Day 178

A.) Front Squat (3-2-1-3-2-1-6) 

Rest 2 minutes between sets

80% x 3 

85% x 2

90% x 1

85% x 3

90% x 2

95% x 1

80% x 6

B.) Bulgarian Split Squat (3 x 8), across (each leg)

C.) Cable Pull Through (3 x 12), across

- Sub Banded Good Mornings (3 x 15-20) if you do not have a cable machine.

D.) Cable (or Banded) kneeling crunches (3 x 15)

E.) MetCon:

10 Rounds

200m row
30 Sec. rest

Day 177

A.) Weighted Chin-Up 

Work up to 3RM

B.) Stationary Dips (2 x MAX)

Rest 3 minutes between max efforts.

C.) Superset

DB Single Arm Row (4 x 12)
Rest 30s
BPA (4 x 20)
Rest 30s

D.) Superset

DB Overhead Tricep Extension (3 x 12)
Rest 30s
Hammer Curls (3 x 12)
Rest 30s

Day 172

A.) Incline Barbell Bench (3RM)

B.) DB Floor Press (2 x MAX)

C.) Single Arm DB Row (4 x 10)

C2.) Rehab Muscle Snatch (4 x 10)

D1.) Seated Row (3 x 10)

D2) MB Clench Push-Up (3 x 20)

E.) Dumbbell Shrugs (3 x 12) – Shrug up and back, not up and forward.

Day 151

Max-Effort Upper Body

"Not much about the max-effort movement has changed since my original article was published. I still prefer a 3-5 rep max (RM) - as opposed to a 1RM - for my skinny bastards. The one thing that has changed – you’ll notice this later on in this article - is the second movement on max-effort upper body day. We recently started having our athletes perform two high-rep sets of an exercise immediately following the max-effort movement.

This high-rep movement is usually an exercise that’s closely related to the max-effort movement. For example, if our athletes performed a 3RM in the bench press, their second exercise may be two sets of dumbbell benches. We don’t do this all the time, but it’s a new “twist” in our templates that wasn’t covered in previous articles." 

- Joe Defranco

A.) Max-Effort Exercise – work up to a max set of 3-5 reps in one of the following exercises:

• Thick bar or regular barbell bench press
• Barbell floor press
• Rack lockouts / Suspended chain lockouts
• Incline barbell bench press (regular grip or close grip)
• Close-grip bench press (index finger on smooth part of bar)
• Weighted chin-ups
• Board presses or foam presses
• Chain bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)
• Band bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)
• Reverse band bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)

B.) Supplemental Exercise – perform 2 sets of max reps in one of the following exercises. 

(Choose a weight you can perform for 15-20 reps on the 1st set. Use the same weight for both sets and rest 3-4 minutes between sets).

• Flat DB bench press (palms in or out)
• Incline DB bench press (palms in or out)
• DB floor press (palms in)
• Barbell push-ups (wearing weighted vest)
• Blast strap push-ups (wearing weighted vest)
• “Criss-cross” chain push-ups
• “Triceps death”
• Chin-ups (don’t perform these if you chose to do weighted chin-ups for your first exercise)

C.) Horizontal pulling / Rear delt superset - Superset one exercise from “Group 1” with one exercise from “Group 2.” Perform 3-4 supersets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.

Group 1

• DB rows
• Barbell rows
• Seated cable rows (various bars)
• T-bar rows
• Chest supported rows

Group 2

• Rear delt flyes
• Scarecrows
• Face pulls
• Seated DB “power cleans”
• Band pull-aparts

D.) Traps – Perform 3 – 4 sets of 8-15 reps of one of the following exercises:

• DB shrugs
• Barbell shrugs
• Safety squat bar shrugs
• Behind the back barbell shrugs

E.) Elbow flexor exercise - Perform 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps of one of the following exercises:

• Barbell curls (regular or thick bar)
• DB curls (standing)
• Seated Incline DB curls
• Hammer curls
• Zottmann curls
• Iso-hold DB curls

Here's what we did:

A.) Thick Bar Bench Press (Fat Gripz)

- Work up to 5RM

B.) Incline DB  Bench Press (2 x max)

C1.) Seated Row 4 x 12

C2.) TRX Scarecrow 4 x 12

D.) DB Shrugs 3 x 10

D1.) Barbell Curls 3 x 10

D2.) Rope Tricep Push-Down 3 x 15

Track Session Template

Here is a overview on how we set up our Speed/Agility work:

• General Warm-up / Movement skills (5-15 minutes) – The goal of this portion of the workout is to increase your core temperature by performing basic movement skills and calisthenics. (Example: air squats, jumping jacks, skipping, back pedaling, etc...)

• Ground-based mobility (5-15 minutes) – Once you’ve broken a sweat and your muscles are warm, we suggest performing ground-based mobility drills. (Sample mobility drills include: roll-overs into V-sits, fire hydrant circles, mountain climbers, groiners, etc…)

• Central Nervous System Activation (2-3 minutes) – We like to conclude our warm-up with 1 or 2 drills that excite the central nervous system before beginning the speed training portion of the workout. These drills should only last 5-10 seconds, and we recommend 4-6 sets total. (Example: Tuck Jumps, Agility Ladder Drills, Hurdle Hops, etc...)

• Training– We always separate “speed training” from conditioning. When we refer to speed training, we're talking about distances of 100 yards or less, with complete (or close to it) recovery between sprints. The goal of this workout is to actually get faster. For example, an athlete who wants to incorporate drills for the Combine tests.


• Speed Training - A few examples below:

1.) Agility Drills: 

10-yard starts – 8 sprints with 1 minute rest between sprints

20-yard shuttle – 5-6 reps with 1-2 minutes rest between sprints
3-Cone drill – 4 reps with 2-3 minutes rest between sprint

2.) “Flying 40′s” - 

These sprints are 80 yards total. Start by running at 20 yards at about 80%, without changing direction sprint another 40 yards, and then cruise another 20 yards.

3.) Shuttle Runs 

300 yard Shuttle, 6×25 yards out and back

rest 5 minutes

300 yard Shuttle, 6×25 yards out and back

Simply put, this workout should consist of short, explosive sprints and agility drills with full recovery.

• Conditioning - A few examples below:

1.) “Tosh” 

3 Rounds for time of:

200m Sprint, rest equal time + 400m Sprint, rest equal time + 600m Sprint, rest equal time.

2.) “The New England Patriots Conditioning Test“

10 x 50 yards – :30 rest between sprints - goal is all under 7 seconds.
rest 3 minutes

10 x 50 yards – :30 rest between sprints - goal is all under 7 seconds.

rest 3 minutes

10 x 50 yards – :30 rest between sprints - goal is all under 7 seconds.

A passing score is completing all 30 sprints under 7 seconds. 
Post the number or sprints that you completed under 7 seconds.

3.) Every 3 minutes, on the minute for 18 minutes (6 rounds):

400m run - attempt to hold the same pace for all six sets.

Day 136

A.) Max Effort Exercise - work up to a max set of 3-5 reps:

Bench Press

B.) Supplemental Exercise – perform 2 sets of max reps 

(Choose a weight you can perform for 15-20 reps on the 1st set. Use the same weight for both sets and rest 3-4 minutes between sets).

DB Flat Bench Press 

C.) Horizontal pulling / Rear delt superset - 

(Perform 3-4 supersets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.)

Seated cable rows x 8-12

- rest 30 seconds

Face pulls x 12

-rest 30 seconds

D.) Joe D's "3-6-12" Badass Biceps Builder

1.) Eccentric Chin-ups (close, underhand grip): 3 reps, 10sec. each lowering

2.) 1½ rep Incline Dumbell Curls: 6 reps

3.) Band Curls: 12 reps

- Rest 10-15s between each exercise. 

- Rest 3 minutes between each tri-set.
- Repeat for (3) tri-sets.

- DEMO

Day 100

A.) Track Session

a.) 4×6 Facing Hurdle Hops (demo)

b.) 4 x 10-20 yard out and back Shuttle, rest as needed

c.) 300 yard Shuttle, 3×50 yards out and back

rest 5 minutes

d.) 300 yard Shuttle, 1×50, 1×100 yards out and back

e.) 4 sets of stadium stair runs (touch every step)

B.) Bench Press

1.) Work up to a 2RM

2.) 3×20 Close Grip

C.) Accessory

1-arm DB Bent Over Row: (4×10), across 

D.) Joe D's "3-6-12" Badass Biceps Builder

1.) Eccentric Chin-ups: 3 reps, 10sec. each lowering

2.) 1½ rep Incline Dumbell Curls: 6 reps
3.) Band Curls: 12 reps

- Rest 10-15s between each exercise. 

- Rest 3 minutes between each tri-set.
- Repeat for 2-5 tri-sets.

- DEMO

Day 93

A.) Bench Press 2RM (Fat Gripz)

B.) DB Floor Press 2 x Max Reps

(Choose a weight you can perform for 15-20 reps on the 1st set. Use the same weight for both sets and rest 3-4 minutes between sets)

C.) Superset: Four sets of,

Seated Row x 8, across

Rest 30s

TRX Scarecrow x 12

Rest 30s

D.) Joe D's "3-6-12" Badass Biceps Builder

1.) Eccentric Chin-ups (close, underhand grip): 3 reps, 10sec. each lowering

2.) 1½ rep Incline Dumbell Curls: 6 reps
3.) Band Curls: 12 reps

- Rest 10-15s between each exercise. 

- Rest 3 minutes between each tri-set.
- Repeat for 2-5 tri-sets.

- DEMO

Day 85

A.) Press

Behind the Neck Split Press – Work up to a heavy set of 3

For the split press, get into your jerk position with the bar on your traps. Focus on keeping tight in your split stance while pressing the bar overhead. Demo

B.) Bench

Bench Press

*Set 1 – 3 reps @ 70%

*Set 2 – 2 reps @ 80%
*Set 3 – 2 reps @ 85-90%
*Set 4 – 1 rep @ 90-95%
*Set 5 – 1 rep @ 95+%

Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

C.) Three sets of:

Strict Chin-Up x 8

Rest 30s

Band Pull Apart x 12

Rest 30s

D.) Joe D's "3-6-12" Badass Biceps Builder

1.) Eccentric Chin-ups (close, underhand grip): 3 reps, 10sec. each lowering

2.) 1½ rep Incline Dumbell Curls: 6 reps

3.) Band Curls: 12 reps

- Rest 10-15s between each exercise. 

- Rest 3 minutes between each tri-set.
- Repeat for 2-5 tri-sets.

- DEMO

Off Season: Day 39

Westside for Skinny Bastards, Part III

Max-Effort Upper Body

"Not much about the max-effort movement has changed since my original article was published. I still prefer a 3-5 rep max (RM) - as opposed to a 1RM - for my skinny bastards. The one thing that has changed – you’ll notice this later on in this article - is the second movement on max-effort upper body day. We recently started having our athletes perform two high-rep sets of an exercise immediately following the max-effort movement.

This high-rep movement is usually an exercise that’s closely related to the max-effort movement. For example, if our athletes performed a 3RM in the bench press, their second exercise may be two sets of dumbbell benches. We don’t do this all the time, but it’s a new “twist” in our templates that wasn’t covered in previous articles." 

- Joe Defranco

A.) Max-Effort Exercise – work up to a max set of 3-5 reps in one of the following exercises:

• Thick bar or regular barbell bench press
• Barbell floor press
• Rack lockouts / Suspended chain lockouts
• Incline barbell bench press (regular grip or close grip)
• Close-grip bench press (index finger on smooth part of bar)
• Weighted chin-ups
• Board presses or foam presses
• Chain bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)
• Band bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)
• Reverse band bench press (*recommended for not-so-skinny bastards)

B.) Supplemental Exercise – perform 2 sets of max reps in one of the following exercises. 

(Choose a weight you can perform for 15-20 reps on the 1st set. Use the same weight for both sets and rest 3-4 minutes between sets).

• Flat DB bench press (palms in or out)
• Incline DB bench press (palms in or out)
• DB floor press (palms in)
• Barbell push-ups (wearing weighted vest)
• Blast strap push-ups (wearing weighted vest)
• “Criss-cross” chain push-ups
• “Triceps death”
• Chin-ups (don’t perform these if you chose to do weighted chin-ups for your first exercise)

C.) Horizontal pulling / Rear delt superset - Superset one exercise from “Group 1” with one exercise from “Group 2.” Perform 3-4 supersets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.

Group 1

• DB rows
• Barbell rows
• Seated cable rows (various bars)
• T-bar rows
• Chest supported rows

Group 2

• Rear delt flyes
• Scarecrows
• Face pulls
• Seated DB “power cleans”
• Band pull-aparts

D.) Traps – Perform 3 – 4 sets of 8-15 reps of one of the following exercises:

• DB shrugs
• Barbell shrugs
• Safety squat bar shrugs
• Behind the back barbell shrugs

E.) Elbow flexor exercise - Perform 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps of one of the following exercises:

• Barbell curls (regular or thick bar)
• DB curls (standing)
• Seated Incline DB curls
• Hammer curls
• Zottmann curls
• Iso-hold DB curls

Here's what we did:

A.) Thick Bar Bench Press (Fat Gripz)

- Work up to 5RM

B.) Single Arm Alternating DB Bench Press (4 x 10)

C1.) DB One-Arm Row 4 x 10

C2.) TRX Scarecrow 4 x 12

D1.) Strict Stationary Dips 4 x 10

D2.) Barbell Curls 4 x 10

Triple Threat

Today's Article: Rationalizing the Swing: Why the American Swing Is Wrong

- Great article, but its up to you how you feel about the KB swing. If you have shoulder problems, why go overhead with it and put yourself in that position? If you plan on competing, obviously that is the movement standard that needs to be followed so keep that in mind. Either way, it's a good read.

Warm-Up: 

"Face Pull-Rotate-Y press" (aka, Triple Threat) - 3 x 8

-Video Demo at 4:45-

A.) EMOM for 5 minutes: 

DB Burpee Deadlift x 6 (70/50)

B.) Superset:

Alternating Single Arm DB Bench Press - 3 x 10 

- Rest 30s

Barbell FFE Reverse Lunge - 3 x 12 (each)

- Rest 60s

C.) Straight Set: 

Weighted Push-up (weight plate on back) - 4 x 10 

(Rest 75s between sets)

D.) Superset:

SB Leg Curl - 3 x 15 

- Rest 30s

DB Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 x 8 (each)

- Rest 60s

E.) EMOM for 5 minutes: 

10 KB Swings (70/53)

Follow your dreams

Today's Video: Eccentrics to Improve Chin-Ups and Push-Ups

Warm-Up: Three sets of,

Blackburns (Y-W-T-I) x 15s each

A.) Strict Press (5-3-1) (Wendler Week 3)

Set 1: 75% x 5
Set 2: 85% x 3
Set 3: 95% x 1+

-Warm up in sets of 5 until 1st working set, you should reach your 1st working set after 3-4 sets

-Percentages based off of 90% of your 1RM (ex. if your max is 185#, your percentages will be based off of 90% of 185# (165#).

-When you see 1+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout.

B.) Four sets of,

DB Single Arm Alternating Bench Press x 8 (each)
Chin-up (Bodyweight) x 8
-Rest 60 seconds

C.) Three sets of,

Weighted Dip x 8
DB Single Arm Row x 8

D.) Giant Set:

Toes 2 bar x 15
Cross Body Mountain Climber x 40 (total)
Paloff Press x 10 (each side)
-Rest 60 Seconds

Training Myth # 2

Myth #2: 

Athletes shouldn’t bench press because it’s not "sport specific." - Joe Defranco

I always find it funny that the bench press is singled out as the one exercise that isn’t sport specific. I have a secret for you: No exercise is sport specific! Playing your sport makes the strength that you gain in the weight room sport specific!

Don’t get me wrong, certain exercises are more productive than others. But, remember that it’s impossible to duplicate the speed, intensity and technique of the athletic field in the weightroom. Therefore, no exercise you perform in the weightroom can be classified as a sport specific exercise.

The bottom line is that the bench press is a great, multi-joint, free-weight exercise for developing strength in the chest, triceps and shoulders. What’s wrong with that? I’m not saying that the bench press is the most important exercise in the world, but it can be effectively incorporated into the training routine of most athletes.

Training Myth # 1

I will be posting in the next few days Ten training myths that are far too often still seen around.

Myth #1: by: Joe Defranco

The best indicators of a good workout are how tired you are after the workout and how sore you are the next day.

This is a myth my most dedicated athletes still have a tough time dismissing. Most hard-working individuals equate a good workout with being exhausted and sore. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had athletes say, "You didn’t even make me puke" after a workout. My response is usually, "I didn’t make you puke because I didn’t want to make you puke. Making you puke would be easy. Getting you stronger, faster and more flexible actually takes some work."

Puking is one of the most catabolic things you can do to your body. If your goals are increased muscular strength and/or muscular hypertrophy, you should do everything possible not to puke during your training!

Fatigue is another popular indicator people use to rate the productivity of their workouts. Remember that the goal of your training session should dictate how you feel after your workout. For example, if you’re going to perform a plyometric workout with the goal of improving your vertical jump, you shouldn’t be exhausted after the workout.

Actually, a properly designed plyometric workout should stimulate your neuromuscular system and you should feel better than when you started the workout. On the other hand, it’s good to be exhausted after a tough practice that was designed to get you in "game shape" for your given sport.

Finally, I’ve never read any research that links post-exercise soreness to strength gains, hypertrophy gains or improved athletic performance. Who the hell wants to be sore anyway? Think of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) as an unfortunate side effect of training, not a goal of training.

Remember that it’s easy for a coach to make an athlete tired, but it takes a true professional to get an athlete stronger, faster, more flexible and better conditioned.

Put Strength First

"When you encounter an obstacle that defeats your strength, all of the metabolic conditioning in the world won’t get you over the wall."

Today's Article: Put Strength First

A.) Bench Press (5 x 6) (80%)

-Warm up sets of 6 up to your first working set

- goal is to get heavier weight than last Week at 5 reps

B.) Four Sets of: Weighted Chin-Ups x 8

Bodyweight x 8 *Warm-up set*
Weighted 4 x 8 

- goal is to get same weight than last week at 6 reps for 8 reps.

C.) Four sets of: Weighted Dips x 10

Bodyweight x 10 *Warm-up set*

Weighted 4 x 10 

- goal is to get same weight as last week at 8 reps for 10 reps.

D.) Strict Press (5 x 6) (75%)

- Every rep should feel explosive and strong, no grinding reps, we are not trying to burn out our CNS.

E.)  Elbow Flexor Exercise:

Perform 5 sets of 8 reps of (ONE) of the following exercises:

Barbell curls (regular or thick bar)
DB curls (standing)
Seated Incline DB curls
Hammer curls
Iso-hold DB curls

E2.) AbMat Sit-ups 5 x 20

Strike a Pose!

Look what we have here! That's a lot of Epicness in one room!

Warm-Up: “Defranco Agile 8”

1. Foam roll your IT band. Start just below your hip and roll up and down to your outer mid-thigh ten to fifteen times, focusing on any tight spots. Then perform ten to fifteen rolls starting at your outer mid-thigh and rolling all the way down to the outside of your knee

2. Foam roll your adductors. Start just below the crease of your hip and roll up and down your inner mid-thigh ten to fifteen times, focusing on any tight spots. Then perform ten to fifteen rolls starting at your inner mid-thigh and rolling down to the inside of your knee. Again, focus on the tight areas

3. Glute/piriformis myofacsial release with a tennis ball. Take the tennis ball and sit on one your left butt cheek with a slight tilt. Cross your left leg. Roll for 30 seconds or so. Switch cheeks and repeat. Feel free to cry.

4. Rollovers into "V" sits: Perform ten reps.

5. Fire hydrant circles: Perform ten forward circles and ten backward circles with each leg.

6. Mountain climbers: 20 total reps.

7. Groiners: Perform ten reps. Hold the last rep for ten seconds. Make sure to push your knees out with your upper arms while dropping your butt down.

8. Static hip flexor stretch: Perform 3 sets of 10 seconds on each leg. Complete all three sets on one side before moving to the other.

Strength: Strict Press (10-8-6-4-2)

50% x 10
60% x 8
70% x 6
80% x 4
85%+ x 2

-2 Minute Rest-

MetCon (AMRAP): As many rounds as possible in 15 Minutes of, 

30 Double Unders
20 T2B
10 Clean and Jerk (115/85)

Double or Nothin'.

Warm-up: “Limber 11”

Warm-up (Skill): 3 Sets of: 

OH Squat Hold (Barbell) x 20 SecondsBox Jump x 10
Air Squat x 10

Strength: EMOM for 10 minutes: Hang Snatch + Snatch (75-85% of 1-RM snatch)

-Perform (1) Hang Snatch from just above the knee. Drop the bar (if possible), reset, and perform a full snatch from the ground.

-NO TOUCH & GO.

Strength (Superset): Three sets of:

Snatch Deadlift x 3 reps @ 110% Snatch -Rest 45 Seconds
Strict Handstand Push-Ups x 10-15 reps
-Rest 45 Seconds

Strength: Front Squat (5-3-1)

*Wendler Week 3*

(Rest 3-5 minutes between WORK sets)

75% x 5
85% x 3
95% x 1+

-Warm up in sets of 5 until 1st working set, you should reach your 1st working set after 3-4 sets

-Percentages based off of 90% of your 1RM (ex. if your max Front Squat is 290#, your percentages will be based off of 90% of 290# (260#).

-When you see 1+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout.

MetCon: Every minute, on the minute, for 6 minutes:

20 Double-Unders
10 Toes to Bar
10 Double-Unders