John Doe’s SCT Training Routine

So after a few guys asking me to elaborate more on my training system, I will be more specific with the routine outline. I say “outline” because nothing is set in stone here. You may find that modifying it works better for you.

A lot of my routines are a combination of many different routines and principles all rolled into one. But it seems like every time I break away from this sort of training, I always revert back to it because for myself this is what gets me results fast!

OK, so guys want to know what to do in the gym every 3 days with this program. Here is the just of things, you will be doing a workout that stimulates your whole body, while flip-flopping between high intensity training and powerlifting principles.

The meat and potatoes of your training will be bench, squat (or heavy leg press) and deadlifts, but we will still hit the entire body and assistance movements as well. This is sort of a combination between Mike O' Hearn's power bodybuilding, Mike Mentzer's HIT, and DC training principles, 3  routines rolled into 1.

Now, every workout you will add in one of 3 things, either rest pause training, a static hold, or extreme stretching.

For those who don't know, a rest pause set is where you do as many reps as you can, then when you fail you rack it, rest a brief 10-15 sec and go again for 3-4 more, rack and rest another 10-15 sec and go one more time for another 1-2 reps. Use a spotter!

A static hold is after your sets you lower the bar halfway and just hold in place for a goal of time, I like to do 1 min static holds myself. Again, have a spotter on hand.

Extreme stretching is when you hold a deep stretch under weight for a minute, for example a db fly motion while holding the bottom stretch of the movement for a minute. It can be grueling. I alternate between different methods each workout.

OK, so how are we rolling all of these principles and bits and pieces of these programs into one super routine for strength and size? Let me lay it out for you, like I said nothing is set in stone here, but this is a 2 week layout of how I would train in this fashion.

Day 1

Full body, high intensity training with static holds- *** = work set, rest are warm ups, weights listed are what I use, adjust to yourself

CHEST – INCLINE BENCH

1 – 135 x 12 (light warm up)

2 – 225 x 10 (moderate warm up)

3 – 275 x 5 (heavy warm up)

4 – *****315 x 10, followed by 1 min static hold with 225

SHOULDERS – MILITARY DB PRESS

Delts warmed up from bench, so only 1 warm up set to gauge what I'll use for a work set based on how I'm feeling with the warm up with moderate weight

1 – 65 lb db's for 12

2 – *****90 lb db's x 15 reps, followed by 1 min hold with 65 lb db's

BACK WIDTH – LATERAL PULLDOWNS

1 – 120 x 12

2 – 140 x 10

3 – 180 x 5

4 – ****260 x 15 followed by static hold with 160

BACK THICKNESS – SEATED CABLE ROWs

Feeling decently warmed up, only 2 warm ups here

1 – 120 x 12

2 – 180 x 10

3 – ****280 x 15 (I won't do a hold here, as to not tax my biceps too much, I don't hold rowing movements)

TRICEPS – SKULLCRUSHERS, TRICEP PRESSDOWNS, or 1 ARM DB EXTENSIONS

I may do any of these, but I'm going to throw out a wild card and do something unorthodox here, dips until failure, no warm ups, tris already warmed up from bench and shoulders, and just using bodyweight

DIPS – BODYWEIGHT

1 – x 54 reps (next time go for 55 reps, may be a few weeks until I get around to them again, wrote down in logbook)

BICEPS – STRAIGHT BAR CURLS

1 – 40 x 12

2 – 70 x 10

3 – ****90 x 20 (I train my bi's for squeeze and reps, no reason to use heavy weights and risk tendon injury)

POSSIBLY FOLLOWED BY STATIC HOLD WITH 40 LBS X 1 MIN LEG PRESS

1 – 4 plates/side x 12

2 – 7 plates/side x 10

3 – ****10 plates /side x 22 reps, followed by 1 min hold with 6 plates

LYING LEG CURL

1 – 60 x 12

2 – 80 x 10

3 – ****120 x 18, followed by 1 min hold with 80 lbs

END OF WORKOUT!

Now I know what you're thinking here, what about abs, calves, forearms, etc? Relax, you've done enough to stimulate your body as a whole, we can touch on those things throughout other workouts, you don't need to do EVERYTHING each workout, just enough to send signals to grow!

2 DAYS OFF!

Day 2

Full body with powerlifting basis (you will pick either squat, bench, or deadlift and always start with one of those when you're fresh!) Here is an example:

BENCH PRESS (7 sets of 3)

1 – 135 x 3

2 – 225 x 3

3 – 275 x 3

4 – 315 x 3

5 – 325 x 3

6 – 330 x 3

7 – 335 x 3

Follow this up as outlined above on your first day, but different exercises, you've already performed chest, so just do the rest of the routine now. For example, if you did lateral pulldowns last time, this time do close grip pulldowns, if you did seated cable rows then this time do bent over rows, etc. Same fashion as above, the only difference is you started with a powerlifting routine this workout)

2 DAYS OFF

Day 3

Same fashion as workout #1 listed above, YET DIFFERENT EXERCISES! So this day may be incline hammer strength machine instead, or bodyweight pull-ups for max reps instead of pulldowns, or db rows instead of bent over barbell rows, or hammer curls rather than barbell, etc.

THIS COMPLETES THE FIRST 7 DAY CYCLE

NOW ONTO WORKOUT #4

Same fashion as your powerlifting routine, only this time either squats or deadlifts, 7 sets of 3 reps, followed by the regular routine, only going back to same exercises from day 1, trying to beat them by either increased weight or reps or both. Don't forget to throw in either a static hold, a rest pause set, or extreme stretching following your 1 work set for each muscle group. – SO AS YOU SEE AFTER EVERY 3 DIFFERENT WORKOUTS, YOUR BACK TO WORKOUT #1 AND YOU START OVER, BUT EACH WEEK WILL BE A DIFFERENT POWERLIFTING INITIAL EXERCISE/SETS.

If you did 7 sets of 3 on bench, the next week is going to be 7 sets of 3 on squats, the following week 7 sets of 3 on deadlifts. You are touching on a powerlifting routine while still performing higher reps for volume within the same program.

YOUR TWO DAYS OFF BETWEEN WORKOUTS

Take 1 of those 2 days and go to the gym, only you use this as “therapy/recovery/cardio day”. For myself this would be a brief 15 min ab session, 20-30 min cardio, 20 min in sauna or jacuzzi, NO WEIGHTS! Maybe only abs but NO WEIGHTS!

So there it is, that's my kick ass routine! So I guess I have to name it since everyone names their shit. Hmmmm… what should I call it? I'll call it “SCT Training” which stands for “super conjucate training”. Conjucate training means you're training for size and definition in the same time frame, you're training all aspects of bodybuilding at once.

Yes, it can be done, but you need to fine tune things a little more.

THE DIET

OK, we want definition, but at the same time we want gains and do not want to lose strength here. My advice would be to pack in the food/cals the day you train with weights, and diet your ass off the other 2 days in between. Once every 3 days there is nothing wrong with a Big Mac or a pizza, the 2 days in between that you will revert to a contest type diet!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

12 thoughts on “John Doe’s SCT Training Routine”

  1. John,

    This program looks like a winner. I like the way that use higher reps (10-15) on your “money” sets and try to beat that number the next time that workout comes along. Some of the other powerlifting programs out there only promote low reps ( 2-5), and your joints can really take a beating in this range, especially if ur over 35. Looking forward to future posts and programs.

    Reply
    • Yes, you can do heavy weights for high reps, just not numerous sets like a powerlifting program. I’ve never met a veteran powerlifter who didn’t have some nagging injury. Some have been half crippled by lifting weights. I dont see News stories about guys 100 years old claiming to have been powerlifters their whole life. But I do see older guys who have eaten clean and done bodybuilding/cardio the majority of their life

      Reply
      • Awesome, I’m about to hit this shit hard for a bulk and report back! Just had a couple of questions:

        (1) do the rotating POWER LIFTING sets start the workout every other training day? I ask because it starts in the middle of a 3 day rotation and then you mention coming back with a new PL exercise on training day 4

        (2) How do you use REST PAUSE training – do you do that for an extra set after your heavy work set? Lump all your total reps together at one weight and try to rest pause through them all? etc.

        Reply
        • This routine is so effective that you could put your exercises\sets either in beginning or tail end and still progress, however I would put whatever muscle group your trying to improve the most in the beginning. For me its usually chest.

          As for rest pause training, let’s say you are doing flat bench press. You do as many reps as you can with a given weight, when u fail then rack it. Rest a brief 15 second and try for 3 more reps, rack it. Rest another 15 seconds and try 1-2 more reps. Now your done with the set. You would log this down as x amount of weight for total reps INCLUDING your rest pause reps. So if you benched 225 for 10 then rest pause and got 3, then rest pause again and got 2, you’d log 15 reps that set

          Reply
          • ok cool.
            So do I use powerlifting every workout or every OTHER workout?

            Sorry for so many questions man, I just believe you are giving the realest info out there so I want to make sure I do it right.

        • Also its not an extra set, its all included in one main balls out set after a brief couple warm ups. And yes, I usually include the rest pause with each muscle group. But things like squats and bent over rows I may not do those on, its too taxing and also dangerous. Make sure u have a spotter when you do this

          Reply
  2. Hey Jon
    Do you have a version of this workout with extra focus on legs? Or what is a good workout to get some growth out of your wheels. I am 45 180lb 5ft 10 and still have skinny legs. Any help much appreciated
    Thanks Bryan

    Reply
    • I’d say on one of your 2 days off somewhere in that cycle, throw in strictly a leg day by itself. Only in this leg workout I would train lighter and go for more reps. I have fund that by switching back and forth between a heavy day and lighter day makes you stronger on the heavy days again

      Reply

Leave a Reply to BC Cancel reply

Item added to cart.
0 items - $0.00