Power to the People programming summary

[spiderman]

Tonight I read Power to the People and thought I'd make a summary. The salesmanship does help sell the idea of the program but boiled down there isn't much "what do I actually do?" information. Anything critical that I missed?

Power to the People Program (strength not size)

Workout five days per week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Every workout is the same. Workouts take about 25 minutes.

A deadlift variant
today's work weight x 5 reps
90% of today's work weight x 5 reps

A press variant
today's work weight x 5 reps
90% of today's work weight x 5 reps

• Do not attempt a rep if there is any chance you might fail!
• Standard mixed grip deadlift (alternate grip each set) is suggested but other variants are also mentioned and explained
• Side press is suggested (which must mean doing it on both sides) but other presses are also mentioned and explained
• 3-5 seconds up for deadlift and press
• drop weight to floor for deadlift
• 3-5 seconds down for press
• 3-5 minutes rest between sets
• You can swap the order and do the press before the deadlift if you want to.
• Use chalk. No belt. No straps. No shoes (deadlift slippers ok if your gym requires shoes)
• No pre-workout stretching or warm-up sets. If you must then just do a couple lighter sets with two or three reps just to get into the groove. I haven't read the power stretching chapter thoroughly.

Cycling

• Effective cycles are 8-16 workouts.
• Deadlift and press cycles can be independent.
• Start a cycle with 70-80% of your 5RM or a weight you can comfortably do 10 reps.
• You can increase the weights in a linear, flexible wave, structured wave, or step pattern during the cycle. Linear is +5 pounds per workout. Flexible wave is +5 pounds per workout and decrease weight when feeling tired and then work upwards again. Structured wave is +5 pounds per workout for four workouts and then -15 pounds and then work upwards again. Step pattern is +5 pounds then same weight for a one or several more workouts followed by another increase.

Russian Bear Program (strength and size)

Same as the Power to the People Program but with added back off sets for both the deadlift and the press. Workouts take about 45 minutes. A back off set is

80% of today's work weight x 5 reps

• Do as many back off sets as possible with good form (maybe 5-25 sets)
• 30-90 second rests between back off sets
• Reduce workout frequency but not by much [perhaps 3 or 4 days per week?]
• Eat a lot especially protein (e.g. meat, eggs, milk)
• Rest a lot
• Reduce stress in life

The 5x5x5 Mind Over Muscle Program

This program is not from Power to the People. I think it is interesting in relation to the Power to the People program as it is similar but with more variety of exercises. It appeared in an article Pavel wrote for Muscle Media magazine and the article is available on Bodybuilding.com.

• Select five basic exercises for your whole body. (For example you could use squat, deadlift, press, bench press, pull-ups.)
• Perform all of them five days a week, Monday through Friday.
• Start every workout with two or three singles to gauge what the work set weight should be.
• Do only one work set of five per exercise, leaving a couple of reps in the bank.
• Focus on staying tight, power breathing and the perfect groove.
• After five weeks, test your maxes and switch to a different type of routine

"The usual 5x5x5 pattern is a very strong start on Monday, a PR on Tuesday, Wednesday could go either way. Thursday and Friday are downhill as fatigue builds up. By Monday you will be rested and ready to smash new records."

Logs

• Campbell's Russian Bear report
• NKT's Russian Bear log
• MazdaMatt goes on the Russian Bear program
• aron on the Russian Bear
• newsole on the Russian Bear

[Jeffrey]

I don't like these routines as much as his Mind Over Muscle/5x5x5 routine. He has convinced me that high frequency routines are badass, though.

[manisstrong]

I don't like these routines as much as his Mind Over Muscle/5x5x5 routine. He has convinced me that high frequency routines are badass, though.

I'm trying out 5x5x5 at the moment. By the way, what's with the 3-5 seconds up and down for press?

[MazdaMatt]

I'm doing the bear right now. I'm targetting 15 sets at 80%, if I can get it I bump the weight 5lbs. I have read that it is not recommended to do press for the bear, but side press or bench press is okay. Maybe I'm working too heavy, but 90s-2min is a good start interval for deads, 60-second starts for bench press. The program is fucking brutal. I've done 4 workouts so far. going later this morning for my 5th. My first workout I totally over-estimated my deadlift ability and managed 4.5 sets of 80% deads. brutal.

The endurance adaptation is quick, I'm finding.

I started using a belt on the 80% deads and I like it - eases off the tired back a bit and works the abs more.

edit: I don't have the book, i just read the internet. Also, i'm going to run this program till overtraining reduces my sets below ten.

[spiderman]

I'm doing the bear right now. I'm targetting 15 sets at 80%, if I can get it I bump the weight 5lbs.

That's not one of the progression plans in the book but there are so many in the book that it seems doing whatever you want is almost fine.

I have read that it is not recommended to do press for the bear, but side press or bench press is okay.

I did not see a prohibition of the press in the book. The book says the pressing move is just a cherry on top of the deadlift to get the muscles the deadlift does not work enough. The deadlift is 80% important and the press is just the other 20%. So doing the press does not seem like it would be a disaster.

Maybe I'm working too heavy, but 90s-2min is a good start interval for deads, 60-second starts for bench press. The program is fucking brutal. I've done 4 workouts so far. going later this morning for my 5th. My first workout I totally over-estimated my deadlift ability and managed 4.5 sets of 80% deads. brutal.

If you are resting 90s-2min in the back off sets then doesn't that mean you might end up being able to do more sets than you should because of the extra rest and that is making the workouts more brutal than they should be?

I started using a belt on the 80% deads and I like it - eases off the tired back a bit and works the abs more.

No belts, shoes, or straps allowed in the program. ;-)

[Campbell]

I already did a write-up of the bear and my results on it.

Amazing. I would recommend it to any intermediate trainee.

[David Lee]

I already did a write-up of the bear and my results on it.

Amazing. I would recommend it to any intermediate trainee.

Link?

[Bloodninja666]

Link?

+1

[NKT]

Link?

Campbell's writeup of his bear experience: Wrestling with the bear

I also did three weeks of balls-out bear programming; my experience was similar to Campbell's: about a 10% increase in press strength and 5% increase in DL strength in three weeks, and a shitload of muscle gain. Also the hardest program I've ever done.

[rockyshaun]

So no squats or chins or anything else?