General Questions for the SST Braintrust...

[BrotherIron]

Here we go again. I thought I would recreate this training journal for those who have taken an interest in strength training. You can visit my home board if you would like to see how SST has evolved or if you would like routines that leave out the Olympic Classical Lifts (the Clean & Jerk and the Snatch).

What is SST? SST stands for Specialized Strength Training and is a combination of Olympic Weightlifting, Power Lifting, and Strong Man. The purpose of this training method is to combine the best of all 3 lifting disciplines to create a program which makes an individual strong, fast, coordinated, agile, and flexible. IMHO the sum is better the parts that make it up which is why I created this in the first place. I took data dating back to the 60's to help me create this program. You can find a lot of the information I used in my PL, SM, Oly Forum at Xtraxxl.

Here is a little more detail about SST:

I train in 4 week waves where the 4th week is a deload week. The deload week gives my CNS a break. I train using percentages for my Big 5 movements which are Back Squats (Oly Style), Front Squat (Oly Style), Push Press, Deadlift, and Flat Bench. The percentages are as follows; week1 65/75/85%, week 2 70/80/90%, week 3 75/85/95%, week 4 40/50/60% (deload). I drop down to 3 exercises during my deload week and do no conditioning/cardio during the week to help my body recover. I add weight each wave. On all non Oly assisting movements I use a 7-5-5-3-3 rep scheme and switch them out every 2 waves. On my 3rd week, I may I add in some singles which reinforces that this week is the hardest and heaviest week out of the 4. This whole system allows me to continue to make progress, push myself, not get stale, and always have fun which is important. These rep ranges also have been proven to help convert Type I (endurance) muscle fibers to Type II (fast twitch). On all Oly movements I stick with triples, doubles, and singles for the most part. The purpose is to keep my form good which helps build proper motor and neural pathways and also keep from getting injured which easily takes place when form becomes sloppy.

The long and short of SST is simple; I use periodization on all major/main lifts and linear progression for all assisting lifts to achieve superior results in strength, speed, flexibility, and size.

[BrotherIron]

Here is my conditioning work which I perform on my Low Days (refer to my High - Low Article.)

Here is the plan:

Day 1 - Tire Flips + Med Ball Chop & OH Throw + Mtn Climber

The goal is to use a tire that you can handle for 10 reps. Will you be tired, yes, but the weight should be so maximal that obtaining 10 reps is nearly impossible. Then a medball chop + scoop throw. MB weight around 15 lbs. Start w/ the MB at arms length overhead. Chop straight down explosively, pause, you'll feel an eccentric contraction on the abdominals. Then explode straight upward and throw for maximal height. Arms shouldn't be involved much. Hip driven throw w/ arms just acting as a lever. 3 sets of 8 rep. 3rd exercise is a mtn climber. Pushup position, run in place, bringing the 1 knee up close to the chest for each step. This should be rhythmic and fast. 20-40 seconds.

Day 2 - Power Clean & Push Press + DB Burpee + BW Vert Jump

pw cln + push press - use a weight ~50-60k, for 10 reps supersetted with dbell burpee use ~ 45lbers for 10 reps and do the full pushup supersetted with bw vert jump - use arm action, though these do not have to be max effort verts for height, an approximation would be a 85% effort, with minimal down time between reps - land, absorb, re-position feet, take a breath, go. Remember to position yourself correctly with regard to your levers - your torso is the lever, hips are the fulcrum - arms go straight back as you descend - now, descending isnt squatting down to jump, u lean over to jump, mimicking an rdl position with the torso. So in the bottom-most position, the arms (behind you) and the torse (leaned over) form a straight horizontal line. the knees come into play as the descent is amortized and the change in direction has begun. 10 reps here as well

Day 3 - Sprint Start + Farmers Walk + Directional Slides

Sprint start - go from a 3 point stance - accelerate yourself for approx 6-8 steps which should be around 10-15 yards. You'll do 5 of these for a set. Again, like the vert jump, minimal time in between reps - decelerate, become static, take a breath, position yourself, go supersetted with Farmers walk - tough to prescribe a weight here - maybe 100lb-120lb dbells? Distance is around 40 yds - now if you break it up into a 20 yd down + a 20 yd back, then either drop the weight, turn, pick it up and go back, or make sure you turn in a wide arc! Do not plant your foot and turn the rest of you too terribly much. Take small steps as you turn while still holding the weights, choppy small steps so that you minimize the deviation from lower extremity anatomical alignment in the vertical plane supersetted with Directional slides. The person who is "going" gets in a ready position - which is a partial squat, like a football players "set" position, hands are free and not on top of the knees. The non-going person will be pointing out a direction for the other to follow. Now, you follow in that direction until the person changes signals on you.

[BrotherIron]

Thought that since I post my training and cardio regimen, I would also post an general outline of my diet. Now there are slight differences but this gives your the gist of what I do diet wise.

Protein
4 meals are Ground Beef, Chicken, or Steak
2 Meals are Protein Shakes
This amount stays constant always for ALL DAYS AND ALL MEALS

Carbs
HIGH Day
Mon / Wed / Fri / Sun ~ TRAINING DAYS
5 of 6 Meals; Consume as much Red Potato as you want
PreWO and PWO Meals MUST have Carbs
1 Meal has NO Carbs whatsoever
3 Meals MUST have at least 1 cup of Green Veggies

LOW Day
Tues / Thurs / Sat ~ NON TRAINING DAYS
2 of 6 Meals; Consume as much Red Potato as you want
4 Meals have NO Carbs
PWO Meal MUST have Carbs
3 Meals MUST have at least 1 cup of Green Veggies

Fats
90gr Daily
Natty Peanut Butter for Fats

[BrotherIron]

Here is an example with explanations to help give you a better visual idea of the training method:

MONDAY
LEGS:
Back Squats (oly style) ~%
Front Squats (oly style) ~%
RDL Clean Grip ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
Overhead Squats ~Assisting Oly Movement (3-3-3-3-3)


WEDNESDAY
SHOULDERS:
Push Press ~%
Power Clean From Floor (work up to Daily Max Single) ~Olympic Assisting Movement 3-3-3-2-2-1 Start with triples and work up to a single.
Z - Press ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
BICEPS:
Bar Curl ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)

FRIDAY
BACK:
Deadlift (conventional) ~%
Power Snatch From Floor (work up to Daily Max Single) ~Olympic Assisting Movement 3-3-3-2-2-1 Start with triples and work up to a single.
Seated Good Morning on Bench ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
Bent Over Rows (pronated grip) ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)

SATURDAY OR SUNDAY
CHEST:
Flat Bench
Close Grip Bench ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
TRICEPS:
Rolling DB Ext (lying) ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
1 - Arm DB OH Ext ~Assisting Movement (7-5-5-3-3)
The Percentages should be as follows:

Week 1: 65%-75%-85% 3 sets of 5 reps
Week 2: 70%-80%-90% 3 sets of 3 reps
Week 3: 75%-85%-95% 1 set of 5 reps, 1 set of 3 reps, 1 set of 1 rep

The %'s are based of your REAL 1RM, meaning find out what your maxes are by having a training day and finding them out and then work the math. Don't guess b/c you'll stall that much faster if you do.

When you stall, rework the numbers based off your new 1RM. That you can calculate.

[BrotherIron]

This WAVE would typically be run for how long before changing up movements? Week 4 would be the DELOAD WEEK if I'm not mistaken. Can you explain what is a DELOAD WEEK please?

Yes, every 4th week is a Deload Week. A deload week is where you cut back on your exercises, intensity, and amount lifted.

For your deload week, only perform 3 exercises total so drop one of assisting. Drop the weight to 50% of 1RM and perform 3 sets of 5 reps for ALL movements.

Change the assisting exercises every 2 waves so every 8 weeks. I can make a list to choose from if you would like.

[BrotherIron]

Excellent advice, so you're saying to mix and match the assisting movements week to week?

No, keep them the same for 8 weeks THAN change them.

So keep them the same for Waves 1 & 2. On Wave 3 change the assisting movements. Just make sure they will benefit the main lift by attacking your weak points or areas which you feel will benefit you the most in lifting more in the main lifts.

[BrotherIron]

This WAVE would typically be run for how long before changing up movements?

A Wave runs for 4 weeks but you change the assisting movements every 2 Waves.

[BrotherIron]

Here are some assisting movements:

Legs~ RDL, SLDL, Front Squat, Low Front & Back Squat, OH Squat, Bar Lunge, Step Up

Back~ Good Morning, Bent Over Row Bar, 1-Arm DB Row, Wide Grip Pullup, Snatch Pull, Snatch High Pull, Clean Pull, Clean High Pull, Power Snatch

Shoulder~ Bradford Press, Z-Press, Push Press, Power Clean, 1-Arm DB Press, Squat + OH Press

Chest~ Close Grip Bench, Reverse Bench, Close Grip Incline Bench, Bottom Up Bench, Weighted dip

Triceps~ JM Press, Tate Press, Skull Crusher, 1-Arm OH Ext, 2-Arm OH Ext, Rolling DB Ext

Biceps~ Bar Curl, Preacher Curl, Incline Curl, Alt DB Curl

These are just some compound multi joint exercises which you can use. There are many, many more.

Also, you can change your grip from Clean Grip to Snatch Grip which will bring different muscle groups into play.

[BrotherIron]

I must say even after only 2 days I notice working out with these types of movements I don't feel the same after the gym as if I was doing other workouts... hard to describe but I know I worked my shouders to failure today and couldn't eek out any more reps on the presses but dont feel the same fatigue in the muscles as if I did regular shoulder press, lateral raises and bla bla bla old shoulder routine. Its a different kind of fatigue to me.

Yeah it's a different kind of fatigue. You'll notice your CNS getting taxed. It's a fatigue down to the bone and also not just physical either.

[BrotherIron]

I can see how the mental game comes in bigtime especially when the %'s are up there on week 4 after you think you just pushed yourself on 3 reps then 2 and that last 1 rep set you need to dig deep and also not getting lazy and losing form. Alot of mental in this

Yes, this routine takes a lot of mental fortitude. You have to be really focused when you training. 100% focused. You can't let your mind wonder and also you have to be able to tell yourself and believe that you can perform the numbers you're instructed to. This can be hard at times when you've been doing this for a long period and the numbers seem outrageous. Just remember to trust the program and believe you can lift the weight, not matter how high it may be.

This def isn't a beginner program. It's more like an advanced program. I would say this is even more challenging than intermediate programs I've seen.

[BrotherIron]

These quotes I have included in this thread are from actual members from my board who are training with SST and these arr just some of the questions they asked.

I hope this sheds light on my training program and if you want something to really kick your ass and push you harder than you've been pushed give this a try.

If you don't have the means and coaching to perform the Olympic Classical Lifts (the Clean and the Snatch), than use Clean High Pulls and Snatch High Pulls in their place. It's a safer, easier way to overload the muscle and you still get 85% of the benefit of the 2 classical movements.

If anyone has any questions about SST feel free to ask me via PM or right here.

[Flathead]

Thanks for putting this up!!! It's a big deal to have a new program out there & have the guy who invented it around to explain the inner workings of such a machine..

[BrotherIron]

I'm glad you like it. I spent literally a year researching to create SST. I read Russian Training Manuals, Bulgarian Training Journals, articles from many different coaches, and much much more. I have a library of strength training books now and I'm still expanding on it.

It's really cool to see how SST evolved and see how well it works.

I actually quit "using" anything except TRT since starting SST to ensure data from MY training didn't have any outside influences, variables which could skew the data.

My numbers may not be overwhelming but in my condition to accomplish what I have speaks volumes. Just so everyone knows, I had a degenerative bone disease which cost my my knees. I have cadavers knees where mine once were. I also have a bad left shoulder but have managed to hit decent numbers and will continue to improve.

[BrotherIron]

Something which is CRTICAL that I didn't put on here but am now is that you should ALWAYS perform a DYNAMIC Warmup before lifting. I posted an article comparing static stretching and a dynamic warmup if you would like to see what the differences are.

Here is what I do before I lift. I do these outside everytime before I step into the gym:

Dynamic Warm-up:

I perform these to begin with for 5-10 minutes before I start training. I also perform these outside so I get a good sweat going to.

I start with High Knees~ Walking down and back around 20 yards. While walking bring your knees up as high as you can alternating them each time.

Next I do Butt Kickers~ Jog down and back. While jogging kick your leg up so your foot approaches your butt.

Now do Lunge Walk~ Lunge down and back. While lunging twist your upper truck.

Finally do Lateral Jumping Jacks~ I don't do this stationary. As I perform them I move laterally and than turn around after traveling 20 yards and do them back.

That's it. This will get you warmed up and prepare you for the workout you're about to put your body through. IMHO this is better than walking into the gym and warming up with a bar. Don't get me wrong, I still do light warm up sets before I lift but also doing this dynamic warmup I feel ready and prepared for the workout ahead of me.

[lastchance]

This looks great, I plan on trying it soon. Thanks for sharing.

[Alterspanic132]

I need a program which will make me bench over 600