THE CUBE METHOD 1

by BRANDON LI LLY
THE CUBE METHOD 2
THE CUBE
Before you pursue any physi cal fi tness program, especi al l y one as i ntense as
powerl i fti ng pl ease, consul t a doctor.
Thi s book may not be reproduced, transmi tted, or recorded i n any form wi thout
permi ssi on from the author.
Copyri ght 2012 by Brandon Li l l y. Al l ri ghts reserved.
THE CUBE METHOD 3
I dedi cate thi s book to my Dad. A man that says what he means, and means
what he says. A mans man. Our name means somethi ng, and I am tryi ng to
honor that i n my own way. Thank you for teachi ng me the reward for hard work,
hi gh standards, and di sci pl i ne. Thi s book woul d never have been possi bl e
wi thout the l essons you have gi ven me, and I wi l l gl adl y, publ i cl y admi t that as
much as I bucked, you never gave me the wrong advi ce.
SPE CI AL THANK YOU S:
Bunky Harkl eroad, you pushed me every si ngl e day that you coached me. You
bel i eved i n me more than anyone I had ever come across i n my l i fe. You saw
somethi ng wi thi n me that I coul d not have extracted wi thout your gui dance and
fri endshi p. You l i t a fi re i n me that has never gone out. Il l never l et my arms
drop
Mark Bel l , you have been a sol i d fri end, and mentor to me. You wi l l never know
how much I respect your gui dance.
Chad Smi th, you took a chance on me, gave me a voi ce, and a pl atform to
speak. You hel ped me fi nd a way to channel my i deas.
Al l my past and present teammates, al l of you had a hand i n thi s book. Whether
you bui l t me up, or tore me down, I am who I am as a l i fter because of you al l .
Thanks to Danny, Ji mmy, Pat, Ryan, Mi ke, Frank, Pete, Gri zz, Murph, Lynn,
Bandy and al l the rest of Lexen for taki ng a chance on me.
THE CUBE METHOD 4
TABL E OF CONTE NTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 6
WHY YOU NE E D THI S BOOK 8
I F YOU WANNA BE A BOSS YOU GOTTA PAY THE COSTS 10
WHAT I S THE CUBE ME THOD? 12
CUBE ME THOD PHI L OSOPHY 15
CUBE PROGRAMMI NG 17
THE POWE R L I F TS BY DE SCRI PTI ON 22
UNDE RSTANDI NG HOW I AM DI F F E RE NT
AND HOW THAT MAKE S THI S ME THOD DI F F E RE NT 30
HOW DO WE DE TE RMI NE A 1 RE P MAX? 34
TRAI N L I KE AN AL PHA 36
K. I . S. S. ( KE E P I T SI MPL E STUPI D) 39
TRAI NI NG DAYS: WHAT I S E XPE CTE D 40
WHAT A 3 WE E K WAVE L OOKS L I KE 47
SHI RTE D BE NCH ROUTI NE 53
ONE BARBE L L : ONE GOAL 54
DI E T 56
USI NG THE SL E D & PROWL E R 58
MAN UP 60
BONUS PRODUCTS
SPE CI AL E XE RCI SE S 64
BUI L DI NG A BADASS BE NCH 68
DE ADL I F T TRAI NI NG VI DE OS 73
THE CUBE METHOD 5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brandon Li l l y i s the creator of the Cube Method, and currentl y trai ns at Berea
Barbel l i n Berea, KY. Brandon has trai ned at some of the worl ds best
powerl i fti ng gyms i ncl udi ng Westsi de Barbel l , Lexen Xtreme, and Guerri l l a
Squad Barbel l . As of thi s publ i shi ng, Brandon hol ds the number one ranki ng i n
both the 308s, and Super Heavy Wei ght Raw, wi th Knee Wraps, di vi si ons wi th
2105 l bs. (308), and 2204 l bs. (SHW, whi ch i s al so ti ed for 16th Al l -Ti me
THE CUBE METHOD 6
Brandon Lilly has quickly
become an icon in powerlifting
through his no BS attitude and
crossover success in raw and
geared lifting.
regardl ess of wei ght cl ass), and al so has the number si x ranki ng amongst Mul ti -
Pl y Li fters wi th 2530 l bs., maki ng hi m one of the most successful crossover
powerl i fters ever. Brandons best raw l i fts are 826 l bs. i n the squat, 573 l bs. i n
the bench, and 804 l bs. i n the deadl i ft. Hi s best Mul ti -Pl y Li fts are 1005 l bs.
squat, and 820 l bs. bench.
Surpri si ngl y Brandons background i n athl eti cs began wi th basketbal l and
soccer, earni ng honors on the Soccer pi tch. It was hi s quest for a soccer
schol arshi p that l ed hi m to the wei ght room, where he began hi s strength
j ourney. After hi gh school he took hi s tal ents to Berea Col l ege i n Berea, KY and
was a successful Track and Fi el d athl ete i n both the Shot Put, and the Hammer.
Coached by Hal l of Famer Mi ke Johnson, he was further encouraged to pursue
hi s wei ght trai ni ng, and thi s i s how he found powerl i fti ng.
Si nce creati ng the Cube Method and watchi ng i t evol ve wi th hi s own trai ni ng,
hi s teammates, and hi s trai nees, Brandon has become an i con of sorts wi thi n
powerl i fti ng as he i s not reserved wi th hi s bel i efs, and hi s dedi cati on to resul ts.
THE CUBE METHOD 7
WHY YOU NE E D THI S BOOK
Thi s book i s cal l to acti on. A decl arati on of war on the state of powerl i fti ng i n
Ameri ca. What the hel l i s wrong wi th us? Its no surpri se to me that we have l et
powerl i fti ng become what i t has. We hol d nothi ng sacred anymore. Nothi ng.
Look around you, and there are a mi l l i on exampl es of how our worl d has gone
wrong. Wel l I for one and not goi ng to stand for i t any l onger. At l east i n the
powerl i fti ng worl d. I feel I can el i ci t some posi ti ve change .Im si ck of peopl e
bei ng tol d there i s onl y one way to get strong, that i t i s damagi ng to j ust be
strong we onl y need to trai n the muscl es that we mi ght use, that you need a
myri ad of mi racl e machi nes, and speci al poti ons that you do i n a combi nati on at
exactl y 3:32 PM, standi ng on one foot, or the resul ts arent guaranteed. Im
si ck of watchi ng peopl e thi nki ng that we are getti ng smarter when we are the
l owest l evel of i ntel l i gence thi s worl d has known si nce we started wal ki ng
upri ght.
Watch a Mul ti -Pl y powerl i fti ng meet, you tel l me what you see i s wrong. You
dont see i t? I sure do, because I l i ved i t. I hi d behi nd l ayers of canvas, and
pol yester materi al that al l owed me to showcase my tal ents. What were those
tal ents? Getti ng fat, and getti ng weak, getti ng my gear al tered so that I woul d
get more pop rather than getti ng strong enough to move wei ghts. If you say
to yoursel f that somehow thi s i s ok then read no further. Maybe you thi nk i ts
ok, and i f you do, I am tal ki ng to you. I was dri nki ng the Kool -Ai d hard too,
but youre al l owed to open your eyes and open your mi nd.
I dont gi ve a damn i f I bomb every meet because of what I say, somewhere a
ki d wi l l read thi s and benefi t from i t. Look me i n the face and tel l me you can
hol d a candl e to Bi l l Kazmai er, Doug Young, Paci fi co, Rei nhoudt, Kuc, Coan,
Karwoski , Mi ke Bri dges, Gant, Crai n, Franz and I wi l l tel l you that unl ess you
are one of a handful of l i fters that you are ful l of shi t.
THE CUBE METHOD 8
You thi nk Im a gear basher? Not at al l . I l ove the exci tement gear can bri ng to
the sport. I l ove the possi bi l i ti es that gear bri ngs. I j ust hate that i n a day and
age wi th l i mi tl ess knowl edge at our fi ngerti ps vi a the i nternet we have meets
where guys cant squat 315 wi thout bri efs on, end up squatti ng 800 l bs. i n a
sui t. Thi s i s ok? Im wrong for not cel ebrati ng thei r abi l i ty to succeed i n the
gear? Al l I want i s credi bi l i ty. It i s no wonder the Europeans l ook at our l i fti ng as
a j oke. What i s even more saddeni ng than that i s the fact The Ameri can Way
i s actual l y tri ckl i ng sl owl y i nto Europe. I keep seei ng meets over there where the
l i fts are getti ng hi gher and hi gher.
Why i s i t that i n raw di vi si ons and si ngl e pl y that across the board most of the
j udgi ng l ooks real l y good? If anythi ng you see guys getti ng robbed of squats.
Maybe i ts the l ayers of materi al that skew the j udgi ng so badl y, but every
competi ti on weekend you can bet by Monday there wi l l be a l oad of vi deos from
a Mul ti -Pl y meet of l i fters squatti ng a mi l e hi gh AND YES YOU CAN JUDGE A
SQUAT FROM THE FRONT.
We have the abi l i ty to fi x thi s. We are the l i fters, i f we demand more of
oursel ves, and then demand more from our teammates, and then more from our
competi tors, at some poi nt the promoters, and the federati ons wi l l hear us. As
l ong as we gi ve away Worl d Records as qui ck as you can l oad the bar, and
when the fi gure heads that say they stand for what i s ri ght support records
that are obvi ousl y bogus then the sport l oses credi bi l i ty. We as l i fters l ose
credi bi l i ty. Its ti me to take back our sport. And the ti me i s ri ght now.
THE CUBE METHOD 9
I F YOU WANNA
BE A BOSS YOU
GOTTA PAY THE
COSTS
I am gonna tel l most of
you readi ng thi s a
secret. How do I
know i ts a secret?
Because everyone I
have trai ned has tol d
me they cannot bel i eve
how di ffi cul t thi s
trai ni ng i s. You ready
for i t? You dont trai n
hard. How do I know?
Because i ts a sad real i ty for al l of us. I used
to trai n hard. Before I got so smart and I
had a pl an that was so compl i cated I di dnt
understand. I remember goi ng to the gym as a ki d and havi ng one bent barbel l ,
and a bunch of shi tty wei ght pl ates and I was abl e to get stronger. I had no
rhyme or reason, I j ust trai ned because I l i ked i t, I l oved the pai n i t i nduced. I
l oved the battl e that waged i n my head, one si de beggi ng me to drop the
wei ght, the other screami ng dont be a pussy.
You know who i s trai ni ng hard? Strongmen! Those guys are ki l l i ng powerl i fters
i n so many ways. We al l know that 800 l bs. i n the deadl i ft i s one of those l i fts
that ki nd of separates the good from the great, but i n the strongman worl d
800 l bs. i s a deadl i ft that i s done for mul ti pl e reps. Strongmen vi ew 900 l bs.
much l i ke we vi ew the 800 l bs. They commonl y squat wei ghts we consi der
THE CUBE METHOD 10
Stop looking for a magic program or pill,
the only path to true success is hard work
and time.
good for numerous reps i n j ust a wei ght bel t. Proof? My good fri end Chad
Smi th was fai rl y wel l known as a shot putter, and al l around strength speci al i st,
i n hi s fi rst meet he squatted 865 l bs. raw wi th knee wraps, and i n hi s second he
squatted 905 l bs. for an Ameri can Raw w/Knee wraps record. Di d he trai n
powerl i fti ng speci fi c? No, he was wel l rounded, and had a hi gh expectati on for
strength i n mul ti pl e di sci pl i nes.
There i s nothi ng wrong wi th trai ni ng i n Strongman, my ol d trai ni ng partner Jake
Anderson and I met when we were competi ng i n strongman, and man were we
strong, agi l e, and fast. We used to ki l l each other i n the gym, and i n
competi ti on, Jake has total ed 2730 l bs., wi th an 860 l bs. deadl i ft at 308 l bs.
You dont achi eve those numbers wi thout havi ng a huge base, and rep trai ni ng
does that.
Trai ni ng l i ke that netted me 20 l bs. of muscl e gai n wi thi n 15 months. I di d a
mi l l i on reps for a mi l l i on sets i t seemed, and i t worked very wel l . Then I started
readi ng the magazi nes that were sel l i ng me on the i dea that l ess i s more, that
there was a reci pe for success. Wel l that reci pe spel l ed ten years of chasi ng my
tai l never knowi ng how strong I trul y was, guessi ng at wei ghts on meet day,
bei ng so burned out I was dyi ng to qui t but I had so much ti me i nvested I
coul dnt l et mysel f. What was I goi ng to do?
THE CUBE METHOD 11
WHAT I S THE CUBE ME THOD?
The Cube Method grew out of my absol ute frustrati on wi th my trai ni ng, mysel f,
and the sport of powerl i fti ng. I was extremel y ti red of spendi ng hours upon
hours i n the gym, hours that compromi sed fri endshi ps and personal
rel ati onshi ps, and not seei ng the resul ts I expected, or wi tnessed around me. I
had trai ned the same way for 11 years, and whi l e I had some success i t was a
rol l er coaster, and I can never real l y remember a ti me where I woul d say I l oved
any of my trai ni ng cycl es. Sure, I woul d have some great days, and hi t PRs
al ong the way, but I hated the gym most days. Whi l e I woul d be strong as a bul l
throughout my cycl e, my ful l strength was never ful l y di spl ayed at meets. What
was the probl em?
To tel l you the truth the answer was si mpl e. I had stopped l i fti ng how I wanted
to. What I bel i eved i n and started fol l owi ng what others sai d or di d j ust because
they were stronger than me. I stopped thi nki ng, or rather stopped l i steni ng to
what I was thi nki ng, and what my body was tel l i ng me, and stuck to a method
that l eft me spi nni ng my wheel s. I wanted to qui t the sport.
That was unti l Danny Dague
(owner of Lexen Xtreme i n
Grove Ci ty, OH) pul l ed me asi de
i n the gym and sai d to Li l l y,
you dont l ook l i ke you are
havi ng fun anymore. You l ook
l i ke you hate the gym. Just
si mpl i fy. Go back to what got
you to the gym i n the fi rst
pl ace. Just l i ke that he had
awakened somethi ng i nsi de of
THE CUBE METHOD 12
The Cube Method is built around the simple
idea of hard work with a barbell and straight
weight. It is this idea that can help you reclaim
true strength.
me. He got my wheel s turni ng, and I l ooked back over my trai ni ng l ogs (I have
kept a detai l ed trai ni ng j ournal si nce my very fi rst workout), and what I found
was that I was actual l y much stronger raw before I ever moved to Col umbus,
OH than at any poi nt ever si nce. My mul ti pl y numbers had gone up, but my
physi que had become soft, and pudgy, and I was carryi ng around a l ot of si ze,
but none of i t was actual l y new muscl e for strength. It was fat for l everage.
So, I deci ded to go back to my roots, l i ke most of us I began wi th a
bodybui l di ng routi ne, so that was where I began. I found four thi ngs that I
needed.
Pi ece one of the puzzl e was muscl e hypertrophy as a goal
Pi ece two was rep work. My ti me i n Ohi o was spent chasi ng the ever i mportant
1 Rep Max, and I sel dom ever di d reps over a tri pl e. I had gotten damn strong
doi ng sets of 6, 8, 10, and 15s before, so I needed to get back to that.
Pi ece three was heavy trai ni ng. I had to come up wi th a systemati c approach to
trai ni ng heavy wi thout goi ng backwards, and al so fi nd a way to l i ft the heavi est
wei ght possi bl e on meet day.
The fi nal pi ece was expl osi ve power. I noti ced that
when I had trai ned wi th j ust a barbel l I was damn
strong, and very damn fast. I had used bands a l ot,
and chai ns even more, and I had sl owed down.
Thats not to say those tool s dont work, I had j ust
never uti l i zed them properl y, so I wanted to start
over wi th j ust a bar, then add i n the extra tool s as I
saw fi t.
The Cube Method i s somewhat of a throwback and
I appreci ate i t every ti me I hear i t referred to as
ol d school . The reason the Cube wi l l work i s
because i t i s very basi c but can be appl i ed to al l
THE CUBE METHOD 13
J UST SI MPL I F Y. GO
BACK TO WHAT GOT
YOU TO THE GYM I N
THE F I RST PL ACE .
-Danny Dague
l evel s. The secret i s the rotati on of the l i fts and the waves i nvol ved.
On thi s method you wi l l noti ce a vari ety of rep ranges, exerci ses, and an i ntense
focus on real i zi ng that a trai ni ng cycl e i s supposed to bui l d you up and prepare
you for one day: Meet Day. On thi s method Meet Day wi l l become somethi ng
sacred to you. It shoul d, that i s the onl y pl ace the l i fts count. In a day and age
of i mmedi ate soci al medi a networki ng anyone can become what I l i ke to cal l a
YouTube Superhero. These are guys that PR every workout and somehow
never produce at meets. On my method you may be the guy that showcases
sol i d trai ni ng i n your vi deos or l ogs, but nothi ng over the top, and then BOOM a
meet ful l of PRs. You deci de where your bi ggest l i fts matter, and i f i t i snt on
the pl atform, and you need an ego boost every ti me you wal k i n the gym, then I
apol ogi ze Thi s method i s not for you. Thi s type of trai ni ng wi l l ki ck your ass,
and humbl e you. But l i ke an unpol i shed stone al ong the way you wi l l see the
reps and sets are getti ng easi er and easi er unti l you wal k under the bar for your
openi ng squat and destroy i t MEET DAY IS KING!!
THE CUBE METHOD 14
CUBE ME THOD PHI L OSOPHY
Every si ngl e powerl i fter has one common goal i n mi nd. That i s to become the
best that they can be. Some wi l l stri ve to be the best i n thei r gym, the best at a
meet, state, country, or Worl d, but al l that means i s we have a desi re to
i mprove. If you dont want to get better then I dont understand why you chose
powerl i fti ng, as i t i s i ncredi bl y di ffi cul t, and Im not sure why you are readi ng
thi s book. I bel i eve that each powerl i fter has a deeper connecti on wi th
themsel ves than the average person. I bel i eve i f ti mes were di fferent we woul d
be the ones wagi ng wars on the battl efi el d. Why do I say thi s? Because thi s
sport has cost me dearl y, but I cant turn i t off. It i s a refusal to be compl acent,
or average. If I di dnt have thi s sport I can al most guarantee you I woul d be i n
pri son for beati ng the shi t out of someone dai l y. Nothi ng ful fi l l s me l i ke heavy
wei ght.
On the pl atform we have to perform the three cl assi c l i fts: the Squat, Bench,
and Deadl i ft. On the Cube we wi l l attack them i ntel l i gentl y, but we wi l l al so
bri ng back i nto the fol d a much over l ooked l i ft, the Mi l i tary Press. Ideas I l i ke to
adhere to:
1. The onl y PR's that matter are those on the pl atform, and for those of you
that don't compete the PR's at the end of the cycl e i s what we trai n for. You
may not hi t a PR for 9 weeks, but when you test them on week 10 you
shoul d bl ow your ol d PR's away. Now, for those of you freaki ng out ri ght
now you wi l l have chances to PR before then, but you need to buy i nto the
fact that a 5 l bs. PR today i s ok, but I want a 20 l bs. PR l ater, so don't l et
your short term trai ni ng di mi ni sh your l ong term resul ts.
2. Stop one set earl y. We al l know the feel i ng of defeat when you are i n the
gym, you hi t a good l i ft, then the next j ump i s i ffy, we take i t anyway and
mi ss. We WILL NO LONGER MISS WEIGHTS. Make a pl an, sti ck to i t, hurt
feel i ngs. I haven't mi ssed a wei ght because of strength i n over 15 months. I
THE CUBE METHOD 15
mi ght mi ss on a techni cal fai l ure, but i f that i s the case I can reset and
i mmedi atel y do the wei ght. Check your ego at the door.
3. Your rep and speed day are j ust as i mportant as your Max day because they
are what l ead to successful PR's, take them seri ousl y, attack the wei ghts
each ti me you are i n the gym.
THE CUBE METHOD 16
CUBE PROGRAMMI NG
On the Cube you wi l l trai n three or four days per week, I prefer four. It i s a 10
week cycl e. Upon compl eti on of the cycl e you shoul d ei ther do a meet, or a
mock meet i n your gym to establ i sh new PRs. Base your next 10 week cycl e
off of your new PRs.

My waves are 3 weeks for squat, bench, and deadl i ft and they are model ed
bel ow:
WE E K 1
Heavy Work Day, Expl osi ve Work Day, Rep Work Day, Body Day
WE E K 2
Expl osi ve Work Day, Rep Work Day, Heavy Work Day, Body Day
WE E K 3
Rep Work Day, Heavy Work Day, Expl osi ve Work Day, Body Day
WE E K 4
Recycl e the Wave
I cal l ed i t "Cube Trai ni ng" as when i ts mapped out i t l ooks l i ke a Cube. I never
l i ft heavy on two l i fts wi thi n a week. If I deadl i ft heavy trai ni ng, my bench i s
expl osi ve trai ni ng, and my squat i s for repeti ti ons, and as the weeks rotate the
Work Days are rotated al so.
THE CUBE METHOD 17
HE RE ' S THE SE TUP:
WE E K- 1 2 3
1
4 5 6
2
7 8 9
3
10
DE ADS- 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 X
BE NCH- 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 X
SQUAT- 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 X
Key- 1=End of Wave 1, 2=End of Wave 2, 3=End of Wave 3, , x=Meet Week
Sundays are al ways a bodybui l di ng day. Every Sunday I have three exerci ses
that are never rotated. They are Mi l i tary Press, Bi cep Curl s, and Cal f Rai ses.
From there I pi ck three weak bodyparts, and I choose one exerci se for each. I
vary my sets and reps dependi ng on feel . If I am feel i ng beat up from the week I
wi l l do more sets (no more than 5 per bodypart, never l ess than 3 sets) wi th
more reps (never more than 20, never l ess than 6 reps), i f I feel fresh I do l ess
sets wi th heavi er wei ght for fewer reps.
A TYPI CAL SUNDAY:
Mi l i tary Press- 3 x 10
Bi cep Curl s w/EZ Curl Bar- 4 x 15
Cal f Rai ses- 4 x 15
WE AK POI NT TRAI NI NG
Leg Curl s for Hamstri ngs- 5 x 20
Lat Pul l downs- 4 x 12
Pec Fl yes w/Dumbbel l s- 3 x 12
Abs (Abs are done every trai ni ng day)
THE CUBE METHOD 18
HOW THE WAVE S WORK
(Onl y Coveri ng The Mai n Movement, Accessori es Covered Later)

Each l i ft i n the cycl e wi l l have 3 Heavy Work Days, 3 Rep Work Days, and 3
Expl osi ve Work Days. Base Al l Trai ni ng Percentages Off of 95% of PRs On
Squat, Bench, and Deadl i ft.
HE AVY DAY 1
80% x 2 reps x 5 sets
HE AVY DAY 2
85% x 2 reps x 3 sets
HE AVY DAY 3
90% x 1 rep, 92.5% x 1 rep, 95% x 1 rep
RE P DAY 1
70% x 8 reps x 1 set
RE P DAY 2
80% x 6 reps x 1 set
RE P DAY 3
85% x 2 reps x 1 set
E XPL OSI VE DAY 1
60% x 3 reps x 8 sets
E XPL OSI VE DAY 2
65% x 2 reps x 6 sets
E XPL OSI VE DAY 3
70% x 2 reps x 5 sets
THE CUBE METHOD 19
In each of the mai n l i fts (Squat, Bench, and Deadl i ft) I have exerci ses that wi l l
be used. If you have a desi re to change on that i s fi ne by me, but what I am
gi vi ng you i s the best exerci ses as determi ned by over 100 test l i fters
SQUAT
The onl y movement we do on the mai n movement i s the squat. Thi s i s because
the squat i s subj ecti ve. Unl i ke the bench where you touch your chest and then
l ock the wei ght out, or i n the deadl i ft where you stand up, there i s no
determi ni ng poi nt of Depth other than opi ni on, so we trai n the squat wi th no
box, and to depth every si ngl e ti me. If you cant get to depth, Id say you are
wrong. Take depth seri ousl y. Thi s i s the basi c j udgi ng standard that
powerl i fters j udge each other by. I can tel l you every si ngl e I compete agai nst
that squats properl y, and I can tel l you the guys who squat a mi l e hi gh. Earn the
respect of yoursel f, and the others wi l l have to fol l ow sui t. We al l have the
abi l i ty to squat to depth, and someti mes i t takes an ego check to drop the
wei ght a l i ttl e bi t to l earn to squat to depth, and bui l d up those muscl es. Ful l
squats are done every day whether i t i s heavy, expl osi ve, or rep.
BE NCH
I rotate Fl oor Press, 2 Board, and Ful l Benches. The
fi rst two are strength bui l ders, the l ast i s a strength
tester. We need to stop testi ng our strength more than
we are bui l di ng i t. These three l i fts are rotated
regardl ess of the day. One thi ng Ive started doi ng more
of i s expl osi ve work wi th a pause one i nch off my chest,
or wi th the Buffal o Bar to i ncrease range of moti on.
Lock out every si ngl e rep. It sounds l i ke a smal l detai l ,
but what do most guys do when they perform reps?
They short l ock? How do most guys mi ss benches?
They dont l ock out. Lock out your benches every si ngl e
rep, even on warm ups, i t pays off.
THE CUBE METHOD 20
HOW MUCH
YOU BE NCH? I S
BRO L ANGUAGE
F OR: I DON T
RE AL LY L I F T
WE I GHTS, I
J UST WANT TO
CONVE RSE AS I F
I DO.
DE ADL I F TS
Thi s l i ft usual l y gi ves peopl e the most di ffi cul ty, so we attack the l i ft i n a
mul ti tude of ways. On Heavy Days we use a 1 defi ci t, 2 bl ocks, or 4 i nch
bl ocks. We onl y pul l heavy from the fl oor at the meet. Our rep day i s done from
wherever we need work. Pi ns, defi ci ts, fl oor, or barbel l rows i nstead of deads.
Expl osi ve work i s done wi th ful l gear (whatever that may be on competi ti on day)
and from the fl oor. I al so l i ke to do my expl osi ve work wi th l ess than 15
seconds between the sets. I want you guys to become deadl i fti ng ani mal s,
nothi ng i s more sati sfyi ng than a bi g deadl i ft at the end of the meet, where you
are standi ng hol di ng a bendi ng bar. I i magi ne mysel f hol di ng a sl ai n enemi es
body di spl ayi ng hi m to my opponents. Sounds crazy but you have to fi nd what
works. Deadl i ft wi th a purpose.
THE CUBE METHOD 21
THE POWE R L I F TS BY DE SCRI PTI ON
(Thi s secti on wi l l be extremel y redundant i f you have ever l i fted before. Some of these ti ps are
good remi nders though.)
SQUAT
Squats are the fi rst l i ft i n a powerl i fti ng meet, and arguabl y squats are what
separate the men from the boys. Powerl i fti ng i s ful l of Bench Onl y l i fters,
Push/Pul l l i fters, but onl y Ful l Power l i fters get the squat. It i s my opi ni on you
are not a Powerl i fter unl ess you do al l three. Bench Onl y l eaves you a Bench
Speci al i st, Push/Pul l l eaves you are Push/Pul l er. We are al l l i fters nonethel ess,
and we al l work hard so i ts mere semanti cs on my end. What I am getti ng at i s
the Squat i s a very di ffi cul t l i ft to master, and i t wi l l al ways humbl e you i f you l et
i t. Nothi ng i n the sport i s more shocki ng than the feel i ng of massi ve wei ght
strapped across your shoul ders as you descend.
I DO NOT WANT PE OPL E BOX SQUATTI NG UNL E SS YOU ARE I NJ URE D
Box Squats are a wonderful tool when used correctl y, and I can tel l you I have
had the best coaches i n the worl d and onl y ever fel t l i ke I got a few si ngl es ri ght
off a box. Too many peopl e si t too far back, knees come i n, back rounds and so
on. If you free squat you l earn to squat. Woul d you swi ng a basebal l bat to
l earn to shoot a basketbal l ? No. I watch guys that box squat at meets and j ust
l augh because they l ook l i ke Hul a Hoop dancers. Two i nches above paral l el
they l ook amazi ng, then when the box woul d come i nto pl ay, thei r hi ps start
swi mmi ng, and thei r knees dance around. Not an i mage of strength. If you want
strong hi ps and expl osi ve power squat deep and free squat. Its si mpl e.
THE CUBE METHOD 22
HE RE ARE THI NGS I TRY TO F OCUS ON WHE N I SQUAT:
1. Pl ant your feet. They shoul d be fl at on the ground, about shoul der-wi dth
apart. Get bel ow the bar and bend your knees sl i ghtl y. You'l l want equal
wei ght di stri buti on throughout each foot duri ng the exerci se.
2. Poi nt your feet sl i ghtl y outward, not strai ght ahead.
3. Don't stand wi th your feet much further than shoul der wi dth apart (wi de
stance). That'l l bri ng your adductors (i nner thi ghs) i nto the movement, whi ch
can cause stress to the medi al col l ateral l i gament, abnormal carti l age
l oadi ng, and i mproper patel l ar tracki ng. Li kewi se, keepi ng your feet too
cl ose together (cl ose stance) can pl ace a great deal of strai n on your knees.
THE CUBE METHOD 23
Squatting to depth,
ALWAYS, is a critical
component of Cube
Method squat training.
4. Never l et your knees extend beyond your toes, as thi s wi l l i ncrease the
l i kel i hood of damage to the patel l ar tendon and l i gament i n the knee.
5. Posi ti on of the bar. Pl ace the bar over your trapezi us muscl e, not over your
neck, and across the back of your shoul ders. Grasp the bar wi th your hands
at a spot that i s comfortabl e, usual l y about si x i nches (15cm) from your
shoul ders.
6. Rai se and di smount the barbel l from the rack (take a step forward or back i f
the rack wi l l i nterfere i n the moti on).
7. Look strai ght ahead. DO NOT LOOK UP. Keepi ng your back strai ght, bend at
your knees as i f you were goi ng to si t back i n a chai r. Keep your heel s on the
fl oor. Make sure that you get your quads paral l el to the ground, for ful l range
of moti on.
8. Thrust your hi ps forward (do not sti ck your butt out). Keep your l ower back
i n a near neutral posi ti on (a sl i ghtl y arched back mi ght be unavoi dabl e).
9. Ti ghten your whol e body when you perform the squat. Let your body assi st
you i n managi ng the wei ght.
10. Lower yoursel f i n a control l ed manner sl owl y l ower yoursel f down and back
so that your upper l egs are nearl y paral l el wi th the fl oor. Do not overl y
extend bel ow paral l el .
11. Keep the wei ght di stri buted on your upper thi ghs and the heel s or bal l s of
your feet, not on your toes or your knees.
12. From l ower posi ti on, push up off your heel s and l i ft the wei ght whi l e
mai ntai ni ng good, proper and safe form. Use al most every part of your body
except your knees.
13. Your back shoul d stay between a 45 and 90-degree angl e for safe executi on.
THE CUBE METHOD 24
BE NCH PRE SS
If there has ever been a
l i ft associ ated wi th
strength the bench press
has to be the number one
l i ft i n that regard. How
much you bench? Is bro
l anguage for I dont real l y
l i ft wei ghts I j ust want to converse as i f I do. Anyway,
i t i s a very techni cal l i ft, and one that takes a great
deal of ti me to master. Here i s how to perform the
bench press:
1. Begi n by l yi ng fl at on the bench, wi th your body i n a natural and rel axed
posi ti on. Make sure that you are not hol di ng your shoul ders i n an awkward
posi ti on. Be sure to have a natural spi nal curve. You do not want to have
your l ower back compl etel y fl at on the bench, but you do not want to force i t
to curve too much ei ther. Instead, opt for a comfortabl e and natural posi ti on.
You shoul d have your feet fl at on the ground and your shoul ders touchi ng
the bench.
2. Choose a proper bench that fi ts your shoul der wi dth. A narrow bench i s
unstabl e and a wi de bench prevents the upper arm from bendi ng back.
3. Put your arms strai ght out to ei ther si de of you, and then bend your el bows,
bri ngi ng your hands up to touch the bar. Thi s i s where you shoul d posi ti on
your hands. You can make your gri p si ghtl y wi der to i ncrease the amount of
THE CUBE METHOD 25
Brandon and his 573
bench, have made him one
of the top full meet raw
benchers in the world.
pectoral muscl es i nvol ved i n thi s exerci se, and you can bri ng your gri p i n
sl i ghtl y to i ncrease your tri ceps i nvol vement. For a standard bench press,
opt for the normal gri p.
4. Begi n wi th j ust the bar wei ght. Li ft the bar off the rack and posi ti on i t di rectl y
above the mi ddl e of your chest. Inhal e as you l ower i t down, gentl y touchi ng
your chest wi th the bar. Do not bounce the bar off your chest, as thi s can
cause seri ous i nj ury. Begi n to exhal e as you push the bar up and away from
your body. Extend your arms to j ust under ful l extensi on. Repeat thi s for
ei ght repeti ti ons as a warm up set.
5. Practi ce extra cauti on i f tal l . Tal l l i fters wi th wi de gri ps shoul d use care not to
crush thei r hands when racki ng the bar. Wei ght benches were made for
someone somewhat tal l (6 feet tal l and not for a l i fter 6 feet 8 i nches tal l ).
Tal l l i fters shoul d not use an extra wi de gri p. An extra wi de gri p al so strai ns
the wri st wi th excessi ve radi al fl exi on. Cl ose and wi de gri ps can make the
wri st more prone to i nj ury.
6. Avoi d usi ng the thumbl ess gri p. If the bar sl i ps off your hands, i t woul d be
di sastrous. When bei ng spotted by spotters and by a spotti ng devi ce the
thumbl ess gri p i s not as dangerous, but the spotti ng devi ce has to be very,
very sol i d. The thumbl ess gri ps i s easi er on the wri st and conducts power to
the bar more di rectl y (you can l i ft more). Use chal k wi th both gri ps. There are
l i fters who wi l l use the thumbl ess gri ps despi te the possi bl e danger.
7. Be sure to have a spotter to hel p you whenever you l i ft a heavy wei ght. You
never want to drop the bar on yoursel f.
THE CUBE METHOD 26

DE ADL I F T
I have al ways been tol d that deadl i fts are the purest test of strength, and I
coul dnt agree more. Whether you pul l conventi onal (feet cl ose together), or
sumo (wi de foot pl acement) you had better have your mi nd made up when you
grab the bar that you are goi ng to pul l for al l you are worth. Here i s how to
deadl i ft:
1. Pl ace the barbel l on the ground and attach wei ghts to i t, accordi ng to your
strength and fi tness l evel . If i t i s your fi rst ti me performi ng the deadl i ft, make
sure to keep thi s i n mi nd i nstead of stacki ng up the pl ates. It i s al ways easy
to add wei ght l ater, but you wi l l regret i t i f you hurt yoursel f through over-
exerti on. Perfect your form before you test your physi cal l i mi ts wi th thi s l i ft.
THE CUBE METHOD 27
The deadlift training in the Cube
Method has helped Brandon add
75 pounds to his deadlift in a
matter of months.
2. Step up to the bar so that your feet are approxi matel y shoul der wi dth apart
under the bar poi nti ng forward or sl i ghtl y outward. Looki ng verti cal l y, the bar
shoul d be over the bal l s of your feet.
3. Squat down and grasp the bar. Your hands shoul d be sl i ghtl y more than
shoul der wi dth apart (on the outsi de of your l egs). Al though you can use any
gri p you are comfortabl e wi th, an al ternate gri p i s recommended. An
al ternate gri p i s when you grasp the bar wi th one of your pal ms faci ng you
and the other faci ng away from you. Thi s tends to stabi l i ze the bar as i t may
rol l out of your hands i f both pal ms are faci ng the same di recti on, especi al l y
i f you are a begi nner or have a poor gri p.
4. For Ol ympi c l i fti ng, many peopl e use the hook gri p, whi ch i s more secure but
i s pai nful at fi rst. It i s si mi l ar to the overhand gri p, except that i nstead of the
thumb over the remai ni ng fi ngers, i t i s hooked underneath them.
5. Lower your hi ps so that your thi ghs are paral l el to the fl oor. As you l ower
your hi ps, be sure to keep the l ower part of your l egs mostl y verti cal . You
are goi ng to sti ck your butt out qui te a bi t, so use the wei ght for l everage to
mai ntai n your bal ance. You want the angl e between your foot and your l ower
l eg to be cl ose to 90 degrees.
6. Fl atten your back and l ook strai ght ahead. Never l ose the natural arch of
your back. If you are bent over, you wi l l hurt your l ower back. See Warni ngs
bel ow.
7. Some peopl e use a bel t to keep the back stabi l i zed. Thi s may hel p prevent
i nj ury, or i t may prevent the devel opment of stabi l i zer muscl es, thus
i ncreasi ng the l i kel i hood of i nj ury as wei ght i s i ncreased. Opi ni ons di ffer, and
thi s i s somethi ng to be consi dered by the i ndi vi dual l i fter.
THE CUBE METHOD 28
8. Li ft the bar off the ground by standi ng up, rai si ng your hi ps and shoul ders at
the same rate and mai ntai ni ng a fl at back. The wei ght shoul d hang wi th your
arms strai ght. Come to a standi ng posi ti on wi th upri ght posture. The bar
shoul d j ust be "hangi ng" i n front of your hi ps, do not try to l i ft i t any hi gher.
Pul l your shoul ders back i f they are rounded forward. The bar shoul d travel
i n a verti cal path and not arch around your knees.
THE CUBE METHOD 29
UNDE RSTANDI NG HOW I
AM DI F F E RE NT AND HOW
THAT MAKE S THI S
ME THOD DI F F E RE NT
I understand that there are many
l i fters that want some sort of exact
di agram l ai d out wi th fancy words
and sci enti fi c research. Let me cl ear
somethi ng up ri ght now. I AM NOT
THAT GUY. I do not trai n that way,
and personal l y I bel i eve that i s what
bogs down peopl es trai ni ng. Ok Im
supposed to do 70% of thi s for 3.25
reps x 4.67 sets wi th a bar speed of
1.8 meters per who gi ves a shi t?
What happened to us that we qui t
l i fti ng wei ghts to l i ft wei ghts? The onl y
sci ence behi nd what I am tel l i ng you i s that what I
used to do sucked, and what Im doi ng now works.
Pretty si mpl e. Every person I have trai ned has
gotten resul ts. Every si ngl e one. How? I dont
overl oad them on termi nol ogy that wi l l be mi spronounced and forgotten. I pri de
mysel f on si mpl i ci ty. What I have l earned from mysel f, and other l i fters i s thi s:
We have gotten l azy as athl etes. We have l et gear, and the i dea that there i s
one supreme way to trai n, and i f we take enough drugs we wi l l be ok. Its
bul l shi t, and I hate i t.
THE CUBE METHOD 30
Becoming a great strength athlete
isnt just about training, it is about
attitude-The Alpha Attitude
I have l ai d out percentages for peopl e, and set up rep and set ranges, but I
hate al l of that. Oh, the numbers I l ai d out wi l l get you strong, but somewhere
al ong the way i nsti nct i s l ost thi s way, and I wi l l never doubt my own i nsti nct
agai n, and nei ther shoul d you. If I have l ai d out for you to do 70% for 5 sets of
3, what i f on a gi ven day you are feel i ng l i ke crap and stop at 4 sets? Or, what i f
you want to keep goi ng? My answer wi l l al ways be do i t. You are i nsi de your
ski n, you know what i s goi ng on better than I do so you have to fol l ow that
l ead. Bel i eve i n the method, but bel i eve i n yoursel f more.
CHANGI NG THE BE L I E F THAT ONLY 1 RE P MAXE S COUNT
If you are so arrogant to thi nk that onl y one rep maxes are the onl y i ndi cator of
strength Id l i ke to i ntroduce you to a l oad of strongmen who are currentl y
reppi ng your one rep max for a set of ei ght. Ive sai d before that we have
become i gnorant through i ntel l i gence, and we have. We have al so gotten l azy or
maybe our trai ni ng has beaten the shi t out of us that we can onl y muster one
rep. Ei ther way we have become so supremel y focused on max effort trai ni ng
that we are no l onger strength trai ni ng, we are strength testi ng.
Who gi ves two shi ts i f you hi t a PR i n the gym? You, and maybe your mom?
Gym l i fts dont count for anythi ng. If you l i ft wei ghts at any l evel I encourage
you to compete. I want you to compete. I want al l of you that mi ght read thi s to
become a part of a movement that changes thi s sport as we know i t.
We have to keep track of our progress so we can trul y i mprove. Become
meti cul ous i n your l ogs, keep a j ournal , bl og, do whatever you can to keep your
i nformati on recorded so you can know wi thout a doubt what i s worki ng. Keep
track of everythi ng.
Al so keep track of what you do for tri pl es, fi ves, and ei ghts as wel l . Thi s l ends
to the mental i ty of success. The more you i denti fy yoursel f wi th success and
THE CUBE METHOD 31
progressi on, the more confi dence you wi l l create, and the more domi nant you
wi l l become. As we al l know powerl i fti ng i s very much a mental sport as wel l , so
trai ni ng thi s way i s condi ti oni ng you mental l y al ong the way.
Submaxi mal trai ni ng i s a great opti on for l i fters as i t doesnt break the body
down constantl y, al l ows your confi dence to i mprove, and al l ows you to trai n
hard year round whi l e maki ng consi stent gai ns wi thout regressi on. Trai ni ng near
Maxi mum wei ghts al l the ti me di d nothi ng for me except l eave me feel i ng
drai ned, and hati ng my trai ni ng. Al so havi ng the expectati on of a new PR every
si ngl e heavy workout became an i nsurmountabl e task. I bel i eve that type of
trai ni ng i s l oved by begi nners so much because the gai ns are comi ng
constantl y, but when you reach a certai n l evel of strength the body j ust cannot
keep up at the same rate.
Al l owi ng oursel ves to use submaxi mal l oads, 60-90% of your 1 rep max, and
movi ng them wi th maxi mal force, al l ows you to trai n and condi ti on your
muscl es, tendons, and l i gaments wi thout overtaxi ng the central nervous
system. One of the Rul es I l i ke to adhere to i s never mi ssi ng wei ghts i n the
gym. What thi s does i s al l ow us conti nued
progressi on, and i mproved confi dence wi thout ever
mi ssi ng a wei ght.
Imagi ne a ful l 10 week cycl e i n whi ch you achi eved
every rep, and every wei ght you set out to. When
the meet rol l s around why woul d have anythi ng but
supreme confi dence i n yoursel f and your l i fti ng? I
remember Dave Hoff tel l i ng me he hadnt mi ssed a
wei ght i n 20 months i n the gym. We al l know what
ki nd of l i fter Hoff i s, and i t begi ns wi th bui l di ng hi s
confi dence when no one i s watchi ng.
Nothi ng i s gai ned from doi ng a wei ght and mi ssi ng
THE CUBE METHOD 32
WHAT I USE D TO DO
SUCKE D, AND WHAT
I M DOI NG NOW
WORKS. PRE TTY
SI MPL E . E VE RY
PE RSON I HAVE
TRAI NE D HAS
GOTTE N RE SULTS. . .
E VE RY SI NGL E ONE .
i t. I al ways encourage my l i fters to l eave some for the next ti me, but I al so
chal l enge them to keep goi ng ONLY IF THEY FEEL PERFECT AND KNOW THEY
WILL NOT MISS. I l i ke what taki ng a few chances wi l l do for a l i fter, i t hel ps
bui l d a ki nd of confi dence that carri es over to meet day. In my mi nd we al l need
to stri ve to go 7-9 for 9 on meet day. What i s wrong wi th l eavi ng a l i ttl e on the
pl atform? You can al ways do another meet. If you adapt to thi s way of thi nki ng
you can begi n to enj oy the sport more as a j ourney than a spri nt.
THE CUBE METHOD 33
HOW DO WE DE TE RMI NE A 1 RE P MAX?
RE P MAXE S
How do you fi gure out your 5-rep max to your 3-rep max? How do you know
whi ch one i s better? Is your new 6-rep max better than your 2-rep max? The
formul a bel ow i s a very basi c and accepted way to fi gure i t out. It wi l l al l ow you
to where you are i n trai ni ng and see how you trai ni ng has progressed wi thout
havi ng to take a true 1RM. Thi s formul a i s not a 100% accurate i ndi cator of
your 1RM, but i t al l ows you a good way to gauge your progress. Obvi ousl y our
bi ggest determi ni ng factor wi l l be a meet, or mock meet at the end of our
cycl e, but thi s gui des us al ong the way. Here i t i s:
The onl y constant i n thi s formul a i s 0.0333. Al l the other numbers wi l l be
determi ned by what you do i n the gym. Lets l ook at an 8 rep max and a 3 rep
max for compari son. Exampl e:
500 x 8 x 0.0333 +500= 633.2
575 x 3 x 0.0333 + 575= 632.44
THE CUBE METHOD 34
( WEI GHT X REPS X . 033)
+
WEI GHT
=
ESTI MATED 1RM
So as you can see the l i fter woul d be repl i cati ng wi thi n a pound the same
wei ght. Thi s woul d i ndi cate that the l i fter had not progressed. Lets see what a
fourth rep woul d yi el d:
575 x 4 x 0.0333 + 575= 651.6
570 x 5 x 0.0333 + 570= 664.9
The extra rep makes a si gni fi cant di fference i n thi s case, so make sure i n your
trai ni ng you choose wei ghts that wi l l be a true i ndi cator of your strength l evel .
As you can see a l i fter that woul d have mi ssed 575 for a fi fth rep, l ets say hal f
way up, but achi eved 570 for a fi fth rep shows a 13 l bs. di fference and wi l l gi ve
a better expressi on of an esti mated 1RM. Be smart wi th your wei ghts.
THE CUBE METHOD 35
TRAI N L I KE AN AL PHA
I want to make very cl ear to every one of you that I am an Al pha Mal e. I am not
some tyrant that runs around beati ng hi s chest to tel l you I am strong or the
best. I l et my l i fti ng do the tal ki ng. When I am i n the gym I come to work, I am
not there to l i sten to you tal k about your dog, or your spouse, or anythi ng. I am
there to trai n. I come to the gym to rai se hel l , and ki ck ass. When you wal k i n
the gym you dont have to be cocky, trust me I am far from cocky, but you have
to have a purpose i n what you do. Ignorance i s not an Al pha trai t, i gnorance i s
wal ki ng i nto a gym ful l of i ron thi nki ng you can peaceful l y wal k through your
workout. It wi l l fai l you i f you approach i t wi th that mental i ty. You have got to
fi nd your fi re, become a war machi ne. Dont apol ogi ze to anyone for your
domi nance.
I sat and watched the cursor bl i nk at me for cl ose to 45 mi nutes before the
words ever came. I have made j okes and Facebook status gal ore about bei ng a
man, and an Al pha at that. What the hel l does that even mean?
The truth of the matter i s before you can ever real i ze who you are, you have to
real i ze what you are. There are good peopl e who wi l l al ways do good, there are
bad peopl e who wi l l al ways be bad, and there are peopl e who are bad that
struggl e to do good.
I am i n the l atter category. I don't know why I am, I was rai sed i n a Chri sti an
home wi th a mother who worked hard, and a father i s the most honorabl e
human bei ng I've ever met. I al ways found mysel f i n troubl e. Al ways. I hated
authori ty, and bucked i t every chance I got. Earl y on i n my l i fe I found a taste
for al cohol , and recreati onal drugs. Di dn't matter to me that many of my fami l y
members were al cohol i cs or i nto drugs themsel ves, I di dn't do i t to fi t i n, I di d i t
because of a sel f l oathi ng.
THE CUBE METHOD 36
I wanted to get caught, I l i ked bei ng l abel ed the troubl e maker because i n many
ways I knew I coul d get my dads attenti on easi er that way than by doi ng wel l . I
hated that too. I hated bei ng the ki d wi th no dad i n the crowd at my games
cause hi s j ob came fi rst, I hated that my mom di dn't come because she di dn't
understand what i t woul d have meant to me. It wasn't unti l my seni or year of
hi gh school that they were mai nstays i n the stands, but because I had swi tched
school s my seni or year I sel dom pl ayed. I di d however recei ve the Eagl e Award
whi ch was gi ven the the pl ayer who showed 100% effort i n practi ce, and
games. For some reason that award sti l l si ts i n my cl oset. I hate l ack of effort.
My papaw once tol d me that my name Li l l y was speci al . That i t meant
somethi ng as a man to carry that name. Thi s was tol d to me as an 17 year ol d
ki d from a 70 year ol d man i n hi s death bed. He tal ked to me about honor,
fami l y, and struggl e. He had hi s demons too but he di dn't run from them or
pai nt a pi cture that was bri ghter than who he was. He tol d me "a man wears hi s
scars wi th pri de, but he al so l earns from them."
Shortl y after that conversati on I went out to a party
and never gave i t much thought. He di ed a few days
l ater, and I di dn't even begi n to understand the gi ft
he had gi ven me. At 17 maybe I wasn't ready to,
but everyday of my l i fe I've searched for a meani ng
and a purpose. I've burned a mi l l i on bri dges, I've
hurt wonderful peopl e, and I've l et gol den
opportuni ti es sl i p through my hands.
I now real i ze those are MY "scars". I've l earned
pai nful l y that the man i n the mi rror i s not a
refl ecti on of one moment, i t's the refl ecti on of 30
years of good and bad, ri ght and wrong choi ces.
But that to me i s what bei ng an Al pha i s, knowi ng
who and what you are, tryi ng to better yoursel f, but
THE CUBE METHOD 37
I COME TO THE GYM
TO RAI SE HE L L , AND
KI CK ASS. WHE N YOU
WAL K I N THE GYM
YOU DON T HAVE TO
BE COCKY, TRUST ME
I AM FAR F ROM
COCKY, BUT YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A
PURPOSE I N WHAT
YOU DO.
l etti ng go of the shame, and gui l t of yesterday. I am by no means perfect, I am
by no means good, but I am better than I was yesterday, and Il l be better
tomorrow too.
It's funny how as we age we l ook at thi ngs di fferent. I sti l l have a hard ti me
tal ki ng to my dad because I respect hi m so much, but I now see wi thout al l the
hours he l ogged at work we woul dn't have had the thi ngs we di d. I see now my
mom j ust worri ed about keepi ng her j ob, and the house kept and i t was easi er
to do those thi ngs wi th two boys on her heel s than three. They've both tol d me
they regret i t too. But one thi ng my dad has taught me i s to work hard for what
you want and bel i eve i n. In my ti me thi s i s what I've l earned.
Let l i fe take i ts course, stop fi ghti ng the path that i s l ai d before you and stand
proud i n who you are. It sounds absol utel y i rrel evant to powerl i fti ng but the day
I stopped doi ng thi ngs i n the gym I di dn't bel i eve i n, and tol d mysel f to do i t for
mysel f, success or fai l ure do i t my way. Forget the pressures of anythi ng but
sel f sati sfacti on for a j ob wel l done. For i n the gym l i ke l i fe, doi ng your best i s
al l you can do, nothi ng more... That i s what makes you successful , that i s what
makes me an Al pha.
On heavy days i f you are feel i ng real l y good, try some of your heavy sets for a
doubl e, or tri pl e, or i f you 100% bel i eve a 1 rep PR i s there, take i t. But you
cannot mi ss. Use your j udgement.
On Rep days i f you have a cal l i ng for 3 sets of 8 reps, compl ete your fi rst two
sets, and then take the thi rd for a rep PR. Go to fai l ure or j ust short.
On Expl osi ve days I am not a huge proponent of tryi ng to set a PR on thi s day,
but I do from ti me to ti me l i ke to do my recommended sets, and then add a
l i ttl e wei ght for 1-2 more sets j ust to get a feel for the wei ght.
THE CUBE METHOD 38
K. I . S. S. ( KE E P I T SI MPL E STUPI D)
I want you to forget al l the bul l shi t and l i es you have been tol d, and sol d. Ji m
Wendl er shares some si mi l ari ti es wi th me i n the paths we have taken, and he
has been a soundi ng board for change, and I am fol l owi ng i n sui t. Thi nk about
i t We both agree on a mul ti tude of i deas about how l i fters have been gi ven
mi si nformati on. Maybe there i s somethi ng to be l earned from our mi stakes. I
know thi s much, i f I hadnt made a change I woul d be out of the sport by now.
Li sten very cl osel y to what I am tel l i ng you, thi s i s the truth, numbers sel l . Such
and such program that wi l l put 200 l bs. on your squat i n si x months, such and
such suppl ement wi l l put 50 l bs. on your bench and extend your erecti on by up
to si x hours. You know why i t sel l s? Because we buy i t. I am tel l i ng you that the
Cube Method wi l l make you stronger, but I am al so tryi ng to get you to real i ze
that a 5 l bs. PR i s sti l l a PR. You have wei ghts besi des 25s and 45s. Use the
2.5s, 5s, and 10s to mark your progress. Dont buy i nto the crap that you
have prove yoursel f to anyone. Look i n the mi rror i f you want someone to
i mpress, do thi ngs on your terms, dont chase some pi pe dream because i t
sounds cool . Go to the gym, bust your ass, l i ft l i ke a warri or, and go home.
Si mpl e.
THE CUBE METHOD 39
TRAI NI NG DAYS: WHAT I S E XPE CTE D
WARMI NG UP
As I have gotten stronger I have l earned to l i sten to advi ce when i t i s gi ven wi th
my benefi t i n mi nd. Corey Hayes has been i nstrumental i n my abi l i ty to i ncrease
my mobi l i ty and trai ni ng readi ness.
Everyone one of us are goi ng MAN-MODE i n the gym ri ght? I know youre goi ng
MAN-MODE i n the ki tchen, throwi ng down eggs, beef and ri ce l i ke i ts goi ng out
of styl e, ri ght? Now how many of you can touch your toes and move around l i ke
a ki d? Exactl y...Thi s i s goi ng to cover the most over l ooked l i nk i n the l i fti ng
worl d, the pre-workout.
To become great at anythi ng you do, you must have l ongevi ty. Too many ti mes
you see peopl e ri se to fame j ust to become nobodys shortl y after. Why i s that?
9 ti mes out of 10 i t i s i nj uri es. Wel l ,ai nt nobody got ti me for dat. Let me
show you how to avoi d i t.
A GOOD PRE - WORKOUT ROUTI NE HAS 3 STE PS.
Mash
Stretch
Warm up
Noti ce I say pre-workout, not warm up. The warm up i s j ust one part of a
proper pre-workout routi ne.
The mash i s si mpl e, i ts foam rol l i ng or l acrosse bal l work on overl y sti ff ti ssues
l i ke the IT bands, the pecs, l ats, etc. Everyone has spots that are worse than
THE CUBE METHOD 40
others, so what we are goi ng to do i s pi ck 2-3 di fferent areas and rol l for j ust
2-3 mi nutes each. Si mpl e enough, ri ght?
The stretch i s the most ski pped porti on of a proper pre-workout because wel l ,
we are men. Thats al l the sci enti fi c proof i need to make that statement. That
needs to change. Why? If you cant get i n the proper form posi ti ons, how do
you maxi mi ze your poundage? You can't. It's that si mpl e. Agai n, everyone i s
di fferent so we choose 2-3 probl emati c posi ti ons and get to where we can
move around i n those posi ti ons better, however l ong that may take. We are onl y
l ooki ng for proper range of moti on and nothi ng more.
The warm up i s a no brai ner but I often see peopl e j umpi ng strai ght i nto barbel l
work. CRAZY... A warm muscl e moves better, i t fi res better, and i t doesn't tear
as easi l y. Why ski p i t? The warm up doesnt need to be fancy, 2-3 movements
wi th a l i ght l oad and hi gh repeti ti on. You're focus here i s to real l y get the
bl oodfl owi ng i nto the muscl es and get the synovi al fl ui d l ubi ng up the j oi nts.
Everyone has di fferent probl ems of course but I l ai d out a sampl e upper and
l ower pre-workout routi ne to address the maj ori ty of everyones probl ems.
UPPE R PRE - WORKOUT:
1) 3 mi nutes of each: Basebal l the pecs and foam rol l the upper back
2)1-2 mi nutes of each: Wal l Internal rotators, band bi cep/forearm stretch, band
pec stretch
3) 3x15 on each: Pushups, pul l aparts, band pushdown
L OWE R PRE - WORKOUT:
3 mi nutes of each: foam rol l - It bands and l ow back
2 mi nutes of each: hi p di stracted hamstri ng stretch ,hi p di sctracted IT bands
stretch , Low back hang
2x15 on each: Band GMs, BW l unges, band adductors, band abducti on
THE CUBE METHOD 41
Don't be afrai d to break a sweat here and you'l l fi nd yoursel f movi ng and feel i ng
better, i n and out of the gym.
MAI N MOVE ME NT
These have been l ai d out for you, and you wi l l see how they fl ow bel ow when I
l ay out a trai ni ng week.
ASSI STANCE MOVE ME NTS
After our mai n exerci se we stop thi nki ng l i ke powerl i fters, because as
powerl i fters we are tryi ng to move maxi mum wei ghts. On our assi stance work
we need to become bodybui l ders. I dont care to thi nk I am goi ng on a posi ng
stage, but I am bui l di ng my physi que i n such a way that maxi mi zes my
potenti al i n powerl i fti ng. I want to l ook l i ke I l i ft wei ghts. Al l of our assi stance
THE CUBE METHOD 42
The Cube Method Pre-Workout
protocol is simple but effective in
keeping you mobile and healthy.
work wi l l be 3-5 exerci ses after the mai n movement, and 3-4 sets per exerci se.
The goal s for accessori es:
1. Bui l d Muscl e and Attack Weak Body Parts
2. Create an Envi ronment for Hypertrophy and Increase Fat Burni ng
3. Hel p Strengthen Muscl es and Create Bal ance i n Physi que
4. Hel p to Prevent Inj ury
5. If a Movement Doesnt Benefi t The Bi g 3 Drop It
SQUAT AND DE ADL I F T ASSI STANCE MOVE ME NTS
Front Squats
Ol ympi c Squats
Leg Press
Lunges
Sti ff Leg Deads
Leg Extensi ons
Leg Curl s
Good Morni ngs
Snatch Gri p Deadl i fts (My Favori te)
Barbel l Rows
Dumbbel l Rows
Lat Pul l downs
Chest Supported Rows
Shrugs
Abs
THE CUBE METHOD 43
Gl ute Ham Rai ses
Back Rai ses
Pl anks
BE NCH PRE SS ASSI STANCE MOVE ME NTS
Cl ose Gri p
Tri cep Pushdowns
Kaz Presses
Mi l i tary Press
Bi cep Curl s
Shoul der Front and Si de Rai ses
Upri ght Rows
Vogel pohl Rows
Abs
Forearm Rol l s
Pec Fl yes
Fat Bar Bench
Push Ups
BANDS AND CHAI NS
My take on bands and chai ns i s that they are tool s. We l i ft wei ghts on the
pl atform not bands or chai ns. I use them spari ngl y, and I sel dom i f ever use
bands from the fl oor. I l i ke one, maybe two chai ns i f hangi ng from a bar, as thi s
can dri ve l ockout, but when the chai ns and/or bands begi n di ctati ng the bar
path, you can count me out.
I used to experi ence l ots of bar dri ft on my deadl i fts, and I watched some vi deo.
I was usi ng bands domi nantl y and the bands were acti ng l i ke a Smythe Machi ne
and al l owi ng me to cheat my form. Every ti me I woul d take the bands away I
woul d l ook awful , so I dropped the bands and started pul l i ng strai ght wei ght,
THE CUBE METHOD 44
and I el i mi nated the dri ft. Same thi ng i n the squat too. So how do I set my
percentage?
Original Way of Band Deadlifts
Example: 45% bar weight + 25% Band Tension at The Top= 70%
I watch guys that pul l wi th bands a l ot and what sense does i t make to have the
wei ght the l i ghtest at the fl oor, when most guys are weakest off the fl oor? So
i nstead of starti ng wi th 45%, and endi ng wi th 70%, I subtracted 10% from the
top end percentage and came up wi th a wei ght that al l owed me to be fast, but
al so worked the muscl es, not j ust my speed. Thi s was the method I used to go
from a 725 l bs. raw deadl i ft on Apri l 20th, 2012 to an 804 l bs. deadl i ft on
November 3rd, 2012. Pri or to thi s I spent nearl y two years between 725 and
765 i n my mul ti pl y gear, so obvi ousl y i t works. Another exampl e i s John Bi eg.
John was i n my second test group and had been stuck at 655 for two years, 8
weeks l ater after droppi ng the bands he pul l ed 700 i n a meet. Dont dri nk the
Kool -Ai d of thi nki ng bands and chai ns are the onl y way. A hel l of a l ot of l i fters
got very damn strong before these thi ngs were common pl ace i n trai ni ng gyms.

New Way of Deadlifting
Old Percentage of Weight at Top (70%)-10%=
Straight Weight to Be Used For Sets
POWE RL I F TI NG GE AR
I compete i n Mul ti -Pl y as wel l as raw so I do not hate the gear for competi ti on. I
hate how weak gear has al l owed l i fters to become. Guys take the shortcut of
getti ng ti ghter gear, or getti ng fatter, rather than getti ng stronger. If you trai n i n
the gear I chal l enge you to take ten weeks and do a raw cycl e of the Cube,
then come back and do 10 weeks i n gear. I bet you woul d shock yoursel f. I do
not care how gear i s used i n thi s trai ni ng I j ust know that for me I use bri efs
THE CUBE METHOD 45
someti mes when I trai n for a raw meet, and when trai ni ng for a geared meet.
Onl y on my heavi est sets do I add my sui t. I do encourage peopl e that l i ft i n
gear to use knee wraps. I came from a way of thi nki ng to onl y use them at
meets, wel l i f you l earn how to use them ri ght they can benefi t you more. I l i ke
warmi ng up raw, addi ng bri efs and hi tti ng a good number, then taki ng one more
set i n bri efs wi th wraps on, then al l my sets i n my sui t are wi th bri efs. You are
goi ng to use them i n a meet wi th your sui t on why not i n trai ni ng?
The onl y trai ni ng that i s real l y any di fferent i s the bench and I wi l l attach that
program as wel l . But the number one rul e I have for guys i n gear, si nce you wi l l
be free squatti ng, squat deeper than you thi nk you need to i n a meet. Trust me,
you may l ose 100 l bs. at fi rst but i f you commi t to squatti ng to REAL PARALLEL
when you go to a meet and get a cal l " i nch hi gh you wi l l be si ngi ng the
prai ses of the Cube and buyi ng me a Thank You Card.
THE CUBE METHOD 46
WHAT A 3 WE E K WAVE L OOKS L I KE
WE E K 1

DE ADS - RE PS SE TS RE PS %
Deadl i ft From 1" Defi ci t 1 8 70
4" Bl ock pul l 2 3 80
SSB Ol ympi c Stance Squat - Raw 3 8 50
Gl ute Ham Rai ses (GHR) 4 10
Back Rai ses $ 50
$
!Warm Up Sl owl y. Stretch and real l y get ready to l i ft. Thi s has been a huge
benefi t for me.
*If you are a geared l i fter, use i t. If you are raw, I l i ke to pul l i n my bri efs
someti mes to overl oad, and al so, use knee wraps on your squat sets.
*When warmi ng up, be smart, make smal l j umps. I l i ke quarter, pl ate, quarter,
pl ate unti l near my work sets, then 10's and 5's appl y.
*Use %S of your best l i ft (ei ther i n meet or gym)DO NOT use a crappy l i ft for
your %! Id recommend starti ng wi th 95% of your best.
*Do your best to ri g-up the reverse bands i n any way that you can. Its very
i mportant to the program.
Get wi th me i f unavai l abl e. $ $ $


$
$

THE CUBE METHOD 47
*Use an average band for your Rev Band sets, and I wi l l show you how to ri g
them.
*Assi stance work wi thout percentages: thi s shoul d end up wi th the top set
bei ng about 3-4 reps shy of fai l ure.
*Now, on some of the movements wi th l ess than 8 reps, thi s i s harder to j udge,
so dont appl y.
*Thi s mai nl y appl i es to the hi gher rep assi stance: Lat pul l -downs or fl y etc. I
want the bl ock pul l s, sti ffs, decl i ne, cl ose gri p works top set to be heavy, but
not to fai l ure
THE CUBE METHOD 48
BE NCH- HE AVY SE TS RE PS %
Fl oor Press 5 2 80
Bench 2 15 60-70
Lat Pul l down 3 12 $
Band Pressdown 4 25 $
DB Shrugs (squeeze!) 3 15
Mi l i tary Press 3 12
SQUAT- E XPL OSI ON SE TS RE PS %
Squat 8 3 60
Squat wi th Reverse Avg Band or
Doubl e Mi ni Band Per Si de
1 2 80
Ol ympi c Squat- Shoul der wi dth,
deep as you can go
5 5 $
Leg Press 4 15 $
Reverse Hyper 3 12 $
KB/DB Swi ngs 3 15 $
WE E K 2

$

THE CUBE METHOD 49
DE ADS - E XPL OSI ON SE TS RE PS %
Deadl i ft from the Fl oor 8 3 60
4 Bl ock Pul l - Strai ght Wei ght
Snatch Gri p
3 12 50
Squat - SSB or Strai ght Bar (cl ose
stance)
3 8 $
Barbel l Shrugs 3 12 $
Back Rai ses $ 50 $
Band or Machi ne Lat Pul l down 4 15 $
BE NCH- RE PS SE TS RE PS %
Incl i ne Bench Press 1 8 70
Incl i ne DB (pi ck a wei ght you
woul d fai l at 23 reps)
2 20 $
Cl ose Gri p (pi ck a wei ght that
chal l enges you)
3 12 $
Band Fl y 3 15 $
Tri cep Pressdown w/Band or
Cabl e
$ 100
Mi l i tary Press 3 12
WE E K 3

*Warm Up Sl owl y. Pl ate, quarter, Pl ate, quarter. Now we are goi ng for a heavy
si ngl e, but do not mi ss. If you fi nd yoursel f pul l i ng a hard rep. Ei ther stop, or
make a smal l j ump, then shut i t down. WE DO NOT MISS REPS! $
THE CUBE METHOD 50
SQUAT- HE AVY SE TS RE PS %
Squat 5 2 80
Goodmorni ng (go down unti l you
want to doubl e over then expl ode
up)
3 8 $
Leg Press 3 20 $
Reverse Hypers or Lunges 3 12 $
Back Rai ses $ 60 $
Band Leg Curl s 2 50 $
DE ADS - HE AVY SE TS RE PS %
Max DL Off 4" Bl ocks or Pi ns Set
at Mi d Shi n
5 2 80
Snatch Gri p Deads 2 8 65
Dumbbel l Rows 3 10 $
Dumbbel l Shrugs 2 20 $
Up and Down Pl ank $ 50 $


THE CUBE METHOD 51
BE NCH- E XPL OSI ON SE TS RE PS %
Fl oor Press (% based on max
bench)
8 3 60
Incl i ne DB Press (Make your fai l
poi nt ri ght around 15. Do not
make these an easy 15)
3 15 $
Band Press Down $ 100 $
Standi ng DB Mi l i tary Press 3 10 $
Band Fl y 3 15 $
Abs $ 50 $
SQUAT- RE PS SE TS RE PS %
Squat - Geared:Bri efs Onl y/Raw
(wraps i f you l i ke)
1 8 70
SSB or Strai ght Bar Wi de stance
GM
3 8 $
Lunges (hol di ng a chal l engi ng DB
wei ght i n each hand)
3 15 $
Ol ympi c Squats (do not rack the
bar unti l you hi t 50 reps, shal l ow
reps dont count. Women 75-95
l bs. Men 135 l bs.)
1 50 135l b
Abs $ 60 $
DAY F OUR
Thi s day i s total l y commi tted to bodybui l di ng. I al ways do three l i fts before
anythi ng el se. These l i fts are Mi l i tary Press, Bi cep Curl s, and Cal f Rai ses. Then I
pi ck three to four bodyparts that need work, and I pi ck one exerci se for each.
So, on a gi ven Day 4 you may have 6-7 exerci ses, for a total of 18-35 sets
dependi ng on how you feel . Learn to trust your body. Wei ght i s not i mportant
on thi s day, j ust go i n and get the work done qui ckl y. 30-45 mi nutes i s al l you
shoul d need to compl ete the work. Break a sweat, keep the rest peri ods bri ef,
and i f you l i ke do supersets, gi ant sets, or one bi g ci rcui t.
HE RE I S A MODE L :
Mi l i tary Press- 225 x 8 x 4 sets
Bi cep EZ Curl - 75 x 12 x 3 sets
Cal f Rai ses i n Leg Press- 405 x 15 x 5 sets
Leg Curl s- 75 x 10 x 4 sets
Lat Pul l downs- 160 x 20 x 3 sets
Shrugs- 315 x 10 x 3 sets
As I stated that i s j ust a model , but the l ast three exerci ses shoul d al ways be
di fferent.
3 DAYS A WE E K
Just adhere to the regul ar model and
si nce we shoot for si x exerci ses on
Day 4, j ust take two of the si x l i fts,
and i mpl ant them i nto the other three
days. Si mpl e.
THE CUBE METHOD 52 High volume work on the Big 3 and their variations is at
the foundation of success with the Cube Method.
SHI RTE D BE NCH ROUTI NE
Thi s i s the routi ne I used to bench 760, 800, 810, and 820, so i t has proven
i tsel f to me, but others have had success as wel l . Just drop the ori gi nal Bench
mai nmovement and i mpl ement the fol l owi ng.
WE E K 1
ME Max Effort Bench fl oor press wi th 3chai ns on each si de
WE E K 2
ME Max Effort Bench fl oor press wi th 2chai ns on each si de
WE E K 3
ME - Max Effort Bench Reverse Bl ue Band or hangi ng bl ues (out of a power
rack)
WE E K 4
ME Max Effort Bench Press Opener to a 1 bd, 2nd to a two
WE E K 5
ME Max Effort Bench Press raw 3 board press
WE E K 6
ME - Max Effort bench fl oor press STRAIGHT WEIGHT
WE E K 7
ME Max Effort Bench Press SHIRT WORK take al l 3 meet attempts to a 2
board
WE E K 8
ME Max Effort Bench Press SHIRT WORK take opener to hal f board
WE E K 9
ME - Max Effort Bench Press fl oor press STRAIGHT WEIGHT
WE E K 10
ME woul d be meet day
THE CUBE METHOD 53
ONE BARBE L L : ONE GOAL
I started out i n a gym wi th a few bars, and a coupl e of rusty ol d machi nes. As I
stated before i t was basi c, i t was ol d, i t was ugl y, but i t worked. As I type thi s I
am tryi ng to get cl oser to thi s mental i ty agai n, that what worked years ago can
work now. We have machi nes wi th al l these fancy bel l s and whi stl es that
counter bal ance, and hol d your hand whi l e you l i ft. What the hel l have we
become? Patheti c real l y. Thi s secti on i s for anyone that has a bar and some
wei ghts.
Thi s i s a pl an for someone who wants i t basi c. As si mpl e as they come. Al l
movements wi l l be performed on a barbel l . Thi nk about al l the vi deos that have
come out wi th Dmi try Kl okov, Konstanti n Konstanti nov, Andrey Bel yaev, they al l
got badass strong usi ng j ust a barbel l . There i s some ease of use wi th some of
the machi nes that have been created over ti me, but i t i s my bel i ef that the
barbel l i s ki ng.
For the mai n movements you wont see much vari ety, j ust sti ck to those as i t i s
drawn out. But for your assi stance movements I want you to get creati ve, fi nd
ways to i mpl ement j ust a barbel l i nto your routi ne. These exerci ses are great
accessori es that are done wi th j ust a strai ght bar:
BE NCH ACCE SSORI E S
Cl ose Gri p Bench
Board Benches
Tri cep Extensi ons
JM Presses
Mi l i tary Press
Upri ght Rows
Barbel l Rows
THE CUBE METHOD 54
Barbel l Curl s
Front Rai ses
Reverse Curl s
Forearm Rol l s
SQUAT AND DE ADL I F T
Front Squat
Sumo Pul l s
Snatch Gri p Deadl i ft
Barbel l Rows
Upri ght Rows
Cl eans
Lunges
Barbel l Shrugs
Sti ff Leg Deadl i ft
Ol ympi c Squat
Defi ci t Deadl i ft
When usi ng thi s method you need to keep a few thi ngs i n mi nd, you have to
keep the trai ni ng as di verse as you can so you dont go stal e. Make sure after
your mai n movement on upper days you pi ck 4-5 exerci ses from the l i st
provi ded. One to focus on each of the fol l owi ng: Pecs, Shoul ders/Traps, Lats,
Tri ceps, Bi ceps. Al ways do Abs.
On l ower days pi ck 3-5 after the mai n movement one for each of the fol l owi ng:
Quads, Hamstri ngs, Back/Lats, Gl utes. Al ways do Abs.
THE CUBE METHOD 55
DI E T
You want proof I am si mpl e? I guarantee i f I spent two weeks wri ti ng out a
detai l ed perfect di et no one woul d fol l ow i t. So here i s the truth. 90% of l i fters I
meet thi nk they eat enough. Ive eaten two steaks si nce I started typi ng thi s
sentence. YOU HAVE TO EAT LIKE A BIG BOY TO BE A BIG BOY (Or l ady).
There are peopl e who have way more l etters after thei r name than me who can
tel l you the mi cro detai l s of why, but here are a few ti ps on the how. No
secret, no bul l shi t. If you want to get bi g, do thi s. If you start stori ng fat, cl ean
i t up, but you have to eat l i ke a machi ne.
THE CUBE METHOD 56
Brandon has a simple approach to
nutrition for strength and mass:
Lots of Real Food.
Eat l i ke a freaki ng beast. I don't want to hear any excuses as to why you aren't
gai ni ng. In fi ve months I gai ned 21 l bs, and can see my abs i n the morni ng,
Ji mmy Harri s gai ned 30, and got l eaner as wel l , and we di d not eat di et food,
we ate to be strong. The ni ghts before you l i ft make sure to eat bi g carb meal s,
and I suggest eati ng l ots of carbs every 3 hours. I wei gh 325 and hi t maybe
200-250 grams of protei n per day, but I al ways get cl ose to 1000 carbs a day.
Eat tons of good fats, coconut oi l , nuts, ol i ve oi l i n your shakes, al mond butter,
natural peanut butter, regul ar peanut butter, I don't care, but I am not creati ng
marathon runners, I am out to make beasts. And l astl y Chocol ate mi l k i s your
new best fri end, at mi ni mum a hal f gal l on a day. No excuses, cheapest, tasti est
cal ori es you can buy, and for those that doubt that ti p, you doubt me? Chuck
Vogel pohl , Chad Smi th, and mysel f that I know of fi rst hand are adheri ng to the
same rul e.
SUPPL E ME NTATI ON
Suppl ements, I'm a l i ttl e wi shy washy on thi s subj ect, I prefer whol e food fi rst
and foremost then suppl ements to fi l l i n hol es. I don't want you dri nki ng four
shakes a day unl ess i t i s your onl y opti on and I woul d fi nd that hard to bel i eve.
Li ke I sai d for $15 you can get two pounds of beef, a pound of chi cken, and
two boxes of pasta, and that's a pretty good day of food after your hal f gal l on
of chocol ate mi l k. Eat l i ke a beast, trai n l i ke a beast. Mul ti vi tami n i s good,
creati ne, ami no aci ds, and protei n powder of course. That's about as fancy as I
ever get.
THE CUBE METHOD 57
USI NG THE SL E D & PROWL E R
Sl ed and Prowl er movements have become very popul ar because of the ease of
use and effecti veness. They both have a wi de range of uses for rehab, recovery,
condi ti oni ng, speed devel opment and strength trai ni ng, and fat burni ng.
Most peopl e over-thi nk how to use them so I wi l l gi ve you some i deas.
RE HAB AND RE COVE RY
If recovery i s the goal , wal k wi th a l i ght l oad on the sl ed for 15-20 mi nutes. Its
a great way to i mprove bl ood fl ow to the l ower body, hel pi ng to reduce
soreness and promote recovery. Its a excel l ent opti on for both your off days
duri ng the offseason, and for i n-season athl etes who cant handl e bei ng sore i n
between games or practi ce.
ME TABOL I C CONDI TI ONI NG
Whi l e condi ti oni ng i s very speci fi c to each sport, performi ng 5-10 mi nutes of
expl osi ve sl ed drags wi th moderate wei ght after your trai ni ng sessi on i s a great
way to i mprove condi ti oni ng. When cardi ovascul ar condi ti oni ng i s the goal ,
perform sl ed drags two ti mes per week; one di stance day and one burst day.
The l ong day shoul d consi st of draggi ng the sl ed for 3-5 sets or 100-300 feet
wi th a l i ght to moderate wei ght, and 1 mi nute of rest between sets. The burst
day shoul d consi st of draggi ng the sl ed for 5 or more sets of 100 feet wi th a
moderate to heavy amount of wei ght, and 30 to 45 seconds of rest between
sets.
Remember that the i dea wi th any condi ti oni ng i s progressi ve, so each week by
shorten the rest peri ods, or i ncrease the number of sets you do. Thi s metabol i c
condi ti oni ng i s a great way to bui l d muscl e and burn fat.
THE CUBE METHOD 58
ACCE L E RATI ON TRAI NI NG
Resi sted sl ed spri nts are, as menti oned above, are another great way to
i mprove accel erati on, as they offer si mi l ar benefi ts to very heavy sl ed drags.
Perform 6-8 sets of 15-20 yards wi th ful l recovery between sets. Experi ment
wi th both vari ati ons and see what works for you.
STRE NGTH AND HYPE RTROPHY TRAI NI NG
Lastl y, the sl ed i s a very effecti ve i n ai di ng strength gai ns and packi ng on
muscl e mass. For strength, perform heavy sl ed drags, ei ther forward or
backward, at the end of your workout over 10-30 yard i nterval s. To i ncrease
muscl e mass, add i n extra vol ume wi th the sl ed.
THE CUBE METHOD 59
MAN UP
In powerl i fti ng you mi ght expect to fi nd the manl i est of men, but often, actual l y
more often than not you'l l fi nd men wi th fragi l e egos. Thi s causes them to cheat
themsel ves. I don't understand why I see these three thi ngs over and over but I
do.
1. Most peopl e l ove to squat bi g wei ght. If you don't I am not certai n why you
woul d powerl i ft, but one cruci al part of the squat i s "the hol e". If you wanna
see real entertai nment go to a ti ghtl y j udged powerl i fti ng meet and watch
l i fters actual l y have to hi t depth and thei r hi ps make moves that woul d cause
El vi s to bl ush. Why? Because when peopl e hi t depth thei r squats go down,
so they compete where hi gh squats pass and trai n to hi gh cal l s or even
worse a hi gh box. If you free fal l i n the hol e, why set a box under your ass to
stop you? Why not try strengtheni ng your hi ps wi th l i ghter wei ght and reps
to actual depth, then worki ng your way back up. That's cal l ed WORK. To
reach the top you'l l need some of that. Chuck al ways tol d me "Trai n deeper
than you have to and the meets wi l l be easy."
2. Bench shi rts are a stapl e i n powerl i fti ng, so you woul d thi nk i t woul d be
fundamental that peopl e l earn to touch the shi rts. However i t's not
fundamental at al l . What i s fundamental i s peopl e barel y strong enough to
bench a sol i d raw bench strappi ng on a bench shi rt that woul d be extreme
by anyone's measure and bl asti ng up hundreds of pounds off of two and
three boards and boasti ng ri di cul ous cl ai ms of strength. The best bencher I
have ever seen and maybe one day ever, Dave Hoff l i ved on l earni ng to
touch l i ghter wei ghts. He never reasoned that i t meant anythi ng to touch
1000 l bs to a two board i f you coul dn't touch 700. Dave systemati cal l y
showed me how to touch wei ghts i n my shi rt I never dreamed possi bl e, and
once we establ i shed bei ng abl e to touch then we went to work on addi ng
strength or setti ng the shi rt to handl e more wei ght. Learn to wal k before you
run.
THE CUBE METHOD 60
3. Deadl i fts. Thi s one may surpri se you but I thi nk the worst thi ng guys can do
i n the gym i s wear straps. I understand MAYBE usi ng them on a hi gh rep set
or a rep set wi th heavy wei ght, but why on earth woul d a man not onl y use
but become dependent upon straps i n trai ni ng when you can't use them i n
competi ti on? I know several guys who bi tch and whi ne about gri p bei ng an
i ssue, wel l you know what Ei nstei n? The straps aren't doi ng much to make
your hands any better. Want some l oti on for those woman hands? Grab the
bar and man up. Bui l d thi ck cal l ouses, bui l d meaty hands that refuse to l et
go. Stop stroki ng your ego by usi ng straps to pul l bi g wei ghts. Dedi cate your
hands to the Deadl i ft as you do your l egs and back and you'l l be better off.
Now some peopl e may read thi s and feel l i ke i ts di rected at them. Actual l y i t's
di rected at a great many peopl e so i f you feel l i ke i ts ai med at you i t i s. Trai n
to be stronger than you have to be and you'd be surpri sed what happens.
THE CUBE METHOD 61
F I NAL WORD
Thi s method i s si mpl y the method that has worked for me. I was ready to gi ve
up on the sport and needed to gi ve i t one more trai ni ng cycl e. The truth i s, as I
branched out, onl y a few guys stood besi de me i n the gym and I went to a meet
basi cal l y by mysel f, and ended up havi ng the best geared meet to date 2530
l bs. at 308 l bs. BWT, i n York, Pennsyl vani a. Why i s that rel evant? Because you
are readi ng thi s book for one of two reasons: One, you want to bash me. Thats
fi ne. Or, two, you have come to thi s method l ooki ng for somethi ng more,
somethi ng you can bel i eve i n.
THE CUBE METHOD 62
MAKE A PL AN, STI CK TO I T, HURT
F E E L I NGS
It was that spark that kept me goi ng, and sl owl y others started bel i evi ng i n thi s
method, and I used al l that I vi ewed as wrong i n my past trai ni ng as a way to
dri ve me forward i n pursui ng thi s. I know how i mpossi bl e the goal s you set can
seem, but i f you set out wi th a pl an, make smal l gai ns, and never gi ve up,
somewhere al ong the way you wi l l start gai ni ng momentum, and confi dence.
You wi l l start to bel i eve i n yoursel f to the poi nt that you bel i eve you can do
anythi ng.
That i s where I stand today. I remember for years chasi ng an 800 l bs. deadl i ft,
and absol utel y trembl i ng at the thought of i t. I had ni ghtmares about i t. But at
Mark Bel l s Backyard Meet of the Century I was faci ng 800 on the pl atform
wi th a chance to break 2,200 l bs. raw, and PROVE to mysel f for once and for al l
that I bel onged. As I approached the bar, I remember feel i ng l i ke the worl d
stood sti l l . I knew i nsi de of mysel f i f I gave i t everythi ng I had I coul d pul l i t. I
bent down, and I coul d fel l the fear starti ng to come over, but I pul l ed the bar
before i t coul d, and boom!! I was standi ng up wi th 800 l bs. I put the bar down
and coul dnt ever cel ebrate I was numb. In an i nstant I fel t grati fi cati on. I
remembered al l the peopl e who sai d I was done, and the peopl e who bashed
me onl i ne, and I knew that no matter what they cant bash the truth. They
cannot deny that I was better than they thought.
I want al l of you who read thi s to have a moment where you real i ze i t was al l
worth i t. Where the hours i n the gym, the sweat, the chal k al l come together
and your feel val i dated by strength. No one can ever take that away from you.
No one can touch what you achi eve. Thi s i s my cal l of acti on to you: Bel i eve i n
thi s method, gi ve i t al l you have, trai n l i ke you have nothi ng to l ose, and most of
al l bel i eve i n yoursel f. When you l ook back over the course of your trai ni ng
cycl e, and you have pul l ed your l ast deadl i ft at your meet, or on the battl efi el d
that i s your gym, remember what i t took, what was sacri fi ced for i mprovement.
Stand there proud you recl ai med your strength.
THE CUBE METHOD 63
SPE CI AL E XE RCI SE S F OR THE CUBE ME THOD
Any method you fi nd on the i nternet, or tucked away i n some Russi an Coaches,
there wi l l be exerci ses that are not necessari l y excl usi ve to, but rather i mportant
to the method. These are exerci ses that I have found to be cruci al l y i mportant
i n my devel opment, and the others that have been on the Cube:
SNATCH GRI P DE ADL I F T
These have become associ ated wi th the Cube from al most day one. What you
need to do i s grab a bar (use wri st straps), wi der than the ri ngs, and wi th the
wei ght setti ng on a 2", or 4" bl ock deadl i ft the wei ght. I usual l y do these for 1-3
sets, rangi ng from 8-20 reps. We stay i n l ower wei ght ranges 45-55% and try to
do them qui ckl y. These real l y tax the mi ddl e back, and gl utes better
than any other exerci se I've ever done. They hel ped my deadl i ft l ockout l i ke
crazy.
THE CUBE METHOD 64
KL OKOV PRE SS
Thi s i s much di fferent than j ust a typi cal overhead press. Wi th hands agai nst
the col l ar pul l out on the bar, and l et the torque dri ve the bar upward, rather
than "pushi ng" the wei ght up. Thi s i s extremel y di ffi cul t, and wi l l tax your
forearms, tri ceps, upper, and mi ddl e back. We keep the reps hi gh because
shoul der heal th i s about heal th not wei ght.
THE CUBE METHOD 65
F L OOR PRE SS
Not a new exerci se but I bel i eve that there i s di rect correl ati on to a bi g bench
when you get your fl oor press stronger. Vary your gri ps, and trul y l et your
tri ceps rel ax on the fl oor, don't barel y touch the ground and go. Thi s i s real l y
good for tri cep strength.
CAT BACK ROWS
We do these by el evati ng our feet on the base of the Chest Supported Row,
and extend very far forward roundi ng over l i ke a "Cat", and pul l the wei ght up,
THE CUBE METHOD 66
and when i t stops, arch your back squeezi ng the erectors. Thi s i s not a must,
but i f you have access to a CSR thi s wi l l real l y bl ow your back up. Keep the
reps medi um to hi gh.
F RONT SQUATS
There i s no secret to these. They are hard as nai l s, and wi l l make your quads
grow i n spades. Do these and forever know you are bad son of a bi tch. Do
them heavy, do them for hi gh reps, do them days a week. Who cares? Do them!
That's i t for "Speci al Exerci ses", but I assure you those four movements wi l l
make you a better l i fter. No gl i tz, no gl am, j ust hard ass work. In the end that's
what i s speci al about the Cube. It's j ust hard work.
THE CUBE METHOD 67
BUI L DI NG A BADASS BE NCH
When I began trai ni ng, I was a horri bl e bench presser, but as ti me progressed I
found mysel f i mprovi ng greatl y i n the bench. Then I hi t a bi g bl ock. I found that
nothi ng was worki ng for my bench, and at ti mes I was regressi ng. Why?
Because I began strength "testi ng" i nstead of strength "bui l di ng". That i s a
common theme i n the Cube program i s to conti nue bui l di ng, and to bui l d
anythi ng you have to understand what the end goal i s, and how to put the
pi eces together to end up wi th the desi red resul t.
I was a huge l over of one rep max's. I found mysel f taki ng a max every week,
and beati ng mysel f up i f I di dn't set a new one. What I di dn't take i nto account
was l i fe, my nutri ti on, sl eep, and how al l those thi ngs i mpact us i n our trai ni ng.
So, when I wi zened up I l ooked at my trai ni ng, exami ned where I
was weak and I set out wi th a pl an.
THE BE NCH I N PARTS
To bench bi g you need i n thi s order:
1. Tri ceps, especi al l y the mi ddl e, and l ower i nner head.
2. Lats, the most underuti l i zed muscl e i n the bench press. The l ats are
i mportant for l oweri ng, and creati ng the i ni ti al reversal of the bar. If you don't
feel your l ats when you bench, you are 100% benchi ng i ncorrectl y.
3. Del ts, the del ts have a huge often mi sunderstood rol e i n the benchpress. We
use our del ts to l ower, and stabi l i ze our bar when benchi ng. Why peopl e
negl ect thei r del ts i s beyond me.
4. Pecs, the pecs are not that i mportant for powerl i fters, i n a power bench, but
I can tel l you thi s, try bui l di ng a bi g bench, an stayi ng heal thy wi thout
THE CUBE METHOD 68
addressi ng your pec muscl es. You better strengthen them as much for i nj ury
preventi on as anythi ng.
5. Bi cep/Forearms, tryi ng benchi ng huge wei ght on ski nny ass forearms. Your
bones wi l l break before you do. The bi ceps can actual l y act as a cushi on for
the arm to dri ve off of i n the hol e. Most ti mes a bi g bencher wi l l have both
bi g bi ceps and massi ve forearms.
I had my i ndi vi dual i zed parts, but I needed a pl an. Conventi onal speed work
was not carryi ng over to my max work, as I was al ways very expl osi ve and
never found my speed i mproved when I i mpl emented i t. So what to repl ace i t
wi th? Overhead work. When trai ni ng for Strongman I di d overhead work al l the
ti me, and coi nci dental l y my bench was at an al l ti me hi gh. I came back to do a
powerl i fti ng meet, dropped the overheads, and my bench fel l as wel l .
I was too stubborn to real i ze what I was doi ng so for years I abandoned the
overhead work. Once I added i t back i n, BOOM!!! My bench started rocketi ng
up, goi ng from 425-475 i n under 3 months. Lat work needed to be done every
day. I bel i eve the body has a uni que way of adapti ng at a far better rate than we
gi ve i t credi t so I hi t my l ats hard and heavy every ti me I trai n, someti mes
choosi ng mul ti pl e exerci ses to attack the l ats.Tri ceps became supremel y
i mportant, and I focused pri mari l y on cl ose gri ps.
I know a l ot of peopl e wi l l tel l you that machi nes i sol ate the tri ceps, and make
them l ook pretty, wel l l ets see how many of them can bench 800+ i n a shi rt,
and 575 raw? Not too many. Bi g tri ceps come from heavy ass tri cep work, and
there i s no better pl ace to start than cl ose gri ps. Why powerl i fters don't trai n
tri ceps i s beyond me.
I hear guys wi th tears, and tendoni ti s from the squat bar, guys i ts si mpl e. If you
wanna be strong top to bottom, be strong top to bottom!! Do not negl ect one
body part for any reason.
THE CUBE METHOD 69
When I began the Cube I was benchi ng j ust over 500 l bs. and not very
consi stentl y. Thi s was after benchi ng 545, and then 560 off a one board very
easi l y j ust a year before. I l i ked the rotati on I was i n, as two weeks were
dedi cated to bui l di ng, and one week testi ng. I al so found that for mysel f, and
most others that fl oor press was a great i ndi cator of strength on the bench, as
wel l as two board work hel ped the l ockout. I al ways l i ke ful l range work to to
keep my form i n check, so thus my bench rotati on was born:
F L OOR PRE SS
2 or 3 Board (Depends on Arm Length)
Chest Benches or Bow Bar
Reverse Bands
In no ti me my bench was cl i mbi ng i n and out of the shi rt, and often ti mes after
my prescri bed work sets i f I was feel i ng good I woul d throw on the Sl i ngshot for
a coupl e si ngl es goi ng up i n wei ght. Here i s how my bench was l ai d out and
how I bui l d my shi rted bench to a PR of 820 l bs. and 573 l bs. raw on the
Cube!!
SHI RTE D ROUTI NE
Week 1
ME - Max Effort Bench - fl oor press wi th 3chai ns on each si de
Week 2
ME - Max Effort Bench - fl oor press wi th 2chai ns on each si de
Week 3
ME - Max Effort Bench - Reverse Bl ue Band or "hangi ng bl ues" (out of a
power rack)
Week 4
ME - Max Effort Bench Press - Opener to a 1 bd, 2nd to a two
Week 5
ME - Max Effort Bench Press - raw 3 board press
THE CUBE METHOD 70
Week 6
ME - Max Effort bench - fl oor press STRAIGHT WEIGHT
Week 7
ME - Max Effort Bench Press - SHIRT WORK take al l 3 meet attempts to a 2
board
Week 8
ME - Max Effort Bench Press - SHIRT WORK- take opener to hal f board
Week 9
ME - Max Effort Bench Press - fl oor press STRAIGHT WEIGHT
Week 10
ME - woul d be meet day
(Techni que i s paramount. I do not bel i eve i n overl oads. I do strai ght wei ght j ust
l i ke a meet. Take nothi ng heavi er than your pl anned attempts.)
RAW BE NCH CYCL E
I based my numbers off of a 540 bench that I achi eved wi th a pause at my meet
i n May.
Week 1 Reps
Regul ar bench: 375 x 5 x 3 sets
Cl ose Gri p Off Board Lat Pul l Downs Tri cep Pushdowns Abs
Week 2 Speed
Regul ar Bench: 300 x 3 x 10 (30 secs rest between sets) Pause Presses
Lat Pul l Downs
Tri cep Extensi ons
Lateral Rai ses Shrugs
Abs
THE CUBE METHOD 71
Week 3 Max
(I don't al ways Max Out, but thi s i s my heavi est week i n the rotati on)
Regul ar Bench: 470 x 5 x 2 sets
Incl i ne DB Press
Lat Pul l Downs Shrugs
Tri cep Extensi ons
Week 4 Reps
Regul ar Bench: 400 x 3 x 3 sets Cl ose Gri p Off Board
Lat Pul l Downs
Di ps
Abs
Week 5 Speed
Regul ar Bench: 315 x 2 x 8 Cl ose Gri p
Lat Pul l Downs
Front Rai ses
Shrugs Abs
Week 6 Max
Regul ar Bench: 515 x 3, 530 x 2 Incl i ne DB Hands Faci ng In
Lat Pul l Downs
Week 7 Reps
Regul ar Bench: 425 x 3 x 3 Cl ose Gri p Off Board
Lat Pul l Downs
Skul l Crushers
Abs
Week 8 Speed
Regul ar Bench: 365 x 3 x 5
Band Pul l Aparts
THE CUBE METHOD 72
Shrugs
Lat Pul l Downs
(Thi s week was super l i ght on accessori es knowi ng my next week was for a new
PR attempt.)
Week 9 Max
Regul ar Bench: 515 x 1, 545 x 1 PR (Not a gym PR, but paused PR, 560 was
my gym PR), 575 x 1
*I onl y took 575 for 1 because 545 went PERFECTLY, and I had trai ned wel l and
fel t a new l i feti me PR was i n my si ghts.
Hi gh Rep Cl ose Gri p
(Shut down knowi ng next week i s Rep PR attempt)
Week 10 Reps
Regul ar Bench: 545 x 2 PR! Cl ose Gri p off Boards
Tri cep Push Downs Lat Pul l Downs
Now you are equi pped to smash bench PR's for yoursel f!!!
DE ADL I F T ACCE SSORY TRAI NI NG VI DE OS
CL I CK TO VI E W DE ADL I F T TRAI NI NG VI DE O PART 1
CL I CK TO VI E W DE ADL I F T TRAI NI NG VI DE O PART 2
THE CUBE METHOD 73
THE CUBE METHOD 74