While there’s certainly nothing wrong with trying unique exercises once in a while, it’s hard to beat the classics—they’re standards for a reason, after all.
That’s why we recruited Sean Collins, C.S.C.S., a USA Powerlifting club coach and head powerlifting coach at Murder of Crows Barbell Club in Brooklyn, to create the Classic Iron Workout Program. Be warned: Just because these workouts incorporate exercises you probably know, it doesn’t mean they’ll be easy. These are intense, full-body, no-nonsense lifts, all designed to build your overall strength and improve your body’s response to training under heavy loads.
Directions
On day 1 you’ll tackle two classic “big-rock” lifts: the front squat and the barbell bench press. You’ll have plenty of time for rest between sets, so make sure you pick a challenging weight that won’t tempt you to slack off.
You’ll then follow that with “density reps” of an incline dumbbell row. When doing density reps, you’ll effectively do as many reps as possible within a certain amount of time (eight minutes, in this case). Rest as needed, but try to keep your work periods consistent. Choose a weight that you can comfortably lift for eight reps. Aim to do 30-40 reps within the eight-minute time span.
