Classic Heavy-Light-Medium PDF

 

 

 

  Classic Heavy –  Light  Light –  Medium:  Medium: Power Peaking Program

Program Overview

The following program is a Classic Heavy-Light-Medium template that is designed to t o culminate in the th performance of a meet, mock meet, or informal testing day at the end of the 12  week. The program follows a classic taper from a period of higher h igher volume and lower intensity to a period of lower/moderate volume to higher intensity. For the first six weeks of o f the program, the volume is held relatively constant c onstant and the only variable that changes is a steady rise in intensity from week to week. In the first 6 weeks the medium day is 5% less than the h heavy eavy day and the light day is 10% less than the t he heavy day. Starting in week 7, the intensity will continue to rise in a linear fashion, however the trainee will begin to taper volume down on the heavy day. Light and Medium Day volumes will remain constant, but the percentage offset will expand slightly. Light Days will be 20% less than heavy days, and a nd Medium Days will be 10% less than Heavy Days. Towards the end of this program, the Medium Days will be almost as much of a challenge as the Heavy Days. Each training day is arranged in the sequence of Squat – Press – Pull. It is recommended you maintain this sequence as it will condition your body to the sequence of a Power Lifting Meet. Although this is a Heavy-Light-Medium program, each training day is arranged slightly different to spread the stress more evenly throughout the week. Monday is a Heavy Squat, Heavy Bench, Light Pull P ull Wednesday is a Light Squat, Light Press, and Heavy Pull Friday is a Medium Squat, Medium Press, and Medium Pull.

See following page for complete program. Program Details and FAQ to follow.

 

  Week One Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 70% 70% 80%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

60% 70% 70%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 5

5 5 3

65% 65% 80%

Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 72% 72% 82%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

62% 72% 72%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 5

5 5 3

67% 67% 82%

Actual Weight

Week Two Actual Weight

 

Week Three Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 74% 74% 84%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

64% 74% 74%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 5

5 5 3

69% 69% 84%

Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 76% 76% 86%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

66% 76% 76%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 8

5 5 2

71% 71% 86%

Actual Weight

Week Four Actual Weight

 

  Week Five Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 78% 78% 88%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

68% 78% 78%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 8

5 5 2

73% 73% 88%

Monday Back Squat Bench Press Power Snatch

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 5 5 2

% of 1RM 80% 80% 90%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 5 5

70% 80% 80%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press Power Clean

4 4 15

5 5 1

75% 75% 90%

Actual Weight

Week Six Actual Weight

 

Week Seven Monday Back Squat Bench Press Snatch Pulls

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 4 4 2

% of 1RM 83% 83% 102%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 4 4

63% 81% 83%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press RDL

4 4 3

5 5 5

73% 73% -

Monday Back Squat Bench Press Snatch Pulls

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 3 3 2

% of 1RM 86% 86% 104%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 4

5 4 4

66% 82% 86%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press RDL

4 4 3

5 5 5

76% 76% -

Actual Weight

Week Eight Actual Weight

 

  Week Nine Monday Back Squat Bench Press Snatch Pulls

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 2 2 2

% of 1RM 89% 89% 106%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 3

5 4 3

69% 83% 89%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press RDL

4 4 3

5 5 5

79% 79% -

Monday Back Squat Bench Press Snatch Pulls

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 2 2 2

% of 1RM 92% 92% 108%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

3 5 3

5 4 3

72% 84% 92%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press RDL

4 4 3

5 5 5

82% 82% -

Actual Weight

Week 10 Actual Weight

 

  Week 11 Monday Back Squat Bench Press Snatch Pulls

Sets 5 5 5

Reps 1 1 2

% of 1RM 95% 95% 110%

Wednesday Back Squat Overhead Press Deadlift

2 5 1-2

5 4 2

75% 85% 95%

Friday Back Squat Bench Press RDL

4 4 3

4 4 5

85% 85% -

Actual Weight

Week 12 (Meet or Testing Week) Tuesday Back Squat Bench Press

Sets 3 3

Reps 3 3

% of 1RM 75% 75% -

Saturday Back Squat Bench Press Deadlift

3 3 3

1 1 1

105-110% 105-110% 105-110%

Program Details on following page…… 

Actual Weight

 

Program Details

tra ining days of The Squat Program. It is suggested that your competition squat form is used for all 3 training the week. The squat is a technical tec hnical movement that benefits from frequent practice. However, especially during the first 6-weeks, the trainee may perceive perce ive the light and medium days to be “too easy. easy.”” In this case the trainee may introduce 2 variables into the program to make the light and/or medium days more difficult – pauses and bar speed. The trainee may opt to use one or both techniques on either or both days. If using Paused Reps, simply hold the bottom position of the squat for 2-3 seconds before ascending. You may pause all of your sets and reps or just some of them depending on the difficulty of the workout on that particular day. Bar speed simply means exerting more force than is necessary to complete each rep in order to create maximal velocity and acceleration on the barbell. Again, you may implement this technique t echnique on all of your sets and reps, or just some of them. And you can use this te technique chnique independently or in conjunction with paused reps. Keep in mind that the trainee t rainee should NEVER miss reps on a light or medium day. So if these intensity techniques are jeopardizing your ability to complete the assigned workload for the day, then do not use them. At the beginning of the program, it is recommended rec ommended that rest time be kept minimal between sets. If the trainee can complete the workload with 1-2 minute rests on the light day, 2-3 minute rests on the medium day, and 2-4 minute rests on the heavy day, this is ideal. This will create a good conditioning base for the heavier work to come. c ome. It also allows you to keep a variable available to manipulate later if needed as the workload grows heavier. If you can c an keep rest time t ime between sets under 5 minutes early in the program, then later in the program you can expand rest time up to 5-8 minutes (if needed) as a way to ensure you complete all the prescribed volume. Rest as little as possible, but you should not miss reps due to incomplete rest time. The main goal is to ensure completion of the sets and reps each day.

The Pressing Program. This program focuses on the Bench Press, with the Standing Overhead Press as

the mid-week light day exercise. Overhead Presses are a good overall developer of shoulder and tricep strength which will help drive your Bench Press, and is just a good overall total body movement. It also does an excellent job of keeping the shoulders healthy and mobile. If the trainee is planning on competing in Power Lifting, then the heavy day Be Bench nch Press sessions should institute a power lifting style pause in all or at least most of the sets and reps assigned as signed that day. It is recommended that the medium day Bench Presses institute a pause on all reps if possible. If the medium day Bench Presses feel “too “to o easy” then the trainee t rainee can institute the same techniques te chniques

used on the squat, which include an elongated pause and increased bar speed. In addition, the trainee may opt to narrow his or her grip g rip on the medium day Bench Presses and perform the prescribed volume and loads as a close grip bench press. This is especially helpful in the early stages stag es of the program, and as

 

the medium day loads increase over time, the trainee may opt to move his or her hands out closer to his or her competition grip to ensure all reps are completed. The Overhead Press is not designed to be peaked in this program and loads will stay between 70 70-85% -85% for the duration of the program. In Weeks We eks 7-11, the program annotates 5 sets of 4 reps for the Overhead Press workouts but the trainee may adapt the volume to the day, as needed. For instance, if the trainee can continue to achieve 5 sets of 5 reps in weeks 7-11, he may do so. If the trainee needs to drop the volume to 5 sets of 3 reps, he may do that as well. So anything between 3-5 reps for 5 total sets is permissible in weeks 7-11 on the Overhead Press.

The Pulling Program. The pulling program is the most diverse segment of the program p rogram and the most subject to individual adaptations. adaptations.

Wednesday will be the heavy deadlift session for the week. wee k. The volume will begin with 4 sets of 5 reps for the first 6-weeks with loads between 70-80% of 1RM. The volume will taper in weeks 7 -11 as intensity increases. The final heavy deadlift session will culminate with 1-2 sets of 2 reps at 95% of 1RM. If the trainee feels they have the ability to perform 2 sets of 2 without missing a rep, tthen hen he should do so. If the first double at 95% is exceedingly difficult, he should only perform 1 set. The light pulling day is Monday and will begin, in the first 6-weeks with Power Snatches. If the trainee t rainee does not have a 1RM power snatch on record rec ord before beginning the program then he or she can (1) simply work up to a quick single to establish a training max and then perform 5x2@80%, or (2) work up to a moderate weight that allows for 5 sets of 2 reps to b be e completed in good form and then simply add 2-5 lbs per week for 6 weeks. Starting in week 7, the trainee will increase load to approximately 102% of their previ previous ous 1RM, and perform Snatch Pulls. Snatch Pulls should be performed with maximal speed in mind while maintaining strict technique. Lifting straps should be used on all sets. The trainee should pull the bar with a moderate to slow speed into the mid to upper thigh, t high, pause briefly and then EXPLODE into the second pull. The trainee should attempt to snatch the weight, even e ven though it should not be possible to do so. This will result in a violent hip extension, ext ension, a powerful shrug, and ideally, no bend in the arms. If the trainee would like to forgo the Snatch Pull and continue to Power Snatch, he or she may continue to do so.

Friday is the Medium Pulling Day and will begin with Power Cleans for the first 6 weeks. In the program above, the Power Clean is annotated as 5 sets of 3 reps for tthe he first 3 weeks, and then transitions t ransitions to 8 sets of 2 reps, and finally 15 singles in week wee k 6 to accommodate the increase in loads. However , the goal in the weeks 1-6 is to accumulate ~15 total reps of Power Cleans on Friday. It is not terribly important how this is accomplished. If the trainee can maintain the ability to do 5 sets of 3 reps for the entire 6 weeks – he can do so. If he would rather perform 15 singles for the entire 6 weeks, he can do that as well. When performing singles and doubles on the Power Clean, rest time can be kept to 30-90 second intervals in all likelihood. Power Cleans should be done with proper technique and maximal speed, so

 

adjust sets and reps accordingly. (*This same principle applies to the Power Snatch. 10 singles on o n short rest intervals, may be used in place of 5 sets of 2). Beginning in Week 7, the Power Clean will give way to the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) in order to increase loading on the pulling variants as Deadlift volume begins to drop. The RDL does not operate from a percentage. On Week 7, the trainee should slowly work up to a weight that is challenging but doable for 3 sets of 5 reps. Over the course of the next 5 weeks the trainee should add 5-10 lbs per week to the t he RDL and culminate a maximal 3x5 workout at the end of week 11. RDLs should begin from the hang, and be lowered down to at least the top of the shin. If the trainee has very good range of motion, he can lower the plates all the way to the floor before returning to the top of the movement. RDLs should be taken heavy, but proper form f orm must be used on all reps. Very limber trainees, may opt to stand on a 2-4 2 -4 inch platform to increase range of motion even further. All sets should be done with straps and a double overhand grip.

Frequently Asked Questions 1)  What about adding in assistance exercises? You shouldn’t need anything else for the lower

body. The Squat volume should take care of this. If you want w ant to add some light posterior chain work such as 45 or 90 degree deg ree back extensions, glute ham raises, or reverse hypers, you can do this on Wednesday after you are finished deadlifting. Some trainees find that some lighter, high volume posterior chain work (2-5 sets, 10-15 reps) after deadlifts helps with recovery and maintenance of work capacity. Chin Ups, Pull Ups, or Lat Pulldowns can be added after any workout (1-3 days per week) for extra work on the lats and biceps. Different rowing variations can also be done (1-3 days per week), but be careful about excessive exc essive fatigue on the lower back from things like very heavy barbell rows. 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps in strict form would be sufficient. Dips can be an excellent addition for added volume to the chest, shoulders, and triceps. If needed, perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps of Dips on Monday and/or Friday. Any other cosmetic work (abs, calves, etc) can be added at your discretion, but limit assistance work to 1 1-3 -3 movements per day after the main barbell work is completed. 2)  Should I use this program while cutting weight? No. 3)  Can I do cardio on this program? Yes, but limit cardio to activities that do not interfere with

heavy strength training. 20-40 minute sessions of moderate intensity cardio are fine on rest days. Good activities include moderate weight sled dragging, high incline treadmill walking, elliptical trainers, and stationary biking. Poor choices include running, jogging, sprints, and swimming. Best days for cardio are Thursdays and Saturdays on this program. Avoid cardio on Sundays (day before heavy squats). 4)  What happens if I start missing reps r eps midway through the program? This is usually an indicator that the trainee started the t he program with an estimated 1RM that was too high or is not recovering well due to insufficient calories, lack of sleep, etc. However, in this situation, the trainee should aim to stick to the VOLUME prescribed in the program and adjust loads accordingly. In other words, if the workout calls for 5 x 5 x 300 lbs and an d you cannot achieve this, aim for 5 x 5 x 280-290, rather than doing something like 5 x 3 x 300 llbs. bs. The trainee should should

 

always at least attempt at least one set with the prescribed load for the day before arbitrarily reducing load based on fatigue, soreness, etc. If the trainee is forced to reduce load midway through the program for some reason, then he or she should recalibrate the loads for all subsequent weeks to follow. 5)  What if I have to miss a week of training? Do not do this program unless you can run the full 12 weeks in a row without interruption. If you have to miss a day or two of training, this may or may not affect the total plan. Try and ensure you get in the heavy days for the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift and the Medium Day for the Squat and Bench at a minimum each week. Missing the other light and medium day lifts on occasion may be acceptable ac ceptable to continued progress. 6)  Can I run this program again after testing? Yes. After the meet, start back on the following Wednesday with a Light Day (no heavy deadlifts) and a Medium Day. The following Monday you can resume the full program based on new 1RMs. Based on results of the previous cycle you can run the program exactly the same, or make slight tweaks as needed. 7)  What if I cannot or don’t want to do Snatches, Snatch S natch Pulls, and/or Power Cleans? Cleans?  If you can Power Clean, but not Snatch, then you can Power Clean 2x/week in Weeks 1-6. Perform heavier Power Cleans on Fridays and reduce load by 5-10% 5-1 0% for lighter Power Cleans on Monday. In Weeks 7-11 you can keep Power Cleans Clean s on Monday and do RDLs on Friday. If you don’t want to do either Olympic Variant then you can do RDLs on Friday for the duration of the program, and perform Barbell Rows on Monday for approximately 25 total reps (3x8, 4x6, 5x5, etc).