Blood on the Barbell: Robertson
by Mike Robertson
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There are two types of powerlifters in the world:
1) Powerlifters who powerlift
2) Strength athletes who powerlift A
powerlifter is someone who's focused solely on increasing the bottom
line: their total. This could be via strength gains, technical
improvements, or simply getting more out of their gear. A
strength athlete who powerlifts doesn't care as much about his
competitive total as he does about getting stronger week in and week
out. Also, he probably doesn't emphasize the pure powerlifts as much as
other movements. For a long time, I associated myself with
group number two. Being an athlete my entire life, I thrived on getting
stronger in a ton of different movements. However, there was a period
of time where my only focus was on bringing up the competitive lifts. I
figured if I was going to continue doing meets, I might as well sell
out and try to get as strong as possible. After what amounted
to five years of dedicated powerlifting training, I needed a change. My
lifts were still going up, but I needed something different:
physically, mentally, and most importantly, psychologically. The
resulting program is this random, hodge-podge mix of influences — Alwyn
Cosgrove, Bill Hartman, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, and Geoff Neupert all
come to mind. Each of these guys influenced how I brought all this
together.

General Thoughts on the Program When I developed the routine below, I had several goals for myself:
1.
Start training in all planes of movement again. I'd seriously neglected
overhead pressing and pulling in my powerlifting-specific days.
2. Maintain my strength as best as possible, maybe even improve it.
3. Improve my GPP (general physical preparedness) and "wind."
4. Decrease my body fat which had gone up slightly due to increased work demands and a decrease in training time.
5. Most importantly, I wanted to feel like an athlete and have some fun with training again. The
program I describe below isn't for the weak of heart. If you push
yourself, it's brutally hard and each workout should test you, both
mentally and physically.

A Few Disclaimers If
you don't have an adequate strength base, you probably won't get as
much out of this program as someone who does. You need to be able to
push some serious weights while minimizing the rest to get maximal
benefits. As well, if you've been doing periods of higher rep
work, this program isn't the one for you. This is better suited to
someone who's transitioning from lower volume work and wants to stay
strong while improving work capacity.

The Program Monday: Off
Tuesday Exercise Sets Reps Rest Period 1) Squat 1 5 120 seconds 2A) Conventional Deadlift 2-3 5 90-120 seconds 2B) Pull-ups 2-3 AMRAP 90-120 seconds 3A) Glute-Ham Raise 3 6-8 90 seconds 3B) Weighted Push-ups 3 6-8 90 seconds 4) Reverse Crunch 3 10 60 seconds 5) Finisher 8-10 minutes total
Notes: You
can front squat, back squat, or box squat; the choice is yours. Just
make sure to work up to a 5RM and try to add pounds each and every
week. This alone should get you breathing heavy. The first
superset (conventional deads and pull-ups) is a real killer, especially
after squatting heavy. If you're not used to pulling on the same day
you squat, start off intentionally light on the deads in week one. Pull-ups
should still be performed in the 6-8 rep range. If you can do more than
this with bodyweight, add external resistance or make it more
challenging (towels, mixed grip variations, etc.). The
same thing goes for the push-ups. This isn't high-rep endurance
training! Whether you use bands, chains, an X-Vest, or whatever else,
keep the reps in the 6-8 range. For variations, check out this article. The
finisher is what seals the deal. You can choose whatever medium you
want (kettlebells, bodyweight, sled dragging, etc.), just make sure you
work your ass off for 8-10 minutes before you call it a day.
Wednesday Optional treadmill interval work, 1:3 work-to-rest ratio. No more than 20 minutes in the gym! Notes: For
those who want to get really lean, throw at least one (if not two)
treadmill interval sessions into your training program.
Thursday Exercise Sets Reps Rest Period 1A) RDL 2-3 8-10 90 seconds 1B) Military Press 2-3 8-10 90 seconds 2A) Walking Lunge 2-3 8-10 90 seconds 2B) Low Cable Row 2-3 8-10 90 seconds 3A) Pull-throughs 2-3 8-10 90 seconds 3B) Face Pulls 2-3 10-12 90 seconds 4A) Dead Bugs 2 10 None 4B) Low Trap Raise 2 10 None 4C) Direct Cuff Work 2 10 60 seconds

Notes: This
day is generally harder for those with low work capacity as it
minimizes the rest periods and generally has more reps per set. Be wary
of this and start lighter than you think you should! The last
series of the day is a prehab circuit. You get some "dead bugs" in and
then follow them immediately with low trap raises and some direct
rotator cuff work. Rest 60 seconds and then go through this circuit one
more time.
Dead Bug 1
Dead Bug 2 (arm movement with legs)
Dead Bug 3 (knees/feet start in air at 90 degrees)
Dead Bug 4 (same as 3, arms move with legs) Friday: Off
Saturday Exercise Sets Reps Rest Period 1) Max Effort Deadlift Variation 1 1 120 seconds 2A) Bench Press 2-3 6-8 90-120 seconds 2B) Step-ups 2-3 6-8 90-120 seconds 3A) Inverted Row 2-3 AMRAP 90 seconds 3B) Single-Leg RDL or Ball Leg Curl 2-3 6-8 90 seconds 4) Front and Side Pillars 1 Max time 60 seconds 5) Finisher 8-10 minutes total Notes: If
you thought the Tuesday workout was hard, this one isn't much better!
You're going to be using a lot of muscle in this workout. For
the max effort deadlift, I like to rotate my exercises from week to
week. I used reverse band deadlifts, deadlifts against mini-bands, etc. Max
time on front and side pillars doesn't mean to use sloppy form! Keep
things tight and in line throughout. When quality breaks, you're done. The
finisher is back on the list today as well. The same rules apply,
although I like to use a different medium on this workout than I did in
the previous one (e.g. if I use kettlebells Tuesday, I'll use a sled
today).
Sunday Optional treadmill interval work, 1:3 work to rest ratio Optional arm isolation work No more than 20 minutes of total training time! Notes: Again, throw at least one or two treadmill interval sessions into your training program if you're trying to get really lean. I
typically allow some time for direct arm work on this day, even if it's
just skull crushers supersetted with dumbbell curls. Just be smart and
don't stay in the gym too long today!

General Program Notes •
If you're smart, there's a ton of different ways to progress on this
program. Maybe you only do the minimum number of sets on the first
week, and then add a set the next week. Or you add weight one week and
then add a set the next. Or, finally, you could do all the sets and
reps but work to shorten the rest periods. I leave a lot open to
interpretation so you can customize the program into something you'll
"enjoy." • To get maximum benefit, you must push the loading! If you're doing sets of 8 but you could be doing 12, you're not going to get the most out of the program. •
If you're really pushing your training, you better be smart about your
recovery. Get plenty of rest, hop on the foam roller a couple of times
a week, and be sure your diet is dialed in. Just remember that the
harder you train, the harder you have to recover! • Here's what I'd recommend with regards to supplementation, depending on what your goals of the program are:

For those looking to increase work capacity • Surge/Power Drive post-workout • Flameout • BCAA's • Low-Carb Metabolic Drive

For those looking to decrease body fat • Low-Carb Metabolic Drive or BCAA's post workout • Flameout • Low Carb Metabolic Drive/BCAA's throughout the day • I do a combination of Magnificent Mobility and Inside-Out
movements prior to all training sessions. Some additional mobility work
on off-days is fine as well, as it'll help flush metabolic waste and
get you feeling better overall. • Watch out for all the
posterior chain loading in this program as it can catch up to you.
Start intentionally light on the first week until you see how your body
responds. • The most important thing with this program (and any
other), is to train your ass off and enjoy yourself. There's a definite
satisfaction in pushing your limits and achieving success. Put the work
in!

About the Author
Mike
Robertson, MS, CSCS, USAW, is the President of Robertson Training
Systems and the Director of Custom Athletics in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mike received his master's degree in sports biomechanics from the Human
Performance Lab at Ball State University. Mike is an accomplished
athlete and coach in the sport of powerlifting. A widely published
writer and invited speaker, Mike has rapidly emerged as an industry
leader in the world of performance enhancement and corrective exercise.
To learn more about Mike, visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingSystems.com or check out his products in the Biotest store.



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