MARS
“So you wanna be a fucking gorilla? You better eat you bannanas and fuck up some bamboo”
Probably John Wayne -
Mission: The program is designed to follow a 8-12 week strength block and work specifically on work power and hypertrophy. The volume will be greatly increased comparable to the last program, as well as including many more power movements (cleans, overhead squats, jerks, snatch). In simple, you should be looking to build a bigger engine and be able to carry it. Caloric intake for this program should be near 3,000 calories a day, assuming you have PT 5 days a week and are focusing on endurance there.
Program: The program accomplishes this with 5 “Strength” or “Power” oriented days a week, as well as 2 sport specific heavy days and 2 endurance sessions per week.
Nutrition: Proper eating, refueling, supplementation and otherwise putting “good” things in your body will be conducive to your weight gain, performance and muscle growth. See “nutrition” packet.
Sleep: Minimum 6 hours a night. This should be your standard. Your goal should be 8-9. You are here to perform.
“Just imagine if gorillas weren’t eating soy protein all day and had the ability to lift weights and eat red meat. They would be fucking scary. You Should want to be that scary”
Drunk Bailey speaking on Joe Rogan’s ‘Grizzly v. Silverback’ Debate -
COMPLEXES
Gorillas get big by throwing bamboo around all day. This is your opportunity to treat your barbell like a bamboo straw and develop so applicable strength.
A complex is a series of specific strength exercises blended into one continuous training circuit. The objective is to complete the exercises in succession, doing all the prescribed reps of one movement before proceeding to the next. Traditionally, complexes are done with barbells, but dumbbells have several advantages too.
Rules:
Each round is continuous
You must maintain grip the entire time and not rest the weights
Once you start, you’re locked in for that round
Unless specified, you should aim to complete 4-6 rounds
Gorilla Complex
20-16-12-8-4x for time – 25/45# (dumbbells/single plate)
Bicep Curls
High Pulls
Military Press
Tricep Extensions
Push-ups
Barbell Complex
6 Way BB, 6 reps of each:
Deadlift
Bent Over Row
Hang Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push up (on the bar)
3 rounds, increase weight each round
Bear Complex:
A set is one rep of each, in order
1 Power Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Push Press or Jerk
1 Back Squat
1 Push Press or Jerk
*Bar must touch the ground each sequence but cannot rest on the ground or it terminates the set.
*Goal is to increase loads each round to complete “The Bear” with a 3 rep max load.
*Rest as needed between sets; remember you have 20 minutes.
*No re-grip allowed.
*You must power clean the bar to full standing position before squatting the weight. (Deadlift to Hang Power Clean) is allowed. No squat cleans.
Dumbbell Complex:
Dumbbell deadlift, 5 reps
Dumbbell clean, 5 reps
Dumbbell push press, 5 reps
Dumbbell jerk, 5 reps per side
Dumbbell walking lunge, 5 reps per side
Devil Complex (DB):
5 bent over rows
5 hang cleans
5 push press
5 overhead lunges (Per Leg)
10 devils press
Snatch Complex:
Snatch
Snatch Balance
Overhead Squat
Jerk Complex:
Behind the Neck Jerk
Pause Jerk
Jerk
Snatch #2:
Snatch High Pull
Snatch High Pull
Snatch
Snatch
Snatch #3:
Hang snatch
Snatch
2x overhead squat
Klokov Complex:
Clean pull
Clean
Paused front squat
Push press
Paused jerk
JB Gym Complex:
5 deadlifts
4 power cleans
3 front squats
2 Shoulder to Overhead
Spartan Complex:
Dumbbell Bear Crawl 20m
10 Devils Press
20m Bear Crawl
10 DB Overhead Lunges
MARS 0-1
Every 2 minutes
10-1 squat, building 1.8%, start @ 60% do not go above 95%
Heavy singles from 95% on, working to new 1 rep max.
Record one rep max.
4x6 Pistol Squat
4x4 Front Rack reverse lunge (115#) (Per side)
Complex of choice
MARS 0-2
Every 2 minutes
10-1 Bench, building 2%, start @ 70% do not go above 90%
Heavy singles from 90% on, working to new 1 rep max.
Record one rep max.
4x4 pause bench @70% of new max
200 reps hand release pushups
MARS 0-3
Work to heavy overhead squat using
10-2 Overhead squat, starting near 50% increasing each set by 2-4%
Continue doing doubles until reaching 2 rep max overhead squat
10 minute AMRAP
4 devils press @ 30#
8 snatches @ 65#
4 burpees
8 thrusters @ 65#
Complex of choice
MARS 0-4
Every 2 minutes
10-1 military press, building 2%, start @ 70% do not go above 90%
Heavy singles from 90% on, working to new 1 rep max.
Record one rep max.
3x20 bradford press
100 reps “z” press
MARS 0-5
Every 2 minutes
10-1 Deadlift, building 2%, start @ 70% do not go above 90%
Heavy singles from 90% on, working to new 1 rep max.
Record one rep max.
Work to heavy weighted pullup
Heavy singles from 90% on, working to new 1 rep max.
Record one rep max.
MARS 0-6
10x10 OHS at a weight light enough for maximal control and proper positioning
Complex of choice
MARS 0-7
Rest
MARS 1-1
EMOM 12
1 clean @78% of 1RM clean
3x10 Pistol Squats per side (weighted if needed)
*if too difficult, pistol squat onto box/bench
10-15-20:20-15-10 Ladder of
BB Front Rack Lunges (95#)
Front Squats (95#)
(10 lunges + 20 squats, 15 lunges + 15 squats, 20 lunges + 10 squats)
*Done for time*
3 sets
20 DB snatch 45# db
20 air squats
Complex of choice
MARS 1-2
5x5 Bench @ 75% off “new max”
4x15 close grip bench
2x15 DB tricep press
4x10 double hand release pushups (hand release like ACFT, at the top of the pushup explode up so much that your hands leave the ground, rest 30 sec between sets)
MARS 1-3
5x5 tempo front squat @ 70% (3-2-1 tempo)
3 second decline
2 second pause at the bottom
1 second explosive stand up
5 sets of max distance towel farmers carries
10 min on min
10 thrusters @75#
Complex of choice
MARS 1-4
3x3 power snatch
10x10 “Z press” @65# or 75#
4x8 SOTs press
3x3 jerk (Heavy)
MARS 1-5
6×3 deadlift “off of new max” @ 85%
4×4 sumo deadlift @ 75%
3×25 weighted hip thrusters
30 minute EMOM
1) 12 cal row
2) 9 burpees
3) 6 devils press (45#)
MARS 1-5
10x10 OHS at a weight light enough for maximal control and proper positioning
Complex of choice
MARS 1-6
MARS 1-7
Rest
MARS 2-1
EMOM 12
1 clean @80% of 1RM clean INCREASE FROM LAST WEEK
20-15-10-5-2 reps of
Overhead Squat
*Increase weight each set, work to 2RM
5 rounds
20 reps of 4 count hollow hold flutter kicks
15 butterfly situps
*Go to the gymnastic ‘hollow’ position and do flutter kicks from there
4x1 min weighted plank (45#)
Complex of choice
MARS 2-2
6×2 bench press 80%
4x15 Incline Bench
4x15 DB Tricep Press
4x15 Tricep Pushup
4x15 Double Hand Release Pushup
MARS 2-3
Work to heavy single Squat Clean
*Squat clean means catching in a full squat
Tempo front squat every 2.5 min 10 reps down to 1 rep @ 2-2-1 tempo
(Start at 65% add 1.8% each set and drop 1 rep)
Complex of choice
3x20 hip thrusters
MARS 2-4
9 min amrap
18 cal row
4 devil press 45# DB’s
8 min amrap
15 cal bike
3 deadlifts @ 225#
7 min amrap
20m sled push
2 power cleans @ 135#
MARS 2-5
5×3 bench press 85%
4×15 close grip bench press
3×20 dumbbell bench
21-17-15-12-9 reps for time of
Row Cals
DB Man Maker 30# (you better do the fucking squat clean on the manmakers)
MARS 2-6
5x5 Tempo Front squats @ 75%
3-2-1
3 second decline
2 second pause at the bottom (hold tension, don’t relax)
1 second to the top (explode up)
3x8 Cossack Squat w/ 55# DB
5 rounds of
50m towel grip farmer’s carry
50m sled sprint
Sandbag Zercher Carry
MARS 2-7
Rest
MARS 3-1
EMOM 12
1 clean @82% of 1RM clean INCREASE FROM LAST WEEK
30:30 work:rest (Pick one) of
Row, double unders, bike, run, sled push, farmers walk, pushups
20 minutes total
MARS 3-2
6x2 Bench @85%
10 rounds of
10 pushups on the bar
10 bent over row (95#)
5x10 landmine row
5x12 double HR pushups
3x10 dead hang pullup (add weight if needed)
MARS 3-3
MARS 3-4
5x5 Push Press @ 85% of 1RM Strict Press
3x8 SOTS press w/ Bar
3x8 Seated DB military press
3x20 overhead squat, very light, for quality. Keep chest up and achieve depth
50-40-30-20-10 of
Cal Row
or
(2x) Cal Bike (100-80-60- 40-20)
Rest as long as it takes, 1:1 work:rest
MARS 4-1
2 mile run, RPE 6
Then
20 squat cleans 155/105
10 strict pull ups Weighted
200’ sled push heavy
10 strict pull ups Weighted
20 squat cleans 155/105
Then not for time-
100 T Hand Release Pushups
MARS 4-2
8×2 front squat @ 90%
21-15-9
Thrusters 45#/30# dumbbells
Burpee box Jump over 24”/20″ (Stack 45# plates)
Rest 1:1 between rounds
Repeat
4x6 Pistol Squat (Per Side) *if too difficult, pistol squat onto box/bench
MARS 4-3
Power snatch 6×3
@80%
21 min EMOM
1st min: 15 cal row
2nd min: 5 Deadlifts 225# (Over/Over grip)
3rd min: 8 DB snatch 45#DB
Complex of choice
MARS 4-4
6x1 Backsquat @ 95%
30-20-10 Row Calories
Work:Rest 1:1
Complex of Choice
MARS 4-5
Ruck (45#)
3 sets
800m hard
400m easy
No rest between sets or reps
20 min amrap
20 burpees
3 rope climbs
Deadlift
5×5 @ 80%
MARS 4-6
5x5 bench @ 80% of new max
150 Pullups not for time
MARS 4-7
Rest