Building The Monolith(started today)

Started this today, programmed squats at 85%, everything else at 90%. This is the way I like to train. If you don’t have the ability to focus while you train and don’t take shit seriously don’t attempt this.

[quote]remmydog wrote:
Started this today, programmed squats at 85%, everything else at 90%. This is the way I like to train. If you don’t have the ability to focus while you train and don’t take shit seriously don’t attempt this.[/quote]
You can’t tell others to focus if you’re messing with the program off the bat.

Jim says himself to back of a bit at first so its all good good on you mate ive just started it too and im sore as hell

Jim says himself to back of a bit at first so its all good good on you mate ive just started it too and im sore as hell

Yes the lower TM is advised on his site, deads and bench today. I am having to work myself into eating this much food, the 1st 3 days have been a challenge but it is getting easier.

One session left in this program. I’ve enjoyed it and while it has been a grind at times, it is reasonable. I’ve completed the boring but big challenge and boring but strong challenge and now this one. (Not in a row but over the last couple of years when I wanted to push) Boring but strong was absolutely brutal for me. The monolith program was enjoyable and using the 85% tm was perfect. Thanks Jim.

[quote]jcmadcap wrote:
One session left in this program. I’ve enjoyed it and while it has been a grind at times, it is reasonable. I’ve completed the boring but big challenge and boring but strong challenge and now this one. (Not in a row but over the last couple of years when I wanted to push) Boring but strong was absolutely brutal for me. The monolith program was enjoyable and using the 85% tm was perfect. Thanks Jim.
[/quote]

The 85% is the key to the Monolith program - that is how it was used and thus, what was written. I’m glad you liked it. Thanks.

[quote]remmydog wrote:
Started this today, programmed squats at 85%, everything else at 90%. This is the way I like to train. If you don’t have the ability to focus while you train and don’t take shit seriously don’t attempt this.[/quote]

Here’s some advice: Use 85% - like the program was written. There is a reason for this and it has been proven to work.

Yes 85% the next time. I did hit an unexpected PR in the OHP in week 4 for the 70@ AMRAP, 100 for 20, 8 months ago I could do 110 for 1. My buddy stopped me at work the other day and said what are you doing? I didn’t know what he was asking about. He said my shoulders and traps were getting big. Thanks for the support Jim.

[quote]remmydog wrote:
Yes 85% the next time. I did hit an unexpected PR in the OHP in week 4 for the 70@ AMRAP, 100 for 20, 8 months ago I could do 110 for 1. My buddy stopped me at work the other day and said what are you doing? I didn’t know what he was asking about. He said my shoulders and traps were getting big. Thanks for the support Jim.[/quote]

20 reps on the press sucks! Shoulders burn like hell - good for you.

To the guys who have done the Monolith program. How long does it take you to get through a typical workout?
Cheers

Wednesday an hour or less and Friday around an hour, maybe a little more. Monday maybe 1.5 but I take my time working up to my heavy sets (I’m 40) and rest a lot between squat sets. I also often have to work around people in a crowded gym. If I had free reign of the gym, I could get through every day in an hour if I had to.

Forgot to mention, I knocked out pull ups between sets of squats and presses which speeds things up. Also, i did band pull aparts between sets of main lifts which was helpful. Rows between bench sets would be efficient also but benches are prime real estate at my gym so once I got one, I didn’t move and just blew through the bench sets but that’s a place to speed things up also.

[quote]jcmadcap wrote:
Forgot to mention, I knocked out pull ups between sets of squats and presses which speeds things up. Also, i did band pull aparts between sets of main lifts which was helpful. Rows between bench sets would be efficient also but benches are prime real estate at my gym so once I got one, I didn’t move and just blew through the bench sets but that’s a place to speed things up also.[/quote]

This should take an hour to an hour and 1/2, agree. I kept rest periods around a minute. All may assistance was done after all the real work was done. Also rows are the only assistance required.

[quote]jcmadcap wrote:
Wednesday an hour or less and Friday around an hour, maybe a little more. Monday maybe 1.5 but I take my time working up to my heavy sets (I’m 40) and rest a lot between squat sets. I also often have to work around people in a crowded gym. If I had free reign of the gym, I could get through every day in an hour if I had to. [/quote]

I am also 40. Should be quite achievable but I think I will be lowering my training max or wait until I reset 3 steps back.

Have fun with it! As an older guy, I’d recommend taking care of the elbows - mine were aggravated a little going in and the volume flared them up. Elbow wraps can be a Godsend.

Is possible to perform the workout 2 days a week? Maybe remove the friday workout from template?

Can’t help butfeel those 20 rep squats are key to the program. There’s plenty of 2 day templates.

I’m in week two and, so far, I have gotten through each workout in under an hour. I don’t superset until I get to the optional stuff (the things other than the first three exercises each day) and I try to stick to 90 second rest periods (Jim mentioned it somewhere in relation to another template, so I tried it here and it felt good).

I did place the squats on Friday at the end of the workout, which was good advice from Jim, as it turned out.

I have use of an athlete’s weight room where I teach, and it’s empty when I use it, so I guess your results will vary as far as time commitment goes. My workout basically looks like this:

Deadlift 5 sets ~12 minutes (sometimes takes 2 minutes between sets because I have to load/unload weight by myself and I want to make sure I have my focus right before I pull)
Bench Press 7 sets ~17 minutes
DB Row 1-arm 5 sets ~10 minutes
Inclined DB Bench Press / Chest-supported Row 3 sets ~ 10 minutes
Barbell Curl / Close-grip Bench press 3 sets ~ 10 minutes

It keeps me moving consistently, but Deadlift is the only exercise where fatigue is a concern. The two supersets don’t feel like overkill and I haven’t had any joint problems using them with other templates. So, the workout takes 60 - 70 minutes, not including warm-up and post-stretching.

With the exercises that say 100-200 reps how do you guys workout what weight etc to achieve it?

Pull-ups 10 x 10 usually knocked out bw squat sets. Dips 10 x 20. Shrugs, rows and curls 5 x 20. Everything pretty reasonable weight-wise as it was supplemental and my old joints can only handle so much pounding. Pushed the pace over weight also for efficiency to not be in gym all day.