When I plugged in the numbers to the program and looked forward, I saw that week 9 would be very tough. Well, I've just completed week 9 (Heavy pulls and presses this morning!) and it was tough, but I was able to complete every set and rep - though some just by a hair! I'm looking forward to peaking and testing my lifts a few weeks down the road. I expect to get into the 200/300/400/500 club easily! I bought the program because, since last December when I started doing intermediate programming, I was running programs that weren't appropriate for me. I'm a 45 year old male and it only took 5 weeks on Texas method before it buried me. I went to the stock HLM from PPST, but I wasn't experienced enough to set it up properly for me to make long term progress. I made much more progress on the stock HLM vs TM, but eventually didn't know what to do when I couldn't add 5lbs to the bar any longer. This program is perfect for my demographic and is teaching me a lot on how to set up an intermediate program that will work for me to get long term gains. Definitely worth the money! Thanks Andy!
Currently on my third cycle for this program. Added 20kg to my dead lift, 32.5kg to my squat and 10kg to my press in 6 months after running SSLP out last year. I highly recommend this program for those such as myself who are perhaps a little older (30+) and can't maximise on recovery due to shift work.
Awesome program, been awhile since I've gotten any personal records. At 240lbs, this program brought my lifts to at or just below what they were when I weighed 260.
Just want to send out a big Thank You! Great program!! Very Flexible yet stays true to Lp. I’m 51 only one year of Powerlifting. Bench increased from 265-295. Squat 265-315. Dead 275-295. I’m most proud of Press 150- 185!!! I will be running this program again. Thank you Andy.
Rob K- I’m interested in your journey as I am also 51 and just started lifting consistently five months ago. I’m 6’ 190 with lanky build, long arms and legs. You are far ahead of me on all the lifts except DL. I did start a lot heavier on that lift in my novice linear progression as I had done some lifting many years ago. However, my other lifts have increased much more than my DL. Do you have recovery issues? I had to modify my program to a four day split-Bench/press M,THU Squat/Deadlift Tu/F alternating which one is max 3x5 that day. I appreciate any input. I’ve been a bit stuck around 290 for 5 on deadlift and progressing very slowly on that lift. I did injure my lower back years ago and it’s probably just taking time to get stronger. Thanks for any input and good job on your progress!
@@billytrevathan6405 Hi Billy. The first time I did Garage gym Warrior was hard. I had recovery issues, also I got injured. But, I finished it. Second time around was much more smooth. I’m alternating bench and press. As it’s written, you press twice and bench once. I alternate and use the percentages accordingly. 3 Day plan. Also, I do pull ups each work out. I’ve gone from 3x5 on pull ups to 60-80. 8x10 or 6x10. I’ll add weight with a weight belt too. Also, I always add one additional movement. Monday’s are barbell curl. 3x15-18. Wednesday’s are push ups, 3xAMRAP. Friday is dips or tricep extensions, 3xAMRAP. I just tested my squat, it went up again to 335 now. I’ll let you know about the dead;) that’s my weak point. The program is in blocks. During the light block weeks, I add Amrap reps. For example, if it has me pressing 3x5x70%, I add an additional set of Amrap. If I’m tired, I make the last set an Amrap. Same for all the lifts except for Dead. During harder weeks, I still try and add one or two reps wherever I can. Paused bench maybe, pin press another time. Etc... with deadlifts, I’m trying to get my form down still. Maybe I have a mental block. Either way, I’ve gotten stronger, but not where I should be compared to my other lifts. I hope this helps you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Oh, so you’ve been lifting for 5 months. It takes time man. I’m on a year and 1/2. I started with StrongLifts and Starting Strength. So, be patient. One more thing, eat lots and lots of food and get as much sleep as possible;) Up your protein. These are all really hard things to do. Hope this has helped. Good luck to you brother. Rob K
Rob K -Thanks for the input! The eating and sleeping is hard because of stomach issues (just can’t eat enough) and sleep apnea (I have a Cpap but haven’t been using it due to problems with the masks, scabby nose, etc..) I know those are holding me up because I’ve gotten quite a bit stronger and gotten comments from several friends and family about my appearance but haven’t gained a pound! I see fuller muscles and more shape and wonder “How can I not weigh any more??” My natural strength used to be 325 deadlift because I did it a few times without ever training it. 20 years ago. I’m not sure if I could do that now after 5 months of training, but I’m right there. My squat started off super low because my legs were weak and the old low back injury but I’m up to 215 for 3x5. I just hit a 1RM bench of 225 last week which was slightly more than I ever did when I had a bench and Olympic set years ago. I started on the Starting Strength program, too and did coaching with Andy Baker my first month. His gym is near my house and I saw it on a SS video and looked him up. There are a lot of health issues that are affecting me I just refuse to let them stop me. If I had known about this program when I was young it would have changed my life, I’m sure. Well, I’ll make the most of what’s left because the whole reason I started lifting was due to getting weaker and weaker over the last several years. I’ve also started some chin-ups, dips, calf raises, pullovers to help those areas but can’t do too much or I can’t recover for the big lifts. Thanks again for your help. Maybe I’ll be close to your lifts in another year!
Rob K Just a thought because I just looked at your numbers again and it isn’t unheard of but is a bit unusual for your squat to pass up your DL. What type of grip are you using? I ask because my grip isn’t as strong anymore and Andy had me start using an alternate grip. It helps but takes a little getting used to. You probably know all this, I’m just curious about the whole DL/squat discrepancy. I told Andy that I was having trouble with the bar slowly slipping out on my last few reps. He said “Don’t die on that hill, Brother. Use an alternate grip and it will help you for another 100-200 pounds.” Guess I had the notion that I “should” be able to hold 280-300 conventional for reps because I could hold 325 for a single in the past. Things change!
@@billytrevathan6405 You know, I never thought about the grip. I test this Friday, if can’t match my squat, instead of jumping off a bridge, I’ll try the alternate grip;) ha ha. Yeah, I’ve been putting in extra reps, extra time on the dead because of the deficiency. If I fail, I’ll try the alternate grip. This is good advise. While I know about the grip, sometimes you just need a reminder. I appreciate it.
I'm in my third cycle of The GGW program. I ran the first cycle as written until I had to drop deadlift volume due to poor form. I made adjustments to cycles 2 and 3 and am having the best lifting I've had in years. Squat, bench ,and press all feel great and increasing. Deadlift is getting there.
Andy, thanks. Your videos, website and posts are great and have provided me with lots of information and motivation. Just started GGW and liking it so far.
I just want to put in my experience with the program. I actually only fit in 2 days a week some weeks because i am playing baseball as well. Im on week 9 and i can already tell im going to be greater than 5% stronger from my pre GGW numbers. Im actually nt even gaining weight but Ive been eating at maintenance and have gone from 20% bodyfat to 17% without losing any bodyweight. I cant thank Andy enough for the program it is great.
Sounds great for me. Purchased just now. I'm an "old guy" and have read the wonderful Barbell Prescription book. Even so I find I have been meandering a bit in my training so felt I needed really specific direction as to what to incorporate in my training sessions. This video helped me decide to give this program a try as it sounds like something that could benefit me.. Thanks.
I guess Andy could answer your question best. In my opinion, (having read the book twice now) I would say most if not all of the elements of this program can be found in the book. However, with the program, Andy has put the necessary pieces and percentages together to create a specific plan to follow. Could someone read the book and construct a similar program? Probably.. For 25 bucks Andy has made it easier for me to just do the program. No wondering about correctly putting the pieces together. I like that. Thanks Andy.
Hey Andy, I just bought GGW and had a question. In week 11, could I do the 1st set of the heavy lifts at 95% as an AMRAP? This would give a decent number from which to extrapolate a 1RM (e.g., 3 reps equals 93%, 4 equals 90%, and 5 equals 87%,etc.). The new extrapolated 1RMs could then be used to set up the next cycles after the week 12 deload and thereby eliminate the need for a week 13 of testing. Let me know ur thoughts please?
Hi Andy, Just looking at purchasing your Classic HLM or Garage Gym Warrior program, just wondering what the difference is? Also is your Power Building program am upper/lower split? I don't favour squatting and deadlifting on the same day is all! My goal is absolute strength, so your recommendation would be appreciated. Cheers Aaron
Hey Andy, I'm about halfway through this program. I'm loving it, but with my stressful work schedule I'm feeling really fatigued. Can I break it up into a four day split?
Hello Andy, do you have a similar program but 4 days a week? I am soon 53 year old and train before I leave for work in the morning so I only have max 1.5 hour for the whole training. I have done 3 day full body before, but will rather do a 4 day as I am doing now 4 day full body (squat, push upper, and deadlift, pull upper). This seems to be working well I recover good, not going to heavy...
Hey man I love this program. It suits my lifestyle so well. But I'm going away mid program soon. Is it possible to do once a week instead of 3 days while I'm away? I'll be progressing week 5 thru to week 7 while away? Thinking of doing SBD heavy once a week until I get home? I could rerun the weeks properly when I get back home? Shame I'd have to sacrifice the press if I do this but can rerun when home!
Hey Andy, in ur article Two Simple Hacks for HLM, u mention for heavy day doing 1 set at the prescribed weight and reps followed by 3 back offs at -5% for same reps. Would u recommend this for GGW, e.g., week 1 heavy squat: 1 set at 70% for 6 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 at 5% less weight?
I own the GGW program, but I like the idea of a 4-day split (for shorter workouts and maybe because it's easier to add 2 assistance exercises). However, I am not sure how to split the workouts. Plus, I have noticed that the squats and pulls in the 4-day split are reduced, while the presses are increased. Why is that? Is it actually proper?
You had mentioned in the comments, that this program would be perfect for Athletes. Would it still be applicable for an athlete with a moderately high training volume; 6 hours a week?
Hey Andy, I'm on week 6 and I'm loving this program, I do have a question and hope you can answer. If I miss a rep on my last set, in this case on the OHP, should I retry this percentage next week of just continue with the prescribed percentages? Thank you
I’m an early intermediate lifter in my 20s, I really like the idea of 3 days per week, is this program good for me? Also is it possible to put in assistance work on certain days?
Yes and yes. Also now have a bundle on my site with 3 different Garage Gym Warrior programs. It's a great value and probably gives you nearly a year's worth of programming with simple basic 3 day per week strength programs
@@andybaker2413 sweet, thanks! Also I am pretty resilient and can recover well from high workloads of high intensity and volume. With that being said which version of GGW would be best suited for me ?
Either or both. You could do something like Low Bar for the Mon/Fri and High Bar for Weds or Low Bar for Monday and High Bar for Weds and Friday. Or just do your preferred style and keep it for all 3 days
Online barbell club works in 6-8 week cycles and I change the programming up a bit each cycle. The barbell club delivers weekly workouts to your inbox every Sunday night. Workouts are split routine format. So 1-2 main lifts per day with 2-3 target assistance lifts. True power building style workouts (strength + mass).
Is Texas Method considered HLM ? Why is it so hard to recover from? I'm 34 and trying to figure what I want to do... 300+bench, 400+ squat, 400+ deadlift.... I want to get stronger!
No, they are different. Texas Method is really more like Heavy - Light - Heavy. Look at one of the programs on my site. Doing anything structured and consistent is going to be better than just floundering around. Garage Gym Warrior is a full body 3-day per week HLM program, the KSC Method for Raw Powerlifting is a 4-day split, and the KSC Method for PowerBuilding is a 5-day split www.andybaker.com/training-programs/
This definitely looks like a program, that would fit me. (Doing other sports than lifting) Is it required to have a 1RM before starting the program? Or is it okay to base the percentages of a calculated 1RM from a 5RM? Haven't bought the program yet, because I want to know what I'm going into before buying anything.
If you are capable of estimating a true 1RM from a 5RM (usually around 85%) then I don't mind. Better to be a bit conservative than overshoot it though. Otherwise, I'd rather see you actually take out a heavy single to truly know where you stand. But it is not absolutely required.
When I plugged in the numbers to the program and looked forward, I saw that week 9 would be very tough. Well, I've just completed week 9 (Heavy pulls and presses this morning!) and it was tough, but I was able to complete every set and rep - though some just by a hair! I'm looking forward to peaking and testing my lifts a few weeks down the road. I expect to get into the 200/300/400/500 club easily!
I bought the program because, since last December when I started doing intermediate programming, I was running programs that weren't appropriate for me. I'm a 45 year old male and it only took 5 weeks on Texas method before it buried me. I went to the stock HLM from PPST, but I wasn't experienced enough to set it up properly for me to make long term progress. I made much more progress on the stock HLM vs TM, but eventually didn't know what to do when I couldn't add 5lbs to the bar any longer.
This program is perfect for my demographic and is teaching me a lot on how to set up an intermediate program that will work for me to get long term gains. Definitely worth the money!
Thanks Andy!
Currently on my third cycle for this program.
Added 20kg to my dead lift, 32.5kg to my squat and 10kg to my press in 6 months after running SSLP out last year.
I highly recommend this program for those such as myself who are perhaps a little older (30+) and can't maximise on recovery due to shift work.
I am week 7 on this program and it is working well. My lifts are going up and I am recovering. It is challenging and I look forward to each workout.
Awesome program, been awhile since I've gotten any personal records. At 240lbs, this program brought my lifts to at or just below what they were when I weighed 260.
Just want to send out a big Thank You! Great program!! Very Flexible yet stays true to Lp. I’m 51 only one year of Powerlifting. Bench increased from 265-295. Squat 265-315. Dead 275-295. I’m most proud of Press 150- 185!!! I will be running this program again. Thank you Andy.
Rob K- I’m interested in your journey as I am also 51 and just started lifting consistently five months ago. I’m 6’ 190 with lanky build, long arms and legs. You are far ahead of me on all the lifts except DL. I did start a lot heavier on that lift in my novice linear progression as I had done some lifting many years ago. However, my other lifts have increased much more than my DL. Do you have recovery issues? I had to modify my program to a four day split-Bench/press M,THU Squat/Deadlift Tu/F alternating which one is max 3x5 that day. I appreciate any input. I’ve been a bit stuck around 290 for 5 on deadlift and progressing very slowly on that lift. I did injure my lower back years ago and it’s probably just taking time to get stronger. Thanks for any input and good job on your progress!
@@billytrevathan6405 Hi Billy. The first time I did Garage gym Warrior was hard. I had recovery issues, also I got injured. But, I finished it. Second time around was much more smooth. I’m alternating bench and press. As it’s written, you press twice and bench once. I alternate and use the percentages accordingly. 3 Day plan. Also, I do pull ups each work out. I’ve gone from 3x5 on pull ups to 60-80. 8x10 or 6x10. I’ll add weight with a weight belt too. Also, I always add one additional movement. Monday’s are barbell curl. 3x15-18. Wednesday’s are push ups, 3xAMRAP. Friday is dips or tricep extensions, 3xAMRAP. I just tested my squat, it went up again to 335 now. I’ll let you know about the dead;) that’s my weak point. The program is in blocks. During the light block weeks, I add Amrap reps. For example, if it has me pressing 3x5x70%, I add an additional set of Amrap. If I’m tired, I make the last set an Amrap. Same for all the lifts except for Dead. During harder weeks, I still try and add one or two reps wherever I can. Paused bench maybe, pin press another time. Etc... with deadlifts, I’m trying to get my form down still. Maybe I have a mental block. Either way, I’ve gotten stronger, but not where I should be compared to my other lifts.
I hope this helps you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Oh, so you’ve been lifting for 5 months. It takes time man. I’m on a year and 1/2. I started with StrongLifts and Starting Strength. So, be patient. One more thing, eat lots and lots of food and get as much sleep as possible;) Up your protein. These are all really hard things to do. Hope this has helped. Good luck to you brother.
Rob K
Rob K -Thanks for the input! The eating and sleeping is hard because of stomach issues (just can’t eat enough) and sleep apnea (I have a Cpap but haven’t been using it due to problems with the masks, scabby nose, etc..) I know those are holding me up because I’ve gotten quite a bit stronger and gotten comments from several friends and family about my appearance but haven’t gained a pound! I see fuller muscles and more shape and wonder “How can I not weigh any more??” My natural strength used to be 325 deadlift because I did it a few times without ever training it. 20 years ago. I’m not sure if I could do that now after 5 months of training, but I’m right there. My squat started off super low because my legs were weak and the old low back injury but I’m up to 215 for 3x5. I just hit a 1RM bench of 225 last week which was slightly more than I ever did when I had a bench and Olympic set years ago. I started on the Starting Strength program, too and did coaching with Andy Baker my first month. His gym is near my house and I saw it on a SS video and looked him up. There are a lot of health issues that are affecting me I just refuse to let them stop me. If I had known about this program when I was young it would have changed my life, I’m sure. Well, I’ll make the most of what’s left because the whole reason I started lifting was due to getting weaker and weaker over the last several years. I’ve also started some chin-ups, dips, calf raises, pullovers to help those areas but can’t do too much or I can’t recover for the big lifts. Thanks again for your help. Maybe I’ll be close to your lifts in another year!
Rob K Just a thought because I just looked at your numbers again and it isn’t unheard of but is a bit unusual for your squat to pass up your DL. What type of grip are you using? I ask because my grip isn’t as strong anymore and Andy had me start using an alternate grip. It helps but takes a little getting used to. You probably know all this, I’m just curious about the whole DL/squat discrepancy. I told Andy that I was having trouble with the bar slowly slipping out on my last few reps. He said “Don’t die on that hill, Brother. Use an alternate grip and it will help you for another 100-200 pounds.” Guess I had the notion that I “should” be able to hold 280-300 conventional for reps because I could hold 325 for a single in the past. Things change!
@@billytrevathan6405 You know, I never thought about the grip. I test this Friday, if can’t match my squat, instead of jumping off a bridge, I’ll try the alternate grip;) ha ha. Yeah, I’ve been putting in extra reps, extra time on the dead because of the deficiency. If I fail, I’ll try the alternate grip. This is good advise. While I know about the grip, sometimes you just need a reminder. I appreciate it.
I'm in my third cycle of The GGW program. I ran the first cycle as written until I had to drop deadlift volume due to poor form. I made adjustments to cycles 2 and 3 and am having the best lifting I've had in years. Squat, bench ,and press all feel great and increasing. Deadlift is getting there.
That is great Thomas. Glad the program is working for you
Andy, thanks. Your videos, website and posts are great and have provided me with lots of information and motivation. Just started GGW and liking it so far.
Always learn a ton from you, thanks for the video.
I just want to put in my experience with the program. I actually only fit in 2 days a week some weeks because i am playing baseball as well. Im on week 9 and i can already tell im going to be greater than 5% stronger from my pre GGW numbers. Im actually nt even gaining weight but Ive been eating at maintenance and have gone from 20% bodyfat to 17% without losing any bodyweight. I cant thank Andy enough for the program it is great.
Sounds great for me. Purchased just now. I'm an "old guy" and have read the wonderful Barbell Prescription book. Even so I find I have been meandering a bit in my training so felt I needed really specific direction as to what to incorporate in my training sessions. This video helped me decide to give this program a try as it sounds like something that could benefit me.. Thanks.
is this program different from the hlm program of the barbell prescription? thanks
I guess Andy could answer your question best.
In my opinion, (having read the book twice now) I would say most if not all of the elements of this program can be found in the book. However, with the program, Andy has put the necessary pieces and percentages together to create a specific plan to follow. Could someone read the book and construct a similar program? Probably..
For 25 bucks Andy has made it easier for me to just do the program. No wondering about correctly putting the pieces together. I like that. Thanks Andy.
Bob McC thank you very much for your time!
Awesome program - highly recommended.
Hey Andy, I just bought GGW and had a question. In week 11, could I do the 1st set of the heavy lifts at 95% as an AMRAP? This would give a decent number from which to extrapolate a 1RM (e.g., 3 reps equals 93%, 4 equals 90%, and 5 equals 87%,etc.). The new extrapolated 1RMs could then be used to set up the next cycles after the week 12 deload and thereby eliminate the need for a week 13 of testing. Let me know ur thoughts please?
Yeah I don't have a problem with that.
Great, thanks!
Hi Andy,
Just looking at purchasing your Classic HLM or Garage Gym Warrior program, just wondering what the difference is?
Also is your Power Building program am upper/lower split? I don't favour squatting and deadlifting on the same day is all!
My goal is absolute strength, so your recommendation would be appreciated.
Cheers
Aaron
Can front squats be used for light squat day? If so what would be the best strategy?
Hey Andy, I'm about halfway through this program. I'm loving it, but with my stressful work schedule I'm feeling really fatigued. Can I break it up into a four day split?
Hello Andy, do you have a similar program but 4 days a week? I am soon 53 year old and train before I leave for work in the morning so I only have max 1.5 hour for the whole training. I have done 3 day full body before, but will rather do a 4 day as I am doing now 4 day full body (squat, push upper, and deadlift, pull upper). This seems to be working well I recover good, not going to heavy...
Hey man I love this program. It suits my lifestyle so well. But I'm going away mid program soon. Is it possible to do once a week instead of 3 days while I'm away? I'll be progressing week 5 thru to week 7 while away? Thinking of doing SBD heavy once a week until I get home? I could rerun the weeks properly when I get back home? Shame I'd have to sacrifice the press if I do this but can rerun when home!
Hey Andy, in ur article Two Simple Hacks for HLM, u mention for heavy day doing 1 set at the prescribed weight and reps followed by 3 back offs at -5% for same reps. Would u recommend this for GGW, e.g., week 1 heavy squat: 1 set at 70% for 6 reps followed by 3 sets of 6 at 5% less weight?
I own the GGW program, but I like the idea of a 4-day split (for shorter workouts and maybe because it's easier to add 2 assistance exercises). However, I am not sure how to split the workouts. Plus, I have noticed that the squats and pulls in the 4-day split are reduced, while the presses are increased. Why is that? Is it actually proper?
You had mentioned in the comments, that this program would be perfect for Athletes. Would it still be applicable for an athlete with a moderately high training volume; 6 hours a week?
Do keep weights the same for each set or last set is top weight?
What's the difference between this program and the Strength & Mass after 40 program?
Hey Andy, I'm on week 6 and I'm loving this program, I do have a question and hope you can answer. If I miss a rep on my last set, in this case on the OHP, should I retry this percentage next week of just continue with the prescribed percentages? Thank you
Just keep pushing
Can you substitute front squat for back squat? I struggle to do back squat
Yes
I’m an early intermediate lifter in my 20s, I really like the idea of 3 days per week, is this program good for me? Also is it possible to put in assistance work on certain days?
Yes and yes. Also now have a bundle on my site with 3 different Garage Gym Warrior programs. It's a great value and probably gives you nearly a year's worth of programming with simple basic 3 day per week strength programs
@@andybaker2413 sweet, thanks! Also I am pretty resilient and can recover well from high workloads of high intensity and volume. With that being said which version of GGW would be best suited for me ?
it is ok for athletes? i am 42 years old and compete in bjj. Thanks!
It's perfect for athletes
Andy Baker thank you very much!
This is a very valid choice when TM stops working.
Do you recommend high bar or low bar squats in this program?
Either or both. You could do something like Low Bar for the Mon/Fri and High Bar for Weds or Low Bar for Monday and High Bar for Weds and Friday. Or just do your preferred style and keep it for all 3 days
I already own this and your powerbuilding book (both are great), what's the difference between this program and your online barbell club?
Online barbell club works in 6-8 week cycles and I change the programming up a bit each cycle. The barbell club delivers weekly workouts to your inbox every Sunday night. Workouts are split routine format. So 1-2 main lifts per day with 2-3 target assistance lifts. True power building style workouts (strength + mass).
Is Texas Method considered HLM ? Why is it so hard to recover from? I'm 34 and trying to figure what I want to do... 300+bench, 400+ squat, 400+ deadlift.... I want to get stronger!
No, they are different. Texas Method is really more like Heavy - Light - Heavy. Look at one of the programs on my site. Doing anything structured and consistent is going to be better than just floundering around. Garage Gym Warrior is a full body 3-day per week HLM program, the KSC Method for Raw Powerlifting is a 4-day split, and the KSC Method for PowerBuilding is a 5-day split www.andybaker.com/training-programs/
Do you recommend this program to a woman who is finishing LP?
Sure, but maybe have to go a bit heavier than the recommended percentages. Females should probably add 5-10% across the board.
Wow...
This definitely looks like a program, that would fit me. (Doing other sports than lifting)
Is it required to have a 1RM before starting the program?
Or is it okay to base the percentages of a calculated 1RM from a 5RM?
Haven't bought the program yet, because I want to know what I'm going into before buying anything.
If you are capable of estimating a true 1RM from a 5RM (usually around 85%) then I don't mind. Better to be a bit conservative than overshoot it though. Otherwise, I'd rather see you actually take out a heavy single to truly know where you stand. But it is not absolutely required.
Ok, I guess it would be easier to meassure progress too after the 13 weeks if i know what my 1RM is before i start the program.