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Complex A for Eights

Row x 8
Clean x 8
Front squat x 8
Military press x 8
Back squat x 8
Good mornings x 8

Complex A

Row
Clean
Front squat
Military press
Back squat
Good mornings

Complex B

Deadlift
Clean-grip high pull
Clean-grip snatch
Back squat
Good mornings
Row

Complex C

Hang snatch
Overhead squat
Back squat
Good mornings
Row
Deadlift

Complex D

Upright row
Clean-grip snatch
Back squat
Behind the neck press
Good mornings
Row

Complex E

Power clean
Military press
Back squat
Good mornings
Behind the neck press
Front squat

Complex F

Overhead squat
Back squat
Good morning
Front squat
Rows
Deadlift

If you do 2-3-5-10 for a total of five sets, you'll have done a total of 100 reps, and your shoulders will be finished for a few days. The upside of this training is that there's very little nervous energy or stress going through the system when you train with this method, unlike 10x10 when you need a force of will to drive through a full workout.

I've found this ideal for all pressing workouts. If you can handle ten pull-ups without too much strain, try it with this, too. Rowing for 100 reps seems risky to me, unless you can maintain quality positions and do quality reps. Please don't try this with any weight or exercise that you're not going to control.

Having warned you, I find that I can use this rep scheme over three workout sessions. It's a great way to build up a lagging lift or upper body issue. Try this simple week-long plan.

Workout One

Back squat or front squat 2x5
Deadlift 2x5
Military press variation 3x2-3-5-10
Pull-up 2xMax reps
Any ab exercise

Workout Two

Back squat or front squat 2x5
Deadlift 2x5
Military press variation 5x2-3-5-10
Pull-up 2xMax reps
A different ab exercise

Workout Three

Back squat or front squat 2x5
Deadlift 2x5
Military press variation 2x2-3-5-10
Pull-up 2xMax reps
Another different ab exercise

Note how simple the three workouts are, because we're trying to stick with the rules of experimenting. After this sample week, do what you'd consider a "normal" workout and test to see if you're pressing things with more ease.

If you like this little variation, try to slowly add an additional 2-3-5-10 exercise into your training. Pleasedon't go crazy and do 100 reps of five exercises on the first day. That's the kind of thing that idiots like me do. You don't want to do that, okay?

Let's review my recent workout. With two 53-pound kettlebells, clean the bells once and press them overhead two times. Lower to the floor and rest for a few seconds. Clean the bells once again and press them three times overhead. Rest. On the next "set," press them five times, then briefly rest again. Finally, clean the bells and press them 10 times.

That's twenty repetitions, and not a bad workout by itself. I find myself squeezing hard on reps eight, nine and ten, but nothing's too terrible. I put the bells down, rested a while longer, and then started again at two.

As I approached the throne of the great God Squat

My legs began to tremble and my face grew hot

I knew he was a difficult God to please

And that before him all must bend their knees





I quivered and I shook as I stood before the throne

For by his mighty power many weak legs had grown

His penetrating gaze was almost more than I could bear

So I bowed my head in a brief and silent prayer





The bar in his hands held many a blackened plate

Poised as if to crush me with their awesome weight

Slowly I approached as if this act would be my last

In my head I saw visions of memories from the past





As scenes from my life flashed within my mind

I realized that this God was neither benevolent nor kind

His purpose was to torture and inflict terrible pain

His excuse was that without these, there would be no gain





As the great God Squat placed the bar upon my back

My muscles began to twitch and my joints began to crack

"Bow down before me!" he screamed inside my head

As he laid his hand upon me I wished that I was dead





I screamed and cursed and pushed with all my might

Until my heart was pounding and my face turned white

My head was throbbing as stars burst inside my skull

My vision gew dimmer and my senses began to dull





No longer could I stand to bear this evil abuse

As slippery with sweat my grip began to loose

The bar refused to budge no matter how I tried

As I plunged to the depths and in agony I cried





As I staggered away from within his clutching grasp

My head was reeling and my breath came in a gasp

The heaving of my stomach could no longer be restrained

As I spewed upon the ground the contents that remained





Little did I realize that he hadn't finished with me yet

As I gazed into his eyes he beckoned me for another set

It was there upon the floor that I knew at once within

That never again would I be able to live a life of sin !

Dr. John's Chili

Chili is one of the best ways to get a massive helping of protein from ground beef, together with a healthy dose of fiber from beans, our wonderful legume friends. Add a bunch of spices and vegetables, and you've got yourself a nutritive meal that can be made in bulk and stored for the week.

Many of the best chili recipes use corn meal to thicken-up the dish. This is great for the taste buds and texture, but we'd rather not have the added carbs from corn. Instead, we use cashew meal, which serves to thicken the chili, as well as adding a unique taste. Not to mention a healthy dose of monounsaturated fatty-acids.

This pot of stew could feed a village in Ethiopia for a week, so be prepared to store about 4 day's worth.

Ingredients

4 pounds extra lean ground beef (96%)

4 cans kidney beans (15.5 oz per can), drained and rinsed

2 large onions, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

4 bell peppers: 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange, cut into 1/2-inch squares

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Two 46-fl oz bottles V8 vegetable juice, spicy hot

Cashew meal

Spices: 4 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (for a quicker version, you can use 3 packages chili seasonings mix, but it won't quite be the same!)

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, one pound at a time, over high heat together with the garlic and onions. If your skillet is large enough (i.e., a wok), you can brown the beef all at once to save time. On the last batch, add the spices after the beef is browned, and continue frying for another couple of minutes. Add the browned beef to a very large pot with a lid, and then add the beans, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and V8 juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

To make the cashew meal, process the cashews in a blender in short bursts, until a grainy meal is formed. Do not process for too long or you will have cashew butter. Stir-in the cashew meal, cover, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Difficulty Level: Easy

Servings: 10

Nutritional Information, Per Serving

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Calories (k/cal)	637
Protein (g)	71
Carbohydrates (g)	53
fiber (g)	11
sugars (g)	18
Fat (g)	13
SFA (g)	4
MUFA (g)	6
PUFA (g)	2
omega-3 (g)	0.1
omega-6 (g)	1.1

Points to Ponder

1. Have a destination (goal) but keep the specifics to yourself. Do you even have a goal? 

2. The world is full of pricks who can only criticize. Are you one of them?

3. Use a program designed for your goals. Is your program leading you to your destination?

4. The things you hate to do are the things you need to do most. Are you doing them?

5. If you're not making progress, it may be your attitude that needs adjusting. Are you willing to change?

6. Your time and energy are limited. Are you wasting them by talking shit on the forums?

7. Become a fanatical believer in your cause. Do you really believe you'll succeed?

8. If you're afraid of breaking any of your precious eggs, don't expect too many omelets in your life. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals?

9. There are people who are better than you, and who know more stuff than you. Are you listening to them?

1. Start keeping a training journal. Your numbers should go up. After gritting out more reps with the same weight, the weights should increase. If they don't, that's a problem.

2. I learned a really valuable lesson from the Velocity Diet: Before and after pictures are worth their weight in gold. I noted in my summary of the V-Diet that Clarence Bass takes an annual photo shoot, and the pressure of this event leads to keeping on the details.

3. I started keeping a food log after some advice from Josh Hillis. I have to admit that writing down the fact that I ate two old-fashioned doughnuts stopped me from wondering why I've been putting on weight.

Measure your progress in the weight room one of three ways:

1. Your deadlift max increased.

2. You did more real pull-ups.

3. Your "three jump" increased.

Why the deadlift? Well, I have yet to see, besides straps (so don't use them), any aids that make deadlifts easier. In fact, I don't even know a trick that really works besides just getting stronger. Your buddies can help you bounce a bench off your chest, "help" you through the sticking point, and assist the top part "just a little," but I don't know anything that can aid a deadlift. So, when in doubt about your program, try a new max in the deadlift.

The pull-up also fits this bill. A pull-up is done on a horizontal bar without your feet touching the earth. You start with absolutely straight arms and pull until your chin can rest on the top of the bar. Be as strict as possible. Why? Because no one gives a damn about how many pull-ups you can do. There's no professional league, no Olympic gold medal, nor any celebrity endorsements. It's a "measurement." So don't cheat and turn this into some kind of dance move, just use your arms and back.

The final test I use is the "three jump." It's three continuous standing long jumps without a pause after the first and second jumps, so it looks like "boing, boing, boing." I used to use vertical jumps, but I found something interesting. A 118-pound freshman might jump 26 inches. As a senior weighing 188, the same kid will again jump 26 inches. So, did we fail the athlete over these four years? No. Simply, the vertical jump has two faults: There aren't enough "increments" and it takes little into account besides one pop.

12 Steps to a Bigger Bench

1 ? Train the Triceps

2 ? Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tight.

3 ? Keep the pressure on your upper back and traps.

4 ? Push the bar in a straight line.

5 ? Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbows.

6 ? Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominals.

7 ? Fill your belly with air and hold it.

8 ? Train with compensatory acceleration.

9 ? Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart!

10 ? Devote one day per week to dynamic-effort training.

11 ? Devote one day per week to maximal-effort training.

12 ? Train the lats on the same plane as the bench.