only do group classes (which is often more of a cardio session with weights than heavy work), but if you look close at the elite-level Regional and Games competitors you will find plenty of very solid physiques.

Of course, you won't find any IFBB pro physiques among them. But guys like Nick Urankar, Jason Khalipa, Neil Maddox and Dan Bailey, to name a few, look very muscular and lean with full muscle bellies. 

The competitive guys need to be strong. Unless you have some crazy bodyweight skills and an unstoppable engine to compensate, if you can't clean and jerk at least 325 pounds, snatch at least 265, deadlift more than 500 and squat in the high 400s, you can forget about being competitive. These aren't even high numbers; there are several competitors who can snatch in the 300s and clean and jerk above 385 pounds.

More Muscle to Get Stronger

Neural efficiency, technique and leverage are all nice and well, but they have their limitations. And, ultimately, muscle moves weight. Neural efficiency, technique and leverages will only allow you to make the most of the strength that you muscles have. 

At an equal level of neural efficiency and technical mastery, if you have more muscle you will lift more weight; just look at elite Olympic lifters who add 20 to 30 kg to their total (or even more) when they go up a weight class. 

[Note: Here's a quick example from the past. Tommy Kono:

As a lightweight at the 1952 Olympic Games - total 362.5 kg.

As a light-heavyweight at the 1956 Olympic Games - total 447.5 kg.

As a middleweight at the 1960 Olympic Games - total 427.5 kg.] 

If you want to be strong overall, adding muscle mass to your frame is a surefire way to get there. 

Muscle as Your Armor 

Another aspect of adding muscle is that it can help prevent injuries. For example, more muscle mass in the muscles of the shoulder girdle will greatly increase the body's capacity to handle physical stress at the shoulder joint. In that regard, see muscle mass like your armor. It will help protect you by increasing joint integrity and stability.

In addition, athletes invariably suffer muscle imbalances (some muscles being proportionately too weak for the others) which can cause injuries or at least chronic aches and pains, and can also decrease performance. Hypertrophy work for these lagging muscle groups is a great way to solve the issue; when you have a lagging muscle group, big compound lifts with heavy weights aren't the solution because the body will prefer to use its strongest muscles to do the job, which will only accentuate the imbalance.


Hypertrophy to Fix Leakage Points

I like to explain strength in the big lifts (and bodyweight work) as a pipeline,through which water runs down towards the endpoint. If the pipeline has some leakage points, the force of the water at the end of the pipeline will be decreased. It is the same thing with lifting strength. Each muscle involved directly (prime mover or synergist/agonist) or indirectly (stabilizer or fixator) can be a potential force leak if it's too weak. The more leakage points you have, or the longer the leaks are, the less capable will you be of demonstrating your strength potential. I was reminded of this recently when I was doing isolation work for the lower body with my friend, Nick. He used more weight than I did on leg extensions, leg curls and leg press, yet I can squat 100 pounds more than he can as I have less strength leaks in my glutes, lower back, midsection and upper back.

Hypertrophy work is a good way to fix leakage points once you have diagnosed the problematic muscle group. A weak muscle group is normally smaller in proportion to the stronger ones; it is underdeveloped relative to what it should be. The activation of that muscle will also likely be deficient, meaning that you will not be good at contracting it properly. Both elements can be better developed with isolation work (where it's hard to compensate with another muscle), using lighter weights and more focus on the quality of the contraction. Once the weak muscle has gained some size and activation is improved, it will more easily be "included in" when doing bigger, heavier lifts.


Hypertrophy as a Confidence Builder

Charlie Francis (Ben Johnson's former coach) was once asked why Ben put so much emphasis on the bench press and upper body development. Charlie mentioned that the shoulders and arms can contribute up to 10 percent of running speed. However, the biggest benefit was that the athlete liked the way he looked, which increased both his confidence and his performance.

I can confirm that. When I coached at the CrossFit Games this year, I saw a lot of posturing, competitors discretely comparing their physiques, and so on. It can help with intimidating your opponents, which can hurt their confidence.

We've all had days where we looked and felt small (even though, to the external eye, we didn't look any different). On these days, you can't perform well because your confidence and drive just aren't there.

This might not be the best reason to do hypertrophy work, but it is a real phenomenon nonetheless and it should not be dismissed.


Hypertrophy Work to Improve Specific Elements of a Competitive WOD

One of my favorite ways to use hypertrophy work with CrossFit athletes is to combine it with a technical skill (as a superset, if you like).

The purpose is the use the hypertrophy work to pre-fatigue a key muscle involved in the skill, thereby making the skill more difficult to complete. At first, your performance will decrease but you will then adapt. Keep in mind that you might very well have to do a rope climb or hang power clean with your hands and forearms gorged of blood and lactic acid in competition. Doing a combination of bodybuilding work with skill work can therefore prepare you for that. There is more on this specific strategy later in this chapter


Isolation Work is Not the Devil

Important: When I mention "hypertrophy" in this chapter, I am mostly referring to using isolation work and special techniques that are normally in the realm of bodybuilding. Technically, sets of 6 to 12 reps on big compound lifts are also "hypertrophy work" and these should definitely be part of the training of a CrossFit athlete, but this chapter, and especially this section, will discuss how to integrate isolation work which is designed to increase the size or a specific muscle in the training of the CrossFit athlete.

If there is one thing I love about CrossFit it is that it did more to popularize the big lifts (deadlift, squat, front squat, overhead press, snatch, and clean and jerk) than any other lifting sport has ever done. People are now comparing their squat instead of their bench press, and talking about how they must make their legs bigger instead of how their biceps are too small. CrossFit made the big lifts mainstream and it rewards those who focus on them.

Sadly, while powerlifters, Olympic lifters, strongmen, and gymnasts are all well-perceived by CrossFit athletes since they learn a lot from them, there is still a schism between CrossFitters and bodybuilders. For that reason, CrossFitters tend to disregard everything that bodybuilders do. Isolation work is often seen as a worthless waste of time, and seeking muscular development is seen as an unworthy practice. Hopefully, after the introduction to this chapter, you are beginning to see otherwise.

Isolation work to build a specific muscle in not an inferior form of training. True, it isn't as rewarding and it doesn't require the same physical and mental investment as working hard on the big lifts does. But it serves a real purpose. You can't build a house with only a hammer and, with training, sometimes doing more work on the big lifts isn't the best option; it may not be the "too to to the job."

When you perform a big compound lift, your body doesn't know that you are trying to develop a specific muscle group. All it knows is that there is a big ass weight that is trying to fight you and, in the interest of survival, it will use the muscles best suited to do the job. If you have a certain muscle dominance, your body may very well focus on shifting more of the workload to your stronger muscles rather than your weak link. It is thus these stronger that will receive the most stimulation and will progress/grow the most; this simply augments their strength and accentuates their natural dominance while the weak link stays the same. For example, if you have super strong should3ers and weak pectorals and triceps, the deltoids will take on more stress when you bench press and thge pectorals will be left relatively unstimulated.

Chinese and North Korean Olympic lifters do 30 to 45 minutes of isolation/bodybuilding work after their main lifting sessions several times a week. If a group of athletes who are already training 20-plus hours per week see fit to add some more work on top of their grueling schedule, they must certainly see a benefit in it, don't you think?

They understand that muscles move weight; the more muscle you have, the greater your strength potential. Why are they using isolation/bodybuilding work to build their muscles at the end of the session? Because their training is already full of neurologically-demanding exercises; the last thing they want is to use a high volume of more neurologically-demanding movements to work on hypertrophy too! The same is true for CrossFit athletes: most of what they do is hard on the nervous system. They should give it a break when doing a portion of training aimed only at muscular development.


The Four Ways to Do Hypertrophy/Bodybuilding Work if You Are a CrossFit Athlete

A CrossFit athlete who wants or needs to increase their muscle mass has four options. The best one will depend on how much muscle mass the athlete needs, if they need to add muscle mass overall or just to fix a weak link, how much time they have before their next competition or not, and their skill level.

For example, someone who has a competition in two months or less or who doesn't have the best skill consistency will be ill-advised to devote an entire phase of training to gaining muscle mass. For that person, reducing their CrossFit training to a minimum while shifting their focus to strength and muscle mass might not be a smart option.

But a CrossFit "Ninja" (to steal the term from Ben Bergeron) who is smaller, has great bodyweight skills and conditioning but lacks strength and size, and also has a lot of time to prepare for their next competition might do well to invest in a six to eight week period where they focus solely on getting much stronger and larger, while putting their skill/metabolic conditioning at maintenance level.


Regardless of your needs, goals and time available to train, it is possible to integrate hypertrophy work into your performance training. The four options are as follows.


Option 1: Adding 15 to 25 Minutes of Hypertrophy Work to the End of Your Training Day.

This option has the least impact on how you program the rest of your training. You can keep up with your regular programming and add a small amount of isolation/hypertrophy work at the end of your session. This works best when you only have one or two muscles you want to "fix". This way, you can focus on only one muscle group for 15 to 25 minutes, and you will be able to "hit" each of the two target muscles twice or even three times per week.

One of the main benefits of the approach is that your nervous system will be firing on all cylinders after your big lifts/skill/metcon and muscle recruitment will be more effective during the isolation work. The drawback is that when you get to the isolation work, you might be glycogen-depleted and tired, which will make it harder to get a good pump and apply enough effort to make it work. For that reason, it is important to consume protein and carbs intra-workout to at least keep your glycogen levels at an acceptable level.

The first option can be done with pretty much everybody, but it works best if you only have one or two weak muscles to fix. I believe that if you are trying to develop all your major muscles by training each one once a week for 15 to 25 minutes, you won't get many results compared to training them two or three times per week.

Key Information

Keep in mind that often a weak muscle is weak because you are simply not good at utilizing it. For that reason, during a big lift your body won't integrate that muscle as much as it should. You can view isolation work not only as a way to build muscle, but also as a way to improve your capacity to use that muscle. And, the better you become at utilizing it, the more easily you will integrate it into the performance of the big lifts. In return, those big lifts will begin to "work", and therefore develop those weak muscles.


Option 2: Complexing Isolation Moves Into Your Training

By complexing, I mean combining isolation/hypertrophy work with your strength or skill work. In both cases, for CrossFit athletes, I like to do the isolation work prior to doing the skill or strength move.

Why? Because this can prepare you for a very real problem that might occur in competition: having to do a skill when a key muscle if fried or full of lactic acid. For example, you might be good at doing legless rope climbs but, when your arms and forearms are pumped, it's a different ball game. Doing a snatch might normally be fine but if your shoulders are toasted, it will suddenly become a circus act! By doing isolation exercises for an important muscle involved in the skill or strength lift, you get used to doing the latter under sub-optimal conditions. At first, your performance will decreases (better to have that in training than in competition) but, over time, you will become just as efficient doing the skill/strength movement with a tired/pumped muscle; your performance drop will be very low.

Here, the goal isn't so much to fix a weaker muscle but, rather, to use the isolation work to fatigue a muscle that will then limit the performance of a skill or strength move. The result is that the muscle will become larger but also that it will become more resilient to fatigue - both will make you a better athlete.

You can even include isolation work like this for a WOD/metcon session. For example, you could do a triplet where you have one metcon exercise, one isolation/hypertrophy movement, a one skill or strength exercise.

Here are some examples:

Front Rounds for Time 

20 calories Assault bike
12 dumbbell hammer curls with a 2-second hold at the top of each repetition
1 legless rope climb (15 feet)
1 normal rope climb (15 feet).

Couplet (no rest between first and second exercise)

Deltoid triple set (8 seated laterals + 8 seated front laterals + 8 Cuban presses)
3 snatches @75-82%.

Triplet (no rest between exercises one and two, and two and three)

Barbell curl modern 21s (7 full reps, 7 top-partials, 7 bottom-partials)
Lying dumbbell triceps extension 1-1/2 reps (lower down, lift halfway up slowly, lower back down, and then lift completely up to complete one rep.) x 10 reps
Maximum unbroken muscle-ups (or strict muscle-ups, depending on level).

This approach should be used mostly by more advanced CrossFit athletes, or at least by those who already have a solid technical mastery of the bodyweight (muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, pull-ups, rope climbs etc.) and barbell (Olympic lift variations) skills. Fatiguing a key muscle involved in the skill makes its performance much harder. If your level of mastery isn't high enough, it will be impossible to do the skill properly and you will learn bad motor habits.


Option 3: Having a Hypertrophy Day During the Week

This is a fairly non-invasive approach to hypertrophy. By non-invasive, I mean that it doesn't interfere much with your normal programming. Hypertrophy work isn't really that demanding on the nervous system, so it won't affect your capacity to perform due to neural fatigue. Muscle damage is normally overplayed; a trained muscle can be re-trained again after very little time if proper nutrition is used. Furthermore, CrossFit athletes often use the same muscles several days in a row, so that's not something new or out of the ordinary for them. The only thing I recommend is to consume enough carbs on the hypertrophy day to avoid local glycogen depletion.

You can thus devote one day a week to building muscle mass. Normally, I like to do some strength work in there, too. Firstly, because the strength movement(s) activate/potentiate the nervous system, making the recruitment and stimulation of the muscles by isolation work more effective, but also because the strength movements themselves can contribute to developing more muscle mass.

There are two approaches to that training day:

A) For three to four weeks, pick one muscle group to be the focus point of your hypertrophy session. The template for that training day would then become:

Exercise 1: Big lift involving the target muscle (for example, close-grip bench press if you want to work on triceps development), using 4-6 sets of 3-7 reps. I like the 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3 loading scheme.

Exercise 2: Assistance exercise for the big lift, focusing on the target muscle (in our example, it could be a half close-grip bench press from pins or a close-grip floor press) for 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps.

Exercises 3 and 4: Superset of two isolation exercises; one for the target muscle group (dumbbell triceps extension, in our example) and one for its antagonist/opposing muscle group (preacher curl, for example). Use 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps for both, focusing on the quality of contraction.

Exercises 5 and 6: Superset of two isolation exercises; one for the target muscle group (cable triceps pushdown, for example) and one for its antagonist/opposing muscle group (dumbbell hammer curl, for example). Here we use a max pump technique; something like slow tempo extended sets, 21s, or double contractions. The technique itself doesn't matter as much as creating a huge accumulation of lactic acid and fluid inside the muscle (big pump, bro). Three sets are done in this manner.

The downsides to this approach are that you will only hit the lagging muscle directly once a week and that you will not work on improving the whole body at once. In both cases, it is important to remember that you are already doing plenty of work for the whole body during your regular programming; you are likely doing squats, deadlifts, push presses/strict presses, pull-ups, dips, etc. So it's no like your body isn't receiving any stimulation. This approach is more about building up a lagging muscle group, so it will work even though the target muscle is only worked once a week for hypertrophy. Since our goal is to correct a weakness, and not win a bodybuilding contest, it's fine if you don't train the whole body for hypertrophy all at once. Especially since the whole body will already receive some stimulation from your regular programming.

 B) Doing a whole-body hypertrophy session. Here, I like to use an antagonist superset approach whereby you pair two exercises targeting opposing muscle groups.

You can use basic hypertrophy loading schemes (sets of 6-8 or 8-12 reps) or use intensification methods for some of the exercises.

A good template looks like this:

Exercises 1 and 2 (antagonistic superset): One movement targeting the quadriceps (could be a Bulgarian split squat, squats doing only the middle portion of the range of motion, a hack squat machine, etc.), and one targeting the hamstrings (any form of leg curl, glute-ham raise, reverse hyper, etc.). Do not rest between exercises 1 and 2. 

Exercises 3 and 4 (antagonist superset): One movement targeting the pectorals (could be dumbbell or kettlebell flyes, a pec deck machine, a wide-grip bench press, a dumbbell bench press, etc.) and one for the mid-back (face pull, bentover row to chest, chest-supported dumbbell row, rear delt machine, rear delt raise, etc.). Do not rest between exercises 3 and 4.

Exercises 5 and 6 (antagonist superset): One exercise for the lateral or front deltoid (dumbbell lateral raise variations, dumbbell front raise variations) and one exercise for the lats (straight-arm pulldowns, dumbbell pullover, kayak row, one-arm dumbbell row/lawnmower, etc.). Do not rest between exercises 5 and 6.

Exercises 7 and 8 (antagonist superset): One exercise for the biceps (any form of curl) and one for the triceps (lying or standing dumbbell triceps extension, lying barbell triceps extension, cable or band pushdown, etc.). Do not rest between exercises 7 and 8.


Option 4: Devoting a Training Block to Maximizing Hypertrophy 

This option involves putting your metcon work on maintenance. This obviously means doing less skill work, too. Basically, for four to six weeks (or even seven to eight if you really need more muscle mass), you will train primarily for strength and hypertrophy. It is also important to eat a caloric surplus during that phase as we are shooting for an increase of bodyweight of about 4%. Eat a lot but don't let yourself gain too much fat.

A good template looks like this:

Day 1: Lower Body (Squat) 

Exercise 1: Major squat variation (back low bar, back high bar or front) trained for strength. Ramp up to a 1, 2 or 3 RM, then do 3 sets of 3-5 reps with 90% of the maximum reached for that day.

Good options include:

Zombie Squat (front squat with arms extended in front of you, so the bar is resting on the deltoids only) if keeping an upright torso is a problem in your front squat.

Paused Squat (front or back, three to five second pause at the bottom) if your weak point is getting out of the bottom position.

Double-Contraction Squat (squatting all the way down, getting back up to parallel, going back down, and then standing up completely to complete one rep) is another option if you are weak at the bottom position.

Half-Squat From Pins (starting the bar on the pins, with your legs at a 100 degree angle) if your main issue is feeling intimidated by a heavy load, or if your core strength is a limiting factor.

Super-Slow Squats (going down and coming up in five-second tempos) if your problem is getting out of position during the squat. Do the movement slowly, focusing on pushing only with the legs and maintaining a static torso angle.

Exercise 3: Quadriceps movement where the goal is to get a good quad pump. We want the muscle to  be under tension for 45 to 60 seconds. You can use a leg extension machine, do leg extensions with a dumbbell between your legs, do leg extensions with a resistance band or (my favorite) dragging a sled backwards while staying in a "seated/crouched" position. Perform 3-4 sets using whatever rep number or intensity technique you want - as long as the time under tension is between 45 and 60 seconds.

Exercise 4: Glutes movement, following the same guidelines as for the quads: keep the muscle under tension for 45 to 60 seconds per set and perform three work sets. You can do hip thrusts, wide Bulgarian split squats, or push a prowler forward focusing on long, full strides contracting the glutes hard.


Day 2: Upper Body (Horizontal)           

Exercise 1: Horizontal press variation (bench press, close-grip bench press, incline bench press, or decline bench press) trained for strength. Ramp up to a 1, 2, or 3 RM, then do 3 sets of 3-5 reps with 90% of the maximum reached for that day.

Exercise 2: Assistance movement for the horizontal press. As with the squat, perform a compound movement to strengthen the weak link in the horizontal press movement, for 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps.

Good options include:

Floor Press (bench press lying on the floor, pause for one or two seconds with the elbows on the floor before pressing) if the sticking point is right around or just prior to the mid-range position.

Partial Bench Press From Pins or Board (elbows at 90 degrees before pressing) is another option if the sticking point is right around the mid-range point.

Extra Range Press (doing lower than if the barbell is stopped by the chest, either with dumbbells or a cambered bar( if your sticking point is from the start of the movement.

Incline Press (dumbbell or barbell at 15 or 30 degree angle performed with a 2-second pause at the bottom) is another option if your weak point is from the start of the movement.

Spotto Press (paused bench press, completely relaxing in the bottom position) is another option to strengthen the start of the bench press

Close-Grip Incline Press if your sticking point is in the last third of the movement.

Partial Bench Press (from the st third of the range of motion, with elbows at around 110 degrees) is another option if your sticking point is near the lockout.

Exercises 3 and 4: Superset of one triceps isolation exercise and one mid-back isolation exercise, with both done for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Do not rest between exercises 3 and 4, but rest about 90 seconds after exercise 4.

Exercises 5 and 6: Superset of one deltoid isolation exercise and one lats exercise, with both done for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Do not rest between exercises 5 and 6, but rest about 90 seconds after exercise 6.


Day 3: Bodyweight Skill Maintenance and Metabolic Conditioning

On this day, you will spend about 30 minutes on your bodyweight skills and then perform two short and intense WODs/metcon sessions, with a total of about 20 to 25 minutes.


Day 4: Lower Body (Pull)

Exercise 1: Olympic lift variation (snatch or clean variation) to stay sharp with the movement and to activate the nervous system for the deadlift work. Perform 6-10 sets of 2 repetitions with a moderate weight (70-80%). Focus on technical perfection as well as speed and crispness of execution.

Exercise 2: Major deadlift variation (conventional powerlifting deadlift, sumo deadlift, Olympic/clean deadlift). I don't like ramping up to a max on a deadlift in training. I believe that doing plenty of work in the 80-90% range, focusing on perfect position, is much more effective in the long run. Shoot for about 15-20 total work reps with 80-90% in the form of 5-7 sets of 3 reps. Every rep must start from a dead start on the floor.

Exercise 3: Deadlift assistance exercise. Pick an exercise to focus on your weak point in the deadlift. Do 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps.

Good options include:

Deadlift From a Deficit (deadlift, standing on a two to three inch platform, focus on leg drive off the floor) if your weakness is getting the bar moving from the floor.

Floor-to-Knees/First Pull (lift barbell from the floor to the knees only, and pause there for two seconds per rep, can also be done on a podium) is another option if you are weak off the floor.

Barbell Hack Squat/Behind the Back Deadlift (with your heels raised on a block, hold the barbell behind you and deadlift it) is another option to strengthen the first pull but, specifically, if your quads are holding you back.

Romanian Deadlift if your weak area is the passage from below to above the knees.

Arched Back Good Morning is another option if your weak area is the passage from below to above the knees.

Partial Deadlift From Pins (from just below the knees) is another option to strengthen the transition from below to above the knees.

Barbell Hip Thrust if your problem area is the lockout.

Partial Deadlift From Pins (from just above the knees) is another option to strengthen the transition from below to above the knees. Be sure to mimic your actual pull (posterior chain/lower back) and do NOT cheat by "sliding" your knees forward to leverage the bar.

Exercise 4: Posterior chain exercise involving the glutes and hamstrings (glute ham raise, reverse hyper, kettlebell Romanian deadlift, or back extension) for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.


Day 5: Upper Body (Vertical)           

Eric Broser: 

More by Eric Broser:

Building a solid foundation of strength and power throughout the entire body offers myriad benefits for the bodybuilder, athlete, casual lifter, and anyone with a physically demanding job. The ability to push and pull heavier weights, particularly in multi-joint, free-weight lifts, will most certainly manifest into increased muscle mass, improved athletic performance, enhanced work capacity, and perhaps most important, a better quality of life.

While isolation movements certainly have their place in many training regimens, they cannot compare with the basic compound exercises (for building true functional strength or power) simply because these types of movements require more balance and coordination, allow for the use of greater poundages, involve multiple muscle groups (performing in concert), and work the body in a manner more specific to real-world human movement. Here are eight of my favorites. 

In my early years of lifting I spent quite a bit of time perfecting my technique on dips and eventually became strong enough to perform sets of 10 perfect reps with three 45-pound plates hanging from my waist. This strength transferred over to just about every other pushing exercise in my regimen and let me eventually crack the 500-lb barrier in the bench press. Additionally, dips helped thicken my chest and tris as few other movements did.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Pectorals, anterior deltoids, triceps.

Performance Tip -
To focus on hitting the chest, keep the torso leaned forward about 45 degrees throughout the set and make sure to get a full stretch at the midpoint of every rep. For greater triceps recruitment, keep the torso straight, and lower to a point where your upper arms are just slightly past parallel to the floor.


2) Barbell Squat

This one is right at the top of the list since it involves one of the most basic movements we perform in life - bending at the knees (to sitting position) and pushing back up to a standing position. Additionally, the barbell squat is an exercise that allows for the use of massive poundages, requires great balance and coordination, and stimulates growth throughout the body.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips, lower back.

Performance Tip -
Make sure to keep your head up, lower back slightly arched, and the bar set on the traps as you squat slowly to a position where the thighs drop just below parallel to the ground.


3) Military Press

When it comes to the military press, I prefer the seated version for those lifters more focused on the appearance of their physique and the standing version for athletes and those requiring greater strength, power, and coordination. But done either way, this exercise is one of the most effective upper-body mass builders.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Anterior deltoids, upper pectorals, triceps.

Performance Tip -
Make sure not to lean back too far (especially when seated), or this exercise will become more of an incline press. For those who have healthy and flexible shoulder joints, the behind the neck version of this movement is a solid option at every other shoulder workout.


4) Bench Step-Up

Bench step-ups are slightly superior to walking lunges when it comes to effectively enhancing functional strength, coordination, and especially balance. In addition, I feel this movement is excellent for increasing vertical leap ability and muscle mass in both the thighs and glutes.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Quads, hamstrings, glutes.

Performance Tip -
Make sure the foot of the working leg is secured entirely on the bench, stable and straight before initiating every rep. Additionally, avoid pushing off with the back leg so that you're utilizing only the power of the working leg to lift your body upward.


5) Barbell Bentover Row

Whether performed with an underhand or overhand grip, the barbell bentover row is one of our most basic and effective back builders - from the traps to the lats and all the way down to the lower back. It requires great focus and control, as well as stabilization from the quads, hamstrings, and hips.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Lats, traps, rhomboids, lower back.

Performance Tip -
Keep the knees slightly bent to help support the lower back. Bend the torso to an angle of 70 to 90 degrees. (Note: Every bodybuilder has a sweet-spot angle where they get the best stimulation). Pull the bar to the belly button to activate the lats to a greater degree and closer to the chest to hit more of the mid- and upper-back musculature.


6) Pullup

Exercises where you move your body through space, such as pullups, generally ignite the central nervous system to a greater degree, allowing for more muscle fibers to jump into action. This is awesome for building both power and muscle mass. Additionally, this movement is one of the most versatile, enabling one to attack the back musculature from many angles (via altering grips and planes of motion), which will create more complete development of this intricate body part.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Lats, traps, rhomboids, biceps, brachialis.

Performance Tip -
Change the width of your grip workout to workout to stimulate different areas of the back complex. Experiment by pulling your torso to the upper, mid, and/or lower chest for even greater variation in precisely which motor unit pools are not exhausted. Additionally, using an underhand grip on the bar will shift the emphasis more directly toward the belly of the lats and strongly engage the biceps as well.


7) Barbell Bench Press

Known as the king of upper body exercises, the bench press may be the most commonly performed movement in gyms all over the world - and for good reason. It's responsible for helping build some of the biggest pecs ever seen, on men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, Ronnie Coleman, and Kevin Levrone.

Main Muscles Targeted -
Pectorals, anterior deltoids, triceps.

Performance Tip -
Make sure to keep the rib cage high, the lower back arched, and the shoulders shrugged down and back for maximum pectoral fiber recruitment. 


8) Deadlift

This is one of the most basic movements in the world or iron, closely resembling a simple task we all perform multiple times every single day: bending down to pick something up. But proper deadlifting requires meticulous technique, with almost every muscle pitching in to take the barbell through its entire range of motion. Some of the thickest and and strongest men ever to grace an IFBB stage (Coleman, Jackson. Columbu) were also big deadlifters.  

Targeted Muscles -
Quads, hamstrings, lower back, traps, forearms.

Performance Tip -
Rather than rebounding the bar off the floor or rack pins (if doing partials) on each rep, come to a dead stop, which will remove any useless momentum and force the weight to be moved purely by powerful muscular activation.


In Part Two, I will show you how to use these compound lifts to create a power-bodybuilding routine, so over time you will not only lift big but also look big. 

Part One is Here: 

In Part One of this series, I discussed why I feel that free-weight, multi-joing exercises should form the foundation of any muscle building, strength gaining,and/or performance enhancing resistance training program. I provided a list of some of my personal favorites and offered some tips on how to get the most out of each. While that was a pleasure to write about, the real fun begins here, in Part Two. 

In 2000, I introduced a training system known as "Power, Rep Range, Shock," or P/RR/S for short. 

  

https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/bodybuilding-success-blueprint-power-rep-range-shock/ 

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/power-rep-range-shock-time-to-grow-without-plateau.html 

https://www.amazon.com/Workout-Brosers-Muscle-Gaining-Systems-ebook/dp/B00BSMRMNW 

 https://www.amazon.com/Workout-Brosers-Muscle-Gaining-Systems-ebook/dp/B00BYGEVE0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1514506544&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=fd%2Ffs+mass+shock+workout

About a year before, I had reached a lengthy plateau in muscle size,and I eagerly set out to discover the possible reasons why. I did not believe I had reached my genetic potential and began searching for answers. After spending many months reviewing my old workout logs, researching the various pathways that ignite hypertrophy, experimenting with different training methods, and carefully documenting results, I began to understand that a one-dimensional approach to building muscle can  work for only so long.

As humans, we are adaptive machines, and once our muscles and CNS get used to the stimulus being repetitively presented, they will no longer respond (which simply means that we do not get any bigger). As with so many things in life, our muscles thrive on (and grow from) variety. Of course, this does not mean one should enter the gym each day and train haphazardly or according to instinct. Instead, there must be a sound, progressive, and scientifically based plan firmly in place, which is precisely where the P/RR/S training protocol comes into play. 

Power, Rep Range, Shock is a cyclical approach to resistance training in which you use a different protocol every week (in three-week cycles), with the goal of tapping into all the body's various growth mechanisms. Each of the three weeks is meant to bring about a specific physiological effect, so that your body cannot fully adapt to any one form of training (which will eventually result in stagnation). P/RR/S addresses hypertrophy from a variety of proven angles and allows  significant progress to take place on a very consistent, predictable, and long-term basis. Sounds pretty awesome, right? 

The following P/RR/S regimen uses all the compound movements discussed in Part One of this series. While it follows the basic parameters to a great degree, I made some minor tweaks at some points to personalize it for FLEX readers.

Once you have completed the three-week P/RR/S cycle, return to the beginning and repeat, with the intention of training more intensely on the following cycle. I suggest you use the same exercises for three straight cycles and try to lift heavier weight and/or increase your reps at each workout (Note: Keeping a workout log goes a  long way). After three full P/RR/S cycles, either take a full week off from the gym or at least train at low intensity for one week to allow for repair and recovery of joints, muscles, and the CNS. Upon returning to the P/RR/S system for a new nine-week cycle, feel free to switch some or all of the exercises and the way your split your muscle groups.

Note: Tempo is the word I use to describe how fast you lower, lift, and pause with the weight in each phase of a repetition. It is expressed in seconds and begins with the negative (lowering) portion of an exercise, then the midpoint (stretch) portion, then the positive (lifting) portion. If there if a fourth number used, it will be the peak contraction (squeeze) portion. 

 WEEK ONE: POWER

Power training is intended to annihilate the highest-threshold fast-twitch muscle fibers, increase raw strength, enhance power,and stimulate a greater amount of natural testosterone to course through your veins.

REP GOAL: 4-6

REST BETWEEN SETS: 3-4 minutes

LIFTING TEMPO: 2-4/0/X

EXERCISES: mostly compound.

Monday - Chest/Biceps/Forearms/Abs

Hammer Incline Press, 3 sets of 4-6 reps / Tempo 3/1/X / Rest 3-4 minutes

Bench Press, 3 x 4-6 / 3/1/X / 3-4 minutes

Smith Incline Press, 2 x 4-6 / 3/1/X / 3-4 minutes

Weighted Chest Dip, 2 x 4-6 / 3/0/X / 3 minutes.

90 degree Barbell Preacher Curl, 2 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 3 minutes

Standing EZ Bar Curl, 3 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 3 minutes

Standing Concentration Curl, 2 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 3 minutes

Incline Seated Alternating DB Hammer Curl, 2 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 3 minutesd

Reverse Barbell of Low Cable Curl, 2 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 3 minutes

Weighted Situp of Lying Crunch Machine, 3 x 16-20 / 2/0/X/1 / 2-3 minutes

Hanging or Supported Straight-Leg Raise, 2 x max reps / 2/1/X / 2-3 minutes.

Tuesday - Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

Leg Press, 3 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 4 minutes

Barbell Squat, 3 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 4 minutes

Leg Extension, 2 x 4-6 / 3/0/X / 3 minutes

Barbell Bench Step-Up, 2 x 4-6 per leg / 3/0/X / 3-4 minutes

Lying Leg Curl, 3 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 3 minutes

Seated Single Leg Curl, 3 x 4-6 per leg / 2/1/X / 3 minutes

Barbell or Smith Machine Stiff-Leg Deadlift, 2 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 4 minutes

Calf Press, 3 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 2-3 minutes

Seated Calf Raise, 2 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 2-3 minutes.

Thursday - Lats/Lower Back/Abs

V-Handle Seated Cable or Hammer Machine Row, 3 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 3-4 minutes

Wide-Grip Weighted Pullup, 3 x 4-6 / 3/0/X / 3-4 minutes

Wide-Grip Barbell Bentover Row, 3 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 4 minutes

One-Arm Dumbbell Row, 2 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 4 minutes

Barbell Deadlift, 4 x 4-6 / 2/1/X / 4 minutes

Cable Side Crunch, 2 x 16-20 each side / 2/0/X/1 / 2-3 minutes

High Incline Bent-Leg Hip Raise, 3 x 16-20 / 2/0/X / 2-3 minutes.

Friday - Shoulders/Traps/Triceps/Calves

Seated Military Press, 2 x 3-6 / 3/0/X / 3-4 minutes

Seated Bentover Rear Lateral Raise, 2 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 3 minutes

Wide-Grip Barbell Upright Row, 2 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 3-4 minutes

Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise, 3 x 4-6 / 2/1/X/1 / 3 minutes

Barbell or Machine Shrug, 2 x 4-6 / 2/1/X/1 / 3 minutes

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, 2 x 4-6 / 1/1/X / 3 minutes  

Barbell or Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press, 2 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 4 minutes

Incline Overhead Barbell or DB Extension, 3 x 4-6 / 4/0/X / 3 minutes

Skull Crusher, 2 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 3 minutes

Seated Calf Raise, 2 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 2-3 minutes

Standing Calf Raise, 3 x 4-6 / 2/0/X / 2-3 minutes.  

The goal of rep-range training is to tear through all the intermediary muscle fibers that lie along the continuum from type I to type II, to induce capillarization, and to stimulate growth producing metabolic adaptations within muscle cells.

REP GOAL:7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-20

REST BETWEEN SETS: 2-3 minutes

LIFTING TEMPO: 2/1/2/1 (one second hold at peak contraction for certain exercises such as cable crossovers and leg extensions).

Monday - Chest/Biceps/Forearms/Abs

60-Degree Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 x 7-9 / 2/0/2 / 2-3 minutes
Bench Press, 3 x 10-12 / 2/0/2 / 2-3 minutes
Weighted Chest Dip, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/2/1 / 2-3 minutes
Cable Crossover or Pec Deck, 2 x 16-20 / 2/0/2/1 / 2 minutes

90-Degree Barbell Preacher Curl or Spider Curl, 3 x 7-9 / 2/0/2/1 / 2 minutes
Seated Incline Alternating DB Curl, 2 x 10-12 / 2/1/2 / 2 minutes
High-Cable Curl, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/2/1 / 2 minutes

Reverse Barbell Curl, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 / 2/0/2 / 2 minutes
Dumbbell Wrist Curl, 2 x 13-15 / 1/0/1/1 / 2 minutes

Cable Crunch, 1 x 16-20 / 2/0/1 / 2 minutes
Lying Bent-Leg Hip Raise, 2 x 21-25 / 2/0/1 / 2 minutes
Lying Side Crunch, 1 x 26-30 per side / 1/0/1 / 2 minutes. 


Tuesday - Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

Leg Extension, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/2/1 / 2-3 minutes
Barbell Squat, 3 x 10-12 / 2/0/2 / 3 minutes
Dumbbell Alternating Bench Step-Up, 2 x 13-15 per leg / 2/0/2 / 3 minutes
Single-Leg Extension, 2 x 16-20 per leg / 2/0/1/1 / 2-3 minutes

Lying Leg Curl, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/2/1 / 2 minutes
Seated Leg Curl, 2 x 10-12 / 2/0/2/1 / 2 minutes
Straight-Leg Barbell Good Morning, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/1 / 2-3 minutes
Adduction Machine, 2 x 16-20 / 2/0/1/1 / 2 minutes

Standing Calf Raise, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 / 2/1/1 / 2 minutes
Seated Calf Raise, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 16-20 / 2/0/1/1 / 2 minutes.


Thursday - Lats/Lower Back/Abs

Underhand Grip Barbell Bentover Row, 3 x 7-9 / 2/0/2 / 3 minutes
Close Grip Pulldown, 3 x 10-12 / 2/0/1/1 / 3 minutes
Wide Grip Seated Cable Row, 2-3 x 13-15 / 2/1/1/1 / 2-3 minutes
Stiff Arm Pulldown or Pullover Machine, 2 x 16-20 / 2/1/2 / 2 minutes

Barbell Deadlift, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 / 2/1/1 / 3 minutes
Weighted Hyperextension, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/1/1 / 2-3 minutes

Weighted Incline Situp, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/2 / 2 minutes
Hanging or Supported Straight-Leg Raise, 2 x 16-20 / 2/0/1 / 2 minutes
Cable Side Crunch, 1-2 x 21-25 / 1/0/1 / 2 minutes per side.


Friday - Shoulders/Traps/Triceps/Calves

Seated Military Press, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/2 / 3 minutes
Shoulder Width Grip Prone Incline Front Barbell Raise, 3 x 10-12 / 2/0/1/1 / 2 minutes
Standing Lateral Raise, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/1 / 2 minutes
Single Arm Cable Bentover Rear Lateral, 2 x 16-20 / 1/0/1 / 2 minutes

Close Grip Barbell Upright Row, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 / 2/0/2 / 2-3 minutes
Dumbbell Shrug, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15 / 1/0/1/1 / 2 minutes

Incline Overhead Barbell Extension, 3 x 7-9 / 2/1/2 / 2 minutes
EZ Bar Pushdown, 2 x 10-12 / 2/0/1/1 / 2 minutes
Lying Single Arm Dumbbell Extension, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/2 / 2 minutes

Calf Press, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 / 2/0/1/1 / 2 minutes
Single Leg Seated Calf Raise, 2 x 13-15 / 2/0/1 / 2 minutes per leg.



Shock training is a true test of your ability to withstand searing muscle pain and labored breathing! The burn and lactic acid that shock workouts produce will help flood your system with natural growth hormone, while the wicked pump will swell your muscle cells.

REP GOAL: 7-9 for single sets and 10-12 for drop sets
REST BETWEEN SETS: cardiovascular and mental recovery
LIFTING TEMPO: 2/0/1
EXERCISES: compound, isolation, machine, or cable.


Monday - Chest/Biceps/Forearms/Abs

Bench Press, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR (cardiovascular/mental recovery)
superset with
Flat Dumbbell Flye, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
Hammer Incline Press, 2 x (dropsets) 7-9, drop, 4-6 / 2/0/1 / CMR
Cable Crossover, 2 x (dropsets) 6-8, 13-15, drop / 1/1/1/1 / CMR

Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Standing Barbell Curl, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
Barbell or Machine Preacher Curl, 1 (dropset) x 7-9, drop, 4-6 / CMR
High-Cable Curl, 1 x 7-9 / 1/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Lying Cable Curl, 1 x 7-9 / 1/0/1 / CMR

Low Cable Reverse Curl, 2 x 10-12 / 1/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Seated Barbell Wrist Curl, 2 x 10-12 / 1/0/1 / CMR

Weighted Incline Situp, 1 (dropset) 16-20, drop, max bodyweight reps / 2/0/1 / CMR
Supported Straight-Leg Raise, 2 x max reps / 1/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Seated Bench Knee-Up, 2 x max reps, 1/0/1 / CMR


Tuesday - Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

Leg Extension, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Barbell Squat, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1
Alternating Barbell Bench Step-Up, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Leg Extension, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1
Smith Machine or Dumbbell Split Squat, 1-2 (dropsets) 10-12, drop, 6-8 (each leg) / 2/0/1 / CMR

Stiff Legged Deadlift, 2 x 10-12 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Seated Leg Curl, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 /
Single Leg Lying Leg Curl / 2 drop sets, 7-9, drop, 4-6 (per leg) / 2/0/1 / CMR

Calf Press, 2 x 7-9 (rest pause*), 1/0/1/1 / CMR
* Rest 10 seconds, then do max reps, rest 20 seconds, then do max reps.


Thursday - Lats/Lower Back/Abs

Weighted Underhand Grip Pullup, 2 (dropsets) 7-9, drop, max reps bodyweight only / 2/0/1/1 / CMR
Wide Grip Barbell Bentover Row, 2 x 7-9, rest pause**) 7-9 / 1/0/1 / CMR
** Rest 15 seconds, then do max reps, then rest 30 seconds, then do max reps.
Underhand Seated Cable or Hammer Row, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with Barbell or Dumbbell Pullover, 2 x 10-12 / 2/0/1

Partial Rack Deadlift From Mid-Shin Height, 2 (drop sets), 7-9, drop, 4-6 / 2/0/1 / CMR

Incline Bent Leg Raise, 2 x 16-20 / 1/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Lying Alternating Twisting Crunch, 2 x 16-20 per side / 1/0/1
Seated or Lying Weighted Crunch Machine, 1 (drop set), 16-20, drop, 8-10 / CMR.


Friday - Shoulders/Traps/Triceps/Calves

Reverse Pec Deck, 1 (drop set), 10-12, drop, 6-8 / 1/0/1/1 / CMR
Dumbbell Lateral Raise, 2 (dropsets), 10-12, drop, 6-8 / 1/0/1 / CMR
Narrow Grip Barbell Front Raise, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Standing Military Press, 2 x 7-9

Barbell or Smith Machine Shrug, 1 (dropset), 10-12, drop, 6-8 / 1/0/1/1 / CMR
Close Grip EZ Bar or Cable Upright Row, 1-2 x 7-9 / 1/0/1 / CMR
superset with
Dumbbell Shrug, 1-2 x 10-12 / 1/0/1/1

Bodyweight Triceps Dip, 1 x rest pause* / 2/0/1 / CMR
*rest 10 seconds, then do max reps, rest 20 seconds, then do max reps
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extension, 1 (drop set), 7-9, drop, 4-6 / 2/0/1 / CMR
Seated Single Arm Dumbbell Extension, 2 x 7-9 / 2/0/1/ / CMR
superset with
Cable Kickback, 2 x 13-15 / 1/0/1/1/

Seated Calf Raise, 1 x 7-9 / 1/1/1 / CMR
superset with
Calf Press, 1 x 7-9 / 1/1/