8 Weeks To Monster Shoulders

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8 Weeks to Monster Shoulders

by Alwyn Cosgrove and Chad Waterbury
Showdown
The setting: High noon, a British pub somewhere in Santa Monica.
The players: Alwyn Cosgrove, the Scottish strength and conditioning terror now based in California, and
Chad Waterbury, the gunslingin' performance guru from Arizona.
The shootout: The two sought-after trainers had met to throw down on the topic of training
methodology. This meeting could have ended in two ways: in a head busting barroom brawl or in the
formation of a new alliance.
After much heated debate (and not a few pints of ale), something became very clear: both strength
experts began to realize that their underlying values, methods, and philosophies had much in common.
They quickly learned that the other had something very valuable to offer. Indeed, the sum of these
voices appeared to be much greater than the individual parts.
As the afternoon came to a close, Cosgrove and Waterbury built a bond held together by the most
powerful adhesive agent of all: respect. You're about to embark on a shoulder building routine from two
of the top players in this field. Get ready to test, repair, and monster-size your shoulders!
Cosgrove Jumps Into the Ring
Shoulder training is interesting; it's one of the most popular subjects in fitness and bodybuilding
magazines. Shoulder rehabilitation is also interesting; it's one of the most talked about orthopedic issues
in the rehabilitation industry. Even here on T-Nation, the most talked about injuries seem to be shoulder
girdle related. Hmm, could there be a link? I think so!
The shoulder girdle is subject to frequent injuries partly because of strength imbalances around it (i.e.
people use more volume and more load when they bench press than when they do any type of rowing).
Improper loading parameters when training the shoulder directly is another factor leading to frequent
injury.
In an attempt to circumvent shoulder problems, it's important for you to determine whether or not your
shoulders are healthy enough to be loaded. Physical therapists have a ton of evaluation tools they use to
determine what exactly is injured. However, most of us don't see a PT until we're already banged-up.
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What Chad and I devised is a method for screening your shoulders to determine whether or not you're
ready for loading. In other words, are you an injury waiting to happen?
If you fail the following screens (taken from Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen), start with
Phase I of the program. If you pass with flying colors, start with Phase II. If in doubt, start this program
with Phase I. In doing so you'll be sure to reap the greatest benefits from the program.
Quick Fiery Scot Aside: The popular term for routines similar to the following Phase I is
"prehabilitation." This is a bullshit term that fitness professionals have come up with to mean "injury
prevention."
I fucking hate that term. It implies that there's something different about this type of training, and that all
other forms of training are "injury promoting." As a fitness coach I feel all training should be aimed at
preventing injury!
Big Rocks Theory
Before we start, a quick story:
A professor addressed a group of business students. He pulled out a one-gallon Mason jar and set it on
the table. Then he produced a dozen fist-sized rocks and placed them into the jar. The professor asked,
"Is the jar full?"
"Yes," the group said.
Next, he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped the gravel in with the big
rocks and shook the jar. He asked, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one student answered.
Then the instructor reached under the table and grabbed a bucket of sand. He dumped the sand, which
went into all the places between the rocks and the gravel. He asked, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Next, he grabbed a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar until the jar was filled to the brim. He said,
"The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them
in. Put the big rocks in first."
The Theory Applied

It's important to understand that when any strength coach talks about specialization routines, he's
honestly talking about the "water in the jar." The big rocks – squats, deadlifts, rows, etc. – should all still
be mainstays in your program.
I believe that if a program contained squats, deadlifts, chins, dips, rows, presses, extensions, and curls, it
would likely give you a 100% improvement. However, doing squats and deadlifts alone would likely be
responsible for 50% of that improvement.
So, before you get into our routine, make sure the big rocks are firmly in place!
Screening Tools
Mobility Test: First, we start by measuring the length of your hand by using the distance from the bony
part on the outside of your wrist to the tip of your middle finger. Now make a fist and put your thumb
inside.
Reach over your shoulder and down behind your head with your right hand, and around your back and
up with your left hand. We then measure the distance between the fists. Perform on both sides.

A perfect score ("A") would have your fists within one hand length. A "B" score would have your fists
within one-and-a-half hand lengths. A complete "you suck" score would have the distance outside of one
and a half hand lengths.
Active Impingement Test: Place your hand on your opposite shoulder and try to point your elbow
upward without your palm leaving contact with your opposite shoulder. If you can't break parallel with
the floor or the movement causes pain, you fail the test. (Interestingly, some guys will get pain; others
will have no pain, but a poor range of motion or ROM. It's as if their bodies won't allow them to go into
the painful ROM.)

"Dude, I failed. What does this mean?"
First of all, the very fact that we've identified a potential problem has probably saved you. But why did
you get a poor score? There are a few reasons.
In sports, there's a widely-held belief that external rotation with overhead athletes is gained at the
expense of internal rotation (the previous test addressed both). There's also the typical bodybuilder
postural changes (i.e. rounded shoulders, forward head posture) caused primarily by overdevelopment
(shortening) of the pecs and lats in relation to their antagonists. A "you suck" score may indicate some
problems in movement of the scapula and thoracic spine.
Phase I: The Program
Phase I is designed to address any shoulder problems that might exist. You might be surprised that this
workout is challenging! If you failed the above test, do not skip this routine (unless you're excited about
making your orthopedic surgeon's Mercedes Benz payments).
Daily mobilization work: Sit in a chair that comes up to the middle of your back. Put your hands behind
your head, lift your elbows to the ceiling, and bend backwards over the back of the chair. Using the chair
as the fulcrum, you'll develop thoracic extension. The thoracic extension exercise should be performed
for 10 repetitions, every 2-3 hours.
Pre-Workout: Thoracic mobilization work on the foam roller (same as above only lying supine across a
foam roller).
The Workout

A1: Reach, Roll and Lift (in "rock" position below)
Sets: 2
Reps: 5-10
Rest: 10 seconds
Note: Pause 2 seconds at contraction
Position: "Rock" position – Chest on your thighs, glutes on your calves, and hands reached out flat and
facedown. Head should be down.
Movement: Slide one hand out as far as possible and externally rotate hand so palm faces ceiling. Lift
arm upward without the chest moving away from thighs. Return to starting position and switch sides.
Start Reach
Roll and Lift
A2: Dumbbell External Rotation
Sets: 2

Reps: 10 (each arm)

Rest: 10 seconds
Note: Pause for 2 seconds, three times during the negative phase of contraction.

A3: L-lateral Raise
Sets: 2
Reps: 10-12
Rest: 90 seconds before repeating A1/A2/A3
Note: Pause for 2 seconds at contraction. Because of the forward position of the dumbbells relative to
the torso, this variation of the lateral raise stresses the rotator cuff more effectively.

B1: YTWL
Sets: 2
Reps: 8-12
Rest: 0 seconds between variations
Note: Pause for 1 second at contraction


L Part I
L Part II
B2: Seated Cable Row with Rope to Neck

Sets: 2
Reps: 12-15
Rest: 90 seconds before repeating B1/B2
Note: Pause for 1 second at contraction
C: Push-up Plus on Swiss Ball

Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Rest: 60 seconds between sets

Note: No pause at either stretched or contracted position. This is just a push-up performed with your
hands on the stability ball; however, at the end of the rep (the "plus" position), the shoulder blades
should be pushed as far forward as possible.
D: Static Stretching of the Lats and Pecs
Sets: 2-3
Duration: 30-60 seconds
Note: Progressively increase duration
Additional Points
1. This program should replace your regular shoulder workout for the next four weeks.
2. Perform the workout every five days, before any other exercises.

Now that your shoulders have been effectively primed for size, strength, health, and performance, it's
time to move on to Phase II.
Phase II: Enter Waterbury
Apparently, no one seems to be satisfied with their shoulder development. How can such a provocative
statement be made? Because shoulder training articles are hugely popular!
Think about it, if most trainees were satisfied, they wouldn't continuously seek out programs to build the
size, strength, and health of their shoulder musculature. Obviously, this issue needs to be addressed.
Most trainees haven't built up their shoulders to respectable proportions because they lack complete
understanding of structure and function. Indeed, structure determines function. And a thorough
understanding of function will delineate what muscles should be worked, and how. Therefore, the issue
of shoulder structure and function must be first addressed to help you tackle your underdeveloped,
shoulder training woes.
Structure and Function: A Complex Issue
To say the shoulder joint is relatively complex is a lot like saying Elisha Cuthbert is kinda hot. A better
way to say it would be this: The shoulder region represents the most complex joint structure in the
human body! That's why biomechanics refer to the region not as the shoulder joint, but as the shoulder
complex.
Such structural complexity is necessary to allow you to perform a plethora of movement patterns. It's
much more complex than other joints that are notorious for sidelining your efforts. Think of the knee
joint: what can it do? Basically, it can flex or extend. Now think about the shoulder joint: what
movement patterns can it induce? Are you running out of movements? Good, then it's time for your
lesson.
The shoulder complex is comprised of three segments: the scapula, the clavicle, and the humerus. These
segments are controlled by the following structures: the scapulothoracic (ST) joint, the sternoclavicular
(SC) joint, the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, and the glenohumeral (GH) joint.
Some joint experts also include the coracoacromial arch (also known as the suprahumeral joint) when
describing the shoulder complex. But we'll stick to the first four structures for the sake of simplicity. It
must be mentioned that it's very difficult to separate the functions of each structure since much overlap
occurs during movement. Nevertheless, here goes.

ST Joint: The ST joint moves the scapula in the following ways: elevation-depression, abduction-
adduction (protraction-retraction), and upward-downward rotation.
SC Joint: This joint is particularly important since it's the only structural attachment, via the clavicle,
between the scapula and the rest of the body. The SC joint performs the following clavicular functions:
elevation-depression, protraction-retraction, and rotation.
AC Joint: The AC joint attaches the acromion of the scapula to the lateral clavicle. While some
discrepancy exists regarding the function of the AC joint, Morris' observations seem to be most
consistent with other experts. Therefore, the AC joint appears to induce scapular rotation, winging, and
tipping (1). Basically, the AC joint allows the scapula to stay in line (move) with the curvature of the
ribcage during arm movements.
GH Joint: The GH joint is located between the head of the humerus and the glenoid fossa of the scapula.
This joint is the site for much pathology such as degeneration and derangement. In fact, many experts
consider the GH joint to be a sloppy arrangement since it can wreck havoc on your shoulder health.
Ever heard of the rotator cuff? I bet you have. And you're probably familiar with it since its role is to
stabilize the nasty GH joint. Therefore, your rotator cuff must be iron-clad to protect this volatile
structure.
All four of the aforementioned joints integrate to control the function of the shoulder complex. A large
ROM can occur at the GH joint (120° of flexion and 90-120° of abduction), but it must be aided by the
SC and AC linkages for full movement capabilities. Indeed, a maximum elevation of 180° requires the

input from all available structures. The concerted effort of all four structures allows for scapulohumeral
rhythm.
Now that we've identified the major joints of the shoulder complex, it's time to get to the good stuff:
muscles!
Muscles for Function
It's commonly accepted that elevation and depression are the two primary patterns of shoulder complex
function (2). Therefore, in order to build your shoulders up to astonishing levels, we must train the
musculature that work to perform elevation and depression in addition to all secondary functions. Here
they are:
Shoulder Complex Elevators: deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, upper/
middle/lower trapezius, rhomboid, and serratus anterior muscles.
Shoulder Complex Depressors: latissimus dorsi, pectoral, teres major, and rhomboid muscles.
You might be surprised by a few of the aforementioned muscle groups. After all, most people don't think
of training their lats, rhomboids, and serratus muscles to build up bigger shoulders. Ah ha! Have we
pinpointed the problem?
If you perform nothing but side raises and overhead presses in an effort to build more musculature
shoulders, you're going to be severely disappointed. The body doesn't want to build muscle groups out of
proportion. This "protective" mechanism keeps you from predisposing yourself to injury. Therefore, you
must train your primary movers that surround and support the shoulder complex.
This reasoning is akin to building your upper back in order to support more muscular arms. Now do you
see why Alwyn and I are proponents of looking at the "big picture" first (think back to his "Big Rocks"
example)? You must put in the big rocks first: you must develop your primary movers to support growth
of your shoulder musculature.
With that in mind, it's time for Phase II!
Phase II
Workout 1
A: Snatch Grip Deadlift

Sets: 2

Reps: 6
Load: 6RM
Rest: 120 seconds between sets
B1: Upright Rows

Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Load: 8RM
Rest: 10 seconds
Note: Use a barbell, dumbbells or EZ curl bar

B2: Side Raises on Incline Bench

Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Load: 8RM
Rest: 10 seconds
B3: Wide Grip Pulldowns

Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90 seconds before repeating B1/B2/B3

Note: Lean back slightly and pull down to your upper chest until your scapulae are fully retracted.
C1: Incline Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Sets: 2
Reps: 10
Load: 10RM
Rest: 10 seconds
Note: Perform on a 60-75 degree incline. Your palms should face each other throughout movement.
Keep your elbows tucked to your sides as you lower.

C2: Decline Dumbbell Chest Press

Sets: 2
Reps: 10
Load: 10RM
Rest: 10 seconds
Note: Use a slight decline and keep your palms facing each other throughout. Don't lock out the elbows
at the top.

C3: Standing Dumbbell Front Raise

Sets: 2
Reps: 10
Load: 10RM
Rest: 75 seconds before repeating C1/C2/C3
Note: If available, perform while standing with a Swiss ball between your lower back and a wall. If ball
isn't available, stand with your back against a wall. Don't lower your arms to perpendicular; instead,
keep them slightly elevated at the bottom to maintain deltoid tension.

D: Dumbbell External Rotation

Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Load: 12RM
Rest: 75 seconds
Note: This exercise can be performed on a Swiss ball or a bench. Even though it's great for the external
rotators, it's just as effective for deltoid development since the upper arm isn't supported. Don't let your
upper arms fall toward the floor as you externally rotate.
Additional Points
1. Perform this routine twice per week, evenly spaced, for four weeks.

2. Increase the load 2-3% with each subsequent workout.
3. Stretch your lats and pecs after each workout.
Conclusion
Now you have an eight week specialization plan to build shoulder integrity and girth. Once you finish,
you'll be able to take pride in the fact that your shoulder function will mirror an elite athlete's and look as
good as a competitive bodybuilder's!
About the Authors
For the past sixteen years, Alwyn Cosgrove has been committed to achieving excellence in the field of
fitness training and athletic preparation. Specializing in performance enhancement, Alwyn has helped
countless individuals and athletes reach their goals through sound scientific training. Learn more about
him at www.alwyncosgrove.com.
Chad Waterbury is a strength and conditioning coach with Bachelor of Science degrees in Human
Biology and Physical Science. Currently, he's studying graduate work in Physiology at the University of
Arizona. He operates his company, Chad Waterbury Strength & Conditioning, in Tucson, AZ, where his
clientele consists of members of military Special Forces units, athletes, professionals and non-athletes
seeking exceptional physical performance and development. You can contact him through his website,
ChadWaterbury.com.
References
1) Morris, J: Joints of the shoulder girdle. Aust J Physiother 24, June, 1978.
2) Perry, J: Normal upper extremity kinesiology. Phys Ther 58:265, March 1978.
© 1998 — 2005 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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If It's Not Cosgrove, It's Crap!

20 Things that make me shake my head
by Alwyn Cosgrove
Editor's Note: Don't blame the title of this article on Alwyn. While having lunch with Mr. C and
listening to his acerbic viewpoint on, well, just about everything, I was reminded of the old Saturday
Night Live, Mike Myers skit where Myers played a Scottish shopkeeper whose motto was, "If it's not
Scottish, it's Crap!" Naming the article after that line seemed appropriate.
— TC
This isn't my usual type of article. Rather than launch into a specific training program, TC's given me
this opportunity to launch into an Alwyn Cosgrove rant. A brief warning for the timid, however: I am
the king of the politically incorrect.
It has been said that if you don't piss off someone each day, then you're just not doing enough. That has
become my mantra. I like to start early, too. There are days when I just wake up, switch on the TV and
tell Matt Lauer to get fucked.
So in keeping with that sentiment, there are a few things I'd like to discuss.
1) YARDWORK
As a young lad growing up in rainy Scotland, my Dad used to have me move shit around. I dragged logs,
lifted rocks, chopped wood, moved sandbags (to stop the rain from flowing into the house from the hill
outside) and generally did manual labor. In exchange for my labors, I received a few pennies to spend.
I thought my Dad was a cantankerous old bastard.
Little did I know he was apparently a master strength and conditioning coach and this was merely my
GPP phase.
Now people all over the world pay Master coaches like my dad large sums of money for the pleasure of
moving shit around backyard gardens all over the world.
Brilliant!
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It's not mowing the lawn, it's GPP!
2) FASTED CARDIO
Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously, are you fucking kidding me? Why are we even talking about
this?
Let's take two twins, both 200lbs, both doing the same training program, taking the same supplements,
and following the same nutrition plan in the hopes of getting lean.
One difference, though: one of them eats 2 eggs and does 30 minutes of cardio three days per week. The
other does 30 minutes of cardio, three days per week and THEN eats 2 eggs.
So what's the magical difference in terms of fat loss after six months? Drum roll please...
I'll tell you — no fucking difference.
However, whenever you bring up this question we get a ton of responses saying, "This is exactly the
information I needed!". Oh fuck off. The reason you are still fat is because you couldn't decide to do
cardio on an empty stomach or not?
30 minutes of steady state cardio will burn about 300 calories. Three times per week – 900 calories. Add
that up for 26 weeks and we get a whopping: 23,400 calories.

Or 6.6 lbs of fat.
In six months.
If doing it fasted, burned 30% more (which it doesn't), you're looking at another 2lbs of fat in that same
six month period.
Or an additional 0.07 pounds per week.
And for those of you who say – I do fasted cardio but I have a small scoop of protein first, then you're
NOT DOING IT FASTED THEN, ARE YOU?
Fat people finish marathons all the time. Aerobic training doesn't do a hell of a lot for real world fat loss.
Even if you're hungry.
3) BOOT CAMPS
Boot camp is where trainee soldiers go to learn the art of war, get in shape, and prepare to be on the
front line. What your gym offers is known to children all around the world as playing soldier.
Dressing up in green camouflage and having someone yelling at you to keep your feet six inches off the
ground while you're lying in the mud is not cutting edge fitness training. Its cutting edge fucking stupid
is what it is.
The guys at Camp Pendleton are preparing to go into battle; at Camp Happy Fitness LA or whatever it's
called, they're pretending to go into battle. And you're 30 years old. Fucking stop it. Next you'll be
pointing your finger and pretend-shooting people.
And while we're at it, Tae Bo is not going to make you a ninja.

Playing soldier isn't the same as being a soldier.
4) BODYPART SPLITS
I think my mission in life is to rid the world of this ridiculous workout notion. Somehow this highly
developed organism that we call the human body is not a remarkable piece of machinery that functions
flawlessly as a unit, it's just random ass "parts" put together — each of which can be worked separately.
My arse.

You didn't even turn your computer on using only one muscle so why in God's name are you trying to
develop a body using some sort of body part split?
And while I'm on the subject, how come fingers and toes don't get their own "day"?
Biceps get their own special recognition, what about fingers and toes and sternocleido mastoids? Or left
arm on one day, right arm on another day (different body parts)? Because it's stupid, right? Well, so is
splitting up your chest and shoulder "days".
There are NO athletes other than a small bunch of genetically gifted, pharmaceutical abusing individuals
who use a "body part" split with any success. NONE.
Now, if you ARE one of the genetic elite pharmaceutical abusers, then feel free.
Split routines arrived on the scene shortly after Dianabol was popular. Do you see the connection?
Now before you ask me, "Can I split up my routine in some way?" Of course you can. But split it up
based on what your body DOES, not based on what "part" it is. Splitting up by parts makes as much
sense as splitting up by the number of freckles in that area.
5) PEOPLE WHO BUY THEIR PROTEIN POWDER OR VITAMINS BASED ON PRICE
There is a reason that you pay less for some brands. It's because they suck.
Why are you making a decision on whether or not to consume something (sometimes two or more times
per day) based solely on price? And do not fucking start me up by saying the ingredients are the same.
All cars have four wheels, a seat, an engine, and a steering wheel, but a Corvette is a little different than
a Chevette.
Coal is cheap. Diamonds are expensive. Try giving your girlfriend a coal ring for your engagement and
explain that it's the same thing and it's just marketing. She'll cut your dick off and put it on display in a
pickle jar. Which brings me to my next point...
6) PICKLES
Every restaurant and deli on the face of this country puts a green, lumpy, decomposing, venereal-disease
ridden penis on my plate. Or chopped up in my sandwich.

Oozing green fluids.
In the US they call it a dill pickle and it is clearly the sign of the devil. It is a dead decomposing
cucumber that looks like a penis, and it's been kept from rotting by liberal use of vinegar. And you
expect me to eat it?
I do not like green penises with my lunch, I do not like them Sam-I-am.
7) DOING BICEPS CURLS WHEN YOU CAN'T DO A SINGLE CHIN UP
Enough said.
8) INTERNET SUPER-TRAINERS WHO HAVE TRAINED ABOUT THREE PEOPLE, EVER, IF

THAT. AND GOT NO RESULTS
You know who you are.
9) PROGRAMS THAT VIOLATE BASIC TRAINING PRINCIPLES
You can't forget that maximal voluntary contractions are necessary to improve. Overload. If you don't
overload the muscles, nothing happens. No matter how cool, big, clever, cutting edge, or exciting it
sounds.

10) PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THE FAT LOSS SECRET
I can vividly remember doing a photo shoot at our gym with a male client who had lost 85lbs of fat and
now had a nice six-pack to show for his efforts.
My own gym members came up and asked me what his "secret" was.
There is no secret.
They seemed to think I'd given him the "real" information and had withheld it from them! He's been
given the same advice as I give to everyone else — he just chose to follow it a little more closely.
Fat loss is not under the control of the magic fat loss fairies. It's based on simple changes in behavior.
Granted, there are programs out there that work better than others, but it's more likely because some
programs violate number #9 above.
11) "WESTSIDE" TRAINING
You aren't training Westside unless you are actually in Ohio at the Westside Barbell Club. So stop
pretending.
Jim Wendler once told me he sees people doing different things at the real Westside club all the time so
he has no idea what "Westside" is when people talk about it.
"If you don't train at or have trained at Westside then you are NOT WESTSIDE! I am sick of people
tagging this to their work especially when they have never stepped foot in the gym. They need to
understand Westside is more than a program, far more."
— Dave Tate

And another thing, understand that the Westside model of training is a very advanced strength training
method that combines max effort methods with dynamic effort methods and repeated effort methods in a
conjugated periodization model solely to enhance the performance (strength) of three movement
patterns – bench, squat, and deadlift.
Is it a great method? Absolutely.
Is it the best method for rehabbing an injury, developing mobility, improving your chin up performance
or developing lactate tolerance? Nope.
It won't work for everything. You can hammer in a nail with a screwdriver, but a hammer will work
better. Use the correct tool for each job.
Coming soon though: Westside for triathletes, Westside for window cleaners, and Westside for basket
weaving.
12) PERFECT ROUTINE SEEKERS
There is no perfect routine. The fact that your favorite author just published a new workout that is
"exactly what I've been waiting for!" just shows us that you have no long term plan for any type of
success and are unlikely to make any progress.
Stick with the basics, and stick with them long enough so you get an adaptation. Don't change too often.
It's clear to me that most people follow completely uncomplimentary workouts for short periods of time.

Success will only come when you commit to a long term program where each phase complements the
previous phase. A program is a long term approach for success. A workout or a phase of a program only
works as a part of the big picture.
13) CHARLES STALEY
Okay Charles, we get it. do more work in less time. Enough already.
14) CHAD WATERBURY PUTTING SALT IN HIS BEER
I saw him. Apparently it makes you pee less often. But it didn't work. I'm still wondering about that.
And the fact that I counted who peed the most concerns me also.
15) COACHES WITH NO HAIR
Are Chad and I the only coaches who still have hair? Yes I'm talking to you, Jim Wendler, Dave Tate,
Paul Chek, Charles Staley, Pavel Tsatsouline, Zach Even-Esh, Joe DeFranco, Ian King, Jason Ferrugia,
and Christian Thibaudeau...
Woah. That list was bigger than I thought! Maybe I need to shave my head.
PS: Dave Tate doesn't really shave his head–-he has the wrap around going on though. But that's only
because he can't reach the back of his head to shave it.


Caption: Baldness in strength coaches: A prerequisite to greatness or just nature's way of preventing
them from getting laid and reproducing?
16) RYAN SEACREST
Come on America. How did this neo-maxi-zundweebie (points for the movie) become a star?
17) PEOPLE WHO ASK ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS AND DON'T FLOSS
Okay. I stole this one from Dan John. But if you don't have the discipline to floss your teeth twice a day
(which has been proven beyond any doubt to be worthwhile, not only in terms of dental hygiene, but
also in terms of inflammation and heart health), then how do you expect to suddenly develop the
discipline to take four pills three times a day to see a small benefit?
18) PAPER AND PENCIL PROGRAMS
There are some people out there who write programs/articles that are absolutely shit. They are so
desperate to see their name in print that they come up with fictional garbage just to sound cool.
Just because it looks good on paper, doesn't mean it will work worth a shit in real life.
19) "A CALORIE IS A CALORIE"
F-u-c-k.
100 calories of broccoli and 100 calories of frosted flakes are exactly the same are they? I know JB
could lose his mind on this one, so I won't go too deep into it.
However, we also have to mention that calories do count and unfortunately you cannot eat unlimited
amounts of the food you would like and still get lean. And you do not need something sweet to finish
your meal. Do you realize how much you just ate? You don't need anything.
20) SPECIALIZATION ROUTINES THAT SUCK
I spoke about this before but skinny arms are not caused by a lack of curls. So some arse of a trainer
suggests you "improve your chin ups" and he typically gives you a cutting edge article that just has you
try to do a lot of chins.

Why, you fucking genius trainer, you!!
I can't do a lot of chin-ups but you, in your almighty wisdom, have solved my problem by suggesting
that I just try to do more! Wow! Is that the Weider "do more of it" principle or is it from the Soviets?
Conclusion
Sometimes the world needs a slap. I plan on giving it one now and again. When the time comes that I've
shaken my head enough times in the near future, you'll get part two of this series. Until then – behave.

file:///F|/Alwyn%20Cosgrove/The%207%20Habits%20of%20Highly%20Effective%20Program%20Design.htm
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Program Design

A Unified Theory of Fitness Programming
by Alwyn Cosgrove
The Legacy of Lee
"Absorb what is useful; reject what is useless."
— Bruce Lee
For those of you who've been living under a rock for the past thirty years, Bruce Lee was (and is still)
the most well know martial artist that has ever lived. Bruce Lee died in 1973. That was over 31 years
ago, yet he arguably has made a bigger impact on the martial arts world than any other single individual.
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To understand what Lee meant by his "absorb what is useful" statement, we need to go back to the
martial arts world of the late 1960's. In Lee's day, martial artists practiced only one discipline: karate
fighters performed karate, judo athletes did judo, etc. Cross training in different martial arts was unheard
of. Yet that was what Lee meant by this statement. In learning the best that the different martial arts had
to offer, he formulated the first ever "mixed" martial art — his own system which he called Jeet Kune
Do.
Fast forward to the mid-nineties and the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. This event
pitted the best of each martial art against each other. Initially, the overwhelming dominant art was
Brazilian Jiujutsu, so people assumed grappling was superior. But within a few years the dominant

fighters came from kickboxing. Did that mean striking was superior? Not necessarily. In the next wave,
wrestlers using a "ground and pound" philosophy dominated.
Today, in order to compete in these types of events (in fact, to even survive), you need to cross-train in
several systems. There are fighters nowadays who've never learned anything but a mixed system. This
approach has been dubbed "Mixed Martial Arts" and has become a mainstream term.
Thirty years since his death, Bruce Lee's message has finally gotten through to the masses: There's no
single correct answer; there's no single best system. An integrated approach will always be superior.
The Unified Theory
Unfortunately, the search for the best "system" still continues in the fitness training industry. Years ago,
aerobic training was the dominant training modality. We've cycled through weight training, Nautilus
training, machine training, one-set-to-failure, multiple sets, functional training, yoga, Pilates, back to
free weights, kettlebells, strongman lifts, and the list goes on.
The reality? There's no correct answer or single best system in fitness training either! Instead of trying to
find the perfect single tool, the fitness professional or avid gym-goer would be better served by
increasing the size of his toolbox.
That said, I'm sure this message will fall on deaf ears. So until you can accept the premise that you need
to "liberate yourself from the classical mess" (another Bruce Lee line), I present my Unified Theory of
Program Design. We've recently seen a plethora of advanced program design concepts here on T-Nation,
but this is a "back to basics" program design article.
The interesting thing is that coaches and trainers with different philosophies analyze each other's

programs and focus (or more appropriately, argue) on the differences. Yet if you look at the top coaches
and what they're doing, you can see certain programming similarities across the board, regardless of the
"type" of training they prescribe.
It's been said that small minds talk about people; mediocre minds talk about events; and great minds
discuss concepts. In my opinion, small-minded trainers argue about whose program or style of training is
the best, and mediocre trainers debate the differences between programs. Great trainers, however, cast
aside the differences and see the common underlying similarities.
It's the same as punching in fighting sports. Regardless of the differences in approach, what it all comes
down to is using the knuckles of the fist as a weapon. Once you strip away the differences we get to the
heart of what works. That's the stuff I'm going to present to you.
It's these similarities — the common underlying successful denominators — that I've chosen to focus on.
So regardless of your personal training philosophy, the principles I'm about to present remain valid.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Program Design
1. Bodyweight Before External Resistance
I've said this before in a bunch of articles. Other coaches and trainers have said this before in a bunch of
their articles. Yet this remains the step that most people will ignore. Regardless of your goals, one thing
is for sure: You have no freaking business using a load if you can't stabilize, control, and move
efficiently using only your bodyweight!
Unless your bodyweight is way too much or way too little resistance, then there's very little room for
external loading. This is not to say that external loading isn't important. Of course it is, but it has
definitely been overemphasized.

Unless you can perform twenty pushups in good from, get your ass off the bench press. Too easy? The
same rule applies to the single leg squat. If you can't perform 8-10 good reps, then why are you using
two legs to squat with external load?
2. Train with Free Weights (Destabilized)
Once bodyweight has been mastered, the superiority of three dimensional free weight training is
unparalleled. Single joint fixed axis machines — like the leg extension and the preacher curl machine —
are quite honestly outdated. Other than rotational movements, which can be trained effectively using a
cable column, every other movement can be performed better with bodyweight or a free weight rather
than with a machine.

Just say no. Dork.
The newest trend from the machine companies is to create thousand dollar machines that replicate free
weights! Save your money. Despite the advances in technology and in drug use, I think the average
trainee's strength and size is less than in the past.
3. Train Functionally
"Functional" means training for performance, not for the "pump" or standing on a ball or some other
activity. Multiple joint lifts and combination lifts such as the squat and press are all real world functional
activities.
Three words: Don't. Do. It.

Life and sport take place primarily on our feet. It's how we were designed to work. Our training
programs need to reflect that. It seems to me that I've said this a thousand times, but it doesn't make it
any less true: a muscle group allocation is pointless. Why would the muscles of the chest need their own
"day" for training? If you split up the body into parts, how do you decide what parts to include?
Typically we see splits of chest, shoulders and triceps, back and biceps, and legs. Why don't we see
splits like rhomboids and hip flexors, quadriceps and rotator cuff, sternocleidomastoid and pec minor?
Because that wouldn't make bodybuilding "sense." But in my opinion, any split routine based on a
random allocation of muscle groups to certain days of the week defies all logic.
Consider the following example: Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and raise your arm out to the side
until it's parallel with the floor (a position known as a lateral raise in the fitness world!) Which muscles
are working? The classic answer is the medial deltoid and the trapezius.
True. But maintain this position and just touch your obliques on the left side with your free hand.
They're contracting maximally in order to stabilize your torso and spine, thus preventing you from
tipping over. So the oblique has to contract so hard in order to stabilize your entire upper body (plus
your arm and the dumbbell) that it becomes clear that this exercise forces more work from the oblique
muscles, the tensor fascia lata, and the quadratus lumborum than it can from the medial deltoid!
So is it still a shoulder exercise? Or is it a total core and shoulder exercise? What body part day is this
movement supposed to be trained on? Hopefully this helps you realize that the body will always work as
a unit.
And I don't mean to "bag" on bodybuilding. One can't help but be impressed by top athletes in any sport.
But the fact that it is a sport is also an important thing to remember. Bodybuilding is a unique sport unto
itself. For the general fitness enthusiast (i.e. not a competitive bodybuilder) to develop and implement a
fitness program using bodybuilding theory and bodybuilding type exercises makes as much sense as
using soccer training or racquetball to design that same program. And while most people recognize that
this is idiotic at best, we still continue to talk about splitting up "body parts" and following a
bodybuilding-based program.
Now, that's not to say we don't use exercises or ideas from all sports and systems (remember, absorb
what is useful…) To do so would be closed-minded. But to adopt any one single philosophy is just as
closed-minded.
If you rank an athlete's qualities for their sport from 1-10 on a scale and find that they have a very poor
flexibility score but a very good maximal strength score, then a strength based program may not be the
best choice. Similarly, if my client is a golfer, a powerlifting specific program isn't warranted.
Again, we need to train according to the demands of life and sport. Athletes such as Serena Williams,
Brandi Chastain, Linford Christie, Pyrros Dimas and Roy Jones have better physiques than most, but

they've never trained for aesthetics; they've trained for function.
Linford Christie
4. Train Unilaterally and Multi-Planar
The majority of training programs take place in the sagittal plane (an imaginary "line" which divides the
body into left and right halves — all pushing and pulling movements occur in this plane) with bilateral
movements such as barbell bench presses and barbell curls that work in that plane. However, life and
sport takes place in all three planes simultaneously with primarily unilateral or single-arm loaded
movements
It isn't uncommon to see a fitness trainer spend an inordinate amount of time teaching a beginner to
squat with a perfectly parallel stance and perfectly even loading. Yet watch that same client load his
gym bag over one shoulder and walk to his car, where he gets in using an offset loaded, single leg
rotational squat! Or move boxes in his garage with an offset stance and a rotational reach. We all have
the story of the jacked guy who blew out his back helping you move a couch. Just be aware of real life
function.
Below is a table of the entire "core musculature" (from Dr. Evan Osar's Form and Function). As you can
see, the majority of the core muscle fibers run in the transverse plane. Sagittal divides the body into left
and right halves; frontal divides the body into front and back halves (side to side movements); and
transverse divides the body into top and bottom (for rotational movement).
CORE MUSCULATURE Sagittal Frontal Transverse

Rectus Abdominus X
External Obliques X

Internal Obliques X
Transverse Abdominus X
Psoas X
Iliacus X
Rectus Femoris X
Sartorius X
Tensor Fascia Latae X
Iliocostalis X
Longissimus X
Spinalis X
Multifidii /Rotatores X
Quadratus Lumborum X
Gluteus Maximus X
Gluteus Medius X
External hip rotators X
Hamstrings X
Adductors X
5. Train with Balance
Train with balance — balance between motor qualities and balance between movement patterns (e.g.
horizontal push-pull). A training program in general should be balanced in terms of sets, reps, total time
under tension, and volume throughout the entire body, but particularly in opposing movement patterns.
If, for example, you're doing 2 sets of 10 reps in the bench press, and 2 sets of 10 reps in the seated row,
this isn't necessarily balanced. You could be pressing with 200 pounds — that's a total volume of 4000
pounds — and rowing with only 150, a total volume of 3000 pounds. This is actually a major imbalance
and would need to be addressed. An imbalance in volume like this, left unaddressed, will end up causing
a major shoulder girdle problem.
In an ideal situation we'd be using the same sets, reps, and loads in all antagonistic movement patterns,

unless of course we were purposefully using volume to create an imbalance in order to correct an
existing one. It's also important, although beyond the scope of this article, to understand that other motor
qualities, including flexibility and cardio respiratory endurance, also need to be considered in the total
scheme of programming.
6. Use a Method of Periodization
Periodization just means planning. However, most trainees seem to ignore that simple concept and jump
mindlessly from program to program without a clear picture of the long-term plan.
I'm not concerned with which method of periodization you use, but you do need to use some form of
long term plan. Good coaches write programs for long-term success; poor coaches write workouts for
short-term success but inevitable failure. The fact that most people will probably just jump from one
program to another without planning their "big picture" makes success even more unlikely. So, for those
of you who have primarily aesthetic goals, an alternating periodization model will be the most
appropriate.
Let me explain. When using linear models (e.g. 6 weeks at 12-15 reps, 6 weeks at 8-12 reps, 6 weeks at
6-8 reps etc.) we tend to lose the qualities we initially sought to improve. For example, if we were to
undertake 6 weeks of endurance (12-15 reps), 6 weeks of hypertrophy (8-12 reps) and 6 weeks of
strength emphasis (4-6 reps), then at the end of the sixth week of strength emphasis it will have been 12
weeks since we were exposed to any endurance methods (twice as long as we spent developing it).
So we'll have lost portions of that quality! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if we felt that the quality
was important enough to train, then it's certainly important enough to maintain.
A better system would be to alternate the phases. So we'd perform a 12-15 rep phase, followed by a 4-6
rep phase, then an 8-12 rep phase. Using this method of alternating the accumulation and intensification
phases, we never spend more than four weeks going in one rep "direction." Therefore, we avoid most of
the problems of linear periodization.
For a more complete look at periodization, and specifically the limitations of the linear method,
checkout Dave Tate's excellent Periodization Bible series.
7. Use a Time-Outcome Based Approach
You have to know how long a workout takes. The big equalizer in training is time. We all have a limited
amount of time to train. Yet most training programs tend to ignore this and begin with an exercise menu
approach. (Warning: The following portion contains math!)

Let's say we have one hour total to train. We begin with 60 minutes. Subtract warm-up time (10
minutes) and rehab concerns/stretches (10 minutes). We now have 40 minutes of lifting time left.
Average length of a set in this phase is 60 seconds, rest period is 120 seconds. That's three minutes per
set total (work set plus rest period). If we want to do two sets of each exercise, we're looking at six
minutes per exercise. That allows us to perform only six exercises in this workout.
I've lost track of the number of trainers I've heard mindlessly say "you must get your workout done in
under an hour" who then go on to design workouts that quite simply can't be performed in that
timeframe! When you've finished designing your program, take the time to do the math and see if your
workouts are even possible.
Conclusion: The Good Stuff
So that's basic program design in a nutshell. If you start to look at most successful long term programs,
regardless of the differences, you'll start to see the similarities. More importantly, when you try it you'll
start to see the effectiveness. And that's the Bruce Lee philosophy — cutting through the junk and
filtering to get the good stuff!
About the Author
countless individuals and athletes reach their goals through sound scientific training. This article is an
excerpt from Alwyn's forthcoming manual, Professional Fitness Coaching: Program Design, available
at www.alwyncosgrove.com.


file:///F|/Alwyn%20Cosgrove/The%20Holiday%20Program.htm
The Holiday Program

Undulating periodization for in-season
athletes and holiday-season regular guys
by Alwyn Cosgrove
Science has taught us a lot when it comes to training: warming up correctly, muscle activation,
flexibility, speed before strength, periodization, max effort days, dynamic effort days, GPP,
Tabata protocols, etc. This has advanced our knowledge of the theory and methodology of
training a million-fold.
But what happens when science and reality bump heads? What happens when the killer four-day
workout program you've been using just can't be done? What happens when the most
scientifically researched training program in the world just can't be performed in reality – when,
for example, your young athletes can only make it to the gym twice a week, or when it's the
holiday season and you can only make it to the gym twice a week?
The Holidays: A Bodybuilder's Nightmare
It's the holidays. You've eaten a ton of candy, passed out in a turkey-induced coma, your
girlfriend suddenly expects bling, you spent hours searching Toys R' Us to find whatever Elmo
doll is hot this year for your niece, and your fitness level tanks faster than some of TV's fall line-
up. But it doesn't have to be that way.
You can remedy these problems with a little willpower and some Grow! bars, a timely breakup,
and looking for Elmo online. That last problem is an easy fix, too. All it takes to stay in top
shape is a little preemptive strike in the form of a well-designed program.
The holidays generate a lot of unavoidable, often random time drains, such as office parties,
family get-togethers, and after-work shopping. And of course, you don't want to miss the
American IdolChristmas special. These social events take a chunk out of your life and make it
difficult for you to maintain your normal training regimen.
Now, I know that some of the hardcore T-Nation readers out there would never dream of going
to visit Grandma when it's leg day, but the more psychologically balanced among you will
appreciate the problem. You see, most guys make the mistake of trying to fit their regular
workouts into their busier, more unpredictable holiday schedule. This never works and inevitably
leaves them missing workouts and feeling frustrated.
Instead, they need an exercise plan that's compatible with their schedule – no matter how
packed it is.
In-Season and Holiday Season: A Common Theme
Most coaches will tell you that in-season is the toughest time for their athletes. Practices come
frequently and games are regular and competitive, so conditioning is the one thing that must be
put on maintenance. It's not uncommon to see some of my top athletes only get in two
conditioning workouts per week.
The holidays for the regular guy present a similar challenge. Do we take Halloween through New
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Years as the off-season and just allow ourselves to lose muscle and gain fat? Do we make a
feeble attempt at maintaining our four-day-a-week program that will inevitably lead to failure?
Or do we accept the scheduling issues that arise and develop an entirely new workout schedule
to help us not only maintain through the holidays, but maybe even make progress?
This is where my "in-season" split for athletes can be used to maintain or even build upon your
fitness levels throughout the holiday season – with as little as two workouts per week. You see,
my athletes are busy with games, practice, and traveling during the season. Something has to
give. And if we've developed enough over the off season and pre-season, we can afford to cut
back.
The key to maintaining your conditioning is to develop a program that allows for the lack of
volume but doesn't ignore science. We need to use a method of training that avoids the
adaptation drawbacks that are present with most training programs.
The big problem is how to integrate all the various strength qualities to maintain what took you
so long to develop. You see, you adapt to a program in as little as six exposures, and it's hard to
juggle all your training modalities at once (speed training, endurance work, strength, etc.),
particularly when you're crunched for time.
Enter Undulating Periodization
A recent method has surfaced that has the stamp of science approval on it and is actually useful
enough to allow us to try it in the real world. Is it the perfect program? Doubtful. Is it perhaps
the most effective training method for the more advanced trainee, particularly when time
pressed? Quite possibly.
Recently published research from Arizona State University has shown that a method of
structuring the set and rep protocols in a vastly different manner – called undulating
periodization – has proven to be especially effective in inducing maximum strength gains when
compared to traditional linear or alternating periodization models.
Linear periodization is when the reps are decreased each successive phase and the loads are
increased, e.g. phase one 15 reps, phase two 12 reps, phase three 10 reps, phase four 8 reps.
Alternating periodization is when the trainee switches between higher reps and lower reps at
each phase, e.g. phase one 15 reps, phase two 8 reps, phase three 12 reps, phase four 6 reps,
etc.
Undulating periodization takes the adjusting of rep protocols one step further. This system
actually adjusts the rep bracket with each workout.
Adaptation Conundrum
Traditional thinking states that the body adapts to a workout in as little as six exposures. In
actuality, the body adapts to the rep range the fastest and the exercise selection the slowest.
So, we need to change the rep bracket more often than we change the exercises. Typically, a
trainee will change the exercises first, and often spend long periods of time in each rep bracket
– not the most effective training system.
However, we still need repeated exposure to certain movement patterns in order to improve
optimally. So, in reality, we're left with a conundrum – repeat the workout as often as possible
to gain repeated exposure and maximize the adaptations, but repeat it as little as possible so as

to still keep the stimulus fresh and maximize the adaptations.
Hmmm.
With traditional periodization, this means that a workout will "work" for at most three to four
weeks. This is when we change the routine to prevent staleness, introduce a new stimulus, and
keep the body adapting positively. Typically what happens is we change the exercises and the
reps.
With undulating periodization and the variable rep system, we take this a step further. You won't
repeat the same workout for over four weeks. This means the body won't have adapted, i.e. you
won't need to begin a new routine for close to twelve weeks, despite the fact that you're hitting
each body part once a week and performing the same exercises every week.
This will take you right through the holidays without getting stale. In fact, you could easily stay
on this program for a longer period of time. As we aren't repeating the same rep range for four
weeks, you could do the entire program for eight to twelve weeks and then just switch the
exercises. A constant challenge equals constant improvements.
The Geeky Science Behind Undulating Periodization
The May 2002 issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported that
experienced strength trainers who followed this type of training program doubled their strength
increases as compared to a traditional training control group. It concludes that ongoing strength
gains for those who've hit plateaus may be developed from this type of training.
My immediate "outside the box" thinking led me to the conclusion that if this workout system
was superior to regular periodization, then the benefits during a period of low-frequency training
would be even better.
In the interests of clarification as to how I use the method, I've included a workout split (based
on a movement pattern split) with some very basic exercises that I use with my athletes. You
don't need to follow this split, nor do you need to select these exercises. What you do need to
stick to though is the sets and rep parameters. In practice, just alternate between the two
exercise routines and move to the next rep range as prescribed below.
However, due to the unique loading parameters, you'll actually train each program, in terms of
exercise, three times before ever repeating a rep scheme. The fun part is the variety of doing so
many different routines. The exciting part is that as you only repeat each workout every three
weeks or so, you can stay with this program for longer and make better and faster gains than
you typically would. It'll be approximately week four before you repeat a workout.
The temptation of this type of workout is to change the exercises every single time as well. I
urge you not to do this. As much as you need variation, you still need repeated exposure to the
same exercises to really get the benefit. Stick with the first exercises you choose for at least the
first four to six weeks before changing.
The Workouts
I came up with the workouts based not on science but on reality. My athletes needed to train
every part of their body for power, speed, strength, and endurance. So I selected exercises,

sequences, and rep ranges that would allow us to "vertically integrate" (a term created by
Charlie Francis) the different qualities in a more applicable fashion.
Note here that I haven't given the details of the energy system work or agility drills that we also
use, but typically we use a Tabata based energy system protocol (20 seconds on, 10 seconds
off for 8 sets) and some type of metabolic work using complexes or bodyweight circuits for 5-10
minutes at the end of each workout.
Select one exercise in each category and perform it until you've done each rep range three
times:
The Exercises
Day One
A: Explosive Lower Body Exercise
Example: Box jumps, jump squats, clean pulls, jump shrugs, power cleans, snatches

Jump shrugs
B1: Quad Dominant Bilateral
Example: Squats, front squats, dumbbell squats
B2: Horizontal Pulling
Example: Seated row, barbell bentover row, inverted row, dumbbell row

Inverted row, feet elevated option.
C1: Hip Dominant Unilateral
Example: Step-up, single leg Romanian deadlift, single leg back extensions

Step-up, high box option.
C2: Horizontal Pushing
Example: Bench press, dips, dumbbell bench press, push-up variations
D1: Rotational Core
Example: Contact twists, Russian twists, wood chops

Russian twist, weighted.
D2: Weighted Core
Example: Weighted sit-ups, dumbbell Swiss ball crunches, hanging leg raises
Day Two
A: Explosive Upper Body Exercise
Example: Plyo push-up, medicine ball passes, dynamic bench press, push press, push jerk

Push press
B1: Hip Dominant Bilateral
Example: Deadlift, Romanian deadlift, glute-ham raise

Romanian deadlift, sumo stance.
B2: Vertical Pushing
Example: Lateral raise, military press, Bradford press
C1: Quad Dominant Unilateral
Example: Lunge, pistol, split squat, single-leg partial squat
Split squat
C2: Vertical Pulling
Example: Chins, pull-ups, pulldowns, pullovers

D: Repetition Core
Select any four exercises and perform back to back, non-stop in a circuit for the required sets
and reps.
Manipulating the Loading Parameters
This is where this program gets really different. You're going to alternate between the workouts
as written above, however, each time you perform each workout you're going to use a different
set, rep, and rest period protocol.
Select weights that'll be challenging for the given rep range. Let the rep range dictate the
weight.
Day One
Exercise A: Explosive Lower Body Exercise
Workouts One, Four, and Seven

Sets: 5
Reps: 3
Tempo: Explosive
Rest Period: 180 seconds
Workouts Two, Five, and Eight

Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Tempo: Explosive
Workouts Three, Six, and Nine

Sets: 4
Reps: 4
Tempo: Explosive
All Other Exercises

Sets: 4
Reps: 5
Tempo: Controlled eccentric (lowering), pause and perform the concentric (lifting) as fast as
possible

Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Tempo: Controlled eccentric, pause and perform the concentric as fast as possible


Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: Controlled eccentric, pause, perform the concentric as fast as possible
Day Two
Exercise A: Explosive Upper Body Exercise

Sets: 4
Reps: 4
Tempo: Explosive

Sets: 5
Reps: 3
Tempo: Explosive

Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Tempo: Explosive
All Other Exercises

Sets: 3
Reps: 10

Sets: 4
Reps: 5

Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Tempo: Controlled eccentric, pause, perform the concentric as fast as possible
Putting It Together
Here's a basic outline of how this would work in reality. For example (training twice a week):

Week 1
Monday: Day One, Workout One
Thursday: Day Two, Workout One
Week 2
Monday: Day One, Workout Two
Thursday: Day Two, Workout Two
Week 3
Monday: Day One, Workout Three
Thursday: Day Two, Workout Three
Etc.
If you can make it into the gym for a third day, just select the next day's exercises and the next
workout in the schedule. For example (training three times per week):
Week 1
Monday: Day One, Workout One
Thursday: Day Two, Workout One
Saturday: Day One, Workout Two
Week 2
Monday: Day Two, Workout Two
Thursday: Day One, Workout Three
Saturday: Day Two, Workout Three
Week 3
Monday: Day One, Workout Four
Thursday: Day Two, Workout Four
Saturday: Day One, Workout Five

Etc.
The key is that you never do the same exercises or reps two workouts in a row.
Conclusion: Reality Wins
When science and reality bump heads, reality wins. A lot of strength coaches are too close-
minded to accept that the weight room program has to be adjusted in-season, particularly in
terms of total training days. The in-season is a time to maintain all the strength qualities that
you've built up over time.
The key to avoiding problems in your annual workout schedule is in advanced planning. When
we hit the holiday season, the regular guy needs a plan also. You can either treat the holidays
as the "off-season" and get fat, or you can plan in advance and switch to an in-season workout.
Using an undulating periodization plan will help you to not only maintain your physique through
the holidays, but even see some gains because of the new stimulus.
Enjoy your training and enjoy your holidays with your families and friends!
About the Author
Alwyn Cosgrove is one of the country's most popular fitness coaches, writers, and speakers on
the lecture circuit. For more of Alwyn's material, checkout www.alwyncosgrove.com/
freenewsletter.html.

file:///F|/Alwyn%20Cosgrove/The%20No%20Curl%20Biceps%20Program,%20Part%20Two.htm
The "No Curl" Biceps Program, Part Two

by Alwyn Cosgrove
In Part One of my "no curls" arm specialization training series, I talked about the absurdity of
most arm specialization routines. I proposed that most trainees do more than enough biceps
curls and triceps press downs and don't really need more of either of them.
So any specific arm training program — those that just include more variations of elbow flexion
and extension or different sets and rep variations of those — is largely going to be ineffective.
Please don't misinterpret what I'm suggesting. I believe that direct arm training definitely has its
place. I just think that it's been overemphasized. And I don't think that the lack of impressive
arms on most gym-goers is due to a lack of curls.
A superior method of attacking the problem is to work backwards to figure out why the arms
aren't developed to the extent you want. Now if you're an Olympic weightlifter who hasn't done
a curl in his life — but has high levels of core and back strength–you probably would do well
with a routine that consists of more curls. And I bet you'd be handling some serious loads. But
having spent more time in gyms than I've probably spent out of them, I've found the
aforementioned is rarely the case.
We all know that most guys think the squat rack is where you do curls, and a deadlift is what
you do when you have to lift the bar up...to do curls.
For most individuals, poor arm development comes down to two main things: an inability to
handle enough load in arm exercises and of course, poor loading parameters and exercise
selection.
A proven approach is (as I explained in part one) to strengthen the support structure, and then
increase the compound loading through the arms before starting on any direct arm work.
Part one was designed to introduce the Testosterone audience to the importance of developing a
strong upper back and torso to be able to stabilize heavy loads away from the body.
Part two of this series takes us into slightly more direct arm work. This phase would directly
follow phase one, and would lead into a more conventional arm-training phase.
PHASE TWO — Do you qualify?
Two of the key exercises in this phase are lower rep weighted chins and dips. (Most coaches and
long term trainees would probably agree with me that these two exercises are considered the
king of the mass builders for the biceps and the triceps).
Whenever you enter into a specialization routine you have to realize one thing: the very nature
of "specialization" means it's not for complete novices. A certain "Time-in-the-trenches" is
expected. So please don't email me or post the question, "Are pull downs an acceptable
substitution for chins?" or, "I can't do dips, are bench dips a good alternative?"
The answers are no and hell no! Quite honestly, if you can't perform a minimum of ten to twelve
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chins and dips, in good form, then it is my opinion you do not need to be doing an arm
specialization routine. You'd be better served following a good general strength phase that
strengthens the entire body.
The first set of both chins and dips in this program starts with eight reps. I'm assuming that if
you "qualify" for the program that you'll be using some form of external loading.
The Workout:
Anytime you enter into any type of specialization routine, sequencing becomes important. The
work you do first in the week, or workout cycle tends to be the most productive.
Dan John has talked about what you do first in the workout determining your success rate.
Combining both of these methods leads us to the conclusion that this routine should be day one
in your program (and as for most people, day one is usually Monday, thus allowing you to avoid
the bench press crowd).
A1: Close Grip Weighted Chins
Do these from a full hang using a supinated grip. Take a full one-second pause at the bottom
and top of each rep.


• Week one: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, concluded with 1 set of AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible with
body weight) and alternate with A2 after resting for 90 seconds.
Increase the loads each set but do not go to failure. Select a weight that will allow about one

more rep per set than listed. On the last set (bodyweight only), do as many reps as possible
with good form. Again, do not go to failure, but don't start a rep that you're not sure you will
complete.
• Week two: 4 sets of 7, 5, 3, AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight) and alternate
with A2 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week three: 4 sets of 6, 4, 2 AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight) and
alternate with A2 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week four: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight) and
alternate with A2 after resting for 90 seconds. Use the loads from week two.
A2: Seated Rack lockouts.
This is an underused exercise that is excellent for packing on mass and strength to the triceps.
Set up a bench inside a power rack and set the pins at ear level. Un-rack the bar and lower the
bar to the pins. Keep the tension on the working muscles at the bottom position. Hold the bar in
this position for a 2-second count. Press back up to lockout and repeat.

• Week one: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, 12
Alternate with A1 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week two: 4 sets of 7, 5, 3, 12
• Week three: 4 sets of 6, 4, 2, 12
• Week four: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, 12
Alternate with A1 after resting for 90 seconds. Use the loads from week two.
B1: Weighted Dips


• Week one: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, concluded with 1 set of AMRAP (as many reps as possible with
body weight). Alternate with B2 after resting for 90 seconds.
Use the same guidelines as listed for the chin ups.
• Week two: 4 sets of 7, 5, 3, AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight) Alternate
with B2 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week three: 4 sets of 6, 4, 2 AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight)
Alternate with B2 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week four: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, AMRAP (as many reps as possible with body weight). Alternate
with B2 after resting for 90 seconds.. Use the loads from week two.
B2: Supinated Fat grip Bent over Barbell Rows.
Using either a fat bar, the commercially available EZ-grips (I have no idea why they call them
EZ because they make most lifts harder), or just wrapping a gym towel around the bar, perform
a palms-up grip bent over barbell row. Again, I want to see a full 1-2 second pause at the
bottom of the rep. This is another compound exercise for the back and biceps.

• Week one: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, 12. Alternate with B1 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week two: 4 sets of 7, 5, 3, 12. Alternate with B1 after resting for 90 seconds.
• Week three: 4 sets of 6, 4, 2, 12. Alternate with B1 after resting for 90 seconds.

• Week four: 4 sets of 8, 6, 4, 12. Alternate with B1 after resting for 90 seconds. Use the loads
from week two.
Summary
Improving your arm size and strength has three fundamental requirements: progressive
overload, maximum muscle recruitment, and variation in the stimulus.
Hopefully the loading progressions in this program will take care of the progressive overload as I
want you to increase your loads used each week. The exercise selection in the program will
expose your arms to higher loading than can occur during any isolation exercise. Higher loads =
increased muscle recruitment.
And although most people seem to recognize that training load should be progressive, few seem
to realize that the training stimulus itself needs to be periodically varied to prevent overuse
injuries and staleness.
So as far as arm training goes, I think this program covers it all. If you've followed parts one
and two — you might have now gone eight weeks without curling! This sets your body up nicely
to experience accelerated progress when you go back to regular arm training.
Alwyn Cosgrove is a nationally renowned fitness coach and presenter. He currently spends his
time lecturing on the national circuit, teaching, training, writing, and working out of his center —
Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. His website is www.alwyncosgrove.com

file:///F|/Alwyn%20Cosgrove/The%20No%20Curl%20Biceps%20Program.htm
The "No Curl" Biceps Program

by Alwyn Cosgrove
The Tragic "Lack of Curling" Epidemic
If you've been around weight training for any length of time, you've probably read or tried an arm
specialization routine. There are a bunch of these around with different cool names for what amounts to
the same old shit: do a bunch of arm exercises. Yeah, the exercises change and the sets and reps change,
but it still amounts to just doing more arm work.
I have a fundamental problem with this. Do you really think that the reason most guys don't have big
arms is purely because of a lack of doing curls? Do we really have an epidemic of biceps curl
deficiencies in gyms around the world? Is Johnny really saying, "Duh, flex my elbow a bunch of times?
Best...program...ever."
And we've all complained about the guys who do curls in the squat rack and never get anywhere. Yet as
soon as one of the popular gurus writes an arm training article, we jump right in. (As an aside, I hate
"gurus." In my mind there are only two gurus worth listening to — Yoda and Mr. Miyagi, neither of
whom have ever written an arm training article.)
The Real Solution to Puny Arms
My approach to lagging body parts is to look beyond the obvious and try to come up with a real solution
to the problem. The key to increasing a trainee's biceps size depends on his ability to handle heavy loads
in the barbell curl.
While there's no direct correlation between strength and size (i.e. you can't tell how much a guy can lift
by looking at him), there is a correlation between strength increases and size increases. In other words, if
your dumbbell curl increases from 40 to 60 pounds, you'll have gained some size.
So if you can handle heavier loads in the curl, you will grow bigger biceps. That much is a given. And if
just doing more curls isn't the best strategy, then what is?
Pop Quiz
Which exercise can you handle the most total weight on?
A. Shrugs
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B. Barbell curls
C. Dumbbell front raises
If you're like most people, you probably answered "A" followed by "B," and you left "C" for last. This
difference in poundage is largely due to the proximity of the load to your body. Simply put, your ability
to curl a heavy weight, a precursor for arm size, is dependent upon your body's ability to support that
load out in front of you.
Think of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. If I were to build a platform that stuck out from the middle of the
tower (like your lower arm from your torso during the midpoint of a curl) and started piling load on it,
how long do you think it would be before the tower would buckle and I could collapse the whole thing?
Not long.
Your body works the same way. At a certain load, the tower (your back and torso) would buckle. The
only difference is, when there's a risk of injury to the spine, your body will shut down the prime mover
(in this case the biceps). Your body won't allow that load to get heavy enough to injure you if it can help
it.

Why? Because your body is more concerned about protecting your spine than it is about growing
massive guns. As wrong as this fundamentally is, we have to go with it. The longer the lever arm, i.e. the
further away from the body the load is, the greater the torque through the spine.
Taking this a step further, can you curl more weight standing on two feet or on one foot? Obviously with
two feet because you have more support. More support gives you the ability to handle greater loads.
Greater loads gives you the ability to grow. The key outcome we're looking for in this program then is to
create a support structure for the body so that when we return to direct arm training we can handle far
heavier loads.
So what follows is a program designed to improve your pillars of support: the upper back and posterior
chain. Once you strengthen these areas, your biceps will blow up when you go back to regular arm
training!
The "No Curl" Program
A) Snatch Grip Deadlift from box

Week One: 4 sets x 6 reps: 180 seconds rest
Week Two: 5 sets x 5 reps: 180 seconds rest
Week Three: 6 sets x 4 reps: 180 seconds rest
Week Four: 4 sets x 6 reps: 180 seconds rest (use week two poundages)
The snatch grip deadlift is one of the biggest bang-for-your buck exercises you can do in the gym. Done
correctly, this will strengthen pretty much every muscle in the body.
B1) The YTWL Exercise: 3 sets x 8 reps of each, 2 second pause at the top of each rep, 0 seconds rest
YTWLs are a shoulder stability exercise I was first exposed to by Mark Verstegen of Athlete's
Performance. Lie facedown on a bench and perform each exercise for 8 reps non-stop, then proceed
immediately to the next exercise:
Y: Raise the dumbbells up in front of you so that they end up in a Y shape in front of the torso.

T: Raise the dumbbells out so they're perpendicular to the torso (creating a T-shape)
W: Bend the arms to 90 degrees and raise and lower the dumbbells in line with the torso.

L: Holding the top of the W contraction, rotate your forearms down so your fists point toward the floor.
Keeping your elbows perfectly still, externally rotate the dumbbells back to the W position.
There should be no rest between exercises! Use light dumbbells so you can maintain form. Ten pounds

would be "very heavy" for this series of exercises.
B2) Push-ups with hands on medicine balls: 3 sets x 8 reps, 90 seconds rest, then return to B1
The push-ups are simple enough, but the medicine balls will provide a stability challenge to the shoulder
girdle and the core musculature. (Ha! Unstable surface training? Sacrilege!) This takes a simple
horizontal pushing exercise and turns it into a total body exercise.
C1) Inverted Row: 3 sets x 8 reps, 2 second pause at full contraction, 0 seconds rest

Lie on your back under an Olympic bar that's placed stationary in a squat rack just slightly beyond arms
length. Grab the bar with an overhand grip and pull the upper body up to the bar so that the chest
touches it. Keep the body completely flat through the entire motion.
You'll need to start with the bar in front of your chest which will put you in an awkward position when
hanging, but it'll keep you in a good position throughout the whole range of motion. Once the exercise
becomes easy, we can increase the training effect by raising the feet onto a bench or eventually a
stability ball. Again, this exercise, although focusing on the horizontal pulling movement of the upper
body, is by far a total body exercise.
C2) Single Arm Overhead Dumbbell Squat: 3 sets x 8 reps each side, 90 seconds rest, then return to C1

This one has to be experienced to truly appreciate its effectiveness. If you want to train core stability,
then lift heavy objects over your head! Use two dumbbells for this exercise — a heavy one and a lighter
one (50-60% of the load of the first dumbbell). Taking a shoulder-width stance, hold the heavier
dumbbell in your left hand by your side, and the lighter dumbbell pressed up over your head.

Now, maintaining an erect torso, squat down, keeping your body weight in the center. The offset load
will create a large torque through your back and midsection. Fight your body's natural tendency to want
to lean to one side!
D) Prone Cobra: 1-2 sets, static hold, 3 minutes.
Lie facedown on a mat or carpeted floor and rest your arms at your sides, palms down. Contract the
muscles in your glutes and lower back so that your upper torso and legs come off the floor. At the same
time, rotate your arms externally so that your thumbs end up pointed toward the ceiling. Keep a neutral
neck alignment.
Hold this position for the desired timeframe. If you can't hold for the desired time, regress the exercise
and hold for multiple reps with a 5-10 second hold. To progress the exercise, you can hold dumbbells in
your hands.
Program Notes
• Make a commitment to this program for a period of four weeks.
• Strive to increase the loads, with good form, as much as possible.
• Try to perform this workout once every five days or once a week if that's not possible.

• Remember, any weakness needs to be addressed first in the training week, so perform this workout on
day one (Monday for most people).
• Now, usually this workout replaces regular arm work, although for psychological reasons I typically
allow all my guys a ten minute EDT type of "free" zone where they can do whatever they want. They
don't usually do anything as they're too fried, but they can do curls, extra crunches or whatever in that
time.
But ideally, put the regular arm training on maintenance and focus on the support structure. (You can
only improve one or two things at a time anyway.) A controlled ten minutes of arm work as described
above will be okay, though.
• At the end of the program, feel free to go back to your old arm routine. You'll find that you're handling
greater loads in almost every arm exercise. You know what that means? That means you're about to
break a plateau in arm size!
Summary
Let's get our heads out of our asses and start to look for logical solutions to our training problems. That
usually means ignoring current trends and hype. Hopefully this article challenges some of the dogma
involving arm training.
Remember, scrawny arms are a "support system" issue, not a curling deficiency!
About the Author
countless individuals and athletes reach their goals through sound scientific training. For more info, visit
his site at www.alwyncosgrove.com.

8 Weeks To Monster Shoulders - Alwyn Cosgrove & Chad Waterbury PDF

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The setting: High noon, a British pub somewhere in Santa Monica.

Cosgrove Jumps Into the Ring

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Big Rocks Theory

Before we start, a quick story:

"Yes," the group said.

"No!" the class shouted.

The Theory Applied

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"Dude, I failed. What does this mean?"

Phase I: The Program

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A1: Reach, Roll and Lift (in "rock" position below)

Note: Pause 2 seconds at contraction

Roll and Lift

A2: Dumbbell External Rotation

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Reps: 10 (each arm)

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A3: L-lateral Raise

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B2: Seated Cable Row with Rope to Neck

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C: Push-up Plus on Swiss Ball

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D: Static Stretching of the Lats and Pecs

Note: Progressively increase duration

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Phase II: Enter Waterbury

Structure and Function: A Complex Issue

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Muscles for Function

With that in mind, it's time for Phase II!

A: Snatch Grip Deadlift

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B1: Upright Rows

Note: Use a barbell, dumbbells or EZ curl bar

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B2: Side Raises on Incline Bench

B3: Wide Grip Pulldowns

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C1: Incline Dumbbell Shoulder Press

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C2: Decline Dumbbell Chest Press

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C3: Standing Dumbbell Front Raise

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D: Dumbbell External Rotation

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2. Increase the load 2-3% with each subsequent workout.

3. Stretch your lats and pecs after each workout.

About the Authors

© 1998 — 2005 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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If It's Not Cosgrove, It's Crap!

I thought my Dad was a cantankerous old bastard.