Apex Program
APEX was written with an eye towards enthusiasm for training. Leading up to writing this, I had grown tired of the countless lifeless takes on training I had come across in the online fitness community. Usually referred to as “optimal” or “efficient,” these programs strip training down to their bare parts and leave little room for inspired methods. APEX is designed to be effective and inspire enthusiasm for training again, something we’ve seen a lot less of lately in online discourse.
I’ve trained using many methods over the years, running programs by John Meadows, Jordan Peters, Renaissance Periodization (RP), Mike Mentzer, and many others. These elite bodybuilders have all contributed immensely to the sport in unique ways.
John Meadows was an old-school bodybuilder in the 90’s and 2000’s but was early in the ‘scientific/evidence-based’ training world. His emphasis on stretching the muscles and partial reps was ahead of his time. These concepts are now thought of as “current” in bodybuilding today. Many of John’s programs would be considered “High Volume.” He also is noteworthy for his use of free-weight movements — the Meadows Row was named after him. John knew how to train hard and smart, making him one of my best influences. John’s philosophy of combining traditional bodybuilding techniques with modern scientific insights has shaped the way I structure volume and intensity in APEX.
Jordan Peters is known for his distinctive approach, particularly his 2 set method, involving a heavy load set followed by a back-off set. This approach maximizes muscle stimulation with minimal sets but very high intensity. He often encourages trainees to push to failure to ensure maximum stimulation. Peters advocates for progressive overload, consistently increasing weight or reps over time to ensure continuous growth. Unlike high-volume training, Peters focuses on fewer sets but with higher intensity. His methods have taught me the importance of quality over quantity, ensuring every set is performed with maximum effort and precision.
Renaissance Periodization (RP) has revolutionized training and nutrition with an evidence-based methodology. Their emphasis on controlled tempos, especially controlling the eccentric phase, and the importance of the stretch position in the range of motion (ROM) has significantly influenced my training style. RP advocates for full ROM training to maximize muscle activation and growth while preventing injury. These principles have been crucial in designing APEX to focus on technique and muscle engagement, ensuring every rep is effective and safe.
My approach to training and programming has been influenced by all these methods and more. You might ask, how can you negotiate the apparent contradictions in training styles? High volume vs. low volume? High intensity vs. high volume? The answer is, skillfully.
You can expect to see influences from all these approaches within APEX. I highly advise following this program to a tee for the best results. I provide plenty of equipment options throughout the program, which should be covered by most gyms.
Train hard, have fun, make gains.
- MIKEY AND THE GAINTRUST TEAM
APEX was written with an eye towards enthusiasm for training. Leading up to writing this, I had grown tired of the countless lifeless takes on training I had come across in the online fitness community. Usually referred to as “optimal” or “efficient,” these programs strip training down to their bare parts and leave little room for inspired methods. APEX is designed to be effective and inspire enthusiasm for training again, something we’ve seen a lot less of lately in online discourse.
I’ve trained using many methods over the years, running programs by John Meadows, Jordan Peters, Renaissance Periodization (RP), Mike Mentzer, and many others. These elite bodybuilders have all contributed immensely to the sport in unique ways.
John Meadows was an old-school bodybuilder in the 90’s and 2000’s but was early in the ‘scientific/evidence-based’ training world. His emphasis on stretching the muscles and partial reps was ahead of his time. These concepts are now thought of as “current” in bodybuilding today. Many of John’s programs would be considered “High Volume.” He also is noteworthy for his use of free-weight movements — the Meadows Row was named after him. John knew how to train hard and smart, making him one of my best influences. John’s philosophy of combining traditional bodybuilding techniques with modern scientific insights has shaped the way I structure volume and intensity in APEX.
Jordan Peters is known for his distinctive approach, particularly his 2 set method, involving a heavy load set followed by a back-off set. This approach maximizes muscle stimulation with minimal sets but very high intensity. He often encourages trainees to push to failure to ensure maximum stimulation. Peters advocates for progressive overload, consistently increasing weight or reps over time to ensure continuous growth. Unlike high-volume training, Peters focuses on fewer sets but with higher intensity. His methods have taught me the importance of quality over quantity, ensuring every set is performed with maximum effort and precision.
Renaissance Periodization (RP) has revolutionized training and nutrition with an evidence-based methodology. Their emphasis on controlled tempos, especially controlling the eccentric phase, and the importance of the stretch position in the range of motion (ROM) has significantly influenced my training style. RP advocates for full ROM training to maximize muscle activation and growth while preventing injury. These principles have been crucial in designing APEX to focus on technique and muscle engagement, ensuring every rep is effective and safe.
My approach to training and programming has been influenced by all these methods and more. You might ask, how can you negotiate the apparent contradictions in training styles? High volume vs. low volume? High intensity vs. high volume? The answer is, skillfully.
You can expect to see influences from all these approaches within APEX. I highly advise following this program to a tee for the best results. I provide plenty of equipment options throughout the program, which should be covered by most gyms.
Train hard, have fun, make gains.
- MIKEY AND THE GAINTRUST TEAM
APEX was written with an eye towards enthusiasm for training. Leading up to writing this, I had grown tired of the countless lifeless takes on training I had come across in the online fitness community. Usually referred to as “optimal” or “efficient,” these programs strip training down to their bare parts and leave little room for inspired methods. APEX is designed to be effective and inspire enthusiasm for training again, something we’ve seen a lot less of lately in online discourse.
I’ve trained using many methods over the years, running programs by John Meadows, Jordan Peters, Renaissance Periodization (RP), Mike Mentzer, and many others. These elite bodybuilders have all contributed immensely to the sport in unique ways.
John Meadows was an old-school bodybuilder in the 90’s and 2000’s but was early in the ‘scientific/evidence-based’ training world. His emphasis on stretching the muscles and partial reps was ahead of his time. These concepts are now thought of as “current” in bodybuilding today. Many of John’s programs would be considered “High Volume.” He also is noteworthy for his use of free-weight movements — the Meadows Row was named after him. John knew how to train hard and smart, making him one of my best influences. John’s philosophy of combining traditional bodybuilding techniques with modern scientific insights has shaped the way I structure volume and intensity in APEX.
Jordan Peters is known for his distinctive approach, particularly his 2 set method, involving a heavy load set followed by a back-off set. This approach maximizes muscle stimulation with minimal sets but very high intensity. He often encourages trainees to push to failure to ensure maximum stimulation. Peters advocates for progressive overload, consistently increasing weight or reps over time to ensure continuous growth. Unlike high-volume training, Peters focuses on fewer sets but with higher intensity. His methods have taught me the importance of quality over quantity, ensuring every set is performed with maximum effort and precision.
Renaissance Periodization (RP) has revolutionized training and nutrition with an evidence-based methodology. Their emphasis on controlled tempos, especially controlling the eccentric phase, and the importance of the stretch position in the range of motion (ROM) has significantly influenced my training style. RP advocates for full ROM training to maximize muscle activation and growth while preventing injury. These principles have been crucial in designing APEX to focus on technique and muscle engagement, ensuring every rep is effective and safe.
My approach to training and programming has been influenced by all these methods and more. You might ask, how can you negotiate the apparent contradictions in training styles? High volume vs. low volume? High intensity vs. high volume? The answer is, skillfully.
You can expect to see influences from all these approaches within APEX. I highly advise following this program to a tee for the best results. I provide plenty of equipment options throughout the program, which should be covered by most gyms.
Train hard, have fun, make gains.
- MIKEY AND THE GAINTRUST TEAM