GETTING STRONG WITH DUP

Referring back to that idea that strength is a skill, we'll take a look at how to get seriously
strong with DUP.

In this chapter, a lot of the information and routines are based around "the big 3" - the
back squat, bench press and deadlift - but these aren't the only exercises you can do.
The reason for these three are numerous

They give arguably the biggest bang for buck by hitting a load of different
muscle groups
You can move big amounts of weight (volume) with them
They're the three exercises used by competitive powerlifters at powerlifting meets
They're easy to figure out your 1 rep maximums on

That said, if you can't (or don't want to) perform these, you don't have to. Provided you
have a good idea of your 1-rep max, the lift is a free-weight or compound move, and you
can perform it safely. you're probably okay. Therefore, if the big 3 aren't your thing, all the
principles and routines in the rest of the book could be applied to-

Front squats, paused squats, box squats, safety bar squats, high bar/ low bar back
squats and pin squats.
Conventional or sumo deadlifts, deficit deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts, rack or block pulls
Regula/ close-grip bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, board press,
paused press, overhead press, floor press or Swiss bar presses.

When strength is the goal, the more often you can perform your target exercises while
still recovering, the better.

That's why a 3-day per week (hitting your main lifts three times per week) template
typically works pretty well, as you get the chance to work in 3 different rep ranges and
intensities every seven days.

So far, we've discussed 3 rep ranges strength, hypertrophy and endurance, but I want
to introduce a fourth power.

Power work can be described in a number of ways, but I tend to think of it as using
anywhere between 60 and 90% of your 1 rep max for a high number of sets (4 to 10) and
for a low number of reps (1 to 5.)

The purpose of power work is to increase your speed and explosiveness, as well as
getting extra volume without creating fatigue.

Powerlifters and those looking to get strong may benefit more from including power
work in their program, as it's a great chance to work on technique, whereas bodybuilders
and those looking for size gains might want to include more endurance-based work over
the power stuff, as this will likely create more time under tension and tissue breakdown.

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