TEAM UNCHAINED- Hypertrophy Phase
Break hearts and build booties
Do you want to build quads that will crush the souls of 1,000 Tinder dates and squat more than your ex?!
It’s time to break hearts, build booties, and strengthen weaknesses so that we crush (not get a crush) our strength goals this year!
To move weight, you need muscle. Duh. But as powerlifters, we get so wrapped up in the SBD it’s easy to forget about a hypertrophy phase! But a dedicated muscle-building block is most likely exactly what you need to push your strength to the next level next time you go heavy. Not to mention, build some heartbreaking booties and biceps.
Now is the time to put the reps in and go after our physique goals, build work capacity, and strengthen weaknesses. Lay the base of MUSCLE to carry you into our future strength and peaking cycles.
In this video, I'll be explaining our upcoming hypertrophy phase, starting on 1/29/2024.Who is this cycle for?
This cycle is for anyone who wants to transform their physique into a juicy heartbreaking machine with quads that will crush the souls of 1,000 Tinder dates. This program will also reinforce your technique, bring up your weak points, and prepare you to have a solid future strength cycle.
Are one of these you?
You want legs that will break hearts
You are a powerlifter who needs to build more muscle
You need a “break” from the heavier weight from just peaking
You are someone trying to get more into powerlifting style training and needs to build a base
You need to reinforce the technique
You need to bring up some weaknesses
Then join US!
I powerlift.. why do I need a hypertrophy phase?
This is a great time to focus on body composition goals! While we are working on strength, these goals often go by the wayside because we are putting all of our energy into being stronger.
Gains are made in the offseason and there is a lot more to gain in a hypertrophy cycle than just muscle A hypertrophy cycle allows you to train variations and work on weak points you normally don’t have the bandwidth for in a strength or peaking cycle!
You CAN NOT be working on max strength all year round. You might as well dig in and work on your foundation so that next strength cycle you are a lean, mean, lifting machine!
Exercise Selection
Now we can take a break from the big three and focus more on variation. This will provide new muscle stimulus, prevent overuse injuries, and strengthen weak points. I provide different options in the program so that you can choose what fits your individual needs the most.
But, if you are a newer lifter or have a need to work more reps with your standard lifts to reinforce technique, feel free to keep with the standard S,B, and D!
As for accessories and their rep schemes, they are specifically chosen to promote more hypertrophy. This means we prioritize a range of motion, and time under tension, and use exercises that aren’t as limiting with stability.
Let me highlight a few of the variations you can choose from!
Squat Day
The bar position on your back (or front) alters which muscles are more recruited. This is the element we are toggling for this cycle.
Competition Barbell Squat: Feel free to use your standard bar position if you need more technique work
High Bar Squat/Safety Squat Bar: If you usually have a lower bar position the high bar squat can help bring up your core and quad strength. The SSB is a more shoulder-friendly way to high bar so if you are lucky enough to have one I would bust it out!
Front Squat: If you also want to bring up your quad and core strength but want to learn a new skill that can transfer over into
Squat Machine: any squat machine (lever, hack, smith, etc.) is GREAT for hypertrophy! When we take out the element of stability and core and can hammer the legs. If you can break up with the barbell for a while you will reap the benefits!
Bench Day
Bench grip and angle alter different weak points and muscle groups. Here’s how to choose which one is for you!
Standard Bench Press: Feel free to use your standard bar position if you need more technique work
Close Grip: Triceps be poppin’!!! If you want more cut arms or need more lockout power then you need to use this variation this cycle!
Multi Grip: Moving into a neutral grip reduces stress on the shoulders, elbows, and wrists and allows for greater natural movement. If you are fatigued with the standard bench press, give your shoulders a break with a multi-grip bar!
Duffalo: This curved barbell will increase the ROM and light up your pecs! If you want to grow your chest or if you are slow at the bottom of the bench then I would choose this variation!
Deadlift Day
Choose between opposite stance deadlifts, RDL, or stiff leg deadlifts. This is your chance to work on your weaknesses, and work with a greater ROM, without the pressure of lifting max weight.
Competition Stance: Feel free to use your standard bar position if you need more technique work. Make sure you are CONTROLLING the eccentric!
RDL: Build the booty of the gods! RDL keeps your hams and glutes under tension the whole set! This is the BEST for growing!
Stiff Leg Deadlift: Even greater ROM than RDL since the barbell goes past the shins to the floor but a little less time under tension since you pause on the floor.
Sumo Deadlift: If you normally do conventional and want more quad/adductor work or if conventional deadlifts hurt your backy
Conventional Deadlift: You normally pull sumo and want to strengthen your back and you need more posterior chain strength
Overhead Press Day
Choose any of these variations but make sure you stay STRICT! Don’t be tempted to do a push press or jerk. We want raw upper body strength and time under tension to build some beefy shoulders!
Strict Barbell Press: This is the standard! Choose this if you don’t have any shoulder issues. You can also do these seated for even more opportunity to focus on hypertrophy.
Incline Barbell Press: Get even more pec work with a little shoulder bonus!
DB Shoulder Press: Can’t press the 45lb barbell yet? Get your work done with DBs! Weight is weight!
Blood Pumper
You will see that the first exercise of every training day is a “blood pumper”. These are pre-exhaust sets which are a technique that calls for performing an isolation movement before a compound movement. This calls for more muscle recruitment from the targeted muscle you are intended to work. This is also a great way to enhance the mind-muscle connection.
We are using this cycle as an opportunity to use this muscle building technique. During our strength phase, we will not be using this because we don’t want to pre-fatigue the muscle. For now, it is a great tool and you will feel the burn!
Schedule
You have the option of a 3-5 day program. If you can only do 3 days make sure you stick with the squat, bench, and deadlift workouts (days 1-3). If you can do a 4 day split then combine the first 2-3 exercises from the secondary press and Big Bad B00ty Day (days 4-5).
