DukeTheSlaya's Journey to Overhead Pressing Like a God

[sjcimarauder2]

Not real great. Wrestling hasn’t left me with much time for training on my own, and the lifting we do for the team is pretty retarded. I’ve lost about 30 pounds off my squat and dl in the last 3 months

[magick]

@duketheslaya

Thanks @magick! Id assume since the barbell doesnt leave your hand, it’d be good for grip work too?

Yes. My grip is my weak point, so my grip is always the first thing to die when I do complexes.

Complexes are as challenging as you make them to be.

[duketheslaya]

@sjcimarauder2

Not real great. Wrestling hasn’t left me with much time for training on my own, and the lifting we do for the team is pretty retarded. I’ve lost about 30 pounds off my squat and dl in the last 3 months

Damn that sucks man. Hope wrestling is going good

[danteism]

Steinborn squats
T-Bar rows
1 arm T-Bar rows
Meadows rows
Behind-The-Back Deads
Snatch grip deads
Regular deads
Jefferson deads
One-arm deads
Reeves deads
Any if the Deadlift variations with a pause or from a deficit or with the bar elevated on plates
Landmine presses
Lumberjack squats
(Just use a corner instead of a landmine)
Pendlay rows
Bent-over rows
Floor rows
Zercher deads
Zercher squats from floor
Anything following a clean - front squats, OHP, lunges etc
Pushups and it’s variations
Curls and reverse curls
Lying triceps extensions on the floor
Overhead tricep extensions
Upright rows
Snatch grip high pulls
Wrist curls
Glute bridge

With the bench you can do
CGB
Bench
Reverse grip bench
Decline bench (if it’s not bolted to the floor)
Seated military press/BTN press
Barbell pullovers
Lying triceps extensions
Hip thrust

You see, there’s a ton of stuff you can do, don’t set limitations on yourself just because your gym doesn’t have the newest equipment

[jamie1888]

Did you see this today?

The Two-Exercise Workout Plan for Size

[duketheslaya]

@jamie1888

Did you see this today?

Unless it pops up on Facebook i dont check the new articles often. Now i have seen it though. @jamie1888 thanks! The lack of delt work or posterior chain work annoys me but i could add that in.

I’d have to change saturday to a different day as sometimes id be staying somewhere else ( its mandstory to leave the boarding house every nwo and then, also theres excursions sometimes)

which means two days training the same muscle groups in a row (thats easy doable for me, i recover very quickly)

[duketheslaya]

Thanks for that massive list man, i had to look up a couple of those to see what they were.

[guineapig]

Hook grip ez

[danteism]

Muscle Up on rings and Jefferson Deadlift would work really well too

Although muscle ups on rings for reps are far from realistic

But it’d work!

[simo74]

Massive list of options here Duke. Try not to let all they choice go to your head. Pick a few major ones to really focus on and program in some simple progression. Then use a mix of the others as accessories.
Keep it simple, work hard and most of all enjoy the journey.

[duketheslaya]

@danteism

So, you pick four exercises - a n upper body push, an upper body pull, a squat and a deadlift.

The program is a basic upper/lower split with a slight twist.

(Now before we go further I must say that this is the first time I’ve written a program that is based on percentages, usually I tell my trainees the weights based on experience - what they can be pushed to do with a given weight.)

What I’m about to describe is the “building” portion of the program. Remember “storage strength” we are building it here. The work we are going to do is rather light. After building phase there would be an intensification phase - higher percentages and less reps. After that well start pushing it with even more weight and fewer reps. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

With this program you are going to use an changing max weight - your estimated max from the last workouts PR set.

(I promise this will all make sense in a while)

In addition to PR sets you have plus sets that you do with your hard variation work, these two are not to be confused. You will base your hard variation work weights off of your estimated max on the “regular” variation.

But now let’s get to it, shall we.

sets x reps x % of estimated max

Both PR and plus sets are AMRAPS and to be taken to absolute failure

You use the estimated maxes from your last workout with every movement, do not calculate a new max after the first exercise’s PR set. So if you’re doing close grip bench and your estimated max was 300 pounds based on last times PR set you’ll use 225lbs for your 75% work and 195lbs for your 65% work (hard variation work) or if CGB is your second (70%) exercise, you’ll use 210lbs for that. I’ll show you how the progression goes later)

Day 1

1 Upper body push

4x3x75%, PR set with 75% (so 5 sets total)

2 Upper body pull

2x5x70%, PR set with 70% (3 sets total)

3 Upper body push (hard variation)

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65% (3 sets total)

4 Upper body pull assistance

2-4x8-25 reps depending on the exercises

optional hypertrophy work - delts and arms - max 6 total sets, nothing too heavy

Day 2

1 Deadlift variation

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Squat variation

2x5x70%, PR set with 70%

3 Deadlift hard variation

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Lunge/squat variation 2-4x8-25 depending on the exercise

optional hypertrophy work for abs/calves, don’t exceed 6 sets

Day 3: rest

Day 4

1 Upper body pull

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Upper body push

2x5x75%, PR set with 70%

3 Upper body pull

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Upper body push assistance 2-4x8-25 depending on the exercise

optional hypertrophy work -chest and arms - max 6 total sets, nothing too heavy

Day 5

1 Squat variation

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Deadlift variation

2x5x70%, PR set with 70%

3 Squat hard variation

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Posterior chain/hamstring assistance exercise 2-4x8-25 depending on the exercise

optional hypertrophy work for abs/calves, don’t exceed 6 sets

Day 6: rest

Repeat

Now don’t get fooled when I wrote “variation” you will use the same movements every time you train. If you choose close grip bench to be your upper body push, you’ll only do that and the hard variation (which could be close grip with a pause)

This program is about specificity and skill mastery. That’s why there is such a high number of sets. Now you may wonder why you are using so low weights. Yes, you could do triples with 90% of your max. By in this phase it’s about force production (aka. Speed) and we are lifting without any gear. The only time you should belt up and strap up is for your PR sets. (I don’t use any equipment for my plus sets either) Apart from that you won’t be using any gear. So in reality the percentages are a lot higher (you are calculatung them off of you PR set which is done with belt and straps)

Now, to clear up the progression model confusion you probably have:

You are performing a PR set every time you do the movement, either with 75% or 70% of your estimated max.

So, let’s say it’s day 4. You are doing CGB as your second movement (so it’s 70% work) on day 1 you got 10 reps with 225lbs (75% work) that’s an estimated max of about 300lbs. So now you are doing the movement with 210lbs. You’ve already done your 2 sets of 5 and it’s time for your PR set. You manage to get 14 reps. Nice. Now your estimated max is about 308lbs so next time you are going to do your 75% work with 231lbs and your hard variation (65%) work with 200lbs

You’ll calculate a new estimated max based on your PR set with 231lbs and then calculate your 70% weight for the next session from it. So let’s say you get 11x231 - an estimated max of 313lbs. Your next session will be 2x5x219lvs and a PR set with 219lbs

It’s rather simple really and thus far I like it.

For chin ups/pull ups I don’t use this progression model, I just use linear progression.

I’ll give you an example program here (this is what I’m doing at the moment) this should clear up the way you’re supposed to choose your exercises.

Day 1

1 Close-Grip Bench

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Chin up

2x5,PR set (see note above)

3 Paused Close-Grip Bench

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Rear delt flies

4x15

Day 2

1 Deadlift

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Front Squat

2x5x70%, PR set with 70%

3 Pause Deadlift

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Alternating Reverse Lunge

4x12

calves

Day 3

Rest

Day 4

1 Chin up

4x3, PR set

2 Close-Grip Bench

2x5x70%, PR set with 70%

3 Dead-Hang Chin up

2x5, Plus set

4 Overhead press with a pause

4x8

Day 5

1 Front Squat

4x3x75%, PR set with 75%

2 Deadlift

2x5x70%, PR set with 70%

3 Front squat with a pause

2x5x65%, Plus set with 65%

4 Lying leg curl

4x8

calves

Day 6

Rest

For assistance exercises I follow a linear progression model - no, I don’t change them up either. So, in total I do 13 different exercises.

So that’s that - if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I can cover the remaining two phases when I get to them myself - so that’ll be a few months probably.

(Of course I could write them out now but I’d like to test them out myself first)

This is the program i was planning on doing. ( im allowed to pick my own exercises so that suits me well) its also good for limited equipment.

@danteism’s program. this is just the first portion, theres two more phases yet to be tested/released.

[duketheslaya]

@simo74

Massive list of options here Duke. Try not to let all they choice go to your head. Pick a few major ones to really focus on and program in some simple progression. Then use a mix of the others as accessories.

Keep it simple, work hard and most of all enjoy the journey.

Thanks man. I think having a barebones gym is good to cut out all the fluff and really focus on the main stuff.

[danteism]

What exercises are you planning on doing?

[duketheslaya]

Thats yet to be determined. I start at the boarding house on tuesday so it depends how much weight plates there is.

When i had a brief tour their didnt seem to be enough for deadlifts . If there isnt it will be something like suitcase deadlifts/ one arm deads for my deadlift movement.

[mortdk]

Hey Duke
Settle in at the Boarding School, learn the routines over the first week or two.
Just go to the gym every other day or three. Work out and when you’re settled you are ready to lift. You’ll by then know what equipment you have.
You’re going to have a great time there, I’m sure.

[duketheslaya]

@mortdk

Hey Duke

Settle in at the Boarding School, learn the routines over the first week or two.

Just go to the gym every other day or three. Work out and when you’re settled you are ready to lift. You’ll by then know what equipment you have.

You’re going to have a great time there, I’m sure.

Yeah whilst im settling in il just be going to the gym a few times a week, iv lost almost 7 kg so far since I’ve been out of the gym so i plan on regaining my strength and weight then start from there.

@mortdk i cant wait till i start actually. Im heaps excited man!

[danteism]

Try Reeves Deadlift, it’s hard as hell

[IronOne]

Duke, you keep this positive attutude through life and the ceiling is the limit. People that are positive are infectous. Everyone will want to help you succeed. Keep it up man, you’re doing it right.

Sounds like you’re in a very good place at this boarding school. Take advantage of it and get everything out of it you can.

[duketheslaya]

I was thinking those as well. Looks very good for building the grip and back.

[duketheslaya]

@IronOne Thanks brother!