Weight Training and the Individual - Kevin Dye

 

 

The construction of an effective weight training program has as much to do about personal preference as it has with fundamental guidelines, as no matter how popular a program might be, if it doesn't appeal to individual taste then it's next to useless to meet a trainee's needs. 

That isn't to say a useful routine can be thrown together at whim, as there still has to be some form of logic involved in the program's design, but the concept chosen must coincide with what the individual "enjoys" otherwise you can be certain it won't last for long. 

We've all seen the "mega-routines" promoted by the glossy mainstream magazines the bodybuilding stars supposedly follow, yet how many of us find appeal in such programs? Despite the guarantee his or her program is the be-all of effective weight training, logic tells us we'd be lucky to survive these tests of will, let alone grow for our efforts despite the promises made. The rational individual knows there's more to weight training than simply following a routine because the latest bodybuilding sensation says that's how he or she got the body they display, and that their build isn't enough credential to support the methods they endorse no matter how strongly they stand behind their claims. 

 

Individuality is the missing factor, one that should be accounted for when designing any program.

 

The exercises one chooses to include in their program should be the ones that feel "right" for that individual, otherwise little to no enjoyment will be reaped for the efforts made, no matter who endorses what they use. But as not all exercises are created equal, only the most effective ones should be chosen, and the ones without equal are the basics. These are the exercises of choice as they work more than one muscle at a time, meaning more overall muscle mass is trained at one time. The downside is they also require the most effort, but when their potential for results is compared to the effort demanded they easily win as the most logical choice, the comfort aspect not taken into account.

 

Within the pool of basic exercises that's available there's enough variety to meet individual needs, and it's up to each individual to choose movements that suit them, as well as adapt to some they may not necessarily deem "enjoyable". 

 

One movement that stands out as one most trainees like to avoid is squats. Rightly so, as placing your life on the line squatting up and down with a heavy weight placed across your shoulders can hardly be considered "fun". But the effect of a set of squats versus a set of leg extensions is obvious . . . the most productive movement being the one that requires the most effort. 

 

The same applies to choosing other exercises to work different parts of the body, and while one trainee might feel better using rows instead of pull-ups or pulldowns to train their back, as long as the exercise comes from the basics pool then there's little difference in the effects delivered. 

 

No combination of isolation exercises even comes close to what can be achieved with a single set of a basic exercise. How can you compare say various sets of lateral raises with a heavy pressing movement, or a set of flies versus a bench press of dip? 

 

On the completion of a set involving an isolation movement the trainee might feel slightly tired at best but that pales in comparison to the drain a basic movement has, when numerous muscles are worked at once. It's blatantly obvious which taxes the body more, hence it should be obvious which possesses the most potential to deliver what the trainees requires the most: RESULTS. 

 

Enjoy Your Lifting!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Way to Do It - Ken Leistner (1993)

 

 

 

 

There was one fellow in our neighborhood who made people gasp as he walked the streets. He was known as the biggest, strongest man in a neighborhood where being big and strong was a definite positive. Steve Juda had first found the barbell while in high school. In 1960, it was safe to say that he was one of the very few in the area who lifted weights on a regular basis. He wasn't athletically active in school, but was a good student. 

 

The books and and weights took up his time and upon graduation, he left for the University of Buffalo, hauling his very muscular 175-lb physique with him.

 

"I might drop down to 165. Everyone thinks I have too much muscle." Being one of the few weight-trained fellows in the neighborhood . . .

 

 

. . . Steve had the respect and admiration of many as he was terribly strong for a teenager his size, he was going to college, and he was well liked. No one heard from him or saw him around Christmas time. Imagine my shock when I was walking down the street in May and saw what had to be the largest man I could ever remember seeing. 

 

"Steve?" I asked incredulously. "It can't be." If we fast-forwarded to 1993, I would have said, "No Way," to which he would have replied, "Way, dude." Way, indeed. At 5'8", Steve rolled with muscle, about 265 lbs of it! "Holy moley, man, what happened?"

 

Simple put, Steve got hooked on being powerful. Always considered to be a strong guy, instead of cutting down, he found some like-minded training partners (lunatics, some might say) at Buffalo and began to gain weight. "I always did squats, but I really started to crank up the reps and got into drinking lots of milk." If that sounds like a familiar recipe for success, it should. 

 

"It was really pretty simple, at least in theory. I trained three times a week and did all the 'big' exercises." These big movements included barbell squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, and bench presses. While a few ancillary things would occasionally be done, Steve and his crew pounded away on the basics. 

 

They also did a lot of other things. As a very successful businessman today, I'm sure the memories are painful, but Steve has never been like everyone else. A friend of my cousin dated him a number of years ago and said, "You know this guy. He's a lot of fun and really nice, but what's the deal?" The deal was his apartment. Not a house, an apartment. No furniture, but benches in the living room, squat racks in the bedroom, a cable/pulley setup in the kitchen. Weights everywhere. He loved to train and due to his work, often had to train at odd hours, making a home gym the only reasonable alternative. The man walked what he talked when it was time to make sacrifices and not give up his training.

 

At Buffalo, he and his friends licked their way across a six-lane highway in order to win a bet. They won the annual pizza-eating contest, primarily because Steve and his partner split up the duties in the belief that a definite demarcation would allow for greater consumption: One chewed while the other swallowed! 

 

At 5'8", Steve carried his weight well and athletically. His arms were huge - the proverbial hanging hams. His thighs were huge and in thinking about it, he was huge in the traps, back, butt, and all of his other major structures. 

 

"There's a really easy way to look at this. If you had a routine where you just did squats, bench pressing, deadlifts, and curls, you'd pretty much cover everything. You can add stuff but I don't know you'd have to, especially if you substituted a barbell or dumbbell press for the bench some days, and maybe rows for the deadlift." 

 

This was the basis of Steve's philosophy in the mid-sixties. I can remember being invited to dinner at his house, seeing "IronMan" for the first time - Norb Schemansky was on the cover . . .

 

 

 

 

. . . and watching Steve devour what I thought should have fed six people. "Strawberries for dessert!" said a delighted Steve. I didn't realize that having company (one of the few times I qualified as company anywhere) meant soaking the strawberries in heavy cream and then having them placed on a cake. Boy, was I at the right place! 

 

"You've got to eat. Not a lot of junk, but you see how I ate tonight? That's what you've got to do when you're training hard to get really big and really strong. To get REALLY big and REALLY strong required a bit more than just training. 

 

Steve also had one of the best cars around. His black 1954 Corvette wasn't what one would call finished, especially with the 1959 Caddy taillights shooting off the back, but seeing the original Incredible Hulk buzzing around in a car that seemed tiny in his presence was an inspiring sight and remains an inspiring memory.

 

In 1966, Steve gave a program to my training partner Jack Lawrence and me, with the expectation that we would "either be killed or grow." It was extremely demanding, but it was a program that I went back to a number of times when I needed to maximally stimulate my body. The heavy singles work demands that the trainee get plenty of food, rest and recovery time. We put a sign up in our garage gym, "Gain a Pound a Day, The Steve Juda Way." 

 

Two times per week, this is how we did it: 

 

Bench Press: 6-3-3-three singles-3-3

DB Incline Press (30 degree): 3x6

Deadlift: 6-3-3-2-2-3-3

Barbell Row - 3x6

Standing DB Press: 3x6

Barbell Curl: 3x6

Rest Five Minutes, then - 

Barbell Squat: 6-3-3-three singles-3-3.

 

On those movements where we did three sets of six reps, the first set was a lighter warmup set with the final two sets being the hard, intense "work sets." 

 

With the bench press, deadlift, and squat, weight was added to each set as the reps dropped. For the final two sets of triples, we would drop weight from the top single or double and try to use the same weight for both final triples if possible.

 

We would spend the five minute rest between the completed part of the program for psyching up for an all-out onslaught on the squats.

 

It was while doing this specific routine that I had my famous "Garage Door" incident, talked about for years by the neighbors. We had the old York squat stands. In retrospect, they were flimsy and the weight saddle was very narrow (They look even more unstable and flimsy than this when extended to squat stand height) -

 

   

 

After finishing my top set of squats (I can't today recall the weight but it was a lot), I walked back into the racks, looked to my left to place the bar back in the saddle, and said to Jack, "In?", to which he replied, "You're in." Of course, I wasn't in, and I walked out from under the bar as the right side of the barbell headed for the floor. The crash was thundering as all of the plates slid off and hit the concrete garage floor, as we never used collars. Before the end of the bar hit the floor, the loaded left side did what the laws of physics demand, and the bar plunged off to the left. Again, plate by plate the floor was bombarded by the 75- and 100-lb York plates . . . 

 

The bar, now free of its burden, literally sailed through the air and went right through the wooden garage door, leaving a splintered mess in its wake.  

We were stunned. The noise in those few seconds had been deafening and now, the silence was overwhelming. Or it was until my Father came running down to the garage. Somewhere between his day job and night job, he had been eating dinner. Fork in hand, napkin stuck in his shirt collar, he looked around, surveyed the situation, and calmly turned to us . . . 

 

"You assholes get this weight shit out of the garage by tomorrow or I'll break it up with my sledge hammer" was the command as he turned to finish his dinner. Needless to say, I eventually talked my way back into the garage, and of course did all of my training there or in the loft over my Father's welding shop. 

 

Steve Juda's experience made me believe that at 5'5-3/4", I could do more than have a nebulous goal of "gettin' bigger." It was at that point that I envisioned myself at 220 lbs and began working towards it. 

 

Note: This except from Milo magazine, Volume One, Number One, is the first in a series of Leistner articles featured. For more, MUCH MORE, look here: 

 

https://ironmind.com/product-info/media/milo/articles-by-topic/ 

 

Enjoy Your Lifting! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Beginning Routine for the Woman Powerlifter - Pete Vuono (1983)

  

Shirley Patterson, first official female powerlifter. The first contest she entered was a men's powerlifting meet because there wasn't a women's division at the time with the A.A.U. She gave up her chance to be on the American Olympic Weightlifting team by entering the men's powerlifting event. - Courtesy of Robert Zuver. 

 

More on Shirley Patterson here, from J.V. Askem:

 

https://ontariostrongman.ca/jva/PLRW.htm  

 

For more from Pete Vuono: 

 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/10/bench-press-bible-pete-vuono.html 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/02/bill-west-pioneer-of-powerlifting-peter.html

 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/10/bob-peoples-pete-vuono.html 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/11/chuck-ahrens-pete-vuono.html

 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/11/don-cundy-pete-vuono.html 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/11/doug-hepburn-pete-vuono.html

 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2012/02/dynamics-of-deadlift-series-pete-vuono.html 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2017/06/sticking-points-in-squat-pete-vuono-1981.html

 

 

The Article: 

 

Being a teacher, this author is used to hearing the slogan, "back to basics." Parents and teachers alike concur that a student's academic program should be comprised of the basic principles which they themselves learned with. This back to basics philosophy should also, in my view. be applied to the powerlifter.The basic routines which were once popular in the 60's and early 70's are sometimes lost in the discussions of drugs and reinforced lifting garb. 

 

Since women have started competing in large numbers only since1977, it is important to put them on the right track using the basic routines of the "founding fathers" of powerlifting.

 

This author has chosen the routines of the famous Westside Barbell Club of Culver City, California. Several of the basic concepts now used in powerlifting were popularized by Bill West and his friends. Bill based his training on two concepts: First, the lifter should perform the competitive lifts once per week with the utmost strictness. The second concept was to perform a close variation of the lift once per seek which was assisted by a device or cheat assist so as to increase the weight used markedly. This helped the lifter become used to a heavier weight than is used in competition.

 

Women should not feel that because these routines were first utilized by men that they are not for women. These routines will be just as effective for the woman powerlifter and it is hoped that the women will more closely adhere to the "back to basics" concept than the men have.

 

Each exercise will be explained in detail and a suggested schedule will be included following the description of the exercises.

 

 

Exercises for the Squat

 

1) The bench squat - The lifter should stand in front of a loaded bar on a squat stand. Behind her should be a bench 19 inches high. If the lifter is over six feet the bench should be raised to 20 inches. Walk backwards and straddle the bench. Sit down on the bench. Rock forward as if getting up out of a chair and stand. This exercise is performed once per week. As much as 50 pounds or more may be worked up to over one's squat poundage. One must always have two or more spotters present when performing this exercise. 

 

Here: 

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/02/power-rack-box-squats-armand-tanny.html    

2) The squat - once per week the full squat should be performed with competition strictness. 

Exercises for the Bench Press

1) Pad bench presses - Place thick, heavy sponge rubber pads on the chest. These should be thick enough so that when lowered the bar is still 2-3 inches above the chest. Lie on the bench as in regular bench pressing. Take the bar out of the rack and allow it to come down to the chest with enough velocity so that there is a slight bounce. This bounce will help to propel a heavier than normal weight upward. The pad will protect the chest. If there is any discomfort, increase the thickness of the padding. Approximately 10-10 pounds over one's bench press poundage can be worked up to. This exercise is performed once per week and a spotter should be always present. 

 

Here, under "Cheating with Pads":

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/10/bench-press-bible-pete-vuono.html 

2) The bench press - The bench press is performed once per week with competition strictness.

 

 

Exercises for the Deadlift

 

1) Deadlift with Touch Assist - The plates on the deadlift bar should be placed on blocks approximately 8 inches off the floor. A power rack may be also be used. The lifter grasps the bar normally as in the deadlift. Her partner places one hand on the lifter's sacrum and one hand on the lifter's sternum. As the lifter pulls on the bar the partner pulls back with the hand on the sternum and pushes forward on the hand on the sacrum. This "touch assist" will allow the lifter to work up to perhaps 50 pounds or more over the regular deadlift poundage. It is performed once per week.

 

Here:

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/06/touch-system-for-deadlift-armand-tanny.html 

2) Block (deficit) deadlifts - once per week competition strict deadlifts are performed with the lifter standing on blocks 4-6 inches in height. This will serve to develop the start of the deadlift. It also makes the lift more difficult so that when the competition lift is performed it will be easier.

Repetitions

If a lifter has a best performance on any lift of 135 for 3 repetitions, the sets should be as follows: 

 

90 x 10 

105 x 10

120 x 1

135 x 3

The lifter stays with this rep scheme until she can perform 135 x 4 on the last set. When 135 x 4 is achieved, the lifter stays with it until 135 x 5 has been achieved. When 135 x 5 is achieved, the lifter increases the 135 to 140 on the next workout and tries for 3 reps with this weight. This can be used for all lifts. 

 

If a lifter is using a much lighter weight for her final set such as 100 x 3, then the first set of 10 may be discarded and a rep scheme such as the following can be used: 

 

55 x 5

75 x 1

100 x 3

 

The following is a suggested schedule for performing the above-mentioned routine. 

 

MONDAY - Bench Squat, Pad Bench Press

WEDNESDAY - Deadlift with Touch Assist

SATURDAY:

Squat - strict

Bench Press - strict

Deadlift on Blocks. 

Enjoy Your Lifting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

three

Simple Cycling Programs for Older Lifters, Part Two- Brooks Kubik

 

Peary Rader 

Wait. This ain't a  joke? 

http://www.brookskubik.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Brooks-D.-Kubik/e/B00J8UL2PU%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Part One is Here:

https://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2021/08/simple-cycling-programs-for-older.html

For a lifter who trains with back squats, trap bar deadlifts, overhead presses, bench presses and auxiliary movements, here's an example of how two four-week training cycles might look. 

In this case, we'll assume the lifter is in his mid-forties, and can hit 100% of his max in week four of both cycles. Note how the lifter uses different variations of the 5 x 5 system as he moves through the first four-week cycle, and how he drops to lower reps on his primary movements for his second cycle in order to increase the overall intensity of his program.

CYCLE ONE
Week One - 70%

 

Workout A

 

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

2) Barbell Bentover Row, or Pulldown to the Chest 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)  

 

4) Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 x 12/10/8 (same weight on each set)

5) Gut work.

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

2) Alternate Front Raise - 3 x 12/10/8 (same weight on each set)

 

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight) 

 

4) Neck Work With Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

 

5) Gut Work

 

Workout C

 

1) Back Squat - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight) 

 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

3) Barbell Curl, EZ Bar Curl, or Reverse Curl - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

4) Gut Work.

 

 

Week Two: 80%

 

Workout A

 

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight)

 

2) Barbell Bentover Row or Pulldown to the Chest - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight) 

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight)

 

4) Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 x 10/8/6 (same weight on each set) 

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight)

2) Alternate Front Raise - 3 x 12/10/8 (same weight on each set)

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight)

 

4) Neck Work With Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout C

 

1) Back Squat - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight) 

 

3) Barbell Curl, EZ Bar Curl, or Reverse Curl - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight) 

 

4) Gut Work

 

 

Week Three: 90%

 

Workout A

 

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

2) Barbell Bentover Row or Pulldown to the Chest - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

4) Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 x 8 (same weight on each set)

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

3) Barbell Curl, EZ Curl, or Reverse Curl - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

 

4) Gut Work. 

Workout C

1) Back Squat - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one with your working weight) 

3) Barbell Curl "or" - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one with your working weight)

4) Gut Work.

 

Week Four: 100% on Selected Exercises, 95% On All Others

 

Workout A

 

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 100%

 

2) Barbell Bentover Rowing or Pulldown to the Chest - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

4) Incline DB  Curl - 3 x 6 (same weight on each set) 95%

 

 

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 100% 

 

2) Alternate Front Raise - 3 x 8 (same weight on each set)

 

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 100%

 

4) Neck Work With Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

 

5) Gut Work. 

 

 

Workout C

 

1) Back Squat - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 100% 

2) Close Grip Bench Press -5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95% 

3) Barbell Curl, EZ Curl or Reverse Curl - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

4) Gut Work. 

CYCLE TWO

Week One: 70%

Workout A

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 1 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 1 x 3, add weight and do 1 x 1)

2) Barbell Bentover Row or Pulldown to Chest - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight.  

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight

 

4) DB Hammer Curl - 3 x 10/8/6 (same weight on each set)

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press -  5 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 1 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 1 x 3, add weight and do 1 x 1)

 

2) One Arm Lateral Raise - 3 x 12/10/8 per arm (same weight on eaach set)

 

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 1 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 1 x 3, add weight and do 1 x 1)  

 

4) Neck Twerk With Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout C

 

1) Back Squat - 5 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 1 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 1 x 3, add weight and do 1 x 1)  

 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight.

 

3) Barbell Curl "or" - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight)

 

4) Gut Work.

 

 

Week Two: 80% 

Workout A

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5, 2 x 3, 2 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets and two  sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3, add weight and do 2 x 1)

 

2) Barbell Bentover Row or Pulldown to Chest - 5 x 5 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight. 

 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 5, 2 x 3 (three progressively heavier sets and two sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3)

 

4) Hammer Curl - 4 x 12/10/9/8 (same weight on each set) 

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout B

 

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5, 2 x 3, 2 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets and two  sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3, add weight and do 2 x 1)

 

2) One-Arm Lateral Raise - 3 x 12/10/8 each arm (same weight on each set)

 

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 5, 2 x 3, 2 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets and two  sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3, add weight and do 2 x 1)

 

4) Neck Work With Headstrap - 2-3 x 10-15

 

5) Gut Work.

 

 

Workout C

 

1) Back Squat -  5 x 5, 2 x 3, 2 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets and two  sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3, add weight and do 2 x 1) 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and three sets with your working weight.

3) Barbell Curl "or" - 5 x 5 (two progressively heavier sets and gthree sets with your working weight. 

4) Gut Work.

 

 

Week Three: 90%

 

Workout A 

 

1) Bench Press - 5 x 5, 2 x 3, 2 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets and two  sets with your working weight on the 5 x 5, add weight and do 2 x 3, add weight and do 2 x 1)

2) Barbell Bentover Row of Pulldown to the Chest - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight. 

3) Incline Press - 5 x 3 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight.

4) Hammer Curl - 3 x 8 (same weight on each set)

5) Gut Work. 

Workout B

1) Standing Press - 5 x 5, 3 x 1 (four progressively heavier sets of 3 reps, and three progressively heavier singles.

2) One Arm lateral Raise - 3 x 10 (same weight on each set)

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 x 3, 3 x 1 (four progressively heavier sets of 3 reps, and three progressively heaveir singles) 

4) Neck Work with Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

5) Gut Work.

Workout C

1) Back Squat - 5 x 3, 3 x 1 (five progressively heavier sets of 3 reps, and three progressively heavier singles) 

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

3) Barbell Curl "or" - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight)

4) Gut Work.

Week Four: 100% On Selected Exercises, 95% On All Others

Workout A

1) Bench Press - 3 x 3, 4 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets of three reps, and four progressively heavier singles) 100%

2) Barbell Bentover Row of Pulldown to Chest - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

3) Incline Press - 5 x 3 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

4) Hammer Curl - 3 x 6 (same weight on each set) 95%

5) Gut Work.

Workout B

1) Standing Press - 3 x 3, 4 x 1 (three progressively heavier sets of 3 reps and four progressively progressively heavier singles) 100%

2) One Arm Lateral Raise - 3 x 10 (same weight on each set) 95%

3) Trap Bar Deadlift - 4 x 3, 4 x 1 (four progressively heavier sets of 3 reps and four porgressively heavier singles) 100%

4) Neck Work With Head Strap - 2-3 x 10-15

4) Gut Work.

Workout C

1) Back Squat - 4 x 3, 4 x1 (four progressively heavier sets of 3 reps, and four progressively heavier singles) 100%

2) Close Grip Bench Press - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

3) Barbell Curl "or" - 5 x 5 (four progressively heavier sets and one set with your working weight) 95%

4) Gut Work.

Before closing, let me add several additional comments about cyclint programs. First of all, older lifters have job responsibilities, social obligations, and family commitments that sometimes make it impossible to take a scheduled workout - or that make it impossible to train for an entire week or longer. 

As an oldfer lifter, what do you do if something happens that causes you to miss a couple of workouts - or perhaps even an tnetire week of training? Do you continue the cycle where you left off, jump ahead to where you would have been, or go back and start over? 

Your best best is probably to go back and start over at the beginning of the cycle. Treaining cycles are all about gathering momentum, and if something knocks you off track, you need to go back and start over from the beginning just to get the momentum going. I know that's not fun, and it's not something that's easy to do, but it's the sensible thing to do - and in the long run, it's the most productive thing to do.

 - The dang blogger software keeps lagging when I type with any speed. Must be getting old too! 

Another option would be to drop back one week in the cycle and build back up from there. So if your got knocked off track in week three of your cycle, try dropping back and repeating the week two program, followed vby the week three program, and then the week four program. 

A second point concerns longer cycles and the idea of hard and easy weeks. If you prefer to train on longer cycles, such as a ten, twelve, or sixteen-week cycle, it's a good idea to build in some easy weeks. It's very difficult for your mind and body if you increase the weight on the bar, volume and intensity for a steady period of ten or more weeks. For most older lifters, it works much better to schedule a couple of light weeks to give the mind and body a bit of a break. 

For example, if you wanted to perform a sixteen-week cycle, you might try the following: 

Week 1: 70%

Week 2: 75%

Week 3: 80%

Week 4: 85%

Week 5: 85%

Week 6: 75%

Week 7: 80%

Week 8: 85%

Week 9: 90%

Week 10: 95%

Week 11: 80%

Week 12: 85%

Week 13: 90%

Week 14: 90%

Week 15: 95%

Week 16: 100%

Third, and this point is very important - an older lifter needs to DEFINE HIS ONE REP MAX A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN A YOUNGER LIFTER. 

For a younger lifter, a one rep max is your current best. It may be very tough but smooth and steady all the way - or it may be a gut-busting, eye-popping, ugly as sin, slow, grinding, agonizing effort that barely would have managed two white lights in competition. A lift that looks sort of like Sylvester Stallone's face at the end of any of the Rocky movies. Even if he wins, he looks like he's been been through a war.

What's more, for a younger lifter the one rep max is a lift where you are totally psyched up and the adrenaline is pumping like crazy. It's a lift you would miss as often as you'd make it - and a lift that you may have hit on your lucky day, when your bio-rhythms were perfect and when the stars aligned exactly right for you. It onther words, it's a lift that is definitely not a sure thing.

An older lifter needs a different definition of his one rep max. For an older lifter, your one rep max should be the top weight that you can handle for one rep in a smooth, steady lift performed in letter perfect form, with razor sharp technique and total control. It's a lift you focus for, concentrate on, and get really serious about, but it's not a lift where you go into super-psyche mode. It's not your all time best ever lift, and it's not a lift you make only on a good day. IT'S A LIFT YOU OWN. 

If you base your one rep max on the younger lifter's definition of his one rep max, you'll end up training too hard and too heavy throughout your cycle - and probably not making your 100% lift at the end of your cycle - and that's not a good thing. Base your percentages on the older lifter's definition of his one rep max, and you'll do fine.

Finally, pay close attention to your body and how it responds to different eercises and different percentages all through your training cycle. Learn where you get the most out of your workouts. If you do best in the 80% range, then consider a training cycle where you spend most of your time at that range. And remember,different exercises will probably owrk best at different percentages of your one rep max. You might do best in the 70-80% range on some mvements, while using 80-90% on others. And your "best" percentages for different exercises may change as you grow older. So pay attention, keep your eyes open, and keep careful notes in your training journal. 

Note: This is an excerpt from "Gray Hair and Black Iron" - over 300 pages of useable ideas for the older lifter:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

https://www.amazon.com/Gray-Hair-Black-Iron-Successful/dp/B003334Y26

Enjoy Your Lifting!