If you are like me, you hate writing out training beforehand and usually don’t want to think about what movements you should do once you start training. If that’s you, this is your article. The template below can be used for an off-season powerlifter or athlete. Each movement has some progression going into the following weeks but overall it is a bit random. After all, I don’t know your training age, what you did for max effort work, what approach you use for your dynamic squats, or your injury history. The main purpose of this is to get you some change-up in your program and get you thinking outside your usual movement selection. Coming off surgery myself and not having a meet in sight, I have been doing this in the gym myself and it’s amazing how mentally refreshing it can be. Training should be something you enjoy, not dread. When we get stuck in the same patterns it’s easy to start dreading the gym and have stalled progress. We also take away the advantage of variability, one of the huge benefits of the conjugate system when we get stuck in a rut.
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There are a fair amount of slow eccentrics (four or five seconds) programmed in this. A few months ago employing more slow eccentrics helped my weight start to climb again. This is a great way to help increase size and hit some fibers you probably haven’t gotten to in a while. This is not to say you’re going to pack on 20 pounds of muscle by the end of this six weeks but you will definitely feel some soreness and growth that you haven’t for quite some time. Again, variety is key if you are going to continue to improve over the years and stay mentally fresh.
I included your second barbell movement, too. These will change weekly, whereas the accessory movements change every two weeks. When you are training, make sure you don’t forget your max effort movement and speed squat movements.
Weeks 1 and 2
Max Effort Day
Secondary Movement:
- Week 1: Banded Cambered Bar Good Morning — Work up to heavy (not max effort) set of five, then do two more sets (three total heavy sets)
- Week 2: Sumo Dumbbell RDL —3x10-12 (video shows good morning; cues are the same just holding dumbbells)
Reverse Hyper with Neck Harness — Keep feet apart and straight, knees straight:
- Week 1: 3x20
- Week 2: 4x20
GHR, Four-Second Eccentric:
- Week 1: 3x6
- Week 2: 4x6
One Leg Up Crunch Over Foam Roller — 4x20 each
Close Grip Neutral Grip Pull-Up, Four-Second Eccentric (Allow scap elevation and protraction in bottom):
- Week 1: 3x6
- Week 2: 4x6
Dynamic Effort Day
Five-Second Eccentric Snatch Grip Banded Pin 2 Speed Pulls:
- Week 1: 10x2
- Week 2: 8x2
- Week 1: 3x8
- Week 2: 4x8
Prone Banded Leg Curl — Control eccentric, feet straight:
- Week 1: 3x30
- Week 2: 3x50
Groiners – Control eccentric:
- Week 1: 3x30
- Week 2: 3x40
GHR Sit-Up, Pigeon-Toed, Legs Straight — 4x20:
Fat Bar Pulldown, Five-Second Pause on Chest (Maintain scap retraction and depression):
- Week 1: 4x10
- Week 2: 5x10
Weeks 3 and 4
Max Effort Day
Secondary Movement:
- Week 3: Conventional Pin 3 Pull, Chin Down, Break Bar off Pins with Lats — 3x5
- Week 4: Stepped Out Dumbbell RDL — 3x8
Single-Leg Reverse Hyper:
- Week 3: 4x20
- Week 4: 4x30
Banded GHR:
- Week 3: 3x6
- Week 4: 4x6
Cambered Bar Seesaw Abs — 4x20 each
Weighted Medium Grip Pull-Up (Keep scap retraction and depression):
- Week 3: 4x6
- Week 4: 5x6
Dynamic Effort Day
- Week 3: 4x10
- Week 4: 5x10
SS Yoke Bar Pistol Squat to Bench, Four-Second Eccentric:
- Week 3: 3x6
- Week 4: 4x6
- Week 3: 150 total
- Week 4: 200 total
Thomson Hips — 3 rounds
Hanging Leg Raise — 4x25
- Week 3: 4x12
- Week 4: 6x12
Weeks 5 and 6
Max Effort Day
Secondary Movement:
- Week 5: SS Yoke Bar Close Stance Good Morning vs. Chains — 3x3
- Week 6: Belt Squat — 3x6
Wide Stance Back Extension, Four-Second Eccentric:
- Week 5: 4x15
- Week 6: 4x25
Single-Arm Dumbbell Carry — Four trips each arm
- Week 5: 2 rounds
- Week 6: 3 rounds
Dynamic Effort Day
Banded Dimmel Deads, Half of Normal Band Tension — Use 30% of conventional deadlift max:
- Week 5: 4x20
- Week 6: 3x20
SS Yoke Bar Stepped-Out Good Morning, Four-Second Eccentric:
- Week 5: 3x6
- Week 6: 4x6
GHR:
- Week 5: 3 x failure
- Week 6: 4 x failure
- Week 5: 3x20
- Week 6: 4x20
Decline Sit-Ups: 4x25
Wide Grip Pulldowns, Four-Second Pause on Chest (Maintain scap retraction and depression):
- Week 5: 4x12
- Week 6: 6x12
There it is — six weeks of no thinking just training for your lower body accessory lanes. Give this a shot and let me know how things go. My guess is you’ll feel stronger and be looking forward to the gym a little more again. Your hamstrings are definitely going to be leveled up. In 90% of people, that alone will give them a boost on their lifts and performance.
