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Array Training: The Complete System

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Lucharilla

Array Training By Scott Dixon MA, CSCS, CISSN 1/9/2013 www.loslucharillafactory.com www.lucharilla.com In Loving Memory of Wesley Silveira aka Iron Addict Array Training, Part I: The Rationale and Setup By Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS, CISSN Array, noun,collection, considerable group

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There are very few original ideas; instead, most new thought tends to be a synthesis of the work of others into a new order or arrangement. The form of training that I plan to articulate is a synthesis of many views, and I take no credit for those. Instead, what I hope to offer the reader is an innovative way to train for strength, hypertrophy and even strength endurance with some modifications. In a previous article, Prilepin on Hypertrophy Training, I used some original thoughts from Prilepin, and bastardized them for hypertrophy purposes. Some were dissatisfied with this, but I think they missed the point. The central point of the article went unstated, in that, the modified table limited the amount of work a trainee could do in a session, and that is one reason there werent multiple exercises and variations thereof. So, with that in mind, I continue to base my thoughts on that amount of work as it is a good starting point. To be clear from the outset, I have a bias. I hate long training sessions. Anything over an hour except in rare cases is too much for me and my clientele. Whether there is a physiological reason to do this, well set that aside, but clearly, there is a psychological side to it. You can train hard, or you can train long, most trainees cannot do both at the same time. Intensity tends to decrease the longer the session goes on, so we want to avoid that hazard if we can. I also think that training efficiency is also often overlooked, in fact, most trainees dont think about it at all. They just assume that a plan is efficient if it results in gains. And, arguably, there is some truth to that because it is hard to argue with results. However, what if those results could have been achieved with less time in the gym and maybe even less effort? That is where efficiency comes in, and simply, all I mean is doing the most amount of work in the least amount of time. If a training program is efficient it produces enough stimulus to get a desired effect, no more, no less. This allows then, potentially, for greater frequency, and more opportunity for progression, whether in physique or numbers. We all know about complex training, supersets, giant sets, cluster training, and variants of those where sequences of exercises are done. For the most part, these are efficient ways to train and tend to be result producing. More work is done in less time, in particular more quality work as it is generally chosen for a particular purpose. Array training is another variation of exercise sequencing, but with a bit different emphasis: it uses the primary multi-joint lifts (flat barbell bench press, shoulder press, squat, leg press, rows, chins, and deadlift) as the foundation, or Primary Movement of each training day. Secondary Movements are usually antagonistic movements, especially for upper body. But more importantly, Secondary Movements should be considered to bring up any existing weaknesses, either in movement or physique.

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The Basic Array consists of the following sequence: Primary Movement Secondary Movement 1 Primary Movement Secondary Movement 2 The sequence, however, doesnt reveal movement choice, so lets say a bit about that. Given the desire to antagonistically pair movements with the bench press, we choose two back movements. Heres how a bench press day might look. Flat Barbell Bench Press Day: Primary Movement: Flat Barbell Bench Press Secondary Movement 1: Parallel Grip Chins Primary Movement: Flat Barbell Bench Press Secondary Movement 2: Machine Rows The basic pattern keeps the Primary Movement exactly the same where as the Secondary Movements are different. This is a great way to start, using the Basic Array. The benefits should be obvious: one movement is prioritized so the volume and intensity is greater on it, while the secondary movements address weaknesses, add variety, and get a sufficient amount of work for that bodypart(s) until their prioritization day but not too much that will affect recovery. But, there is likely a more efficient way to utilize the Primary Movement, and to do so, we modify it in a simple way. We use it to addresses weaknesses. The Complex Array consists of the following sequence: Primary Movement (weak) Secondary Movement 1 (strong) Primary Movement (strong) Secondary Movement 2 (weak) Put your weaker Primary Movement earlier in the sequence, and your stronger Primary Movement later in the sequence. This allows you to improve while fresh, yet use your strengths to complete the array. Here are some examples of what you could do, your needs may be different. Bench Press Day:

Primary Movement: Bench Press (close grip) Secondary Movement 1: Neutral Grip Chins Primary Movement: Bench Press (competition grip) Secondary Movement 2: Machine Rows Shoulder Press Day: Primary Movement: High Incline Barbell Press (elbows in) Secondary Movement 1: Wide Grip Upright Rows (pulled to nipple line) Primary Movement: High Incline Barbell Press (elbows out) Secondary Movement 2: Front Pulldowns to the upper chest (elbows out) One deviation from the overall structure is that I normally throw in some direct arm work for a few cycles at the end of the shoulder press day and it looks like this. Other upper body days, whether it is a bench/dip or row/chin emphasis, the arms get enough work, especially given the frequency. Primary Movement: Side Raises Secondary Movement 1: Dumbbell Bicep Curls Primary Movement: Side Raises Secondary Movement 2: Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (neutral grip) Deadlift Day: Primary Movement: Deadlift (with shrug at top) Secondary Movement 1: Standing Weighted Crunches Primary Movement: Deadlift Secondary Movement 2: Underhand Grip Chins (I like this to decompress the spine) Squat Day: Primary Movement: Squat (narrow stance) Secondary Movement 1: Lunges (moderate stance) Primary Movement: Squat (wide stance) Secondary Movement 2: Leg Curl Leg Press Day: Primary Movement: Leg Press (with DL stance)

Secondary Movement 1: Hyperextensions or GHR Primary Movement: Leg Press (with SQ stance) Secondary Movement 2: Weighted Crunches Chin Day: Primary Movement: Chins (weak grip) Secondary Movement 1: Dips Primary Movement: Chins (strong grip) Secondary Movement 2: Dumbbell Shrugs Row Day: Primary Movement: Low Pulley Cable Row (shoulder width, pulled to nipple line, overhand grip) Secondary Movement 1: Flat Neutral Grip Dumbbell Presses Primary Movement: Low Pulley Cable Row (V-Handle, pulled into the lower abdomen) Secondary Movement 2: Low Incline Chest Flys Activating the Array The training effect desired determines how you set up the rest periods and number of times through the array. We work on the assumption of training one hour or less including warm-ups. Warm-ups should be whole body so that no particular body part needs to be warmed up before that set. I would recommend just going through the array, with less weight a few times before starting the substantive work. For strength: repetitions should be 1-3 on your primary movement and 3-6 on your secondary movements. Rest periods should be two minutes between movements, which allows for four total minutes of rest before the primary movement is done again. You would repeat this for the remaining part of the hour or until you fail, a form break, on any of your lifts. Do not increase weight until you can get through the whole session. The first week, consider using 85%-90% of your current one repetition maximum for your primary movement; and 80-85% for your secondary movements. Err on the side of fewer reps until your response can be evaluated. ++Tip : In my experience, you want to initially shoot for thirty minutes of work post warm up. That gives you at least three cycles through the exercises. For many, you will be done on that third cycle. Thirty minutes, in general is VERY effective on this, and in many cases, more does not need to be done. Given the higher percentage, do not worry about tempo, lower the weight under control, and

move it as fast as possible on the way up. For hypertrophy: repetitions should be 5-8 on your primary movement and 7-10 on your secondary movements. Rest periods should be ninety seconds between movements, which allows for three total minutes of rest before the primary movement is done again. You would repeat this array for the remaining part of the hour or until you fail, a form break, on any of your lifts. Do not increase weight until you can get through the whole session. The first week, consider using 80%-85% of your current one repetition maximum for your primary movement; and 75%-80% for your secondary movements. Err on the side of fewer reps until your response can be evaluated. ++Tip : In my experience, about your third or fourth time through, the burn becomes intense. I would shoot for four cycles through initially, which puts most of you at about 35-40 minutes. Initially, you wont want to worry about tempo, concentrate on getting all of your reps and sets done in the allotted time. However, if you want to maximize your muscle growth, on your initial cycles, probably the first two, introduce some tempo on the negative or eccentric only, 2-3 seconds. On your later cycles, just worry about getting your repetitions and sets completed. One simple way to progress is to keep the weight the same, but increase the negative, or eccentric time such that by the end of the training cycle, you are using some consistent tempo on all your exercises and sets. For strength endurance: repetitions should be 10-12 on your primary movement and 10-12 on your secondary movements. Rest periods should be no more than ninety seconds between movements, which allows for three total minutes of rest before the primary movement is done again. You would repeat this for the remaining part of the hour or until you fail, a form break, on any of your lifts. Do not increase weight until you can get through the whole session. The first week, consider using 60%-70% of your current one repetition maximum for your primary movement; and 55%-65% for your secondary movements. Err on the side of fewer reps until your response can be evaluated. ++Tip : Given the higher number of reps with lesser intensity, be sure to control the weight on the way down, or the eccentric, and control it on the way up as well. Definitely, start with the lowest percentages and the lowest reps, but get through the whole session. In my opinion, I wouldnt be so much worried about the weight, but more about getting more cycles in over time, which can be accomplished by reducing rest periods. High rep deadlifts are probably not the best exercise choice due to the potential for form breakdown, so you will have to choose a substitute. As well, you may have to switch to pulldowns instead of chins. The important thing is to find exercises that work well with the goal of your conditioning. It may even involve pulling a sled as part of your lower body session, which is very effective. General Observation #1: On strength days, you leave the gym feeling trashed or beaten up once the proper weight is chosen and used. This is one reason the 30 minutes of training, after warm-ups, 3-4 cycles, works well because it will ensure you are recovered by the next session. On hypertrophy

days, as long as the weight is conservative, you will leave the gym feeling worked, but good. As the weight goes up, more overall fatigue is felt. And, on strength endurance days, if you are fueled properly, normally you feel good and might even have an endorphin high. But, if you are not fueled for this day, about halfway through, you will tank. General Observation #2: Strength and hypertrophy gains are not black and white. The strength session and the hypertrophy session will produce both strength and hypertrophy. The degree that each session does is dependent upon individual fiber makeup and other factors. Many would do well to start on the strength based array as they will likely be surprised at the results they get in terms of strength and hypertrophy. General Observation #3: In my previous article on Prilepin, the repetitions at a particular intensity determined the volume for the movement. Note how the number of repetitions basically correspond with the Primary Movement for the day. There is more similarity than difference, and what that shows is a general consideration about volume that is effective for a good majority of trainees. In Part II, I will lay out some helpful splits that keep the frequency high while allowing for recovery. Ill also offer some troubleshooting advice. Array Training: Part II: Splits and Troubleshooting By Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS, CISSN In Part I, I laid out the rationale and setup for Array Training. In that article, I mentioned some biases that I have in terms of shorter training sessions and training efficiency. I also have another bias. I think that most training splits arent as efficient as they could be. As creatures of habit and working off a seven day week, we plan our training in ways that may not be optimal. Training splits tend to work a body part or a movement with the same frequency, thus on a typical Chest/Shoulders/Triceps, and Back/Biceps/Legs, each is worked twice usually over four training days. There are various problems with doing this for some trainees. For instance, many trainees do better with more upper body frequency than lower body frequency. Adopting the twice a week paradigm doesnt take this into account. More so, many trainees need more upper back work than they get, especially those who have been training the beach muscles for too long, and a standard twice a week split may not be optimal for correcting this kind of deficiency. Our goal, simply, is optimizing recovery and allowing frequency to be effective, which requires a split that is efficient at producing the necessary stimulus, no more, no less. To be clear, we want frequent sessions with the right amount of intensity and volume for optimal gains and growth.

A word of caution. None of these splits are set in stone, and none of them, given the Primary Movement choice must be done. If you cannot do Flat Barbell Bench Press, the important thing is to do some kind of pressing movement. If you cannot Squat, do some kind of pressing movement for the legs, etc. The following split, Split 1, is the one that has been used by myself and others, and I would recommend using it to start with if you need a lot of training variety. Try it for at least eight weeks as it will give you an honest assessment of your recovery and response. The general idea is working the upper body one day and the lower body on another, but with a few variations. We use the leg press days to give the lower back a rest but still train the legs sufficiently. Remember one of the things I dont like is basing training on a seven day week, or even training twice a week. So, this will be done in day numbers; you can map it accordingly to your daily life. Split 1 Day 1: Upper Body: Primary Movement, Bench Day 2: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Deadlift Day 3: off Day 4: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Chins Day 5: off Day 6: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Squat Day 7: Upper Body, Primary Movement Shoulder Press and Arms Day 8: off Day 9: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Leg Press Day 10: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Rows Day 11: off Day 12: off Day 13 is Day 1 again. Splits 1 and 2 utilize all movements. What is important to recognize is that any day you train chest, you are also training back, and vice-versa. However, one is being overloaded and the other is not. There is a lot of frequency involved so it is imperative you observe the one hour time limit or less if you decide to do Splits 1 or 2. Split 2 Day 1: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Bench Day 2: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Squat Day 3: off

Day 4: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Chins Day 5: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Deadlift Day 6: off Day 7: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Shoulder Press and Arms Day 8: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Leg Press Day 9: off Day 10: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Rows Days 11 and 12: off Day 13 is Day 1 Split 3 utilizes some Primary Movements, but not all, and that is fine to do. The important thing is to keep the upper/lower rotation in effect and address your weaknesses. Split 3 Day 1: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Bench Day 2: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Squat Day 3: off Day 4: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Chins Day 5: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Leg Press Day 6: off Day 7: Upper Body, Primary Movement Shoulder Press and Arms Day 8: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Deadlift Days 9 and 10: off Day 11: Day 1 Split 4 utilizes the basic layout of Split 3, but with more rest. Split 4 Day 1: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Bench Day 2: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Squat Day 3: off Day 4: Upper Body, Primary Movement, Rows Day 5: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Leg Press Day 6: off Day 7: Upper Body, Primary Movement Shoulder Press and Arms

Day 8: off Day 9: Lower Body, Primary Movement, Deadlift Days 10 and 11: off Day 12: Day 1 Split 5 is a rotation of movements you need to improve on, but with a different structure. You choose the movement for day staying consistent with the upper/lower split. Split 5 Day 1: Upper Body, choose one: Chins, Rows, Shoulders, Bench Day 2: Lower Body, choose one: Squat, Leg Press, Deadlift Day 3: off Day 4: Upper Body, choose one that you didnt do on Day 1. Day 5: Lower Body, choose one that you didnt do on Day 2. Days 6 and 7: off Day 8: repeat sequence from Day 1, but dont choose what you did on Day 4. Most trainees would be best served by choosing Split 3 or 4 due to its simpler structure and the ability to focus on progressive overload. This would be a good way to train for strength. Splits 1 and 2 are ideal for someone who needs a lot of variety and is more interested in aesthetic improvement and hypertrophy gains. Split 5 is for the advanced trainee who has a sufficient level of strength and size alreadythe trainee will know what they need to do, and not merely want to do. Split 5 also works well for someone who has limited equipment. These Splits are not set in stone, but I think if you design your own you need to think about a couple of things. Try to incorporate a rest day after a squat or deadlift day. If you are keeping your time under an hour and are hitting the minimum number of cycles, 3-4, you can likely train more often than you think. I havent listed a split for strength endurance in particular but that will be talked about in a later article. You would want to set that up differently, especially the exercises chosen, e.g., not deadlifting for a bunch of repetitions. These splits best serve strength and hypertrophy gains. Conclusion Training splits are guidelines for frequency. Splits can be set up in ways that require more or less frequency. One of the basic suppositions of Array Training is that you want to do just enough to cause damage to the muscle, let it heal, and get back to the gym. Frequency is king given the overall set up and emphasis of this type of training. Start with a basic split recommended here and

see how effective it is for you. From there modify it, but keep the basic idea of the Array intact. That structure is effective will produce gains in both strength and hypertrophy when properly applied. Array Training, Part III: Accumulation, Intensification, and Deloading By Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS, CISSN In my previous two articles on Array Training, I laid out the basic rationale and splits that can be effectively used for different purposes including strength and hypertrophy. This article sets a broader context that uses two different types of training in one cycle to promote both strength and hypertrophy gains. Lets begin with some terminology and we will apply it. An Accumulation Phase is one characterized by more volume and less intensity with the primary goal of hypertrophy. An Intensification Phase is one characterized by less volume and more intensity with the primary goal of strength. Deloading is a reduction in volume, intensity, or both for the main purpose of recovery. Array training is well-suited for easy application of these concepts. Given the cyclical nature of the training, more or less volume can be programmed by including or excluding cycles of exercises. As well, intensity is easily cycled with increases week to week in the training cycle. Deloading just follows a reduction pattern in number of cycles and/or intensity from the previous week or weeks. An effective ordering for the Intermediate trainee is to do an Accumulation Phase, followed by a short Deload before beginning an Intensification Phase, followed again by a short Deload before beginning the whole cycle again. Accumulation Phase -Accumulation Deload Intensification Phase -Intensification Deload A few general principles to help you determine the length of your Phases. 1) The length of the Accumulation Phase is directly related to the progression of overall volume and intensity used. For instance, if you are using 55% with some tempo, and plan on increasing one

cycle a week, you can likely get another week or two in length than if you had chosen 65% to start with. 2) The length of the Intensification Phase is directly related planned increases in intensity and the decreases in volume. Intensity is a double-edged sword, too much too quickly doesnt allow the proper adaptation; and too little, over too long will result in overtraining for many. There is a lot more leeway for errors in the Accumulation Phase than in the Intensification Phase. 3) Deloading after the Accumulation Phase should be done by a significant reduction in volume. A good starting place is 50%. If on your final week of the Accumulation Phase, you completed six cycles, you would deload with 2-3 cycles depending on how you feel. 4) Deloading after the Intensification Phase should be done by scheduled time off from strength and hypertrophy activities. A full recovery is ideal before you begin your next set of phases. Where to start? A good place to start for the Intermediate trainee is a 4/1/3/1 week schedule. 4 weeks of Accumulation, 1 week of Accumulation Deload, 3 weeks of Intensification, and 1 week of Intensification Deload. That translates into a full week off every 9 weeks. This set up is a nice balance of hypertrophy and strength gains. Once you have run through that a few times, you will have an idea of what needs to be shortened or lengthened depending on your goals. Of course, you have have two distinct goals, such as just hypertrophy or just strength. So, lets consider those. Hypertrophy emphasis The simplest way to get bigger is add more volume while keeping the same intensity. On the surface this might seem problematic, but understand the context of it. First week, you get 4 cycles and your form breaks. Your goal then over the next two weeks is to get to five cycles. You are still working at the limits of your ability. Volume is decreased during the Intensification phase while Intensity is increased in order to finish the cycle with a different training effect and hopefully a solid strength gain. See the repetition and intensity suggestions in Article 1 of the series. Accumulation Week 1: 4 cycles, to assess failure point

Week 2: 4 cycles, shoot for the same reps but making every rep count in good form. Week 3: 5 cycles, attempt to complete even with minor form break towards the end but you completed it. Week 4: 5 cycles, good form throughout, same reps as the previous week. Week 5: Accumulation deload, 2 cycles. Intensification Week 6: Increase weight on Primary Movement, keep the rest the same, 4 cycles. Week 7: Keep the Primary Movement weight the same as the prior week, increase weight on the remaining exercises. Week 8: Intensification Deload Week 9, assess the number of cycles needed with the new weight and continue with the same set up. Strength emphasis A proven way to get stronger is to take advantage of two things. First, you want to start with more volume as a decrease in volume manifests a strength bump due to improved recuperation and more muscle mass. Second, you want to increase intensity while decreasing repetitions to work on form and improve inter and intra-muscular coordination and efficiency. This also allows improved recovery. In the ideal case, you want to come into Week 4 slightly overtrained, use the deload week to begin supercompensation and carry that through the remaining Intensification phase. See the repetition and intensity suggestions in Article 1 for more ideas. I have given some here to show the difference in how Accumulation and Intensity would be done. Accumulation (Primaryreps in the 5-7 range, intensity in the 70-85% range of 1RM) Week 1: 5 cycles minimal, complete all 5 in good form Week 2: 4 cycles, increase weight on first exercise only.

Week 3: 4 cycles, increase weight on second, keep the first the same as the previous week. Week 4: Accumulation Deload, 2 cycles. Intensification (Primary reps drop to 1-3 per exercise, intensity ramps over three weeks, 85-92% of 1RM) Week 5: 6 cycles (3 reps) Week 6: 8 cycles (2 reps) Week 7: 12 cycles (1 rep) Week 8: test It is important to note that in the Intensification phase, your intensity increases but your overall daily volume decreases (Week 3 is 4 x 5 minimally = 20 reps @ 85%, Week 7 is 12 x 1 =12 @ 90-92%). For your Secondary Movements, you will want to keep in the 4-6 rep range, and no more than 85% of your 1RM. Variants There are many variants to this as well, but what is most important is that you find the sweet spot in intensity and volume that allows continued gains. The general principles of an hour or less total still apply as they restrict the amount of work that can be done and potentially overtrain. Given the nature of this style of training, it is highly unlikely you will undertrain given the frequency of the proposed splits. I can imagine running a WSB version of this using the Primary Movements as MEs and Secondary Movements as DEs or REs. You wouldnt need the phases discussed previously, but you might have to tinker with frequency as it might be too much as set up on most of the splits. Of course this assumes you are drug-free and have a normal life with the usual stress. Another variant would be to follow the Hypertrophy or Strength emphasis using TUT during the Accumulation Phase, and not using it during the Intensification Phase. For hypertrophy you might use a 4/1/x/1 and for strength 2/1/x/1. Conclusion

There are many ways you could set an array up based on the basic template. The beauty of Array Training is that it allows a lot of freedom for the individual to set up something that is exactly what they need for continued gains. In short, you could plug a lot of different training methodologies into the basic array set up, and I am sure some of you will, and do so effectively. Just be sure to honor the basic requirements about time and follow a split that allows as much frequency as possible without overtraining. Array Training, Part IV: Strength Endurance and Conditioning By Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS, CISSN In the previous three articles, I havent said too much about strength endurance and conditioning, and how Array Training might be effectively used. Array Training lends itself very well to conditioning work. As previously mentioned, the basic difference between Strength Endurance training and Hypertrophy/Strength training on the other hand, is that total time is what matters to Strength Endurance training. The goal is to select the proper intensity that allows the successful completion of as many cycles in one hour. Rest periods are kept shorter, repetitions are normally higher, and a greater amount of work is done than with Hypertrophy/Strength training. It taxes the aerobic side of things much harder and lactic acid tolerance is greatly improved. In Article I, I wrote, For strength endurance: repetitions should be 10-12 on your primary movement and 10-12 on your secondary movements. Rest periods should be no more than ninety seconds between movements, which allows for three total minutes of rest before the primary movement is done again. You would repeat this for the remaining part of the hour or until you fail, a form break, on any of your lifts. Do not increase weight until you can get through the whole session. The first week, consider using 60%-70% of your current one repetition maximum for your primary movement; and 55%-65% for your secondary movements. Err on the side of fewer reps until your response can be evaluated. If you come into this type of training with little to no conditioning, you should start at about 50% on your Primary Movement, and 40% on your Secondary Movements. At the beginning it will seem very light, but remember the goal is to get through as many cycles as you can in one hour. By the end of the hour, the weight that was once very light may be heavy enough to struggle with. So, the first time go light and see where you end up. To this same end, it can be helpful to start with a multijoint movement for your Primary Movement, but singlejoint movements for your Secondary Movements. They allow you to recover more given

the lack of oxygen demand that multijoint can require. Then as time goes on, you can incorporate more multijoint movements. Strength Endurance training usually results in a build up of lactic acid in the body. When the body is not conditioned to tolerate lactic acid, the burn remains between exercises and eventually becomes very uncomfortable and disabling. If you reach the point to where this happens, finish out the cycle you are on, and keep walking and moving for the remaining part of the hour. Eventually, you will be accustomed to this burn and be able to work through it on a regular basis. An upper body strength endurance session might look like the following, Flat Dumbbell Presses x 10 reps rest 75 seconds Front Pulldowns x 10 reps rest 75 seconds Flat Dumbbell Presses x 10 reps rest 75 seconds Side Dumbell Raises x 12 reps rest two minutes and repeat A lower body strength endurance session might look like the following, Leg Press x 12 reps -rest 90 seconds Lunges x 12 reps each leg -rest 90 seconds Leg Press x 12 reps -rest 90 seconds Hyperextensions x 12 reps -rest two minutes and repeat What about straightforward conditioning work? The same overall Array template applies, but overall intensity is secondary to getting as much work done in as little as time as possible. For Primary Movements I like kettlebell work (swings and snatches), Prowler pushes and pulls, heavy sled pulls, Goblet Squats, Farmers Walks, full-speed sprints; and for Secondary Movements I like moderate sled pulling, -3/4 speed sprints, step-ups, walking lunges, band walks, dips, pushups done in a rack, fat boy pull-ups and high rep band work for the upper body. How might a general conditioning (upper and lower body) session go?

Moderate Prowler Push x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds Pushups in a Rack x 20 seconds rest 40 seconds Moderate Prowler Pull x 20 seconds rest 40 seconds Fat Boy Pullups x 20 seconds rest 90 seconds and repeat for the rest of an hour Another conditioning session with a lower body emphasis might look like this, KB Swings x 30 seconds rest one minute Light Sled Pulls x 30 seconds (forward) rest one minute KB Swings x 30 seconds rest one minute Light Sled Pulls x 30 seconds (backwards) rest two minutes and repeat. Another conditioning session with an upper body pressing emphasis might look like this, Dips, BW x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds Moderate Sled PullsBackwards x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds. Dips, BW x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds Band Pull-Aparts x 20 seconds -rest 90 seconds and repeat Another conditioning session with an upper body pulling emphasis might look like this, Fat Boy Pullups, BW x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds speed sprints, run fairly hard for 10 seconds and jog back -rest 40 seconds -Fat Boy Pullups, BW x 20 seconds -rest 40 seconds -Band Side Raises (stand on band), x 20 seconds rest 90 seconds and repeat.

rest 90 seconds and repeat. Notice that all cycles end with double the rest period or better. You will want to adjust these first as you go on. Keep everything else the same, weights, rest periods, but cut the 90 seconds or whatever it is by 1/3 each week until you get down to what your other rest periods are. This will allow you to get more cycles in an hour. And then once that is accomplished, intensity can be increased on the Primary Movement, leaving everything else alone. Once that is adapted to, the intensity of the Secondary Movements can be increased. Conclusion Strength Endurance and Conditioning Arrays are both effective ways to get into better shape and increase conditioning. Always remember to work from the premise you need to do one hour of work. Once you can complete the hour, intensity can be increased either through more weight, more reps, or shorter rest periods. Array Training, Part V: Eight Questions and Answers Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS, CISSN So, let me entertain some questions that I know some of you will have. With the current trend of many writers and trainers online, what I am proposing here goes against the grain with many of them. Q1: Scott, all of this seems so complicated. Why cant I just do a 5/3/1 or some other simple program and get the same gains? A1: Do what works for you. If a 5/3/1 works for you, then do it. I like simple programming. Array Training is predominantly for intermediate and higher level trainees who have gotten stuck and need something different. To that end, it is different and offers a trainee a great way to gain muscle, get stronger, or even just get into better shape. Q2: Trainer X says I shouldnt worry about tempo, rest periods or exercise sequencing. Why should I? A2: Trainer X might be right about you, especially if you have shitty programming, and are not eating and getting enough rest. But, if all of your variables are in order and you are still stuck, it is time to worry about those things and incorporate them into your training. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.

Q3: Have your trained this way yourself? A3: Yes, extensively. Ive run multiple monthly cycles. Ive incorporated a hybrid version where I alternate strength and hypertrophy weeks for upper body, and strength and conditioning weeks for lower body. That is how I normally train. I have also used it with in-person clients, mostly for strength endurance and conditioning. Q4: What do you think the greatest virtue is of using an array? A4: It allows enough work on multi-joint Primary Movements, and enough variety on Secondary Movements while making training efficient time-wise. Q5: Ive always trained more than an hour and recovered fine. I like the Array set up, why cant I take my time? A5: You can do what you want to do and I would challenge you to experiment. I suspect however, unless you have really good recovery, the training frequency will get the best of you because you will be inclined to use the higher percentages. Or, the overall intensity may be too low if you completely recover between cycles during the session. But, let me touch on a different subject with this. I think there is a difference in mindset if someone has an open ended training session. Time is one way we limit what we do. It creates tension and anxiety. It forces you to concentrate on the task at hand and get it done to the best of your ability. Psychologically, I set a goal for myself and I seek to accomplish it in that time frame. I focus on my breathing and the next exercise when the clock tells me to go. Q6: I am a beginner or novice, can I do a version of Array Training? A6: Once again, you can do what you want to do. But, I wouldnt recommend it. Get on something like Wendlers 5/3/1, or if you want to hire someone online, hire Dan from Lucharilla to set you up. Q7: The way you have this laid out it requires that no one else is using the equipment in the gym. Do you have a way to do this in a commercial gym? A7: This is a legitimate concern. I doubt very seriously if you could pull it off during peak hours, it is too much of a mess. Try to go during off-hours, and get a partner to train with you. You can hold equipment for each other. In my opinion, this is probably this biggest reason not to do this style of training. Q8: How would you incorporate TUT work into hypertrophy days?

A8: I would initially run at least 6-8 weeks without TUT outside of controlling the weight on the way down and lifting it as quickly as possible. Do that for as long as it works. If your gains slow down, then add TUT on your Primary Movement only, 4/1/x/1. Run 6-8 weeks of that and repeat with the Secondary Movements, same TUT. *Any other questions, click the Ask Scott at the bottom of the post where this file was found. www.loslucharillafactory.com www.lucharilla.com

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