This is my Big Boy Matt Workout Routine for maximum power and strength!! Sounds like a fucking infomercial….
In all seriousness this is my routine that I have used and modified over the years to but on solid mass, and become much stronger.
Note: Like I said in previous posts, I am ordering a camera, so I can demonstrate some lifts, exercises, and grappling stuff. But I have another 2 months worth of healing on the shoulder before I can go heavy again (May 2008).
The workouts revolve around the big 3, plus Push Press. I alternate deadlifts and squats depending on the month. Plus, when I am working squats, I like to do the 20 rep squat routine. I have a great deal of success with that. I’ll go over that in another post. This post will use deadlifts as an example, highlighting a sample week workout.
My style of workout
Since I love going heavy and getting stronger my primary lifts (big 4), I typically use a pyramid style of lifting, but never going ABOVE 6-8 reps. Most of my lifts are in the 1-4 range. I like to lift weight. Every week (if possible) I want to see that number go up. Sometimes that is impossible. But to complete my workout, I superset a lot with complimentary exercises to completely tax my body and muscles. So if I did 1 rep of 500lbs of a deadlift, I will rep out doing shrugs, or stiff leg deadlifts. I typically aim for the 12-15 rep range there. That is immediately after I just did the one rep deadlift. I personally like this because it feels like martial arts or grappling training. You do one explosive move, then you’re in a scramble for 10-30 seconds, and then you’re back to a steady pace. Supersetting is an effective way to lift heavy, but to continue to punish after.
Key points to remember.
You must warmup properly. If you go to the gym and just do 3 sets of deadlifts, you have achieved NOTHING. You might have warmed up your muscles and prepared yourself to lift. But in reality, you have done nothing for growth. If your body is warmed up and ready to go, you should be able to do many sets and continue to go up in weight. The number of sets can vary depending on the exercise. Some exercises it takes me a little longer to get going (push press) others I can get into my working sets quicker.
Another aspect of my workouts…. I do A LOT of sets for a particular exercise. It is not uncommon for me to have over 7-8 working sets. With the warmup sets I am easily over 10 sets. This is especially true with Big Boy lifts like deadlifts, squats, push press, etc. I move up in weight in very small increments when I get into my working range. I do not want to shock my body, by adding more then 20lbs per set. As my numbers go up, I typically only add about 10 lbs per set. You’re body will let you know when you’re done. If you still feel strong or like you could do another set, do one! If you’re having a strong and powerful day at the gym, take advantage of it. Don’t let a good opportunity slip away.
Rest periods. If you are lifting for power and strength you need rest. Take about 2-3 minutes between your sets. This can give you enough time to recover. Especially with supersets.
Day 1: Monday - Chest, Triceps (or horizontal pushing movements)
Monday or chest day is actually one of my least favorite days. I recognize the importance of a strong chest, but I can’t bench anymore (bad shoulders). Out of all the exercises, heavy or weighted dips are my favorite. I sometimes put them first or put them last.
Exercise 1: Heavy Dumbbell Press with Hammer Strength Press
3-4 Sets DB Press Warmup
4-5 Sets DB Press 3-6 Reps - Superset: Hammer Strength Press (10-15 reps, more then 15 reps add weight)
Exercise 2: Heavy Close Grip Bench with Tricep Exercise (extensions,pushdowns,etc)
1-2 Sets: CG Bench warmup (your body is now starting to be warmed up already. Use the 1-2 warmups sets to get to your working weight)
3-4 Sets: CG Bench 4-6 reps - Superset: Tricep Exercise (10-15 reps)
Exercise 3: Heavy Weighted Dips or Machine Dips
1-2 Sets: Warmup
4-5 Sets: Heavy dips (3-6 Reps)
Day 2: Tuesday: DEADLIFT DAY!!!
Yes, I basically dedicate a whole day to deadlifting. Its worth it. But, you can substitute deadlifts with high pulls or power cleans. Or superset with high pulls or power cleans. Or do high pulls or power cleans and superset those with light deadlifts. Or not superset at all and just do the additional exercises. The goal of this day is to work hip and leg power, and generate some explosiveness. I hope I am not confusing people too much. The concept is periodization. You do not want your body and mind to become static with one lift. Train one way for 4-6 weeks, then switch it up. The example below is a typical deadlift week where I am going for pure strength.
Exercise 1: Heavy Deadlifts
3-5 Deadlift Warmup Sets
5-7 Working Deadlift Sets (1-5 Reps)
Exercise 2: Heavy Traps (hammer strength trap machine, barbell, or trap bar) superset DB Shurgs, or Kelso Shrugs or Hize Shrugs
1-3 Heavy Shrug Warmups
3-5 Heavy Shrug sets (3-5 reps) superset DB Shrugs (10-12 reps)
Day 3: REST!!
Day 4: Big Boy Shoulders Day (My personal favorite)
This day I focus on my strength and overall pressing power. The hands down best exercise for this the heavy push press / overhead press. No other upperbody exercise challenges your body and mind then the push press.
As I’m about to write about this, I’m getting all fired about up it. I started thinking about what its like. I’m actually slightly shaking with excitement and energy. There’s nothing else in the world that makes me that energized and excited then lifting heavy weight, and fighting.
Here’s what push press feels like for me… Why it gets me so fired up, and why I relate it so much to fighting.
You stand in front of the rack adjusting and moving the weight around to find the right position and balance to lift from. You grab the bar, ready to drive yourself underneath it…. You’re trying to erase all doubt, trying to get mentally prepared. You’re telling yourself that this weight is easy, it’s going to feel light in your hands. This weight is nothing to you… you’re going to own this weight.
Suddenly, without thought, you just go, you drive yourself under the bar and you rack it at your shoulders….fuck that shit is heavy, but not that heavy. You got this thing, you own this weight.
You’re stabilizing the weight, trying to prepare yourself for that drive. Its so uncomfortable it makes your hands and wrists scream for relief. An inch of doubt creeps into your mind. You think you should have no business lifting this thing, this weight is too heavy for you.
Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and you don’t even know who that is… it’s some crazy guy holding a bar full of weight that weighs more then him! And now this guy… YOU are going drive that weight up in the air, and SOMEHOW balance this and stabilize it up in the air. It’s going to require every ounce of power and strength you have!!! You have to believe you can do it! You remove all fear and doubt from your mind. This weight WILL NOT beat you. You OWN this weight. Now FUCKING lift it!!!
The way I see it, the best benefit you can have from lifting is going heavy, going challenging yourself to go farther then you have before.
Exercise 1: Heavy Push Press
3-4 Warmup sets
5-7 Heavy Push Press sets (1-5 reps)
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Clean and Press superset side laterals
1-2 Warmup sets
3-4 Dumbbell Clean and Press sets (5-8 reps) superset side laterals 10-12 reps
You have an option here, stop or go on. Lately I’ve been going on. I either do another pressing exercise for medium to high reps like hammer strength presses, and I superset it with front laterals. I also might throw in a set or two of steep incline dumbbell presses. It just depends on how you feel.
Day 5 - Power Cleans Or Power Curls and Back
I’ve been doing a lot of Power Curls lately supersetted with heavy (weight strapped on) pullups. I’m just really liking the routine. And power curls feel very powerful to me.
Exercise 1: Heavy Power Curls superset Pullups
2-3 Warmups Sets - Power Curls
4-5 Working Sets Power Curls superset Pullups (6-10 reps)
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Rows or Barbell Rows superset Pulldowns
1-3 Warmups Sets - Dumbbell Rows
3-4 Working Sets Dumbbell Rows superset Pulldowns (10-12 reps)
Exercise 3: Vanity Muscles - Bicep Curls
3-4 Working Sets Bicep Curls (10-12 reps)
Day 6,7 - Rest OR…
On Day 6, I sometimes do odd lifting. Sandbags, Kettlebells, Truck Pushing, etc. I do this with Oz as more a of a strength endurance day. Very tough workouts. One of my favorites routines is by the Diesel Crew. Those guys are fucking awesome too. Smitty from the Diesel Crew is the nicest, strongest dude I know. Oz and I will do this routine 5x with around a 100lb sandbag. It is GRUELING!! And again its very mentally taxing when you know it’s about to be your turn. We finish with pushing my truck if we have the engery 
Check it out:
DieselCrew.com - Quick Grappler Sandbag Circuit
Check out Diesel Crew’s stuff too:
Diesel Crew Home Page
Diesel Crew Youtube Page
My name is Matt Bryers, I run this thing along with a few other sites, most notably