alright boys
i am in the mix tommorow…couldn’t start today because i had a conference to attend. so i will be going tues, wed, fri sat and then back to monday so i will be on track. i also have another friend doing the work out as well so i will keep trach of his progress and let ya’ll know.
Good to have you onboard. My advice is to take it easy on the day 1 workout as it is suprisingly difficult and caused both Zev and I a great deal of soreness.
Hell Yes!!!
Zev and I worked out the final kinks for phases 3 and 4. Zev will post phase 3 in a day or so and I’ll post phase 4 immediately after.
Also, I will be summarizing phases 1-4 into an excel spreadsheet, so people will be able to email me and get the program in a slightly clearer form.
Results, personal changes and questions should all still be posted on the forum so that this program can be fine tuned for people to use later.
Take care and train hard! If you are doing this, please let the forum know how you are doing.
I'm halfway through phase 1 and I'm loving it. I'm back in the gym loving every workout and the results are showing since my performance this week has really beat last week by quite a bit.
Alright, so here’s phase 3. It’s broken up into 2 parts: week one is fairly low volume and is intended as a bit of a recovery week, while weeks 2 and 3 are fairly intense. We designed it this way specifically to facilitate a MAG-10 cycle during weeks 2 and 3; I know JN’s going to do one, and I may well join him. On to the workout!
Phase 3 - Week One
Monday:
Shoulders:
Standing DB Shoulder Press: 3x6, 1x12, 3’ rest btw. sets
Biceps:
Barbell Preacher Curl: 3x8, 1x15, 2’ btw sets, vary grip width each set
Triceps:
Close Grip Bench: 3x8, 1x15, 2’ btw sets, vary grip width each set
Tuesday:
Quads:
Olympic-Style Squats: 1x12, 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 3’ btw sets
DB squats or BB hack squats: 1x15
Calves:
Toe Press: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Abs:
Standing Cable Crunches: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Thursday:
Back:
Superset BB Yates Row (8 reps) and Wide Grip Pulldowns to Front (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3’ btw sets
Chins: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3 10-sec. pauses during last negative
Chest:
Superset Incline DB Press (8 reps) and Incline Flies (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3’ btw sets
Pushups between benches: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3 10-sec. pauses during last negative
Friday:
Hamstrings: Deadlifts: 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 3’ btw sets
Deads off 2" platform: 1x8
Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 1x15
Calves:
Unilateral Seated Raise: 3x10, 90" between sets
Abs:
Dumbell Side Bends: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Weeks 2 and 3
Monday:
Shoulders:
Standing DB Shoulder Press: 3x6, 1x15, 3’ rest btw. sets; last set use 10RM weight and cheat on last 5 reps (do push presses)
DB Rear Laterals triple drop set:1x6,6,6;
after last sub-set use a partner or door frame to do a 15 sec. isometric hold at 45 degrees humeral abduction
DB Side Laterals triple drop set: 1x6,6,6; after last sub-set use partner to do 3 additional reps at max voluntary effort
Biceps:
Barbell Preacher Curl: 3x8, 1x15, 2’ btw sets, vary grip width each set
Incline Zottman Curl triple drop set:2x5,5,5, 2’ btw sets
Triceps:
Close Grip Bench: 3x8, 1x15, 2’ btw sets, vary grip width each set
Cable Overhead Rope Ext. triple drop set: 2x5,5,5, 2’ btw sets
Tuesday:
Quads:
Olympic-Style Squats: 1x12, 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 3’ btw sets
DB squats or BB hack squats: 1x15
Low, Narrow foot position leg press: 2x20, 3’ btw sets, do breathing squat style (with 10RM)
Calves:
Toe Press: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Standing Calf Raise: 3x10, 2’ btw sets; do positive bilaterally, negatives unilaterally (so you’ll get 5 negatives per leg per set)
Abs:
Standing Cable Crunches: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Cable Woodchoppers: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Thursday:
Back:
Superset BB Yates Row (8 reps) and Wide Grip Pulldowns to Front (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3’ btw sets
Chins: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3 10-sec. pauses during last negative
DB or Machine Pullover triple drop set: 2x6,6,6, 3’ btw sets
Chest:
Superset Incline DB Press (8 reps) and Incline Flies (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3’ btw sets
Pushups between benches: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3 10-sec. pauses during last negative
Machine Press triple drop sets: 2x6,6,6, 3’ btw sets
Friday:
Hamstrings: Deadlifts: 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 3’ btw sets
Deads off 2" platform: 1x8
Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 1x15
Superset: Poliquin Leg Curls (dorsiflex on positive, plantar flex on negative, 8 reps) and GH raises (at least 5 reps, use assistance if necessary) for 2 sets, 3’ btw sets
Calves:
Unilateral Seated Raise: 3x10, 90" between sets
Seated Calf Raise: 3x10+3-5 (do 3-5 forced reps at the end of each set), 2’ btw sets
Abs:
Dumbell Side Bends: 3x10, 2’ btw sets
Incline Reverse Crunches: 3xAMAP at bodyweight, 2’ btw sets
Enjoy!
welli have been off the computer for a few days and i wish i wasn’t because i could have totally needed that warning i got today after being done with day 1 and 2. you must understand that i just came off a 5x5 program so my thinking was off a bit…but it is back on track now. i have to train clients tommorow and i am not sure i am gonna be able to walk up the stairs to get to the club. i am loving the pain though, the sweat and the pump…what a fucking great pump!
Shit. Sorry phase 3 is so ugly. I can’t do computer shit for shit. That’s why I abuse myself in the gym: self-flagellation for lack of techno-skills. Jaytruly, glad you’re enjoying yourself. Day 3 is surprisingly a beeyotch too, so take it easy the first go-round.
Bro, that has to go down as one of the most difficult posts to read in the history of the fourm. I’ll break it up and repost it and Phase 4 in a bit.
Also, if everyone will give me till Saturday to put it all together and then you guys can email me to get the whole program layed out in Excel.
Alright, so here’s phase 3. It’s broken up into 2 parts: week one is fairly low volume and is intended as a bit of a recovery week, while weeks 2 and 3 are fairly intense. We designed it this way specifically to facilitate a MAG-10 cycle during weeks 2 and 3; I know JN’s going to do one, and I may well join him. On to the workout!
Phase 3 -
Week One Monday:
Shoulders: Standing DB Shoulder Press: 3x6, 1x12, 3' rest btw. sets
Biceps: Barbell Preacher Curl: 3x8, 1x15, 2' btw sets, vary grip width each set
Triceps: Close Grip Bench: 3x8, 1x15, 2' btw sets, vary grip width each set
Tuesday:
Quads: Olympic-Style Squats: 1x12, 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 3' btw sets
DB squats or BB hack squats: 1x15
Calves: Toe Press: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Abs: Standing Cable Crunches: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Thursday:
Back: Superset BB Yates Row (8 reps) and Wide Grip Pulldowns to Front (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3' btw sets
Chins: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3x10-sec. pauses during last negative
Chest: Superset Incline DB Press (8 reps) and Incline Flies (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3' btw sets
Pushups between benches: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3x10-sec. pauses during last negative
Friday:
Hamstrings: Deadlifts: 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 3' btw sets
Deads off 2" platform: 1x8
Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 1x15
Calves: Unilateral Seated Raise: 3x10, 90 sec between sets
Abs: Dumbell Side Bends: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Weeks 2 and 3
Monday:
Shoulders: Standing DB Shoulder Press: 3x6, 1x15, 3' rest btw. sets; last set use 10RM weight and cheat on last 5 reps (do push presses)
DB Rear Laterals triple drop set:1x6,6,6; after last sub-set use a partner or door frame to do a 15 sec. isometric hold at 45 degrees humeral abduction
DB Side Laterals triple drop set: 1x6,6,6; after last sub-set use partner to do 3 additional reps at max voluntary effort
Biceps: Barbell Preacher Curl: 3x8, 1x15, 2' btw sets, vary grip width each set
Incline Zottman Curl triple drop set:2x5,5,5, 2' btw sets
Triceps: Close Grip Bench: 3x8, 1x15, 2' btw sets, vary grip width each set
Cable Overhead Rope Ext. triple drop set: 2x5,5,5, 2' btw sets
Tuesday:
Quads: Olympic-Style Squats: 1x12, 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 3' btw sets
DB squats or BB hack squats: 1x15
Low, Narrow foot position leg press: 2x20, 3' btw sets, do breathing squat style (with 10RM)
Calves: Toe Press: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Standing Calf Raise: 3x10, 2' btw sets; do positive bilaterally, negatives unilaterally (so you'll get 5 negatives per leg per set)
Abs: Standing Cable Crunches: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Cable Woodchoppers: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Thursday:
Back: Superset BB Yates Row (8 reps) and Wide Grip Pulldowns to Front (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3' btw sets
Chins: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3x10-sec. pauses during last negative
DB or Machine Pullover triple drop set: 2x6,6,6, 3' btw sets
Chest: Superset Incline DB Press (8 reps) and Incline Flies (12 reps) for 2 sets, 3' btw sets
Pushups between benches: 1xAMAP at bodyweight, 3x10-sec. pauses during last negative
Machine Press triple drop sets: 2x6,6,6, 3' btw sets
Friday:
Hamstrings: Deadlifts: 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 3' btw sets
Deads off 2" platform: 1x8
Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 1x15
Superset: Poliquin Leg Curls (dorsiflex on positive, plantar flex on negative, 8 reps) and GH raises (at least 5 reps, use assistance if necessary) for 2 sets, 3' btw sets
Calves: Unilateral Seated Raise: 3x10, 90" between sets
Seated Calf Raise: 3x10+3-5 (do 3-5 forced reps at the end of each set), 2' btw sets
Abs: Dumbell Side Bends: 3x10, 2' btw sets
Incline Reverse Crunches: 3xAMAP at bodyweight, 2' btw sets
Enjoy!
Here is Phase 4. It is a mix of low rep work with some basic core and stabilizer work. It is designed to help maintain gains post the Phase 3 Hypertrophy Stage.
Monday - V. Push/Pull, Lateral Ab Flexion
Military Press, 1-6 method, wide grip, rest 2 min
Chins, 1-6 method, wide grip, rest 2 min
Military, 1-6 method, medium grip, rest 2 min
Chins, 1-6 method, medium grip, rest 2 min
Military, 1-6 method, close grip, rest 2 min
Chins, 1-6 method, supine close grip, rest 2 min
Optional Back Off Set - Military Press or Lat Pull-Down, 1x15-20 reps (do this only if you are feeling really motivated, this is not necessary)
External Rotations, 3x15, rest 1 min
Saxon Side Bends, 3x10, rest 1 min
Tuesday - Squat, Lower Body Flexion
Front or Back Squat, wave loading 6/4/2, 6/4/2 add 5-10 lbs on second wave, rest 2-3 min
Optional squat back off set: 15-20 reps
One Legged Squats, 2 x 14(weak), 7(strong), rest 2 min (alternate 2 reps weak, 1 rep strong)
Hanging Tuck Leg Raises, 3x10, rest 1 min
Thursday - H Push/Pull, Rotational Ab Flexion
(choose your own type of row and bench that you need the most work on)
Bench, 1-6 method, wide grip, rest 2 min
Row, 1-6 method, wide grip, rest 2 min
Bench, 1-6 method, medium grip, rest 2 min
Row, 1-6 method, medium grip, rest 2 min
Bench, 1-6 method, close grip, rest 2 min
Row, 1-6 method, supine close grip, rest 2 min
Optional Back Off Set: 1x15-20 on rows or bench
External Rotations, 3x10 (L,R), rest 1 min
DB Twists off Hyper Bench, 3x10 (L,R), rest 1 min between sets, no time between sides,(lie sideways in hyper bench, twist db from floor to parallel)(I'll post a pic on the forum to explain if requested)
Friday - Pulls, Upper Ab Flexion
Deads or Power Cleans, wave loading 6/4/2, 6/4/2 (add 5-10 lbs on second wave), rest 2-3 min
Optional Back Off Set: 1x15-20 (must be deads, not power cleans)
One Legged Hypers, 2 x 14(weak), 7(strong), rest 2 min (alternate 2 reps weak, 1 rep strong)
That's the story! I'm pumped.
Give me til Saturday to put together the full program on Excel and then anyone who wants it in a clear concise manner can email me.
- Jason Norcross
Kneeling or Standing 3x10 rest 1 min
Cable Crunches
Thanks for taking up my slack, JN. I owe you one. Phase 4 looks sweet, both in presentation (ha) and in substance.
Ok, I’ve got the whole thing put together into an Excel Spreadsheet, so if you want it, send me an email.
You can find my email at the end of my body comp article in issue 209.
I’m hoping to get the advice of Jason or anyone else who might have an opinion here. In gearing up for phase 2, my partner has a problem with the EDT portion of Thursday’s workout: she can only do about 6 chins when fresh, and Staley recommends using loads for EDT that are a 10-12RM. How would you approach the situation? I’m thinking that I’ll have her still do the chins EDT style, only I’ll have her start out doing 3 reps per set instead of the prescribed 5 or 6. I figure this method is better than having her do pulldowns (ick) at a 10-12RM weight.
Zev - I’d try doing sets of 1-3 reps on the chins. If you just can seem to get a good workout like that, I’d go down to pull-downs especially since it’s only 3 weeks and they’ll be plenty of opportunities to do chins in the future.
Now that I’m finished with phase I, I wanted to post an update. All in all, I wasn’t too thrilled with how it went, owing primarily to two things: 1)I wish we’d built in a greater variety of exercises and done more unilateral stuff on the leg days; 2)my knee tendonitis flared back up, so I wasn’t able to do much in terms of quad work and bent-legged deadlifts. I did like the upper body days, especially Monday, but Thursday could’ve utilized a bit more exercise variety too. I’m curious to hear how the rest of you have found the routine, and I’m really looking forward to phase II. Have a great recovery weekend, all.
well i am goinbg on week three on phase one and i am feeling pretty dam good. I am happy with everything so far, but like i said this was the perfect next phase coming off 5x5. i will re=measure and let ya’ll know about any sig. changes. i am also excited about phase 2. hey zev, narcross let me know if you need/want help with the development of the up and coming phases. i think you both have my email addy as well, so hit me up.
What’s the goal here? This may sound inflammatory, but it isn’t. The more people that I talk to post creation of any “super program” realize little to no marked improvement versus a very basic routine. It finally boils down to Hey, I like to lift, I enjoy working out. Efficiency is not a goal. Counterproductivity is avoided, but I enjoy training, pure and simple.
Jay, I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but personally, I didn’t intend to create a “superprogram”; I simply wanted to try something new. I think we’d all agree that in weightlifting as in life, change is a good thing; I usually adhere to the principle of simplicity that you propound, but with this routine I was hoping to have some fun, try out some stuff I’ve been meaning to, and give myself a kick in the ass in the gym. Getting to collaborate with some of my fellow T-men in the process has made it all the more rewarding, and so ultimately I don’t think it’s been ill-advised at all. On an unrelated note: JN and Jaytruly: I was thinking that for the dynamic exercise of Thursday’s phase II workout, we should probably opt for push presses over clap chins; I think this because between the deads, power cleans, and EDT rows and chins, there’s lots of other upper back work being done throughout the week.
Your point is well taken. The goal here was to create an excellent program to stimulate new growth by using different training styles and to keep cycling in new routines every 3 weeks for optimal motivation and mental freshness.
We also knew that there are something like 100 different programs on T-mag alone and wanted to mix in bits and parts of each of these programs. We're not trying to create the super program that can never be topped, we're just trying to get a bunch of guys together to do the same thing so that along with being a physically exciting program, it is also a mental and emotionally exciting program.
That's it. There's nothing magic about this program.