Andy and Dan continue their outline of intermediate programming with an exploration of the various training splits lifters can use to organize their training after the novice phase. While Andy advocates a three-day full body split for novice lifters, he also encourages most lifters who can to adopt a four-day upper/lower split when they tranisiton into the intermediate phase. The reasons for this are many, but one big advantage of the four-day split is the ability to accumulate more volume in...

Much ink has been spilled about the so-called novice linear progression, the basic starter program for new lifters outlined in Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition as well Practical Programming for Strength Training (co-written by Andy Baker). And as Dan points out, the novice linear progression contains everything you really need to know about programming -- a series of submaximal yet challenging workouts (progressive overload) accumulated over time will...

Andy and Dan wrap up their discussion of training for athletes with a deep dive into why strength is the most important thing an athlete should train for... but not the ONLY thing.   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40   Dan Flanick IG: @coachdanflanick Gym:...

Andy and Dan continue their mini-series on strength training for competitive athletes with a discussion about the realities and challenges of dealing with the sport world. Athletes, especially student athletes, have many competing priorities for their attention, training time, and recovery resources. Thus coaches often have to make compromises with their programming to fit within the athlete's demanding schedule, carefully select loads to minimize fatigue around games, meets, and...

Andy and Dan discuss the role of barbell training for athletes in sports ranging from power-based contact sports (football, hockey) to agility and high kill sports (baseball, soccer, golf). As detailed in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe, strength is the basis of all human performance. Thus, getting an athlete stronger will have a positive impact, usually a big impact, on their performance.   Nevertheless, the athlete is NOT a powerlifter or weightlifter. Their...

The other unique element of the conjugate method is the "Dynamic Effort" day, essentially a volume day used to accumulate a bunch of reps in a short period of time. Uniquely, in the conjugate method the dynamic effort day involves a primary lift performed explosively, with short rest times between sets (usually only 60-90s). Weights are typically light, between 60-70% of 1RM for a given movement.   The idea behind dynamic effort is that because the reps are done with maximum speed, the...

Andy and Dan dive deep into "max effort" day, a signature element of conjugate programming. In the conjugate system, max effort day represents the intensity, or heavy, stimulus common to all periodized programs. Uniquely though, max effort day requires the lifter to work up to a one-rep max (although it could be a double or triple) on a given upper or lower body exercise each week. The weight is not prescribed, but selected by the lifter based on his ability on that day.   This ensures a...

As they advance through the early stages of intermediate training, many lifters opt to use a block-style training program. In block training, training is organized into discrete phases or blocks, during which the lifter focuses on a single adaptation at a time. Typically blocks start with a volume or accumulation phase aimed at stimulating hypertrophy and building work capacity with lighter weigths and higher rep ranges, followed by a transmutation block of increasing intensity, and finally a...

Andy and Dan continue their discussion of the most common reasons athletes get stuck in their training, including nutritional extremes (the chronically underfed and overfed trainee), constant program hopping, and never switching up your training approach. Andy argues that incorporating variety in your programming over time, especially in volume and intensity, is the key to unlocking gains after years of training.   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood...

Welcome to the first season of the Baker Barbell Podcast! In the inaugural episode, strength and conditioning coaches Andy Baker and Dan Flanick discuss some common reasons athletes get stuck in their training programs, and how to get progress and momentum going again.   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning Co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training Co-author of The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for...