THINK STRONG

THINK
STRONG
A SMART, SIMPLE WAY TO STRENGTH
Let go of the
thoughts that
don’t make you
strong.

Think Strong 2
 Week 1 Exercise Work Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 4 5 74
Bench Press 4 5 74
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 3 10 —

OFFSEASON
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 4 5 74
Overhead Press 4 5 74
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —

Squat 5 5 59
Day 3 Bench Press 5 5 59
Barbell Row 3 10 —
Week 2
Squat 6 2 85
Bench Press 6 2 85
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Deadlift 6 2 85

Block 1 Overhead Press 6 2 85

Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —

Squat 5 2 68
Day 3 Bench Press 5 2 68
Barbell Row 4 10 —
Week 3
Squat 4 3 85
Bench Press 4 3 85
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 5 10 —
Abs 5 10 —

Deadlift 4 3 85
Overhead Press 4 3 85
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —

Squat 5 3 68
Day 3 Bench Press 5 3 68
Barbell Row 5 10 —
 Week 4 Exercise Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 3 5 77
Bench Press 3 5 77
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 3 10 —

OFFSEASON
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 3 5 77
Overhead Press 3 5 77
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —

Squat 5 5 61
Day 3 Bench Press 5 5 61
Barbell Row 3 10 —
Week 5
Squat 5 2 87
Bench Press 5 2 87
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Deadlift 5 2 87

Block 2 Overhead Press 5 2 87

Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —

Squat 5 2 69
Day 3 Bench Press 5 2 69
Barbell Row 4 10 —
Week 6
Squat 3 3 87
Bench Press 3 3 87
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 5 10 —
Abs 5 10 —

Deadlift 3 3 87
Overhead Press 3 3 87
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —

Squat 5 3 69
Day 3 Bench Press 5 3 69
Barbell Row 5 10 —
 Week 7 Exercise Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 2 5 80
Bench Press 2 5 80
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 3 10 —

OFFSEASON
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 2 5 80
Overhead Press 2 5 80
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —

Squat 5 5 64
Day 3 Bench Press 5 5 64
Barbell Row 3 10 —
Week 8
Squat 3 2 90
Bench Press 3 2 90
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Deadlift 3 2 90

Block 3 Overhead Press 3 2 90

Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —

Squat 5 2 72
Day 3 Bench Press 5 2 72
Barbell Row 4 10 —
Week 9
Squat 2 3 90
Bench Press 2 3 90
Day 1
Reverse Hyper 5 10 —
Abs 5 10 —

Deadlift 2 3 90
Overhead Press 2 3 90
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —

Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —

Squat 5 3 72
Day 3 Bench Press 5 3 72
Barbell Row 5 10 —
 Week 1 Exercise Work Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 2 3 91/88

MEET PREP
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 2 3 91/88
Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Bench Press 2 3 91/88

Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —
Week 2
Squat 2 2 96/92
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Deadlift 2 2 96/92
Block 1 Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Bench Press 2 2 96/92

Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —
Week 3
Squat 4 1 101/97/94/94
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 5 10 —
Abs 5 10 —

Deadlift 4 1 101/97/94/94
Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —
Abs 5 10 —

Bench Press 4 1 101/97/94/94

Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —
You’ll deload before and after this training cycle, so plan for
Abs 5 10 —
8 total weeks of meet prep. See Chapter 4 for details.
 Week 4 Exercise Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 2 3 88/85

MEET PREP
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 2 3 88/85
Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Bench Press 2 3 88/85

Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 5 5 —
Abs 3 10 —
Week 5
Squat 1 3 93
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Deadlift 1 3 93
Block 2 Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Bench Press 1 3 93
Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —
Week 6
Squat 1 2 98
Day 1 Reverse Hyper 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Deadlift 1 2 98
Day 2 Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Bench Press 1 2 98
Day 3 Chin/Pull-Up 5 5 —
Abs 3 10 —
INTRODUCTION
This book is the culmination of fifteen years in strength
training and competitive powerlifting. When I started
lifting, I felt lost: none of my friends trained; my parents
were against it; and to my wrestling and cross-country
coaches, lifting was an afterthought. Today, I know that
their attitudes were the result of a hundred years of fear
BOOK CONTENTS and misinformation about the nature of strength training
and exercise in general, but back then, all I knew was
1. INTRODUCTION
frustration.
2. THE OFFSEASON PROGRAM
3. CUSTOMIZING THE OFFSEASON It wasn’t until several years later that I began to
PROGRAM understand how to train properly, and even then, I had to
4. THE MEET PREP PROGRAM teach myself, mostly by reading articles from EliteFTS and
5. APPENDIX: FAQS & TECHNIQUE following whatever cookie-cutter program I could find that
looked hard. That’s all I cared about: training heavy and
hard. I believed that as long as I pushed myself to the
limit, day in and day out, I’d reach my goals.

That was a terrible attitude to have, of course — I was

constantly beat up and run down, and even though I was
shredded to the bone, I had little size or strength. I

Think Strong 8
couldn’t accept that I needed to take rest days, needed to opinions that littered the Internet.
give myself more time to recover. The four-day-per-week
There is no guru with all the answers. I struggled for so
programs appeared in my mind as excuses to slack off;
long because my body is a bit odd; I have a short torso
the idea to train with light weights seemed unthinkable.
and long legs, but not femurs. My arms are too long for
It took me almost a decade to realize how misguided my my body and my torso too thick. So I don’t fit any of the
attitude was, and only then did I begin to make real “textbook” ideas of exercise technique. My squat looks
progress. In fact, in two years’ time, I added one hundred painfully awkward, my deadlift stance changes from day
pounds to my bench press, two hundred to my deadlift, to day and week to week, and my bench press has never
and nearly two hundred and fifty to my squat. felt quite right. But it all works for me.

The difference was that over those two years, I learned You’ll have to find what works for you, too, and this book
how to Think Strong. is designed to help you on that journey by taking you
progressively through the steps of Thinking Strong. You’ll
First, I found what worked for me: multiple sets with near-
begin with the basic method, a simple, straightforward
but-not-quite-max loads, an almost exclusive focus on the
program with little variation or flexibility. Over time, you’ll
squat, bench press, and deadlift, a search for constant
develop your own customized program, one that
improvement in technique, and ample time for recovery.
incorporates exercises that train your weakpoints,
Those four things form the basis of the Think Strong
highlight your strengths, account for your recovery ability
Method.
— everything tailored to you, not to someone else or
Almost. some intangible ideal.

There’s one last part that’s more important than anything It’s not easy. It takes hard work, patience, dedication, and
else, something that I realized only after I’d achieved a positive mental attitude. But trust that if you put in the
everything I set out to do when I started lifting (and even a time and effort, results will come. If you only take that one
bit more). It’s the idea that everyone is different, and you idea away from this book, you’ll come out on top.
have to find what works for you — not what works for
someone else. I spent so many years searching for the
guru with all the right answers, the person who could just
tell me what to do so that I’d not have to struggle with the
overwhelming amount of conflicting information and

Think Strong 9
 anger, disappointment, and moving on to a new, more
THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT. reasonable program.
When it comes to programming, I’ve tried almost The Think Strong method is different.  It’s built on the
everything.  I started training in 2001, and I spent the first time-tested principles of periodization, but at the same
decade or so of my lifting career in search of that time, it’s designed in a way to smooth the transition
perfect program — the one that would make me big, between phases so that you never have to attempt a
strong, lean, and athletic.  I never found it.  Instead, I weight you’re not prepared to lift.  It also explains how
wasted years of training on cookie-cutter programs that those weights are chosen, so that if you ever do struggle
either simply weren’t appropriate to my level of with a workout, you’re informed enough to adjust the
experience, or just weren’t a good program for anyone. program to fit your body more appropriately.

After I began my doctoral degree at the University of The offseason program looks simple, but it’s actually built
Texas at Austin, studying the history of strength and from a very complex set of pieces that all need to work
fitness, I started to understand what all those programs together to work well.  For that reason, it’s very important
were missing. Almost none of the bodybuilding that you follow the program exactly as written.
programs in muscle magazines applied the principles  Changing the sets, reps, or exercises will undermine your
of periodization effectively.  In fact, most weren’t progress.  Of course, rules were meant to be broken, and
periodized at all!  Some suggested adding two or five or later in this book you’ll learn how you can modify your
even ten pounds a week to the bar, and promised that if I training to better fit your needs — but not until you have
worked hard enough, I could handle the extra load.  Well, I some solid experience with the base program.
worked my ass off, but about a month or two in I’d hit a When, inevitably, you decide that you want to test your
plateau and no matter how much I pushed, I just couldn’t limits — either in the gym or the meet — you’ll want to
squeeze out enough reps with enough weight. follow the meet prep program for the six weeks leading up
Other programs, usually powerlifting-specific ones, did to your max attempt. The meet prep program is
use periodization.  But they were full of percentages (and deceptively simple, because it involves relatively few
sometimes short on explanation), and usually involved a exercises, but it will demand everything you’ve got,
lot of pretty boring workouts with a pretty light weight. physically and mentally. The meet prep program will set
 After a few weeks or months, the prescribed weights shot you up for the best possible performance, maximizing all
up — above what I was capable of doing.  Cue frustration, the work you did during the offseason.

Think Strong 10
I hope this book can help any lifter who’s struggling with
programming, but it’s really intended at the intermediate-
level guy or girl struggling to break through to that next
level. Dave Tate calls this the “Dead Zone,” and that’s a
perfect description of what this level feels like.

If you feel like you’re stuck in the Dead Zone, know that
progress is going to be slow, and frustrating. Embrace
that, and embrace the process of finding what works for
you. Spend the time going through the standard
offseason program described in Chapter 2, even if it
seems too simple or too easy. Then really dedicate
yourself to the process of adjusting your training, as
described in Chapter 3. Eventually, you’ll figure out what
works, and what doesn’t, and that’s when the gains will
come back — never before.

Once you’ve gotten to that point, give Chapter 4 a try.

Pick out a meet, train for it conservatively, and see if you
can’t surpass your own expectations. Eventually, of
course, you’ll have to adjust your meet prep strategy, too,
but that’s a topic for another book.

Good luck. Don’t get discouraged. And Think Strong.

Once you’ve finished reading, if you still

want a more customized training plan,
email me! [email protected]

Think Strong 11
 BIG
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES

FIVE
#1. STRENGTH #2. STRENGTH
IS BUILT BY IS BUILT WITH
THE SQUAT, MULTIPLE SETS
BENCH PRESS, OF LOW REPS.
AND DEADLIFT. We’ll get into the workings of
Yes, there are plenty of other periodization a little later on, but
valuable exercises, and many of for now, it’s enough to know that
them are used in this program, if you want to get stronger, the
too.  But the three powerlifts are majority of your training should
the most representative measure fall into the 2- to 6-rep range, for
of overall strength, and will 10-24 total repetitions per lift
generally do more for your over the course of a given
physique than other exercises, workout.
too.  If those three lifts are
improving, you can be confident
that your training is going well.

Think Strong 12
#3. STRENGTH IS BUILT #5. EVERYONE IS
FROM EFFORT AND DIFFERENT.
DISCIPLINE. Lifting weights is as much an art as a science, and there’s

 no one technique, program, or diet that works best for
Hard work and consistency are the two most important everyone.  Part of progress is learning what works for you,
factors in your success.  If you don’t work hard, day in and so a big part of your education as a lifter is recording
and day out, nothing else you do matters.  It’s not your workouts in a way that allows you to identify patterns
supposed to be easy. and optimize your training to best fit your body and your
preferences.


#4. STRENGTH REQUIRES

GOOD TECHNIQUE.
If your technique fails to incorporate all of the muscles
involved in a given lift, you won’t be able to lift as much as
you could with better technique.  Even worse, you might 

develop imbalances that can lead to injuries, and if you’re
injured, you can’t train productively or get stronger.  But
notice this principle says “good technique,” not “perfect
technique.”  If you’re constantly obsessing about your
form, even though you’re performing the lifts safely, then
you won’t be able to put in the necessary effort to get
stronger.  Don’t let “perfect” become the enemy of
greatness.

Think Strong 13
THE OFFSEASON
PROGRAM
The offseason program is fairly simple, but it’s worth understanding how
it’s designed before you get started. The more you understand about
your training, the more you’ll learn about your body.
THINKING STRONG IN THE OFFSEASON
I know it’s easy to just take a quick glance at the program,
plug your numbers into the spreadsheet, and get started.
CHAPTER CONTENTS And honestly, you won’t go far wrong that way. But it’s
better to read the explanations first, so that you can
1. THE BASICS understand why your body responds the way it does. This
chapter explains all of that.
2. COMPOUND MOVEMENTS
3. ASSISTANCE MOVEMENTS Again, make sure to follow the program as written. There’s
plenty of time to customize your training, and, in fact, the
4. HEAVY DAYS AND LIGHT DAYS next chapter explains how to do exactly that. But before
5. THE WAVED REP SCHEME you do that, you need to learn how the program works
and how your body responds to it.
6. INCREASING WEIGHT, DECREASING
SETS
7. FINDING YOUR 1-REP MAX
8. WARMUPS AND RAMP-UPS
9. DELOADING
10.TRACKING YOUR TRAINING
11.TRAINING STYLE

Think Strong 15
1. THE BASICS
It’s pretty simple: you’ll train using a three-day split (at first — we’ll go over adding a fourth day later on).  Every workout
follows a full-body template. Days 1 and 2 are heavy, and Day 3 is light. On every training day, you’ll also perform some
sort of accessory work for certain muscles. Don’t add any other lifting! If you’re really dying to work out, on your off days,
you can do some sort of conditioning (it’s optional, but if you do want to implement conditioning, check out the next
Chapter after you’ve completed one training cycle of the standard program).

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

Squat & Bench Press: Deadlift & Overhead

Medium sets of 5 Press: Medium sets of 5 Squat, Bench Press &
Week 1 Barbell Row: Light sets
Reverse Hyperextension & Chin or Pull-up & Glute-Ham of 5
Abs: 3 sets of 10 Raise: 3 sets of 10

Squat & Bench Press: Deadlift & Overhead

Medium sets of 2 Press: Medium sets of 2 Squat, Bench Press &
Week 2 Barbell Row: Light sets
Reverse Hyperextension & Chin or Pull-up & Glute-Ham of 5
Abs: 4 sets of 10 Raise: 4 sets of 10

Squat & Bench Press: Deadlift & Overhead

Heavy sets of 3 Press: Heavy sets of 3
Week 3 Deload
Reverse Hyperextension & Chin or Pull-up & Glute-Ham
Abs: 5 sets of 10 Raise: 5 sets of 10

The Offseason Program 16

 Easy, right?  And that’s pretty much all you need to know
THE TRAINING SPLIT
to dive right in.  We’ll look at some of the aspects of the
Your training is planned in three-week blocks.  Each week program in more detail, though, so you get a better idea of
uses multiple sets of either 2, 3, or 5 repetitions on the the big picture.
heavy, main movements. So, for example, on week 1,
you’ll do sets of 5 for the squat and bench on day 1, and
the deadlift and overhead press on day 2. On week 2, BLOCK 1
you’ll do sets of 2 for everything, and so on.
Week 1 4x5, 74% 1RM
➡ Day 1: Squat and Bench Press emphasis
Week 2 6x2, 85% 1RM
➡ Day 2: Deadlift and Overhead Press emphasis
Week 3 4x3, 85% 1RM
➡ Day 3: Light work for the Squat, Bench Press, and
Barbell Row BLOCK 2

Week 4 3x5, 77% 1RM

Week 5 5x2, 87% 1RM

THE TRAINING BLOCK
Week 6 3x3, 87% 1RM
Three weeks equals one training block.  Each training
block, you increase the weight and decrease the number BLOCK 3
of sets. After three blocks, you test your new one-rep
Week 7 2x5, 80% 1RM
max. So, to summarize: three workouts per week,
three weeks per block, three blocks per training cycle. Week 8 3x2, 90% 1RM

➡ Week 1: Sets of 5 with a weight you should be Week 9 2x3, 90% 1RM
comfortable using for 6-7 reps
These numbers only apply to your first two training days each week.
➡ Week 2: Sets of 2 with a weight you should be  On your light day, you’ll always use 70% of your 1RM for 3x5.
 Don’t worry if it the numbers seem complicated — you can just plug
comfortable using for 3-4 reps
your 1RMs into the included spreadsheet and it will calculate all
➡ Week 3: Sets of 3 with the same weight as week 2 three blocks for you.

The Offseason Program 17

 bench press, you won’t really get enough work for the
2. COMPOUND back and might develop shoulder problems.  The reverse
MOVEMENTS hyperextension, when performed properly, is the single
best assistance exercise you can do for the squat and
You probably already know the benefits of training with
deadlift.
heavy, compound movements like the squat, bench press,
and deadlift.  Heavy, compound lifts build more muscle Do not add assistance exercises!  They’re just not
and strength more quickly than any other alternative. necessary unless you’re an advanced bodybuilder.  Focus
 That’s all there is to it.  If you can perform a 600-pound on putting all of your effort into the main lifts, and don’t
squat, 500-pound bench press, and 700-pound deadlift, worry about the extras.
and follow a decent diet, you’ll have a great physique. That said, variety is the spice of life, and you’ll have the
Of course, there are lots of good compound movements, opportunity to add some in once you’ve completed a full
but you’ll only be using a few of them.  Instead of three-block cycle of the standard program.  On your
spreading your effort out, you’ll concentrate it on the best second time through, you can experiment a bit, but
bang-for-your-buck muscle builders.  Trust me: if you can make sure you complete a full cycle of the standard
deadlift 700 pounds, you won’t have any problems doing program first.  The next chapter explains how to
lat pulldowns with the whole stack. customize your training, but only when you’re ready.

Finally, you’ll notice there is no weight listed for the

3. ASSISTANCE assistance exercises. The purpose of these movements is

MOVEMENTS to strengthen the muscle and improve activation, and so

the weight itself is secondary. However, you should still
train them progressively, and that’s why you’ll be adding a
Again, the template doesn’t rely on many assistance
set to your assistance movement every week of each
exercises.  Besides the overhead press and barbell row,
training block. Start week 1 using a light weight, and
your main assistance exercises are the chin or pull-up, the
keep the weight the same throughout the entire
reverse hyperextension, the glute-ham raise, and some
dedicated ab training.  The overhead press, barbell row, training block. Each training block, try to add ten
and chin or pull-up in particular help to balance the pounds to each assistance movement.
development of the upper body — if you only use the So, for example, you might start in week 1 using 20

The Offseason Program 18

pounds on the reverse hyperextension for 3 sets of 10. In your technique.  Technique is one of the Five Principles,
week 2, you’ll use 20 pounds for 4x10, and in week 3, 20 but it takes a long time to perfect, and when using very
pounds for 5x10. In week 4, you’ll go back to 3 sets of 10, heavy loads, even the best lifters sometimes suffer from
but this time using 30 pounds. breakdowns in technique.  The more you practice with
lighter weights, the better you’ll be at maintaining good
form when the loads get challenging.
4. HEAVY AND LIGHT DAYS
On your light days, you’ll use 80% of your heavy day
I struggled for a long time accepting the value of light weights — not of your 1RM.  That’s challenging enough
training days.  If progress means adding weight, why to make the workout worthwhile, but light enough that
would I ever want to train with less than my best? you’ll recover from the training very easily. You’ll always
 Eventually, though, I learned that light days have two do 5 sets on light days, using the same reps as your
huge benefits for strength. heavy day. So, for example, if you performed 4 sets of 3
reps with 400 pounds on squat on your heavy day, you’ll
First, light days give your body a chance to recover
do 5 sets of 3 reps with 320 pounds on your light day.
from all the hard work of your heavy training days.  If
you don’t regularly incorporate light days into your
program, you probably need to deload once a month or 5. WAVED REP SCHEME
so.  I tried that for a while, but I found that the week after
a deload, I was always a little sluggish and needed So, why sets of 5, 2, and 3?  Why not 2, 3, and 5, or even
another week to get back in the groove of heavy training. (ahem) 5, 3, and 1?  Why not sets of 8?
 That meant that for every four weeks, I only got two really
I’ve found that any sort of linear rep scheme, where you’re
solid training weeks.  By switching to light days instead of
working with progressively higher or lower numbers of
deloads, I was able to train more productively for much
reps each week, become very mentally exhausting.  It’s a
longer.
challenge to always add reps or to always add weight, for
Note: Deloads are still important, but you don’t need to more than two weeks in a row.  
take them very frequently.  Deloads are explained later on
The waved approach gives you a mental advantage
in this chapter.
every time you train.  The week of 5 reps is physically
Second, light days give you a chance to really practice challenging, but not mentally, because you know you

The Offseason Program 19

could crank out a few more reps if you really needed to. If you’ve competed in a powerlifting meet recently (within
 The week of 2 reps is a little harder mentally, because the last six months or so), you already know your 1RMs:
you’re using a much heavier weight than the prior week, just use your best squat, bench press, and deadlift from
but you only need to do it for a double — two quick reps that meet.  That’s the best-case scenario.  If you haven’t
and it’s over.  And the week of 3 is very challenging competed, but have tested your maxes in the gym, those
mentally and physically, but you’ve got an advantage, numbers are fine too, as long as you used good form.  (It’s
because you used the same load for multiple sets of 2 just a good idea to record your heavy attempts in the gym so
one week earlier.  You already know you can move the that you can analyze them afterward.)
weight!
If you haven’t tested your 1RM in a meet or in a gym,
that’s okay, too.  You can use a 1RM calculator to get a
6. INCREASING WEIGHT, pretty good estimate of what you’re capable of.  I

DECREASING SETS recommend the Brzycki formula, which is just one of many
ways of guessing what your 1RM might be based on
Each three-week block of training uses the same number higher-rep sets:
of reps, but fewer sets, and heavier weights, than the prior Weight used for multiple reps ÷ (1.0278 — 0.0278 ✕
block, up to a total of three.  After three blocks (nine number of reps)
weeks), you can either repeat the whole offsesason
program, using a new estimated 1RM for the squat, bench The fewer reps used in this calculation, the better — a
press, and deadlift (based on your week 9 numbers, see 2RM will be more accurate than a 3RM, which will be
“Finding your 1RM” below); or you can move to the meet- more accurate than a 5RM, and so on.  Again, you don’t
prep program and train to set a true new 1RM. have to do this calculation on your own, since there’s a
conversion formula built into the included spreadsheet.

7. FINDING YOUR 1RM

Your one-rep max (1RM) is the weight you can lift once
with good form.  That means squatting below parallel,
benching with a full pause on the chest, and deadlifting
without straps and without hitching.

The Offseason Program 20

8. WARMUPS AND RAMP-UPS
Before every workout you should take a general warmup to help prepare your muscles and your mind for training.
There’s no one right warmup for everyone, but yours should take at least ten minutes of dedicated work before you ever
touch a barbell, and include at least 3-5 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to loosen up.

Here’s my preferred warmup:

1. Five minutes of stationary cycling.

2. Self-myofascial release exercises using a foam roller and similar tools, focusing on the tight areas around my hips
and shoulders.

3. Dynamic stretching exercises using bands, again focusing on my hips and shoulders.

4. Activation exercises using bands or machines for my glutes and upper back.

Most of this warmup is targeted at my specific weaknesses, and it may not be applicable to you.  There are tons of great
warmup resources on elitefts.com that you can use to design a warmup routine that meets your individual needs.  Don’t
stress too much about your warmup, though — the most important thing is that you do one.

In addition to your general warmup, you should perform a specific warmup for the major exercises of each
workout. For the first few warmup sets, the weight and reps don’t matter.  For example, you might start out squatting
with just the bar for a few reps, and then move up to 135. These early warmup sets help you get more comfortable with
the movement pattern.

Once you’re within 80% of your target weight for the day, the warmup sets get more important.  We’ll call these ramp-up
sets, and the ramp-up sets are specifically programmed to ease the transition between warmup and work sets.
 Your ramp-up sets depend on the number of reps you’re using that week:

The Offseason Program 21

 STANDARD RAMP-UP PROTOCOL

Ramp-Up Set 1: 80% of target weight (TW) for 3 reps

Sets of 5 Reps
Ramp-Up Set 2: 90% of TW for 2 reps

Ramp-Up Set 1: 80% of TW for 2 reps

Sets of 2 or 3 Reps
Ramp-Up Set 2: 90% of TW for 1 rep

ADVANCED RAMP-UP PROTOCOL

Ramp-Up Set 1: 75% of TW for 3 reps

Sets of 5 Reps Ramp-Up Set 2: 85% of TW for 2 reps

Ramp-Up Set 3: 92% of TW for 2 reps

Ramp-Up Set 1: 80% of TW for 2 reps

Sets of 2 or 3 Reps Ramp-Up Set 2: 87% of TW for1 rep

Ramp-Up Set 3: 92-95% of TW for 1 rep

The standard ramp-up sets are calculated automatically for you in the included spreadsheet.

The Offseason Program 22

 Remember Principle #5: everyone is different.  If you feel
9. DELOADING that you need a deload, take one!
With this program, you shouldn’t feel the need to deload
very often.  The program is designed to build
momentum from week to week and block to block, not THE DELOAD WEEK
to break you down.  That said, sometimes life gets in the
➡ Day 1: Squat & Bench Press, 5x5 with 65% 1RM
way, and maybe one week you don’t recover very well
because you were sick, stressed, or whatever.  That’s no ➡ Day 2: Deadlift & Overhead Press, 5x5 with 65%
problem!  You can take a deload week between any 1RM
block you wish.  Try your best to only take deloads
➡ Day 3: Assistance Circuit (see below)
between and not during blocks (so after your week of 3
reps, not after your week of 5s or 2s).  If you absolutely
can’t avoid deloading during a block, though, that’s not a
On day 3, you’ll perform a giant set of Leg Press, Lat
deal breaker.  Just pick up the next wherever you left off.
Pulldown, and Dumbbell Bench Press.  Do one set of 10
Some signs you might need a deload: reps on each exercise using a weight you could do for 20
reps.  Take no rest between sets.  After you complete one
• You struggle to complete a workout, even though last
full giant set (so one set of each exercise, and three total
week you managed all of your sets and reps easily.
sets), rest five minutes, and then repeat, up to a total of
• You have trouble sleeping or loss of appetite, but three full giant sets (nine total sets).
you’re not sick.
After you deload, just resume training as normal, picking
• You are sick. up wherever you left off.  

• You have life or job events that are causing you

significant stress outside of the gym.

• You no longer feel excited about training.


The Offseason Program 23

 workouts to monitor your technique.  Adding
10. TRACKING YOUR weight to your lifts won’t build strength if you
TRAINING consistently let your form break down, and video
can help keep you honest.  There’s more
I’ve personally used this method for eighteen months
information about technique in the Appendix.

straight before I felt the need to experiment with anything
else — and even then, the other methods I tried weren’t
as productive as this system.  In short, this is a program If you read that carefully, you might be a little confused by
you can use for years with great success.  It’s that part of #2.  Let’s look at reps in the tank a little more
long-term, consistent progress that builds elite lifters. closely.

But long-term success requires planning, and to plan REPS IN THE TANK
where you’re headed, you need to keep track of where
you’ve been.  You must  track your training carefully. Ever had an awful workout before?  The weights feel too
 It’s not enough to just write down the sets, reps, and heavy, your body feels too sluggish, your mind checked
weight, either.  You need to track your bodyweight, your out before you even walked in the gym.  We’ve all been
technique, and the effort you put into your training. there, and it’s never fun.  On the other hand, some
workouts, everything just seems to click.  You’re in the
It’s not as complicated as it sounds.  In fact, you can track
zone, working weights feel like warmups, and you finish
almost everything in the included spreadsheet, and it’s not
your workout feeling fresher than when you started.  
much more difficult to write it down in a notebook.  Here’s
how to do it: These types of fluctuations will always happen, no matter
how long you train or how much strength you build.  Most
1. Weigh yourself weekly.  You should weigh yourself
programs don’t take that into account!  If you have a bad
first thing in the morning, without clothes, using the
day, you’re pretty much SOL.  Tracking your reps in the
same scale and on the same day of the week.
tank helps you deal with bad workouts, so that you
Record that number.
have more good ones.  Every week, the loads are
2. Each workout, record the sets, reps, weights, and planned so that even if you’re having a rough day, you can
reps in the tank based on your actual performance. still complete a given workout (although you might have to
take very long rests between sets).
3. Occasionally you should record video of your

The Offseason Program 24

On good days, you’ll find that the weights move easily, And that’s it!  Your reps in the tank will become very
and you finish the set feeling like you could do another rep important later, after you’ve completed a full 10-week
— or another two, or even three.  Those reps you could cycle of standard program.  For now, as long as you’re
have performed (but didn’t) are not wasted. tracking your training, you’re good to go!
 Remember: we’re trying to build you up, not break you
down.  Saving reps in the tank saves resources your body
can use to recover.  And by tracking the reps in the tank 11. TRAINING STYLE
you have left every workout, over the course of several
Here’s the secret to all of this: You should almost always
training cycles, you can better tailor your training to fit
feel like you have more reps in the tank.  Only in weeks
your individual recovery and strength curve.
3 and 4 of block 3 should you feel like you’re pushing to
Here’s how it works: your absolute limit.  If you’re in week 2 or 3 of blocks 1 or
1. After each set, evaluate how many more reps you 2 and you’re missing reps, you overestimated your 1RM.
could perform.  Let’s say it’s your week of 2 reps, Knock it down by 10% and start over with week 1.
and after your first set, you really think you could In those last two weeks of block 3, take as long as you
have done 4.  So you had 4 reps possible - 2 reps need between sets.  Don’t rush yourself, but move quickly
performed = 2 reps left in the tank.  Record that enough to stay warm.  In all of your other training, move
number.  Be honest about this!  If you had to really as quickly as you can between sets.
grind through your last rep, don’t pretend that you
could have done another — it might help your ego, One last bit of advice: training time is your time.  Don’t
but it will just hurt your progress in the long term. waste it by chatting or messing around with your phone. If
 In that case, your reps in the tank is zero. you’ve got lots of friends at the gym, that’s awesome, and
you should absolutely enjoy spending time with them —
2. If, for whatever reason, you aren’t able to complete but do it before and after your workout, not during. Stay
the scheduled number of reps in a set — even focused on your work in the gym while you’re training.
though you put in 100% effort — your reps in the
 You get out of it what you put into it.
tank will be a negative number.  For example, if you
were supposed to perform 315x5 and only get 4
reps, your reps in the tank is -1. Don’t stress about
it, just write the number down and keep going.

The Offseason Program 25

CUSTOMIZING YOUR
OFF SEASON PROGRAM
After you’ve run through a full 10-week block of the standard
program, you can adjust your training to make it your own.
STOP.
RUN THE
STANDARD
PROGRAM
FIRST.
Look, I get it.  Training three days a
week isn’t enough!  You need to
do front squats/cleans/pinkie-up
tricep extensions/(insert favorite
exercise here)!  You can handle But if you’re new to the program,
way more than 74% for sets of 5! then you’re not experienced
enough to tinker with it.  If you
fuck with things too soon, you
could hurt your progress or your
body.  Don’t come crying if you
can’t follow the training as written
for 10 weeks.

Think Strong 27
 OKAY, IT’S BEEN 10
WEEKS. NOW WHAT?
Glad you asked!  Hopefully, after a full cycle through
MAKE IT YOUR OWN standard program — if you followed it exactly as written
— you accomplished two things:

1. You added a good amount of strength to your

squat, bench press, and deadlift.

2. You noticed some trends in your training log or

CHAPTER CONTENTS things (percentages, exercises, whatever) that
didn’t quite work for you.  They were okay, but they
1. ADJUSTING THE PERCENTAGES
could be better.
2. ADDING A FOURTH DAY
Obviously, not everything about your training will have
3. ADDING VARIATION been perfect.  No program is perfect, especially no off-
4. CONDITIONING the-shelf program, because of Principle #5: everyone is
different.  But the Think Strong method really shines
5. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
because, if you track your training appropriately, it teaches
you to customize your training to meet your individual
needs.

Think Strong 28
 use 85% on squats for triples instead of 87%.  You’d still
1. ADJUSTING THE use 87% for bench press, assuming you had at least 1 rep
PERCENTAGES left in the tank on every set for that day.

The first and most important change you’ll make involves Conversely, if you had any sets where your “Reps in the
the percentages you use each week.  You’ve probably Tank” was 3 or more, the weight was a little too light.
noticed that they’re not nice, round numbers — you use  When you repeat the program for your second
74% on week 1 of block 1, for example, rather than 75%. training cycle, increase the weight you use on those
That’s not arbitrary — 74% is the percentage that works exercises by the percentage listed below. It’s usually
well for many, maybe most people — but not everyone. better to increase the percentages very slowly, because
Maybe it’s a little heavier than you think is appropriate for oftentimes you might just have a really great day in the
week 1.  Or maybe it’s a little too light (but probably not). gym, and that’s not necessarily the best indicator of
More likely, you found that some time around weeks 6-8 progress.  You want to base your numbers off your
you really started to struggle.  In these later weeks, you average performance, not your absolute best.
can begin to make changes that really make a You’re only changing the percentages on your heavy
difference in the last couple sessions of your training days. On your light days, you will always use 80% of
cycle.   whatever you use on your heavy day.
To do that, you’ll want to look back at your training log
and identify the sessions where you were pushing yourself ADJUSTING YOUR PERCENTAGES
to the limit.  Go check the “Reps in the Tank” column of
If you have this many reps in Adjust your percentage for the
your training log.  If you had any sets in weeks 1-9 the tank... week by this much.
where your “Reps in the Tank” was 0, or you didn’t
Less than 0 Subtract 2%
complete all the reps, the weight was a little too heavy.
 When you repeat program for your second training 0 Subtract 1%
cycle, decrease the weight you use on those exercise
1-2 No change
by the percentage listed below. So, for example, let’s
say that on week 6, you had 0 reps in the tank on your last 3 or more Add 1%
set of squats.  On your next time through the program,

Customizing 29
 4-DAY VARIATIONS
Note that the weekly rep schemes for each exercise remain the same as in the three-day standard template.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

Barbell Row, Chin

Light Squat/Bench
Squat & Bench Deadlift & or Pull-up, Reverse
Variation # 1 Press Overhead Press
Press & Glute-Ham
Hyperextension &
Raise
Abs

Squat, Barbell Row Bench Press & Chin Deadlift & Reverse Light Squat/Bench
Variation # 2 & Glute-Ham Raise or Pull-up Hyperextension Press & Abs

Customizing 30
2. ADDING A FOURTH FOUR-DAY SPLIT #1
TRAINING DAY ➡ Day 1: Squat and Bench Press
At some point in your training cycle, you may have found ➡ Day 2: Deadlift and Overhead Press
that your workouts really tended to stretch on, and on…
➡ Day 3: Light work for the Squat and Bench Press
and on.  This is especially common once you reach very
advanced levels of strength — just warming up to squat ➡ Day 4: Barbell Row, Chin/Pull-Up, and Abs
600 pounds can take an hour or more.  If any of your
workouts lasted longer than 2 hours, you might benefit
from splitting your training over 4 days instead of 3. FOUR-DAY SPLIT #2
 Now, if your workouts take a long time because you’re
wasting time chatting or fooling around, obviously, that ➡ Day 1: Squat and Abs
doesn’t count.  You don’t need an extra day, you need to
➡ Day 2: Bench Press and Chin/Pull-Up
quit being lazy.
➡ Day 3: Deadlift, Overhead Press, and Barbell Row
Let’s assume that’s not the case, and that you really do
need to cut back on the time you’re spending each day in ➡ Day 4: Light work for the Squat and Bench Press
the gym.  You have two choices:

1. Perform no assistance exercises on days 1-3, and

Regardless of which option you choose, all of your
instead group them all together on a fourth training
training sets, reps, and loads stay the same as on the
day.
three-day split.
2. Split day 1 into different days.

Of these, I prefer option #1, but both will work well.

Regardless of whichever option you choose, you’re
not adding any additional work to your program.
 You’re just dividing it over more days.

Customizing 31
3. ADDING VARIATION your lagging muscles while maintaining a very similar
movement pattern to your competition style.  That last
Variation is a tricky subject.  On the one hand, variety is point is key, because it means that the gains you make
the spice of life, and in training, it can help keep you using the variation are more likely to carry over to your
motivated and help to address weak points.  On the other competition style.  Every powerlifter should at least try
hand, the best way to become a better squatter is to incorporating these lifts into a training program.
squat more — that is, you should train specifically for Don’t rush into using maximal weights with any of
what you’re trying to accomplish.  In many ways, these variations, or you’ll risk injury.  Make sure to
specificity is the opposite of variation. base your percentages for all your variations using
You must find a balance between specificity and your 1RM for that variation, not for the competition lift
variation in your training: enough variety to keep you itself.  For example, if I can bench 405 with a wide grip
motivated but enough specificity to ensure you’re but only 365 with a close grip, then I will base my close-
progressing as efficiently as possible. Fortunately, there grip loads off of 365.
are some variations of the squat, bench press, and
deadlift that are extremely close to the standard
competition lifts — so close, in fact, that I’ve found them SQUAT WITH WRAPS/SLEEVES
to be very complimentary.  Here are the best variations to
help your competition lifts: Regardless of whether you squat with wraps or sleeves in
competition, using the other variation in your training can
• Squat in wraps (if you compete in sleeves) or in
be a big help.  Both have their own advantages and
sleeves (if you compete in wraps)
disadvantages:
• Bench press with a close grip (if you compete using a
• If you’re a sleeved squatter, using wraps for overload
wide grip) or wide grip (if you compete using a close
can help you strengthen your core and feel more
grip).
comfortable with heavy weights.
• Sumo deadlift (if you compete with conventional) or
• If you use wraps in competition, squatting in sleeves
conventional (if you compete with sumo)
can help strengthen your position in the hole and give
By training with these variations, you can bring up your body a break from the pain and increased loads

Customizing 32
 of the wraps. instead.

I have also found that squatting in wraps tends to help if • If your usual grip places your index fingers more than
I’m experiencing any knee pain, but this is not the case for a thumb’s length from the unknurled section, you
everyone. should use a close grip for variation.  Place your index
fingers within a thumb’s length of the unknurled
If you’ve never used wraps before, don’t rush into them.
section.
You’ll need to adjust to the discomfort and pressure of
using wraps, and depending on your style of squatting, Of course, a wider or closer grip will work your muscles in
you may need wraps that provide support or wraps that new ways.  To avoid injury, whether you’re going from a
provide rebound.  Finding the right wraps and learning to close grip to a wide grip or vice versa, I recommend
use them will take a few weeks, so at first, use the same moving your grip by a maximum of one thumb’s length
amount of weight with wraps as you would with sleeves. per workout.  If you’re starting with a very wide or narrow
grip, it may take two or even three workouts to find your
perfect variation grip.

CLOSE- OR WIDE-GRIP BENCH

PRESS SUMO OR CONVENTIONAL
Most people know that the close-grip bench press puts DEADLIFT
more emphasis on the triceps relative to a moderate-grip
There’s not much to say here: the two different styles are
press; and that a wide-grip bench puts more emphasis on
nearly perfect complements.  Conventional deadlifters
the chest.  Using a style different from what you use in
often have a relatively strong back and legs, and weaker
competition can help strengthen the muscles that don’t
hips; and sumo deadlifters often have stronger hips and a
get recruited as fully in your competition style.
weaker back.  Training the opposite style can help bring
Which one should you use for variation? up your lagging muscle groups.

• If your usual grip places your index fingers within a However, just like with the other variations, you need to
thumb’s length of the unknurled (smooth) section of ease into the transition.  Sumo especially can place a lot
the bar, you should use a wide grip for variation.  Place of strain on the hips and groin, so if you usually pull
your index fingers on the rings of the knurled section conventional, start out with a very narrow sumo

Customizing 33
stance, with your feet just outside of your arms.  Every
workout, you can move your feet out by a few inches until
4. CONDITIONING
you find a stance that’s most comfortable for you. Conditioning is a doubled-edged sword for powerlifters.
 On the one hand, it will make you leaner, tougher,
improve your work capacity and cardiovascular ability,
INCORPORATING VARIATION and make you feel better overall.  On the other hand, it
will may significantly detract from your recovery —
Just as there are many different variations of lifts, there are
energy you could have spent lifting and getting stronger.
also many different ways to incorporate variations into
your training. Here’s my preferred method: Some benefits of conditioning:

• For lower-body training — both the squat and the • Decreased DOMS
deadlift — use your variation for the first week of each
• Better able to take short rest periods in the gym
block, and use your competition style for the second
and third weeks. • Better able to do high-rep sets

• For the bench press, use your variation for your light • Fat/calorie burning
day each week, and use your competition style for • Improved mental strength (from challenge workouts) or
your heavy day. chance for relaxation (for easy ones)
• During meet prep, only use your competition style. So you have to find a balance between doing too much
Obviously, when you introduce variations, your conditioning, and not enough.  Until I decided that I
programming will get much more complicated, very wanted to be an elite lifter, I did a lot of conditioning:
quickly.  For that reason, it’s best not to introduce intervals on the Airdyne, Prowler pushes until I nearly
passed out, hill sprints, even Crossfit metcons.  I enjoy
variations until after you’ve completed at least one full
challenging myself, and so I enjoy conditioning, but when I
training cycle, and are very comfortable with how the
cut all that stuff out that I quickly added about 100
standard program works, and know how to alter your
pounds to my powerlifting total.  Now I do low-intensity,
percentages and training days to fit your body.
low-impact cardio workouts on the elliptical (about an
hour a week total).

Customizing 34
That’s my balance.  You have to find your own sweet spot drawbacks.  LISS workouts lasting 20-30 minutes typically
for conditioning — but fortunately, that’s fairly easy for have no drawbacks, as long as you choose some low-
most people.  We’ll get into programming later in this impact activity that doesn’t stress your joints.  
chapter, but for now, if you’re not already doing any
conditioning work, just plan to start with one easy workout
per week, and gradually increase that amount until you
find the amount that’s right for you.
CHALLENGE WORKOUT SUGGESTIONS

CONDITIONING WORKOUTS
50/20 Sandbag: You’ve got twenty minutes to complete
When it comes to conditioning for lifting, you have two 50 reps, any way you can. Generally, you’re best off
choices: choosing a weight that you can do 10-15 unbroken reps
with, and then digging deep to get through the rest. You
1. Low intensity, steady-state training (LISS) can either shoulder the sandbag, or clean and press it
2. High intensity interval training (HIIT) (obviously use a lighter weight for the clean and press
workout).
LISS workouts are your typical cardio bunny training:
some type of steady activity that gets your heart rate Sled Suicides: Load a sled or Prowler to 100 pounds.
elevated to about 60-80% of your max, and doesn’t take Sprint 25m forward, then immediately turn the sled
too much thought or effort.  HIIT workouts, on the other around and sprint 25m backward. No rest between “sets.”
hand, require you to go all-out for a short period of time, You can repeat this workout and try to beat your best
followed by a short rest period, repeated for 15-20 time.

minutes total.  Low intensity interval work just isn’t hard Hill Sprints: Wearing a weighted vest, sprint 200 meters
enough to produce any benefits, and high-intensity every 2 minutes for 10 minutes total. So if your sprint
steady-state work will destroy your lifting progress — it’s takes 30 seconds, you get 90 seconds rest. If it takes 60
just too much to recover from. seconds, you get 60 seconds rest. Find the steepest hill
you can for these!
Generally, HIIT will have more noticeable benefits than
LISS for lifters, but it will also have more  noticeable

Customizing 35
 CHALLENGE WORKOUTS interfere with your training.

4. If your goals include weight loss or conditioning for its

Sometimes, you’ll just feel like going hard on the own sake, you can continue adding conditioning
conditioning.  Maybe you’ve had a lot of stress outside of sessions throughout the week, including ones on the
the gym; or maybe you have some extra energy to burn. same day as your lifting.  I recommend always
 Either way, if you’re in the offseason, you can afford to performing conditioning after lifting.
incorporate some “challenge workouts” into your training
— although not on a regular basis, and never more often 5. Once you’ve incorporated more than two conditioning
than once a week.  If you do them too often, don’t be workouts per week, you’ll probably notice that your
surprised if your lifting performance suffers.  Challenge lifting suffers a bit.  It’s up to you to find the right
workouts stress your lungs and mind to the max, and you tradeoff between the two.
can get afford to get creative with them. 6. If you decide to incorporate any challenge workouts,
do them instead of, and not in addition to, one of your
already-scheduled conditioning sessions.
INCORPORATING CONDITIONING
INTO YOUR PROGRAM
Just like with all the other customizations to your program,
you need to incorporate conditioning workouts slowly.
 Here’s the process I recommend:

1. Start with one LISS workout per week, on a day when

you’re not training with weights.

2. If you find that conditioning benefits your recovery,

add in a second LISS workout per week.

3. If you continue to notice improved recovery, try

switching one of your LISS workouts to a HIIT
workout.  Schedule the HIIT workouts soon after one
of your two heavy training days, so that it doesn’t

Customizing 36
5. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
By now you can tell that there’s plenty of ways to customize the Think Strong method and make it uniquely your own.
 Don’t try to make all of these changes all at once.  That’s a sure-fire route to frustration, because inevitably, some of
the changes won’t work all that great.  If you make lots of changes all at once, you won’t be able to figure out which ones
worked and which didn’t.

So instead, take it slow!  Your first cycle should have proven that the standard program works, so there’s no rush to mess
with it.  Start by just adapting the percentages based on your last cycle, and run that for ten weeks and see how it works
for you.  If it helps, then keep adjusting your percentages each block. If it doesn’t help, then drop it. Go back to the
standard percentages, and instead experiment with adding in variations.  Again, there’s no rush.  Your goal is to
continue making progress for as long as possible, so only make (small) changes when progress slows or stops. If
a change doesn’t work for you, don’t stress about it — just go back to what you know does work, and try changing
something else.

You’ll probably notice that this chapter is more open-ended than the offseason or meet prep chapters. At first, that might
seem frustrating, but try to reframe that frustration: once you’ve started to customize your program in the slow,
methodical trial-and-error process described in this section, you’ve freed yourself from constantly following
cookie-cutter programs and from using ineffective or poorly-designed ones. That’s a big step on the road to
becoming an elite lifter.

That said, there is a sample offseason program on the next few pages that incorporates some of the variations discussed
in this chapter, just to give you an idea of what your training might evolve into over time.

If you’re patient, take the time to learn what works for body, and train hard, you can use this process for years with great
results.  So get to it!

Customizing 37
 Week 1 Exercise Work Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 4 5 74

VARIATION 1
Day 1
Barbell Row 3 10 —
Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —

Bench Press 4 5 74
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —

Deadlift 4 5 74
Day 3
Reverse Hyper 3 10 —

Squat 5 5 59
Day 4 Close-Grip Bench Press 5 5 59
Abs 3 10 —
Week 2
Squat with Wraps 6 2 85
Day 1
Barbell Row 4 10 —
Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —

Bench Press 6 2 85
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —
Block 1
Sumo Deadlift 6 2 85
Day 3
Reverse Hyper 4 10 —

Squat with Wraps 5 2 68

Day 4 Close-Grip Bench Press 5 2 68
Abs 4 10 —
Week 3
Squat with Wraps 4 3 85
Day 1
Barbell Row 5 10 —
Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —

Bench Press 4 3 85
Day 2
Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —

Sumo Deadlift 4 3 85
Day 3
Reverse Hyper 5 10 —

Squat with Wraps 5 3 68

Day 4 Close-Grip Bench Press 5 3 68

Remember, these are just suggestions! Your own Abs 5 10 —

customized program will probably look a bit different.

 Week 1 Exercise Work Sets Reps Load (%)
Squat 4 5 74
Day 1
Bench Press 4 5 74

Deadlift 4 5 74
Day 2
Overhead Press 4 5 74

VARIATION 2
Day 3 Conditioning: High Intensity

Squat 5 5 59
Day 4 Bench Press 5 5 59
Glute-Ham Raise 3 10 —

Barbell Row 3 10 —
Chin/Pull-Up 3 10 —
Day 5
Reverse Hyper 3 10 —
Abs 3 10 —

Day 6 Conditioning: Low Intensity

Week 2
Squat 6 2 85
Day 1
Bench Press 6 2 85

Deadlift 6 2 85
Day 2
Overhead Press 6 2 85

Block 1 Day 3 Conditioning: High Intensity

Squat 5 2 68

Day 4 Bench Press 5 2 68

Glute-Ham Raise 4 10 —

Barbell Row 4 10 —
Chin/Pull-Up 4 10 —
Day 5
Reverse Hyper 4 10 —
Abs 4 10 —

Day 6 Conditioning: Low Intensity

Week 3
Squat 4 3 85
Day 1
Bench Press 4 3 85

Deadlift 4 3 85
Day 2
Overhead Press 4 3 85

Day 3 Conditioning: High Intensity

Squat 5 3 68

Day 4 Bench Press 5 3 68

Glute-Ham Raise 5 10 —

Barbell Row 5 10 —
Chin/Pull-Up 5 10 —
Day 5
Reverse Hyper 5 10 —

Abs 5 10 —
THE MEET PREP
PROGRAM
When you’re ready to test your limits, switch from the offseason program
to this one. Again, it’s a simple program, but the heavier weights will push
you to your limits and prepare your body for a 1-rep max attempt.
THINKING STRONG ABOUT MEET PREP
1. MEET PREP APPROACH
CHAPTER CONTENTS In the offseason, you’re trying to build momentum. During
LOREM IPSUM meet prep, you’re trying to use that momentum to peak.
1. MEET PREP APPROACH That means you’ll be pushing harder on your main lifts,
1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur.
2. ATTEMPT SELECTION and cutting back on any extraneous stuff like accessories
2. Nulla et urna convallis nec quis blandit
and conditioning.
3. THE MEET
odio mollis.PREP CYCLE
3. Sed metus libero
4. ACCESSORY WORKcing elit, lorem ipsum. However, pushing harder means that meet prep is more
Adip inscing nulla mollis urna libero stressful, both physically and mentally. Your goal during
5. DELOADING meet prep is to manage that stress while still completing
blandit dolor.
6.
4. MEET
LoremDAY ADVICE
ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur. your workouts as scheduled. Many, many people get
5. SOME
7. FINAL
Sed metus THOUGHTS
libero cing elit, lorem ipsum. overwhelmed by the increased stress and either give up or
back off. Your ability to push through tougher training
Quis que euismod bibendum sag ittis.
sessions, without getting injured or burnt out, will
6. Fusce leo erat, tincidunt nec posuere sit
determine your overall success in powerlifting.
amet, condimentum id dolor.
7. Duis faucibus adipiscing blandit. It’s generally a good idea to schedule your meet for a
time when you don’t have a lot of other stressful or
significant activities going on.  Conversely, the week

Think Strong 41
after peaking is an ideal time for a deload, if you’re your current 2, 3, or 5 rep PRs, and you’re all set: those
starting to feel banged up or run down. are perfect goals for your test day. Otherwise, things get a
little more complicated. Here are some things to consider
Also, keep in mind that although this section (and book) is
when you’re setting goals:
about training for a meet, you don’t have to compete in a
formal meet if it’s not right for you. You can just test your • Your current training maxes. Obviously, this is the
squat, bench press, and deadlift in the gym — and you biggest consideration. Planning to beat your bests by
can even test each one on a different day during a single 100 pounds is unrealistic — you’ll probably just hurt
week, if you like. The important thing is that at some point, yourself trying. Planning to just “chip” your PR (by
you do test your limits, so that you have an objective adding just 2.5 or 5 pounds) is an equal waste of time.
measure of 1RM strength to base your next training cycles If it takes you 10, 12, or even 16 weeks of training to
off of. add 5 pounds to your best, you need to seriously
reevaluate your training. A good compromise is
somewhere around a 5% improvement on your current
2. ATTEMPT SELECTION best. So if the most you’ve ever squatted for one rep
is 400 pounds, 420 might be a good number to have
Once you’ve selected a date, either for a full meet or just
in mind going into meet prep.
to test your 1-rep maxes, you need to determine your
goals for the squat, bench, and deadlift. This must be • Milestones. When you’re coming up on a big number
the first step, because all of your meet prep — whether it’s 300, 400, 500 pounds; or some kind of
programming will be based on those numbers. Setting record — it seems like a very obvious goal. And those
goals is tough, though, because it requires that you find a types of goals can be very motivating, which is great.
balance between being realistic and aggressive. If you set But, on the other hand, it’s easy to get anchored to
overly conservative goals, you won’t push hard enough to those numbers and either A) assume they’re an
reach your potential, and if you push too hard, you’ll fall appropriate goal without really thinking them through
short and get discouraged. or B) becoming obsessed with them and making them
out to be a bigger and more intimidating thing than
You need a starting point, and if you’ve ever tested your necessary. Neither situation is ideal. To avoid these
1-rep maxes before, then you’ve already got one. If not, pitfalls, make sure you consider whether that big
just use a 1RM calculator like the one in the Tools tab of number is really reasonable. If you just hit a 300-
the Think Strong spreadsheet to estimate them based on

The Meet Prep Program 42

 pound bench at your last meet, then yeah, 400 is the determine your attempts:
next big marker, but you’re probably not going to jump
1. Your third and final attempt of each lift will be your
100 pounds in just one meet. On the other hand, if you
goal.
squatted 496 at your last meet, don’t make 501 your
goal for the next one — that’s a waste of a training 2. Your second attempt should be somewhere around
cycle on low expectations, and can actually make the 94-96% of your third attempt.
500-pound marker more imposing compared to a goal
3. Your opener should be somewhere around 85-90%
of 525.
of your third attempt, and a weight that you are
• The competition. Winning is always a great goal, comfortable hitting any day of the week, regardless
because competition often brings out the best in of how you feel.
people. Plus, if your goal is to win, then you’re not
If 85-90% of your third attempt is not an easy,
going to get fixated on any specific numbers. On the
guaranteed lift, than your goals are probably too
other hand, winning is only a reasonable goal if you
aggressive, and you need to adjust them downward a bit.
have a fair idea of your competition and are strong
enough to actually pull it off. If that’s the case, you’re Now, if you’re going for an informal test day, and not a
probably already a fairly advanced lifter, and you meet, you have a little more flexibility, since you’re not
should be pretty used to setting your own goals. But limited to three attempts. In that case, a very similar
it’s still helpful to keep winning in mind! process will work:
If these ideas aren’t enough to get you started in the right 1. Take your first two heavy singles exactly as you
direction, check out the FAQs section in the Appendix. It would in a meet: 85-90% and 94-96% of your goal,
has a bit more on the theories behind goal setting that respectively.
might help you out.
2. After your second heavy single, you’ll begin to
attempt to set new personal records.  I recommend
beginning with a small PR — 5 pounds is a great
WORKING BACKWARDS TO YOUR number.  So your third heavy single should be 5
GOALS pounds over your 1RM. (If your second heavy single
was a PR, then just start going up in 5 pound jumps
Once you’ve picked goals, it’s easy to work backwards to
from there.)

The Meet Prep Program 43

 3. If your third single was an all-out attempt, stop there 1. Feel physically and mentally fresh
— you’re done.
2. Believe that you have gained strength compared to
4. If your third single wasn’t an all-out attempt, add 5 or your previous bests, and are ready to translate those
10 pounds and attempt another single. strength gains into a new one-rep maximum.

5. Continue doing taking progressively heavier singles, For example, let’s say you competed on January 1, and
adding 5 or 10 pounds each set, until you either (A) squatted a PR of 400 pounds. Then you took a week off to
miss or (B) feel like there’s no way you could make a recover and, once you felt well-rested, began the off-
heavier lift. season program. Now it’s April 1, and you’re regularly
performing squats with over 375 pounds for doubles and
If you’re writing your own program, you should
triples. You’re in a great place to start the peaking
incorporate the “working backwards” method for all of
program, and can feel confident that you’ll squat
your meet-prep training.
somewhere around 420 pounds at meet in mid-May. On
the other hand, if you’re struggling with squatting 350 for
3. THE MEET-PREP CYCLE sets of 2 or 3, you haven’t really gained any strength, and
you need to spend some more time in off-season training
The meet prep cycle takes a working-backwards before you try to peak.
approach, too, but in a slightly different way than most
I also advise that you take a brief deload before
programs. Though the entire 2-block, 6-week program
beginning meet prep — you’ll need to be fresh to
will be difficult (physically and mentally), the first block
complete the desired work. Perform the deload exactly as
is a bit more challenging than the second. This
described in Chapter 1.9. You’ll deload the week before
accomplishes two things: first, your most difficult training
the meet, too, so you need to plan for 8 total weeks of
takes place before the mental stress of an upcoming meet
meet prep — not 6! When you’re ready to get going,
really kicks in; and second, your body has more time to
here’s how the peak works. Note that your 1RM should
recover from your heaviest work, so you are less reliant on
equal what you are currently capable of, not what you
timing a perfect deload to peak properly.
hope to lift on your final attempt at the meet/test day.
Keep in mind, this is strictly a peaking program. You You’ll still perform the standard ramp-up sets before the
should start meet prep after you’ve done enough cycles of work sets listed in the table.
the offseason program that you:

The Meet Prep Program 44

 DAY 1: SQUAT DAY 2: DEAD DAY 3: BENCH
Reverse Hyperextension & Abs: Glute-Ham Raise & Abs: 3 sets Chin or Pull-up & Abs: 3 sets of
3 sets of 10 of 10 10

Week 1 2x3 with 88-91% of 1RM

Week 2 2x2 with 92-96% of 1RM

Week 3 4x1 with 95-101% of 1RM

Week 4 2x3 with 85-88% of 1RM

Week 5 1x3 with 93% of 1RM

Week 6 1x2 with 98% of 1RM

The Meet Prep Program 45

 WEEK 1
2x3 with 88-91% of 1RM

We start off with what should be a new 3RM and a lighter backoff set. Your focus this week should be on technique: don’t
let it break down even though you’re using more weight than you have in a few months. The weights should be light
enough that this feels manageable, but don’t overreach in week one. You’ll need your energy for the rest of the peak. For
this same reason, it’s really important that you deload between the offseason and meet prep, as explained in the previous
section.

WEEK 2
2x2 with 92-96% of 1RM

Week two follows with a new 2RM, which may be the most physically demanding week of this first block. Again, you’ll
have a lighter backoff set after your top set, but your overall volume is still very low at this stage.

WEEK 3
4x1 with 94-101% of 1RM

This may well be the hardest week of the entire peak from a mental perspective, because you’ll be using a weight that
you have never handled before. Don’t be surprised if your form begins to deteriorate a bit on the heaviest single this
week. That’s okay, as long as you’re not putting yourself in a position for injury, and you still adhere to the technical
requirements of the lift. Don’t cut depth on your squat or shorten your bench pause just to complete the prescribed loads
— you’re only selling yourself short and setting yourself up for disappointment at the meet.

The Meet Prep Program 46

 WEEK 4
2x3 with 85-88% of 1RM

This is a relatively lighter week — almost a semi-deload before the final push to the meet. Use this as an opportunity to
relax a bit, and to hone your technique to the utmost. You may want to perform just one triple (instead of two) if you’re
feeling especially beat up or are already very confident in your technique.

WEEK 5
1x3 with 93% of 1RM

The triple on week five will again be a new 3RM, and you should be able to complete it with just a little room to spare.
Don’t miss any reps from here on out. If you’re not confident in your ability to complete all three reps, either drop the
weight 1-2% from whatever is planned, or perform only two reps on that set. If you don’t complete the triple, however, it’s
probably a good idea to lower your planned attempts a little bit. Remember, you still have ramp-up sets, so this week and
the next are not as very low-volume as they might seem.

WEEK 6
1x2 with 98% of 1RM

This is it: the end of the meet prep. You’ll be setting a new 2RM instead of singles so that you won’t run the risk of
missing any reps; again, if you’re not confident of completing it, drop the weight or perform two singles instead. If that’s
the case, however, you should again adjust your expectations for meet day. As soon as you complete week six, it’s time
to rest and recover!

The Meet Prep Program 47

 the meet is on Saturday, take this workout on Monday).
4. ACCESSORY WORK  You will start with squat: warm up and perform 3-5
singles with whatever you’ve planned as your last warmup
You’ll notice there’s very little programmed accessory
before your opening attempt (92-93% of your opener is a
work in the meet prep phase. I strongly recommend that
good number to have in mind).  Take a short break (about
you do perform accessory work, but that you treat it as
10-15 minutes), and move to bench.  Warm up and
preventative maintenance rather than strengthening
perform 3-5 singles with just a bit less than your opening
exercise. You only have a limited amount of physical and
attempt (97-98% of your opener).  Finally, take 3-5 singles
mental energy available for training, and during meet prep
with 50% of your max deadlift.  That’s it — don’t do any
you need to direct that entirely at the squat, bench press,
more work here.
and deadlift. So don’t worry about adding weight or
volume to the reverse hyperextension, glute-ham raise, Three days before the meet (so Wednesday, if you’re
chin or pull-up, and abdominal work while you’re prepping competing on Saturday), you can take about 40-50% of
for a meet. Just use a light weight and focus on using your your max squat and bench press for 1-3 sets of 1-3 reps.
muscles in the correct pattern.  This is just to help you stay loose.  You can also perform
some very, very light accessory work for the upper back,
biceps, abs, and calves if you like.
5. DELOADING The day before the meet (after weigh-ins, if you have a 24-
You never want to go straight from heavy training into a hour weigh-in), perform some very, very light squat, bench
meet: your body needs a bit of time to compensate from press, and accessory work for the upper back and abs.
the stress of all that work before you can perform your  For reference, my best squat in training is over 800
best. The amount of deloading you’ll need depends on pounds, and I would use 135 pounds for a few sets of
your training volume; folks who aren’t used to a lot of 5-10 at this workout.  There’s nothing wrong with just
heavy work or who rely on high-volume loads close to a taking the empty bar, either.
meet need more deload time than those who take a more On the other days, stay out of the gym, but you can
moderate approach.  In most cases, though, a one- perform some very, very light cardio (walking on a flat
week deload is about right. surface, etc.) and gentle stretching and mobility work to
stay loose.
During that deload week, you’ll have just one heavier
workout, and it should be five days before the meet (so if

The Meet Prep Program 48

 a friend to chat with, or even a book to distract yourself
6. MEET-DAY ADVICE for a short while can all help.  
Describing how to compete in strength sports could be an Again, you don’t want to try anything unusual on meet
entire book in itself. In fact, Bill Starr’s Defying Gravity is a day, so give all of those a shot in the gym well before you
book about exactly that, and I strongly recommend bust them out at a competition. In fact, you might want to
reading it. But if you’re just getting started, a little advice start trying different mental strategies in the offseason, so
can go a long way. Some common competition issues: by the time meet prep rolls around, you already know
what works for you and you can practice it during heavy
lifting.

MINDSET
A strong mindset is crucial to peak performance. But
CUTTING WEIGHT
it’s often difficult to stay in a good headspace in high-
I think one of the biggest misconceptions regarding
stress situations, like a meet. So when you start your meet
weight cutting is the idea that it needs to be some
prep cycle, make sure you include some mental training,
extreme, life-threatening endeavor that risks destroying
too — the more you can understand your mind and how it
not only your performance but also your long-term health.
affects your body, the better you’ll be able to handle the
In reality, those type of weight cuts happen for one of two
unexpected when it arises.
reasons:
Basically, you want to keep the same mindset at the
1. Highly-driven, elite athletes attempt to cut an
meet as you would during a regular day at the gym.
unreasonable amount of weight without any regard
 You perform your best when you keep your heart rate and
for their health, or
breathing pattern very close to how they usually are when
you train; major variations (either increases or decreases) 2. People are lazy and don’t prepare well enough in the
can negatively impact both your physical and mental offseason, so they have to play catchup the week
abilities.  Of course, very few if any people are calmer at a before a competition.
meet than in the gym, so you really only need to plan for
As you might have guessed, the second scenario occurs
getting too nervous or psyched up.  Have some way of
far more often than the first.
calming yourself down: a breathing or meditation routine,

The Meet Prep Program 49

That said, cutting weight is still a fairly involved Upon waking, take 1,000 mg of dandelion root extract,
process, and even if you’re an appropriate body weight 100 mg of potassium, and 200 mg of caffeine. Twice more
and body fat percentage before starting the water cut, you during the day, take 1,000 mg of dandelion root and 100
still need to treat the last week before a meet very mg of potassium. You will eliminate water intake
carefully. Here is a very general guideline for a water cut depending on how much weight you need to lose. If you
for a Saturday meet with 24-hour weigh-in. are cutting 5-7% of your waking body weight, you can
drink half a gallon of distilled water upon waking and drink
SUNDAY no more during the day. If you are cutting less than 5%,
Began to decrease my food volume slightly, by reducing you can drink a full gallon of distilled water between
vegetable intake, and increase sodium intake quite a bit waking and 3 PM (assuming a 9 AM weigh-in).
(just salting your food heavily is fine). Drink 2.5 gallons of
FRIDAY
tap water. Don’t be surprised if you body weight
increases, even significantly, during the water and sodium If you are cutting a significant amount of weight, you may
load. need to sweat in a hot bath even after the water and
sodium load. I strongly suggest not sweating until the day
MONDAY of weigh-ins. You should minimize the time spent at
Decrease sodium significantly, and drink 2.5 gallons of tap weight, even if that means waking up at 5 AM to sweat.
water. The easiest way to sweat is in a hot bath (as hot as you
TUESDAY can stand), Alternate 15 minutes in a hot bath with 15
minutes of cooldown until you make weight. Do not drink
Eliminate sodium intake entirely, and drink 2.5 gallons of water during the breaks. You may find it helpful to spend
distilled water. You may want to take a very light, high- that time under a fan chewing ice chips if necessary.
repetition training session on Tuesday.
Rehydrating correctly after making weight is crucial to
WEDNESDAY a good performance the next day. Your first priority
Continue with zero sodium intake, eliminate all should be to consume some type of electrolyte fluid with
carbohydrates, and increase water intake to 3.5 gallons of some carbohydrates, like Pedialyte or diluted Gatorade.
distilled water. Your first solid-food meal should contain some easily
digestible carbohydrates; like fruit with salt, but make sure
THURSDAY

The Meet Prep Program 50

whatever you choose is easy on the stomach. It’s might not expect, so best to give yourself some time to
beneficial to wait a short while after you start drinking to settle.  Of course, hotel fees add up, so don’t pressure
begin eating. yourself into staying longer than absolutely necessary.
 And if you are cutting weight, make absolutely sure to call
Thirty to 45 minutes after that first meal, you can eat
ahead and check whether there is water hot enough to
something more substantial with some protein content.
sweat in, or I promise you will regret it (I’ve made this
Whatever you choose should be high in carbohydrates
mistake more than once)!
and salt, low in fat, and with a moderate amount of easily-
digestible protein. It should also be a food that you eat Once you’ve arrived, try to keep as close to your
regularly! If you upset your stomach at this point, you’re normal routine as possible.  Get up and go to sleep at
just going to make the rehydration process more difficult. the same times, eat the same foods, and do more or less
the same amount of physical activity in your day.  If you
Throughout the rest of the day, you need to continue to
have a desk job and spend a whole afternoon walking
eat small meals every two hours, and to consume at least
around a new city the day before a meet, your
another gallon of water. Your meals from this point on
performance will probably suffer.  That said, again, it’s a
should be balanced in carbohydrates, protein, and fats,
balance — if there’s a really cool opportunity that won’t be
and high in salt. Try to go to bed on Friday weighing the
available after the meet, take advantage of it!
same as you did on Wednesday night.
On the meet day itself, arrive at the venue on time.
 There’s really no need to show up early unless you’re in
WHEN TO ARRIVE the very first flight — I’ve only once been to a meet that
started exactly on time.  If you have a two-hour (rather
It’s important to consider when you’ll arrive at both the than 24-hour) weigh-in, you might want to arrive 10-15
meet venue and the host city.  If you’re traveling a long minutes early just in case the meet director is feeling
distance (over 250 miles or so), you’ll probably want to generous and starts early (not likely, but you never know).
arrive the day before weigh-ins to give yourself time to
adjust and make sure you’re not exhausted if you need to
cut weight.  If you’re flying to the meet, you may want to
give yourself 2 or even 3 days to adjust, depending on the
time change.  Flying can affect your body in ways you

The Meet Prep Program 51

 WARMING UP areas. I like to get my shoulders, elbows, hips and
knees. Again, this will help with blood flow and
You want to be especially careful about warming up on warming up, and can also help you to activate
meet day, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s often colder muscles that might not be firing in the right way on a
in the meet venue than you might be used to, and you particular day. You might not notice any benefits at
may have less access to the normal equipment you use to first, but over time, it makes a difference. I prefer to
warm up. Second, you’ll be performing minimal reps with use capsaicin, but some people don’t like it because
maximum weight, which is a good combination for injury. it can get very hot once you start sweating.
To prevent that, make sure to dedicate plenty of time to a Otherwise, menthol (Icy Hot or Tiger Balm) works
general warmup as described in the FAQs sections. well, too!

In addition, you may find it beneficial to take some extra 3. Finally, consider including some extra warm-up/
precautions. Again, you never want to try anything on activation exercises in addition to your regular
meet day that you’ve not used before in training, so give warmup and mobility routine.
all these ideas a shot in the gym before you try to As long as you put the time and care into warming up
implement them at a meet. properly, you can be confident that you’re doing all you
1. Try wearing a pair of neoprene pants, to give your can to protect your body and perform at your best.
lower body a little extra warmth and support. These
pants are a bit thick, but they won’t restrict your
movement nor add any weight to your lifts, so they’re
a great tool. They make it much easier to warm up
and stay warm during your session. If you find that
they throw you off at all, just wear them for your
lighter warm-ups, and take them off for your work
sets. Personally I think they’re really comfortable but
they can ride up a little and get in the way of your
belt.

2. Use some type of liniment before you begin your

warmup, especially on any tight or troublesome

The Meet Prep Program 52

 WHAT TO EAT 7. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
Meet-day nutrition probably isn’t quite as important as Powerlifting meets are mentally and physically stressful,
rehydrating after weigh-ins, but it’s close.  So many lifters and demand a significant amount of dedication and
fail to plan for that, and just eat whatever happens to be planning. That’s exactly why you should do one. Any form
available.  That’s a terrible decision because it’s such an of competition has a lot of benefits, but the powerlifting
easy way to blow all the hard work you’ve done up to that community is, with few exceptions, something very unique
point if you happen to eat something that upsets your and very valuable. Entering a meet is by far the quickest
stomach. and easiest way to become part of that community. You’ll
Instead, bring familiar, easy-to-digest food sources meet new people, make new friends, and grow as a
that are high in carbohydrates and moderate in fat and person just by getting involved. Competing is a good
practice in setting goals and meeting deadlines; and it
protein.  Your goal on meet day is to eat and drink as
challenges you to overcome adversity and the inevitable
much as you can without feeling sluggish.  This is not
setbacks.
the time to count calories: the more you eat, the better
you’ll perform.  Keep in mind that there probably won’t be At the same time, before you invest in the peaking
any refrigeration available, so bring your own cooler or process, make sure that competing is the right choice for
choose foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. you, that it comes at the right time, and you’re doing it for
the right reasons. If you feel pressure to compete — either
Also make sure to keep some type of sugar readily
internal or external — you’ve no chance to really perform
available.  Gatorade, candy, or glucose tablets are all
at your best. Instead, compete only if it’s something you’re
good choices.  If you end up overreaching on an attempt
excited about! You’ll need that excitement to fall back on if
and miss or really struggle, get 75-100 grams of sugar in
your motivation wanes; and besides, powerlifting will
ASAP (50 if you’re a smaller person).  It’ll help you recover
never pay your bills. Do this sport because you enjoy it,
quickly enough to be ready for the next event.
and never for any other reason.

Good luck, and Think Strong.

The Meet Prep Program 53

APPENDIX
If you’ve been reading closely and gotten this far, you probably have some
questions. This Appendix will try to answer most of those. Pay special attention to
the Technique section! Good technique will keep you from getting injured, and
that’s the number-one secret to long-term success in powerlifting.
 FAQS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHY ISN’T MY FAVORITE LIFT IN

THE PROGRAM?
Because you don’t need to do front squats, incline bench, deficit
deadlift, or pinkie-up curls all the time. There’s nothing wrong with
having a favorite lift, but oftentimes our favorites are just the things
we’re good at.  If you’re training a lift that (A) isn’t one of the
competition lifts and (B) you’re already good at, you’re just wasting
energy.  A big part of this program is conserving energy, so that you
can make progress for as long as possible.

If you’re really struggling with the idea of omitting a particular

assistance lift, ask yourself this: has the lift directly contributed to
increases in your squat, bench press, or deadlift? If the answer is no,
then you don’t need to do that exercise. If it’s yes, then fine — add
the exercise in as a variation the next time your start a new training
cycle.

Think Strong 55
 minding your exercise technique.  If you’re slacking off
I NEED TO TRAIN FOUR on your training, your results won’t be optimal.
DAYS A WEEK!
• Do you need a deload?  The flip side of not training
No, you don’t.  See above.  Now, if you need to train four hard enough is training too hard for too long.  If you’re
days per week because your workouts are taking too long, suffering from frequent aches and pains, a poor
that’s a separate issue; see Chapter 3 to learn how to appetite, lack of sleep, or illness, you may need to
adapt the program to accommodate longer workouts over take a deload week.  See Chapter 2 to learn how to
more training days per week. implement a deload without detracting from your long-
term progress.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE • Did you choose your one-rep maxes appropriately?  If
you’re struggling in the first block, your 1RMs are too
A BAD WORKOUT? high — you should drop them by 10% and start over
with week 1.
Not a thing.  If you can’t complete the prescribed reps on
any given day, just make sure to record your negative reps • If you’re struggling in block 3, that’s totally normal.
in the tank, and then move on to the next exercise or next  Just keep pushing through, and take a deload the
training day. week before testing your 1RM.  You’ll come back
stronger and smash PRs.


BUT WHAT IF I HAVE

SEVERAL BAD WORKOUTS
IN A ROW?
This is a trickier question, and there are lots of possible
solutions.  Be honest with yourself:

• Are you training hard enough?  “Hard training” means

staying focused and aggressive in the gym, and
preparing for your workout by warming up
appropriately, getting good nutrition and rest, and

Appendix 56
 — to turn on the mind-muscle connection.  Again, any
HOW SHOULD I WARM UP? movement that you feel helpful is the right choice here,
but in case you need a place to get started, here are some
You have two overarching goals for your warmup: to
suggestions:
prepare your body and your mind for heavy training.
 Physically, you need to increase blood flow and body And, lastly, you need to get your mind right.  Many lifters
temperature; activate the specific muscles you’ll be like visualization for this purpose: a mental walkthrough of
training; and protect any weak or troublesome areas. the workout you’re about to do.  “Rehearsing” in this way
 Mentally, you need to practice the appropriate movement can help you to focus and boost performance during the
patterns with light weights to sharpen your technique and workout.  Personally, I find that visualization tends to
build confidence for your working sets. create a sort of artificial pressure to meet some imagined
version of a perfect workout.  I prefer to meditate, or
To do that, start with a general cardiovascular warmup.
practice breathing exercises, before I lift.  Being present in
 You can choose pretty much any activity, as long as it’s
the moment, rather than thinking ahead, can have the
low-impact and will allow you to break a sweat in 3-5
same benefits of visualization.  Try both, and stick with
minutes.  
what works — or find your own mental warmup!
Then, you’ll want to address any areas that hurt (or have
been hurt in the past) or lack range of motion.  I’ll be
honest, I often use foam rolling for this purpose, but it’s
WARMUP SUGGESTIONS
not ideal: it might provide some temporary relief, but it can
also make it harder to activate the muscles you’re working CARDIOVASCULAR SQUAT/DEADLIFT BENCH PRESS
— so think about it before you just jump on the roller. Incline walking Leg extension/curl Rear delt row
 Really, any mobility practice that you find to be effective Prowler push Reverse hyper Flye
is a good choice here — and there have been many, many
Sled drag Wall sit Push up
books on that topic, so I’ll leave it up to you to find
methods that work. Stationary cycling Goblet squat Dumbbell pullover
Pistol squat
Finally, you need to “wake up” the muscles you’re training
with activation exercises.  Perform these using a very light
weight (or bodyweight), for sets of 10-20 with little or no
rest in between.  Your goal is to feel the muscle working

Appendix 57
WHAT IF I CAN’T DO CHIN I’M STRUGGLING WITH
OR PULL-UPS? GOAL SETTING AND
ATTEMPT SELECTION.
It depends. If you’re not strong enough to do them, you
have two options:
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
• Lightened chins using a band. Take a mini band, If you’re struggling with goal setting, you’re probably
loop one end around the chinning bar, and put the frustrated, because everyone knows the benefits of
other end around one or both of your feet. The band setting good goals.  You may even have read about
will lighten the load at the bottom (hardest) part of the S.M.A.R.T. goals, for example, which provide
movement, allowing you to concentrate on using the straightforward, easy-to-understand markers of progress.
correct muscles.  It's true that having goals can keep you focused, efficient,
and even motivated, especially when you're a beginner.
• Lat pulldowns. Obviously, the lat pulldown is a similar  Goals are important, but once you pass that beginner
movement, but without the requirement that you use stage, progress isn't linear anymore, and focusing on an
at least your bodyweight, and without requiring you to end goal can often become limiting.  How many times
use quite as many stabilizing muscles. If you can’t do have you set a goal for a daily workout and gotten
any chins, or can’t do enough to train them frustrated when you can't lift as much as you expected?  
progressively, train the pulldown instead until you can
use about 110% of your bodyweight for 10-12 reps, It's much better to set process goals: ones that keep you
and then give chins another try. accountable for doing the things that you know will pay off
in the long run, despite any inevitable short-term
If you can’t do them because of some preexisting injury or setbacks.  You've heard that lifting is a journey?  That's a
lack of mobility, you can swap them out for lat pulldowns reflection of the fact that outcome goals don't work: if you
or seated rows. Make sure you address the underlying meet them, you're only satisfied for a little while, before
issue, though, so that it doesn’t become an even bigger you set bigger and better goals; and if you miss, you're
problem. disappointed.  Furthermore, process goals are entirely
under your control.  Athletes in particular are likely to pick
outcome goals that involve factors outside of their own
influence.  For example, if you catch a cold, you'll

Appendix 58
probably have a hard time hitting your target numbers for keep you motivated in difficult situations: if you're sick or
a workout.  But you can still meet process goals, injured; fail to perform up to expectations; or life gets in
regardless of if you're feeling under the weather. the way of lifting entirely.

Here are some examples of outcome goals: The first step requires that you have a clear vision for the
future.  This is not a goal!  Think of it like the vision or
• Not getting injured in an entire training cycle
mission for a company.  Nike's mission, for example, is to
• Perfecting squat technique or squatting 500 pounds bring "inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the
world."  Harvard's vision is to create and sustain a college
• Gaining 10 pounds of muscle
that will "enable all Harvard College students to
• Going 9/9 at a meet experience an unparalleled educational journey that is
intellectually, socially, and personally transformative."
And here are some examples of analogous process goals:
 Your vision might be to become the greatest powerlifter
• Warming up for 15 minutes before every training of all time.  Or it might be to look and feel like an athlete.
session  Or maybe it's something totally different — it doesn't
matter. The point of a vision is to keep you motivated on
• Committing to a new technique cue for at least four
your journey, so if your vision does that, then it's a good
weeks
one.
• Consuming your target macros six days per week
Your vision doesn't even have to be achievable — in fact,
If you set the first outcome goal, you're in trouble if you if it's too precise, a vision just becomes a goal.
happened to tweak your elbow playing a pickup game;  "Becoming an IPF world champion," for example, isn't a
and if squatting or building muscle don't come easily to vision.  After all, if you do become a world
you, the other two outcome goals might require a very champion, what's going to keep you motivated after that? 
long time to achieve.  The process goals, on the other Would you just retire?  And, worse, what happens if you
hand, are more manageable, realistic, and under your own don't become a world champion?  Does that mean your
control. entire career was a failure?
Even with process goals, it's important to have a clear A vision isn't enough — you also need values to guide
understanding of why you're lifting — why you're on the your decisions in striving towards that vision.  Values are
journey in the first place.  That's the only thing that can your personal beliefs about what's worthwhile in life.

Appendix 59
 Typically, the values we share with others are "good"
things like honesty, justice, and perseverance.  But the
fact is, especially in America, a lot of people value winning
over everything else.  There's nothing wrong with that!
 They're your values, not someone else's, and not
society's.  Don't let other people shame you into letting
their values take precedence over yours — that's a quick
road to an unfulfilling life, and those people aren't worth
your time in the first place.

Only when you have a clear vision for your future, and you
understand your personal guidelines (values) for achieving
it, can you put yourself in the best position possible to
accomplish that vision.  More importantly, even if you fail,
still have benefitted by adhering to your values, and can
be confident that you did your best.

What does all of this mean for attempt selection?

Basically, if you’re really struggling with attempt selection,
maybe you need a little distance between yourself and
your outcome goals. Set process goals instead and base
your meet prep cycle on a 5% improvement over your
existing PRs. At the meet itself, set conservative openers
and call your second and third attempts based on what
you feel capable of that day. This isn’t the optimal
approach if your goal is to win the meet, but it is
oftentimes the best (and sometimes only) way to ensure
that you perform your best.

Appendix 60
TECHNIQUE

Think Strong 61
Appendix 62
 After you’ve got the right equipment, you’ll want to set a
THE SQUAT bar in a squat or power rack so that it’s at roughly mid-
chest height.  Make sure to have a spotter or some other
For each of the major lifts, we’ll start with the setup. Many
safety system in place in case you’re not able to complete
lifters overlook the setup, but it’s one of the most
a rep for whatever reason.  
important parts of the squat — and the bench press and
deadlift, too.  Don’t start off at a disadvantage! You’ll also want to find your ideal squat stance, before you
even start lifting.  It’s a good idea to start with your feet
about shoulder width apart.  Generally, a narrower stance
EQUIPMENT will make it easier to hit depth (when your hip joint passes
below the level of your knee joint) and place more
Before you start squatting, make sure you’ve got the right emphasis on the quads and glutes than will a wider
equipment.  You’ll need: stance.  You’ll have to experiment to find the width where
you’re most comfortable, but if in doubt, just stick with
• A non-slip shirt.  It’s hard enough to hold the bar on
shoulder width.
your back without worrying about it rolling around.
 Get a thick, cotton shirt to squat in, and cover the
shoulder and upper back area with chalk before you
start sweating! POSITIONING THE BAR
• Wrist wraps.  It’s always a good idea to support your After you’ve braced, grab the bar and position yourself
wrists as much as possible when you’re placing a under the bar so that it’s across your shoulders and upper
fairly heavy load onto them.  Your shoulders should back.  I prefer a low bar position, where the bar rests
bear most of the weight in the squat, but there’s no mostly on the rear delts; you might want a high bar
reason to risk injury. position, where the bar rests mostly on your traps.  You’ll
• Knee wraps/sleeves.  Either or both of these are have to experiment to find which works best for you, but
great for helping to keep your knees safe and lifting generally, your bar position is okay as long as:
more weight.  
1. It’s below your cervical spine.  Tilt your head
• A belt.  I’ve tried a lot of beltless squatting, and while forward and feel for the bump at the base of your
it does strengthen the core, I’ve found that using a belt neck, between your shoulder blades.  The bar
helps me keep better form and lift more weight.

Appendix 63
 needs to be below that, not on top of it. The second method takes a bit longer, but may help you
balance when unracking a heavy weight.  Try both and see
2. It’s high enough up that you can hold it in place
which you prefer, but do not take more than three steps —
securely using your shoulders and back, not just
that’s just wasting energy.
your hands and wrists.
Finally, take one last deep breath to brace even tighter
Your grip placement is up to you, as well.  Generally, a
before beginning the descent.
closer grip will provide more upper back tightness (good)
but also more strain on the shoulders (bad).  I like to start
out with a wide grip and gradually bring it in each warm-
up set until I find that I cannot continue to bring it in
DESCENT
without shoulder pain. Once you’ve set up properly, you need to lower your hips
until they pass below the level of your knees.  Many lifters
think about the ascent as the hardest part of the squat,
but actually, if you set up properly and make a good
UNRACKING THE BAR descent, lifting the bar takes care of itself (assuming
you’re strong enough).
After you’ve braced and set under the bar, you need to
unrack by squeezing your glutes.  This will raise the bar Initiate the movement using your glutes and hamstrings.
enough to slide one foot back.  Try not to pick your foot That requires you to keep tension in those muscles while,
up off the floor, since that may cause you to lose balance at the same time, driving your knees out and keeping your
with a heavy weight.  You have two choices for the torso as vertical as possible.  The easiest way to do all
walkout: this is by using a cue, so think about  “spreading the floor”
with your feet.
1. You can take two steps back, sliding one foot and
then the other into your squat stance. It’s okay for your knees to travel forward, but you need to
keep your weight evenly distributed over your feet.  If
2. You can take three steps back, sliding one foot you’re way forward on your toes, you won’t be able to
back and towards the middle of your body, sliding engage your glutes and hamstrings properly; and if that’s
the other foot straight back, and then adjusting the the case, you might benefit from wearing a heeled squat
first foot to find your squat stance. shoe.

Appendix 64
Be patient on the descent, regardless of whether you help to power through your sticking point.
squat quickly, using a lot of rebound.  Patience will help
you to stay calm and focus on your technique.

OUT OF THE HOLE

After you’ve hit depth, you need to reverse the bar’s
motion without letting your hips rise faster than your
shoulders.  Remember, the bar is on your shoulders, so
it’s your shoulders that need to come up.  If your hips
come up first, they haven’t helped lift the bar at all.

Instead, initiate the ascent with your glutes.  A great way

to practice that is by sitting down on a high box or stool,
without any weight, and standing back up just by
squeezing your glutes, not by rocking or using your legs.
Once you’ve got that down, you can gradually lower the
height of the box or stool until you can stand up from a
squat position using your glutes.

It can also help to think about driving back, into the bar, or
driving your elbows under the bar.  Both of these cues will
help to keep your torso upright as you ascent, which, in
turn, will keep your hips underneath your shoulders.

Ascend until your knees and hips are both locked.  If
you’re performing reps, you should inhale only between
reps, not during them.  Of course, it’s okay to exhale as
you ascend, but not while you descend.  Exhaling will
cause you to lose tightness, but a forceful breath out can

Appendix 65
Appendix 66
 You’ll need to find your proper grip width and foot
THE BENCH PRESS position, too.  Generally, a closer grip will place more
emphasis on the triceps, and a wider grip on the chest.
EQUIPMENT The widest you’re allowed to grip in competition is with
index fingers on the outside rings of the bar.  The
• A non-slip shirt.  It’s even more important for the
narrowest grip I’d recommend is with index fingers at the
bench than for the squat.  You don’t want to be sliding end of the outside knurling.  Start with a shoulder-width
around with 400 pounds in your hands. grip, and experiment with other placements to find what
• Wrist wraps.  Again, much like with the squat, when works best for you.
you’re supporting a heavy weight using your wrists, it’s You’ll also need to find your proper foot position.  When
a good idea to protect them.  Tight wraps can also viewed from the side, your feet should be directly
help keep your wrists straight, which may prevent underneath your hips.  However, there’s no one right foot
elbow pain. width: a narrower stance can provide more leg drive, but
• A belt and knee sleeves.  These are totally optional, can also make it easy to accidently pick your butt up off
but some people prefer the added tightness that a belt the bench (which isn’t allowed in competition).  Again,
and knee sleeves provide, even on the bench press. you’ll need to experiment to find what width works best
 Others find them unhelpful and restrictive.  Try them for you.
and see whether they help, but don’t consider either a Finally, you need to set your arch.  You’ve probably seen
necessity. videos of fantastic benchers with unbelievable arches, and
for some people, that works.  But for most people, a huge
arch isn’t realistic, either due to flexibility issues; or
POSITIONING ON THE BENCH because a big arch means sacrificing other leverages in
exchange for a shorter range of motion.  A big arch can
Once you’ve got your gear, set up in a good bench with a make it more difficult to get a powerful leg drive, too.
wide, non-slip surface and adjustable heights.  You’ll want
I prefer a moderate arch in the lower back, and a very tight
the bar at a height where, even without a spotter, you can
arch in the upper back and scapula.  It’s very important
just barely unrack it while keeping your elbows locked.
that, throughout the entire movement, you keep your
Any lower, and you’ll have to do extra work to unrack the
shoulder blades squeezed together tightly.  This “lateral
bar.

Appendix 67
arch” both protects the muscles of the shoulder joint and first is the safer and usually stronger choice.
allows you to better incorporate your lats into the
Regardless of which option you choose, as you lower the
movement.
bar, you probably want to keep your wrists straight,
Once you’ve set your grip, stance, and arch, take a deep because a straight wrist will minimize elbow strain and, for
breath, just like you were bracing for the squat or deadlift most people, keeps the bar in a better position relative to
(you don’t need to contract your abs, though).  Then lift the forearm and shoulder.  You’ll also want to keep your
the bar out of the rack by locking your elbows.  I pecs, lats, and arms tight throughout the entire descent;
recommend having a spotter help you to unrack even like with the squat, the easiest way to do all of this is by
moderately heavy weights, because the motion of moving using a cue like “rip the bar apart.”
the bar from over your head to over your chest can place
You may have read or heard recommendations to keep
a lot of strain on the shoulders.
your elbows tucked as tightly as possible throughout the
entire movement.  That’s not a bad idea, but generally, it’s
LOWERING THE BAR more important to keep your shoulder blades tight than
your elbows.  Letting your elbows flare out helps
Just like in the squat, it’s important to lower the bar incorporate your chest — a bigger muscle than your
properly so that you’re in the best position possible to lift shoulders or triceps — so it’s not a bad thing.  You’ll want
the bar properly. to find the degree of elbow flare that maximizes your
strength off the chest without putting strain on your
There are two general approaches to the descent:
shoulders.  Again, that takes trial and error, but starting off
1. You can lower the bar under control, keeping with your elbows tucked is a fine idea.
everything as tight as you possibly can.
Finally, you should hold the weight at your chest for a brief
2. You can “drop” the bar, still maintaining some period before pressing up.  Touch-and-go reps (which
control and tightness, but allowing gravity to do omit this pause) are fine for some or even most of your
most of the work for you, and absorbing the training, but it’s important to practice pausing if you ever
weight’s momentum with your chest.
 plan to compete.

Neither option is right or wrong, but, for most people, the

Appendix 68
 order to get the bar above that point as quickly as
OFF THE CHEST possible.
If the hardest part of the squat is getting out of the hole,
the hardest part of the bench is getting the bar off your
chest — while maintaining good position!  It’s easy to
LOCKOUT
heave the bar up a couple inches, but if you lose control Once you’re past the sticking point, you just need to stay
of the bar path, it will be very difficult to save the lift. patient to secure a good lift.  It’s very possible that the bar
A strong, controlled press begins with the lats.  If you kept will continue to slow, but if it does, don’t panic!  You need
your shoulder blades retracted and lats tight during the to keep your position and the leverage it creates to
descent, you’ll be able to forcefully push up using your complete the lift.
lats to begin the motion off the chest.  You can practice First, if the bar starts to slow, try to push back, towards
this without weights: get in position on the bench as if you your head, to bring the bar directly over your eyes.  This
were about to press, and try to punch the ceiling.  As you places your triceps in their strongest position to help finish
do, focus on the movement in your back — that’s (roughly) the lift.  At the same time, keep thinking about ripping the
what you want to replicate when pressing off your chest. bar apart, or pushing out rather than up.  Again, this will
Obviously you’ll need to coordinate your lats with your help use your triceps.
traditional pressing muscles (pecs, shoulders, and Second, don’t forget about your chest.  Even at lockout,
triceps).  As you press off your chest, try to keep your your chest can help to move the bar up, so try to crunch
elbows angle steady — flaring out too early will bring the or squeeze your pecs together to get as much as you can
bar over your face and into a position where you lack the out of them.

leverage necessary to finish the lift. Finally, don’t flail.  In a competition, moving your feet or
Your goal when pressing off the chest is to generate lifting your butt up will get your lift turned down, but even
enough momentum to carry the bar through your sticking in training, those habits don’t help to make the lift easier.
point — the part of the lift where you’re weakest, and the Instead, continue driving your heels and hips back, in the
bar begins to slow down.  Generally, if you make it past direction you want the bar to go.
the sticking point, you’ll make the lift.  For most people,
the sticking point in the bench is a few inches above the
chest, so you want to press as forcefully as possible in

Appendix 69
Appendix 70
THE DEADLIFT
Choosing between a sumo and conventional stance is
EQUIPMENT important, because depending on your leverages, it can
make a huge difference.  Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to tell
• Long socks.  These help reduce the friction between if one stance feels more natural than the other, and
your bar and the shins, protect you from scrapes, and regardless, good technique for both styles is nearly
keep you from bleeding all over the platform if you do identical!  For most people, the ideal conventional stance
bump your shins too much. is somewhere around hip-width, and narrower than
shoulder width.  A sumo stance can be anywhere from
• A belt.  Just like with the squat, a belt is too much of shoulder width to the point where your feet nearly touch
an advantage to ignore on the deadlift. the inside plates on the bar; but start out with a stance
• Wrist wraps and knee sleeves.  These are totally that places your feet just outside your arms, to avoid
optional, but some people like wearing very tight wrist straining your hips.  It will take some trial and error to
wraps to help their grip, and some like wearing knee determine whether you’re better off sumo or conventional.
sleeves for added protection. Once you’ve found a good stance, you need to make a
The deadlift can be deceiving.  It looks like the simplest tight, controlled descent before you attempt to lift the bar.
lift: just pick the bar up off the floor.  But in truth, it’s a lot The “grip it and rip it” style isn’t ideal for most people,
more difficult than that, and it starts with your setup. because it makes it harder to involve the lats and
hamstrings in the lift.  Instead, keep your lats, core, glutes,
Just like in the squat and bench press, you can be and hamstrings tight as you go to grab the bar — and
successful with a wide variety of grips and stances in the when you do grab it, make sure that your arms hang
deadlift.  But unlike those first two lifts, the deadlift looks straight down, not at an angle.
really different depending on whether you pull
conventional (with feet inside of your arms) or sumo (with
feet outside your arms).  Generally, a conventional stance OFF THE FLOOR
places more emphasis on your back and quads than does
sumo, but sumo also tends to be less forgiving when it The deadlift is all about controlled aggression.  If you try
comes to technique errors.   to explode off the floor, you’re usually sacrificing tightness
and technique.  Instead, practice patience off the floor,

Appendix 71
stay in a good position, and save the aggression for complete the lift.  That doesn’t mean you need to lock
powering through your sticking point. your knees before your hips — many lifters find it easier to
lock the knees and hips at the same time.  However,
To do that, you’ll want to use your legs and glutes to break
thinking about locking your knees may help you move the
the bar off the floor.  Just like in the squat, “spread the
bar faster once it leaves the floor.
floor” is a good cue to help activate your glutes and
hamstrings, and “push the floor away” is another good If you start to struggle towards the end of the lift, you
one.  Try both and see which feels more natural.   need to stay calm and patient, not rush to complete the
lockout.  Rushing usually leads to hitching, and hitching
Throughout the whole movement, you need to keep your
always leads to missed reps.  Instead, focus on keeping
core and back tight, by bracing your abs and pulling your
your core tight and squeezing your glutes to push your
lats down towards the bar.  Pulling your lats down before
hips through and finish the movement.  Forcefully exhaling
you begin the lift will help you to keep a flat lower back
can sometimes help to power through that last inch or
throughout the lift and put your body in the ideal position
two.
to finish.  It also might make the bar move more slowly off
the floor.  That’s okay — better a slow lift than no lift at all.
LOWERING THE BAR
LOCKOUT After lockout, don’t drop the bar!  In a competition,
dropping the bar will cause you to miss lifts, and even in
As soon as the bar leaves the floor, you need to
the gym, it’ll throw off your form and make your next rep
accelerate.  Your goal is to generate enough bar speed to
more difficult than it should be.  Instead, lower the bar
help power through the sticking point — which, for most
under control by pushing your hips back and keeping your
people, is somewhere between just below knee level and
lats and core tight as the bar moves downward.
lockout.

To accelerate, continue focusing on either spreading or

pushing through the floor.  Your goal is to lock your knees
as quickly as you can; as long as you kept a good position
off the floor, if you can lock your knees, you’ll be able to
use your upper back to help bring your hips through and

Appendix 72
Appendix 73
 overhead pulley crunch or crunch on a Swiss ball are both
CORE/AB TRAINING great ways to practice this feeling of tightness.
Squats and deadlifts begin with your core — your abs and Once you’ve fully engaged your abs, you need to generate
lower back. These major muscle groups stabilize your intra-abdominal pressure. While holding the crunch
torso during the lifts, keeping it in a strong and safe position, exhale forcefully, trying to blow all the air out of
position. The ideal core position balances the load your lungs. Then — keeping your abs tight the whole time
between your back, hips, legs, and glutes. — inhale deep into your diaphragm and “push out”
against that tightness, like you were drawing in a huge
To find this ideal position, you need to “brace” your
breath to blow up the world’s biggest balloon. When done
abs and lower back. Many trainers use a cue like “push
properly, you should feel like you have a wall of muscle
out” to convey the idea of intra-abdominal tightness, but
supporting your entire core, from your hips to your rib
that’s not nearly enough.
cage.
First, you need to properly engage your upper and lower
The first time you do it, this whole process will seem
abs. I like to start with the lower abs, and I think about
exhausting. You’ll need to practice. Fortunately, this is
using them to rotate or pull my hips towards my
the position you should keep for ALL of your abs
shoulders. Some other good cues include “scooping”
exercises, whether they’re planks, sit-ups, leg raises, or
your abs, or “drawing in,” trying to pull your navel towards
anything else, so you should have plenty of opportunities!
your spine. If you have trouble with this and cues aren’t
Every time you train abs, try to practice holding this
helping, try lying down flat on the floor and crunching your
position. It will strengthen quickly, and you’ll see big gains
abs together, as if you were trying to squeeze a penny in
in your squat and deadlift just from training this position.
your belly button. Then push your lower back into the floor
as hard as you can. Try to replicate that feeling of
tightness while standing up.

Second, you need to engage your upper abs in the same

way. I use almost the same cue here, thinking about using
my upper abs to crunch down and rotate my shoulders
towards my hips. If that doesn’t work for you, trying
thinking about “bearing down” with your rib cage. The

Appendix 74
BENT-OVER ROW REVERSE
1. Begin by loading a barbell on the floor as if you were
HYPEREXTENSION
preparing to deadlift. 1. Load the machine with a very light weight (20 pounds
2. Hinge at the hips, keeping your core braced, back is a good place to start).
flat, and butt high. Your knees should be soft but not 2. Position yourself in the usual way, with your chest as
bent. Direct your gaze a few feet in front of the close to the pad as possible, hip crease against the
barbell. edge of the pad, and strap behind ankles.

3. Initiate the movement using your rear delts and lats, Keep your toes and heels together throughout the
not your arms or traps. If you’re having trouble, try entire movement.
focusing on driving your elbows backward, as if you 3. Begin the lift by contracting your glutes, while
were trying to elbow someone behind you in the gut. keeping your abs tight.  Try to bring your feet up to
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the level of your torso.
the movement, and try to hold that position for a full 4. At the top of the movement, squeeze your glutes and
second. hold for a one-second count.
5. Lower the barbell all the way to the floor under 5. Lower the weight under control.
control, and let it rest briefly on the floor before
performing the next rep. 6. Repeat for the required reps.

Appendix 75
 getting stronger if you do more reps at the cost of
CHIN/PULL UP range of motion.
1. Begin with a safe setup. You should have a stable 7. Don’t use momentum. Some people have good
chinning bar (no over-the-door BS), and an easy way reasons for performing kipping pull-ups, but if you’re
to take your grip (no 18-inch jumps to grab the bar). a powerlifter, you do not. The easiest way to avoid
Use a block or chair to get up if you have to. swinging too much is by bracing your core and
flexing your glutes as you perform the movement.
2. Set your hands about shoulder-width apart, with
palms facing you (supinated). If you prefer to have
your palms facing away, that’s fine, too.
GLUTE-HAM RAISE
3. After you grab the bar, depress your scapula (pull
your shoulders down). This will take some of the 1. Position yourself on the GHR with your whole foot
strain off your rotator cuff muscles. pressed against the back plate, your ankles directly
between the foot pads, and your knees aligned with
4. Squeeze yourself up towards the bar by pulling with the bottom of the large front pad. Your knees should
your lats. This is tricky, especially if you don’t have a be bent at about a 45-degree angle.
lot of lat development yet. Some cues that might
help: 2. Brace your core and glutes, and extend your knees
by driving your toes against the back plate until your
• “Elbows down” body is parallel to the floor.
• “Pull the bar apart” 3. Return to the starting position by driving your heels
• “Don’t pull with your hands” back towards the back plate, squeezing your
hamstrings and glutes and keeping your core tight.
5. All of these will help to avoid using your biceps too
much (although you will have some bicep 4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
involvement).

6. Continue pulling until either (A) your chin is over the

bar or (B) your chest touches the bar. Either is okay,
but make sure you’re consistent. You’re not really

Appendix 76
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Part of learning to Think Strong is learning to acknowledge the people who help you
get strong. I cannot thank these people enough for all of their support, but I hope I
can give back to them a little of how much they have given to me.

77
Staci Ardison has contributed to this project, and to my life, in ways that I can’t fully describe. I’m so grateful to her for
her trust in and support of me. She has challenged me to reexamine the way I think about everything — training included
— and I would not have learned to Think Strong or be strong without her.

Dominic Morais and Jacob Cloud are by far the two most influential people in my training, and two of the most influential
people in my life. I can’t overstate all they’ve done for me with their patience and friendship, and I can’t describe how
supporting it is to know that I can rely on them for advice — good advice — about anything. And their perspective on
training and technique alone has added more to my total than anything else; they deserve as much credit for my lifting
success as I do.

Tammy Hudson has done so much to keep my going, and I have never met another sport massage therapist with as
much knowledge of the body and how to fix it. Her support and friendship have been just as important to me, and I’m
grateful to have met her.

All of my family at Big Tex Gym and Hyde Park Gym in Austin have pushed me to continually improve, and I am extremely
grateful for that. Everyone talks about how important it is to have a “hardcore” gym environment for motivation, but fewer
recognize how much of a difference it makes when you train with family. Intense training partners can push you to work
harder when you’re not feeling it, but a family can keep you going through the good times and the hard ones.

I’m also grateful to my parents for everything they’ve given to me. I know that it took them a while to come around to
powerlifting, and I appreciate that they were open-minded enough to support me just because lifting is important to me,
even when they maybe didn’t understand why.

And finally, I’m so proud to be a member of Team EliteFTS. I’m thankful to Dave Tate for giving me this opportunity, to
Sheena Leedham and Andy Hingsbergen for their help in navigating the team processes, and to the entire team for all of
their support and friendship. To live, learn, and pass on really encompasses everything that I want to get out of this sport,
and really out of my entire life, and so it’s incredibly fulfilling to be a part of something bigger than myself, where everyone
can share that vision.

Acknowledgements 78
WANT MORE?

79
If you’re made it this far, and still think you could use a
little more guidance, I offer online programming for both
training and nutrition. I’ve worked with powerlifters,
bodybuilders, fire and safety officials, and general training
enthusiasts of all levels. If you’re interested in training with
me, please contact me via email at [email protected].

Here are a few testimonials from some of my clients:

“I would have to say [my meet] ended up being

successful... just a special day that I’ll always remember.
Definitely couldn’t have done any of this without your
guidance and help throughout this whole process.”

“Thank you so much for your help. You have significantly

helped me progress in my lifting journey... I’ll take your
words to heart and I hope to share the platform with you
in the future.”

“[Training is] a bombastic bomb... my body and

especially my strength is responding well!”

“Literally the perfect weights. I don’t know how you

picked them but they were just right... I’ll do your
programs forever.”

Services 80