The 1 x 100 Challenge The Challenge To Gain 1 Pound of Strength 100 Times

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The 1 x 100 Challenge The Challenge to Gain 1 Pound of Strength 100 Times

By Mark Sherwood To visit Mark’s website, go to: www.precisionpointtraining.com

The author and publisher of the information in this book are not responsible in any manner for physical harm or damages that may occur in response to following the instructions presented in this material. As with any exercise program, a doctor’s approval should be obtained before engaging in exercise.

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Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: When Adding Weight Fails to Produce Strength Gains Chapter 2: A Pound at a Time Chapter 3: Finding Proper Equipment and Fractional Weight Plates Chapter 4: Identifying the Right Level of Effort to Keep Adding Pounds Chapter 5: The Right Amount of Effort: Where to Stop During a Set Chapter 6: The Right Amount of Effort: When to Stop Repeating Sets Chapter 7: The Right Amount of Effort: When to Stop Adding Weight for Heavy Single Reps Chapter 8: How Often to Add a Pound Chapter 9: Rate of Gain and Accumulating Strength Chapter 10: Basic Exercises that Maximize Strength Chapter 11: Optimizing Training Frequency Chapter 12: Effective Use of the Pyramid Method for Workouts Chapter 13: Use Percentages to Specify How Much Effort Chapter 14: How to Determine Your Single Rep Max for Percentage Training Chapter 15: Adjustments That Produce Results Chapter 16: Heavy Single Reps Plus Back-off Sets Chapter 17: The 5-1 Weekly Training Cycle Chapter 18: Block Training for Strength Chapter 19: Vacillating Blocks Chapter 20: Accepting the Challenge Exercise Guide: How to Perform Exercises About the Author Additional Resources

Introduction Can you gain one pound of strength? This would be easy for most people. If it is easy to gain one pound of strength, why not make a goal? Once this goal has been accomplished, make it a goal to gain another pound of strength and keep repeating this goal over and over again 100 times. How do you gain one pound of strength at time? You simply add one pound to your lifts at a time. In spite of the simplicity of gaining one pound of strength at a time, many people will overlook it in favor of training programs that promise a spectacular breakthrough in strength within a short amount of time. While gaining a pound of strength is not spectacular, it can be repeated to accumulate into impressive strength gains over time. Gaining a pound of strength over and over again until it accumulates into a gain of 100 pounds of added strength is the challenge set forth in this book. Do I promise that you will gain 100 pounds of strength? No, but I am going to challenge you to do it, and I will provide a formula for maximizing your ability to meet the challenge. If you succeed, you can start over and initiate a new challenge according to your goals. Regardless of how much strength you gain over time, your immediate goal will always be the same; gain one pound of strength. It’s that simple. Most training methods enable you to gain strength quickly at first. This is usually followed by slower gains which gradually taper off until no gains are made. If you are at the point where you are experiencing slow gains or no gains, then you have nothing to lose by taking the challenge to gain one pound of strength at a time. If you have been stuck and take the time to learn how to gain one pound of strength per week for a given exercise, then you will be fifty pounds stronger within a year. In just a couple of years, you will be lifting poundages that you never thought you could lift. Even if you only add one pound every two weeks, your lifts will increase by approximately twenty five pounds within a year. For a person who has been stuck at the same strength level, this is significant progress; especially if it is repeated year after year. As easy as it may sound to gain one pound of strength, if your training approach is incorrect, then gaining a pound of strength can be hard. When is

gaining a pound of strength hard? It’s hard if you are already training excessively hard before you ever add the extra pound. Adding a pound to the right level of effort is a huge key that allows you to add a pound over and over again. You will grow stronger when you add a pound to the right level of effort because your body doesn’t want the additions of weight to become harder and harder to lift. While the workouts that help you accomplish this are not overly easy, they should never grow excessively hard as weight is added. How do you start at the right level of effort? This is explained in the book along with how often to add a pound in order to maintain the ability to keep adding additional pounds for a long, long time. If you are looking for a simple way to consistently gain strength, the rest of this book offers a simple solution for becoming enormously strong one pound at a time.

Chapter 1 When Adding Weight Fails to Produce Strength Gains

Milo According to ancient Greek history, there was a wrestling champion named Milo who was enormously strong. Legend has it that his method for gaining his strength was to pick up a new-born calf and carry it on his shoulders every day as it grew bigger and bigger. Milo found that as the calf grew bigger, his body grew proportionately stronger. Eventually, his strength increased to the point where he could carry a full-grown bull on his shoulders. Weight lifters have endeavored to use a strategy similar to Milo’s, but instead of starting out by lifting a new-born calf, they start out by lifting a light barbell. They steadily add weight to the barbell on a weekly basis in hopes that their strength will keep on increasing as the weight increases. This strategy has provided some degree of success for many lifters. However, others have found that the increasing weight of the barbell quickly outgrows their strength level before they ever get very strong. They may start over with a light weight and steadily add more weight again, but they keep getting stuck at the same strength level.

I believe there a three basic reasons why people reach a point where they can’t add any more weight to their lifts: Reason #1: Too much weight is added each time to the lift. Reason #2: The weight is not being added to the right level of effort. Reason #3: The weight is added too often. The basis of the rest of this book is to address these three key areas that must be executed properly in order to add weight as long as possible without getting stuck.

Chapter 2 A Pound at a Time

You’ve probably heard the saying, “inch by inch is a cinch, but yard by yard is hard.” It doesn’t matter what you are trying to improve at, if you quickly rush ahead before you are ready, progress comes to a stop. It’s true in life, and it’s true when it comes to weight training. In my own experience, there was a time period where I was able to add five pounds per week for basic exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and bench press. This went on for approximately twelve weeks until it came to a screeching halt. I kept on trying to add on five pounds, but my strength wouldn’t budge. While it is true that it is possible to make quick gains for a time, it is not possible to make quick gains all the time. Once you begin a strength training program, the following process begins: The stronger you become, the more weight you lift. The more weight you lift, the more stress it puts on your recovery system. The more your recovery system is stressed, the harder it becomes for your body to adapt by gaining strength. Gaining five or ten pounds of strength at a time eventually becomes exceedingly difficult. A gifted lifter may be able to gain five to ten pounds at a time for a much longer time period than normal. However, they too will reach a point where it becomes very difficult to gain five pounds of strength at a time. Adding a Pound at a Time One solution for those who can no longer adapt to a five pound increase in weight is to quit trying to gain strength in five pound increments. Adding weight in five pound increments requires too great of an adaptation, but a smaller adaptation that only requires a one pound increase of strength is much easier for the body to accomplish. While it may seem like a very small gain, it is bigger than no gains, and it can be repeated to accumulate into huge gains

over time. Of course, this can only be done with the right weight lifting equipment that allows one pound increases in weight.

Chapter 3 Finding Proper Equipment and Fractional Weight Plates

The Problem with Most Barbell Sets Most barbell and dumbbell sets come with weight plates that only allow a lifter to increase their poundages in five or ten pound increments. In most commercial gyms, the smallest weight plates are two and a half pounders. If you put one of these little plates on each side, the lift will increase by five pounds. Even then, there tends to be so few two and a half pound plates in gyms that they are hard to find. The smallest weight plates that are easy to find are often five pound plates. This forces you to increase the weight you are using by ten pounds. The same situation often exists with weight training machines and barbell sets that are used for home gyms. The Need for Small Weight Plates Fortunately, the problem of having to increase by five pound increments can be solved with the use of small weight plates that are referred to as “fractional weight plates.” These plates are small enough to allow you to add a halfpound to each side of a barbell in order to add a pound to your lifts. If you do a search online by typing in the words, “fractional weight plates,” you should

be able to find several resources that make fractional weight plates available for purchase. The good news is that it is not hard to find fractional weight plates for Olympic barbells. The bad news is that they are very difficult to find for weight training machines, and they are difficult to find for standard barbells that are one inch in diameter at the end. Adding a Pound to a Weight Training Machine One solution for those who will be using weight training machines is to purchase fractional weight plates that weigh about a pound. The plate can be used in conjunction with the weight selector pin that is inserted into the stack of weights when selecting a weight. All you need to do is put your weight selector pin into the weight stack to select the desired amount of weight. Once positioned in the stack of weights, the end of the weight selector pin will be sticking out an inch or two so that you can hang the fractional weight plate upon it. Do this by simply positioning the hole of the fractional weight plate so that it hangs from the weight selector pin. Any small amount of weight that you choose can be added to a weight training machine using this method. Adding a Pound to a Standard Barbell It is also difficult to find small plates for standard barbells. The distinction between Olympic barbells and standard barbells is that the end of an Olympic barbell is two inches in diameter, whereas the end of a standard barbell is one inch in diameter. This means the Olympic barbell plates have a much bigger hole in the middle than a standard barbell plate that is often used for home gyms. Finding Small Weight Plates for Standard Barbells One option for those with standard barbells is to obtain flat washers that have a hole that is an inch in diameter. Washers of this size are not easy to find in most hardware stores, however, the best resource that I have found for this is a store called Fastenal. If there happens to be a Fastenal store located near your home, you can simply walk into the store and request flat washers that are one inch in diameter on the inside (a one inch hole). You can also order the washers from Fastenal online at: https://www.fastenal.com. Six USS Washers Equal 1 Pound

Washers with a one inch inner diameter come in different weights. The biggest ones from Fastenal are labeled USS. Make sure you ask for USS when ordering or buying. Other sizes are usually smaller and too light. It takes three USS washers with a one inch hole to equal a half pound. If you put three washers on each side of a barbell, you will be adding a total of six washers which will equal one pound. It may not be an exact pound, but it will be close. 24 USS Washers Equals 4 Pounds It takes 24 USS washers to equal four pounds. This will allow you to make one pound additions as needed until you have increased by four pounds. At that point, you can switch to two and a half pound plates to increase to five pounds. You can then start adding the washers to the two and a half pounders. If you are fortunate to have one and one quarter pound plates, then you will only need 12 USS washers to make one pound additions as needed until you have increased by two pounds. At that point, you can switch to the one and one quarter pound plates and add washers to them a pound at a time. You Need 8 Half Pound Plates For Olympic Bars If you have an Olympic barbell, and you don’t already have fractional weight plates, you need eight fractional weight plates that weigh a half pound each in order fill in the five pound gaps that generally exist if your next smallest weight plate is two and a half pounds. Eight, half pound weight plates will allow you to make one pound additions as needed until you have increased by four pounds. At that point, you can switch over to two and a half pound plates to increase to five pounds. The half-pound plates can then be added to the two and half pound plates to start the process of adding a pound again. If you are looking for fractional weight plates, you can try some of the following sources: Iron Bull Fractional Weight Plates Barbell 1 Fractional Rubber Micro Pates 44Sport Olympic Fractional Plates The Right Level of Effort Once you have the right equipment, you can implement the strategy of adding weight in one pound increments as you gain strength. However, in order to make this strategy work, it is vitally important that you are using the

right amount of effort in your workouts when you add weight. Even though one pound is a small amount of weight, it will be hard to add it on if you are working out too hard to start with. Unfortunately, lifters tend to employ the strategy of adding on a pound only when the weight is so heavy and hard to lift that they have no choice but to add a super small amount of weight. I believe this is a mistake. It is better to add small amounts of weight before the weight becomes strenuous. If you do it right, you can keep adding a small amount of weight without needing to strain as the weights gradually become heavier. Diagnosing the right amount of effort for your workouts will be addressed in the next section.

Chapter 4 Identifying the Right Level of Effort to Keep Adding Pounds

Using the right level of effort for your workouts will insure that your body is responsive when a pound of weight is added. If you add weight to the right level of effort, your body will gain strength to keep the additions of weight from becoming excessively strenuous. This is one of the purposes that your body has for gaining strength. Strength gains make it easier to lift heavier weights so that additions of weight will not become harder and harder to the point where they become excessively strenuous. Of course your body can only keep additions of weight from becoming excessively strenuous if you start with weights that are not excessively strenuous in the first place. If you add to weights that are already excessively strenuous to lift, they will simply become even more strenuous. Don’t make the mistake of taking a weight that is almost impossibly hard to lift, and then making it even harder to lift with added weight. Start with the right amount of effort. If it is so important to start with the right amount effort, then how do you determine this? The basic guideline for determining this is to push your training very close to the point where it is about to become excessively strenuous, but stop right before you reach that point. There are three stopping

points that should be used to push as far as possible without reaching the point of excessive strain. These three points will first be listed in this chapter, and explained in more detail in the chapters to follow. 3 Stopping Points to Avoid Excessive Strain 1. The limit rep and marker rep tell you when to stop repeating reps during a set 2. The limit set and marker set tell you when to stop repeating sets. 3. Your capacity to maintain a strong lifting motion tells you when to stop adding weight to a heavy single rep.

Chapter 5 The Right Amount of Effort: Where to Stop During a Set

The Limit Rep and Marker Rep When performing a set of reps, the limit rep is the preferable stopping place that allows you to add on a pound without creating excessive strain. What is the limit rep? Assuming that you are trying to lift each rep forcefully, the limit rep is the last rep that you can perform in a set while using a steady even rep pace. I refer to these reps as strong reps. When you exceed your capacity to perform strong reps, the speed and pace at which you repeat reps will start to slow down due to fatigue. I refer to the slower weaker reps that occur at the end of a set as weak reps. Excessive strain sets in when you reach the point where weak reps start to occur. Do not do weak reps. Stop before excessive strain begins by stopping when you reach your limit rep. If you continue past the limit rep, the next rep that you perform is called your marker rep. The marker rep marks the first rep of a set where the pace at which you repeat reps starts to slow down. The marker rep also marks the point where the amount of strain begins to escalate much faster than previously in the set. If you hit your marker rep, you are either using too much weight, or you are trying to do too many reps. In order to avoid this, make sure

you adjust your weights and reps so that the limit rep is your stopping point at the end of a set. The idea is to start at the right level of effort and add a pound. After adding a pound, give yourself enough time to grow a little stronger so that you can add another pound without exceeding your limit rep. As you continue to add weight in increments of one pound, it should never feel like the added weight is getting heavier and harder to lift to the point where you exceed your limit rep with strenuous reps. If added weight pushes you past your limit rep, then you are adding weight too often, and you need to give yourself more time before you add each pound.

Chapter 6 The Right Amount of Effort: When to Stop Repeating Sets

The Limit Set and Marker Set Just as there is a limit rep and marker rep, there is also a limit set and a marker set. Your limit set is the limit of sets that you can repeat at full strength. The marker set marks the first set where your strength begins to decrease. If you reach your marker set, the weights will feel heavier and your workout will become more strenuous at that point. Most people can push to their limit rep for two or three sets for the same muscle group before they begin to weaken. However, some people may be able to do more than three sets and each individual should do the number of sets that fits their capacity to train at full strength. Determining Whether or Not you are at Full Strength Having a sense for knowing whether or not you are at full strength while performing sets is an important aspect of successful training. Most of the workouts in this book consist of using the pyramid method. The pyramid method consists of starting with warm up sets followed by work sets. Warm up Sets

Warm up sets are done with lighter weights that don’t require you to push to your limit rep in order to reach the number of reps you are required to perform. When using the pyramid method, weight is usually added to each warm up set and each warm up should grow a little harder than the last warm up set. However, it should still be fairly easy to complete the required number of reps and remain at full strength for all of your warm up sets. Work Sets After doing a few warm up sets where you add weight to each set, you will reach a top weight. When you do the number of reps listed in your workout with your top weight, it should push you to your limit rep. Any time you push to your limit rep, you are doing a work set. Repeating Sets Using the Same Weight When doing work sets, it is fairly easy to tell whether or not you are at full strength when repeating sets for the same exercise with the same amount of weight and reps. For example, if you have the maximum capacity to do eight strong reps with 225 pounds for your first work set of squats, then you are at full strength as long as you maintain the ability to repeat sets with 225 pounds for eight strong reps. However, if you start to weaken, you will fall short of eight strong reps, and if you do push to eight reps, the last rep or two will be weaker slower reps. Remaining at Full Strength When Varying the Weights If you vary the weight from one set to the next for your work sets, you must rely upon previous experience to know whether or not you are at full strength. I bring this up because some of the workouts in this book are done by working up to a heavy single rep, then backing off to a work set of five reps, followed by a work set of ten reps. The only way you can know whether or not you are at full strength for each set is to refer to previous workouts. For example, if you were able to perform ten strong reps while at full strength in a recent workout, but you fall short of ten strong reps with the same weight in a current workout, you will know that you are not at full strength. If you are not at full strength when doing a set, it is most likely because you are doing too many sets, or you are not fully recovered between workouts, or between sets. Full Recovery Between Sets

A very important variable to consider when determining whether or not you are at full strength is the amount of rest you take between sets for the same muscle group. If you find that you are already losing your strength by the second work set for the same muscle group, you may not be resting long enough to fully recover your strength between sets. If you push to your limit rep, it generally takes at least three minutes to fully recover your strength before doing another set for the same muscle group. Switching Back and forth Between Muscle Groups Resting three minutes between sets for the same muscle group does not mean that you must rest three minutes between every set of your workout. You can do a set of an exercise for one muscle group, and do an exercise one minute later of one or two other muscle groups before returning to the first muscle group at least three minutes later. For example, you can do a set of bench presses and follow it with a set of squats and pulley rows before returning to the bench press at least three minutes later. Shorter Rests Between Easy Warm up Sets While at least three minutes rest is needed between work sets when you push to your limit rep, the amount of rest needed to fully recover your strength between easy warm up sets may be less than three minutes. Easy warm up sets don’t create as much fatigue, so it may take as little as one minute to recover your strength after your first warm up set. The basic concept is simply that you need to fully recover your strength before repeating a set for the same muscle group. If you do enough sets, you will start to grow weaker no matter how much rest you take between sets. This will usually happen after two to three work sets for the same muscle group. If have the capacity to do more than three work sets at full strength, then base the number of sets you do on your own capacity. A Strength Adaptation vs. Endurance Adaptation The basic concept is to stay within your capacity to perform sets at full strength. This will increase the likelihood that your body adapts to your training by growing stronger. When you exceed your capacity to train at full strength by doing too many sets, your body may favor an endurance adaptation over a strength adaptation. This simply means that your body will give you the ability to train longer without getting stronger. The safest option is to stay

within the boundaries of your limit set, which is the last set that you can do at full strength for a muscle group.

Chapter 7 The Right Amount of Effort: When to Stop Adding Weight for Heavy Single Reps

If you are going to include heavy single reps in your workouts, this chapter is important. However, I do not believe that it is essential to perform heavy single reps in order to get stronger. Several workouts will be presented later in this book. Some of the workouts will include training with heavy single reps, and others will not. If you choose to use heavy single reps for any of your workouts, the guidelines in this chapter will help you to train heavy without inducing excessive strain. A Strong Lifting Motion The ability to maintain a strong lifting motion throughout a lift is the basic means for determining whether or not you are using weights that cause excessive strain. What is a strong lifting motion? It can be identified as a smooth nonstop lifting motion with excellent lifting form. It is devoid of negative qualities that indicate a weak lifting motion such as pauses, hitches, poor form, and extra slow movement during the lifting motion. Anytime you are performing heavy single reps, stay within the boundaries of a strong lifting motion. If you exceed your ability to maintain a strong lifting motion, the amount of strain it takes to lift the weight will suddenly escalate.

Constant strain may help you to gain strength for a while, but it will eventually push your body to the point where it will be inhibited to keep growing stronger. This is because your body’s purpose for growing stronger is to try to avoid (or reduce) excessive strain. It cannot escape the excessive strain that it is trying to avoid when you keep adding weight on top of excessive strain. It is ok to push yourself with heavy single reps, but not the point of exceeding a strong lifting motion.

Chapter 8 How Often to Add a Pound

If you start with the right amount of effort when doing your workouts, your next step is to determine how often you should add a pound to your exercises. This is dependent on several factors which are listed below: 1. The effectiveness of your training methods 2. Your personal physiology 3. How long you have been training 4. The exercises being performed The list of factors that determine how often you should add a pound to your exercises will now be discussed one at a time. The Effectiveness of Your Training Methods If you train right, you can gain much faster than if you are using poor training methodology. In fact, if you use ineffective training methods, you may not gain at all. You must use effective training methods in order to make consistent gains. Some aspects of effective training have already been discussed in the sections on determining the right level of effort when working out. Specific workouts will also be presented in future sections of this book to enhance the

quality of your training. Better training equals better results and the ability to add weight at a quicker rate. How Long You Have Been Training The amount of time you have already trained with weights will also have a large influence on how fast you can gain strength. In the first few months of training, some people will have no problem adding a pound to their basic lifts in each workout if they work out three times per week. However, within three to five months of training, the rate at which strength can be gained generally slows down. Someone who has been training for six to twelve months may be able to add a pound to their lifts every four to seven days. Those who have been training for over a year will be doing very good if they can add a pound to their lifts every seven to ten days, and those who have been training for several years may have to settle for adding a pound to their lifts once every two to three weeks. These are not fixed rules that apply the exact same way to everyone, but are mere guidelines for how fast people tend to gain. Each individual will vary according to their own physiology. Your Personal Physiology While beginners usually gain faster than intermediates, and intermediates usually gain faster than those who have been training for a long time, there can be great variance in how fast individuals gain according to their personal physiology. Some people are physiologically set up to gain strength easily. These people can gain quickly for a long time. At the other extreme, some people will have a hard time gaining strength and will need to be very consistent and patient while gaining slowly. We are all different, and each person will need to add a pound at a rate that corresponds to their own ability. The Exercise Being Performed Not all exercises are created equal when it comes to how much strength can be gained. The capacity to gain a large amount of strength is generally greatest for the squat (or leg press if machines are used), and the deadlift. It will be a little more difficult to add a pound as quickly to basic upper body exercises such as the bench press, incline and overhead presses, dips, pulldowns, pullups, barbell rows, and cable rows. Adding weight will be even harder and slower

when doing isolation exercises such as barbell and dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, dumbbell lateral raises, and leg curls. Recommended Exercises You may be able to add a pound to squats and deadlifts every week for several months or years, however, adding a pound every week to barbell curls would be very difficult. You may only be able to add a pound once per month to exercises like curls, triceps extensions, leg curls, and dumbbell lateral raises. This is why I recommend that you focus on basic exercises such as: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, incline presses, overhead presses, and pulling exercises. You will find it much easier to add a pound to these exercises on a regular basis. Monitor Your Performance It is very difficult to determine how fast you will be able to add a pound to various exercises ahead of time. To some extent, you will have to monitor your performance from workout to workout, or week to week in order to know whether or not you are ready to add a pound. There is a basic rule for how to determine this. The Basic Rule for When to Add a Pound The basic rule for adding a pound is that you must maintain the ability to use a steady rep pace for all of your reps each time you add on a pound. If you succeed, then you can keep using the added weight until it becomes easy enough to add another pound while maintaining a steady rep pace for the whole set. This process is to be repeated over and over again. When you are ready to add a pound, don’t just add it to your top weight of a pyramid of sets, but add a pound to your warm up sets as well. After reaching the point where you have added twenty to thirty pounds to all of your sets, you can readjust your warm up sets so that they fit the percentages listed for the workouts in this book. This will be discussed more in chapter 13. Indicators That You are not Ready to Add a Pound If you add a pound and the pace of your reps starts to slow down at the end of your heaviest sets, you are adding weight too quickly and will need to go back to a lighter weight for more workouts. Eventually, the lighter weight will

become easier to lift and you will be able to add a pound while maintaining a steady rep pace throughout the entire set. Over time, you will begin to discover how often you can add a pound to the various exercises you are doing. Remember that you will probably be able to add a pound to some exercises more often than others, and the rate at which you are able to add a pound will change according to how many months or years you have been lifting. The only thing that can accurately determine how often to add a pound is your own performance, which must be constantly monitored and accurately assessed. Avoid the Urge to Rush Your Progress If you are very ambitious in your strength training efforts, you will be tempted to add a pound before you are truly ready. It may temporarily seem to help you when you add on weight faster than you should, but it will backfire in the end. If your training seems to be getting harder and harder, eventually it will be very difficult to gain anything; even a pound of strength. The workouts should not feel as though they are becoming harder over time if you are growing stronger in proportion to the additions of weight. You must not exceed an optimum level of training effort, or the time will come when you will lose the ability to keep adding on a pound to your lifts.

Chapter 9 Rate of Gain and Accumulating Strength

Gaining a pound of strength can seem incredibly small and insignificant if you have a jack pot mentality and want huge strength gains now. On the other hand, one of the psychological benefits of making small strength gains is that you will be able to see measurable progress on a more frequent basis than when trying to add more weight on a less frequent basis. The important thing to keep in mind is that each added pound will eventually accumulate into 100 or more pounds. Sometimes it is necessary to do some math in order to see what can be accomplished when small amounts of progress are consistently made over a sufficient amount of time. The basic challenge presented in this book is to gain a pound of strength over and over until you have done it 100 times. If you add a pound at regular intervals, some basic calculations will tell you how long it will take to gain 100 pounds of strength. You can use the following information to determine how long it would take to gain 100 pounds of strength based on adding a pound at the various time intervals listed. How Long It Takes to Gain 100 Pounds of Strength: Add one pound every workout (3 times per week) = 100 pounds in 8 months Add one pound twice per week = 100 pounds in 11 months and two weeks

Add one pound per week = 100 pounds in 1 year and 11 months Add one pound every ten days = 100 pounds in 2 years and 9 months Add one pound every two weeks = 100 pounds in 3 years and 10 months How determined are you to have long term training goals? Are you willing to train for one year, three years, five years, ten years, or twenty plus years? I know there are genetic wonders who have developed their strength in a relatively short amount of time, but there are other outstanding lifters who have developed a good portion of their strength by gaining little by little over a long time. To most of the world, slow progress looks like no progress. For those who take the time to get the bigger picture of a long term training plan, they have the power to see that continuous small gains eventually add up to huge gains over time. Lifters who develop the ability to consistently achieve small gains over a long time will set themselves apart from those who lose sight of what small but consistent gains can accomplish. The gap between the two is barely noticeable at first, but it widens into a canyon as time passes. The irony of weight training progress is that those who are in the biggest hurry are often the first ones to come to a screeching halt. They demand more from their body than what it can give and end up with nothing. While they are killing themselves to blast their way to the next great breakthrough that never materializes, someone else is patiently making little gains that eventually accumulate into huge gains. Don’t overlook the power of what small gains can lead to when they are repeated over time.

Chapter 10 Basic Exercises that Maximize Strength

The challenge to gain a pound of strength is primarily based upon getting stronger at basic compound exercises. These exercises emphasize the development of the muscles that have the greatest capacity for strength gains. They also utilize multiple muscle groups at the same time to enable you to lift heavy weight. Basic compound exercises that are common for strength building are listed below: Basic Exercises Squats (for legs, glutes and lower back) Deadlifts (for back, legs and glutes) Bench presses or overhead presses (for chest, shoulders and triceps) Lat pulldowns and pullups (for back and biceps) Barbell rows or pulley rows (for back and biceps) Refer to the Exercise Guide Some people reading this have already mastered the basic lifts. Others may need instructions regarding correct lifting technique for the basic lifts. If you need specific instructions for how to perform the exercises listed, an exercise guide is provided in the last chapter of the book.

Recall that you will generally be able to add a pound more often to squats and deadlifts as these exercises tend to possess the greatest potential for strength gains. Exercises that do not have as much potential for strength gains will make it much harder to add a pound and weight will have to be added at a slower rate. This is usually true of isolation exercises that only exercise one muscle group at a time. Some common isolation exercises are listed below: Isolation Exercises Barbell and dumbbell curls (for biceps) Triceps extensions (for triceps) Dumbbell lateral raises (for deltoid muscles of the shoulders) Hyperextensions (for lower back and hamstrings) Leg curls (for hamstrings) Three Basic Exercises per Workout While isolation exercises can be included in your workouts if you prefer, I firmly believe that basic compound exercises are all that are needed to develop phenomenal strength. The key is knowing how to use those basic exercises in conjunction with effective training methods. If you understand how to work out effectively, you can cover most of the muscles in your body with three basic exercises that consist of: 1. A Pressing exercise 2. A Rowing exercise or pulldowns (chose one per workout, not both) 3. A Squat or a deadlift (choose one per workout, not both) There have been great powerlifters who have simply done workouts consisting of the basic exercises listed plus nothing else to develop their outstanding strength. I don’t know of any who became a champion lifter by only doing isolation exercises in their workouts. The majority of your strength gains will come from basic exercises, so include them and make them the focus of your workouts. Assistance Exercises There are lifters who find the inclusion assistance exercises to be helpful. Some assistance exercises are simply a variation of a basic exercise. This

would include exercises such as incline dumbbell presses, front squats, straight legged deadlifts, and partial range of motion lifts. Other assistance exercises are isolation exercises that are used to build up a specific muscle. This would include exercises such as triceps extensions, leg curls, barbell curls, and dumbbell raises to the front, side, or back. If you choose to include assistance exercises, make sure you do them after you do the basic exercises first. Do no more than one assistance exercise per muscle group for one or two sets of ten reps each. Too much assistance work can cause a significant drop in strength before you finish your workouts. You should always finish strong and be as close to full strength as possible at the end of your workouts. If You Use Machines Some people only have access to weight training machines instead of barbells and dumbbells, or they simply prefer to work out with machines. If this is true of you, simply use the machine exercises that most closely replicate the basic barbell exercises listed in the workouts. In other words, use a chest press machine to replace the barbell bench press, and you can use either leg presses, hack squats, or a smith machine to replace barbell squats.

Chapter 11 Optimizing Training Frequency

Training frequency refers to how often you train each muscle group each week. The rate at which you recover between workouts will determine the best training frequency. If you recover quickly between workouts, you can work out more often than someone who takes a long time to recover between workouts. The rate at which you recover between workouts is not a fixed amount of time that is the same for everyone in every situation. Your recovery rate is going to depend on factors such as: 1. How hard you push each set 2. How heavy you lift 3. The number of sets that you do for each muscle group 4. The number of exercises that you do for each workout 5. The specific exercises you do 6. The quality of your nutritional habits 7. The amount and quality of sleep 8. The total amount of physical activity you are involved 9. Your personal physiology

Start With Three Workouts per Week Assuming you are getting adequate amounts of sleep and nutrition, one of the biggest factors that will determine your rate of recovery is how stressful and strenuous your workouts are. The concepts presented in this book advocate definite stopping points in your sets and reps to avoid workouts that are excessively strenuous and severe. In addition, a few basic exercises per workout are emphasized instead of doing a large number of exercises. These factors combine to make it fairly easy to recover from your workouts. For this reason, I recommend three full body workouts per week on nonconsecutive days. This serves as a starting place, but adjustments can be made if needed. Adjust Your Training Frequency if Needed Although I am suggesting that you do three full body workouts per week, I would by no means make it a rule that you must do three workouts per week, or train your whole body in every workout. Some people may find they are better off doing less than three workouts per week for their whole body, and others may be better off doing more than three workouts per week. If you are getting stronger by doing three workouts per week, keep doing it. If three workouts per week seems like too much, and you aren’t recovering, then try cutting back and doing less workouts per week. It is also possible that three workouts per week are very easy to recover from and your body needs more work. If so, then try training more often. Do whatever gives you the best results on a consistent basis. You may also prefer doing split routines where you train your upper body and lower body on separate days. If that is your preference, then do what you prefer according to what works best. Do What Works Best Let me emphasize again that when you choose a training frequency, base your choice on what works for you. This is better than choosing a certain training frequency because a so called expert has told you that there is a fixed frequency that everyone should always use. I would also warn against choosing a training frequency just to fit in with others, or because you are trying to imitate someone you admire. Do what works for you on a consistent basis, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Chapter 12 Effective Use of the Pyramid Method for Workouts

Gaining a pound of strength is dependent upon implementing effective workouts. You may be able to gain a pound of strength using poor training methods, but the gains won’t continue for long. To maximize your progress, sound training methods are essential. If you are satisfied with your current workouts and simply want to apply the method of adding one pound at a time to your current workouts, of course you can do so. However, I will provide several types of workouts in this book for those who are interested. Simple workouts will be presented first, followed by workout plans that include more complexity and variation. The Pyramid Method One of the methods that will be used for the workouts listed in this book is the pyramid method. When done correctly, it is very effective for gaining strength. A basic five set pyramid will be explained in this chapter as it is an excellent workout to start with if you are looking for a simple workout that lends itself to repeatedly adding on weight a pound at a time. The pyramid method is done by starting with a light weight for higher reps when doing a basic exercise. Weight is then added to each successive set of the

same exercise until a top weight is reached. The reps are often decreased from one set to the next as the weight is increased. The following is an example of a five set pyramid: The 5 Set Pyramid 1st Set x 10 reps x 80 pounds 2nd Set x 8 reps x 100 pounds 3rd Set x 6 reps x 130 pounds 4th Set x 5 reps x 160 pounds 5th Set x 5 reps x 160 pounds If you look back at the pyramid again, notice that specific amounts of weight are listed with each set to give you an example of how weight should be added to each set. However, it is not likely that the weights listed will fit your strength level. Therefore, it is important to adjust the amount of weight for each set to fit your own strength level. This will be discussed more in the next two chapters. A pyramid of sets doesn’t have to consist of five sets, but the 5 Set Pyramid allows you to warm up for three sets which is enough for most people. After the warm up sets, your muscles should be energized and prepared to do two work sets. The 5 Set Pyramid can be used for each basic exercise that is done for a workout. As stated earlier, I recommend doing three workouts per week consisting of three basic exercises per workout. Just to review, the three basic exercises should focus on the following: 1. A squat or deadlift (choose one per workout, not both) 2. A pressing exercise 3. Pulldowns or a rowing exercise (choose one per workout, not both) Avoid These Errors with the Pyramid System While the pyramid method can be an excellent strategy for building strength, it can easily be misused and produce suboptimal results. One of the most common mistakes is to push too heavy and too hard on the first two or three sets. The problem with this is that too much energy is expended on the early sets to be at full strength when it is needed most for the heaviest sets that come last.

The pyramid method is generally more effective when the first two or three sets are used as warm up sets with moderately light weights. These sets are not designed to tire you out, but to stimulate your nervous system and prepare your muscles to be at peak strength for the heaviest sets. Percent training is one way to insure that the right amount of effort is used for each set when using the pyramid method. This will be discussed in the next chapter. Other adjustments that may be necessary in order to refine your pyramid for best results will then be addressed in the following chapters.

Chapter 13 Use Percentages to Specify How Much Effort

Powerlifters often designate a certain percentage of their single rep max for an exercise to specify how much effort they use for each set of pyramid. If a lifter has a maximum bench press of 200 pounds for a single rep, they would use 200 pounds as the basis for calculating their percentages for each set. If they use 40% of their single rep max for their first set, it means they are using 40% of 200 pounds, which would be 80 pounds. The use of percentages helps to clarify how much effort should be used for each set so that people don’t use too much or too little weight on their early sets of a pyramid. A sample of how percentages will be written along with sets and reps in this book is shown below: 1st Set x 10 reps x 40% The above notation means: Do your 1st set of an exercise for 10 reps with 40% of your single rep max. Replacing Pounds (or kg) with Percentages At this point, the same five set pyramid that was listed in the previous chapter is going to be listed again. However, the specific amount of weight that

was listed next to the reps will be replaced with a percentage of weight. The five set pyramid will now look like this: 1st Set x 10 reps x 40% 2nd Set x 8 reps x 50% 3rd Set x 6 reps x 65% 4th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85% 5th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85% If you want a printable pdf of this workout, please click on the following link: PDF version of The 5 Set Pyramid Adding Weight to Each Set I strongly recommend that when you add a pound, you add it to each set of the pyramid. Many lifters continue to start out with the same warm up weights that they used as a beginner or intermediate, even though their top weight has increased by hundreds of pounds. But remember this, when you become stronger, you will be able to warm up with more weight, and it will still feel like a warm up weight. Some people feel that warm up sets have no training effect that contributes to the strength gaining process. I disagree with this because increasing your warm up weights will increase the total workload of your workouts, and increasing your total workload plays an instrumental part in regard to gaining strength. The only problem with adding a pound to all of your sets, including your warm up sets, is that the warm up percentages will eventually start creeping up to a higher percentage than what you started with. For example, if you are starting with a 100 pound max and are using 50% of that for one of your warm up sets, then you will be using 50 pounds for that warm up set. If you keep adding one pound until you are using an additional 50 pounds for each set, your max will have moved up from 100 pounds to 150 pounds, and your warm up set with 50% will have moved up from 50 pounds to 100 pounds. The ratio of 50 to 100 that you started with is not the same as the ratio of 100 to 150 that you moved up to, as 100 pounds is 66% of your new max of 150 pounds.

In order to account for the problem of warm up weights creeping up to a higher percentage as weight is added to each set of a pyramid, I recommend readjusting your warm up weights every time you’ve reached the point where you have gained another twenty to thirty pounds of strength. When you readjust your warm up weights, readjust them so that the percentages fit the percentages listed for the workouts. A Percentage Range The percentages listed in the workouts will usually help you to use the right amount of effort for your sets. However, the percentage method can lose its exactness if you don’t have an accurate evaluation of your single rep max for the exercise you are doing. This is part of the reason why a percentage range of 80%-85% is given for the fourth and fifth sets as it gives a lifter room to make adjustments if the percentage isn’t spot on with the right amount of effort. Not everyone measures a single rep max the same way. Some people use an all-out max and others use a training max. For the purpose of the workouts listed in this book, a training max will be used. The accurate determination of a single rep training max is absolutely crucial if you are going by percentages. For this reason, the next chapter will go into detail to help you identify your single rep training max with accuracy.

Chapter 14 How to Determine Your Single Rep Max for Percentage Training

The Need for an Accurate Single Rep Max The exactness of percentage training can easily be thrown off by a lifter’s concept of his or her single rep max. Some lifters will go absolutely all-out and grind out a slow strenuous rep that is barely achievable when attempting a single rep max. Others use the maximum weight that they can handle with picture perfect form, but they avoid pushing to the point where they need to grind a long slow rep. The truth is that some lifters don’t really know their current single rep max and simply believe they can lift a certain amount that they may not really be able to lift. A similar problem is that many lifters will tend to base their single rep max on their best lift ever, even if their current strength level is substantially lower than their all-time best. Because of the discrepancies that can occur when determining a single rep max, the exactness that percentage based training is intended to produce can be lost. One person may underestimate their single rep max by as much as 5%, and another person may overestimate their single rep max by 5%. If these two people are both doing what they believe to be 70% of their single rep max, one

person will actually be ten percent higher than the other. This is a huge amount of error and will destroy the precision that percent training can bring to a workout. Since this problem can occur, I will do my best to bring some clarity in regard to how to determine a single rep max. A Solid Lift When it comes to determining a single rep max, it should be determined by what I refer to as a solid lift. This is the type of lift where the lifter looks like he is going to be successful throughout the entire lift. I already explained this type of lift in chapter seven and referred to it as a strong lifting motion. It’s a smooth nonstop lift without any hitches, glitches, or slowing down during the lifting motion. A solid lift looks as though it is 100% repeatable if attempted again. It’s a convincing lift that can also be done without the need for excessive psyching to succeed. A Shaky lift The opposite of a solid lift is a shaky lift. It leaves you in doubt as to whether or not the lifter is going to succeed at getting the weight up during a lift. When watching, you’re not convinced that the lifter would be able to succeed if he were to attempt the lift again. A Strong Lifting Motion vs. a Weak Lifting Motion The bottom line is that a solid lift is accompanied by good form and a smooth nonstop lifting motion (a strong lifting motion). A shaky lift looks sloppy and is often full of pauses, jerking, and bar movement that either slows down or is very slow. A max attempt may also be somewhere between a solid lift and a shaky lift; it’s close to being a solid lift, but it looks a little shaky. I recommend using a 100% solid lift for your single rep max. Calculate Your Percentages based on a Solid Lift, not a Shaky Lift The percentages that are used for the workouts throughout this book are based upon a max that consists of a solid lift instead of a shaky lift. If you do the workouts according to the percentages listed, and fail to complete the required number of reps, or you are struggling to complete the required number of reps, then the single rep max that you are basing the percentages on is too heavy. Lose Your Ego

Basing your percentages on an inflated single rep max will destroy the effectiveness of percentage training quicker than anything else. To counter this, you must deny your ego. Ego kills objectivity and honesty when it comes to your actual strength level. I have suffered from overestimating my strength to my detriment on many occasions. It only leads to poor form, overtraining, vulnerability to injuries, and lack of progress. Percentage training is based on the ability to accurately assess your true level of strength. It simply won’t work if you are doing the workouts with weights that don’t fit your true strength level. If you are grinding out slow strenuous reps at the end of any of your sets, decrease the training max that you are using to calculate your percentages.

Chapter 15 Adjustments That Produce Results

The workouts in this book are guidelines for how to work out, not unchangeable rules written in stone. The workouts are designed to approximate the amount strong reps you will be able to use for the specified percentages. They are also designed to approximate the amount of sets that you will be able to perform at full strength for a given exercise and muscle group. However, to make the most of your workouts, you may find it necessary to make adjustments that fit your personal capacity for strong reps, strong sets, and a strong lifting motion. Only make adjustments to the workouts if they are needed. One of the most important adjustments to consider pertains to the amount of weight you are using for your work sets (your top weight). When considering adjustments, the last two sets of a pyramid are important. Please look at the following pyramid and focus on the percentages for the fourth and fifth sets of the pyramid. 1st Set x 10 reps x 40% 2nd Set x 8 reps x 50% 3rd Set x 6 reps x 65% 4th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85% 5th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85%

Adjust the Percentage (Amount of Weight) if Needed Notice that the fourth and fifth sets do not have one specific number listed in regard to a specific percentage that you should use. Your goal for these two heavy work sets is to use as much weight as possible while maintaining a steady rep pace for the amount of reps listed. Finding the exact weight that allows you to do this may not match up with a specific percentage that happens to be listed. This is why a range of 80%-85% is listed in order to give you room to adjust the amount of weight by as much as five percent. Even if you move outside of the percentage range that is listed, that’s ok if it matches your ability to use the maximum weight possible for five reps using a steady rep pace for all five reps. If the pace of your reps starts to slow down at the end of your set, you are using too much weight regardless of whether or not you are using the percentages listed. On the other hand, if you are doing your heaviest sets of a pyramid, and you know that you can do more than the amount of reps listed without slowing down your rep pace, the weight is too light. If the weight is too light, increase the weight regardless of whether or not you are using the percentage listed. Percentages are meant to be guidelines that fit the ability of most people. However, if they don’t fit your ability to do the number of reps listed while maintaining a steady even rep pace, then change the amount of weight to fit your ability. Adjust the Number of Sets if Needed The number of sets that are listed for each workout are simply a guideline that comes close to the number of sets that most people can do at full strength. When doing any of the workouts in this book, you may need to adjust the number of sets to fit your capacity for the number of sets you can do at full strength. If so, either add or subtract from the number of sets that are listed for a given workout.

Chapter 16 Heavy Single Reps Plus Back-off Sets Some people love to lift heavy by working up to a heavy single rep for each exercise. I only advise this for lifters who have already been training with five reps with 80%-85% of their single rep max for at least three months. Those who have done this without experiencing any problems with injuries, sore joints, or aches and pains, can consider working up to a heavy single rep. Another caution is to avoid using heavy single reps for exercises that tend to present a higher risk of injury. For this reason, I recommend that you avoid doing heavy single reps for bent over barbell rows as they leave you vulnerable to back injuries when training extra heavy. I would also recommend that you avoid heavy single reps for any exercise that causes you to feel unstable or vulnerable to injury. Go No Heavier than a Strong Lifting Motion Will Allow As previously emphasized in chapter’s seven and fourteen, training with heavy single reps should be done within the context of a solid lift and a strong lifting motion. Avoid grinder reps when doing heavy single reps. When you find the heaviest weight that you can use while maintaining a strong lifting motion, use it as the basis for your workouts and occasionally add a pound to it. If the additional weight ever causes a weak lifting motion or poor form, decrease the weight until you are able to lift with a strong lifting motion and excellent form. Back-off Sets After working up to a heavy single rep, I recommend that you back off in weight and do one or two sets with lighter weights and more reps. These are called back-off sets and they allow you to include more reps which will increase the training volume for your workouts. This is important because if your training volume drops too low for too long, it can compromise your strength and muscle mass. When doing back off sets, use a weight that will allow either five reps or ten reps. If you do two back off sets, you can even do one set of five reps, and one set of ten reps.

The instructions for a workout in which you work up to a heavy single rep followed by back off sets are shown below: Choose three basic exercises consisting of: 1. A squat or a deadlift (choose just one, not both) 2. A pressing exercise 3. A pulling exercise for back Do the following workout three times per week for each exercise: Set 1: 10 reps with 40% Set 2: 8 reps with 50% Set 3: 6 reps with 65% Set 4: 1 rep with 75% Set 5: 1 rep with 85% Set 6: 1 rep with 100% (don’t violate a strong lifting motion) Set 7: 5 reps with 80% to 85% Set 8: 10 reps with 70%-75% For a printable PDF version of the workout, click on the following link: Work up to a Heavy Single Rep PDF

Adjustments Make adjustments to the workout as needed according to chapters 11 and 15, and make sure you base the percentages on a solid single rep max, not a shaky single rep max. Assistance Exercises While assistance exercises are not required, you may select an assistance exercise for each body part if you prefer to do them. Just do one or two sets of ten reps for each assistance exercise and do not train yourself into a weakened state. Adding a Pound Add a pound to each set of each exercise as often as possible without losing the ability to maintain a steady rep pace for all reps of a set. Don’t just add a pound to your top weight, add a pound to every set, including your warm up sets. Refer to chapter 8 for details on how often to add a pound.

Chapter 17 The 5-1 Weekly Training Cycle Once you have a workout where you pyramid up to five reps, and another workout where you pyramid up to a heavy single rep, you have the option of switching between the two workouts over the course of a week. If you switch between workouts on a weekly basis, I recommend pyramiding up to five reps for your first two workouts of the week, and pyramiding up to a heavy single rep for your third and final workout the week. For a printable PDF version of the workout, click on the following link: The 5-1 Weekly Training Cycle PDF

Chapter 18 Block Training for Strength Block training is a popular form of weight training that can easily be incorporated into workouts that are based on adding a pound at a time. Within the context of weight training, a training block refers to an amount of time where a lifter focuses on improving their performance within a specified range of weight and reps. Different amounts of weight and reps are used for different training blocks. For the purposes the workouts in this section, I advise using three training blocks that each last four weeks. The reps for the top weight will remain the same throughout a block, but will change from one block to the next as follows: Block 1: work up to a top set of 8 strong reps (75%-80%) x 4 weeks Block 2: work up to a top set of 5 strong reps (80%-85%) x 4 weeks Block 3: work up to a top set of 3 strong reps (90% or more) x 4 weeks Add a Pound as Often as Possible Your goal is to add a pound to your exercises as often as possible while maintaining a steady rep pace for the number of reps listed within the training block you are doing. After four weeks of workouts in one block, change the amount of weight to fit the number of reps listed for the next training block and add a pound as often as possible again. Continue with this plan until all of the blocks are completed and start over with the first training block again.

This section lists all the sets that make up the full workouts for each training block. Work out three times per week according to the following instructions: Select three basic exercises per workout consisting of: A Squat or a deadlift A pressing exercise A pulling exercise (either rows or pulldowns) Use the following 12 week plan for your workouts: Block 1: 4 Weeks 1st Set x 10 reps x 40% 2nd Set x 8 reps x 50% 3rd Set x 8 reps x 60% 4th Set x 8 reps x 75%-80% 5th Set x 8 reps x 75%-80% Block 2: 4 Weeks 1st Set x 10 reps x 40% 2nd Set x 8 reps x 50% 3rd Set x 6 reps x 65% 4th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85% 5th Set x 5 reps x 80%-85% Block 3: 4 Weeks 1st Set x 10 reps 40% 2nd Set x 8 reps 50% 3rd Set x 6 reps 60% 4th Set x 5 reps 70% 5th Set x 3 reps 80%

6th Set x 3reps 90% or more 7th Set x 12 reps 65%-70% (Optional)

Adjustments Make adjustments to the workout as needed according to chapters 11 and 15, and make sure you base the percentages on a solid single rep max, not a shaky single rep max. Assistance Exercises While assistance exercises are not required, you may select an assistance exercise for each body part if you prefer to do them. Just do one or two sets of ten reps for each assistance exercise and do not train yourself into a weakened state. Adding a Pound Add a pound to each set of each exercise as often as possible without losing the ability to maintain a steady rep pace for each rep of each set. Don’t just add a pound to your top weight, add a pound to every set, including your warm up sets. Refer to chapter 8 for details on how often to add a pound. For a printable PDF version of the 12 week block plan, click on the following link: A 12 Week Block Plan

Chapter 19 Vacillating Blocks Vacillating blocks are based on vacillating between lighter weights and heavier weights within the same training block. For example, instead of doing a training block that only consists of ten reps, the first block in this program consists of ten reps on Mondays and Wednesdays, followed by heavier weights with six reps on Fridays (or the third workout of the week on whichever day you work out). The following is an outline for a twelve week training plan consisting of three vacillating blocks: Block 1: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Work up to a top weight of 70%-75% x 10 reps: Mondays and Wednesdays Workout 2: Work up to a top weight of 80%-85% x 6 reps: Fridays Block 2: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Work up to a top weight of 75%-80% x 8 reps: Mondays and Wednesdays Workout 2: Work up to a top weight of 90% or more x 3 reps: Fridays Block 3: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Work up to a top weight of 80%-85% x 6 reps: Mondays and Wednesdays Workout 2: Workout up to 1 heavy single x 100%: Fridays

The full workouts for the 12 week plan for vacillating blocks should be done according to the following instructions: Choose three exercises per workout consisting of: A squat or deadlift A pressing exercise A pulling exercise (either rows or pulldowns) Use the sets, reps, and percentages listed for each exercise of each workout according to the following twelve week plan: Block 1: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Mondays and Wednesdays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 10 reps x 50% Set 3: 10 reps x 60% Set 4: 10 reps x 70%-75% Set 5: 10 reps x 70%-75% Workout 2: Fridays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 8 reps x 50% Set 3: 6 reps x 65% Set 4: 6 reps x 80%-85% Set 5: 6 reps x 80%-85% Block 2: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Mondays and Wednesdays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 8 reps x 50% Set 3: 8 reps x 60%

Set 4: 8 reps x 70% Set 5: 8 reps x 75%-80% Set 6: 8 reps x 75%-80% Workout 2: Fridays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 8 reps x 50% Set 3: 6 reps x 60% Set 4: 5 reps x 70% Set 5: 3 reps x 80% Set 6: 3 reps x 90% or more Set 7: 12 reps x 65%-70% Block 3: 4 Weeks Workout 1: Mondays and Wednesdays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 8 reps x 50% Set 3: 6 reps x 65% Set 4: 6 reps x 80%-85% Set 5: 6 reps x 80%-85% Workout 2: Fridays Set 1: 10 reps x 40% Set 2: 8 reps x 50% Set 3: 6 reps x 65% Set 4: 1 rep x 75% Set 5: 1 rep x 85% Set 6: 1 rep x 100% (don’t violate a strong lifting motion) Set 7: 5 reps x 80%-85%

Set 8: 10 reps x 70%-75% For a printable PDF version of the 12 week vacillating block plan, click the following link: A 12 Week Vacillating Block Plan PDF

Adjustments Make adjustments to the workout as needed according to chapters 11 and 15, and make sure you base the percentages on a solid single rep max, not a shaky single rep max. Assistance Exercises While assistance exercises are not required, you may select an assistance exercise for each body part if you prefer to do them. Just do one or two sets of ten reps for each assistance exercise and do not train yourself into a weakened state. Adding a Pound Add a pound to each set of each exercise as often as possible without losing the ability to maintain a steady rep pace for each rep of a set. Don’t just add a pound to your top weight, add a pound to all sets, including your warm up sets. Refer to chapter 8 for details on how often to add a pound.

Chapter 20 Accepting the Challenge

It is not uncommon for people to make goals only to fall short at what they had hoped to accomplish in spite of working hard to succeed. When this happens, the problem may not be a lack of motivation or hard work, but an ineffective process. When goals are not matched with a clear process that is made up of small achievable steps, the formula for how to reach that goal can become very illusive. This does not have to be. The challenge to gain one pound of strength at a time gives you a step by step plan that helps you to achieve your goals for gaining strength. The steps include important details that help you start in the right physiological state and make it easy to progress little by little. Simplicity combined with precision and small steps are the keys that you must never lose sight of if want to maximize your results. If you follow the concepts outlined in this book, you may not notice extreme improvement within a few months, but you will look back and realize that you have made measureable improvements. A few months later, you will notice that you’ve improved again, and you’ll be able to do this over and over again. The 1 x 100 challenge is not just a challenge to get strong, it is a challenge to learn a system of training and to be disciplined, patient, and precise about doing it. If you accept this challenge day after day, month after month, and year after year, you will get strong, and you will enjoy the benefits of accepting the challenge. I wish you much success and the best of training.

Exercise Guide How to Perform Exercises Some of you who are reading this section may have already mastered the techniques needed to perform the basic lifts. If not, then please understand that the better you learn how to perform basic strength training exercises, the better you will gain strength, and you should pay close attention to this section. The advantage to excellent exercise technique is that it positions your body parts for maximum leverage which helps you lift more weight. It also balances the lifting stress among the working muscles in order to prevent one muscle group from overworking while another muscle group fails to contribute its share to the lift. Perhaps the most important thing is that good exercise technique helps prevent injuries. The basic exercises that help you gain strength are pictured one at a time and are accompanied by instructions that explain how to perform each exercise correctly.

Bench Press

Muscles of Emphasis: Chest (Pectoral) Muscles, Triceps, and front Deltoids Exercise Instructions: 1. Position yourself on your back on a bench press bench. 2. Use an overhand grip to grasp the bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder width apart. 3. Take the barbell that is on the bench press rack and push it up to arm’s length above your chest. 4. Carefully lower the bar down until it is touching your lower chest. 5. Push the bar straight up to arm’s length. 6. Repeat until you reach the desired number of reps and carefully put the bar back on the bench press rack that supports the barbell. Variations 1. A wider grip with elbows wide to the side during the lift will emphasize the outer chest muscles. Caution, a wide grip with elbows wide to the side can be stressful to the shoulder joint if done too often or with weights that are too heavy.

2. A close grip will emphasize the triceps muscles. Keeping the elbows in close to the body will emphasize the inner triceps on the back or your arms and the front deltoid muscles of the shoulders. Flaring the elbows out to the side while using a close grip will emphasize the outer triceps muscles of the arms. 3. When using a chest press machine, the form is generally similar to the bench press in terms of hand placement and the lifting motion, but many machines require a sitting position instead of a flat lying position for the chest press.

Shoulder Press

Emphasis: Deltoid Muscles (of the Shoulders), Triceps, and Upper Back Muscles Exercise Instructions: 1. Use an overhand grip to grasp a barbell a little wider than shoulder width apart. 2. Sit down at the end of a bench with the barbell held just underneath your chin. 3. Push the barbell straight up until your arms are fully extended over your head. 4. Carefully, (avoid lowering the barbell down on your head) lower the barbell back into the starting position and repeat the lifting motion until the desired number of repetitions have been completed.

Squats

Muscles of Emphasis: Upper leg muscles: (quadriceps and hamstrings) glutes, and lower back Exercise Instructions: 1. In order to use sufficient weight for the barbell squat, you need a squat rack that will hold the barbell just below shoulder level. 2. Position your body under the bar so that the bar will rest across the back of your shoulders. Push your upper traps and shoulders up into the bar to lift the bar off the squat stands, take two steps back, and set up in a standing position with your feet about shoulder width apart. 3. Keeping your back straight, squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor and return to a standing position. Repeat the exercise motion until the desired number of repetitions have been completed. Tips and Considerations The ratio between body parts can have a huge effect on your how you squat. Lifters who possess short legs plus a short upper leg for their height will

generally find it easy to squat in an upright position. In contrast, someone with long legs and a long upper leg for their height will tend to bend over much more. They will also be forced to allow their behind to stick out behind them more in order to keep their balance. A person with very long legs may find that a wide stance is the only way to keep their upper body in a fairly upright position when squatting. Each person will have to experiment to find a way of squatting that is comfortable for them. If squatting seems very awkward for you, you may need to get help from an experienced lifter or a coach who understands your body structure and personal needs.

Deadlifts

Muscles of Emphasis: Thighs, Gluteus and Back Exercise Instructions: 1. Stand just behind a barbell with feet a little less than shoulder width apart. 2. Bend over forward at the waist and hips while keeping your back straight and bend your knees while reaching down to grasp the bar. 3. Let your behind drift back as you bend over. At the same time, do not let your knees move forward over your toes or the bar. Do your best to keep your knees directly over your ankles so that your shins are straight up and down instead of slanting forward at the start of the lift. 4. Grasp the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart using an overhand grip with one hand, and an underhand grip with the other hand. 5. While keeping your back straight, straighten up into a standing position with the bar hanging down in front of your thighs. 6. Carefully lower bar and repeat the exercise until the designated amount of repetitions have been completed.

Barbell Rows

Muscles of Emphasis: Back, Biceps, and Rear Deltoids Exercise Instructions: 1. While keeping your back straight (do not round your back), bend over a barbell that is on the ground and grasp it using an overhand grip with hands spaced about shoulder width apart. 2. While maintaining a bent over position, pull the barbell up until it touches the middle of your waist. 3. While maintaining a bent over position, lower the bar carefully to arm’s length. 4. Repeat this motion until you have reached the desired number of repetitions. 5. Keep your back stable during the exercise; be careful not to jerk the weight up with your back.

Seated Pulley Rows

Muscles of Emphasis: Back, Biceps, and Rear Deltoids Exercise Instructions 1. Not all equipment for seated pulley rows is the same. The essential concept is to face a pulley device and sit down close enough to grasp the handle (preferably a v-bar handle) at the end of the cable. 2. Legs should be slightly bent and positioned forward in front of the body with the feet placed forward on the foot platform or crossbar if it is available on the pulley device. 3. Make sure your upper body is positioned upright with the back straight and chest high. 4. Reach forward with both hands to grasp the handle at the end of the pulley cable. 5. Pull the handle towards your body until it touches the upper abdomen area. 6. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the handle into your body.

7. Lower the weight by returning your hands and arms to the starting position in front of your body. 8. Repeat pulling the handle into your body and returning it to the starting position for the desired number of repetitions.

Lat Pulldowns

Muscles of Emphasis: Back, Biceps, and rear Deltoids Exercise Instructions: 1. Sit down on a lat pull seat and reach up with both hands and use a wide grip to grasp the lat pull bar. 2. While keeping your chest high and body stable, pull the bar down until it touches the middle of your chest. 3. Carefully straighten your arms back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise motion until the desired number of repetitions have been completed. 4. Do not jerk back while lifting, and do not round your back. Your chest should be held high in order to prevent this. Variations Lat pull downs can be done with a narrow grip. There are also bars or handles that allow you to use a narrower grip in order to put more emphasis on the lower lat and center of the back if you squeeze your shoulder blades as the bar is touching your chest.

Barbell Curls

Emphasis: Bicep Muscles of the Arm Exercise Instructions: 1. Grasp a barbell with an underhand grip and allow your arms to hang straight down in front of you with the barbell just in front of the thighs. 2. Bend your arm at the elbow to lift the barbell up to your chest with your lower arm while keeping your upper arms stationary and in close to your sides. 3. Carefully lower the bar back to the starting position and repeat the exercise motion until the desired number of repetitions have been completed.

Triceps Press Downs

Muscles of Emphasis: Triceps Instructions: 1. Stand facing a triceps extension machine and grasp the triceps handle with palms down and upper arms and elbows close to your sides. 2. The arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle with the upper arms perpendicular to the ground and forearms parallel to the floor. 3. Press the triceps handles downward until your arms are straight and the handle touches your thighs. 4. Carefully return the handle to the starting position and repeat the lift until the desired number of repetitions have been completed.

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Muscle of Emphasis: Outer Shoulder (Deltoid) Instructions: 1. Grasp one dumbbell in each hand and start with your arms and dumbbells hanging down by your sides. 2. Raise each arm straight out to the side from the starting position until the dumbbells are at shoulder height. Palms should be facing down at the top of the movement. 3. Carefully lower your dumbbells and arms back to their starting position and repeat the exercise motion until the desired number of repetitions have been completed.

About the Author Mark Sherwood is a long time fitness enthusiast who has pursued weight training and other fitness activities for over thirty years. His educational and professional background include a B.S. degree as an exercise specialist in physical education from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and positions as a fitness instructor and physical education teacher. One of Mark’s passions is to distinguish between strength training concepts that are consistently effective as opposed to those that are effective for a short time period. Through his education, research, and personal trial and error, he has endeavored to gain the necessary knowledge to share effective training strategies with those who desire to maximize their training results. Mark resides with his family in Southern California. For more training resources from Mark, you can visit www.precisionpointtraining.com. In addition, you can you view more books on strength training that he has authored on the next page.

Additional Resources Beginning Strength Training High Frequency Strength Training Overcoming Strength Training Plateaus Rest-Pause Training Strength Training Capacity Strength Training Thresholds Strength to the Max All books listed can be found at the following link: http://www.precisionpointtraining.com/precision-point-training-books/