Copyright 2014 © by Bret Contreras Training Systems. All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this manual may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, by anyone but the purchaser for their own, personal use. This manual may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of Bret Contreras, except for those who wish to quote excerpts for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journal article; these cases require written approval from Bret Contreras prior to their publication.
For more information, please contact: Bret Contreras
Email: [email protected]
Websites: www.BretContreras.com and www.2x4strength.com
Disclaimer
The information offered in this book is for educational purposes only; the reader should be forewarned that there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any form of exercise or physical activity. With that in mind, those participating in strength and conditioning programs should check with and obtain clearance from their physician prior to beginning such activities. It is imperative that anyone participating in these activities understands that such training initiatives may be dangerous if performed incorrectly; additionally, they may not be appropriate for everyone. The author assumes no liability for injury; this manual is purely
educational, as to guide those already proficient with the demands of such programming.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank the following individuals for their help in creating the 2 x 4 program:
• Andrew Serrano • Joey Percia • Andrew Vigotsky • Mike Peltz
I’d also like to thank the following people for positively influencing my knowledge pertaining to powerlifting: • Louie Simmons • Dave Tate • Jim Wendler • Mark Rippetoe • Dan Green • Mike Tuscherer • Eric Cressey • Chad Waterbury
Table of Contents
Designing the Program
... 7
The Case for Submaximal Loads and Intensity of Effort
... 11
Why Percentages Fail Some Lifters
... 13
The Program
... 14
Assistance Work
... 15
Deloading
... 17
Training Days
... 18
Maximal Strength Training is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
... 19
Sample Training Journal
... 21
Training Program
... 30
Peaking
... 39
Tweaking the Program
... 40
Records Sheet
... 42
2 x 4: Maximum Strength PR Tracker Sheet
... 43
How to Adapt the Program for Different Movements
... 44
Example Adapted Program
... 46
2 x 4 for Geared or Advanced Lifters
... 47
2 x 4: Maximum Strength
Welcome to 2 x 4: Maximum Strength. At this point, you might be wondering what 2 x 4
stands for. It’s quite simple; two lifts are performed on four separate days per week, hence,
2 x 4. Before I delve into the book, let’s get some things straight right off the bat:
1. There are an infinite number of ways to write a good maximum strength training program.
2. Knowing which program is the absolute best would require extensive research that will never happen (dozens of groups with ample subjects would need to train according to each popular program for an ample amount of time, with the winner being the program that produced on average the best results).
3. Even so, the best program for the masses might not be the best program for you (there is much variation in the response to a training program from one person to the next).
4. Moreover, the best program out there for you right now might not be the best program for you three years from now.
5. There are many excellent strength training programs already available.
6. I encourage you to experiment with them and learn more about your body and the methods that work best for you.
7. 2 x 4 is just one of the many excellent programs out there. However, for raw lifters seeking maximal strength, 2 x 4 makes more sense to me than any other program available.
8. 2 x 4 is not a year-round program. It is a 14-week training cycle that can be
performed either twice back-to-back or three times spread out over the course of a year. In between training cycles, lifters should experiment with other systems and be sure to incorporate phases that focus on higher rep ranges and variety.
Designing the Program
Okay, now that we’ve got that straight, let me tell you how I created the program. I actually spent a year and a half formulating the program and tinkering with all of the design
variables, and the program went through many different renovations. It may look very simple and appear to have been written overnight, but there’s a difference between writing a program and implementing the program – that’s where the learning and adjustments took place.
In fact, having now been through the process, I believe that the best way to create a
program is to construct a well-thought out and scientific plan on paper, and implement that plan for at least a year with a group of lifters with varying ranges of experience. No matter how scientific and logical the program may appear to be, let me tell you that there are things you just can’t predict, even with years of training experience and reading research. The current 2 x 4 program is leaps and bounds better than the original plan laid out 18 months ago due to constant tinkering, analyzing, and practical consideration.
Let’s get back to the program’s development. Since I wanted to create the best program possible, I went about it very systematically. The first question I considered involved training frequency – what’s the ideal number of days to train per week? After analyzing the majority of powerlifting and strength training routines, examining training routines of top powerlifters and strongmen, and considering my own experiences in training myself, my training partners, and my clients over the years, I decided on four days per week.
The next question involved exercise selection – which exercises combine to give you the best possible strength gains? This is tricky because on one hand you have pure specificity in which only the three powerlifts (or whatever lifts you wanted to use to measure
strength) would be performed, and on the other hand, you have extensive variety in which case endless variations of the exercises along with assistance lifts are performed. After countless revisions and experimentation, I decided upon 8 primary lifts – the back squat, bench press, deadlift, military press, front squat, close grip bench press, floor press, and block pull. These are the lifts that you will master. You will become a student of these eight exercises. Next, I needed to determine the lifts that were to be performed on each day. This required over a year of tinkering and fine-tuning. I ended up going with the back squat and floor press on day one, the block pull and military press and day two, the
front squat and bench press on day three, and the deadlift and close grip bench press on day four. I realized that these lifts couldn’t all be performed with maximal intensity of effort each week, as four days of intensive pressing and two days of intensive deadlifting per week is overkill for the vast majority of lifters. Therefore, each lift will be performed throughout the week, but with varying levels of intensity of effort. One week, you’ll be trying to set personal records (PR’s) on back squats, military press, bench press, and deadlifts, and the next week you’ll be trying to set PR’s on floor press, block pulls, front squats, and close grip bench press.
The following step in designing 2 x 4 required me to figure out the ideal set and rep schemes. As for number of
repetitions, I’m a big fan of singles, triples, and sets of five. You might be wondering what’s wrong with doubles,
quadruples, and sets above five reps. The answer is: nothing is wrong with them, and many lifters like to perform heavy doubles or higher rep sets of 8-10 reps. However, for the 2 x 4 program, I went with 1’s, 3’s, and 5’s. You’ll be performing two weeks with sets of 5 reps, then two weeks with sets of 3
reps, and then two weeks with heavy singles, followed by a deload week.
As for number of sets, I went with 3 working sets. Many lifters enjoy doing up to 5 working sets, but when training full body four times per week, it’s just too demanding. That said, there are two primary ways to perform the working sets – using the same weight for each set, or ramping up in weight with one ultimate set. Since both of these methods are very effective in different ways, I decided to incorporate both into the program. You’ll perform a six-week block using straight weight (same loads for all 3 sets), followed by a deload week, followed by a six-week block using ascending weight (ramping up by starting out light and going progressively heavier on the following sets), followed by another deload week. Let’s recap:
Ideal number of training sessions per week: 4
Ideal exercises for building powerlifting strength: back squat, bench press, deadlift, military press, front squat, close grip bench press, floor press, block pull
Ideal set and rep schemes: 3 x 5, 3 x 3, 3 x 1
Recall from earlier that I told you that you’d be alternating the lifts that you perform with maximal intensity each week. To reiterate, you’ll perform back squats, military press, bench press, and deadlifts with maximal intensity of effort and the intention of setting PR’s one
week, and the next week you’ll switch to floor press, block pulls, front squats, and close grip bench press.
As you can see, you’ll perform two primary lifts each day, one of which you’ll be going “all out” on, and the other where you’ll purposely “sandbag.” You might be wondering how you’ll train a lift if you’re purposely avoiding setting PR’s. In this case, you have three options:
1. Pause Reps
You can perform pause-reps. In this case, you’ll want to utilize 60-80% of 1RM while pausing for 3 seconds. Be aware that most lifters skimp on time when performing pause reps. In fact, most lifters only pause for 1-second when performing 3-secound pause reps as they start counting early and also cut short. For loading, use 60% of 1RM when performing 5 reps, 70% of 1RM when performing 3 reps, and 80% of 1RM when performing single repetitions. Pause reps are good for newbies, intermediates, and advanced lifters.
2. Super Strict Form
You can perform the lifts with lighter loads and be ultra-strict with form. In this case, you’ll want to utilize 60-80% of 1RM and really hone in on technique. You’ll be surprised how heavy you can make 80% of 1RM feel when being super strict with form. Don’t perform the lifts with maximal speed; be smooth and control the load throughout the entire repetition. Just as in the case of pause reps, use 60% of 1RM when performing 5 reps, 70% of 1RM when performing 3 reps, and 80% of 1RM when performing single repetitions. Super strict sets are good for newbies, intermediates, and advanced lifters.
3. Explosive Training (also referred to as dynamic effort or compensatory
acceleration training)
You can perform the lifts with lighter weight and maximal acceleration. You might have heard explosive training referred to as the dynamic effort (DE) method or as
compensatory acceleration training (CAT). As in the case of pause reps and super strict form, you’ll want to utilize 60-80% of 1RM (60% of 1RM when performing sets of 5 reps, 70% of 1RM when performing sets of 3 reps, and 80% of 1RM when performing single repetitions). Over time, you’ll figure
out how to lift explosively while avoiding excessive jarring forces on the joints by gradually accelerating the load throughout the range of motion. It is beneficial when
training explosively with submaximal loading to use strict rest periods of 60-90 seconds. Explosive training is best performed by lifters who have a couple of years of experience; most newbies haven’t ingrained solid enough lifting patterns to adequately control the load and adhere to great technical form with explosive training. Therefore, newcomers should stick with pause reps and super strict form until they become more advanced.
Notice that in each of the three options, you’ll be using 60% of 1RM for sets of 5, 70% of 1RM for sets of 3, and 80% of 1RM for singles. It’s worth mentioning that my favorite submaximal method is super strict form, but my training partner Andrew prefers pause reps and my other training partner Joey prefers explosive training. We each use all three methods in our training, but we dedicate a greater proportion of our training to the method that we feel works best. Over time, as you gain experience with 2 x 4, you may need to fine tune and adjust the percentages. Some lifters will need to use slightly heavier loads and other lifters will need to use slightly lighter loads to keep the training stimulus at the appropriate intensity of effort.
The goal with these lifts is quality, not quantity! You’ll be staying far away from maxing out and far away from repping to failure, but make no mistake about it, the training is still highly productive. Don’t believe me? Keep reading!
The Case for Submaximal Loads and Intensity of Effort
However tempting it may be, don’t go balls-out on both lifts on any training day. Give it your all on exercise numero uno, set your PR, and then coast on lift number two with either explosive training, pause reps, or super strict form.
Please don’t fear that you’ll lose strength by not performing each lift with maximal intensity of effort each week. First of all, every week you’ll be going all out on a squat variation (either back or front squats), two upper body pressing variations (either military press and bench press, or floor press and close grip bench), and a deadlift variation (either traditional deadlifts done in conventional or sumo style, or block pulls).
Second, some of the best lifters in the world rely on the submaximal methods such as dynamic effort and pause-reps to build their world-class strength. Please don’t
underestimate the importance of this point!!! Let’s consider three elite lifters: Andy Bolton, Sam Byrd, and Mike Tuchscherer.
Andy Bolton is the only lifter to pull over a thousand pounds in two separate contests, and he relied solely on dynamic effort deadlifts to build his freakish strength. He literally never pulled with over 75% of his 1RM in the 8 weeks prior to his legendary 1,003 lb pull (the first supra-1,000 lb pull ever performed).
Sam Byrd is arguably the best squatter in the world, having set numerous records in multiple weight classes as a raw and equipped lifter. How does Sam achieve his crazy levels of squatting strength? By employing the dynamic effort method and staying in the 60-80%
of 1RM ranges. Sam doesn’t maximally load up his squat until competitions.
Mike Tuchscherer is a rare gem in powerlifting in that he’s a raw lifter who has steadily gained insane amounts of strength over the years and has not plateaued. What are his favorite assistance lifts? The pause squat, pause bench press, and pause deadlift. He believes that these pause sets have helped him increased his strength over the years and improve his performance.
What’s more, some of the most popular training systems incorporate these submaximal methods. For example, the Sheiko Training System utilizes pause reps as well as super-strict form, and the dynamic effort method plays a large role in the Westside Barbell
Training System. Most Olympic lifters employ all three submaximal methods in their training to build their strength.
As you can clearly see, incredible levels of strength can be built using submaximal loading and submaximal intensity of effort, as long as the reps are performed with a pause, with super-strict technique, and/or with maximum acceleration. In this way, there’s a synergy with the two lifts per day in that one is performed with maximum effort and the other is performed with submaximal effort but with a particular technique in mind. By blending together the two methods, you prevent burnout and steadily gain strength.
Why Percentages Fail Some Lifters
Many programs utilize percentages for loading schemes. To name a few, Shieko, Smolov, and The Russian Squat Routine each provide the lifter with detailed set and rep schemes based off of percentages of 1RM. For example, a particular training day might have the lifter performing 7 sets of 5 reps with 80% of 1RM. These types of programs are very convenient as they take all of the guesswork out of the equation and allow the lifter to get in and get the job done.
Sounds incredible in theory, right? Problem is, programming just isn’t that simple. My colleague Brad Schoenfeld and I recently collected data for an upcoming study we intend on publishing that examines the EMG activation in the leg muscles with heavier weight (75% of 1RM) versus light weight (30% of 1RM) to failure. While we weren’t particularly interested in the number of repetitions the subjects achieved during exercise performance, we were intrigued to find that with the 75% of 1RM loading, the ranges of repetitions achieved by the subjects varied dramatically from one lifter to the next. While most
subjects performed between 10 and 15 repetitions, one subject performed a whopping 21 repetitions, and another subject performed just 7 repetitions (with 30% of 1RM, the range was 30 to 71).
This jives with my experience as a personal trainer. Thirteen years ago, I trained a very strong 107 lb female client who could squat 135 lbs for 20 reps below parallel and deadlift 155 lbs for 20 reps. Impressive, right? She could grind out reps like a champion. Guess what her 1RM’s were? 160 lbs for the squat, and 175 lbs for the deadlift. She could squat 85% of her 1RM for 20 reps and deadlift almost 90% of her 1RM for 20 reps.
Ten years ago, I trained a freakishly strong male 225 lb client who could incline press 385 lbs. He was one of the most explosive lifters I’ve ever seen. One time I wanted to see how many times he could incline press 135 lbs. He petered out at 20 reps. He could only lift 35% of his 1RM twenty times.
What does this mean for training programs involving percentages? It means that some of the lifters employing the program will receive a great training effect. The load, set, and rep scheme will be just what the doctor ordered to boost the lifter’s strength for the following week. However, for other lifters, the prescribed percentages will be too easy (and will therefore fail to elicit an optimal training stimulus), or they will be too hard (and the lifter will physically be unable to complete the reps). Something like 7 sets of 5 reps with 80% of 1RM would be very easy for the female client I described, but impossible for the male client I described.
Some lifters will thrive on these types of programs, others won’t be sufficiently challenged, and others will be run into the ground. However, a program such as 2 x 4 won’t fail any lifters because it’s centered on setting PR’s in a systematic fashion. 2 x 4 does use percentages for submaximal methods, but they are conservative percentages, and the methods can be adjusted to provide the proper dosage of stimulus.
The Program
Below is a chart that represents the nuts and bolts of the program. You will indeed add some assistance work to the program and train on deload weeks, but this chart does a good job of detailing the main lifts that are performed each day. Later in this manual I’ll provide a template and an example 14-week program.
Week Day 1 (Mon) Day 2 (Tues) Day 3 (Thur) Day 4 (Fri)
1 Back Squat 3 x 5 S
Floor Press 3 x 5 S Military Press 3 x 5 S Block Pull 3 x 5 S Bench Press 3 x 5 S Front Squat 3 x 5 S Deadlift 3 x 5 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 5 S 2 Floor Press 3 x 5 S
Back Squat 3 x 5 S Block Pull 3 x 5 S Military Press 3 x 5 S Front Squat 3 x 5 S Bench Press 3 x 5 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 5 S Deadlift 3 x 5 S 3 Back Squat 3 x 3 S
Floor Press 3 x 3 S Military Press 3 x 3 S Block Pull 3 x 3 S Bench Press 3 x 3 S Front Squat 3 x 3 S Deadlift 3 x 3 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 3 S 4 Floor Press 3 x 3 S
Back Squat 3 x 3 S Block Pull 3 x 3 S Military Press 3 x 3 S Front Squat 3 x 3 S Bench Press 3 x 3 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 3 S Deadlift 3 x 3 S 5 Back Squat 3 x 1 S
Floor Press 3 x 1 S Military Press 3 x 1 S Block Pull 3 x 1 S Bench Press 3 x 1 S Front Squat 3 x 1 S Deadlift 3 x 1 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 1 S 6 Floor Press 3 x 1 S
Back Squat 3 x 1 S Block Pull 3 x 1 S Military Press 3 x 1 S Front Squat 3 x 1 S Bench Press 3 x 1 S Close Grip Bench 3 x 1 S Deadlift 3 x 1 S
7 Deload Deload Deload Deload
8 Back Squat 3 x 5 A
Floor Press 3 x 5 A Military Press 3 x 5 A Block Pull 3 x 5 A Bench Press 3 x 5 A Front Squat 3 x 5 A Deadlift 3 x 5 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 5 A 9 Floor Press 3 x 5 A
Back Squat 3 x 5 A Block Pull 3 x 5 A Military Press 3 x 5 A Front Squat 3 x 5 A Bench Press 3 x 5 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 5 A Deadlift 3 x 5 A 10 Back Squat 3 x 3 A
Floor Press 3 x 3 A Military Press 3 x 3 A Block Pull 3 x 3 A Bench Press 3 x 3 A Front Squat 3 x 3 A Deadlift 3 x 3 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 3 A 11 Floor Press 3 x 3 A
Back Squat 3 x 3 A Block Pull 3 x 3 A Military Press 3 x 3 A Front Squat 3 x 3 A Bench Press 3 x 3 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 3 A Deadlift 3 x 3 A 12 Back Squat 3 x 1 A
Floor Press 3 x 1 A Military Press 3 x 1 A Block Pull 3 x 1 A Bench Press 3 x 1 A Front Squat 3 x 1 A Deadlift 3 x 1 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 1 A 13 Floor Press 3 x 1 A
Back Squat 3 x 1 A Block Pull 3 x 1 A Military Press 3 x 1 A Front Squat 3 x 1 A Bench Press 3 x 1 A Close Grip Bench 3 x 1 A Deadlift 3 x 1 A
14 Deload Deload Deload Deload
* S = Straight Sets * A = Ascending Sets
*In Red = PR’s * In Black = Pause Reps, Superstrict Reps, or Explosive Training
Assistance Work
I can already hear you moaning and complaining about the lack of extra assistance or support work and isolation movements. Trust me, I understand your concerns! If all you did for your training was the eight chosen exercises
mentioned in the previous section in the fashion described, your training would be suboptimal. I can’t think of a single powerlifter that I know who doesn’t employ any isolation work or appreciate certain assistance lifts. The fact of the matter is, exercises like bent over rows, hip thrusts, lateral raises, band tricep extensions, hammer curls, back extensions, leg presses, seated rows, chest supported rows, and dumbbell bench press can indeed help improve your powerlifting strength through increased muscular hypertrophy. Strength
training induces neuromuscular adaptations, meaning that there are both neural and muscular components to increased strength. While neural improvements such as gains in coordination and increased neural drive are critical for increased strength, plain old muscular hypertrophy helps increase strength as well. A larger
muscle not only has greater physiological cross sectional area (PCSA), it also has a greater moment arm and a more optimal line of pull, depending on the muscle. This leads to greater torque production.
So don’t worry, 2 x 4 allows for and encourages additional work. After you’ve finished your two main lifts for the day, you have 10-15 minutes of free time to add in some additional exercises. I recommend sticking to ten sets or less for this assistance work.
When you perform your assistance work, it’s very important to focus intensely on the goal. Not only to you want the right muscles doing the job, but you want to perform your lifts in a manner that will transfer maximally to the big lifts. Therefore, envision the lift you want to the assistance lift to transfer to when you’re performing the movement. For example, during a hip thrust, think of locking out a heavy deadlift when you’re pushing the hips upward. In a chest supported row, think of lower the bar under control during the bench press as you’re raising the load. I’m sure you get the picture.
Since all muscles need to be strong in powerlifting, you’ll be performing some assistance work for each major muscle group each week. However, due to the fact that you need to be fresh to set records on different lifts each week, you will alternate the assistance work you do from week to week. Considerable time and experimentation was spent figuring out the ideal way to incorporate extra assistance work into the routine without compromising PR’s for subsequent training sessions. After months and months of tinkering, I settled on the following approach.
Quads and core will be trained on day 1 one week and on day 3 the next. Shoulders and hams will be trained on day 2 one week and day 4 the next. Chest and tri’s will be trained on day 3 one week and day 1 the next. Back, bi’s, and core will be trained on day 4 one week and day 2 the next. Therefore, your training will look like this:
Day 1 (Mon) Day 2 (Tues) Day 3 (Thur) Day 4 (Fri) Week
One Back Squat Floor Press Quads Core Military Press Block Pull Shoulders Hams Bench Press Front Squat Chest Tri’s Deadlift
Close Grip Bench Back
Bi’s Core
Week
Two Floor Press Back Squat Chest Tri’s Block Pull Military Press Back Bi’s Core Front Squat Bench Press Quads Core
Close Grip Bench Deadlift
Shoulders Hams
Deloading
Every seventh week, you’re going to deload. Let me guess – you don’t think you’re the type who needs to deload? Please tell me that after the six weeks are up. Better yet, please tell me that in between cycles of 2 x 4 where you’ll be going for new PR’s. Trust me, a deload will be a welcome break from the heavy lifting and will give your body and mind time to repair and recuperate. When the CNS is excessively fatigued, muscles can’t fire maximally or produce maximum force. By giving yourself a break, you’ll come back refreshed and stronger so you can keep setting personal records.
Here’s how you’re going to deload: you’re going to stick with the same movements, but you won’t go for any PR’s – in fact you won’t even go near any PR’s. You will stick with the super strict method and focus on using excellent technical form, and also the pause rep method. You will perform 2 sets of 5 with 50% of 1RM using the super strict method. Next, you will perform 2 sets of 3 pause reps with 60% of 1RM (3-second pause).
I encourage you to avoid doing too much assistance work during your deload weeks, no matter how tempting it may be. After your training sessions, feel free to perform 3-5 sets of additional exercises, but keep the weight light. I recommend that you stay in the 12-15 rep range. Your deload week will therefore look like this:
Day 1 (Mon) Day 2 (Tues) Day 3 (Thur) Day 4 (Fri) Deload Week Back Squat
2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Floor Press 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Assistance Work 3-5 total sets of 12-15 reps Military Press 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Block Pull 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Assistance Work 3-5 total sets of 12-15 reps Bench Press 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Front Squat 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Assistance Work 3-5 total sets of 12-15 reps Deadlift 2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause
Close Grip Bench
2 x 5 @ 50% 1RM 2 x 3 @ 60% 1RM w/3-sec pause Assistance Work 3-5 total sets of 12-15 reps
Training Days
As you can see, I’ve suggested that day one be performed on Monday, day two on Tuesday, day three on Thursday, and day four on Friday. However, many individuals will need to adjust the training days to accommodate their schedules. There are a number of options that will work in this regard, but I recommend taking a day off in between day two and day three and at least a day off in between day four and day one. In this manual, for simplicity’s sake, I went with the Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday (MTThF) approach. But you may need to adjust this depending on your schedule and logistics. Here are some options below.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Option 1 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Option 2 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Option 3 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Option 4 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Option 5 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Maximal Strength Training is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
This simple statement is critical in the iron game: “Strength training is a marathon, not a sprint.” It’s so important, but few lifters truly get it. Over the years, I’ve trained with some insanely strong individuals. Unfortunately, I can say with much certainty that the vast majority of powerlifters I’ve trained with fail to adequately plan and consider their long term training strategies.
The goal is to keep lifting for many years to come. The goal is to keep gaining strength over the decades. The goal is to remain healthy and not destroy your joints. The goal is to
continue to be able to compete in powerlifting.
What good will it do you if you ignore warning signs, allow your form to deteriorate, and/or push full throttle ahead just to set PR’s, only to eventually injure yourself? Getting injured will stop progress in its tracks. Conversely, staying healthy and injury-free as a lifter will allow the muscles to continue firing properly and allow the body to maintain sound levels of mobility so that the lifter continues to build strength steadily over the years. Will it not benefit your joints to avoid maxing out every single week? Will it not be
beneficial to spend a couple of months each year focusing on hypertrophy and avoiding heavy lifting (anything above a 5RM, for example)? Will it not be wise to spend a couple of months each year shoring up weak links and addressing any deficits in mobility, stability, or coordination? Won’t it be better off in the long-run if you stick with sets of 5’s and sets of 3’s for a majority of the training cycle and run heavy singles for a minority of the training cycle (in 2 x 4, two-thirds of your training revolves around 3’s and 5’s, with one-third revolving around singles)? Will regular deloading not benefit your body over the long haul?
Sadly, I’ve seen far too many lifters seeking maximal strength gains get too greedy and end up going backwards in their training due to injury or burnout. I’ve seen way too many powerlifters ignore the body’s warning signs and push through pain until something snaps. I’ve witnessed a common trend where
a lifter pushes the strength barrier week in and week out with no
deloading, only to hit a massive wall. Rather than alter their training strategies, many simply resort to using greater amounts of anabolic steroids or moving up a weight class in order to continue gaining strength. Many stop being so strict on form and allow for serious form breakdown just to keep setting PR’s. This eventually backfires on the lifter.
Sure, I could design a rapid 6-week peaking program that could fast-forward short-term results. However, this same program wouldn’t necessarily be optimal for long-term results.
2 x 4 is designed with your long-term progress in mind as it maintains just the right balance between eliciting adaptations and allowing for adequate recovery. Of course, you need to train intensively, but a carefully planned approach trumps a haphazard, careless approach any day of the week.
The hare beats the tortoise in the short run, but the tortoise beats the hare in the long run. Due to the carefully planned program design, the 14-week 2 x 4 cycle can be repeated year in and year out 1-3 times per year to boost your maximal strength.
Sample Training Journal
I felt that it would be very beneficial to include a sample training journal to portray what the training sessions will look like. Here’s a 14-week sample program from raw powerlifter Andrew Serrano. He’s actually the first lifter to complete the 2 x 4 training program and is a 190-lb lifter (competes at 181 lbs) who prior to this program could squat 472 lbs, bench press 315 lbs, and deadlift 472 lbs. His strength absolutely skyrocketed on this program, but please be aware that I do not think in any way that these results are typical. Other lifters who have ran 2 x 4 have indeed gained moderate amounts of strength during the 14-week cycle, but Andrew has put over 100 lbs on his deadlift, 60 lbs on his squat, and 50 lbs on his bench. Lifters running 2 x 4 the second time through are still setting records
consistently, so I feel that the program does a great job of building strength gradually and preventing periods of stagnation, which is sometimes common in other programs.
Andrew Week One 11/4/13 weight: 190 lbs Back squat 365 x 5, 365 x 5, 365 x 5
Floor press 225 x 5, 225 x 5, 225 x 5 *pause reps Cybex leg press 540 x 20, 630 x 20
Hack squat 230 x 10 Band Pallof press rb x 10, rb x 10 Ab wheel rollout bw x 10, bw x 10
11/5/13 weight: 188 lbs
Military press 165 x 5, 165 x 5, 165 x 5
Block pull (3 inch) 315 x 5, 315 x 5, 315 x 5 *super strict reps Lateral raise 20 x 15, 25 x 15
Band hip thrust bb x 20, bb x 20 45 degree hyper 100 x 10, 100 x 10
11/7/13 weight: 189 lbs
Bench press 275 x 5, 275 x 5, 275 x 5
Front squat 225 x 5, 225 x 5, 225 x 5 *pause reps Incline fly 50 x 10, 50 x 10
Band tricep extension pb x 20, pb x 20 Push up bw x 12, bw x 12
11/8/13 weight: 190 lbs
Sumo deadlift 405 x 5, 405 x 5, 405 x 5
Close grip bench 190 x 5, 190 x 5, 190 x 5 *explosive reps Bent over row 185 x 5, 185 x 5, 185 x 5
Dumbbell curl 30 x 20, 40 x 10, 45 x 8 Side plank bw x :30 sec, bw x :30 sec Hanging leg raise bw x 8, bw x 8
Week Two 11/11/13 weight: 189 lbs Floor press 285 x 5, 285 x 5, 285 x 5
Back squat 405 x 5, 405 x 5, 405 x 5 *pause reps DB incline press 80 x 8, 80 x 8, 90 x 8
Rolling DB skull crusher 35 x 12, 35 x 12, 35 x 12
11/12/13 weight: 190 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 405 x 5, 405 x 5, 405 x 5
Military press 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 135 x 5 *super strict Bent over row 185 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 8
Hammer curl 45 x 8, 45 x 8 Chin up bw x 8, bw x 8 11/14/13 weight: 189 lbs Front squat 315 x 5, 315 x 5, 315 x 5
Bench press 225 x 5, 225 x 5, 225 x 5 *pause reps DB reverse lunge 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10 Ab wheel rollout bw x 10, bw x 10
11/15/13 weight: 190 lbs
Close grip bench 315 x 5, 315 x 5, 315 x 5
Conventional deadlift 315 x 5, 315 x 5, 315 x 5 *explosive DB seated shoulder press 75 x 10, 75 x 10, 75 x 10
Single Leg RDL 135 x 8, 135 x 8 Week Three 11/18/13 weight: 190 lbs Back squat 405 x 3, 405 x 3, 405 x 3
Floor press 225 x 3, 225 x 3, 225 x 3 *pause reps Cybex leg press 540 x 16, 540 x 16, 540 x 16
Hack squat 230 x 10 Band Pallof press rb x 10, rb x 10 Ab wheel rollout bw x 10, bw x 10
11/19/13 weight: 191 lbs
Military press 185 x 3, 185 x 3, 185 x 3
Block pull (3 inch) 315 x 3, 315 x 3, 315 x 3 *super strict reps Lateral raise 20 x 15, 25 x 15
Band hip thrust bb x 20, bb x 20 45 degree hyper 100 x 10, 100 x 10
11/21/13 weight: 190 lbs
Bench press 295 x 3, 295 x 3, 295 x 3
Front squat 225 x 3, 223 x 3, 225 x 3 *pause reps Incline fly 50 x 10, 50 x 10, 50 x 10
Band tricep extension pb x 20, pb x 20 Weighted push up 25 x 12, 25 x 12
11/22/13 weight: 190 lbs
Sumo deadlift 455 x 3, 455 x 3, 455 x 3
Close grip bench 225 x 3, 225 x 3, 225 x 3 *explosive reps Bent over row 185 x 5, 185 x 5, 185 x 5
Dumbbell curl 30 x 20, 40 x 10
Side plank bw x :30 sec, bw x :30 sec Hanging Leg Raise bw x 6, bw x 6, bw x 6 Week Four 11/25/13 weight: 192 lbs Floor press 295 x 3, 295 x 3, 295 x 3
Back squat 315 x 3, 315 x 3, 315 x 3 *pause reps DB Incline Press 95 x 6, 95 x 6, 95 x 6
Rolling DB skull crusher 40 x 10, 40 x 10, 40 x 10 Flat DB chest press 80 x 10, 90 x 8
11/26/13 weight: 190 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 455 x 3, 455 x 3, 455 x 3
Military press 155 x 3, 155 x 3, 155 x 3 *super strict reps Bent over row 195 x 6, 195 x 6, 195 x 6
Hammer curl 40 x 10, 40 x 10, 40 x 10 Weighted chin up 25 x 6, 25 x 6 11/28/13 weight: 193 lbs Front squat 325 x 3, 325 x 3, 325 x 3
Bench press 245 x 3, 245 x 3, 245 x 3 *pause reps DB reverse lunge 75 x 6, 75 x 6, 75 x 6
Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10 Ab wheel rollout bw x 10, bw x 10
11/29/13 weight: 191 lbs
Close grip bench 295 x 3, 295 x 3, 295 x 3
Conventional deadlift 365 x 3, 365 x 3, 365 x 3 *super strict reps DB seated shoulder press 80 x 8, 80 x 8, 80 x 8
Single leg RDL 155 x 6, 155 x 6 Week Five 12/1/13 weight: 192 lbs Back squat 455 x 1, 455 x 1, 455 x 1
Floor press 255 x 1, 255 x 1, 255 x 1 *pause reps Cybex leg press 630 x 12, 630 x 12, 630 x 12
Band Pallof press rb x 8, rb x 8, rb x 8 Ab wheel rollout bw x 10, bw x 10 12/2/13 weight: 194 lbs Military press 195 x 1, 195 x 1, 195 x 1
Block pull (3 inch) 365 x 1, 365 x 1, 365 x 1 *super strict Upright row 85 x 15, 85 x 15
Band hip thrust bb x 25, bb x 25 45 degree hyper 100 x 12, 100 x 12
12/4/13 weight: 191 lbs
Bench press 305 x 1, 305 x 1, 305 x 1
Front squat 265 x 1, 265 x 1, 265 x 1 *explosive reps Incline fly 45 x 12, 45 x 12
Band tricep extension pb x 20, pb x 20 Push up bw x 15, bw x 15
12/5/13 weight: 190 lbs
Sumo deadlift 495 x 1, 495 x 1, 495 x 1
Close grip bench 275 x 1, 275 x 1, 275 x 1*explosive reps Bent over row 185 x 5, 185 x 5, 185 x 5
Hammer curl 45 x 8, 45 x 8, 45 x 8 Side plank bw x :30 sec, bw x :30 sec Week Six 12/8/13 weight: 189 lbs Floor press 305 x 1, 305 x 1, 305 x 1
Back squat 365 x 1, 365 x 1, 365 x 1 *pause reps Flat DB chest press 75 x 12, 85 x 10, 90 x 8
Dip bw x 15, bw x 15
12/9/13 weight: 190 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 475 x 1, 475 x 1, 475 x 1
Military press 165 x 1, 165 x 1, 165 x 1 *super strict reps Neutral grip chin up bw x 12, bw x 12, bw x 12
EZ bar curl 85 x 12, 85 x 12
RKC plank bw x 20 sec, bw x 20 sec
12/11/13 weight: 189 lbs
Front squat 325 x 1, 325 x 1, 325 x 1
Bench press 265 x 1, 265 x 1, 265 x 1 *pause reps Hack squat 225 x 10, 225 x 10, 225 x 10
Straight leg sit up bw x 8, bw x 8 Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10
12/12/13 weight: 190 lbs
Close grip bench 305 x 1, 305 x 1, 305 x 1
Conventional deadlift 405 x 1, 405 x 1, 405 x 1 *super strict reps Upright row 95 x 12, 95 x 12, 95 x 12
Single leg RDL 135 x 8, 135 x 8
Week Seven (Deload)
12/15/13 weight: 190 lbs
Back squat 185 x 12, 225 x 10, 315 x 5 Walking lunge 95 x 10, 95 x 10
Goblet side lunge 35 x 8, 35 x 8, 35 x 8 12/16/13 weight: 192 lbs
Military press 135 x 8, 135 x 8, 135 x 8 DB seated shoulder press 50 x 10, 60 x 10, 65 x 10 Lateral raise 20 x 15, 25 x 15
12/18/13 weight: 195 lbs
Bench press 135 x 15, 185 x 12, 185 x 12
Front squat 225 x 8, 225 x 8, 225 x 8 *pause reps EZ bar curl 65 x 15, 65 x 15, 85 x 8
EZ Bar skull crusher 65 x 20, 75 x 20
12/19/13 weight: 195 lbs
KB deadlift 106 x 15, 106 x 15, 106 x 15
Lat pulldown 190 x 5, 190 x 5, 190 x 5 *explosive reps Bent over row 135 x 12, 135 x 12, 135 x 12
Dumbbell curl 25 x 12, 30 x 12
Straight leg sit up bw x :30 sec, bw x :30 sec Week Eight 12/22/13 weight: 195 lbs Back squat 315 x 5, 365 x 5, 405 x 5
Floor press 225 x 5, 225 x 5, 225 x 5 *super strict reps Sled push 400 x 30 yds, 400 x 30 yds
Band anti rotation hold pb x 35 sec, pb x 35 sec
12/23/13 weight: 193 lbs
Military Press 165 x 5, 185 x 5, 190 x 5
Block Pull (3 inch) 315 x 5, 365 x 5, 405 x 5 *super strict reps DB seated shoulder press 90 x 8, 90 x 8, 90 x 8
45 degree hyper 100 x 8, 100 x 8, 100 x 8
12/25/13 weight: 191 lbs
Bench press 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 305 x 5
Front squat 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 275 x 5 *explosive reps Incline DB press 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
12/26/13 weight: 190 lbs
Sumo deadlift 405 x 5, 455 x 5, 500 x 5
Close grip bench 245 x 5, 275 x 5, 275 x 5 *pause reps Bent over row 205 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8
BB curl 115 x 8, 115 x 8, 115 x 8 RKC plank bw x 30sec, bw x 30 sec
Week Nine
12/29/13 weight: 190 lbs
Floor press 280 x 5, 315 x 5, 330 x 5
Back squat 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 315 x 5 *pause reps Alternating DB chest press 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 85 x 8
Weighted dip 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
12/30/13 weight: 188 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 405 x 5, 455 x 5, 465 x 5
Military press 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 165 x 5 *super strict reps Weighted chin up 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
Band Pallof press pb x 8, pb x 8, pb x 8
1/1/14 weight: 189 lbs
Front squat 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 325 x 5
Bench press 225 x 5, 245 x 5, 255 x 5 *super strict reps Walking lunge 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x 8
DB step up 60 x 8, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
1/2/14 weight: 190 lbs
Close grip bench 275 x 5, 285 x 5, 295 x 5
Conventional deadlift 315 x 5, 365 x 5, 405 x 5 *super strict reps Lateral raise 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 50 x 8 RDL 225 x 8, 225 x 8, 225 x 8 Week Ten 1/5/14 weight: 191 lbs Back squat 385 x 3, 405 x 3, 455 x 3
Floor press 265 x 3, 275 x 3, 305 x 3 *pause reps Sled push 375 x 30yds, 375 x 30yds, 375 x 30 yds Band anti rotation hold pb x 30sec, pb x 30sec, pb x 30sec
1/6/13 weight: 190 lbs
Military Press 165 x 3, 185 x 3, 205 x 3
Block pull (3 inch) 365 x 3, 365 x 3, 405 x 3 *super strict reps DB shoulder press 80 x 10, 80 x 10, 80 x 10
45 degree hyper 90 x 10, 90 x 10, 90 x 10
1/8/14 weight: 189 lbs
Bench press 275 x 3, 305 x 3, 315 x 3
Front squat 245 x 3, 275 x 3, 305 x 3 *pause reps Incline DB press 95 x 10, 95 x 10, 95 x 10
EZ bar skull crusher 85 x 10, 85 x 10, 85 x 10
1/9/14 weight: 190 lbs
Sumo deadlift 405 x 3, 455 x 3, 515 x 3
Close grip bench 225 x 3, 225 x 3, 285 x 3 *explosive reps Bent over row 190 x 10, 190 x 10, 190 x 10
BB curl 100 x 10, 100 x 10, 100 x 10 RKC plank bw x 30sec, bw x 30sec
Week Eleven
1/12/14 weight: 190 lbs
Floor press 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 335 x 3
Back squat 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 365 x 3 *explosive reps Alternating DB chest press 75 x 10, 75 x 10, 75 x 10
Weighted dip 45 x 10, 45 x 10, 45 x 10 1/13/14 weight: 190 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 405 x 3, 455 x 3, 495 x 3
Military press 165 x 3, 165 x 3, 165 x 3 *super strict reps Weighted chin up 50 x 10, 50 x 10, 50 x 10
Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10, pb x 10
1/15/14 weight: 189 lbs
Front squat 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 350 x 3
Bench press 225 x 3, 225 x 3, 225 x 3 *explosive reps Walking lunge 60 x 10, 60 x 10, 60 x 10
DB step up 50 x 10, 50 x 10, 50 x 10
1/16/14 weight: 190 lbs
Close grip bench 275 x 3, 285 x 3, 305 x 3
Sumo deadlift 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 375 x 3 *explosive reps Lateral raise 40 x 10, 40 x 10, 40 x 10 RDL 185 x 10, 185 x 10, 185 x 10 Week Twelve 1/19/14 weight: 189 lbs Back squat 415 x 1, 475 x 1, 525 x 1
Floor press 225 x 1, 225 x 1, 245 x 1 *super strict reps Sled push 350 x 40 yds, 350 x 40 yds, 350 x 40 yds Band anti rotation hold pb x 30 sec, pb x 30 sec, pb x 30 sec
1/20/14 weight: 188 lbs
Military press 165 x 1, 195 x 1, 225 x 1
Block pull (3 inch) 315 x 1, 315 x 1, 365 x 1 *super strict reps DB seated shoulder press 70 x 12, 70 x 12, 70 x 12
45 degree hyper 80 x 12, 80 x 12, 80 x 12
1/22/14 weight: 188 lbs
Bench press 275 x 1, 305 x 1, 365 x 1
Front squat 265 x 1, 275 x 1, 285 x 1 *explosive reps Incline DB press 85 x 12, 85 x 12, 85 x 12
EZ bar skull crusher 75 x 12, 75 x 12, 75 x 12
1/23/14 weight: 187 lbs
Sumo deadlift 455 x 1, 500 x 1, 565 x 1
Close grip bench 225 x 1, 245 x 1, 245 x 1 *explosive reps Bent over row 175 x 12, 175 x 12, 175 x 12
BB curl 85 x 12, 85 x 12, 85 x 12 RKC plank bw x 30sec, bw x 30sec
Week Thirteen
1/26/14 weight: 187 lbs
Floor press 275 x 1, 315 x 1, 355 x 1
Back squat 315 x 1, 315 x 1, 315 x 1 *super strict reps Alternating DB chest press 60 x 12, 60 x 12, 60 x 12
Weighted dip 25 x 12, 25 x 12, 25 x 12
1/27/14 weight: 188 lbs
Block pull (3 inch) 405 x 1, 455 x 1, 510 x 1 *super strict reps Military press 165 x 1, 185 x 1, 185 x 1
Weighted chin up 30 x 12, 30 x 12, 30 x 12 Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10, pb x 10
1/29/14 weight: 188 lbs
Front squat 295 x 1, 315 x 1, 395 x 1
Bench press 225 x 1, 245 x 1, 275 x 1 *super strict reps Walking lunge 50 x 12, 50 x 12, 50 x 12
DB step up 45 x 12, 45 x 12, 45 x 12
1/30/14 weight: 189 lbs
Close grip bench 285 x 1, 305 x 1, 345 x 1
Sumo deadlift 405 x 1, 405 x 1, 455 x 1 *super strict reps Lateral raise 25 x 12, 25 x 12, 25 x 12
RDL 165 x 12, 165 x 12, 165 x 12
Week Fourteen (Deload) 2/2/14 weight: 192 lbs Floor press 185 x 12, 195 x 10, 225 x 8 Back squat 225 x 15, 255 x 10, 255 x 10 Hip Thrust 225 x 15, 315 x 15
Band Pallof press pb x 10, pb x 10
2/3/14 weight: 190 lbs
Bent over row 135 x 18, 135 x 18, 135 x 18 Military press 135 x 12, 135 x 12, 135 x 12 DB upright row 30 x 15, 30 x 15 Single leg RDL 40 x 8, 40 x 8, 40 x 8 2/5/14 weight: 190 lbs Front squat 185 x 15, 185 x 15, 185 x 15 Bench press 135 x 20, 185 x 15, 185 x 12 Dip bw x 15, bw x 15
Rope tricep extension 100 x 15, 100 x 15
2/6/14 weight: 190 lbs
Close grip bench 135 x 12, 185 x 8, 185 x 8 DB alternating curl 25 x 12, 30 x 12, 30 x 12 Concentration curl 15 x 18, 15 x 18
Training Program
On the following pages, I will provide you with a training log that should help keep you on track. This log just includes the main lifts. Remember, you will be determining which assistance lifts you employ based on your needs, preferences, and logistics.
2x4 Monday Block 1
Back Squat – Straight Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Floor Press - Straight Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Quads and Core -Weeks 1,3,5
Chest and Triceps -Weeks 2,4,6
2x4 Tuesday Block 1
Military Press – Straight Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Block Pull - Straight Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Shoulders and Hamstrings/Posterior Chain -Weeks 1,3,5
Back, Biceps, and Core - Weeks 2,4,6
* Denotes the lifts for which you’ll be going for PR’s
2x4 Thursday Block 1
Bench Press – Straight Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Front Squat - Straight Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Chest and Triceps – Weeks 1,3,5
Quads and Core – Weeks 2,4,6
2x4 Friday Block 1
Deadlift – Straight Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Close Grip Bench Press - Straight Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Back, Biceps, and Core – Weeks 1,3,5
Shoulders and Hamstrings/Posterior Chain – Weeks 2,4,6
* Denotes the lifts for which you’ll be going for PR’s
2x4 Monday Block 2
Back Squat – Ascending Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Floor Press – Ascending Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Quads and Core -Weeks 1,3,5
Chest and Triceps -Weeks 2,4,6
2x4 Tuesday Block 2
Military Press – Ascending Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Block Pull – Ascending Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Shoulders and Hamstrings/Posterior Chain – Weeks 1,3,5
Back, Biceps, and Core - Weeks 2,4,6
* Denotes the lifts for which you’ll be going for PR’s
2x4 Thursday Block 2
Bench Press – Ascending Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Front Squat – Ascending Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Chest and Triceps – Weeks 1,3,5
Quads and Core – Weeks 2,4,6
2x4 Friday Block 2
Deadlift – Ascending Weight
Date Week Sets Reps Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
1* 3
5
2
3
5
3* 3
3
4
3
3
5* 3
1
6
3
1
Close Grip Bench Press – Ascending Weight
1
3
5
2* 3
5
3
3
3
4* 3
3
5
3
1
6* 3
1
Accessory work:
Back, Biceps, and Core – Weeks 1,3,5
Shoulders and Hamstrings/Posterior Chain – Weeks 2,4,6
* Denotes the lifts for which you’ll be going for PR’s
Peaking
If you are peaking for a meet, you can simply plan to run 2 x 4 so that the week before your meet coincides with the 14th (deload) week of the training program. However, rather than
sticking to the recommendations included in the deload section, please do the following: 1. Just train 2-3 days that week, preferably taking off the 2 days prior to the
competition
2. Either avoid the big lifts completely, or do a few sets of each movement (squat, bench press, deadlift) but stay below 70% of 1RM
3. Perform some assistance work but steer clear of accumulating too much fatigue. This is not the time to be setting PR’s. Stick to 10 total sets for the entire workout. Get in, get the blood flowing, and go home.
4. You’ll be riding a high after setting single rep gym PR’s on the squat, bench, military, and deadlift three weeks out and single rep gym PR’s on the front squat, floor press, close grip bench, and block pull two weeks out. The week of the meet, you need to rest up, eat well, and sleep well so that your body is charged up for the meet.
Tweaking the Program
For your first time running 2 x 4, I recommend sticking exactly to the recipe. However, after going through the program, there are things that you will learn about how your body
responds. You will figure out subtle ways in which you can tweak the program to produce even better results in the future. Don’t get me wrong; you don’t want to stray too far from the recipe. But tweaking the program 10% is probably beneficial for many lifters, given that we’re all different in terms of anatomy, physiology, and psychology. Again, don’t feel
compelled to tweak the program if you think it’s perfect, but also don’t be afraid to tweak it slightly after you’ve become accustomed to the plan. I’ll discuss some examples of how my training partners and I have strayed from the program.
Ascending Sets
When I’m performing my 3 sets of 5 ascending sets, I might prefer to just stick to triples for my first two work sets so that I’m not fatigued and can give my all to the last work set of 5 reps. For example, I recently block pulled 315 x 3, 405 x 3, and 495 x 5.
Extra Day
You might miss some assistance work during the week if you’re pressed for time or if you’re just too drained to finish your training session. In this case, you may add in a fifth day where you perform some make-up work. We’ve resorted to this from time to time, so we will caution you – don’t overdo the assistance workout if you go this route. When you’re in the middle of a workout and the juices are flowing, it’s tempting to keep going and do a ton of volume. Be aware that you’ll have to set a PR a day or two later, so don’t go
overboard.
Sandbagging the Second Exercise
Some days you might be so wiped out after performing your first exercise of the day that you decide to sandbag the second exercise. You might choose to stray from the
recommended prescription and just go through the motions. For example, I’ve seen my training partner Andrew do 3 sets of deadlifts with less than 60% of his 1RM after he performs his Friday close grip bench session. Conversely, I have trouble staying in the recommended ranges with military presses as I find myself wanting to go a bit heavier with them. Any good program must allow for some degree of auto-regulation.
Mixing Up Rep Ranges
There have been times where we’ve strayed from the program when we felt like doing triples on our second exercise rather than singles, or singles rather than 5’s, etc. From time to time, we will pyramid up in weight with our pause reps, strict sets, or explosive sets and do something like a set of 5, a set of 3, and a set of 1. This only applies to the second lift of
the day, not the first. Once the PR has been set on the first lift, you have some wiggle room with your second lift of the day, so feel free to stray from the prescription slightly.
Adding or Omitting Exercises
I like to perform a rowing movement several times per week. I also like to conduct some extra glute work several times per week. I’ll often perform hex bar bent over rows or band hip thrusts twice per week, and often these fall on days where I’m not supposed to be performing back or glute work. On the other hand, I’m guilty of neglecting my abs/core and failing to perform any targeted abdominal/oblique exercises for the week. Lifters with weaker grips will need to incorporate some additional grip work.
Records Sheet
Included in this program is a records-sheet that you will keep. It is very important that you get very familiar with your numbers. You want to almost worship these numbers, as these are the indicators of your strength and progress. You want to know what you can deadlift for 5 sets of 5. You want to know your 3 sets of 3 close grip bench press. You want to know your max single in the front squat. These are the numbers that let you know if you’re moving in the right direction with your training. Every time you set a PR, you update the sheet. Below is an example - this is my first raw 2 x 4 PR sheet at a bodyweight of 218 lbs. I’ve gotten markedly stronger since my first 2 x 4 training cycle, but this is where I started. You’ll need your own PR sheet, so I’ve included a blank one on the following page. Perhaps you can take a screenshot of it and print it, or recreate your own chart in Word.
3 x 5
Straight Straight 3 x 3 Straight 3 x 1 Ascending 3 x 5 Ascending 3 x 3 Ascending 3 x 1 Back Squat (High Bar or Low Bar) 280 315 345 295 320 365 Front Squat 245 245 265 245 255 285 Deadlift (Conventional or Sumo) 455 495 515 475 500 555 Block Deadlift (3” preferably) 475 495 515 495 505 565 Bench Press 245 255 275 250 255 285 Close Grip Bench 225 250 265 235 255 275 Floor Press (or Board Press) 245 260 285 250 265 290 Military Press 160 170 180 165 170 185
2 x 4: Maximum Strength PR Tracker Sheet
3 x 5
Straight Straight 3 x 3 Straight 3 x 1 Ascending 3 x 5 Ascending 3 x 3 Ascending 3 x 1 Back Squat (High Bar or Low Bar) Front Squat Deadlift (Conventional or Sumo) Block Deadlift (3” preferably) Bench Press Close Grip Bench Floor Press (or Board Press) Military Press
How to Adapt the Program for Different Movements
Maybe you’re sold on maximum strength, but you aren’t a huge fan of powerlifting. Perhaps the squat, the bench press, or the deadlift just don’t suit your body very well. You may have discovered through trial and error that other movements build your strength and
musculature better than the lifts that I’ve included in 2 x 4. Can you still adhere to the plan with some simple modifications? Sure you can. Here’s how.
First, you’ll need to figure out the 8 lifts that you would like to prioritize in the program. As you know, I picked the back squat, front squat, deadlift, block pull, bench press, close grip bench press, military press, and floor press.
You might like the box squat, Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat, hip thrust, weighted chin, seated dumbbell overhead press, chest supported row, and low incline press.
That’s fine as these are great exercises. Let me show you how to fit them into the 2 x 4 model. At this point, you’ll need to determine the three target reps you’ll reach. To remind you, I picked 5’s, 3’s, and 1’s in the original 2 x 4 plan. You might prefer a bit higher reps, such as 8’s, 6’s, and 4’s. You can build plenty of strength with these target reps, so trust your chosen reps.
Next, you’ll need to determine which lifts you’ll perform on the various four training days. Let’s
say you choose to pair up box squats and low incline press on day one, hip thrusts and weighted chins on day two, Bulgarian split squats (Bulgarian SS) and seated dumbbell overhead press (Seated OHP) on day three, and Romanian deadlifts (RDL’s) and chest supported rows (CSR’s) on day four.
Now you’ll just perform the routine in a similar manner to what I provided in this manual. You’ll perform two weeks of 3 x 8 reps using the same weight on each set, two weeks of 3 x 6 reps using the same weight on each set, two weeks of 3 x 4 reps using the same weight on each set, then a deload week. This will be immediately followed by two weeks of 3 x 8 reps using progressively heavier loads on each set, two weeks of 3 x 6 reps using progressively heavier loads on each set, two weeks of 3 x 4 reps using progressively heavier loads on each set, then a deload week.
Your plan would be set forth on the following page. Of course, you’d need to add in some assistance work and deload in a similar fashion to what was laid out earlier in the manual, but I’m sure you get the point. We’ve included a ton of exercises in our 2 x 4 library so that you can pick and choose what works best for you!
Example Adapted Program
Week Day 1 (Mon) Day 2 (Tues) Day 3 (Thur) Day 4 (Fri)
1 Box Squat 3 x 8 S
Incline Press 3 x 8 S Hip Thrust 3 x 8 S Weighted Chin 3 x 8 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 8 S Seated OHP 3 x 8 S RDL 3 x 8 S CSR 3 x 8 S 2 Incline Press 3 x 8 S
Box Squat 3 x 8 S Weighted Chin 3 x 8 S Hip Thrust 3 x 8 S Seated OHP 3 x 8 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 8 S CSR 3 x 8 S RDL 3 x 8 S 3 Back Squat 3 x 6 S
Incline Press3 x 6 S Hip Thrust 3 x 6 S Weighted Chin 3 x 6 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 6 S Seated OHP 3 x 6 S RDL 3 x 6 S CSR 3 x 6 S 4 Incline Press 3 x 6 S
Box Squat 3 x 6 S Weighted Chin 3 x 6 S Hip Thrust 3 x 6 S Seated OHP 3 x 6 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 6 S CSR 3 x 6 S RDL 3 x 6 S 5 Box Squat 3 x 4 S
Incline Press3 x 4 S Hip Thrust 3 x 4 S Weighted Chin 3 x 4 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 4 S Seated OHP 3 x 4 S RDL 3 x 4 S CSR 3 x 4 S 6 Incline Press 3 x 4 S
Box Squat 3 x 4 S Weighted Chin 3 x 4 S Hip Thrust 3 x 4 S Seated OHP 3 x 4 S Bulgarian SS 3 x 4 S CSR 3 x 4 S RDL 3 x 4 S
7 Deload Deload Deload Deload
8 Box Squat 3 x 8 A
Incline Press 3 x 8 A Hip Thrust 3 x 8 A Weighted Chin 3 x 8 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 8 A Seated OHP 3 x 8 A RDL 3 x 8 A CSR 3 x 8 A 9 Incline Press 3 x 8 A
Box Squat 3 x 8 A Weighted Chin 3 x 8 A Hip Thrust 3 x 8 A Seated OHP 3 x 8 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 8 A CSR 3 x 8 A RDL 3 x 8 A 10 Back Squat 3 x 6 A
Incline Press3 x 6 A Hip Thrust 3 x 6 A Weighted Chin 3 x 6 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 6 A Seated OHP 3 x 6 A RDL 3 x 6 A CSR 3 x 6 A 11 Incline Press 3 x 6 A
Box Squat 3 x 6 A Weighted Chin 3 x 6 A Hip Thrust 3 x 6 A Seated OHP 3 x 6 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 6 A CSR 3 x 6 A RDL 3 x 6 A 12 Box Squat 3 x 4 A
Incline Press3 x 4 A Hip Thrust 3 x 4 A Weighted Chin 3 x 4 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 4 A Seated OHP 3 x 4 A RDL 3 x 4 A CSR 3 x 4 A 13 Incline Press 3 x 4 A
Box Squat 3 x 4 A Weighted Chin 3 x 4 A Hip Thrust 3 x 4 A Seated OHP 3 x 4 A Bulgarian SS 3 x 4 A CSR 3 x 4 A RDL 3 x 4 A
14 Deload Deload Deload Deload
* S = Straight Sets * A = Ascending Sets
*In Red = PR’s * In Black = Pause Reps, Superstrict Reps, or Explosive Training
2 x 4 for Geared or Advanced Lifters
What if you’re a competitive powerlifter who trains and competes in gear? What if you’ve been heavily influenced by Westside Training and like to utilize more of their
methodology? Can you still follow the 2 x 4 plan? Sure you can, with some simple modifications. Here are ways in which you can go about this:
1. Train in Gear With Squats and Bench
When performing maximal squats and bench press, train in your gear. This means wear your briefs, knee wraps, belt, and squat suit when you squat, and wear your bench shirt when you bench. You’ll still be
doing plenty of raw work when performing submaximal effort work and when performing box squats, floor press, and close grip bench press, so the two styles will go hand in hand with each other.
2. Substitute Box Squats for Front Squats
Rather than performing front squats, perform box squats and practice sitting back while keeping the shins vertical. This training will be more specific to the demands of the geared squat.
3. Utilize Accommodating Resistance During Explosive Training
When you perform explosive training, make
sure to loop some band tension or chains around the bar to more closely mimic the strength curve of geared lifting. A good rule of thumb is to incorporate an extra 20-30% of tension at the top of the lift. Another option is to use the sling shot during your bench and even close grip bench press training. See the reference guide for a video on the sling shot.
4. Perform a Greater Proportion of Explosive Training
Rather than utilizing the super-strict method or pause reps, stick mostly to explosive training for your submaximal effort methods.
We’ve included a great deal of exercises in our quick reference video guide, so make sure you check that out if you fall into this category. We teach you how to set up bands and chains for the different lifts in addition to demonstrating the most effective ways of utilizing accommodating resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some frequently asked questions pertaining to 2 x 4, split up into several different categories, which include:
• Gear/Accessories and Specialty Equipment • Training
• Form & Technique • Assistance Lifts • Troubleshooting • Programming • General