There are many lifters who reach the intermediate stage on their upper body, but not their lower body. In contrast, many become intermediates in the lower body but not the upper body.
For those particular cases, what’s the next step? Run a pure intermediate/advanced program and sabotage one-half of their body? Or continue to run a novice program knowing 100% that the stronger half will plateau? Luckily for you, the answer is neither. Today, I share with you a novice/intermediate program hybrid. You will receive two versions, one for the upper body and one for the lower body.
Version 1 is for those that have achieved a 225×5 bench but not a 315×5 squat and 405×5 deadlift.
Version 2 is for those that have achieved a 315×5 squat and a 405×5 deadlift but not a 225×5 bench press.
Running this program to make your lagging area catch up while still making gains on your strong area is one of the best things you can do for yourself. No need to short-change one half of your body, as now you got it all covered. This is a hybrid between my novice program and the Texas Method.
Upper Body Emphasis (Intermediate Upper Novice Lower)
Workout A (Monday)
Box Squat 3/5×4-6
Bench Press/Overhead Press 5×4-6 80-90% 5RM
Pendlay Row 3×4-6
Barbell or Dumbbell Overhead Extension 3×6-10 (alternate each workout)
Barbell or Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3×6-10 (alternate each workout)
Stiff-legged deadlift/Good Morning 3×6-8
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
Workout B (Wednesday)
Box Squat 3/5×4-6
Overhead Press 3×4-6 (if you benched Monday) at 90% of previous 5×4-6 weight or Bench Press 3×4-6 (if OHP on Monday) at 90% of previous 5×4-6 weight
Trap-Bar Deadlift 2×4-6
Chinup 3x Bodyweight
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
Workout C (Friday)
Box Squat 3/5×4-6
Bench Press 1x5RM (if you benched Monday) or Overhead Press 1x5RM (if OHP on Monday)
Pendlay Row 3×4-6 or Barbell Power Shrug 3×4-6
Dumbbell or Barbell Overhead Extension 3×6-10 (alternate each workout)
Barbell or Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3×6-10 (alternate each workout)
Reverse Hyperextension 3×20
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
Lower Body Emphasis (Intermediate Lower Novice Upper)
Workout A (Monday)
Box Squat 5×4-6 at 80-90%
Floor Press or Paused OHP 3/5×4-6 (Alternate each workout)
— Alternate A and B accessories each workout—
Pendlay Row 3×4-6
Barbell or Dumbbell Overhead Barbell Extension 3×6-10
Barbell or Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3×6-10
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
Workout B (Wednesday)
Box Squat 2×4-6 of Monday’s Weight or Front Box Squat 3×3 at 80%
Floor Press or Paused OHP 3/5×4-6 (Alternate each workout)
— Alternate A and B accessories each workout —
Weighted Chinup 3×3-5
Close Grip Bench Press 3×6-8
Glute Ham Raise/Reverse Hyperextension 3-5×10
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
Workout C (Friday)
Box Squat 1x5RM
Floor Press or Paused OHP 3/5×4-6 (Alternate each workout)
Conventional/Trap Bar Deadlift 1x5RM
— Alternate A and B accessories each workout—
Barbell or Dumbbell Overhead Extension 3×6-10
Barbell or Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3×6-10
Reverse Hyperextension 3×20
Standing Cable Crunch 3×10-20
FIN
151 Responses
Gains
Thanks Alex.
Hella gains
thank you
No problem!
how do we progress on bench and ohp do we just add 5lbs every week?
Correct. It’s a linear approach, and the goal is to make small jumps each week rather than 3x a week like in a true novice setup.
Why only Box-squats?
Because I believe they are superior to free squats in the non-powerlifting context.
hi alex i am currently only 14 and my upper body lags drastically compared to my lower body my quads and calves are unproprtinate to my upper body (quads 22inch calves 17inch) even though i am extremely weak in the squats (132lbs) my upper body has no size to it but i dont want my lower body to get big but at the same time increase my numbers what do i do? would appreciate your help man
At 14 I would just run a basic novice program or do calisthenics. Your body doesn’t have the hormones or support structure to get big yet.
How would you increase grip strength? I feel as way way way way stronger with straps and feel my grip is hindering me.
Well I’d ditch the straps for one (unless doing rack pulls and shrugs) and instead start using chalk instead. And if you need more grip work, I’d replace the curls.
IF you can’t deadlift or squat and that makes you a novice in regards to those exercises but you are an intermediate in the upper body what happens? I am doomed to get injured? I want to use your programs as far as possible so please enlighten me man you know what you are talking about. -old subscriber
Either you run this program here (it was designed to take care of that problem) or start neglecting legs completely.
If my 5RM on the bench is 190 would I start this program using 80% to 90% of 190?
If your 5RM is 190 that is not intermediate status. Is your lower body intermediate? If so, you need to run the lower body emphasis version.
Hey alex im thinking about one program for two weeks and the other for one week and repeating this cycle. My bench 5rm is 225×5 and box squat and deadlift 5rms are both 285. Any thoughts on this?
Run the bench emphasis program all the way through and lower the height of your box. Box squat should be much much lower than your deadlift.
Hey Alex for the upper body emphasis, do u recommend a regular grip on the bench or can one use a close grip?
Use the grip of your choice
I can run this while cutting right? Rather than your novice routine, and Im a strong upper/weak lower
Yes
can i do weighted chins if bw is too easy?
If you can do more than 15 reps on all 3 sets then yes.
Alex, I have very small wrists (6 inches) and generally small frame (5’5″, 145 lbs of skinny fatness). Do you think I can ever bench 225? I deadlift 225×5, squat 155×5,bench 135×5. I’m also 44 yrs old. Thanks.
Yes. Keep in mind you are 5’5 so 6 inches is really not that bad. Plus you likely have shorter arms which can make this easier. My only concern for you would be recovery since your testosterone levels/hormonal profiles are not as good as a 20 year old. Proper diet and sleep is therefore essential.
Im somewhat near to intermediate on my lower body, 286 pounds (130kg) 1×5 squat, but still novice. My Bench Press is shit, like 176 pounds (80kg) 1×5 bench press, alhough my OHP press is faily high, i can do 65 kg 1×5. Should i run the novice/intermediate for weak upper? Or give the novice program a little more time?
I’d run the novice for a bit longer, then switch to the lower emphasis.
alex what if i cant do the reverse hyperexensions in my gym?
Do regular hypers or glute ham raise instead
Alex I saw someone ask this earlier, but I also have small wrists, 6.5 inches, but I’m 5″9 so does that mean that I won’t ever be huge?
Those aren’t small wrists for your height. You’re perfectly fine.
Alex. My goals are to be wide at. Big lats & back all round, plus decent quads and neck, recommendations for a program? I know you have NE, but that only focuses on the 6 essential muscle groups. I’m looking more for a v-taper
Tough to give you a recommendation here because if we look at my own programs you’d have to make modifications to both systems seeing as they contradict each other. Personally I’d recommend NE but I’d emphasize squatting more than deadlifting and add some hack squats + leg presses in there. As far as the v-taper goes…that’s really not a concern. I make you row like your life depended on it.
Okay. So I would just do variations of Squats and leg presses and hack squats plus rows and rack pulls, correct?
What about traps? Won’t the focus on traps make me look narrow?
No you’ll look fine. Do I look narrow with these traps?
Hey Alex,
I want to be able to do some Farmers Walk and Yoke Carries, is there a way to incorporate them in this program?
Also, Incase I cannot perform a box squat, due to lack of a proper box to squat from, could i do normal squat instead?
Maybe on off-days but it has to be very light. We do not want to interfere with recovery now.
Alex, i dont want to skip legs. And i have intermediate level upper body. Should i run the upper body emphasis program but neglect legs completely ?
Sure! If you are satisfied with legs be my guest.
Alex can you clarify what this means?
Box Squat 3/5×4-6
Does that mean 3-5 sets? Do I just go by feel if that is the case? I am referring to the intermediate upper/novice lower. My best numbers are 230×6 bench, 145×6 OHP, 255×6 squat, 365×6 deadlift. Never maxed before.
It means 3 OR 5 sets of 4 to 6 reps. So you pick one of the two, and your reps must range between 4 and 6. Not lower, not higher.
Hey Alex, could one do weighted chins instead of bodyweight chins as listed in both versions of the workout regime? Also, will daily stomach vacuum practice effect recovery cause I’m interested in getting the vacuum effect.
Yes but you’d have to hit the high rep ranges.
And yes you can add tummy vacuums.
Alex. Just seen your video on natural size and strength potential. I’m about 5″9, 165 w/6.5 inch wrists and 8 inch ankles, but still very clearly a novice. How big do you think I could get if I bulked to 15%? Got my bodyfat measured and apparently I’m 9.2% bodyfat.
No clue bro, your genetics will let you know once it’s time.
I wrote my question wrong. I was supposed to write ” i want to skip legs”.
But you understood it anyway. Thanks
Hi Alex,
What would you suggest if you stall on one of the lifts in the Lower Body Emphasis movements (Floor / Bench Press) how would you reset so you can push towards your intermediate numbers?
Same as a novice program, drop 10% and build back up. OR you can go the concurrent route…aka rotate the variation.
What can be a good alternate if I dont have a GHR or Glute Ham Raise machine?.
Would Good mornings or Normal hyperextension work?
For sure!
This is the best novice/intermediate program I ever used. I had a terrible imbalance between squat/bench and this corrected it immediately. Went from 225 bench to 255 and 245 squat to 315 in 2 months. Strength progress was perfect on both ends. Thank you Alex!
You are dumb
Hello and thanks for these free programs. I have been on the novice program for a few weeks now, but I am already looking ahead. 🙂 I am not so far from intermediate on upper body. But I was wondering. If I reach the intermediate level at upper body and do the first program with 80-90% on the exercise you wrote. Am I suppose to add on weight like before? Because my fear is that I will get very fast to my max that way and not work towards getting the lower body to intermediate. What´s your thoughts on this? And thanks for an awesome novice program.
Hey Alex,
Would doing incline bench instead of flat bench be ok in the Upper Body Emphasis? What are your thoughts?
@Bogar
That is not recommended. I’d be more inclined to incline press instead of OHP if that is what you really wanted.
Hi Alex,
Military Press 160×6
Bench 245×2
Deadlift 335×7
Back Squat 320×3
which version do I go with?
@Gito
Version A
Alex when doing a mini cut to loose 10lbs how should we follow this system?
Atm im 95kg at around 20-25% bf and my goal is to be 87-88kg’s at 15%bf
@Baris
Nothing changes
Yo, Alex
Noob here. Which program should I run?
235×5 Bench
415×5 Deadlift
350×5 Squat
Great content, btw.
@9000Scoops
None, you are an intermediate lifter on all levels. Running something like The Texas Method, Westside Barbell Conjugate System, and Naturally Enhanced is better.
Yo alex my gym don’t have a Trap Bar. What should i do, Thanks. You’re the best
@Zaker
Read the q&a section I answered that question
So on B day is it 3 sets of chinups to failure?
@Swole Boy
Yes
WHAT THE FUCK DOES 3X BODYWEIGHT VHINUP MEAN IS THAT 3 REPS OR SETS OR WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS MEAN?!!!!!????? IS IT REPS TO FAILURE WHAT IS THIS SHIT??
What does 3x bodyweight chinups mean? Is that 3 sets or 3 Reps?
@Angry fella in need
3X to failure using bodyweight
Hey Alex, I wanted to know if the progress in the lower body (im novice lower, inter upper) should be session to session (when they feel easy put more weight) or week to week. Thanks!
@Emilianus
This is weekly progression program.
hi alex. noticed there are people talking about wrist size. personaly never heard that i could change anything about that. however ill give it a try and ask You for advice. im 6.1 (185cm) my wrist size is around 6.3inch (16cm) can i do anything about that?
@Ramei
Doubt you can change it
Sorry for double post, but forgot to mention. my bicep is 16 (40cm) inches and forearm +12 (31.5cm) however wrist never got any bigger. honestly i dealed with it long time ago, but if there is any solution i would like to try it out. thank you for answer, really appreciate what u do for us, recently found You in youtube, and damn u know what u are talking about, while not being money slave or anything like that, thank you again for staying real, keep the good work bro, huge respect!
Hi, Alex. there is an interesting thing. I can do 5×110 pounds weighted dips and if i go wide bench press i can do 2×265 but it is enourmous width, and if i do it at normal width, like any other guy in powerlifting or bodybuilding, i mean safe width which alowes me to protect my shoulders from injury my bench press goes down to 5×190, meanwhile my OTH is 5×145, so im really confused if i should run Your novice program or Upper Body Emphasis, since i can only do 4×255 on H-bar Deal lift and i box squat only 5×165. i’ve been doing ur novice for a week already. and for another measurement i can say that i can do 4×80 weighted chin ups so my lower body is really not at the same level while there are some unusuall imbalances in uper body. thank You for answer i really appreaciate Your work.
@Confused
You are way too strong to be running my novice program. I recommend Westside Barbell Conjugate System, Bulgarian Light, or Naturally Enhanced.
OHP*
Hey Alex, new to this site, a lot of great content though! I have a question, the first split says Upper Body Emphasis but in brackets it says Intermediate Upper and Novice Lower. Does this mean that this split focuses more on upper body but why does say that intermediate upper and a novice lower?
@John Doe
It means you are running weekly linear progression for the upper body, and daily linear progression for the lower body. It’s based off your experience level.
Okay, thank you for clearing that up. One more question, do I have to add weight every week or is it better to try and get the recommended set x reps per exercise (4×6) before adding 2.5/5 lbs.
@John Every week
Hey, thanks for all this info! I’ve seen your YouTube videos and now your website and decided I’m going to go ahead with your program. I’m just not sure where to start, whether the Novice/Intermediate program, The Alpha Body Program, or the Naturally Enhanced Program. What’s the difference between the Alpha Body Program and Naturally Enhanced Program? Here are my current stats all without a belt:
Bench Press 245×5
Incline Press 220×6
Seated Overhead Barbell Press 155×5
Deadlift 325×6
Squat 235×6 (weakest but it’s mostly due to fear than actual weakness. My legs aren’t small)
Thanks again for the help!
@Ari
With your stats, my novice/intermediate hybrid would work very well for you. That, or Naturally Enhanced is what I’d recommend. TAB is very old and I plan on removing it off the market, it is simply inferior to my newer work.
Hey Alex, how would I manage my volume and intensity with respect to the Upper Body Emphasis split? I also want to break my deadlift plateau of 405 x 5. Would the recommended sets and reps of the trap bar deadlifts be sufficient in order to achieve this?
@Peter
This program does not follow concurrent periodization, you run it exactly as written.
Cable crunches are 3 reps for 10-20 sets or 3 sets of 10-20 reps?
yo alpha, need to know. ill get stronger and build muscle some muscle fallowing your program if will be pretty much maintining my ccalories? my bodyfat is fine to me and size is pretty much there, just want to add few extra pounds of muscle in fallowing year, trying to be more atlethic and stronger. what do you think?
@Balbito
If you can get stronger while maintaining weight, you will gain muscle.
Can I run this program while doing MMA 4 times a week and stll expect to see gains?
@Han
I think you will have problems with the 4x a week MMA. Being 100% honest with you. I’d look into something else
Yo alex everytime i do box squats on a bench, i feel a big discomfort in my groin area… How could i remove this discomfort/pain when doing wide stance box squats or should i juste do regular squats
@Vincent
Work on your mobility and do progressive ROM box squats to help
Why do you train twice a week with an intensity day and volume day, but here you recommend 3 times per week? And it’s not concurrent periodization, why?
@Grant
This is a linear progression program and is a hybrid of my novice program. It was never designed with concurrent in mind…this is different.
Im a bit confused,what do you mean alternate between a and b accessories each workout?
You see it says “OR”
That means you alternate between those two each session. One workout is dumbbell..the other barbell.
Also adding to my previously asked question.As faq say you reset 10% each time you fail a weight.Would that failure consist of a single workout or a block?(one week in this specific program).
Also since its linear we add poundages each week and just reset each and every time we fail a lift?is it that simple?
1. Should I alternate starting monday with bench press/ohp weekly in the A version (upper intermediate, lower novice version)?
2. Why in the wednesdays workout the weight in bench press/ohp is only 90% of the last 5×4-6 weight?
3.How long do you think it takes me to achieve intermediate status in my lowerbody, atm squat about 5×225 and deadlift 5×315?
Thanks!
Hi Alex, I know you said don’t alternate this program, but I would like to ask, if it’s ok to add some work for rear delts, calfs and neck after each session.
Hey Alex,
First off I want to say thanks for sharing this. Been running your program since Feb. Was a linear guy for the longest time. All about the 5×5 but I was getting seriously bored! I focused on the lower and have reached the following:
315 box squat wide as fuck
231 bench
132 OHP
540 Rack Pull
396 Shrugs
126 Preacher & Overhead Extensions
Tore my intercostal muscle doing rack pulls LOL so I had to take 6 weeks off any benching, overhead pressing, chins etc. Essentially I just done the squats and ab work when I could move.
This is why my bench has suffered (I was benching 264 prior to starting this).
On my off days I actually came in and done forearm & additional ab work. At 5’7 I have 7.5 inch wrists and 15.5 inch forearms.
Looking at progressing on to concurrent from here. What would you recommend mate?
Hey. Im just wondering that dont you need 48 hours to recover? And theres 3 workouts with only 1 day to rest. Is it enough?
What does 1x5rm mean?
Hi Alex, I’ve been following your novice programme for two months now and have already hit 225lbs for my bench and 132lbs on my overhead press therefore I’m moving to your novice/intermediate upper bod programme. My squat is steadily increasing close to 300 now. However my trap bar deadlift is only at 350 and I’m stalling and struggling to increase it. Also my row is only at 140lbs currently. I’m seeing some changes in my back and traps. My question is, you give the option of rows or power shrugs on the Friday, which do you think is going to be of more use to me? I’m 35, 5 foot 9 and a bit overweight (25% BF).
Hi Alex,
I have been following your novice programme for two months after four months of haphazard calisthenics training. I am very pleased with the results- I have hit 225lbs on the Bench press and 135lbs on the OHP – so thanks for an awesome programme! My squat has also been progressing well although only upto 286lbs so far. However my trap bar deadlift is lagging, I have just about made it to 350 for 5 but this was a real struggle. My row is also only at 165lbs.
I am looking at switching to your novice/ intermediate programme for upper body, but I see you give a choice between rows and power shrugs on the Friday and was unsure
Which would help me out more and I wondered if you could help?
Many thanks
Sorry for the duplicate, I got the weights wrong on the first (I’m used to kilos!)
Alex,
My numbers are low, however I’ve been lifting for over four years. Would this linear setup still work for me since in strength I’m a novice or would it fail quickly since in years I am an intermediate.
I’m actually still a little confused on something.
When it says: Bench Press/Overhead Press 5×4-6 80-90% 5RM
Does that mean, perform 5 sets of 4-6 reps using 80-90% of my 5 Rep Maximum? If so, that sounds like this is kind of a de-loading and I was wondering why we are doing that.
What do u do when you reach the intermediate level for all lifts where do u go from there?
Can I be on a cut for this program and still make progress. I’m lacking on my lower body
Why do chinups to failure, wouldn’t it interfere with performance in subsequent sets? Thanks
My bench is 140 Ibs
Deadlift 260 Ibs
Squat 320 Ibs
OHP 100 Ibs
I am running your novice program currently. All are stalling except for the squat for some reason. Do i run the hybrid or keep going novice program, or just run an intermediate one? I am wondering since all my lifts have stalling except for the squat. I am 15 and have been lifting for a year, but i don’t think ithat’s the problem. Thanks
My bench is 140 Ibs
Deadlift 260 Ibs
Squat 320 Ibs
OHP 100 Ibs
I am running your novice program currently. All are stalling except for the squat for some reason. Do i run one the hybrid or keep going novice program or just run NE? I was wondering since only my squat is increasing but no other lift. Thanks
I am also 15 but i don’t think that’s the problem
Yo AlphaAlex my current stats (no belt) are the following:
height: 183cm
weight: 78kg (Probably around 12-14% bodyfat)
Flat BB Bench Press: 100kg x 8RM
Weighted Dips: 50kg x 5RM
OHP: 60kg x 3RM (yea I’ve neglected vertical pressing until I started watching your vids this year)
Conventional Deadlift: 180kg x 3RM
ATG Squat: I have no fucking clue. I hate squats… I’m very Hams/Glute dominant. I know I can do 120kg for 2 reps. Never tried beyond that weight.
Do you still recommend this linear hybrid program? Or should I have a more concurrent periodization approach to my training? I’m just tired of dealing with plateaus every 2-3 weeks when I go work out at the gym. It just destroys my motivation.
Should I try milking a little bit more gains from this program? Or should I hop on to something else??
Love your videos, by the way. Keep up the great work!
Hey Alex, Keep up the great content as usual.
I have a question about myself. I spent the first 6 months of lifting doing Starting Strength (3×5 and 1×5 for deadlifts) only managing to work out 2 days a week. These are my numbers:
Bench: 70kg
OHP: 52.5kg
Squat: 112.5kg
Deadlift: 120kg
I was thinking of starting to 531 due to time as well as falling ill – also my gym was not 24/7 till now. However this has changed and I have more time and I am more efficient in the gym. Should I run the Novice Upper body focus since my pressing is weak and if so what weights should I start off with?
For Version 1, do I alternate every week on whether to start Monday with bench or OHP?
On version 1, do I alternate every week on whether to start off Monday with Bench or OHP?
Alex, I ran your novice program and now I’m at 205×1 bench, 315×5 squat. My deadlift is really bad as I can’t go heavier than 325 and it hurts my lower back like hell. Should I leave conv deadlifts and do sumo or leave it deadlifts completely bc I don’t think I have the right arthropometry for it? Or run a bench emphasis program which is version A and try to get my bench to 225×5?
I’m used to doing 20 to 25 sets back workouts and it has gotten me a pretty dang decent back. I have been training for a year like that (since I started). It feels like the lats etc doesnt get a lot of work, can I add something like close grip cable rows?
Thanks for the great program!
My squat is 5x5x130kg atm, do you think my 5RM would be close to 5x140kg? Is there a way to calculate this?
Can I squat twice, Monday+Friday if I’m not recovering fast enough?
Can I periodize the accessories with volume Monday and intensity on Friday?
Is the 1×5 on Friday 90% of that week’s Monday weight, or is the Monday weight 90% last Friday’s 1×5?
On Lower Body Emphasis, is the box squat weight on workout A supposed to be 5×4-6 80-90% of my 5RM or 1RM?
Hi Alex
i’m 5’6 and weighs around 160-165lbs
current 5RM are 305squats 187bench and 315deadlift
i find i can only add weights once a week and sometimes even need to grind to finish that.
don’t know whether i should try this program or stick on the novice one?
(Btw my appetite go well and sleep 8-9hrs a day.(￣▽￣)
Hey Alex. I’m getting close to being intermediate on my upper body and I have a couple questions about this program.
I’m currently working with your novice program with regular squats, I never got the hang of box squats. Feels horrible to do them. Would it be okay to do regular squats on this program too?
Also, what would you replace reverse hypertensions with if you couldn’t do them at your gym?
Thank you beforehand!
Alex,
I’ve been running PPL for over a year now, made some decent gains but I’m going to use your program to get my general strength up & see if I can pack on more muscle. As I am used to going 6x a week to the gym the days off are going to feel weird to me as I actually enjoy going, are they any exercises I can go and perform that will not hinder my progress or even benefit me? Facepulls maybe? Cardio?
Hey, my lifting stats are:
OHP: 4×94
Floor press: 4×160
Box squat: 5×309
Hex bar deadlift: 4×419
Should i follow version 2 or stay on novice programm?
thx
YO alex been training for a year now ran your novice programme for 9 months and trained 5×5 stronglifts for 3 months before that. My lifts are as follows:
180kg x 1 deadlift
110kg x 3 box squat
52.5kg x 1 ohp
75kg x 5 bench press
25kg x 5 weighted pullup
Current Bw 70kg
What programme should i follow, also I cant do a floor press at my gym as I wont be bale to get someone to help pick the weight up before pressing so what should i do instead? Paused bench or banded bench press?
Alex, What do you mean with “Alternate A and B accessories each workout” under workout A,B and C. What accessories should I alternate?
Hi Alex I am 15 years old. I went to the gym for 1 month and I experienced a lot of newbie gains. But then I stopped working out at the gym and I did calisthenics instead. The problem was that I didn’t have the equipment to maintain my arms so I lost a lot of muscles in my arms but I managed to maintain my other muscles. Now i like to use your program and go to the gym. Should I add more arm exercises to the novice program
@Dimi
No additional arm work is required, you will be fine this way.
I can do 225×5 reps my squat is really weak and my dead lift socks because I’m really over weight is it ok to do trap bar dead lift instead and up the weight, also had knee surgery 3 years ago ready to take baby steps back into the squat rack but my other leg is weaker now, should I use leg press and do iso metrics so I don’t get muscle imbalance, also I’m trying to cut allot of body fat I feel like this novice program with clean eating is going to work hopefully in 6 months I’ll be able to get your book once I’m done with novice program I am 30 years old I’ve hit all of these numbers before but it’s been a while should I expect any big gains or did I already use up my newbie gains card any advice Alex would be great love your YouTube channel
Hello Patrick,
I am unsure what you should do as I am not a medical professional. I would advise that you check out Athlean-X for some pain free exercises. What I can say is to incorporate more posterior chain work than quads, and hit those hamstrings hard. Band leg curls and ankle weight leg curls will benefit you tremendously. Also do band TKEs and “Band stomps”. This will help your knees tremendously. Best of luck brother!
Is this good for hypertrophy alongside strength? My lifts are dog shit, I’ve always trained in 8-12 rep range I’d say my bench is 200, squat 235, deadlift I have no idea because I’ve never done it (Been running novice for 2 weeks, box squat 200 3×5, OHP (paused) 120 5×3, trap bar is 330 2x, weighted chins +45 3×3 @ 185lbs) I’m pretty sure I have more muscle mass than a ‘novice’ so not really sure what program to run, 185lbs 5’11, visible abs so around 15% bf. Thanks
Hello LPG,
Definitely my friend, as a natural size will be directly correlated to performance gain over time. The 8-12 rep range isn’t magical. You will absolutely gain size following this routine, sounds like your numbers are perfect for this program given the upper/lower body strength imbalance.
Yo Alex,
looking to re-ingrain movement patterns. Here are some of my stats:
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 73 kg
PRs:
Weighted dip: +45 kg x5
Paused bench press: 75kg x7
Close-grip chin-ups: +31kg x6
Standard-grip chin-ups: +31kg x4 / +41kg x1
Squat: 120kg x9
Deadlift: 129kg x4
OH Press: 43kg x7
Row: 102kg x7
Now that I write them, they seem pretty mediocre. Thought I was strong. Maybe at BW stuff. This was done using a minimalist routine. Got a bit overtrained (currently sick and full of aches).Mainly I want to keep doing close-grip chins and dips. What do you recommend?
Thanks!
Hey VMB,
I would recommend this routine as written or maybe even my novice program very temporarily. Another option is to run concurrent periodzation if you’re tired of minimalist programming. Anything from Westside to Naturally Enhanced would be tremendously beneficial in that case. You can continue doing CGBP and dips too, one of the benefits of concurrent is the freedom of exercise selection.
I’ve just started my second year of lifting using full body workout.However,my gym is really poor that it doesn’t has a squat rack,a bench rack,a straight bar or trap bar and weight belts for weigjted work.I am so sorry to tell you that I have no choice but to modify the program.What do you think about the following modification:
Box squat>Goblet box squat
Bench press>Dumbbell bench press
Floor press>Dumbbell floor press
Trap bar deadlift>Conventional deadlift(with ez bar)
Overhead press>Dumbbell overhead press.
Youmight be shocked about how the gym sucks but that’s the truth.
Hey Marco,
What if you replace box squat for lunges? Besides that you should be fine given your lack of equipment.
Alex,
I am currently very frustrated because I feel like my upper body strength is improving, but my lower body is falling behind, despite trying to emphasize more legs in my own programming.
At 18 weighing 165 lbs I currently:
Bench Press AND Pendlay Row 225 x 5
OHP 145 x 5
Weighted chin-up 100 lbs x 2
Deadlift 315 x 5
Box Squat 285 x 5 BUT Free Squat 245 x 5
I’ve even gotten 315 x 4 box squat one session, following the form in your YouTube tutorial of course. Yet, I feel like the carryover to my regular squats has been minimal. Basically I am wondering if replacing the box squat with free squats will be effective for my own strength goals in the context of this program. Overall, just very frustrated with my lack of lower body strength development, despite decent size. Reply would be much appreciated, thanks!
Alex,
I am frustrated because I feel like my upper body strength is exploding, but my lower body is falling behind, despite trying to emphasize more leg exercises in my own programming.
At 18 and weighing 165 lbs, about 12-15% body fat, I currently:
Bench Press AND Pendlay Row 225 x 5
OHP 145 x 5
Weighted chin-up 100 lbs x 2
Deadlift 315 x 5
Box Squat 285 x 5 BUT Free Squat 245 x 5
I even hit a 315 x 5 box squat one session, following the form in your YouTube tutorial, but I feel like the carryover of this exercise to my conventional free squat has been very minimal, maybe because of a weakness in my quads. Do you think it would be effective for my goals to substitute out the box squat for a regular ATG squat in the context of this program? A reply would be much appreciated, as I am frustrated with a lack of strength gains in my lower body, despite decent size. Thanks, Alex!
Alex whats good,
Due to my big hate to bind to the days of the week, I wanna have a workout, rest 2 days and then again have a workout till infinity or till I handle strength standarts listed here, hope it’s gon be the second.
Also want to occasionnally throw in some really light sessions of boxing/swimming/bw workouts or hardcore sex sessions on rest days.
I have sick genetics and stupendous determination, eat like a king and make sure my recovery is on point. Do you think I can handle it?
Endless gains, Paul
Can i do it for 4 times a week?
Max, yes. Can’t guarantee better results though, 4x may impede recovery
Alex how about facepull can ı add? İs it effect my recovery?
Hello Alex,
My lifts are 225×3, and I can OHP 145×5
I skipped leg day for 3 years so this is ideal for me.
Question: how do I choose percentage and rep range for upper body, should I take 80% or 90% of my 5rm (cause its a pretty big difference I feel) and do 5 sets of 6 reps or? Can you make some general recommendations for this?
Hi Alex been following your Intermediate upper, Novice lower program. So far I’m enjoying it!
Currently I’m working a job that is medium-ish labor intensive. Consistently lifting and stocking objects up to 50lbs for about 4-5 days of work.
How can one adjust the workout plan to reduce fatigue and still make gains?
Hi Alex, I really appreciate what you are doing and really wanted to consult.
I run 5/3/1 for close to two years.
Squat @ 318.5 – 9 Reps (Was)
Deadlift @ 405 – 7 Reps
OHP @ 145 – 5 Reps
BP @ 205 – 5 Reps
I was injured three months ago from a squat and tore my hip flexors.
The situation was bad, I couldn’t do Air Squat. Now better, slowly recovering.
I thought about switching to Box Squat especially after seeing that you recommend it.
I was thinking about trying the program with the emphasis on the Upper Body because my Upper Body needs strengthening while doing Starting Strength only for Squats. What do you think ?
Should I keel Pendlay Row by the weight of the bench press ? In the same grip?
Should I increase on weight every week only in Bench and in the press? Or more exercises?
Hey, Alex! I’m gonna try to make this short, but I could genuinely use some decent advice from you, given I think you’re the best person I could be talking to about this.
I’m 22 and I’ve trained for about 2,5 years. I bench 200lbs for 4 pauses at RPE 9-10, deadlift 375 (sumo) for 5 at RPE 9 and Squat 315 for 6 reps at RPE 9 as well. My OHP is at110 for 10 honest reps. My first two years of lifting I was an idiot. I was so stubborn and trained with insanely high volume to the point where i made no gains at all. As I got more frustrated I started learning more about it and designed myself a 4 week program where did, 2×10, 3×8 and so forth. It definitely helped me but my bench has stalled completely.
It wasn’t until recently I discovered your channel, and started learning about concurrent. I just started implementing some of those principles like a retard and well it’s not working. I’m currently training like this:
Monday: upper
tuesday lower
wendsday upper
thursday off
friday upper
saturday lower
As I’m watching more of ur vids I I’m realizing my volum and methods just aren’t for the stage I’m in. For legs and deadlifts I’m still just doing 3×8, 5×5 etc. and those gains are coming in well; my squats and deads are coming up like crazy. But what am I doing different for legs? I basically just do 7 sets of squats a week, maybe 10 when 5×5 makes it such.
I’m sick of doing my own crap and I’m wondering what you recommend. Should I do this novice/intermediate hybrid (leg emphasis) for my lagging upper body? Should I do NE? And do you offer any one on one coaching over whatsapp or whatever? I’m dying to get my bench to 225 and I really just want some expert advice on how to get there.
what if we intermediate both upper and lower body?
Hey Alex! Been a fan for years and would greatly appreciate a response. Been following your amazing novice program for about a year, and I’ve achieved a 405 2×5 deadlift, 200 3×5 floor press, and 285 3×5 box squat. Don’t get me wrong; I’m more than content with these gains. That said, I feel that my box squatting has just plateaued at 285 for months, and my floor press gains are extremely minimal. Also, since moving to a new gym around 3 months ago and only having a lower box to squat on (~15 inches compared to 17-19 inches back home), I’ve had persistent right quad tightness/minor pain tightening the knee. I have long legs relative to torso. Would you recommend, given more or less plateaus, that I move on to your intermediate conjugate program? Or, despite linear gains being so slow, but still present, that I continue on the novice program? Would it be reasonable I switch back to a higher box to see if this alleviates the above quad/knee tightness and persistent minor pain?
Much love, a sincere fan
it says intermediate lower / novice upper, and then says
then says lower body emphasis?
are the titles reversed?
am i dumb or can some one clarify?
i am trying to do an upper body emphasis (my lower is 315/405 , but my upper is lagging only 205 bench etc)