Hepburn's Law

[BendtheBar]

Reading Hepburn's Law.

Hepburn’s Law PDF Download Muscle and Brawn Bodybuilding and Powerlifting.

I know Jwood just read it.

Any thoughts or impressions by anyone who's read it?

[BendtheBar]

The PDF is a bit different then the routines in Doug's book. Just slightly different.

The PDF

Power Group = 8 x 2 working to 8 x 3
Muscle Build = 6 sets, 6,5,4,4,4,3 reps
Pump or Flush Set = 1 x 10

When you hit the reps, add 2.5 pounds for upper body and 5 pounds for lower body.

Split = Upper, Lower, OFF, Upper, Lower, OFF, OFF

Exercises.

--Squat
--Press
--Bench Press
--Barbell Row
--Barbell Curl
--Deadlift

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Notes:

Doug's book has muscle building going from sets of 6 to sets of 8 via the same progressional scheme. This site states:

Doug Hepburn’s Routines | AmpedTraining.com | Matthew Perryman, CSCS

On Doug’s newer A and B routines:

One thing Doug changed later in his life is that you DO NOT do the Power and Pump programs together in the same workout.

He felt the Pump program was overkill and probably did him more harm than good. 8 sets of 90% singles followed by a full 5×5 would kill any of us.

His refined training which he advised when older and wiser (in the late 90’s before his death) went like this:

“A Routine” – Use Singles, start with 4 total and build up one rep per workout until you hit 10. (4 to 10 reps with 90%)

“B Routine” – Use triples and do the same progression. This was used when you went stale on the “A” routine, and was used until you were using the same weight for triples as you did for singles on “A” (12-30 reps with 75-80%)

You would do the “A” program until you went stale (and you WILL go stale, trust me) and then switch to the “B” routine for a few months. You don’t pick and choose depending on the day,you use them in order, A/B/A/B… Doug thought the average guy could go 4 months on each before having to switch to the other program. THIS, he said, was the key to continued gains.

If using the “old style” workouts, you ALWAYS add the single reps to the FIRST sets until you hit the goal. For example:

3/3/3/3/3
4/3/3/3/3
5/3/3/3/3
5/4/3/3/3… and so on…

At the end of his career he actually split up the two workouts “Power” and “Pump” and used them as I mentioned, one for a few months and the other for a few months.

First 3-4 months:
one set of 5 at 50%
60% x 1
70% x 1
80% x 1
4-10 singles @ 90% (“A Routine”)

when you peak out and cant add any more weight…

Second 3-4 months:
one set of 5 at 50%
60% x 1
70% x 1
80% or thereabouts for 4-10 sets of 3 (“B Routine”)

OR

80% for 3/3/3/3/3 building to 5/5/5/5/5 (“C Routine”)

Doug never used percents, he realized some guys could do more than others at a certain percent.

If I mentioned percents I am sorry, I was just trying to illustrate.

He said to take 5 reps with a light weight to start. Then add weight and do a single, add again for another single and add yet again for the last single. This was the warm up. a set of 5 and 3-4 singles to get to your working weight.

The next single would be at your working weight, which was “heavy enough to strain with but not your max”. This was not necessarily 90% but thats what it averages out to for me. YOU MAY BE DIFFERENT.

Use a weight you strain with but can get 4 singles, and build up to 10.

If you do the “B” routine, use a weight you can get 4 triples with and build it up the same way.

If you use the “C” routine, stay with 5 sets but start with 3’s and build them up to 5’s.

THE “C” (PUMP) ROUTINE IS JUST A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE “B” ROUTINE! Use it if you dont want to hang around for 10 sets, simple as that.

[BendtheBar]

One thing I'm trying to understand is how he split his routine is he stopped doing heavy and muscle building sets in the same workout...wondering if it was more like a Wendler's format...

[DieselWeasel]

Thanks for the ebook, Steve! I only glanced through it. Is his program intended to produce strength, hypertrophy, or both?

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by DieselWeasel

Thanks for the ebook, Steve! I only glanced through it. Is his program intended to produce strength, hypertrophy, or both?

Yw.

Hepburn was pure strength but I think that he was a pure powerbuilder in that he always did work in the hypertrophy ranges, if that makes sense. It was more bulk up to lift more.

The routine is very appealing until I try to do the volume

[DieselWeasel]

Ah, yeah. That's what I thought. Cool.

[denis]

Some more information about Hepburn's programs for his later years taken for this discussion on tnation T-Nation.com | Hepburn Solution for Strength and Power - Page 1





I actually spoke to Doug several times back when I was an up-and-coming olympic lifter in the late 90's. He produced two full training videos showing him breaking strength records while he was 70 something years old. He strict pressed 205 ,one arm dumbell presses 110, and strict curled 160 if my memory serves me correctly. He outlined his full training program and all the rationale behind them in those videos, which im lucky to have gotten from him before he passed.

He would use TWO exercises a day, split into upper and lower body. He would overhead press and bench press one day, and squat and curl on the other. He used to shoot for two of the same workout in 8 days (one day on one day off) as his schedule and told me he had even better results at his age if he went one on two off.

He would progress from workout to workout. Always go to the gym seeking that ONE rep gain, no matter what. If you can do that you will ALWAYS progress!




Nope, no prehab or any 'functional" work for that matter. Doug did mention something interesting though. When he broke his bench press records he used a collar to collar grip and a very wide bench which supported the entire shoulder joint.

I believe that no one needs prehab for their rotators, we need wider benches to keep our scapulae from getting crushed (and pening up the shoulder joint under stress) when handling a heavy weight. Couple that with heavy overhead pressing, heavy rows, and you won't have any shoulder trouble. (I personally never bench press, I floor press to keep my shoulders healthy. The week after I made a 500lb floor press I went to the bench to test and I made 480 comfortably, despite not training on a bench for 3 years. The strength carried over and I saved myself so much wear and tear...)

To Entheogens:

You read correctly, he kept on using the same exercises literally for decades, even into his 70's. He advised me to do the same, and I have.

John Davis used almost the same exact routine as Doug but without cycling it (just 8 sets of 1-3 reps at a fixed weight). When Davis would hit a wall, he would just change from singles to doubles or triples. Very simple. Cycling the intensity of effort (3's compared to 1's) is all the change anyone should ever need to make progress.




PLEASE don't get caught up in the "increase 120lbs in a year" claims. it CAN be done, but it shouldn't be the goal.

Doug was very adamant that the only important part of training is making progress slowly and surely. He said he peaked in his MID 50's (390 strict standing press at age 54!!!) and he kept his strength until his death because it had a very solid foundation.

The gains will come but you can't get impatient and try to rush them, especially with this type of training.

Get to the gym, get your single rep gain, and be happy. In a few years you will look back and say "wow"





After a while of holding yourself back your body gets really "antsy", it WANTS to lift a max and you'll start to crave a day to max out. its like storing up your nervous energy, and Doug equated it an "explosive force". (Im not exaggerating!) When this happens, re-test your maxes on a day you feel really good.

You'll blow your old PR's out of the water, and probably do more than your working weight would lead you to believe possible!

Then switch to the "B" routine. Using these new maxes, use 75-80% for 4 sets of triples. Build up to 10 sets (add one set a workout). Give me a PM in 6-8 months when you're using 300 for push presses, and 400 for benches. :-)

If your body starts acting up on you, dont be afraid to drop back to the "B" routine sooner, but I really think you'll be just fine. Working with singles is incredibly safe in my opinion.




One thing Doug DID mention is that you gain strength quicker with the singles (A) than the triples (B) and he used the triples as a prolonged deload for when he was just shot physically.

[BendtheBar]

Great info! Thanks Denis. Rep+

He would use TWO exercises a day, split into upper and lower body. He would overhead press and bench press one day, and squat and curl on the other. He used to shoot for two of the same workout in 8 days (one day on one day off) as his schedule and told me he had even better results at his age if he went one on two off.

This makes me feel better right now about feeling old and pondering more rest.

So, it was basically:

Day 1 - Bench and Press
Day 3 (or 4) - Squat and Lower

[BendtheBar]

I was thinking about Hepburn cycling between 3's and singles, and wondered about this 3 week cycle instead:

Week 1
90% 1RM 8x1

Week 2
80% 1RM 8x2

Week 3
70% 1RM 8x3

[CoopDawg]

i read this whole pdf big grim hooked me up with it awhile back. It looks like something i want to run someday