Destroy the Opposition: Programming for Powerlifting
Page 15
Key for the above chart:
H- Heavy. This, for you, is going to be 6-10 sets of 2-4 repetitions. Lest you worry you won’t get to do singles, you will, but for the purpose of this chart keep it to the aforementioned. Always make sure you’re picking a weight just below your rep max for the reps you’ve chosen. Thus, if you’re going to do 10 sets of 2 and your two repetition maximum is 200 lbs, use 185 rather than 200. This will ensure that you get all of your reps. For these, you’ll be using 85%-90% of your one repetition maximum, most likely. On your heavy days, feel free to choose from the programs I’ve outlined in the deadlift and squat sections as well.
M- Medium. For this, you’re going to be doing sets of 4-6 sets of 6. Same weight choice as the above- use the weight with which you fail at 7 or 8. Likely about 75% of your 1RM, but that’s not a hard and fast number. When you stop getting sets of 6, you’re done with your sets. If you can do more than 6 sets of 6, rep out on one last set and increase the weight in your next workout.
L-Light. 3 sets of 8 for these. You’re working form and getting in some volume, not trying to kill yourself with the weight. If you’re feeling frisky on a light day and want to go nuts, pick a weight with which you think you can get 20 reps and do a single, all out set after warming up. I’ve done with 135 on the squat and got 79 when I weighed about 150, then hit 34 reps with 315 at a bodyweight of about 170.
O- Optional. If you want to lift on this day, go into the gym and get a light workout. This is a fuck about workout- it’s not a kill yourself workout.
Exercise selection for each group:
Squat- Stick to back squats on heavy and medium days, and front squats on light days if you want. At this point, you don’t need jump squats or partials in your life. Just get good at the squat itself.
Deadlift- Whichever form you like, use it.
Bench- Stick to regular flat bench for the heavy and medium days, and mix in inclines or weighted dips on the light days if you want.
Overhead Press- Klokov Press, behind the neck push press, military press, or push press to the front.
Pull- Bent over row form I mentioned in the deadlifting section, weighted pull-ups, shrugs, high pulls, one arm dumbbell rows, or other free weight back exercise.
Push Accessory- Skullcrushers, pushdowns, or weighted or unweighted dips.
Pull Accessory- Curls, weighted or unweighted pull-ups, or (if you must) pulldowns.
Upper Body Minor Accessory- This can be anything from forearms to neck, done with higher reps. If something strikes your fancy and isn’t going to totally destroy you, have at it. This should not be anything that is going to tax you significantly for subsequent workouts, however, and should be kept light.
Lower Body Minor Accessory- Same deal. Things like hamstring curls, glute-ham raises, calves, etc, would go in this group.
I’ve not included abs in the workout because they’re entirely optional. People will do them if they want and avoid them if they don’t, so adding them into a program is pointless.
After you’ve done this program for 6 weeks, you will do the following:
Day 1: Work up to a top weight on the deadlift with the form you’ve been using. Once you fail at a weight, attempt it three times, checking bar placement on shins and experimenting with small alterations to foot placement. If you get an attempt, add some weight and retry.
Day 2: Optional light workout.
Day 3: Work up to a top weight on the bench. Same deal as deadlift- attempt top weight three times. Make sure you have a spotter and take a handoff/liftoff.
Day 4: Work up to a top weight on the squat. Same deal as before. Make sure you set the pins at the bottom so you don’t kill yourself, please.
Day 5: Off.
Day 6: Work up to a top weight on the deadlift with the form you’ve not been using for the past six weeks. If you feel like it, max on your favorite overhead movement as well.
Day 7: Off.
Thereafter, restart the program using the new maxes to determine your work set weights. If you had a previous max of 300 on the deadlift and were using 260 for sets of four, but just maxed at 315, add 10 to 15 lbs to your work sets. If you’re not following, 315 is 105% of 300, and 105% of 260 would be 273.
Destroy The Opposition For Advanced Deadlift Specialists
If you’re advanced, I’m guessing you’ve got at least four years of heavy lifting under your belt, and your friends think of you when they need something heavy moved. As much of a pain in the ass as that is, it’s time to step up your game and get to the point where they call you if they need one man to carry a refrigerator up six flights of stairs using tow straps to hold it on your back like an oversized rucksack.
Key for the above chart:
H- Heavy. This, for you, is going to be 6-15 sets of 1-4 repetitions. We’ll all have those days where we get carried away with singles and do two dozen sets, but try to remember that if you murder yourself with 30 singles one day, lifting is going to suck for the foreseeable future. Always make sure you’re picking a weight just below your rep max for the reps you’ve chosen. Thus, if you’re going to do 10 sets of 2 and your two repetition maximum is 200 lbs, use 185 rather than 200. This will ensure that you get all of your reps. For these, you’ll be using 85%-90% of your one repetition maximum, most likely. On your heavy days, feel free to choose from the programs I’ve outlined in the deadlift and squat sections as well.
M- Medium. For this, you’re going to be doing sets of 4-6 sets of 6. Same weight choice as the above- use the weight with which you fail at 7 or 8. Likely about 75% of your 1RM, but that’s not a hard and fast number. When you stop getting sets of 6, you’re done with your sets. If you can do more than 6 sets of 6, rep out on one last set and increase the weight in your next workout.
L-Light. 3 sets of 8 for these. You’re working form and getting in some volume, not trying to kill yourself with the weight. If you’re feeling frisky on a light day and want to go nuts, pick a weight with which you think you can get 20 reps and do a single, all out set after warming up. I’ve done with 135 on the squat and got 79 when I weighed about 150, then hit 34 reps with 315 at a bodyweight of about 170.
O- Optional. If you want to lift on this day, go into the gym and get a light workout. This is a fuck about workout- it’s not a kill yourself workout.
Exercise selection for each group:
Squat- Stick to back squats or partials on heavy days, then mix it up with whatever you like on light and medium days if you want. You should be good enough at the back squat that the variety will do you good.
Deadlift- Whichever form you like, use it. Feel free to mix in deficit deadlifts and partials if you like. If you’re doing partials, however, use conventional form. There’s no sense at all in doing partials with sumo form.
Bench- Stick to regular flat bench for the heavy days, and mix in inclines or weighted dips on the medium and light days if you want.
Overhead Press- Klokov Press, behind the neck push press, military press, or push press to the front. Give whatever it is you’re doing holy hell.
Pull- Bent over row form I mentioned in the deadlifting section, weighted pull-ups, shrugs, high pulls, one arm dumbbell rows, or other free weight back exercise.
Push Accessory- Skullcrushers, pushdowns, or weighted or unweighted dips.
Pull Accessory- Curls, weighted or unweighted pull-ups, or (if you must) pulldowns.
Upper Body Minor Accessory- This can be anything from forearms to neck, done with higher reps. If something strikes your fancy and isn’t going to totally destroy you, have at it. This should not be anything that is going to tax you significantly for subsequent workouts, however, and should be kept light.
Lower Body Minor Accessory- Same deal. Things like hamstring curls, glute-ham raises, calves, etc, would go in this group.
I’ve not included abs in the workout because they’re entirely optional. People will do them if they want and avoid them if they don’t, so adding them into a program is point
less.
After you’ve done this program for 6 weeks, you will do the following:
Day 1: Work up to a top weight on the deadlift with the form you’ve been using. Once you fail at a weight, attempt it three times, checking bar placement on shins and experimenting with small alterations to foot placement. If you get an attempt, add some weight and retry.
Day 2: Optional light workout.
Day 3: Work up to a top weight on the bench. Same deal as deadlift- attempt top weight three times. Make sure you have a spotter and take a handoff/liftoff.
Day 4: Work up to a top weight on the squat. Same deal as before. Make sure you set the pins at the bottom so you don’t kill yourself, please.
Day 5: Off.
Day 6: Work up to a top weight on the deadlift with the form you’ve not been using for the past six weeks. If you feel like it, max on your favorite overhead movement as well.
Day 7: Off.
Thereafter, restart the program using the new maxes to determine your work set weights. If you had a previous max of 300 on the deadlift and were using 260 for sets of four, but just maxed at 315, add 10 to 15 lbs to your work sets. If you’re not following, 315 is 105% of 300, and 105% of 260 would be 273.
Destroy The Opposition For Intermediate Squat Specialists
Welcome to the esteemed club of squatting specialists! At this point, you should have 6 months to a year of heavy lifting under your belt and know your way around the gym. You’re joining the legions of quadriffic squatters who’ve decided to make the same decision, and are in fine stead. The program I’ve outlined here is a basic template based on what has worked for me in the past. It’s not a static, dead document, but rather a living being not unlike Jenna Jameson, although this program is far better looking in person than she is. Trust me- the broad looks like an alien in person. In any event, let’s get on with the squatting, shall we?
Key for the above chart:
H- Heavy. This, for you, is going to be 6-10 sets of 2-4 repetitions. Lest you worry you won’t get to do singles, you will, but for the purpose of this chart keep it to the aforementioned. Always make sure you’re picking a weight just below your rep max for the reps you’ve chosen. Thus, if you’re going to do 10 sets of 2 and your two repetition maximum is 200 lbs, use 185 rather than 200. This will ensure that you get all of your reps. For these, you’ll be using 85%-90% of your one repetition maximum, most likely. On your heavy days, feel free to choose from the programs I’ve outlined in the deadlift and squat sections as well.
M- Medium. For this, you’re going to be doing sets of 4-6 sets of 6. Same weight choice as the above- use the weight with which you fail at 7 or 8. Likely about 75% of your 1RM, but that’s not a hard and fast number. When you stop getting sets of 6, you’re done with your sets. If you can do more than 6 sets of 6, rep out on one last set and increase the weight in your next workout.
L-Light. 3 sets of 8 for these. You’re working form and getting in some volume, not trying to kill yourself with the weight. If you’re feeling frisky on a light day and want to go nuts, pick a weight with which you think you can get 20 reps and do a single, all out set after warming up. I’ve done with 135 on the squat and got 79 when I weighed about 150, then hit 34 reps with 315 at a bodyweight of about 170.
O- Optional. If you want to lift on this day, go into the gym and get a light workout. This is a fuck about workout- it’s not a kill yourself workout.
Exercise selection for each group:
Squat- Stick to back squats on heavy and medium days, and front squats on light days if you want. At this point, you don’t need jump squats or partials in your life. Just get good at the squat itself.
Deadlift- Whichever form you like, use it.
Bench- Stick to regular flat bench for the heavy and medium days, and mix in inclines or weighted dips on the light days if you want.
Overhead Press- Klokov Press, behind the neck push press, military press, or push press to the front.
Pull- Bent over row form I mentioned in the deadlifting section, weighted pull-ups, shrugs, high pulls, one arm dumbbell rows, or other free weight back exercise.
Push Accessory- Skullcrushers, pushdowns, or weighted or unweighted dips.
Pull Accessory- Curls, weighted or unweighted pull-ups, or (if you must) pulldowns.
Upper Body Minor Accessory- This can be anything from forearms to neck, done with higher reps. If something strikes your fancy and isn’t going to totally destroy you, have at it. This should not be anything that is going to tax you significantly for subsequent workouts, however, and should be kept light.
Lower Body Minor Accessory- Same deal. Things like hamstring curls, glute-ham raises, calves, etc, would go in this group.
I’ve not included abs in the workout because they’re entirely optional. People will do them if they want and avoid them if they don’t, so adding them into a program is pointless.
After you’ve done this program for 6 weeks, you will do the following:
Day 1: Work up to a top weight on the back squat. Once you fail at a weight, attempt it three times, checking bar placement on shins and experimenting with small alterations to foot placement. If you get an attempt, add some weight and retry.
Day 2: Optional light workout.
Day 3: Work up to a top weight on the bench. Same deal as deadlift- attempt top weight three times. Make sure you have a spotter and take a handoff/liftoff.
Day 4: Work up to a top weight on the deadlift. Same deal as before.
Day 5: Off.
Day 6: Work up to a top weight on the front squat. If you happen to be stronger at the front squat than the back squat, it’s time to tinker with your back squat form. Additionally, max on your favorite overhead movement as well if you feel like it.
Day 7: Off.
Thereafter, restart the program using the new maxes to determine your work set weights. If you had a previous max of 300 on the deadlift and were using 260 for sets of four, but just maxed at 315, add 10 to 15 lbs to your work sets. If you’re not following, 315 is 105% of 300, and 105% of 260 would be 273.
Destroy The Opposition For Advanced Squat Specialists
If you’re advanced, I’m guessing you’ve got at least four years of heavy lifting under your belt, and your friends think of you when they need something heavy moved. As much of a pain in the ass as that is, it’s time to step up your game and get to the point where they call you if they need one man to carry a refrigerator up six flights of stairs using tow straps to hold it on your back like an oversized rucksack.
Key for the above chart:
H- Heavy. This, for you, is going to be 6-15 sets of 1-4 repetitions. We’ll all have those days where we get carried away with singles and do two dozen sets, but try to remember that if you murder yourself with 30 singles one day, lifting is going to suck for the foreseeable future. Always make sure you’re picking a weight just below your rep max for the reps you’ve chosen. Thus, if you’re going to do 10 sets of 2 and your two repetition maximum is 200 lbs, use 185 rather than 200. This will ensure that you get all of your reps. For these, you’ll be using 85%-90% of your one repetition maximum, most likely. On your heavy days, feel free to choose from the programs I’ve outlined in the deadlift and squat sections as well.
M- Medium. For this, you’re going to be doing sets of 4-6 sets of 6. Same weight choice as the above- use the weight with which you fail at 7 or 8. Likely about 75% of your 1RM, but that’s not a hard and fast number. When you stop getting sets of 6, you’re done with your sets. If you can do more than 6 sets of 6, rep out on one last set and increase the weight in your next workout.
L-Light. 3 sets of 8 for these. You’re working form and getting in some volume, not trying to kill yourself with the weight. If you’re feeling frisky on a light day and want to go nuts, pick a weight with which you think you can get 20 reps and do a single, all out set after warming up. I’ve done with 135 on the squat and got 79 when I weighed about 150, then hit 34 reps with 315 at a bodyweigh
t of about 170.
O- Optional. If you want to lift on this day, go into the gym and get a light workout. This is a fuck about workout- it’s not a kill yourself workout.
Exercise selection for each group:
Squat- Stick to back squats or partials on heavy days, then mix it up with whatever you like on light and medium days if you want. You should be good enough at the back squat that the variety will do you good.