Explaining the Phraks Training Guide

The Variant to the Variant

I’ve received a lot of questions in reference to my free training guide called “AG Phraks Training Guide” which can be found on my site here. The overall training is very simple and excellent for beginners or intermediate lifters, as well as those of you who are more experienced but looking for simple training in an extremely small time window.

I purpose built it when I had very little time to train, needed to be in and out of the gym in less than 30 minutes, but still wanted to put on strength and maintain/gain muscle.

Although the guide is fairly straightforward, I’ve provided adaptations on instagram so I’m writing an explicit explanation and guide wrapping everything into a simple post. One follower called it the “variant to the variant” which made me laugh. Thank you!

The Base Program

Here is the actual program from beginning to end, which you can download as a PDF from my site for free:

STRENGTH:

Day 1: 
* 3x5 OHP / Bench (alt)
* 3x5 Chins / BB Rows (alt)
* 3x5 Squats

Day 2:
* 3x5 OHP / Bench (alt)
* 3x5 Chins / BB Rows (alt)
* 1x5 DL

Day 3:
* 3x5 OHP / Bench (alt)
* 3x5 Chins / BB Rows (alt)
* 3x5 Squats

=== Rules ===
* Last set is an AMRAP
* Progress w/ 2.5# for upper mvmts, 5# for lower
* If final AMRAP 10+ reps, double weight increase
* Any BB row variant will do
* Feel free to warm-up with Power cleans for deadlifts
* Chins are palms facing you, shoulder width grip, add weight in 2.5# increments
* If you fail to do 5 reps in final set, deload by 10%
* Rest: Between all sets, aim to rest 2-4 minutes. You can get away with lower rest on the chins/rows, but on the squats/ohp/bench lean towards longer rest intervals to ensure good form and maximal output

CONDITIONING:

* Intervals 1x per week
* Steady state 30-60 min 1x per week
* METCON 1-2x per week

=== Rules ===

* Intervals can either be on the road or on a form-runner/treadmill. Examples include 5x30 sec form-runner intervals with 90 sec recovery jog, or 4x400m @ mile pace with a 1:2 rest ratio

* Steady state can be a jog, cycle, row, swim, hike, etc. Goal is to maintain Zone 2 heart rate for the duration of the session

* METCONs are up to your creativity. Example includes 5RFT: 10 burpees + 20 BF Sit-Ups + 30 cal row

This is the base program. You can make excellent progress and maintain/improve your shape with extremely little time. I personally ran it for about 6 months, and have many followers who have used it making excellent, continued progress in a similar time frame. You can just run this alone, or you can add in the below supplementary work to spice it up, a little variety to your training and make it a bit more fun (with some added time).

Supplementary Training

This training builds on the base guide. For some of you, you may want a bit more volume. Here’s what to add:

• 1-2 more steady state sessions, both with a 4 minute finisher at Zone 4/5 w/ 4 minute recovery

  • This could look like a 45 minute easy jog or bike. At minute 37, drop your pace until you’re pushing 80-95% of your max heart rate for 4 minutes. Then hit a very easy recovery jog/walk/bike for 4 minutes to cap off the 45 total minutes of steady state work. Alternate steady state training includes the stationary bike, rowing, swimming, rucking, or hiking.

• Next, add in 2 accessory strength movements for each strength day (3 days)

  • Each movement will consist of only 2 sets in the form of a reverse pyramid: A loading/heavy set of 6-9 reps, and a back off set of 12-15 reps.

  • Accessory movements include curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, face pulls, bulgarian split squats, hip thrusts, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, hack squats, lat pulldown, chest press, machine shoulder press, etc. This is the fun part where you get to add variety.

  • Each week, the goal is to hit the top end of the rep range for each set. Let’s say you’re doing bulgarian split squats with a 50# kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand and you hit 9 reps, then do 15 reps with a 30# kettlebell/dumbbell in each hand. You have maxed out each individual rep range. Therefore, the next session you do split squats, raise the weight by 5-10# and repeat. An example for the next session looks like 1 set of 6-9 with 2x55# kettlebells, and a second set of 12-15 with 35# kettlebells.

• With this supplementary training, you would be doing 3 days per week of strength training with 2-3 days of steady state, 1-2 days of METCONs, and 1 day of intervals. At most, you should be doing 6 days of conditioning, at the least doing 4. This way you maintain 1-2 FULL rest days per week. Don’t overdo it and keep it simple!

Sample Week

With the base and supplementary training explained, I’ll now break down a sample week for you to try out!

SAMPLE WEEK

Day 1 Monday: 
* 3x5 OHP 
* 3x5 Weighted Chin-ups
* 3x5 Squats
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 DB Lunges
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 Hip Thrusts
* Conditioning: 5x200m sprints w/ 90 second rest intervals

Day 2 Tuesday: 
* 45 minute Steady State run with 4 min high intensity finisher and 4 min recovery jog at the end (45 min total)

Day 3 Wednesday:
* 3x5 Bench
* 3x5 BB Rows
* 1x5 DL
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 DB Hammer Curls
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 Cable Tricep Extensions
* METCON: 21-15-9 calorie row + burpees over the rower + butterfly sit-ups. As fast as possible

Day 4 Thursday: 
* Optional METCON or Rest Day: 
* 20 minute timer, as many rounds as possible: 
* 10 cal ski-erg (or bike-erg/assault bike/rower) + 10 alternating DB snatch + 10 pull-ups + 10 ghd-sit-ups

Day 5 Friday:
* 3x5 OHP
* 3x5 Weighted Chin-ups
* 3x5 Squats
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 Lateral Raises
* Optional: 1x6-9, 1x12-15 Bulgarian Split Squats
* Optional: 30 minute steady state bike

Day 6 Saturday: 
* Long Steady State: 75 minute run w/ 4 min high intensity finisher and 4 min recovery jog at the end (45 min total)

Day 7 Sunday:
* Full Rest Day

This lays everything out for you to get after it. There is literally no excuse for you not to be training.

I am planning on adding this to the training app, which you can find here: app.acidgambit.com. I’m continually making updates and adding new features and programs. As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. You can drop a DM on instagram @ acidgambit.