Fall 2013

M/W/F = (Heavy) Strength Work + (Lighter) Dynamic Effort + (Medium) Repeated Effort

Tue/Thur/Sat = (Lighter) Swings done Ladder Style + Recovery Day (10 min Jump ROpe, 10 min Bike, 2-4 fast intervals) + Heavy Swings/Carries

M/W/F… Bilateral Movements one day, Unilateral the next… Overall, variety of movements.

Standing Ab-Wheel work, Handstand Pushups on Ball, SA Pushups, Leg Work! = BB (165lb) Squats & Heavy Goblets(70-100lb), Heavier BB Cleans & Press (165lb +), Heavy Carries one day a week,

Daily Pullups for 28 days = 1 set just shy of failure in mornings, another set in the evening…during work days.

Try some Martin Rooney “Hurricane” intervals

*Daily HFT or Easy Strength if needed. Reduce volume accordingly.

3 Correctives as warmups

Sample:

Monday: Heavy Unilateral Legs>Pullups/Ring A-Rounds>Ab Wheel – Heavy Pushes (Unilateral or Bilateral…Bench or Incline/S.A. Pushups. KB Shoulders. BB Military.Handstand Pushups)>Rows *Unilateral on most stuff, allowing adequate recovery between sets for strength benefit. Best pairings are for example:

    1. SL Bulgarian Squats (55lb Kb each hand) > Ab Wheel

    2. Ring Pullup/Row ROutine > BB Bridge (Hip Thrusts)

    3. S.A. Pushups > S.A. Ring Rows

    4. Handstand Pushups or S.A. KB SHoulder PRess

Tue: Swings & Snatches

Wed: Light Dynamic/Power moves… BB Clean or Snatch or DB Ground to Sky, Pushup Press, Box Jumps or Long Jumps or BB Squat Jumps, Clap Pushups or Box, Med Ball Soccer Throws, Gwen mentioned pitcher rehabing shoulder and getting stronger & faster by using a whip like technique where he didn’t let go of the object he was “throwing”, Ab Wheel

    1. DB Snatch>Med Ball Soccer Throws>Clap Pushups

    2. BB Squat Jumps>BB Clean to Push Press

    3. Side Jump Ice Skaters

    * Sand Bag Shouldering/Box Jumps or Long Jumps

Thur: 10 min Jump Rope/10 min Swings/10 min Airdyne with HIIT intervals sprinkled in

Fri: Hypertrophy (Medium) = Metabolic Stress (minimal resting) + Tension (Full Bodied & Smooth Controlled reps) + Muscle Damage (Volume, Load, fatigue). Complex ideas are good but optional for rotation. BUT start off with 3 sets of HEavy Trap Bar DL … then low trap bar leg squats(use deficit) or BB Squat or SL Squat/MB SL Squat. Basketball Crush Pushups. BW RIng/Step Ladder Ben Bruno Row to Glute Squeeze, Assisted Bicep Pullups, Ball Core/Handstand Pushups & High Pulls… or BB Muscle Clean/High Pull to Press w Dan John lockouts(done combined or separately). Dips. Dive Bombs. Ab wheel.

     1. (Heavy)High Trap DL 3×5>Elevated BasketBall “Crush” Pushups

     2. Low Trap Deficit Leg Lifts>Ben Bruno Ring Pull-Row to Glute Squeeze

    3. Ball Roll out to Pike-up Handstand S L O W Pushups>Assisted Bicep Pullups

    4. Dips>Ab Wheel>Val Slide Ham Curls

    5. Carries

Sat: Recovery Work

Sun: Rest

*EDT Training, Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding

*And, as Brad Schoenfeld has described in his paper The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training, that specific training environment needs to create three things: Metabolic Stress, Tension and Muscle Damage.

April 2013

*Bret Contreras proved with EMG testing that 2 reps are better than a single rep…”The Second Rep Another significant finding that I encountered is that during a heavy set, the second rep nearly always produced higher EMG readings than the first rep. Perhaps the nervous system “figures out” how to better recruit the muscles following the first repetition. This might explain why Olympic lifters and powerlifters see better results when they perform multiple (albeit low) repetitions rather than just heavy singles, or just why the I, Bodybuilder program seems to be so effective.”

*HFT = Shoulders. Upper Back. Calves. Handstands + KB Swings + Getups + Jumprope on Off days! Go for Rhythm PUMP (Slow Controlled Eccentric, PAUSE, Faster Concentric at a rate that i can breath smoothly) Either Straight sets or 12/10/8 or 15/10/5 rep theme.

* Post-Activation Potentiation (PCP) Go Heavy in the beginning of the session so that the possibility of a “Training Effect” is much higher for all subsequent higher rep sets.

NEW IDEA… HFT/Conditioning Circuit of “off days”… 3-4 rounds (20 min) of 1 min of SA KB “high eccentric” Swings alternated with “high snatch rear delt PULLS” + Other Arm + 1 min of Ab Wheel/Hanging High Knees + Close Grip Rows + 1 min of “2 leg High Jumps” Jump Rope or 1 min of Stretch/Rest (REPEAT) *Maybe add Ben Bruno’s “Fly Away” Ring Chins BB The Snatch-Grip Rack Pull From Mid-Shin!

http://www.benbruno.com/2013/03/fly-away-ring-chinups/

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/ultimate_back_hypertrophy_movement

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http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/inside_the_muscles_best_shoulders_and_trap_exercises

BRET CONTRERAS …The Best Damn Shoulder and Trap Workout

Based on the results of this experiment, I bet the following would be one kick-ass workout that’d target the front, mid, and rear delts as well as the upper traps. Enjoy!

Seated Behind the Neck Press
Band Face Pull
Cable Lateral Raise
Barbell Shrug

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*conditioning #1= CORE/Isometrics(Handstands, Iso-HOlds, L-Sits, Upside down Ring Hold, Ring A-Round Routine/(Carl Peoli Ring Gymnastic Shoulder Mobility Routine), Getups, Stretch-Tissue Quality/(Correctives), Core Work (Ab Wheel, 1 Hot Mintues, Ring Leg LIfts & Holds, Ring Twisting Knee ups/UFC Crazy Twisting on a Rope Core Exercise, 1 arm/1Leg Planks) Intervals…Airdyne/JumpRope as PlyoJumps & Sprints/Swings-Snatches/Boxing/HFT Circuits/Sprints/Swimming/Quick Feet Drills, Hiking-Leg Endurance Work, Burpees STRATEGY: Core Exercise>Interval>Stretch/Corrective/Isometric HOLD. Rotate exercises each workout OR every other set. Variety is a good thang. MAY “off day” Pulling/Posterior Chain routine for conditioning, correctives & recovery: Corrective>BB High Pulls>KB Swing Interval or Airdyne>Iso Hold Top Position of Rope PULLUP/Mobile LEgs (L-Sits)…REPEAT

*Conditioning Option#2: Corrective Side Tubing Walks/Knee Band/ PVC OHSquats ( OR use Thera-Band instead of PVC to do OHSquats with Prehab “Lat Pull Down or Pullaparts” with the Tubing (&/or all Varieties of corrective hip/knee maneuvers)> Mike Boyle Variet of Elasticity Hops / Plyo Jumps (ices skaters, etc) > Hip Stretch Mobs > BB Light High Pulls w Calf Raise > Rings CORE/Abs(hanging ab twist to knee up & extend legs in middle) > Ring Pullup to TopIsoHold > Airdyne Sprint > Tubing Lat PullDownAparts Thingy (REPEAT 3-5 times) ALSO “Skill Practice” new exercises or the “old exercises” with light loads. *Football agility running Backwards and “cutting” side to side, bobbing & weaving 🙂 Also could do martial arts kicking/punching. Use the legs for better strength & endurance & flexibility. Rope work!!!

*Conditioning Option #3/Strongman Days: Carries. Tire Flips. Sled push. Sled (tire) pull.Getups. Single Arm DB Ground Clean to Press.

* Practice Posing between sets on Work & Rest days to stretch facia and stimulate muscle tissue.

*WarmUp = Correctives. Especially hipstretch to lengthen short hip. Split Squat with “Cook” tubing above RIGHT knee to exaggerate the tight adductor/weak external hip rotators and reinforce proper alinement of Knee Cap over Second Toe (Self-Limiting Exercise).

*End with Finishers (ice scaters, jump rope, etc)

*May – 20rep Ass. SL Squats 2 x a week. Heavy Strength Squats x 1 day a week. personally, i’ve been using a single (lowered) gym ring/TRX to hold on to (with one arm) while doing Single-Leg Squats with the opposite leg, focusing on slow eccentrics, a nice pause at the bottom, and a rapid concentric. I go deep and do higher reps (12-20) for 2-3 sets. I vary up the loads by doing only BW some days but loading up with a vest & DB/KB (with the free hand) for heavier days. I think it’s a superior exercise that spares the spine and blasts the legs. I used to prefer the un-assisted single leg squat but found (for me) that in the bottom position my lower back always rounded a bit too much and hurt afterwards. at 38 years old, i’d like to avoid such madness. the assisted version has helped me to correct this problem while also allowing for greater control of form. however, i do like to do unloaded, un-assisted single leg squats as a warm up. with all that said, i like heavy Trap-Bar Deadlifts and Valslide backwards lunge/split squats. Damn that was long. lol

*Do something for Rear Delts/Upper Mid Back every day (HFT)!

Monday – 5/3/2 RESL Squat  or “Spare the Spine Squat day with a SL Squat Variation such as Assisted SL Squats, SA SL DB Stepup + Pullups 3 sets of Heavy 5 or lighter 10(with Ben Bruno Ring Pullaparts on the negatives) > 5/3/2 BB Bench + BB Incline Press 2×10-15 reps + Rope Iso Pullup L-sit Holds @ top for 30 seconds + (Ring Stretch Sockets at end of all sets) + TUBING CABLE LATERAL RAISES (standing on cinder block) 2 x 12-15 No-Rest Supersets of each arm! FINISHER 3-10 rounds of 30/30 Lateral “Stitch” Hops Side to Side + OPTIONAL …(add Hypertrophy Trap Bar high or low Bar Squat to Triple Extension Shrug + Calf Raise) +  High BB Pull (10-15 reps) 3 sets or 2 sets of DB Side Laterals (10-20 reps) + 2 sets of Lying Rear Delt raises 

Wednesday – RESL Squat 40/65/75% 5/3/3 reps/50/75/85% 5/3/3 reps/60/85/95% 5/3/2 reps (or “20 rep-SL Squats“, Goblet Squats, BB Front Squats, Paul Chek BB Overhead Squat + Lunge or BB OH Lunge Press option) + DB Rows 3×10-15 reps + Pullapart Face PULLS + Barbell Shrugs (TrapHigh/Low Bar Shrug w Calf Raise or BB HighPulls w Calf Raise) >(Ring Stretch Sockets at end of all sets)

Friday –  5/3/2 Deadlift > Bilateral (or Uni) Squats (Same as Wednesday Squats or Hypertrophy PUMP reps) – 5/3/2 BB Overhead Press + Seated BB Behind Neck Press/ or Double KB 35/45lb. (3 X 10-15 reps) (Ring Stretch Sockets at end of all sets) + /Snatch Grip DL 2-3 sets of 8+ reps(Ben Bruno Upper Back Builder)

*After Rolling/Stick work, WarmUp with Supersets of:  Core + Correctives(external hip rotation=”dog piss”) + Stretch/Power exercise

JUNE 2013

M-Fri = Getups each day laddering lighter to heavy back to lighter…10/8/6/8/10 (STRENGTH) 10 reps = 45lb KB (Swings & Getups). 8 Reps = 55lb KB. 6 Reps = 70lb KB

Tue/Thur/Fri = Add in Volume (after Getups) for (HYPERTROPHY).

Tue = Pullups>Bench>Tubing Side Laterals/Squat t0 Push>Ring Rows>FacePulls

Tue & Saturday = Swings/Snatches/Ropes for (CONDITIONING). + High Pulls for (HYPERTROPHY)

Sun = Rest. Carb day.

*Tyler English Book… HIGH REP WORK to ADD in to Getups. Monday = Upper Body(Bench/Pullups/High Pulls/Face Pulls between Swings). Tuesday = Squats, etc. Wednesday = Push. Thursday = Pull. Friday = Deadlift. End each day with different finishers = Swings. Hops. Snatches. Burpees. Carries. Tire Flips. Sprints. High Pulls.

JULY 2013 – Jason Ferrugia’s 3 or 4-day Split?

Monday – Power(Plyo Jumps, Med Ball Pull, Tubing Push Punches)/Strength 5/3/2 (Getups, Trap Bar DL,) > Hypertrophy (Uni & Bilateral)

Tue – Warmup w Getups, Conditioning (include mobility circuit & traditional swings, ropework, snatches, hops) > HFT

Wed – Rest (Mobility & Tissue Quality)

Thur – Repeat Monday but flip flop Strength & Power movements, as well as Hypertrophy Bi & Unilateral movments. (Getups, Squats, Pullups, BB Bench &/or Press for Strength >

FriDay – Repeat but VARY Tuesday

Sat – Strongman > Airdyne

Sun – REST

AUGUST:

Power/Strength + Hypertrophy/Conditioning Complexes + Jumprope

*Dan John & Martin Rooney (Warrior Cardio) Complexes

Sample (Martin Rooney “Training for Warriors”:

Monday = Heavy Strength

Tuesday = Light Conditioning

Wednesday = Recovery Conditioning

Thursday = Heavy Conditioning “Hurricane Training”

Friday = Hypertrophy Work

Sat/Sun = Active Rest or REST as needed

*ALTerNatIve = Train all qualities each training day = Warrior Cardio

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M/W/F = Core is isometric holds.

T/Th/Sat = Core is Ab Wheel, etc.

*HFT + 5/3/2 + Power to the People + RKC KB Rite of Passage + Power of 3

*5/3/2 Last week of Feb = 66/75/85% x 3 sets of 5. All 4 weeks of March = regular protocol. Utilize on all major lifts that are underlined.

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M – (Power or 3) +  HFT = Trap Bar Deadlift>Basketball Pushups + BB Clean to Press + Pullups >{HFT  Ham Curls}

T – 10 getups(L)>Shoulder Prehab-Pullaparts, etc.  Core>Correctives. Snatches for 5-10 minutes.

W – (Power or 3) + HFT =  Lunges>Basketball pushups + Heavy Rows>{HFT  Ham Curls} Ring Gymnastic Medley till no longer fresh

T – 10 getups(M). Core work>Correctives. Swings with dice roll. {optional = REST DAY}

F – (Power or 3) + HFT =Trap Bar Squats >Pullups +  BB Clean to Press>{HFT  Ham Curls} + Divebombs/Dips>External Rotators.

S – 10 getups(H). Core work>Correctives. Carries. Tire Flips, Sled Push or Pulls. Or Jump Rope@60 Knee Highs(roughly 30 sec)

S – Off

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Favorite Routines of all time…

1) Power of 3 (my own version, then i discovered Ben Bruno had a similar one)

2) 4 Day Split (Push/Pull Days – Heavy Bilateral/Medium Unilateral, Vice Verca)

3) 5/3/1 (my version modified 5/3/2)

4) Jason Ferrugia’s 3-Day-Split (Preferably for Fighters): (Day1:Maximal Effort. Day2:Dynamic-Effort. Day3: Repeated-Effort/Strongman Training) or his 4-Day-Split: “This is one of my top two all time go-to systems that I’ve used consistently with clients since 1999 with outstanding results. The most used Renegade training template is: Heavy Upper/Heavy Lower/Rep Upper/Strongman“… “An upper/lower split can work forever. Most successful powerlifters continue to follow this system throughout most of their training days. Eventually you will probably find that four big, heavy days can be a bit much to tolerate so you could switch it up to a heavy/light system where you have two heavy days each week, one for upper and one for lower, and two lighter days each week for upper and lower body. On the heavy days you work up to a top end set on some type of press or squat and then follow it up with assistance work. The rep upper  body day usually removes the heavy barbell work and focuses more on dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. This leads to better recovery and fewer aches and pains. If barbell pressing is included on this day it’s done lighter and later in the workout. On the strongman day we do a lot of sled pushing and dragging, farmers walks, sandbag exercises, heavy throws, rope rows,  and jumps. If you’re smart and program your workouts intelligently you could use that type of system for quite some time. Eventually you may decide that need a slight reduction in frequency and an increase in volume. This will call for a three way split. I prefer Pull/Push/Lower at that point. With this split you’d still train four days per week but would rotate the days so your schedule would change each week. Obviously this split breaks the rule of higher frequency but when you get significantly stronger it often becomes a necessity. That provides more opportunities to stimulate growth than the standard bodybuilder prescription of training a muscle group only once per week.”

5) Mike Boyle’s Modified Nebraska Football “Survivor Circuit” of 10 exercises (pg 251 of Advances in Functional Training)

6) Mike Boyle’s 5/10/20 rep scheme for ONE multi-joint exercise per session. Use the Deadlift or Clean to press. (pg 242 of Advances in Functional Training)

7) Old School 4 day split. M/Tue & Thur/Fri. Either upper/lower – Heavy/light – Push/Pull – Bilateral/Unilateral

8) Getups 6 days a week = 6 Day Ladder 10/8/6 /8 /10…10 lighter/8 medium/6 (triple or double w/Warmup) heavy.  (STRENGTH). Swings/Snatches alternated 6 days (CONDITIONTING).

* Aux days of 10 total KB Getups. Do 1 getup, Waiter walk it, getdown, repeat other arm/side. Then do x number of swings/snatches. Repeat till all 10 Getups are finished.

5 Surprising Reasons You’re Not Gaining Muscle

Let me start out by saying that this post is not for beginners. If you’ve been training for less than two years most of what’s written below will not apply. As a newbie you need to learn proper technique and stick to the basics. Once you’ve built your foundation and packed on your first 15-20 pounds a plateau is sure to rear it’s ugly head at some point.

So if that’s where you’re at right now and are wondering why you’re not gaining any muscle read on and hopefully you’ll find some useful info to get you growing again.

You’re Still Doing 5×5

A beginner plan like a 5×5 set up is awesome. For beginners. But once you’re no longer a beginner you’ll burn out on that after a while. There are no championship lifters or bodybuilders who follow such a plan. It’s good to take you from point A to point B, to enforce proper technique and to keep training volume manageable for a newbie who usually doesn’t have the best work capacity.

Once you’ve milked your newbie gains dry 5×5 and other beginner type programs will start to become more and more useless. For one thing, you can’t do nothing but big barbell lifts all week long. Secondly, you’ll need some more variety and rep work to keep progressing and remain healthy and injury free.

You’re Not Getting a Pump

Getting a pump doesn’t matter when you’re a beginner. That’s actually the last thing you should be worrying about. So you can do a 5×5 workout and be fine.

A  pump is not necessary for muscle growth during the first year of training… Personally I always like to attain a sound pump, with one proviso. I like to arrive at it via quality sets… – Vince Gironda, The Iron Guru

But cellular swelling and the act of accumulating fatigue is a very important aspect of muscle growth for everyone beyond the newbie phase. That means you need to some higher rep sets (8+) or rest less between sets or both. But do it with high quality, heavy sets like The Iron Guru advised. Just doing sets of 25 reps with light weights ain’t gonna cut it.

The biggest problem you need to worry about is not getting a pump when you are doing both of those things. If you’re doing multiple sets of eight with a minute rest between and hardly getting a pump something is seriously wrong and needs to be addressed.

I’d look toward your hydration, sodium intake, increase your carbs, especially around training and make sure you’re sleeping properly. When you can’t get a pump something is wrong and needs to be fixed ASAP.

Then you know something’s wrong.

Which leads me into the next mistake…

You’re Just Hoisting Weight & Not Maximizing Tension

Everybody wants to lift the heaviest weights possible. So they often do more on each set than they can handle and end up using less than perfect form. That’s fine for some people but too many others only feel exercises in their knees, hips, lower back, elbows and shoulders instead of where they’re actually supposed to feel it… the belly of the muscle.

I can’t tell you how many guys I work with who never feel their lats or their pecs or their glutes or whatever simply because they are just heaving weight. All the stress is in their joints and connective tissue. Instead of building the size they hoped for they end up with shitty physiques and shoulder injuries.

When I have them lighten the load a bit and focus on keeping the tension on the muscle they’re supposed to be training, instead of just mindlessly heaving away they actually start to get a pump and grow.

Heavy low repetition work performed with plentiful rest between sets is not the way to gain quality size. Divorce yourself from this type of notion and any preoccupation with handling continual maximum weights, be it in singles or low repetitions where weight and not work is the motivator. –
Bill Kazmaier

You’re Resting too Long Between Sets

Shorter rest periods have always been positively correlated with muscle growth. That’s why big guys always recommend an average of a minute or so between assistance exercises. If you’re working up to a heavy, top end set of a squat, deadlift or press variation you can rest a bit longer.

But on stuff like dumbbell presses, rows and glute ham raises you shouldn’t be sitting around chatting and texting between sets. Somewhere between 45 and 90 seconds rest should be plenty. That will do more for body composition changes and hypertrophy than rest periods of 3-5 minutes.

You’re Not Changing Your Program Frequently Enough


As a newbie you should stick with the same program for quite some time. But as a more advanced lifter you need more frequent changes.

The first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, always said that the variety was the key to muscle growth and also the key to staying healthy. I agree wholeheartedly.

When you’re advanced the concept of progressive overload, which is critically important during your first couple years of training, no longer holds water.

As Louie Simmons has said a thousand times before, it will actually destroy you. So you need variety. That’s why many top powerlifters, including all the Westside guys, rotate exercises weekly. It allows you still train hard without burning out and it keeps you healthier.

The reason it keeps you healthier is because it eliminates the repetitive stress. When you swing a tennis racquet or golf club over and over you can develop tendon issues.

Everyone’s heard of tennis elbow, of course. Well, what do you think happens when you press a barbell, that weighs a hell of a lot more than a tennis racquet, in the same plane over and over again? You get hurt, that’s what.

I haven’t done the exact same workout twice in a row in years. I have all my advanced guys make some changes to their programs a minimum of every two weeks.

The key is to have some rhyme or reason to the changes and to keep track of things over time.

That’s what we do in The Renegade Inner Circle. The workouts I write for you guy have some kind of small changes each week that ensure your health and long term progress.

And I’m there, along with the rest of the Renegade Coaching Team to answer all of your questions along the way.

Click HERE to join us and break on through to the other side.