TL;DR
Each day follows the same architecture: 8–10 min joint prep
→ 3–5 min plyo/CNS primer → 1–2 main lifts (5–8
reps, strength) → 3–4 accessories (8–12 reps, hypertrophy)
→ finisher → daily face pulls + dead hang + 5-min cooldown
mobility.
Progress over 8–12 weeks via a 3-block wave — Block A
(mechanics & volume) → Block B (intensity & effective reps)
→ Block C (overload & power). Retest mobility and strength markers
every 4 weeks. Deload every 5th week.
01
Train like an athlete
Aesthetics are a byproduct of training for function — strength
expressed through mobility, in all three planes, with healthy joints.
Programming priority: joint health → movement quality → muscle.
02
Face pulls, every single day
The single most repeated cue in my training. Counters anterior-dominant
pressing volume. Hits lower traps, rear delts, and external rotators. You
can't overtrain them — you're addressing a chronic weakness.
03
2× per week per muscle
Twice-weekly frequency outperforms once-a-week bro splits for
hypertrophy in the meta-analytic literature (Schoenfeld et al., 2016).
The whole split is built around this rule.
04
Ignition set + effective reps
One warm-up "ignition" set at your 12RM, then accumulate roughly 20
effective reps via rest-pause sets with 15–30 second rests. Drives
hypertrophy with less total volume.
05
Compound + crossover pairings
Heavy press at 6/8/10/12 reps, immediately into a cable or band
crossover for 15 reps to hit the chest across midline (adduction) —
the function the bench misses.
06
Train all five core functions
A complete midsection trains: lower-ab/bottom-up flexion, bottom-up
rotation, midrange/top-down flexion, top-down rotation, and obliques /
anti-rotation. Skip crunches. Use hanging-leg variants and Pallof presses.
07
Tempo & TUT — without ditching load
Slow 3-second eccentrics. Deliberate concentrics. Train to failure on
most isolation work. Don't go so light that load disappears — TUT is
a multiplier, not a substitute.
08
Pareto / 80–20
A handful of compound patterns — squat, hinge, push, pull, carry
— drive 80% of results. Fill the remaining 20% with correctives and
finishers. Don't invert the ratio.
09
Mobility = longevity
Single-leg RDL balance, ankle dorsiflexion, T-spine extension, hip
90/90, sock-and-shoe one-leg balance. Research (Araujo et al., 2022,
BJSM) links these markers to mortality risk.
10
Carries are king
The best move for posture, grip, and trap development — especially
for hardgainers. Start at ~25% of bodyweight per hand. Progress toward 50%
per hand by the end of the block.
11
Plyos = the amortization phase
Short ground contact equals athletic power. Keep volume low —
8–15 max-effort jumps per session, placed early when fully fresh.
Quality over quantity, always.
12
Form failure precedes muscle failure
The exercises that get the most ego at the gym are the ones that end
careers. Stop the set when form breaks, not after. Anti-ego lifting,
always.
