FIRST
...if your afraid of doin some real weight...leave this page now. this isn't for you. you have to be willing to go above and beyond what you "think" you can do or what possible.
NO PUSSIES HERE.
if your willing to bust ass and hit some real weight...none of this same weight/reps every session shit then...read on..
and PREPARE for mass, strength, muscle endurance and density gains!
what is cHaOs513 right?
let me start off by saying that i've tried a lot of training programs and most times within a week or so if it doesn't work, i won't stay on it. period. everything from westside to 531 to dc training to max-ot. i've been for years trying to construct my own program...and have failed...til now. let me first explain what the concept behind chaos513.
chaos513 is all about creating a chaotic environment for extreme muscular growth, strength, and gettin lean. what i mean by chaotic environment is taking "you" out of what your used to do constantly. we all were taught to add weight til we can't add weight anymore and maybe drop weight and do reps right? that's how we were all taught how to lift weights and how we all grew from it. but the body adapts to it overtime and we have to employ new methods which in essence is the same thing we started with...just a bit bastardized. and what happens? we adjust to that as well.
well why don't we change that. instead of working down...work back up. me and another bro has found out that we move heavier weight faster by the time we get to the 4th set. it also simulates what powerlifters will experience in competition in terms of energy expenditure. at this level, you'll be able to still go balls to the wall without bein exhausted. also, it eliminates the mental aspect. if you attempt 700 for a single after bein pre-exhausted, no way will you be intimidated if you triple it.
chaos513 is about doin the opposite. the method of chaos513 is something like this:
500x10 405x5 455x5 550x1
ok so your asking yourself...why work down and back up? because for one it confuses the muscle and two, its the concept of pre-exhaustion. i learned it years ago. my coach once had me work up to close-grip 3 boards doin 635 for a triple which blew up my triceps(in a shirt btw). then he has me take 675 full range. didn't think about how heavy it was cause of the work i had done and it flew up fast.
ok so its two different movements but the fact was i was pretty much tired by the time i did 675 full range and destroyed it. my coach used a lot of pre-exhaustion methods when i was training with him and it worked to get my strength to the level it needed to be...but it wasn't enough. your goin to be moving weights faster and harder which benefits the powerlifter and more muscle stimulation which benefits the bodybuilder. bein explosive on this method of training isn't a problem when you drop weight and work back up. i still warmup like i normally do. you also condition your body (CNS) to training against a higher work volume too by dropping down and working back up. you also are more focused by the time you work back up. westside barbell have been using this method for years now. chaos513 is the method of extreme pre-exhaustion by juggling reps, weights, or both and in this manner you stimulate strength and growth cause the body is thrown constantly out of balance.
so...where does the "513" come from. its basically the three weeks of chaos training...you have a 5-rep week, 1-rep week, and a 3 rep week just like 531..only there's an additional set done at the end for either a single or double. why? again...chaos training. chaos513 is also about doin what you wouldn't do under normal circumstances cause your exhausted. the sets preceeding that were just pre-exhaustion. if you do a 500 raw squat for a double under those conditions, you probably could kill it for 5 reps...fresh. it also puts you in the condition you will be meet day for powerlifters. after the first two attempts, you won't be 100%...just like when you do that 4th set for a double or single...and in chaos513 you increase that 4th set every 4 weeks.
what if you made your 50-60% stronger? would you be stronger? hell yea. what you think your 100% is would be 150%. think about that one cause in chaos513 your constantly busting ass at half-strength and forced to move heavy weight still.
THINK BIG. TRAIN BRUTAL. GET STRONGER.
lets go over again what chaos513 is.
its the method of extreme pre-exhaustion for greater muscle gains and strength by juggling reps, weights, or both and doin it under extreme rest periods. ooohh. i forgot that part. with the exception of the compound movements, your "accessory" movements would be done under limited rest...some methods require 60 sec...some require 10 or 6. its been known that shorter rest periods will create big gains in muscle density which leads to lower bodyfat levels and strength gains. chaos513 will have you moving heavier weights with shorter rest periods and bein explosive as possible.
will you sweat? yes. will you be sick? yes. will you move weights more than you thought possible? hell yes. i've been testing chaos513 for 6 months. i was doin 405x1 on seated militaries. went to STOHP and used one of the methods of chaos513...a month later...was skullfuckin 365 for 5 on seated militaries.
also with this type of training, you learn to strengthen the muscles individually as well as a compound. for instance, for those who have problem with rebounding off the bottom on the bench, should use smith machine inclines to isolate the chest and some lateral movement to isolate the shoulders. with chaos513, anything and everything can be used to get stronger. period.
i don't like to do full body routines cause everyone is different so what i will do is give you a basic routine you can use. use the exercises that you feel are right.
for the first movement however i will have a recommendation list
1st movement
chest- bench press or incline
quads- squats or front squats
back- deads and/or barbell rows
shoulders- seated or standing militaries
biceps- hammers or barbell curls
triceps- close-grip bench, close-grip floor press, or JM presses
a. 2x3-5+ reps- this rep range for the first two is with the heaviest weight out of your 4-5 sets. you want to aim for more than 5 less than 8 reps. if you hit 8 reps, the bar weight needs to be increased. this is your max set.
weight used: for 3-5 reps it should be a weight you can use for 4-5 reps at best..go by feel if need be.
b. 1-2x8-10+- this rep range for your 3rd or 4th set(4th for advanced) is using the lightest weight out of the 4-5 sets. again, overshoot your reps if you can...more than 10 less than 12. if 12 or more is reach, the bar weight needs to be raised. this is the first of two down sets
weight used: for 8-10 reps it should be a weight you can use for 10 reps at best..go by feel if need be.
c. 1x6-8+- this rep range is for the bar weight in between the lightest and heaviest weight used in the 4-5 sets. again, overshoot your reps...more than 8 and less than 10. if more than 10, the bar weight needs to be raised. this is the 2nd of the down sets
weight used: for 6-8 reps it should be a weight you can use for 6 reps and/or under what you started out with at best..go by feel if need be.
d. 1x1+- this is to utilize the speed and explosiveness gained from the 5 previous sets. the object in this set is to move the bar as fast as you can. the weight is more than what was used in your heaviest set. this is the overload set cause your pre-exhausted from the prior 3 sets.
weight used: for a single it should be a weight you can use for 2 reps and/or little over what you started out with at best..go by feel if need be.
here's an idea of what someone would use if their squat max was 600 raw...here's what i would do:
525-1x3-5 525-1x5+ 365-1x10+ 455-1x6-8 455-1x8+ 540-1x1+
go by feel when in doubt.
the following can be used on other movements as u see fit.
- pure chaos
perform 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps with heavy weight. then drop the weight(not a lot see below) and perform 15 rest pause reps or more. here's what it would look like if i was doin dips
3Px6 4Px6 2Px16RP
or if i was doin leg presses
1080x6 1440x4 900x15RP
- suicide juggle
you perform a set of 8 rep and then rest for 30 seconds and then perform another set of 12 and then rest another 30 sec. 3rd set, 15 reps and rest 30, and 4th set perform 10 reps. i've done this tonite on inclines dbs, cg floor presses, and military rack presses and they were awesome. then u perform forced reps to failure
H.I.T/DC
this is doin 3-4 sets of 3-8 reps though each rep is to be taken to failure with each set juggling the bar weight and then following it up with 15 RP reps after the 3-4 sets. the rep range is to promote strength and size gains.
these are just a sample of the growing chaos513 training. right now i'm running the advanced chaos513 with the training cycle i described above. but the concept of reps and sets is 531 but how you perform them is different. you go to your max rep set first and then do the 1st set 2nd and 2nd set the 3rd set of 531 and then you go 30-50 lbs more than your max-rep set and perform a double or single. the 4th week is a reverse band week where you work up to a single and drop down and do triples and then do another single more than you originally worked up to. why do this? chaos again! you start heavy, go light, and go in between where your speed picks up and go heavy again! but this time, it easier. however you can change this to working against the bands if you prefer or speed work. you do this week once every 8 weeks. the next 4th week is a deload. if you using the basics, i would recommend a deload every 4 weeks.
week a
1x5+
1x5
1x5
1x1-2
week b
1x1+
1x5
1x3
1x1-2
week c
1x3+
1x3
1x3
1x2
how if perform speed work is different as well. you can use this as a deload or in place for the reverse bands.
first 3 sets- 3x3- heaviest band tension
2nd 3 sets- 3x3- the lightest band tension
3rd 4 sets- 4x3- the MEDIUM band tension
you have to have at least 3 levels of band tensions to juggle. use the heaviest combo you have for the first 3 sets and the lightest combo for the 2nd 3 sets and the "in-between" combo for the last 4. for instance...if i had choked greens and dbl mini...here's what i would do...
first 3 sets- choked greens & dbl minis
2nd 3 sets- dbl minis
3rd 4 sets- choked greens
after those sets, perform a repout. if your benching 500, your repout should be 225...benching 550, your repout weigh should be 315 and if your benching 600, your repout weight 405. same goes for the squat and dead. this is just for speed transition from the bands and good for those who have issues at the bottom of the big lifts. reverse bands will help with the lockout. use either two depending on your weakness.
deload weeks are done with less volume than normal and instead of starting with the major movements, you start with the isolation movements. for instance...on chest and shoulder day you might do this:
- pec deck or dips for 25RP
- incline bench for 1x5; 1x10; 1x8; 1x6; 1x12
- lateral raises for 25RP
- STOHP or seated militaries for 1x5; 1x10; 1x8; 1x6; 1x12
the focus of a deload week is to get as much blood goin as possible to help faciliate recovery. also workouts should be shorter than normal too. you also notice that you'll be juggling reps and it should be with the same weight.
like i said this is constantly growing but gives you an idea on what cHaOs513 is and what i've been doing. if you have any questions, email me at curt@chaos513.com
TB
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UPDATED 12/16
***starting this wednesday, i will be doing a new concept on speed work by juggling the weights & reps. this will help with speed greatly and works will for those who don't have bands. here goes....select 4 bar weights to use for the course of 10 sets and follow them in this manner...here's what i will be using...as an example
- heavy speed- 405- 4x1
- light speed- 315- 4x3
- medium speed- 365- 2x3
- medium speed- 385- 2x1
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UPDATED 12/20
here's a post i got from jwood from MUSCLE & BRAWN forums:
I like this system, it is a little confusing just about what weights to use for which sets. Here are a few questions:
see the first post. i edited it with mention of what weight to use...
i got this as well. alot of times you know yourself what you can do for 6, 8, 10, 12, etc reps and what weight to use...here's an idea per method on what weight to use...keep in mind everyone is different in terms of strength. i've seen a guy who couldn't budge 405 on decline but rep 315 for 20 reps...
For the basic program, would you use the same weights as you would on a normal 5/3/1, except your rep plus set first and then the other sets followed by a single?
yup!
You mentioned that westside has used extreme pre exhaustion techniques for a while, and I was wondering how they utilize them?
when they work up to a max attempt. when they miss that attempt they drop the weight down and work back up again and most times hit a PR 5-10lbs under what they missed in training. you can see this in one of their older squat/deadlift vids from back in 2004 i believe...
How do you split the workouts?
that's completely up to you. i recommend splitting it up one of two ways:
day 1: squat(quad, hammy, calf, and ab work)
day 2: bench(shoulders, chest, and triceps)
day 3: deads(back, traps, biceps or hammers for me..hehe)
or
day 1: squat(quad, hammy, calf, and ab work)
day 2: bench(chest, and light triceps, abs)
day 3: deads(back, traps, biceps or hammers for me..hehe, abs)
day 4: militaries(shoulders & heavy triceps, abs)
this helps some bro?
TB
UPDATED 1/14/11
STRENGTH SPECIALIZATION CYCLE
this cycle is geared towards band work and strength specialization. its taking 3 movements...each specializing in the big 3 in some way. the following can be used:
SQUAT:
box squats( using various heights depending on what needs to be focused on)
front squats
front box squats
BENCH:
pin presses
floor presses
DEADS:
deficit deads
rack pulls
the cycle for this is 3 weeks and can be done for 1-2 rotations. still following a 5-1-3 format but in this manner
WEEK 1- 5RM
WEEK 2- 1RM
WEEK 3- 3RM
then after you work up to the suggested RM, then you perform the following on either the squat, bench, or deads without bands and without the specialized movement
WEEK 1- 1x5+ 1x5
WEEK 2- 1x1+ 1x3
WEEK 3- 1x3+ 1x3
as for what numbers to use, refer to the 531 template. the repout sets and the 2nd set following that(which on 531 is the 1st set) are done. this is to RESTABILIZE after doin band work. you may want to do a set or two to ADJUST to the straight weight and let your body get used to it and then perform the following two sets. i'll be experimenting with this in two weeks...
TB
