A few years ago I stumbled across an article Dan John wrote
entitled, “The ‘One Lift a Day’ Program.”
The unconventional philosophy John advocated therein, specifically the
uber simplicity and greater emphasis on recovery, captured my attention. Explaining the program’s roots lie “in the
dim past of Olympic lifting,” John warned the program is void of excuses,
“relief” and diversity. “If you choose
to do squats, it’s a squat day,” he writes.
Having experimented with John’s philosophy for almost six
months now, I guarantee I will never train differently. But as the author eluded, this program is
rugged. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
are particularly brutal in my schedule, as those are my “squat day[s].” Tuesdays and Saturdays are reserved for
Olympic lifting and heavier pulling, while Thursdays and Sundays are focused on
upper body strength. My basic template
is outlined below. I concede a few days
include multiple lifts, but there is a reason for this approach.
Monday – Back Squat
Tuesday – Snatch
Wednesday – Front Squat and Back Squat
Thursday – Press, Weighted Pull-up
Friday – Back Squat
Saturday – Clean, Deadlift
Sunday “Funday” – Overhead Squat or Bench
Coming from an Olympic weightlifting background, I believe
the squat – particularly the back squat – is the basis for all strength, hence
its title the “King of All Exercises.”
To paraphrase John Broz, squatting makes your entire organism
strong. Thus, my program reflects this
wisdom. On Monday, for example, I may
program pause back squats for sets of five, either working up to the heaviest
five-rep maximum (“5rm”) achievable that day or preforming multiple sets at
between 85-90% of my current 5rm. Assuming
I work up in progressively heavier sets to chase the heaviest possible load, I
will then drop down to 80% and perform several “down sets” or “back-offs.” The purpose of these lighter sets is to
groove better positions and accumulate additional training volume. By the end of an average session, I have
usually compiled 10-12 total sets, with at least six over 80% of my daily
maximum or all-time 5rm. After squats
are complete, I will perform 3-5 sets of glute ham raises or reverse hypers,
typical “assistance lifts.”
Other training days tend to follow a similar pattern, albeit
lower volume for pressing exercises – my upper body simply cannot handle the
same training volume as my legs. I have
also experimented with super-setting vertical pressing with vertical pulling,
i.e. “standing military” presses and weighted pull-ups. Coupling exercises in this fashion was a
favorite of Arnold’s, and “the Governor” knows a thing or two about getting
yacked. Alternating back and forth
between pulling and pressing movements provides excellent “density” to my
training and increases my work capacity, especially when rest periods are
capped at two minutes.
Repetitions on the Olympic lifts are usually limited to
three or less, but I have experimented with fives in both the power clean and
power snatch. I paired deadlifts with
cleans, because I find the latter optimally primes my nervous system for
heavier pulls. The “pump” I feel in my spinal
erectors following thirty minutes of power cleans gives me greater confidence
to attempt heavier deadlifts, and it eliminates the need to “warm up” a second
exercise. Again, this approach optimizes
my time spent in the gym.
If I work at a reasonable pace, keeping rest times under
three minutes – until the heaviest sets – I can complete a high volume of
strength work in 45 minutes. This leaves
me 15 minutes to condition, more than enough time to punish myself on the
airdyne, rowing machine or ski erg.
Since adopting this training philosophy, my strength has
increased significantly – 50# on my back squat and 45# on my front squat, for
example – but more importantly, I look forward to lifting each day. Gone are the days of “snatch, clean and jerk,
back squat, push press, etc.” True to
his word, John’s approach allows more time for mobility and recovery, which are
becoming ever more important for me now that I’m in my 30’s. If you find your lifting has plateaued and
your enthusiasm has waned, you must consider experimenting with the “One Lift a
Day” Program.
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