The best damn training plan for steroid-free exercisers - Revision 2

The weekly program

This plan is for 6 training sessions per week. We will look at some other options below.

Monday (Push 1)

• A. Front Squats or Zercher Squats: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.
• B. Bench press with close grip or floor press with close grip: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.
• C. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press or Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 reps with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 reps to muscle failure (slow tempo) and then hold the stretched position for as long as tolerable.
• D. Dumbbell side raises or shoulder presses on the machine: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set of 10-12 repetitions to muscle failure, then as many microsets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.

Tuesday (Pull 1)

• A. Romanian deadlift (rest/pause) or deadlift cluster from a rack at mid-shin height: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster
• B. Dumbbell pull-ups: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and finally holding the stretched position for as long as tolerable.
• C. Rear shoulder muscles on the machine or bent-over side raises for the rear shoulder muscles: 1-2 warm-up sets with 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set with 10-12 repetitions until muscle failure and then as many microsets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.
• D. Standing barbell curls: 2-3 warm-up sets with 4-6 repetitions, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.

Wednesday (Push 2)

• A. Shoulder press standing or on the multi press: 2-3 warm-up sets with 4-6 repetitions, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.
• B. Goblet squat or lumberjack squat: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and then holding the stretched position.
• C. Overhead single-arm dumbbell tricep press: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and then holding the stretched position.
• D. Butterflys or chest presses on the machine: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 reps, then 1 work set of 10-12 reps to muscle failure, and then as many 3-rep microsets as possible with 15-20 seconds rest between sets.

Thursday (Pull 2)

• A. Neutral grip pull-ups or lat pull-ups: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.
• B. Rowing seated with neutral grip: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and finally holding the stretched position for as long as possible.
• C. Leg curls: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set of 10-12 repetitions to muscle failure and then as many micro sets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.
• D. Incline bench curls with dumbbells (with both arms at the same time): 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and finish by holding the stretched position.

Friday (Push 3)

• A. Flat bench press or incline bench press: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps, then 1 work set with rest/pause or cluster.
• B. Dumbbell side raises on the incline bench: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 repetitions to muscle failure (slow tempo) and finally holding the stretched position for as long as possible.
• C. Leg extensions: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set of 10-12 repetitions until muscle failure and then as many micro sets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.
• D. Tricep press on the cable pulley with a rope grip: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set of 10-12 repetitions until muscle failure and then as many micro sets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.

Saturday (Pull 3)

• A. Seal Row or Pendlay Row: 2-3 warm-up sets of 4-6 reps then 1 working set with rest/pause or cluster.
• B. Romanian deadlift with dumbbells and front foot elevated 3 centimeters: 1-2 warm-up sets of 8-10 reps with a slow negative repetition, then 1 work set of 8-10 reps to muscle failure (slow tempo) and then hold the stretched position.
• C. Lat pulldown with arms extended: 1-2 warm-up sets of 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set of 10-12 repetitions to muscle failure and then as many micro sets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.
• D. Cable curls: 1-2 warm-up sets with 10-12 repetitions, then 1 work set with 10-12 repetitions until muscle failure and then as many micro sets of 3 repetitions as possible with 15 to 20 seconds rest between sets.

Performing the warm-up sets correctly

You can perform 1 to 3 preparation sets for each exercise. Normally you perform 3 progressively heavier sets for the heavy exercises and 1 to 2 for the other exercises. If you are a very strong exerciser, you may need more than 3 warm-up sets for the heavy exercises (if you are doing squats at 260 kilos, you may need 4 to 6 warm-up sets).

However, don't overdo it with the warm-up sets. Remember the basic principle of this program: minimizing volume to avoid excessive cortisol release. For most exercises, 2 warm-up sets will be sufficient.

Do not use the special methods in the warm-up sets. For example, if you are warming up for the heavy rest/pause sets and you know that the weight you will be using is something you can do 4 to 6 reps with, then warm up with only 4 to 6 reps per set. The first warm-up set will feel very easy - the perceived rate of fatigue will be around 6/10, while the last warm-up set will be challenging without you having to go all out - around 8/10 on the perceived fatigue scale.

• For mTOR training: Perform sets of 8-10 repetitions with a slow negative repetition but no isometric hold at the end. Again, the first set is lighter and the last set is heavy, but not maximally heavy.
• For the sets with Myo Reps: Do not perform the rest/pause portion (the mini sets of 3 reps). Do 2 sets of 10-12 regular reps - again, one light and one heavy, but not max heavy.

What if I can't train 6 days a week?

For maximum results, I strongly recommend six weekly training sessions. This will give you the optimal frequency to stimulate muscle growth. The training sessions last around 30 to 40 minutes, so it should be possible to fit them into your schedule. However, if it is completely impossible for you to complete six training sessions per week, then you can use one of these options:

5 days per week

Week 1

• Monday: Push 1
• Tuesday: Pull 1
• Wednesday: Push 2
• Thursday: No training
• Friday: Pull 2
• Saturday: Push 3
• Sunday: No training

Week 2

• Monday: Pull 3
• Tuesday: Push 1
• Wednesday: Pull 1
• Thursday: No training
• Friday: Push 2
• Saturday: Pull 2
• Sunday: No training

4 days per week

Week 1

• Monday: Push 1
• Tuesday: Pull 1
• Wednesday: No training
• Thursday: Push 2
• Friday: No training
• Saturday: Pull 2
• Sunday: No training

Week 2

• Monday: Push 3
• Tuesday: Pull 3
• Wednesday: No training
• Thursday: Push 1
• Friday: No training
• Saturday: Pull 1
• Sunday: No training

This program is not suitable for you if you train less than 4 days a week.

What about abs, calves and forearms?

Trying to add more things to this program is a tricky business. On their own, adding abs, calves or forearms is not a problem as these are small muscle groups that are trained with exercises that don't have a big impact on recovery. However, problems arise when you take the liberty of adding more and more things to this program.

I will make it easy for you: You can add one exercise for either abs, calves or forearms to each training session. That's the limit. You don't have to add workouts for just one muscle - you can change the "bonus muscle" each workout. For example:

• Day 1 and 4: Extra calf workout
• Day 2 and 5: Extra abs workout
• Day 3 and 6: Extra forearm workout

I prefer to use either the mTOR or Myo Rep method for these bonus exercises and use the same approach as all the other exercises (1 to 3 prep sets and a work set where you go all out), but you can also use the higher repetition methods from the first program.

Can I add Loaded Carries to this program?

Loaded Carries are a very effective and versatile training tool. They can help you build muscle, lose fat and compensate for strength deficits, which can make you stronger. However, they are also very demanding. I'm not going to forbid you from using loaded carries because they are so damn effective, but there is a limit to what you can do to keep making good progress.

Remember that you can add a bonus exercise to any training session and loaded carries can be one of those exercises. However, because loaded carries cause significantly more muscle trauma than exercises for abs, calves and forearms, you can only do loaded carries once or twice a week. I recommend not doing them on Push 1 or Pull 1 days, as these days are more demanding due to the heavy deadlifts and heavy squats.

My recommendation for Loaded Carries are Farmers walk and Zercher Carries. However, I would also include training with a weight sled in this category. How many and which loaded carries should you do? That depends on your goals.

• For muscle mass and strength: Perform heavy carries and place them at the beginning of your training sessions. This is a good activation for the rest of your training session. Sets with a duration of 10 to 15 seconds would be the preferred parameter. I would recommend a maximum of 4 sets of which 2 to 3 should be easier preparatory sets and 1 to 2 very demanding sets.
• For fat loss: Use lighter carries of longer duration and perform the carries last in your training session. This way they will not have a negative impact on your other exercises due to fatigue. Sets of 45 to 60 seconds with a moderate weight would be your best option. Perform 3 to 4 sets with more or less the same moderate weight. If you are in good shape, a 1:1 ratio of work to rest would be optimal.

What about cardio?

Can you do cardio in this program? Of course you can. The type of cardio you use is entirely up to you.

Some exercisers will do better with alactic (no lactic acid production) sprints with a maximum effort lasting 9 to 12 seconds followed by 60 to 90 seconds of rest or active recovery. Others will do better with a lactic acid production workout that includes intense efforts lasting 30 to 60 seconds and 60 to 90 seconds of rest or active recovery. Still others will do better with continuous low-intensity cardio training.

Use the type of cardio workout that appeals to you the most. If your cardio workout causes stress and worsens your mood, chances are it will increase cortisol levels even further.

The amount of cardio you can do depends on the type of cardio you do. Do enough to support fat loss, but not so much that it raises your cortisol levels too much.

• For alactic sprints: Don't exceed 12 minutes, which is about 6 to 8 sprints of 10 to 15 seconds duration with recovery periods/active regeneration.
• For lactate training: Do not exceed 16 minutes, which corresponds to around 6 to 8 sprints lasting 30 to 60 seconds with recovery phases/active regeneration.
• For continuous low-intensity cardio training: Do not exceed 30 minutes at a heart rate of around 120 beats per minute.

When adding cardio to a fat loss program, gradually increase the volume of work (duration and frequency). If you start straight away with 6 days a week, you won't have the opportunity to increase further if fat loss slows down.

Start with two weekly training sessions to see how cardio training affects your recovery and progress through resistance training. Only add more cardio sessions if needed and if your recovery and progress are not suffering.

A word on fat loss

This program is already a good approach without cardio if you are trying to get leaner. A big mistake many people make when dieting is using too much volume. I can understand the basic idea behind it. You want to lose fat and so you increase the volume to use more energy. In theory, this is only logical. The problem, however, is that such an approach will lead to a very high release of cortisol, which will further contribute to the already elevated cortisol levels caused by the diet. Two of the main functions of cortisol are to raise blood sugar levels when they are too low and to mobilize stored fat for energy.

When you diet, you consume less food. This gives you less energy and in most cases puts you in a state of negative energy balance. This means that you have to mobilize stored energy in order to function - and it also means that your cortisol production will be higher. This excess cortisol can make it much harder to maintain existing muscle mass during a diet and certainly makes it almost impossible to build more muscle mass.

With this approach, you will prevent the excessive release of cortisol, which will make it easier for you to maintain your existing muscle mass during a diet and even make it possible to build muscle if your protein intake is high enough.

Those who really want to get lean or lose fat fast can add additional cardio training to this approach. Even though cardio is not the great fat burning tool that many think it is, it does help with fat loss. Yes, it generates a calorie deficit more easily, but more importantly, it upregulates the levels of enzymes needed to mobilize and burn stored fat. In this respect, cardio training can program your body to use fat more efficiently as a source of energy.

Realistic expectations

This system has been proven time and time again to be effective for steroid-free exercisers with average (or below average) genetics. However, it only works if you are able to put in the level of effort required to make this system work.

The limited number of sets means that you have to push yourself to the limit on each of the work sets. If you do not do this, you will not reap the benefits of the program. However, those who do always report gains above their expectations.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/the-best-damn-workout-plan-for-natural-lifters-part-2/

By Christian Thibaudeau