What program are you currently following and what do you have planned for 2023?

Black Sheep

What is everyone doing now and what do you plan for the new year?

I'll start...

Currently finishing off a Joe DeFranco program (Goliath 2.0) that has two upper, one lower and one "challenge" day. The main protocol used is cluster sets.

In 2023 I will either stick with Joe D programming or try an upper / lower set up 3-4 days a week where I'll do low volume, high intensity, rotate the lifts and see how strong I can get.

Patsy167

I've been doing a basic Push, Pull, Legs routine for the past 9 months. The routine is low volume with the aim of building strength. I think it has been fairly successful but I need to tidy up the food side of things. While I've gained a good amount of size relative to when I started, a lot of it is fat and I'm starting to look noticeably chubby.

My plan is to transition to a higher volume routine with the aim of getting into half-decent shape by mid-summer.

Deano7788

Program wise its whatever my coach programs for me that block 😂😅. Outside of very rare occasions its 2 squat, 4 Bench and 2 deadlifts a week.

Main goal right now is prepping for my first Irish PF Nationals end of February, and hopefully hitting some PBs. After that will probably go into an off season before doing a comp September or October time again.

Black Sheep

Started on my new programming yesterday. I decided in the end I would run the high intensity style upper lower programming for a few months and see how it feels. I've been on the fence about this for a while and really until I actually just run it I won't know whether I'm better of staying with the Joe DeFranco programming I'm on.

I have three variations of upper and three variations of lower, and I'm aiming for three alternating workouts per week. So six workouts in total I'll repeat. 10,000 steps a day as a goal and I'll do one moderate to intense BJJ session per week. If I feel good and / or don't do any BJJ I'll do a fourth lifting session.

Setup is:-

UPPER

Bench variation (rotating between Bench, incline DB bench, decline bench)

Shoulder press variation (Seated OHP, OHP, high incline DB bench)

Tricep focus compound lift (PJR pullover, floor press, close grip pushups)

Side or rear delt isolation movement (Side lateral DB or cable variations)

Back width vertical pull movement (Varying grip width pulldowns, chins and rack chins)

Back thickness row variation (BB row, DB row, low cable row)

Tricep isolation (Pushdown variations or free weight lying or standing extensions)

Bicep isolation (Concentration curls and other superinated curl variations if my elbow tendon will stand it, if not, more brachial curl variations like hammer curls, zottmans etc)

LOWER

Hamstring isolation / warm-up (Hamstring curl and iso hamstring curl)

Compound lower body movement (Rotating quad dominant trap bar deadlift, front squat and slightly odd one out but leg press)

Quad isolation (Leg extension varations)

Hamstring compound (RDL variations and possibly back extensions one session)

Calves (Variations but all using a long pause at top and bottom)

Optional - single leg variation (If I have the energy, walking lunges, bulgarian split squats or deficit split squats)

All of the above minimal warm-ups and then two work sets to failure (or as close to true failure as I can make myself go), one in approximately 6-10 rep range and a further lighter set in approximately 10-15 reps. I'll be looking to progressively overload this however I can, and beat the log book by weight or reps week to week.

I'm trying to keep a reasonably standardised eccentric emphasis on most movements.

Even thought it's only two work sets I have a concern already about workout length. In some cases I expect to have to shave either second sets off or some of the isolation work.

The upper body day is Jordan Peters, and he took it largely from Dante Trudel. It's basically the Doggcrapp upper day but with biceps in and some extra isolation work.

The lower body day is also Jordan Peters, and he based that on modifying Dorian Yates' approach. Dorian does leg extensions first to warm up, but Peters and John Meadows opt for leg curl instead.

Luxembourgo

Back with 531 Fat Loss and Prep

Don't have much time in my life at the moment so it's a great in and out one. Supersetting just suits me at the moment.

Planning on running it for 6 weeks and then maybe move to PHAT or PHUL for something different.

Black Sheep

I have ran 531 although it's been ten or more years. Various templates. What's involved in this one?

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067832#Comment_120067832

Its all about supersetting and getting it done in 45 minutes or less.

4 days a week, Bench, OHP, Deadlift, Squat are the main lifts. 3 warm up sets, 3 work sets and then 5 additional (I tend to vary the volume on this between 5 and 10).

Accessories set for upper lower main lifts.

Black Sheep

Does Wendler do online group coaching or a subscription service these days I wonder?

Seems like it's the model that's here to stay.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067885#Comment_120067885

I did this recently and I will just say personally that while I felt like it was great for my conditioning, I didn't feel enough challenging weight was being lifted or overall volume for certain muscle groups to help maintain muscle mass/strength on a cut.

I ended up ditching it after a few weeks for more heavy focused work and got the cardio in from 2-3 days of running.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068069#Comment_120068069

He has a members-only forum where himself and more experienced lifters will answer Qs. It's not open year round as far as I know.

https://www.jimwendlersforum.com/

Black Sheep

If he did rolling follow-along 531 programming on TrainHeroic or via Patreon he could make a lot more. I was on that forum years ago but it was pretty quiet.

But he's never seemed like a guy who cares too much about any of that, seems pretty reluctant to be in the limelight.

Which is ironic because 531 was such a runaway success.

Reps4jesus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067515#Comment_120067515

Has anyone ran PHAT before, i look the look of it. I like a lot of volume and have been doing a PPL routine for about the last year with 5/6 days a week. The training plan i see seems to have it only as a 4 week plan?

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068701#Comment_120068701

Something I respect a lot about Wendler, and which is rare amongst 'fitness celebrities', is that he knew when to say 'that's enough'. (As in what he is willing to do for 'x' amount more money).

His full time job now is doing strength coaching for his local school's football team, which he does free of charge. The book and merch sales are enough to keep him going it seems. I think there's something really commendable about being content with less and choosing to spend that extra time on your community.

Also to keep in line with the thread topic, my plan is to finish my weight cut at 80kg and then slow bulk for most of 2023, following a 4-6 day upper-lower split.

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068447#Comment_120068447

It's the time piece I really love. Have three young kids and 30/40 minutes at lunch is about the most ill get out of it.

That and the amount of pull ups and dips (ran Krypteria after it and felt good growth in my back, despite my limited work/application)

silverharp

A minor side quest, but was realizing I was slowing down when it comes to hopping some local sea walls/rocks near where I live, so added in some jumps on to a bench warming up this week in the gym. Had a look at some the common variants on YT so will add these in over time. it will be fun seeing the progress here.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120069360#Comment_120069360

That's very fair then if you're on a tight time schedule. It's definitely an efficient way of using 40-45 mins.

Black Sheep

When I look back at 531 there is so much to recommend it for what I'd call "whole life" training. It's a system that you can learn and adapt to different goals.

You run a 531 template focused on strength for a few months, then maybe you deload and you do one of the hypertrophy templates, then summer is coming so you do one with a conditioning emphasis while you diet... You could go on forever. Hence, I guess, why he released "531 Forever" at one point.

It's not surprising, considering they were all influencing each other, but if you look at Wendler's programming, Matt Wenning and Joe DeFranco's programming, they're all incredibly similar really when you get down to it.

If you're on a tight schedule then supersets are king, really. I just finished a Joe DeFranco programme (Goliath 2.0) that was more or less 3 sets of a main lift and then 3 supersets of assistance. Average time to complete the workouts was under 45 minutes.

I'm not doing it, but the next programme DeFranco's online coaching service is running for clients is similar, again the assistance is spread over 3 supersets. Unusually, the workouts are 'reverse order'. So there's a prescribed warm-up component, then the three assistance supersets are performed, and the main lift is at the end of the workout.

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120070907#Comment_120070907

Under 45 minutes sounds great, is Goliath 2.0 a paid program?

Couldn't find much online

Black Sheep

A few years ago DeFranco stopped publishing much free programming material, he started selling the programs as one-offs (pdfs etc) or else provided them on a subscription site called DeFranco Insiders.

Defranco Insiders is gone, but he provides weekly programming now via the TrainHeroic platform. It's a website/app. Basically has a calendar with the workouts in on a given day, video instructionals and whatnot, and there's a little discussion forum, although it's pretty crappy (The software being crap, not DeFranco). Here's there under "Team Forever Strong".

It's around 30 euro a month or so.

Before Goliath he did a Foundations programme that ran for 12 weeks and the workouts were also about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Goliath basically was 4 weeks of a focus on long eccentric reps, then 4 weeks focusing on pauses, then 4 weeks using clusters, and then a test week.

I do think at times the programming is a bit glitzy, he throws everything but the kitchen sink in, but then at the same time if you break it down in detail there's a reason for everything and there's enough hard work in there to drive progress. Probably good for all around physique and fitness moreso than strength though. Probably not optimal for just pure hypertrophy either. He describes it as functional bodybuilding / functional hypertrophy these days. A lot of adjustments made for older lifters, expect a lot of shoulder health stuff whether you want to do it or not.

xckjoo

Wasn't lifting much of anything recently so last year I started with a simple Pull, Push, Legs routine I found on Reddit. Was going well but been off over a month now due to a run of sickness and my membership being up (no point in renewing when I wasn't going to be able to go!). Going to start back soon but thinking of changing up the routine. Currently mulling over the options (and no doubt overthinking it).

5-3-1 looks really interesting but I'll struggle to do 4 days a week (young family and work). I might do a test run this week and see if I can manage the Sunday. Does anyone know how long each session is likely to take? I'm assuming less than an hour since it's 1 main and 2 accessory lifts? How do you handle missing a day in a routine like this? If I miss squat day do I just skip it for that week?

I've also noticed that my chest is very atrophied from years of desk work and I think it's causing me shoulder and posture issues. Part of me thinks I should look for something focused on the chest, but that also sounds like I'm veering into "bro science". Probably better to keep things broad and focus on the compound lifts.

Also trying to bring in some yoga in the mornings during my rest days. Trying to keep everything to 30-45mins so I've less excuses to skip.

Stone Deaf 4evr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120114710#Comment_120114710

like everything else, you can do 5/3/1 in a 3 time a week format as well, just keep cycling the work. It goes in phases, so for example, the way i do it is

mon - bench

tue - squat

thur - ohp

fri - deadlift

and I use the off days for rest or crosstraining. If you've only 3 days a week to train, you'd do something like

mon - bench

wed - squat

fri - ohp

mon - deadlift

wed - bench

Jim has a great take on it , and to somewhat paraphrase - ' you can read all the theory you want, and try 100 different programmes, but at some point, you've got to stop f**king around and jsut put some weight on the bar'

xckjoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120115214#Comment_120115214

Thanks for that. That makes sense and is pretty much what I have been doing with the old program when I think about it.

Ya I've definitely been guilty in the past of spending too long looking and reading about the "optimum" thing to do and not just doing something. You'd swear I was an olympic athlete and not just some lad who spends too much time sitting on his arse 😁

Stone Deaf 4evr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120115529#Comment_120115529

I think it's something most of us are guilty of, i've often been more excited about the idea of buying some new equipment than using it!

Black Sheep

My advice regarding 531 is that it's worth getting a PDF of one of the books... it'll give you more templates to choose from and iron out any confusion. Don't base what you do off an article someone wrote about 531. If it's an article by Wendler that's not as bad but it will still be the cliff notes version.

531 workouts can be very short OR some templates with a lot of volume would be well over the hour mark.

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120114710#Comment_120114710

Give 531 Fat Loss and Prep a go (ignore the name). I get it done in 30 minutes most days.

Stone Deaf 4evr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120116957#Comment_120116957

The 531 app on android is actually really good. I know wendler doesnt offically endorse it, but Ive found it to be perfect for my needs.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sarasoft.es.fivethreeonebasic

simply do a test for your estimated 1rm, input the info into the app and it'll work out all the pecentages, reps, weights, warmups etc. I think I may have actually paid a tenner for the premium version which gives access to the plate calculator and warmup sets as well

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119065#Comment_120119065

That does look good from what the description is, if it's accurate to what Wendler laid out.

The latest 531 book, 531 Forever, is encyclopaedic but I think he was refusing to release a pdf version because he was sick of pirating.

foxsake

spent the time since gyms reopening since covid doing bodybuilding high intensity work create from the book "training principals" by Jordan Peters.

3 day split with 3 days conditioning/cardio.

That finished end of the year and this year I'm gonna spend time improving my lifts so taking some programs from Alexander Bromleys book " Base Strength"

Doing the powerbuilding one now to build up high volume in the lifts but low volume on accessories. I like 3 days a week with 2 to 3 days cardio work. so the 4 day split is kinda over 8 or 9 days

After a 6 months I'll assess and maybe move to a lower volume program.

After an injury I'm trying to fit in 1 or 2 kickboxing classes a week also so whatever I do there will be considered a cardio day.

Black Sheep

How did you like Jordan Peters' approach?

Were you doing push/pull/legs or three full body days?

foxsake

I loved it tbh and got great results. I found I could focus on beating the log book and that worked better for me than other methods. Also found the single max set with back off meant recover was easier.

I did the 3 day a week ran over 2 weeks of an upper / lower split

Week 1 : Upper 1 , Lower 1, Upper 2

Week 2: Lower 2, Upper 1 , Lower 2

There was a phase 2 in the book - 7 out of 11 days - to move to but tbh I got over a year outha phase one and never felt the need to change to phase 2.

Over course over time if I stalled on a lift I rotated a similar movement but I remained on that method and split.

Black Sheep

Got you. I have actually ran Jordan Peters' upper / lower split as well, although not based on that informational book he put out, but I based it on more recent YouTube videos where he described the set-up. It's more or less the same, just some evolution of rep ranges.

I like the 'beat the log book' approach, he obviously got a significant amount of it from Dante Trudel / Doggcrapp.

foxsake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164311#Comment_120164311

he does credit Dante a lot along with scott stevenson about his education

xckjoo

Just popping back to say I'm still following the 5/3/1 program and really enjoying it. Feeling worked but not exhauseted from it so still able to do normal life stuff. Found a nice app (Five/Three/One by Strong Pigeon) to do all the tracking for me so no need for thinking in the morning too. Thanks for the recommendation guys!

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120323880#Comment_120323880

Great to hear 💪

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120323880#Comment_120323880

Which one are you doing?.

Black Sheep

I'm finishing the last week of a 9 week programme written by one of Joe DeFranco's long time collaborators, James Smith.

It was a 4 day programme, 2 upper, 2 lower.

All days had a main lift, and over the 9 weeks it used Louis Simmons wave periodisation, a week of 3s, week of 2s, week of 1s and then start over. Each time back at the relevant rep range it was usually possible to add weight. I made progress on all lifts. My bench and press are back to about 95% of all time best, my squat and deadlift further to go.

Aside form the main lift the programme used a different modality for 3 weeks at a time. The first three weeks we did reverse order (Assistance first, main lift last), the second three weeks we did escalating density training for the assistance, the last three weeks we've been doing tempo changes mid set on some of the assistance. All the changing feels like it's very geared towards the short attention span of much of the audience, but either way I've made progress and feel good, so I'm happy.

xckjoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120324993#Comment_120324993

The basic set up with the Triumvirate assistance if that's what you mean

Bellie1

Is james smith a paid program? I might look into that at some stage later in year, it's reasonable for a custom program.

Just started Calgary barbell 16 weeks ,my first time squatting and benching so much so hopefully will be able to last it out without getting injured. It's easy the first few weeks, so far so good

Black Sheep

The programming from Joe DeFranco and James Smith is paid, yes, it's delivered on the Train Heroic app, under the name 'Team Forever Strong'.

TrainHeroic is a bit of a pain in the ass to use to be honest, but I guess it's an attractive way to put subscription group programming out there because they have the platform and presumably they just take a cut.

Black Sheep

On the topic of programming... I've been thinking recently how similar what I'm doing now is to the 5/3/1 programming I did about ten years ago, in terms of ethos, exercise selection and program lay-out... It's actually pretty uncanny.

Why would Jim Wendler's programming look so much like what Joe DeFranco is offering? I suppose there's a few reasons... (1) There's only so many ways to skin a cat, if you assume they have both reached the same conclusions to the same problems, and (2) Mutual influence / cross pollination of ideas. Wendler does credit DeFranco in his books, and I'm pretty sure the opposite is true as well.

To give an example of what I mean by similarities, this is based on the past year-

• Mobility movements non negotiable in the warm-up
• Box jumps or power movements like med ball chest pass / throws / slams in the warm-up as primers, emphasis on 'quality of movement' versus weight moved, no emphasis on jumping as high as an athlete might, just trying to be explosive and do the movement well
• Main lift for Wendler is always a barbell movement, admittedly DeFranco does sometimes program single leg movements as a main lift in a workout, on lower days anyway, but usually for both there is a key lift for the day
• Assistance work is always hypertrophy focused, and although the volume varies radically the Wendler of 10 years ago sounds a lot like the DeFranco of today, with an emphasis on band pull-aparts, face-pulls and shoulder health

Wendler made the above structure the definitive lay-out of most 5/3/1 templates, in 5/3/1 Forever. Not all DeFranco programmes I've done via him follow that dogmatically, but overall I'd say they're very close in approach.

What are the differences?

DeFranco uses a LOT more exercise and protocol variation, whereas Wendler is more focused on a set selection that he wants to see progress on. I probably fall somewhere in between. I think variation prevents injury / niggles and keeps training fresh, but at times I have felt like DeFranco injects novelty only because there is a vocal sub-set of his customer base who demand / expect it.

I also feel like DeFranco has moved further away from a pure strength focus. I've done cycles where the main lift on lower body days was a paused bulgarian split squat and I'd be lying if I said I felt it had not caused me to regress compared to having a bilateral barbell lift in its place.

Makes me want to check out what Wendler is currently advocating on his forum.

In other news, tweaked my back earlier in the week doing a heavy set of hand supported single leg RDLs, of all things. I'm a bit annoyed at myself for not taking the SLRDL seriously enough. It was with a 27.5kg DB, my third set of 10, and although I don't think my form was to blame my load management was obviously off for they day and the weight was too heavy, my body too cold. I also think I have just had something waiting in my low back / SI joint for some time... I can feel it in my deadlifts, I'm about 30kg off my PR from about 2 years ago, so I guess this was in the mail for some time. Been taking ibuprofen and carried on training, doing what I can. A lot of inflammation but I'm a little better every day. If I was a betting man I'd say I'll be back to normal in a few weeks. The one benefit of being older and lifting, I've been here before and know it will likely pass, whereas when I was 25 I would have been practically hanging up my lifting belt....

Black Sheep

When I said DeFranco has moved away from a pure strength focus, I guess that isn't correct, he was never mainly a strength coach I think. But what I meant was he's started prioritising health/longevity at least as highly as athletic performance. For the general population, at any rate!

Black Sheep

An update on my programming.

I'm on the second week of a 12 week Joe DeFranco programme called "Built Different" (Very American name), which is a re-written version of a programme from him called "Rebuilt" which is designed to be a 'corrective' / therepeutic programme that people would do to get away from barbell training and niggling injuries.

Ironically, as I posted in another thread, I managed to hurt my lower back on it last week, on the first lower body day, by not warming up properly before I did some heavy-ish sets of single leg RDLs.

In the past week I've progressed really well back towards normality, after an initial slow start. From the point of view of where I am now, this appears to be a classic acute back injury that resolves in 4-6 weeks. What I'm finding now, a week on, is that I have some pain and discomfort during the night and for about 2 hours after waking, but once the spine is upright again and less swollen with fluid from the night time, I'm feeling pretty normal. I can touch my toes again today so mobility returning, the inflammation and loss of ROM is receding. I've dialled way back on the ibuprofen I was taking. I think largely all of this is just the healing process and the relatively minor nature of whatever happened to me, but I should also mention I was following doing a lot of bird dogs, cat-camels and planks since this happened... The elements of the Stuart McGill approach to back injuries that I've always found therepeutic.

Ironically though I haven't missed much of the DeFranco programme as it's quite mild mannered and I've had a relatively normal series of workouts even with the back episode.

It's push, pull, lower and a full body day, all using a mixture of bodyweight, DBs and machines... No barbells. In many respects it's funny, it's almost as if it was written for me right now, because it contains many elements that are considered beneficial for rehab/prehab of back injuries, including one sided suitcase carries, a lot of stretching of the hip flexors, relatively light loading on lower body days etc.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389225#Comment_120389225

"Rebuilt" which is designed to be a 'corrective' / therepeutic programme that people would do to get away from barbell training and niggling injuries.

Ironically, as I posted in another thread, I managed to hurt my lower back on it last week, on the first lower body day, by not warming up properly before I did some heavy-ish sets of single leg RDLs.

This is why I'm not a fan of that 'corrective exercise' term. Smart marketing though.

I'd attribute most of the therapeutic effect of those corrective programmes for niggles to simply doing something else and a reduction in load. I'm doing more bodybuilding type work at the moment and body feels a lot better than usual. Think I'm just finally giving certain areas a rest.

Black Sheep

Yeah wouldn't disagree.

All DeFranco's programming these days is a bit like this but on this specific program he totally omits the barbell.

On all his stuff now he uses a lot of modifiers for exercises that keep mechanical tension high but mean load is lower... Long eccentrics, mid set tempo changes, pauses, 1.5 rep sets and just plain higher reps... All of them mean lighter weights.

I think that's easier on the body BUT objectively I think for an injury free person who recovers well the evidence is probably that it's less effective than just progressively loading heavy straight sets.

These days though DeFrancos approach just feels more forgiving most of the time... He does still sprinkle in heavier and higher intensity barbell stuff here and there.

I do think there's something smart about cycling in and out straight barbell work, even if it means using speciality bars other times not unilateral or BW or DB substitutes. I don't think it is just about load reduction, I think it's smart to give the joints a break from being put through the same angles year in year out, based on where your hands are, where the bar always sits etc

So reducing load but keeping the flat bench as you normally would is less of a break than doing Swiss bar for a cycle, IMO.

If I could go back 15 years at the very least I would have varied my bench grip width a lot more than I did, and I wouldn't have almost exclusively low bar back squatted for as long as I did.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120392431#Comment_120392431

For sure, i've changed my mind quite a bit around variety of late, and I'd agree that there could be something to that idea of not constantly loading the same angles and ranges of motion. So many of my aches and pains are exercise specific.

I also side with him on the idea of picking lower absolute load exercises when possible. I'd much rather butcher my quads with a super controlled single leg pendulum squat, than have to load a leg press with loads of plates to get the same effect.

Black Sheep

I did get a lot out of conjugate style training, which is barbell-centric and does obviously cycle a lot of variations. I think for longevity there's something to a conjugate approach.. If I could go back what I would probably address is that I was still doing 10 sets of straight bar bench and 10 sets of low bar squats just from my dynamic days alone. If I had cycled in phases doing floor presses, trap bar deads or whatever on the dynamic days that would have been even better. But of course depends what you're doing the program for, someone focusing on big 3 lifts might not want to do that.

Luxembourgo

38, and feeling like I have lost any sort of explosiveness or pace in the last few years due to a combination of injuries and just not practicing sprinting.

Looking as Westside 4 SKINNY 3, Speed and Strength, any experience of this?

https://www.defrancostraining.com/westside-for-skinny-bastards-part3/

Had done the non speed version before but didn't train with the right intensity etc.

Black Sheep I know you like Defranco 👍

Black Sheep

OK, so yes the original WS4SB trilogy are still great programs and they have dynamic days.

To be honest, I usually did not do the dynamic days, I did the "washed up meathead" template where you do ME upper, ME lower, hypertrophy upper and then fourth day of "your choice" / some conditioning.

I felt like the dynamic days the way Joe set them up were just more aimed at field sports athletes, I wasn't interested.

I suggest you check out some of his recent podcasts though, episode 407 goes through how he programmes jumps, throws and power for over 35s lifters. Basically, he puts 3 sets of throws / slams in the warm up for upper body, and 3 sets of jumps in lower body. Worth listening to.

The WS4SB is almost perfect programming though, really has it all... Strength progression on main lifts... Also tonnes of hypertrophy work. And decent variation, switching things up every several weeks.

Black Sheep

Not much traffic in the forum lately, for some reason.

Current programming is push, legs, rest, pull, full body.

Cycled strict pull-ups back in after a lay-off of a couple of months and surprised to find they feel great, no apparent drop-off in ability. There could be a few reasons for this (Bodyweight good etc) but I think it must mean my pull days and lat and upper back work are on-point enough that there's a carryover to the pull-ups.

I've also been doing a lot of hangs in my warm-up, could be a factor. 30 seconds to a minute.

Bellie1

Have been doing similar myself , purely because fits into my schedule. Easier to do one full body 2 hour session at weekend ( partner is free to spot me) and then been splitting up during the week as don't have so much time. Sometimes do upper /lower during week, sometimes push pull legs, depending on how fits into work etc. Gives a lot more flexibility to do the full body on a Saturday and thats out of the way then for the week

nates

Hi there,

i came via google as i searched Forever Strong.

Atm i am doing aProgramm from Greg Nuckols. At all iam very happy.

But i always block my spine at Deadlift, or any variations of it, if i hit something around 160 kg.

Its just a question of time... it happened this year already 4 times.

@Black Sheep : Can u tell me something about the Lower Days. Is it Deadlift focused? Can u do supl. for Deadlifts? How are the days structured?

There isnt much about this program if u search via google. I was a big fan of Joe as the WS4SB was kinda new.

cheers