Philippe Geoffrion
Level 7 Valued Member
This is my first post for StrongFirst. As an avid reader of Pavel's works, I have decided to put one of his hypertrophy programs to the test! Beyond Bodybuilding is a treasure trove of knowledge and if you haven't picked it up, I highly recommend it! That is where this program can be found. As a lifter and occasional powerlifter, strength has become my focus. One thing Pavel has succeeded in bringing to light in BB, is that strength and muscle mass are two sides of the same coin. In other words, Big guys SHOULD be strong, and strong guys are usually pretty big guys. He laments how strength and mass have branched off from one another, and the modern bodybuilder has become a "collection" of body parts a la Frankenstein's monster as opposed to the symmetrical, Greek statue physiques of strength athletes of the former half of the century, not to mention that these men also possessed great strength. In other words, they were show AND go! Naturally, I sought a hypertrophy program that would do just that. Develop show AND go.
I sought out a new hypertrophy program out of need more then want. I was on a 20 rep squat routine and experiencing great results! Why did I switch off of it? My knees could no longer take the brutal assault. See, I'd strained them a few weeks earlier on heavy front squats and any deep knee bend sent them into rapid, violent protest! I figured they'd heal up during the 20 rep squats because id be using lighter weights, but it was not meant to be. After a while, standing up from a chair was agonizing. Naturally, including any type of squat was suddenly void as an option. Oh no! In the middle of a "Bulk" phase, I've lost the ability to perform arguably the most important lift to achieve this goal! What "functional" hypertrophy program would even dare exclude the squat????That's when I reread BB again in my search and found exactly what I needed...The Delorme Method.
Pavel's modified Delorme program is an exercise of simplicity and minimalism, one of Pavel's specialties, another reason I was drawn to it. Naturally, the program includes only two lifts: Bench press and Deadlifts.
It follows a specified loading scheme designed to maximize your weekly tonnage in these two lifts. Monday is the heavy day, Wednesday light and Friday a medium day, an extension of Bill Starr's Heavy/light/medium strategy. There is a two week break in program, which I've completed. This is useful for two things, preparing you for the heavy program with volume and allowing you to make adjustments before starting the actual program. I have done both.
Note: I did not wish to disclose the actual program because (classified) and I'm sure you can find it posted on the web somewhere.
I had to lower my beginning weight for bench, as my ten rep max was based off of non paused reps and as I've decided to perform the program WITH paused reps, I need a lower heavy set. This will also give me a running start to push off of, as the weight I'll begin with will be easier, a critical component of cycling. Secondly, the next adjustment is I've substituted standard deadlifts with Snatch Grip deadlifts for a few reasons. 1) I find they are greater muscle builder for a few reason, greater back involvement and longer ROM 2) They allow a lower training load for better results 3) I am a humpback deadlifter (round upper back) and the Snatch grip will force me to brace my upper back, which needs a lot of work and I am hoping will receive great results.
So there it is. I begin the program tomorrow, in which I
ll post my beginning weight and numbers, a long with the first "before " photos of the program. Stay tuned...or else!
I sought out a new hypertrophy program out of need more then want. I was on a 20 rep squat routine and experiencing great results! Why did I switch off of it? My knees could no longer take the brutal assault. See, I'd strained them a few weeks earlier on heavy front squats and any deep knee bend sent them into rapid, violent protest! I figured they'd heal up during the 20 rep squats because id be using lighter weights, but it was not meant to be. After a while, standing up from a chair was agonizing. Naturally, including any type of squat was suddenly void as an option. Oh no! In the middle of a "Bulk" phase, I've lost the ability to perform arguably the most important lift to achieve this goal! What "functional" hypertrophy program would even dare exclude the squat????That's when I reread BB again in my search and found exactly what I needed...The Delorme Method.
Pavel's modified Delorme program is an exercise of simplicity and minimalism, one of Pavel's specialties, another reason I was drawn to it. Naturally, the program includes only two lifts: Bench press and Deadlifts.
It follows a specified loading scheme designed to maximize your weekly tonnage in these two lifts. Monday is the heavy day, Wednesday light and Friday a medium day, an extension of Bill Starr's Heavy/light/medium strategy. There is a two week break in program, which I've completed. This is useful for two things, preparing you for the heavy program with volume and allowing you to make adjustments before starting the actual program. I have done both.
Note: I did not wish to disclose the actual program because (classified) and I'm sure you can find it posted on the web somewhere.
I had to lower my beginning weight for bench, as my ten rep max was based off of non paused reps and as I've decided to perform the program WITH paused reps, I need a lower heavy set. This will also give me a running start to push off of, as the weight I'll begin with will be easier, a critical component of cycling. Secondly, the next adjustment is I've substituted standard deadlifts with Snatch Grip deadlifts for a few reasons. 1) I find they are greater muscle builder for a few reason, greater back involvement and longer ROM 2) They allow a lower training load for better results 3) I am a humpback deadlifter (round upper back) and the Snatch grip will force me to brace my upper back, which needs a lot of work and I am hoping will receive great results.
So there it is. I begin the program tomorrow, in which I
ll post my beginning weight and numbers, a long with the first "before " photos of the program. Stay tuned...or else!