Hepburn programming

[Rosco]

Has anyone tried running any of the Hepburn programming floating around the internet?

I am looking at the “A routine” that progresses through 4 - 10 singles at 90% over 7 workouts. Once done then add 5kg and repeat.

Was planning on putting this in an upper/lower 4 day split so each lift twice per week.

Not sure if this is legit or a waste of time.

I’m a 5’10” male weighing ~235lbs.
Lifts are squat 450, dead 530, press 180.

Thanks
Ross

[Johnsonville]

Has anyone tried running any of the Hepburn programming floating around the internet?

I am looking at the “A routine” that progresses through 4 - 10 singles at 90% over 7 workouts. Once done then add 5kg and repeat.

Was planning on putting this in an upper/lower 4 day split so each lift twice per week.

Not sure if this is legit or a waste of time.

I’m a 5’10” male weighing ~235lbs.
Lifts are squat 450, dead 530, press 180.

Thanks
Ross

I did it for a little bit. It worked fine, but the compressed Texas method worked much better for me. I find it fun trying out some of those old time routines just to break things up every once in a while though.

[Rosco]

Thanks for the input.

I’m interested to see how this pans out. On the face of it there just doesn’t seem to be enough work but time will tell.

[Eric Larousse]

It is a good program. Hepburn was god awful strong doing exactly that.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It is a good program. Hepburn was god awful strong doing exactly that.

Have you not yet figured out that these two statements can be completely unrelated? That Hepburn may well have been god-awful strong doing no program at all?

[Rosco]

I’m up to 7 singles on this and first impressions are that it is probably going to be a waste of time.

I should probably have guessed this given that

A) I am not Doug Hepburn
B) The stress of squatting multiple singles at over 700lbs is somewhat different to squatting 400lbs.

I suppose this is the equivalent of getting Michael Jordan’s training routine and expecting unicorns to fly out of my ass.

On the plus side, the workouts are quick. I’ll run it out and see how I do.

[dalan]

Not trying to be argumentative, just an observation. Whatever I've read, and I have admittedly not read that much, about the A program is that it's 8 doubles at 80% the first workout then the next is 7 doubles and a triple, the next is 6 doubles and 2 triples and so on. After that part of the session, you take off 20% and do 3 sets of 6 progressing to 2 sets of 6 and 1 set of 7 and so on.

Either way, I'm sure it will work if you want a change of pace. Most programs work. But let me ask you, if I may - you're pretty strong. Are you still getting stronger doing what you're currently doing?

[Rosco]

Depending on what article you read there are a few different routines going by the name “A routine”. I read the Forged in passion article by Marty Gallagher which initially got my interest then did the usual google searching to find more info.

Apparently (according to the internet, so very reliable) the back off set part of the routine was recommended against by Hepburn latterly. But who knows.

The 8x2 to 8x3 is where I am headed after the singles stop going up.

Point taken on most programs working.

I was doing PH3 but it was taking forever to complete workouts and I was stuck.

I’ll run the program out and see what happens.