The Cube Method

This was also a. This time around I was flying solo with no training partners, and the new training format made all the difference. Now for the big experiment: I was about to find out. On the other hand, since my full time job is a strength coach, getting as strong as humanly possible seems like a nice outcome goal, no?

After training centered around speed and vertical for over a decade, I decided to switch gears, get out my lifting belt and Chuck Taylors figuratively speaking , and kiss the vertec goodbye for a few months. I did the workouts with my boss, and I was happy to have a training partner for the venture. My boss and I picked front squat as our secondary squat motion, which by weeks , we started calling IHOP squats pancake , as they were just so damn heavy; squeaking out one good rep and at least yelling before trying the second one was a smashing success!

For the power days, we used a tendo unit to measure bar speed and got some good competitive juices flowing, seeing who could best the other on velocity. I was starting to question the central drive and fatigue theory, amongst other things. My bench was feeling OK, we used close grip as our top secondary, and I improved by leaps and bounds in that motion. The pause bench was also great for working on my alignment and stability in the bottom of the lift. Power deadlift day with the tendo unit was absolutely my favorite day of all 9 variations, as I found huge improvements from week to week.

We did pullups 4x a week, loosely based on our lift day emphasis through the course of the program, and I came away with a pullup with lbs around my waist for a 15lb PR there. Based on his training powerlifting programming over the course of the last year, I can say that his progress was definitely ahead of mine, as I had been doing explosive work for most of my training year, where he had already been through the gamut of various powerlifting styles.

So what is at the bottom of all this? Are you getting more powerful out of the bottom?

Cube Method 3 Week Waves

A fourth training day is added where you employ bodybuilding style movements to address muscular weaknesses. The program is run in three week waves.

Each week, you rotate the type of work you do on each of the main movements. In Week One, you might do speed work for the squat. In Week Two, you might do rep work. During each training week, each lift is trained in a different style.

Brandon Lilly's Cube Method: Complaints and Criticism | PowerliftingToWin

That is, you never go heavy on two movements in the same week nor do you ever do speed work on two main movements in the same week. Everything is rotated and waved throughout the three week cycles. The program contains three, three week waves in all. Each wave reduces the volume a little bit and increases the intensity a little bit.

The Cube Method: Yeah or Nay?

Overtime, you work your way from slightly higher volumes and slightly lighter weights to slightly heavier weights and slightly lower volumes. Because the Cube Method is an actual powerlifting program, it is designed as a 10 week cycle. As such, the program is structured around peaking in the 10th week.

1. Brandon Lilly’s Cube Method: Complaints and Criticism?
2. CUBE CALCULATOR.
3. Cube Method!
4. Potato Chips.
5. Brandon Lilly’s Cube Method: Complaints and Criticism.
6. Claiming Poseidons Heart.
7. The Cube Method: Context!

The last three week wave features less overall volume and heavier overall weights to accommodate this fact. As you can see, you basically just fully deload in the last week with a few light sessions before the meet.

1. The Cube Method by Brandon Lilly;
2. The Cube Method Explained?
3. Is The Cube Method for you?!
4. Cube Method: The Actual Program!
5. Antigono (Italian Edition).

The Cube Method does employ periodization to some extent. For each lift, a different physical quality is focused upon in each of the three weeks that make up every cycle. One week is dedicated to max strength, one week is dedicated to hypertrophy, and one week is dedicated to speed-strength.

However, the program does not periodize all exercises with a focus on the same physical quality simultaneously. So while each individual lift is periodized, in reality, the totality of the training employs concurrent periodization where all physical qualities are developed simultaneously. Remember, concurrent periodization is typically most appropriate for beginners, but, in this case, the period is three weeks long.

Because of that fact, the program is most appropriate for late stage intermediate and advanced lifters. The overall programmatic structure of The Cube is typical of old school American powerlifting programs. I will begin to use a belt.

Cube Method: The Actual Program

I will eat above maintenance calories. Choosing the write assistance work comes with experience. I am capable, to a certain extent, of picking the right assistance work or at least assistance work which will benefit me. Furthermore, this is 5lbs added to your 3 x 5 working weight and not 1RM. The reason I say this is because great form comes with practice.

Thus being able to squat 2 to 3 times a week will ensure that the correct motor pattern becomes ingrained faster than squatting once a week.

I do not, however, recommend the program for a beginner lifter. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. I believe all of these affected my training but I obviously cannot quantify how. The Cube Method — Cycle 2: Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Email Address never made public.