The 40 Day Program

A few weeks I made the decision to join some friends for a race called Hero Rush. It was at that moment that I decided to cut back on the strength training a bit and put an emphasis on running. As a result, my strength took a bit of a hit. So when I received an e-mail 8 days before the race saying it was cancelled I put the running shoes away and thought about what kind of strength training I will be doing this week. Then it hit me: now is the perfect time to try out this program created by a crazy Russian that goes by the name of Pavel Tsatsouline.

The name is The 40 Day Program but is also known as the Simple Strength Routine. The premise is simple: "to get as strong as possible as easy as possible". To anyone that knows me, this program is right in my wheelhouse. Before I get into the nuts and bolts, I will list a few of the rules:

1. Never miss a rep. If the set calls for 5 reps, then make sure you get all 5 of those reps with quality technique. The program is titled simple strength for a reason. It should feel somewhat "light".
2. The Rule of 10. In order to get quality reps, you need to limit the amount of reps performed each set. It has been said that once you get to 5 or 6 reps your technique begins to falter and I honestly believe that. So the rule of 10 states: do not perform more than 10 reps of any lift in the entire workout.
3. Spend 10-15 minutes on a warm-up. On top of the dynamic warm-up that I typically perform, I added in some foam rolling, tempo runs, monkey bars, rope climbs and started doing some tumbling. I have no future in gymnastics but hitting a couple shoulder rolls, cartwheels and headstands really gets the blood pumping. I then grab a light kettlebell and perform some easy sets of swings, goblet squats and Turkish getups. It looks like a lot but I don't do all of the things each day. I basically do what I feel like to get the blood pumping.

Here is the exercise selection:

1. A large posterior chain exercise. Deadlift is the right answer here but I chose to do front squats.
2. Upper body Push: Military press, bench press, incline, etc. I went with the military press
3. Upper body Pull: Pull-ups and chin-ups are your options here. I chose the pull-up (overhand grip on the bar)
4. Total body explosive move: The kettle bell swing or snatch is the right call here. This exercise calls for 20-50 reps so performing the Olympic lifts is not wise. The swing is what I decided on doing.
5. Anterior chain (the abdominal region): I chose the ab wheel here

You will perform these 5 exercises for 40 straight workouts and nothing else. You want to aim for five days per week varying your reps throughout the week. The sets and reps are as follows (remember the rule of 10):

Week One

1. Sunday: 2 sets of 5 reps
2. Monday: 2 sets of 5 reps
3. Tuesday: 3 sets total, performing the following reps 5-3-2
4. Thursday: 2 sets of 5
5. Friday: 2 sets of 5

Week Two:

1. Sunday: 2 sets of 5 reps
2. Monday: 6 sets of 1 reps
3. Tuesday: 1 set of 10 reps
4. Thursday: 2 sets of 5
5. Friday: 3 sets total, performing the following reps 5-3-2

After completing the first 10 workouts, you then repeat until you reach 40 workouts. Some people who have done the program have reached most of their goals by day 22 so you can do a shorter version of it. I am going to continue this program until my goals are reached. The program is unique and the objective is to never struggle and over time, "nudge" the weights up each and every session. Some days you will feel good and you should cash in on those days. If you're feeling sluggish lighten the load get the workout done. Mood and feel are important and need to be taken into consideration. With that being said, you cannot make a plan for the week because you cant prognosticate how you will feel as the week progresses.

At the end of the sessions I perform some weighted carries (farmers walk, sled pushes, etc), tempo runs (70-75% "sprints") or just stretch. Do one, two or all three of those options. Nothing too taxing but I don't want to ignore that stuff over the 2-3 months of the program. My body has been feeling good so lifting back-to-back-to-back days has not effected anything. Just remember to take it easy, remember the rules, and finish each workout feeling great.

I finished week one and began week two. I am already seeing a steady increase and look forward to seeing where I am at the end of the week.

Thanks for reading,
Chris Fluck