Thoughts/Feedback on my Training Program?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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Training Regime “Form follows function”

In the body every histologic structure is adapted to follow a certain function.

At microscopic level the cells are shaped to serve their purpose, they are linked to create tissue, which enhances their collective goal, which forms uniquely shaped organs at macroscopic level.

I believe the form will follow the function.

I believe that u will have the so-called dream body, if you’re a strong motherfucker.

My goal is to create real world performance and look great as a consequence of that.

I define real world performance as the ability to overcome every daily situation with ease, because your body is adapted to extreme metabolic stress, as a result of going to very dark places in your training.

During these dark times, I believe the pain will train your mind. I believe the pain will define you.

As a result of this I believe everything in real life will be perceived as relatively easy, because you have faced lots of greater challenges during training.

I believe as an athlete, that I should improve on key abilities like sprinting and jumping.

My program is build around this philosophy. This is no absolute truth; it is my vision on life and training.

I need to be better than I ever was. Fast.

My vision reaches beyond the gym. I present to you 5 simple rules.

  1. Always take stairs. Lifts are for weaklings. From now on, you’ll feel a little weaker when taken automatic stairways because you did not have energy or power to take stairs. It’s like admitting you’re weak.
  2. Walk when you can, avoid subway when possible. This is not only to reduce your sedentary activity time, but greatly enhances your mood and natural energy by activating light sensitive photoreceptors. Listen music while walking. Benefits are significant from 30+ minutes /day.
  3. Embrace pain.
  4. Eat healthy and protein-rich, I use IF for enhanced focus and mental clearness.
  5. Supplement vitamin D, fish oil and ZMA for cardiovascular health and optimal testosterone levels
  6. Optional: Take ice cold shower after workout to enhance recovery and increase pain tolerance
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Legend:

Pain Factor: How much does it hurt you
Current fitness: How fucking miserable are you currently
Goal: That is the goal, which will be described in technical terms of weight, resistance or reps.
Reason: Why the fuck would you choose this particular exercise? Does it serve a goal?
Total Pain Score: Just a way to express your pain if multiple sets were done at high pain threshold

Why HIIT before strength training?
Because it releases a ton of catecholamine’s, and cardiovascular exercises <20 minutes won’t hurt strength work directly. (Indirectly through extreme fatigue from the running etc. but that’s a matter of manning up)

Warming Up = 20 minutes

Sprinting on the treadmill = 10 minutes
Pain Factor: 9, this will take you to a very dark place
Current fitness: Sprint 2x30 seconds @25km/h in and 8x30seconds @20km/h
Goal: Interval style 5 sets 1 minute sprinting and 1 minute rest x5 = total 10 minutes @25km/h with steepness 7.0 degrees or @20km/h with steepness 15.0 degrees
Reason: This will improve sprinting capabilities, improve cardiovascular function and lungs, metabolically very demanding due to lots of stabilizing muscles which won’t be used with bicycling for example, and last but not least: it brings you to a very dark place
Total Pain Score: 9x5sets = 45

Wingate test Bicycle = 90 seconds
Pain Factor: 8, this will take you to a dark place, especially after sprinting
Reason: Increase anaerobic capacity and gold standard

Muscle-Ups = 2 minutes
Pain Factor: 7
Current fitness: 10 reps in a row @80kg BW
Goal: 22 reps in a row
Reason: The muscle ups require the body to work under high pressure because you have suffered a lot of metabolic stress after the sprints and wingate, so the cerebellum responsible for the motoric pattern will be trained to function even in dark times

Total Pain Score after Warming Up: 45 + 8 + 7 = 60 hits of pain in 12 minutes and 40 seconds. I believe the real warrior can start training now.

Why circuit training?
It is fast. One circuit only takes 12 minutes. James Bond has lots more to do.
It is consistent. You don’t fuck around when training on the clock. It is always the same rest etc. so you have good reference points.
It has the highest metabolic demand and fat loss capabilities due to EPOC (excess post exercise oxygen consumption).

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Day 1 – Full body w/ accent on PUSH
Circuit #1 = 3 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 12 minutes

Front Squats
Pain Factor: 7
Current fitness: 3x10 @80kg
Goal: 3x15 @120kg
Reason: Improve leg strength and athletic abilities

DB Front Raise
Pain Factor: 4
Current fitness: 3x10 @20kg with very little cheating
Goal: 3x10 @30kg per hand cheating allowed
Reason: Big delts. Cheating because of increased metabolic demand and accessory muscles used.

Bicep Dumbbell Curl
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @20kg with very little cheating
Goal: 3x10 @30kg per hand cheating allowed
Reason: Mainly big biceps. Cheating because of increased metabolic demand and accessory muscles used. Same weight as Front Raise because of gym-practical reasons.

Circuit #2 = 3 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 12 minutes

Dumbbell Press
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @34kg per hand
Goal: 3x10 @50kg per hand = 100kg total free weight
Reason: Improve stabilization strength and grow big chest

Bulgarian Split Squat on Vibrate Plate OR Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
Pain Factor: 7
Current fitness: not applicable
Goal: choose challenging weight, no specific goal, focus on ROM
Reason: unilateral movements for stabilization, stretching m. iliopsoas, improve jumping ability

Rear Delt Raise
Pain Factor: 4
Current fitness: not applicable
Goal: choose challenging weight, no specific goal, focus on ROM
Reason: balance in the upper back/front shoulder, “western man sitting syndrome”
My thoughts on BW (bodyweight) exercises: I believe you should be strong compared to your bodyweight to increase your real world strength.

Circuit #3 = 3 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 12 minutes

Dips with Leg Raise
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @80kg BW
Goal: 3x20 @80kg BW + 20 kg added =100kg
Reason: Improve strength: bodyweight ratio, increase pectoral and triceps strength + core strength

Pull-Ups
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @80kg BW
Goal: 3x20 @80kg BW + 20 kg added =100kg
Reason: Improve strength: bodyweight ratio, increase back and biceps strength

Triceps Variation
Pain Factor: 3
Current fitness: not applicable
Goal: choose challenging weight, no specific goal, focus on ROM
Reason: Mainly big arms/triceps.

Day 2 – Full body w/ accent on PULL

Circuit #1 = 3 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 12 minutes

Hamstring Curl
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: not applicable
Goal: choose challenging weight, no specific goal, focus on ROM
Reason: to create balance in the concentric strength of the m. quadriceps and the eccentric strength of the posterior upper leg muscles, as they should be in a 2:1 ratio to prevent injury during sprints/team sports like basketball

Deadlift
Pain Factor: 6
Current fitness: 3x10 @100kg
Goal: 3x10 @180kg
Reason: basic movement, increase athletic peak performance

Band Pull Apart for Shoulder Health
Pain Factor: 3
Reason: shoulder and posture health

Circuit #2 = 3 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 12 minutes

Standing Dumbbell Military Press
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @20kg per hand
Goal: 3x10 @34kg per hand
Reason: military press is basic movement, standing makes it a lot harder than sitting, and dumbbells are a greater challenge than barbells, more stabilization

Power Cleans
Pain Factor: 5
Current fitness: 3x10 @60kg
Goal: 3x10 @100kg
Reason: increase shock-absorbing capabilities and increase explosive power, not allowed to dive under the bar as it is a POWER clean

Horizontal Row
Pain Factor: 4
Reason: big pump in back and biceps.

Plyometric Cardio Acceleration = 4 minutes Tabata Style

Farmers Walk on Stairs
Pain Factor: 8
Current fitness: complete Tabata @28kg per hand
Goal: complete Tabata @50kg per hand
Reason: real world strength, converts very well to daily life situations, metabolically demanding, increasing EPOC

Circuit #3 = 2 exercises for 3-4 rounds consecutive superset style = 8 minutes

Lat Row with V-grip
Reason: nice pump in lats

Ab Exercise
Reason: nice pump in abs

Day 3 – Full body w/ accent on CORE = easiest day compared to day 1 & 2 = no specific strength goals, just accessory work

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First things first just skimming through, that is a bloody long post. Couldn’t you be more concise?

EDIT: After reading through to me it just looks unnecessarily complicated. Why do you need to invent stuff like pain scales? There’s no mention of progression or fatigue management either. I think you’d be much better doing something like 5/3/1. That will be just as conductive to your goals as what you’ve wrote and has 1000s of testimonials.

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What is your idea of the dream body?

One can also get very strong, though perhaps not with the relative strength of a competitive powerlifter, but strong nonetheless, by training to get his dream body. For the past few months we’ve been discussing on here that “training for performance and the physique will follow” is a flawed ideology when put into practice for bodybuilding. But, if one simply wants to have a “nice body”, being one that is lean and with some muscle, than any sound weight training program will do.

See above. Again, what’s your idea of the body you want.

People don’t need to get remarkably strong to do this. Even most manual trades don’t involve going to dark places in which one is convulsing, sweating, turning red and purple, or feeling like they’re going to collapse.

In a certain context, of course.

I don’t think carrying groceries or walking up flights of stairs or moving the odd piece of furniture here and there was made so much easier because of weight training to the degree that I have.

Most people on here are in very good shape. Do you think they need to be reminded of these tips to burn a few calories here and there or that they are so detrained that taking the stairs is going to have them gasping? :slight_smile:

Good tip, like above, but more so for folks completely out of shape and have no idea what the heck they are doing for weight control.

Thanks.

Perhaps a 20 minute brisk walk will not, but try lifting after HIIT done properly! :slight_smile:

Hence why HIIT done properly shouldn’t be done before lifting, or in some cases, not even be done on the same day as lifting.

Is this supposed to be done before lifting also?

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…Oh boy. Your last posts seem to be in the steroid forums about running some pretty heavy gear, -maybe time to taper off :joy_cat:

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@RampantBadger Answer me this ok? I have enough time under the bar to say im half way knowledgeable regarding training. BUT !! WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ from the original poster!!??

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Yeah for sure I could summarize. Wil do that. But I took the time to write it, and there might be people who do appreciate this, and take the time to give feedback.

Anyway thank you for your input.

5/3/1 seems to focussed on powerlifting for me. Which aspects of 5/3/1 are you advicing?

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Brickhead, thank you for taking the time to give feedback.

My idea of a dream body is a body like Lazar Angelov / Steve Cook. I know this is not an absolute truth and a matter of taste.[quote=“BrickHead, post:5, topic:225029”]
People don’t need to get remarkably strong to do this. Even most manual trades don’t involve going to dark places in which one is convulsing, sweating, turning red and purple, or feeling like they’re going to collapse.
[/quote]

I [quote=“BrickHead, post:5, topic:225029”]
In a certain context, of course.
[/quote]

It is my way of looking the world. It gives me mental strength to regard everything as easy compared to the greater challenges I have faced. Personal thingy. :wink:

Farmers walk on stairs is very comparable so I believe this is just a progressive overload thingy, which you wont get from the incidental carrying groceries or moving furniture besides there’s also the motoric pattern and placebo effect. Do not take these statements too seriously as it is a side concern. The weight of importance must be in being athletic, feeling and looking good.

A reminder to sit less and move more is always welcome. This because of new scientific insights in reducing sedentary time. Summarizing: it is not only increasing your activity/workout time BUT also reducing sedentary activity time. They call sitting the new smoking. Stairs is a great way to reduce sedentary time. So im helping yes, i think.

I hope you’ll understand the underlying mechanism, if so then I agree with you. If you do understand the importance of this point for a good and happy mood/life, I’d be glad to share it with you and the others.

Youre welcome.[quote=“BrickHead, post:5, topic:225029”]
Perhaps a 20 minute brisk walk will not, but try lifting after HIIT done properly! :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Please dont tell me about it, im dying everyday again haha. But I believe I should be able to perform because glycogen reserves are sufficient to fullfill strength training. As a trained man can have 500g or more muscle glycogen.

Yes.

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I just came back from 2 months injury, so its time to get back. Fast!

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Could you explain your statements more clearly?

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5/3/1 is designed more for athletes than powerlifting, that’s what Jim was moving away from and I believe he trains exclusively athletes now. I’d recommend looking at Jim’s blog there’s templates on there and also reading the books.

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Will do, thank you for shedding new light on my training regime.

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Its more like a way to train the mind to create good habits. The pavlov effect. Its not really like being weak, just a way of thinking to creating a good habit. Habits take at least 6 weeks to install, so thats why I chose to take a aggressive approach.

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I think it has enough “pain”

just about enough “darkness”

it’s lacking in “beast mode”

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I know what’s going on…

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I like to think of the gym as my happy place, I must be doing it all wrong. If training to a “dark place” gives results does that mean training in a pitch black room willl double my gainz?? Do I win Internet?

Im so confused.

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Pain and misery isnt a measuring stick to measure the quality of any training approach.Where did you come up with this notion?