You’re never so steady that you’re invincible. You might get pushed over at any minute. The only thing you can do is get back on that horse.

An asynchronous schedule

The introduction of a full-body day allows you to get in more volume, but on a seven-day schedule it doesn’t work: you need a rest day on either side of it. But if you break beyond calendar-time and follow an 8 day schedule, then you can sneak in a significant amount more of volume. At the same time as one locks onto this galaxy-brained perspective on time, we are one step closer to proper autoregulation. That’s when you have mastered training: when you know your recovery, your training tolerance, and are able to go as hard as the moment requires.

The full-body day

Of course, what are you going to put on your extra day? Arms and conditioning? Or a full-body day? Both are good options. For the moment, I am running a full-body day.

Texas Beastslayer

Osaka trying to stretch.

Day 1: Upper A

# Movement Pattern Target Muscle Groups Volume Progression Notes
1. Horizontal press Chest, Front delts, Triceps 3 x 3 Linear -
2. Overhead press Shoulders, Upper chest, Triceps 5 x 5–8 Dynamic -
3. A. Chest-focused dip Chest, Triceps, Shoulders 3–5 x AMRAP Dynamic Double Progression -
4. B. Knee raise Lower abdominals, Hip flexors, Core 3–5 x AMRAP DP -
5. A. Tricep isolation Triceps, Chest, Shoulders 3 x 8–12 DP Rope attachment
6. B. Bicep curl Biceps, Forearms 3 x 8–12 DP Neutral grip
7. A. Rear delt isolation Rear delts, Upper back, Traps 3 x 8–12 DP Rope attachement
8. B. Side delt isolation Side delts, Upper traps 3 x 8–12 DP -

Day 2: Lower A

# Movement Pattern Target Muscle Groups Volume Weekly Session Progression Notes
1. Hip hinge Posterior chain, Lower back, Glutes 3 x 3 I Linear -
2. Squat Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings 5 x 5–8 I Dynamic -
3. Vertical pull Lats, Biceps, Rear delts 5 x AMRAP–15 I - -
4. Lat pulldown Lats, Biceps, Rear delts 3 x 8–12 II - -
5. Horizontal pull Upper back, Lats, Rear delts 3 x 8–12 I - V-bar/stirrups
6. Tricep extension Triceps, Chest, Shoulders 3 x 8–12 - - -
7. Calf raise Calves 3 x 10–15 - - -
8. Loaded carry Forearms, Traps, Core 3 x 10–15 I - -

Day 4: Full Body

# Movement Pattern Target Muscle Groups Volume Weekly Session Progression Notes
1. Weighted dips Chest, Triceps, Shoulders 3 x 3–5 II / 9–11 Linear -
2. Single-leg squat Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings 3 x 8–12 II Dynamic Progression Bulgarian split squat, lunge, or front squat
3. Chest-supported row Upper back, Lats, Rear delts 3 x 5 II Linear -
4. Incline press Upper chest, Front delts, Triceps 3 x 10–12 II Dynamic Double Progression -
5. Seated press Shoulders, Upper chest, Triceps 3 x 10–12 II - -
6. Rotational core Oblique abdominals, Core 3 x 8–12 II - -
7. Lateral raise Side delts, Upper traps 3 x 8–12 II - -

Day 6: Upper B

# Movement Pattern Target Muscle Groups Volume Weekly Session Progression Notes
1. Overhead press Shoulders, Upper chest, Triceps 3 x 1–3 III Linear -
2. Machine chest press Chest, Front delts, Triceps 5 x 8–12 III Dynamic Double Progression -
3. Weighted chin-up Lats, Biceps, Rear delts 3 x 1–5 II - Start from the top
4. Overhead press variant Shoulders, Upper chest, Triceps 3 x 8–12 IV - -
5. A. Bicep curl Biceps, Forearms 3 x 8–12 II - -
6. B. Lateral raise Side delts, Upper traps 3 x 6–10 II - -
7. A. Wrist curl Forearms, Biceps 3 x 10–15 II - -
8. B. Decline sit-up Abs, Hip flexors 3 x 10–15 III - -

Day 7: Lower B

# Movement Pattern Target Muscle Groups Volume Weekly Session Progression Notes
1. Low-bar squat Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings 3 x 1–3 III Linear -
2. Hip hinge (stiff-leg) Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back 3 x 8–12 II - -
3. Bent-over row Lats, Upper back, Rear delts 3 x 8–12 III - -
4. Leg press Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings 3 x 8–12 IV - -
5. Hamstring curl Hamstrings, Glutes 3 x 8–12 - - -
6. Shrug Traps, Upper back 3 x 8–12 I - Trap bar
7. Back extension Lower back, Glutes, Hamstrings 3 x 10–15 - - -
8. Rear delt isolation Rear delts, Upper back 3 x 10–15 - - -

Past Programs

Reg Parks

The first weightlifting program I followed was the Reg Parks Beginner Routine, which I began circa 2015 and ran for an unknown length of time. My logging was terrible back then: I’m pretty sure I was training by memory alone. The only documentation I have is the following screenshot of my Symmetrical Strength profile.

weakling.jpg. March 21, 2016.

The Reg Parks routine closely resembles Starting Strength. This is the program I have been following, with some modifications and with occasional gaps of up to 4 months, since roughly the start of 2021 when I was living in Vancouver. Since December 2022, I have been consistent and was able to break all my previously-established records.

Starting Strength

This is the routine as written. I only implemented Power Cleans lately, and only did them occasionally.

Workout A Workout B
Squat 3x5 Squat 3x5
Row 3x5 Chins 3xAMRAP
Press 3x5 Bench 3x5
Deadlift 1x5 Power Clean 3x5

Notes: * All weights listed are in pounds. * This does not include my general warm up, which is 10 minutes spent pushing the sled, followed by a dynamic stretching routine. * This does not include my warm-ups sets, which usually looks like 1 set with empty bar/low weight, followed by sets at 60% and 80% of my working weight. I also have a post-workout static stretching routine. * I only implemented power cleans lately, and only did them sporadically. I consider myself to still be in a phase of perfecting my form. * Total time, including warm-ups and cool-down, was usually around 2 hours.

Here are my personal records on the above lifts:

  • 32 years old, male, somewhere between 195–200lbs.
    • Squat 3x5 (285, April 10 2023)
    • Row 3x5 (185, April 10 2023)
    • Press 3x5 (105, March 31 2023)
    • Deadlift 1x5 (300, April 5 2023)
    • Chin-ups 3xAMRAP (9/8/8, April 2 2023)
    • Bench 3x5 (155, March 29, 2023)
    • Power Cleans 3x5 (145, March 31 2023)
weakling2.jpg. Image based on numbers achieved around the end of March / early April 2023.

I am very proud of my squat. The squat is some kind of divine activity. When I deadlift, I get intense headrushes and my training log is filled with asides like “profound existential disassociation,” but the squat is the most complete means of expressing one’s will to power that one could dream of.

I believe that my upper body is so weak because the Reg Parks routine I followed when starting out very confusingly said “bench press OR dips,” and because the bench press stations were always in use, I always went for dips—but was never strong enough to get to depth, and always had to use a band.

Starting Strength is a good routine, and I learned quite a lot from reading Rippetoe’s books Starting Strength and Practical Programming. I also achieved quite a lot of gains. However, the discourse around them is far more rigid than it should be. Speaking from my own perspective, I became so addicted to the routine, so locked into its rut, that it took an immense psychological effort for me to break free. I had this feeling that if I changed things at all, I would lose my precious, hard-won gains. Additionally, because Rippetoe is so single-mindedly focused on low rep-ranges for strength, I myself did not have the imaginative training to even really think about working with higher rep ranges. I knew that the rows I was doing as programmed were doing nothing for me, but I was closer to dropping them from the program rather than doing a variation, or different rep ranges.

The perception of bodybuilding is fairly coloured disfavourably by the toxic elements of the profession, but bodybuilding-style training is far more complex, intelligent, and sustainable in the long-term than powerlifting. At the end of my run of Starting Strength, which, I admit, because of my regular layoffs, was highly protracted, I was run into the ground and burnt out despite training so minimally. A proper auto-regulating, bodybuilding-style routine will have you in the gym 5+ days per week, but because it is not structured around peaking, you should not need to de-load.

Four-day Texas Method

I’m not entirely there yet. The new training program I am following is the four day Texas Method, which combines intensity and volume work for all of the four major compounds, split into upper/lower days, and supplemented with accessory work. Here is my new program:

Day 1 (upper 1) Day 2 (lower 1) Day 3 (power/conditioning)
Bench (intensity): 2–3x2–3 Deadlift (intensity): 2–3x2–3 Sled work
Press (volume): 5x5 Squat (volume): 5x5 Power Clean: 5x5
Dips: 4xAMRAP Chins: 50 total Squat variation: 5x5
Tricep Extension: 3x10–15 Back Extension: 3x15 Mobility work
Curls: 3x10–15 Sit-ups: 3xAMRAP
Sit-ups: 3xAMRAP Push-ups: 3xAMRAP
Push-ups: 3xAMRAP Farmer’s Walk
Day 4 (upper 2) Day 5 (lower 2)
Press (intensity): 2–3x2–3 Squat (intensity): 2–3x2–3
Bench (volume): 5x5 Deadlift (volume): 3–5x5
Incline dumbbell press: 4x8–12 Rows: 5x8–10
Delt Raise: 5x10–15 Glute-ham raise: 3x10–15
Tricep Extension: 3–5x10–15 Sit-ups: 3xAMRAP
Curls: 3x10–15 Push-ups: 3xAMRAP
Sit-ups: 3xAMRAP Farmer’s walk
Push-ups: 3xAMRAP

Notes:

  • Sit-ups are done on an incline bench or GHR machine, super-set with pushups and with a 1m rest between sets.
  • Rest times are strictly controlled using a stopwatch: 2m rest on volume sets, 3–5m rest on heavier intensity sets as needed, 1–1.5m rest on isolation movements.
  • I still do 10m pushing/pulling the sled before each workout; or, worst case, 10m on the ergometer if the sled isn’t free. It’s an absolutely incredible method of warming up, and is probably in my top 3 exercise movements at this point. I usually do slow, deep lunges while pushing, and pull with a rounded back for about 3 minutes or so to warm up, then will run each push at full speed and use the pull to recover. RPE by the end of tend minutes is usually around 7. Currently working with 160lbs. That is a guaranteed 40m of conditioning per week.
  • Day 3 is still a work in progress. Since switching from minimalist, powerlifting-style training to maximalist, bodybuilding-style training (with a focus on strength), I have embraced spending all my time in the gym. One of the factors that made me switch from Starting Strength to something more complicated—in addition to being simply burnt out from the constant intensity—is that it simply did not have me in the gym enough. I am currently doing front squats at a lighter weight to focus on my quads and upper back.
  • Current sessions are around 2hrs–2h20 for lower days, usually around 1h50–2hrs for upper days. Because my upper body is weak relative to my lower, my goal—and I have no idea how to achieve this—is to make the upper day take longer than the lower day (or at least as long).
  • I’ve been doing the four day routine for about 5 weeks or so, and I haven’t quite dialed in my progression metrics. I eat intuitively and am currently cutting, so I am trying to not feel bad that my numbers are not going up as much as they were in my novice phase. My volume squat is going up and feels excellent, but my intensity squat is still sitting around the PR I achieved for 3x5, but at a lower volume.
  • Upper days get me high as a kite, feeling really good, even though my intensity press refuses to progress. Volume squats make me feel excellent, too, because I know that I am really strong. Friday makes me feel bad, because it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. I’m trying to increase weight on the bar by feel, and it doesn’t feel like I’m closer to bringing it up.
  • My goal is to compete sometime this year, but I don’t think I’m running this program in a way that is conducive to peaking. I’m having a lot of fun with it, it feels like I’m definitely making gains, I love being in the gym so much and I feel more like a genuine “athlete” than ever before, but my progression metrics still need work.