Where This Comes From
This programme was written in 1996 and refined across the following years as the sessions were tested, adjusted and returned to. It is not a period piece or a historical curiosity. It is a working programme that has been followed continuously for nearly three decades — because it produces results, because the structure is sound, and because it is genuinely enjoyable to train this way.
The original handwritten training diary entries from July 1999 are in the archive — sessions logged on specific dates with weights, reps and notes. The exercises have not changed significantly since the original version was written. Neither have the principles behind them.
Nobody does this programme on Instagram. Nobody posts their cross-bench pullover form check on social media. That is partly why it still works.
How It Works
Two workouts. Alternate between them across the week. Workout 1 covers chest and back — the largest pushing and pulling muscle groups, trained together in a session that finishes with power deadlifts and crunches. Workout 2 covers shoulders and arms — pressing, pulling, curling and extending, finishing with forearm and abdominal work.
There is no fixed weekly schedule. Train on the days you can, alternating workouts each session. The body needs adequate recovery between sessions working the same muscle groups — the split handles this naturally because Workout 1 and Workout 2 stress entirely different areas. Three to four sessions a week is the realistic target for most people. Two is better than none.
The programme has no defined endpoint. Run it until it stops producing results, then rotate to something else and return to it. The body responds to variation. Coming back to a familiar programme after several months away is one of the most reliable ways to stimulate fresh adaptation — the muscles remember the pattern but respond to it as a new stimulus after sufficient time away.
A note on legs. The programme as documented in the 1999 archive covers the upper body across two sessions. Whether a separate leg session existed alongside it — and why legs were separated from this split — is something the archive has not yet answered. It is possible a third workout existed in the black folder. It is equally possible that at twenty-three years old and physically active, leg development was coming from elsewhere. The two sessions above are complete and effective as they stand. The honest answer after nearly thirty years is: the reason has been forgotten. When the archive reveals more, this page will be updated.
The Exercise Nobody Does Anymore
The cross-bench dumbbell pullover was a cornerstone of golden-era bodybuilding. Arnold Schwarzenegger called it a forgotten gem. Lie perpendicular across the bench — a T-shape — hips hanging lower than the shoulders, dumbbell above the forehead, arms almost fully extended. Lower slowly behind the head, breathe in deeply through the full stretch. The serratus anterior — the muscle that runs along the sides of the ribcage — is one of the primary muscles worked. A developed serratus is what makes the vacuum pose possible. Nobody builds one on a cable machine.
Full technique, history and the science behind it: The Forgotten Exercise →
Power training within sessions. Both workouts include a dedicated power training block — exercises performed at decreasing rep ranges across sets (typically 10, then 6, then 4). This is not a warm-up and not an afterthought. It is a deliberate shift in training demand within a single session: hypertrophy work first, then a heavier, lower-rep block to recruit the fast-twitch fibres that moderate-rep sets leave partially untouched. Deadlifts in Workout 1, upright rows and push presses in Workout 2. Keep the form strict. Do not compromise the lift for the weight.
Intermediate level — technique required. The clean and press, deadlift and push press all require sound movement patterns before adding meaningful load. If you have not performed these exercises before, learn them first at a light weight before following this programme. See the exercise library for guidance on each.
Who this is for
Intermediate lifters with gym experience who can already perform pressing, rowing, chin-ups, deadlifts and overhead work safely and with sound technique.
Who this is not for
Beginners, people with current shoulder or lower-back pain, or anyone who needs a complete full-body starter programme. See the Beginner Programmes instead.
Workout 1
Chest and Back
Pressing, pulling and a power training block. The cross-bench pullover sits between the pressing and pulling work — use it as a deliberate transition, not a filler. The chin-ups are accumulated volume: do as many as you can in each set until you reach a total of 50 across the session. This may take three sets or it may take eight. The target is 50, not the number of sets.
Pressing
Bench Press
Barbell — controlled descent, full range, elbows at roughly 45 degrees to the torso
4–5 sets · 8–10 reps
Incline Press
Barbell or dumbbell — 30 to 45 degree incline, targets the upper chest and anterior deltoid
4 sets · 8–10 reps
The Pullover
Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover
Perpendicular to bench, hips hanging, arms extended — lower slowly behind the head, breathe deeply into the stretch, return under full control. See the coaching note above before attempting this exercise
4 sets · 10–12 reps
Pulling
Chin-Ups
Accumulate a total of 50 reps across as many sets as needed — do not stop a set until you genuinely cannot complete another rep with sound form
Accumulated · Total 50
Bent-Over Row
Barbell — hinge at the hips, flat back, pull to the lower chest, controlled return
4 sets · 8–10 reps
Power Training Block
Deadlift
Pyramid down in reps across three sets — the weight increases as the reps decrease. Form does not change.
3 sets · 10 / 6 / 4
Abdominals
Crunches
Weighted if possible — controlled contraction at the top, full return
5 sets · 25 reps
Workout 2
Shoulders and Arms
Shoulders first — clean and press, lateral raise, then a power training block of upright rows and push presses. Arms follow: biceps and triceps paired within the session, forearms at the end. This is a high-volume session. The forearm work is not optional — wrist and forearm strength supports every pushing and pulling movement in Workout 1.
Shoulders
Clean and Press
Clean the barbell from the floor to the shoulders in one movement, then press overhead — a full-body compound lift that requires coordination and technique. Do not substitute a shoulder press; they are different exercises
4 sets · 8–10 reps
Lateral Raise
Dumbbell — raise to shoulder height, slight bend in the elbow, controlled descent. Isolates the medial deltoid
4 sets · 10–12 reps
Power Training Block
Upright Row
Barbell — pull to chin height, elbows leading, controlled return. Pyramid down in reps as weight increases
3 sets · 10 / 6 / 4
Push Press
Use a slight leg drive to initiate the press overhead — not a strict press, not a jerk. The leg drive allows heavier loads and develops explosive shoulder strength. Pyramid down in reps
3 sets · 10 / 6 / 4
Arms — Biceps
Barbell Curl
Standing — elbows fixed at the sides, full range, no body swing
4 sets · 8–10 reps
Seated Dumbbell Curl
Seated to eliminate body momentum — arms hang fully at the bottom of each rep
4 sets · 8–10 reps
Arms — Triceps
Close-Grip Bench Press
Hands shoulder-width or slightly narrower — triceps-dominant bench press variation, not a narrow-grip isolation exercise
4 sets · 8–10 reps
Triceps Extension
Barbell or EZ bar — lying or overhead. Full extension at the top, controlled return to a full stretch
4 sets · 10–12 reps
Forearms
Wrist Curl
Barbell — seated, forearms on thighs, palms up. Full range at the wrist
4 sets · 12–15 reps
Reverse Wrist Curl
Same position, palms facing down — trains the extensor side of the forearm, which most lifters neglect entirely
4 sets · 12–15 reps
Abdominals
Reverse Crunch
Lying flat, lift the knees toward the chest and curl the pelvis off the floor — the movement is in the lower abdominals, not the hip flexors
5 sets · 15–20 reps
Why It Still Works
The body adapts to whatever you repeatedly ask of it. Present it with the same stimulus at the same intensity week after week and it stops responding — not because you are training poorly but because you have given it no reason to change further. This is the plateau that most people hit after six to eight weeks on any programme, and the solution is not to train harder within the same framework. It is to change the stimulus.
Returning to a familiar programme after a period away from it is one of the most effective ways to restart adaptation. The movement patterns are established, the technique is sound, the nervous system recognises the exercises — but the muscular adaptation that occurred during the original run has partially reversed, and the body responds to the returning stimulus as if it is new. This is why experienced trainers cycle between programmes rather than seeking perpetually novel ones. The novelty is in the rotation, not in the exercise selection.
This programme has been returned to repeatedly over nearly three decades. Each time, the body responds. That is the most reliable evidence any programme can offer.
