Advice/Criticism of My Off-Season Plan?

Training Powerlifting
1

So I’m gonna lay down my basic Off-season ideas and questions, please criticize and give advice.

Gonna follow a more customized version of Kazmaier’s programming. Gonna lower volumes and such seeing as I am not at his level nor do I use PED’s. Doing this plan for Football and Strongman.

5 Days a Week
Monday: LB, Back & Bi’s (Squat Focus)
Tuesday: UB, Shoulders & Tri’s
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: LB, Back & Bi’s (Deadlift Focus)
Friday: UB, Shoulders & Tri’s
Saturday: Alternate Strongman & Football/Track Work Every Week
Sunday: Rest

I’ve Pulled off 5 intense days a week before, for me Active Release Therapy, Food and Sleep is all I need to keep going. I’m pretty young (15yrs) so I can handle a significant load of stress on my body and still mess things up on occasion. My main goal is to get Bigger, Stronger & Leaner.

Here is the Lay-out I have planned for my Days:
Monday, Thursday, Saturday:
Morning: Agility Work (Ladders and Foot-work Drills), Light Cardio
Mid Day: Main Gym Workout
Afternoon: Light Swimming

Tuesday, Friday
Morning: Light Core Work, Drills for Hand-eye coordination and Foot-work
Mid Day: Main Gym Workout
Afternoon: Muay Thai Classes

Wednesday, Sunday
Morning: Light Swimming
Mid Day: Active Recovery Work (Yoga or Something)
Afternoon: Muay Thai Classes

As for food it’s pretty simple
I try to follow a bastardized/guess work version of the Vertical Diet because I’m too cheap to buy it.
Food goes as following:
Rice & Oats
Lean Red Meats
Fish on Occasion
Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice and Water
Vegetables such as: Carrots, Spinach, Asparagus and a variety of peppers.
All of every fruit because fruit is amazing.
I generally don’t count calories because I end up obsessing so I eat how my body feels.

Beat Up or Tired = More Food
Feeling good and Stronk = Normal Food

As for what my training looks like
Lower Body, Back & Bi’s (Squat Focus)
Main Movements
For Weeks 1-4 I will be doing French Contrast Training (SSB Squats)
For Weeks 5-16 I will be doing Brian Alsruhe’s Power Building Program for Front Squats

Speed Deadlifts- EMOM type stuff (Bands or Chains)

Accessories/BB Work
1A. Shrug Variation for 2 sets of really high reps 15-40 reps -1 set of low/heavy-ish 10-20 reps
(Trying out different bars and accommodating resistances)

2A. Curl Variation- 4 sets of 8-12 reps
2B. Curl Variation- 4 sets of 6-10 reps

3A. Chin-up Variation for sets of Max Reps

4A. Single Arm Rowing of some sort for 4 sets of 10-12 reps

5A. Unilateral Leg Exercise- 3 sets of 10
5B. Hamstring exercise- 3 sets of 10
5C. Calf Exercise- 3 sets of 15-25 (Slow Tempo)

Upper Body, Shoulders & Tri’s (Heavy)
(Bill Kazmaier’s Bench Program but I changed some of the exercises to suit me)

Paused Bench- Kazmaier’s dumb rep approach

Incline Pressing- x3x10 (Heavy)

Close-grip Bench- x3x10 (Heavy)

Accessories/BB Work
1A. Heavy Front Raises- x4 sets of 10 reps

2A. Standing DB Press- x4 sets of 10 reps
2B. Lateral Raises- x4 sets of 10 reps

3A. Tricep Exercise- x4 sets of 15 reps

4A. Band Pre-Hab Exercise- x50 Reps
4B. Band Tricep Extensions- x50 Reps

Lower Body, Back & Bi’s (Deadlift Focus)
Main Movements

  • Deficit Pulls- Weeks 1-10 (Based off what I want to pull)
    (75% x2, 80% x2, 85% x2, 90% x2, 80% x3x3, 85% x2, 90% x2, 95% x2, 97.5% x1, 100% x1)
    75% being week 1 and 100% being week 10

  • ROM Progressions (Texas DL Bar, Touch N’ go, Lower Height every week until at floor)
    1x Main set of 10+ Reps + 1x Backdown Set of 10+ Reps

  • ME Squat using Specialty Bar, Accommodating Resistance or Tweak to make it harder. Using Brian Alsruhe’s ME Cycling here
    5RM = 3 sets of 10 @80% of top set
    3RM = 3 sets of 8 @80% of top set
    1RM = 3 sets of 5 @80% of top set

Accessories/BB Work
1A. Heavy-ish shrug Variations- for 4 sets of 10-20 reps

2A. Curl Variation- x4 sets of 8-10 reps
2B. Curl Variation- x4 sets 10-12 reps

3A. Pull-ups- x4x10 (Gonna try to get all 4 sets of 10 with no assistance by end of off-season)

4A. Hard Barbell Rowing- x3 sets of 6-10 reps

5A. Unilateral Quad Exercise- x3x8-10
5B. Hamstring Exercises- x3x8-10
5C. Calf Raises- x3x15-25 (Slow ass tempo)

Upper Body, Shoulderss & Tri’s (Same as heavy day except everything is lighter except for Standing DB press)

Strongman Days-
Form Work with implements and some heavy moving events

FB/Track Work Days
Practice Plays, Do some resisted sprints, gassers and other fun activities

Feel free to criticize, drop a advice and ask questions.
(All reps and stuff follow pretty simple progression stuffs: Lower the reps to and get heavier, Increase weight at same reps, Increase Reps at same weight, etc…

2

This gives new meaning to Frankenstein-ing. How many programs/techniques have been bashed together there?

Luckily, you know what you are doing or I’d be worried where this was going*

.* when I say “worried” I mean not worried at all

3

This is basically a mash-up of all the things that I’ve learned works for me + Some new stuff
My deadlift day alone combines a peaking piece on deficit deadlifts, ROM Progressions and Brian Alsruhe’s ME Cycling program lol
I’m running Kazmaier’s bench program and using most of his body building stuff.
Squat Day’s for the first 4 weeks I’m running French Contrast Method’s and then the rest of the blocks are Brian Alruhe’s Powerbuilding program.

This is definitely a Frankensteined Off Season lmao

4

I have to say that at 15 years old, I am quite impressed by your initiative, drive, devotion, and knowledge. I’m not a strongman competitor so I can’t comment but this looks impressive to me.

I’d be curious as to more specifics on all of the programs. I don’t know if they’re available through Google or if you’ve bought these programs in the past but maybe a training log would be a good idea as I would certainly follow along.

Best to you.

5

I have a training log but all of it is me training for in season or trying to figure out what the hell I was doing. And thanks man. All of this I have is found on the internet. I studied a lot of JTS’s Articles and tried a lot of them out and figured out which ones work well for me and which ones don’t.
Right now I’m combining off the top of my mind (Structure of Bill Kazmaier’s training routine with everything dialed into what I need volume wise. I’m running some French Contrast Training to get my work capacity and explosiveness up for the first 4 weeks of my off season and then running the Power Building rep cycle by Brian Alsruhe for the rest of my off season for my Front Squats. On Deadlift Day’s I’m using the Peak Cycle from Ed Coan’s DL Program and then instead of his volume sets I use ROM Progressions on Deadlift. And for My upper body days I’m running Bill Kazmaier’s bench program but also edited to suit my needs more