Four weeks of free programming from a world-renowned coach – what more could you ask for? Well, like any great coach, Charles Staley has gone above and beyond, providing not only the programming for his workouts, but also the why and how behind them. To learn more about Charles’ workouts, don’t miss the 10 key principles that provide the basis for this four week training program.
To learn more about Charles, read our feature interview:
Featured Coach: Charles Staley, Part 1 – When the Slow Kid Is a Quick Read
Featured Coach: Charles Staley, Part 2 – Staley’s Advice for New Coaches
Workout – Week 1, Day 1
A) Power Clean
B-1) Deadlift
B-2) Bear Crawls
C: (Optional): Free Exercise
Loading Parameters
“A” Exercises:
Perform 10 singles in 10 minutes or less. On week one, start with 85% of your current 1RM, or as close to that as you can estimate. On week two, add 5 pounds or 5% (whichever is less). Use the same progression strategy for weeks 3-4 as well. If you ever miss a lift over the course of 4 weeks, the starting load was too heavy. On week one, try to get your 10 singles as fast as possible, as long as your don’t end up compromising your technique due to fatigue. That being said, if you can get your 10 singles in less than 4 minutes on week one, your starting loads were probably too light. If you cannot complete them in 6 minutes however, the starting load was too heavy for that particular exercise. Doing your 10 singles as fast as possible builds a margin of confidence for future repeats on weeks 2-4. Document your time, along with your other numbers, in your training journal, and then, if possible, try to beat your preceding weeks’ time.
“B” Exercises:
Here you’ll pair a hypertrophy exercise with a “conditioning” drill for the opposing body region.
For the hypertrophy exercise, perform sets of 5 with a starting weight of 80% of your current 1RM for that exercise. On week two, add 5 pounds or 5% (whichever is less). Use the same progression strategy for weeks 3-4 as well.
For the conditioning drill, simply perform one set lasting 60 seconds in between each set for the accompanying hypertrophy movement. The load for the conditioning exercise will need to be selected intuitively, however, the initial load selected should allow allow at least 5 carries per workout.
For the B exercises, limiting yourself to 20 minutes for all sets (after warm-ups). Progression can be accomplished by adding pounds or 5% (whichever is less) to each drill, and (if possible) completing more repeats in the allotted time-frame.
C Exercises:
This exercise is both optional and to taste so to speak. If you like the program but feel the need to do curls, corrective exercises, direct ab work, TRX drills, Kettlebell Get Ups, or whatever else floats your boat, this is your time to do it. My only recommendation is that you simply take caution that the fatigue generated by this free exercise won’t negatively affect anything in your next workout.
Now Do It!
While I’ve provided some solid structure here, I’m not against your application of some creative modification, based on your unique needs and circumstances… the principles involved are what really matter.
Also keep in mind that, although this program features 4 weekly sessions, if you can only do 3 workouts a week, you can still use this program by simply following these 4 workouts in the order suggested above, training thrice per week.
Lastly, I welcome your comments and feedback on this program. So don’t be a stranger!
