My favorite Back Routine

This is my personal favorite back routine. Sometimes the sets and reps will change but I like this group of lifts. Tend to hit the entire back very well.

Deadlifts- 6 sets x 1-8 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows- 5 sets x 6-10 reps
Close Grip Pulldowns- 5 x 8-15 reps
Seated Rows- 5 x 10-15 reps
One Arm Pulldowns- 5 x 8-12 reps

I usually cycle the deadlifts on a 4 week wave.

Week 1- Moderate weight for rep ranges of 5-8.
Week 2- Perform singles working up to a one rep max.
Week 3 and 4- No deadlifts. Instead I go heavier on the bent over rows.I will then do heavy bent over dumbbell rows as well.

If I do deadlifts I might only go up to 225 or 255 on bent over rows. On weeks 3 and 4 I will work up to 315 or more. Then for the bent over dumbbell rows I will go very heavy on week 3 to say 180 to 200 and then on week 4 I will do then with very strict form two arms at once with a lighter weight.

I am a big believer in the one arm pulldowns. They are a great finisher for the back.

My Favorite Training Splits

If you have been following this blog or my previous training blog you will know that we change up our training split every so often. Sometimes we do this because we want to experiment with new methods. Recently we felt that training our legs one day a week was not enough. We decided to do two training sessions a week. One of the days would focus on more quad dominant lifts while the other day would focus on more hamstring dominant lifts. We will try this new method for a few months and see how it works. Sometimes we change things up simply to keep things fresh. The human body has a tendency to adapt to stimulus after repeated exposure. Small adjustments made to your routine might be just the thing you need to break through a plateau. Below is a list of some of our favorite routines.

Current Routine-
Sunday- Chest
Monday- Quad Dominant Leg Day
Tuesday- Shoulders/Arms
Wednesday- Back
Thursday- Hamstring Dominant Leg Day
Friday- Arms
Saturday- Off

Sometimes we will do some light back work on chest day and some light chest work on back day. It just depends on how we feel that week.

3 Days On and 1 Day Off
Day 1- Chest and Back
Day 2- Shoulders and Arms
Day 3- Legs
Day 4- Off
Then Repeat

This is a good split if you are a big fan of supersets utilizing opposing body parts. The chest and back work well in this regard.  5 Supersets of bench press with wide grip chin ups will really get you're heart rate up. This split pairs a pushing muscle group (quads, chest, triceps, etc.) with a pulling muscle group (lats, biceps, hamstrings, etc.). A variation would be pairing all your upper body pushing muscles on day 1, all your upper body pulling muscles on day 2, and your legs on day 3.

Day 1- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 2- Back and Biceps
Day 3- Legs

The theory behind this is that when you train say your back you're biceps will also come into play quite a bit so it would make sense to train the biceps on that day as well. While in theory this works well a lot of people find that the first muscle group trained that day will be hit hard but the rest become an after thought. This can be quite true. Say on day 1 you train your chest first and hit it really hard with a lot of bench pressing movements. During those lifts the shoulders and triceps will be heavily utilized during the lifts fatiguing them. You may find that by time you start training your shoulders they are too taxed to really work them hard.

Another split we like is the two heavy and two light days a week split based around the 3 powerlifts  (bench press, squat, deadlift). It might look like this.

Sunday- Heavy Bench Press Day followed by chest, shoulder, and triceps work.
Monday- Off
Tuesday- Light Squat/Heavy Deadlift Day followed by leg, back, and biceps work.
Wednesday- Off
Thursday- Light Bench Press Day followed by chest, shoulder, and triceps work
Friday- Heavy Squats/Light Deadlifts followed by leg, back, and biceps work.
Saturday- Off

The benefits of this routine is that it allows for ample days for recovery (3), hits each bodypart twice a week, and never has two back to back heavy training sessions. This is a great layout for those looking to really build some strength while packing on some mass. I like to alternate between this layout and the one we are currently doing. Spending four months on each split before switching.

If you really want to push your training to a higher level you can do the 3 days on 1 day off double split routine.

Day 1 AM- Chest  PM- Arms
Day 2 AM- Back   PM- Shoulders
Day 3 AM- Quads PM- Hamstrings
Day 4- Off
Repeat

This means 12 training sessions a week. It would be hard for most people to make it to the gym twice a day 6 days a week but for those who live in the gym like we do, it can be a good alternative.

An even tougher split would be the one favored by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Monday AM- Legs   PM- Chest and Back
Tuesday - Shoulders and Arms
Wednesday AM- Legs PM- Chest and Back
Thursday- Shoulders and Arms
Friday AM- Legs    PM- Chest and Back
Saturday- Shoulders and Arms
Sunday- Off

All I will say that this kind of split is not for the faint of heart. I am running out of time right now, but I will expand upon some of these double split high volume routines in a later entry.

Do you have what it takes?????

-Note this entry is not in relation to the personal training service. This entry is about finding people who want to train with the Deadlifter's Fortress Team. If you are interested in Quickstrike Fitness Solutions and personal training do not let this entry scare you off. This only applies to people wanting to train in a hardcore atmosphere and style.-


So do you have what it takes? The Deadlifter's Fortress is looking for some new blood who want to be a part of the "team". Being a part of the team includes training in a hardcore gym atmosphere and getting pushed to limits you thought weren't possible. You also will get a nice team shirt and a custom gym bag after a year. But before you get too excited you need to know what will be expected of you.

1. We have four main training sessions a week. I usually train 6 days a week sometimes more than once a day. If you are interested in training more than by all means train more. The main sessions are currently Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. These are not set in stone per se in that we can work to accommodate everyone's schedule.

And when I say we have four main training sessions a week, that means your ass is there for all four. Being tired or sore doesn't mean a damn thing at the Deadlifter's Fortress. We do understand there are things like work and family obligations that can arise but if you regularly miss training sessions your ass will be bounced off the team before you can say "but wait." I have no use for you if you are not there in the gym pushing yourself. And if you claim you can't make a training session because you have work and some other excuse and I find out you are lying you are gone no matter what. There's no place for lying.

2. You must be ready to train harder than you ever have in your entire life. Call it a personality disorder or maybe a sick fetish, but I will try my hardest to break you. I will do everything in my power to make you quit. I will have you grind out set after set past the point of exhaustion. There is a reason we keep a big bucket in the gym, it is because you will throw up at some point. It is not unusual for me to do 50-100 set training sessions at times.

I will not yell at you. I will not be mean. I am not some wannabe drill instructor. Instead I will just smile and say "ready to stop?" I will pester you. I will tell you that you are getting tired. I might even say "man I am beat, maybe we should cut this short." It is a trick though. I want you to fold up. You will go home and I will be back in the gym an hour later grinding out more sets. Do this once and I will give you another chance. Do it a second time and I might warn you. But if you fold up like a pretzel 3 times, well then you might want to go join Planet Fitness or some other place more accepting of losers.

I won't do this forever. It is kind of like a hazing period. I want to make sure you have what it takes to keep me going if I ever start to fold up.

3. You have to respect the equipment. I have worked my ass off, borrowed, begged, bartered, and done vile things to get our equipment. It is not complete but it does contain everything you need to bodybuild or powerlift. I am constantly looking for new equipment and constantly adding to what we have.

We also ask for a small donation each month to help with the upkeep of the gym and equipment. I will not post the amount on here but trust me, it is so minor that it is not a factor.

4. Be prepared for getting out of your comfort zone. There is no air conditioning in the gym. It does get hotter than hell in the summer. But you are here to train right? So if this is at all a concern for you than you are definitely not cut out for this.

That is really the only rules we have. Basically if you come prepared to work harder than you ever have, won't give up, won't miss sessions, respect the equipment and owners, than you have a place here. We offer you the same things we expect of you. Cursing, grunting, screaming, loud music, chalk, blood, and sweat are all encouraged in our gym. We do not have any requirements for competing but we do like to hold informal gym competitions and we do expect participation in that.

If you think you have what it takes then contact us via Email or on Facebook.

Legend of Physical Culture: Don Reinhoudt

Don Reinhoudt

What can I say about this man? Pretty much his records speak for themselves. He currently holds the highest raw (without the use of squat suits or bench shirts) powerlifting total (combination of your bench press, deadlift, and squat) in history. He made this historic total in 1975 with a bench press of 610 lbs, squat of 931 lbs, and a deadlift of 850 lbs. He is the only man to win the International Powerlifting Federation's World Superheavyweight Championship 4 years in a row. He set and broke over 40 powerlifting records during his lifting career and still holds the record for the highest raw squat without knee wraps of 934 lbs. 

To really add to his legendary status he also was the 1979 Worlds Strongest Man champion, as well as a runner up in the 1978 championship. In 1979 he beat out a young Bill Kazmaier, a man who would go on to win the competition 3 years in a row. He competed in the 1980 event but suffered a career ending bicep and hamstring tear during one of the early events. 

Big Don Getting Ready For A Big Bench Press

Born in Brocton, New York in 1945 Don was a standout basketball player, football player, and shot putter at Fredonia High School. He started lifting weights at age 18 while attending college. Initially he competed in weightlifting before switching over to powerlifting in 1969. Despite his imposing stature (being 6'3" and competing at 375 lbs.) Big Don was one of the kindest people you would ever meet. 

I believe this photo was taken during a car lift competition at the WSM

One of the things I find most interesting about Big Don is that his coach and training partner were the same person, his wife. This is taken from an article written by Terry Todd in 1978-

"And while I'm on the subject of the various things which helped big Don set 20 world records and dominate the superheavies for the last four years, I want to be sure to give the proper credit where credit is due, because he didn't do it alone. He couldn't have done it without his coach. He couldn't have done it without his longtime training partner, and he couldn't have done it without his masseuse. Fortunately for Don and fortunately for lifting, his wife not only isn't jealous of these close relationships, she couldn't be jealous of them because they were with her. You see, Don's wife coaches him, lifts with him, and when she has a couple of hours to kill, rubs him down. (Rubbing him down would be rather like painting the Titanic, I'd imagine.)

For years, Don and Cindy have trained together, coaching one another in their basement gym as well as on the platforms of the world in international competition. In my time I've seen many close personal relationships in lifting, but I've never seen one as close as theirs."

My wife, Missy, and I have been training together since November of 2011. She has been by far the best training partner and now coach that I have ever had. I rely on her feedback constantly to let me know if I am heading in the right direction. I know that I can trust her judgment and I also know that I can rely on her to be consistent in training. 

Here is what I could glean about Big Don's training style. He trained four main sessions a week, 2 for his lower body (squat and deadlift) and 2 for his upper body (bench press). This is quite common among powerlifters allowing for one heavy and one light training session a week for each of the main lifts. Unusual for a powerlifter, he almost always wore straps when deadlifting and never trained his grip separately. Like most powerlifters in his day he would run through 12 week cycles, starting with lower weights and working up to higher weights. He is an example of how he cycled his squats and deadlifts in the five weeks leading up to one meet. 

First Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
805 x 3
865 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
805 x 3


Second Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
810 x 3
875 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
810 x 3


Third Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
815 x 3
885 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
820 x 1


Fourth Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
820 x 3
900 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
860 x 1


Fifth Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x2
760 x 2
825 x 3
920 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
880 x 1

I really admire this man a lot. It says something when you hold a record for almost 40 years. Raw powerlifting in gaining in popularity so I am sure at some point his record might fall but there will never be another Big Don. A true legend and all around great guy. Still very active in helping out the strength community. 

Legends of Physical Culture: Bruce Wilhelm

Note- the Legends of Physical Culture is a new series I am writing for this blog that details important people in the history of strength based athletics. It will cover people who have competed in bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting, strongman, throwing sports, and even sports such as football. I feel it is important that we look back to the early pioneers of these competitions so we know how they were shaped. When the information is available I will also post the way that they trained (often times this is based more on hearsay than facts so keep that in mind). Many of these men competed in multiple fields of strength based sport. This first entry in the series covers Bruce Wilhelm, a shot and discus thrower, Olympic weightlifter, and winner of the first and second World's Strongest Man Competition.

Bruce Wilhelm

Born in Sunnyvale, California in 1945, Bruce Wilhelm would become a track and field star athlete for his high school. In 1963 Bruce won the California Interscholastic Federation's California State Meet shot put championship and was a runner up in the discus competition. He would go on to attend Stanford University competing in shot, discus and wrestling. He finished the 1965 season undefeated in wrestling with 21 victories. 

He placed in the top 10 US Men's shot rankings for 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973, and still holds #251 on the All-time World Shotput Records. After the 1972 Olympics Bruce committed himself to the sport of weightlifting. Wilhelm became a weightlifter, and was the US National AAU Super Heavyweight Weightlifting Champion for both 1975 and 1976. He won a silver medal for the United States at the 1975 Pan-American Games in the +110 kg division, and placed 5th at the 1976 Olympic Games.

Much of this information is courtesy of Wikipedia

Big Bruce Getting Ready for a Lift

Billed as 6'2" in height and 320 pounds, Bruce Wilhelm was a big man with a big personality as seen in his victories at the first and second World's Strongest Man competitions(1977 and 1978). These first few World's Strongest Man competitions were much different than what they have later become. They were largely contested by Americans and included powerlifters, weightlifters, throwers, pro-wrestlers, football players, and even arm wrestling champions. For the first few events the winner would be determined by a one on one tug of war match at the end. For the 1978 finals Bruce Wilhelm was pitted against legendary powerlifter (and eventual 1979 WSM champion) Don Reinhoudt. 

 

There was some legitimate animosity between the two competitors. Don Reinhoudt was a very humble and likeable man and Bruce was a bit of a loudmouth and cocky person. He kept calling Don Reinhoudt a fat boy and seemed to not respect him as an athlete. For his part, Don had a lot of respect for Bruce but did not like the attitude Bruce had towards their fellow competitors. For most of the even Don was beating Bruce though by the last even Bruce had regained the lead. Having watched the even myself, there is no doubt that Don was the much stronger of the two men but Bruce was likely the much better overall athlete. 

Rather than describe the actual tug of war match I will simply post a link to a youtube video of the event. I would highly recommend taking the six of so minutes to check out the video. It is a great back and forth battle. 

It would seem that after 1978 Bruce Wilhelm retired from competing but has remained very active in the strength athletics world. He has written numerous books and articles on training. I am going to post up a few tidbits from things he has written over the years. 

This is a routine he said he used in preparation for the World's Strongest Man.

Tuesday
Power Snatch – up to 330 or 352 x 1.
Snatch Grip Hi-Pull – up to 396 for 2 sets of 3 reps.
Stiff-leg Deadlift – 474 x 10.
Back Squat – 683 for 2 sets of 3.

Thursday
Bent-Leg Good Morning – to 396 x 5.
Push Press – 462 x 3.

Saturday
Power Clean and Jerk – to 452 x 1.
Clean Grip Hi-Pull – 507 x 2 sets of 3.
Back Squat – 485 x 5 sets of 3.

 Now this was posted in an article he wrote on deadlift training so I am not sure if this is simply what he did for his deadlift and his complete training regime. There is only one upper body lift but the majority of the early strongman events focused solely on lower body strength. He did say that doing heavy bent leg good mornings really improved his deadlift and I have found the same to be true for me. My deadlift has never been stronger than when I did very heavy good mornings. Unfortunately for me I have found that good mornings tend to bring about upper back spasms so I have had to avoid them (and my deadlift has suffered as a result). 

 I would highly recommend looking into more things that Bruce Wilhelm has written. He is a pioneer of strength athletics and holds a wealth of information. 

Coming Next- Bruce Wilhelm's rival, Don Reinhoudt.