Your “Key” Lifts are the ones you want to focus on.
I would recommend you take a video of you doing your top set from one or two different angles to track your progress on your form.
Before you do the workouts, watch the videos linked at the bottom under the “Videos” section to see the form for these exercises. After the workout, compare your form to the videos at the bottom to identify any improvements you need to make.
Any lifts that are not key are accessory movements that are not the priority of progression. Use them to pump blood into the muscles and develop a better mind-muscle connection to get the most out of each rep for growth.
Super refers to superset. When you finish the first exercise, immediately start the set for the next exercise. Make sure to push yourself!
If you need to change any exercises: (not recommended)
Hack squats can be done with machines or even a barbell with a traditional squat (but this would be a lighter day)
Stiff-Leg Deadlift can be done as a romanian deadlift instead, however, you can also reduce the range of motion by elevating the weights and reducing the necessity for flexibility while keeping the legs straight(ish).
Use machines if you need more stability to hit the muscles more directly.
#2
Your Job
Stay in a Good Spot this Block
Picking the right amount of weight and sets is vital in the first week. It is better to start comfortably and challenge yourself in the following weeks.
As you read this section, think strategically about your workout and write down the weight, sets, and rep range in the Workout Plan PDF that set you up for success.
Rep Range
• Key Lifts = 3-5 Reps
• Accessory Lifts: 12-15 Reps
The reps may come up slightly from the previous week which is a chance to get a small break before we continue building volume with practicing technique.
The goal is to practice your technique to lift the most weight possible in a stable way in the weeks to come. It is important to start week 1 at the top of the rep range, so as the weight increases over the weeks and the reps fall, you will still fall within the correct range. This means you will want to pick a weight that allows you to do 5 reps with your key lifts and 15 reps with your accessory lifts this week. The rep range is higher on accessory movements to reduce the likelihood of lifting too heavy on these exercises and adding neural fatigue.
Weight
• 4 RIR
• 70-80% of 1RM
• Weight Feels: Rep Should Fly
This weight selection criteria applies to Key Lifts Only.
Weight selection is always an estimate that is confirmed by actual performance. Use these different metrics to identify the weight that allows you to stay at the top of the rep range for each exercise to give you leeway in the upcoming weeks.
4 RIR (Reps in Reserve) means that you should finish the set with 4 reps away from failure where you aren’t able to lift the weight without breaking form or at all. This does not have to be a perfect measurement. All that matters is that you are close to assure your weight is not too heavy or too light. This is the most important metric to follow!
70-80% of 1 rep max (1RM) means that you will use around 3 quarters of your 1 rep max for your sets. It is always better to go lighter than you think and control the weight more in the first week to make the weight feel heavier than it is. This is a weight that you should be able to do a maximal effort set of 8 with.
A weight where reps fly for an exercise is one that makes you feel like you feel like you are moving the weight at near maximal speed.
You might wonder why we are starting so light. It is important to develop coordination in exercises before trying to lift heavy because even if you lifted your hardest on week 1, you would lack the coordination to lift heavy weight effectively. By starting light, we limit fatigue and allow coordination to build over the weeks to lift maximal weights by the end of the block with great technique and control.
Accessory Lifts are meant to add muscle to your weak points. I would recommend that you lift lighter weights on these and use them to train muscles more like a bodybuilder. Stick to 4 RIR and try to get a good stretch on the muscle, hard contraction, and huge pump.
Sets
• Key Lifts: 2-3 Sets
• Accessory Lifts: 1-3 Sets
This is the number of sets you will want to start with for each exercise in the first week.
We want to bias our training volume to focus on the most important lifts for each workout. Our goal is to practice technique but not annihilate the muscle or nervous system.
For the first week, try to do the fewest number of sets with the weight you can easily do. This keeps fatigue low at the beginning of the block and allows you to focus on ingraining perfect repeatable technique before you start challenging your technique with heavier weights.
Rest
• Key Lifts = As Much as needed (~2min)
• Accessory Lifts: 30s-60s
This is the amount of time you want to rest between working sets on week 1.
You can apply this rest period to warm up sets and between exercises, if you choose, but it is up to you. The main takeaway is that shorter rest periods between working sets prevent you from going too heavy which is good for the first week by keeping fatigue low and allowing more thorough technique practice.
Make sure your rest periods are not too short where it compromises your form!
Example
Fill out the table with your expected weights and sets before you go workout, so you have a clear mission. Then adjust based on actual performance.
