Mike O'hearn's Power Bodybuilding

Ok so, Mike sums up his training style in a new program detailed on the “other” website. but I thought its worth sharing as a training alternative to the pure BB style high(er) rep training, which keeps things interesting for guys who like to powerlift.

Basically nothing here is ground breaking but the program is very simple - take your dead bench and squat , start your legs/back/chest session with them and go really heavy, keeping total volume on the higher side (10 sets of 2 etc). then move on to 2 pure BB movements higher reps to isolate the muscle.

your thoughts?

Easy to make it seem like you made up a “new” program by sticking your name in the title.

sounds a lot like what Jim Wendler has talked about, as well as Cephalic_Carnage with combining BB stuff with 5/3/1.

also, it is similar to what Thib does in his Indigo programming, except for the added HFS. Thib does HFS, then has a ‘main movement’ as a foundation, then finishes it off with 3-4 (usually 3) ‘structural’ exercises. Each foundation/structural exercises are tailored to your goal (strength, size, performance).

[quote]PB Andy wrote:
sounds a lot like what Jim Wendler has talked about, as well as Cephalic_Carnage with combining BB stuff with 5/3/1.[/quote]

What I meant by “new” workout. Similar to 5/3/1 with accessory work with no math and more working sets.

Seems like a pretty standard ‘Power’ bodybuilding template…prob would work well…as would many if you put in the effort and train smart.

Ive been doing something similar to what your described. I like it alot. Lets you get considerable stronger, you can keep up with the weight, add it to the bar and after that you do the bodybuilding thing.

I like the term Power-builder.


the original Power Builder. this guy had some great program routines in his book.

^^ I can never find a spotter for that one.

[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:
Seems like a pretty standard ‘Power’ bodybuilding template…prob would work well…as would many if you put in the effort and train smart. [/quote]

amen

He actually has reduced the volume then what he usually does, or has done for years

this was in an article a little while ago

How do you plan out your training week?

MO: Monday is leg day?quads in the morning and hamstrings in the afternoon. On Monday mornings squats are the key. I don?t count sets because 500 pounds and 600 pounds are not sets for me. I don?t start counting sets until I hit 700 pounds. Once I hit my heavy weight, I do five to seven sets of two to four reps. I never skip squats. Squatting is like breathing to me. So the schedule looks like this:

Monday morning: Quads
Squats 5-7 x 2-4 x 700+
Leg presses 4 x 10-12 x 2,000
Hack squats 4 x 10-12 x 800
Leg extensions 4 x 10 -12 x stack

Monday Afternoon: Hams
Lying leg curls 4 x 10-12 x stack
Seated leg curls 4 x 10-12 x stack
Walking lunges 4 x 10-12 x 225

Monday night: Cardio
Judo class x 2 hours

Tuesday morning: Chest
I don?t count bench press sets until I get to around 500 pounds. When I hit my heavy weight, I do 5-7 sets of 2-4 reps:
Bench presses 5-7 x 2-4 x 500+
Incline barbell presses 4 x 8 x 455
Decline barbell presses 4 x 8 x 405
Flyes 4 x 8 x 140

Tuesday afternoon: Abs
Full decline situps with a 45 pound plate behind my head 3 x 10

DY: You do weighted situps? Doesn?t that build a thick waist?

MO: I do weighted situps, and I?ll still go onstage with a 29-inch waist. It works.

Wednesday morning: Back
Deadlifts 7 x 2 x 700
Bent-over rows 4 x 8 x 455-495
Pullups 4 x 8 x 100-150 + bodyweight
Seated rows 4 x 8 x stack
Hyperextensions 4 x 8
Shrugs 4 x 8 x 800

Wednesday afternoon: Calves and abs
Calf raises 5 x 20
Full decline situps with a 45- pound plate behind my head 3 x 10

Wednesday night: Vale Tudo
class, which is mixed martial art
training x 2 hours

Thursday morning: Arms
45 degree incline curls 4 x 10 x 90s
Standing straight-bar curls 4 x 10 x 225
Preachers curls with EZ-curl bar 4 x 10 x 225
Close-grip bench presses 4 x 10 x 455
Pushdowns 4 x 10 x 180
Lying extensions 4 x 10 x 225

Thursday afternoon: Calves and abs
Calf raises 5 x 20
Full decline situps with a 45-
pound plate behind my head
3 x 10

Friday morning: Shoulders
Dumbbell clean and jerks 4 x 10 x 120s
Behind-the-neck presses 4 x 8 x 315
Narrow-grip upright rows 4 x 8 x 225
Front raises 4 x 10 x 60s
Rear-delt-machine laterals 4 x 10 x stack

if u want the full article google 21 inch arms naturally

hes the man

Some crazy ass weights above!

[quote]plateau wrote:
Some crazy ass weights above![/quote]

numbers here are a little on the higher side but he does rep 405 incline for like 10 reps on video and squat 800 for a single so it seems legit.

[quote]hanban wrote:

[quote]plateau wrote:
Some crazy ass weights above![/quote]

numbers here are a little on the higher side but he does rep 405 incline for like 10 reps on video and squat 800 for a single so it seems legit.[/quote]

yeah, he did that 800lb squat just recently a while after that article, and I think he said his bench is 550 so it seems right, I just dont know how his joints can take those rdiculous poundages on absolutely every single exercise every day every week every year lol

This is almost identical to Dan John’s “one lift a day”. And, there’s no way he’s inclining 405 for 10. There’s a vid of him gettng a hard single with 415-425 on youtube. There’s also no way he has a 29" waist. People bullshit all the time to make themselves look better, so no big big deal.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
This is almost identical to Dan John’s “one lift a day”. And, there’s no way he’s inclining 405 for 10. There’s a vid of him gettng a hard single with 415-425 on youtube. There’s also no way he has a 29" waist. People bullshit all the time to make themselves look better, so no big big deal.[/quote]

While Idk about the 405 x 10, there is a video of him on youtube inclining 405 x 5…he’s a strong mofo. Some things may be embellished, but after actually seeing some of his training footage, I believe much of it.

[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
This is almost identical to Dan John’s “one lift a day”. And, there’s no way he’s inclining 405 for 10. There’s a vid of him gettng a hard single with 415-425 on youtube. There’s also no way he has a 29" waist. People bullshit all the time to make themselves look better, so no big big deal.[/quote]

While Idk about the 405 x 10, there is a video of him on youtube inclining 405 x 5…he’s a strong mofo. Some things may be embellished, but after actually seeing some of his training footage, I believe much of it. [/quote]

Yeah, I caught that but he was getting help on the last 2. He is definitely strong as shit, and looks the part to boot. Think he said he’s 6’3" 260-something. That’s a big dude.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
This is almost identical to Dan John’s “one lift a day”. And, there’s no way he’s inclining 405 for 10. There’s a vid of him gettng a hard single with 415-425 on youtube. There’s also no way he has a 29" waist. People bullshit all the time to make themselves look better, so no big big deal.[/quote]

While Idk about the 405 x 10, there is a video of him on youtube inclining 405 x 5…he’s a strong mofo. Some things may be embellished, but after actually seeing some of his training footage, I believe much of it. [/quote]

Yeah, I caught that but he was getting help on the last 2. He is definitely strong as shit, and looks the part to boot. Think he said he’s 6’3" 260-something. That’s a big dude.[/quote]

you have to remember though his weight fluctuates a lot, sometimes hes 240 sometimes 275 sometimes 290 so depending on how much he weighed whil writing up the interview. I do believe he could do it if he wasnt dieting even though he is a lot of the time nowadays

[quote]Blackaggar wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]ebomb5522 wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
This is almost identical to Dan John’s “one lift a day”. And, there’s no way he’s inclining 405 for 10. There’s a vid of him gettng a hard single with 415-425 on youtube. There’s also no way he has a 29" waist. People bullshit all the time to make themselves look better, so no big big deal.[/quote]

While Idk about the 405 x 10, there is a video of him on youtube inclining 405 x 5…he’s a strong mofo. Some things may be embellished, but after actually seeing some of his training footage, I believe much of it. [/quote]

Yeah, I caught that but he was getting help on the last 2. He is definitely strong as shit, and looks the part to boot. Think he said he’s 6’3" 260-something. That’s a big dude.[/quote]

you have to remember though his weight fluctuates a lot, sometimes hes 240 sometimes 275 sometimes 290 so depending on how much he weighed whil writing up the interview. I do believe he could do it if he wasnt dieting even though he is a lot of the time nowadays[/quote]

If he gets as big as 290 I’d probably buy it. That is A LOT of weight, and I’m assuming he’s still fairly lean at that size. Dude’s a tank fa sho.

^^i saw an interview with him where he said his weight gets up to 290… 6’3 290 and not fat is absolutely huge.