100% found this document useful (1 vote)
410 views26 pages

Harvesting Strength: Principles of

The document discusses principles of strength training programming. It emphasizes evaluating lifts like squats, benches, deadlifts and overhead presses to identify an individual's strengths and weaknesses, and using that analysis to create customized programming targeting areas for improvement. It provides an example of how analyzing a client's squat form revealed issues like lack of ankle mobility, hip strength or hamstring tightness that could then be addressed with targeted exercises. The document promotes differentiating programming based on movement analysis to best develop each individual lifter.

Uploaded by

David Ciuffani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
100% found this document useful (1 vote)
410 views26 pages

Harvesting Strength: Principles of

The document discusses principles of strength training programming. It emphasizes evaluating lifts like squats, benches, deadlifts and overhead presses to identify an individual's strengths and weaknesses, and using that analysis to create customized programming targeting areas for improvement. It provides an example of how analyzing a client's squat form revealed issues like lack of ankle mobility, hip strength or hamstring tightness that could then be addressed with targeted exercises. The document promotes differentiating programming based on movement analysis to best develop each individual lifter.

Uploaded by

David Ciuffani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 26

HARVESTING

STRENGTH

PRINCIPLES OF
PROGRAMMING
Training with intent
Table of contents
What is “Harvesting Strength”………………………………….......................4
The Big Three (Oh, and The Overhead Press)………………...................5

How Do We Differentiate Programming?.…………………..................…..8

Global Pandemic: Hip Deficiency……………………………….....................10

Good Mornings and Hyper Extension……………………….......................12

The Basics of Strength Programming....………………............................13

• Basic Strength……………………………………...............................………15

• Powerlifting………………………………………………................................17

• Strongman…………………………………...............................……………...19

• Bodybuilding …………………………............................…………………..21

The Missing Piece: Lifting with Aggression! ....................................23

Thank You!………………………………………………………...........................…..25

www.harvestingstrength.com
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

One of the biggest struggles I have within the strength community is with the
endless amounts of “programming” established by others for a cheap dollar.
The information presented to you is for only one purpose: to inform and
provide you the correct type of information at no expense. To build strength,
it has to be done correctly through the implementation of various principles
of strength training that have been provided by research and science. Social
media did not create strength programming, but has only become a tool and
platform for others to spread knowledge and wisdom. Although that is the
intention, sometimes we are misled otherwise. When going to battle, it is
not the sharpest swords that always prevail, but rather the sharpest minds.
Knowledge is key…KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

3
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

WHAT IS HARVESTING STRENGTH


I need slabs of beef to intimidate my enemy…hope you meet the job description.

Upon reading this strength-ism, hopefully you


are either inspired or want to be inspired. My
whole approach on strength is unique, honoring
the traditional principles of strength training
married with a dash of attitude that separates
from the norm. My passion for the iron has
blessed me my whole life, and after going
through what I have and learning what I have, I
am now ready to attack the world of strength
through my terms and doing it my way. I am not
an innovator, for there are thousands of strength
coaches wheelin’ and dealin’ their products and
programming to the finest strength enthusiasts
throughout the world. I know I am not the
first, nor the last to grow a business within this
industry, but that’s not going to stop me from
pursuing my enjoyment of banging the iron.

With all my educational and professional


experience in sports performance, I have created
the concept of Harvesting Strength. Harvesting Strength is not only about lifting the
heavy iron, but other concepts and practices that go beyond the barbell. To be strong, it
encompasses physical strength, mental strength, and much more. Training to be strong
exceeds the hours you spend in the gym. We have to train with intent, not with mindless
programming that only satisfies the muscles you can see in the mirror. If you are looking
to bang the heavy iron and elevate your performance with the barbell, you have found the
right place.

The purpose of this e-book is to give myself an opportunity to educate others regarding
the basics of strength training through Harvesting Strength. If you see ideas and routines
that sound familiar to you, that is okay. It is not about the tools provided, but how you use
those tools to remove yourself from the stereotypical mindset of a “gym bro” to an iron
legend. The purpose of this information is to educate only. Those who plan to partake in
any exercise routine, including the ones described here, should be cleared by a medical
professional before attempting any physical activity.

4
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

The Big Three (Oh, and The Overhead Press)


When you hear about strength training,
many people begin to associate certain
styles of lifting such as powerlifting,
Strongman, CrossFit, and much, much
more. In these sports, there is a heavy
emphasis in competing with traditional
movements that have been tested
throughout time. This then leads many
to believe and ask the question…

Why do I need to know how to squat,


bench and deadlift if I do not compete?
These individuals who are referencing
the squat, bench and deadlift also call
them “the big three”. The big three
are important for many reasons, as
they incorporate all the major muscle
groups and support our growth and
development to evolve from “average”
to “great”. Yes, there is an argument
as to why certain lifters would choose
to do certain movements- there is no
arguing that.

This mindset abides to the principles


of specificity, but I believe if you are not a fan of the deadlift, what about another form of
the deadlift, like the Romanian deadlift? If you are not a fan of the deadlift, what about
a single leg deadlift? My goal with these suggestions is to inspire an individual to select
a variation of deadlift that better fits that individual’s needs. If you are a distance runner
and do not feel that deadlift would fit in your program, consider modifying a traditional
deadlift into a single-leg deadlift. The single-leg deadlift, while still giving all the benefits
of the traditional deadlift, helps promote balance and stability, which are two important
aspects of distance running. Maybe not every lifter needs to squat, bench, or deadlift, but
every lifter can benefit from variations of these movements that could physiologically
meet their differing needs.

If you are still with me to this point, you are clearly an advocate of strength. Let us get
back to the topic of the big three movements, and oh- let’s add the overhead press.

5
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

The squat, bench, deadlift and


overhead press are four big
movements that, as mentioned before,
encompass most of the major muscle
groups and provide transfer to many
skills that exceed the barbell. If you
are performing the overhead press,
you are mimicking the movement of
a rebound in basketball or a block in
volleyball. If you are performing the
bench press, you are mimicking the
movement of a block in football or
the push of a sled. The list is endless,
which makes these four movements
so essential for strength training. So,
whether you are looking to embrace
a program for strength, or a program
for the development of various skills
and abilities, it’s important to consider
these four movements as pivotal
selections in a program.

Another benefit of these four


movements is that while executing
these movements, you can begin to
see the strengths and deficiencies in
performance that could correlate to
deficits in development of various muscle groups or movement patterns. An example of
this is when lifters squat and their heels raise tremendously.

-Does this lifter have a lack of ankle mobility?

-Does this lifter have a lack of hip strength?

-Does this lifter have tightness in their hamstrings?

The performance of these lifts could help us determine the strengths and deficiencies of
lifters, which can also help enhance the determination of exercise selection for growing
and developing the correct program for the correct lifter.

6
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Essentially what happens is with these


main four movements, we can begin
to discover the lifters strengths and
weaknesses that can help us properly
prescribe exercises that can promote
appropriate growth and development
to make them a better lifter. This
philosophy of lifting has fueled my
differentiation of strength programs
based on movement analysis. What
began as an informal process,
eventually developed into a formal
approach, that had lifters sending
various videos of their movements
that I then analyzed to understand
their strengths and weaknesses. This
movement analysis helped mold each
program to fit the individual lifters
needs.

So, how are we able to break


down movements for correct and
appropriate programming? Let’s
discuss this in the next section.

7
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

How Do We Differentiate Our Programming?


In the last sections, we discussed how the performance of our squat, bench, deadlift, and
overhead press can be very telling of our strengths and weaknesses in certain areas of our
lifts. To differentiate our program, we need to evaluate our performance with the barbell
during these four movements to learn the most
appropriate lifts to incorporate based on exercise
selection.

The next couple pages outline a client of mine,


“Colton”, a previous lifter who competed in
powerlifting starting at the age of 14. Using the
Harvesting Strength lifting philosophy of exercise
selection based on movement analysis, Colton grew
from being middle of the pack to the top dog of the
198 and 220 weight class. He qualified for the Texas
High School State Powerlifting Championships for his
junior and senior year. He had a stellar performance
and continues to lift to this day. Let’s watch as he
demonstrates the barbell squat for insight and
feedback to his performance.

First, let us focus on the bar and foot placement. The bar
being placed on the upper back showcases good form, but
the foot placement tells a more complex story. When our
toes point outward, this helps to improve the displacement
of weight and give the lifter a biomechanical advantage
in case they lack development in their glute medius and
minimus. However, if you were to work with a traditional
athlete, it would be best to have the feet facing forward as
this translates to many sports. You never see a linebacker
in a 2-point stance with his toes flared outward as this
would put them at a disadvantage towards filling the gap
and taking on the blocker. One motion to look out for is the
upper body coming forward to develop a hinge before the
descending motion of the squat. One motion to look out for
is the upper body coming forward to develop a hinge before
the descending motion of the squat. Overall, he is standing
erect which highlights good control rather than starting the
lift in a fatiguing position.

8
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

In the second image, we start to see the lift during the


descending motion. Notice the upper body’s posture. Even
with the hips dropped, they are titled in a beneficial position.
You should also notice that he is at great depth with his knees
outward. The reason we acknowledge this lifter’s technique
and form is to determine whether the lifter is engaging the
correct muscle groups. In this case, we are focusing on the
hamstrings and quadriceps just as much as the hips. He does
not show an arch in his upper body, and his hips don’t tilt in
a way that would cause his lower lumbar to be curved for a
potential disaster. Overall, his set up and descending motion
showcase impeccable technique for successful lifting.

Now we begin to observe the ascending motion. We see the


knees cave-in, his back starts to show a curve and it appears
that the lifter is looking downward not forward. It looks like
the ascending motion is where this lifter has the hardest time,
and when noticing these issues, we can now deduce that
the problem this lifter has is due to a weakness in his hips.
This lifter, though, is not the only one who showcases these
technical deficiencies. For every lifter I have worked with, there
always seems to be some level of hip deficiency. Although
this curve in his spine could be due to a lack of core strength,
I believe this lifter should focus on hip strength, such as hip
extension and hip abduction, to tighten up and correct the
form. The better he can perform extension and abduction,
the better the lifter will perform and began to start loading
heavier weights for bigger success!

The key to this step of differentiating is not to overwhelm and


completely restructure the frame of the workout but to give
meaning towards exercise selection. Through the application
of progressive overload, you must load more weight to lift
heavier. Although we often want to cut corners to achieve
quicker, heavier lifts, lifting correctly and making adjustments
for more efficient movements will not only keep us safe,
but it will also promote best lift growth by displacing our
weight properly. The better we learn to load, the more we
can essential load. That’s why when we develop a program.
We need to accept the principles of progressive overload but
also use the movement analysis as an opportunity to improve
technique. I have a firm belief that if you can learn to move
better, you will learn to load more and become a successful
lifter.
9
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Global Pandemic: Hip Deficiency


When it comes to human performance, I
am a proponent for corrective feedback,
corrective movement, and having a
proactive approach with programming.
What I mean by this is making sure that
before I work with a client, I understand
not only their strengths but their technical
and physical deficiencies as well. One
of the biggest areas of deficiency in
performance is the hips. Whether you are
a Division 1 running back, or a part-time
powerlifter, the hips are the number one
weapon for any athlete. If you struggle
with development of the hips, your
performance will suffer. So, how do we fix
this issue?

To begin, it’s important to understand the


anatomy of the hips in regard to both the
hip flexors and extensors. The hip flexors
are the psoas major and the iliacus, which both unite to form the iliopsoas muscle. We
do also have the psoas minor, a muscle missing in about half of the population, but this
muscle is very weak and does not appear to aid our lifting performance much. The hip
flexors help to raise the leg upward, a very important process for our daily function such
as walking, jogging, running, or even lifting your leg to get out of the car. But if you think
about it, the hip flexors purpose (although important) might not seem as important when
it comes to extension of the hips for success in movements like the squat and deadlift.

Understand this, though, that with every movement there are two phases, the concentric
phase and the eccentric phase, and opposing muscle groups help with redirecting force.
Whether it’s creating a muscular contraction to generate force (concentric) or creating a
muscular contraction to control the force generated from movement (eccentric), we need
these opposing muscle groups of the hip flexors and hip extensors to work in harmony
towards developing stronger movements with the barbell.

To explain further, the stretching phase of a muscular contraction that is the eccentric
phase is followed by the shortening phase of a muscular contraction that is the concentric
phase. When we lower the barbell during a squat or deadlift, it is important for the active
muscle group to work during the eccentric phase to stretch and tolerate the load of the
bar. While these engaged muscles are being stretched, the opposing muscle groups of our

10
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

extensors (the flexors) begin to tighten to help direct the weight downward and assist the
body.

Another important aspect of the hip flexors is to understand the anatomy and how they
cooperate during movement. The hip flexors
are notorious for being tighter, especially in
the sedentary population. If you think about
it, how much time do you spend standing
versus sitting? If you’re an office employee
working the 9-5 shift, that means your legs
are flexed for a majority of the day. This
translates to your flexors are used to being
shortened which could impede on our ability
to fully extend our hips. If our hip flexors are
too tight, this could also cause the upper
body to create a bad habit with posture,
such as leaning forward, and cause chronic
lower back fatigue and pain. The big thing is
to make sure we understand how to alleviate
this problem through various stretches
and exercises, so we can grow the range of
motion within this part of our anatomy to fully
benefit on various types of hip extension movements.

To oppose the concept of hip flexion, we will now discuss the action of hip extension.
If you’re looking to be any kind of athlete, you need to have strong and effective hip
extension. Having strong hip extension makes sense, but what would consist of “effective”
hip extension? To understand this more, it’s important to understand the anatomy of the
extensors as well as the use of the flexors to provide correct extension of the hips for the
best performance possible.

The gluteus maximus is the primary muscle of the hips and, more importantly, for hip
extension. Weak glutes mean weak extension- simple as that. But one of the downfalls of
the hip muscles is that they are not as “popular” of a muscle group, which means they get
neglected the most. But for improving your performance with the barbell, having strength
and mobility of the hips is a must. One thing that’s noticeable by most people is if the
hips are weaker, you will start to see the lifter beginning to fall forward, heels raised, and
then with all this leverage towards the front of the body, their spine starts to curve. This
lack of strength in the hips pushes the load elsewhere, and that’s why we begin to see
these deficiencies form. Hip strength and mobility also help with better pelvic placement
as lifters try to engage their hips by tilting their hips backwards to show better form with
their lower back. Now that the importance of hip strength is clear, let’s take a look at a few
exercises that focus on isolating and growing the hips for better success.

11
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Good Mornings and Deadlift Hyper Extension


When selecting an exercise for hip
extension, it’s important to understand
the purpose of the movement when it
comes to improving your performance
with the barbell. Are you looking to
improve your squat, or are you looking
to improve your deadlift? The principle
of specificity requires us to provide
relevant and appropriate training to, in
this case, the lift for which the individual
is training to produce the desired effect.
Doing an exercise like the good morning
places resistance on your upper back,
requiring the lifter perform a hinge with
the hips to increase hip strength. With
the bar being placed on the upper back,
that would translate mostly to squat.
Performing a movement like the deadlift
hyper extension would have the weight
displaced in the front, holding the weight
in your hands and forcing your hips
forward, mimicking the movement of a
deadlift. This would obviously translate
much more to the deadlift than the squat.
These are just a few ways to consider
exercise selection when it comes to
increasing hip strength for dominating
the bar. By knowing how to correct
someone’s movement and properly
execute exercise selection, you are giving
your lifter a heightened opportunity for
explosive success. However, this pivotal
skill is not necessarily easy to come by.

12
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

The Basics of Strength Programming


One of the most difficult things to witness
in the world of strength has to do with
individuals who choose to chase their
goals without thoughtful and purposeful
lifting. These individuals show up to the
gym for countless hours, trying to lift
everything and anything they can put
their hands on, to make themselves grow
and develop into the next big lifter. The
problem is that when you are early into
your lifting career, anything will work. The
reason why is because up to this point in
life you had no exposure to a barbell, so
whether you choose to do 1000 push-ups
or hit the chest press machine 5x a week,
anything that you choose will obviously
stimulate growth and development! What
eventually happens, though, is these
mindless acts of exercise begin to wear off
and then you decide to venture down the
next best route: social media.

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for the good,
and the bad. Very bad.
I will be honest- I was not aware of Instagram until 2019...and right now I am typing this
at 2:46pm on October 11th, 2020. Essentially, I have only been around Instagram for one
year! And I will tell you that although it’s a great place to connect and network with others
in this industry, there is a ton of falsified information that exits. You have people working
hard to mass message individuals to share their “secret program” for $9.99, and even
though you’re able to resist that temptation, those novice lifters we discussed originally
are latching on to these programs for their low prices in hopes of becoming the next big
thing! Problem is, though, that within these transactions of programs is that “you get
what you paid for”. Meaning if you paid $9.99 for a program, it’s probably not the highest
quality of programming.

13
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

I know that there are many ways to train, and I believe that in some cases there are
opportunities for “mass programming” to accommodate many lifters. This is the same
practice we see in the traditional strength
and conditioning setting, as collegiate
and professional teams hire a coach and
find ways to accommodate to every lifter
through mass programming. This isn’t
a negative thing, as these coaches find
the best ways and practices to increase
their athlete’s performance! Through
their assessments, these coaches are
considering what is best for all athletes
on a team rather than focusing on one
individual. To find your ultimate strength,
programming needs to be individualized
and tailored to your needs. In this next
section, although this material is not
individualized, it consists of some general
parameters I felt necessary for many lifters
within a certain category (powerlifting,
Strongman, etc.) to grow and develop
into their best self. Let’s take a look at some various samples of programming in strength,
powerlifting, Strongman and bodybuilding…

14
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

BASIC STRENGTH

15
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Basic Strength
Basic Strength is in reference to the overall
growth and development within all three
major lifts without inclusion of specificity
and individualization of programming.
Essentially, it’s a great starting point for
any lifter looking to make gains in the
traditional barbell movements assessed
for strength and development. The focus
would be the squat, bench, and deadlift
provided the second exercise each day is a
modification of the initial movement, plus
accessories that would benefit targeting
the various muscle groups that day. So,
if you are looking to make a leap in the
gym and have some immediate structure
to your programming, look into basic
strength as the foundation for future
programs inside this e-book. Another
nice feature of this program is that it gets
very close to having balanced volume
per body part, which is great for making sure
you develop that anterior and posterior muscle
groups evenly. That is one of the limiting factors
noticed amongst many individuals who chase
the glory of the iron. They are too consumed in
all the muscle seen by their own eyes, without
including all the muscle groups that they cannot
see daily. This is a principle of strength training
we try to incorporate (anatomical symmetry)
for most programs, but at times, we must
neglect this mindset in order to trigger growth in a different way. That is something you’ll
noticed in the next few sections of sample programming.

16
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

PowerLifting

17
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Powerlifting
Powerlifting is programming with
the main focus of developing
the squat, bench, and deadlift.
As you can tell, there are
many variations of these three
movements, helping the lifter
build and develop the movement
of the barbell for better success.
We have an emphasis on
immediate strength for sets of
three reps, followed by variations
of these movements to work
on strength deficits such as the
dead squat and dead bench.
Afterward, we proceed to work
with multiple sets of lower
submaximal weight on the squat,
bench, and deadlift to help elicit
dynamic ability and incorporate
components of speed to complement the lifter’s strength sets to strategically create
power. To conclude each training session, we move into various forms of accessories to
help promote continuous development of the musculature. This will develop their lifts
and promote enough volume to compensate for the limited reps done initially during
each session. We want to make sure we have good anatomical symmetry, so the idea is
to also use levels of volume to help build the body evenly. This will eliminate issues of
under-developed physiques that don’t have fully equipped agonist and antagonist muscle
groups. If there is an imbalance, this could hinder their performance and also put the lifter
in safety for not generating strong and smart movement.

18
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

STRONGMAN

19
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

STRONGMAN
With Strongman, the big focus is
working the various components
of Strongman, such as squatting,
pulling and overhead pressing.
I know that with traditional
Strongman, you need all types
of equipment to help participate
in the traditional events of
carrying, loading, grip, and much
more. For the purpose of this
text, we are looking at ways to
train for your Strongman events
without the access of traditional
equipment and practicing
our ability to squat, pull and,
overhead press by incorporating
equipment you typically see in
most facilities. Although in this
program we cannot provide the
authentic style of Strongman
training, our goal is to utilize the
concepts of strength training and
try to tailor more movements
that would translate to the sport of Strongman. Compared to the powerlifting program,
this program works heavy sets of three reps on the squat, bench, deadlift, and push
press. We also see the second movement being a modification of this motion but using
a rep scheme of three sets of three reps. Because each day starts heavy, the prescribed
percentage of speed work lowers to 75%, but to make this clear, these are suggested
percentages to use. I am not the biggest fan of percentages because I feel when you
become a more dynamic lifter, that could augment the percentages you use within certain
programs. You could have an athlete easily press 405lbs with speed, but then if you were
to ask them to perform higher rep counts, they might not have the muscular endurance
to withhold the amount of weight that would be prescribed based on other percentages.
They might be an explosive athlete but not have the endurance to take on a heavier
volume of such weights. They could have muscular explosiveness to do one great rep,
but then afterwards, their efforts might be shot to hell. Just keep this information handy
because percentages could or could not be the easiest to prescribe in your program if you
feel you’re a part of this statistic.

20
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

BODYBUILDING

21
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

BodyBuilding
Bodybuilding, in my eyes, has to be one of the
tougher areas to program as an advocate for
strength. Earlier, we talked about the concept
of anatomical symmetry and how our goal is
to help stimulate the muscles through various
types of loading and volume. However, at
times, it’s hard to stay true and honest with
the rep count to mathematically keep all the
muscle groups even. As you can see, each day
you will find a single set of 100 reps and, even
if this sounds overwhelming or psychotic, it’s
necessary to put the lifter in a situation into
which they need to perform a ton of reps and
become fatigued from the vicious amount of
volume prescribed. The goal is for when the
lifter hits these sets, they limit themselves
to the amount of breaks they need. If they
do take a break, though, it can only last 10
seconds. What’s happening is you are creating a
metabolic trigger to getting the body to release
higher levels of GH through highly rigorous and
fatiguing sets. Each day starts with a heavier
movement, and exercise selection along with
exercise order makes the workout flow and build upon itself through every set completed.
This mindset becomes the catalyst for creating the best scenario possible for the lifter
to get the best growth, development, and opportunity to grow and build their body’s
physique as best as possible.

22
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

The Missing Piece: Lifting with Aggression!


A big topic that isn’t addressed enough
is the mindset of lifting aggressively.
Researchers developed a diagram for
discussing levels of arousal during certain
tasks called the U-Curve. The U-Curve
shows the relationship between levels of
arousal versus the rigor of the movement
and/or the skill at hand. You don’t see a
golfer running to the green with immense
passion that parallels to the adolescent
rage they had when their father missed
their little league games. Nor do you see a
lifter perform a max rep after lounging on
the couch sipping green tea while reading
Nicholas Sparks. I promote strength
training, and I think it’s fair that we dive
into the topic of lifting aggressively as the
missing piece to elevate our performance
with the barbell.

One of the most intense lifters I know is a man named Steve Coyne. He is one of the
baddest dudes in the game who’s been hoisting the heavy iron in the southwest region of
North America, currently residing on the coast of Florida. One thing I know about Steve is
that for the longest time, this man has had a tempo that can’t be matched. Steve believes
in lifting with aggression, passion, and a high level of urgency. One of my favorite things
I’ve discussed with Steve is all the “excuses” people make when they miss lifts or don’t
perform at the level they “believe” they can…

Example Scenario:

Lifter A: So, how much can you bench press?

Lifter B: Oh, I can bench basically 400lbs, I just always seem to miss the lockout.

Lifter A: So…you bench less than 400lbs?

Lifter B: Well, I basically bench 400lbs! Just need good sleep, and sometimes, I hate the
benches at some gyms.

23
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Are you this type of person? Well, if you are, please stop. Quit making excuses and quit
talking about best case scenario after you received a sports massage and had 10 hours of
sleep along with a hearty breakfast. Be urgent, embrace the always ready mentality, and
quit the front: LIFT THE WEIGHT!

So, how do we do this? How do we lift aggressively? A lot of it has to do with the habits
you have with the iron…

Do you show up with headphones? What do you listen to?

Do you show up to the gym with your friends and hang out for three hours?

Do you show up to the gym with no preparation and just wanna have fun?

To elevate our performance by using this aggressive approach, we need to indulge in


habits and a mindset of aggressive behavior. If you have head phones, blare some music
with a faster tempo to elevate your heart rate. If you show up to the gym with your friends,
make sure your friends take it seriously and come to inspire, not to distract. If you come
prepared, meaning you have intentionally thought about the weights prescribed and the
goals you have, you will be much more successful with the iron and be able to focus much
harder.

Being aggressive doesn’t have to be complicated - it needs to be fun! If you follow these
parameters of coming to the gym focused, prepared and limiting your distractions, it’s
much easier to tap into this mindset and be ready to exceed your normal performance
with the iron.

If you still aren’t sure what all this means, follow this strength-ism below:

24
Principles of Programming harvestingstrength.com

Thank You!
When starting Harvesting Strength,
it was merely an idea to help support
my family in an effort to pay some of
the medical bills for the birth of my
daughter. I kept playing with the idea
of business names, but immediately
I felt Harvesting Strength resonated
with my life at that moment. I had to
harvest the strength to help support
my family while at the same time
becoming a father to a little girl and
not knowing what that would be
like, and if I would be able to handle
it. I am thankful for my wife Ashley,
my son Dayton, and my daughter
Winter; they were the reason for me
embarking on this journey. What
started as a mere side project to
fund bills grew into a program that
has reached out to several lifters
from not just the United States, but
around the world from countries
such as Brazil, Canada, South Korea,
and much more. I hope to continue
this journey of growing a business
and a reputation as authentic,
honest, and full of integrity. I am not
interested in creating a portfolio of lavish filters or heavy loaded lifting for acceptance on
social platforms. I am interested in providing truthful and informative information to help
lifters gain knowledge, strength, and wisdom- one barbell at a time. Feel free to check
more content and information on my website, and keep banging that heavy iron!

25
PRINCIPLES OF
PROGRAMMING
Training with intent

Joseph Lucero, MS, CSCS


jlucero.cscs@gmail.com
Harvestingstrength.com
Instagram @j_lucero89

HARVESTING
STRENGTH

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy