6/19 - Rest
6/20 - Recharge
Band shoulder stuff, swings, bottoms up presses and goblet squats
BB Curl - 45x3x50
6/20/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 7 - 203.7lbs
Warmup
Hip circle, banded shoulders, dislocates, swings, bottoms up kb presses, goblet squats
Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 215x2, 235x2, 255x2, 275x2
Bat Wings
40x5x10s holds
Standing Single Arm DB OHP
30x3, 40x3, 55x2+3+5 (2 sets)
Bird Dogs
3x30s holds
BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x5, 85x5, 95x5, 105x5
Squats
95x10, 115x10, 135x10, 185x10, 205x3x5
Slept like shit last night, lot of stress at work. Willed my way through this one. Not unhappy with the way things moved. Felt heavy all the way around though due to massive fatigue. Hope to sleep better tonight.
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6/21 - Rest
6-22 - Recharge
Stick dislocations, Band shoulder work and hip circle stuff, kb swings, bottoms up presses and goblet squats
BB Curl (only rest was plate adjustment): 45x10, 55x10, 65x10, 75x10, 65x10, 55x10, 45x20
Cut grass
Getting ready to head to gym. 255 for 5 doubles on bench and ‘to fifty’ with 205 on squats.
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6/23/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 8 - 203.8lbs
Warmup
Hip circle, banded shoulders, dislocates, swings, bottoms up kb presses, goblet squats
Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 215x3, 235x2, 255x5x2
Bat Wings
40x5x10s holds
Standing Single Arm DB OHP
30x3, 40x3, 55x2+3+5 (2 sets)
Bird Dogs
3x30s holds
BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 85x2, 95x2, 105x2, 115x2, 125x2
Squats
95x10, 135x5, 185x3, 205x25, 15, 10 (50 reps)
Wrecked. Pretty sure I’m not going to be able to think straight the rest of the day. Could’ve gotten 30-35 with 205, but that would’ve been the end of the day for me + puke bucket. So, stopped at 25 to finish the 50. I might just get 205x50 by the end of this thing.
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Woke 206.1 this AM after really focusing on eating yesterday. Continuing the effort today. Trying to add instant rice to every meal also. It’s easy to get down and relatively calorie dense. Next step is to start drowning the rice in olive oil.
Need to be 210 like now. Got on the scale last evening with only gym shorts on and was 211. Of course I lost most of that weight overnight.
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lol i would most certainly be hugging a trash can after something like that
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6/24 - Rest
6/25 - Recharge
Dislocations, face pulls, swings, bottoms up presses, and goblet squats
BB Curl: 45x50, 55x50
6/26/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 9 - 203.9lbs
Warmup
Hip circle, banded shoulders, dislocates, swings, bottoms up kb presses, goblet squats
Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 215x3, 235x2, 255x5x3
Bat Wings
40x5x10s holds
Standing Single Arm DB OHP
30x3, 40x3, 55x2+3+5 (3 sets)
Bird Dogs
3x30s holds
BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 95x2, 125x2 (3 sets)
Squats
95x10, 135x10, 185x10, 205x20 (capped at 20 today)
Common theme as of late: need to eat more. Must eat more. This was a good workout though, nothing was so hard my head was going to explode. I’m not sure I will be able to manage 2+3+5 with 255 next session, so I may bump down to 245, which is still 10 more lbs than last time I was doing the ladders. Squats went well, I did forget to do 205x5 before the capped 20 set. Shouldn’t be a big deal though. I had someone calling my depth and yes I was starting to go too low again. Way too low. So I cut these perfectly, got a video coming. Parallel feels so short, literally felt like I was quarter squatting, which is good. I’m going to get this depth nailed down, soon.
Also, 205x20 was easy. I will get the 50 by the end.
3 Likes
Back from a mini beach vacation.
Recharged today with:
Stick dislocations, hip circle stuff, swings, bottoms up presses and goblet squats
BB Curl (only rest was during quick plate change)
45x20, 55x10, 65x10, 75x10, 65x10, 55x10, 45x20
Back in gym tomorrow for workout 10. Another ‘to fifty’ with 205 on squat. Shooting for 30, 20. Hope to have a few big 2+3+5 sets with 245 on bench as well. This should put my bench in PR territory.
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6/30/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 10 - 206.1lbs finally a weight jump
Warmup
Hip circle, banded shoulders, dislocates, swings, bottoms up kb presses, goblet squats
Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x2, 245x2+3+5 (2 sets, 20 reps) PR (this was a smoke show)
Bat Wings
45x5x10s holds
Standing Single Arm DB OHP
30x3, 40x3, 60x2+3+5 (2 sets) PR
Bird Dogs
3x30s holds
BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 95x2, 125x2 (5 sets)
Squats
95x10, 135x5, 185x10, 205x30, 205x20
205x30
Pretty much PR’d everything today. Damn bench feels strong. That first ladder set, on the final 5 rep mini set, I had 7 for sure. 250x7 is all time PR, should be all over that right now, if not a little more. 60lb for standing strict db ohp is a variation PR. Same with complex, getting much better at them. Then the squats. Not going to lie, 30 was hard. I do not have 50 yet. 35-40 max for an all out dead set. The final 20 rep set after 30 I wanted to quit several times. It just sucked.
Time to stuff my face with everything in sight.
I also saved a life today. Kid was getting buried by 225 on bench press. I saw him struggling mid way and thought he was spoto pressing it lol(obviously I would think that, meathead), then I started to worry cause he couldn’t get the rep moving, then he locked eyes with me and that’s when I knew to run over lol.
4 Likes
7/1/2018 - Rest
7/2/2018 - Recharge - 207.1lbs
Stick dislocations, few face pulls, hip circle stuff, KB swings, bottoms up presses and goblet squats
BB Curl: 45x120
Have a max double on bench tomorrow, gunning for 285. Then have to deal with another 205 squat ‘to fifty’.
Goal is 35, 15. Not looking forward to it lol.
3 Likes
You got this!
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Liking these workouts you’re doing- you’ve tempted me to buy mass made simple. Do you think it’s worth it?
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100% worth it.
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7/3/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 11 - 208.1lbs
Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x3, 225x2, 245x1, 265x1, 285x1 (first rep too slow, did not attempt rep 2)
Bat Wings
45x5x10s holds
Standing Single Arm DB OHP
40x3, 50x3, 60x2+3+5 (2 sets)
Bird Dogs
3x30s holds
BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 95x5, 125x5 (2 sets) HARD
Squats
95x10, 135x5, 185x10, 205x25, 10, 10, 5
THAT SUCKED. Had zero strength or endurance today. Everything felt heavy, and I had no desire to push through pain. Guess I was due for one of these workouts. 285 was not a grind, but it was heavy and slow. Didnt even consider rep 2. The complex completely gassed me, then squats was pretty much a dumpster fire. My vision started turning white around rep 23, then on 25 I nearly fainted. Racked the bar, collected myself, and barely made it to the finish line. Not going to read into this too much as I’ve only got 3 workouts left, but I do feel like I’m underrecovering. The fatigue is real. Been an awesome program though, and I intend to finish strong.
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For later reading:
EVEN EASIER STRENGTH
Even “Easier Strength”
Years ago, when I first met Pavel, he challenged me to do a “40 Day Workout.” I followed his simple instructions to a “T:”
“For the next forty workouts, pick five lifts. Do them every workout. Never miss a rep, in fact, never even get close to struggling. Go as light as you need to go and don’t go over ten reps for any of the movements in a workout. It is going to seem easy. When the weights feel light, simply add more weight.”
So, I did exactly as he said. On the 22nd workout, alone in my garage gym, I broke my lifetime best Incline Bench Press record that was 300 for a single. Without a spotter, in a frozen garage, I benched 315 for a double. All the other lifts went through the roof and I was as amazed then as I am now.
It is “too easy.” In fact, it is so easy that I have had to break it down into literally dozens of pages of article to make it as simple as possible! And, the more I try to simplify it, honestly, the more lost some people become about the program.
I am not entirely convinced that I am a genius, but somebody has to prove to me why I followed those simple instructions so easily and vast hoards of trainers can’t seem to follow the concept without the obvious answer is that I have an unrivaled intelligence. Or, perhaps, I just can follow simple rules.
So, I came up with “Easier Strength.” I didn’t want to but I was exhausted explaining to people that “Three Sets of Three adding weight each time” meant to do “Three Sets of Three adding weight each time.” So, my frustrations, I think, lead to even more clarity.
Let’s start with an advanced experienced trainer who has “never” done any Loaded Carries. (In three weeks, I will be a genius as the Farmer Walks alone will change everything.)
There are a few “rules” before we begin:
- Never miss a rep!
- Follow the “Rule of Ten” for the appropriate lifts for an advanced lifter; if Patterning needs to be done, do it as often and as much as necessary; and, use the rules of 15-25 for the appropriate half body lifts.
Advanced athlete’s warm-ups:
10-25 Goblet Squats
75 Swings (Sets of 10-25; really grease that Hinge Movement)
1-5 Get Ups (Half Get Ups are fine as is the Kalos Sthenos variation)
“Easy Strength” for an Experienced Lifter
Week 1
Mon (1) 2 x5 Tues (2) 2 x 5 Wed (3) 5-3-2 Fri (4) 2 x 5 Sat (5) 2 x 5
Week 2
Mon (6) 2 x 5 Tues (7) 6 Singles Wed (8) 1 x 10 Fri (9) 2 x 5 Sat (10) 5-3-2
Lifts for the above:
Press Movement: Change the lifts every two weeks, “Same, but Different.” So flat bench press, incline bench press, and military press can be exchanged for each other after every two-week block
Pull Movement: Either do Bat Wings in combo with the press, two to three isometric holds for about ten seconds every workout, or simply skip this and get the work in from the other movements.
Hinge Movement: There are two options here depending on need: either pick a deadlift variation (and rotate it every two weeks, for example, thick bar deadlifts, snatch grip deadlifts, clean grip deadlifts, orthodox deadlifts, Jefferson Lifts or Hack squats) or do kettlebell swings in the 75-100 range. (These options will all cover the need for pulling, too.
Squat Movement: Again, ideally one would alternate movements after every two weeks, front squats, back squats, overhead squats, zercher squats or safety squats are all fine.
Loaded Carry: Vary the distance EVERY time, and probably the load…if you can.
Important Note: This is not the “Order” of the workout. More on that later…
The workouts
Two sets of Five: it should be easy and be like your second or third warm up lift in a typical workout. The idea, the “secret,” is to get THIS workout to feel easier and easier!
Five-Three-Two: Five reps with your 2 x 5 weight, add weight for three, then a solid double. Make the Double!!!
Six Singles: I don’t care how you do this, but add weight each set. No misses!
One set of ten: the day after six singles, very light load for ten easy “tonic” reps.
Example Workout for an Experienced Lifter:
Monday, Day One.
Incline Bench Press: 165 for five reps, 165 for 5 reps (300 Max Single)
Thick Bar Deadlifts: 185 for five reps, 185 for 5 reps (265 Max Single)
(This is the Pull and the Hinge Movements…an advanced lifter)
Front Squats: 185 for five reps, 185 for 5 reps (405 Max Single)
Farmer Walks: 105 with each hand, 100 meters out and back (three stops)
Ab Wheel: five reps.
Day Two can be heavier or lighter depending on mood and feel. The important thing is to show up and get the movements in. If one day is too hard and compromises the next day, that is fine as long as you lighten the load and continue getting the reps in without compromising speed.
Day Three “should” begin with the five rep number from the usual 2 x 5 workout, then add some weight for three, and finally add some weight for two. Be sure to get the double. Most people on the easy strength program find that this workout is the test for how things are progressing. The weights begin to fly up on the double and that is good, but stop there. Remember, this is a long-term approach to getting strong and don’t keep testing yourself. Save the big effort for, well, never.
Day Four and Day Five are the most confusing days. Again the load on the bar “depends” on how you feel. If the efforts feel easy and light, “nudge” the load up. Here is the secret (again): the goal of this program is gently raise your efforts (load) on the easy days so that the bar feels light. If you start out lifting a weight, say 205 at one effort level and in a few weeks you are lifting 245 at the same perceived effort and speed, you ARE stronger.
After a day of rest, Day Six is going to feel easy and it should be like that. Get the reps in.
Day Seven has a simple rule: you will do six singles adding weight EACH rep. So, it can be five pounds or fifty depending on how each single feels. It is NOT a max effort on the last set, it is the sixth single. If the loads feel heavy, just add five pounds. If the bar is flying, add more.
For people who come from the tradition of “smashing the face on the wall,” Day Seven is confusing. Your goal is to determine the load on how the weight feels. If it pops right up and feels light, toss on the plates. If it doesn’t, respect today and realize that you are going to have plenty of opportunities to get stronger in the future.
Day Eight is a “tonic” day, the way we used to use the term. Go really light and just enjoy ten repetitions. It can be as light as 40% of max (or lighter if you feel like, too) and just use the movement to unwind after yesterday’s heavy attempts.
Day Nine is often the day when people see the reasoning behind the program. This is the day where the weights seem to often be just “far too easy.” That is the sign of progress in this program. I remember actually thinking I misloaded the bar and I had to double check my math as the bar seemed to be far too light to be right.
Day Ten is often the day where people “test” themselves a little and this can be fine as long as you feel like going after it. Again, don’t miss.
Week Three, Option One
Now, the original program designed by Pavel demanded that you repeat Weeks One and Two for three additional times. Oh, and it works well. By Week Five, I was a machine on the lifts and broke lifetime Personal Records, smashing my Incline Bench Press record by fifteen pounds (and doing it for two reps, not just a single) and crushing my old Thick Bar Deadlift record (from 265 to 315). This is staggering improvement. So Option One is to simply keep on keeping on.
Week Three, Option Two
I like this one more for most athletes. You make small changes to the movements, from Bench Press to Incline Bench Press, Thick Bar Deadlift to Snatch Grip Deadlift and Front Squat to Back Squat. This is Pavel’s “Same, but different” approach. That small change seems to keep enthusiasm high for the entire Eight weeks.
Week Three, Option Three
I have a few athletes doing this now and I believe (maybe “hope” is a better word) that this is the better option for speed and power athletes. It is both a “deload” week and week filled with more metabolic challenges.
Day One
Push Press or Push Jerk (“Rule of Ten”) Five sets of Two, adding weight each set, is a great workout.
Litvinovs: After doing a Hinge or a Squat movement, either sprint, sled or prowler immediately after finishing the first movement. In a gym setting, this can be difficult, but I have done this outside with great success with just a kettlebell and a hill. The complete article will be in the appendix.
Day Two
Left Hand Only!
• Waiter Walk
• Suitcase Walk
• Single Arm Front Squat (Kettlebells are best)
• Suitcase Deadlift
• One arm row on the TRX (or suitable device)
• One arm Bench Press.
Reps, sets, load, time and every other factor “depends.” The idea is to push the stability and symmetry muscles and movements. There is an odd metabolic hit to these moves as one sweats a lot more than expected doing this. So, for example, this can be done with a single Kettlebell in a park (which is wonderful, by the way) and the athlete can challenge various aspects of training and get a good workout while also practicing mastery of body position and dynamics.
Doing just one side also frees up the mind a little bit. It is pretty obvious what you will be doing in a few days so you can experiment a bit and play the edges of tension and relaxation as you train.
Day Three
Push Press or Push Jerk (“Rule of Ten”) Five sets of Two, adding weight each set, is a great workout.
Litvinovs: After doing a Hinge or a Squat movement, either sprint, sled or prowler immediately after finishing the first movement. In a gym setting, this can be difficult, but I have done this outside with great success with just a kettlebell and a hill.
Day Four
Right Arm Only!
• Waiter Walk
• Suitcase Walk
• Single Arm Front Squat (Kettlebells are best)
• Suitcase Deadlift
• One arm row on the TRX (or suitable device)
• One arm Bench Press.
At the beginning of Week Four, the athlete will mix up the variations in the basic movements (Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat, Loaded Carry) and progress along using the same rep and set template in Weeks One and Two.
After finishing the program (Weeks One and Two repeated four times total; Option Three would be a twelve week program), fully assess mobility, basic strength levels and the program vis-à-vis your goals. I would suggest maybe an FMS screen and blood tests, too, but costs can be an issue.
Now, the workout itself does NOT necessarily go in this order:
Warm-Ups
- Push
- Pull
- Hinge
- Squat
- Walk/Run/Sprint under load
Correctives
In fact, I think the real insight of the past ten years for me is understanding the role of perceived strengths and weaknesses by the athlete in their training system. It has changed the way I view “programming.”
Simply, divide the TIME involved in workout in half. So, yes, it will involve math. If each day is an hour workout (about right for most strength programs), the total time for strength training in the above template is five hours a week. I think elite athletes can train in the weight room up to ten hours a week, but that would mean actual athletic training would be upwards of forty hours a week (including film, games, and all the rest. And, “all the rest” can be a lot of time for a professional).
My simple method is this: divide the time in half. The first half of every training session would be devoted to the perceived strengths that the athlete has in the five basic human movements. This time would also include mobility and flexibility correctives. It is an aspect of human nature that I have come to simply acknowledge: if I reward you with what you do well, you will do the little things like correctives.
The other half of the training time will be dedicated to weaknesses or omissions. Since the athlete will be learning some new skills and movements, all energy has to be devoted to mastering the new tasks. I remember well learning to squat deep with Dick Notmeyer and every set and rep was stressful physically, mentally and emotionally. It flat out hurts!
Some movements, like the warm up movements of Goblet Squat, Swing and Get Up, also serve as correctives for many athletes. If the athlete is learning the squat, a set of Goblet Squats in between a set of Bench Presses is actually quite instructive. It develops the pattern certainly, but it also gives some extra time to master the movement. If you ever give this an honest try, you will be amazed at the simplicity of this game-changing tweak.
Correctives can be those Kettlebell moves labeled in the warm-ups, but it also includes any specialized mobility work like we would find in the FMS library of movements. It can also include foam rolling and general flexibility work, too. So, instead of resting between sets, you are actively battling your issues.
It doesn’t always work perfectly with time as advanced athletes often have few weaknesses in the weight room. But, almost universally, they ignore Loaded Carries and struggle with squat depth. So, finishing a workout with Squats and Farmer Walks or Predators is going to be exhausting and it might be the right time to simply rest.
And, just a short note here on recovery. Do it.
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I bookmarked it looks awesome
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The Hog said it, Awesome Ironman Have you done it yourself?
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I have not, but will probably for my next training cycle. I’m loving Dan John’s work. All of it ‘clicks’ with me (full body!!).
This sounds like a lot of fun too.
Also, I may have to take an extra rest day or two to finish Mass Made Simple. I’m hurting bad, as in, underrecovered. My entire body feels like I’ve been ran over by a loaded dump truck this morning. Everything aches. Think I’ve dipped too far. That’s OK though, I’m finishing this program!
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