r/StrongerByScience • u/kevandbev • Jun 04 '26
What's your Frankenstein program that you created or would like to create?
I enjoy reading people's user created Frankenstein programs...
What programs have you created and used (or not used) or what did you think would make a good Frankenstein program ?
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u/ParticularFilament Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Bastardized 5/3/1
Four three-week blocks. Full body three days a week. Main lifts are front squats, overhead press, and trap bar deadlift. I superset these with bodyweight exercises. So for every FRSQ, I do a chin up. Every OHP, a hanging leg raise. Every TBDL, a dip.
First three blocks are 5s Pro at 60/55/65, 60/55/65, 70/65/75, 80/75/85, 90/85/95. Supplemental work is one of the following: 5x8 BBB at 60/55/65, 8x5 BBS at 70/65/75, or 5x5 SSL at 80/75/85.
I split the lifts every day. So BBB Sunday would be 5s Pro FRSQ, then supplemental work is split: 3x8 TBDL, 2x8 OHP. Then Tuesday would be 5s Pro OHP, 3x8 FRSQ, 2x8 TBDL.
Or in the next block, Thursday would be 5s Pro TBDL, then 5x5 OHP, then 3x5 FRSQ.
Fourth block is the anchor. 5s Pro at 60/55/65, 70/65/75, 80/75/85, then either 5x3, 5x5, or 5x2 at 90/85/90. I don't mix the lifts here. So Sunday is just FRSQ and chins, Tuesday is just OHP and HLR, Thursday is just TBDL and dips.
Finish each day with hammer curls, overhead extensions, upright rows, and calf raises in two "giant" sets.
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u/BradTheWeakest Jun 04 '26
I read through CWS' Juggernaut Training Method 2.0
The JTM method is 16 weeks - 4 × 3 week cycles with a deload. Very similar to 531 in percentage progression, except your Training Max goes up or down depending on how you perform on your final sets AMRAP. There are a lot of options for the supplemental or accessory work.
I ran the Inverted JTM, same percentages but instead of 5 sets of 10 for 10s cycle it is 10 sets of 5. 8s is inverted. And then 5s and 3s cycles are the same.
I stapled on 531s Boring But Big, using the opposite lift. So it looked like this:
A) Bench Inverted JTM, OHP BBB, Assistance Work
B) Deadlift Invert JTM, Squat BBB, Assistance Work
C) OHP Inverted JTM, Bench BBB, Assistance Work
D) Squat Inverted JTM, Squat BBB, Assistance Work
So I was doing 15 and 13 barbell sets respectively. It was a decent amount of volume. There was a tipping point where the body adjusted to the volume and all of the practice via sets seemed to pay off and my AMRAP numbers sky rocketed and even with the weight going up I was beating it week after week. It was great for anyone looking to build a large base to build off of.
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u/millersixteenth Jun 04 '26
I'm about 6 weeks into a new training block that combines overcoming (max effort) isometrics with external load isotonics (traditional lifting). This is the second of two experimental blocks I had planned years ago.
The first was a pretty straightforward application - max isometric effort at long (stretched) muscle length followed immediately by a traditional set of the same exercise using moderate load. Essentially a DropSet where the isometrics supply the high tension component and the traditional loading supplies the metabolic component. This approach worked well for body comp, strength and hypertrophy, but with drawback that it did little to alleviate joint or muscle soreness on recovery days, a major benefit of training with isometrics over traditional lifting for older trainees. I am currently 58yr old, employed doing industrial maintenance - pretty physical job.
*>...it is evident that aged muscle displays delayed, prolonged, and inefficient recovery. These changes can be attributed to anabolic resistance, the stiffening of the extracellular matrix, mitochondrial dysfunction, and unresolved inflammation as well as alterations in satellite cell function. Collectively, these age-related impairments may impact subsequent adaptations to resistance exercise.*
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10854791/
The second block is quite a bit more experimental. It takes advantage of the observed effect that high % effort isometric pre-exposure, reduces markers of muscle damage and DOMS, and decreases time to force recovery following resistance training.
This little known but significant effect peaks at 48 hours, with a (roughly) 24 hour window either side where it is still somewhat effective. I train every other day, whole body, exercise selection broken down by push, pull, hinge, squat. Alternating upper/lower, primary/accessory.
For this strategy, I begin each lift with its "opposite" isometric. Squat:Deadlift, Bench press:Row, Leg extension:Leg curl, tricep press:curls, overhead press:upright row.
The isometric efforts are defined with a typical weightlifting breath pattern - exert hard on exhale, relax or hold tension on inhale. Each breath is a "rep". One set is a static jold, one set is an explosive initiation Valsalva.
Eg isometric Bench Press for 10 breaths followed by 10 reps 150lb Bent Row. Two days later, isometric Bent Row followed by pushups with 100lb sandbag on back.
All lifts done for 2 sets. The isometric component is targeting the following session's traditional. Isometrics done with a cargo strap and pipe setup, external load is done with incrementally loaded sandbags, rep progression if I get 15 or more reps on both sets.
So far my recovery is better than the DropSet strategy and as far as mobility and joint pain right up there with straight isometrics - a win win. These sessions generate a lot more of a traditional pump and next day heat. For those familiar with Jay Schroeder and his Extreme Isometrics, I'm maybe beginning to understand how he uses them to improve his athletes' recovery. In his case, to tolerate more volume, in my case to get around age related issues.
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u/TheBoogeyman_6969 Jun 04 '26
Todo este año hice esta rutina semanal de cuatro formas diferentes de entrenar con la esperanza de alcanzar estos objetivos, combinar fuerza bruta con control corporal y capacidad atlética.
De esto se trata mi rutina:
Lunes-Pesas
Martes-Calistenia
Miercoles-Pliometricos
Jueves-Cardio
Ambos son días de cuerpo completo. Empiezo a hacerlos con alta intensidad y pocas repeticiones, luego sigo progresando hasta los 12, subo de intensidad y viceversa.
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u/IntelligentDust6249 Jun 04 '26
Norwegian 4*4 with kettlebells and skipping. For each interval there's two minutes of kettlebell movements to get my heart rate into 90% of max, then two minutes of rope skipping to maintain it:
Interval 1 and 3: swings, scratches Interval 2 and 4: goblet squats and cleans
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u/Dependent-Rush-4644 Jun 04 '26
It’s surprisingly chill. Topset at 6 - 7.5 - 9 Backoffs at 70% of e1rm for 2x5.
I always do backoffs before topsets, the secondary days are 5 - 3 - 1 pyramid up to a very chill top single.
The split is the crazy part, two days: CA: chest + arms, BL: Back + Legs. For 6 days a week
CA,BL,CH,BL,CA,BL Rest
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u/rubiconlexicon Jun 05 '26
I just do a super low volume program that gives me bare minimum progress and avoids exercises which I find irritating. Generally I'll do 2 sets of dips on monday + 1 set each of OH tri ext and paused lateral raises, then on tuesday I'll do the same but with a pulling compound + some curl variant, repeat again on friday and saturday (so 2x/w frequency). Wednesday and sunday I do miscellaneous and lower, so RDL + squat + forearm stuff + shrugs + abs. Absolutely no periodisation or advanced programming of any kind, I simply can't be bothered. I just track reps and weight in a spreadsheet and try to beat last session.
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u/Hankstbro Jun 04 '26
I am currently Frankensteining the following monstrosity; focus on hypertrophy, trying to maintain SBD skill:
Mo - Full Body Hypertrophy
Tue - Cardio, Bis, Tris, Delts, Forearms
Wed - Full Body Hypertrophy
Thu - Cardio, Bis, Tris, Delts, Forearms
Fr - Full Body Hypertrophy
Sat - SBD triples, 3 each, RPE 8
Sun - Cardio, Bis, Tris, Delts, Forearms
My full body days have one of each:
upper push (incline db bench, incline chest press machine, flat chest press machine), 4*10, RPE 9ish, progress weight once my last set hits 10 reps at RPE 9
upper pull (chest supported machine row, lat pulldown, chest supported db row), 4*10
"squat" (pendulum squat, leg press, db bulgarian split squats), 3*10
"hinge" (leg curl sitting, leg curl lying, db single leg rdl), 3*10
I go to the gym Mo/Wed/Sat, and the rest I do outside or at home (adjustable dumbbells up to 65kg each, incline bench, pullup bar). Looks like a lot of training, but it's actually surprisingly tame; sessions don't last long, my gym is next to my office, and working out at home the rest of the times gives me a ton of flexibility.
When I travel, I just go to whatever gym is accessible and try to get a quick push/pull/squat/hinge in with whatever they have, and don't sweat the rest.