JTS Squat Bench Deadlift Manual

JUGGERNAUT BENCH MANUAL
JUG G E R N AU T
BE NCH
M A NUA L
B ECO ME U N STO P PA B LE
by
TEAM JUGGERNAUT
TABL E OF C O N T E N T S
BENCH 101
THE QUEST FOR 500
M Y BEST B ENCH E VER
12
PR SM A SHI NG B E NCHI NG
18
HOW I BUILT MY BEST BENCH EV E R : 3 B OA R D P R E S S
21
BENCHING FOR B I G THR OWS
23
HOW I BUILT MY BEST BENCH EV E R : R AC K L O C KO U T S
27
BENCH PRES S F OR S TR ONGMAN
29
HOW I BUILT MY BEST BENCH EV E R : F L O O R P R E S S
34
SCA PULA : B E S T F R I END OR B I GGEST EN EMY

OF THE BENCH P R E S S
36
HOW I BUILT MY BEST BENCH EV E R : D E A D B E N C H
46
BENCH M OR E B Y B E NCHI NG MORE
50
TOP 5 BEN CH ACCE S S ORY E XE R C I SES
57
TRAINING THE 225 R E P TE S T
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B ENC H 1 0 1
BY BRANDON LILLY
Everyone that touches a barbell learns to bench press. The single
most common question in any gym is How much ya bench? So
with that in mind, we made a video covering the basics you will
need to become a good bench presser. These tips are nothing earth
shattering, but in my time as a lifter they are they are what have
allowed me to bench 573 lbs. in raw competition, and 832 lbs. in

geared competition. They are:
SET UP
When setting up, find a foot position that allows your knee joint to
fall in line lower than your hip joint. This will maximize leg drive, and
prevent your butt from elevating off the bench resulting in a
disqualified lift.
Get as high on your traps as you can, and squeeze your shoulder
blades together. This will push the sternum upward shortening the
distance you will press.
When you grab the bar, grab where the bar is most comfortable for
you, and really squeeze the bar. A wider grip will shorten your range
of motion, but sometimes a narrower grip will give you more power,
so be ready to experiment.

Lastly, just before the bar is handed to you, make sure you get a
huge amount of air, and hold it. You want your belly to be as full as
possible when trying to bench big.
THE M OVEMENT
Once the bar is out over your face, you want to lower the bar in a
straight line, in the hopes you will press the bar up in a straight line.
To do this, slightly tuck the elbows, and really flare the lats. If you
do not feel the barbell coming down on your lats, you are out of line.
As the bar nears your chest begin to drive down hard with your feet,
and elevate your stomach as much as possible. A good command
for this is meet the bar. Lots of guys drift away from the bar, but
top benchers want to meet it.
Once the bar touches your chest and you get the PRESS
command you want to push back with your feet so you are
pushing your head off the bench as this will rotate your sternum up,
engage the lats, and allow you to push straight up.
About midway up the lift the triceps will really kick in, so do not
allow your elbows to rotate outward, or you will lose the maximum
potential of your triceps.
Once the bar is locked out, wait for your RACK command and
lower it into the racks.
If the bar slows down, squeeze the

bar harder and start pulling the bar
apart as if you were trying to
stretch it, and that will keep your
triceps engaged and pressing.
No one ever achieves perfect form, but if you follow these steps,
and the steps outlined in the video you will sure save a lot of time on
trial and error, and be able to focus on a bigger and better bench
press immediately.
CLICK TO IMPROVE YOUR BENCH TECHNIQUE WITH ONE OF THE WORLDS TOP BENCHERS
Brandon Lilly is very well traveled, Elite powerlifter. He has trained at Guerrilla Squad
Barbell, Westside Barbell, Lexen Xtreme, and is now home at Berea Barbell. In his
strength journey he has competed in bodybuilding, strongman, and powerlifting.
Brandon is one of only 19 men to ever total over 2200 raw, having 2204 which ties him
for 16th all time (826.5 squat, 573 bench, 804.5 Deadlift). He also amassed a 2612 total
in Multi-Ply, and has best lifts of 1008 squat, 832 bench press, and 771 Deadlift.
Brandon is the author of The Cube Method and is aiming to create a paradigm shift in
the Powerlifting world.
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T HE QU E S T F O R 5 0 0
BY DAN GREEN
Last year on December 1st I was slated to turn 30. And like any
reasonable gentleman of leisure, I was interested in moving on from
a youth of sub-500 benching and into the ranks of respectable men
who bench 500. And I was interested in doing so with an exemplary
bloat to match what was to be a festive birthday.
Now I suppose that for many, 30 is viewed in a negative lightan
opportunity to look back and wonder what youve done with yourself
and why are you still living at home, but I have to say I was looking
forward to it. But 30 excited me. With the wisdom and experience
Id gained during my 20s, it became clear exactly what I was going
to have to do to stop dicking around and hit that 500 bench. So
here then is the process by which I brought my bench from 485 in
September to 510 by my birthday.
Over the years, Id spent countless sessions training touch and go
for maxes or for high reps, board presses, band presses, DBs at all
angles. These all had their place and with skull crushers and tricep
work added on top they gave me the size and foundation to really
set myself up for some exciting gains on bench later. But Id
developed a great deal of strength in my triceps and not as much
with my chest. It was after I focused on training the chest and cut
out all the fancy speed and lockout work that my bench started
going crazy!
Id started following the workout that my training partner had been
given by his coach, and it really was working consistently. All it was,
was a series of heavy paused reps on the bench followed by speed
training or as I like to describe it a lot of damn work. In the
beginning I then went on to some wide grip reps which were also
paused. These really helped with technique and building the chest
and delts into the lift.
Then, what really gave me the confidence to know Id be able to
progress my bench was how Id succeeded continually in the layout
of my programming. For the most part its anything BUT complicated
simple linear progression! Each week Id just add 5 or sometimes
10 pounds to my top weight. Id do as many reps as I could for the

first set, making it a point not to fail on the bench. Id then repeat
the set and if I felt good repeat it again. So after Id made a top
bench of 485 paused I began again back down at 425. I was able to
pause and press this weight for 5 reps and then repeat for two more
sets of five. All I had to do was compare what I was hitting to what
Id done in the past and either beat the reps at a given weight, lift a
heavier weight for the same rep count, or even just match the
weight and reps but do it for more sets! If I just did any of these, I
knew objectively Id hit a PR and was steadily progressing on to a
new 1RM!
And each weekto ensure the body was always ready for the
following weeks minor improvementsId work harder and harder
on the touch and go benching! But instead of a light weight and
focusing on bar speed, I was using a heavy weight and focusing on
bar speed. It was always lighter than the paused reps done for the
top sets but not by much. I tried to focus on lowering the weight
rapidly, touching the same spot at the base of the sternum and then
driving up and flaring the elbows to engage the chest and delts.
After this initial workout where Id hit 430 for 3 sets of 5 paused
reps I moved on to 410 for speed reps to the tune of 6 sets of 4
reps. But then the workout stopped! While the paused reps allowed
me to work on the technique Id need for a meet and getting a
strong chest and leg drive, the touch and go reps allowed me to
really build the brute strength needed to grind through weights as
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they get heavy in the middle of the range of motionthe sticking

point.
The funny thing about this program is the fewer number of exercises
I did, the better I felt. And the better the workouts felt, the more I
wanted to do them. At this point my intuition was kicking in hard. I
started benching more oftentwice and even three times a week.
Always trying to beat a rep max. I knew that that plus the volume
was making me much stronger. By the end of the training Id hit a
best paused double of 490 and a touch and go triple of 465, which
Id done for three consecutive sets.
My bodyweight had been steadily rising, and as I approached that
30th birthday it happened: first I benched 500 and then two
sessions later hit an easy 510! No longer would I be forced to sit
and look on as others had all the 500 benching fun. No longer was I
reluctant to enter my thirties, but instead saw the age simply as the
beginning of my peak years!
So to summarize all that, I was able to approach my best bench
ever by simply following a simple linear progression for several
weeks, working hard to add as many heavy sets as I could for
added volume, and even drastically increased the frequency to force
my body to peak!
Dan Green is one of the top names in powerlifting today. The Raw Total World Record
Holder with 2030 (belt and sleeves), Dan is the dominant force in the 220 weight class.
Dan is the founder of Boss Barbell Club in Mountain View, CA where he trains team sport
and strength athletes.
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M Y B ES T BE N CH E V E R
BY BRANDON LILLY
For Bench Week I was asked to detail the best training cycle I
have ever done to achieve gains. I did this just prior to my meet last
fall where I benched 573 lbs. raw at the Supertraining Meet. I always
set my training up backwards, meaning I count from the meet back.
I know during certain weeks I should hit certain numbers or
percentages and how they should feel, so I make adjustments along
the way as needed but this is exactly the program that I followed,
and I think if you follow the percentages somewhat you can have
tremendous gains as well.
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I based my numbers off of a 540 bench that I achieved with a pause

at my meet in May
W EEK 1 R EP S
Regular bench: (70%) 375 x 5 x 3 sets
Close Grip Off 2 Board: (60%) 325 x 15 x 3
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
Tricep Pushdowns
100 reps with light band
Abs
Roman Chairs 4 x 25
W EEK 2 S P E ED
Regular Bench: (55%) 300 x 3 x 10 (30 secs rest between sets)
Pause Presses 2 Off Chest
(70%) 375 x 8 x 3
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 20
Tricep Extensions
100 reps light band
Lateral Raises
100 reps with 10 lbs plate in each hand
Shrugs
315 x 15 x 4
Abs
Planks 4 x 30 secs
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WEEK 3 MA X
(I DONT ALWAYS MAX
OUT, BUT THIS IS MY
HEAVIEST WEEK IN THE
ROTATION)
Regular Bench: (87.5%) 470
x 5 x 2 sets
Incline DB Press
120 x 20 x 2 sets
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
Shrugs
Brandon Lilly earned the highest RAW
powerlifting total in the world in 2012
including a 573lb bench
315 x 10 x 3 with 2 second

squeeze at top Tricep
Extensions 100 reps
with light band.
W EEK 4 R EP S
Regular Bench: (75%) 400 x 3 x 3 sets
Close Grip Off Board
(75%) 400 x 8 x 5 sets
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 20
Dips
50 reps
Abs
GHR Crunches to Failure
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W EEK 5 S P E ED
Regular Bench: (60%) 315 x 2 x 8
Close Grip
(70%) 375 x 12 x 3
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
Front Raises
4 x 20
Shrugs
315 x 15 x 4
Abs
W EEK 6 MAX
Regular Bench: (95%) 515 x 3, (97.5%) 530 x 2
Incline DB Hands Facing In
90 x 15 x 3
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
W EEK 7 R EP S
Close Grip Off 3 Board
(75%) 400 x 15 x 3
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 20
Skull Crushers
15
3 x 20
Abs
W EEK 8 S P E ED
Band Pull Aparts
100 reps
Shrugs
315 x 30 reps
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
(This week was super light on accessories knowing my next week
was for a new PR attempt.)
W EEK 9 MAX
Regular Bench: (95%) 515 x 1, (101%) 545 x 1 PR (Not a gym PR,
but paused PR, 560 was my gym PR), (105%) 575 x 1
*I only took 575 for 1 because 545 went PERFECTLY, and I had
trained well and felt a new lifetime PR was in my sights.
High Rep Close Grip
275 x 20 x 2
(Shut down knowing next week is Rep PR attempt)
W EEK 10 R E P S
Regular Bench: (101%) 545 x 2
Close Grip off 2 Boards
315 x 15 x 3
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Tricep Push Downs

100 reps
Lat Pull Downs
4 x 15
That is it for me. The main points you need to realize for any
program to work, technique has to be paramount. I dont count
sloppy reps, and I lock out every rep completely, no bodybuilder
reps. Take ownership and pride in what you do in the gym, shortcuts
in the gym lead to shortcomings on the platform. Do things the right
way, and the hard way, and the results will speak for themselves.
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P R S M A S H IN G BE N CH I N G
BY ERIC LILLIEBRIDGE
My best bench cycle that I had was back when I was training for the
big competition at Mark Bells meet on November 3rd 2012. My
training for that competition went very well and my bench had made
some really great gains that training cycle. All I did for the training
cycle was on my heavy days do 3 sets of single pauses and
increased the weight each heavy workout. I did a short 6 week
training cycle for that competition so I only had 3 heavy bench
workouts to do because I alternate heavy and light days every other
week. On my light days I just did close grips and deloaded.
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The start of my training cycle I did 3 single pauses, which were my

working sets. I did 405, 455, 500 all paused, working on 3 singles
just like you do in a meet. So my first set is to mimic an opener, 2nd
set would be like a 2nd attempt, and 3rd set would be like a 3rd
attempt, always practicing good form, technique and speed on each
set. So that ended my first heavy workout.
2 weeks later I upped the weight on each set a little more to try and
progressively peak for the meet. For this workout I did 440, 480,
520 for my 3 working sets. Again, making the first set like an
opener, the 2nd set like a 2nd attempt, and the 3rd set like a 3rd
attempt trying to practice just like its a competition. At that point 4
weeks of training had gone by and I only had one heavier training
day to do which was 2 weeks after my previous one. For my last one
I decided that I wanted to try a big PR because my previous heavy
days went very well and the last sets felt stronger and faster than
normal.
My last heavy bench day I did 455, 500, 550 as my 3 working sets.
The 550 was a grinder but I finished it strong but unfortunately
strained my pec somehow during that lift but never felt it until I had
got home after that workout. So that was the end of my heavy
benching for a couple months. Had I not done a max lift in the gym
before the meet, Im sure I would have crushed that weight at the
meet. Before that, my best raw bench with a pause was 525lbs in
the gym and 529lbs in competition, so it was a big PR for me.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ERIC PAUSE BENCH 550
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For my weak points which have always been the lock out portion of
my bench, I just did board work at the end of the workout after my 3
heavy paused singles, doing 2 sets of board work. First set usually
being to a 2 board and the last set to a 3 board. I did the same with
board work, I progressively added weight to both board work sets
on each heavy day so that I was over loading heavier each heavy
workout to peak and get stronger every week up until the meet.
The first workout I did doubles on the board work and the last two
heavy workouts I just practiced singles on the board work to really
focus on controlling and handling the heavier weight. This was my
best bench cycle minus getting the injury at the end, but I had made
a big gain on my paused bench by getting a 21 lb PR. I am currently
doing the same bench training for my next competition coming up
on April 21st, and hope to get at my meet what I got in training for
my best bench cycle ever, last training cycle.
Eric Lilliebridge had a top #3 raw total ranking in world in the 275 weight class at just 19
years old. He had successfully totaled 2,065lbs raw in belt and knee wraps and
deadlifted 800lbs raw in competition at only 19 years old. Now being the age of 22, he is
currently ranked #2 in the world in the 275s with a 2,204lbs raw total w/ wraps. His
best competition lifts up to date are an 881lbs raw squat w/ wraps (World Record at
275s), 529lbs raw bench and an 821lbs raw deadlift. He is currently chasing after the all
time world record total in the 275s held by Jon Cole with a 2,259lbs raw total w/ wraps.
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20
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST BENCH EVER: 3 BOARD PRESS

BY COREY HAYES
I break exercises into a few different groups, one of these groups is
exercises that teach me how to lift rather than a straight up brute
strength exercise. These exercises place emphasis on a correct
groove, correct firing patterns, etc. My favorite from this group for
bench is the 3 board with heavy bands. I personally use doubled
light bands which provide me with about 200lbs of band tension but
Ive heard of big shirted benchers (big as in 8-900+) using doubled
average bands which hurts me to think about.
I rig the bands up to be behind me so that I am forced to push
towards my feet which makes the bar path more of a straight line
from point A to point B. If you graduated middle school, you should
know the shortest path from A to B is a straight line. Less range of
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motion equals a higher potential max. Pressing in a straight line also

engages the triceps more and takes a lot of pressure off of the
pecs.
Another great thing about the movement is the fact that the lats and
upper back are required to work overtime to stabilize and move the
weight due to the extreme overload. This is how I learned to really
engage my lats and how I teach a lot of guys to use them as well. If
your back isnt tight the bar is going to be all over the place.
Normally I use this movement on an assistance type day after close
grip bench. I often alternate the rep scheme every other week or
every 2-3 weeks. The two options I use are 3-4 sets of 10-15 and
working up to a given rep max which is normally in the 5-8 range. I
never venture below 5 to save myself from neural fatigue from the
overload.
If you have plenty of brute strength and want to start refining it, give
this movement a shot. More efficiency will always bring more Prs.
Corey Hayes is an up and comer to the strength and conditioning world. He is currently a
student at Eastern Kentucky University and a Professional level powerlifter. His best
meet lifts are 725/425/675 at 220 raw and 880/640/680 at 242 geared. He has future
plans of taking over the world and making a living doing what he enjoys, the iron game.
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22
B ENC HIN G F O R BIG TH ROW S

BY M ATT VI NCENT
Bench is one of the most common exercises used in every gym in
the world. Top end athletes, to the lowly Johnny Bravo shaped
Mutants asking How much you bench, BRO?, everyone benches.
I pretty much expect that if you lift, you probably bench. It is a
great lift and one of the big 6(squat, deadlift, overhead pressing,
bench, clean, and sntach.) that all athletes should be doing
regularly. As a thrower it is an important lift for me in making the
gains on the field that I want to see.
My first bit of advice is learning how to do it correctly. There is
plenty of advice on this, Brandon Lilly has a great article covering it.
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This is the one big thing I took from my time with Powerlifting was
learning proper form and how to lift bigger weights safely. Now I do
not think that a big bench alone is going to translate into monster
throws. However it is not just perchance that most of the guys who
can throw over 70 in the shotput in history also bench 500+lbs.
I feel the same about this as I do combine training. Do I think the
numbers put up at the combine prove you are a good football
player? No, however it seems that good football players can do
really well at all of those tests. So in short if you are throwing and
technically things are pretty sound. Then you need to get stronger
and there is, no way to think that building a bigger bench is not
going to improve your marks.
Benching is going to strengthen chest, upper back, triceps, delts,
and the entire shoulder girdle. All of this is needed to throw far.
Also when done correctly using leg drive, not throwing your ass in
the air and bouncing the weight off your chest, you are performing
full body lift. Doing this teaches your body to make connections
from head to toe and will make you better and being able to apply
that to your throws. The ability to transfer power from your feet,
through the ground, and into your hands is the name of the game
for throwing. The better and faster you can do this the better you
will throw.
Training it properly for throwing is going to need to focus on both
max effort and power. Power is the speed at which work is
performed. So think about this as how fast you can move the bar.
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This acceleration is the key for throwing. Sure having that hydraulic
strength to move a ton of weight slow is great, but will not get the
implement to go any farther. Training for speed is the key here and
if throwing far or becoming more of an explosive athlete like a line
man or weightlifter this is where you can separate yourself. Training
speed and power is a bit different. Taking some lighter weights
(nothing over 75%) and more sets of lower reps, and moving the bar
as fast as possible is the Key to developing this.
BA S IC BEN CH S P E E D B L OCK:
S E TS /R EP S
P ER C EN TAG ES
12 x 3
60%
10 x 3
65%
8x2
70%
6x1
75%
Deload 3 x 10
50%
I cant stress enough for this to work properly you need to MOVE
THE WEIGHT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Keep pushing all the way
through the end of the lift. As far as your accessories for this I use
dips and Heavy single arm rows (Krock Rows). I use a plate loading
dumbbell and load about 235 on it (80% of BW or heaviest you can
do). 3 x 10 on all accessories still push speed. Also keep the rest
in between these sets minimal 60-90 sec. This is going to build that
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fast twitch fiber you need as an athlete. Also a great accessory is

using something like the Sling Shot and doing some accommodating
resistance work. To do that I use it after my last set and go for max
reps at that days Rxd weight.
Most people will have a hard time taking a step back from heavy
lifting to work on this. Think about it like if you could move 225 at
1.5 ft/per second then now can mover 225 at 3.0 ft/per second then
you are stronger and faster. This acceleration will transfer into your
max lifting as well.
I rotate this training with heavy blocks throughout the course of my
season. This gives me different loads and goals for training blocks.
Also I have continued making steady gains and throwing PRs all
year. Train for some speed and make some gains. Get Stronger,
Throw Farther, and HVIII more!!!
Matt Vincent is a top Professional Highland Games World Champion. Matt has spent the
last 15 years strength training with a focus on functional strength for athletics. Track
and Field for LSU as a shotput, discus, and hammer thrower, two top 3 finishes in SEC
and two top 5 Regional finishes in Discus. In the last 6 years he as traveled all over
country and trained with many of the top coaches and athletes in various fields form
Weightlifting, Strongman, Powerlifting (both Geared and Raw) and now focuses on
Highland Games. Highland Games he won 3 AM World Championships and 1
Professional World Championship as my first year Pro. Matt is also the Author of Best
Selling Highland Games Training Manual for Developing Max Strength and Power:
Training LAB.
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26
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST BENCH EVER:
R AC K L O C KO U T S
BY BLAINE SUMNER
When I first began lifting in high school for football, like a lot of
people, the bench press became my best lift. I wanted that big
bench and big arms so I could push guys around and look good
doing it. I had a good bench when I graduated high school in 2006
at 405 (raw) but saw that stagnate through college. Tearing both
shoulder labrums during college football didnt help my bench
progress either but when I met Dan Gaudreau at Rocky Mountain
Lifting Club in Colorado things started changing. Dan is a multi-time
IPF World Bench Press Champion and Record Holder and he began
having me do rack lockouts once a week.
The rack lockouts were done in a power rack by setting the safety
pins anywhere from 4 to 1 of lockout. You simply locked the
weight out off the pins, set down, released the tension, and
repeated. This was a fun exercise to do because you could really
move some weight. Although the time under tension and range of
motion is not great, the rack lockouts greatly improved my bench by
forcing my body to adapt to handling heavier loads.
Its like the old-school trick of overloading some of us did back in
high school or college. Before a max lift, throw an extra weight on
each side, hold it for a few seconds, and immediately take off the
extra plate and BAM it feels so much lighter and you throw it up.
Except by doing rack lockouts you get a more permanent affect.
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Doing this for the first year I met Dan took my bench from mid to
low 400s to over 500. Sets and reps are not complicated because it
is not a big deal if you fail, you probably just wont press it off the
pins. Due to this likely being something new you havent tried and
working off a neurological gain than strength, you can expect to see
its results quicker. Here is an 8-week cycle I have used and seen
gains on do this as your first accessory lift after your bench press.
W EEK R EP S LEFT I N THE TANK FO R EV ERY SET R EP S

1 3 8, 8, 8
2 3 6, 6, 6
3 3 8, 6, 4
4 5 5, 5, 5
5 2 5, 5, 5
6 2 5, 3, 1
7 1 1, 1, 1
801
Blaine Sumner is a drug-free powerlifter who competes in the IPF and USAPL both raw
and single ply. He holds the IPF Raw World Record for Squat (881 no wraps) and Total
(2,056) in addition to winning the 2012 IPF Raw World Championship. Sumner played
Division II football at the Colorado School of Mines where he started at nose tackle for 4
years in addition to scoring 8 touchdowns as a short yardage fullback. He also set NFL
testing records for 225 bench reps (52) and Kirwan Explosive Index (95). In addition to
having a 33 Vertical Jump and 50 box jump at 350 lbs., Sumner was a 4 sport athlete
in high school (Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Track). He is originally from Colorado and
now lives in Oklahoma City where he trains at HATE Barbell and works as a Petroleum
Engineer.
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28
B ENC H PRE S S F O R S TRO N G MAN

BY MIKE JENKINS
How much you bench bro? I always lie and say like 700 and the
response I get is Thats not too bad! Are you kidding? Now I come
up with the most ridiculous number I can imagine and few are
phased, I guess it would be like me responding to someone telling
me about their Medical School entrance tests, I dont have a damn
clue but I wouldnt say Not bad!.
Now to the matter at hand! Many of you have heard, or read that I
do not bench very often. That would be a true statement. However I
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did for years and do have a real, actual respectable bench but I
found other things help me in my quest to be the first man to press
a 500 log in a contest. So, if you are just getting into the sport,
bench away, bench your little ass of, do anything that gets you
stronger as a whole.
For those of you looking to maybe bump your overhead up 25 or so
pounds I am talking to you! When you look at any other athlete the
use other forms of the same movement to get better at what they
are elite at. Take a long jumper, he or she does not only go to
practice and just jump, jump, jump! They do sprints and plyos to
make then a more efficient jumper. Those movements are tools in
their arsenal. Something you are familiar with and Brandon Lilly
discusses this in the Cube, which I did read, probably five times and
had this belief before and reassured my belief after.
Brandon benches in competitions, fact, he does not do military
press, dumbbell shoulder press or incline in contests. Though he
does not do them on the platform he does however use them as
tools to get a big bench.
Now to my sport, I do not stand in the rack and only press logs or
axles every workout. By doing certain movements in certain ways I
can activate muscles that I would not be able to in a standing strict
position. What do I do you ask? Though I do not flat bench I do
however use incline, close grip floor press, floor press and variations
of the same with dumbbells.
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So, why do I use variations of bench for a huge overhead? After I do

my strict work I will resort to something that focuses on either some
form of shoulder recruitment, some chest and tons of triceps. All the
lifts that I mentioned before I rotate, Cube shout out bro, different
weeks and with different bars, axles, swiss bars and logs. I had
been doing this for a while now, just never knew how similar I
thought to Brandon, great minds think alike!
My main staple is floor press with either an axle or swiss bar,
simulates a log but harder because the different range of motion, its
longer then a log. Well what the hell does lying on a floor pushing
weight off your chest have to do with lifting something heavy as hell
off your shoulders over your head? Well think about the last over
head, or even bench you missed. Where did you miss it? You
probably didnt get stapled to the bench unless it was just too damn
heavy, I bet you missed it the last two inches of the lift.
I know thats where I missed my 484 log at WSM, my left arm was
less than an inch from being locked out, triceps werent strong
enough! The floor press smokes your triceps and you even get a
chest workout too but the triceps the limiting factor in most failed
lifts. By using the different bars its challenges you to adapt each
week and will carry over to a log and axle.
Ok, makes sense right so why the incline? Once again you are lying
down and taking weight out of a rack and stable, unlike standing
with a log or axle on your chest. Take a look at anyone who close to
a max effort log or axle at WSM, they have a serious arch in their
back, in somewhat of a standing incline position. On the incline you
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are able to overload your body by being in that position without

compromising your back rep after rep, you are stable and flat
against the bench.
Like the floor press does to the top of the press, I feel the incline
does to the bottom of the overhead press. The beginning of the lift
starts on your chest just as an overhead does once you clean it.
Your triceps cannot do jack if they do not get a chance because it
doesnt get by your fat chin. This is a lift I believe will get it going to
where you need those triceps. To be good at this lift you need to be
fast off your chest. How do I generate speed, I generally start with
the axle or log already on pins, in my case I have them on my Rogue
spotter straps so it can easily move and doesnt damage the bar.
Yes thats correct, shameless sponsor plug! By taking the weight off
my chest, not out of the rack, I have zero rebound. Like anything
else I but the lift together in pieces to come to a final product, an
overhead that makes dudes feel bad about their benches! Like I
mentioned before you can exchange these with dumbbells if you see
fit, that also helps with stabilizing each hand not just a single bar. I
know people are wondering about hand placement, again, I rotate
them. I do hit close grip floor press and close grip incline, just
another variation to the lift. Obviously that will hit the triceps a little
more I think its the actual movement that is more important.
So, like an overhead press can help a powerlifters bench go up, a
variation of a bench can help your overhead go up! If you are
looking to boost your overall strength with no contest in site the big
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thing is to rotate bars and types of pressing each week, only after
you strict press though. If I am not getting ready for a specific show
I will press with a log then floor press with an axle or vice versa,
strict with axle and bench movement with swiss or log. If I am
leading up to an event with a log in it I will hit only log for strict and
incline or floor with swiss or log to simulate that same movement
pattern. And for the love of baby Jesus or whoever it is you pray to
please do not, do not, do not do your log or axle on event day. You
need to work it in the gym and hit these accessories.
Mike Jenkins is one of the biggest and fastest rising names in the World of Strongman.
The 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic Champion (and 2011 runner-up), Jenkins is also a
2x finalist at Worlds Strongest Man. Jenkins is based out of Harrisburg, PA, where he
trains at 13 Stripes Crossfit. Mike offers online training for Strongman, Powerlifting and
Crossfit athletes and can be reached at JenkinsStrength@gmail.com
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33
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST BENCH EVER: FLOOR PRESS

BY GREG PANORA
Ive always been a decent bencher. It came naturally to me and Ive
always enjoyed the attention it brings. I met a guy at the grocery
store last week who used to have a 650 raw bench, but his biceps
were getting to big, and he had to quit. Despite every asshole
making crazy claims, benching has always been a huge part of why I
love this sport. I benched 435 at 218 pounds at my first contest in
1999 and my training hasnt really changed much since.
The exercise that has been a constant in my training is the floor
press. It is beautiful in its simplicity and its effectiveness. It taught
me how to take the bench away from my pecs and put it in my
triceps. I feel like it is much easier to load your triceps when lying on
the floor. At Westside I would do these every fourth week as a max
effort exercise and I felt like it had the most carryover to my shirted
bench. I remember doing 525 four weeks before my first 800 bench
and 545 four weeks before my first 820 bench. I very rarely had to
put a shirt on to know what my shirted bench would be.
Today, my training is entirely raw, yet the floor press is still a
mainstay. In fact, Im finishing up a three week wave with it
tomorrow. Week 1 did a triple with 450. This was done with pinkies
an inch inside the rings, week 2 I did a double with 470, and
tomorrow I will go over 500 for a single. So, during my raw training I
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use these for reps as well as max singles and occasionally for speed
work.
One big hint I will also give to lifters is to train like a bodybuilder on
accessory work. Benching is done with little fragile muscles that
arent getting work without these semi pansy movements like skull
crushers, lateral raises, dumbbell presses, pressdowns, and pulls to
the face. These will up your bench, cut down injuries and make you
look way better in shirtless Facebook mirror photos.
Greg Panora is a certified legend in the sport of Powerlifting. The former World Record
Holder (and current American Record Holder) with a 2630 total (Multiply) in the 242
weight class, Panora now has his sights set on breaking the 242 raw total world record
and is off to a strong start already having recorded a 500 raw bench and 750 raw
deadlift. Greg coaches powerlifting at Crossfit Casco Bay in Portland, Maine.
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35
S CAP U L A : BE S T F RIE N D O R BI G G EST EN EMY O F T HE

B ENC H PRE S S
BY RYAN BROWN
The truth is that when we are talking about mobility for the bench
press we shouldnt really be talking about anything any different
than mobility of any other movement. A good bench press is a full
body lift. Good mobility in a bench press isnt any different than
mobility in a squat. The same rules apply. However, unless you are
pretty good at spotting problems, you arent going to identify the
rotational issues in your hips, and how they are holding back your
bench press. and in fact, unless you are really really good at
bench pressing, You probably arent getting enough leg drive from
your hips to matter that much anyway.
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When most anyone talks about, or asks about mobility with their
bench press, they are talking about shoulder mobility. As with
anything else, before you start looking at where you need more
mobility, you need to focus on making sure that the things that
shouldnt be moving arent. Creating stability where you need it, so
the pieces that should be moving can.
A stable, and properly positioned, scapula will create a solid
platform that your humerus can move around. A scapula that is
instable or poorly positioned will tear your shoulders up, and cause
the perceived upper back weakness that causing your bench press
to suck. Do you see those little things in the picture above labeled
acromion and coracoid ??? Just look at them and imagine the
havoc they could cause on your soft tissues if they werent in the
right place.
The most common issue and cause of injury with the bench press is
the lack of internal rotation in the shoulder. This is pretty easily
traced back to your scapula. When we are tying to solve any
mobility puzzle we always want to start proximal to distal. The first
thing we have to consider in the position of the scapula, and
ultimately in the mobility for the bench press, is the position of the
thoracic spine.
Pretty much only two ways that this can go wrong. Either you are
excessively kyphotic (flexion) or you are too extended in your
thoracic. I can tell you that both are bad, but a kyphotic posture is
sure to ruin your bench. When you are excessively kyphotic your mid
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and lower traps and your

rhomboids are going to be
stretched out long. This will
make them weak and unable
to maintain the postion of
your scapula flat on your
back. This is going to cause
your scapula to tilt forward
and then your are gonna
have little bones rubbing on
things that they arent
supposed to rub on. It is
going to be uncomfortable
and it will destroy your
progress.
If you are too extended the
curvature of your scapula
isnt going to match the
curve of your spine, things
arent going to line up
correctly and you are likely to
run into some of the same problems as the lifter with the kyphotic
posture. The other problem that this is going to cause is that is
going to put your diaphragm in a poor postion. You are likely going
to need to use your shoulders to take in air, this is going to pull
them forward off of the bench and make it difficult to use your
lats.. and if you have ever listened to Brandon Lilly coach the
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bench press (he is pretty good at it) then you should know that
keeping your back tight and using your lats is one of the most
important aspects of your bench press.
After the basic idea of keeping your thoracic spine in the proper
position we can start to look at the muscles that connect to the
medial edge of the scapula. You can have a friend just check you
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out with no shirt on. Each scap should sit and equal distance away
from the spine as the other one. I can tell you from the the many
people I have assessed and worked with, this is not the case in
many occasions, even for people who arent having pain. For some
of these people maybe they identify a weakness in one arms lockout
vs the other. Maybe one arm fails before the other or they twist a
little as they press the weight up.
You need to determine if you have weakness, or tightness. The Ys
and Ts are a great test for this. Lying face down on a bench, stretch
your arms out to form a Y. This raise your hands as high as you can.
You should be able to achieve 135 degrees of shoulder extension. It
is important to make sure that you are not hinging in your thoracic
spine and that you are getting true shoulder extension. You can do
the Ts thumbs up, to correlate with the middle trap, then thumbs
down for the Rhomboids. You should be able to get 90 degrees with
both. Again, it is important that the motion is occurring where you
want it and you arent cheating. This is why you have to have
someone else do the assessment on you. It is to easy to cheat.
Next, we can start to look at the muscles on the lateral edge of the
scapula. Often times, the problems that you are going to find here
are going to strongly correlate, and probably be caused by, the
problems that we found proximally. The number one thing that
causes pain in the bench press is a lack of shoulder internal
rotation. This is often times caused by tight, bunched up external
rotators of the cuff. You can see in the picture what a big bunch of
muscles all run in and around each other in this area. It is real easy
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for that stuff to get funky. The same way that you can use a quick
visual assessment to learn a little about your shoulder problems with
the muscles on the medial edge of the scapula, you can usually see
where your scap may be rotated more towards one of your
shoulders. Soft tissue work is usually great for these muscles. If you
have a chiro that does ART, or if you can just get in there with a
lacrosse ball and dig around a little then you can make some
progress with loosing them up. The problem is that tight muscles
here usually go hand in hand with overstretched, weak muscles on
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the medial edge. Treating this area with the soft tissue work to
loosen it up without strengthening the weak muscles is going to
result in a recurring problem.
P R E B E N CH RO U TIN E
So, how do we fix all of these very common problems? You have got
to make sure and get things moving properly before you get down
on the bench in order to ensure an optimal performance.
STEP 1:
Breathing your Thoracic spine into the proper position. The cool
thing about your lungs is that when you fill them up completely and
properly, they push everything back where it goes. Whether you are
Kyphotic or over extended in your t-spine, your lungs can help you
correct the issue more effectively than laying backwards on a foam
roller ever can. What you have to do is determine which category
that your fall into, and put yourself into a position to help your lungs
be strong enough to push it back where it goes. If you are over
extended, you should be on your elbows and knees, breathing with
your diaphragm, and focusing on breathing air into your upper back
to try and regain some of a curve. If you are overly kyphotic then
you should be laying flat, focusing on breathing your shoulders flat
to the ground while keeping your ribs down. So that your lungs
and straighten your spine back to where it goes. It sounds
simple.. and the most brilliant shit usually is
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STEP 2:
Soft Tissue work. You need to identify the areas that are jammed up.
When you are doing the visual assessment these are the spots that
are a shorter distance than they should be. Maybe both of your
scaps are rotated up a little towards your shoulders and you need to
focus your soft tissue work on the muscles of the cuff. Possibly, one
side is tight on the medial edge of the scap and the other is tight on
the lateral edge. You are going to have to look at yourself and
determine what is tight, and what is weak, then address it
accordingly. Also, while we are at it, you probably need to hit the
pec a little, especially if you are the kyphotic guy.
STEP 3:
Motor Pattern. Now that things are back in the right place, and the
tight muscles that are pulling us out of position are loosened up a
little, we need to use some basic movements in order to restore the
rhythm in the shoulder. It is so used to being out of postion and
things firing in the wrong order that we need to give it a chance to
relearn the correct way to move. For the shoulders I love to use lat
pull downs with a band, or band pull aparts.
These are going to be much different than the band pull aparts that
Corey and Brandon talk about. This is meant to be a light movement
that you can do absolutely perfect. With Lat pull downs I like to start
people off in a quadruped position. This makes it easier for them to
maintain the position of their thoracic spine, and on every single rep
we ensure that we get a complete lung full of air actually, two of
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them. The band should be light. The only thing that matters is that
you are moving perfectly, and that your scap isnt moving at all.
I may progress from quadruped into a half kneeling, or tall kneeling
position, depending on how bad it is.
STEP 4:
Muscle Activation / Strengthening. Once we have restored a good
movement pattern we want to train the muscles that are weak or
inhibited. This may be doing the Ys or Ts with a light plate, or
perhaps if you had weak/inhibited muscles on the lateral edge of the
scap side lying external rotations. It is important to remember that if
you are doing this in your warmup that these sets shouldnt be long,
and you shouldnt do many of them. The goal isnt to fatigue the
muscle. These could also be great exercises for you to throw in at
the end of your workout to create hypertrophy in those areas, then,
obviously you would want to do more sets and reps.
I dont know if you noticed, but I never mentioned anything about
stretching. It isnt because I am against stretching, but it is nearly
impossible to give advice about what should be stretched and what
shouldnt be stretched via the internet. Not to mention, I am finding
more and more that we can correct many of these issues without
needing to actually stretch anything, and that prevents us from
stretching something that doesnt need any stretching. Too much
mobility, or mobility in the wrong place is a force bleed, and that
sucks.
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Shoulders, throughout history, have proven to be quite the pain in

the ass. They have a huge range of motion, move at a high velocity,
and in order to achieve that big range of motion and high velocity,
dont have the big structures creating stability like the hip. Tons and
tons of things can go wrong, but focusing on your scapula can be a
simple way for you to stay ahead of your mobility game and add
pounds to your bench press.
Ryan Brown is the head physical preparation coach and owner of Derby City CrossFit /
DarkSide Strength in Louisville,Ky. Ryans focus is on correcting and perfecting
movement/motor patterns to get the most out of his athletes. He has competed in
CrossFit, Powerlifting, strongman, and currently Olympic lifting. His clients include; elite
level power lifters, national level Olympic lifters, pro MMA fighters, college football
players, HS athletes, CrossFitters, old broke people, and pretty much anyone else who
wants to do something better.
Website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
45
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST BENCH EVER: DEAD BENCH

BY CHAD WESLEY SMITH
During my time as a shot putter, I considered myself a pretty decent
bench presser, having pressed 500# when I was 23 years old, but
when I made the transition to powerlifting, the pause that was
required was a slap in the face. When shot putting I benched in a
very ballistic manner (ie, bounced the hell out of it), which I think is
very appropriate to the shot put and is a style utilized by top
throwers across the world, so all the people who have commented
about how I was gonna break my sternum, SAVE IT! Despite this
style of benching helping me develop the speed and reactive
qualities needed to throw the shot put far, it left people in an
extreme lack of power off the chest when transitioning to a paused,
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powerlifting bench press. I was losing 75-85 pounds when having to

pause my bench compared to my previous style.
Knowing that I needed to correct this weakness, I sought out the
advice of Josh Bryant, the youngest man to ever raw bench 600
pounds, which he did at only 22 years old. Josh has gone on from
his competitive career to develop a TON of great lifters. Josh
prescribed the Dead Bench to me to cure my bench ailments and it
was definitely the right medicine. The dead bench, along with a lot
of other great training Josh helped me with, helped me add 50
pounds to my bench in a 13 week training cycle.
To perform the Dead Bench, you will need to set the pins in a power
rack so that the bar sits 1-1 1/2 off your chest and press up from
that dead start position. To truly eliminate the stretch reflex you
need this type of starting position because the eccentric phase of a
lift will load the stretch reflex for up to 6 seconds. Eliminating any
benefit of the stretch reflex will force your body to learn how to
recruit more muscle fibers and turn them on more rapidly in its
absence to overcome a heavy load and when you reintroduce the
stretch reflex you will be that much more powerful. The dead bench
needs to always be performed for singles because even with a
significant pause, the stretch reflex will still reamin. If you want to
use the dead bench for higher volume work, you can just utilize
shorter rest periods and multiple singles.
Make sure to use your competitive bench setup when using Dead
Benches and press the bar as fast as possible. Dead benches
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should be used as a supplement to your primary bench work, not in

place of it. Work like dead benches should be thought of the same
way that a drill is used at football practice. Offensive linemen need
to work on their combo blocks but if thats all the team does then
they will be great a combo blocks and suck at everything else, so
dont focus on becoming great at special exercises and forget to
practice what really matters.
Progressing in the Dead Bench requires manipulating rest periods,
volume and intensity. Check out this progression on the Dead Bench
and watch your power off the chest explode!!
Week 1-60%x8x1-30 sec rest
Week 4-Deload
Week 6-70%x7x1-1 min rest
Week 8-Deload
Week 9-80/82.5/85%x1-90 sec rest
Week 10-82.5/85/87.5%x1-2 min rest
Week 11-31 up to a 1rm-150 sec rest
Week 12-Deload
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Chad Wesley Smith is the founder and head physical preparation coach at Juggernaut
Training Systems. Chad has a diverse athletic background, winning two national
championships in the shot put, setting the American Record in the squat (905 in the 308
class, raw w/ wraps) and most recently winning the 2012 North American Strongman
championship, where he earned his pro card. In addition to his athletic exploits, Chad
has helped over 50 athletes earn Division 1 athletic scholarships since 2009 and worked
with many NFL Players and Olympians. Chad is the author of The Juggernaut Method
and The Juggernaut Method 2.0.
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B ENC H MO RE BY BE N C H I N G MO RE
BY DAN GREEN
Many people seem to enjoy over-complicating the bench. Searching
for the super sexy secret exercise that will increase your competition
bench. While hunting for the silver bullet of bench exercises is fun,
whats more fun is actually benching more. And getting jacked. That
is the fun part. Then everyone you will ever meet will have to ask
you how much you bench and you wont have to lie. And every time
you visit Mexico you will be challenged to arm wrestling matches
because youre jacked and awarded big sombreros because having
a big bench makes you important.
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And while all of this is clearly WHY we bench, it leaves us with the
question of HOW to bench more. A lot more. And unless your goal is
just to claim a more massive benchwhich I respectyou will need
to use and train heavily the appropriate exercises and incorporate
them in an effective program.
A PPROACH TO P R OGR AMMI NG

My approach to benching is based on coupling technical mastery
with brute strength and size. And whats convenient is that the best
way to do this is to bench. A lot. So now let us discuss technique,
how to get strong and how to get jacked.
Attaining technical mastery of the bench is what allows you to
bench the most with your current strength level. This is obvious, but
whats equally important and not necessarily obvious is that using
sound technique minimizes the stress that the joints must tolerate
during the training. And the more you keep your joints protected,
the more volume you can tolerate and recover from and the more
often you can train. If you are beat up you will have to take light
days or deload weeks. Thats fine if you have to in order to get back
on track, but not as good as being able to stay healthy and progress
every week.
Training for strength is determined by how heavy you train. Training
for size tends to revolve around the overall work or volume
performed. And training for technique requires that you repeatedly
execute the correct technique. So this program tackles not only
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strength, size and technique, but also allows for continual

progression.
PAUSED BENCH
Paused Benches are always first in my training. In a meet benches
must be paused. The more often you bench with a pause, the better
you get at it. Having to stay tight and pausing makes it that much
tougher to get the weight moving. But if you practice this way you
will conquer it. Ive really grown to like paused benches. Ive gotten
my chest to do much more of the work than before and theyve
taught me how to generate considerable leg drive.
Every training session the weight on these goes up and the reps go
downgood old linear periodization. This allows you to make
predictable improvements and not overtrain by going up and down
in intensities. Each week or twice each week the bench session
prepares you for the next session. All the while you are improving
your technique.
SPEED BENCH
Speed Bench is basically just the standard, non-paused bench,
performed explosively. It is not a light weight by any means,
however. Light benching, to me, seems like a waste of time for
building a big raw bench. These are done explosively and for low
reps but continue to get heavier every workout. These build up
volume as well, which allows you to build both strength and size.
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Even though they are not paused they develop explosiveness which
helps you after the pause in a competition bench. And the high
workload heavily taxes the chest shoulders and triceps. To do these
properly all the reps should be completed as quickly as possible
without getting sloppy. Lower quickly, reverse forcefully off the chest
and do not wait or pause at the top between reps. Use one weight
only per workout and do these with your competition grip.
PAUSED WI DE GR I P BENCH
The paused wide grips were my favorite for building the technique of
lowering a weight onto your chest and then using your entire
strength to drive it up to lockout. For these Id recommend using a
grip two finger widths out from your standard grip. So if you bench
with your pinkies on the rings in contest, put your middle finger on
the rings here. I generally do these for 5-6 reps per set. These serve
two purposes. They build the strength and confidence to efficiently
lower a weight and rest it on your chest.
This is huge, as it allows your triceps to relax slightly before the
press instead of getting fatigued by holding all the weight while its
barely grazing your t-shirt. This loads the weight into your arch, in
turn loading your legs. So the first benefit is technique, as it teaches
you to use tightness and leg drive to pause and move the weight off
your chestnot your triceps. The second benefit is the strength it
builds in the bottom of the press. Because your grip is wide, you are
forced to use the chest and delts much more throughout the lift and
the triceps less. This is great for anyonemaximum drive off the
chest means maximum poundage.
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SLINGSHOT B ENCH
The Slingshot, then, is the answer for lockout strength. The key to
locking out a big weight is triceps strength and back tightness.
Strong triceps press through to the lockout, but if your back loses
tightness you can lose momentum. When the weight stalls the
triceps will be overmatched. They might strain and press through
anyway, but without perfect technique it wont be your true max and
youll be leaving weight on the platform.
The slingshot allows you to overload by feeling some heavy,
supramaximal weights. It challenges you to lockout bigger weights
while keeping the motion smooth and natural in feel. This adds extra
volume to your triceps training and really awakens the CNS. The
slingshot gives you the leverage to press 50-100 pounds over your
max and more. Staying tight under that much loading really
strengthens the whole body for benching so you will be ready when
you have a heavy raw max in your hands. I usually perform these for
a few weeks right before the meet to overload before I take a rest
week. These would be done after paused benches and before speed
bench for sets of 1-5 reps.
INCLINE P R ES S I NG AND OVE R HE A D P R ESSI N G

Incline bench or dumbbell press and military presses or seated
dumbbell presses are all fantastic exercises for building size and
strength. The incline presses work well for higher reps after all the
other benching is done. That could be anywhere from 8-15 reps.
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Overhead pressing should be done on its own, separate dayyes

developing the strength of the shoulders and upper pecs is that
important. It doesnt have to be complicated. Volume is the key
here. 3-5 work sets will suffice.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH DAN MILITARY PRESS 315LB AT 220 BODYWEIGHT
IM PLEM EN TATI ON
So for effective implementation its also important to consider a
longer timeline. Heavy paused presses, slingshot presses and heavy
touch reps are all effective before a meet, when your only goal is
peaking for a max. All the high rep incline and overhead pressing are
great for building size and a training base, but do little for
immediately improving a max. In the last few weeks before a meet
they tend to create more fatigue than value. They should be
dropped 3-4 weeks out and the main, heavy lifts should be done
more frequently. A good approach for a 12 week training cycle
would be 8 weeks of one bench day, one overhead pressing day
followed by 3 weeks of two heavy bench days and finally a rest
week.
THE FIRST 8 WE EKS WOR KOUTS :

Paused bench 2-3 top sets 3-6 reps heavier each week
Speed Bench 4-6 sets 3-4 reps heavier each week
Paused wide grip bench 2-4 sets 5-6 reps
Incline pressing
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LAST 3 WE EKS :
Paused bench 2-3 top sets 1-3 reps heavier each week
Slingshot Bench 3-4 sets 1-5 reps
Or
1. Speed Bench 3-4 sets 2-3 reps heavier each week
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TOP 5 B E N C H AC C E S S ORY E X E RC I S E S
For benching, Ive always made sure to have a good amount of
accessory exercises included in my training basically so that I can
work on any weak points I think I need to work extra hard on to
make my bench better.
1.PEC FLIES
Either with dumbells or on a cable machine. I personally like the
cable machine better for Pec Fly because I feel like I get a better
stretch with them. For Pec Flies I will normally do 5 total sets, the
first 2 sets Ill do for 15 reps then the 3rd Ill add weight and do it to
failure. Then I will do 2 drop sets of 15 reps
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2. TRICEP E XTE NS I ONS

On a machine using different accessory pieces to attach to it and
also switching by doing both arms at the same time together or one
at a time individually. When Im doing both arms together Ill do the
same as my sets of Pec Flies for the first 3 sets and I will follow that
by doing reverse grip single arm extensions for 2 sets of 15 reps for
5 total sets on triceps
3. LATERAL S HOUL DE R R AI S ES
Either with Dumbells or on a machine, I feel like those work my
shoulders really well. I dont like to go that heavy on these, I mainly
just do them to work my shoulders extra and get a good pump in
them. I will do 5 total sets of 15 reps each and add weight each set.
4.BOA RD WOR K
Usually with a 2 or 3 boards. These have helped out my bench a lot,
especially my lock outs. After benching heavy to my chest with
pauses, I will do 2 sets of board work after. The first set is to a 2
board anywhere from a single to a triple, and the 2nd set will be to a
3 board, normally for a double or triple.
5. CLOSEG R I P B E NCH
Im a better narrow grip bencher (hands inside the rings) so the
close grips really help out my normal grip bench. After my warm ups
I usually like to do 3 sets of 3 reps adding weight each set or Ill
single up to a heavy single and do a drop set of max reps to failure.
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T R AI NIN G TH E 2 2 5 REP T EST

The 225 rep test is one of the most revered assessments used in
the NFL pre-draft process. I dont feel the 225 test is a good
indicator of the type of upper body strength required to be a good
football player, a much better test would be something like
225/275/315 pounds, depending on position group, done for a triple
with the power measured by a Tendo Unit. The merits of this test
can be argued to no end by strength coaches and football scouts
alike, but the fact of the matter is this test is here to say, so if you
have players you are helping try to make the jump from high school
59
to college or college to the pros, you need to help them improve this
test.
Team Juggernauts Blaine Sumner produced one of the greatest
results ever in the 225 test during his 2011 Pro Day at Air Force
where Blaine, who played his college football at the Colorado
School of Mines (D2), did 52 reps of 225. Blaine actually performed
55 reps but wasnt credited with 3 reps. Either way, Blaines 52 reps
is 3 beyond the NFL Combine record of 49 reps set by Stephen
Paea of Oregon St. Blaine had a very simple approach to his
training, just following his usual heavy training (Blaine has a best
raw meet bench of 473) and then performing one all out drop set
with 185-265 pounds.
Blaine credits a lot of his success in the 225 test to improving his
technique and rep strategy. Blaine did his 225 test by breaking it up
into a number of mini sets. Blaines specific strategy was to perform
10 rep clusters up to 40 reps, then two 5 rep clusters and then
singles, each cluster of reps was done while holding in one breath.
Success in the 225 rep test requires a combination of maximal
strength and lactic capacity in the pressing muscles.
The simplest way to increase an athletes abilities in the 225 test is
to increase their maximal strength because of course an athlete who
can bench 450 will handle 50% of their max (225 pounds) more
easily than an athlete who is benching 350 and must press 64% of
their max. While I certainly agree with this logic, the energy required
to increases ones max strength in the bench may not be efficient
60
within the context of a complete combine prep program that also

requires an athlete to improve a variety of other physical qualities.
Of course this will vary from athlete to athlete based upon their
individual strength levels but there is already tons of great
information on this website about how to increase your max bench,
so Ill let you read those for yourself about how to do that.
Technique is a critical aspect of success for all lifting and will pay
great dividends in your 225 test improvements. Check out these tips
to improve your rep skills
1) Wear a shirt with a rough logo on the back or chalk your back or
spray some spray tacky on it, you dont want to be sliding around
on the bench.
2) Pull your shoulders blades together tight and get your chest as
high as possible.
3) If you are a competitive powerlifter and bench with a wide grip,
you will probably benefit from moving your grip in slightly for this
test. 1 to 2 thumb lengths from the center smooth is a good grip
for most.
4) Dont try to create a big arch like you would during a max
attempt, as holding this position for the time that this test will take
may lead to back cramping. A small to moderate arch will suffice.
5) Plant your feet firmly on the ground, either with your whole foot
down or up on the balls of your feet, you want your feet to be solidly
61
placed on the ground so you dont move around when getting good
hip drive.
Another valuable component of success in this test is to strategize
your rep scheme. You saw the rep scheme that helped Team
Juggernauts Blaine Sumner perform a record amount of reps with
225 earlier in this article. Here are some tips to help you maximize
your reps that have been very successful for my athletes here at
Juggernaut
1) Only put the necessary force into each rep that is required.
Though I normally advocate moving all reps as explosively as
possible, doing that will waste energy in this test. Dont try to impart
400 pound pressing strength when only 225 is necessary. You want
to move the bar quickly but not so explosively that it causes you to
lose your setup position. Like John Wooden said, Be quick but
dont hurry.
2) Break your test up into several mini sets. Lactic threshold is as
much a function of time as it is of work, so you want to get the reps
done quickly but going through in one straight shot isnt what I have
found to be most effective. For example, if your goal is to do 27
reps, try breaking it down into something like 16 reps, 5 reps, 2
reps, 1 rep, 1 rep, 1 rep, 1 rep; taking 2-3 seconds and a few deep
breaths in between each mini set. Obviously this structure will vary
from person to person but it is a template.
62
A proper warmup can also be the difference between 2-3 reps.

Focus on more warmup sets at very low weights to loosen up
without tiring yourself out. Try this warmup structure
Bar x50 (10 reps at 5 different grips working from close to wide)
9510
135x2x5, 1 set at a regular tempo and 1 set explosively
1853
2251
245-3151, use a heavier weight the stronger you are but dont let it
be over 75% of your max, if 225 is over 70-75% of your max,
then you wont perform this over set
Developing great lactic capacity requires the athlete to be able to
exceed their current abilities. This is best achieved through a
combination of partial range work, reverse band presses and special
set structure. Subscribe to Juggernaut to read the rest of this article
and learn how to drive up your rep strength and open college
coachs and scouts eyes with this 10 week training program
Combine prep is a complex and endeavor that requires great
planning. My preferred combine training schedule is as follows
Monday-Max Speed Sprinting/Jumps/Lower Body Weights
Tuesday-MB Throws/Tempo Runs/225 Rep Training
Wednesday-Change of Direction Training/Jumps
Thursday-Recovery Work
63
Friday-Acceleration Sprinting/Jumps/Lower Body Weights

Saturday-MB Throws/Tempo Runs/Max Upper Body Strength
WEE K 1
REP DAY
1) Box Pushups-42
2) Reverse Band Press-3xAMAP at 70%. Rack the weight and rest
7-10 minutes. You should rest long enough so that you can replicate
your efforts in the next 2 sets, so if you did 30 reps on your first set
you should be around 30 reps, +/-2 reps, in the following sets.
Shake out your pecs, shoulders, and triceps during your rest period
to enhance recovery.
3) Rows/Pullups-5 sets of 12-15 reps
4) Biceps/Neck/Shoulders/Traps-2-3 sets of 8-15 reps of each
bodypart.
5) Closegrip Pushups-3 sets to failure with 90 seconds rest
between sets.
6) Bodyweight/Medball Abdominal Circuit-30 seconds on/30
seconds off x8 rounds
M AX DAY
1) Box Pushups-42
2) Bench Press-55/60/65/70/75%x5
3) 2 Board Press-2-3 sets of 1 at what is a 8-9 effort
5) DB Incline Bench-212 reps
64
6) Biceps/Triceps/Neck/Shoulders/Traps-2-3 sets of 8-15 reps of

each bodypart
WEE K 2
REP DAY
1) Box Pushups-52
bodypart.
between sets.
M AX DAY
1) Box Pushups-52
2) Bench Press-60/65/70/75/80%x3
65

each bodypart
WEE K 3
REP DAY
1) Box Pushups-62
bodypart.
between sets.
M AX DAY
1) Box Pushups-62
2) Bench Press-65%x5, 70%x4, 75%x3, 80%x2, 85%x1
66

each bodypart
WEE K 4
REP DAY
1) Drop Pushups-42
2) 2 Board Press-60%x3xAMAP. Rack the weight and rest 7-10
minutes. You should rest long enough so that you can replicate your
efforts in the next 2 sets, so if you did 30 reps on your first set you
should be around 30 reps, +/-2 reps, in the following sets. Shake
out your pecs, shoulders, and triceps during your rest period to
enhance recovery.
bodypart.
5) Tricep Death Pushups-Starting a 1 board, perform closegrip
pushups until 2-3 reps shy of failure touching your chest to the
board, immediately switch a 2 board, then 3 board and finally 4
board.
67
M AX DAY
1) Drop Pushups-42
2) Reverse Band Press-55, working up to a heavy top set
3) Row/Pullups-5 sets of 12-15 reps
4) DB Bench-212
bodypart.
WEE K 5
REP DAY
1) Drop Pushups-52
2) 1 Board Press-60%x3xAMAP. Your goal is to match the reps
that you did the previous week off the 2 board. Rack the weight and
rest 7-10 minutes. You should rest long enough so that you can
replicate your efforts in the next 2 sets, so if you did 30 reps on your
first set you should be around 30 reps, +/-2 reps, in the following
sets. Shake out your pecs, shoulders, and triceps during your rest
period to enhance recovery.
bodypart.
board.
68

M AX DAY
1) Drop Pushups-52
4) DB Bench-210
bodypart.
WEE K 6
REP DAY
1) Drop Pushups-62
2) Bench Press-60%x3xAMAP. Your goal is to match the reps that
you did the previous week off the 2 board. Rack the weight and rest
bodypart.
69

board.
M AX DAY
1) Drop Pushups-62
4) DB Bench-28
bodypart.
WEE K 7
REP DAY
1) Rebound Pushups-42
2) Rest Pause Bench Press-225x3xRest Pause Sets. Each rest
pause set is comprised of 3 smaller sets, this is done to extend your
rep capacity through the use of short rest periods. Begin by repping
out 225 until you feel like you can only do 2 more reps, rack the
weight and rest for 30 seconds, rep 225 until you can only do 1
more rep, rack the weight and rest for 30 seconds, rep 225 until you
feel you will miss the next rep. Rack the weight and rest 7-10
70
enhance recovery.
bodypart.
5) Closegrip Pushup Mechanical Drop Set-Perform 3 mechanical
drop sets, each comprised of 3 mini sets. Begin by performing
pushups with your feet elevated on a 6-12 box until you can only
do 2-3 more reps, continue to do pushups with your feet and hands
on the ground until you can do 1-2 more reps, continue by doing
pushups with your feet on the ground and your hands up on the box
that your feet were previously on. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
M AX DAY
2) Bench Press-60/70/80%x5 reps, at this point the maximal
strength gains you can make and their impact on your 225 test will
be minimal, so you need to dial back your maximal strength work so
you can better recover from your rep work.
4) DB Floor Press-212 reps
bodypart.
71

WEE K 8
REP DAY
enhance recovery.
bodypart.
drop sets, each comprised of 3 mini sets. Begin by performing
72
M AX DAY
2) Bench Press-65/75/85%x3 reps, at this point the maximal
strength gains you can make and their impact on your 225 test will
be minimal, so you need to dial back your maximal strength work so
you can better recover from your rep work.
bodypart.
WEE K 9
REP DAY
73
enhance recovery.
bodypart.
drop set, each comprised of 3 mini sets. Begin by performing
M AX DAY
2) Bench Press-70%x5, 80%x3, 90%x1 rep, at this point the
maximal strength gains you can make and their impact on your 225
test will be minimal, so you need to dial back your maximal strength
work so you can better recover from your rep work.
74

bodypart.
WEE K 1 0 ( WE E K O F CO MBI N E/ PRO DAY )

REP DAY (WEDNE S DAY I F COMBI N E I S O N SATU R DAY )
1) Box Pushups-32
2) 2 Board Press-225x3x3-5
3) Rows/Pullups-38-12, light
4) Biceps/Neck/Shoulder/Traps-2 sets of 8-15 reps of each
bodypart, light.
seconds off x8 rounds.
M AX DAY (DAY OF COMB I NE )

1) Utilize warmup listed above
2) Smash 225 Rep Test
Success on the 225 rep test requires a combination of maximal
strength and great lactic capacity and this program is guaranteed to
improve your abilities and get scouts noticing you.
75
T HANK S F O R YO U R S U PPO RT
Thank you for subscribing to the JTSstrength.com Newsletter.
Juggernaut strives to bring you the highest quality information to
help you reach your training goals. We are truly committed to
bringing you Information For the Athlete, By the Athlete and have
brought together the strongest athletes in the World today.
Stay up to date with all things Juggernaut through our newsletter
and make sure to check JTSstrength.com regularly for articles and
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World!
76
77
JUGGERNAUT SQUAT MANUAL
JUG G E R N AU T
S QUAT
M A NUA L
by
TEAM JUGGERNAUT
7 HA BITS OF HI GHLY EFFECTI VE SQ UAT TER S
8 W EEKS TO MAS S I VE L EGS
11
HOW I BUILT MY BEST SQUAT E V E R : F R O N T S Q UAT S
18
HOW I BUILT MY BEST SQUAT E V E R : S A F E T Y S Q UAT BA R S Q UAT S
21
WORLD RECO R D S QUAT TR AI NI N G
23
HOW I BUILT MY BEST SQUAT E V E R : L OW BA R G O O D M O R N I N G S
29
SQUAT DEVELOP ME NT FOR WE I G H T LI FTI N G
32
HOW I BUILT MY BEST SQUAT E V E R : S P L I T S Q UAT S
49
STRENGTH I N THE HOL E
52
BUILDING THE S QUAT
56
VANILLA G O R I L L A S QUATTI NG
61
WORLD RECO R D S QUATTI N G
64
200 POUN DS OF P R
70
7 H AB IT S O F H IG H LY EFFEC T I V E SQ UAT T ERS

Run faster, jump higher, tackle harder, whatever your athletic goal is,
improving your squat will help you reach them. The squat is ultimate
developer of quad, hamstring, glute and hip strength and these are
the muscles that are responsible for sprinting speed and jumping
ability. It is no coincidence that Olympic sprinters, the fastest
athletes on the planet, possess tremendous lower body
development. Ben Johnson, the former World Record holder in the
100m was said to have squatted 600 pounds for 6 reps at a
bodyweight of only 175 pounds.Whether your goal is powerlifting
dominance, legendary strongman performances or tremendous
athletic feats, these squat training tips will get you there.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CHADS SQUAT TRAINING TIPS
1. IM PROV E YOUR MOB I LI TY

A lack of mobility will make it difficult to for you to hit proper depth
and if you are able to hit depth, it will be difficult for you to maintain
your strongest body position. This inability to maintain proper body
positions is more likely to
lead to injury and if you are
injured you cant squat.
Consistently stretching your
hips, quads, hamstrings will
For Chad Wesley Smith, becoming American

JUGGERNAUT
SQUAT
MANUAL
Record Holder
in the
squat
didnt happen by
accident but from forming these habits.
help you maintain better squatting positions and stay healthy so you
can train hard.
2. SQUAT TO DE P TH ALL THE TI M E

If you are going to be a great competitive squatter you must squat
to depth all the time. Do not fool yourself into thinking that you can
squat high in training and then will hit legal depth in a meet. I have
always made it a motto to Leave No Doubt in my squatting. I dont
want to have to even look for 3 white lights when I finish a squat
because I should already know that I hit proper depth. Film your
squats from the side to check your depth or having your training
partners assess your depth for you and remember, friends dont let
friends squat high.
3. SPEED, S P E ED, S P EED!

The best way to squat big weight is to squat fast. Generating great
speed and force is the best way to drive through sticking points.
Focus on imparting maximal speed to the bar all the time. From 135
to your max, you need to be trying to drive the bar through the roof.
When you are looking to develop great bar speed you need to jump
and do speed work.
Jumps of all kinds (box jumps, squat jumps, jump for distance,
depth jumps) will all help improve your Rate of Force Development
so make sure you are jumping at least once per week. Jumps will
also serve to activate your central nervous system prior to a heavy
squat session. When you are doing speed work for the squat, I
suggest you use straight weight (no bands or chains) in the 55-70%
percent range for sets of 2-4 reps and focus on performing at least
1 rep per second. Get out a stop watch and time your sets.
CLICK HERE TO SEE SHANE HAMMONS SPEED AS HE SQUATS 925LB
4. DOM INATE THE WEI GHT

Do you know how I put 905 pounds on my back and smashed it for
the American Record (raw w/ wraps-308 class)? Confidence. One of
the most common mistakes I see people making when attempting a
max squat is to slow down their descent. This happens for 1
reasonfear. There can be no fear when getting under heavy
weight. This supreme confidence comes from proper preparation,
both physically and mentally. If you have trained to the best of your
abilities there is no reason to have a doubt in your mind when
stepping on the platform.
Not only must your training be great, you must also prepare your
mind. 905 was a number that was constantly in my mind leading up
to squatting it, mentally I owned 905. I had squatted it hundreds, if
not thousands of times in my mind. Fill your mind with positive
mental imagery and know that you own whatever weight is going on
your back, unrack it powerfully, descend with it confidently and then
explode with it out of the hole; be on a mission to lockout.
5. BUILD S TR ENGTH OUT OF THE H O LE

The most common place for a raw lifter to miss a max squat is right
out of the hole (ie. The bottom portion of the lift). Putting extra
attention to this portion of the lift is what

I believe is most responsible for
improving my squat from 800 to 905
pounds over a 10 month period.
The two best exercises to improve your
strength out of the hole are dead squats
and pause squats. Dead squats are
performed by placing the pins in a safety
rack at 1 above parallel, getting under
the bar in that position and squatting up
from there. Try this 3 week training cycle
of dead squats
WEEK 1-10 SETS OF 1 AT 60% WITH 30 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS

WEEK 2-7 SETS OF 1 AT 67.% WITH 45 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS
WEEK 3-4 SETS OF 1 AT 75% WITH 1 MINUTE BETWEEN SETS
Pause squats are another great option to improve your strength and
power out of the hole in the squat. Pause squats done with 1, 3, 5
or a 7 second pause will not only help you build strength by
diminishing or eliminating the benefits of the stretch reflex out of the
hole, they will also build static, supportive strength in the lower
back, hips and abs, teach you to stay tight and help your body find
its strongest position. Try this 3 week training cycle of pause
squats
WEEK 1-3 SETS OF 5 REPS WITH 50% USING A 7 SECOND PAUSE

6. BUILD UP YOUR BACK

Bill Kazmaier, arguably the strongest man of all-time, said that A
strong back equals a strong man, I dont argue with Kaz and
neither should you. Back strength is often the limiting factor in
someones ability to squat. If you back (upper and lower) is weak,
you wont be able to support heavy weight. Your hamstrings, quads,
hips and glutes may be strong enough to squat 500 pounds, but if
your back cant support it, you arent going to squat it.
A great starting place to improve your lower back strength is to
avoid wearing a lifting belt as much as possible. Not wearing a belt
will make your midsection work much harder to support the weight
and in turn, make it that much stronger when a belt is worn. Another
great exercise to build the static supportive strength necessary in
the lower back for a huge squat are deadlift hypers.
A deadlift hyper is a combination of a 45 degree back raise and a
deadlift. Set up the bar on the floor, take a snatch grip on it and do
a back raise while holding the bar. I have personally gone over 300
pounds on this exercise for a set of 5. Adding in a 1-3 second static
hold at the top of each rep will also be effective. When looking to
strengthen your upper back to improve your squat, all type of rowing
and pulling variations will help.
My personal favorite is the chest supported row and again adding in
a static hold at the top of each rep for 1-3 seconds will be of
tremendous benefit. Front squats or safety squat bar squats are also
a great way to build up your upper back in a very specific manner. I
would definitely encourage you to include these variations in your
training.
7. HONE YOUR TECHNI QUE

If your technique in the squat is
poor you are wasting your
strength. Great technique is
what allows great strength to
be expressed effectively. Not
everybodys technique will be
the same, individual body
dimensions, leverages,
strengths and weaknesses will
dictate what technique is most
effective for you. From an
empty bar to your max, you
must practice great technique
on every rep.
Great technique starts with a great setup so get TIGHT and create a
good shelf for the bar while driving your sternum up and your head
into your traps. Technique can only be perfected through practice,

so make sure you are turning the volume up on your squat training. I
have had squat sessions with as many as 18 work sets of squats
and squat variations. With that being said, if you want to be a great
squatter and have great technique, you must practice that skill, you
must squat.
The Barbell Back Squat must be the foundation of your training and
front squats, box squats, pause squats, dead squats, etc are there
to supplement that work. I start every squat session with the back
squat and work on other things after. If you want to be great at
something you have to do that thing, not just something similar to it.
I can confidently say that my best squat ever, 905 pounds, was also
my most technically proficient squat ever.
These 7 tips are only a glimpse into what is necessary to become a
great squatter and strength athlete but they will give you a great
start on the road to success and building a legendary squat.
Chad Wesley Smith is the founder and head physical preparation coach at Juggernaut
Training Systems. Chad has a diverse athletic background, winning two national
championships in the shot put, setting the American Record in the squat (905 in the 308
class, raw w/ wraps) and most recently winning the 2012 North American Strongman
championship, where he earned his pro card.
In addition to his athletic exploits, Chad has helped over 50 athletes earn Division 1
athletic scholarships since 2009 and worked with many NFL Players and Olympians.
Chad is the author of The Juggernaut Method and The Juggernaut Method 2.0.
Facebook,YouTube,Twitter
10
8 WEE K S TO M A S S IV E LEG S
BY BRANDON LILLY
If you have read, listened to, or watched anything I have said in the
past you will know that I hate the definitions we give ourselves. Im
a powerlifter, bodybuilder, strongman, etc. We need to just get
back to a point where we respect strength for strength, and stop
badgering it, and disrespecting others because what they choose to
focus on may be different than what you do. So when I was thinking
about what to share with you all, I had an idea, a challenge of sorts.
11
As a powerlifter this is a great blast cycle to run after a meet, as I

have done this many times over in my lifting career with much
success. Hopefully, you will step up to the plate and grow from it as
well.
I began doing this while a geared lifter, and after a meet to give
myself a mental break from the gear I always did a 4-8 week cycle
raw. Being an upper body dominant lifter I always wanted to
maintain balance, and focus very hard on my legs so that I didnt
become the Johnny Bravo in our gym, walking around with pencil
legs. This rotation can be implemented for anyone, and is not a part
of the Cube rotation as you will see, it very progressive, and very
taxing, but at the end of six weeks I guarantee you will be able to
tell a difference, and you will need some new pants. This is a step
by step, rep by rep detailed plan. You will lift Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, and one of the weekend days. The split mimics the Cube, in
that on Wednesday you will need to Bench, and fourth day will be a
bodybuilding day. Monday and Friday will no longer be Squat, and
Deadlift, it will just be a dedication to lower body entirely.
WEE K S 1 -4
WORKOUT A
Olympic Squats (Feet shoulder width apart)- 3 x 6-10 reps with 60
seconds rest
Deadlifts Standing on 1-2 Block- 60% x 1 x 12 reps x 20-30
seconds rest
Lunges- Short Strides 3 x 15 x 45 seconds rest
12
Leg Press- Wide Foot Placement 4 x 15

Ankle Weight Leg Curls- 100 reps
WORKOUT B
Deadlift from the Floor- Work up to a heavy Triple
Wide Stance (Comfortably Wide)- 60% x 2 x 8 sets
Stiff Leg Conventional Deadlift- 3 x 12 (Weight should be light
enough to move quickly, but challenging for 12 reps)
Leg Press- Narrow Foot Position 5 x 10
Ankle Weight Leg Curls- 100 Reps
WEE K S 5 -8
WORKOUT A
Competition Stance Squat- 3 x 3-5 reps (Use a weight that would
challenge you to do for 6 reps)
Deadlift from 4 Blocks or Pin Pulls from just below Knee- Work up
to a Max Double
Romanian Deadlift- 3 x 10
Sissy Squats- 2 x 20 reps (These are brutal if done properly, add
weight only if using perfect form)
Leg Curls- 4 x 15
WORKOUT B
Deadlift standing on 1 Mat- Work up to heavy 5 x 5
Front Squats- 3 x 12
Pause Squats- 3 x 6
Lunges w/DB in Hand- 3 x 15 Strides (Long Steps)
13
Leg Curls- 4 x 15
*Squat Depth is crucial to this program as we are trying to maximize
leg stimulation, this occurs through maximum range of motion. Even
if you enjoy squatting high regularly, give this a chance for 8 weeks
and you will be shocked at the difference.
UPPER BO DY
The design of this program is to allow you to train outside your gear
if you are a geared lifter, but primarily for anyone that wants to
increase leg size and power. The upper body should take a back
seat to the lower body for this time period. That does not mean you
should slack off of the upper body work, just take into account that
you are going to be taxing your body, so train the upper body smart,
dont chase heavy doubles, or singles, rather keep the rep ranges at
3 or above. Also this is a great time to dedicate to some upper body
mobility work, and trying
new exercises.
P R O G R ESSI O N
The first week of an
exercise, begin by
handling weights that you
know you can move well.
Begin at the upper end of
the allowable rep range
Brandon Lilly earned the highest RAW powerlifting

14
total in the world in 2012.
and add weight accordingly each week. The next week, increase the
number of reps from the week before but steer clear of failure.
Repeat for the next week: keep the weight the same and shoot for
more reps from the week before without hitting failure For the fourth
week, keep the weight the same and try to beat the numbers from
the week before, but the difference on this week is you can go to all
out failure.
Lets use the Olympic Squat as an example over the first four-week
period using a 36-10 rep scheme.
WEEK 1: 405/9 405/7 405/6
WEEK 2: 405/8 405/8 405/7
WEEK 3: 405/10-405/10-408/8
WEEK 4: 405/10 405/10 405/12
Keep in mind that this is just a reference of an example. Everyone is

different, the goal being to challenge yourself as much as possible.
If you start hitting 10s on the first three weeks for all your sets, you
need to up the weight. You need to be in the low to middle end of
the rep ranges for maximum growth.
NUTRITION
You better believe you are going to need to ingest tons of food on
this. Like I said I like to run this after a meet, and for me my only
focus after a meet, is growth and recovery. I feel like you should be
15
on a food free for all, and only scale back if you start to see a
dramatic increase in bodyfat.
REST AND R ECOVE RY

This program is going to be hard on your body, and the only way for
anyone to grow is to recover. Dedicate to this portion of the
program just like you would in the gym, and you will get maximum
results.
Sleep Make sure you get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a day. I
say day because I tend to only sleep in bursts of a few hours at a
time, but I love to take naps, so make sleep a priority, if you cant
sleep at night, take a nap during the day. Whatever it takes get it
done.
Stretch Make sure you stretch upon waking, when you get to the
gym, and after your workout. Im talking 20-45 minutes a day. Make
time for this and you will see the benefit.
Foam roll Foam rolling single handedly changed everything for me.
I started using the roller every night, and upon waking and I feel like
a new man. I also use it to warm up, and also if I get tight between
sets I roll. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Wrapping up this program is fun, its hard, and rewarding. I
challenge you to try it, and see what kind of gains you can get on it.
But remember this is not a program you want to do year round.
Once, or twice a year is plenty to maximize the potential of this
16
program, now go out and kick some ass! I wanna see some pant
legs begging for mercy!
Brandon Lilly is very well traveled, Elite powerlifter. He has trained at Guerrilla Squad
Barbell, Westside Barbell, Lexen Xtreme, and is now home at Berea Barbell. In his
strength journey he has competed in bodybuilding, strongman, and powerlifting.
Brandon is one of only 19 men to ever total over 2200 raw, having 2204 which ties him
for 16th all time (826.5 squat, 573 bench, 804.5 Deadlift). He also amassed a 2530 total
in Multi-Ply, and has best lifts of 1005 squat, 820 bench press, and 765 Deadlift.
Brandon is the author of The Cube Method and is aiming to create a paradigm shift in
the Powerlifting world.
BO N U S MAT ERI AL
Check out this video in which Blaine Sumner, IPF Raw World
Champion and SHW Raw w/o wraps World Record holder (881
pounds) breaks down some technique of Juggernaut fans
CLICK HERE TO WATCH WORLD CHAMPION BLAINE SUMNER BREAK DOWN THE SQUAT
17
HOW I BUILT MY
BEST SQ UAT
EV ER: FRO N T
SQ UAT S
BY DANIEL GREEN
The best exercise for

improving my squat
has been the front
squat. I learned them
during my Olympic
lifting years, but
Dan Green is the World Record holder at 220 and
242 pounds with a 2160lb in just a belt and
wraps. Dans best squat is 826lbs. Learn more
about Dan at BossBarbell.com
reinstated them in my
powerlifting regimen
after speaking with Mr.
Sam Byrd.
Of course the most important way to improve the squat is to just

squat and squat heavy! But for me the front squat has been huge.
This is because of the nature of the exercise. Because the front
squat forces you to not lean forward, you are forced not to allow
your lower back strength to take over the lift. It forces you to squat
with the knees forward loading up the quads.
This is key for me because I have fairly long legs and had always
had trouble not letting my back take over during heavy back squats.
18
Front squats force the quads to do the work. Also holding a barbell
racked across your chest and shoulders will provide enormous work
for the upper backerectors and traps. I like to use the front squat
in the 5-8 rep range to really build the quads with high volume.
Maxes are ok too but I feel reps carry over to the back squat best.
For me I know that when my front squat numbers go up my back
squat inevitably will too. In fact my squat tends to be about 200
pounds higher than my front squat! In sleeves Ive front squatted
5253 and back squatted 7163. With wraps I hit 615 right before
an 815 back squat.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH DAN FRONT SQUAT 635LB
I like to perform the front squat to a full depth with a moderate

stance. I rack the bar by shrugging my shoulders forward as far as
possible and gripping the bar bodybuilder style by crossing my
hands over the bar near the center knurling. On the first few
warmups Ill pause, sitting in the hole at the bottom, tightening up
the posture of my upper back and hip flexors. This type of stretching
really prepares you to move well under the top weights.
When I train these I try to never go for reps Im not certain to
complete as that leads to bad form at best, plateauing at worst.
Making small progressions on these will add up to big gains quickly.
19
Either train them as a second lift after back squats or on their own
day altogether.
Dan Green is one of the top names in powerlifting today. The Raw Total World Record
Holder with 2030 (belt and sleeves), Dan is the dominant force in the 220 weight class.
Dan is the founder of Boss Barbell Club in Mountain View, CA where he trains team sport
and strength athletes.
Facebook, YouTube
BO N U S MAT ERI AL
Ryan Brown of Darkside Strength & Conditioning coaches you from
the ground up on the Front Squat
CLICK HERE TO LET RYAN BROWN TAKE YOU THROUGH THE FRONT SQUAT
20
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST SQUAT EVER: SAFETY SQUAT

BA R S Q UAT S
BY GREG PANORA
Im going to let u guys in on a little secret. Im not that strong. Im
not a genetic freak or a phenom. Louie Simmons constantly made
fun of my uniceps and reverse cankles. Im too tall, too thin and
my form is pretty bad. So how did I break the world record multiple
times? How did I squat 1060?
Because I have a couple of things that I learned to do really well.
The mental aspect of being strong has always been more important
than the physical. I watched bigger, stronger lifters crumble under
squats because they couldnt control their fear. Fear of the hole
seperates a good squatter from a great one. Its being able to push
past the pain and awkwardness of that final two inches. How do you
learn to do this? How do you teach yourself to think when your
internal organs feel like they are going to come out your nose?
Anyone who has ever been to Westside Barbell knows about the
safety squat bar. None of the specifications make any sense. It
resembles a safety squat bar, but is a totally different entity. The
neck pad is the same material as your grandparents leather couch.
It smells like an old band aid and the faux leather is all frayed. If you
look close enough you can see the blood stains from a thousand
popped neck zits. The bar sits way to high on your neck and makes
21
135 feel like 505 pounds. Either you control the bar or it will control
you.
So, how did I use this to squat 1060? I would use this bar for sets
of 5 raw off a 12 inch box. Im not sure if it made me any stronger,
but it taught me to confront my fear. It taught me to think when my
ribs felt like they were braking. It taught me to hold air while
swallowing vomit. It taught me to continue my mental cues while
blood was pouring out of my nose. So, thats my big secret. I
learned to think and control my body when it wanted to shut off. So,
before you put on your briefs and suit to do a high box, reverse
band squat, ask yourself, should I be doing something different? Am
I ready to ready to ride a big squat all the way through?
Greg Panora is a certified legend in the sport of Powerlifting. The former World Record
Holder (and current American Record Holder) with a 2630 total (Multiply) in the 242
weight class, Panora now has his sights set on breaking the 242 raw total world record
and is off to a strong start already having recorded a 500 raw bench and 750 raw
deadlift. Greg coaches powerlifting at Crossfit Casco Bay in Portland, Maine.
Facebook
BO N U S MAT ERI AL
Check out this video of Chad Wesley Smith breaking down how to fix the
dreaded problem of butt wink in the squat
WATCH CHAD WESLEY SMITH TELL YOU HOW TO FIX BUTT WINK
22
WO R L D RECORD S Q UAT
T R AI NIN G
Caitlyn Trout has squatted 160kg

(352 pounds) in the 123 pound
class for the World Record raw w/
wraps only a year into her
powerlifting career
BY COREY HAYES
Coming freshly off of a 65lb competition squat PR in the December
North of the Border meet, it was time to go back to the drawing
board to create a plan to take over the world.er, I mean world
record.
To start, I needed to get her re-adjusted to the high volume that is
placed on her during the off-season. We also took this time to bring
up some weak points by training completely raw, as in no belt, no
wraps, no nothing.
23
PH ASE 1
VO LU M E LOAD I NG
Week 1
Squat-210x8x3
Olympic Squat-160x5x5
Good Mornings-95x2x12
Week 2
Squat-210x9x3
Week 3
Squat-210x10x3
Week 4
Squat-160x6x3
Assistance
GHR-50 Total
DB Rows-50 Total
Planks-3 sets of max time
As you see, we kept the weight the same for the entire training
month, only lowering for the deload. The work comes from
increasing the sets and/or reps each week which in-turn increases
the total tonnage lifted each week.Next came the normal off-season
volume phases which are quite vanilla and not very flashy but are
what really increase Caitlyns lifts like no other. The total number of
daily lifts stay at a flat rate (around 75) and we adjust the total
weight weekly, striving to add 10lbs a week or about 3 percent. All
the lifts stay the same, although she is strong as shit, she isnt an
advanced lifter as she has only been training for a year and a half.
I see no need to vary her training lifts weekly. During this phase, we
re-introduce the belt only on regular squats, no belt worn for
anything else.
24
PH ASE 2
VO LU M E P H A S E
Week 1
Squat-210x8x3
Week 2
Squat-220x8x3
Week 3
Squat-230x8x3
Week 4
Squat-160x6x3
Assistance
GHR-50 Total
DB Rows-50 Total
Planks-3 sets of max time
P HA SE 2- 2
VO LU M E P H A S E
Week 1
Squat-240x8x3
Week 2
Squat-245x8x3
Week 3
Squat-250x8x3
Week 4
Squat-170x6x3
DB Rows-50 Total
Planks-3 sets of max time w/ weight
GHR-50 Total w/
Assistance
Micro Mini Band
Two months of the volume phase was ran, the only difference being
ever increasing weights. In month two of the volume phase, we
increased the difficulty of her assistance work as well.
25
Next starts the fun part, the off-season work is now done and its
time to transition into competition prep. Phase 3 of the plan is the
transition phase as its a stepping stone between the insane volume
of the off-season and the incredible weights of the peaking phase.
In the transition phase, we lower the total amount of reps done per
workout to around 50 and continue increasing the weights on
everything but good mornings.
The goal of good mornings change at this point from a builder to a
maintainer. ALL FOCUS IS NOW ON THE SQUAT. Again, the same
exercises are used each week. During this phase is when we
introduce knee wraps. I have Caitlyn wrap her own knees during
this phase to make sure they arent super tight or more than
needed.
PH ASE 3
TR AN SI TI O N PH A SE
Week 1
Squat-260x6x2
Week 2
Squat-270x6x2
Week 3
Squat-280x6x2
Week 4
Squat-195x4x2
GHR-50 Total w/
Assistance
Micro Mini Band
Planks-3 sets of max

DB Rows-50 Total
time w/ weight
26
And finally, the peaking phase. The volume drops again, now
dropping slightly every week while weights keep increasing. We also
introduce reverse band work done with doubled micro-mini bands
which reduce the weight by about 30lbs at the bottom and zero at
the top. This is enough to have her handle some heavier weights,
build confidence and prime the central nervous system without
killing herself. Im a big believer in saving it for the platform so I
never have her take more than a few pounds over an opener without
the reverse bands.
During this phase, knees are wrapped as tight as possible and good
mornings are completely dropped. Volume on the assistance lifts are
also slightly decreased for recoverys sake.
PH ASE 4
P EAK I N G P H AS E
Week 1
Squat-290x2, 310x2, 330x1*
Week 2
Squat-300x1, 320x1, 340x1*
Week 3
Squat-310x1, 330x1*, 355x1* Olympic Squat-250x2
Week 4
Meet Week-Complete Deload

GHR-25 Total w/
Assistance
micro mini band
Planks-3 sets of max

DB Rows-3 sets time w/ weight
* Reverse Doubled Micro Mini Bands
27
So you see, hard work and proper planning is abundant. Proper

planning is a per-curser to success so why are you still going to the
gym without a plan? As Mike T says, months and years, not days
and weeks.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH RYANS ATHLETE, CAITLYN TROUT, SQUAT A WORLD RECORD
Corey Hayes is an up and comer to the strength and conditioning world. He is currenty a
Facebook,YouTube
BO N U S MAT ERI AL
Team Juggernauts Brandon Lilly breaks down the squat technique
of some Juggernaut fans
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TEAM JUGGERNAUTS BRANDON LILLY BREAK DOWN THE SQUAT
28
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST SQUAT EVER:
L OW BA R G O O D M O RN I N G S
BY BLAINE SUMNER
As long as I can remember, the squat has always been my favorite

lift. But it took me a long time to get good at it. My lifting from the
time I was a freshman in high school until 2011 was based around
football and I was at the will of football strength coaches. But I can
remember as a freshman in high school I was 61 145 lbs. and had
the weakest squat on my high school football team. Which was a
small 3A mountain school in Colorado. Fast forward to April, 2012
and I set the IPF World Record Raw Squat with 881 lbs. wearing just
a belt and knee sleeves weighing 350 lbs.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BLAINES WORLD RECORD SQUAT
Besides doing tremendous high volume squatting with higher than
normal intensity, the Good Morning has been the bread and butter
assistance exercise to brining my squat up to where it is now. For
an assistance exercise to carryover to your main lift; you must
understand its purpose and WHY you are doing it. This is why you
cannot follow a program blindly and what works for Lifter A may not
work for Lifter B. Because of my squat style, I choose to do LowBar Good Mornings. I am a low-bar squatter and I have a big
intentional lean so I emulate that with my assistance lifts. A close
stance, upright squatter would benefit more from front squats and
higher bar good mornings.
29
When I began powerlifting full time after I was done playing football;
my squat days were basic and consisted of this: Squats, Good
Mornings, Box Jumps, Abs. Good Mornings were the only direct
squat assistance I would do and the results speak for themselves. I
would do GMs at the same rep/set/intensity scheme that I would
perform my squat. When I perform GMs, I walk the bar out and setup identical to how I would squat. Then I break at the hips just as I
would for a squat, but instead of lowering my hips down, I continue
to push them straight back. I lean as much as possible until I feel
that if I leaned any further forward I would lose it; then I come back
up.
Sounds simple enough right? I do not concern myself with keeping
my legs straight I push my hips back and lean forward as much as
I am comfortable with then drive the hips forward and come up. I do
not have good video of me performing a GM but below is an
exercise I made up called Good Weeks which I began doing as
rehab for my torn
hip labrum when
I could not squat.
They are very
similar to my
GMs but where I
would usually
come up from
the GM, I drop
Blaine Sumner holds the IPF RAW

World Record in the squat at 881lbs.
Blaine also set NFL testing records
in the 225 bench rep test30(52) and

Kirwan Explosive Index (95).
my hips to a box, then shoot my hips up intentionally, returning to

the GM form. Here is 585 X 5 against green bands
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BLAINES SQUAT 585X5 WITH GREEN BANDS
As a powerlifter, when picking assistance exercises focus should be
on MOVEMENTS and WEAK POINTS, not MUSCLES. So if a lifter
misses a squat in the hole, the answer isnt to try to bring up the
glutes and hamstrings it is to focus on where he missed and why.
In this case pause squats or box squats (not WSBB style just to
break the rebound) would be the answer. I, like 80% of raw lifters
miss a squat a little less than halfway up after the rebound from the
hole slows.
As a result I choose to do GMs the way I do because I reverse the
weight about where I miss a squat. But because of the gap in
relation to my hips/bar, I am in a compromised position making the
lift harder. I hope you can take away bits and pieces of this article
and incorporate GMs into your arsenal to take your squat to the
next level.
Blaine Sumner is a drug-free powerlifter who competes in the IPF and USAPL both raw
and single ply. He holds the IPF Raw World Record for Squat (881 no wraps) and Total
(2,056) in addition to winning the 2012 IPF Raw World Championship. Sumner played
Division II football at the Colorado School of Mines where he started at nose tackle for 4
years in addition to scoring 8 touchdowns as a short yardage fullback. He also set NFL
testing records for 225 bench reps (52) and Kirwan Explosive Index (95). In addition to
having a 33 Vertical Jump and 50 box jump at 350 lbs., Sumner was a 4 sport athlete
in high school (Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Track). He is originally from Colorado and
now lives in Oklahoma City where he trains at HATE Barbell and works as a Petroleum
Engineer.
Facebook, YouTube
31
S QUAT D E V E L O PME N T FO R W EI G H T LI FT I N G
BY JACOB TSYPKIN
Since the press was eliminated from competition in 1972,

weightlifting has become a completely lower body dominant sport.
Yet not surprisingly there is much debate over the best methods
by which to develop leg strength for weightlifters. Sometimes very
surprisingly there is even debate over the need for weightlifters to
have strong legs. In this article I will attempt to dispel some
common myths pertaining to the squat in weightlifting, and outline
the methods I use to improve the squat in my weightlifters, with the
goal of using the developed leg strength to improve results in the
snatch and clean & jerk.
32
SOM ETIM ES , P E OP L E AR E J US T WR O N G .
I would first like to clear up some misconceptions about the role of
squatting and strength in weightlifting. To be clear, most of these
are held by people who are outside observers, perhaps participants
in other strength sports but not competitors in weightlifting. Still,
lets get these ideas out of the way so that the questions that may
accompany them need not hinder us later on.
1 . WE IG H T LI FT ERS AREN T ST RO N G
I really have no idea how this happened, but a surprising amount of

people think that weightlifters arent strong. Somehow, the fact that
speed, position, rhythm, and timing are all just as crucial as strength
in weightlifting, has led some to believe that people who put nearly
600lbs overhead arent strength athletes Ill just leave this here
for you
CLICK HERE TO WATCH IDALBERTO ARANDA OF CUBA SQUAT 280KG @ 75KG BODYWEIGHT
That is 75kg Idalberto Aranda of Cuba, back squatting a laughably
easy 280kg. Close to 4x bodyweight, no wraps, not even a belt,
with such ease that he literally throws it over his head when hes
done. He is rumored to have squatted 310. Though he is perhaps
an extreme example, it is probably safe to say that weightlifters train
to be strong, and succeed at it.
M YTH DISP ELLED. MOVI NG ON .
33
2 . R E S E RV E S T R E N G T H
The concept of reserve strength works like this: If a weightlifter has
a 80kg clean & jerk, and a 100kg back squat, if he increases his
back squat to 120kg, then 80kg will represent a relatively smaller
percentage of his maximal strength, and the weightlifter can now
make the 80kg clean & jerk even if the lift is mechanically
suboptimal.
Because of the relative lightness of the load, the lifter can make
small corrections to position during the lift which he would not be
able to make if the load were heavier relative to his absolute
strength. While this concept seems sound on the surface, we must
consider what those numbers represent.
A weightlifter who clean & jerks 80 and back squats 100 is clean &
jerking 80% of his back squat. Soviet manuals suggest that 80% is
an ideal ratio. If the weightlifter increases his back squat to 120,
and his clean & jerk stays at 80, he is now only clean & jerking 66%
of his back squat. If the lifter increases his C&J to 90, he is still only
now clean & jerking 75% of his back squat. He has become less
efficient.
Perhaps he can make the lift with smaller variances in form, but that
just means that his form has worsened. Only if the lifter increases
his clean & jerk to 96kg, has his efficiency remained optimal. A
16kg improvement in the C&J is unlikely merely from increasing the
back squat by 20kg, except in some very particular circumstances.
34
Over time, the back squat will increase to 120, and the clean & jerk
to 96, but biasing training towards quickly increasing the back squat
will likely reduce efficiency, and be detrimental to the lifters long
term competition results.
There are obviously exceptions to this rule. Aranda, in the video
above, had a best C&J of 205.5kg, or 68% of his best back squat if
the rumor of 310 is true. Usually, larger lifters will tend to be less
efficient relative to their max squat. However, the vast majority of
readers are not major exceptions, and almost none of you are
Aranda. If you have a 200kg back squat and a 120kg clean & jerk,
you dont have reserve strength, you have crappy technique.
3 . A L L MA XE S , A L L T H E T I M E
This one probably stems from the so-called Bulgarian System that
no one really understands (myself included.) A lot of folks seem to
think that weightlifters just max their squat every single day (this
applies to the snatch and clean & jerk as well.)
While this is certainly an approach used by some coaches and
athletes, and one which I have used in certain circumstances, it is
safe to say that the vast majority of lifters do simple volume work at
some point in their training. Volume forms the crux of the program
which I utilize, and most of the coaches and lifters I work with use a
lot of volume in their programming.
35
4. ALL FRO NT SQUATS, ALL TH E TI ME

Not completely certain where this one
came from, but I suspect it may be
also have risen from the Bulgarian
System people. While there are
instances of weightlifters who do not
back squat, or who predominantly
front squat, most weightlifters should
and do back squat.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH JACOB BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THE
FRONT SQUAT
The front squat is the variant which is
most specific to the Olympic lifts,
since it is the bottom position of the
clean. Note the full depth, very upright
torso, and acute hip and knee angles.
B S D E A LT W I T H . L E TS MOV E O N .
RULES OF S QUATTI NG FOR WE I G H TLI FTER S
When developing the squat to improve the snatch and clean & jerk,
there are some important keys to remember. These should guide
your technique, your programming, and the prevalence of the squat
in your training.
36
1 . YO U A R E A W E I G H T L I F T E R .
You compete in the snatch and the clean & jerk. Neither the back
nor the front squat are contested events in the sport of weightlifting.
While there may be times for some lifters when it is appropriate to
prioritize squatting strength at the temporary expense of results in
the competiton lifts, this is limited to particular individuals in
particular circumstances. If you show up at a meet, go 2/6, and
finish last, no amount of but I back squat 3x bodyweight! is going
to make you feel better about getting your ass kicked. YOU ARE A
WEIGHTLIFTER. TRAIN THE SQUAT ACCORDINGLY.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH JACOB BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THE LOW BAR BACK SQUAT
The low bar back squat is the least

specific squat variant for the Olympic
lifts. It is so far removed that I would
strongly recommend against its use
at all for leg strength development in
weightlifting. Note the clear difference
in torso, hip, and knee angles.
Training the low bar back squat will
likely lead to poor receiving positions
for both the snatch and clean.
2 . G R IN D E R S A R E O K AY.
Shitty squats are not. Really this one
applies to all strength athletes, but
37
its of particular importance for weightlifters. While a powerlifter

may risk injury, either chronic or acute, by doing shitty squats all the
time, he can still win a meet with a heavy below-parallel good
morning. Regularly squatting in this fashion is detrimental in a more
direct way for the weightlifter, because it will influence the way he
interacts with heavy loads in the snatch and clean & jerk.
Squatting with an inclined torso and rounded back will lead to these
traits carrying over to the competition lifts, and thats going to lead
to misses. An occasional ugly squat on a PR attempt is okay, and
probably inevitable, but the majority of your squatting should be
done with good positions which effectively approximate the
positions of the snatch and clean & jerk.
3. H I G H BAR BACK SQUATS
I will make this clear now. The low bar
back squat does not carry over effectively
to the lifts. It leads to a less than ideal
bottom position in the snatch. IT MOST
CERTAINLY DOES NOT MIMIC THE PULL
FROM THE FLOOR. Weightlifters high
bar back squat. This is only a debate
amongst people who dont actually know
what they are talking about. That is all.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH JACOB REVIEW THE HIGH BAR BACK

SQUAT
38
The high bar back squat is less task-specific to weightlifting than

the front squat is, but it is similar enough to carry over very well to
the snatch and clean & jerk, while also allowing the lifter to train
with heavier loads. Note that the torso, hip, and knee angles are
very similar to those of the front squat.
NOW. LETS GO TO WOR K.
M ET HO D S
The primary method I use is based on the same framework as the
program Coach Pendlay uses at MDUSA. It is a variation of the socalled Texas Method.
The setup is very simple. On Monday, back squat for volume. On
Wednesday, front squat, usually heavy triples. On Saturday, attempt
to back squat some type of PR. We typically push the set of 5 in
the back squat more than any other rep range, something else I
picked up from Coach Pendlay. It seems to carry over to the clean
& jerk better probably because of the increased time under
tension. In my experience, lifters are also less likely to sacrifice
form for a new PR set of 5 than they are for a new PR single.
Closer to a meet, we will lower the volume and increase the
intensity, and do more front squatting than back squatting.
I generally dont do much work with percentages, and I also dont
often dictate changes in rep ranges, but prefer to let them happen
naturally. When a lifter can no longer perform 3 sets of 5 on
39
Monday, well move to 4 sets of 4. When he has failed a new 5RM

attempt two weeks in a row, well move to 3RM. However, for the
sake of having a concrete example of the program, the following is a
depiction of how this may look over the course of 12 weeks, with a
13th taper week, at the end of which the lifter competes.
DISCLAIMER: This is an example of the basic framework I use to
develop the squat. The reality is that it is more fluid and variable,
dependent on individual needs and circumstances. As Coach
Pendlay once told me, Theory and practice are the same in theory,
but not in practice.
Also, this program assumes that the lifter has already gone through
and moved beyond a basic linear progression for developing the
squat. All of my lifters start their training with 35 back squat on
Monday and Saturday and 53 front squat on Wednesday until they
can no longer make improvements. Then they switch to the
program outlined here.
*All notation is Sets x Reps where load is NOT indicated, Load x
Reps x Sets where load IS indicated.
W EEK 1
Monday
Back Squat 75%x5x3
Wednesday
Front Squat 75%x3x5
Saturday
Back Squat 5RM (I actually advocate starting
somewhat conservatively, a very hard but not quite maximal set of 5)
40
W EEK 2
Monday
Back Squat 35, add load from previous Monday
WednesdayFront Squat 53, add load from previous

Saturday
Wednesday
Back Squat 5RM
W EEK 3
Monday
Wednesday
Front Squat 53, add load from previous
Wednesday
Saturday
Back Squat 5RM
W EEK 4
Monday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Back Squat 5RM
W EEK 5
Monday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday Back Squat 5RM OR 3RM (*DO NOT move to 3RM

unless you have missed your new 5RM attempt for two weeks
straight)
41
W EEK 6
Monday
Wednesday
Front squat 62, add load from previous Wednesday
Saturday
Back Squat 5RM or 3RM
W EEK 7
Monday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday Back Squat 5RM or 3RM
W EEK 8
Monday Back Squat 53, add load from previous Monday
Wednesday Front Squat 62, add load from previous

Wednesday
W EEK 9
Monday Back Squat 53, add load from previous Monday
Wednesday Front Squat 62, add load from previous

Wednesday

Use SMALL increases in weight, particularly on Mondays and
Wednesdays. You should not miss reps on Monday or Wednesday.
You are putting work in, not setting records. If necessary, stay at
42
the same load for a few weeks at a time. Saturday is your day to
make PRs.
W EEK 10
Monday
Front Squat heavy single (NOT maximal,) then
90%x2x2 *90% of todays single
Wednesday Front Squat heavy single (NOT maximal,) then

90%x2x2 *90% of todays single
Saturday Front Squat 1RM
W EEK 11
Monday Front Squat 1RM
Wednesday Front Squat heavy single (NOT maximal,) 90%x2x2

*90% of todays single
W EEK 12
Monday Front Squat 1RM
Wednesday Front Squat heavy single (NOT maximal)
W EEK 13 (TAP E R AND COMP ETITI O N )

Monday Front Squat 85%x1x1
Wednesday Front Squat C&J opener for single
Saturday No squatting
Sunday Compete
43
BREAKING P LATEAUS
Like anything else, eventually this will stop working, and you will
need to do something to move past your current limitations.
The program outlined above is a mix of intensity and volume work.
To break through plateaus, I typically just use a program which
biases either volume, or intensity. The methods I commonly use are
presented here.
VOLUM E: S M O L OV J U N I O R
I have seen quite a few variants of Smolov Junior floating around the
internet. This one may or may not be the correct or original one.
Im not sure. Whatever it is, it seems to work pretty well. Rather
than the traditional 4 days/week that Smolov calls for, I stick to our
normal Monday-Wednesday-Saturday schedule for this program. It
alternates between 4 rep schemes:
39
47
55
63
The first four workouts would look like this:
Monday Back Squat 70%x9x3
Wednesday Back Squat 75%x7x4
Saturday Back Squat 80%x5x5
Monday Back Squat 85%x3x6
44
For the next workout, go back to 39 and move up by 5%. Do the

same with each of the following workouts. For the third cycle,
increase by 2.5%. After that, you can back off for a week, and
retest your back squat, at which point you may choose to repeat
Smolov Junior, or return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Though there is an intensification phase for Smolov, which I assume
could be adapted for Smolov Junior, I have never tried to use it with
my weightlifters.
PROS
1: LOTS OF SQUATTING. If you need to gain size, this will likely
help. And its more than likely going to push your squat up, unless
you are one of those fiew individuals whose strength endurance is
good enough that high volume squatting doesnt necessarily
improve 1RMs.
2: INCREASED WORK CAPACITY. Squatting like this will help
improve your tolerance to heavy lifting in general, which is definitely
a good thing.
CONS
1: IT IS GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS. Not as bad as the original
Smolov, but bad enough that you can expect your snatch and clean
& jerk to take a hit. Its also an absolutely terrible way to squat if
youre trying to lose weight, because you are going to need to eat
your face off.
45
2: NO FRONT SQUATS. I suppose you could work in a heavy single

front squat before your back squats once or twice a week, but
beyond the first cycle, the last thing youre going to want to do is
more squatting.
INTENSITY: DAI LY S QUATTI NG

And here are the famed daily maxes. But lets clear a few things
up about how this works.
1. A daily max is not a true max. Dont expect to hit a PR every day.
Set a minimum number that is a goal for you to work up to
probably around 80% or a little bit less of your PR. Try to hit that
every day, and gradually bring that number up to 90%.
Occasionally, when you feel great, go big. You should almost never
miss a rep.
2: Find the right balance between back and front squats. I think
most lifters should do 2:1 back squat:front squat, but that may not
be what works best for you, particularly if you are a weak front
squatter. This method is about functional, not structural adaptation.
Its practice with heavy weights. So if your front squat is what
needs to come up most, that may be what you do more frequently.
3. Daily squatting does NOT have to be a daily single. This is
generally how I prescribe the program: Start by hitting 80% of your
max in either the back or front squat at least 6 days/week.
46
Gradually increase that number over time. Occasionally do a double

with your daily weight or a little bit higher. Occasionally do 22 with
slightly below your daily weight.
4. Increase all weights gradually. When you go for a PR, it should be
a SMALL PR. If you make it, call it a day. Bring up your daily
weight gradually, a few workouts at a time. Let yourself adapt. If
you dont, this can end poorly.
PROS
1: TASK SPECIFIC. Weightlifters train to do one rep, this method
will get you good at doing one rep.
2: HIGH FREQUENCY SQUATTING, PROGRAMMED
INTELLIGENTLY, WONT HAVE MUCH OF AN EFFECT ON YOUR
SNATCH AND CLEAN & JERK. Its relatively easy most days and
you can get through it in about 10 minutes.
3: SHOCKINGLY, THIS WAS A GREAT WAY TO DEAL WITH MY
KNEE PAIN. My knees feel far better doing this than they did when I
was squatting 3x/week, and I am squatting heavier than I have in
close to a year. I have heard similar reports from other lifters.
CONS
1: IF YOU DO NOT CHECK YOURSELF, YOU WILL WRECK
YOURSELF. Let your ego take control and you will pay the price.
47
2: TO BE DONE CORRECTLY, A LIFTER NEEDS TO KNOW HIMSELF

PRETTY WELL. This is a very intuitive method and you need to be
fairly experienced to employ it correctly.
CONCLUSI ON
It is clear to any critical observer that developing leg strength is
crucial for the weightlifter. It is also not as complicated as it may
seem at first glance. I hope that if you choose to try the outlined
program, you find it beneficial. However, of greater importance is
understanding the foundations upon which this program is built, and
those are what I hope you take away from this article.
As to the methods there may be a million and then some, but
principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully
select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring
principles, is sure to have trouble.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Jacob Tsypkin is a CrossFit and weightlifting coach, and the co-owner of CrossFit
Monterey and the Monterey Bay Barbell Club in Monterey, CA.
Website,Facebook,YouTube,Twitter
48
H OW I B U I LT M Y B E ST SQUAT EVER: SPLIT SQUATS

BY COREY HAYES
After sitting and thinking about an assistance move that has helped
me the most throughout the years and going back throughout my
old training logs, one movement kept popping back up. It was a
movement that I hadnt ever thought about much but it just so
happened every time my squat was at its best, I had been doing this
movement for weeks before hand. What is it? The split squat.
I feel like the split squat is honestly a flawless assistance movement.
Why? The split squat is a perfect combination of strength, mobility,
coordination and balance.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH AN ATHLETE DOING A HIGH REP SET OF HEAVY SPLIT SQUATS
49
The muscles being worked are mostly the quads, glutes and core
which you can never really have enough of, I believe that the
movement activates my glutes like no other. Many people really
dont take advantage of the glutes, these are the people that tend to
stall at the top on dead lift. The core gets tied in due to the fact that
your standing on one foot with a bar on your back, unless you have
the balance of a tight rope walker you are going to be going side to
side some which will destroy your core.
The mobility aspect is crucial for
me to keep a healthy back in my
opinion. On the eccentric portion
of the lift, the hip flexors are
stretched out. For you guys that
arent big into the anatomy, the
illiopsoas connects at the front of
the hip and wraps around to the
back, which can lead to an offset
pelvis and messed up back if too
tight.
A good goal for these, which Im
working towards is body weight
for men and 75 percent of body
weight for women for 10 reps.
Start light to learn the movement
and once you figure it out, blast
Flexibility in the illiopsoas is critical to
maintaining lower back/hip health and

50
hitting proper depth in the squat.
them every workout until you get your goal, I promise youll end up a
better squatter and dead lifter.
Corey Hayes is an up incomer to the strength and conditioning world. He is currently a

Facebook, YouTube
BO N U S MAT ERI AL
Chad Wesley Smith coaching an athlete from square one in the
squat
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SQUAT 101 WITH CHAD WESLEY SMITH
51
S T R E NG TH IN TH E H O LE
BY BRANDON LILLY
Being focused on my raw training for the last year or better I have
faced numerous challenges since taking off the gear. One of those
major issues was lack of stopping power, and reversal power
coming out of the hole on my squats.
52
How can that be? You have squatted over 1000 lbs.? The gear was
my savior. This is something I have been trying to preach to lifters
since I found my own flaws. There are some weaknesses that you
can never fix until you train a cycle or two raw, and heavy. But lets
examine why a raw lifter needs to do away with the box, and, if not
all the bands/chains, at least some of them.
Before anyone blasts me for what Im about to say, FOR GEARED
LIFTERS THE BOX, BAND/CHAIN COMBO or WESTSIDE STYLE OF
TRAINING IS PROVEN, AND GREAT.
In gear, a lifter has the benefit of the equipment binding up, and
being the tightest it will ever be. So like a catapult that is pulled
taught, when released there will be a certain amount of rebound,
and the body can drive outward agains the material keeping it
stressed all the way to the point of lockout.
That works well with a box as a guide to sit on, and the weight
doesnt have to be at a maximum in the hole to get maximum result,
the weight needs to be at a maximum at lockout so the lifter can
accommodate to the weight being lifted. Thats why bands and
chains have worked so well in multi-ply.
For a raw lifter, there needs to be a maximum load in the bottom,
this is where the majority of them fail. So in my opinion the best way
to build the power needed in the hole to actually lift massive
weights, is to lift actual bar weight up to 85% for reps, and then do
overloads with very light bands. Do not exceed 110% at the top, as
53
the deload to the hole should keep you in the 80-85% range.
Getting beyond that can cause breakdown.
The Soviets have proven over and over that you dont need to train
at 100% to hit 100%+ in your meets, so understand that by training
sub-maximally, and with planned overloads you can slowly bring up
a nagging point for lots of raw lifters.
The second way to remedy this issue is to use pause reps. This is
something that I really employ due to the fact when you pause a
squat in the hole you can never be out of position. Your body will
find its strongest balance point, and if practiced enough you will
learn to find that spot every time you squat. I have worked up to
90% for a single without a belt, but dont feel like there is much
benefit to that type of training. At Berea Barbell we use 65%-80%
for various reps of 3-8, and for holds of 1-5 seconds. This type of
training will also brutalize your core. So for a 3 week cycle this is
what you would see.
WEEK 1- 70% x 3 x 6 sets, 90% x 2 w/Reverse mini bands
Pause Squats-65% x 6 x 2 sets with 3 second pauses
WEEK 2- 85% x 2 x 3 sets, 95% x 1 w/Reverse Mini Bands
Pause Squats- 75% x 3 x 2 sets with 2 second pause
WEEK 3- 90% x 1, 92.5% x 1, 105% x 1 w/reverse mini bands,
110% x 1 w/reverse mini bands,Pause Squat-85% x 1 x 2 sets with
1 second pause
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With some dedication, and understanding of what your body needs

you can fix any issues, but this wave, has helped not only me, but
all of my training partners, and numerous Cube clients. If the hole is
your problem, this is a good step towards your solution.
JUGGERNAUTS BRANDON LILLY GIVES YOU 5 GREAT TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR SQUAT
The squat is the king of lifts and Team Juggernaut is home to the
kings of squatting. The authors of this article have raw squatted
905@308, 881@SHW (no wraps), 881@275, 826@SHW, 760@220
(no wraps) and 715@220 and are among the best, if not THE BEST,
squatter in the World in their weight classes in the history of
powerlifting.
55
B UI LD IN G T H E S Q UAT
BY BRANDON LILLY
In honor of Squat Week I am going to share with you my best squat

cycle to date. The important thing when planning a cycle is to
remember the same cycle WILL NOT work over, and over. You have
to look at many factors in moving forward, and that is why
competing is so important you get a reference point of
evaluation, and you get to determine your strengths, and
weaknesses moving forward.
The human body will never allow you to continuously progress in all
areas, so you have to try and milk your strengths, and strengthen
your weaknesses, and hope to find a happy balance that leads to
PRs.
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After my meet in June where I squatted 800 lbs. I was very happy
with this, but I also found glaring weaknesses, as well as identified
strengths. They are as follows:
STRENGTHS

Quads
Lower Back
Stability
Power on Reversal
W EA KNESS ES

Hamstrings
Glutes
Upper Back
Mobility/Flexibility (Ease of getting down and up without
compromising form)
I reasoned that many of my weaknesses were due to training

dominantly in squat gear. This is in no way the gears fault, but mine.
I had let myself hide behind the layers of material, and it covered my
weaknesses pretty well.
Competing raw was going to completely expose them, so this is
how I went about fixing them. I picked two meets in consecutive
weekends the XPC Semi Final, and The SPF Backyard Meet of the
Century. I started by mapping backwards That is important, never
57
map forwards, trace backwards. Since I squatted 800, and would

resume training almost immediately I based my numbers off of 780,
because I feel that I could replicate a 780 at any time, and I wanted
to keep my weights in check so this is what I did.
W EEK 1
Rep Week- With wraps 510 (65%) x 5 for 5 sets
Pause Squats- 500 x 3 x 2
W EEK 2
Explosion Week- 430 (55%) x 2 for 10 sets
420 x 20
W EEK 3
Heavy Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add knee wraps
and work up to 625 (80%) x 2, 665 (85%) x 1, add reverse mini
band to 705 (90%) x 1
600 x 5
W EEK 4
Rep Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add knee wraps up
to 550 (70%) for 3 sets of 3
W EEK 5
Explosion Week- 510 (65%) no wraps, 3 sets of 2.
Pause Squats- 420 x 8 x 2
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W EEK 6
Heavy Week- Work Up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add wraps and
worked up to 740 (95%) x 2, then add Reverse Mini Bands 800
(102.5%).x 1, 820 (105%) x 1
500 x 15
W EEK 7
Rep Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add wraps and work
up to 625 (80%) for 2 sets of 2
Pause Squats- 500 x 5
W EEK 8
Explosion Week- 550 (70%) for 3 sets of 2.
500 x 8 x 3 sets
W EEK 9
Heavy Week- Work up to 720 lbs. Add Reverse Mini Bands, 805 x 1,
825 x 1, 840 x 1
W EEK 10
Rep Week- 665 (85%) x 5
600 x 8
W EEK 11
Explosion Week- No Wraps to 475 (60%) x 3, 525 x 2 x 2 sets with
wraps
59
420 x 3 x 5
W EEK 12 ME ET WE EK
Monday and Tuesday I always do Full Body Workouts. These take
about 15-30 minutes, allow me to break a good sweat. I do a plate
on squats for very deep reps, and bench just to stay flexible. I do
lots of push ups, band good-mornings. Anything I feel will loosen
me up.
Thursday- (If lifting Saturday, I do this on Friday if lifting Sunday)
Work up to 50% of opening squat for 3, 50% of opening bench for
3, and repeat full body workout. *If you dont have the ability to do
reverse bands, just make small jumps in weight when indicated,
15-30 lbs. at most.
This squat cycle allowed me to compete at the XPC Semi Final and
achieve a 3 for 3 day in squats going 727.5, 788, 804.5. The very
next weekend I was able to go 760.5, 810, and 826.5 at the SPF
Backyard Meet of The Century, and my totals were 2138.6, and
2204 lbs. I believe this method of rotating my lifts over the course of
3 weeks, and doing the specialty work on my second movement
really made it possible for me to improve, but also build the ability to
repeat the effort within seven days after flying across the country.
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VANI LL A G O RIL L A S Q UAT T I N G

BY BLAINE SUMNER
This cycle is what I have used numerous times and has helped my
raw squat more than any other. I have tried many programs and
variations out there and this has been the most beneficial to me. I
would say it is closest to Western or Linear Periodization, but has
evolved into something of its own through my years of tweaking it.
Here is the concept of why this works:
W EEKS 1- 4: HYP E RTR OP HY

This builds the base for the cycle. The first week will probably make
you excruciatingly sore but its important to break through this and
61
have your muscles conditioned for the high rep, high volume work
that will follow.
W EEKS 5- 8: S TR E NGTH
This 5 X 5 block is the ultimate pursuit of high volume. The body will
be conditioned for it after the Hypertrophy block. The 5 X 5 will be
lots of reps and allows you to hone and nail down your technique.
W EEKS 9- 12: P OWE R

This 3 X 3 push has always been key for increasing the weight and
this is the money maker in terms of using the results from the first
two blocks and transitioning those hypertrophy and strength gains
into serious squats leading up to the meet. This block is a major
taper in volume from the previous block but the intensity increases.
W EEKS 13- 16: P E AKI NG

This is the final push towards the meet. The strength and technique
are nailed down at this point and it becomes about acclimating your
body to heavier loads and achieving the perfect taper towards into
the meet. Volume comes way down and intensity peaks 2 weeks
prior to the meet. Week 16 is the meet.
The overall goal of this squat cycle is to lead in with high reps to
condition the muscles and prepare for the work ahead, then to
increase the volume and intensity and build a solid foundation with
the 5 X 5, followed by putting the hard work to good use and
62
increasing the intensity and dropping volume with 3 X 3, and finally

peaking for the meet.
I like to hit my opener for two singles when I am two weeks out, and
deload the week before. This is how I have achieved the best supercompensation heading into a meet. Some will scoff at the %
numbers as they seem to be insignificant; but they have a solid
purpose and are important for manipulating the Volume/Intensity
curves leading into a meet. I also deload every 4th week and treat
this as a speed week. Throughout the cycle the speed day
intensities increase and the volumes decrease.
As for assistance work you should be so entirely drained that you
dont have the energy to do a bunch of assistance. I do 3
assistance exercises a squat stimuli, abs, and box jumps. For the
low bar/leaning squatters, do 3 weeks of good mornings/1 week of
front squats. For high bar/upright squatters, do 3 weeks of front
squats/1 week of good mornings. Then do heavy abs, followed by
box jumps. Keep the sets/reps in line with what the main squat
protocol is. Good luck and train hard!
63
Eric Lilliebridge is undeniably one of

the greatest squatters of all-time with
the World Record of 400kg (881
pounds) in the 275 class raw w/ wraps
and a 906 exhibition squat to his credit
at only 23 years old
WO R L D RECORD S Q UAT T I N G
The best training cycle Ive ever had on squats was the previous one
I just did back in September/October when I was training for the
backyard meet of the century at Super Training gym in Sacramento,
California. I did a 6 week training cycle for that meet. The first squat
64
workout I singled up to a max rep set of 5 reps, my previous best

before that was 740lbs x 5 in belt and wraps and that first workout
for the training cycle I beat it with 755lbs x 5 in belt and wraps, so
at that point I knew I was a head by quite a bit from the last cycle. I
went 15lbs above my previous best because I was feeling really
good that day.
The next squat workout 2 weeks later I singled up to a max rep set
of 3 reps, my best before that was 800lbs x 3 in belt and wraps and
I beat that by doing 820lbs x 3 which was the most Ive ever done
for reps and was by far my best squat set ever. I was actually
planning on doing 810lbs for reps that workout but again I felt really
good and strong that workout so I went a little heavier on my top
set. After that workout I knew I was in the right path to hitting a big
PR at the meet.
2 weeks after that squat workout, I worked up to a weight I was
planning on hitting for my 2nd attempt. I singled up to 850lbs in belt
and wraps and hit it easy with a lot more left in me. After that I had
2 weeks to rest on my squats until the meet and my plan was to
break my previous meet PR 854lbs on my 2nd attempt.
At that meet I opened up with 352.5kgs/777lbs, took 390kgs/859lbs
on my 2nd for a meet PR and tried 410kgs/903lbs on my 3rd but
lost my balance at the top after I finished the lift and got back on my
heals a little too much. I pretty much only tried that weight because
Stan Efferding tried it too and it would have been an all-time world
record.
65
I did another meet 2 weeks after that meet because I really wanted
another shot at breaking the all-time world record squat and
because I knew I could keep my strength peaked for another 2
weeks. All I did between meets was light high rep accessory work
and just rested up until the next meet.
At the UPA Power Weekend (2 weeks after the Super Training meet)
I opened with 350kgs/771lbs, took 375kgs/826lbs on my 2nd and
went for the all-time world record on my 3rd attempt. The previous
all-time world record raw w/ wraps @ 275lbs was 395kgs/870lbs
and I broke it with 400kgs/881lbs and had a little bit left in me too. I
made a smaller jump on my 2nd attempt to save it all for my 3rd
attempt squat and it felt great.
This squat training cycle is something that I have repetitively done
for my squat cycles meet after meet for years. This is what has led
me to my all-time world record raw squat in my weight class. Doing
heavy max rep sets leading up to a meet has built my squats to
where they are now and has made my squats strong all year round.
I can pretty much hit a heavy single any day of the week when Im
fresh and not peaking for a meet and still be within 93-95% of my
all-time best due to the training I have put myself through to get to
where I am now. The heavy max rep sets really help you develop
strength in all areas of your squat because youre taking yourself to
almost failure in that one set and everything is fatigued by that last
rep.
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Im standing there with all that weight on my back, gasping for air
and not knowing if Im going to come back up with that last rep or
not, but I fight through it and give it everything Ive got and my
spotters and training partners push me and yell at me to get it. That
kind of training will really show what youre made of and will either
make you or break you. It also builds up my confidence like crazy
and I feel like I can smash heavy singles come meet day.
I have had other people try this training too and it has worked great
for them, most are surprised at how much they can put on their
squat by doing just one max rep set for each workout leading up to
a meet.
*Below Ive laid out how my
squats would look over an 8
week period but technically it
is only a 6 week training cycle
because 2 weeks before the
meet is de loading*
8 WEEK ALTERNATING
SQ UAT C Y C LE
67
W EEK 1
Single up to one max rep set of 5 reps (try for PR by 5lbs or more
from previous cycle)
W EEK 2
Deadlifts
W EEK 3
Single up to one max rep set of 3 reps (try for PR by 5lbs or more
from previous cycle)
W EEK 4
Deadlifts
W EEK 5
All singles, try a weight around a planned opener and 2nd attempt
for the meet (2nd attempt is a weight usually around 94-95% of my
goal 3rd attempt for the meet)
W EEK 6
Deadlifts
W EEK 7
Light Squat/Deadlifts to de load, working on speed and just to go
through the movements
68
W EEK 8
Meet day
As you can see, I dont lift heavy at all 2 weeks before a meet. The
last heavy training day is on week 6, and between weeks 6 and 8
(meet day) is all light training and de loading to be 100% recovered
and peaked for competition day.
Eric Lilliebridge had a top #3 raw total ranking in world in the 275 weight class at just 19
years old. He had successfully totaled 2,065lbs raw in belt and knee wraps and
deadlifted 800lbs raw in competition at only 19 years old. Now being the age of 22, he is
currently ranked #2 in the world in the 275s with a 2,204lbs raw total w/ wraps. His
best competition lifts up to date are an 881lbs raw squat w/ wraps (World Record at
275s), 529lbs raw bench and an 821lbs raw deadlift. He is currently chasing after the all
time world record total in the 275s held by Jon Cole with a 2,259lbs raw total w/ wraps.
Facebook, YouTube
69
2 0 0 P O U N D S O F PR
I began training for powerlifting after finishing my track and field

career in late May 2010 and experienced a meteoric rise in my
strength, adding 200 pounds to my PR squat in the first 14 months
of training and competing. I competed in 3 meets during this time
span, squatting 800 at the USPA Central California Championships
in October 2010, 865 at the SPF Ironman Pro/Am in March 2011
and 905 for the American Record in August 2011 at the SPF
Powerstation Pro/Am, all in the 308 pound class.
70
Beginning with a high 600 pound/low 700 pound squat (raw w/

wraps) I used high volume work, heavy training and special
exercises to add 200 pounds to my squat in this short time period.
Training for my first meet utilized the program that became The
Juggernaut Method and focused on high volume work to build size
and practice technique. This is when I learned how to train hard,
how to strain and began my ascent into the upper echelon of
squatters in the World.
Assistance work for the squat during this training cycle was very
limited and often done by feel. At most I would do 3-5 sets of 8-15
reps of GHRs, 3 sets of 8-12 reps each leg of walking lunges and
3-5 sets of 10-20 reps of weighted ab wheel. Depending on my
energy levels for the day that was reduced to either less sets, less
exercises or on occasion, nothing at all.
Week 1-405x4x10, 40512
Week 2-455x4x8, 45514
Week 3-Up to 50014
Week 4-Deload
Week 5-445x4x8, 44511
Week 6-495x3x8
Week 7-Up to 55011, was extremely happy with this effort
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Week 8-Deload
Week 9-490x5x5, 4908
Week 10-545x4x5
Week 11-Up to 5957
Week 12-Deload
Week 13-535x6x3, 5355
Week 14-585x5x3
Week 15-Up to 6355
Week 16-Deload
Week 17-Up to 6753 w/ knee wraps
Week 18-405x8x2 w/ 120# of chain
Week 19-Up to 7651 w/ knee wraps
Week 20-Deload
Week 21-Meet, Opener-725, 2nd-800, miss, 3rd-800, make
This training cycle created my strength base and work capacity for
the work that still lay ahead of me. After this meet I sought out the
advice of Josh Bryant, who took over my deadlift and bench
programming for my next meet.
72
My deadlift was lagging behind my squat and I knew that more

attention must be given to it. Josh created a great and extremely
demanding deadlift program, which forced me to become more
strategic in my squat training. I needed to allow my body recover
from Mondays deadlift training while still building strength during
Fridays squat training. This was done with lower volume work,
accommodating resistance to allow me to still feel heavy weights
without overstressing my body and CNS and further hone my
technique.
Week 1-Pause Squats 385, 455, 5255
Week 2-Squats w/ 160# of Chain-405x10x2, Add Knee Wraps,
455/485/5251
Week 3-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 7005
Week 4-Deload
Week 5-Pause Squats-425, 495, 5653
Week 6-Squats w/ 160# of Chain-445x8x2, Add Knee Wraps,
495/5451
Week 7-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 7652, planned to do 3 but knew I
was going to miss 3rd
Week 8-Deload
Week 9-Pause Squats-4555, 5253, 5851
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Week 10-Squat w/ 160# of Chain-485x6x2, Add Knee Wraps,

5851
Week 11-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 8051
Week 12-Deload
Week 13-Meet, Opener-785, 2nd-835, 3rd, 865
This was a great meet that resulted in my highest total to date, 2165
pounds. 865 felt strong and I knew there was more in me. Josh and
I collaborated on my next training cycle with the singular goal of
breaking the American Record in the 308s, which was 903 pounds
by Troy Nash. My squat was on the rise in a hurry and the
weaknesses we identified was a sticking point about 2 above
parallel and a lack of upper back strength/thickness to support
heavy weights without rounding over.
To squat 900+ I knew that I had to make squat training a higher
priority, it couldnt be secondary to the deadlift this cycle. This lead
to the development of The 9 Day Work Week, in which we stretched
out the normal 7 day training week to a 9 day week, deadlifting on
day 1 and squatting on day 6, along with 2 bench days and a
dedicated back training day.
W EEK 1
1) Squat, with knee wraps-Up to 6753
2) Speed Squat-545x5x3, 1 minute rest
74
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB, from 1 above parallel-495x8x1, 1 minute

rest
4) Single Leg Squats Standing on Box-312 with BW
5) Single Leg DB RDLs-35 w/ 80s
6) Hanging Leg Raises-515
W EEK 2
2) Speed Squat-545x6x3, 1 minute rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-525x8x1, 1 minute rest
4) Single Leg RDLs-33 w/ 90s
W EEK 3
2) Speed Squat-545x7x3, 1 min rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-535x8x1, 1 min rest
W EEK 4 (D ELOAD)
1) Squat-Up to 5853
W EEK 5
2) Speed Squat-600x5x3, 90 seconds rest
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3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-585x5x1, 90 seconds rest

W EEK 6
2) Walkout and 10 Second Hold-860 for 110 seconds
3) Speed Squat-615x4x3, 90 seconds rest
4) Dead Squat w/ SSB-545, 575, 6051, 90 seconds rest
W EEK 7
1) Squat, with knee wraps-Up to 805, missed, planned to do 2
reps
2) Speed Squats-635x3x3, 90 seconds rest
3) SSB Dead Squat-555, 585, 6151, 90 seconds rest
W EEK 8 (D ELOAD)
1) Squat-Up to 6151
W EEK 9
2) Squat-675x3x2
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3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-565, 605, 6351

W EEK 10
2) Squat-695x2x2
W EEK 11
W EEK 12
1) Squat-Up to 5851
W EEK 13
Meet: Opener-835, 2nd-905, 3rd-935 miss
There you go, over a years worth of my squat training that helped
me add 200 pounds to my squat.
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T HANK S F O R YO U R S U PPO RT
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79
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL
JUG G E R N AU T
DEADLIFT
M A NUA L
by
TEAM JUGGERNAUT
INTRODUCTI ON
TEN STEP DE ADL I FT WAR M- UP
DEADLIFT TI P S AND TR I CKS
15
BUILDING THE DE ADL I FT
20
TRAINING THE CAR DEADL I FT
24
DEADLIFT F OR OLYMP I C L I FTI NG
28
DEADLIFT S FOR WOMENS P HYSI Q U E
32
THE DEADLI FTS R OL E I N P OWE R D EV ELO P MEN T
35
THOUGHTS ON DEADL I FT TR AI NI N G
39
SUM O DEADLI FT
42
JUGGERNAUT DE ADL I FTI NG
45
I NT R OD U C T IO N
The deadlift is often referred to as the King of Exercises because it
develops so many muscles in the body and is so grueling to
perform. Team Juggernaut is comprised of some of the Worlds
greatest deadlifters including 5 lifters who have deadlifted 800+ in
either competition or training. This manual was created to help you
conquer your deadlift training. The deadlift, more so than any other
competitive lift, confounds people who are trying to improve it
because the approaches needed for success vary so greatly from
person to person. Some people need to pull heavy every week to
improve, while others only need to use heavy weights once a month
to make gains. In this manual you will hear a variety of opinions from
a variety of athletes with varying experience, strengths, weaknesses,
goals and body types and while everyone will have something
different to offer you when it comes to improving your pull, there are
a few things that must exist no matter what, consistency and
commitment. To be a legendary deadlifter you cant have a month of
good training and then a few
weeks of sub par work, you cant
World Record Holder Dan Green, the owner of a 821

deadlift, knows the hard work necessary to be a
great deadlifter.
even have months on end of great training followed by a month of

substandard work; being a great deadlifter is a labor of years of
sweat, bloody shins and torn apart hands. You must commit to your
goals, knowing that nothing can deny you. The deadlift is just you
and the bar, who is going to win?
T EN S TE PS D E A D L IF T WARMU P
BY RYAN BROWN
Ryan Brown is the owner and head coach at Darkside Strength/Derby City Crossfit in
Louisville, KY. A former Marine, Ryan is now an expert in mobility and corrective
exercise, as well as performance enhancement. Ryans best deadlift is 530 at 185
pounds. Learn more about Ryan at Darkside.DCcrossfit.com
Here at DCCF and Darkside Strength, everyone pulls. If you are

unable to achieve a good position in the bottom of a deadlift then
we will force you into a good position. You will pull off pins or boxes,
maybe you will do band pull throughs, KB deadlifts, or suitcase
deadlifts, but some sort of lower body pull will be a major part of
your program. Point is, every human should possess the ability to lift
things off the ground, and if you cant, then your program should be
written with the goal of achieving that ability.
When warming up for the deadlift, I take different considerations
than I do when warming up for other movements. Since the deadlift
is so taxing, I want to have a decent sweat going at the end of my
warm-up, so that I can take less reps as I work up to my working
weight for the day. I want to focus less on gaining the length that I
may need in olympic lifting, or even in squatting and instead place
the focus on putting all my bits in the optimal position to produce
force. More stiffness is going to be your friend in the deadlift.
As with warming anything up, what you need is going to be largely
specific on your individual strengths, weaknesses, asymmetries,
jankiness, etc..., but lets try and hit on the major ones that I see in
the gym regularly.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH RYANS VIDEO REVIEWING THE WARM-UP
FEET
Tripod foot. Ideally, as you pull your foot is creating a rigid tripod
with your 1st metatarsal, 5th metatarsal, and your heel. Weight
would be evenly distributed across the three points and give you a
solid and stable base with which to drive into the floor. Fairly often I
see people in the gym fail to achieve this position. It seems that
when the lifter pulls he is driving his tibia into the floor pronating his
foot, thus bleeding force out through the inside of the knee, rather
than keeping it neutral. Sometimes that can result in knee pain,
sometimes not, but regardless of pain it is not going to be an
optimal position to translate force. If you fall into that category, you
may need to look into better footwear for your deadlift. More often
than not, something funky is going on with your hips that needs to
be corrected before you are going to be able to get that foot right.
KNEES
Are your knees caving on your heavy pulls? There could be a couple
of problems here. More often than not, it is a result of your hips
being anteriorly tilted, thus making the posterior muscles too long
and creating instability. It could be the result of weak glutes or
hamstrings, but first, make sure to assess your setup position
before you regard it as a weakness. Hint: always pay attention to
your foot position.
H IP S
If you do not possess sufficient mobility in your hips to get down in
a deadlift position, then you dont need to worry about warming up
for your deadlift. You need to get yourself right, because if you dont
have hip mobility for a deadlift then you dont have it for a squat and
you dont really have a reason to live.
H IP F L E X O R S / L OW E R A B S
I do not see a lot of people wanting to stretch the hip flexors before
a big deadlift, which is a good thing because they probably dont
need it. What they need (more than likely) is to be turned on and
strengthened. If you are one of those people who is living in lumbar
extension and anterior pelvic tilt then you are going to want to
address this in your warm-up. Getting your hips into a neutral
position is going to be key to getting the maximum amount of power
from your hamstrings and your glutes, as well as being able to
maintain a neutral spine.
SP IN E
BREATHE!!!!! If you cant get your spine into a neutral position then
your sweet little baby muscles that are in close to the spine, that are
supposed to give it stability, are going to be out of position and
unable to do the job. You may still achieve spinal stability but you
are going to do so with the wrong muscles. It is not only inefficient,
but not so awesome for your back either. If you are more of a flat tspine guy with a huge anterior tilt, then you are going to do better
with breathing drills designed to help you use your air to push your
T-spine out from the inside. If you are more kyphotic then you will do
a little better with some breathing drills on your back. Just think
about using your breathe to make you longer and decompress your
spine. Done right, this will also help you correct your hip & shoulder
position and set you up for big pulls.
SH O U L D E R S
Hopefully the breathing is going to give you good t-spine position,
which will give you good scapular position and stability, which will,
in turn, keep your shoulders in a good position. However, if you are
not all the way there, or if you are not living in this good position,
some activation exercises can help get these often weak,
overstretched muscles back in the game.
NECK
Once again, hopefully the breathing drills have already started to get
your neck back over your center of mass where it belongs, but if
you tend to have a forward head posture with weak or inhibited
deep neck flexors, this is another area where some chin tucks and
whatnot will be your friend. I know that there are different ideas
about deadlifting with your head up vs. chin tucked. I tend to have
my people keep their chin tucked during the deadlift in the attempt
to make on long spine. This will make it much easier to get a big full
breathe as well as prevent your body for compensating for the big
extension in your neck with your T-spine, pulling your shoulders up
and inhibiting your middle and lower traps (which can be useful in a
deadlift... using them, not inhibiting). Inhibiting your deeper neck
flexors is also going to cause your SCM and scalenes to provide the
stability in your neck... by tugging down on it while it is in extension,

probably creating some sheer force. I know that there is a ton of
controversy with where you should look while doing deadlifts,
olympic lifts, or squatting, so these are just some ideas to think
about. I am well aware that with heavy deadlifts your back is going
to round and your head will probably come up, if not, I am sure that
you would just do more, but that doesnt mean that we should not
start and strive to maintain optimal position throughout.
SAM PLE WAR M- UP

1 . ) MO N O S T R U C T U R A L M OV E M E N T
This is the most simple and basic aspect of the warm-up. The
purpose is to literally begin the warm-up process. Low amplitude,
low intensity movements aimed at increasing the temperature and
blood flow to the body.
It can be anything, a row, a jog, jump rope, etc... but for the deadlift
I like a 5-10min sled drag. This can be just walking, or you can get
more specific if you have and idea of your own asymmetries and
imbalances. As always with sled walking/dragging, I want to be
focusing now on getting my breathing right.
2 . ) F OA M RO L L I N G
I like to give myself a light roll all over. If I have the time, I will start
off with a lacrosse ball in my foot and work my wall all the way up.
Obviously, I spend a little more time working any particular areas
that need it. I know there is a ton of info out on the internet saying
that you can foam roll too much, and that you shouldnt roll some
10
things, but this is a really great time for me to drink assault or

Monster and run my mouth to the other people in the gym, so I like
making this a lengthy portion of the warm-up. Focus on what you
need individually, think of areas that are inhibited and are going to
limit your ability to maintain a good position. Popular areas could
include; feet (arch too high?), peroneals (pulling foot eversion?)
adductors (knees pull in?), pecs (excessive kyphosis?) or traps/
middle/lower/rhomboids (t-spine stuck in ext?)
3 . ) B R E AT H E
4 . ) AC T IV E WA R M U P
Large amplitude, low velocity movements aimed at further increasing
temperature and blood flow, but also working joints through large
ranges of motion taking advantage of the freedom we just gained
from our SMR. Could be walking lunges, t-pushups, walking hip
external rotation, good mornings, upper body pulling variations
5 . ) J O IN T M O B I L I T Y / L E N G T H E N I N G
As we said earlier we arent really doing much lengthening work
before deadlifting, if you are too tight to achieve a good deadlift
position then you have more problems than warming up your
deadlift. Here we do want to take this opportunity to make sure and
more the major joints through their full range of motion. I like to
keep it pretty simple. Hip circles, pass throughs with pvc or bands,
step overs (front, back, lateral) and Os on an incline bench are
some of my favorites
11
6 . ) DY N A M I C
Here we are going to use large amplitude movements that start to
add some velocity. No need to do anything fancy, leg swings (front/
back,side/side) arm swings, power skip, butt kick, high knees,
carioca, etc...
7 . ) BA R WA R M - U P
Here I like to add in a little more velocity with some more technical
movements which is going to create a higher demand for
intermuscular coordination, furthering the bodys overall
preparedness. At my gym, most everyone has some olympic lifting
skills. Which works out perfectly for a deadlift warmup. I like to just
hit 10 deadlift, 10 hang power clean, 10 hang power snatch, and 10
push jerk. If you are horrible at OLY lifting then you might want to
skip this step, or it can be a chance to practice some new skills.
Brad Little is a technician of

the sumo deadlift as
evidenced by his US #1
ranked pull of 730 at 181
bodyweight.
12
8 . ) MU S C L E AC T I VAT I O N
This is another aspect of the warm-up that needs to be specialized.
I idea is to use very controlled movements and positions in order to
place emphasis on muscles or groups that could be inhibited on
you. It is very important to remember that this is muscle activation,
not exhaustion. You shouldnt be doing 3 sets of 10 or anything like
that. Depending on your needs some good options here would
include; lateral band walks, glute bridges, I,Y,T,W,O shoulder mob
series, pull throughs, band pull aparts, face pulls, scap pullups, wall
press abs, supine psoas march.
9 . ) P LYO
Nearing the end of the warm-up now we are looking maximizing the
velocity of our movements in order to create the highest demand for
intramuscular coordination in the body. These can be jumps, throws,
or olympic lifts if you are proficient. If you are taking the Oly route
you are going to need to lift near maximal weights, in order to
achieve the velocity needed, but you will need to manipulate the
intensity with position (hang/power) so that the lifts do not take
away from your deadlift.
1 0 . ) R E AC T I V E
These can be depth jumps, reactive throws, or sometimes with my
kids (I have several high school kids) we will play dodge ball, freeze
tag, or something to that effect. They are fun and a great reactive
warm-up drill. The reactive drills are meant to put everything
together and be the most challenging for both inter and
13
intramuscular coordination. The final phase in preparing your body

for a big pull.
14
Dan Green is the World Record holder for Total at

220 pounds with a 2030 in just a belt and wraps.
Dans best deadlift is 821, to go along with his
D E ADL IF T T IPS A N D T RI C K S
760 squat (belt and sleeves) and 480 bench.

Learn more about Dan at BossBarbell.com
BY TEAM JUGGERNAUT
15
B U IL D IN G S T R E N G T H O F F T H E F L O O R
Brad Little: For strength off the floor I feel nothing builds power like
high rep Olympic squats and chain suspended Safety Squat Bar
good mornings. The squats build the core, quads and lower back
like no other exercise I have ever done. The good mornings should
be down with a SSB suspended in chains putting your torso and
legs at nearly a 90 angle in the bottom position; a one-rep max
should never be tested.
Dan Green: For strength off the floor I prefer to consistently pull for
reps in the 1-5 range from the floor
and especially reps from a deficit of 3-4".
Eric Lilliebridge: Ive always incorporated some type of abdominal
exercise into my training that hits both the lower and upper abs and
I can tell it has helped me stay tighter off the floor and has helped
overall with my speed.
-Leg raises lying on a bench with hands tucked back behind head or
grabbing onto the bench. You can work it harder by using ankle
weights. Hits the lower abs very good.
-Decline sit ups hit your core all around and you can also use a
dumbbell putting it on your chest or a weight behind your head to
make the exercise harder and build more strength.
-I like to wear my belt up higher as well for the deadlifts because I
dont feel it doing anything for me when I wear it lower. I have it up
16
high right about where your four upper abs are. I feel like it keeps
me more erect off the floor and I can really drive hard into the belt
with my core which allows for even better floor speed and puts me
in a better position to pull.
Chad Wesley Smith: Defecit Deadlifts while standing on 3 blocks
are my go to for building strength off the floor. You dont want to
use too high of blocks because it will put you into too odd of a
starting position. Reverse band deads, as well as pulling against
bands/chains will also teach you the importance of applying
maximum force right away in your pull, because if you dont you
wont have the momentum to overcome the increasing weight as
you approach lockout.
BUILDING S TR E NGTH AT LOCKOU T

Brad Little: My favorite exercises to build lockout power would have
to be old school barbell lunges and glute bridges. Lunges, if done
right, are one of the best exercises for lower body that I have ever
found. Glute bridges may turn some heads but a fact about deadlift
lockout is most people dont know how to fully activate their glutes!
My glutes are not big by any means, but I still have a powerful
lockout. This is because I know how to activate my glute and when
to make them work. These can be done on any lower body day.
Dan Green: To build the hip strength specifically needed to pull well
sumo AND to build lockout strength I find block pulls with the
weights on 4" blocks to be awesome. I typically aim for triples here.
17
Eric Lilliebridge: I like to incorporate heavy back accessory work into

my training to help with my lockouts. I feel like these exercises have
definitely helped my lockout a long with making it a faster and
smoother transition once the bar gets over my knees.
-Upright rows with a barbell or on a cable machine, these really hit
your traps hard and you will feel it at the top portion of your deadlift
when youre pulling/driving the weight back and will feel over time
that these will allow you to drive the weight back harder and faster.
-Barbell bent rows, I like to normally do these without straps using a
deadlift bar to help work on grip, but if you really want to maximize
your mid/low section of your back strength you might want to use
straps for a couple of the last heavy sets since it will allow you to
use heavier weight without worrying about your grip. These will build
up your back strength like no other. You will feel it both off the floor
and for your lockout.
Eric Lilliebridge is truly a star in the World of Powerlifting. At just 22
years old, Eric has a massive 2204 total in the 275s class. Eric has
squatted 854 (belt and wraps), benched 521 and deadlifted 821.
Eric has a tremendous future in powerlifting and will certainly be
remembered as an all-time great.
Chad Wesley Smith: Glute bridges and deadlift hyperextensions are
great accessory movements to build the glute and hip strength
necessary to lockout big weights. Ive never used rack pulls, but am
18
not an advocate of them because they put you into an unrealistic

starting positition for that point at the pull. The most important thing
you can do to have a strong lockout is to build strength and SPEED
off the floor because that will carry you through to a strong lockout.
19
B UI LD IN G T H E D E A D LI FT
BY BRANDON LILLY
Brandon Lilly, the author of The Cube Method, is an accomplished geared and raw lifter,
with PR deadlift of 775. Brandon has spent time training at Westside Barbell and Lexen
Extreme, alongside the legendary Chuck Vogelpohl and now trains at his own gym,
Berea Barbell in Berea, KY.
The most important part of a big deadlift is bar speed off the floor. If
you can generate enough force, you can carry the lift through
sticking points.
With this is in mind, I try to always
maximize strength and speed when
working floor strength. This is my bread
Brandon Lilly has utilized his Cube Method for

775 PR deadlift.
and butter when building speed off the

floor:
I do almost all my heavy work with a mid

stance. This mimmicks my squat stance,
but I have also been told that it is a
"pure strength" lift. You don't get the leg
drive like you do conventional, and you
don't get the leverage advantage of
being sumo, so it comes down to power
and guts. Do these standing on a one
inch mat and watch you glutes and
erectors grow.
20
Counter to that I do all my speed work with my meet stance,

conventional. This allows me to maximize my form, and technique. I
do my speed work from the floor, with dbl mini bands (200 +/- lbs at
the top), and 315, 345, and 365. I wave the weights. Too many guys
get wrapped up in ego, get wrapped upin building your speed, and
the ego will come on meet day when youPR.
No deadlift training is complete without some sort of lockout work. I
for one, have had to absolutely destroy my lockout. It was terrible at
times. I remember being able to get almost any weight I tried to mid
thigh, but I would quickly stall out just inches from lockout. So I had
to dissect myself, and realize it wasn't necessarily better form that
was going to fix my issues, but pulling with acceleration in mind.
Two lifts that will leave you dead in the water if you aren't flexing
your glutes and pulling with all you've got are these:
Pin Pulls for reps just above the knee. I see so many guys trying to
load the bar to a million pounds thinking this will build your lockout,
and I guess it might, but look at BUIILDING, and lets build some
muscle back there. Use 70%-85% for a wide range of reps, and sets
and the muscles will respond and I guarantee your lockout is better
for it.
This next movement is becoming well known, and hated by my
CUBE trainees. Block Snatch Grip Deadlifts. Use 40-50% of your
deadlift max from a 6" block, and do 15-20 reps. I also encourage
people to use straps on these, but while they don't seem terrible at
first, by rep 10 you'll be hurting, and on set 3 you'll be wishing for
an escape. Try these after your main deadlift exercise and see if you
21
Lilly advocated Snatch Grip Deadlifts

from Blocks to build lockout strength
don't start locking out weights you never

dreamed of before.
Each lifter has to find the method that
works for them. Some guys seem to be
able to pull a new PR every week, while others benefit from pulling
22
heavy once per month. What I have found to work best for me, and
my trainees is this split:
Week 1
Max Dead
Week 2
Deadlift for Reps
Week 3
Speed Deadlifts
Week 4
Begin Cycle Over
The best description of what a deadlift is was from my former

training partner Chuck Vogelpohl. He said "the deadlift is the least
technical, the least affected by gear, its you and the bar. Are you
gonna let a bar beat you? I'm not." Very simple and straight forward,
as it should be. Get back to the basics, leave no stone unturned,
and start pulling with a mission. Realize that heavy isn't always best,
and train the deadlift in sections and I think you will be a much
stronger, and happier puller for your hard work.
23
Kalle Beck has pulled 600 at 175

pounds and is one of the top
deadlifters in Strongman Fitness
T RAI N I N G T H E CAR D EAD LI FT

BY KALLE BECK
Kalle Beck is a Strongman Fitness (<175 pounds) competitor based out of Carmel Valley,
CA. Kalle has been competing in Strongman for 6 years and has transformed his body
during this time. Kalles PRs of 600 in the deadlift, 505 in the squat and 290 in the log
press make him a force to be reckoned with in any competition.
Deadlifting the back end of the car is one of the most visually
appealing events in strongman. It is always a crowd favorite, at the
same time it is one of the events that makes competitors the most
nervous. For obvious reasons, not everyone has the equipment,
there is no real way to tell how heavy a car is until you actually lift it.
Many factors contribute to this, height of handles, width of handles,
thickness of frame, how much gas in the car, etc. With so many
24
difficulties surrounding the car deadlift, what is the best way to train
for it?
There are lots of misconceptions with the car deadlift. I will list the
five most common mistakes I see
L E A N IN G BAC K
DO NOT DO THIS! You need to get your hips underneath you. By
leaning back you are doing the opposite. If you push your hips
forward and have your feet set right (more on this later) you
automatically get into that backwards lean at the top but this is not
hot to imitate the lift.
T H IN K IN G T H AT A G O O D D E A D L I F T MAK ES A G O O D CAR D EAD LI FTER
This will help of course but stop thinking of it as a deadlift. It is more
of a squat really. Strong quads are key!
WA R M I N G U P B Y L I F T I N G T H E AC T UAL CAR
This is fine if you are confident and are familiar with car deadlifts but
it is a very taxing lift most of the time so save your energy.
SE T T IN G U P YO U R F E E T W R O N G
Either too far back or too narrow. Dont set it up like you would your
deadlift. Set it up like you would your squat. Of course a lot is
personal preference but I like my feet as wide as possible toes out
at about a 45 degree angle with toes just ahead of the handles.
25
T R A IN IN G O N A T R A P BA R
Just because the handles are on the side doesnt make it the same
lift. Ive seen plenty of competitors put up crazy trap bar numbers
only to zero the car. I think this is the most overrated assistance lift
for the car deadlift.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu3TNZaa4qI
Ive had my best success doing actual deadlifts only every 3-4
weeks and keeping reps in 90% of my max I still throw in stiff leg
deadlifts every week to keep my low back strong. I focus on ghetto
car deadlifts (how to set this up later on) or an actual car deadlift. I
cannot stress enough! I dont care if you have to drive 4 hours if you
can hit an actual car deadlift frame just once it will make a world of
difference. Gradually build the weight up and decrease the reps as
you get closer. My favorite assistance exercises are
1) HEAVY front squats. It builds up that quad strength you need to
break it off the floor along with the abdominal and mid back
strength.
2) 1 arm dumbbell rows to build up grip, forearm, and upper back
strength.
3) Box Squats to build up hip strength and improve the lockout.
G H E T TO CA R D E A D L I F T S E T U P
Take two barbells, place them alongside each other with one end up
to a sturdy structure such as a wall or base of a power rack. If you
have a pair of grapplers use them! Place a heavy db/sandbag/
26
kettlebell over the end of the barbell to secure it in place. Place

plates on the other ends of the barbells. Elevate the plates with
blocks to make it about 12-14 high place hands at the back of the
collar behind the plates on the knurling and pull!
These Ghetto Car Deadlift set ups do a great job

of simulating the car deadlift and help prepare
you for the unpredictable competition
environment.
27
D E ADL IF T S F O R O LY M PI C LI FT I N G
BY COURTNEY GOULD
Courtney Gould is a multi talented strength athlete based
out of Portland, OR. Courtney has competed in powerlifting
and strongwoman and now has her focus on Olympic lifting.
Courtney has a PR deadlift of 325 at a bodyweight of 132.
Deadlifting is a huge portion of Olympic lifting

succes. Many people dont realize that the
first and second pull of the Snatch and the
Clean is essentially a deadlift. Its a total body
exercise that uses the quads, glutes,
hamstrings, trapezius, and rhomboids.
First off, one will need to understand that a
Clean/Snatch deadlift is slightly different than
a powerlifters conventional pull. A power
lifter usually begins with their hips higher and
their back is at a slightly different angle than
an Olympic lifting deadlift. The Olympic
weightlifter will have their hips closer to
parallel with the knees and this also reduces
the shearing stress on the knees.
For the starting position of the clean and
snatch deadlift, the criterion is the same: you
will begin with the barbell placed over the
balls of the feel and the arms orientated
Courtney Gould demonstrates

28
the difference between a Clean
Deadlift and the traditional
powerlifting style deadlift.
vertically. The knees will be flared as much as the arms allow

(obviously they are able to flare out wider with the snatch grip). The
back should be in complete extension and hips lowered as much as
possible while maintaining the positioning of the bar over the foot
and vertical arms.
When you begin the pull from the floor, the goal is to keep your
weight on the heel while maintaining a constant angle with the back
until the bar reaches approximately mid-thigh position and the hips
begin their last extension. During this time, the hips should remain
directly above to slightly in front of the bar until you reach mid-thigh
position.
In the clean and snatch deadlift the bar should be accelerating as
the bar travels higher and the knees move backwards during their
extension. This should bring you to the hip position; you then follow
the same muscle movements in reverse order to take the bar back
to the ground.
Incorporating the clean or snatch deadlift is a skill transfer exercise
that is used for a weightlifter to strengthen their first pull or to
increase the feeling of pulling a heavy load off the ground. Here is a
sample of what I would use to program this exercise into your
weightlifting to help increase your strength, positioning, and overall
lifts.
Programming of Clean and Snatch Deadlifts are interesting
compared to other exercises. The relationship of what an athlete
29
can do and what is desirable are not the same numbers. An athlete
is almost always able to pull more than what would be prescribed in
programming, but because the deadlift portion of the lift is a speed
dependent exercise it doesnt play the same role strength lifts like
the conventional deadlift have.
The basic idea of programming the clean and snatch deadlift into
your training is to overload the pulling movement while at the same
time, not sacrificing speed and technique.
Lifts will be performed in
association with the classic lifts max percentages.
A good scheme
for a beginner of reps and percentages to incorporate the snatch

and clean deadlift is to perform 2-5 sets of 4-5 reps with 90-100%
and 1-3 sets of 2-3 reps at 100-110% of your PR in the associated
classic lift.
If you are an athlete, like me, who has a powerlifting background
and dove head first into the world of Olympic weightlifting, you may
still have a yearning to complete the powerlifting style deadlift. I
have always been a conventional-style deadlifter. I attempted to try
these again recently my form was completely ridiculous. It was a
cross between a clean deadlift and a trainwreck. It was mentioned
to me that if I was to continue to deadlift from time to time that I
should switch to Sumo-style deadlifting as to not compromise the
technique of the pulls that I have been working so hard to learn. I
switched over to sumo recently, and without deadlifting in about 6
months, I was able to pull 93% of my conventional deadlift.
30
I highly recommend the use of the snatch and clean deadlift

incorporated into your training. This will help you to understand and
feel the movements and tempo of the first portion of your lifts.
31
D E ADL IF T IN G F O R WOMEN S PH YSI Q U E

BY JEN COMAS KECK
Jen Comas Keck, one of the founders of Girls Gone Strong, is an
accomplished figure/bikini competitor, as well as nutrition coach.
Jen has a best deadlift of 315 pounds. Learn more about Jen at
JenComasKeck.com and GirlsGoneStrong.com
Lets get real - men have always known it, but its just been here
recently that women have realized it, accepted it, and now desire
well-developed, round glutes, aka Dat Azz.
What can I do to make my butt rounder?
How do I build a booty?
What can I do for my glutes?
Enter the deadlift.
When paired with a solid squat program, deadlifts can work
wonders for your ass and your entire posterior chain.
If you dont care about improving the way your buns look (and I will
try to let that slide), Ive still got plenty of other reasons for you to
work this incredible movement into your training program.
Deadlifts offer the single biggest bang for your buck when it comes
to developing overall strength. It incorporates and develops both
upper and lower body in one movement.
32
Deadlifting is a
functional movement.
Jen Comas Keck is a great

example of the postive effects
heavy deadlifting will have on a
woman's physique.
We bend down and

pick things up all of
the time. Get in some
heavy tuggin and the next time you
have to rearrange your furniture? Its
all you, baby!
The more developed your back and
lower body are, the smaller your
waist appears. Its a win/win!
Nothing can enhance confidence
quite like pulling a heavy deadlift.
There is something so empowering
about being able to lift a loaded
barbell off the floor.
Ladies, if youve never tried to deadlift, it can admittedly be a bit
intimidating. Personally I didnt have anybody to teach me. I lugged
the bar out from the power rack, and set it up in the middle of the
gym floor at a huge commercial facility in Vegas. I shoved my
earbuds in, put my blinders on, and started tuggin.
You can utilize solid strength training resources such as
JTSstrength.com to learn everything you need to know, and then get
to it! Weve all got to start somewhere!
33
I frequently hear from men asking how they can get their girl into
squatting and deadlifting because they know how much shell love it
and they are aware of the innumerable benefits. Here is my
suggestion: show her how. Teach her, help her, make it fun, and
then cheer her on! Give her a lot of encouragement and positive
feedback, and then stand back and watch the magic happen.
Conventional, sumo, stiff legged, or single leg, you cant go wrong
with adding the deadlift or some variation into your program.
Start light, get your form down, and then start pulling some heavy
weight.
34
T HE D E A D L IF T S
R OL E IN POW E R
D E VE L O PME N T
BY MATT VINCENT
Matt Vincent in the 2012 World
Highland Games Champion. Matt
has a diverse athletic background
having competed in track & field
at LSU during college before
going on to success in raw and
geared powerlifting, strongman
and highland games. Matt is the
author of Training Lab, the ONLY
strength training manual written
for the Highland Games. Learn
more about Matt at
MattVincent.net
I have competed in
numerous different things
from High School sports
like Football and Track,
Collegiate Track and Field
(Shotput, Discus, and
Hammer), Strongman,
Powerlifting both Raw and Geared, and
most recently focusing on Highland Games.
World Highland Games Champion

Matt Vincent utilizes the deadlift to
build explosive total body strength.
Though there are many different variations

of ways to train for these, there are certain
things that are constant for any athlete. You
35
will need a strong back, hips, legs, shoulders, arms and core. Also
no sport is going to require you to be using one muscle at a time, so
there is no reason to train like that for athletes.
I have always focused on the big multi joint lifts, Squat, Bench,
Overhead Press, Clean, Snatch, and last but certainly not least the
Deadlift. Getting stronger at these lifts will make you a more
powerful athlete and power is what we want. Power, the speed in
which an athlete can move weight, is the most important thing for
athletic success.
The deadlift is a huge part of
building this power. Most lifts
allow the athlete to exploit the
stretch reflex to help move the
weight, but this isnt the case in
the deadlift. There is no easy way
to deadlift big weights. Proper
programming using the deadlift
can help make tons of gain in
regards to power.
Think about
this like a dragster setting up on

the line. You want to apply 100%
The deadlift will build the

strong hips, glutes and low
back for athletic success.
36
effort into the weight no matter what the weight or resistance form
moment one. This is like firing off the line for football or exploding
when throwing the shotput. The acceleration of the weight is where
you generate power. This is something that has to be consciously
trained.
The key to building power through the use of the deadlift is to
always attempt to move the bar as fast as possible, whether you are
using light or relatively heavy weights. From my experience the best
way for me to train and build power is by using sub maximal loads.
Sub maximal training is using reps at lighter weight to build your
over all max. If you are throwing shotput or stones and could be an
athlete who squats 405lbs slowly or squats 225lbs really fast. The
225lbs moving fast is going to translate into your sport better than
slow heavier weights.
Over time training for max speed on every
lift, you will get faster at that weight or be able to move 275 and
315 fast. This increase in power is going to also make your max
increase without having to load 100% weights and grind them out.
Deadlifting is considered the king of the lifts and one of the main
reasons there is no way to cheat it. With squats there are tons of
suits, feet widths, bar placement, and worst of all, the high squat.
Deadlifting is simply stepping up grabbing the bar and pulling until
you stand up. No hidden angles nothing just bend over like loading
yourself into a spring and put all of the energy into the bar coming
off the ground. Many of the guys on this team deadlift over 800lbs
and there is simply no way to do that unless you are both extremely
powerful and strong. I hear tons of things where people want to
37
make excuses for why they are not lifting as much as the next guy,
but honestly stop bitching, get on the platform, and start pulling and
pulling hard.
38
T HO U G H TS O N D E A D LI FT T RAI N I N G
Dan Green: My general approach to pulling is to work up to a target
set of reps pulling from the floor and then work up to a top set of
reps with the 4" blocks. This really builds the sumo pulling strength.
But I also like to finish with a set of conventional reps to build the
hamstrings and back. I usually do a set of 3-6 reps from a 4" deficit
to finish my deadlift sessions. Also, for a change of pace I will
occasionally pull for a max against bands to really feel explosive and
to challenge my grip.
As for grip strength, I find that just performing this relatively high
and frequent volume of deadlifts works well, provided I don't allow
myself to be greedy and attempt reps that I'm not certain I'll
complete--failed reps reinforce bad technique and strain the body's
ability to recover far more.
I've generally followed this system every week without needing to
take breaks or deload.
Brad Little: In general I feel most people need to simply do more

deadlifting than specific variations. Simply deadlifting straight weight
off the ground with varying weights and reps built my deadlift. I do
speed pulls and wave band tension through some cycles, but
nothing beats loading weight up and just pulling it. I do feel that
pulling heavy isnt needed every week. If I am peaking for a meet I
will sometimes only deadlift every other week. This is during cycles
39
Eric Lilliebridge is a star in the

powerlifting world at only 22 years
old, his 821 deadlift is a big
reason why.
that I train at a higher percentage.

Speed pulls are a great way to work
technique and work best when done
after heavy squats or during deloads weeks in my opinion.

Eric Lilliebridge: My deadlift training is very basic and simple. I like
to think of it more as like a pyramid type set up. Instead of adding
weight/dropping reps each week, I just keep adding weight each
workout and stick to pulling heavy singles. Pulling for reps before
has always burnt out my lower back and I never felt recovered
enough for when it came time for me to do heavy squats. I alternate
my squats and pulls every other week, so Im squatting and
deadlifting twice a month. This allows me to train both of those lifts
hard and gives me plenty of recovery time before Im going through
that movement/lift again.
All of my heavy training is based around meets. I find a meet that I
want to do and I back track 7 weeks out from the meet. The week
40
before the meet doesnt count because its a resting week, so

basically its 6 full weeks of training. I pick a goal weight by the
meet, usually 10-20lbs more than my previous PR and I start
plugging in numbers each training week that I will need to hit to
approach this new max PR come meet day. I work up to 3 heavy
singles each deadlift workout and add weight to each of those
singles every week, mainly on the final single pull.
To give an example of what this would look like, lets say your goal
weight for the meet was to deadlift 700lbs. From there you start
back tracking and these are the numbers I would choose if this were
me training for this weight. The last heavy pull before the meet I
would work up to around 675lbs, a heavy weight close to your goal
weight but should still be fast and smooth. 2 weeks before that work
up to 650lbs for a single, and 2 weeks before that (the first deadlift
training day) start with 625lbs for a single.
The warm ups sets are all depending on you and what kind of jumps
you like to make. But the most important one is the final single
because that is whats going to peak you perfectly to attempt your
goal weight at the meet. So it would look like this, workout #1 work
up to 625lbs, workout #2 work up to 650lbs, workout #3 work up to
675lbs, then meet day 700lbs. Over that period of time you
gradually increase the weight for each workout. In-between these
deadlift workouts would be your heavy squat days, so between
deadlift workout #1 and #2 is a full 2 weeks before youre pulling
again.
41
The sumo deadlift is a very

technical movement and Brad Little
is a master of it.
S U M O D E A D L IF T T IPS
BY BRAD LITTLE
Brad Little of Berea Barbell is the best US multiply 181 deadlifter with a pull of 730
pounds. Brad is a true technician of the deadlift and has his eyes set on an 800+ pound
pull in the near future.
-One of the best sumo tips I can give it to keep the bar as close to
you as possible. Letting the bar drift away from you simply makes a
pull harder. The closer the bar is to your center of gravity the more
control you will have over it and this is often looked over with sumo
deadlifting.
-Keep your knee directly over your ankle at the bottom position of
42
your pull. If your knees arent over your ankles you arent creating
the most power possible with your entire lower body.
-Many people know about using baby powder on their legs to make
the bar glide easier, but I have found the armpits create a ton of
friction. I use baby powder on the insides of my arms and arm pits
before my last 2 attempts at every meet.
-Learn to push your hips through as soon as the bar passes over
your knees, this will make your range of motion much shorter and
the entire deadlift much more efficient.
Spread your knees as hard as possible while breaking the bar off the
floor.
Maximizing the effectiveness of your deadlift suit is a must when
competing in gear. Check out some more tips from Brad about how
to do that
-I have found that wearing a suit that is slightly looser in the hips but
cranking the straps really helps off the ground.
-When getting your straps set always arch hard. You want your arch
to be locked in to minimize lumbar rounding during the pull.
-Starting position is everything with a geared deadlift. You should
practice form more than anything else and really focus on starting
the same every time. If you struggle at the bottom start with your
hips slightly higher and the straps cranked with a bit of a neutral
43
positioned back. If lockout is your weak point you should learn to

start with your hips lower and your back as close to the locked out
position as possible. This will make pushing your hips through much
easier.
44
J U G G E RN AU T D E A D L I FT I N G
Chad Wesley Smith, the founder of Juggernaut Training Systems, has a diverse
competitive background. Smith was a 2x National Champion shot putter in college with a
PR of 6310.25 (19.46m), before becoming the American Record holder in the squat
with 905 pounds (belt and wraps) in the 308 class, as well as a 785 deadlift in
powerlifting competition and 835 deadlift in strongman training (with straps). Smith has
now turned his attention towards Strongman, as well as continuing to help athletes reach
their maximum potential through his role as head physical preparation coach at
Juggernaut Training Systems. Learn more at JTSstrength.com
My approach to deadlift training is simple and with that being said,

you must understand that there is a tremendous difference between
something being simple and something being easy, because nothing
about building massive pulling power is easy. I build my deadlift with
a combination of intensity, volume built through multiple low rep
sets, attacking weak points with intelligently chosen supplementary
work and building a massive posterior through accessory work.
The best way to improve at
anything, is to do the thing
you are trying to improve at.
If you want to throw a
football better, you dont
Chad Wesley Smith knows there is

no replacement for hard work when
it comes to building a huge deadlift.
45
throw a baseball, if you want to sprint faster, you dont ride a bike, if
you want to deadlift more weight, you dont do good mornings, you
DEADLIFT. The deadlift for strongmen and powerlifters is practice
for their sport and too often they tend to lose sight of that fact.
While every athlete will do drills to enhance portions of their sporting
skill (tackling drills, layup drills, etc) there is no replacement for
scrimmaging and thats what training the deadlift is for powerlifters
and strongmen. Of course there is a place for drills (partial range
pulls, extended range pulls, pulls against bands, etc) but you have
to scrimmage, ie. Full range deadlifts from the floor, if you really
want to improve.
H E R E IS A N OV E RV I E W O F A T Y P I CA L D EAD LI FT SESSI O N FO R ME
1-Dynamic Warmup
2-Deadlift from Floor-Up to a 1-3rm
3-Compensatory Acceleration Training Deadlifts-3 to 10 sets of 2 to
4 reps with controlled rest periods
4-Supplementary Deadlift Variation-Either specific work for the
bottom, midpoint or top half of the deadlift
5-Assistance Work-Bodybuilding style work for the lats, traps,
hamstrings and low back.
6-Abdominal Work-Weighted work for the abdominals and obliques.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZtHu1cXQQw
When you are training your top sets of the deadlift, it is important to
stay relatively calm and focus on your technique, save getting
pumped up for competition, where the increased adrenaline will
46
make you that much

stronger. Training at
too high of an arousal
level will make your
training much more
taxing to your CNS
and diminish the
carryover you get
from training to
meets.
Always focus on moving the bar as explosively as possible, from
your warmup sets to your final accessory movement, you should be
trying to rocket the weight up. Building speed is the primary way to
improve your deadlift, if you are able to become explosive off the
floor, your increased momentum will undoubtedly increase your
lockout strength.
The deadlift is probably the greatest test of mental fortitude in all of
lifting. Before approaching the bar, fill your head with images of you
successfully completing the lift, remove all doubt from the equation.
To quote my friend and great coach, Josh Bryant, you must
Commit to the Pull! Know that once your hands are on that bar,
you wont let go until you have locked it out. Big deadlifts hurt, there
is no way around the excruciating pain they induce, but the pain you
will feel from missing a new PR is far worse than the pain you will
feel training hard for it.
47
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