Recently one of my friends, who is a internationally ranked kettlebell lifter asked me for a strength training program to increase his deadlift and squat. He is a CMS and wants to excel at the long cycle. He felt that he needs to get stronger to increase his numbers, instead of just performing repetitions with various kettlebells. This program is very efficient on overall effort as he trains kettlebell lifting 3 times per week. Also most of the assistance work is targeted towards the smaller muscles of the torso and core and a lot of lat work, as I feel this is his primary weakness.
He also wants a decent bench as he wants to compete at some point in the coming year. We decided to train and compete using a shoulder and tricep dominant technique as the pec size could negatively effect his kettlebell lifting. The training for bench also has to be minimal as you can see.
The overall routine, especially the primary strength work is quite suitable for any intermediate to advanced athlete who needs to spend considerable time practicing his sport, but could do with getting stronger.
The variations of the lifts used and the assistance work given here are of course specific to his needs, and will have to be adapted according your strengths and weaknesses. Just avoid the tendency to keep adding sets for no reason as that fatigue can quickly spiral out of control along with sport practice.
The system is heavily based around 5-3-1 by Jim Wendler, though it is a complete bastardization of it as well.
Here is what I wrote for him-
This is a simple template that will increase you max squat, deadlift and bench press in just a few months.
For this system you have to judge what is the absolute best weight you can do for each of these. Then take 90% of that and use it as your training maximum. All percentages are based on your training maximum. (for example if your best deadlift is 160kgs your training max will be 144kgs.)
You will train 2 times per week.
Day 1-
Rest 120s between sets
Primary Strength Work
Deadlifting- Deficit Deadlift (stand on a 20kg plate)
50%x5, 60%X5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%X1, 100%X 2 sets of 1
Squatting- Ordinary Full Squat
50%x5, 60%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x Personal record- In this set you will try to do as many reps as possible. Every time you do 85% for maximum reps, you will try to break your previous record. (Each percentage will be repeated once in 4 weeks)
Reduce Rest to 90 seconds
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 7 with 70%
Assistance Work
Reduce Rest to 45seconds- Switch Between Exercises Whenever possible to save time
Dumbbell Military Press (Shoulders)- 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Pull Ups (Lats)- Try to total 30 reps in 5mins.
One Arm Lat Pull Downs on Cable Machine (Lats and scapula)- 2 sets of 12-15 per arm
Face pulls on cable machine (Rhombozoid)- 2 sets of 15
Pallof Press on Cable machine (Internal Obliques)- 2 sets of 12 per side
Dumbell Side Bends (External Obliques)- 2 sets of 10 per side
hanging Leg raises (hip flexors and abs)- 2 sets of 10-15
Ab wheel (Abs)- 2 sets of 8-12
Barbell Good Mornings (Hamstrings and lower back)- 3 sets of 6 (use heavy weight)
Cable External Rotations (Rotator cuff)- 2 sets of 20 per arm.
Day 2
Primary Strength Work
Squatting- Paused Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x2sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X6 with 75%
Assistance Work
Dips- 30 total reps in 5 mins. If you can do this easily add weight
Kroc Rows- 1 set to failure DB rows per arm with heavy weight. Try 10-25reps
V handle seated cable rows- 5 sets of 10
Weighted Sit ups- 3 sets of 6-10
Weighted Hypers- 3 sets of 8-12
In week 2 and 3 the format of the workouts will as such remain the same. All assistance work will remain the same. The primary strength work will progress as follows-
Week 2 Day 1
Deadlift- Snatch Grip off slight elevation (2-4 inches)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100%x 3 sets of 1
Squat- Full Squat-
50%x5, 60%x5, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 5 with 80%
Week 2 Day 2
Squatting- Paused Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x3sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X4 with 85%
Week 3 Day 1
Deadlift- Sumo Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100%x 5 sets of 1
Squat- Full Squat-
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 3 with 90%
Week 3 Day 2
Squatting- Barefoot Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x5sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X2 with 95%
Week 4 is off strength training.
In the next week you will repeat the whole 3 week cycle from week 1, except you will increase your training maximum for the squat by 4kgs, the deadlift by 5kgs and the bench press by 3kgs.
When you can no longer perform 5 reps with 85% in the personal record set in week 1 in either the squat or deadlift, the next workout instead of performing single repetitions with your training max in the same lift, test your maximum. Take 90% of this new maximum as your new training max. Treat the deadlift and squat cycle as seperate, just because you are stalling on one does not mean you need to adjust both. Just retest your max in the stalled lift and resume the cycle from where you left off using the new training max.
Incase it becomes impossibly hard to perform the bench press workouts as described, you may test your maximum before the deadlift and squat and take 90% of that number as your new training max and resume the normal cycle after your deadlifts and squat in the same workout. When in doubt or you do not want to test any one lift, just reduce the training max by 3-5kgs and continue the cycle.
As such if you did not over estimate your maxes when you first started the program, you should not have any of these problems for atleast 9-10 months. If it is happening quicker then you did not take the correct training max when you started. In this case it is better to be safe than sorry.
He also wants a decent bench as he wants to compete at some point in the coming year. We decided to train and compete using a shoulder and tricep dominant technique as the pec size could negatively effect his kettlebell lifting. The training for bench also has to be minimal as you can see.
The overall routine, especially the primary strength work is quite suitable for any intermediate to advanced athlete who needs to spend considerable time practicing his sport, but could do with getting stronger.
The variations of the lifts used and the assistance work given here are of course specific to his needs, and will have to be adapted according your strengths and weaknesses. Just avoid the tendency to keep adding sets for no reason as that fatigue can quickly spiral out of control along with sport practice.
The system is heavily based around 5-3-1 by Jim Wendler, though it is a complete bastardization of it as well.
Here is what I wrote for him-
This is a simple template that will increase you max squat, deadlift and bench press in just a few months.
For this system you have to judge what is the absolute best weight you can do for each of these. Then take 90% of that and use it as your training maximum. All percentages are based on your training maximum. (for example if your best deadlift is 160kgs your training max will be 144kgs.)
You will train 2 times per week.
Day 1-
Rest 120s between sets
Primary Strength Work
Deadlifting- Deficit Deadlift (stand on a 20kg plate)
50%x5, 60%X5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%X1, 100%X 2 sets of 1
Squatting- Ordinary Full Squat
50%x5, 60%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x Personal record- In this set you will try to do as many reps as possible. Every time you do 85% for maximum reps, you will try to break your previous record. (Each percentage will be repeated once in 4 weeks)
Reduce Rest to 90 seconds
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 7 with 70%
Assistance Work
Reduce Rest to 45seconds- Switch Between Exercises Whenever possible to save time
Dumbbell Military Press (Shoulders)- 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Pull Ups (Lats)- Try to total 30 reps in 5mins.
One Arm Lat Pull Downs on Cable Machine (Lats and scapula)- 2 sets of 12-15 per arm
Face pulls on cable machine (Rhombozoid)- 2 sets of 15
Pallof Press on Cable machine (Internal Obliques)- 2 sets of 12 per side
Dumbell Side Bends (External Obliques)- 2 sets of 10 per side
hanging Leg raises (hip flexors and abs)- 2 sets of 10-15
Ab wheel (Abs)- 2 sets of 8-12
Barbell Good Mornings (Hamstrings and lower back)- 3 sets of 6 (use heavy weight)
Cable External Rotations (Rotator cuff)- 2 sets of 20 per arm.
Day 2
Primary Strength Work
Squatting- Paused Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x2sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X6 with 75%
Assistance Work
Dips- 30 total reps in 5 mins. If you can do this easily add weight
Kroc Rows- 1 set to failure DB rows per arm with heavy weight. Try 10-25reps
V handle seated cable rows- 5 sets of 10
Weighted Sit ups- 3 sets of 6-10
Weighted Hypers- 3 sets of 8-12
In week 2 and 3 the format of the workouts will as such remain the same. All assistance work will remain the same. The primary strength work will progress as follows-
Week 2 Day 1
Deadlift- Snatch Grip off slight elevation (2-4 inches)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100%x 3 sets of 1
Squat- Full Squat-
50%x5, 60%x5, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 5 with 80%
Week 2 Day 2
Squatting- Paused Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x3sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X4 with 85%
Week 3 Day 1
Deadlift- Sumo Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100%x 5 sets of 1
Squat- Full Squat-
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press with full arch- 5 sets of 3 with 90%
Week 3 Day 2
Squatting- Barefoot Squat (2-3 seconds in the bottom)
50%x5, 60%x5, 75% x1, 85%x1, 95%x1, 100% x5sets of 1
Deadlifting- Conventional Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x5, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x Personal record
Close Grip Bench Press- 5X2 with 95%
Week 4 is off strength training.
In the next week you will repeat the whole 3 week cycle from week 1, except you will increase your training maximum for the squat by 4kgs, the deadlift by 5kgs and the bench press by 3kgs.
When you can no longer perform 5 reps with 85% in the personal record set in week 1 in either the squat or deadlift, the next workout instead of performing single repetitions with your training max in the same lift, test your maximum. Take 90% of this new maximum as your new training max. Treat the deadlift and squat cycle as seperate, just because you are stalling on one does not mean you need to adjust both. Just retest your max in the stalled lift and resume the cycle from where you left off using the new training max.
Incase it becomes impossibly hard to perform the bench press workouts as described, you may test your maximum before the deadlift and squat and take 90% of that number as your new training max and resume the normal cycle after your deadlifts and squat in the same workout. When in doubt or you do not want to test any one lift, just reduce the training max by 3-5kgs and continue the cycle.
As such if you did not over estimate your maxes when you first started the program, you should not have any of these problems for atleast 9-10 months. If it is happening quicker then you did not take the correct training max when you started. In this case it is better to be safe than sorry.
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