Beyond 5/3/1: Simple Training for Extraordinary Results (23 page)

catch my breath (not really) then hammer out sets of 10 reps. This makes it

easier to mentally handle. It helps greatly if you have someone counting the

reps for you. You will invariably lose count as your mind starts to wander

away from the pain.

Weight Training Overview

Week 1

Monday

• Squat – 5/3/1 sets and reps

• Good Morning or Straight Leg Deadlift – 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps

• Hanging Leg Raises – 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps

Thursday

• Bench Press – 5/3/1 sets and reps

• Press – 5 sets of 10 reps (you choose the weight)

• TBar Rows or DB Rows – 5 sets of 10-15

reps Week 2

Monday

• Deadlift – 5/3/1 sets and reps

• Good Morning or Straight Leg Deadlift – 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps

• Hanging Leg Raise – 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps

Thursday

• Press – 5/3/1 sets and reps

• Bench Press – 5 sets of 10 reps (you choose the weight)

• TBar Rows or DB Rows – 5 sets of 10-15 reps

116

Lifting Notes

This is a six-week program, lifting will be done two times per week. Since

only two exercises are done per week, you will only go through one

5/3/1 cycle in the six week period. In other words, the first two

weeks will be 3 sets of 5 reps. The third and fourth week will be

done with 3 sets of 3 reps and the final two weeks will be the 5/3/1

week.

No substitution of any exercise. You are free to do so but it is no longer the

program.

The “5 sets of 10 reps” of the bench press and press are done with

approximately

50% of your training max. This is just a baseline number and can change.

The

important thing is to push yourself and get the required reps.

Hanging Leg Raises can be done with bent knees or straight legs (or a

combination

of both).

You are welcome to push the last set hard on the 5/3/1 sets – this is up to

you and how you feel for that day. I would recommend you push the sets

hard but always leave 2-3 reps “in the tank”.

Prowler Notes

The Prowler is done for both conditioning and strength. You will

perform six Prowler trips of 40 yards on Wednesday and Saturday. I highly

recommend you WALK when doing the Prowler. The slower work will force

you to use full steps and strengthen your legs.

Pick three weights for the Prowler – heavy, medium and light. For

example, I use the following weights: Heavy – 270 pounds, Medium – 180

pounds, Light – 90 pounds. You will need to adjust these weights for

your strength level, bodyweight and the surface on which you push the

Prowler.

Wednesday – Two trips of 40 yards will be done with each weight; light,

medium and heavy. In my case, I will do two 40-yard walks with 90

pounds, two 40-yard walks with 180 pounds and two 40-yard walks

with 270 pounds.

Saturday – all six trips of 40 yards will be done with the medium weight. For

example, I will do six 40-yard walks with 180 pounds.

No rest periods are given because it doesn’t matter. Get the work in – this is

about

getting the legs stronger. The conditioning will improve.

117

Final Thoughts

If you are unsure about the challenge, I highly recommend taking the next 4

weeks incorporating a few of the 100-rep lifts in your current training and

see how you fair. This will give you some time to get used to the breathing

and the soreness. If you feel you are ready, jump in, don’t just toe the water.

If you make the commitment, I want you to take 36 blank sheets of paper.

On each paper, write down EACH workout. So each workout has its own

page. Write the complete workout you will do each day. Write it, don’t type it.

Writing it gives it personal meaning and realness, something tangible. It

becomes reality. Go get a small, 3-ring binder and put these pages in it. Label

the binder, “100-Rep Challenge”. Now leave your phone in your car or gym bag

– the binder is all you need.

Leave a space at the bottom to make notes – write down what you ate,

how much slept and what you did to improve your recovery for the next

session. Be proactive in all departments. This binder will give you

accountability for all areas of your

training and lets you see what needs improvement and at what you excel. Yes,

this 6 week challenge sucks. But it will teach you about yourself and

you will develop the mental and physical granite that many of us seek from

the iron. Thanks to Paul Carter for his valuable input and friendship – thank

you Paul!

God Luck and Good Speed!

5/3/1 and Rest Pause Training – 6--‐Week Challenge

Like many people, I was introduced to Rest Pause training via Dante Trudell.

Dante Trudell is the creator of Dogg Crapp training (aka DC Training).

Dante’s DC Training has been making waves in the training world and it

shatters a lot of the

bodybuilding dogma. If you are interested in his story, do some research about

how

he created the system and the work he put into it.

I love Rest Pause training ala Dogg Crapp – I think it’s fun because it makes

each exercise count, you keep a log book to record your rep records (and can

chart your progress), you have goals each time you train and you don’t fuck

around in the gym. And I think that when combined with the 5/3/1 program,

you have a unique blend

of size and strength. Actually, I am currently working on developing a

percentage- based system for the rest pause assistance work (for the Kroc rows,

barbell curls and triceps extensions) for this program but haven’t perfected it

yet. This will help give the lifter some guidance for his assistance work

and be able to periodize it over

a long period of time.

118

When I developed this challenge, I wanted to accomplish several things:

Stay as true to DC Training as I could. This program is NOT in any way

endorsed by Dante. I don’t know him but I respect the work that he has

done. I can certainly recognize the time and effort he has put into creating the

system and expanding on it.

Stay 100% true to the principles of my 5/3/1 program. I believe in the

four principles of the 5/3/1 program – these have helped guide me

throughout my training career and ones that I believe work. I have

expanded and changed parts of the program but the core of the program,

THE PRINCIPLES, remain steadfast.

The workouts can be done in a barebones training facility, i.e. this is tailor

made for the garage lifter. Machines or special equipment are not required

for the program, mostly because I don’t have access to them! I’ve made

three great decisions in my life: marrying Juliet, buying a Sunn Model T and

investing in a home gym. While I realize that a home gym is not in the cards

for many people, reading this article (space and money) if you CAN make it

work, DO IT. Having your own strength facility that isn’t bombarded with

egomaniacs, manic depressive owner/managers, poor music selections and

pointless equipment is like winning the lottery. I could go on and on but the

fact is this: a home gym = freedom.

Have an emphasis on strength AND hypertrophy. This goes with #2 (not

bowel movements) but I have no interest at this point in my life in being weak.

Seems kind of pointless.

How to do a Rest Pause Set

A rest pause set is pretty simple. You are doing 3 sets in 1. After a few

warm-up sets (this is up to you) perform an all out set of an exercise, rest,

then repeat it with the same weight, rest again, and perform the last set. The

rest period can be timed with a watch, by counting breaths or by counting in

your head. Dante recommends taking 15 deep breaths between sets. Here is

an example of a rest pause set.

Barbell Curls

• 95 pounds for 15 reps.

• Rest 20-30 seconds

• 95 pounds for 6 reps

• Rest 20-30 seconds

• 95 pounds for 3 reps

119

Program Overview

This workout program consists of two training days per week. Yes, only two.

But trust me when I say for this challenge, it is enough. I know the

current trend on the Internet is the constant jerking to training 43 times a

day. And I know people look at those programs with the same sparkle that Mr.

Hands had for horses. I believe that for this program two days is ideal.

The exercises that you will perform rest pause sets are:

• Bench Press

• Press

• Chins

• Barbell Curls

• Triceps Extensions

As with DC Training, you will not do any rest pause sets with the squat

and deadlift. This is incredibly unsafe. Instead, you will do a down set

for these lower body lifts. Because it is amazingly easy to program, we will

simply use the FIRST WORK set of the particular week as your down set. For

example, on the 3x5 week you will use

65% of your training max (TM) for this set. Dante calls this set a

“widowmaker” (20

reps). I won’t prescribe the amount of reps to do on the down set but you’ll

know if

you gave it your all or not.

I wanted to do a row variation in the program and immediately thought of the

Kroc Row. This is a perfect exercise for this challenge. You do not perform a

rest pause set with the Kroc Row.

Here is the sample training template for the first three weeks.

Week One

Monday

Thursday

Squat – 3 sets of 5 reps, 65% x max

Deadlift – 3 sets of 5 reps, 65% x max

reps

reps

Bench Press – 3 sets of 5 reps, 65%

Press – 3 sets of 5 reps, 65% x RP

x Rest Pause (RP)

Chins – 1-2 warm-up set, 1 set RP

Kroc Row – 1-2 warm-up set, 1 all

out set

Barbell Triceps Extensions – 1-2 warm-

Barbell Curls – 1-2 warm-up set, 1 set

up set, 1 set RP

RP

120

Ab Work

Ab Work

Week Two

Monday

Thursday

Squat – 3 sets of 3 reps, 70% x max

Deadlift – 3 sets of 3 reps, 70% x max

reps

reps