Achilles: Elysium Approximately 4 years ago in 2017, I released the first incarnation of my Achilles Program. Inspired by the many conversations I had with men over the years as to how to get the kind of body that Brad Pitt had in Troy, I created a program under this directive. Upper body focused, with an emphasis on aesthetics and a training philosophy drawing on my holistic bodybuilding perspective at the time, the program was enormously successful. To date, I've had over 1,000 men complete the program, and I receive testimonials monthly as to the program's success. The Achilles Program’s effectiveness came from its proven principles: it was high frequency, high volume, and the diet plan was classically “bro” as I call it, with set parameters for calories, protein intake, and food choice. Since the program has been released, I have made adjustments to it, added a second month, and it continues to sell very well. Consequently, I receive inquiries monthly -Is there a follow up to Achilles? -What would I suggest next? While I have written programs since that could be done after Achilles, I never created a true sequel program. Achilles was a victim of its own success in this way. The enthusiasm for it was so high, and so many men have followed it so well, that trying to capture that again for a direct follow up seemed unlikely. As it was, I spent a great deal of time on self education the past year, learning the ATG system and studying various other athletic modalities, and diving into Muay Thai at the same time. I wanted to revisit the Achilles Program to see if I update it further, but as I began working on it, the rewrite took on a life of its own, and became the program you are reading now, The Achilles Program: Elysium Achilles is my flagship program. Its where I suggest every man start who has reliable gym access and is ready to commit himself to a mind and body overhaul. Its a serious program. Its 5 days a week, the workouts are not short, the cardio and diet are required for best results, and completing encapsulates a mental shift from being a casual gym goer to a serious trainee. Elysium is more advanced than Achilles. It is predicated that you the trainee have a base of strength and muscle already. It is not a beginners program obviously. While it could be done entirely on its own, I would advise doing Achilles first. If you are reading this right now, you have likely have done Achilles already. In Greek Mythology, the Elysium Fields were the afterlife where Heroes, the righteous, and those chosen by the Gods would go to dwell. It was a separate realm from Hades. For anyone doing this program, you have clearly chosen yourself to follow a much higher set of standards than those of the mundane world, and for that I commend you. What Makes This Program Different… Fitness is the one subject I have “mastery” in. And that requires constantly challenging one's knowledge and reexamining ones beliefs. The past few years, I went through a few challenges. I experienced a series of injuries (achilles tendon strain, hernia, knee tendonitis, disc herniation), that led me to reexamine How I was lifting weights, and the philosophy that I was approaching lifting with. Let me be clear, lifting weights is not BAD. I am not taking a position that resistance training is a net negative and you should not do it. But there IS a gap between whether lifting in the weight room transfers to actual athletic movement. People get hurt lifting obviously, and athletes that lift also get hurt, despite lifting. It’s a common belief that lifting weights must make you more injury resistant, but clearly this is not the case. I already had questioned the barbell paradigm for a long time: in so many words, I think powerlifting has misled people into what constitutes effective training because barbell specific strength does not carry over to other activities and specializing in powerlifting has a 100% rate of injury. What else could be questioned? My First Major Shift in Thinking My first big change was in GAIT. I had never considered the essentiality of walking, jogging, and running. To this I must credit Naudi Aguilar, and the GOATA system. These are their own rabbit holes you can go down. If you’d like to explore them in depth, that is up to you. From Functional patterns I realized the following ● Too much lifting, especially barbell squatting and deadlift, its creates total body compression on the tissues that increases overall stiffness and makes running, walking, sprinting, and rotational movement difficult. ● If your training makes you WORSE at running and sprinting, you are creating dysfunction ● An athletic body is a SUPPLE body with muscle tissue and joints that are not stiff and constricted. As simple as this, many many many people lift in a manner that makes them stiffer and less supple ● If your Lifting truly was injury proofing you, you’d not get non contact injuries and “itis’s” like achilles tendonitis. Clearly something is not doing what you think it is if this is happening From GOATA, I realized the following ● Athletic movement starts with the feet and weight distribution being centered on the OUTSIDE edge and corner of the foot, NOT the ball of the foot The collapse of the ankle with the Inside ankle bone being LOW compared ot the outside ankle bone is what creates achilles and knee and hip injuries over and over again ● All great athletes move in the EXACT same patterns, its mathematical, not random ● Conventional heavy lifting is largely FRONT chain dominant because it your weight is heavily into the heels and you are emphasizing a stacked torso to Move weight UP and DOWN, NOT move your body FORWARD and BACK. ● Front chain dominance is a miscoordination of the body with anterior muscles dominating for locomotion, versus using the posterior. This is not any one muscle dominance, but all the muscles on the front of the body. The more front chain dominant you are, the more stiff you will feel running, and rotation and lateral movement will not be fluid. You will move from the inside edge of the foot and create many upstream issues in the ankle knee hip and low back. ● An excess of lifting with bad mechanics trains “reverse propulsion”. You are training your body to brace itself against external load and “sit back” and leverage against it. This is fantastic for moving weight statically, but it can engrain terrible habits in the foot ankle and knee for actual athletics, ie RUNNING and Sprinting and directional change. You don't move forward by bracing yourself backwards From Ben Patrick and ATG I realized the following ● Muscles must be trained both in their contracted (short range) and lengthened (long range) states. Training your biceps to curl is usefu, this is a short range position. Your biceps can also fully contract from a lengthened position (ring pullups for example), and if they are excessively tight your shoulder functional will be inhibited and someone like a chinup or pullup can be aggravating on the shoulder and bicep tendon. This is but one example. If you want truly STRONG muscles, they must be strong at both lengths ● Progressive Tension: Tension can be placed on the entire length of the muscle, or emphasize a section of it. Tension can be on the muscle for a short period of time, or a longer period of time. Tension can be light, or it can be heavy. Tension can be slow contraction, or fast contracting and explosive. Proceed from easiest to hardest in all of these, and take them into account ● You want a Hardware Surplus, ie your connection tissue, tendons and ligaments, they must be stronger than the muscles. You cannot jump more than you can land. You cannot run faster more than you can rebound. You cannot be faster than you can relax to contract. You want to build the strongest bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles possible, IN that order. ● Rather than conceptualize resistance training as only training the muscles, understand that you are in fact training the JOINT as a whole. Is the joint functioning properly, are you training the joint to be stronger? ● Pain Free Execution: If something trains you into a state of pain, WHY are you doing it? Modify or replace or dispose of entirely any exercises that lead to a pain state. Chronic stiffness is the first sign of an eventual pain/injury happening ● Ground Up Structural Balance: Train BOTH sides of the limb. Do calf raises and tibialis raises. Train the lower quad and lower hamstring. Train the hip flexors and the glutes. Train the spinal erectors and the rectus abdominis. Train biceps and triceps, chest and back. Front of the shoulder and back fo the shoulder. Again, there are many examples. Do not be misled in thinking you can train a Joint with only ONE exercise and have it function at full capacity. ● Movements Over Programs: Truthfully there are only so many exercises that you need to do to be strong and healthy. Variety for the sake of variety is pointless. In the long term, you are going to be doing the same collection of exercises over and over again. Getting strong in the wrong movements does no good. Train to develop the movements that matter while staying pain-free and healthy. ● There is Truth in Numbers: Strength goals can be calculated by using bodyweight and progressing towards performing a lift with a percentage of Bodyweight (for isolation lifts), or going beyond bodyweight with loading (compound movements). You can use your weight to assess the necessary levels of strength for practically any exercise What Does ALL that add up to? It means on the most basic level that I have a high preference for some exercises, and less of a preference for others. Clearly my past programs have worked, but I am always striving to become better, and Elysium is a culmination of everything I have learned so far to this point. Strategies and My Reasoning Behind Them One of the biggest differences in this program from the prior is training volume. After 10+ years of training clients, I’ve come to favor a LOWER volume approach, not higher volume. While some exercises work well when done submaximally for multiple sets, others are best done for only a few sets, taken to positive failure each time. For that reason, You’ll notice that workouts at times are NOT very long. This is on purpose. You grow Outside of the gym, not in the gym. The goal is to get stronger with time, not fatigue yourself as much as possible. Another major change is exercise variation...They DONT change much at all. While in the past I have tried to vary the movements to keep people engaged with the novelty, I’ve realized this is more entertainment than effectiveness. You get bigger and stronger faster by doing the same movements over and over. There is little need to change unless results have gone completely stale, and even then, a slight variation may be all that’s needed. Abdominal Workouts There is only one workout to do, and it can be done up to 3 times a week. It consists of the following routine 1. Hip flexor raises 2. Quadratus Lumborum Raise 3. Decline Crunch You can perform 1-3 sets of each, for at least 10 reps (up to 20 reps) in a set. Focus on progressive overload and gradually increasing your working weights. For the decline crunch, add weight by holding a plate at chest level For Calves Calves get their own training. I want you train calves twice a week, spaced at least 2 days apart. They can be added to any training day. You will perform the following exercises, ALL of them, for 2-3 working sets, of 8-15 reps 1. Anterior Tibialis Raise 2. Seated Calf Raise 3. Bodyweight standing calf raise Phase I (All Numbers Are Given In Sets By Reps) The first phase is a continuation of sorts from the original Achilles program. Whereas that program was heavily upper body centric, with a major focus on chest, shoulders, and arms, Elysium is BACK focused. Back and Biceps is what is prioritized in the first phase of training, followed by legs, and then the upper body pressing muscles are last with 1x weekly frequency. Exercises are to be one at a time, rest anywhere from 1-3 minutes between sets, and focus purely on quality reps and progressive overload each week. You will be doing all of these exercises through the program often, so get accustomed to them. If you get into a mental “flow” state and want to speed up the sets or workout, do not hesitate to do so. But defer to the side of more rest, not less rest. The program grows in volume in each training phase. These workouts, I want you to get stronger every single week adding reps or adding weight. This should be a smooth month of time efficient workouts and strength increases every time you are in the gym. Workout 1: Lower Body The first workout is fairly short. Remember that you also have the calf work and ab work to do, which makes this day a perfect day to do it. The main exercises should not take longer than 30 minutes to do, with ample rest between. 1. Standing Leg Curl 3x10-20 -this does require the usage of a Monkey foot. If you do not have one, simply use a seated leg curl. You are doing higher reps, but the principles of progressive overload still applies. I suggest starting with 10 reps, finding a heavy weight, and then increasing the number of reps you can do with that weight each week. 2. Nordic Leg Curl 5x3-5 -You will be doing these every single week for the entire duration of the program. Get used to doing them, they won't be going away. 3. Single Leg 45 Degree Hyperextension 3xAMAP -the first time you do these you might struggle to get 10. They are unusually challenging, and a humbling exercise the first timey you do them. The setup makes a big difference, you want the hip stable as possible and the supporting leg braced. You cannot be loose with the form on these. Take each set to positive failure. If you able to get 20+ reps though, then start adding weight to them. Weighted sets can be done for sets of 10 reps Workout 2: Upper Body, Chest + Shoulders+triceps Longer workout, longer than yesterdays. These exercises all have strength standards attached to them. I again emphasize the goal is getting STRONGER, both short term and long term. 1. Dips 3x bodyweight, max reps each set -If these are too easy and you are able to do 15+ reps each set with bodyweight then add weight. For weighted dips, keep the working reps in the 8-15 range. 2. Neutral Grip Flat DB Press 3x8-12 -These can be done HEAVY. You can do the same weight for all sets, or elect to pyramid up in weight with each set, that is your call. 3. Seated DB lateral Raise 3x8-12 -These are to be done STRICT. Lateral raises are NOT an exercise you get continuously stronger at. Once you achieve the strength standard, it becomes a situation of adding REPS, training to positive failure, and being creative with the variations. 4. Chest Supported DB Tricep Extension 3x15 -This exercise might not seem essential, but I like because it trains the triceps in a fully shorted and stabilized position, it’s low stress on the elbow, and unlike something lik an overhead extension of cable pushdown, the setup requirements are low (only an adjustable bench) and its nearly impossible to screw up doing it. 5. Powell Raise 3x8-10 -These will probably feel awkward the first time you do them, you'll be way weaker than you think. Eventually you’ll get stronger and like the exercise. It is supreme for posterior deltoids Workout 3: Upper Body, Back+Biceps 1. Neutral Grip Pullup 4x6-10 -NEUTRAL GRIP, not wide grip, not a chinup. Neutral grip trains the lats directly, unlike the underhand or overhand version. If bodyweight is too easy, then add weight (a SMALL amount of weight, like 10bs) and maintain the given rep range 2. Bodyweight Row 3x10-20 (if you can get 20 reps, add weight) -I love this movement, its a strength builder, mass builder, it develops posture, it does everything. Get good at it 3. Supinated Curl Alternating 3x10 -Don't overthink these. Alternating curls, taken to positive failure, with as heavy weight as you can use with good technique. Workout 4: Lower Body 1. ATG Split Squat Squat 5x10, Bodyweight only for the first set, then gradually add load each set -You’ll probably need to start with the front foot elevated. Gradually increase ROM as much as you can with each successive set. 2. VMO Squat 6x10, pyramid up in weight each set -You will need a slant board for these. Or something that can elevate your heels. A slant board works best of course. Start with bodyweight, and then add weight by holding DBs at the SIDES of the body (Not goblet squat style). Done properly these should feel amazing on the knees and hips and you get a fantastic quad pump 3. Reverse Step-Up-5x10 Bodyweight Only -Do these on a FLAT surface. They are another exercise that is uniquely challenging. Remember, you WANT the knee to go past the toe, you want the heel to come up, you want the knee and quad to get worked. The weight is in the front of the foot, not back of the foot. Workout 5: Upper Body, Back+Biceps 1. Wide Grip Pullup 3xAMAP -This is an UPPER back exercise, not lats like everyone believes. Pull your sternum to the bar, not the chin. Use the curved ergonomic handles if those are available to you 2. Gironda High Angle Row 3x10-15 -This exercise is rarely done today, I think because its a cable movement and it does not look “hardcore” as the weight you use is never going to be that happy. That said, it is a fantastic movement for Back development and puts zero stress on the spine, and has an added benefit of improving shoulder function. Do these reps deliberately, its an exercise that you want to fully feel the muscle working 3. Alternating Hammer Curl 3x10-12 -Traditional and effective. Take each set to failure. Add reps or weight each week. Phase II (All Numbers Are Given In Sets By Reps) What Changes in Phase 2? Volume increase. More exercises are added. You will also see that each muscle group/function gets its own training day. Posterior chain of the lower body comes first, then upper body pushing (chest and triceps), and then upper body pulling, then anterior chain of the lower body, and finally upper body pressing (shoulders). Again, the emphasis here is LINEAR strength gains every week. Add reps, and then add weight. With only 1x weekly strength frequency you experience strength gains every single workout. Workout 1: Lower Body 1. Standing Leg Curl 3x15-20 -This exercise can always be substituted with seated leg curls or lying leg curls 2. Nordic Leg Curl 5x3-5 -There is no need to “vary” this exercise. It takes months and months to eventually do an unassisted rep, thus you can expect to be doing this each week unchanged for a long time 3. Stiff Leg Deadlift-3x8-10 After a month spent strengthening the posterior chain, these should feel good and you’ve got the muscle to support doing them. Keep the weight the same for all sets. These are done with a barbell, not dumbbells. The emphasis is hamstrings first, glutes second. 4. Single Leg 45 degree Hyperextension 2xAMAP (as Many as possible) -No weight on these. These are to be done to failure for the pump Workout 2: Upper Body (Chest and Triceps) 1. Dips, 3x weighted each set -warmup with a set of only bodyweight, and then proceed to your weighted working sets 2. Neutral Grip Flat DB Press-3x8-12 3. Incline DB Chest press-3x6-10 -These will be done slightly heavier than the flat DB presses. Do NOT flare your elbows out when doing these. You want a 45 degree angle with the arms to the torso to target the clavicular pectorals and anterior delts 4. Tricep Pushdowns with Independent Rope 3x15 Workout 3: Upper Body (Back and Biceps) 1. Neutral Grip Pullups 8x5 -these are to be done WEIGHTED if possible. If not, then continue to do them with bodyweight 2. Wide Grip Pulldown 2x8-12 -These are an upper back exercise, not a lat exercise. Pull down to the base of the throat and arch the upper back 4. Seated Cable Row with Independent Handles 2x8-12 -Do NOT use the close grip handle. I want you to use handles that allow for better scapular movement. Do not lean back doing these, do not cheat. Neutral spine, pull the elbows back and get them flush with the torso. 4. Bodyweight Row 3x10-20 -You’re going to be doing these the rest of your natural life. Keep at it. 5. Standing EZ-Bar Curl 3x8-10 -If you are going to do curls, use the EZ bar, not the straight. Far more ergonomic. Workout 4: Lower Body 1. ATG Split Squat Squat 5x10 -Add weight each set and work up to a hard set of 10 2. Reverse Step-Up 3x10 -You should be able to do these weighted now. Use DBs, and when that becomes awkward, then use a barbell 3. VMO Squat 5x20 -SURPRISE. Dont do these weight, bodyweight only. Your quads would be on fire by the end 4. Jefferson Curl 3x5-10 I love this movement. It stretches the entire posterior chain and it build ROM and fix tight hamstrings like nothing else. It builds serious strength range and you cannot cheat it. Workout 5: Upper Body 1. Seated Neutral Grip DB Shoulder 3x8-12 2. Seated DB Lateral Raise 3x10-15 3. DB Y Raise 3x10-15 4. Powell Raise 3x8-10 Phase III (All Numbers Are Given In Sets By Reps) In Month 3, I want you to use a simple but effective strategy; pyramid training. For all the exercises that you do 3 working sets for, work up to a heavy set for the last set. This does not mean go easy on the prior two sets, rather work backwards from the usual rep range. Start with a set of 20, then 15, then 10. Or set of 12, 10, then finally 8. Make it your goal each week to beat your weight and reps on that last set. I also want to make the point: you will be surprised at how much your strength increases when you maintain doing the SAME exercises each week, every week. Long term strength does not come from erratically changing exercises. Effective training is often boring, but it WORKS. Workout 1: Lower Body (Posterior) 1. Standing Leg Curl 3x10-20 -A set of 20, then 15, then 10. Push the weight on that last set 2. Nordic Leg Curl 5x3-5 3. Stiff Leg Deadlift 8x5 -At this stage you should be prepared to move some HEAVY weights for these sets 4. ATG Good Morning -I saved this exercise for the end of the program. Why? Because at this stage it should be EASY to do and you’ve improved hip mobility, a stronger lower back, and this is not a scary exercise to do at all 5. Single Leg 45 degree Hyperextension 2xAMAP (as Many as possible) Workout 2: Upper Body (Chest and Triceps) 1. Dips-4x6-10 -Now you get to go heavier on weighted dips. 4 working sets, in the 6-10 rep range. Be very careful going to failure, I suggest always leaving one rep in the tank 2. Neutral Grip Flat DB Press-3x8-12 -A set of 12, then 10, then 8 3. Incline DB Chest press-3x6-10 -10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps. Thats your progression model. These will be done slightly heavier than the flat DB presses. Do NOT flare your elbows out when doing these. You want a 45 degree angle with the arms to the torso to target the clavicular pectorals and anterior delts 4. DB Old School Chest Fly-3x10 -Be very careful doing this exercise. This is for TENDON strength, its not an exercise to use heavy weight and be stupid doing. 5. Tricep Pushdowns with Independent Rope 3x15 -Because of the high volume of upper body pressing, triceps dont need extensive targeting. This exercise is to get a pump and feel the mind muscle connection Workout 3: Upper Body (Back and Biceps) 1. Chin-ups/Pull-ups 10x4 -WEIGHTED. You are doing these weighted. Take however long you need between sets, but do get all the sets in 2. Bodyweight Row 3x10-20 (if you can get 20 reps, add weight) 3. Seated Cable Row with Independent Handles 2x8-12 4. Seated Alternating supinated DB Curl 3x8-10 5. Seated DB Hammer Curl 3x12 -A continuation of the supinated curl. Your arms should be pumped, the hammer curls further the experience Workout 4: Lower Body (Anterior) 1. ATG Split Squat Squat 8x5 -Warmup with bodyweight, and then do ALL the sets weighted. This is your chance to use some heavier weights. These sets should NOT be done to failure, or done with sloppy technique. This submaximal training that allows you to get high volume in with somewhat heavier weights 2. Reverse Step-Up 3x10 3. VMO Squat 5x10 -All your sets should be weighted at this point 4. Assisted Pistol Squat 2x10 -I love this exercise. Pistols I think are stupid, but done as an single leg movement and removing the balance aspect, they work the ankle knee and hip hard through a full ROM that has serious athletic carryover. Only two sets for these. 5. Jefferson Curl 3x5-10 I love this movement. It stretches the entire posterior chain and it build ROM and fix tight hamstrings like nothing else. It builds serious strength range and you cannot cheat it. Workout 5: Shoulders At this stage you should be familiar with all exercises and have made steady progress the past 2 months. Apply the pyramid progression to the movements, and see the gains. 1. Seated Neutral Grip DB Shoulder 3x8-12 2. Seated DB Lateral Raise 3x10-15 3. DB Y Raise 3x10-15 -With all the inverted rows you’ve done, you should have seen some lower trap development, these are for middle and lower traps as well. I like this exercise a lot, although I don’t consider it essential. It does work well as a tool in the toolbox if middle and lower traps is something you want to particuarly focus on. 4. Powell Raise 3x8-10 5. DB Shrug 3x10-15 Strength Standards I have been asked over and over again if my programs have an overall progression model, ie, are they supposed to go in a certain order? No. They don't. Here is the reality: LEARN HOW TO TRAIN YOURSELF.There is no way for me to know your unique situation and what your goals are. The best training you’ll ever do is the kind you design yourself. Take all the strategies and tactics you learn and craft a style of training that is uniquely your own. In the long term, you must become your own teacher. I don't write programs to hand hold or bullshit, I write them to teach you how to train and how to THINK. That said, one critical piece I have not given and has been missing from my programs is strength standards. While training can become very granular and learning muscle anatomy and function can be endless, strenght standards vastly simplify the process. When in doubt, Get stronger. For this, I have ATG to thank. By making strength standards the primary goal of your primary programming, you give yourself short term and long term targets to work for. The following strength standards cover the ENTIRE BODY. They come from the ATG philosophy, in that you want equal development in all major and minor muscle groups. If you can achieve all of these, you will not only be exceptionally muscular and strong, but you’ll also have an athletic base of strength that is applicable to any sport. Be advised, these will likely take a 1-3 YEARS to achieve. Your rate of progress will depend on your genetics and dedication to training. Some of them may come easy (the chest pressing for example) for some of you, others may be extremely difficult (like doing weighted pullups). Regardless, they give you hard targets to aim for in the near and long term. All Strength Standards are based on Your Bodyweight This makes them applicable to all body types. For Upper Body Neutral grip Pullups- BW+50% of BW x 6 reps Dips-BW+50% of BW x 6 Neutral Grip Shoulder Press-50% of BW (25% per hand) x 10 reps Neutral Grip DB Chest Press-100% of BW (50% per hand) x 10 reps Inverted Row-BW x 20 reps with feet elevated on 12 inch box 1-Arm DB Row-50% of BW x 10 reps Seated DB Lateral Raise-25% of BW (12.5% per hand) x 15 reps Powell Raise-10% of BW x 10 reps DB Hammer Curl-50% of BW (25% per hand) x 6 reps EZ Bar or Barbell Bicep Curls-50% of BW x 10 reps For Lower Body Reverse Step Up-BW + 50% of BW x 10 reps ATG Split Squat-Bodyweight + 50% of BW x 10 each leg Stiff Leg Deadlift-200% Bodyweight x 6 Nordic Leg Curl-Bodyweight x 5 hands unassisted from flat ground 45 degree Hyperextension-Bodyweight+ 50% of BW x 20 Standing Leg Curl-10% of Bodyweight x 20 Tibialis Raise-25% of Bodyweight x 10 Single Leg calf Raise-Bodyweight + 25% of BW x 10