Operation Darkside Barbaric Powerlifting Training Program
Operation Darkside Barbaric Powerlifting Training Program
Operation Darkside Barbaric Powerlifting Training Program
DARKSIDE
BARBARIC POWERBUILDING
•
Loukas Antoniou & Alex Savva
Contents
Introduction 4
Phase I: Powerbuilding Initiation Cycle 6
Phase II: Strength Peaking Cycle 20
Training Guide 34
Equipment 35
Intensity 36
Recovery 39
Workout Logs 42
Exercise Guide 44
Low Bar Squat 47
Bench Press 51
Overhead Press 55
Deadlift 58
Upper Body Accessories 62
Lower Body Accessories 82
FAQ 89
About the Authors 92
Extras 94
Introduction
Welcome to Operation Darkside, a high-intensity
Powerbuilding program combining the hypertrophy-
focussed approach of bodybuilding with the
strength-building approach of Powerlifting.
Powerbuilding
Initiation Cycle
Phase I is designed to help you pack on as much
muscle mass as possible and build up your total
work capacity using a combination of heavy
compound movements and high-volume accessory
and isolation exercises.
Side Planks
3 × 20 secs / side
Ab Wheel Rollouts
2 × 10
Russian Twists
3 × 15 / side
Phase I • Week I • Day IV
Wrist Curls
3 × 10 × 1 – 2 RIR
Phase I • Week II • Day I
Side Planks
3 × 30 secs / side
Ab Wheel Rollouts
3 × 10
Russian Twists
3 × 15 / side × 5kg
Phase I • Week II • Day IV
Wrist Curls
3 × 10 × 1 – 2 RIR
Phase I • Week III • Day I
Side Planks
3 × 40 secs / side
Ab Wheel Rollouts
4 × 10
Russian Twists
3 × 15 / side × 10kg
Phase I • Week III • Day IV
Wrist Curls
3 × 10 × 1 – 2 RIR
Phase
II
Operation Darkside: Phase II
Strength
Peaking Cycle
Phase II is designed to help you increase your
maximal force production and explosive power
using alternating heavy and light dynamic effort
work on the main compound exercises.
Dynamic Squat /
Heavy Bench
Low Bar Squat (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 50%
Bench Press
1 × 1 × 90%
3 × 5 × 80%
Romanian Deadlift
3 × 10 × 2 – 3 RIR
Dynamic Effort
All Dynamic Effort exercises should be performed
as explosively as possible. In other words, you
should lift the weight as quickly as possible during
every rep. Rest for only 1 – 2 minutes between
Dynamic Effort work sets.
Phase II • Week I • Day II
Dynamic Press /
Heavy Squat
Overhead Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 55%
Dips
4 × 10
Phase II • Week I • Day III
Dynamic Deadlift /
Heavy Press
Deadlift (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 50%
Overhead Press
1 × 1 × 90%
4 × 5 × 80%
Dynamic Bench /
Heavy Deadlift
Bench Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 55%
Deadlift
1 × 1 × 90%
1 × 5 × 80%
Behind-the-Neck Press
4 × 10 × 2 – 3 RIR
Barbell Curls
3 × 12 × 2 – 3 RIR
Phase II • Week II • Day I
Dynamic Squat /
Heavy Bench
Low Bar Squat (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 55%
Bench Press
1 × 1 × 95%
2 × 3 × 85%
Romanian Deadlift
3 × 8 × 2 – 3 RIR
Dynamic Press /
Heavy Squat
Overhead Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 60%
Dips
3×8
Phase II • Week II • Day III
Dynamic Deadlift /
Heavy Press
Deadlift (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 55%
Overhead Press
1 × 1 × 95%
4 × 3 × 85%
Dynamic Bench /
Heavy Deadlift
Bench Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 60%
Deadlift
1 × 1 × 95%
1 × 3 × 85%
Behind-the-Neck Press
4 × 8 × 2 – 3 RIR
Barbell Curls
3 × 10 × 2 – 3 RIR
Phase II • Week III • Day I
Max Effort
Bench Press
Low Bar Squat (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 60%
Bench Press
3 × 1 × ≥100% PR Attempt
Romanian Deadlift
3 × 6 × 2 – 3 RIR
Max Effort
This is it! For Max Effort exercises during this
week's training, warm up to a 1RM PR attempt. For
the upper body lifts (Bench Press and Overhead
Press) where multiple sets are denoted, use any
one of these sets for your PR attempt and the rest
for heavy singles at 95 – 100% intensity.
Phase II • Week III • Day II
Max Effort
Squat
Overhead Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 65%
Dips
3×6
Phase II • Week III • Day III
Max Effort
Overhead Press
Deadlift (Dynamic Effort)
6 × 2 × 60%
Overhead Press
5 × 1 × ≥100% PR Attempt
Max Effort
Deadlift
Bench Press (Dynamic Effort)
7 × 3 × 65%
Deadlift
1 × 1 × ≥100% PR Attempt
Behind-the-Neck Press
4 × 6 × 2 – 3 RIR
Barbell Curls
3 × 8 × 2 – 3 RIR
Training
Guide
Equipment
Operation Darkside can be performed with standard
equipment available in typical commercial gyms.
Reps in Reserve
For accessory and isolation movements, Operation
Darkside uses Reps In Reserve (RIR) as a method
of quantifying weight selection.
Drop Sets
Operation Darkside utilises drop sets for certain
accessory exercises as a way to maximise muscular
hypertrophy. A drop set is performed immediately
(without rest) after the previous working set with
less weight and to failure.
Rest-Pause Sets
Popularised by the legendary Mike Mentzer, rest-
pause sets are another way to increase total
mechanical tension generated by a given exercise
to maximise muscular hypertrophy.
Rest Days
Operation Darkside is structured as four-day split,
with workouts scheduled ideally on Mondays,
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays and
weekends are rest days.
• Creatine Monohydrate
• Electrolytes (potassium, sodium,
calcium, magnesium, etc.)
• Omega-3
• Multivitamins
• Vitamin D3
• Whey protein for protein supplementation
Deload Periods
Deloads involve drastically decreasing training
intensity for a limited period to assist with recovery.
Throughout the duration of Operation Darkside,
deloads should only be taken at the end of a phase
and only if necessary.
Notation
Figure 1: Correct barbell position for the Low Bar Squat. The barbell
rests on the rear deltoids.
Figure 2: Correct landing spot of the barbell during the Bench Press.
Figure 3: The correct starting position of the Overhead Press: the barbell
is positioned under the chin and the elbows are in front of the barbell.
How to Deadlift
1 Set up a barbell on the floor ensuring the
barbell is at a height crossing the middle of
your shins as shown in Figure 4. A standard pair
of 20kg cast iron weight plates will usually raise
the barbell to the desired height.
Loukas Antoniou
LAPT Strength & Conditioning
Coach Antoniou is the founder and Head Coach
of LAPT Strength & Conditioning. Loukas began
his career over a decade ago as a bodybuilding
and general fitness coach in Nicosia, Cyprus. He
has trained hundreds of people of all ages and
backgrounds as well as competitive bodybuilders
and powerlifters, with many of his athletes winning
medals and setting records at the national level.
Follow Loukas on Instagram at @coachloukas.
Alex Savva
Inner War Strength
Alex Savva is the founder and Managing Director
of Inner War Strength, a strengthwear brand
established with the intent to build a worldwide
strength culture to help people express the greatest
version of themseles possible. Alex has been
training for almost a decade and is a competitive
Powerlifter, winning medals at the national level
as well as setting a national record in the Squat
in his weight class. Follow Inner War Strength on
Instagram at @innerwarstrength.
OPERATION DARKSIDE
Barbaric Powerbuilding Playlist
Annihilate your workouts and your eardrums with
the official Operation Darkside Spotify playlist,
featuring hand-picked cuts of the most brutal and
barbaric Black/Death Metal to get you pumped.
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OPERATION
DARKSIDE
BARBARIC POWERBUILDING
•
Loukas Antoniou & Alex Savva