Great Powerlifter's Routines

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
41

There is a program I would imagine unknown to many by a guy named Doug Hepburn.

I believe his original plan changed later on in life.

A Routine? ? Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%). Add 10lbs once you hit 10x1.

?B Routine? ? Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the ?A? routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on ?A? (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

“C Routine” - 5x3 at 80% adding one rep per workout til you get 5x5. Add 10lbs. THE ?C? (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE ?B? ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

The percents are a rough estimate. Hepburn did not use percents.

The old routine went like this:

“A Routine” 8x2 adding one rep per workout til you hit 8x3 then add 10lbs.

“B Routine” 3x6 adding one rep per workout til you hit 3x8 then add 10lbs. “B” was done after “A” in the same workout but 20% less. This was called the powerbuilder routine.

42

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
There is a program I would imagine unknown to many by a guy named Doug Hepburn.

I believe his original plan changed later on in life.

A Routine? ? Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%). Add 10lbs once you hit 10x1.

?B Routine? ? Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the ?A? routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on ?A? (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

“C Routine” - 5x3 at 80% adding one rep per workout til you get 5x5. Add 10lbs. THE ?C? (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE ?B? ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

The percents are a rough estimate. Hepburn did not use percents.

The old routine went like this:

“A Routine” 8x2 adding one rep per workout til you hit 8x3 then add 10lbs.

“B Routine” 3x6 adding one rep per workout til you hit 3x8 then add 10lbs. “B” was done after “A” in the same workout but 20% less. This was called the powerbuilder routine.

[/quote]

I’m a big fan of Doug Hepburn’s work I’m surprised no one has mentioned him earlier, once I’ve got a bit more training under my belt I’d love to try one of his programs :slight_smile:

43

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
There is a program I would imagine unknown to many by a guy named Doug Hepburn.

I believe his original plan changed later on in life.

A Routine? ? Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%). Add 10lbs once you hit 10x1.

?B Routine? ? Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the ?A? routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on ?A? (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

“C Routine” - 5x3 at 80% adding one rep per workout til you get 5x5. Add 10lbs. THE ?C? (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE ?B? ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

The percents are a rough estimate. Hepburn did not use percents.

The old routine went like this:

“A Routine” 8x2 adding one rep per workout til you hit 8x3 then add 10lbs.

“B Routine” 3x6 adding one rep per workout til you hit 3x8 then add 10lbs. “B” was done after “A” in the same workout but 20% less. This was called the powerbuilder routine.

[/quote]

I have heard of him. This is going waaaay back in time though haha.

Maybe I will try to find some stuff on guys like Hackenschmidt later on.

44

[quote]tredaway wrote:

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
There is a program I would imagine unknown to many by a guy named Doug Hepburn.

I believe his original plan changed later on in life.

A Routine? ? Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%). Add 10lbs once you hit 10x1.

?B Routine? ? Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the ?A? routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on ?A? (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

“C Routine” - 5x3 at 80% adding one rep per workout til you get 5x5. Add 10lbs. THE ?C? (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE ?B? ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

The percents are a rough estimate. Hepburn did not use percents.

The old routine went like this:

“A Routine” 8x2 adding one rep per workout til you hit 8x3 then add 10lbs.

“B Routine” 3x6 adding one rep per workout til you hit 3x8 then add 10lbs. “B” was done after “A” in the same workout but 20% less. This was called the powerbuilder routine.

[/quote]

I’m a big fan of Doug Hepburn’s work I’m surprised no one has mentioned him earlier, once I’ve got a bit more training under my belt I’d love to try one of his programs :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Could you add any more info on his work?

45

Upper Body

Press from Stands (out of the rack, if you prefer)
Bench Press
Two-hands Curl

Lower Body

Squat
High-Pull
Deadlift

Another option is listed from The Hepburn Method

Monday/Thursday

Bench
Curl
Standing Press

Tuesday/Friday

Squat
Bent Row
Deadlift

46

Ryan Kennelly’s Raw Bench Press Method:

Heavy Bench Day Week #1: Work with 50% of your one rep raw max and you will do 8 sets of triples at this weight. So, for example, if you?re 1RM is 300 pounds, you?ll do 8 sets of 3 reps with 150 pounds. For your assistance work, perform 5 sets of 5 with a four board press, using 80% of your 1RM. Then, do 3 sets of 12-20 reps of tricep cable pushdowns.

Heavy Bench Day Week #2: Work with 55% of your one rep max and perform 8 sets of triples. So, going off of our example of a 300 pound 1RM, do 8 sets of 3 reps with 165 pounds. Again, for your assistance work, do 5 sets of 5 reps with a four board press, using 80% of your 1RM and then do 3 sets of 12-20 reps of tricep cable pushdowns.

Heavy Bench Day Week #3: Work with 60% of your one rep max and perform 8 sets of triples. As per the above 300 pound 1RM, do 8 sets of 3 reps with 180 pounds. For your assistance work, do rack lockouts for 5 sets of 5 reps and with 80% of your 1RM. Then, perform skull crushers for 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #4: Work with 65% of your one rep max and perform 8 sets of triples. In our example workout (300 pound 1RM) you?d do 8 sets of 3 reps with 195 pounds. Your assistance work this week will be a repeat of Week #3; rack lockout for 5 sets of 5 using 80% of your benchpress 1RM and then skull crushers for 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #5: Train with 70% of your one rep max and perform 6 sets of triples. Example workout: 6 sets of 3 reps with 210 pounds… Your assistance work this week will consist of floor presses for 5 sets of 5 and using 50% of your benchpress 1RM and then behind-the-head 2 hand dumbbell extensions for 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #6: Work with 75% of your one rep max and perform 6 sets of triples. Example workout: 6 sets of 3 reps with 225 pounds. For assitance work, repeat what you did on Week #5: floor presses for 5 sets of 5 using 50% of your 1RM and then behind-the-head 2 hand dumbbell extensions for 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #7: Train with 80% of your one rep max and perform 3 sets of triples. Example workout: 3 sets of 3 reps with 240 pounds. Your assistance work for this week will be weighted dips for 3 sets of 8-12 reps and then barbell extensions off the floor for 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #8: Train with 85% of your one rep max and perform 3 sets of triples. Example workout: 3 sets of 3 reps with 255 pounds. For assistance work this week, repeat what you did on Week #7: performing weighted dips for 3 sets of 8-12 reps and then barbell extensions off the floor for 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Heavy Bench Day Week #9: Train with 90% of your one rep max and perform 3 sets of triples. Example workout: 3 sets of 3 reps with 270 pounds. This will be your last day of assistance work before going for your new 3 rep max. For this training day, you?ll return to what you did on Week #1: 4 board presses for 5 sets of 5 and using 80% of your benchpress 1RM and then cable pushdowns for 3 sets of 12-20 reps.

Week #10: Take this week off and avoid any chest, shoulder, and triceps training.

Heavy Bench Day Week #11: Train with 100% of your (now previous) one rep max and perform 1-3 sets of triples. Example workout: 1-3 sets of 3 reps with 300 pounds.

47

Rock Lewis Bench Press 600lb bench press drug free 242lb World Record Holder

  1. CRITICAL BENCH: Rock, how do you train for that huge bench? I heard you train other people the same way you train yourself. Tell us about that!

Rock: Right now, I’m training so many guys. I’m training with endurance. During my first 4-6 weeks, I do 14-20 sets of 10 on the bench 3 days a week. We do this for 4-6 weeks.

I just did 460 for 10.

  1. CRITICAL BENCH: Interesting. Why do you do so many reps, sets and bench so many times per week?

Rock: We do this for a mental thing! It’s more of a mental thing than a physical thing.

You don’t care what the weight is that you are using, you just know that however many reps you do you have to get it. When we train for 5 reps you know are going to do 5 reps. You must be mentally strong because you must get that weight 5 times…

Then after 4-6 weeks of training, we train 2 times a week. When we train twice a week, we do 4 sets of 10 and then 6 sets of 5.

Rock: Well, say your max is 350! The goal of this system is to see how strong you are at the END of the workout. If your 1 rep max is 350 from the start of the workout and if your 1 rep bench max is 300lbs at the end of the workout then you lost 50lbs of strength at the end of the workout. The secret to my training system is to decrease the gap of strength between the start of the workout and the end of the workout. As soon as this guy is benching 350 at the end of the workout instead of the at the beginning, he will start seeing himself benching 390 at the beginning of the workout, then 430 and so on and so fourth…

Now personally, I don’t understand the philosophy of the last paragraph and how it works. Maybe someone else on here can shed some light on this.

The only thing I can think of is working up to a heavy set of 10 - say 275x10. If your 1RM is 360 and you compute 275x10x.0333+275=366.575 theoretical 1RM. Maybe the goal is to continue increasing the 10 rep max and 5 rep max? I don’t know. It’s the only sense I can make out of it.

48

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]tredaway wrote:

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
There is a program I would imagine unknown to many by a guy named Doug Hepburn.

I believe his original plan changed later on in life.

A Routine? ? Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%). Add 10lbs once you hit 10x1.

?B Routine? ? Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the ?A? routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on ?A? (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

“C Routine” - 5x3 at 80% adding one rep per workout til you get 5x5. Add 10lbs. THE ?C? (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE ?B? ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

The percents are a rough estimate. Hepburn did not use percents.

The old routine went like this:

“A Routine” 8x2 adding one rep per workout til you hit 8x3 then add 10lbs.

“B Routine” 3x6 adding one rep per workout til you hit 3x8 then add 10lbs. “B” was done after “A” in the same workout but 20% less. This was called the powerbuilder routine.

[/quote]

I’m a big fan of Doug Hepburn’s work I’m surprised no one has mentioned him earlier, once I’ve got a bit more training under my belt I’d love to try one of his programs :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Could you add any more info on his work?[/quote]

Far better than anything I could tell you is the article on here called Hepburn Solution for Strength and Power A Classic Strongman’s Training Program by Mike Mahler. When you find the article click on discuss where you will come across post’s by an old member called twiceborn who actually met Doug Hepburn, the information he gives is like gold dust…I hope this helps.

49

Doug Hepburn

50

Working on Doug Young, and Roger Estep. Any input or leads?

I think Doug Young is claimed by 70’s big?

I will probably also post about Bill Starr’s work, the Texas method, and possibly Madcow in the future. It shouldn’t be that hard to find templates for these on the web.

51

Also, I wanted to post this here.

articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/sports-training/prilepin?s-chart/

52

[quote]trivium wrote:
Working on Doug Young, and Roger Estep. Any input or leads?

I think Doug Young is claimed by 70’s big?

I will probably also post about Bill Starr’s work, the Texas method, and possibly Madcow in the future. It shouldn’t be that hard to find templates for these on the web.[/quote]

doug young was a bit wierd, 4x6 with the last set being a rep out, then every rep over i think ten, counting as 5 pounds to be added the next week. i may be slightly off on that but thats the gist. so it was pretty light it seems to begin with. most of them seemed to start off light.

53

Definitely interested to hear what dan emailed you.

54

[quote]osu122975 wrote:

Rock: Well, say your max is 350! The goal of this system is to see how strong you are at the END of the workout. If your 1 rep max is 350 from the start of the workout and if your 1 rep bench max is 300lbs at the end of the workout then you lost 50lbs of strength at the end of the workout. The secret to my training system is to decrease the gap of strength between the start of the workout and the end of the workout. As soon as this guy is benching 350 at the end of the workout instead of the at the beginning, he will start seeing himself benching 390 at the beginning of the workout, then 430 and so on and so fourth…

Now personally, I don’t understand the philosophy of the last paragraph and how it works. Maybe someone else on here can shed some light on this.
[/quote]

If at the start of the program you only managed to bench 300 at the end of the workout and at the end of the program you can bench 350 at the end of the workout, you have gotten stronger. Which means your max should most definitely be higher than 350.

It seemed he just preferred to focus on progressing the weights at the end of a workout rather than the start of it.

55

[quote]kjmont wrote:
Definitely interested to hear what dan emailed you.[/quote]

Nothing earth shattering, but I will post it up tomorrow if I get a chance. It was basically an intake sheet that can be very valuable to beginners.

56

Mike Ruggiera’s powerbuilding routine:

Mondays
Bench Press 3 working sets(not including warm ups) 5-7reps for 2-3weeks then switch to 3-5reps

Incline Bench Press 3sets of 6-8, no need for warm up sets(throw in db’s in place of barbells once in awhile for something different)
Flat Bench Db Presses or Flyes 3sets of 10
Lat pulldowns, bent rows, low pully rows, db rows, and so on and so on. Pick two or three exercises, vary your reps. Obviously the lower the reps scheme the more weight you should use. Train it hard, you’re only training it once a week.
Abs-you decide.

Wednesday
Squats 3-4 working sets(not including warm ups) 5-7 and 3-5 reps schemes work best

Deadlifts can be done if desired or in substituteof another exercise. 3sets of 3-5
Leg Curls 3sets of 8-10(stiff legs can be used instead of leg curls but not with regular deadlifts
Leg Ext. 3sets of 8-10( I don’t care too much for these but some people do)
Bicep work- pick a couple of exercises, 3sets of whatever.
Abs-again you decide

Train hard, remember, your only hitting these muscle groups once a week.

Fridays
Close Grip Bench 3sets of 5-7(not including warmups)
Front Presses 3sets of 3-5 reps

Tricep extensions(two handed with either e-z curl bar or db’s) 3sets of 8-10
Dips or pushdowns 3sets of whatever
Side Laterals 3sets of 10-12
Abs- you got it, you decide

Last time… train these muscle groups hard. Once a week means hard and heavy(according to rep schemes).

57

[quote]RampantBadger wrote:
Mike Ruggiera’s powerbuilding routine:

Mondays
Bench Press 3 working sets(not including warm ups) 5-7reps for 2-3weeks then switch to 3-5reps

Incline Bench Press 3sets of 6-8, no need for warm up sets(throw in db’s in place of barbells once in awhile for something different)
Flat Bench Db Presses or Flyes 3sets of 10
Lat pulldowns, bent rows, low pully rows, db rows, and so on and so on. Pick two or three exercises, vary your reps. Obviously the lower the reps scheme the more weight you should use. Train it hard, you’re only training it once a week.
Abs-you decide.

Wednesday
Squats 3-4 working sets(not including warm ups) 5-7 and 3-5 reps schemes work best

Deadlifts can be done if desired or in substituteof another exercise. 3sets of 3-5
Leg Curls 3sets of 8-10(stiff legs can be used instead of leg curls but not with regular deadlifts
Leg Ext. 3sets of 8-10( I don’t care too much for these but some people do)
Bicep work- pick a couple of exercises, 3sets of whatever.
Abs-again you decide

Train hard, remember, your only hitting these muscle groups once a week.

Fridays
Close Grip Bench 3sets of 5-7(not including warmups)
Front Presses 3sets of 3-5 reps

Tricep extensions(two handed with either e-z curl bar or db’s) 3sets of 8-10
Dips or pushdowns 3sets of whatever
Side Laterals 3sets of 10-12
Abs- you got it, you decide

Last time… train these muscle groups hard. Once a week means hard and heavy(according to rep schemes). [/quote]

Great post man.

58

Here is a portion of what Mr. Green sent me in the questionnaire. I think it can be used as a very valuable sheet to plan training, log progress, and emphasize what he considers to be the major lifts. You just gotta read into it a bit.

"In order to get the program customized to suit your individual needs, this questionnaire will ask you to provide me with as much relevant information about you as possible. If you forget anything or don?t know the answers to all the questions it?s not a big deal ? estimations can be fine and we can always touch on certain topics specifically afterward.

  1. PERSONAL INFO – tell me about yourself: name, age, experience with lifting, height, weight, etc. (anything else you can think of)

  2. GOALS!!! – What are your goals for the near future and the long run? Please be as specific as possible.

  3. Lifting History – what are your best competition/gym maxes as well as rep maxes (ie 2RM, 3RM, 5RM)
    Low Bar Squat:
    High Bar Squat full depth :
    Front Squat:
    Bench:
    Paused Bench:
    Strict Military Press:
    Conventional Deadlift:
    Sumo Deadlift:

  4. Equipment ? list the equipment that you have access to when you train

  5. Injury History/(past & present) – please describe injuries you?ve sustained in the past, recently, or that are ongoing as well as any chronic aches and pains you typically deal with

  6. Nutrition/Supplementation – what is your eating and supplementation like? Describe as much as you like or let me know if you?d like to talk to me more personally here

  7. Schedule/Availability to train – What has been your recent training split? Do you have cardio workouts as well as lifting days? What days of the week can you train and are there time constraints?

  8. Miscellaneous – Tell me anything else that seems relevant that I should know"

59

I read an AMA the other day with Malanichev, and rechecked his website. I can now verify all of the comments made previously as being accurate.

Why does it seem like all of the strongest guys out there don’t do any real “assistance” like I have in my stuff, and are still yoked.

Do you think there is some back work in there that they don’t mention?

60

Also, I am looking for good write ups and explanations of the following:

Various 5/3/1 templates
Smolov
Smolov Jr.
Sheiko programs (I believe that 29 is the most common?)
The texas method and/or Madcow
Korte 3x3
Pavel 80/20

The two I am most interested in, but will probably have to buy will be Paul Carter’s works, the Cube, and Juggernaut. It’s gonna be a long time before I get cash for this though.