Barbell Club: June – August

The next BBC phase will run from 22nd June – 2nd August: Barbell Club Program – 22nd June – 2nd August .

For the main lifts (squat, OHP, deadlift, bench, pull-up), the method will be as follows:

Weeks 1 & 2: rest pause – hypertrophy (full info below)

Weeks 3 & 4: rest pause – strength (more info will be posted on this when it starts)

Weeks 5 & 6: single set & isometric hold (more info will be posted on this when it starts)

This will then bring us back to having each new program begin at the start of the month. If covid restrictions are fully lifted by then we can start a strength program that will last for a few months.

In the meantime, the main lifts for the next two weeks will be as follows (the %s are just a guideline and can be adjusted per individual):

Set 1: 6 reps @3010 tempo (approx 72% of 1RPM). Rest 2 mins

Set 2: 6 reps @3010 tempo (approx 75% of 1RPM). Rest 2 mins

Set 3: 6 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

2-3 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

2-3 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

2-3 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

2-3 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

2-3 reps @3010 tempo (approx 78% of 1RPM). Rest 15 secs

You do not need to do all 5 sets of the 2-3 reps rest pause. Stop when you have reached your limit. Aim for this to be a minimum of 2 sets, 3-4 sets as standard, and 5 sets as a maximum. If you achieve 5 sets you need to increase your weight the next week.

The accessory exercises will run for 4 weeks and then change for the last 2 weeks of this phase.

For these first four weeks, the tempo is the focus for the accessories. Consider the first week to be a test run to figure out which weight is appropriate for you. You must be able to maintain the slow concentric as well as eccentric. It is only one set per exercise so you must go all out and use a challenging weight to make it count. If your muscles are not shaking by the end you need to increase the weight the next week. That said, make sure that it is not so heavy that you cannot achieve the tempo. The tempo is the key to the results.

NB: New members: the coach can adapt everything to be suitable for your level of experience. For the accessories, just focus on a super slow concentric and eccentric and don’t worry about the minor differences between the tempo on each exercise. You are more than welcome to come to this class, and will benefit from it, so no need to worry if you don’t understand how to read the program – we will explain it to you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: [email protected] 

NB re references: the rest pause and single set programs are not methodologies that I have created myself, although I have adapted everything to work logistically in our classes so there may be some differences to the prototype. If you would like more information you can find multiple sources online.

Enjoy! x