My current training block ends in about a week and a half. At which point Im going all in on the layer system. I’ve seen so much great information on the forums… continuous clean and press / continuous muscle snatch, barbell olympic complexes, the 3 key training zones, etc etc.
In reality its starting to confuse me. So the nature of this thread is to coordinate a Layering Approach for maximal hypertrophy. To build the biggest, baddest, athletic monster that we are all capable of being.
Im hoping that with everyones input, including CT (hopefully), we can put something really effective together.
Right off the bat I’d like to point out something that CT said would be very effective towards building the “Power-Look”
Decline bench press tilt, accessory lift floor press
Power clean & press, accessory lift front squat
SGHP, accessory lift Deadlift
Ramp up to a 1RM
Then 3 sets of 3 reps with 85-90% of the 1RM (5 sec. rest between each repetition)
Then 10 sets of 2 reps with 60% of the 1RM done in as little time as possible
I’ve also done some experimentation with the Olympic Barbell Complexes and they seem to be a VERY powerful training stimulus. So thats something I may want to incorporate.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
[quote]Floodzone004 wrote:
Hey CT, I know you’re into olympic lifts and used to coach complexes into your programs and I was curious if they could be included in the layer system. Not as a main lift or anything, but maybe as a assistance/secondary type workout? Or even do two a days with one layer session and then another session focusing on olympic lifts perhaps?
I’m not incredibly experienced with the oly lifts, but I enjoy them and want to get better while staying on the incredibly productive layer system and figured you would know the best way to accomplish this. Thank you for any feedback![/quote]
Here is a layer workout that can be done using complexes:
LAYER 1
Main lift ramp to 1, 2 or 3RM
LAYER 2
Main lift
5 x 3 @ 65% (one set every 30 seconds)
5 x 2 with 10-20lbs more (one set every 30 sec)
5 x 1 with 10-20lbs more (one set every 30 sec)
LAYER 3
Barbell complex
2-3 sets
Here are some of the complexes that I use:
The Bear (1 power clean, 1 front squat, 1 thruster/push press, 1 back squat, 1 BTN thruster/push press)
Strength & power: 70-80% of push press for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of push press for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of push press for 4-7 reps
Super Bear (1 squat clean, 1 thruster/push press, 1 back squat, 1 snatch push press, 1 overhead squat)
Strength & power: 70-80% of push press for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of push press for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of push press for 4-7 reps
Klokov complex (1 deadlift, 1 clean, 1 paused front squat, 1 push press, 1 split jerk)
Strength & power: 70-80% of push press for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of push press for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of push press for 4-7 reps
Klokov snatch complex (1 snatch-grip deadlift, 1 snatch high pull from hang, 1 power or muscle snatch, 1 snatch push press, 1 overhead squat)
Strength & power: 70-80% of power/muscle snatch for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of power/muscle snatch for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of power/muscle snatch for 4-7 reps
Klokov snatch complex advanced (1 snatch-grip deadlift, 1 snatch high pull from hang, 1 snatch, 1 bottom snatch press, 1 overhead squat)
Strength & power: 70-80% of snatch for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of snatch for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of snatch for 4-7 reps
Canadian Bear (1 clean-grip muscle snatch, 1 military press, 1 push press, 1 back squat, 1 BTN push press)
Strength & power: 70-80% of military press for 1 or 2 reps
Hypertrophy: 50-70% of military press for 2-3 reps
Metabolic conditioning: 40-60% of military press for 4-7 reps
IMPORTANT: One rep is doing all the sequence once. So if you have 3 reps you do not do (for example) power clean, power clean, power clean, front squat, front squat, front squat, etc. you do all the sequence once, then start over again a second time then a third time.
[/quote]
Essentially swapped Snatch’s for OH Pressing. Added some read & delt work to compensate.
DAY 1
Slight decline bench press ramp to 1RM
Slight decline bench press from pins just above sticking point, start at 70% of no.1 and ramp to 1RM
Slight decline bench press lockout (from pins, last 2-3"), start at 70% of no.2 and ramp to 1RM
Slight decline speed bench 6 x 3 with 50% of no.1
DAY 2
Front squat ramp to 1RM
Back squat, start at 70% of no.1 and ramp to 1RM
Back squat from pins just above sticking point start at 70% of no.2 and ramp to 1RM
Power clean 6 sets of 2 reps
Prowler heavy pushes (as heavy as possible for 20 yards) 6 sets of 20 yards
DAY 3
Overhead Press from pins (neck level) ramp to 1RM
Overhead Press normal, start at 70% of no.1 and ramp to 1RM
Push Press, start at 70% of no.2 and ramp to 1RM
Romanian deadlift 3 x 6-8 reps
DAY 4
Slight decline bench pres ramp to 3RM
Slight decline bench pres 8 x 3 @ 90% of no.1
Slight decline close-grip bench from pins (just above sticking point) 4 sets of 3 with 80% of no.1
DB shoulder press 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps
DAY 5
Back squat ramp to 3RN
Back squat 6 sets of 3 with 90% of no.1
Deadlift 4-5 sets of 4-6 reps
Prowler sprints (moderate weight, maximum speed over 30m) 6 sets
Will need some variant or rear delt work in this one.
DAY 6
Overhead Press from pins (neck level) ramp to 3RM
Overhead Press normal, 6 sets of 3 reps with 90% of no.1
RDL 4-5 sets of 8-10 reps
DAY 7
Regular bench press ramp to 6RM
Regular bench bench 4 sets of 6 with 90% of no.1
Floor press 4 sets of 6 with 80% of no.1
Rope triceps extension 4-5 x 8-10
DAY 8
Back squat heels elevated (10lbs plate) ramp to 6RM
Back squat heels elevated (10lbs plate)4 sets of 6 with 90% of 6RM
Power clean complex (3 power clean + 3 front squat + 3 RDL) 3 sets
Prowler for distance (moderate weight and speed) max distance in 10 minutes
DAY 9
Overhead Press from pins (neck level) ramp to 6RM
2, Overhead Press normal 4 sets of 6 with 90% of no.1
John Meadows delt work; Sit down ? front raise, to side raise, to overhead raise, drop to front and lower.
DAY 10
Max out on squat and bench
DO THAT CYCLE 3 TIMES, REST 1 DAY AFTER DAY 6 AND DAY 10
I may also want to incorporate some form of conditioning into every session. Most likely it will be the Olympic Barbell complexes one week and 50 reps of ring dips followed by 50 reps of ring rows (body parallel to the ground) in as few sets and as little time as possible. CT has mentioned this method recently
Day 1: High pull
Day 2: Incline bench (no pins)
Day 3: TBDL
Day 4: high pull
Day 5: Decline tilt (pins)
Day 6: back and bicep work OR off
Day 7: off
… although I would like to incorporate Continuous Clean and Press in somwhere
Also HDL will be set up as follows…
ACCUMULATION: Use a more voluminous method (5-4-3-2-1 with 70%)
INTENSIFICATION: Use a higher intensity method (max reps/15 sec/max reps with 80%)
TRANSFORMATION: Use a more qualitative method (Hard 5 with 80-85%)
***Each phase is 3-6 weeks long depending on how fast you adapt.
Whats up buddy, keep in mind CT suggested a 4 week strength layer phase in between the 4 Acum phases as the effects taper if you run back to back. Which would take the split out 6 months to complete properly. I know Lonnie has busted the 4 Accums back to back and said it was still worth wild. 12 weeks Vs. 6 months. I still want to lay it down and do the whole program properly eventually.
Whats up buddy, keep in mind CT suggested a 4 week strength layer phase in between the 4 Acum phases as the effects taper if you run back to back. Which would take the split out 6 months to complete properly. I know Lonnie has busted the 4 Accums back to back and said it was still worth wild. 12 weeks Vs. 6 months. I still want to lay it down and do the whole program properly eventually.[/quote]
@ brandon.Ya I want to do the whole 6 months as well.That would be a nice planed out 6 months of pure growth my man.
Oh totally…keeping the carbys somewhat in check though for lean mass gains. I am a bit scarred to roll it for 6 months as I’m afraid I’ll get bored and want to do something else. Training Program ADD I can def get from time to time.
Oh totally…keeping the carbys somewhat in check though for lean mass gains. I am a bit scarred to roll it for 6 months as I’m afraid I’ll get bored and want to do something else. Training Program ADD I can def get from time to time. [/quote]
I can get that way as well.I think though with the olympic complex’s CT came up with would help with the ADD that comes across at times.Just need to put them In the mix somehow.
I know that Sput has spoken really well to this effect but I think since we’re trying to develop a sort of go to place for the max hypertrophy layer system it bears mentioning again, that grinding anything on the ramp up or cluster sets is a quick way to stalled progress!
I did the layers system for 4 months (Intensification phase 4 weeks, strength phase 4 weeks, Accumulation phase 4 weeks, strength phase 4 weeks). I saw phenomonal gains through the first 6 weeks, but pretty much grinded the last rep of every max rep set (except for SGHP) and the last rep of most cluster sets. At about the 7th week my progress fell off of a cliff and I actually started to lose strength. I spent the rest of the “strength” phase just doing 3rm ramps and then 8x3 @ 80% of my 3rm explosive lifts for the next 2 weeks just trying to recover.
From my experience, grinding is death on the layer system.
Even with the lesson learned the hard way the overall results from the program were amazing!! Went from 218 down to 196. Dec Bench went up 20lb (230lbs to 250), Inc bench went up 30lbs (205 to 235), SGHP went up 65lbs (215 - 280), Mil Press went up 25lbs (160 - 185), Deadlift (though I should have been doing dead launch) back to my previous best of 405.
Love this program, can’t wait to go back to it and blend in the complexes as well!
