Try these workouts from the top powerlifters in the sport, if you can!
As I promised, I would give you guys the workouts of some power lifters. Some of the workouts are different from most power lifters while others are different altogether. Take a look at these workouts and modify them if you will. This will show you that Max Fusion Training techniques can be used to modify workouts to your liking. Look to the "Ripped Fusion" and "Hybrid Mass" articles for more on the techniques you can use. But before I go into Glen Chabot's and Bill Carpenter's workouts, let me take a minute to talk about Dave Waterman.

One look at Dave Waterman and one would assume that he's a professional bodybuilder. This is what I thought of him first as well. He was well built and would do well in bodybuilding...but he's a super-strong power lifter. Just so you guys know, Dave's build is pretty much what I'm going for and being compared to him, I'm not there yet. Dave was a Pop-Warner football player at the age of 14 when he started working out to gain some muscle. At a young age, he was pressing the entire stack on the Nautilus machine, which was 200 pounds. At 16 years old, he was 148 and hit 365 at his first bench press gaining the best lifter title (which is hard to get!!). Now if you think about it, that's amazing, tell me if you ever heard of a 19-year-old benching 500! Dave obviously had freakish ability to bench amazing weight. But a freak accident occurred when he fell from a roof. The injuries were so bad, that he was even given his last rites. But Dave spent a month in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He now has three pins in his pelvis.

Dave took some time to decide what he wanted to do and at the age of 28 at a ripped and powerful bodyweight of 193 he decided to display his strength instead of displaying his hard-worked physique on stage. Back in 1999 at the Arnold Classic, Dave benched an amazing 612! Dave reminds me of Ken Lain, another power-bodybuilder who had an amazing physique at 242 as well as impressive strength. Lain was a competitive bodybuilder as well as putting up monster records.

For year since, Dave has been knocking up weights that have been three-times more than his bodyweight. If you think Dave's impressive take a look at his workout below. Dave uses Iron Wraps Z and a bench shirt. Look for my future articles on power lifting gear for more on these.

Dave Waterman's Workout

Sunday - Legs

Leg Presses 3x12
Hack Squats 3x12
Leg Extensions 3x12
Ham Tractor Machine 3x12
Leg Curls 3x12
Standing Leg Curls 3x12

Monday - Shoulders

Smith-machine military presses 3x4
Seated Dumbbell presses 3x10
Standing Lateral Raises 3x10
Barbell Shrugs 3x10
Dumbbell Shrugs 1x10

Tuesday - Triceps and Abs

Close-grip Bench press 3x3
Pushdowns 3x10
Lying Extensions 3x10
Hanging Leg Raises 3xmax
Crunchers 3xmax

Wednesday - Back and Biceps

Seated Cable Rows 3x3
Bent-Over Rows 3x6-10
Wide-Grip pullups 3x10
Barbell Curls 3x6
Seated Dumbbell Curls 3x10
Preacher Curls 3x10

Saturday - Bench day

Bench Presses 135x6, 225x6, 315x6, 405x4, 500x2, 520x1, 540x1
Incline Bench Presses 3x12


If you read Glen Chabot's profile, then you know that he's a monster bencher too. I mean benching 390 at 19 years old is just as impressive at someone benching 500 at the same age. Glen's workout and nutrition is different from the norm. I remember his diet consisting of 12 eggs with cheese along with steak and milk just for breakfast alone!! He even has a one-pound hamburger! His workout is different too. He skips one body part each week and does the bench press once a month!! This approach, which I'm familiar with, will make him stronger. His workouts are nothing but basic, intense and heavy as well. This is Glen's typical workout is as follows:

Glen Chabot's Workout

Monday - Bench Press

135x15
225x12
315x10
405x5
500x5
600x4

Tuesday - Squats

229x10
315x8
405x8
600x6
315x15

Thursday - Back and Biceps

Rows x 6
Lat Pulldowns x 6
Preacher Curls 3x10
Hammer Curls 3x10; 2x6

Friday - Hamstrings

Deadlifts
135x10
225x8
315x8
405x6
405x6

Sunday - Calves

Seated Calf Raises
Standing Calf Raises


To me Bill Carpenter's physique is just as amazing as Ken Lain's physique and could represent the future of what power lifters could look like. Bill uses the routine below 8 weeks out from a meet. He uses a lot of bodybuilding movement for added size but he keeps his reps explosive. Bill has gained size and strength on this routine and at the same time being healthy and injury free power lifter...which is the best! Bill also increases the weight on every exercise every set during his workouts.

Bill Carpenter's Workout

Monday - Shoulder & Traps

Machine Shoulder Press or Dumbbell Press 3-4x8
Dumbbell Side Raises 3-4x8
Cable One-Arm Side Raises 3-4x8
Reverse Pec Machine or Seated Bent Over Flyes 3-4x8
Bent-Bar Trap Raises 3x10
Straight Bar Shrugs 3x10
Dumbbell Shrugs 3x10

Tuesday (A.M.) - Light Bench Day

Bench Press speed day (using 50%-60% of 1RM)
3 sets normal grip
3 reps w/ 2 bands at 315 or 1 band at 405
3 sets close grip
3 reps w/ 2 bands at 315 or no bands at 405
3 sets wide grip
3 reps w/ 2 bands at 315 or no bands at 405

Tuesday (P.M.) - Back

Seated Front Lat Pulldowns 3-4x8
Bent Over One Arm Rows or Bent Over Barbell Rows 3-4x8
Seated Lat Pull 3-4x8
Standing Lat Pull 3-4x8

Wednesday - Arms

Standing Straight Bar Curls 3x6-8
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3x6-8
Seated Preacher Curls 3x6-8
Concentration Curls 3x6-8
Standing Pushdowns or Close-Grip Bench 3-4x8-10
Dumbbell Kickbacks or Barbell Head Bangers 3-4x8-10
Over Head Rope Extensions 3-4x8-10
One-Arm Cable Pushdowns 3-4x8-10
Barbell Reverse Wrist Curls or Dumbbell Wrist Curls 5x15

Thursday - Legs

Squats 5x6-8
Leg Press 3x10-12
Front Leg Extensions 3-4x10-12
Seated Leg Curls or Mach Reverse Leg Curls 3-4x10-12
Seated Calf Raises 5x12-15
Standing Calf Raises 5x12-15

Saturday - Heavy Bench Day

* Bill's goal is to hit 700 so he does the following percentages with boards. Board presses are also simliar to Rack Lockouts. Bill does burnouts at the end as well.

Bench Press:
Warmup:
135x10
225x10
315x5
405x2
500x2

Board Presses with bench shirt at 550 halfway down
2 boards- 630x2
3 boards- 665x2
4 boards- 700x1

Takes Bench Shirt off and does burnouts (fast & explosive)
405x10
315x10
225xfailure