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ZAO Strength

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This is the beginning of your powerlifting journey. The intention of this block is to build technical proficiency, increase movement variety, and build both the confidence and work capacity of the lifter. If you have any questions about how to utilize this program or make adjustments ask one of the coaches in our exclusive discord community!

Powerlifting

Periodized

Start Here

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Powerlifting 1 (4 Day) 

Block 1

This is Powerlifting 1, Pivot 1. The goal of this pivot block is to reduce your fatigue, introduce new movement variation, and allow for a temporary psychological shift in your training.

Pivot 1

This is Powerlifting 1, block 2. It's time to ramp up the intensity and specificity with your competition focus. Dial in your focus, push yourself as far as you can while maintaining your RPE for each set. Focus on movement quality to maximize your results in this block.

Block 2

This program is designed for the powerlifter who wants to develop strength in the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift, as well as increase their muscle mass. We implement a bottom-up framework for this program, so each training week will look very similar. However, the beginning of each block begins with an intro week to allow for a gradual transition into full training stress.

Powerbuilding

Bodybuilding

Powerbuilding 1 (4 day)

This is the first block of your powerbuilding program. We will use an upper lower split to optimize both the hypertrophic response, while elicit

Pivot Block

This is Powerlifting 2, the natural progression from Powerlifting 1. However, our intention with each program is to help you discover the best training styles for you. So if you find your progress to be enhanced from this training program in comparison to Powerlifting 1, then you may consider repeating this program for many months if it continues to help you make progress.

Powerlifting 2 (4 Day)  

This is Powerlifting 2, block 1. Designed to further the progress you've made on Powerlifting 1. Powerlifting 2 increases the average intensity, increases variability of your secondary movements, and helps to prepare you for a peaking block into competition.

This is your pivot block for powerlifting 2. The intention is primarily to reduce fatigue, introduce new energy systems, and challenge new movement patterns in preparation for block 2.

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Powerbuilding 2 (4 day) (Periodized)

This is the first block of Powerbuilding V2. The RPE gradually increases throughout the block as you  develop positive strength adaptations.

This is the second block of Powerbuilding V2. The RPE gradually increases throughout the block as you  develop positive strength adaptations.

This is your first deload block. As you can see, the exercises are much more specific to the development blocks, however the overall stress is reduced by nearly 50%. Rest up, comrade.

Deload

This is the last block of Powerbuilding V2. The RPE gradually increases throughout the block as you  develop positive strength adaptations. At the end of the block you will perform a mock meet to test your maxes. Please prepare mentally and physically to perform as well as possible.

Block 3

The year is 2077. Humans have eliminated the need for useless work. Machines have replaced 90% of the available jobs. Universally, the needs of the human race are met and we are completely free to choose our own path.  You've been recruited to become the ultimate human. Welcome to HyperBuild the ultimate 3 day powerbuilding program. 

Strength

Hybrid

Machines

Barbells

Dumbbells

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HyperBuild (3x)

Welcome to your first mission. If you succeed, you will experience great rewards as you push yourself and society further along in our collective evolution. I

Chapter 1

It's time for you to reset and recover. Build up your weaknesses, arm your defenses.

Intermission 1

Nice work. You've evolved from your first mission. It's time to show us what you've built for yourself.  The intensity will increase in this block, however we will not veer from the goal. We will build you into the strongest version of yourself. Good luck.

Chapter 2

As the mission comes to an end, consider reaching out to the discord community for suggestions on your next program.

Transition Phase  

Welcome to your final mission. It's all on you now. You're our last hope for survival.

Chapter 3

The year is 2077. Humans have eliminated the need for useless work. Machines have replaced 90% of the available jobs. Universally, the needs of the human race are met and we are completely free to choose our own path.  You've been recruited to become the ultimate human. Welcome to HyperBuild

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HyperBuild

The next mission will expand upon the objectives of our last mission, build bigger, build stronger. 

This is a high-ish intensity, medium volume hypertrophy program with carefully chosen exercises to help you build a balanced physique.

The focus of this program is to build more muscle mass and get as strong as possible in the 6-8 rep range on the high bar squat, larsen press and RDL, along with some isolation exercises to make sure that no muscle group is being neglected.

You should run this program if:
- You don't have any powerlifting competitions nearby and want to take a small break from the main movements. This is a great program if you are very deep in the off season!
- You want to get jacked as hell and don't mind not doing the "reqular" squat, bench and deadlift movements

Suggested Training Split:
Monday: Day 1
Tuesday: Day 2
Thursday: Day 3
Friday: Day 4

Low Stress

Beginner

Intro to Bodybuilding

This the first block in your journey to hypertrophy. For powerlifters, this block is perfect to run if you don't have a powerlifting competition coming soon. Notice the emphasis on non-powerlifting specific movements. Once you've completed this block, you may continue to the end of the program OR switch to a powerlifting specific program like Powerlifting 1 or 2.

This is how to implement a pivot block during a hypertrophy phase. As you'll see, we are increasing the specificity of the compound lifts towards strength/powerlifting. The rep ranges are shifted towards more central stress and less peripheral stress. Total volume is slightly reduced. 

Pivot

Bodybuilding does not need to be complicated to yield incredible results. We've maintained most of the exercises from the last block, and increased the intensity slightly to allow you to make noticable progress for the movements and muscle groups we want to grow.

This is a program designed for an athlete with a high work capacity who has an interest in improving their Squat, Bench, and Deadlift while improving their physique.  This 12-week program entails two 5-week development blocks with a 1-week pivot block after each Development block.  This is the program for you if you want to get strong and jacked. 

High Stress

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Intro to Powerbuilding - 5 Day

Moderate to heavy mainlifts. Moderate stress on the accessory work.

Development Block 1

High rep pivot. Including tempo work. 50% stress reduction. 

Pivot Block 1

Slightly heavier intensities than the last block. Different movement variations. 

Development Block 2

Higher intensity pivot. Including tempo work. 50% stress reduction. 

Pivot Block 2

This is a high-ish intensity, medium volume hypertrophy program with carefully chosen exercises to help you build a balanced physique.

The focus of this program is to build more muscle mass and get as strong as possible in the 6-8 rep range on the high bar squat, Larsen press, and RDL, along with some isolation exercises to make sure that no muscle group is being neglected.

You should run this program if:
- You don't have any powerlifting competitions nearby and want to take a small break from the main movements. This is a great program if you are very deep in the off-season!
- You want to get jacked as hell and don't mind not doing the "regular" squat, bench, and deadlift movements.

Intermediate Bodybuilding

This block is designed to maximize your hypertrophic response  Suggested Training Split: Monday: Day 1 Tuesday: Day 2 Thursday: Day 3 Friday: Day 4

When power building becomes too mainstream. Introducing HyperStrength. The world's first program dedicated to optimizing your hypertrophy AND strength.  Enter a world where you fight to survive. Build your physical character, level up your skills, and take on the world in 2077. This is your opportunity to prioritize strength without sacrificing your physique. As you progress through this journey, you will level up and demand more. Act 1 gets your feet wet, Act 2 sets you up for success, and Act 3 magnifies your strengths as you complete your final mission of the journey.

Hypertrophy

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Hyper Strength 

The year is 2077. You're on a mission to save the world through strength and hypertrophy. Only the strong will survive.

Act 1

Good work. You have recovered, re-established training sensitivity, and you are ready to begin building your strength and enhancing your physique once again.

Act 2

Congratulations on completing the second Act. You have some choices to make. You can either continue down this path, or switch to HyperBuild where you will refocus your emphasis towards physique development and work capacity. First, complete the intermission before choosing your next path. 

Intermission 2

You are now ready for the final phase of this mission. At the end of this block, you'll have the opportunity to test your maxes. Assuming  that your peak exposure occurs on the 5th exposure, this is one way of peaking with a bottom-up approach. If you noticed that your peak is earlier than 5 exposures, you may simply run week  4 on the week prior to your "peak" week. This way the peak exposure happens at the end of the week.

Act 3

When power building becomes too mainstream. Introducing HyperStrength Lite. The world's first program dedicated to optimizing your hypertrophy AND strength.  Enter a world where you fight to survive. Build your physical character, level up your skills, and take on the world in 2077. This is your opportunity to prioritize strength without sacrificing your physique. As you progress through this journey, you will level up and demand more. Act 1 gets your feet wet, Act 2 sets you up for success, and Act 3 magnifies your strengths as you complete your final mission of the journey.

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Hyper Strength Lite (3x)

Version 2 of HyperStrength includes all of the best aspects of v1 with upgrades. We've made the protocols more effective, the training more enjoyable, and the gains more obvious. If you loved HyperStrength v1, this is the next best thing for your time. 

Modular

Peaking

Hyper Strength v2 (modular)  

It's time to recover, cyberpunk soldier 996. Your next mission will require significant focus and recovery so this pivot is specially designed to optimize your progress.

Your second and final boss battle is upon you. Time to peak your strength to perform either a mock meet or a competition.

Taper 1

Unlike traditional powerlifting programs, this program focuses on high rep training to build work capacity, increase novelty, and improve athletic conditions for long-term strength.

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Base Building for Powerlifters

This block has an A B A B A B structure. Feel free to adjust exercises based on availability and/or preference as long as they are in a similar category.

This is a 2 week pivot (1/3 the length of dev block)

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Hyper Strength (modular)

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HyperBuild (Modular)

The year is 2077. Humans have eliminated the need for useless work. Machines have replaced 90% of the available jobs. Universally, the needs of the human race are met and we are completely free to choose our own path.  You've been recruited to become the ultimate human. Welcome to HyperBuild, the ultimate 3 day modular powerbuilding program. 

HyperBuild (3x) Modular

Welcome to your first mission. If you succeed, you will experience great rewards as you push yourself and society further along in our collective evolution. Run this block as long as you can make positive adaptations. Once you notice 1-2 weeks of reduced performance, move to the transition block. 

Welcome to your second mission. Your objective is to run this block until you notice 1-2 weeks of reduced performance. Then move to the pivot block. 

Welcome to your final mission. It's all on you now. You're our last hope for survival. Perform this block until you notice 1-2 weeks of negative performance, then reach out to the discord community for suggestions for your next block.

This pivot week is designed to reduce total stress on your competition movements, resensitize you to powerlifting training and prepare you for your next development block

Recovery

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Post Meet Pivot

This pivot will have you begging to get back to powerlifting :)

This is a program for lifters who want to build their base level of strength with basic barbell exercises quickly. Each phase ramps up the intensity slowly to ensure you are comfortable with each movement pattern. This is your Minimum Viable Program. The data you gather from this program should help you determine how to make adjustments for your next program.

Barbell Only

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Base Strength- 3 Day

Base Strength Block 1 (Low Intensity, Moderate Volume, Lower Specificity)

This pivot is designed to focus on high rep work, build different energy systems, and new movement patterns. 

Moderate Intensity- Moderate Volume, Moderate Stress

Your second pivot block of the cycle. Lets build that work capacity and resiliency.  

Base Strength Block 3 (High Intensity, Low-Moderate Volume, Low Stress)

Development Block 3

Your third pivot block of the cycle. Lets build that work capacity and resiliency.  

Pivot Block 3

Welcome to your first Zao Strength training program.

With Base Strength, you will establish a baseline for training stress, improve your ability to rate rpe, and develop work capacity. We want you to train hard each session, but leave enough room in the tank to recover and build momentum for the successive weeks.

You will train 4 days a week for 3 weeks, then you will have a 1-week de-load or "Pivot" block where you will focus on new movement patterns and energy systems. Then you will train hard for another 3 weeks and repeat the process with new movements and varying intensities. 

Squat Rack

Squat

Bench

Deadlift

Medium Stress

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Base Strength - 4 Day

High Intensity, Low-Moderate Volume, Low Stress

This block will give you a short break from the development block. With new protocols, exercises, and tempos to train different parts of each lift.

This is your second development block. Notice higher intensities and an increase in specificity with each lift.

Pivot 2

This is your third development block. Notice higher intensities and an increase in specificity with each lift.

Pivot 3

Welcome to your first Zao Strength training program.

With Base Strength, you will establish a baseline for training stress, improve your ability to rate rpe, and develop work capacity. We want you to train hard each session, but leave enough room in the tank to recover and build momentum for the successive weeks.

You will train 4 days a week for 3 weeks, then you will have a 1-week de-load or "Pivot" block where you will focus on new movement patterns and energy systems. Then you will train hard for another 3 weeks and repeat the process with new movements and varying intensities. 

This version of base strength is unique in that the 4th day is designed to be completed if you only have access to a hotel gym on the 4th day. So expect dumbbells, high rep work, and some cardio based training.

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Base Strength - 4 Day (Weekend Warrior)

This is the 2 Day Powerlifting Program designed for athletes who have only a few days to train each week but want to get as strong as possible. This program is modular, so you can run each block for as long as you'd like. Once you stop responding, switch to the pivot block for 1-3 weeks. Then restart the first block, but make adjustments to exercises as desired.

Time Efficient

2 Day Powerlifting

This is our building block. RPE is high, absolute intensity is moderate.

This is a 3 week meet prep program designed to prepare you to peak for any powerlifting meet in just 3 weeks. The competition movements are polarized, the SDE's are focused on moderate rep ranges, and the SPE's are heavily emphasizing higher reps. 

Polarized

Bottom-Up

3 Week Polarized Meet Prep

This block will lead you perfectly into your competition.

Peaking Block

This is a high-intensity pivot week designed to keep your strength high or to prime you for higher intensities during a development block. This is an excellent pivot to be deployed prior to a competition block.

High Intensity

Competition

High Intensity Pivot

High Intensity Pivot 1

High Intensity Pivot 2

This program is designed to teach lifters how to implement 2x Competition Frequency into their training. The stress of this program is designed for intermediate lifters. Do not run this program unless you know what you're getting into!


2x Frequency means that you will perform your competition movements 2 times within one 7 day microcycle. This program contains SDE's for Squat and Deadlift, and both SDE's and SPE's for Bench Press. 

The total Squat Stress per microcycle is 7.6 (8.0 peripheral, 7.2 Central)
The total Bench Stress is 20.3 (16.3 Central, 24.2 Peripheral)
The Total Deadlift Stress is 7.9 (9.0 Central, 6.7 Peripheral)

2x Frequency

Intro to 2x Frequency

This is your first 2x Frequency block. Notice that Session 1 is repeated on Session 3, and Session 2 is repeated on Session 4. This is intentional. You must manage your sleep and nutrition if you want to complete this program effectively. 

This pivot week will challenge your non-powerlifting capabilities to a large degree. You'll perform a variety of circuits, bodybuilding exercises, and controlled tempos to improve your skills across the strength-training domain.

Hybrid Pivot

This pivot block contains a combination of exercises and rep ranges to keep you stimulated, tired, and excited to get back to normal powerlifting style training :)

This is a training plan that follows coach Jim Elli's programming flow throughout his training career. Each block will be adjusted based on his preferences and creative interests. We will update his progress in our community discord if you're interested in following along.

Cables

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Jim's Journey

This the first phase of your solar journey. As you approach solar orbit, things are going to get a bit hot. You may notice your fatigue elevating, your body sweating, your muscles flexing. It will challenge you. However, you shall adapt and evolve as you approach closer to the surface of the sun.

Entering Solar Orbit (Dev 1)

You've earned your rest. Cool down this week. Next block we will be pulled closer into the Sun's gravity as we approach the core.

Cool Down Block (Pivot 1)

It's time to harness the full power of the sun. You're ready. Hope you can handle the heat.

Reaching The Core (Dev 2) 

Congratulations you reached the core, now it's time to cool down and return to earth. Rest up, heal up, and get ready for your next mission.

Returning To Earth

King of Kilos Meet Prep Block 1

This is an upper-lower Pivot week to help lifters reduce pain when performing either the squat or the deadlift. 

Rehab

Lower Body Rehab Pivot

The goal of this block is to focus on comfort.

This program combines powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman and calesthenics to build a wellrounded and strong physique. It entails one 5-week training block and one 1-week pivot block.

Moderate Stress

Calesthenics

Strongman

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The Holistic Strength Athlete

DVB 1

PVB 1

This is Powerlifting 3, the natural progression from Powerlifting 2. However, our intention with each program is to help you discover the best training styles for you. So if you find your progress to be enhanced from this training program in comparison to Powerlifting 1 or 2, then you may consider repeating this program for many months if it continues to help you make progress. Lastly, this program is specifically designed to peak you for a powerlifting competition in 12 weeks

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Powerlifting 3 (12 week Peak)

This is Powerlifting 3, block 1. The main goal here is to improve work capacity and increase tolerance to higher intensity training as we move into the second block. The LAST Week is your deload week.

This is Powerlifting 3, block 2. As you see, some of the exercises have changed a bit, but now we want to bump up the intensity a bit on the comp lifts! Don't be afraid to push. 