re: The Greyskull Methods- A Primer

Heavy-Light-Medium Setup with GSLP

Bill Starr style HLM is my favorite way of organizing the Strength workouts after you have run the basic setup for a while (2 resets or so). It's basically a Full Body ABC-setup, 3 days a week, so the same workout falls each time to the same day.

Each session has a different Press, Pull, and Squat/Deadlift plus 0-3 plugins.

Here is my favorite HLM Greyskull Strength Training Split. I use this in addition to my rather intensive sports training, as such it needs to be rather bare bones.


"The Athlete"

Mon:
Bench 3x5+ (+ means last set AMRAP)
Row 3x5+
Squat 4x5+
Curl Variant A 3x10-15
Core

Wed:
Press 3x5+
wtd. Chin 2x6-8
Deadlift 3x5+
Calves 4x15-25

Fri:
Power Clean 3x3
Close "Press" grip incline 3x5+
Squat 5x3 w/ 80-90% of monday as explosively as possible, 1.5min rests
Curl Variant B 3x10-15
Core


Obviously you could run this with whatever varianats of the presses/pulls/squats/deadlift. I like to keep the core 4 in there almost all the time, but swap out the other lifts with each reset.

Bodyweight:
-Chin/pullup ladders are done on Wed and Sat for 7min trying to increase reps, changing grip each ladder, not to failure. I need to let my back recover for sports (Rowing), FM is too much with chins.
-FM Pushups are done for 3-4 sets mon,tue,wed,fri,sat to keep them coming along.
-I also do 3 sets "FM" of deep jump squats 10-15 reps - as many as I can explosively do- those days as well

Here's some insight how and why I run it this way:

-I tend to ramp up with the warmup weights with same number of reps as working sets and not drop the reps with them for some extra volume (last warmup is with 90-93%)

-I need extra volume for my legs (priority) after running a long time with 3x5+, so I do one extra feeder set on monday with squats for 4x5+. Also on monday I go balls out on the last set. Squats are third lift (before curls), not last so that I still have maximum energy. I rest on Sunday so my heaviest squat is on Monday. Every other cycle after I can't do 5+ on the last set I continue Monday's squats with 3x3+ adding weight until I cant do triples anymore (GSLP for Powerlifting style). At that point I also swap friday to 6x2.

-Rows are important for me so I run them with 3x5+. They could also be done 2x6-8 as JP recommends

-I need one extra set of curls to get my biceps sore, and I dont do chins every day, so i do 3 sets of curls 2 days a week.

-Wed I do 3x5+ on deads, but I only use weight I can keep good form and a decent bar speed (it was still just over 2x bodyweight before an injury). Last set is limited to max of 10 reps. Some cycles I ramp up to 1x5+ (or 3+) deads with light 80% of Monday squats (Madcow/Starr) for 2x5 as warmup or a 2x8-10 finisher on the leg press after deadlifts

-Calves are hit with the neck extension set/rep scheme of 4x25. That tends to work best for me. I have weak calves and need to train them for stability.

-I need relatively fresh legs and back on Saturday because I have my toughest sports session then, so on Friday I do more of a dynamic effort/power day to set me up for that. Without that you could do a squat variant (front, pause, box...) for a heavy 3x5+. That said the reps should be as explosive as possible each day.

-Power Clean could be whatever Dynamic pul also (Snatch, Hang, Speed dead etc)

-During Racing season I drop to 2/Week A/B split, which is pretty much the mon/wed workouts done mon/thu but with light explosive squats for 3x3 before ramping to 1x5 deads on B workout (Power Clean the first deadlift warmups). I also use this on the fly mon/wed dropping the fri session when I need to be extra fresh on the Weekend.

The Over Warmup

There are many modifications one could do to the basic setup, but I'll list only one more: The overwarmup. It works best after a reset. After resetting you warmup with singles to hit an easy single (some would call it 1@8RPE) with the weight you had before the reset to prime up your system before the worksets. As your worksets get heavier, you can slowly increase the single, but it should always be easy!