I usually say, “I’ve never gotten to see Game of Thrones,” to highlight how busy my life is. For the past nineteen years, I’ve worked full-time in Emergency Services, doing shift work. Additionally, I’ve owned and operated Access Health and Fitness in Dublin with employees for twelve years. I’m also married with three level-headed, non-stress inducing teenagers (yeah right). Add to that two dogs, twelve hens, and a partridge in a pear tree—this is how I generally start my therapy sessions.
Seriously though, we all know “busy.” Work, family, and everything that comes with both can consume a lot of people’s time. When I completed my first SFG ten years ago, I loved the effectiveness of simple training. I was married to my 24kg kettlebell—one tool, one hundred uses. Since then, I’ve attended as many certifications and special events as I could.
When it comes to programming, I like to plan four to eight weeks in advance so I can just show up and do it. The first time I attended a Plan Strong™ seminar, I thought this is it; this is a simple way for me to design a plan and go about my life.
However, as coaches, we know that one size does not fit all. Plan Strong is awesome for my deadlift, kettlebell press, squats, and bench, but what about pullups and running? What if I’m generally happy with my strength and want to combine squats, deadlifts, bench, kettlebell press, pullups, pushups, snatches, and running or cycling in the same week? And some days I have only 30-45 minutes to train, but my plan prescribes 14 sets of deadlifts.
If strength is your goal, Plan Strong is awesome, but if you’re like me and want to tick a number of boxes for strength and hypertrophy across a number of movements then you will love Built Strong. I can’t put into words my amazement and excitement in anticipation of writing a program after I first attended Built Strong, which I’ve attended three times now and will again.
Last year in anticipation of a very busy year, I knew I needed a flexible program which worst case scenario would at minimum be a yearlong maintenance program. The beauty of education is that the more you learn, the easier it is to simplify things. The BTS3 template from Built Strong was a perfect plan for me to work with.
I used basic concepts and calculations from Built Strong, but instead of waving the load and intensity, I averaged out number of lifts (NL) and used more RPE (rate of perceived exertion) than average relative intensity (ARI).
Here is the training rep max (TRM) I used for intensity and the reps I executed each session.
This is a “plug & play” program based on more complex and specific programming.
Pick and test your nine lifts and run the program for as long as you like. I followed this program for 50 of 52 weeks last year, but I chose to make some modifications along the way. Remember, this is not a strict protocol. The whole purpose is flexibility. Here are some changes that you could choose to implement:
What if you want to do singles like pistols or kettlebell press?I would put this down as light and use a 7-10 TRM with an RPE of 6-8.The reps for this would be 2,3,5,2,3,5,2,3 (NL: 25 each side).
My preferred option for a higher RPE and time efficiency is to superset the medium and light lifts, but that’s optional.
If you’re strapped for time some days, just do your heavy day and superset your medium and light sets the next day.
You can still get stronger when training at an RPE of 7 or 8. My preference for increasing the load is when I “own” the weight. For example, if I’ve just completed 25 deadlifts at an RPE of 6, I’ll add 2.5kg next time.
Choose the lifts that suit you now and as you progress you can increase or reduce the intensity of the lift by moving a light to medium or just progressing to a relatively harder variation of the movement.
If your bodyweight pullups are your heavy, then movements like lat pull downs could be your light.
Example Program
This program is all about flexibility and convenience, but you can still get stronger following it. Even though I was relying more on “feel” than specific testing and calculation, I still added some good weight to some of my lifts over the course of the year. For example, my deadlift training weight went from 147.5kg to 160kg and my weighted pullups increased from a 14kg kettlebell to a 20kg weighted vest—all while training at an RPE of 7 or 8. I owe a lot of this to one thing: consistency.
Depending on the individual, it may seem a little boring to do the same training week in and week out, but for me it’s ideal. You know your lifts, you know your sets and reps, and all you have to do is just show up.
I’d love for you to give it a shot for a couple months and let me know how it goes. I’m generally too busy for social media, but you can contact me at info@strongfirstireland.ie
“Ní neart go cur le chéile.”
An old Irish proverb meaning “There’s no strength without unity.”
Learn more about programming for functional hypertrophy—to build muscle that is as strong as it looks—at our Built Strong online seminar, November 16-17, 2024
John T. Kenny is from Dublin, Ireland and has been a full-time firefighter and paramedic for twenty years. With extensive experience in competing internationally, he was naturally drawn to all things health, strength, and fitness. He has been coaching (also full time) for fifteen years now and owns and runs his own private training facility, Access Health & Fitness. His training center helps students bridge the gap between general population and athletic performance.JT completed his first SFG in 2013 and has since become a StrongFirst Certified Elite Instructor, Team Leader, and Country Leader for Ireland.“Ní Neart go cur le Chéile.”