Full Ed Coan Program?

Has anyone attempted doing the full Ed Coan program? As in 5 days a week using the periodization protocol outlined for squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press? I find I usually respond well to volume and don’t overtrain very easily. My PRs are 450, 305, 575 at 198. I have a comp in January so I’ll have to cut the program a bit short. Advice?

There was an Ed Coan article in flex magazine some years ago where he gave a overall 3 lift training program.

If I remember correctly (I followed the program for a while):

4 days a week broken into bench, squat, dead, and accessory day.

And you essentially start out with like 3 sets of 10 first week and decrease your reps and increase your weight week to week. Then you de-load for a week or 2 and reset and start the cycle over.

It was really a lot like 531 only the cycle was 8 or 12 weeks I think. I’d recommend finding it if you’re interested, it’s a solid program. It would take some digging though, I think it was 6 or 7 years ago.

HAHA! I found it somewhere:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_2_24/ai_n16113267/?tag=content;col1

Yeah, I actually did it early this year.

It hurts.

Alot.

Here is the program because the formatting in that article sucks.

ED COAN’S EIGHT-WEEK STRENGTH PROGRAM EXERCISE

SETS REPS
MONDAY: SQUAT DAY
Barbell squats First warm-up 1 10 at about 45% of working sets Second warm-up 1 5 at about 65% of working sets Third warm-up 1 3 at about 85% of working sets Fourth warm-up 1 1 at about 90% of working sets
Working sets 3 10
Leg presses3 10
Walking lunges 3 50 feet or leg extensions 3 10
Lying leg curls 3 10 reps
Seated calf raises 4 10 reps

TUESDAY: BENCH DAY Bench presses First warm-up 1 10 at about 45% of working sets Second warm-up 1 5 at about 65% of working sets Third warm-up 1 3 at about 85% of working sets Fourth warm-up 1 1 at about 90% of working sets
Working sets 3 10
Incline bench presses 3 10
Dips 3 10
Dumbbell flyes 3 10

THURSDAY: DEADLIFT DAY
Deadlifts First warm-up 1 10 at about 45% of working sets Second warm-up 1 5 at about 65% of working sets Third warm-up 1 3 at about 85% of working sets Fourth warm-up 1 1 at about 90% of working sets
Working sets 3 10
Bent barbell rows 3 10
Wide-grip pullups 3 10
Stiff-leg deadlifts 2 10 standing an a 2" block
Behind-the-back Smith 3 10 machine shrugs

FRIDAY:
ASSISTANCE DAY
Close-grip bench presses 2 15-20 (warm-ups)
Close-grip bench presses 3 10 (working sets)
Barbell shoulder presses 3 10
Dumbbell lateral raises 3 10
Bent dumbbell raises 3 10
Cable pushdowns 3 10
Alternating dumbbell 3 10
curls Seated calf raises 3 10

NOTE: The warm-up process for squats, bench presses and deadlifts requires a gradual increase in weight before your working sets. The purpose is to use lighter weights to progressively condition your body and neuromuscular system to correctly handle the heaviest load–your three working sets.

  • Week 1 Do 10 reps for each working set of the core lifts (squats, bench presses and deadlifts) and 10 reps per set for assistance movements (as shown at left).

  • Weeks 2-3 Increase the weights you’re using and do eight reps per working set for the core lifts. Continue to perform 10 reps per set for the assistance exercises.

  • Weeks 4-5 Increase the weights and do five reps for each working set of the core lifts. Drop your reps per set to eight for the assistance moves.

  • Weeks 6-7 Increase the weight each week and do three repetitions for each working set of the core lifts. Assistance exercises remain at eight reps per set.

  • Week 8 Increase the weight for squats, bench presses and deadlifts to the maximum that you believe you can lift for one rep. (If you fail, drop 5-10 pounds and attempt the lift again.) Stay with eight reps per set for assistance exercises.

STARTING AGAIN After completing this cycle, you have a decision to make. You can go back to your regular bodybuilding program or, if you want to push for further strength gains, take two weeks to train light and rest your body before embarking on the cycle again.

Actually, they’re pretty much the same thing. It’s just a 4 day program instead of 5 I guess.

Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :slight_smile:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.[/quote]

Well, to be fair, I train with him, so… yeah.

CS

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.[/quote]

Well, to be fair, I train with him, so… yeah.

CS[/quote]

=ZING!

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.[/quote]

Well, to be fair, I train with him, so… yeah.

CS[/quote]
Just waiting to say that weren’t you? :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.[/quote]

Well, to be fair, I train with him, so… yeah.

CS[/quote]

Lol touche. Just curious, man.

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:

[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:

[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
Bump.

Does anyone have experience doing it 5 days a week? I am a frequency junky :)[/quote]

Stick with 4. You’ll burn out if you do any more.

CS[/quote]

To be fair, I’m pretty used to high volume and frequency as it is. I’m just curious to see if anyone else has done it and gotten away with it.[/quote]

Well, to be fair, I train with him, so… yeah.

CS[/quote]

Lol touche. Just curious, man.[/quote]

LOL. Nah, I understand. It’s different than in his videos because he never mentions any of the crazy supersets or giant sets that he puts me and my training partners through. You usually want to die at the end of a workout.

CS

I’m considering doing this program and I was wondering how much your 1RM would increase by if you cut out the first of the eight weeks as I have a meet in February