EAT. LIFT. GROW: Winter Training

EAT. LIFT. GROW: Winter Training

By Shane Robert

Ah, winter. The days are short and the nights are long and cold. Food is plentiful and tasty. Some people find this time of year difficult—difficult to be somewhat housebound, difficult to avoid all the delicious food available this time of year, and difficult (for some) to bundle up and not show off their hard gym work. These people are wrong. Winter is the perfect time to hunker down and get to work building serious mass. Instead of avoiding that food, embrace it as a tool to build a bigger and stronger you. Winter is the perfect time to go hard, go heavy, and go home (to eat more food).

Even at a time of year when social and family commitments can make gym time difficult to come by, it’s possible to make some significant progress without having to spend all day in the gym. That may come as a bit of a shock to some of the current generation of lifters who don’t appreciate how big and strong our forebears become on relatively short and simple training, but it is absolutely possible. Perhaps even ideal.

This is a simple cycling program. It starts with moderate weights for higher reps and adds 2-3% each week. It will stick with the format for 5 weeks before dropping reps for another 5-week block. After the second block, things shift to top sets with back-off volume for 3 weeks before switching to simple top sets in the last 2 weeks.

BLOCK 1

Add 2.5% each week to the main movement of each day for 5 weeks, so you end the 5th week using 80%. Always strive to add weight whenever possible on assistance work.

DAY 1 Squat & Light Deadlight + Assistance

• • Squat - 70% 2x8, drop 10% for 2-3x10
  • Deficit Deadlift- 3x10 w/~50%
  • Leg Press - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 20 to a top set of 20
  • Leg Curl -  ramping warm-up sets of 20 to a top set of 20 
  • Leg Extensions -  ramping warm-up sets of 20 to a top set of 20

DAY 2 Bench + Assistance

• • Bench - 70% 2x8, 1x max reps, drop 10% for 2-3x10
  • Close Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 12
  • Incline Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 12
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets

DAY 3  Deadlift & Light Squat + Assistance

• • Squat - 3x10 w/~50%
  • Deadlift - 70%x8, drop 10% for 1x10
  • Hack Squat - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 20 to a top set of 20
  • Bent Over Barbell Rows - 3 ramping sets to top set of 12

DAY 4 Light Bench

• • Bench - 3x5 w/65%
  • Wide Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 12 
  • Incline DB - 3 sets across for max reps, but with a weight that is no more than 10. Add weight if you get 10 on all 3 sets
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets

BLOCK 2

This block follows the same format using 5 reps in the 80% range, ending with sets of 5 using 90%. Assistance work drop reps slightly to use heavier loads

DAY 1  Squat & Light Deadlift + Assistance  

• • Squat - 80% 2x5, drop 10% for 2-3x8
  • Deficit Deadlift- 3x8 w/~60%
  • Leg Press - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 12 to a top set of 12
  • Leg Curl -  3 ramping warm-up sets of 12 to a top set of 12
  • Leg Extensions -  3 ramping warm-up sets of 12 to a top set of 12

DAY 2  Bench + Assistance

• • Bench - 80% 2x5, 1x max reps, drop 10% for 2-3x8
  • Close Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 10
  • Incline Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 10
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets

DAY 3  Deadlift & Light Squat + Assistance

• • Squat - 3x5 w/~70%
  • Deadlift - 80%x5, drop 10% for 1x8
  • Hack Squat - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 12 to a top set of 12
  • Bent Over Barbell Rows - 3 ramping sets to top set of 8

DAY 4  Light Bench

• • Bench - 3x5 w/70%
  • Wide Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 10 
  • Incline DB - 3 sets across for max reps, but with a weight that is no more than 8. Add weight if you get 8 on all 3 sets
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets

BLOCK 3

This block ramps up quickly. The first week starts at 90% for triples and adds 2.5% each week while dropping a set (except deadlift which remains 1 top set) each week, ending with 95% for 3. The last two weeks work you up to a top 2 on the penultimate week and a top 1 on the final week. Backoff sets and light days follow a similar weekly increase in weight.

DAY 1  Squat & Light Deadlift + Assistance  

• • Squat - 90% 3x3, drop 10% 1x5, drop 10% more for 1x max reps (drop the lighter weight backoffs the last two weeks)
  • Deficit Deadlift- 3x3 w/~80%
  • Leg Press - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 8 to a top set of 8
  • Leg Curl -  3 ramping warm-up sets of 8 to a top set of 8
  • Leg Extensions -  3 ramping warm-up sets of 12 to a top set of 8

DAY 2  Bench + Assistance

• • Bench - 90% 4x3, 1x max reps, drop 10% 2x5, drop 10% more for 2x max reps (drop the max reps and the lighter weight backoffs the last two weeks)
  • Close Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 6
  • Incline Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 6
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets

DAY 3  Deadlift & Light Squat + Assistance

• • Squat - 3x3 w/~80%
  • Deadlift - 90%x3, drop 10% 1x5
  • Hack Squat - 3 ramping warm-up sets of 8 to a top set of 8
  • Bent Over Barbell Rows - 3 ramping sets to top set of 6

DAY 4 Light Bench

• • Bench - 5x3 w/80%
  • Wide Grip Bench - ramp across 3 sets to a max set of 6 
  • Incline DB - 3 sets across for max reps but with a weight that is no more than 6. Add weight if you get 6 on all 3 sets
  • Pulldowns - 2x8-10 Add weight if you get 10 on both sets