Professional Documents
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Novice Program
Karel Saquing
STAND STRENGTH Las Vegas, NV
Powerbuilding Program
Table of Contents
Glossary: ......................................................................................................................................................12
FAQ...............................................................................................................................................................21
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Purpose of the Program
The purpose the Stand Strength Novice Program is to address the weakness of other novice programs
This program seeks to remedy these wrong doings that hurt novices the most because a novice should
prioritize on building as wide of a base as they can. The goal of the novice lifter is to become a
consistent lifter.
In my opinion, the threshold for consistency is 48-52 weeks of working out the same number of times or
more each week. It can be 2 times, it can be 6 times, it can be anything in between. Regardless, the
novice should set a goal for themselves and execute and work toward that goal as frequently as they can
manage.
You don’t have to train like a powerlifter, just because you are a novice. You should use free weight,
compound exercises and I highly advocate for these movements, but they do not belong to any one kind
of athlete and they don’t have to be trained only in that specific way.
You should not race to add weight onto the bar, because strength and size are not one and the same. As
a novice, you will develop both. As you advance, you will see the overlap between them. However, you
must also learn this hard truth as early as possible to save you from wasting time by falling into the trap
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of minimalist programming where you only do 5 exercise and even though you are getting stronger, you
are not growing the muscles you would like to grow. Which brings me to my first point:
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1. Lack of Exercise Variation
Most novice programs advocate relying on basic, compound movements and rightfully so.
Compound movements are exercises that activate the most amount of muscle fibers and allow you to
lift the most amount of weight. However, many novice programs only have the trainee do compound
exercises. This is a mistake. Novices need variety in their training because the goal of the novice is not
All exercises fall underneath the classification of a specific movement pattern. It is important to
never conflate a single exercise to the status of the movement pattern itself. For example, the bench
press is a horizontal press. The push up, the parallel bar dip, are also horizontal presses. This is all to say:
A good workout program advocates for the use of A compound exercise, not the specific use of only one
compound exercise. This applies especially for novices because their base is small. Relying on one
exercise for growth and progression may provide them with quick results, and a high specificity of
training; however, it also forces them to neglect other aspects of their strength and muscle
development.
Refusing to provide novices with adequate, intelligently chosen exercise variation dooms them
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2. Limited Forms of Progression
Pro∙gres∙sive O∙ver∙load
Verb
The strength training method that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the
Many novice programs only have you progress through one variable: intensity. In the context of
strength training and bodybuilding, intensity refers to the amount of weight lifted relative to your one
rep max. This means each week you try to add weight on the bar each session or each week. The biggest
problem with this, is that it turns training into a race, and worse, it changes the finish line.
Novices are usually looking for some combination of how to build muscle, get stronger, and look
better. These goals are nuanced and especially when pursued simultaneously; however, novices are
blessed with the ability to progress at all of these at the same time because they are novices. The
“newbie gains” effect does not have a timer, you don’t have a limited amount of time after you first
come in contact with a bar to experience an explosion of growth or progress. This explosion occurs
because of your starting point, not due to magic or temporal specificity. Beyond intensity, Progressive
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• Improving form
o Range of motion
o Rep Quality
• Intensiveness Techniques
o Drop sets, supersets, giant sets, rest-pause, cluster sets, partials, pre-/post-
exhaustion
All of this can be done without adding weight to the bar. This is the kind of progression that
novices should make. Progression for any lifter, and especially the novice because they do not know
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3. Adherence to Minimalist Training Ideologies
of your training program. However, the key word is exercises not exercise. A powerlifter competes to
perform a single rep with the heaviest amount of weight on the barbell squat, bench, and deadlift.
Those are only 3 of the many exercises I advocate the novice to master. Beyond developing great
amounts of strength, these exercises also build a great amount of muscle. Despite this, it must be clearly
stated that these exercises do not belong to one sport, one kind of athlete, or one goal. Even if you
never want to be a powerlifter, I recommend you squat, bench, and deadlift for health, longevity, or
bodybuilding. With that said, it is important to understand: You don’t have to be a powerlifter or train
like one to get big and strong. To maximize your strength and size development, you have to include
Rows, Vertical Pressing, Calisthenics, and some form of cardiovascular conditioning. Then, because you
should be allowed to work toward your goal directly, you should include isolation exercises such as curls,
The popularity of powerlifting and strength sports has blessed the fitness community because it
brought with it a focus on getting stronger and progressing to the masses, unfortunately, some novice
programs take this to an extreme and make the competition lifts and getting stronger more important
than any goal you have because in their mind, any goal you have will be achieved just by doing basic
movements. Want bigger biceps? Just do rows and chin ups. Want bigger triceps? Bench more, bro.
Want a bigger back? Focus on deadlifting. Want to build muscle? Just get strong. There is a nugget of
First, understand that strength does not equal size. Strength is a combination of neuromuscular
adaptions, limb lengths and leverages, and muscle size. Strength is a separate adaptation from size but it
has a strong correlation with it. Second, strength is not defined by only your 1 rep max. Often times
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people regard strength training as meaningless to those whose goals are more inline with bodybuilding,
building muscle or burning fat. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The relevance and value of a one-
rep max will vary from lifter to lifter, but the last truth must be fully taken to heart: Lastly, if you want to
get bigger, you have to get stronger. If you get stronger with 3 different exercises that all target the
same muscle, increasing their 5RM or 10RM, or turning a 1RM into a 5 or 10 RM, this will result in
There is considerable overlap between strength training and size training. Which is why I argue
proper size training requires proper strength training, but a few concepts must be understood:
4. Genetics
Just because you got stronger, doesn’t mean 100% you got bigger. As a novice, you are likely learning a
completely new skill set. Your skill could be increasing faster than your muscles are being built. Training
for strength does not equal training for size, but if you want to get bigger you have to get stronger.
Powerlifters define strength by their one rep max. Getting stronger in the context of bodybuilding
means increasing the amount of work you can do with a specific load on a variety of similar exercises
This is why variation is important. If my 5-rep max on my flat barbell bench press, incline
dumbbell bench press, and weighted dip all get stronger, my muscles have likely gotten bigger as well. If
I turned a 5-rep max into a 15-rep max, my muscle has likely gotten bigger and I have clearly gotten
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stronger. Don’t let strength be the goal, because then it will be all your chase. Let strength be the guide
You don’t have to be a powerlifter to get big, but to get big you do have to get strong.
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So what should a novice actually focus on?
After 6 months of hard training where you work out 3 days every week for 6 months, you can consider
yourself consistent.
In this program, you are exposed to a variety of exercises that are conducive to your goal of building size
Most importantly, this program provides you exposes you to multiple ways of progressing in your
training that will allow you to train intelligently in the future. Not only does this program help you stand
on your own two feet, it allows you to keep moving forward when the program has exhausted it’s
usefulness to you.
Many who “graduate” from novice programs such as starting strength or stronglifts find it difficult to
know what to do next, but you will not have the problem here.
This program can be modified indefinitely to the levels of performance you will reach over time.
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Glossary:
BB Barbell
DB Dumbbell
SM Smith Machine
Superset 2-3 exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest taken
afterward
Giant Set 4+ exercises performed with little to no rest in between, rest taken
afterward
Cluster Set A set that is broken down into mini sets with short rest intervals in between
RIR Reps in Reserve, “how many reps away from failure am I?”
Technical Failure The point at which good form during an exercise breaks down
Sets x Reps Example: 3 sets of 5 reps = 3 x 5
Lbs x reps Example: 45 pounds for 5 reps = 45 x 5
/ Or, e.g. Pull up / Chin Up = Pull Up OR chin up
+ Superset, e.g. Bicep Curl + Tricep Extension
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The Program
The program features 4 training sessions but starts as a 3 days per week training protocol. As the novice
trainee advances, they can progress to performing all 4 training days in the same week.
Strength Training days prioritize slightly heavier loads, and slightly less volume per set. Size days do the
opposite; slightly lighter loads and more volume per set.
*On weeks you train lower body twice, perform the Push-Up/Pull Up Finisher
Once your fitness and ability to stay consistent allows progress to training 4 days per week, there are a
variety of way to divide your training week once you transition to training 4 days per week.
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Strength Lower
The following week, you will perform 2 sets with the 5RM
weight used in the week prior
Example:
W1: 45 lbs x 5, 65 x 5, 85 x 5, 105 x 5, 115 x 4
W2: 45 lbs x 5 … 105 x 5, 115 x 5
W3: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 5, 115 x 4
W4: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 2 x 5
W5: 45 lbs x 5 … 115 x 3 x 5; add weight next week and
repeat process
Choose 1:
Pause Squat 3 x 4-8
Goblet Squat 3 x 6-10
Leg Press 3 x 8-12
1 warm up sets, 3 working sets
If you can perform 2 sets with the maximum number of reps
comfortably, add weight on the next set.
Exercise selection should be done based on your current level
of fitness and fatigue, if you are too tired after deadlifts to
back squat, do Goblet Squats, if your low back is tired,
perform the leg press. The important lesson: Modify don’t
miss.
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Strength Upper
failure
BB Row + Parallel Bar Dips or Push Ups Rows 3 x 6-10, Dips or Push Ups 3 x AMRAP
weight
weight
range
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Size Lower
Example progression:
Choose 1 2 x 8-12
1. Back Extension + Planks Use the same superset for at least 3 weeks
2. Leg Press + Calves
3. Chin Ups + Leg Raises
4. Lunges/Split Squat + DB Shrugs
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Size Upper
• Close-grip BB Bench
• Incline BB / DB Bench
• Flat DB Bench
Recommended Exercises1
1Combine exercises as conveniently as possible, these exercises can be used to swap out on other arm movements
on other days
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Push Up Pull Up Finisher
On lower body focused training weeks (weeks with 2 lower body days), perform this finisher at the end
Option 1:
Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, superset a body weight push and pull (e.g. Chin Ups + Dips, Inverted Rows
Perform as many reps as possible per set but stop at an RPE of 7-8
Go until the time stops or until you cannot perform at least 3 reps on one of the exercises
Option 2:
Set a timer for 5 minutes, perform as many push ups as possible within this time, rest as needed and as
long as needed. Afterward, reset the timer and perform as many pull ups or inverted rows as possible.
Option 3:
On odd minutes perform as many rows as you can, on even minutes, perform push ups
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Bodyweight GPP – PT Pyramid
This is a program created by former US Navy SEAL, Stew Smith. It works great as a finisher and will
develop a base of general physical preparedness
PT Pyramid:
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How and When to Modify the Program
As a novice, you will progress and get stronger to the point that the program as written will not be as
challenging.
At the point, there are some changes you can make, and I recommend making theses changes 1 at a
1. Go from 3 days per week to 4 days per week, when making this change, add the upper body
a. Only add an exercise after you have already add more sets and reps
b. Total training volume (# of sets) per workout should not exceed 18 sets, I recommend
b. Rest-pause
Add these changes slowly and based on your needs and goals.
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FAQ
a. Rest times will be variable and depend on your level of fitness and the characteristics of
the exercise you just performed. Rest times should be no lower than 90 seconds
(except for warmups and conditioning protocols) and no longer than 3 minutes. Heavy,
compound exercises will require more rest than isolation exercises. Supersets and Giant
Sets have no rest in between exercises, rest can be taken after the last exercise if
needed.
a. Yes. This program starts out as a 3 day program, and transitions to a 4 day split.
a. Yes, men and women training programs should not differ drastically. Men and women
should use the same exercises for 80% of the program. However, men and women have
different goals in the gym so this program may not be adequate for the more common
a. Yes, BUT the replacement must make sense. If you want to replace the Flat BB Bench
with a Close-grip Bench Press, that is fine. If you want to replace it with a Flat DB Bench
Press, that is not so good. If you change an exercise, make sure it is similar in load
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a. Save time, get fit. Strength and size gains will not be negatively impacted by any
significant degree. You can potentially get better size and strength gains.
a. Reduce the volume of accessory back movements by cutting sets and/or reps. I
7) Some bodyweight exercises do not have sets and reps, what do I do?
a. Bodyweight exercises should be done for as many reps as possible BUT you should go
to about an RPE 6-7. If you cannot do multiple reps in a set, do multiple low rep sets to
compensate.
8) Pull Ups and Chin Ups make my elbows and wrist hurt, what should I do?
a. First, prevention. When doing pull ups of any kind, switch the grip for every set.
Second, do not neglect isolation exercises. If you are a strength athlete, and do not care
about size, then you might skip isolation. As a strength athlete, you should do isolation
novice program. However, if you insist on using this program, replace the chin ups with
a regression exercise (e.g., eccentric pull ups, band-assisted pull ups, etc.)
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