This template is awesome, just plain awesome. Don’t change it, just do it. Don’t ask questions, just do it. Do the Agile 8, do the jumps and throws, make all the sets and reps. I can’t recommend it enough.
First time around I made good progress, but I wasn’t following it to the letter. I wouldn’t warm up or jump because I thought I didn’t have time or some stupid shit. Take the jumps seriously as well, you might feel weird in a commercial gym, but who gives a shit. this is about you getting stronger, not what Johnny Biceps on the preacher curl might think. Abandon your ego and do what needs to be done. Stretch, mobilise and move.
The agile 8 is an exercise, don’t just go through the motions. Honestly the more I focus on each part of it, the better I am prepared when its time to squat.
I wasn’t eating like a champ either and that would have impacted my recovery so much.
I have not missed an all-time PR yet this time around. Sure I’m only on week 2, workout 3…but 5 straight all-time PR’s I will take any day.
I also used to add in extra assistance stuff and do like a fourth ‘arms’ day because I thought I could. Don’t be like me…just don’t be that guy. The pull-up volume should get you across the line, coupled with all the pressing if you eat right.
I don’t follow the ‘12 eggs and 1.5lb of ground beef’ but a typical day of eating for me is
Breakfast: 6 eggs scrambled
100g oats with milk
2 slices of toast with peanut butter
Snack: Fruit and a protein shake (20g protein, 20g carb)
Lunch: 350g steak
4 baked potatoes
big salad
Snack: fruit and a protein shake (20g protein, 20g carb)
Dinner: 350g chicken breast
2 cups white rice
2 cups broccoli
snack: 2 slices of toast with peanut butter
1 tub greek yoghurt
1 protein shake (20g protein, 20g carb)
I’m 83.5kg.
so far pretty much just from eating I’ve put on 2-3kgs and I’m telling you, that has definitely carried over into my lifting. If you’re like me and always eat like a bird, you will not get the most out of this program. Eat like you want to grow. Honestly I hate eating breakfast, it’s a stupid problem to have and sometimes it takes me 45mins to an hour to get through it. Get up earlier if you need. It’s only 20 weeks of your life, and it will make all the difference.
The PR’s I have hit up to this point (in order) are: wk1d1 Squat 170x5, wk1d2 Deadlift 170x8, wk1d3 Bench 110x7, wk2d1 Press 57.5x9 (big deal for me, my OHP sucks) and this morning wk2d2 Squat 162.5x10 which meant a lot to me. 2xBW for 10 is within my grasp, and so early in the cycle, I’m going to blow it out of the water.
Oh yeah, the weight vest walking. Do not skip it. For me, it is as much a recovery tool as it is a conditioning tool. With the full body style of training each day, you’ll be puffing anyway so you don’t have to worry about losing too much conditioning, at least that’s what I’ve found.
Jim I am so grateful that you put this program on this site for free. Your eBooks are two of the best investments I ever made, both for my lifting and my future career (studying human movement, exercise and sports science)