The Andrich Files

Pavel Tsatsouline with Vince Andrich

Cult Classic Bodybuilding Foundation Program

Eight weeks long, two cycles of four weeks
Follow one complex of exercises for four weeks, then switch to another
Stay with the 20-rep breathing squats for the entire 8-week period
Train with high volume; 30 to 150 reps per muscle group per workout
Do not train to failure and stay away from high-intensity techniques such as
forced reps or negatives
Keep your repetitions in the eight-plus range
Rest for up to one to three minutes between your sets
Cycle your weights and reps
Stretch for 10 to 20 seconds after each set with the LPS technique described
previously
Do minimal or no cardiovascular training


Split for Weeks One to Four

Split your body parts into two workouts, and alternate them:

Workout 1: legs, back, calves

Workout 2: chest, shoulders, arms, abs

There are many ways to arrange work and rest on this flexible classic split. For
example, if your recovery ability seems above average, you could do six
consecutive training sessions with Sunday as your off day:

Monday: Workout 1

Tuesday: Workout 2

Wednesday: Workout 1

Thursday: Workout 2

Friday: Workout 1

Saturday: Workout 2

Sunday: Off

A neat feature of this split is that if you skip a day or two, you can just easily fall
back into the rotation:

Monday: Workout 1

Tuesday: Workout 2

Wednesday: Missed

Thursday: Workout 1

Friday: Workout 2

Saturday: Workout 1

Sunday: Off

Bodybuilders who need more recovery time could train two days on and one day
off or perform each workout twice a week:

Monday: Workout 1

Tuesday: Workout 2

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Workout 1

Friday: Workout 2

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Off

Older bodybuilders who dont recover as fast or anyone who prefers to train less
frequently for some social or professional reason may want to hit the weights one
day on and one day off or even work each body part three times every two
weeks, as advised by Russian lifter and scientist Igor Sukhotsky:

Monday: Workout 1

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Workout 2

Thursday: Off

Friday: Workout 1

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Off

Monday: Workout 2

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Workout 1

Thursday: Off

Friday: Workout 2

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Off

Here are the recommended training programs:

Workout 1: legs, back, calves

1. Breathing squats

2. One-arm dumbbell snatches

3. Calf raises in the leg-press machine

4. One-arm dumbbell rows




1. Breathing squats

High-rep squats work magic on your legs and for overall mass, and the
bodybuilding world owes the author of Super Squats, Dr. Strossen, a big favor
for reincarnating this classic program. To make gains with this simple, but not to
be confused with easy, drill, all you need is the most basic powerlifting style
cycle. Breathing squats are actually just regular squats although because of the
high number of repetitions with the large muscles of the quadriceps you will be
breathing like mad!

Before you start the cycle, estimate your projected 20-rep max in the end of 8
weeks. Most bodybuilders should have no trouble knocking off 20 with their old
5RM after an intense 2 months focus on the breathing squat. Start charting your
squat cycle by figuring out how many squat workouts you are going to do in two
months. If you decided to train each body part twice a week, you will have to
survive 16 squat workouts. Round that number out to 15 to give yourself some
slack for a skipped session.

Plan to add five pounds to your work set every session: 5 lbs x 15 workouts =
75 lbs.
Subtract this amount from your target weight, and you shall have your starting
weight. Say, your best 5RM today is with 225 pounds. Your starting weight
would be: 225 lbs 75 lbs = 150 lbs. That is your target 20RM. Kick off your
Foundation Phase with 20 reps at 150 lbs (150x20).

Do just one set of 20 reps. You are encouraged to follow up every set of your
squats and snatches with a set of light pull-overs to open up your rib cage.

2. One-arm dumbbell snatches

The one-arm snatch was a key exercise in the Soviet Special Forces PT
regimen, and is featured in my Russian Kettlebell Challenge video. American old
timers like D. Willoughby used to say that if you choose to do only exercise for
your back, make it the one-arm dumbbell snatch or swing.

Stand in the ready-to-jump half-squat position with a dumbbell in one hand, and
your arm hanging straight. With a powerful hip thrust, throw the weight overhead.
Pause for a second, then let the weight nearly drop in front of you. Before the
dumbbell hits the ground, swing it back up. Make sure your lifting falls in sync
with your breathing. Keep your back reasonably straight, but do not lean back on
the top; project your force straight up. Be forewarned: In addition to forging a
rugged back and hamstrings, one-arm snatches may make you throw up your
lung!

Here is how to set up your one-arm snatch cycle:

Start with a light dumbbell. A 30-lb dumbbell is enough for an intermediate
male bodybuilder, half that will do for a lady. Of course, these are just rough
guidelines. Use your judgment. Do a set of 12 reps, switch your arms, and
immediately do another 12.
Stretch your back and hamstrings, and rest for one to three minutes. Take the
next dumbbell off the rack and do another 12. Then another with five more
pounds. Although Russian scientists frown upon pyramiding weight for pure
strength training, anything goes during the mass quest. Keep working up until
you feel that adding more weight would make you fight for survival or cheat.
Your first session may look like this: 30 lbs x 12 reps, 35 lbs x 12 reps, 40
lbs x 12 reps, 45 lbs x 12 reps, or 15 lbs x 12 reps, 20 lbs x 12 reps, 25
lbs x 12 reps. This is plenty for starters, and youll be convinced the morning
after.
Next time do an unloading 60% tonnage workout. Follow the same sets and
weights as before but do only eight reps: 30x8, 35x8, 40x8, 40x8, 40x8 or
15x8, 20x8, 25x8. According to the Father of Periodization, Professor
Matveyev, continuous variation of volume and intensity reduces the possibility
of overtraining and amplifies the gains. The 60% rule is a standard for the
light workout among Russian coaches.
Workout 3 will have you work up to a tough but not impossible set of 12 reps,
again in 3 to 4 sets: 30x12, 35x12, 40x12, 45x12.
Workout 4 uses the same principle with 8 reps: 30x8, 35x8, 40x8, 45x8. Even
if you could do 50x8, and I am sure you can, call it a day at the top weight of
your previous session.
Keep repeating this pattern for two weeks. Work up to a near-maximal set of
12 in 3 to 4 sets, then do an unloading workout with the same sets and
weights, but only 8 reps per set. This heavy-light format will keep your mind
and muscles fresh, and will deliver greater gains than pushing pedal to the
metal every workout.
For the final two weeks, increase the volume by adding back-off sets after
reaching the top weight. You used to do 35x12, 40x12, 45x12, 50x12. Now
you will suffer more with: 35x12, 40x12, 45x12, 50x12, 45x12, 40x12, 35x12.
Work down on your light days as well: 35x8, 40x8, 45x8, 50x8, 45x8, 40x8,
35x8. You might ask if would not be better to gradually build up the volume
for the duration of four weeks? The answer is no. Russian experts insist that a
discreet jump in training load is superior to a slow buildup, at least in
experienced athletes. A load spike just shocks your muscles into adaptation!

3. Calf raises in the leg-press machine

The hip sled is our choice piece of equipment for calf training, because your
diamonds can handle a lot more weight than your back.

Use the same 100-60% loading format as with your snatches, but triple the reps:
for sets of 12 do 36 and for sets of 8 do 24. Because of a shorter range of
motion, your calves need more reps to get the same time under tension.

Do not forget to add back-off sets halfway into the phase. Reduce the rest
periods on the down side of the pyramid almost to the point of doing a drop set.
Top experts like Sorokin and Vorobyev, who would hear nothing of drop sets for
weightlifters, readily endorse this technique for bodybuilding.

4. One-arm dumbbell rows

You may substitute this drill with a chest-supported two-arm row on a machine,
but do not do anything that would stress your lower back. After squats and
snatches, your back will be toast!

Exercises for smaller muscle groups or fewer muscles such as one-arm rows
always gain a lot slower than your legs and lower back. This is why we need to
resort to more sophisticated programming: 100-60-80. That means adding a day
of 10 reps to the format you have used for snatches. An interesting wrinkle
borrowed from strength coach extraordinaire Bill Starr is to finish your medium
day10 reps in our casewith the weight you are planning to use for your top
weight on your next heavy day. For example:

Workout 1: 30 lbs x12 reps, 35 lbs x12 reps, 40 lbs x12 reps

Workout 2: 30x8, 35x8, 40x8

Workout 3: 30x10, 40x10, 45x10

Workout 4: 30x12, 40x12, 45x12

Workout 5: 30x8, 40x8, 45x8

Workout 6: 30x10, 40x10, 50x10

If you doubt that you will be able to better your PR (personal record) on your next
heavy day, stay with the same weight:

Workout 6: 30x10, 40x10, 45x10, rather than 50x10

As with the previous drills, add back-off sets after two weeks, for example 30x12,
40x12, 50x12, 40x12, and 30x12. Take as little rest between your back-off sets
as possible as long you can make your reps in good form. Enjoy that pump!

Workout 2: chest, shoulders, arms, abs