As some of you might have read I have a fairly recent thread in which Chris has been really helpful, I was thinking about starting a template from Jim Wendler’s ‘Simplest Template’ article ( World's Simplest Training Template ) but I’ve just read through Chris’ article on the dumbbell clean and press and looked at this routine for the 12 rep challenge. Sig Klein is someone that I’ve read about before, and I have Alan Calvert’s Super Strength, which includes several pictures of him posing. I love the look of a lot of the old school routines so naturally after reading the article, great article by the way if you read this Chris,I decided I suddenly wanted to give the 12 rep challenge a go.
There is a training template designed to help achieve the goal in the article, so I was wondering if it would be suitable for me to use? As a bit of a beginner, and someone who has been off training for a while, what do you think?
Basically, the challenge is to build your dumbbell clean and press to twelve reps with two 75lbs dumbbells. Obviously this will take some time, but I’m prepared to give it a go.
I understand that this is probably typical newbie overload/excitement and the whole ‘the best routine is the one that you aren’t on’ etc. and I know that you’ve already spent a fair amount of time helping with that Simplest Template, sorry Chris, but I saw this routine whilst just browsing through the articles on the site and liked the look of it, it would also give me a very specific goal to keep me going for some time.
The routine is:
Workout 1
Exercise Sets Reps
A Dumbbell Clean and Press (warm-up set of 1x5) 2 8-10
B1 Standing Dumbbell Military Press 4 2-4
B2 Pull-Up 4 3-5*
C1 Dumbbell Jerk 1 1-3
Use at least 5 pounds more than your last set of military presses.
C2 Pressout** 1 AMRAP
D Trap Bar Deadlift 4 6-8
E Face Pull*** 4 8-10
F1 Rope Pressdown 3 10-12
F2 Alternating Dumbbell Curl 3 8-10
- Use a deliberate pause of “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two” at the bottom and at the top of each rep.
** Pressouts, described here, are basically very short ROM presses that emphasize the last few inches of lockout. After full extension on the last rep of jerks, lower the weight just a bit and press back up to full lockout. After just a few reps, you should feel your tris, shoulder stabilizers, and abs/obliques/serratus begging you to end the set. Do as many reps as possible until you’re unable to control the weights or you notice yourself shortening the ROM even more.
*** Using the rope handle and a “thumbs towards you” grip, pull so your hands are near eye level at the contraction and hold each rep for five counts of “one-one-thousand.”
Workout 2
Exercise Sets Reps
A Dumbbell Clean and Press (warm-up set of 1x5) 2 8-10
B Dumbbell Military Press (wave loading)* 2-3 3/2/1
C1 Barbell Row** 4 8
C2 Romanian Deadlift** 4 8
C3 High Pull from the Hang** 4 8
C4 Squat** 4 8
C5 Power Curl (reverse-grip clean)** 4 8
C6 Military Press** 4 8
C7 Squat** 4 8
D Face Pull*** 3 10-12
- Wave loading protocols were thoroughly described by Christian Thibaudeau here. Basically, it’s a specialized way to progress the weights from set to set based on your performance of the previous set.
For this workout, plan on using two or three “waves.” An easy-ish set of 3, then a slightly-harder set of 2, and a slightly-harder-er single (with regular rest periods between each set) would all make up the first wave, and you’d progress from there based on performance.
A useful rule of thumb is to begin a new wave with the previous wave’s “set of 2” weight. An example of three waves might look like: 45x3, 50x2, 60x1, 50x3, 55x2, 65x1, 55x3, 60x2, 70x1. So it’s nine sets total (always three sets per wave) with whatever regular rest periods you choose to use between sets. It’s fine to begin with only two waves for the first few weeks to get familiar with the method.
** These seven exercises are done as a barbell complex and complexes are pretty hard to beat for improving strength-endurance and conditioning.
Rest for a strict 60 seconds after the first and second sets, and a strict 90 seconds after the third. Use the same weight for all four sets. Each workout, shave 5-10 seconds off the last rest period until you reach 60 seconds, and then increase the weight used and reset the rest periods.
*** Using the rope handle and a “thumbs towards you” grip, pull so your hands are near eye level at the contraction and hold each rep for five counts of “one-one-thousand.”
Only issue I would have with following this routine is that I don’t have access to a trap bar, I don’t like fiddling with plans but I assume this could be swapped for conventional deadlifts without doing too much damage?
If you haven’t read it give it a read, it’s very interesting if nothing else: The Biggest Exercise in Bodybuilding