Doug Hepburn Method......

Doug Hepburn was a Canadian strongman. He won a weightlifting gold medal at the 1953 World Championships.Doug was old school strong. He was the first natural lifter to bench press 500 pounds, and he could squat 600 pounds for reps at the age of 54. But, Doug wasn’t just strong. He was also as big as a tank.One of Doug Hepburn’s training routines – known as Program A – is known for its uncanny ability to create consistent strength gains. If you stick with the program, it’s possible to add 120 pounds to any major lift over the course of a single year. Here’s how it works…
You perform each workout twice a week. Generally, I recommend four total weekly workouts for natural lifters: which is basically a simple split routine. But we’ll get into program specifics later. All you need to know right now is that you will be performing each major lift twice a week.
On the first training day, you will perform 8 sets of 2 reps each, using approximately 80% of your one rep max – or a weight you could knock out 8 reps to failure with. So, your workout for this lift would look like:

2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Now, for each subsequent workout, add a single rep to the scheme. This additional rep will be added to the last remaining 2-rep set that you performed on your previous workout. So, your set/rep scheme during your second workout would look like:

2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3

Basically, each week you will be replacing two of your 2-rep sets with 3-rep sets. When you get to the point where you are performing all sets with 3 reps, add 10 pounds to the bar.
Here’s what an 8 workout scheme would look like. Again, remember that this would be 4 weeks worth of training:

• 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3
• 2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3
• 2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3
• 2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3
• 2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3
• 2,2,3,3,3,3,3,3
• 2,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
• 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

Following the last workout, add 10 pounds to the bar and start over again with 2 rep sets. Over time, or on some lifts, it may be difficult to move up by 10 pound increments. Moving up 5 pounds at a time is also a completely acceptable practice.

This may seem like a slow, methodical training method that won’t produce results. But think it through for a moment. If you add 10 pounds to the bar every month, you will increase your squat, bench press and deadlift by 120 pounds each year. That’s quite a large jump. Imagine going from a 180 pound bench press max to a 300 pound max in only a year. This additional strength also forces your body to adapt, and add muscle. Use Doug Hepburn’s system along with a proper bulking (or cutting) cycle, and you will gain muscle, and/or lose fat.

Powerbuilding Routine

Now that we have an understanding of the Hepburn 8x2 to 8x3 system, it’s time to lay out a full powerbuilding routine.

On each training day, you will perform two exercises using the 8x2 pattern. Rest 2 minutes between each set, and no longer. You don’t want this workout to turn into a marathon session.

After you complete both 8x2 exercises, rest 5 minutes. Next, you will perform the same 2 exercises…this time for reps, and with 20% lighter weight. Perform 3 sets of 6 reps. And on the next workout day, increase one of the sets by one rep.
Continue the pattern of increasing reps, until you hit 3 sets of 8 reps. Then, increase the weight on the bar by 10 pounds. The rep pattern will look like:

• 6/6/6
• 6/6/7
• 6/7/7
• 7/7/7
• 7/7/8
• 7/8/8
• 8/8/8

Monday and Thursday

• Squats, 8 sets x 2 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• Bench Press, 8 sets x 2 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• ***rest 5 minutes***
• Squats, 3 sets x 6 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• Bench Press, 3 sets x 6 reps (2 minute rest between sets)

Tuesday and Friday

• Deadlift, 8 sets x 2 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• Seated Overhead Barbell Press, 8 sets x 2 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• ***rest 5 minutes***
• Deadlift, 3 sets x 6 reps (2 minute rest between sets)
• Seated Overhead Barbell Press, 3 sets x 6 reps (2 minute rest between sets)

Eamples/Notes -

Warm up however you like.

Eight sets of two reps. Every workout you add another rep to one of the sets.
2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
- now it is time to add weight and start over at eight sets of two

And I think the "pump" phase was three sets of six done 10 or so minutes after the power phase. You progress from three sets of six up to three sets of eight.
6, 6, 6
7, 6, 6
8, 6, 6
8, 7, 6
8, 8, 6
8, 8, 7
8, 8, 8
- start over with more weight

He also liked doing five sets of singles followed by five sets of five.
You started off by working up to one single and then added another one with the same weight every workout until you were at five singles.
1
1, 1
1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1
- then you started over at one single with a heavier weight.

Ten or so minutes after your singles you would go to your pump phase which was five sets of three progressing to five sets of five by adding one more repetion every workout.
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
4, 3, 3, 3, 3
5, 3, 3, 3, 3
5, 4, 3, 3, 3
5, 5, 3, 3, 3
5, 5, 4, 3, 3
5, 5, 5, 3, 3
5, 5, 5, 4, 3
5, 5, 5, 5, 4
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Before he died he said that he didn't believe that everyone needed to do both the power and pump phases in the same workout. He changed it to going from four singles up to 10 by adding one every session.
1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
- then you start over with a heavier weight

When this program starts to get to be a bit much for you, you switch to triples with slightly lighter weights but the same progression.
3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
- start over with a heavier weight

Alternate back and forth between the two programs every few months. You don't do them both in the same workout, you pick one or the other and stick with it for as long as you can keep making progress.

All very simple programs. Completely idiot proof and pretty much guaranteed to work. But like I said before, boring as Hell. If you've got the patience for them they will make you bigger and stronger. He recommended long rest periods between sets to conserve energy. Sit there and meditate for a while (five minutes or so) until you're ready to explode then go and take it all out on the barbell. Developing an "explosive force" was an important theme in Doug Hepburn's training. For example, going from 10 triples down to only four (but with 10 more lbs on the bar) would have you feeling so energetic that you feel like you might explode. After a few cycles of this you almost can't help yourself but to try for a new PR because of the "explosive force." And you can expect that PR to be a big one too. Just be ready to turn your brain off towards anything other than lifting and spend a lot of time in the gym.

A typical routine would be:

Standing Press
Bench Press
Curl

alternated with

Squat
High Pulls or Rows
Deadlifts

Three times a week.