Massive Iron Newsletter - Volume 3 (September 1st, 2024)

Well, we have reached September on the last 4 months of the year. The reality is setting in that we don't have much time to nail down the goals we are aiming the complete by the end of 2024.

It's very rare to have an absolutely perfect training year. If you are on track right now and headed in that direction, I applaud you. Keep the motivation and good training rolling.

There are many things that try to distract us from taking care of ourselves. The one thing I always want you to remember when it comes to health and lifting is to always try to maximize things the best you can, even when you're in a hole.

When life kicks you hard and you don't have the time you want, or you don't have the perfect food choices in front of you, you still have a choice. You can still go for that protein food choice. Even if everything's surrounding it is complete trash. You can still train hard for 30 to 40 minutes on days when you don't have much time.

Just always remember that in the long run the key is maximizing the day, no matter what the day hands you. This will always be one of the true keys of life. 

Don't wake up today expecting a perfect day. Instead, expect challenges. Embrace them, maximize them, an absolutely destroy them.

2-RP - A Massive Iron-Inspired Strongman for Reps Deadlift

A Massive Iron-inspired Approach for the Strongman “For Reps” Deadlift

• Mark Estrebillo
• Instagram (@coachmarkestrebillo)

When it comes to Strongman, there are so many things and events that stick out:

• Log Press (this is the event that got me interested in strongman in the first place!)
• Carries with all sorts of odd objects
• Atlas Stones, a marquee event

But one that gets overlooked is the deadlift, done for reps.  While a big one rep max is important for anyone turn heads on social media or in their local gym, it’s getting strong at the deadlift for sets of up to 12 reps that will build wide foundation of strength, muscle, and conditioning that can help you land a podium finish at your next show or take your one rep max to a new level.  

Speaking from personal experience, when I was prepping for my first 600lb deadlift at a bodyweight of 192, most of my lifts were performed in the 3-5 range with my heaviest training pull being a 565 deficit deadlift.  All of the rep work from my strongman-adjacent offseason had me ready to hit a big peak.

Now if we are talking about the Strongman-style deadlift done for reps, we’ll use this general format:

• One minute, max reps
• Straps allowed
• Both a down and up command, to make sure you don’t bounce

This will cover the vast majority of “for reps” deadlifts performed in competition.  Looking at the results from several competitions over the years, including USS Nationals 2024, the “winning” rep range is generally somewhere around 8-12 on this event with the occasional HEAVY show having the winner get 3-5 reps and the inverse overperformance with rep counts north of 15.  With that all said, with all of these factors in place, let’s talk about how to train this event.  

Since we are assuming that a touch and go style is out, this means we need to have you ready to break the floor repeatedly while also operating in a state of fatigue.  

Enter the 2-RP method.

Using the Massive Iron 2’s method as a baseline, what we’re going to do is make the following changes.

• Set 1 will use the rest-pause method with 3 total clusters within that set, while also adhering to a 45 second time cap for the set with rests of 3-5 deep breaths.
• This is very close to the original 2’s approach, but the introduction of a rest-pause element as well as the time cut for the set makes it biased toward a “for reps” application.
• Ex: 5, rest 10s, 2, rest 10s, 1 = 8 reps so go heavier next time.
• Set 2 will use the rest-pause method with 3 total clusters with rests of 3-5 deep breaths or roughly ten seconds.  There will be no time limit here, as this is purely for building work capacity.
• (reps, rest, reps, rest, reps)

Using this modified 2’s approach is an excellent way to train the strongman deadlift for reps as it will teach you how to repeatedly break the floor as well as lock in your position for aggressive starts while cutting down setup time.  The reason for the 45 second time limit is in competition, you will get the lion’s share of your work done in the initial 30 seconds, so this helps cue in that intensity in starting.  You really want the mindset of maximizing your time with that first set.  

A good cue I’ve found for approaching the lift is to think of the floor as being made of tile and you don’t want to break the tile with the plates.  Eccentric control is an underrated element of the strongman deadlift, with many athletes essentially dropping the bar while still strapped in. 

My experience has been that taking a 1-2 count controlled, not exaggerated, eccentric allows me to coil the proverbial spring for stronger continued reps.  Even with a pause on the floor, you will retain some of that stretch reflex. 

Think of it like the paused bench press, you do more with that vs a dead-start bench, correct?  Consider practicing this technique for competition, but it is also a viable option if you’re more focused on adding mass to your entire posterior chain with the deadlift.

Here is how a full session might look for a strongman athlete training for a competition:

• Competition Deadlift 2-RP Method
• Deadlift-stance Box Squat 1x12-15 Reps
• Good Mornings 2x6-8
• T-bar Row Bulldozer Rest Pause
• Pull-ups 3 Max Rep Sets
• Back Extensions 5, 10, 10, 20

About the Author

Mark is a former LW Strongman and has competed in Strongman for over 6 years, including a top 20 finish at United States Strongman Nationals and has coached others into the sport as well, including a 7th Place Nationals finish for one of his athletes.  He has also competed in Powerlifting, DEKA Strong, Physique, and Highland Games as a lifetime drug-free athlete.

He employs a unique take on conjugate with most of his training and has even collabed with Steve Shaw on a joint program “Massive Strongman”

Mark can be found on instagram @coachmarkestrebillo and Youtube as well @coachmarkestrebillo

Massive BLT - How to Bench Using High Volume

I'm going to introduce you to the Massive Iron Bench Press Long-Term (BLT) program.

Introduction to the Program

Last night at the gym, I decided to mix things up by doing a 10x10 bench press session, reminiscent of German Volume Training. I wasn't specifically aiming to do German Volume Training; I was just a bit bored and wanted a challenge. I put 225 pounds on the bar and did 10 sets of 10 reps.

This session inspired me to create a long-term bench press program that isn't just a short-term fix. This program is designed to take you from high volume to lower volume while working towards a new one-rep max over time.

Is This Program Right for You?

The Massive BLT program is best suited for lifters with a current one-rep max of around 185 pounds or greater. You can start this program with different set and rep schemes, depending on your current strength level and training preferences:

- 10x10: Approximately 60% of your current one-rep max
- 8x10: Approximately 65% of your current one-rep max
- 6x10: Approximately 70% of your current one-rep max
- 8x8 or 6x6: 70-75% of your current one-rep max

The fewer the sets, the shorter the duration of the program. Choose the set and rep scheme that suits your current abilities.

How the Program Works

The first week is your "dialing-in" period. If you can't complete the prescribed number of reps for each set—say, you're doing 10x10 but can't hit 10 reps on the last set—reduce the weight and start the program over the following week.

If you can hit the total number of reps, add 5 pounds to the bar for the following week and continue the program. If you miss the target reps on any set, add 5 pounds to the bar the next week, but drop the set you missed. For example, if you’re doing 10x10 and only hit 8 or 9 reps on the final set, the next week you'd add 5 pounds but drop to 9 sets.

This pattern continues—dropping sets when you miss the rep target and adding 5 pounds each week. When you're down to just one set, you can either stop the program or continue, adding 5 pounds each week until you're down to a single rep.

Assistance Exercises

Start with one chest assistance lift, like dumbbell bench presses, for 3 sets of 10 reps. If you begin with the 6x6 plan, start with two weekly chest assistance exercises, each with 3 sets.

As you reduce the number of bench sets each week, you may add another assistance exercise. When you’re down to 8 total bench sets, add a second chest assistance exercise, like a machine chest press for 3 sets of 10 reps. When you’re down to 5 bench sets, add a third chest assistance exercise, perhaps an isolation movement, for 3 sets of 12 reps.

Finally, when you’re down to only 2 bench sets left, drop all assistance work to 2 sets per exercise. This reduction in volume helps reduce fatigue as you approach heavier weights, particularly if you plan on attempting a new one-rep max.

Final Thoughts

You can integrate this program into any training split—full body, upper/lower, body part split—just adjust your weekly chest exercises to fit your overall program.

If you have any questions, DM me on Instagram at @bendthebarman, or send me an email at benthebarman@gmail.com.

10 Massive Rules for Bigger Arms

Every now and then I like to reassess my current rules for building big arms. I've made this video a couple of times over the years, but every two or three years you want to comb through your philosophies and beliefs as a coach and update the information.

So, I never look back on what I made previously. These are my updated 10 rules for bigger arms:

1. FOCUS ON TRICEPS This will always be the standard. Far too many people will hit the gym and focus on their biceps, biceps, biceps. But if you want big, juicy arms, you have to focus on your triceps. The triceps make up about two-thirds of the arm mass, and when you're looking at somebody's arm size, it's always the triceps that make the arm look big unless somebody is flexing a bicep shot with that big softball or hardball-looking bicep.
2. ARM WORK AFTER COMPOUND WORK Do your arm work after your compound work. This sounds obvious to many of you, but I still get clients asking if they can do a set of biceps in between chest sets or a set of triceps in between shoulder press sets. No, you don't want to fatigue your biceps or triceps and then go back to compound movements. You want to do your compound movements first and then do your biceps and triceps after that work is done.
3. TRICEPS CAN HANDLE VOLUME The triceps can handle a lot of volume and tend to recover better. The biceps and triceps are not equal. I find I can do a lot more volume for triceps, and they bounce back a little bit better. So, you can train them with a little bit greater frequency and volume.
4. PICK MOVEMENTS WITH PROGRESSION Pick movements that have a decent progression opportunity. It's okay to do a finisher of concentration curls, but you're not going to move your concentration curls from 20 pounds to 70 pounds over the next five years. You need exercises that provide a reasonable opportunity for progression, like cable tricep extensions, skull destroyers, close grip benches, barbell curls, easy bar curls, and dumbbell curls.
5. GET UPPER BODY COMPOUNDS STRONG Get your upper body compounds strong. If you want big arms, you need to get your upper body compounds freaking strong. Your little 50-pound dumbbell rows aren't going to cut it. You need to get those to 150s, dumbbell overhead presses above 80s, dumbbell benches to 100s, and your bench over 275. Moving heavy weights on your upper body is going to be the base of your arm growth.
6. YOU NEED MORE THAN COMPOUNDS Compounds alone aren't good enough for arm size. Back when I was at my strongest, training specifically for strength and chasing a 2,000-pound raw total, I did mostly deadlifts, squats, and benches with very little direct arm work. After a year, my arm size dropped by an inch because I dropped all direct work. You need something beyond just compounds for big arms.
7. TRACK YOUR ARM MEASUREMENTS Track your arm measurements flexed monthly. You're not going to see big jumps every month, but you want to track your arm size monthly to watch the trend. If you can gain an inch a year, that's great. Muscle building is a long-term process, so track your progress.
8. BIG ARMS REQUIRE PATIENCE Understand that 16-inch lean arms require three, four, or five years of hard work and consistency. It's going to take time to build big arms, so don't get frustrated if your arms aren't huge after two years of progressive overload. Give it time.
9. BULK WISELY No fat bulks. The more time you spend cutting, the less time you spend bulking and building muscle. Stay in a bulk the majority of the year, aiming for 10 months of bulking with mini cuts in between. Gain muscle and improve body composition.
10. CONTROL THE WEIGHT Control the weight during your arm work. Don't get sloppy or speedy. Power it up and control it down. Look like you have focus and purpose. Don't turn sets into a sprint.

How to Crush a Bulk - A Complete Guide 

In this section, I'm going to show you how to crush a muscle and strength-building block, how to pick the foods, how to create a structure, and how to nail things so you gain maximum muscle, maximum strength, and minimum fat.

Let's get started. Basically, I'm going to show you guys how I work with my clients to structure a proper bulk. I'm going to help you pick foods, create a basic plan, execute the plan, structure your training, have a break-in period with your training while you're dialing in your diet, etc.

Food Selection

First, this might seem obvious, but when it comes to creating a diet plan, whether for a bulk or a cut, people often don't know what to eat, overcomplicate things, or gravitate towards foods they don't necessarily like.

The first thing I want you guys to do is find foods you enjoy. We don't want to force ourselves to eat things we don't enjoy just because they're considered "bulking foods" or "bodybuilding foods."

We will have three columns: proteins, plant-based foods, and others. Focus on foods you enjoy and that provide good nutrients. This will help fuel your body like a machine. Once you have your list, get familiar with them—serving sizes, grams of protein, calories, fats, carbs, etc.

Proteins

• Steelhead Trout: One of the few seafood options I eat frequently.
• Eggs: A staple in many diets.
• Greek Yogurt: Both plain and flavored variations.
• Protein Drink/Protein Powder: Convenient for a quick protein boost.
• Minced Meats (e.g., elk, bison, wild boar, venison): I often use Force of Nature ground meats with rice.

Plant-Based

Plant-based foods should be things you like, not just "eat your veggies" foods.

• Berries: Mixed with Greek yogurt—strawberries, blackberries, blueberries.
• Mushrooms: Diced and added to minced meats.
• Tomatoes: Super flexible and filling.
• Onions: Great for adding flavor.
• Hot Peppers: Any type, adding food volume and flavor.
• Baby Bok Choy: A leafy green that's versatile and nutritious.

Other

These can include staple carbs or fun foods you enjoy.

• Rice: A major staple.
• Ramen: Occasionally, for a throwback feel.
• Beer: On weekends, post long runs.
• Weekend Pizza: For variety.
• Protein Bars, Jerky, Nuts: For when you're traveling or away from home.

Meal Structure

Having a plan and structure generally facilitates success. Whether you tend to overeat or find it difficult to eat enough, having a plan will help you hit your calorie goals for the day.

Plan your eating times and pencil in 2-3 options for snacks and 3-5 options for main meals. Plan your post-workout and dinner first, as these are usually the most critical for muscle building.

Example Meal Plan

• 9 AM - Breakfast: 300 calories (e.g., eggy cups, protein muffins)
• Noon - Meal: 400 calories, 30+ grams of protein (e.g., meal prep)
• 2:30 PM - Snack: 250 calories (e.g., eggy cups, protein bars)
• 4:30 PM - Lift
• 5:45 PM - Post-Workout: 300 calories, simple carbs and protein
• Dinner: 1000 calories, 50+ grams of protein
• Evening Snack: 250 calories (e.g., Greek yogurt and berries)

Starting Your Bulk

When starting a bulk and a new training cycle, use a two-step process:

1. Break-in Cycle (First 2 Weeks):
• Ease into your new training cycle.
• Increase calories slightly and dial in your nutrition.
• Weigh yourself every other day, first thing in the morning after urinating.
2. Gain 10 Pounds Over 3-5 Months:
• Continue to make adjustments as needed.
• Aim to gain 10 pounds over the period, then reassess.

After gaining the weight, consider doing a quick mini cut (14-20 days) to reset. This allows you to stay in a calorie surplus most of the year, facilitating quality muscle mass gain.