Many advances have been made in energy, health, technology, and other areas of life. In strength training, not so much! Stop trying to be original. Take advantage of the wisdom of our force ancestors and start getting results! Why pave a new path when there is already a good one to follow? Here are two routines inspired by the past to start your journey.
The stage routine
Front row and center to quickly gain size and strength!
This training system was popular with the legendary Canadian strongman, Doug Hepburn, who was considered the strongest man in the world in his heyday. It will help advanced learners to overcome force plateaus in a short period of time.
The routine includes only 2 exercises per workout and 2 stages per exercise to increase size and strength. Stage 1 will increase relative strength and stage 2 will induce functional hypertrophy (i.e., muscle mass that produces high levels of force).
Take a look at the program but don’t blink because it will go by pretty quickly!
Day 1 – Chest and biceps
A1) Bench press with flat bar
A2) Standing EZ Barbell Curls
Day 2 – Legacy
A1) Front squat
A2) Lying leg curl
Day 3 – Back and Triceps
A1) Wide Grip Sternum Pull-Ups
A2) Standing V-Bar Pressdowns
Stage 1: 8 x 1 @ 50X0, 100 “
Stage 2: 5 x 5 @ 40X0.90 “
Note: Start with a 3RM load for Stage 1 and a 7RM load for Stage 2.
I suggest you use the first workout to find your true 3RM (repetition max) and 7RM loads, then start the stage method in the next workout. Only increase the weight when all reps for that stage have been completed successfully. The key is to be successful, so leave a little reserve at the beginning.
Make sure to fully warm up using several low rep sets (5 or less) with progressively heavier loads until you reach your working weight.
This program will last for one month. Each workout is done once in a 5 day period (i.e. Day 1 – Day 2 – Off – Day 3 – Off) for 6 workouts and then switch to a new routine. As mentioned above, the first workout is used to find the correct training weight. The next 4 workouts will incorporate the staged method – you should peak on the fifth workout with a new one rep max on all lifts.
Write in the final workout doing just 3-5 sets of as many reps as possible at a 20X0 tempo resting 90 seconds between sets with the original 7RM load. You should notice an increase in the number of repetitions performed with that weight. Most people drop to 1-2 reps per set. Finish the exercise if you do 5 sets or lower 3 reps from one set to the next. This will be a short workout. Enters; Do your things; and salt. You may be tempted to do more. Whose!
If you’ve been plagued with injuries and are afraid of maxing out singles, stick to the 2-3RM range for Stage 1 and the 5-7RM range for Stage 2. The program will work just as well.
Also, you will notice that all “A1” exercises are multi-joint movements and that all “A2” exercises are single joint movements. Many people are concerned about the maximum number of singles in isolation movements. Listen, either you lift the weight or you don’t, but if it’s still a problem, substitute compound movements instead:
Standing EZ Barbell Curls -> Close Grip Pull-ups
Lying Leg Curl -> Bent Knee Deadlift or Start Podium Deadlift
Standing V Bar Pressdowns -> Parallel Bar Dips or Close Grip Bench Press
Don’t be fooled by the low number of exercises and the low number of repetitions. Often times, less is more and this routine is no exception. The high intensities used for a large number of series produce excellent results. Rest assured that the whole body is trained and trained hard with this program.
Isometronics
The Secret Strength and Muscle Building System of the Past and Present!
This routine uses partial movements and static contractions to break training plateaus. Partial movements are great for jolting the system when stagnation occurs (they help to disinhibit the nervous system) and isometrics are great for gaining strength at specific joint angles.
In the 1960s, isometronics (a combination of isotonic and isometric contractions) was promoted as a secret new system for building strength and muscle. A couple of decades later in his book, The development of physical strengthAnthony Ditillo stated that “isometronics can make you a superman!” Ditillo believed that the combination of intense and heavy and isometric muscular efforts on a power platform was “the most powerful tool available to increase physical strength.”
The system is as effective today as it was then.
I picked up many of the details of this method in the mid-90s from the strength and conditioning coach, Charles Poliquin, who strongly believes in using energy support to promote rapid strength and mass gains. According to Poliquin, the average intermediate bodybuilder can expect to break personal records in the curl by 10-25 pounds, and the close-grip bench press by 30-45 pounds in just 3-4 weeks with this system.
Let’s take a look at the routine.
Day 1 – Chest, back and shoulders
A1) Incline Bench Press with 45 Degree Barbell
A2) Medium Grip Pull-Ups
B1) One Arm Strengthened Dumbbell Press (Neutral Grip)
B2) One Arm Kneeling Pulldown (Neutral Grip)
Day 2 – Legs and abs
A1) Back squat
A2) Lying leg curls (dorsiflexion)
B1) Romanian Quick Grip Deadlift
B2) High pulley creak
Day 3 – Arms
A1) Close grip bench press
A2) Standing Medium Grip Cable Curls
B1) One Arm Dumbbell French Press
B2) 45 degree incline dumbbell curls
Isometronics involves lifting through a partial range of motion, usually on a power rack (but not always), and ending each rep with an isometric contraction. Take a third of the range of motion and do 3 sets at 3 different angles of an exercise for a total of 9 sets.
The order in which you perform the 3 ranks is important. Choose the heaviest (i.e. strongest) weight angle first:
a) Up -> Middle -> Down for close grip incline bench press and squats
These exercises are performed on a power rack for 5 reps per set using a controlled tempo (i.e. 2 seconds to lower the bar, gently and quietly tapping the lower pins, and 2 seconds to raise the bar). Then on the fifth rep, try breaking the top rack pin for 6-8 seconds. Research from Germany shows that 8-second isometrics are sufficient. If you can make contact with the top pin, then the weight was too light. If you only have one set of pins on your power rack, lower the bar a bit before resting on the pins and hold the 8-second isometric there. Make sure not to hold your breath during the isometric action. If you selected the proper load, you shouldn’t be able to do another concentric rep.
b) Lower -> Middle -> Upper for Pull-Ups, Leg Curls and Cable Curls
For these exercises, do 5 reps again using a controlled tempo (that is, 2 seconds up and 2 seconds down), but this time on the fifth rep, pause for 8 seconds in the middle of the range.
The next workout for that part of the body will occur 5 days later and will involve conventional training using hypertrophy parameters. Continue alternating between isometronic and conventional workouts for six workouts as outlined below.
Training n. 1, 3, 5 – Isometronic Training – A) 9 x 5 @ 2020, 120 “B) 3 x 8-10 @ 3010, 60”
Workout # 2, 4 – Conventional Workout – A) 5 x 5-7 @ 4020.90 “B) 3 x 8-10 @ 3010, 60”
Training n. 6 – Typing – A) 3 x 8-10 @ 2010, 120 “B) 2 x 12-15 @ 2010, 90”
This form of training will induce deep and severe pain. It’s a quick way to gain size, as isometrics create high tension for fast-twitch fibers that lead to hypertrophy. This system is also great for building strength and getting through trouble spots, but don’t use isometronics often in a year of training as it is quite stressful on the nervous system.