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ANCHOR-FORGING
LINEAR PROGRESSION:
a Novice-to-Intermediate
Strength Program
By Mark Pieciak
Copyright © 2014 M Pieciak LLC
DISCLAIMER (PLEASE THIS READ FIRST)
One should always consult with a doctor before modifying his or her exercise habits or
eating habits. One assumes all the risks when making these changes in his or her life.
The following content in the e-book is designed to improve the fitness of
healthy/medically-cleared individuals.
Before reading this e-book, the reader shall agree 1) to ensure they are healthy enough
and medically-cleared by a doctor before embarking on this or any strength program, 2) to NOT
confuse the information in this e-book to be advice prescribed by a medical doctor or alliedhealth professional, and 3) to NOT hold the author liable for any of the consequences that he or
she (the reader) experiences when making lifestyle changes on his or her own initiative, even
after reading this e-book.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU, AS THE READER, UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE AGREEING TO
IN THIS ENTIRE DISLAMER. RE-READ IT IF YOU MUST.
CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
INTRODUCTION
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the
matter of physical training. It is a shame for a
man to grow old without seeing the beauty
and strength of which his body is capable.”
― Socrates
No matter who you are, what gender you are, what age you are, what you’ve done in
life, and who’ve you’ve been up until now, it is NOT too late to become a physically stronger
version of yourself.
Let me tell you a quick story.
When I was in high school, I was a kid who felt invincible against anything. I truly
thought I could take on the world. Well, I was proven wrong, and experienced an exerciserelated injury (at no-one’s fault but my own). Stupidly, I never let the injury heal and pushed
through the pain with directionless exercise. Within a year, I accumulated NUMEROUS chronic
joint injuries. A few doctors told me they believed I had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic
disease that causes the body to produce weak collagen fibers. People with EDS are generally
screwed when it comes to meaningful physical activity. By the time I graduated high school, I
was “out of commission” – I was seriously out of shape, put on some pounds, and still dealt
with these injuries that doctors told me I could do nothing about.
I thought about giving up and moving on. Key-phrase: thought about. I sit here today,
leaner and stronger than I’ve ever been all because I never actually threw in the towel. It’s been
a long journey, which only got much worse before it got better, but here I am enjoying the
strength which had been previously stolen from me.
I want to tell you that no matter who you are, you can achieve your ideal level of
strength and fitness. Stop believing you have it worse than other people, stop coming up with
excuses.
PREFACE OF THE PROGRAM
The Anchor-Forging Linear Progression program is designed for the novice trainee.
People who fall into the “novice” category, and may find success with this program, include:
those with no experience in the gym, those with some experience in the gym with little
strength to show for it, and those who were previously strong months/years ago but must start
from scratch again.
The novice trainee is capable of adapting extremely quickly to strength training
compared to an advanced trainee who requires anywhere from weeks-to-months to adapt.
Because of this phenomenon, this program will use linear progression to allow the fastest
progress possible. Linear progression is simply increasing the weight used for an exercise overtime in a linear fashion (meaning, it’s going up by a fixed amount in a fixed time period).
Compound movements incorporate a very large number of muscle groups to enable the
body to move as much weight as possible. This makes compound movements more efficient for
strength training than isolation movements would. Thus, the program will revolve around the
compound movements. Isolation movements use a very small number of muscle groups, and
should only be used as “the cherry on top” for the program.
Because compound movements are used, the core of this program only requires 6
exercises – enough to strengthen the entire body – broken up into two workouts. The two
workouts consist of a “vertical” day and a “horizontal” day. There will be two upper-body
exercises and one lower-body exercise per workout. A majority of the exercises will use sets of
5 reps, while one will use sets of 5-10 reps. In addition, accessory exercises to be included in the
program can be done for sets of 10.
Why are sets of 5 used? This rep-scheme seems to be a “sweet spot” for novice strength
training. It allows heavy weight to be used and increased frequently, yet isn’t so close to 100%
1-rep-max intensity that the risk of injury skyrockets. Numerous popular novice strength
programs exist that use sets of 5, and folks have used this rep-scheme to not only get stronger,
but to either build muscle, lose bodyfat, or maintain body composition, as well. This makes
these kinds of programs ideal for anyone, from any background, of any gender, with any goal.
Athletes, bodybuilders-to-be, overweight woman, underweight men, etc., should be
able to use this program as a way to progress towards their goals, while getting stronger at the
same time. Even if strength isn’t one of someone’s goals for fitness, is should be understood
that strength training is a catalyst for progress in a large number of physical attributes other
than strength. Weight loss, weight gain, weight maintenance, explosiveness, speed, agility,
endurance, injury prevention, and overall well-being are all positively improved with strength
training. This notion may change the mind of someone who’s on the fence about such a
program.
THE PROGRAM LAID OUT
Without further ado, here’s the actual program of Anchor-Forging Linear Progression.
The simplicity of this kind of program makes it incredibly easy to understand and subsequently
track one’s progress on.
WORKOUT A - “VERTICAL”
Deadlift – 3 sets x 5 reps (ramped)
Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pull-Up – 3 sets x 5-10 reps
Optional: Accessory Exercises – 3 sets of 10
WORKOUT B – “HORIZONTAL”
Back Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pendlay Row – 3 sets x 5 reps
Optional: Accessory Exercises – 3 sets x 10 reps
The training schedule - The workouts will run on a 3-days-per-week schedule. For
example, in the first week, Monday can be “vertical”, Wednesday can be “horizontal”, and
Friday can be “vertical”. The following week, Monday is “horizontal”, so on and so forth.
Basically, it’s A-B-A then B-A-B. That’s easy enough to follow, right?
Warming up - Preceding each training session with a quick warm-up, in addition to
performing warm-up sets for the respective exercise to be performed, would not be a bad idea
and would decrease the likelihood of injury.
Increasing weight – The weights for each exercise will increase after each successful
workout. That means, if the trainee squats 3 sets of 5 with the same weight without failing, the
weight can be increased for the next training session using squats. The increments to be used
when progressing the exercises will start out at 10 lbs for the squats and deadlifts, and 5 lbs for
the bench press, overhead press, Pendlay row, and pull-up.
A note about the deadlift - Deadlifts are incredibly taxing and are hard on the body. 3
sets of 5 reps with the same weight will feel like hell once the trainee uses a heavy enough
weight. “Ramping” the sets for deadlifts is recommended sets. This is accomplished by using
the intended weight for the first set, then 90% of the original weight for the 2 nd set, and then
80% for the 3rd set. This can even be performed in reverse, saving the heaviest set for last.
Either way, this method will still provide a great amount of stimulus, but not destroy the body.
A note about the pull-up - Notice that pull-ups in this program use sets of 5-10 reps.
This is because most novice trainees can hardly perform pull-ups at all. Once they’re able to do
5 pull-ups, they’re already fairly “advanced” in this particular exercise, and adding weight
frequently will not be feasible. Progress for the pull-up will be slow at this point. So, instead of
workout-to-workout progress, the trainee should achieve 3 sets of 10 pull-ups with bodyweight
first before adding additional weight. When adding weight, one should start with 3 sets of 5,
work up to 3 sets of 10, then increase the weight once again, and so on.
More on increasing weight, and plateaus - After a few weeks or months, the trainee
will hit a wall and not be able to increase the weights at the same rate. When this happens, it
will be apparent because the desired reps and sets for a lift will NOT be possible to complete. At
this point, the stalled lift should be deloaded for the next workout (decrease by 5-10 pounds for
upper-body exercises and 10-20 lbs for lower-body exercises), and then increased with each
successful session at the half of the rate of before. Meaning, it’ll be 2.5 pounds per successful
workout if it’s an upper-body lift, and 5 pounds if it’s a lower-body lift. Most gyms don’t have
plates lighter than 2.5 pounds, but clips or collars can be used instead, as they weigh a few
ounces each.
If progress stalls once again later down the road while using half the rate of progression,
deload once more, and now 5 sets of 5 reps become the new “goal” before adding weight to
the respective lift (pull-ups are excluded from this). So, when the trainee successfully performs
5 sets of 5 reps, he or she will use 3 sets of 5 reps with the new weight for the next workout.
The workout following that, 4 sets of 5 reps will be used. Finally, the workout after that will be
with 5 sets of 5 reps. Then, the weight will be increased for the particular lift, and so on. At this
point, progress will occur much more slowly but will still happen regularly.
When using 5 sets of 5 reps for deadlifts, “ramped” sets should still be used. The trainee
can start with the desired weight, then 95% of that for the next set, then 90%, then 85%, and
finally 80%, making it 5 sets total. For 4 sets of 5 reps, either the set using 85% or the set using
95% can be removed. Once again, it can be performed in reverse as well.
After most of the lifts stall using 5 sets of 5 reps as the goal, the trainee will have to consider a
more advanced strength program.
To summarize:
 increase the lifts by 5 lbs or 10 lbs (upper-body or lower-body, respectively)
each time 3x5 is performed without failure;
 after the first major stall, deload and then increase the lifts by 2.5 lbs or 5 lbs
each time 3x5 is performed without failure;
 after the second major stall, deload again, and then increase the lifts by 2.5 lbs
or 5 lbs each time 5x5 is performed without failure, going from 3x5 to 4x5 to
5x5 after each session;
 finally, after the 3rd major stall, switch to a more advanced program.
A final word about the program - what is provided above intends to serve as a
“template” for the trainee. It can be modified through different variables – training frequency,
accessory lifts, variations of the primary lifts, etc. – which would somewhat change the
direction the trainee heads in terms of goals.
Want to develop power? Then alternate deadlifts or Pendlay rows with power cleans,
every other workout. Want to build mass? Then throw in some isolation exercises as the
accessories for your arms, calves, abs, traps, etc. The thing is, this program is adaptable to
anything. It should be noted, though, that the novice just does the basic program WITHOUT the
accessory lifts until he or she has a greater understanding of training before making any
changes to the routine
DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF AFLP
As it was just said, there are variations of AFLP, by adding various accessory exercises
and even manipulating the core exercises, which will help the trainee achieve different goals.
As slight as the differences may seem, these “tweaks” will help set the direction towards the
specific goals the trainee has.
It is recommended that a complete beginner follows the core program (the first
variation listed) until the first plateau is reached in a majority of the lifts, before moving on to
another variation. This will establish a base in strength and forces the trainee to set a goal for
him- or herself. By sticking with one program until a goal is reached, it ensures that the trainee
doesn’t change the program every two weeks. One could define this scenario “as workout ADD”
– something that will ultimately slow down progress – and is discouraged. This ADD that the
trainee craves to satisfy will do nothing but waste time in hopes of fulfilling some vague desire
that provides zero value to the trainee’s life.
AFLP BASIC
WORKOUT A - “VERTICAL”
Back Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pull-Up – 3 sets x 5-10 reps
WORKOUT B – “HORIZONTAL”
Deadlift – 3 sets x 5 reps (ramped)
Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pendlay Row – 3 sets x 5 reps
Zero accessory exercises are used here. Only the core of the program is used, which,
once again, will establish a base in strength for any newbie or novice lifter. The training sessions
will be efficient and consume as little time as possible when using AFLP Basic.
The trainee should go through this variation at first, get strong, and take time to master the
technique of the lifts. Following the program laid out as it was earlier is all that’s needed.
There’s really nothing else to say here.
AFLP HYPERTROPHY
WORKOUT A - “PUSH”
High-Bar Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Triceps Extension – 3 sets x 10 reps
Calf Raise – 3 sets x 10 reps
WORKOUT B – “PULL”
Deadlift – 3 sets x 5 reps (ramped)
Pendlay Row – 3 sets x 5 reps
Chin-Up – 3 sets x 5-10 reps
Shrug – 3 sets x 10 reps
Biceps Curl – 3 sets x 10 reps
This template is designated for those looking to for muscular hypertrophy. The core
template will definitely add on some size if the trainee is eating enough, but folks looking to get
big will want to make a few changes that favor this goal.
Notice that the squat is specified as “high-bar” and the pull-up is swapped with the chinup. These changes emphasize the quads and the biceps muscles in those exercises, respectively.
Also, two accessory exercises are added to each workout to make the arms, calves, and traps
bigger.
Also, the two workouts are no longer “horizontal” and “vertical”, but are “push” and
“pull” as to combine the overhead press and bench press on one day, and the Pendlay row and
chin-up on the other day. The reason for this is that bodybuilders historically have used
programs that accumulate fatigue in similar muscle groups in a single workout. By bench
pressing and overhead pressing in the same day, for example, the anterior deltoids, triceps, and
pectorals are getting hammered. Whether or not this is a method that is proven to work is still
up in the air, but it’s known that this is a bodybuilder’s approach to training.
AFLP POWER
WORKOUT A - “VERTICAL”
Deadlift – 3 sets x 5 reps (ramped), or Power Clean – 3 sets x 3 reps
Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps, or Push-Press – 3 sets x 3 reps
Pull-Pp – 3 sets x 5-10 reps
WORKOUT B – “HORIZONTAL”
Back Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pendlay Row – 3 sets x 5 reps
This template is for someone looking to increase their explosiveness – namely, athletes.
The modification here alternates the overhead press with the push-press on “vertical” days and
the deadlift with the power clean on “horizontal” days. For example, on the first “vertical”
workout the trainee should perform the overhead press. The next “vertical” workout will use
the push-press, the third workout will use the overhead press again, and so on.
By including these power movements into the training program, the trainee is now able
to actualize their explosiveness derived from their improved strength. Given that most sports
involve short bursts of explosive movement, training for power would be incredibly helpful for
athletes.
The push-press should be performed with the same weight, if not more, used for the
overhead press. The power clean will require much lighter weights than the deadlift. Both
exercises are to be performed with much more speed and acceleration when compared to their
original “strength” counterparts that they are alternated with.
When the trainee stalls with one of the power movements and needs to use the “5 sets
scheme” to continue progress, obviously use 5 successful sets as the “goal” before increasing
the weight, but use 5 sets of 3 reps instead of 5x5.
AFLP INJURY PREVENTION
WORKOUT A - “VERTICAL”
Deadlift – 3 sets x 5 reps (ramped)
Overhead Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pull-Up – 3 sets x 5-10 reps
Plank – 3 set x 30 seconds, or Weighted Sit-Up – 3 sets x 10 reps
WORKOUT B – “HORIZONTAL”
Back Squat – 3 sets x 5 reps
Bench Press – 3 sets x 5 reps
Pendlay Row – 3 sets x 5 reps
Glute-Ham Raise, or Leg Curl – 3 sets x 10 reps
Face-Pull – 3 sets x 10 reps
Some may have concerns about potential injuries while embarking on the program. If
the trainee’s lifting form is correct and recovery is optimal, then a fairly balanced program such
as AFLP should not be of too much concern, injury-wise.
Despite the abdominals being strengthened by the overhead press/squat/deadlift, the
rotator cuff being strengthened by the Pendlay row/pull-up/overhead press, and the
hamstrings being strengthened by the squat/deadlift, some may feel more at ease by including
additional work to protect the joints those muscles surround. These joints are the spine,
shoulders, and knees, respectively.
The trainee may choose either planks or sit-ups based on logistics (meaning, is there a
training partner to put weight on the trainee’s back for the planks). Both strengthen the
abdominals isometrically, just as squats and deadlifts strengthen the lumbar erectors
isometrically.
AFLP WAR MACHINE
CHOOSE ANY VARIATION YOU DESIRE.
“War Machine” is a variant of AFLP that turns this 3-day program into a 4-day (or even
5-day) program. Instead of A-B-A/B-A-B, the weeks become A-B-A-B/B-A-B-A or A-B-A-B-A/B-AB-A-B. This is intended for lifters who have established a strength base (thus, are on the slow
“5x5” phase, or looking for a different program) and want to increase work capacity.
What’s with the name? Well, most trainees starting out will only have it in them to
perform a 3-day whole-body routine if their recovery is okay, thus to them, people who train
this frequently are god-like (or, war machines).
Just look at the Bulgarian athletes who train multiple times a day, multiple times a
week. Their athletes (particularly the weightlifters) are impressive specimens who are stronger,
more athletic, and mentally tougher than 99.9% of the world’s population. They are “war
machines”. It may be in the cards for some folks to ramp up their training, as a means to get
stronger more quickly, add on more size, adapt to increased stress, or etc. How does one get
away with an increased total workload? A person who works out like this most likely eats like a
horse, sleeps like a dog, and mans-the-fuck-up when faced with challenges.
A trainee who considers upping their weekly total workload must examine his or her life
outside of the weightroom, first. If he or she sleeps only 6 hours each night, parties hard on the
weekends, and doesn’t like hard work, then this trainee is not will not likely succeed on a
higher-frequency program. But if the trainee treats sleep and diet with respect, and isn’t shy
of busting ass, then he or she is a candidate for becoming a “war machine”.
Understand that introducing additional training days increases stress and decreases
time for recovery, so if the trainee is not prepared, injury is a certain outcome. When a total
beginner goes from training 0 days per week to 3 days per week, there is an increased risk of
injury. When that person goes from 3 days to 4 days, or 4 to 5, the risk for injury increases once
again, but this time, there is less room for error. Tread carefully. Don’t be stupid.
For those who do embark on this type of program, here are two some measures that
will help prevent burn-out. First, use deloads. Deloads, in this scenario, are training days that
use 50% of the intended weight for exercises, as to give the lifter a break. The frequency and
duration of the deloads are up to the trainee. They can last for a day or an entire week. They
can occur every 3 weeks or every 10 weeks. Second, decrease deadlifting volume. Assuming the
trainee is on the “5x5” phase, use 1x5/3x5/5x5 to progress the deadlift instead of using
3x5/4x5/5x5.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Pieciak (pronounced pee-yen-chawk) is a strength coach, writer, and a lover of
strength training and injury prevention. He maintains his blog at www.markpieciak.com, and
also has a website for his local strength coaching business (located in the Union County area of
New Jersey, USA) at www.ironanchorstrength.com. For any questions or inquiries for distance
coaching, you can visit his blog (the first website), fill out a contact form with your information
and request, and you will receive a response shortly after.