Powerbuilding Program

Novice Program

Karel Saquing
STAND STRENGTH Las Vegas, NV
Powerbuilding Program

Table of Contents

Purpose of the Program ................................................................................................................................. 3

1. Lack of Exercise Variation ...................................................................................................................... 5

2. Limited Forms of Progression ................................................................................................................ 6

3. Adherence to Minimalist Training Ideologies ........................................................................................ 8

So what should a novice actually focus on? ............................................................................................11

Ideal Training Schedule ................................................................................................................................13

Glossary: ......................................................................................................................................................12

The Program ................................................................................................................................................13

Strength Lower ........................................................................................................................................13

Strength Upper ........................................................................................................................................15

Size Lower ................................................................................................................................................16

Size Upper ................................................................................................................................................17

Push Up Pull Up Finisher ..........................................................................................................................18

Bodyweight GPP – PT Pyramid ....................................................................................................................19

How and When to Modify the Program ......................................................................................................20

FAQ...............................................................................................................................................................21

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Purpose of the Program

The purpose the Stand Strength Novice Program is to address the weakness of other novice programs

such as Starting Strength and StrongLifts.

Many novice programs suffer from:

1. Lack of Exercise Variation

2. Limited Forms of Progression and

3. Adherence to Powerlifter Dogma

This program seeks to remedy these wrong doings that hurt novices the most because a novice should

prioritize on building as wide of a base as they can. The goal of the novice lifter is to become a

consistent lifter.

In my opinion, the threshold for consistency is 48-52 weeks of working out the same number of times or

more each week. It can be 2 times, it can be 6 times, it can be anything in between. Regardless, the

novice should set a goal for themselves and execute and work toward that goal as frequently as they can

manage.

Remember, Consistent adequacy defeats sporadic perfection

You don’t have to train like a powerlifter, just because you are a novice. You should use free weight,

compound exercises and I highly advocate for these movements, but they do not belong to any one kind

of athlete and they don’t have to be trained only in that specific way.

You should not race to add weight onto the bar, because strength and size are not one and the same. As

a novice, you will develop both. As you advance, you will see the overlap between them. However, you

must also learn this hard truth as early as possible to save you from wasting time by falling into the trap

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of minimalist programming where you only do 5 exercise and even though you are getting stronger, you

are not growing the muscles you would like to grow. Which brings me to my first point:

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1. Lack of Exercise Variation

Most novice programs advocate relying on basic, compound movements and rightfully so.

Compound movements are exercises that activate the most amount of muscle fibers and allow you to

lift the most amount of weight. However, many novice programs only have the trainee do compound

exercises. This is a mistake. Novices need variety in their training because the goal of the novice is not

technical mastery of one exercise, but the mastery of a movement pattern.

All exercises fall underneath the classification of a specific movement pattern. It is important to

never conflate a single exercise to the status of the movement pattern itself. For example, the bench

press is a horizontal press. The push up, the parallel bar dip, are also horizontal presses. This is all to say:

A good workout program advocates for the use of A compound exercise, not the specific use of only one

compound exercise. This applies especially for novices because their base is small. Relying on one

exercise for growth and progression may provide them with quick results, and a high specificity of

training; however, it also forces them to neglect other aspects of their strength and muscle

development.

Refusing to provide novices with adequate, intelligently chosen exercise variation dooms them

to the path of minimalism.

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2. Limited Forms of Progression

The goal of any training program is progressive overload.

Pro∙gres∙sive O∙ver∙load

Verb

The strength training method that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the

musculoskeletal and nervous system.

Many novice programs only have you progress through one variable: intensity. In the context of

strength training and bodybuilding, intensity refers to the amount of weight lifted relative to your one

rep max. This means each week you try to add weight on the bar each session or each week. The biggest

problem with this, is that it turns training into a race, and worse, it changes the finish line.

Novices are usually looking for some combination of how to build muscle, get stronger, and look

better. These goals are nuanced and especially when pursued simultaneously; however, novices are

blessed with the ability to progress at all of these at the same time because they are novices. The

“newbie gains” effect does not have a timer, you don’t have a limited amount of time after you first

come in contact with a bar to experience an explosion of growth or progress. This explosion occurs

because of your starting point, not due to magic or temporal specificity. Beyond intensity, Progressive

overload can be achieved by:

• Increasing sets and reps (volumizing)

• Increasing the amount of times you train/practice a movement (frequency)

• Decreasing rest interval durations

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 • Improving form

o Range of motion

o Rep Quality

• Increasing time under tension

• Increasing velocity and acceleration during an exercise

• Intensiveness Techniques

o Drop sets, supersets, giant sets, rest-pause, cluster sets, partials, pre-/post-

exhaustion

All of this can be done without adding weight to the bar. This is the kind of progression that

novices should make. Progression for any lifter, and especially the novice because they do not know

better, should be more varied than just adding load.

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3. Adherence to Minimalist Training Ideologies

As mentioned earlier, I am an advocate for free-weight, compound exercises to be the majority

of your training program. However, the key word is exercises not exercise. A powerlifter competes to

perform a single rep with the heaviest amount of weight on the barbell squat, bench, and deadlift.

Those are only 3 of the many exercises I advocate the novice to master. Beyond developing great

amounts of strength, these exercises also build a great amount of muscle. Despite this, it must be clearly

stated that these exercises do not belong to one sport, one kind of athlete, or one goal. Even if you

never want to be a powerlifter, I recommend you squat, bench, and deadlift for health, longevity, or

bodybuilding. With that said, it is important to understand: You don’t have to be a powerlifter or train

like one to get big and strong. To maximize your strength and size development, you have to include

Rows, Vertical Pressing, Calisthenics, and some form of cardiovascular conditioning. Then, because you

should be allowed to work toward your goal directly, you should include isolation exercises such as curls,

extensions, and calves if your goal is to become more muscular.

The popularity of powerlifting and strength sports has blessed the fitness community because it

brought with it a focus on getting stronger and progressing to the masses, unfortunately, some novice

programs take this to an extreme and make the competition lifts and getting stronger more important

than any goal you have because in their mind, any goal you have will be achieved just by doing basic

movements. Want bigger biceps? Just do rows and chin ups. Want bigger triceps? Bench more, bro.

Want a bigger back? Focus on deadlifting. Want to build muscle? Just get strong. There is a nugget of

truth here but it is very much abused and misapplied.

First, understand that strength does not equal size. Strength is a combination of neuromuscular

adaptions, limb lengths and leverages, and muscle size. Strength is a separate adaptation from size but it

has a strong correlation with it. Second, strength is not defined by only your 1 rep max. Often times

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people regard strength training as meaningless to those whose goals are more inline with bodybuilding,

building muscle or burning fat. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The relevance and value of a one-

rep max will vary from lifter to lifter, but the last truth must be fully taken to heart: Lastly, if you want to

get bigger, you have to get stronger. If you get stronger with 3 different exercises that all target the

same muscle, increasing their 5RM or 10RM, or turning a 1RM into a 5 or 10 RM, this will result in

substantial size gains.

There is considerable overlap between strength training and size training. Which is why I argue

proper size training requires proper strength training, but a few concepts must be understood:

• Strength is the result of one or more variables

1. Increased muscle size

2. Increased neuromuscular efficiency (nervous system adaptation)

3. Increased proficiency (technical ability improved)

4. Genetics

5. Limb length and leverages

Just because you got stronger, doesn’t mean 100% you got bigger. As a novice, you are likely learning a

completely new skill set. Your skill could be increasing faster than your muscles are being built. Training

for strength does not equal training for size, but if you want to get bigger you have to get stronger.

Powerlifters define strength by their one rep max. Getting stronger in the context of bodybuilding

means increasing the amount of work you can do with a specific load on a variety of similar exercises

This is why variation is important. If my 5-rep max on my flat barbell bench press, incline

dumbbell bench press, and weighted dip all get stronger, my muscles have likely gotten bigger as well. If

I turned a 5-rep max into a 15-rep max, my muscle has likely gotten bigger and I have clearly gotten

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stronger. Don’t let strength be the goal, because then it will be all your chase. Let strength be the guide

to what you actually want to achieve.

You don’t have to be a powerlifter to get big, but to get big you do have to get strong.

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So what should a novice actually focus on?

Thankfully, this is a lot simpler and needs less explanation:

1. Becoming consistent in the gym

2. Learning how to lift properly and safely

3. Learning how to train themselves

After 6 months of hard training where you work out 3 days every week for 6 months, you can consider

yourself consistent.

In this program, you are exposed to a variety of exercises that are conducive to your goal of building size

and strength and help keep training engaging and enjoyable.

Most importantly, this program provides you exposes you to multiple ways of progressing in your

training that will allow you to train intelligently in the future. Not only does this program help you stand

on your own two feet, it allows you to keep moving forward when the program has exhausted it’s

usefulness to you.

Many who “graduate” from novice programs such as starting strength or stronglifts find it difficult to

know what to do next, but you will not have the problem here.

This program can be modified indefinitely to the levels of performance you will reach over time.

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Glossary:

BB Barbell

DB Dumbbell

SM Smith Machine

Rep 1 completion of an exercise

Set A group of reps completed before taking an interval of rest

Superset 2-3 exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest taken

afterward

Giant Set 4+ exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest taken

afterward

Cluster Set A set that is broken down into mini sets with short rest intervals in between

I.e., 1 set of 6 reps -> 2 reps, rest 15-30s, repeat 3 times

EMOM Every Minute On the Minute

RM Rep Max, Max # of reps you can perform at a given weight

AMRAP As Many Reps as Possible

RIR Reps in Reserve, “how many reps away from failure am I?”

RPE Rating of Perceived Exertion, measured on 1-10 scale.

RPE 10 = 0 RIR, RPE 9 = 1 RIR, RPE 8 = 2 RIR, etc.

Technical Failure The point at which good form during an exercise breaks down
Sets x Reps Example: 3 sets of 5 reps = 3 x 5
Lbs x reps Example: 45 pounds for 5 reps = 45 x 5
/ Or, e.g. Pull up / Chin Up = Pull Up OR chin up
+ Superset, e.g. Bicep Curl + Tricep Extension

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The Program

Ideal Training Schedule

The program features 4 training sessions but starts as a 3 days per week training protocol. As the novice
trainee advances, they can progress to performing all 4 training days in the same week.

The sessions are classified by Size (SZ) and Strength (STR)

Strength Training days prioritize slightly heavier loads, and slightly less volume per set. Size days do the
opposite; slightly lighter loads and more volume per set.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 STR Lower Rest SZ Upper Rest SZ Lower Rest Rest

2 STR Upper Rest SZ Lower Rest SZ Upper Rest Rest

*On weeks you train lower body twice, perform the Push-Up/Pull Up Finisher

Once your fitness and ability to stay consistent allows progress to training 4 days per week, there are a

variety of way to divide your training week once you transition to training 4 days per week.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

A STR Lower STR Upper Rest SZ Lower SZ Upper Rest Rest

B STR Lower SZ Upper Rest SZ Lower STR Upper Rest Rest

C STR Lower Rest STR Upper Rest SZ Lower SZ Upper Rest

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 Strength Lower

Conventional Deadlift 1 x 5RM

W1: 1 x 5RM, W2: 2 x 5, W3: 3 x 5

Pyramid up to a top set of 5 HIGH QUALITY REPS in week 1,

stop the set when you reach technical failure

The following week, you will perform 2 sets with the 5RM
weight used in the week prior

If you are unable to perform 5 reps with that weight, repeat

that weight until 5 reps per set are achieved, add weight next
session.

Example:
W1: 45 lbs x 5, 65 x 5, 85 x 5, 105 x 5, 115 x 4
W2: 45 lbs x 5 … 105 x 5, 115 x 5
W3: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 5, 115 x 4
W4: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 2 x 5
W5: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 3 x 5; add weight next week and
repeat process
Choose 1:
Pause Squat 3 x 4-8
Goblet Squat 3 x 6-10
Leg Press 3 x 8-12
1 warm up sets, 3 working sets
If you can perform 2 sets with the maximum number of reps
comfortably, add weight on the next set.
Exercise selection should be done based on your current level
of fitness and fatigue, if you are too tired after deadlifts to
back squat, do Goblet Squats, if your low back is tired,
perform the leg press. The important lesson: Modify don’t
miss.

Pull Up/Chin Up + Hanging Leg Raises 4 x AMRAP

If you are unable to perform bodyweight pull ups, use
assistance such as machines or bands or use a
regression such as inverted rows + leg raises
Upright Rows + Bicep Curls 2 x 8-12

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 Strength Upper

Flat BB Bench Press + Chin Up W1: 2 x 5 60% 1RM, 1 x 5 62.5% 1RM

W2: 1 x 5 60%, 2 x 5 62.5% 1RM

W3: 3 x 5 62.5%, Perform the last set to technical

failure

Add 2.5% and repeat process

The last set of each week should be performed to

technical failure, repeat a week as many times as
needed to fulfill the rep minimum. i.e., 2x5 60%1RM, 3
reps with 62.5%, repeat this training week until you can
perform 5 or more reps.

BB Row + Parallel Bar Dips or Push Ups Rows 3 x 6-10, Dips or Push Ups 3 x AMRAP

DB OHP + Lat Pulldown 2 x 8-12

Warm Up set optional, if you can perform 2 x 12 add

weight

Lateral Raises + Tricep Extension 2 x 10-15

Warm Up set optional, if you can perform 2 x 12 add

weight

Last two exercises should be performed to failure,

failure should be reached with their associated rep

range

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 Size Lower

BB Back Squat 3 x 4-8 w/ <70% 1RM

Perform each set for as many reps as possible, add

weight once you can perform 3 x 8

Example progression:

W1: 3 x 6,5,4; W2: 7,6,4; W3: 8,7,6; W4: 3 x 8

BB or DB Romanian Deadlift BB 3 x 6-10, DB 3 x 8-12

Choose 1 2 x 8-12

1. Back Extension + Planks Use the same superset for at least 3 weeks
2. Leg Press + Calves
3. Chin Ups + Leg Raises
4. Lunges/Split Squat + DB Shrugs

Upright Rows + Forearm Curls 2 x 10-15

Hammer curl or Reverse Curl

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 Size Upper

Chin Ups + BB OHP 3 x 6-10

Perform each set to technical failure, if you can perform

2 sets of 10, add weight on the 3rd set

Keep weight until you can perform 3 x 10 with that

weight

Seated Cable Row + Bench Press Variation BB 3 x 6-10, DB 3 x 8-12

Perform each set to technical failure, if you can perform

2 sets for the maximum number of reps, add weight to

the final set.

Recommended Bench Press Variations

• Close-grip BB Bench

• Incline BB / DB Bench

• Flat DB Bench

Inverted Row + Push Ups 2 x AMRAP

Bicep + Tricep Superset 2 x 10-15

Recommended Exercises1

Tricep Exercises: Bicep Exercises: Forearm Exercises:

Overhead BB Extension BB Curl Reverse Curl
Seated Incline DB Extension Incline DB Curl DB Hammer Curl
Overhead Cable Extension Cable Curl Zottman Curl
Smith Machine Tricep Extension Bayesian Curl
Skullcrusher/Nosebreaker Preacher Curl (Free Weight/Machine)
CGBP/JM Press

1Combine exercises as conveniently as possible, these exercises can be used to swap out on other arm movements
on other days

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Push Up Pull Up Finisher

On lower body focused training weeks (weeks with 2 lower body days), perform this finisher at the end

of lower body sessions.

Option 1:

Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, superset a body weight push and pull (e.g. Chin Ups + Dips, Inverted Rows

+ Push Ups, etc).

Perform as many reps as possible per set but stop at an RPE of 7-8

Go until the time stops or until you cannot perform at least 3 reps on one of the exercises

Rest as often and as long as needed, but push your self

Option 2:

Set a timer for 5 minutes, perform as many push ups as possible within this time, rest as needed and as

long as needed. Afterward, reset the timer and perform as many pull ups or inverted rows as possible.

Option 3:

On odd minutes perform as many rows as you can, on even minutes, perform push ups

Aim to perform 30-60 seconds worth

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Bodyweight GPP – PT Pyramid

This is a program created by former US Navy SEAL, Stew Smith. It works great as a finisher and will
develop a base of general physical preparedness

PT Pyramid:

1 Pull Up, 2 Push Ups, 3 Squats or Ab Exercise

2 Pull Up, 4 Push Ups, 6 Squats or Abs

3 Pull Ups, 6 Push Ups, 9 Squats or Abs

9 Pull Ups, 18 Push Ups, 27 Squats or Abs

10 Pull Ups, 20 Push Ups, 30 Squats or Abs

Go as far into this as possible within 10 minutes

If you want to make it more difficult, sprint or jog 40m in between

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How and When to Modify the Program

As a novice, you will progress and get stronger to the point that the program as written will not be as

challenging.

At the point, there are some changes you can make, and I recommend making theses changes 1 at a

time and 3-4 weeks apart.

1. Go from 3 days per week to 4 days per week, when making this change, add the upper body

finisher or GPP to the upper body day

2. Add one set on all accessory exercises (tertiary movements)

3. Add one set on the supplemental exercise (secondary movements)

4. Add one exercise or one superset on a training day

a. Only add an exercise after you have already add more sets and reps

b. Total training volume (# of sets) per workout should not exceed 18 sets, I recommend

staying within 12-18 total hard sets per workout

5. Add an intensiveness technique

a. Drop sets to failure

b. Rest-pause

c. Forced Reps (best on isolation exercises)

Add these changes slowly and based on your needs and goals.

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FAQ

1) How long should I rest?

a. Rest times will be variable and depend on your level of fitness and the characteristics of

the exercise you just performed. Rest times should be no lower than 90 seconds

(except for warmups and conditioning protocols) and no longer than 3 minutes. Heavy,

compound exercises will require more rest than isolation exercises. Supersets and Giant

Sets have no rest in between exercises, rest can be taken after the last exercise if

needed.

2) Is this a novice program?

a. Yes. This program starts out as a 3 day program, and transitions to a 4 day split.

3) Can women run this program?

a. Yes, men and women training programs should not differ drastically. Men and women

should use the same exercises for 80% of the program. However, men and women have

different goals in the gym so this program may not be adequate for the more common

goals a female lifter might have.

4) Can I replace exercises that are not labeled to be done as a variation?

a. Yes, BUT the replacement must make sense. If you want to replace the Flat BB Bench

with a Close-grip Bench Press, that is fine. If you want to replace it with a Flat DB Bench

Press, that is not so good. If you change an exercise, make sure it is similar in load

(weight lifted) and technique.

5) Why so many supersets?

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 a. Save time, get fit. Strength and size gains will not be negatively impacted by any

significant degree. You can potentially get better size and strength gains.

6) My Back is too sore, what do?

a. Reduce the volume of accessory back movements by cutting sets and/or reps. I

recommend first cutting down reps before sets.

7) Some bodyweight exercises do not have sets and reps, what do I do?

a. Bodyweight exercises should be done for as many reps as possible BUT you should go

to about an RPE 6-7. If you cannot do multiple reps in a set, do multiple low rep sets to

compensate.

8) Pull Ups and Chin Ups make my elbows and wrist hurt, what should I do?

a. First, prevention. When doing pull ups of any kind, switch the grip for every set.

Second, do not neglect isolation exercises. If you are a strength athlete, and do not care

about size, then you might skip isolation. As a strength athlete, you should do isolation

exercises for injury prevention

9) I cannot do pull ups, what should I do?

a. This is an intermediate program, if you cannot do pull ups, I recommend running a

novice program. However, if you insist on using this program, replace the chin ups with

a regression exercise (e.g., eccentric pull ups, band-assisted pull ups, etc.)

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