Thanks for stopping in man!
I really like it. My 1st run was based on recovery. I used a training max and even cut some volume on lower body. Hit accesories pretty hard tho. The plan worked. I’m all healed up and fully recovered.
Now I plan to hit the full volume as planned and work on some more accesories as intended by the program. I’m skipping the 10s block and running 8/5/3 blocks. Maybe even a rest pause week to add to it.
Writing everything up today…
Done done and done.
Juggled the idea of running it like 5/3/1 but as 8/5/3. Didn’t make as much sense as I originally thought it would. The realization weeks didn’t fit the bill. So it’s 3 week blocks. 8s then 5’s then 3s. 9 weeks total. I am running ed coan peak program for tng bench. It’s a 12 week peak. I cut the first 3 weeks to make it a matching 9.
This 9 week cycle ends the week before Xmas. I am on vacation Xmas week . So this all was on purpose. I had to make many things happen here.
3 main lifts JTS programming
Paused chain bench
front squats tng
Deadlift deadstop
( ed coan bench peak) as well.
The recovery isn’t in the programming any more. Doing full volume on lower body too. The recovery is in the placement.
Both pressing days have been separated further. Ed coan on monday. JTS chained paused bench on friday.
The lower body is back loaded into the week with front squats wednesday including deadlift accesories after. And deadlift on friday with squat accesories after . Then you have 5 days before lower body again (Wednesday)
Realizing I need to recover properly from both my long hour physical job and these training sessions was one of my better truths. I feel better each day since… and still have hit weight and volume at appropriate times, while feeling less beat down at work. In the end this is what I train for. I don’t compete in any way…powerlifting/strongman…ect… I do this because I want to and don’t have those set goals or rules/regulation to train for. So I had to find my self. Find my drive.
The Juggernaut Method
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
-front squats tng
-Barbell rows deadhang
-Barbell shrugs/ power shrugs (new)
FRIDAY
-deadlift
-paused chain bench
What’s new- ?
Rack chins- to me I’d call em rack pulls…but that names already taken ! Any ways…a Chinups to me is supinated closer grip. A pullup is pronated wider grip. So… my rack chin . Is a pullup using my Barbell in the rack position for squats with my feet on the bench. Grip will be bench grip and from a deadhang. The goal here is to get some extra back work in after chinups.
Shrugs/power shrugs- easing into these. Will vary grips and range of motion. Goal is … work the traps ! Be explosive with any range of motion. Yett muscle mind connection and strong trap activation.
Goblet squats- easing in here as well. Perfect form and pauses. Many reps is the goal. the progression is 3x10 to 3x15 to 3x20… so yeah… then add weight!
Looking forward to all this. Hope my ed coan peak pans out. It ends with 385… a weight I’ve never even had on the bar for bench… …
Upped front squat 10 pounds so… all these weights will be p.rs by default.
chained bench is off the max I got with it. I’ll be running all 4 chains every session… so 20 Pounds more over the plate weight every single rep
Monday 10-19-15
B.w–224
1 min rests/ belted
ED COAN BENCH
slow down/ explosive up
45x10
135x8
225x6
tng
265x8
265x8
CLOSEGRIP- full pause
235x8
235x8 6 plus 2 rest pause
Chins- b.w plus shoes water belt
deadhang
X3
X3
Tng
X5
X5
X5
X5
X5
Rack chins- deadhang
X6
X6
AB WHEELS- tng
X8
X8
X8
X8
X8
Both harder and easier than expected.
Bench- knew right away I wasn’t optimal today. Diff kinda warmup to begin. Then the first 265 set felt wonky. Honed in and nailed form on set 2 but last 2 reps got slow… a 2x8 here was the plan…so goal met… I just know I’ve done this for a 3x8 at times before. Then it continued on closegrip… I got solid form and pauses . But barely got 6 on last set and took 10 sec rest pause to finish my 8. Unbelievable! Moving on… to where it was easier than expected.
Chins moved well. Tinkering with each Chins. .
AB wheels- many reps.
Todays bench debacle has been on my mind.
1st off I feel it was wrong to warmup the way I did. I feel it slowed me down a bit. While it’s all bro science… I’ve concluded I should be explosive as possible on every rep this day. From first warmup till last working rep. And will do so for the rest of the peak.
2ndly it may have just been a bad day. But again I conclude that if so there’s a reason. I just peaked my bench by hitting 6 rep p.rs on both reg and Closegrip bench. Finished the week of by testing for a 1rm paused chain bench too. Yikes. In all honesty I don’t take many true deloads but wanted to do some kind of one this week. Well… this 9 week cycle fit exactly in between now and my vacation. Zero wiggle room. So it had to start now.
It is what it is… and may come back. Just some food for thought as it did bother me.
Wednesday 10-21-15
B w-222
FRONT SQUAT- 5x8@.65%. Tng
B.wx8
55x8
145x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8 add belt
165x8
BARBELL ROWS- dead hang.5x8
55x8
145x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
SHRUGS- tinkering here. All snatchgrip
175x8 shrug
175x8 powershrug from floor
175x8 highpull
175x8 shrug
175x8 shrug
Looks like a learning curve week here. Another day another realization. Todays realization is that 5 sets of 8 on front squats will not be planned again. Also suppersetting 5x8 front squats with 5x8 rows is a horrible idea to boot.
I slept in a bit today . Woke feeling great ! Spent a lil extra tine laying around with my wife and daughter. Which was nice. . But def caused a later than usual start. So my bright idea was to superset front squat/ rows- which was horrible on my body but sliced the tine as wanted… this turned it into a cardiovascular session a bit and as a 3x8 woulda worked. But 5x8 not so much. .
Anyways…
FRONT SQUAT- moved well. Got warmups and first 3 all beltless. But my front rack position became a battle the last few reps. So for last 2 sets I belted up and focused on my rack position. It was a bitch and I’m just done with it. I should not be nearly straining a bicep each set. Done.
There’s an option on Juggernaut to flip the sets if you have technique issues. I’m gonna do ut. This way the volumes exact same. So today’s 5x8 coulda been 8 sets of 5. Much more manageable. So now next week’s 3x8 will be 8 sets of 3. And the realization week with a goal of 1x8 will stay the same I’m good for one high rep set just not many back to back.
I’m also considering trying using vice grips as handles and comparing how that works…
Rows- started slow. Got explosive at the end.
Shrugs- my chronic sore neck has had me neglect any neck or trap area trainig. Including back squats… easing into these and hoping it doest return. I expect some wicked soreness/doms but withnormal recovery. No idea really here just plain around and getting trap work in. I’ll settle on something soon…
Wednesday 10-21-15
B w-222
FRONT SQUAT- 5x8@.65%. Tng
B.wx8
55x8
145x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8 add belt
165x8
BARBELL ROWS- dead hang.5x8
55x8
145x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
165x8
SHRUGS- tinkering here. All snatchgrip
175x8 shrug
175x8 powershrug from floor
175x8 highpull
175x8 shrug
175x8 shrug
Looks like a learning curve week here. Another day another realization. Todays realization is that 5 sets of 8 on front squats will not be planned again. Also suppersetting 5x8 front squats with 5x8 rows is a horrible idea to boot.
I slept in a bit today . Woke feeling great ! Spent a lil extra tine laying around with my wife and daughter. Which was nice. . But def caused a later than usual start. So my bright idea was to superset front squat/ rows- which was horrible on my body but sliced the tine as wanted… this turned it into a cardiovascular session a bit and as a 3x8 woulda worked. But 5x8 not so much. .
Anyways…
FRONT SQUAT- moved well. Got warmups and first 3 all beltless. But my front rack position became a battle the last few reps. So for last 2 sets I belted up and focused on my rack position. It was a bitch and I’m just done with it. I should not be nearly straining a bicep each set. Done.
There’s an option on Juggernaut to flip the sets if you have technique issues. I’m gonna do ut. This way the volumes exact same. So today’s 5x8 coulda been 8 sets of 5. Much more manageable. So now next week’s 3x8 will be 8 sets of 3. And the realization week with a goal of 1x8 will stay the same I’m good for one high rep set just not many back to back.
I’m also considering trying using vice grips as handles and comparing how that works…
Rows- started slow. Got explosive at the end.
Shrugs- my chronic sore neck has had me neglect any neck or trap area trainig. Including back squats… easing into these and hoping it doest return. I expect some wicked soreness/doms but withnormal recovery. No idea really here just plain around and getting trap work in. I’ll settle on something soon…
I had massive doms kick in earlier than usual!
My entire back up and down and quads top to bottom. Woke to not much better. Much water n food today as tomorrow is another 5x8 session… deads! And paused chained bench!
Friday 10-23-15
B.w- 223.
That front squat session destroyed me. That deep 2 day doms. I did everything I could to stretch , drink a ton of water, eat well and intake some NSAIDS. I still woke sore but not near death like the day before. My adductors and bottom of my quads still noticeably sore. Got a nice stretch and dynamic warmup in and just attacked the days session. It went well really…
DEADLIFT- 5x8 @.65%. Deadstop
55x10
145x10
245x8
245x8
245x8
245x8 add belt
245x8
PAUSED CHAINED BENCH- 5X8@.65%
+20 pounds chain
45x8 65
135x8 155
205x8 225
205x8 225
205x8 225
205x8 225
205x8 225
GOBLET SQUATS- b.w paused
X10
X10
X10
E.z bar curls- tng
85x12
85x12
85x16
Deads- 1st set felt relatively heavy vs . What I’d want. Got the first 3 sets of 8 beltless and on 1 min rests. Then belted up with 2 min rests for the final 2 sets. Each set got better actually with the last set being the best. The 2 belted sets I just went explosive as possible . All on my thicker n stiffer bar which I’ll use for the entire cycle un till the last day of dead s.
Paused chain bench- just love the feeling of this combo. Explosive as possible after the full pause. Last 2 sets harder towards the last reps. On last set barely locked last rep. Goal met!
Goblet squats- these are new and easing into them ridiculously easy. Which was a blessing given the state of my quads right now !
Pretty cool I hit a p.r in jeans and a dress shirt Saturday . Just Dinkin around with front squat. I went out and bought 2 cheap pairs of vice grips to try as handles and figured if I didn’t work out it’d still be nice to have a couple laying around, very handy.
I started out with just the bar and tried various widths and grips on the handles for a few sets. Then I went to 135 and did the same. Felt amazing. Very strict and controlled front rack position now. But really to test it I’d have to try a challenging weight. So threw on 2 more plates. 225x1 without a belt … in jeans and dress shirt lol. A beltless p.r! My belted p.r is 225x3… barely. And barely is always because I’m losing my front rack position… not form or strength.
While there’s much more testing needed. It looks like a complete win. If so I’ll finally be able to start the push for some real weight here.
The vice grips work just like handles and it’s all metal to metal. Very solid feeling. Really holds that bar on my front shoukders/delts real tight up to my neck. And stays <---- that’s what was missing before us that rep after rep it’s gets worse position…
Monday 10-26-15
B.w- 223.
2 min rest/ belted
ED Coan Bench- tng. 2x5
45x10
55x5
145x5
235x5
255x5
285x5 belt n chalk
285x5
285x5 extra set
CLOSEGRIP - FULL pause .2x5
255x5
255x5
255x5 extra set
Chins- b w plus belt shoes water
2sec hold at top
X3
X3
X3
Deadhang
X6
X5
X3
RACK CHINS- bench grip. Deadhang.
X8
X6
AB WHEELS- paused
X8
X8
X8
X8
Great day. Got my strength back. I do have a slight tweek in my lower back. Feels like left side erector? No incident. It just came on at work after deadlifts friday. It’s more pinpoint than broad. Seems slight. But still there will be trying to work around it where needed…
Bench- much better session. Did every rep explosive as possible. My setup with arch and leg drive felt slightly restricted from my back. But still good no real pain. Just awareness I guess. Closegrip I figured would improve fast. Almost there. Last cycle I did tng closegrip and paused spoto closegrip. So a reg paused closegrip falls in between and that’s exactly what fatigued fast last week…
Chins moved o.k. Nothin soecial. Gassed on last set. Rack chins improved in one week. Good feel . Good volume.
AB wheels- uncertain how my back would feel. Expecially paused. Really focused on form and staying tight… didn’t effect the movement at all.
Onto wednesday where I’ll test my vice grip handles out for a full session on front squats…
Wednesday 10-28-15
B. w- 220- very low…
Belted up / 1 min rests
FRONT SQUAT- 3x8@.72%. Tng
45x8
135x8
155x8
Belted. Invert the sets
185x3
185x3
185x3
185x3
185x3
185x3
185x3
185x3
BARBELL ROWS- deadhang 3x8
135x8
155x8
185x8
185x8
185x8
SHRUGS -deadhang 3x8
Powershrug+3
205x8
205x8
205x8
Shrug
205x8
Back still tweaked. Felt great upon waking. Flared right up during stretches/dynamic warmups though. Got through my warmup sets on fronts just to get some work in then belted right up there on out. It’s not too bad , most during the standing/ stabilizing position. As I walk my front squat out and get tight before descent is where I most feel it. Not really during any of the actual movements today.
First day using vice grips. Went well over all. But still learning. Must have been a bit off centered for one set and didn’t know it till later. Vice grips sat on my left shoulder and tire it up a bit. It bled. Oh well. Another cue to be sure of.
Also fighting a cold off. Completely clogged nasal. Tons of flem. Breathing is a bitch. Up off n on all night. Yay.
Front squat- back tender during warmups. And fighting to breathe. This really made the day difficult and didn’t feel powerfull. Rack position holds much better with vice grips.
Rows- again…not powerfull. But picked up as sets went on.
Shrugs- these were bench grip power shrugs. Without a rack a just bent down till bar rested just above my knees then from deadhang just explode up into a shrug forcing hips forward and into the bar also got some drive extending my heels up. After every 8 set I did 3 reg shrugs. Then just finished off with a set of reg. Shrugs afterward.
Hey bro, lookin good, I got my bench, and dead’s swung around so they each have they’re own day, from there I began the 6 week peaking cycle I’ve been using for years ( Jim Steel I believe). I’ve been so depressed about my knee acting up last year, and loosing another whole year of progress. Every time I get my squat up, my knee acts up again, but thanks to our bench challenge, and a kid at the gym’s deadlift challenge, I’m thinking about aiming for a push pull meet in the spring, it suddenly came to me. ( 1000lb two lift total, sounds bad ass, but I’d settle for maybe 850 in the spring )
I can’t stand training with out an upcoming event, or something to be training for, I’ve never thought about a push pull meet, but I can do dead’s pain free, so what the fuck, 405 better be in the cards, because if I’m not gonna squat I’d like to have a big ass bench !
Keep up the good work, I never thought you’d catch me on the squat and dead, but I stalled for a bit, and you just keep inching ahead with this dogged determination, a pound at a time, year in and year out 
I get inspiration from your determination ! Later
Hey hey. Thanks. ! I 7nderstand…Just when my squat started to get good a chronic sore neck forced me to stop back squatting ( 3 plus months of soreness)… most ppl may have cut it sooner, but my determunation/ dumb Ness had me push it. The ol… if you ignore it it will go away theory was applied and… failed. Hence now I’m front squatting. Which is a basket of it’s own shit.
Just benching and deads sounds great to me right now !
Friday 10-30-15
1-2 min rests/ belted working sets
DEADLIFT- 3x8@.72%. Deadstop
45x8
135x8
225x8
Invert sets
275x3
275x3
275x3 mixed grip/ belt here
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
PAUSED CHAIN BENCH- 20pds chain 3x8@.72%
45x8 65
135x8 155
225x8 245
225x8 245
225x10 245
GOBLET SQUATS- paused
B.W
X15
X15
X15
BARBELL CURLS
Deadstop
45x20
65x15
85x10
Reverse curl
65x8 tng
45x12 deadstop
Still sick ( Stuffy can’t breath). Back still tweeked. Gets better each day. Verified today that bracing for deads is a direct irritation and where it happenned. No rep or set did anything ever happen noticeable… but sometime during 5 sets of 8 deadlifts I’m guessing a micro tear happened and showed it’s self hours later…
Deads- got warmups in unbelted and first 2 working sets. Belted up to finish out. All from floor . No deficits no pauses. Just get thru with least amount of risk.
Paused chain bench- love this combo. Reps become challenging towards the end. Sneaks right up… you feel explosive…then bam. . Hits you like a wall. Got ten on last set… barely !
Goblet squats- very easy. But well timed with my back I guess… I add reps each week…then weight each block…
Sunday 11-1-15
B w–225
Belted / 2 min rests
Pulling things ahead. My wife has multiple doc appointments this week and I took 3rd shift position at work just for the week. Gonna be interesting. Also my tweek in my back is still prevent and will be adressing it…
ED COAN BENCH - 2x5 tng
explosive as possible
45x5
135x5
205x5
225x5
275x5
Work
295x5
295x5
CLOSEGRIP- paused
265x5
265x5
CHINS-B.W w plus shoes water n belt
2sec hang
X3
X3
Plus 10 pounds - tng max reps
X6
X5
X4
RACK CHINS-deadhang . Bench grip
X10
X6
AB WHEELS - tng
x8
Plus 10 pounds
X8
X8
X8
BENCH - working sets were hard and barely got the last rep on all 4 working sets including closegrip. 2nd set was better on each lift however. I’m guessing coming off an assumed peak already on bench right into an ED Coan peak program wasn’t the best idea. ( I’ve already admitted that prior but this is the only time I literally had between then n my Xmas vacation). Combined with tweaking my back… my power seems low.
Chins- moved o.k. last few reps grinders on all working sets. Goal met on weighted chins.
AB wheels- much the same. Kinda wish the weight would ride higher on my back vs. Right on my low back ( using an old back pack and just putting the weight in it n wearing it)
My back tweek - after a week of stretching it and resting it much as possible with everything I know. It’s much the same. It’s most evident in bracing positions. Not so much in the movements them selves. So bracing for a bench.squat or deadlift it is the most prevelant. With deadlift being the upmost irritator.
the plan is to beltup for everything from here on out. This week is a realization week, meaning one all out heavy set. I’ll be skipping the deadlifts portion of that but completing everything else as planned. I’ll re evaluate how it feels next week. with another block starting it will be a low weight volume week and I’ll assess whether to resume deadlifting or not then. …
Wednesday 11-4-15
B.w- 223
Belted/ 2 min rests working sets
FRONT SQUAT- AMAP @.80%. TNG
All belted
B.wx8
45x8
135x8
155x8
185x8
205x9 3x3 10 sec rest pause
BARBELL ROWS- deadhang
135x8
155x8
185x8
205x8
SHRUGS- Deadhang
225x8 doh
225x12 mixed
225x12 mixed
225x8 doh powershrug
Friday 11-6-15
B.w- 222
DEADS - am skipping deads to heal my back. As stated. And stuck to it.
PAUSED CHAIN BENCH- 20 pds chain
50x8 70
140x8 160
230x8 250
250x8 270
CLOSEGRIP- tng
250x5 270
230x5 250 spoto close to chest
GOBLET SQUATS- tng
B.w
X20
X20
X20
Plus 35
X5
Plus 70
X5
BARBELL CURLS - Plus 20 pds chain
deadstop
50x12 70
70x6 90
Tng
70x6 90
50x12 70
HIGHPULLS- 3 grips. Barbell
45
X10 snatchgrip
X10 bench grip
X10 closegrip
95
X8 snatchgrip
X8 Bench grip
X8 closegrip
125
X6 snatchgrip
X6 bench grip
X6 closegrip
Stuck to my plan of zero deadlifts. My back is getting much better. Still belting up everywhere and it’s helping.
Paused chain bench - these went well. It’s crazy how explosive it is thru like 5 reps… then bam hit a total wall and are grinding hard !
Curls- very challenging with chains. Every set very grindy to barely finish.
Highpulls - program I seen this week. Tried out the scheme… since I had extra time to with no deadlifts.
Goblet squats- very easy. Need weight.
Monday 11-9-15
B.w- 224
2 min rests/ belted
ED COAN BENCH - tng. 2x5
55x12
145x6
235x6
255x6
Beltup/ chalk
305x5
305x5
CLOSEGRIP - paused
285x3
255x6
235x6
CHINS-B.W plus water belt n shoes
Deadhang
X3
X3
X3
Tng
X5
X5
X5
X5
X5
RACK CHINS- deadhang. Bench grip
X8
X6
AB WHEELS - paused
X5
X5
X5
X5
X5
X5
Good day here. Back healing up… didn’t feel any pain or tightness where it was… better test will be Wednesday squats. Which I’ll beltup fir everything regardless.
Bench - moved better than it has been. Took almost 5 mins between the two 305 sets. . Which seems forever to me… but I knew I should. Closegrip got nice full pauses. Called for a 2x5 at270 and just didn’t wanna fiddle with tiny plates and went with the sets posted.
Chins- lots of pullin. Went well. Getting better?
AB wheeks- full pauses. Good work.
Wednesday 11-11-15
B.w- 220. Low
Belted all day. 1-2 min rests
6x5@.70% on everything. ( cut volume on squats for my back though)
FRONT SQUAT - TNG
B.wx5
45x5
135x5
155x5
Work - tng. 2 sec pause last rep only
175x5
175x5
175x5
135x5 all paused
ROWS - DEADHANG
135x10
155x10
175x5
175x5
175x5
175x5
175x5
175x10
SHRUGS - SNATCHGRIP
Full 2 sec hang and hold
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x10
Good day. Could feel my back a bit. Cut volume on squats. Unsure of deads on friday…
Just ordered a safety squat bar.
ATLAS- is the namebrand. It’s all one piece and looks like the elitefts or yokebar. 13" handles. Collar to collar and end to end is same or near same as my barbells. Says it weighs 57 pounds.