results of USPLabs Compound 20

cHaOs method...PART 1

the training is do is cHaOs training. what is it? why did i develop it? where did it come from? read on...and you'll find how to get fuckin jacked and strong as fuck...and YES..crazy works!

my former coach and old school powerlifter, jon grove..first introduced me to pre-exhaust training

years ago..while training at NGBB...i was first introduced to CG(close-grip) board presses in a shirt. i was like WTF! my former coach, jon grove, knew i had "retard" strength so he did something with me...he would pre-exhaust me on something and then have me do another movement at maximum intensity. here's an example...i did 635 CG 3-board in a shirt. i was fuckin fried...my triceps were about to bust out of my bench shirt i was using(tons of those got my arms up to 23 from 21.5)...then my coach busts a surprise on me...he wanted me to give 675 a ride on bench. bein that when i lack O2 to my brain..it didn't register with me. then it hit me. i just did 589 less than a month ago and now i was attempting 675. but i trusted my coach. what happened? i ass raped 675 IN TRAINING! didn't let the internet douchebags in on the little surprise i had done but my coach told me that i did 675 easy and PRE-EXHAUSTED. in a meet..fresh..i would do more and i did...i did 705 and had room for 725. i was a believer. jon did this countless times when i trained at NGBB and it made my strength jump BOUNDS ahead of everything i thought possible. shit was awesome!

doug young even used a "concept" of training...where he went to an all-out set to failure after 3 workin sets..kicked ass and worked!

i basically created just the basic concept of cHaOs training...here they are:

1. train in reverse or change up the order
this means whatever u do last...do first and vice versa. if u do a drop set...work it in reverse..instead of goin down in weight..u go up in weight.

2. when the weight goes up or down or stays the same...the REPS GO UP!!
its simple. u add weight...add another rep. this is pushing your body beyond its limits by one or two more reps than u normally do.

3. decrease rest periods...even with heavy sets
this is pushing your endurance to crazy levels...i'm used to taking anywhere from 30 sec to 1.5 mins between sets...this is conditioning at its best...

4. change up HOW u do a rep.
this is either doin it explosively...or HIT style..OR do rest pause reps...

5. when in doubt...ADD MORE WEIGHT.
in moments of failure...ADD WEIGHT and go all out. most times our bodies are used to giving it all we got on that ONE set...surprise..when u add another set and your forced to push PAST your limits.

6. never have SET rep ranges...have PLUS rep sets only.
this means if u want to do a set of 8-10...make it 10+ reps..meaning your goal is to overshoot 10 reps and progress that way.

7. pre-exhaust always.
this means do something that will bring your 100% down to 50% and still get stronger. for instance...i do leg extensions BEFORE squats... and then i did speed box squats BEFORE my max set on raw squats w/wraps w/o the box. THAT'S what i'm talkin about. you'll be surprised at how much more weight you'll move after bein PRE-EXHAUSTED...

8. when in doubt...GO TO FAILURE BUT GO UP! to the DEATH IF POSSIBLE!
even after you've done some crazy shit already...u bump up the weight and go all out to failure. again..pushing beyond SET limits. and if your crazy enough..bump up the weight and do the shit again...

9. when u fail at a max...drop down...get reps and EXCEED where u failed..or die tryin.
this i fuckin love. missing a weight..backin down to get reps like triples and attempting a greater weight than u missed. truly chaotic.

10. juggle the weight
go up and down and up and down...never go in linear fashion...go 405 then 495..then 455...then 515...this throw your body for a complete loop!!

11. change up what u do every week.
never fuckin do the same shit every week...or every 2 weeks. CHANGE UP! sets..reps..how u do an exercise...order...everything...

12. do the BIG 3...THREE WAYS!
meaning...try to make it a triple threat when u do the big 3...if u bench..do board presses..dead presses...and heavy raw triple...OR...do band raw bench...work up to a comfortable max...then do repouts...when u do the big 3...do it 3 ways...

every one of branch sessions was to heavy and to the death..no question!

chaos training is all about creating a chaotic environment for extreme muscular growth, strength, and gettin lean. what i mean by chaotic environment is taking "you" out of what your used to do constantly..your fuckin comfort zone...and throwin u into the den of wolves of pain motherfucker. we all were taught to add weight til we can't add weight anymore and maybe drop weight and do reps right? that's how we were all taught how to lift weights and how we all grew from it. this method of training is hard for the body to adapt if done correctly. when u change up reps every week..your body doesn't have a chance to adapt at all..its forced to "try" every time...

next month i'll do a routine walkthough on chaos training and show ya how doin a chaotic session can really do for ya. give some of these concepts a try when your training...remember..

crazy fuckin works,
TB

point of desperation

do you have it? at what point does this stop bein a fuckin game and the shit GETS REAL and you have to make a choice...step the fuck up or back down? its making that "decision" that will make you or break you.

"there's a certain kind of desperation you are going to need to have PERIOD that will make you the athlete that would be capable of tapping into your champion...there's a certain kind of desperation that needs to be in order to be one with your passion as you need to be in order to overcome obstacles or barriers..."-kai greene

i won't pretend that i know kai but i'm goin to take a shot of what i meant with this quote because up until this year..did hearing this made more sense to me.

i've seen this alot and there are guys with tons of potential to make it but question is do they want it? why is that those who aren't genetically gifted fuckin want it more? they reach this sense of desperation quicker cause their hunger is greater. i mentioned this quote but really didn't know what it meant til i actually was LIVING this quote...

killer instinct combined with violent intentions creates the unshakable resolve to be the strongest when being strong and hunger to be stronger is all you got left is what PRIMAL RESOLVE is..

Bill Kazmaier is the optiome of killer instinct whenever he stepped into a competition..no one questioned his resolve...EVER!

ok. everyone likes to talk a big fuckin game...be the next mr. olympia...take the top spot in their class...break someones record...but they don't realize that there is certain amount of fuckin resolve you have to have to do it at any and all costs. they don't know that everything they do is apart of a bigger picture. they only see what's in front of them. how many meets will it take to break a record? how many shows will it take to turn pro? how many more will it take to be mr. olympia or worlds strongest bodybuilder? how many competitions will it take to qualify for WSM? are you fuckin willing to endure this war? cause that's what it is. war with yourself...your competition...your obstacles. are u willing to keep fighting when shit doesn't go your way? if u lose a competition..do u have the heart to get back up and keep fighting?

"Being the best that you can possibly be is a tough line to tow and measure. For some people, this involves being a state or national level competitor. For others it means setting world records. All my life I have always been pushed by a burning internal fire to be better than everyone else. Not in every area, but for some reason this has always been the case when it comes to physical endeavors. I’ve never wanted to lose.

I’ve always prided myself on having a mental resolve that was greater than everyone else’s. I went through a lot of training partners in high school and college because they couldn’t hang with me. They would always tell me I didn’t need a training partner because no one could push me harder than I pushed myself. As an aside here, I later found out that a training partner who can get me to quit, instead of one who can keep me going, is what I’ve always needed."- J.L. Holdsworth

what am i saying? what kai is trying to say that there is a certain point when your backed into a corner and you have to decide...take it to the next level or back off? you have to decide how bad u really want this cause if it was easy...everyone would be doing it. there's tons of sacrifice you have to make...blood you have to spill and lots of sweat you have to give just to get halfway there. the rest will be all fuckin resolve. to me it pisses me off to see so many people take the REAL titles lightly like its goin to be easy to achieve cause they have it all figured out and everytime get humbled when they fall short. guess what motherfuckers...SHIT ISN'T EASY!! get over it...grab your balls and get to work. fuck goin into the gym for ONLY the "pump" bullshit..if your ass isn't making improvements in your physique...your wasting your fuckin time and your not look at the BIGGER picture. what will you do when the lights are off...the cameras aren't on your ass...all the material things you have are gone...job..money...so called friends...and all your left with is your passion and your hunger for your sport? that's where u reached the point of desperation...and realize the primal resolve necessary to get to that next level..no matter what.

derek poundstone has taken every challenge whether it be competition or otherwise as a challenge to grow stronger and has made that "decision" to make it happen...and his hunger has showed ever since.

i respect someone who's hungry enough to endure the war more than someone who just wants to rush into it. those who are hungry will want it bad as they fuckin breathe the air or drink the water. they have no problem makin the sacrifice neccessary. i learned this. and i'm willin to fuckin do the same. and its funny cause its always the ones that are quiet and silent about what they do...just put in the work. you go after every fuckin session gettin a PR...anyway u fuckin can. fuck whatever someone else does. do you. train your ass off and make every one of your sessions harder than the last cause there will be even harder sessions on the way. do what u gotta do to get to the level where u need to be. if that means moving. do it. make it happen. if it means changing gyms...do it make it happen. if it means gettin shit for your own gym...do it make it happen. if it means surrounding yourself with others who understand your passion more and not being around those who are "complacent"...DO IT! j.l. holdsworth talked alot about "paying the bills" and guess what motherfucker..if your ass thinks your goin to turn pro in a year or rise up in the ranks from the bottom to the top...your ass is fuckin delusional if you don't think u can get by without "paying the bills". to get to this point of desperation you have to want it soo fuckin bad that its all you think about...that you will do whatever it takes to get there...PERIOD! its no longer a fuckin game anymore..its who u fuckin are.



you have to have the sense of desperation that can be empowered by primal resolve to be at one with your passion in order to tap into that champion...the one with a warrior mindset to do whatever it takes to and however it takes to acheive that BIGGER picture...no matter if its MR. OLYMPIA...AN ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDER...WORLDS STRONGEST BODYBUILDER...WORLDS STRONGEST MAN...#1 RANKED LIFTER IN YOUR WEIGHT CLASS. you have to make the decision to decide to be a "state champion" or a world-class champion...or amateur bodybuilder or a PRO bodybuilder. the mindset between the two extremes are waaaay different. its the resolve of the latter that has it in them day in and day out to go thru the fuckin grind and not stop til they reach the top and be psychotic enough to do it all over again just to see if they can.

Phil Heath surrounded himself with some very good people in his corner..one was jay cutler...the other was jay's prep coach..hany rambod. think about it..

do u fuckin have it in you to do that? if u haven't reached this point then this shit isn't your gig and u might want to get the fuck out now before u break a nail or something. the games stop here. your goin to war..day in and day out..competition after competition...wins you grow...losses you learn...fuck the trophies... they aren't enough til you achieve your mission. treat it like a dream and that's all it will fuckin be...a dream. make it your mission to make it happen. its doin what's fuckin necessary to acheive and accomplish your mission...drop all emotions. leave your pussy at home. strap on your cock and lets fuckin get to work.

do work SON!
TB

Oleg Bazylevych benches 551 @ 198 Raw!

badass. nuthin else to fuckin say. if your not fired up by this...do me a favor..get your gymbag and keep your ass at home.

TB

Bryce Peterson presses 535 @ 245 raw!

might be a slow press...but was strong from top to bottom. badass!


TB

Steve Silverman Trains His Freakshow Physique 1 Week Before 2011 NPC Nationals!

this motherfucker is nasty! 5-1 at 165 and looks like this...i got money on him that he's goin to do some fuckin damage!
Steve Silverman Trains His Freakshow Physique 1 Week Before 2011 NPC Nationals!
TB

road to state meet- week 2

here u go fuckers...my training from the last two weeks...psycho hasn't been turned off since my meet...
TB

methods of chaos- november 2011

when i'm training like to experiment with new training methods cause part of chaos training is changing up how u do an exercise and here a few ways to change up how u do an exercise for those that are lookin to build size as well as power

doug young...one of the most physically dominant powerlifters ever...the fuckin first juggernaut, bitches!

doug young method
i did some research into how doug young trained(one person who exemplifies what i means to be a "hybrid" lifter) and oddly enough it was very simple but VERY tough to do...its 4 sets total. 3 of those sets are to 6 reps but the 4th set is to failure or what i call 6 plus reps..meaning you HAVE do more than 6 reps. 10 is the limit on this last set. u gauge the weight u move up by addin 5lbs per rep after the prescribed reps. so if u do seated militaries..and u do 315 for 3 sets of 6...and on the last set u did 8 reps with 315...you would add 20lbs to the weight the next week. this is slow and progressive strength. 531 was built around this concept and so is juggernaut BUT this is the original method...simple. uses for this on accessories as well as the BIG 3 are huge...

max rep load method
as you all know i'm a big fan of plus rep sets where u do more than the prescribed reps. it works for a number of reasons BUT one of them is pushing you BEYOND failure. failure is hittin a rep and not bein able to do more...BEYOND failure is hittin more reps past that point. this method i experimented with and loved. it works in 4 sets. the first set is to 6+ reps. the 2nd set is to 8+ reps. 3rd set is to 10+ reps. 4th set if to absolute failure...no matter the reps. this method will check your ego...and it will catch up to you on the 3rd set when your forced to do more than 10 reps. the weight stays the same throughout the 4 sets. the idea applies to chaos training...if ur used to addin weight every set...flip it. add reps every set. this forces your body beyond failure at all costs.

killer20s
this is simple. your doin sets of 20 reps...with the weight moving up every set and u do 20 rep sets til u can't do another set of 20. that's it. its called "killer20s" for a reason. did these on pushdowns and fuck! loved it!

triple threat method(3-3-3)
this is can be used on most barbell movements. the first movement is done at the top end(lockout portion) for up to a 3RM...the 2nd movement is done to 3 singles for speed a the bottom end(below or deficit range of motion) and the 3rd movement is the MAIN movement itself done to triple plus reps. meaning to fail..over 3 reps. 6 reps being the max before weight goes up. here's an example on bench:
1st movement: 3 board bench press
2nd movement: dead bench
3rd movement: bench press

another one for seated militaries:
1st movement: high pin presses or wide overhead presses
2nd movement: dead militaries
3rd movement: seated militaries

usually the total amount of sets done is 9 sets total. this will help bring up any lagging weaknesses of any lift by working the three different areas of ROM.

give these new methods of try...remember chaos training is all about creating a chaotic environment to unlock muscular growth and strength gains...
TB

prove yourself...or get out NOW!

there are people who are under the extreme delusion that just cause they bench 500 in the gym or look like they could be the next mr. olympia cause they like doin their favorite "pose" that they can call themselves as such. you see them..they usually are there maybe 2-3 days out of the week...don't work legs at all...and show off their best and only features and u may see them at the bar. but those are the people who under the delusion that they don't have to prove anything..not even to themselves. WRONG. bein in the gym is just the training grounds...prove your mettle in battle and see if your ass survives.

every man that has been the world's strongest man..have to prove themselves every year...every UFC champion have to prove themselves in every fight....every mr. olympia have to prove themselves every year. every powerlifter that has broken a major record...guess what..have to prove themselves. what makes us better than them right? it doesn't. the level of expectation is not the same anymore you have to step your fuckin game up or back the fuck down go back to bein a "gym hero". can't call yourself something that u haven't proven yourself to be yet. when u reach a level you have to prove yourself everytime. say what u want..its the truth. i love what i do and don't mind at all proving myself on the platform to me and others that i am what i am. its like a challenge to me. what is it that u have to prove right? i don't know if this is the correct answer but i would believe hunger and heart. this is always in the back of my mind after every meet and it pushes me to not be complacent in the gym...cause guess what? badasses aren't made there...the just train there. every badass in every sport proved it so in competition. no one gave a shit about their training...just wanted to see if these motherfuckers can produce in competition.

poundstone is a strong SOB in training...AND PROVED IT IN COMPETITION!

why is it that proving yourself in competition matter right? it puts u in battle with other competitors who are out to do the same. it forces you outside of your comfort zone and backs you into a corner where u have one of two things to do...you can puss out or man up. there is no OPTION C motherfucker. proving yourself lifts the veils of delusion from your eyes and reveals the truth in battle about yourself and forces u to cower silently or rise up and grow. question is who are u proving yourself to? yourself. period. that's all that matters and by the way, you can't prove yourself in the gym. that's just where u fuckin train...where u put in work. you don't fuckin get credit for doin something your already supposed to be doin. there is a fuckin reason why powerlifters, bodybuilders, fighters, and strongman competitors aren't called as such til they do a competition and prove themselves to be so at EVERY competition...kinda like being knighted. i had a friend that called himself a powerlifter just cause he trained with me. i told him he wasn't deserving of that title til he did a meet. and i was serious. gladiators couldn't call themselves gladiators unless they fought in the arena. its the truth. u want such a title? u gotta bleed and sweat for it. otherwise you would insult those who bleed and sweat for greatness in their sport to be called as such. either that or call your mommie and have her tell you...i'm pretty sure she could do that.

bottom line...proving yourself pushes you beyond your comfort zone and forces you to step your game up. you constantly demand more from yourself every training session...and every competition. you wanna be called a badass? gotta fuckin prove it in the toughest..harshest conditions...competition. not the fuckin gym where everyone is a champion but didn't bleed for it. if that was the case...then everyone would call themselves a UFC fighter in training. they fuckin got the title as such when they fought in the octagon. period. and every fight after that they have to prove that they are a UFC fighter. wanna be called a champion? guess what motherfucker...you gotta earn the title first and once u earn it you have to prove your a champion over and over again. that's what the mindset of a warrior would do cause they are hungry for more and never satisfied. period. otherwise your just a douchebag wannabe who don't want to push themselves cause they are a scared of a little blood. when your up against the best and toughest competition it damn sure pushes u to a whole new level...one that can't be reached by solely training in the fuckin gym.

captain kirk proved he was a world class lifter at every meet...not JUST in training

don't live in a damn delusion with your ego. if u bench 500 in the gym. prove it in competition. make it legit. if you have a good physique...prove it in competition. BE legit. if your a solid fighter in training...PROVE IT by being legit. world is full of fuckin posers so put your ass to the fire and see if u burn. that's what competition partly is...proving yourself. i'll give kimbo slice credit...he showed that he was a badass on the youtube vids...and then stepped up and went into the UFC and just won a boxing match recently. say what u want...he proved he was legit and not fake. prove yourself in battle. its that simple. train like a madman and prove it when the battle comes. PROVE that your different and separate from the other gymrats and posers and that your aiming to be something great. PROVE that you have a warriors' mindset. PROVE that your not just another fuckin lifter. PROVE that your legit...PROVE IT to yourself or get the fuck out now. pussies aren't allowed and neither are posers. prove yourself that your a badass.

so shut your ass up and DO somethin!
TB

Garrett GUNZ Griffin 1640 raw total at 198...the meaning of being the warrior...not the champion

PR or ER...literally...

jamie lewis of chaosandpain.blogspot.com

my bro, jamie lewis, started something that really we should of been doin the entire time. and hell it works..just smashed the 181 all-time raw total. so there's something to it.. too many lifters wait for the perfect day...ya know...

...when the grass is green...the wind is blowing east...the birds are chirping...their girl is ovulatin...you've eaten your favorite meal...the weather is perfect...and they feel 100% and fired up to hit a few PRs...just cause they are ready.

are u fuckin serious?!? every session..u should aim for a PR..one way or another. i always go for PRs...singles...doubles...triples...hell 10 reps..fuck it. its a PR. the reason for this is that you get psyched out or mindfucked when u do them every now and again. the iron always wins. when u do them all the time...u build confidence and your hunger grows so that in competition its not a mental thing..just another day at the fuckin office where the only thing on the agenda is hitting a PR! u should be out for a mission every session. pushing yourself to get a PR. fuck, u should be kicking and scratching for EVERY PR either by reps or by weight. no excuses. strap on your cock and man up!

kaz went after PRs in training...in competition..he fuckin did the same

waiting for a PR?! are u fuckin kidding me. get hungry mafucker. ur already LOSING and not WINNING. you've mentally already told yourself your not ready for that PR. that's the same your not ready for war..but who the fuck is. warriors are rarely 100% goin into battle and neither should your ass unless your a demigod. kick ass and take name every session. PRs means that your gettin stronger in every way possible...by weight or by reps. PRs is always a gauge of progress...so when u go into competition..u won't settle for anything less than PR cause your expectations would be greater...and your not goin to be mindfucked at attempting a weight. just another fuckin day at work. just do work. alot of us want to go into a competition bein 100% but that's NEVER goin to be the case 9 times out of 10...don't treat PRs the same way. if your sick...your girlfriend broke up with ya..lost your job...so what? go and kick a PRs ass. never be satisfied and go for that PR..BY ANY MEANS..if u miss a single..go for a rep PR...or vice versa. by doin this...your always want more than the fuckin norm in competition...every session becomes war and just winning is no longer THE expectation your goin for...and you'll bleed less in competition.

doug young went after PRs in training...he went after then in competition...even injured.

so quit waiting around for the perfect day to hit a PR. man up and go into training and hit a PR...so when competition day comes...your mentally ready to hit one regardless of how u feel mentally or physically...if u don't..your wasting your time training...cause goin after records/titles aren't goin to be easy if your up against REAL competition. your competition isn't goin to wait around for you to be on top of your game come the day of the show...they are comin to kick your ass..so your ass has two choices...one you can bend over and get ass-raped and whine like a little school girl or two..you can remove your head out of your ass..MAN UP...and bring the fuckin pain. treat PRs as such. such insanity should be embraced..not avoided.

TRAIN insane. FEAR no PR. BE stronger.
TB

be the warrior...not the champion

even the RED HULK went after EVERYONE...and kicked ass doin it!

"champions go for the win...warriors go for the kill"


think about that for a second. cause its true. too many lifters today go for "just" the win just so they can queak by. to me, if u have toe queak by...u didn't do shit. a friend of mine posted something on FB that got my attention. he mentioned how there is a champion/title for every weight class. to him this was odd simply cause he does strongman where there were very few titles given..u have to bleed and sweat for yours. and then of course that person would brag about beating 1-2 people in their class or give themselves titles like "drug-free champion at 308"...what the fuck ever. this gives them the unfair expectation that they are good when the competition wasn't at a satisfiable level. if u have to give yourself a title..your in it for the wrong reason. your just playing a fuckin game. you play games to win. fuck that. i got enough trophies to know that's all they are..trophies. i know i have a shitload of work to do to get to where i want to be..and gettin another fuckin trophy or title won't do it. i'm willing to fuckin bleed and sweat and bleed some more for mine.

chad didn't waste his time unless it was against the strongest and the best!

a good friend(big brother) chad aichs thrived on competing with the best in the world. period. anything less than that was a waste of his time(not in those words). why? shit..how can u push yourself to the next level if your not competing with the best or the strongest. this is one thing i'll give to bodybuilding...there is only one mr.olympia....one 212 mr. olympia...period. if your a pro bodybuilder...that's what your expected to do. unfortunately in powerlifting...there are weight classes. now don't get me wrong...in the stories that jon grove told me...were of meets where it was blood and sweat just to be victor at the end of the day. where you had to push yourself beyond what your capable of or thought u could do and fuck, why not? that's why u go to competition...to be pushed to the next level. i loved those stories he told me cause that was what powerlifting should be. now u have a fuckload of organizations...where there is a world champion in every one...but never in the same place...why? cause they would be complacent. even worse...you have guys losing 40-80lbs just to get into a weight class. why? cause they were pussies that were afraid to be ass-raped by competition that is greater than them. period. fear makes u do funny things at times.

was RED HULK a psycho? yea. did he give a fuck? NO!

your competition should always fear you...when u dominate...u only grow stronger for the next battle..when ur defeated...it will make u hungrier...so its a lose-lose for them...cause you always be hungrier and stronger than before.
..truly what it means to be a nightmare...no matter what u do..it only gets scarier...

so what are u scared of something? shit. that should light a fire under your ass to push harder. let that shit drive u psycho. grab your cock..man up and get ready for war. nuthin else or less than should fuckin satisfy you. NEVER. no title is well deserved unless there was blood and sweat involved. otherwise your just a fuckin paper champion. should u worry about your competition? fuck yea u should. they are bringing war to you...u better be ready to bring hell in return. period. u afraid of blood..sweat? do me a favor...go your mommie and tell her your fuckin fears and she'll tell ya "you'll always be #1 in my eyes"..see if that makes u feel better. otherwise..roll up your sleeves and get fuckin ready to bleed...or be ready MAKE someone bleed.

" You feel pressure? You are afraid that you might fail and lose the contest? You gutless bastard! You have two choices. You can either quit bodybuilding and take up golf, or you can fly back to New York and pick up your balls where you left them and train for the show with me!"- steve michalik

what i'm gettin at is BE THE WARRIOR. don't settle on a title. ed coan never did. he fuckin dominated several weight classes and set REAL records...u know...the all-time world records. those are the ones that fuckin matter. when u win a championship..it should be up against the best...and if it isn't...time to do another one. when its easily obvious that your dominant in a weight class..move up or move down...challenge yourself. again..ed coan went up SEVERAL fuckin weight classes and dominated every one he was in. that's how it should be. none of this "cutting" 50lb just to get another fuckin title. shit makes me sick. its like lifters today come to meets forgettin their fuckin cocks in their wife's vagina and then whine when someone takes their heart and eat it. remember rocky 3? rocky wasn't competing with the best...and when he did..he had his ass handed to him. don't wait for a clubber lang to hand you your ass-whooping.

ed coan...dominated every weight class he was in

in strongman u have to fight and fight and fuckin fight again just to get a placing. why? there wasn't no weight classes..just divisions...it would be awesome to see a featherweight...lightweight...middleweight...heavyweight...and super-heavyweight classes in powerlifting again like the WPO days...and the winners of those classes would qualify for best lifter(or overall) according to who put up the most pound for pound. but you won't see that shit. why? a lot of lifters' pussies would get hurt if they have to compete with other lifters in other classes. why not? strongman and bodybuilding have done it and apparently it worked in WPO. there was no question who the champion was...or for that matter..who the best was.

He stood before him..arrogant and strong. He looks into his eyes and an overwhelming rush of fear came over him. He sweats. He questions himself as a man. His heart for battle is gone. Why? Because he saw the killer instinct & hunger of a warrior.

for now...be the warrior. challenge yourself. push yourself to the next level always...never settle on a title. when u walk into a competiton...u should always fuckin prove yourself why your the caliber lifter u are. if your not proving yourself...your playin games. u want to play games..take up checkers motherfucker. the road warriors won every tag title in every wrestling organization. domination. period. and they proved it OVER AND OVER again. no prob. let that be motivation. fuckin hunt down the competition if u have to and find where they compete at. get fuckin psycho about it...think about it..there is someone out there that's training to be stronger than you...and you won't stop til you unearth his ass and destroy him in competition!! will u be hated? of course u will...cause nobody like someone who goes against the norm and just wants to be best and the strongest no matter what. every competition should be a war. literally. and u have to be warrior and go for the kill. fuck the win. if u go for the win..your playing games..period. i'll leave u with this last quote...

"to become unstoppable you have to always challenge yourself to becoming the strongest...how do you do that? by facing the strongest..its not how many victories or losses...its how many of them made you stronger.."

captain kirk went for the kill every meet he did...and the shirt should warn u..

go for the kill...
TB

its 11:11pm on 11.11.11...what the fuck are u doin?

''If you are not in 100% get the fuck out now.''- Andrew ''Machine'' Giordonello




its back mafuckers...glad your up this late to come to my new blog. i'll be posting up my thoughts here as well as my training method. of course new vids of some iron brutality across the net as well as some from me. before we go further let me tell you that i'm a powerlifter...thru and thru...i have bodybuilder tendencies. so what! i do a lot of crazy shit in the gym...even shit powerlifters' shouldn't do(and there's a list). i don't conform to norm of either sport nor no one and believe to be a game changer u have to set your own rules. i don't believe in limits and believe that every weakness should be trained. i train balls to the wall..literally little no rest..hard and heavy...fuckin works and its not for the lazy. i'm psycho about the iron. its all i do. when i fail. i man up..and fix it. when i succeed, i become hungrier. I HAVE A MISSION..to be a living and walkin fuckin nightmare in both sports. plain and simple. to be a fuckin nightmare..u gotta do scary shit..shit no one else have the fuckin balls to do and do that..u have to have a killer instinct to go into battle and wage war 24-7 again the iron...against your competition. this shit isn't game to me...its my fuckin life. i don't play to win...i fuckin go for the kill for that's what true warriors...berserkers fuckin do.

so if your down for that..stick around. if not..get out...get out NOW!
welcome to the world of chaotic brutality...
TB

bodybuilding...the REAL offseason!

i've seen this a lot lately..guys that would prep for shows goin in as lean as they can only to appear smaller than their competition on the day of the show or go into "lean" bulk so they can see their abs more. i don't claim to be an expert on bodybuilding just seeing from what i've experienced from others first hand but to me as it has always fuckin been...you try to put on as much muscle as u can in the offseason(not lettin the bf get above 12%)and then dieting(not cutting) down to your contest weight and showcasing that hard earned offseason muscle mass onstage. i've been to 3 shows and i've seen guys onstage that look like they should be on mtv's spring break body contest. they trained for the fuckin beach...not to be a bodybuilder. you can't put muscle on if your under 10% BF...it hasn't been done that way...and the pros do it the way its always been done cause it fuckin works. yes. there is a balance u have to have depending on your metabolism. there are some that can't let it get ahead of them but most likely they know their metabolism better. but i've seen guys literally go up to their "usual" offseason weight and down to their "usual" competition weight and not make a fuckin difference in their physique.

lesson here...
#1 don't reinvent the wheel. in the offseason..add the muscle mass..don't let the bf get above 12%...moderate it by cardio and not letting your diet go to shit. its a balance u have to achieve to where addin 5-10lbs of new muscle can make a huge difference onstage. to me the more muscle u have..the easier it becomes to diet for the show cause the amount of muscle will cause the metabolism to move faster...hence the dieting process will be much smoother. this i've seen myself thru friends of mine that competed.

#2...its all about progress. you should be making gains every year if your training your ass off at all and dieting...your strength should be goin up...not like a powerlifter but still be going up..that indicates additional muscle mass. if u step onstage and look the same as u did last year...u didn't do shit but wast a year. period. will your strength suffer? that's debatable. though the two friends i know that dieted down for their show kept gettin stronger...so though its debatable...ITS POSSIBLE to be still gettin stronger while dieting. this i've seen. bodybuilding isn't about showing your damn six pack or eight pack..its about showing the amount of muscle you have as well as symmetry, conditioning, and definition.

#3...compete in shows where your bein pushed harder to be better. too many times i've seen guys win shows that look the same as they did the year before simply cause the competition didn't change...its always that one competitor that comes onstage and blows out everyone cause the competition was so far behind. step it up. so what u get 3rd place? let it make u hungrier to that first next time...

this way has worked for years..its called BODYBUILDING...emphasis on the 2nd part...building muscle. this isn't a fuckin body contest which the guy with the eight pack wins. BODYBUILDING is a sport of freaks and monsters...not pretty boys. people expect to see amazing amount of nastiness onstage in muscle mass, symmetry, and definition. so get your shit together...do it right. do it big and nasty or take your ass to the beach.

do it the way its always been done..cause the pros know...it still works.
TB

ChAoS & PAIN: Hail To The King #2- First You Wanna Kill Me, Now ...

ChAoS & PAIN: Hail To The King #2- First You Wanna Kill Me, Now ...: The Background In the aftermath of last year's foray into powerlifting, I found myself more or less crippled. My IT band in my right le...

"the chaos principle"

this is how i been training. best of both worlds really..if u like a cross between dorian yates/branch warren/doug young..keep reading.


how i approach this is this...i try every session to keep my body off balance as much as possible. this is how...these are the rules i follow when i think of doing a movement and/or session


1. when the weight goes up...the reps go up
2. when the weigh goes down...the reps go up
3. when u progressively increase weight...go to failure every set
4. if u do a "drop" set...juggle the weight every set...go to failure..doin a progressive drop(ie...200--150--180---120) OR...increase the weight slowly...and go to failure...do the opposite!!
5. when the weight stays the same...the reps increase every set
6. after your work sets...u perform an all out set...to failure...rest pause if necessary.
7. if u do a rest pause set...perform it HIT style and to failure
8. perform a pre-exhaust HIT set before doing a compound movement
9. perform maximum number of singles or doubles of a compound movement...then following it up with rest pause reps with a weight slightly less than what u were using for the doubles/singles. see below.
10. when performing sets...rest is minimal...under a 1 min(compound movements...under 2 min).
11. when the reps stay the same...juggle the bar weight
12. when the reps go up...juggle the bar weight
13. do a pre-exhaust set before doin your heavy or work set(compound movements only)
14. change the order of your movements...where the compound movement isn't first nor 2nd...
15. do an all-out heavy set to fail...follow it up with a HIT RP set with a weight slightly less than what u were working with.

as you can see...there are "opposites"...things that u normally do...you pretty much do in reverse. i try to think of it in that manner. we are all well trained athletes and used to a set numbers of reps, sets, and weight...our bodies and our minds "mentally" know this and puts up "barriers". this "chaos principle" literally throws chaos INTO your training. a lot of what i do is pre-exhaust my top end strength...so that when doin rest pause reps...i'm working a lot harder cause half of my strength is already gone. under those conditions...your getting bigger and stronger. i also switch up cadences...explosive or slow...working both fast and slow twitch fibers and time under tension and confusing the shit out of your body in the process. give these a shot when u train...just simple rules..i try not to make it too confusing...but it makes your sessions fun as hell too!!



reverse rep loading
this is working up to a NEAR max weight...then backing down and doing CST-8. example
495x1....405x12...
BIG 3- 1RM
others- 2RM

F5

this is doin a superset of two movements(u can do 3) and doin the following:
- 5 sets per movement
- weight goes up every set
- all reps to failure
- all reps slow and controlled

F3
this is doin a superset of 3 movements
- 3 sets per movement
- weight goes up every set
- all reps to failure
- all reps slow and controlled


CST-8
this is doing 3-4 sets.. one of two ways...
1- going to fail every set but the weight goes up
2- going to fail every set but the weight stays the same...
and then u can follow it up with drop sets..

2x2/2x3/5+

this is done doin 2 sets of 2 first with 1-2min rest and then doin 2x3 with the same rest...these first four sets are done back to back just about...2 min rest and then with the SAME weight used on the previous sets...go to FAILURE...but mininum of reps to achieve must be 5...so more than 5 but failure..if u fail before 5 reps..u used too much weight...if u easily get over 10..the weight u used was too light...there are other combos u can do like this...LIKE...2x3/2x5/8+; 2x5/2x8/10+...2x10/2x20/30+...etc...best way to literally KILL it in 5 sets with mininum rest and balls to the wall...

juggled drop set

this is done ONE way. lets say your doin a drop set after db shoulder presses...like 50s down to 20s...here's how this one is done...and its bit more HIGH intense and the pumps are insane!! 20s...40s...30s...50s...all to failure...keep in mind..i do this cause most of us...being well trained...are used to dropping weight and reps on drop sets...this kicks you in the ass cause your confusing the shit out of your body thinkin one way and you doin another...now there is another way you can do this if your wanting to work down in weight...u would do this...40s...20s...50s...30s...

heavy triple plus w/ REST-PAUSE

this one i use mostly for the big 3. work up to what u would normally do a triple with...but the goal here is to overshoot that triple by 1-2 reps...when u do..add weight the next session and do it again. then back the weight down to something u would do for 8 reps...and do a total of 15+ REST PAUSE reps...meaning overshoot 15 reps within 3 mini sets.

BF REST PAUSE/DROP SETS

beyond failure using rest pause technique : Warm up to a weight you can do around 6 to 8 reps maximum. Do your max reps (6-, then take 10 seconds of rest, do your maximum again (3-4), then take another 10 sec onds and and bust a couple more (1-3 reps)….
follow it up with 3 drop sets..juggled


suicides

i don't know what else to call these...lol...but usually done with some machine movement like pec dec, leg extensions..etc...and inspired by FST-7...its still 7 sets total...and the weight remains the same...the reps change every 2 sets with the final set bein a repout. so u start with 2x10...then 2x12...2x15...and finish with a repout on the final set. there is only 30 sec rest between the 2 sets...stretch after the 2nd set before the reps go up. so you'll be stretchin 4 times thruout this. you increase the weight when u manage to overshoot the what u did on the 6th set by 20 reps...other combos can be done like this...2x15; 2x20; 2x25; fail...etc...this is what i had to do when i ran out of weight to use on leg extensions...lol...but my quads had an insane pump from this cause of the limited amount of rest between sets...

from my brother, larry baker
Suicide Shock Sets- Chest Cable flys (from the top, around the tree motion ) 10 sets of 10, every 3 sets go up weight, last few sets should be cheating and grinding the muscle out. On the last set I dropped to the first weight I did and did a set of 20. I also did another "SSS" but with the cables come straight down like you are coming down lateral and flex the chest. Shit was hella fun and I had some double d's when I got done lol well not really lol



BULGARIAN 513
again..didn't know what else to call this...but i did this for a while with several rep variations...you juggle both weight and reps progressing upward. you find that even though u might be fatigued...your hitting whatever max weight u can hit for that day...here's how it goes 2x5; 1x1; 2x3; 1x1; 1x1; 2x5 here's an idea for a squat day 405-2x5; 500x1; 455-2x3; 520x1; 545x1; 455-2x5 another rep varation if u wanted to do more rep work than singles... 2x5; 1x1; 2x3; 1x1; 2x5; 2x3 but u get the idea on the weights...the progressively go up throughout the sets...

HIT overload
this is performing 3 sets to failure doing HIT and progressing up in weight every set...simple. u can follow these with HIT drop sets or add in forced or negative reps.

beyond failure HIT DC(HRP)
this is doing DC reps (10+ reps total) HIT style.

CST failure
2-3 sets...weight stays the same
going up in reps every set til u hit 5 or lower in reps



CST reverse drop
this is doing the following...
315-225-135-225-275
all to fail.

CST-5
this is doing the first set over 15 reps. 2nd set is doing HIT style to over 5 reps...back the weight down. then doing 3 sets...with the weight going up every set doing over 8 reps til u get barely 8 reps on your final set.

another variation
1-2x5(H) 2x8; 3 drop sets to fail


juggled countdown
1x2; 1x6; 1x4; 1x5; 1x3
weights is also juggled...progressing up


give this a shot and let me know how they work for ya....TB

ALL TIME WORLD RECORD BENCH PRESS 242 class (Jeremy Hoornstra presses 61...

Power Frenzy-SMD.wmv

this is my bro jamie lewis..just totaled 1625 raw at 181...just watch below...its sick and this has my blood boilin and ready to annhilate the iron..visit his blog at http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com
TB

Deadlift 700 Beltless squat 500 x 6 PR

my brothers..jeremy and jordan hines...sick and twisted psychotic training right here...NO RULES...NO LIMITATIONS...NO WEAKNESSES!
TB

Markus Rühl - Training Chest/Brust

Branch Warren/David Jacobs Chest & Shoulders

this was one of the most hardcore sessions i've seen and this was an oldie from the past. no fuckin rules...no fuckin set session...just bangin weights and stackin plates!
TB

tHe fReAk fAcToR- cAnNiBaLs(final)

eye of the wolf

he walked alone alot. he didn't need anyone at his side. he was well versed in huntin on his own. he left his previous pack simply cause he felt he was superior than them all...he was praised a lot for bein the strongest amongst them and now he seeked the strongest pack. he traveled to a new area where fellow wolves were supposed to be. the young wolf walked into the wolf's den and saw the eyes of hungry wolves...staring at him as if he was their next meal. it didn't bother him one bit. he walked as if their hungry eyes...the pulsating breaths didn't bother him. and it didn't. the elder wolf greeted him. he asked him if he was lost. the young wolf told him that he was lookin to be in the best pack of them all. all the other wolves stared once more...this time...it was fury fused with their hunger. who the hell did he think he was thinkin he belonged in THEIR DEN?! the elder wolf told him that he didn't have "it" to be apart of this pack. the young wolf was enraged. who the hell did this old fucker know about him? the elder wolf told him that he had to earn his way into this pack and it wasn't goin to be easy cause he didn't have what the elder called "the eye of the wolf". the young wolf was determined to be superior and bold and show who's the strongest of the pack. then the leader of the pack emerged. he presented himself as such and told him that he defintely DIDN'T HAVE but was more than welcome to prove him wrong...if he did..he would step down as leader of the pack. the elder didn't say anything as he knew the young wolf's pride would teach him a valuable lesson.

the leader was headed out to the wild...the young wolf explained that he was unexpectedly ready to do now. the leader mentioned that you can't wait for the perfect day...or be 100% to hunt. you have to be ready to hunt regardless..if your not ready...your not strong. the young wolf "wolfed up" and followed the leader. as they were in the wild..the leader was keepin a fast but hungry pace while the young wolf was keeping up...but wasn't expecting the leader to be this fast. they stopped. they see two other wolves in the wild...two the leader had seen that had hunted down one of his own brothers. one of which was bleedin. the young wolf mentions that he doesn't see any reason to hunt other wolves. the leader didn't hear him. he was full of fury and was willin to kill for his brothers and more importantly...for food. the young wolf cries again..about goin else where and takin some sheep. the leader is infuriated. he mentions...u want trophies of sheep...go right ahead. go fuck some sheep. they are meaningless food. only the strong survive here and they are the strong...i want their asses for dinner. u want to waste time fuckin around...leave now or the next meal will be your ass and the leader made his move on the wolves. the young wolf was witnessed to something he hadn't seen...pure hunger and killer instinct as the leader took on two strong wolves...by himself. the young wolf watched in awe and intimidation. the fight wasn't that long...the leader was fast and furiously stronger than both wolves combined. when the leader was finished...he gave a stare to the young wolf that petrified him. it seemed like forever...then the leader told him...you want to be the strongest...you have to kill me for it and you don't fuckin have it! then he asked the young wolf what makes him think that NOW he's stronger than him. the young wolf looks in down in doubt. the leader mentions u just showed your weakness. if i was your enemy..your ass would be grass and i would be the lawnmower. then the leader commences to gettin food and fangs for his brothers.

the two returned to the den...the young wolf was changed as the leader was praised for takin out the strongest wolves of another pack. the elder was proud as their pack had the most fangs ever. every member of the pack had a fang or two...the leader..had many. it was sign of respect...it was sign of how hungry they were. they were deserving to be in the pack. the young wolf was humbled. very. he underestimated how hungry the pack was..nor how hungry the other wolves..he also realized that he wasn't hungry enough. that there was another level to this that he didn't realize. all he did was bullied other younger wolves to show his dominance. when he asked the elder how do i get the "eye of the wolf"...the elder mentioned him these words..."primal resolve...its when the killer instinct combined with violent intentions creates the unshakable resolve to be the strongest when bein strong and the hunger to be stronger is all you got"...the elder told him is "strength" all you have left? the elder sends out the young wolf...alone...the elder says when he returns...he'll have the "eye of the wolf"....as the young wolf walked into the wild miles from the den...he is greeted by another pack of wolves...all ready to kill...why? they smelled the blood of their own on the young wolf...the young wolf prepared himself as they surround him...getting closer...and closer...14 days later of hell...the young wolf returns...the pack still looks at him with same killer hunger...now the young wolf looks back with the same glare in his eyes...

the moral of this story is...a competitors' edge...primal resolve...only appears in battle...its after that battle when that hunger arises greater than before. when u think you know it all...that you have "it"..someone else shows you...you got work to do. when u walk into battle...you might as well be walkin into the wolf's den...everyone wants the same thing...question is...who's hungry enough to want it?! you must always have the eye of the wolf...and its not something you can gain from bein in the gym...its not found there. its found in battle. egos are put the rest there. resolves are hardened or broken. its where you earn the title of a fighter...a bodybuilder...a powerlifter...a strongman...a warrior of the iron...a pure villian amongst sheep...always hungry...never satisfied...

so...do you have "it"?
TB

Rest Pause Training for Powerlifting Version 3: 06/30/11 by Shawn “Future” Béllon

Dedicated to Wes aka Ironaddict:

I love and miss you. I hope you are proud of how I am living as a man and loving all sentient beings.

Rest in peace...

Intro:

The article is for the raw powerlifter. Nothing against guys that use equipment but I am just not experienced to talk about that which I do not know. I barely can tie my own shoes some days.

I have competed in powerlifting and bodybuilding. I have over 25 years in the gym and I am currently only 38 years old. I am a certified trainer and strength coach. I am a nationally ranked powerlifter and one of the strongest RAW lifters in the country. Just to put your mind at ease I am also CPR and First Aid certified. Additionally, I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
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I remember my powerlifting coach, Ernie “The Iron Shiek” Fleischer(USPF Masters Champion), when I was 16 having me do heavy singles on the bench press. I would wait 10 seconds between each rep. I asked him what we were doing on the 3rdset. He stated in his raspy voice, “Rest pauses!” It was a different type of training.

Let me say that these are not my ideas. I simply adapt and adopt what works for me. My exposure to training styles, like using rest pausing, was the tip of the ice berg...but this TITANIC “ain't” sinking! I was very intrigued by the writings of Dogg Crapp, mostly because there was a lot of respect given to powerlifters which is not always the norm in a slightly rift driven genre of strength and muscle building. Yes, Dante had a lot of respect for powerlifting and that Pavlovian buzz word REST PAUSE was being tossed around. I was hooked. I then started dabbling in Dogg Crapp training (DC training or DCT); around the same time I joined the websiteIntensemuscle.comback in 2004. Check out their website to read on actual Dogg Crapp training in the Dogg Pound. Scott Stevenson is endorsed to train clients with the Dogg Crapp style. You can talk to him online at www.scottstevensonphd.com as well.Tell 'em Future sent ya!

Drew Baye of High Intensity Training shared this about rest pause training:

“Peary Rader wrote about rest pause training in 1946 in one of his Iron Man training courses, The Rader Master Bodybuilding and Weight Gaining System, and Bob Hoffman wrote about a method of rest pause he called Muscle Contraction with Measured Movement in 1962 in his Functional Isometric Contraction – Advanced Course. There have been numerous variations since then, some of the most popular being the 20 rep breathing squats popularized by Randall Strossen in his book Super Squats, Mike Mentzer’s version from High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way.”

I have always stated, regarding health and fitness, that concepts that stand the test of time are the ones you should seriously consider using in your diet and training. I thought Ernie was just a crazy man who liked to smoke and bench at the same time, and yet he used this concept of the rest pause...and Ernie was very strong. Years later these guys with arms the size of my head (and my melon is huge...and no melon does not rhyme with my last name) used rest pause training to get freaky big. So if guys back around WW2 were rest pausing, my coach used it, freaks from another planet on Intensemuscle.com used it...well heck!..count me in!

I have been the most successful with my own mass gains while gaining strength through using DCT concepts. I wanted to take some of the ideas that I have learned from Dogg Crapp, 5/3/1, Juggernaut, Westside and Waterbury Method and even HIT to put together a training program that would get me strong, work on hypertrophy and still allow me to recover. So I focus on low volume, high intensity, exercise rotations emphasizing powerlifting movements to reach my goals.

You will notice that I use many “I” references in this article. Well, hey, I am writing from my own experiences as a lifter. Training should be more about what you need than a template...even the one I share in this very article. If you need structure to get yourself started, by all means, use a template but be flexible and self assess. Use concepts that fit your goals! Louie Simmons pushed this idea hard with the conjugate method to work on your weaknesses. DCT, talks likewise, about dumping exercises when you no longer progress. 5/3/1 is open to use whatever lift as your focus in training to grow. There really are less rules in training and a lot more general concepts to consider for your successes and failures.

What We Want:

First, powerlifters want a bigger total, period. This is the essence of why we compete. If we don't PR at a meet in some way, we feel a little bit like we failed; so we want to increase our totals. Second, we emphasize the compound lifts that we compete in. No matter what your training history, it is always about a pressing movement, pulling movement and squatting movement. Personally, I think Westside Barbell has some great ideas but in too many ways has overcomplicated things, especially for a raw lifter. I am a firm believer that if you want to get stronger in the “LIFTS” you need to practice. Next, yes, I recognize the BIG THREE as “LIFTS” because they are all that matter. You wanna focus on all the crossfit, MMA, get faster, clean and jerk, kettlebell stuff...YOU FAIL! You wanna be that guy that wants to be 220, bench 400 lbs, run a 4.3 forty and dunk a basketball while wearing your stupid physique board shorts in 3% bodyfat...YOU FAIL! Do I sound biased? Maybe. Powerlifting, despite all the feds, equipment issues, egos and divisiveness is still the STRONGEST SPORT ALIVE! Some of my best relationships have been established through powerlifting meets. Finally, the new breed of powerlifters tends to be much more well rounded as an athlete. Yes, you can do crossfit and be a great powerlifter...despite my teasing a few lines up. It's just about balance and focus.

Powerlifters today want to work on speed, flexibility, active recovery and general physical preparedness (GPP which means just be in better overall shape) along with being intelligent about their nutrition, supplementation and overall health. Many of us have watched or read of great powerlifters passing away too soon.

“Ok, Bellon, shut it! Tell us about what you are thinking.” Yeah, maybe I should just be getting into the meat of the programming. Again these are concepts that are flexible and can be self assessed to adjust in your training.

The Programming:

Like many lifters, I have been really impressed with 5/3/1 and Juggernaut from Wendler and Smith respectively. These are great systems that are solid, flexible and proven so I would certainly use some of the ideas from them that I have tested with great success.

First, let me share that warm ups are just that. If you are getting fatigued and worn out SOMETHING IS WRONG. ADJUST! Don't derail a session because of simple ink in your log book. If something isn't right, lighten the weight. This might also be a sign that you need to pull the exercise from your rotation, take an immediate deload or assess until the next session because bad sessions do happen. Be detailed in what you log but don't read into everything.

So back to those warm ups...personally, I have never responded better than when Chad Smith, of Juggernaut fame, utilized a better warm up scheme. He has a great e-book that I recommend you check out. Normally, I do about 5-10 minutes of light cardio, stretch (passively), foam roll and do light body movements or calisthenics. Next I move on to my first compound lift for that day. For example, it's pressing day and I am working on my normal close grip benching on the flat bench. My warm ups tend to be like this:

Bar x 20
135x10
225x5
275x3
315x1
WORKSET x ?+?+?

Notice that my warm up reps tend to get cut in half as I work through my sets. These reps are not set in stone but this seems to be an area where I see lifters fail a lot. WARMUPS SHOULD NOT WEAR YOU OUT!

If you notice, the work set has a similar look for those who know about DCT. Yes, I rest pause my final set. I will even consider rest pausing my squat and deadlift as well but the timing gets tweaked. Where standard rest pausing can be 15 controlled breathes (DCT method), I will use about a 25-30 second rest for my big lifts like the squat and deadlift. If you would like to just straight set lifts like the aforementioned, feel free. It can always get risky when taking sets to failure. Get a spotter or two and please be careful.

I want to mention that from your first set with a measly 45 lb bar to the last rep left in your body approach, everything, every set, every rep, as if you were on the platform. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Too many lifters blow it in meets because they screw up their technique and technicalities of the lifting under judging scrutiny. GET MENTAL! Ok, some of you might be, but seriously use these sessions not only to work on your strength but conditioning your mind. Leave no detail out. Does this mean use a belt, knee sleeves or wraps, wrist wraps on every set? I leave that to you but I do not think that is necessary. I will say at least get your belt on the last warm up set before starting your work set on your “LIFTS.”

I recommend using a three-day-a-week rotation using four training sessions.

Monday
Workout A

Wednesday
Workout B

Friday
Workout C

Monday
Workout D

And so on....
So what are the workouts?

Please do notget too rigid with what I am outlining for the training. The focus is your core lift while assistance work is much more flexible. Assistance work can be drop sets, super sets, adding bands and chains, volume, 5x5 or whatever floats your boat. Whatever you decide, make the programming fit your goals.

Here are my example workouts:

Workout A:
Bench Pressing Movement
Assistance Work
1-2 tricep movements (Tate extensions, JM Presses, Pushdowns, Dips)
Pulling movement overhead
Shoulder's supersetting laterals with reverse laterals or face pulls
Abs performed with static holds at the flexed position on every rep for 5 seconds

Workout B:
Deadlifting Movement
Assistance Work
Quad pressing movement (Hacks, Leg Press, Lunges, Walking Lunges, Unilateral Presses)
Posterior Chain (Glute/Ham Raises, Back Extensions, Romanian deadlifts)
Seated Toe Raises
Wood Choppers, Overhead Side Raises or Band Twists

Workout C:
Overhead Pressing or Bench Assistance exercise
Additional Assistance Work
Rowing Movement
Chins or Pullups
Shrugs or Kelso Rows
Rolling Tricep Extensions

Workout D:
Squatting Movement
Assistance Work
High Bar, Manta Ray, Safety Bar or Front Squats
Hamstring Curls
Calf Work
High Rep Ab Work

Assistance work can be done in a rest pause manner or just done in a straight set to failure. Please note that once you get closer to getting ready for a meet you will not training everything to failure. You will also cut back on exercises as well. Please keep this in mind, but for the off-season GAIN SOME MUSCLE, EAT AND LIFT LIKE A TOTAL MONSTER!

Some additional tips:

Work on benching with a shoulder width grip and tucking the elbows as a raw lifter. Your shoulders will thank you.
Squat shoulder width or so while wearing an elevated heal in your shoe. Personally I wear New Balance trail runners.
High rep face pulls have helped my bad shoulders.
Do more back work.
Consider supersetting a pulling movement overhead with a straight bar pulldowns or pullover movement. This really helped my upper back strength when pulling from the floor.
I have found Tate Extensions to be great for my bench press and really like to superset this movement with dumbell JM Presses.
Be creative in your rep scheme. Whether you want to make it a widowmaker, rest pause set or straight set...do something! Really this is just to support what you do with the BIG THREE.

So how do I train my big three anyway?

I scoffed in the past about applying the 90% concept to my training with 5/3/1 and Juggernaut but it does help. I might use 100% getting close to a meet potentially but overall I feel it is smart to use 90% for your maxes in training.

Ok, I gave it away. We will use PERCENTAGE based training.

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
DELOAD
80.00%
85.00%
90.00%
95.00%
40-50%

Example of a squat wave series might be like this:

.90 of max=675

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
DELOAD
540
575
610
640
375

I will be rest pausing my squat or deadlift movements but rest 25-30 secondsbetween my mini sets. The Bulgarians can't be wrong; although this is certainly not recommended for safety purposes in DCT. The time allotted is enough to give a good effort and be safe. Again, BE CAREFUL if you choose to use this intensity technique.Just doing a normal straight set to failure is ok too. I have used this method as a former HITer and of course Wendler and Smith recommend this as well. Make no mistake though, when that work set is up, UNLEASH HELL! I will always wear my belt on my work sets as well and would recommend using a knee sleeves with Kwan Loong oil as well. Scott Stevenson recommended the oil and it really does make a difference for me. I use it before I start my warm up process in training. Consider using a warm and tight t-shirt for pressing sessions as well. Keep those joints warm! Ice after! Always.

By now you are realizing that this really is not rocket science. Sorry guys. I have no magic to share; just a scheme that you can tweak to fit your strengths as a powerlifter while getting stronger...and gaining dense muscle.

Frequency, intensity and type of movements have all been covered. You have a concept of the time duration of the rest pausing: 15 breathes for upper body movements (like what DCT recommends) and roughly 30 seconds for the squat or deadlift movements.

I believe that your rest between sets, especially for your MAIN LIFT, is about feeling ready for the next set. Do not let your overzealousness get the best of you. Be mindful to self assess. I use this concept a lot with people I talk to. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE AT THAT MOMENT, AND ASSESS IF ALL IS GOING TO PLAN. I cannot emphasize this enough. Scribble things out and rewrite numbers on the fly. Do not let what you have written in your log book doom your session. Adjust, adapt and overcome, right?

Do not be afraid to really up the tempo and intensity with assistance work. Hey why not? I love doing supersets with tricep or lat movements. Great pump and really improves my conditioning overall.

Intensity Techniques:

Rest pausing is obviously a gimme technique for being intense and effective. Negatives, static holds, partial movements and/or pulses, walkouts, overloads, strip-downs and supersets are all options to add to your training. I have really fallen in love with using bands in my training as well. In one of my articles, I shared about the concept of overloading the lockout of the movement while being less strenuous in the weaker areas which can keep us healthier. Make no mistakes, bands are tough! Use some chains if you like as well. I have also toyed with using plyometrics. Box jumps with holds at the bottom position can really work on your explosiveness while being a great integrative movement regarding corrective exercise in your training. Find techniques that work for your goals; based on your current conditioning and physical abilities.

OVERTRAINING:
We always want to avoid this. First, set up a base heart rate when you first wake up in the morning for 1-2 weeks. Take the average of your heart rate and now once your training gets going, monitor your heart rate for consistent increases. An increased heart rate can be a tell tale sign that you need to back off or just rest out right. You might find too much rest pausing to be wearing you down. It is possible that an exercise needs to be cut. Do what needs to be done: self assess.
Self myofacial release can be very helpful through use of a foam rolling, pvc pipe, lacrosse ball and other implements. Use these tools. They work out scar tissues, increase circulation and help improve your range of motion. Stretching is key too! Do it. Personally, I think passive stretching is more suited for powerlifting. You can try fascia stretching but proceed with caution. I have started using a tricep stretch with my pvc roller to work on my elbow issues. Hurts, but seems to be working my ROM while getting some scar tissue reshuffled.

Sleep is a must. It is always mind boggling when lifters talk about their training going no where and yet the last variable, sleep, is totally neglected. I don't care how much you need. Everyone tends to be a little different but 8 hours does seem to work well.

We live in a very intense and wound up world. Take some time to relax and meditate. Candles, chanting and funky robes I leave up to you but at least get somewhere quiet, dark and soothing. Just unwind in some solemn silence. Some of my best days are started listening to soft music, sitting on my desk, sipping coffee at 4 am. My day is always better for spending this mental recharging time.

Cardio/Conditioning/GPP:

Not my favorite topic but certainly does have merit. First, don't be afraid to be active and walk to the mail box. You will not overtrain from this...well...I hope not anyway. If so, just close this pdf and walk away right now...which will probably lead to you overtraining as well.

Seriously, I am a firm believer of doing cardio but we have to keep it in the correct context. I like HIIT cardio after lifting; it's fast, effective and works. Sprints on hills, sledge hammer swings, wheel barrel runs, prowler work, sled pulling and sand bag drills are all very popular as well. The crossfit hybrid most likely can just do his or her workout of the day to supplement with the core power “LIFTS.”

You might be tired for the first few weeks but give it time. Keep eating, resting, foam rolling and stretching. You will get in better shape and your recovery overall will improve; except for the “mail box guy” since he is just FUBAR.

I do like the idea of getting my cardio in on the same training day but some gym rats might like to use their off days. See what works for you. Again: self assess.

If you only do one conditioning session to start out, fine! Look, don't be an all or nothing freak. Just work up to things. If anything negatively impacts your CORE LIFT then something needs tweaked. Cool? Does this mean no cardio/conditioning/gpp? Ummm try again. Please refer to the overtraining section. Start simple in your assessment.

Putting it all together:

Below is some of my training that has not been logged so I can share to you here.

Week 1: Session 1: Bench Press
Warm ups: elliptical 5 minutes, pvc roll shoulders and triceps, stretching

Narrow Grip Bench Press
45x20
135x10
185x8
225x4

275x2
315x1
345x12+4+2

Tate Extensions
25x12
35x6
55x10+3+1

Laterals supersetted with blue band face pulls (seated)
20x10
30x5
45x13+2+1 superset Face Pulls 26 reps

Roman Chair Sit Ups
Bwtx10
Bwt+45lbsx16

HIIT CARDIO on exercise bike (5 min warm up, 5 rounds, 5 minute cool down)

Stretch, foam roll, low back mobility work

DONE!

What about my meet?

Am I the only one that laughed at this heading? Where is Beavis and Butthead when you need them? I'm REAL mature I know.


When you are in your last 4-5 weeks for a meet I suggest the following:

Focus on main lifts primarily while decreasing assistance work
Do overloads, walkouts and heavy holds just to start getting the body ready. Two sets of 10 seconds should suffice (these are movements to hold heavy weight in the locked out position).
Add 2-3 sets of heavy singles to condition the body the last couple of weeks but do not go to failure on these.
Drop conditioning training the last few weeks

My last squat session might look like this:

Warm ups: elliptical 5 minutes, pvc roll shoulders and triceps, stretching

Squat
45x20
135x10
225x5
315x3
405x2
495x1
545x1 add belt
640x?+?+?
675x1x2-3
walkouts 780x 10 seconds x 2


Glute/Ham Raises
Bwt x 20

Stretch, foam roll, low back mobility work

DONE!

Nutrition:

I know enough to be dangerous so bear with me. The window around training is key to your recovery so do your research on pre, intra and pwo nutrition.

I love a little stimulant for my pre-workout supplementation. Intra workout I sip on bcaa/eaa and might eat a Pop Tart if my sugar seems low. Post workout is normally just a standard drink. An hour later I will have my first real meal of 60-80 grams of carbs, 60 grams of protein.

Carbs are not evil and they are necessary so don't buy into the keto hype. You do need the carbs. And guess what? You need the fats too! This is not a one or the other cult.

Whether you use a Paleo, Zone, Carb rotation or whatever else is out there please consider your nutrition around your training window.

If you want to look into hiring someone to do your diet, let me suggest Ken “Skip Hill, Scott Stevenson and Shelby Starnes. Ken has some pro athlete experience with his clients and has been at it a long time as a contest prep guy. He has a free DVD that you can view online. It's called “Longevity” and is available at his personal client site www.teamskip.net. Scott is insanely smart and really is a student of alternative medicines, supplementation and Eastern medicine. You can reach at www.scottstevensonphd.com. Shelby is more of a contest prep guy but I don't think there is a person on the planet that doesn't like him. He is a writer for Elite FTS as well. Feel free to contact him as well at: www.shelbystarnes.com.

Supplements:

I have lots to say about supplements but won't. Sorry, but too many guys just live on supplements. I believe in whole foods first...like Pop Tarts. :) Seriously, you need to have a solid eating plan AND THEN add the supplements to your diet. Supplements are not cures for your bad habits in your training. Get your dinner table in order and THEN add in quality supplements.

I have been around a few supplement companies as a consumer and as an insider. Let me say that I totally respect True Protein. They do a lot for the health and fitness community. Dante of True Protein sent me free supplements after my surgery for a hernia just because he didn't want me to lose any muscle. I was not a client of his. He is just that kind of guy.

I work for Maximum Human Performance and have been blessed to be part of a super company. MHP treats me great. Just the other day Steve Downs, a big wig of the company, emailed to ask how my torn calf was doing. He didn't need to do that. He was just seeing how I was coming along. Companies like this are great to support because you experience first hand something that transcends the excellence of their products: excellence of character!


Conclusion:

Yuck! 14 pages! You made it this far. Look, I don't know if you are bored or just want to flame me online...ok maybe that is redundant...but there you have it. I told you it was not rocket science. Just remember to be mindful of:

Increasing your “LIFTS”
Recovery is key
Get conditioned
Don't ignore nutrition around your training window
Self assess!


Thanks! Good lifting and see you on the platform..if my wife lets me.



Shawn Béllon, BS EDU, IFA CPT, NASM CES
Strength Coach
Corrective Exercise Specialist
Performance Enhancement Coach
Wellness Coach

Special Thanks To:

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Tami Bellon – My awesome wife and best friend

Wesley Silveira – RIP bro! I miss you

Dante Trudel – Dogg Crapp and TrueProtein.com

Ken “Skip” Hill – Intensemuscle.com and TeamSkip.net

Scott Stevenson – UBER SMART and lover of sushi;
www.scottstevensonphd.com

Steve Downs – Maximum Human Performance
www.mhpstrong.com

Jim Wendler – 5/3/1 creator

Date Tate – Elite FTS

Louie Simmon – Westside Barbell

Ernie “The Iron Sheik” Fleischer – My first lifting coach

Chad Wesley Smith – Juggernaut Training Systems


Continue reading on Examiner.com Rest Pause Training for Powerlifting - Tucson fitness | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fitness-in-tucson/dogg-crapp-for-powerlifting#ixzz1W1wVgQLe

Secrets of Gaining Maximum Muscle Bulk & Power! By Ken Lain as told to Dennis B. Weis "The Yukon Hercules"

Some time ago I had the pleasure of listening to former world bench press champion Ken Lain talk about the secrets of Gaining Maximum Bulk and Power! He talked about many bodybuilders’ failure to pack on all the muscle weight and power they desire. I then asked him to describe his training strategies, which would land a smashing blow against the somewhat ancient, inefficient and non-effective training methods that some individuals follow. Here is what he told me.
Let me ask you a question: "Are you as a power bodybuilder completely satisfied with the size and power of your muscles?" Before answering that question think it over for a moment. I can tell you, though, that quite a few of the folks, especially the younger ones, who come into my Power Shack Gym here in Abilene, Texas, ask me, "How do I get a massive body?" or "How do I build up a bulky, powerful physique?"
These are the most common appeals for training guidance I hear on an almost day to day basis. These folks tell me practically the same story: "I have tried some of the muscle gaining routines that are published in various mainstream bodybuilding magazines, but I don’t know where to begin." "Sometimes there is so much information that it’s hard to put into practice because the workouts are too long in duration. I don’t have time to use all the exercises and the program overall makes me work too hard."
Well, if y’all are not completely satisfied with your training results so far then I’d like to impart some hints and tips about gaining muscle bulk and power for both the beginner to advanced power bodybuilder. Gaining muscle bulk and power has always fascinated me. To begin with, to gain it you must show a steady profit from your training endeavors. It’s just like my Power Shack Gym business, showing a steady financial profit means that I must spend a little less than I earn and this is the way I build up a healthy monetary reserve. I’d like to mention here that my Power Shack Gym is the actual flagship or very first of many now in existence across the country.
Anyway, to gain the maximum in muscle bulk and power the amount of physical energy you expend in your workouts must be more than offset by the amount of rest and recuperation you get and of course the type of muscle building foods you eat. If you expend more energy and break down more muscle tissue than can be replaced through rest and diet you will show no profit and will naturally fail to gain the muscle mass and power you desperately want and need. There’s another thing also. Muscle mass and power increases during the recovery or rest cycles and not during the workout itself.
Actually, the way I see it, gaining incredible muscle bulk and power can be best expressed as a formula that reads as follows: Genetics + Unlimited Training + Unlimited Intensity + Unlimited Nutrition & Supplements + Unlimited Recovery & Sleep = Maximum Muscle Bulk & Power. As you can see, each factor is a single entity, but when they all become a unified entity (at the same time), they become a tremendous force for influencing immense muscle bulk and power. Your body can’t help but be "primed" to grow, grow, grow with a speed that will surprise you, and your power will become augmented. As well, you can expect your reserve of energy to be amplified as well as numerous other benefits.
I feel that the Maximum Muscle Bulk and Power formula is as nearly a perfect combination as I have ever seen, but only if you acknowledge that the body is a unified entity. Train with this thought in mind and you will make outstanding power bodybuilding gains. In practice, the formula for gaining maximum muscle bulk and power works like this:

Genetics
Genetics plays a major role in gaining maximum muscle bulk and power, but you can improve your physique no matter who you are. While genetics is the main thing, desire and discipline are important as well and that is something that most people don’t have. I’ve personally seen guys in the gym with great genetics who train maybe once or twice a week if that often and when they train, they’re training with their mouth more than they are training with their body. On the other hand, you’ve got guys with sunken chests, shoulders like a pear, and big old wide hips. It’s a shame because while they will never be great as a bodybuilder or power lifter, they have the really awesome desire and discipline. Basically, though, I’d say that about seventy to eighty percent of the people who train can enter a level three bodybuilding contest. The bottom line is that you can improve your maximum muscle bulk and power no matter who you are.

Unlimited Training
In bodybuilding in particular you have the cosmetic illusion, how 'cut' you are, and how the symmetry of the various muscle groups blends in with one another. All of this makes the muscles appear to be bigger. However, the most basic way to gain maximum muscle bulk (and power) in particular is by increasing the size of the muscle fibers themselves. Many people don’t actually train the muscle fibers but instead train the mitochondria and sarcoplasm part of the muscle cells by using really light training poundages all the time and perhaps slow continuous tension reps. This is not the best way to train initially, though it does a little bit for the strength part and gives a big massive pump which many bodybuilders live and die for. They think the pump is what makes the muscles big, but that’s not the case.
The basic way to train for maximum muscle bulk and power is to do a ten week training cycle. I suggest dividing your workouts into a push and pull system. Push days will be on Mondays (Heavy) and Thursdays (Light) and involve the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days are Tuesdays (Heavy) and Fridays (Light). On these training days you will work back and biceps. Leg work can be done on Tuesdays or you can insert an extra training day in your schedule and, say, devote Wednesdays entirely to leg work. Legs will only be trained once per week, though.
On chest, back, and legs do 9 to 10 sets and no more than 12 overall. For the remaining muscle groups do about 6 sets each. That’s what I’d recommend for most people and that’s not counting the specific warm-up sets. Usually, if you do warm-up sets for the chest you won’t have to do any for the shoulders and triceps. Likewise, after training back (especially pull-down movements) you won’t have to do warm-up sets for the biceps. You’ll notice that I have heavy and light training days for the muscle groups. That’s because the body can’t stand or can’t recuperate from two heavy training days per week for the same muscle groups. On the heavy and light days do basically the same exercises, sets, and reps. The difference will have to do with rest intervals and the poundages used. On the heavy days, rest 5-8 minutes between sets and use maximum poundages for majority of your sets. On light training days rest no more than 3 minutes between sets and use no more than eighty percent of the weight that was used on the heavy day of training.
It is this training scheme which blends the bodybuilding with powerlifting for what I call a power-bodybuilder approach to training. Regarding the number of sets, reps, and exercises for the large and small muscle groups, I would suggest doing 3 to 4 exercises (your choice since I don’t know what training equipment you have available) for the large muscle groups (chest, back, and legs) and 2 to 3 exercises for the remaining smaller muscle groups (shoulders, triceps, and biceps). Do 2 to 3 sets per exercise for 6 to 8 reps each. This will depend on the total number of exercises for each muscle group. Do each rep nice and controlled, say 1 second in the positive phase and 1 ½ - 2 seconds in the negative phase. While I did say that you could choose your own exercises for each muscle group, I do suggest that you include the Flat bench press, High lat pulldowns, and the Parallel squat as the very first exercises in the sequence for the particular muscle groups in question. Your sets and reps scheme for these three exercises will deviate somewhat from what I suggested above. I’ll talk about it next.

Unlimited Intensity
It’s my opinion that 90% of the bodybuilders and powerlifters train or do the same thing over and over again. This happens at the professional or world class levels as well. They all get into the same rut, training with the same weights, the same exercises day in and day out. The body, in order for it to grow, you have to constantly change something. You have to change the speed of the movement (rep speed), you’ve got to vary the number of reps you’re doing, or you’ve got to change the amount of weight being used. We as human beings resist change and while we don’t like it, we have to change in order for the body to continue to improve. One of the best mass building cycles that I have used which makes weekly changes in the amount of poundages used and repetition variations is the 10 week Matrix program.
Basically, the Matrix program requires that you add five percent poundage increases to the 3 main sets (after the warm-up sets) while decreasing the number of reps performed by one from a base of 10, each week. By week number 10 you will be doing approximately 10% more poundage than your previous best max effort but for only one rep. As I mentioned previously, this program can be used on the basic exercises such as the Flat bench press, High lat pulldowns, Parallel squats, and Deadlifts if need be. Don’t go crazy trying to use the Matrix program on each and every exercise you do on a push or pull training day. For me personally, I use the Matrix program on the Bench press itself for chest on the push day and that’s it. Here’s how it works. At the beginning of a ten week mass building cycle, let’s say your max was 295 pounds in the bench press. One of the keys to the success of this program is to use 10% more poundage at the end of the 10 week cycle for a one-rep maximum than what you could do previously. In this program it would be 325 pounds (295 lbs. x .10 = 29.5 lbs. 295 + 30 = 325 lbs.). Whenever you are computing poundages by the 10% system and you have an odd poundage (in this case 29.5 lbs.) always take your answer to the nearest five-pound interval. In this case 29.5 lbs. would be moved to 30 lbs., whereas a poundage like 22.1 lbs. would be taken to 20 lbs.
Here’s a ten week Matrix program for increasing a 295 lb. bench press to one of 325 lbs.


10 Week Matrix Program
(Maximum Muscle Bulk and Power System)

WEEK 1:
Monday (Heavy Day) 55% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 10 reps, 175 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 10 w/140 lbs.

WEEK 2:
Monday (Heavy Day) 60% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 9 reps, 190 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 9 w/150 lbs.

WEEK 3:
Monday (Heavy Day) 65% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 8 reps, 205 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 8 w/165 lbs.

WEEK 4:
Monday (Heavy Day) 70% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 7 reps, 220 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 7 w/175 lbs.

WEEK 5:
Monday (Heavy Day) 75% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 6 reps, 235 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 6 w/190 lbs.

WEEK 6:
Monday (Heavy Day) 80% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 3 sets, 5 reps, 250 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 3 x 5 w/200 lbs.

WEEK 7:
Monday (Heavy Day) 85% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 2 sets, 4 reps, 265 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 2 x 4 w/215 lbs.

WEEK 8:
Monday (Heavy Day) 90% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 2 sets, 3 reps, 285 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 2 x 3 w/225 lbs.

WEEK 9:
Monday (Heavy Day) 95% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then 1 set, 2 reps, 300 lbs.
Thursday (Light Day) 80% of heavy day. 1 x 2 w/240 lbs.

WEEK 10:
Wednesday (Personal Record Day) 100% of Projected Max. Do 2-3 light warm-up sets; then first attempt 88-92 ½ Max 1 set, 1 rep, 315 lbs. Second attempt 95-97 ½ Max 1 set, 1 rep, 320 lbs. And finally, a third attempt with 100-102% Max 1 set, 1 rep, 325 lbs.
The heavy weights used in the Matrix program can undeniably take a toll on your body so after the 10 week cycle go into a 4-6 week cycle of high volume training (that is, more reps are done per set). For example, when doing Flat benches on Monday, do 2 sets of 6-8 reps, then 2 sets of 12-15 reps, and finally 2 sets of 25-30 slow continuous tension reps. This is an excellent way to hit all the components of the muscle cell (Fibular, Mitochondria, and Sacroplasm). Each part in itself contributes about 33 ½% to the overall muscle volume size. The remaining chest exercises and those for the other muscle groups should be different than (or a variation of) what was used during the 10 week cycle, and performed in straight set style.
On the Thursday (push) and Friday (pull) training days, stay with the same exercises, sets, and reps (unless otherwise advised) as on the Monday, Tuesday, and optional Wednesday workouts. Rather than reducing the poundages used down to 80% of what was used on the heavy days, you may have to drop down to 65% to begin with because you will be doing super-sets for chest and triceps and tri-sets for the delts. On the back you can do straight sets however. For biceps do one exercise in a double drop fashion, say Standing barbell curl 80 lbs. x 10 reps, 50 lbs. x 15 reps and 30 lbs. x 30 reps. On another biceps movement such as the Dumbbell curl, go down the rack in 20 lb. increases or decreases (depending which way you go) doing all reps to failure. Vigorous super-sets, tri-sets, double drops and down the rack are done basically non-stop until all the required sets for a particular muscle group are accomplished. Initially, after 4-6 weeks of this, map out a new Matrix program and go back to the original exercises used in the previous 10 week cycle. You may not always be able to add 10% for a new projected one-rep max for the Matrix program. Pretty soon there’s going to come a time when 5% will be all that you can add.
However, for the first year or two you will continue to make those 10% gains, which will take a 300-lb. bench presser up to around 400-500 lbs. over a two year period of time, but only if he has the desire or discipline to train consistently. You’ll need the desire and discipline to train consistently especially when you are five to six weeks into the Matrix program and want to give up because it is so brutally hard to get through.

Unlimited Nutrition & Supplements
For a guy who really wants to put on some size and gain some power, he should eat everything he can get his hands on. Eat these foods: All types of cheese; all types of nuts; rich soups and stews; thick gravies; all types of cereals, especially oatmeal (a Ted Arcidi favorite); all Italian dishes; rice pudding prepared with eggs, milk, and seedless raisins; whole wheat bread liberally spread with sweet butter; plenty of potatoes baked in their skins, with butter. One of my favorites is to cut a store bought roll of chocolate chip cookie dough, cut it in half, flatten it out into a giant cookie, and microwave it.
If you want to make unusual progress, start out the day with a big ‘ol breakfast. I might start out with 8 oz. of orange juice and 3 oz. of Familia Swiss Museli mixed cereal, with milk or maybe cooked oatmeal made up with whole milk rather than water. I’ll add a half a cup of raisins or diced dates (sometimes both) and top it off with a ½ cup or dairy cream and a liberal supply of honey. Next I’ll eat a 4 oz. lean beef patty, which is to be eaten with an omelette made of 5 eggs, 2 cups of non-fat dry milk and a 2" x 1" x1" piece of American cheese. For the omelette, beat the eggs, blend in the powdered milk and a bit of liquid milk if needed. Pour this into a hot buttered pan and fry it like a regular omelette with cheese broken into small pieces or melted on top. If I’m still hungry I’ll eat whole wheat toast with it.
Eat plenty of cheese, bananas, unsalted peanuts, all nuts, raisins, dates, fresh figs, potatoes, yams, corn, and beans. It’s better to eat smaller meals every 3-4 hours rather than just 3 large ones. Five 1000 calorie meals are easier to digest and assimilate than three 1500 calorie ones. Never skip a meal when you’re trying to put on maximum bulk. Don’t forget to include plenty of water-packed (sodium free) tuna, fish, and chicken breasts. Also, instead of going the doughnut route at break-times at work, eat yogurt, peanut butter, tiger milk bars, etc., and be sure to include high-calorie blender drinks.
To insure proper nutrition, if you’re consuming the wrong foods take in a quality vitamin & mineral packet each day plus some type of protein supplement. It has been my experience that you can get away with eating "junkier" if you are taking a good regimen of vitamins and supplements throughout the day along with your food intake. I don’t have the space to say more about Unlimited Nutrition & Supplements, but you can be sure that any advice on diet which appears in this magazine is more than worthwhile so don’t be afraid to use the information. Just about every word of it is expert and authoritative.

Unlimited Recovery and Sleep
As I mentioned early on in this article, muscle mass and power increases during the rest cycles and not during the workouts themselves. The way I structured the heavy and light push and pull training days and having Wednesday (optional if you work your legs on a heavy pull day, Tuesday), Saturday, and Sunday for rest will allow your muscles and nervous system to recover completely from the workouts. You must rest completely between workouts and especially on non-training days and get a good night’s sleep each and every night of the week. I suggest a minimum of 8 hours sleep and night and I myself try to get nearly 10 hours.
Few bodybuilders or powerlifters relax enough. In this modern life, with the tempo stepped up so high, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of fast living. I’m not talking about living in the fast lane of night clubs, drinking, and parties every night in the week. Television, movies, and attending sports contests, etc., can keep most folks up later in the evening than is good for them. As a result, they try to sleep a little later in the mornings and from then on out it’s a race against time: rush, rush, rush all day long-nerves on edge, eating fast meals, rushing through a workout (weights feel heavy and the bodybuilder feels shaky and has to push himself to continue). These types of conditions, day after day, are more exhausting than beneficial and no profit will be shown from it. Kick back and slow down your pace. Get to bed early so that you can get up in plenty of time to take care of your morning hygiene and eat a sound breakfast such as the one I described previously. Leave for work or school early enough so you don’t have to rush. Arrange your workouts so that they will fit into your daily routine and you will not have to rush through them. Relax several times a day. Reading is a good way, and I know Ted Arcidi takes a 1 ½ hour nap each afternoon. Get rid of the fast pace. Your body and mind will benefit from this greatly.

Closing Comments By Ken Lain
Follow the advice as I have outlined it and I am sure you all will find the "Secrets of Gaining Maximum Muscle Bulk and Power" easier than you thought. And don’t squat if you’re wearing spurs (ha).