START WHERE YOU STAND

THE NOVICE
COMPENDIUM
HOW TO BUILD SIZE AND STRENGTH PROPERLY

BY KAREL SAQUING
Novice Compendium
The Complete Guide to Novice Training and an Introduction to Effective

Training Principles

Karel Saquing
STAND STRENGTH Las Vegas, NV
Novice Compendium

Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3

Where Other Programs Go Wrong ...................................................................................... 3

1. Lack of Exercise Variation .............................................................................................. 6

The Value of Basic Barbell Lifts .......................................................................................... 7

The 10 Most Important Exercises for Novice Lifters (No particular order) .................... 8

Defining “Strength” .............................................................................................................. 9

2. Limited Forms of Progression ...................................................................................... 12

Forms of Progressive Overload ........................................................................................ 12

3. Adherence to Minimalist Training Ideologies (Thinking Powerlifting is all you need)

............................................................................................................................................. 16

Glossary:................................................................................................................................. 19

3 Day Full Body Template ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Upper-Lower Template.......................................................................................................... 21

Strength Lower ................................................................................................................... 21

Strength Upper ................................................................................................................... 21

1
 Size Lower .......................................................................................................................... 24

Size Upper ........................................................................................................................... 24

Ideal Training Schedule......................................................................................................... 25

The PT Pyramid by Stew Smith ........................................................................................ 27

Odd Minute-Even Minute ................................................................................................... 27

Tabata ................................................................................................................................. 28

How and When to Modify the Program ............................................................................... 28

FAQ ......................................................................................................................................... 30

2
 Introduction

The fitness industry is oversaturated with products and training programs. While the

efficacy of supplements is debatable, most of programs you find for free on the internet

will work if you just apply consistency and effort. However, this does not mean that all

programs are made equal or even made well. If you look at the most common novice

programs that people will use when they first start working out, you will find a variety of

different issues that motivated me to create the Stand Strength Novice Program, its

progressions, and variations found in this book.

Where Other Programs Go Wrong

The purpose of the Stand Strength Novice Program is to address the weaknesses that

are present in other novice programs such as Starting Strength, StrongLifts, GreySkull

LP, and all other 5x5 derivatives. While these programs are time tested and provided

results for the initial months of training for many people, the results are mainly

attributed to the novice status of the people running the training program rather than

the effectiveness of the program itself. One major issue of these 3x5/5x5 programs is

that they have a plateau built into their methodology and fail to provide novices a way

forward after the program stops working for them as it inevitably will.

Despite the long history of these programs and the many testimonials they have

accumulated, they fail to consider the variability of novices and the fact that they will

not be novices forever. The goal of any training program, free or provided by a coach, is

3
to provide a framework in which the new lifter can move forward safely and

competently.

The THREE BIGGEST FLAWS of Most Programs

1. Lack of Exercise Variation

2. Limited Forms of Progression and

3. Adherence to “Powerlifter” Dogma

This eBook seeks to remedy these wrong doings that hurt novices the most because a

novice should prioritize on building as wide of a base as they can: a base of knowledge

and work capacity that can be leveraged into more gains over time. This is

accomplished by exposing them to more exercises in each movement pattern, more

ways to increase performance over time, and find a style of training that they enjoy and

allows them to train for the rest of their life.

Above all else, the goal of the novice lifter is to become a consistent lifter. How do you

accomplish this? Enjoying your training and liking the results you get.

If you only do 3 exercises in the gym because your program and some old guy on the

internet tells you it is the best thing to do while you see people around you do curls for

girls, flyes for guys, and pecs for sex, you probably won’t enjoy the gym and that will be

the biggest killer of consistency and achievement.

Furthermore, the threshold for consistency is 48-52 weeks of working out the same

number of times or more each week. It can be 2 times, it can be 6 times, it can be

4
anything in between. Regardless, the novice should set a goal for themselves, execute

and work toward that goal as frequently as they can manage.

Remember, Consistent adequacy defeats sporadic perfection every time.

If you want results, YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT. Then, you need to develop both size

and strength. You don’t have to train exclusively like a powerlifter and do very few

exercises in your training or try to add weight every session or week. Conversely, it will

behoove you to not train like a “bodybuilding” bro and use exclusively machines, light

weights, pump-focused training because “barbells are for strength only.”

If you are going to be a successful, natural lifter, you must realize that size and strength

will feed into one another, AND it will always be a benefit to you to chase both in some

capacity.

An Important Caveat

Good advice at a bad time is bad advice. It is good to point out that strength and size

training do not perfectly overlap, but this is not the right time to be mindful of this

distinction, when you have neither size nor strength, you need to have your training

develop both. This brings me to my first point:

5
1. Lack of Exercise Variation (MINIMALISM)

By exercise variation, I do not mean you have to do 5-10 different variations of the

bench, squat, deadlift, military press, rows, etc. Or that you need 50 different curls to

confuse the muscle or optimize growth. Instead, I believe you need to have more than

just the bench, squat, and deadlift in your program. Most novice programs advocate

relying on these basic, compound movements and rightfully so. Compound movements

are exercises that activate the most amount of muscle fibers and allow you to lift the

most amount of weight so they should make up the majority of your training or at least

serve as the backbone of your program. However, many of these novice programs go

wrong when they have the trainee do ONLY compound barbell exercises. This is a

mistake, even if your main goal is strength.

As a novice, you need variety in your training because the goal of the novice is not ONLY

technical mastery of one or a few exercises, but the mastery of a movement pattern.

All exercises fall underneath the classification of a specific movement pattern: Push,

Pull, Hinge, Squat, Lunge, and Carry; are the main patterns. It is important to never

conflate the value the value of a single exercise to the value of the entire movement

pattern. Put simply, you DON’T have to do the Conventional Barbell Deadlift, BUT you

have to use a hinge movement that is conducive for heavy loading if you want full

development of the hips, glutes, and hamstrings. You can do Sumo, Trap Bar,

Block/Rack Pulls below the knee, Romanian Deadlifts. The movement pattern is what

matters, not the exercise (to a reasonable degree).

6
 All exercises fall underneath the classification of a specific movement

pattern. It is important to never conflate the value of a single exercise

to the value of the entire movement pattern itself.

These movement patterns can and should be done with more than just a barbell at the

novice stage. Doing so will allow the novice to develop both general and specific work

capacity that will allow them to get the most size and strength while avoiding injury and

burn out.

The Value of Basic Barbell Lifts

The previous advice is not an argument for not learning or replacing the basic barbell

movements. In fact, the novice stage is the best time to learn the barbell lifts (I.e., Squat,

Bench, Deadlift, Strict Overhead Press, BB Row) because you are not strong yet;

therefore, the weights they are lifting are very conducive for teaching technique with

little risk of injury.

However, herein lies the problem with relying on them as the sole exercise of the

workout. At this stage, the amount of muscle a novice builds from these movements is

not terribly high because the main adaptation is mostly technical. Much of your initial

strength gain is merely a consequence of your nervous system and your skill level

adapting to training and, hopefully, you not lifting like a jackass. As a result, I advocate

the use of calisthenics, dumbbells, and machines during the novice phase because they

allow the novice to accumulate low technical, high quality volume that builds muscle.

7
The barbell exercises at this stage are an investment for future muscle growth, you put

in work, but the benefit will come in the future. Whereas with calisthenics, dumbbells,

and machines, the results are more immediate and more transactional in nature

because the effort you put into these movements at this stage will reward you more.

The 10 Most Important Exercises for Novice Lifters (No particular order)

1. Squat

2. Bench

3. Deadlift

4. Row

5. OHP

6. Pull Ups

7. Push Ups

8. Dips

9. Direct Arm Work

10. Side/Rear Delt Work

From this list, comes all the other exercises that your program should mostly comprise

of because they are almost equivalent:

• Leg Press, Hack Squat

• DB bench, Incline Bench, Close or Wide-grip Bench

• Romanian Deadlift, Stiff-leg Deadlift, Deficit Deadlift, Trap Bar, Block or Rack Pull

• Pendlay Row, Yates Row, Bent Row, DB Row, T-Bar, Chest Supported

8
 • BB OHP, Seated OHP, DB Press, Machine Press

• Lat. Pulldown, Inverted Rows

If your program does not have the top 10 movements or their close equivalents, you are

running a bad program.

Defining “Strength”

If you spent any amount of time with your commercial gym powerlifting bro who doesn’t

believe in curls, or the old guy who claims to have benched 500 in high school, they will

consider the barbell movements the Gospel Truth.

To them, strength equates to size. However, this is not completely false, but it is not

exactly accurate. They argue:

1. If a novice wants to get big, they have to get strong.

2. The barbell exercises are great at making people strong.

3. Therefore, if you get strong with the barbell lifts, you will be big

While this is a valid argument, it falls apart once you ask the question: “What is

‘Strength’?” The powerlifter or powerbuilder does not need to ask this question. For

them strength is simply 1RM on the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift; but what about the

bodybuilder?

What about all the ways people can manipulate their form to increase their 1RM for the

sake of competition?

9
This is where the thinking of a gym bro and old school lifter is flawed and misguiding for

a variety of reasons. Firstly, strength for the bodybuilder is not so obvious to be the 1RM

in 3 specific movements. It is more likely to be the case, and it is the case that I argue

for, that strength for the bodybuilder is being able to do more sets or reps with more

weight overtime with the same form and a variety of different exercises. Put simply, to

build muscle you have to increase your 3-10RM on a wide variety of big basic

movements.

Secondly, if novices only use the basic compound barbell lifts, they will only get good at

the basic compound lifts. While it is impossible to separate hypertrophy from getting

stronger, a complete physique will be very difficult to build with only one kind of

exercise, especially the big 3 since they do not adequately hit all the muscles in the

body. Consequently, many new “bodybuilders” lose faith in the basic movements and

barbell exercises and think “they are only good for strength” because they weren’t

allowed to round out the edges of their training.

The compound exercises are a useful tool for strength and size, and they do have value

that ranks them above other exercises in my opinion, but it is the union of different

exercise variations and exercises modalities like barbells, dumbbells,

weighted/unweighted calisthenics, and machines that give the BEST results for size and

strength.

Regardless of your goal, you have to get stronger. Strength training goes beyond setting

a new 1RM, especially in a size (bodybuilding) context where a 1RM is not necessary.

10
However, regardless of your final goal, you must impose a greater demand on your body

over time. This is progressive overload.

Following from the last point, the big 3 (Squat, bench, and deadlift) do a poor job at

hitting all muscles effectively and equally. The positive feature of tonnage being

distributed around the body is also a weakness of those lifts especially because not all

muscles are involved and the ones that are are not involved equally. It is for this reason I

advocate for a novice program to have lifters get stronger at the exercises mentioned

earlier.

At the end of the day, getting stronger means doing more reps, sets, and/or weight with

the same form overtime. This leads me into my next point:

11
2. Limited Forms of Progression

The goal of any reasonable training program is progressive overload.

Pro∙gres∙sive O∙ver∙load

Verb

The strength training method that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress

placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system.

Many novice programs only have you progress through one variable: intensity or load on

the bar. In the context of strength training and bodybuilding, intensity refers to the

amount of weight lifted relative to your one rep max.

Forms of Progressive Overload

Beyond intensity, progressive overload can be achieved by:

• Increasing sets and reps (volumizing)

• Increasing the amount of training sessions you improve/practice a

movement (frequency)

• Decreasing rest interval duration

• Improving form

o Range of motion

o Rep Quality

• Increasing time under tension

• Increasing velocity and acceleration during an exercise

12
 • Intensiveness Techniques

o Drop sets, supersets, giant sets, rest-pause, cluster sets, partials,

pre-/post-exhaustion

In most novice programs, you are expected to add load each week or every other

session while keeping volume the same. The biggest problem with this, is that it turns

training into a race, and worse, it moves the finish line closer prematurely. Furthermore,

linearly periodized programs that focus on progressing only one variable with limited

exercises have plateaus built into them. These programs arbitrarily assign set and rep

ranges to all exercises when they do not benefit from it all.

Strength and size are discrete adaptations. They take time and effort to build. This is

why programs usually start with higher volumes (more sets and reps) and drop over

time as intensity (weight on the bar) increases. It is also why you can’t just lift heavy all

the time or just do light rep pump work exclusively.

This is not to say linear progression and linear periodization does not work, but they

must be modified with some type of AMRAP or other method if they are to work better

than just arbitrarily adding weight until you can’t and just going back down and use the

same volume to hit new Personal Records. The highest peaks, have the widest bases.

Novices are usually looking for some combination of how to build muscle, get stronger,

and look better. Even if they are only training for one, it is hard to avoid needing to build

more muscle and getting stronger.

13
These goals are nuanced and especially when pursued simultaneously; however,

novices are blessed with the ability to progress at all of these at the same time because

they are novices. The “newbie gains” effect does not have a timer; you don’t have a

limited amount of time after you first come in contact with a bar to experience an

explosion of growth or progress. This explosion occurs because of your starting point,

not due to magic or temporal specificity.

All of this can be done without adding weight to the bar. Progression for any lifter, and

especially the novice, should be more varied than just adding load. Just adding weight

each week will stop working very quickly. When that happens, the novice who only

knows how to add weight will think he has reached his “natural limit” and give up, one of

the greatest tragedies in lifting.

Progressive Overload Methods for Novices

Novices can advance at a faster rate than other lifters, this is the newbie gains effect.

However, rather than simply following a 3x5/5x5 and add 5lbs each session or each

week, here are some simple methods you can use to implement the ideas mentioned

above:

1. Back loading with an AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) Set or “Plus Set”

• AMRAP set and Plus Set are the same but you might see both terms used

in different programs

• Use the last set as a progression indicator

14
 • Example 3x5+, Set 1 – 5, Set 2 – 5, Set 3 – 10 (AMRAP), if you hit 7 or

more on the last set, add load next session

2. Front Loading

• Front Loading: The first set is an AMRAP and you have a total rep goal

that indicates when you add load

i. Bench Press: 135 for 3 sets and total rep goal of 20 reps. You

perform 10, 8, 7; since you hit 25 total reps, next time you bench,

add load

3. Adding a set

• Start with 1 set with a specific weight (e.g. 1x 5)

• Next week try to hit a second (2nd) set of 5 with the same weight

• If you succeed with the second (2nd) set, add a third (3rd) set

• Only add a set if you manage to hit the target number of sets each set

• Do not exceed 3 sets

These methods are easy to implement and can be implemented on almost any exercise.

This ensures that each set is of the highest quality, and you get bigger and stronger by

focusing on always getting better in some way.

15
3. Adherence to Minimalist Training Ideologies (Thinking

Powerlifting is all you need)

As mentioned earlier, I am an advocate for free-weight, compound exercises to be the

majority of your training program. However, they should not be the only exercises in

your program. A powerlifter competes to perform a single rep with the heaviest amount

of weight on the barbell squat, bench, and deadlift. Those are only 3 of the many

exercises I advocate the novice to learn. Beyond developing great amounts of strength,

these exercises also build a great amount of muscle. Despite this, it must be clearly

stated that these exercises are not perfect and they do not build all the muscles to their

full potential. Furthermore, they do not belong to one sport, one kind of athlete, or one

goal. Even if you never want to be a powerlifter, I recommend you squat, bench, and

perform some kind of deadlift for health, longevity, or bodybuilding. With that said, it is

important to understand: You don’t have to be a powerlifter or train like one to get big

and strong. To maximize your strength and size development, you must include

variations, rows, vertical pressing, calisthenics, and some form of cardiovascular

conditioning. Then, because you should be allowed to work toward your goal directly,

you should include isolation exercises such as curls, extensions, and calves if your goal

is to become more muscular.

The popularity of powerlifting and strength sports has blessed the fitness community

because it brought with it a focus on getting stronger and progression to the masses,

unfortunately, some novice programs take this to an extreme and makes the goal of

16
getting stronger in these lifts more important than any goal you have. In the minds or

people who hold this view, any goal you have will be achieved just by doing the basic

movements. Want bigger biceps? Just do rows and chin ups. Want bigger triceps?

Bench more, bro. Want a bigger back? Focus on deadlifting. Want to build muscle? Just

get strong. There is a nugget of truth here but the basics are not enough if you want to

maximize results. If you added 45 pounds or 20 kilograms to your lifts, but you cut the

range of motion and use supportive equipment, you got stronger but you did not get

bigger.

To reiterate, first understand that strength does not equal size. Strength is a

combination of neuromuscular adaptions, limb lengths, leverages. Muscle size is just

one of many factors. As a result, strength is somewhat relative for every lifter. What

matters most is that you are getting stronger than your past self. Strength is a separate

adaptation from size but it has a strong correlation with it. Second, strength is not

defined by only your 1 rep max. Often times, some people regard strength training as

meaningless to those whose goals are more in line with bodybuilding; building muscle

or burning fat. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The relevance and value of a one-

rep max will vary from lifter to lifter, but the last truth must be fully taken to heart: if you

want to get bigger, you have to get stronger. What must be clearly stated is what is

meant by “strength”. If you get stronger with 2-3 different exercises that all target the

same muscle, don’t change form to accommodate more weight, and increase your 5RM

or 10RM, or turn a 1RM into a 5 or 10 RM, this will result in substantial size gains.

17
So what should a novice actually focus on?

Thankfully, this is a lot simpler and needs less explanation:

1. Becoming consistent in the gym

2. Learning how to lift properly and safely

3. Learning how to train themselves and progress over time

After 6-12 months of hard training where you work out 3 days every week for that, you

can consider yourself consistent.

In this program, you are exposed to a variety of exercises that are conducive to your

goal of building size and strength and help keep training engaging and enjoyable.

Most importantly, this program provides you exposes you to multiple ways of

progressing in your training that will allow you to train intelligently in the future. Not only

does this program help you stand on your own two feet, it allows you to keep moving

forward when the program has exhausted it’s usefulness to you.

Many who “graduate” from novice programs such as starting strength or stronglifts find

it difficult to know what to do next, but you will not have the problem here.

This program can be modified indefinitely to the levels of performance you will reach

over time.

Below are two programs that serve as starting points. These programs are not made to

sell you the promise of herculean size and strength but are more so to provide you a

template that you use and modify over time into your strongest self.

18
Glossary:

BB Barbell

DB Dumbbell

SM Smith Machine

Rep 1 completion of an exercise

Set A group of reps completed before taking an interval of rest

Superset 2-3 exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest

taken afterward

Giant Set 4+ exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest

taken afterward

Cluster Set A set that is broken down into mini sets with short rest intervals

in between

I.e., 1 set of 6 reps -> 2 reps, rest 15-30s, repeat 3 times

EMOM Every Minute On the Minute

RM Rep Max, Max # of reps you can perform at a given weight

AMRAP As Many Reps as Possible

RIR Reps in Reserve, “how many reps away from failure am I?”

RPE Rating of Perceived Exertion, measured on 1-10 scale.

RPE 10 = 0 RIR, RPE 9 = 1 RIR, RPE 8 = 2 RIR, etc.

Technical Failure The point at which good form during an exercise breaks down

Sets x Reps Example: 3 sets of 5 reps = 3 x 5

19
Lbs x reps Example: 45 pounds for 5 reps = 45 x 5

/ “Or”, e.g. Pull up / Chin Up = Pull Up OR chin up

+ Superset, e.g. Bicep Curl + Tricep Extension

20
Upper-Lower Template

• Starts as 3 day split, builds into a 4-day upper-lower

Strength Upper

Exercise Sets Reps Progression

Flat BB Bench 3 5, 5, 10 Set 1 and 2: 5 reps
Press AMRAP Set 3: AMRAP, add load when you hit 10
reps on the last set
Chin Ups + Dips Add load once you can achieve 3 sets of 10
OR Inverted Rows 3 AMRAP on chin ups and dips
+ Push Ups If starting with inverted rows and push ups,
progress to dips and pull ups when you can
perform 3 x 20
DB OHP + Bicep 2 8-12
Curls
Lat. Pulldown + 2 12-20 Go to failure
Tricep Extension +
Lateral Raise or
Face Pull

21
Strength Lower

Exercise Sets Reps Progression

Deadlift 1-3 5 Week (Phase) 1: 1x5RM or 65-70% 1RM
If you do not know your 1RM Go to a
top set of 5 High Quality reps in
which you stop the set when or
before you reach technical failure
Phase 2: 2x2-5
Use the same weight as week 1, aim
to get 2 sets of 5 reps, do not move
into the next phase without achieving
2x5
Phase 3: 3x2-5
After getting 2 sets of 5 reps with the
weight used in week 1, aim to get 3
sets of 5 reps with that weight. Once
achieved, add load.

Example:
W1: 225 lbs x 5
W2: 225lbs x 5, 4
W3: 225lbs x 5, 5
W4: 225lbs x 5, 5, 5
W5: 235lbs x 5

22
Choose ONE Sets Reps Pyramid up to working weights.
1. Pause 1. 4-8
Squat 3 2. 6-10 Take each set 1-3 reps away from failure
2. Goblet 3. 8-12
Squat If you can perform 2 sets with the
3. Leg Press
maximum number of reps in the range

comfortably, add weight on the next set.

Exercise selection should be done based

on your current level of fitness and fatigue,

if you are too tired after deadlifts to back

squat, do Goblet Squats, if you’re still too

tired, perform the leg press. The important

lesson: Modify don’t miss.

Pull Up or Chin Up 4 AMRAP If you are unable to perform bodyweight

+ Hanging Leg
Raise pull ups, use assistance such as machines

or bands or use a regression such as

inverted rows + leg raises on the floor

Upright Row + 2 8-12 Perform one warm up set to decide

Bicep Curls working weight
Take movement to failure

23
Size Upper

Exercise Sets Reps Progression/Notes

BB OHP 3 5, 5, 10 Chin ups are performed for as many quality
reps as possible
OHP progression is the same as the bench
progression
Bench Press 3 8-12 Since the 8-12 rep range is used, it should be
Variation lighter work than done on the strength day.
Recommended Variations
• Close-grip
• Wide-grip
• Incline
• Dumbbell
Seated Cable Row 2 AMRAP
+ Diamond Push
Ups
Bicep + Tricep + 2 8-15
Delt
Giant Set

Recommended Arm Supersets 1

Tricep Exercises: Bicep Exercises: Delt Exercises:

Overhead BB Extension BB Curl / Reverse Curl BB Upright Row

Seated Incline DB Extension Incline DB Curl DB Lateral Raise

Cable Pushdown Cable Curl Face Pull

DB extensions DB Curls DB Lu Raises

Skullcrusher/Nosebreaker BB Curl Upright Row

CGBP/JM Press Chin Ups Lateral Raises

1
Combine exercises as conveniently as possible, these exercises can be used to swap out on other arm
movements on other days

24
Size Lower

Exercise Sets Reps Progression/Notes

BB Back Squat 3 6-10 Phase 1: 3x6, once you achieve 3x6 with
good form move to phase 2
Phase 2: 3x8
Phase 3: 3x10
BB or DB RDL 3 8-12
Choose 1: 2 Varies Your choice should depend on personal
1. Back 10+60s preference and the muscle you want to
Extension + work on the most.
Planks 8-15
2. Leg Press + As you advance you can perform 2 of the
Calves AMRAP listed supersets in the same session
3. Chin Ups +
Leg Raises 8-12
4. Lunges/Spli
t Squat +
DB Shrugs
Upright Row + 2 8-12
Hammer Curl of
Reverse Curl

Ideal Training Schedule

The program features 4 training sessions but starts as a 3 days per week training

protocol. As the novice trainee advances, they can progress to performing all 4 training

days in the same week.

The sessions are classified by Size (SZ) and Strength (STR)

Strength Training days prioritize slightly heavier loads, and slightly less volume per set.

Size days do the opposite; slightly lighter loads and more volume per set.

25
3 Day Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 STR Lower Rest SZ Upper Rest SZ Lower Rest Rest

2 STR Upper Rest SZ Lower Rest SZ Upper Rest Rest

*On weeks you train lower body twice, perform the Push-Up/Pull Up Finisher

Once your fitness and ability to stay consistent allows progress to training 4 days per
week, there are a variety of way to divide your training week once you transition to
training 4 days per week.

4 Day Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

A STR Lower STR Upper Rest SZ Lower SZ Upper Rest Rest

B STR Lower SZ Upper Rest SZ Lower STR Upper Rest Rest

C STR Lower Rest STR Upper Rest SZ Lower SZ Upper Rest

Upper Body Finishers On Lower Body Weeks

Because this training program has 4 training days but starts as a 3-day split, I

recommend the use of upper body finishers on lower body days when there are two

lower body sessions in the week to help develop fitness and improved athletic

capability.

This is optional.

26
Building a base of calisthenics does not require you to do endless amounts of

calisthenics or run a calisthenics program if you currently have access to the gym.

The PT Pyramid by Stew Smith

This is a program created by former US Navy SEAL, Stew Smith. It works great as a

finisher and will develop a base of general physical preparedness (cardio for people

who hate cardio).

The Protocol:

Set a timer for 10 minutes, complete as many rounds as possible

1 Pull Up, 2 Push Ups, 3 Squats or Ab Exercise

2 Pull Up, 4 Push Ups, 6 Squats or Abs

3 Pull Ups, 6 Push Ups, 9 Squats or Abs

9 Pull Ups, 18 Push Ups, 27 Squats or Abs

10 Pull Ups, 20 Push Ups, 30 Squats or Abs

If you want to make it more difficult, sprint or jog 40m in between

Odd Minute-Even Minute

1) Set a timer for 10 minutes

2) During odd minutes (1,3,5,7,9), perform as many inverted rows as possible within

the minute

27
 3) During even minutes (2,4,6,8,10), perform as many pushups as possible within

the minute

4) No rest interval but rest as needed to perform clean reps

Tabata

1) Tabata protocol 20s work, 10s rest x 8 rounds

2) For the first 8 rounds (4 minutes), perform inverted rows

3) Rest 1-2 minutes

4) Perform 8 more Tabata rounds with push ups

How and When to Modify the Program

As a novice, you will progress and get stronger to the point that the program as written

will not be as challenging.

At the point, there are some changes you can make, and I recommend making these

changes 1 at a time and 3-4 weeks apart.

1. Go from 3 days per week to 4 days per week, when making this change, add the

upper body finisher or GPP to the upper body day or drop if desired

2. Add one set on all accessory exercises (tertiary movements)

3. Add one set on the supplemental exercise (secondary movements)

4. Add one exercise or one superset on a training day

a. Only add an exercise after you have already add more sets and reps

28
 b. Total training volume (# of sets) per workout should not exceed 18 sets, I

recommend staying within 12-18 total hard sets per workout

5. Add an intensiveness technique

a. Drop sets to failure

b. Rest-pause

c. Forced Reps (best on isolation exercises)

29
FAQ

1) How long should I rest?

a. Rest times may vary depending on health and fitness factors, but generally

speaking: 2 minutes on main movements (e.g., barbell movements), 1.5

minutes on smaller compounds (e.g., cable row or lat pulldown), and 1

minute on isolation exercises (e.g., arms).

2) Can women run this program?

a. Yes BUT, men and women typically have different goals and this program

most likely will not accommodate to the goals of most women in the gym.

Men and women training programs should not differ drastically in training

principles, but exercise selection and loading parameters might vary.

3) Can I replace exercises that are not labeled to be done as a variation?

a. Yes, BUT the replacement must make sense. If you want to replace the

Flat BB Bench with a Close-grip Bench Press, that is fine. If you want to

replace it with a Bosu Ball DB Bench Press, that is not so good. If you

change an exercise, make sure it is similar in load (weight lifted) and

technique.

4) Pull Ups and Chin Ups make my elbows and wrist hurt, what should I do?

a. First, prevention. When doing pull ups of any kind, switch the grip for every

set. Second, do not neglect isolation exercises. If you are a strength

athlete, and do not care about size, then you might skip isolation; this is a

30
 mistake. As a strength athlete, you should do isolation exercises for injury

prevention and bigger biceps just look good, accept it.

5) I cannot do pull ups, what should I do?

a. Replace chin ups with a regression exercise such as eccentric pull ups,

band-assisted pull ups, inverted rows, or lat. pulldowns.

31