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The Program
Deadlift Walks First, go to the power rack in your gym and kick out the Body-for-Lifer who,
for some unknown reason, is in there doing kickbacks. Next, move the hooks (barbell supports)
to the front of the power rack (the outside) and set them at a level just below your knees. You
may also be able to use the safety supports depending on the type of equipment you have.
Load a bar with approximately 65% of your raw deadlift 1RM. ("Raw" means using no belts,
suits, straps, wraps or gigantic springs attached to your ass.) Place the bar on the floor directly in
front of the power rack about two full steps away from the hooks. Assume a shoulder-width
stance with your grip outside of your legs. Use a symmetrical pronated grip (palms facing you),
not the mixed powerlifter's grip.
I suggest you lift the load using Ian King's deadlift guidelines found here. Once you reach
lockout, take two steps forward, reset your stance, and lower the bar onto the hooks. As soon as
you release muscular tension, re-lift the load, take two steps backward, stop, reset your stance,
and lower to the ground. That's the first rep. Without resting, repeat for the prescribed number of
reps. If you don't have access to a power rack you can set the bar on a bench.
Sternum Chin-Ups This is one of my favorite upper body exercises because it works the
upper body pulling muscles in the vertical and horizontal plane. What more could you ask for in
one movement?
Start with a supinated, shoulder-width grip (this can vary slightly in or out depending on your
strength levels), hang in the fully stretched position and pull yourself up while simultaneously
arching your back and lifting your hips. At the top of the movement your torso and hips should
be approximately 45 degrees in relation to the floor. At this point, the lower portion of your
sternum should be touching the bar. Lower and repeat.
If you can't perform this exercise due to inadequate strength levels, perform it on a cable
pulldown machine. Initiate the movement with your trunk perpendicular to the ground (vertical).
At the midway point of the movement, start leaning back while you're still pulling until your
trunk is just above parallel to the ground (horizontal). At this point, the bar should be touching
your lower sternum/upper abdominal area. Reverse and repeat.
Use this exercise if necessary, but your goal should be to progress to the chin-up bar as fast as
possible because sternum cable pulldowns aren't the same as the "real thing," no matter what the
chubby personal trainer at your gym tells you.
Overhead Press Squats If I could only perform one exercise, this would be it. Why? Because
it challenges many different aspects of physical preparedness. In fact, I often have new clients
perform this exercise to see how coordinated or flexible they are.
Inside the power rack or squat rack, set the hooks just below the level of your clavicle. Place a
barbell on the hooks. Grip the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width pronated grip (this
could vary depending on your shoulder flexibility). Unrack and step back with the bar resting
across the clavicular portion of your chest. This position should look like you're about to perform
a standing military press.
Start with your feet just wider than shoulder width and slightly rotated out to "open up" the hip
joint. Descend into the bottom of a full squat while simultaneously pressing the bar overhead.
Hold it overhead while ascending from the bottom of the full squat. At this point, you should be
standing up with the bar overhead. Now lower the bar down to the shoulders (starting position).
Repeat sequence for the prescribed number of reps.
This exercise requires a lot of shoulder flexibility and coordination so don't expect it to be easy at
first. Also, be careful when selecting the load because you probably won't be able to lift as much
as you think. You may need to perform some contract/relax stretches for the shoulder girdle
before executing this movement.
The Plan
Now that you know the exercises, let's get to the parameters of the workout routine:
Frequency: 2 times per week evenly spaced (Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday, etc.)
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 3-5
Workout #1
Warm-up
A) Running in place
Duration: 20 seconds
Tip: Lift your knees up as high as possible
Rest: 0 seconds
B) Jumping Jacks
Durations: 20 seconds
Tip: Go for maximum hip abduction/adduction
Rest: 0 seconds
C) Squat Thrusts*
Duration: 20 seconds
Tip: Perform a small hop at the top of the movement
Rest: 0 seconds
Repeat all three for 3-5 cycles.
*A squat thrust is same thing as a "burpee." From a standing position, jump as high as possible
and land down on your haunches with your hands on the ground. Kick your feet
Workout #2
(3-4 days later): For this workout, you go through the exercises in circuit fashion. Do one set of
deadlift walks, then one set of chins, and finally one set of shoulder press squats. Then repeat the
circuit.
Warm-up
Same as Workout 1
Additional Guidelines
Execute this routine for 6 to 8 weeks before switching programs.
Don't work to failure until the last set (and even then it's still optional).
Increase the load 5% once you reach the rep limit on every set.
Performing a supplemental exercise with each workout is optional. If you include them, they
must be different exercises for different muscle groups in each workout. For example, in
Workout #1 the supplemental exercise could be reverse hypers; in Workout #2 it could be dips.
Try to include 10 to 15 minutes of high-intensity aerobic work (jumping rope, sprints, etc.) on
three of your "off" days.
All exercises must be performed raw. If your gripping muscles are weak, they're going to get a
much-needed boost in this program!
Conclusion
Here we are, twenty-five years after the original "Big Three" program was written. If you just
want to mix things up and kick your total body development into gear, give this new version a
trial run. The program is abbreviated enough to allow you to build a multi-million dollar
company or get your PhD and raise ten kids, but it's also effective enough to make you a big
strong monster who scares pets and small neighbor children!
Best of luck!