Article Review: DeFranco's Training Rules for Washed-up Meatheads

T-Muscle just put out a new article by Nate Green, called DeFranco's Training Rules for Washed-up Meatheads. No surprise, it's a series of basic rules and a workout for 30+ lifters, by Joe DeFranco.

The template appears to be the first week(s) of the Built Like A Badass program - I say this based on forum posts I've read and workouts I've seen done at the gym, since I haven't read the book yet. Regardless, the template is a three-day push/pull/legs split:

Monday: Max Effort Bench (Push)
Wednesday: Max Effort Squat or Deadlift (Legs)
Friday: Repetition Chinups (Pull)

So 2x a week you lift heavy, 1x a week you do a higher-rep bodyweight exercise. Each workout follows a percentage-based 3 set maximum effort or a total-reps lift with bodybuilding-type exercises, higher-rep lifting, and a "finisher" - basically a conditioning workout. Each is preceded by an identical warmup, featuring foam rolling, stretching, and mobility drills.

The template seems very solid, and it's well laid out for older guys who need more recovery - or even for young guys who just can't get to the gym more than 3x a week. There is no discussion of how to approach improving the percentages for later weeks, or how long to progress without changing the workout. This is presumably covered in the ebook. But the template in conjuction with the five rules is a good example of a stripped-down but effective workout. It's enough work to get you a training effect, but short enough to get in and out of the gym quickly and efficiently. And however easy this looks on paper, I'm sure it won't be if you try it.

The article is well worth the time to read it, even if you aren't a "washed-up meathead" - an experienced trainee looking for a fresh approach.