Table Of ContentThe Poliquin Group™
Cover Image: Alexander Popov photo by Bruce Klemens
Copyright © 2018, Poliquin Performance Center 2, LLC. All rights reserved
First Edition, 2018
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GET BIGGER AND STRONGER
BOOK II
INTRODUCTION
SECTION 1: METHODS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
SECTION 2: SUPPORT
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
SECTION 3: NUTRITION
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
INTRODUCTION
This is the second book in a two-part series, Get Bigger and Stronger.
The series builds on our 2010 publication Bigger, Stronger Arms, and
has been expanded to cover not just arms but all body parts.
One advantage of these two books is that the content can be read in
whatever order is most useful to you. We advise starting with the first
section in book one – which is about goal setting – but after that, feel
free to move on to any chapter in these books. The chapters are
written independently of each other, so it’s fine to skip around.
Knowledge about training is continually evolving, and this book series
represents the latest scientific and empirical evidence on the subjects
of getting bigger and getting stronger. Within these pages we hope
you discover many useful ideas that you can apply immediately in
your training.
SECTION 1:
METHODS
CHAPTER 1
Use the Modified
Hepburn Method
In the early days of the Iron Game there were several amazing
athletes who achieved Herculean levels of maximal strength. Their
formula for success was an optimal mix of principle-based training,
sound nutrition, adequate recovery, and a drive to improve. One such
athlete was Doug Ivan Hepburn.
Hepburn was born in Vancouver, Canada, on September 16, 1926.
Born cross-eyed and with a clubfoot, Hepburn took up weight training
when he was 15 and overcame his disabilities to become incredibly
strong – by age 18 he could squat 340 pounds, bench press 260 and
curl 140. Many strength historians argue that at his peak Hepburn was
the strongest man in the world. Here’s why.
Hepburn broke eight world records in weightlifting and won the gold
medal at the 1953 World Weightlifting Championships as a
superheavyweight. Hepburn was the first man to bench press 500
pounds (eventually lifting 545), and his record-breaking success in
such basic strength exercises helped earn him the title “Grandfather of
Modern Powerlifting.” Among his other notable lifts are a 445-pound
Olympic press, 445 push press, 750 squat, and 705 deadlift. Note that
these lifts were performed a half century ago. Hepburn was also as
strong as he looked, weighing 300 pounds at a height of only 5 feet 8-
1/2 inches.
The system that follows was inspired by Hepburn, with a bit of
Hungarian and Romanian weightlifting methodologies mixed in. It is
called the Modified Hepburn method and consists of two parts.
Part 1: Heavy Singles Work (at 50X0 tempo)
With this system, after a good warm-up you use heavy weights that
will recruit the highest-threshold motor units (i.e., fast-twitch fibers).
Specifically, you start with a weight you can lift for 5 singles, and then
you progress to where you can complete 8 singles with it. After you
have done your singles work, you need to go back down to a weight at
which you can complete 5 sets of 3 reps. At this intensity step you
want to get to the level where you can successfully do 5 sets of 5
repetitions.
For success with this strength building system you must adhere to the
following guidelines:
• Perform the singles with 95 percent effort. It is the volume of high
intensity, not just the intensity, that dictates the training effect.
• For the eccentric lowering in the singles, use a very controlled
tempo (5 seconds). Perform the concentric range as explosively as
possible – concentrate on accelerating the bar until you’ve
completed the concentric range.
• On the 8th single, if you feel particularly strong, increase the weight.
Part 2: High-Threshold Hypertrophy Work (at 3210 tempo)
At this intensity step you should work with about 72 to 78 percent of
your 1RM. Let’s use the bench press for an example. The weight is
lowered for a count of 3 seconds for the eccentric range, paused for a
count of 2 seconds in the most disadvantageous position (the barbell
on the chest), lifted for a count of 1 for the concentric range, then
immediately lowered for another rep. Because you will fatigue
throughout the set, the concentric-range tempo will exceed the 1
second, but that should not be a concern.
The function of the pause at the disadvantageous angle is to increase
intramuscular tension and to increase total time under tension for that
set. Once you have excited the nervous system with the singles
completed in part 1, you can do hypertrophy work for the higher-
threshold motor units.
For a practical example, let’s look at one individual’s progression –
we’ll call him Tom – using this training system. In this case, Tom’s
best incline press is currently 320 pounds. His workout progression
looks like this:
Workout 1
Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 305 x 1
Set 2: 305 x 1
Set 3: 305 x 1
Set 4: 305 x 1
Set 5: 305 x 1
Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo
Set 1: 240 x 3
Set 2: 240 x 3
Set 3: 240 x 3
Set 4: 240 x 3
Set 5: 240 x 3
Tom was conservative on his first workout, which is in fact quite wise.
Let’s look at his next workout.
Workout 2
Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 305 x 1
Set 2: 305 x 1
Set 3: 305 x 1
Set 4: 305 x 1
Set 5: 305 x 1
Set 6: 305 x 1
Set 7: 305 x 1
Set 8: 305 x 1
Tom reached the goal of completing 8 singles. At this point, Tom
should aim at doing 8 singles with an even heavier weight.
Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo
Set 1: 240 x 5
Set 2: 240 x 5
Set 3: 240 x 5
Set 4: 240 x 4
Set 5: 240 x 3
Obviously the first workout was very easy, hence the marked
improvement in training volume (total number of reps performed).
Workout 3
Part 1: (heavy singles) at 50X0 tempo
Set 1: 310 x 1
Set 2: 310 x 1
Set 3: 310 x 1
Set 4: 310 x 1
Set 5: 310 x 1
Set 6: 310 x 1
Set 7: 310 x 1
Set 8: 310 x 1
Tom again reached the goal of doing 8 singles, so he needs to try to
perform 8 singles with more weight.
Part 2: (high-threshold hypertrophy work) at 3210 tempo
Set 1: 240 x 5
Set 2: 240 x 5
Set 3: 240 x 5
Set 4: 240 x 5
Set 5: 240 x 5
Tom completed all 5 sets! He should now increase the weight so he is
back down to at least 5 sets of 3.
