Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below trauck1506
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I was wondering if anyone knew anything about Ed Coan's whole workout routine. I kinda wanted to buy his book until I saw it was used on Amazon for $125.
Ed Coan workout?
- Thread starter trauck1506
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trauck1506
New member
Thanks! Trust me though, I wasn't trying to have someone else do the work and look it up for me. I found stuff on other websites, but it wasn't a whole plan, but I should be able to pretty much build one with all the information now. I'm pretty sure this is the exact routine we ran in football back in high school except are dumb coaches didn't know about percentages and thought accessory meant dips and cleans. After watching that video of Jim Wendler talking about all record holders training different I decided to look all the info up and try and eventually get to Pudz routine which I can't really find.
Here is something bench press related
Training the Bench: Ed's approach to upper body strength looks like this:
• Wednesday: bench press, after warmup, 2 work sets. Narrow grip, no warmup, 2 work sets (60 pounds less). Incline, no warmup, 2 work sets (50 pounds less). Points to ponder: In so far as poundage: if Coan performs 2x5 with 500 in the conventional bench press, he would then perform 2x5x440 with 440 in the narrow grip bench press and finish with 2x5x410 in the 45 degree incline bench pres. He feels that his competition style benches serve as sufficient warmup for his narrow grips which in turn allow him to incline without any warmup. All told, Coan performs a total of 6 work sets. Not very many when you think about it.
• Thursday: Press-behind-the-neck, after warmup, 2 work sets. Front DB raise, after warmup, 2 work sets 10-12 reps. Side DB raise, 2 sets 10-12 reps. Bent over lateral raise, 2 sets 10-12 reps. Points to ponder: Coan is a big believer in heavy, specific shoulder training. So much that he trains them on a separate day from his bench...
• Saturday: Light bench, no warmup, 2 sets 8-10 reps. Light dumbbell flyes, no warmup, 2 sets 8-10 reps. Tricep pushdowns, 3 sets 8-10 reps, Dips 1 set 8-10 reps, Preacher curls 2 sets 10-12 reps. Points to ponder: This is a lightweight, muscle flushing, chest workout. Ed does a couple of quick sets with a weight about 60 percent of his max (340x10) with his feet on a bench. A few sets of light flyes and he is ready for triceps....
Ed cycles on all his exercises. Cycling, by definition [well, not quite. CRG], is concentrating on different repetition ranges at different times over the course of the training cycle... Here are his cycling repetition guidelines: Week 1-2 - 10 rep sets, Week 3-4 - 8 rep sets, Week 5-8 - 5 rep sets, Week 9-10 - 3 rep sets, Week 11-12 - 2 rep sets, Week 13 - 1 rep set, Week 14 - 1 rep set.
Remember those two work sets Ed does on all his major exercises? This is the weekly rep strategy for those work sets. This is called cycling and is designed to peak strength. Each week he adds 15 pounds to the previous week's work set weight. 15 pounds represents a paltry 2.5 percent of his max bench. Small jumps, done consistently and spread over a long 14 week cycle, adds up to big increases. Small weight jumps coax strength and power gains from the body. Week after week, the body is acclimated to slightly heavier loads. Exercise technique is simultaneously refined. Everything is done to develop momentum. This is a classic and timeless strength strategy. Compared to the army of arm- chair muscle gurus, Coan's conservation and impeccable pedigree stands out like a bright moon on a pitch black night. While not as trendy-sexy as newer models, this is the most effective system of strength building ever devised. Period."
"Ed Coan designs a cycle for you: We asked Coan to apply his cycle logic to a hypothetical 270 pound bencher who wanted to break the 300 pound barrier: "We can do it, but it'll take a thirteen week commitment from the lifter." Here's the breakdown:"
Week Weight, Sets & Reps
Week 1 190x2x10
Week 2 190x2x10
Week 3 200x2x8
Week 4 210x2x8
Week 5 220x2x5
Week 6 230x2x5
Week 7 240x2x5
Week 8 250x2x3
Week 9 260x2x3
Week 10 270x2x2
Week 11 290x2x2
Week 12 300x1
Training the Bench: Ed's approach to upper body strength looks like this:
• Wednesday: bench press, after warmup, 2 work sets. Narrow grip, no warmup, 2 work sets (60 pounds less). Incline, no warmup, 2 work sets (50 pounds less). Points to ponder: In so far as poundage: if Coan performs 2x5 with 500 in the conventional bench press, he would then perform 2x5x440 with 440 in the narrow grip bench press and finish with 2x5x410 in the 45 degree incline bench pres. He feels that his competition style benches serve as sufficient warmup for his narrow grips which in turn allow him to incline without any warmup. All told, Coan performs a total of 6 work sets. Not very many when you think about it.
• Thursday: Press-behind-the-neck, after warmup, 2 work sets. Front DB raise, after warmup, 2 work sets 10-12 reps. Side DB raise, 2 sets 10-12 reps. Bent over lateral raise, 2 sets 10-12 reps. Points to ponder: Coan is a big believer in heavy, specific shoulder training. So much that he trains them on a separate day from his bench...
• Saturday: Light bench, no warmup, 2 sets 8-10 reps. Light dumbbell flyes, no warmup, 2 sets 8-10 reps. Tricep pushdowns, 3 sets 8-10 reps, Dips 1 set 8-10 reps, Preacher curls 2 sets 10-12 reps. Points to ponder: This is a lightweight, muscle flushing, chest workout. Ed does a couple of quick sets with a weight about 60 percent of his max (340x10) with his feet on a bench. A few sets of light flyes and he is ready for triceps....
Ed cycles on all his exercises. Cycling, by definition [well, not quite. CRG], is concentrating on different repetition ranges at different times over the course of the training cycle... Here are his cycling repetition guidelines: Week 1-2 - 10 rep sets, Week 3-4 - 8 rep sets, Week 5-8 - 5 rep sets, Week 9-10 - 3 rep sets, Week 11-12 - 2 rep sets, Week 13 - 1 rep set, Week 14 - 1 rep set.
Remember those two work sets Ed does on all his major exercises? This is the weekly rep strategy for those work sets. This is called cycling and is designed to peak strength. Each week he adds 15 pounds to the previous week's work set weight. 15 pounds represents a paltry 2.5 percent of his max bench. Small jumps, done consistently and spread over a long 14 week cycle, adds up to big increases. Small weight jumps coax strength and power gains from the body. Week after week, the body is acclimated to slightly heavier loads. Exercise technique is simultaneously refined. Everything is done to develop momentum. This is a classic and timeless strength strategy. Compared to the army of arm- chair muscle gurus, Coan's conservation and impeccable pedigree stands out like a bright moon on a pitch black night. While not as trendy-sexy as newer models, this is the most effective system of strength building ever devised. Period."
"Ed Coan designs a cycle for you: We asked Coan to apply his cycle logic to a hypothetical 270 pound bencher who wanted to break the 300 pound barrier: "We can do it, but it'll take a thirteen week commitment from the lifter." Here's the breakdown:"
Week Weight, Sets & Reps
Week 1 190x2x10
Week 2 190x2x10
Week 3 200x2x8
Week 4 210x2x8
Week 5 220x2x5
Week 6 230x2x5
Week 7 240x2x5
Week 8 250x2x3
Week 9 260x2x3
Week 10 270x2x2
Week 11 290x2x2
Week 12 300x1
trauck1506
New member
I read somewhere that he increased his bench 5 lbs. a week until he hit 500. This would mean that he didn't always use this routine? How is everything done to develop momentum, because the only routine I could give that to is WSB. It seems like over long term this or 5x5 would be the best routine you could do. However with Ed breaking all records I would go with his. I could see though how this wouldn't be the best for lifters starting out.
Cohan also said that beginners and intermediate lifters are better of doing a linear progressive overload, something like increasing the bench by 10lbs when striving for 5 reps every month and once you can manage 5 reps with it even if it's the second week of that month, stay with the same weight, improve the technique and wait for the first week of the next month to add 10lbs again.
trauck1506
New member
A month sounds like a long time for 10lbs. when beginning. I have to disagree there unless it's just so the person wouldn't get discouraged, or to make sure they know what they are doing. If I only went up 10 lbs. a month when I started I would have quit. Every time I start working out again I weigh 50lbs. under what I did previously and put 5 - 10 lbs. on the bar a week. This time is the only exception and it's killing me I'm almost thinking WSB isn't the best for me because of the D.E. day.
Well by beginners I'm saying powerlifters not the average trainee who still is giving his first steps on training. Allow to say that if you have a 200lbs bench press with Cohan's idea of 10lbs a month would be a total of 440lbs bench press after 2 years... so on the long run would you still feel like that? I know I wouldn't. 2 years might seem long but then again it's 240lbs extra.
What's wrong with the D.E of WESTSIDE? I did Westside and I liked it?
trauck1506
New member
Well I think that you could possibly get there faster than 2 years. After you stall you could switch and I think that would work better. It took me around 4 months to get to benching 295 from 170 just couldn't get past that and basically gave up.
I'm just not going up on bench and I'm not sure about squats or deads because I think I fractured my foot so I have been skipping workouts. I find that working out heavy 2 times a week makes me slower, but stronger than using WSB.
Check this stuff about WESTSIDE, it's great shows the most common mistakes while on this routine. You might find what you are looking for there.
http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/SIMSEM.htm
http://www.ontariostrongman.ca/Resources/training/SIMSEM.htm
trauck1506
New member
Awesome haven't checked it out yet, but thanks! Hope it's in there.
