For starters - those of you who don't know of, or haven't heard the name John Broz, please go to youtube and look at his channel (Brozknows). He is a coach that is breeding absolute MONSTERS of the lifting world. Pat Mendez is a beast, and the recently returned Rob Adell is a strong bastard as well. All of his trainees are, honestly.
The MethodIn a nutshell - "Train, eat, sleep, repeat." Every day. Or at LEAST 6 days per week. Insane? YES! But there is a large amount of science backing up his claims that overtraining is only a temporary issue.
(Reference to that fact has already been made in a post by Nicky here;
Overtraining, myth or reality?)
Also mentioned in Nicky's post was the fact that most lifters that adopt this method of training are lifters who really only lift. It is their job, it is their hobby, it is their life, and they treat it accordingly. They eat like monsters, and sleep a LOT. How else is any sort of recovery possible? Regular/casual lifters avoid this kind of glorious torture because of various constraints.
Intentions/DreamsThough I am a full time student, and have many other interests than lifting (though it is an obsession and passion), I desperately want to try this style of training, if for no other reason than to test my own limits. As mentioned earlier, John Broz's trainees are absolute beasts, each and every one. Even the smaller lifters are at an elite level - the larger ones pushing crazy numbers on a regular basis. Pat squats a routine, DAILY 250kg single without batting an eye.
I have decided to give this kind of training a shot,
knowing full well that there will be a few weeks, or even a couple months of the "Dark Times" to go through, where my lifts will suffer, my mood will be shot, and walking to the bathroom will be more intimidating than a 1000 pound pull.
Foreseeable Problems/Routine ChangesI am NOT an Oly lifter. I tried clean/jerk. I tried snatches (I liked those, though). I cannot do them well enough and do not know ANYONE qualified to coach me and help me learn proper form. What I am beginning to get a grasp of is basic powerlifting. I will want to do a routine more like this-
Day 1-Front Squats
Work up to 1RM, then back off sets: 2-10 reps up to a max of 50 reps total with a minimum of 3 sets of 2.
-Bench (Normal Grip)
Work up to 1RM, then back off sets: 2-10 reps up to a max of 50 reps total with a minimum of 3 sets of 2.
-Pull Ups/Chin-ups
To discretion - for general shoulder health/balance, so reps between 5-10
Day 2-Squats
Work up to 1RM, then back off sets: 2-10 reps up to a max of 50 reps total with a minimum of 3 sets of 2.
-Deadlift
Work up to doubles or triples, 60 -85% of max. I will max out rarely, 2-3x per year, due to CNS reasons and the general idea that speed pulls will assist motor recruitment.
Day 3-Front Squats
-Push Press
-Barbell or Dumbell Rows (Depending on how my lower back feels). Again, for general shoulder health/balance. I will generally keep the volume roughly the same as the opposite movement (pushes/pulls)
Day 4-Squats
-Deadlifts
Day 5-Squats
-Bench (Normal Grip)
-Rear Flyes, just as another form of rear delt balance that doesn't have anything to do with pulling.
Day 6-Squats
-Deadlifts
Day 7 (Eventually)
-Squats
-Maybe something else
I know. Insane. I know. I won't be jumping straight into that kind of intensity/volume right away, but the frequency will be rapidly increased. I will probably start with 5DAW (I already do 4DAW), then increase it to 6DAW the following week, keeping it there until the volume becomes more manageable. At this point, I will start adding in a Sunday session just to squat.
I'm desperately wanting to try this in the new year of 2012. Is there anyone interested in joining me? Or does everyone still reading at this point think I'm insane as my room mate does?
