Author: Ashley Jones

Time is undoubtedly our most valuable resource; hence, when I am asked to write a program or coach someone, the first question I ask is how many sessions a week you can commit to and how long each session is. I say realistic because it is the consistency of a period of time that will determine your success in any endeavour you undertake, and training is no exception to this.

The other factor to discuss is recovery: as the saying goes, “the ability to train is governed by the ability to recover.” Ensure that the Big Three elements of recovery are in place:

• Sleep: 8 – 10 hours per night + naps during the day
• Macro Nutrients: ensure a sufficient number of calories spread across 4 – 6 meals + snacks
• Hydration: ensure 3+ litres of water is being sipped over the day

Other factors that will impact the development program are:

• What is the person training to improve (strength, size, power, endurance)
• Training Age
• Environment where the person is training (commercial gym v performance gym)

2 days per week (Full Body): Monday, Thursday or Tuesday, Friday or Wednesday, Saturday

2 different workouts and can be increased to 3 different workouts as below:

OR

3 days per week (Full Body): Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

• Full Body A: Back Squat, Back Extension, Bench Press, Bent-over Row
• Full Body B: Conventional Deadlift, Lunge, Military Press, Chin-ups
• Full Body C: Front Squat, Romanian Deadlift, Incline Bench Press, Shrugs

3 days per week (Split + Full Body):

Alternating Option:

Three days per week, Programming based on Movement Patterns

Bill Starr inspired (Pull, Push & Squat)

Dan John inspired (Squat, Hinge, UB Push, UB Pull, Loaded Carry)

John Rusin inspired (Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Upper Body Push, Upper Body Pull, Loaded Carry)

Paul Chek inspired (Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Upper Body Push, Upper Body Pull, Rotational, Gait)

Of Stones & Strength Programming Example with exercises and sets/reps

3 days a week, 2-week rotation full body strength program, Pull-Push-Squat

Detailed Plan:

This can be expanded into a four-day-a-week performance plan by dropping a day of the CARE programming or by integrating the CARE at the end of each performance training day.

Four-Day Program

4 days per week (Split Programming)

• Lower Body (A): Squat, Single Leg RDL, Glute Ham Raise, Farmer’s Walk
• Lower Body (B): Deadlift, Bulgarian Sprinter’s Squat, KB Swings, Suitcase Walk
• Upper Body (A): Bench Press, Bent-over Row, Seated DB Shoulder Press, Shrugs
• Upper Body (B): Military Press, Chin-ups, Incline DB Press, Incline DB Row

Strength & Size Programming 4-day variation

Sets & Reps

*Triple Drop DB Incline - wk1: 5/5/5, wk2: 4/4/4, wk3: 3/3/3
*Incline DB Row - wk1: 5/5, wk2: 4/4, wk3: 3/3

4orce Training

4 sessions a week
4 movements a session
4 sets for each movement
4-week blocks of training

Option One

Option Two

Option Three

Option Four

Sets & Reps
Week One: 8, 6, 4, 4
Week Two: 4 x 4 + 4 Clusters with 30” between 4’s
Week Three: 4 x 4
Week Four: 4 x 2 + 2 Clusters with 30” between 2’s

4-day-a-week Training Plan

Lower Body: Train like an Athlete
Upper Body: Train like a Power Body Builder

4-day Olympic Program

• Monday:
  • Olympic Snatch
  • Safety Bar 30 cms Box Squat (3 week progression - 6/5/4/4, 5/4/3/3, 4/3/2/2)
  • Thick Bar Zercher Lift & Squat (5 progressively heavier singles)
• Tuesday:
  • Power Snatch + Push Press Behind Neck
  • Power Snatch + Snatch Balance
  • Power Snatch + Overhead Squat
  • (a variety of sets and reps, could be 1 PS + 1 each of the others, or as written above, but 3 bars set up with different weights and do the 3 doubles with 10 - 15 seconds rest between each then 3 minutes between sets, or treat each double as a separate exercise)
  • Military Press (3 week progression - 6/5/4/4, 5/4/3/3, 4/3/2/2)
• Thursday:
  • Clean & Jerk
  • Cambered Bar 45 cms Box Squat (3 week progression - 6/5/4/4, 5/4/3/3, 4/3/2/2)
  • Rollouts (weighted or unweighted, change each session)
• Saturday:
  • Barski Cleans (3 squat clean reps from different hang starts usually high to mid thigh)
  • Borreginne Complex - 1 Squat Clean + 1 Front Squat (can be singles, doubles or triples)
  • Burgener Complex - 1 Front Squat + 1 Split Jerk (can be singles, doubles or triples)

Lower Body Component of an advanced 4-day per week program

3-week Wave Loaded French Contrast
Wk1: 2 x (6, 4, 2) @ (75%, 85%, 95%), (75+%, 85+%, 95+%)
Wk2: (6, 4, 2) @ 75%, 85%, 95%, (3 + 3, 2 + 2, 1 + 1) @ 80%, 90%, 97.5%
Wk3: 2 x (3 + 3, 2 + 2, 1 + 1) @ (80%, 90%, 97.5%), (80+%, 90+%, 97.5+%)

Monday

Thursday

5 days per week (Upper Body Priority Programming)

5 days per week (Lower Body Priority Programming)

6 days per week (Split Programming)

Upper Body: Strength & Size
Lower Body: Speed, Power & Strength

Upper Body

OR

Lower Body

FCM - wk1: 4 x 6, wk2: 4 x 4, wk3: 4 x 2
Isolateral – wk1: 12, 10, 8, wk2: 10, 8, 6, wk3: 8, 6, 4

OR

If six days prove to be too much to recover from, you could program three lower-body and two upper-body workouts in the first week, then in the second week program three upper-body and two lower-body workouts, effectively doing five sessions a week.

Week One

Week Two

If five days prove to be too much to recover from, you could program two sessions for upper and lower each week, alternating them to ensure you are training all elements of the full program.

Week One

Week Two

Continue the rotation of sessions according to the planned number of sessions each week that you feel allows you the best recovery time to optimize your training.

Speed on all Lower Body days if doing French Contrast Method sessions:

My Favourite Sets & Reps Plans for Size & Strength

Here is another option for determining the sets & reps that players need to optimize their training for specific goals:

A player-specific CARE program is conducted at the end of each training day for all programs to target potential injury and/or imbalance areas. You can program the CARE as used either as a warm-up/movement preparation or at the conclusion of the performance workout. Ensure each training session is between 60 – 90 minutes maximum. You can use dynamic movement drills as a warm-up before commencing your workout, and warm up progressively during the lift itself. I have found over the years that the warm-up reps should be half the planned work sets, so, for example, if you are planning on sets of 6 in the workout, just do triples (3’s) in the warm-up. “Warm up, do not wear out” is the key.

I recommend that all trainers develop an exercise selection chart for the available equipment in their specific gyms, so players/trainees can assist in selecting appropriate exercises for their development.

2026 Upper Body CARE Programming

2026 Lower Body CARE Programming

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