Swole at Every Height - The GZCL Method For Powerlifting

Swole at Every Height: The GZCL Method for Powerlifting
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The GZCL Method for Powerlifting

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Many of you know me from my recent meet report on the IPL
World Championship. In that thread there were some that
expressed interest in my training methodologies. This post
is to cover some of the finer details of how and why I
train the way I train.
First a brief overview of who I am and what Ive done. Im
a 26 year old man, standing a whopping 55 or so, and
compete in the 148 lb weight class. Ive only been lifting
for four years, with about two years training specifically
for powerlifting, and nearly a full year of that doing
some variation of my own programming and generally
following my own path; trying out shit for myself from
things Ive seen or read about. My first powerlifting
competition was on January 14th of 2012 and I totaled
1,113 lb. Just recently at IPL Worlds I totaled 1,196 (or
1,211 if you count my 4th attempt deadlift) only 10 months
later on November 9th. I broke two California state
records (deadlift and total) and broke the IPL deadlift
record with a 529 lb pull. Thats a gain of about 83-98
lbs. to my total (while staying within my weight class)
while following my own programming.
Dont get me wrong, there are a lot of stronger guys out
there in my weight class; guys that literally total 200 lb
or more than me. So why should you listen to what I have
to say? Honestly, I dont know. Maybe its because Ive
totaled elite master (USPA's updated classification
chart) in less than two years of training for
powerlifting. Maybe its because I look at training more
like being an architect, engineer, and a mason, than your
average strength enthusiast. Im not here to bullshit you
about how to be a tough guy or a badass. Im not here to
share life lessons that can be learned in the weight room.
Badass, tough guy, hardcore; those are all subjective to
personal opinions. What isnt subjective is strength. In
this I will discuss how Ive become stronger.
So how did I get to the level I am at with my own training

philosophy? Simply put, I envision a pyramid as a metaphor
of strength and training. The height of the pyramid is
determined by the intensities with which you lift (with
respect to percentages of your 1RM) and size of the base
of the pyramid is determined by your training volume. If
you want to have a pyramid that is tall youve got to make
sure its also wide.
Conversely, a wide yet short
pyramid isnt too impressive. A necessity to building an
impressively tall pyramid is to make it only as wide as
required in order to support its ever-growing height.
Too often I see lifters
their pyramid and leave
resulting in a tall yet
can be seen in programs
focus solely on the height of

their foundation to the wayside,
easily toppled structure. This
like Smolov or similar peaking
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their pyramid and leave their foundation to the wayside,

resulting in a tall yet easily toppled structure. This
can be seen in programs like Smolov or similar peaking
programs. Many times a portion of these strength gains are
lost after the program has been completed. These kinds of
programs are great and have their place in strength
training, especially for competitions. To me their results
are too impermanent and therefore not optimal for me to
build lasting strength; if Im going to sweat I want to
keep what Ive sweat for. Not only that, you cannot train
with these programs year round which is possible with my
methodology. Dont for a second believe that Im saying
Smolov is lacking in volume, because it isnt. Itll break
your ass clean off if youre just going to throw yourself
into it. But what it is lacking is a supporting amount of
volume in the main lifts and accessory lifts in percentage
ranges below and above the training thresholds Ill
discuss in this post. And if you think you can just tack
on more work to Smolov to even it out or to make it more
rounded youre retarded. Not to sound terribly harsh,
but thats the truth. If you disagree be my guest- give it
your best shot; which Im confident will fall short.
Smolov is just one example where people can become strong
but often leave the gym without having done supportive
work simply because theyre too drained or broken to
continue. This isnt how I like to train. Training that
way is akin to building a tower- capable of extreme
heights but easily toppled (injuries, diminishing returns,
overtraining). Even the tallest and sturdiest of towers
can be toppled more easily than the Great Pyramids of
Egypt.
Building Your Pyramid
Take a pyramid and split it vertically into three layers.
The top portion is the 1st Tier, the middle is the 2nd
Tier, and the base is the 3rd Tier. The tiers each have
their own ideal training percentages, set and rep schemes,
overall volume, and training movements. There are some
gray areas and crossovers between each tier so instead of
having clear defining lines separating the levels imagine
that it is more like a gradient between the tiers.
Since my training is powerlifting centric, the squat,
bench, and deadlift are present in all three tiers in some
form or another. You could also include the snatch, clean
and jerk, or overhead press if your training requires it.
These are the main movements your training is focused
around. At least three of these, regardless of your
training focus need to be the primary movements that are
the cornerstones of your pyramid. The only major
difference between the three tiers between the primary
movements will be your set/reps and percentages. Ive once
left out the deadlift in order to apply another day for
squatting; making it 3x per week. This worked well at the
time and definitely increased my squat, but six weeks out
from the IPL Worlds I introduced the deadlift back into my
training. If youre looking to focus on increasing a
specific lift that would be permitted but its not
something I would do year round. Again, think about
building a lasting pyramid).
With regards to volume, I aim to follow my 1:2:3 rule: For
every 1 rep you do in the 1st tier, do 2 in the 2nd tier,
and 3 in 3rd tier. Therefore if you do 10 total reps in
the 1st tier, do at least 20 in the 2nd, and at least 30
in the 3rd .
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and 3 in 3rd tier. Therefore if you do 10 total reps in

the 1st tier, do at least 20 in the 2nd, and at least 30
in the 3rd .
Before you start to construct your pyramid, you first
have to know how high you want it to be. This is what I
call choosing your Goal Weight. This concept is similar
to how Wendler uses training maxes- 10% off your actual
or estimated maxes. If you are used to using that method
then continue using it as it ensures training longevity.
Personally, when prepping for the IPL Worlds I chose a
weight that I could hit with a slight struggle. Something
that at best I could get 2-3 reps with on a great day or
just a single on a bad day. My plan was to train so I
would be able to hit these weights easily, any day of the
week, under the shittiest conditions. Conditions similar
as to what I might expect after a cut and being nervous as
hell on the platform. When choosing your goal weight you
can take 10% off your actual or estimated maxes or just
use the weight of something you can hit for a double or a
grinder of a triple. The idea is that at the end of a
training cycle that goal weight can be moved easily on
your worst day.
1st Tier- The top level of your pyramid. These are
mandatory reps. They are reps that you cannot miss in
training. The only movements within this tier are your
main movements. The percentages for your lifts in this
tier are always >85% of your Goal Weight (The weight you
want to move, within reason, at the end of your training
cycle that you have chosen based off of something you
could hit for a single on your worst day or 2-3 on your
best day). The training volume for this tier is 10-15 reps
per workout. Sometimes Ive gone as far as 20 reps but
that would be infrequent and closer to the 85% marker.
Truly I considered making this 87.5% or greater, but
thats being a little too nit-picky. The only way you can
build your pyramid tall is if you spend enough time within
in this tier.
Example set/rep schemes for this tier would be:
5x2@90%
3x3@85%, 2x2@87.5%, 1x1@90%
3x1@90%, 3x1@92.5%, 3x1+@95% (that + represents AMRAP)
You can keep all the reps in the tier at the same
percentage or you can increase them incrementally.
Personally I like to increase them using 2.5% (always
rounded to the nearest possible weight), peaking at a few
singles.
Why are gains so slow to come with programs like 5/3/1?
Well, one specific reason is I believe it to be because
out of the entire four week training cycle you get at a
minimum 12 reps within the 85% or more range of whatever
training max youre using. If youre doing the AMRAP
sets and doubling the called for rep quantities (so 10
reps instead of five on week 1, or six reps instead of
three on week 2, ect.) each and every week then youre
only around 24-30 reps (being gracious here) within the
1st tier. Of that total volume within the 1st tier, half
of it is at the 85% marker; thats well below what Im an
advocate of, which I will detail below. Ideally every
workout should have you approach or surpass the 90% marker
for at least one rep.
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advocate of, which I will detail below. Ideally every

workout should have you approach or surpass the 90% marker
for at least one rep.
2nd Tier- These are also mandatory, unless youre dying.
Ive only on one occasion skipped these sets/reps and that
was because my knees were obliterated from pause squats
two days prior. Personally, my 2nd tier is primarily
structured around more of my main movements in their
unadulterated form; more squats, OHP, or bench presses.
Deadlifts may be the only exception if youre prone to
excessive DOMS or simply cannot handle this kind of volume
with deadlifts. Another option for movements in this tier
would be a variation of one form or another of your main
movement. Examples of these would be rack pulls, deficit
deadlifts, high box squats, partial squats, push presses,
or pin presses.
The percentages making up this tier are anywhere between
65-85% of your goal weight. When youre warming up youll
work through this tier as you approach your main movements
in the 1st tier of your pyramid. These warm up reps
count, as they build motor patterns and general
familiarity with the movements while using manageable
weight. Dont be careless in this tier as it is primarily
where you perfect your form and build confidence under the
bar. The time spent in this section of your pyramid is
necessary in order for you to build a more stable and
permanent 1st tier.
Within this 2nd tier will also come your pulling
variations. Barbell and dumbbell rows, pull-ups, chin ups,
shrugs, and cable row or lat pull-down variations. Think
of your back as the support structure that ties everything
all together - because it does. You cannot press with a
weak back, you cannot squat with a weak back, and you
certainly cannot deadlift with a weak back. Can you make a
row variant a movement in your 1st tier? Sure, but I think
that deadlifting alone trains the back enough in those
kinds of percentages (>85%).
Overall, the 2nd tier the goal volume is 20-30+ total
reps. I usually accomplish this by doing something like
3x8, 5x5, 3x10, 10x3 or something like that. Again,
remember the sets/reps you do while warming up to your 1st
tier work count towards this volume. After your 1st tier
work is done, come back down to this level and do some
more within this range. The more the merrier and more
resilient your body and strength will be. I tend to error
on the side of caution and end up getting 30+ on average.
3rd Tier- The movements and sets/reps that make up this
tier, the foundation of your pyramid, are the most
important part. These are your warm up sets with
percentages <65% of your goal weight when performing your
main movement. If you were doing 5/3/1 Boring But Big
this would be it. Certainly not warm ups but that kind of
volume builds excellent motor patters, muscular endurance,
and training resiliency. Other movements that make up this
tier are things like triceps extensions, curls, face
pulls, glute-ham raises, and reverse-hypers. The total
number of reps performed in this tier is 30 or more and
can be accomplished anyway you like. For example, at the
end of my pressing workouts Ill do 3-5 sets of 15-25 reps
of face pulls. At the end of my squat or deadlift workouts
Ill do 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps of glute ham raises. A
general rule is that if it is an isolation exercise it
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of face pulls. At the end of my squat or deadlift workouts

Ill do 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps of glute ham raises. A
general rule is that if it is an isolation exercise it
belongs here. Is a GHR an isolation exercise? No, but if
youre doing it right the hamstrings and glutes are doing
most of the work and the lower back and abs are simply in
a static hold.
It is my opinion that higher rep work using compound
movements (like rows, good mornings, GHRs) in this method
yields better results than higher intensity work with the
same movements. Wendler has said similar things about good
mornings and I completely agree. Why max out on barbell
rows when your lower back is more likely to fatigue before
your upper back? If youre going to intentionally train
your lower back you might as well be doing deadlifts of
some sort or another.
Recapping the pyramid symbolism I would like to remind you
that there are grey areas and overlaps between each of the
three tiers. You can certainly max out on shrugs
sometimes, but should it be a staple of your programming?
Try for a new shrug 1RM every pressing workout? No, it
would probably be better served to alternate between max
attempts and gratuitous volume.
-The 1st Tier consists of only your main movements in
percentages greater than 85% of your goal weight for 10-15
total reps. All of those programmed reps are mandatory.
-The 2nd Tier are percentages between 65-85% of your goal
weight, for 20-30 reps. The movements in this tier should
primarily be your main movements or variants of as well as
supporting pull movements for back development. Those
programmed reps are also mandatory unless youre dying.
-The 3rd Tier is the most important and the foundation for
your entire pyramid. Percentages for your main movements
are less than 65% of your goal weight for 30 or more reps;
including warm ups or back off sets. Other movements in
this tier are isolation exercises or supportive exercises
like face pulls or GHRs. I urge you to do additional work
here but if youre stretched for time, leave the gym and
do some band pull-aparts when you get home.
De-loads
De-loading is an important factor when it comes to
strength training. The thing about de-loads is that if you
dont know when to do them then they can easily become a
hindrance to your progress. Ive personally realized that
de-loading every fourth week (as in 5/3/1) is unnecessary
for myself. If youre an older lifter you might have a
different opinion. Paul Carter of Lift-Run-Bang, programs
that lifter de-load in their sixth week. My opinion is
that you should train until you have to de-load. But how
will you know when this is?
Youll know a de-load is coming when you miss a rep on a
mandatory lift from being exhausted or broken. If youre
squatting and happen to hit your 95% single and it is an
inch high- thats not a missed rep which requires a
deload. Thats a rep you should make another attempt at.
What Im talking about is when youre benching and 250 lb
staples you on a single when in your last training session
a few days ago you nailed 245x2 no problem- in that case
you might consider deloading. Or when you skip out on 2nd
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staples you on a single when in your last training session

a few days ago you nailed 245x2 no problem- in that case
you might consider deloading. Or when you skip out on 2nd
tier work altogether.
But how long should you de-load for? This is a huge
confusion for newer lifters, and sometimes experienced
lifters too. De-loading isnt just a factor of how long.
There are a number of factors a lifter can manipulate in
their training in order to achieve a proper de-load. Here
are ways you can de-load:
- Decrease volume: Total reps completed per workout. If
you find youre having a hard time recovering this might
be the reason. Try taking 10% off the volume. It might
seem like a little, but your body will thank you, and you
can continue to train. When Im talking about decreasing
volume Im directing this action towards your main lift
volume, not your support work in the 2nd or 3rd tier.
- Decrease intensity: Take 10% off the lift that you could
not complete mandatory reps on. If you miss the first rep
of the working sets, take 10% off that number and complete
the required volume. If you missed a rep at the end of the
workout chalk it up as a loss and see how it goes the next
workout. It is not necessary to decrease the intensity on
all your lifts if youre only having trouble with one.
- Decrease density: A factor many people forget. If youre
doing a lot of supersets or not resting adequately between
sets you could try giving this a shot. Cut back your
supersets, or number of different exercises youre doing
per workout. This will have a direct impact on the total
number of reps youre doing per workout so your volume is
affected. But when youre planning on decreasing workout
density the first things to go should be supersets. After
that consider keeping all the reps and exercises youre
doing but simply extending the amount of rest you get.
Instead of resting one minute between sets try extending
that to 1:30. Its amazing what a little more rest between
sets can do for your lifts.
- Decrease frequency: This is the number of times you
train per week. In my case, as of late I train squats on
Mondays and Fridays. If Im having trouble completing my
required reps for squats I might consider cutting out a
day. This is the last option for me to consider but it is
sure to work as it adds in an extra 24 hours of absolute
rest between workouts.
- Or any combination of the four: This should be your last
resort. Try one method doesnt work add in another, if
that doesnt work you might be dead already. Seriously
though, combining all of them shouldnt be necessary. Ive
never had to resort to this final measure. But maybe
thats because Ive never trained hard enough
Something to remember is that maybe you dont need to
de-load. Maybe you have forgotten to reload.
Reloading
If deloading is removing work in the gym, reloading is
adding supportive non-work outside the gym - this is
simply eating and sleeping enough. I say simply because
its easy to remember. Unfortunately it is also easy to
forget. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives that
we gradually start sleeping a little less, or maybe weve
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it s easy to remember. Unfortunately it is also easy to

forget. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives that
we gradually start sleeping a little less, or maybe weve
skipped a meal here or there. Add that missed hour from
Friday and Saturday night to poor eating on each of those
days, maybe a missed lunch on Wednesday at work, and by
the time your next squat session rolls around on the
following Friday youre feeling like Mike Tysons sparring
partner.
Thats how people forget to reload and then start worrying
that theyre in need of a de-load or worse yet have a
case of the dreaded overtraining.
So before you start planning your next de-load think about
how you can first increase the amount that youre
reloading. I have strict bedtimes that I adhere to 95% of
the time. My wife knows that when Im getting ready for
bed- thats it. Im going the fuck to sleep. There is no
stopping me. And unless Im cutting down for a meet there
is never a moment in the day where I think, Damn Im
hungry as hell. Does that mean Im constantly stuffing my
face? No. It means I have food around so that when I feel
slightly hungry I can snack on something or drink a
protein shake.
Remember to reload before you de-load. Your time outside
the gym dwarfs your training time (assuming you train 10
hours per week, thats only 6% of your total week),
maximize that before worrying about how to change the 6%
of time that is spent in the gym.
An Example of My Training Program
The following is an example of one of my training
programs. Specifically, its very similar to the one
leading up to my IPL World Championship meet. Does it
adhere to my 1:2:3 rule? Not exactly. But closely.
(Remember how I said there was grey areas and overlap?).
Did I only do what was in this table? No. There was plenty
of other 2nd and 3rd tier work thrown into my workoutscurls, face pulls, triceps extensions, pull ups, and row
variations aplenty.
The programmed weights are calculated from my Goal Weight.
The weight I chose was what I would like to lift on my 1st
attempts at the IPL Worlds. This was a 375 squat, a 265
bench, and a 475 deadlift- roughly my 3rd attempts at my
last meet. Was this my actual max? No. For example, my
actual max for squat was around 405-415 on a great
training day. But using this method I trained in a
sustainable manner that allowed me to hit that 407 squat
in competition with relative ease. I believe I had another
10-15 pounds in me. The judges and spotters said I could
have easily done 20 more. Watch the video and make your
own determinations.
The percentages are as follows:
Week 1
85%
87.5%
90%
80%
1x3
2x2
3x1
7x5
Week 2
87.5%
90%
92.5%
82.5%
1x3
2x2
3x1
7x3
Week 3
90%
92.5%
95%
85%
1x3
2x2
3x1
5x3
Week 4
92.5%
95%
97.5%
87.5%
1x3
2x2
3x1
10x3
The top three rows are making up your 1st tier. The bottom
row is your primary assistance work that builds the
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The top three rows are making up your 1st tier. The bottom
row is your primary assistance work that builds the
majority of the 2nd tier. See how I was talking about that
grey area? On week three and four the primary assistance
work is within that 85%+ range. Why is that? Because that
is controlled over-reaching and it is very helpful for
strengthening your 2nd tier performance and capacity. Ill
touch more on that in a moment.
If you look closely you can see that I programmed that 2nd
tier accessory work to decrease gradually in volume as the
intensity of the 1st tier work increased; that is until
week four where it jumps back up to 30 total reps in
conjunction with a peaked amount of intensity. That week
sucks, but its only 25% of the month, and you can handle
it. Believe me.
Below is what that above table would look like with
calculated reps using 375, 265, and 475 for squat, bench,
and deadlift.
Week1
Mon
Squat
318.75
328.125
337.5
300
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
1x3
2x2
3x1
7x5
Bench
225.25 1x3
231.875 2x2
238.5 3x1
212 7x5
Deadli
403.75 1x3
415.625 2x2
427.5 3x1
380 5x5
Bench
225.25 1x3
231.875 2x2
238.5 3x1+
212 7x5
Squat
318.75 1x3
328.125 2x2
337.5 3x1+
300 7x5
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
1x3
2x2
3x1
7x3
Bench
231.875 1x3
238.5 2x2
245.125 3x1
218.625 7x3
Deadli
415.625 1x3
427.5 2x2
439.375 3x1
391.875 7x3
Bench
231.875 1x3
238.5 2x2
245.125 3x1+
218.625 7x3
Squat
328.125 1x3
337.5 2x2
346.875 3x1+
309.375 7x3
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
1x3
2x2
3x1
5x3
Bench
238.5 1x3
245.125 2x2
251.75 3x1
225.25 5x3
Deadli
427.5 1x3
439.375 2x2
451.25 3x1
403.75 5x3
Bench
238.5 1x3
245.125 2x2
251.75 3x1+
225.25 5x3
Squat
337.5 1x3
346.875 2x2
356.25 3x1+
318.75 5x3
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
1x3
2x2
3x1
10x3
Bench
245.125 1x3
251.75 2x2
258.375 3x1
231.875 10x3
Deadli
439.375 1x3
451.25 2x2
463.125 3x1
415.625 10x1
Bench
245.125 1x3
251.75 2x2
258.375 3x1+
231.875 10x3
Squat
346.875 1x3
356.25 2x2
365.625 3x1+
328.125 10x3
Week2
Mon
Squat
328.125
337.5
346.875
309.375
Week3
Mon
Squat
337.5
346.875
356.25
318.75
Week4
Mon
Squat
346.875
356.25
365.625
328.125
*The
only change I made was to the set/rep scheme for programmed 2nd Tier deadlifts;
because I'm not awesome enough to handle 7x5 deadlifts.
This is damn near what I did leading up to IPL Worldssquatted and benched 2x per week and deadlifted in the
middle of it all. It might look like a lot to some to
others it might not. That table excludes most of my 2nd
and 3rd tier work. On deadlift days for example I would do
5x5@275 lbs of 3 deficit deads pulled conventionally (I
pull sumo in competition if you havent noticed). I would
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and 3rd tier work. On deadlift days for example I would do

5x5@275 lbs of 3 deficit deads pulled conventionally (I
pull sumo in competition if you havent noticed). I would
also do chin ups or pull ups, usually for five or more
sets of eight to ten reps. Shrugs or rack pulls would be
added in also at the end of it all. One week I would work
up to a max single or a max triple on shrugs then the
following Wednesday I would do 5x5 or just do sets of 5
increasing weight until I couldnt.
A brief explanation to the 2nd bench and 2nd squat daynotice the + on the days later in the week. Those are
the days where I would rep out that last set. Also during
that workout my primary assistance work, the first and
only programmed work listed in the table above making up
my 2nd Tier, would have a greater emphasis on the pause on
the chest for bench or in the hole for squat. That should
clear up some slight differences on my programmed second
days. Another thing to consider is my non-programmed
assistance work- which would also be different on the
second training day that week than it was on the first
day. On Tuesday I might have done close grip but on
Thursday I might have done weighted dips. On Monday I may
have done jump squat but on Friday maybe I did box squats.
Pressing days would have close grip, OHP, incline, or dips

as 2nd tier work. Pull ups or chin ups supersetted
throughout. (FYI, behind the neck presses super-setted
with Pendlay rows is fun as hell.) If not those it would
be band pull aparts or barbell rows for 30+ total reps,
rarely using a weight more than 135 lbs. At the end of my
pressing workouts I would do cable triceps extensions for
3-5 sets of 15+ reps supersetted with curls for the same
set/rep scheme. If not curls face pulls. If not face pulls
light cable rows.
I dont like to program the finer details of what Im
going to do in my 2nd and 3rd tiers. Ill put down one or
two exercises that Ill hit for sure- deficit deads being
one of them- and then play the rest by ear as Im in the
gym day by day. But what do I mean by play it by ear?
Well, I would consider what I did last session or last
week on that same day. If I did strict press last Thursday
and now its Thursday the following week, I might do push
press instead. If I did jump squats on Monday and box
squat the Friday prior to that, well this Friday I might
do front squats. The idea is that you switch things upkeep your training interesting, well rounded, and fun.
Maybe youre not like me. Maybe you like to program all
the details. Thats great. Do your thing but make sure
youre building a pyramid thats only as wide as it needs
to be. If youre spending a ton of time in the 3rd tier
chances are youre not working hard enough at the top of
your pyramid. I can easily bang out 25 lb cable triceps
extensions supersetted with face pulls for 100 total reps
each in about five minutes. Thats not a lot of actual
time spent in the 3rd tier but it is more than sufficient
volume to fill it and support your 1st and 2nd tiers.
Over-reaching and Supra-maximal Loading
Both of these techniques are great tools to have at your
disposal. Like all tools theyre only useful if you know
when and how to use them.
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disposal. Like all tools theyre only useful if you know

when and how to use them.
Over-reaching: The idea of pushing your intensities with
extra volume. This is often seen in AMRAP sets or like in
my example table above. Use this for no more than a week
at a time; otherwise youre not really over-reaching your
abilities are you? The goal of over-reaching is to
approach, as closely and as controlled as possible, that
ever feared and most reviled nemesis- over-training. Doing
AMRAP every day on all your main lifts is damn stupid and
looks a whole lot like Crossfit. Dont do that. Its
uncontrolled, haphazard, and fails to properly utilize the
concept of over-reaching to your best interests. Instead,
plan one or two sets per week for AMRAP (optional) and
then program a brief period of increased intensities and
volume as done in the table above.
Supra-maximal Loading: This is the idea of overloading one
of your main lifts in a variation of its true self.
Examples of this would be rack pulls for deadlifts or
deadlifts with chains or bands. Using those methods
youre moving supra-maximal loads in the lockout portion
of the lift. Similar in nature to what Louie Simmons calls
dynamic effort. Using submaximal loads for supra-maximal
speeds- taking a light weight and moving it as fast as you
possibly can. I believe dynamic effort is a variation of
supra maximal loading except youre not loading the bar
with a weight heavier than what you could do in normal
ROM- youre deloading the bar to a weight you can move
faster than you could normally in full ROM (when lifting
in your 1st tier that is), therefore supra-maximally
loading your speed. You dont need chains or bands to
train supra-maximal loading. You need a little creativity
and the desire to move light weights fast as hell (as
traditionally done in the Westside method) or a whole lot
more than your 1RM in a limited ROM or a whole lot less
than your 1RM in an increased ROM. Doing deficit deadlifts
supra-maximally loads the bottom portion of the lift by
making you work harder in that portion of the ROM.
Examples of supra-maximal loading for squats would be
walkouts using 125% of your max or Anderson half squats or
squats to a high box for the top portion of the lift. Push
presses for shoulder presses, ect. You get the idea Im
sure. Making the true lift harder in one form or another
is supra-maximal loading. Should this be in every workout?
No, not necessarily. But it helps to include it at least
every other week in one form or another. In the table
above I would do jump squats on Mondays and then squats to
a high box or lockouts on Fridays. That way I was supramaximally loading my squat every workout, just in opposite
ways.
Supra-maximal loading is always considered 2nd tier work.
Over-reaching is when youre intentionally pushing your
2nd tier into your 1st.
Conclusion
This isnt a program like 5/3/1 or Starting Strength, it
is my training philosophy. What I wrote out in the tables
above are merely examples of what rep/set schemes I like
to train with. Sets and reps I can manage, and enjoy
training with, to accomplish moving the weight I need to
move while also adhering as closely to my 1:2:3 rule and
pyramid symbolism.
Im not going to outline precise sets
or reps for you, only you know what you like to do in the
gym. The examples I provided are what I found work for me
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pyramid symbolism.
Im not going to outline precise sets
or reps for you, only you know what you like to do in the
gym. The examples I provided are what I found work for me
within my training philosophy. And what you like doing is
something youre more likely to continue doing. Thats the
key to building strength. Thats the true foundation of
your pyramid- each tier must first be supported by
training consistently and frequently. Even if you had the
perfect program, with each set and rep for specific
exercises planned out for weeks on end it is all useless
if you do not stick to it. Similarly, if youre not in the
gym training with focus, effort, and desire then you will
build no pyramid at all.
All youll have is a neat piece of paper. Some numbers and
units a pretty piece of paper and the abstract concept of
a plan.
Using this method you can be the architect, the engineer,
and the mason that builds your entire pyramid of strength.
That way it will be pretty, strong, and gradually rise to
greater heights.
27/03/2014 09:20

Swole at Every Height - The GZCL Method For Powerlifting

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Swole at Every Height - The GZCL Method For Powerlifting

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Swole at Every Height: The GZCL Method for Powerlifting

The GZCL Method for Powerlifting

So how did I get to the level I am at with my own training

focus solely on the height of