DB Hammer Workouts

Training Powerlifting
1

Hey, this is to everyone who knows a thing or two about DB’s stuff. Any responses would be appreciated, except any that criticize the man or the methods.

Anyways, I’m about to start a max strength block and my workouts look like this.

Day 1
-12" PIM Box Squats N x 1 Find my 1RM and reduce the weight to 94%
-45 Degree Hyper N x 5 Go until I can only do 4 reps
-Iso HF Abs N x 25-40 sec

Day 2
-PIM Incline Press N x 1
-PIM Rows N x 5 Go until I can only do 4 reps
-Supplemental work

Day 3
-Squat Iso Holds N x 5-9 sec
-45 Degree Hyper N x 5-9 sec
-Iso HF Abs N x 25-40 sec

Day 4
-Iso Incline Press N x 5-9 sec
-Rows N X 5-9 sec
-Supplemental Work

In addition to what’s listed above, I will also perform some basic warm up plyometric drill to maintain my power.

I plan on going until my results start to slow down and then I’ll switch to a power template.
Does anyone have any suggestions for my routine? Any input would be helpful.

Also, would hang snatches be an acceptable exercise to use during a Dur session? They increase both strenth and power, so I’m not quite sure.

Thanks everyone,
RJ

2

Sorry, I forgot to mention the 45 degree hypers are done with an arched back. Thanks again.

RJ

3

[quote]RJ24 wrote:
Hey, this is to everyone who knows a thing or two about DB’s stuff. Any responses would be appreciated, except any that criticize the man or the methods.

Anyways, I’m about to start a max strength block and my workouts look like this.

Day 1
-12" PIM Box Squats N x 1 Find my 1RM and reduce the weight to 94%
-45 Degree Hyper N x 5 Go until I can only do 4 reps
-Iso HF Abs N x 25-40 sec

Day 2
-PIM Incline Press N x 1
-PIM Rows N x 5 Go until I can only do 4 reps
-Supplemental work

Day 3
-Squat Iso Holds N x 5-9 sec
-45 Degree Hyper N x 5-9 sec
-Iso HF Abs N x 25-40 sec

Day 4
-Iso Incline Press N x 5-9 sec
-Rows N X 5-9 sec
-Supplemental Work

In addition to what’s listed above, I will also perform some basic warm up plyometric drill to maintain my power.

I plan on going until my results start to slow down and then I’ll switch to a power template.
Does anyone have any suggestions for my routine? Any input would be helpful.

Also, would hang snatches be an acceptable exercise to use during a Dur session? They increase both strenth and power, so I’m not quite sure.

Thanks everyone,
RJ[/quote]

I think you have a bit too much work in the An-1 bracket. DB usually recommends one day with An-1 work and its companion session with An-2 work. You’ve got An-1 work in every session. Also, the An-2 day usually has more exercises and uses isolation moves. For example:

day 1-- 12" PIM box squats N x 1
Iso Good morning N x 5-9 sec
Iso abs N x 10-25 sec

day 2-- PIM incline press N x 1
MIO rows N x 5-9 sec

day 3-- Iso split squat N x 10-25 sec
45 deg hyper N x 10-25 sec
OI abs N x 10-25 sec

day 4-- iso-pim front raise N x 10-25 sec
PIM row N x 10-25 sec
PIM pro-sup extensions N x 25-40 sec
Iso barbell curl N x 25-40 sec

The snatches are fine for a dur workout. It is a mag exercise.

4

tuscon,

You said snatches are fine for DUR, but then said they are MAG. In my estimation, snatches would NOT be considered a good exercise for DUR, but I am definitly no expert. Can you clear that up a bit?

RJ,

Did you take a look at the strength template on Inno-Sport? It is:

Frequency (6% Drop-off):
(1) DUR An-1
(2) DUR An-2
Fatigue (12% Drop-off):
(1) MAG An-1 and/or RATE An-2

DB recommends a 4:1 or 6:2 Frequency:Fatigue structure.

Based on auto-regulation principles, you might want to structure it like this:

Day 1- DUR An-1 Upper
2- Rest
3- DUR An-1 Lower
4- Rest
5- DUR An-2 Upper
6- Rest
7- DUR An-2 Lower
8- Rest

Repeat this 3 times (so that you will have performed 6 upper and lower-body frequency workouts), then do your fatigue workouts:

Day 1- MAG An-1 Upper
2- Rest
3- MAG An-1 Lower
4- Rest
5- Rest
6- Rest
7- Rest
8- Rest
9- RATE An-2 Upper
10- Rest
11- RATE An-2 Lower
Days 12,13,14,15,16- Rest

After that, repeat the strength template again or move onto a different one.

In my opinion, snatches would work very well as MAG An-1 work in your frequency workout.

5

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
tuscon,

You said snatches are fine for DUR, but then said they are MAG. In my estimation, snatches would NOT be considered a good exercise for DUR, but I am definitly no expert. Can you clear that up a bit?
[/quote]

Yes, I see how my answer wouldn’t make sense. Snatches are not a dur exercise. But, mag and dur exercises work well together (see DB’s “Got bench” article). The snatches could be done as part of the warm-up or done on the day when lower body dur-1 work is done. I just used the word done three times in one sentence. My English teacher would be so proud! Anyway, what I’m trying to say (type) is that snatches, while not being a dur exercise, would fit into a dur workout nicely. Or, as you suggested, save the snatches for the fatigue toleration workouts.

6

Thanks guys.

I know DB recommends having one day be AN2 but I usually get the best gains when lifting really heavy, so I substituted another An 1 day. Would swapping it for another An1 Day be too taxing on my system?

Thanks,
RJ

7

tuscon,

I get what you are saying now and I agree. Maximal strength is basically maximal force output (MAG work) sustained over time (DUR), so that’s how it fits. I was just making sure I wasn’t completely misunderstanding something.

RJ,

I honestly cannot give you a definitive answer. If you are going purely for powerlifting, then I think you would be fine keeping the An-2 work low, although I still think you would want to keep some of it in there. If you do the 6:2 frequency:fatigue relationship, you could probably try 4 of the workouts in the An-1 range and 2 of them in the An-2, I’d imagine that would work fine.

8

Quick question here:

For OI work, what type of weight do you generally use with that in contrast to PIM work? I figured a little more since you are using more of a reactive element and don’t go through the full range of motion. Just curious.

9

Thanks jtrinsey, but I’m not a powerlifter, just a 100m sprinter that’s already heavy enough and doesn’t want any more muscle.

Thanks,
RJ

10

There used to be a time when I understood what was being said in regards to working out. Not with this.

Where do I learn this alternate language and what it means?

11

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Quick question here:

For OI work, what type of weight do you generally use with that in contrast to PIM work? I figured a little more since you are using more of a reactive element and don’t go through the full range of motion. Just curious.[/quote]

You are going to use a lot less weight. It takes a while to do OI correctly. Also keep in mind that OI is primarily done in the An-2 bracket. Have you tried REA bench? If you have and performed it correctly, the weight used is much lower than PIM movements (same thing with OI).

12

[quote]climbon wrote:
You are going to use a lot less weight. It takes a while to do OI correctly. Also keep in mind that OI is primarily done in the An-2 bracket. Have you tried REA bench? If you have and performed it correctly, the weight used is much lower than PIM movements (same thing with OI).[/quote]

Alright. I’ve only done “practice” OI work so far as a warmup so I wasn’t really sure what the work weight should be like. So you should be in the 63% AW range or so? Also, would OI be fine in An-3 work a well?

13

Alright. I’ve only done “practice” OI work so far as a warmup so I wasn’t really sure what the work weight should be like. So you should be in the 63% AW range or so? Also, would OI be fine in An-3 work a well?

[/quote]

I wouldn’t worry about what percentage to use right now. Start easy and build slowly. It is a new task and it will take some time to learn. Add weight when you can, but make sure you do not change form or exercise execution. You can perform OI work in the An-3 bracket (I believe), but I do question why you would want to. What goal will it accomplish?

14

If you are a sprinter, I might consider dropping a few of the PIM moves and replacing them w/ some iso stuff, as DB states that heavy PIM moves can compromise firing patterns.

15

climbon,

I wasn’t really thinking about anything specific. Why is OI work superior in the An-2 bracket as opposed to An-3?

16

I know people on this site including myself have NO CLUE what other people are saying…I even have the best sports training book ever by DB Hammer and it is confusing as hell…BUT…what are the results people have gotten from doing this type of training…this is what is interesting me

dl-

17

[quote]dl- wrote:
I know people on this site including myself have NO CLUE what other people are saying…I even have the best sports training book ever by DB Hammer and it is confusing as hell…BUT…what are the results people have gotten from doing this type of training…this is what is interesting me

dl-[/quote]

i havent done it in a while for various reasons, lots of work, couple of injuries (related to me being an idiot not the program)

but when i was doign it I was making some of the best progress of my life and having a lot of fun also (which is arguably more important to me as im not going to set world records or anything any time soon)

gains were comparable to the westside template that i was doing… (ie I was not training westside merely following the template, dont want to piss of alwyn or dave :slight_smile: )

18

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
climbon,

I wasn’t really thinking about anything specific. Why is OI work superior in the An-2 bracket as opposed to An-3?[/quote]

I think because of the qualities that OI builds up. You could do it in An-3, but then it would be more for hypertrophy and building up of work capacity. OI’s carryover to max strength and reactive strength is better when done in An-2.

19

[quote]dl- wrote:
I know people on this site including myself have NO CLUE what other people are saying…I even have the best sports training book ever by DB Hammer and it is confusing as hell…BUT…what are the results people have gotten from doing this type of training…this is what is interesting me

dl-[/quote]

My results using DB’s principles for hypertrophy training were slightly better than GVT (the 10 x 10 version) or EDT.

Up until I tried DB’s system those two had the best muscle building programs I had ever tried. My max strength is up and I FINALLY broke thru the plateau I had been on in the clean.

Subjectively, I have a lot fewer “what the hell went wrong” workouts.

20

[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
climbon,

I wasn’t really thinking about anything specific. Why is OI work superior in the An-2 bracket as opposed to An-3?[/quote]

The answer in one of the above posts was correct. It is your goals that should determine your workout. If hypertrophy is your goal, work in the An-2 and An-3 brackets is appropriate. If you are a strength and/or power athlete, you are probably better off staying out of An-3 unless you desperately need some size. Even then, I think you would be better off in An-1 and An-2 brackets and increasing food intake. This way you can increase strength and size simultaneously.