Weightlifting: Training for Size and Strength

Size, but not strength.

Inspired by Jim Wendler's Building the Monolith program, I've come up with a more sustainable (in my humble opinion) option for long-term growth and progress. My program's not as difficult as Wendler's, but it's more manageable, and I plan on using it for quite some time. My bodyweight has increased from 196-197 to 200-201 in little over a month, and I haven't become much fatter (my pants still fit). Behold:

Sunday: Squat day. Use a training max (90 percent of your 1 rep max).

Squat variation 40 percent for 5, 60*5, 65*5, 70*5, 75*5. Next week add ten pounds to top set.

Backoff sets: 65 percent for 5 sets of 5. Add five pounds each week.

Assistance: calf raises, 5*20.

Tuesday: Bench day. Just like the squat, do five ascending sets of five. Every week you increase the top set by ten pounds. Increase the backoff sets by five. For example:

Bench Press 155*5, 185*5, 195*5, 205*5, 215*5. Backoff sets: 185*5*5.

Assistance: Rowing variation for 5 sets of 10-15 reps. Lateral raises for 5 sets of 10.

Thursday: Medium Squat/Deadlift day.

Squat five sets of five ascending. Push the top set by ten each week. These percentages should be a little lighter than Sunday's workout, e.g., 40*5, 50*5, 55*5, 60*5, 65*5

Deadlift 5*5 ascending. Add ten pounds to top set each week.

Assistance: Barbell curls 5*10-12 reps. Pressdowns 5*10-12 reps.

Saturday: Medium Bench/Press day.

Just like the second squat workout, do five sets of five ascending for the bench press, but make your sets a little lighter than on Tuesday. After benching, do five sets of five in the military press. Superset all pressing sets with chin ups. Try to increase your chin up reps each week. I started out doing ten sets of five, and now I'm doing ten sets of seven. The goal is ten sets of ten.

Keep adding weight for six weeks, then try a new variation. If you were doing low bar squats, do the next cycle with high bar squats. Switch between the close grip and wide grip bench press, and the conventional and sumo deadlift. For the military press, you could try incline presses or behind the neck presses, but personally, I'd just keep at the military, because those other variations kill my shoulders. The percentages are just a guideline, I never figure them out. The important thing is to keep increasing that top set and the backoff sets.