Ultimate Mass Builder - Clubbell Barbarian Squat

 

 
One of my favorite exercises for building quick muscle is the heavy Clubbell Barbarian Squat. Simply stated, it’s a full body complex which addresses the legs and glutes like a squat, the traps and back like a deadlift, the shoulders like a pull over and front raise, the arms like a curl and extension, and the core like a medball floor routine. Few things hit everything like the Barbarian Squat.
I prefer this variation with arm lock as it crushes down on the core, since few humans that I’ve met even in world level strongman competitions can flag press and squat without using the core. Maybe one or two of those elite, but certainly not 99.99% of the population. And why would you ignore the core? It’s the chassis for all intents and purposes.
Work the Barbarian into your program on your back or leg day if you’re into training body splits. If you train full body complexes every session, then use the Barbarian at the beginning to ensure your arms don’t fatigue due to core exhaustion from other movements.
You can even train it alone as a sole exercise. Do this in an escalating density routine such as the following:

• 20 sets of 5 in 20 minutes
• 18 sets of 6 in 18 minutes
• 16 sets of 7 in 16 minutes
• 15 sets of 8 in 15 minutes
• 12 sets of 9 in 12 minutes
• 10 sets of 10 in 10 minutes
• 8 sets of 12 reps in 8 minutes
• 7 sets of 14 reps in 7 minutes
• 1 set of 100

Double Density Training uses a method of “recovered but not rested” training frequency originally inspired by one of my training courses in Russia with a S&C coach who took us through training once every 6 hours round the clock for 5 day blocks (we learned to sleep almost on demand).
Double Density involves two short-duration work sessions in one work day separated by approx. 12 hours, with one full day of rest in between each work day. This method strikes a balance between neuro-muscular rest and neurological recovery; which basically means that if you go over approx. 24 hours you’re fully rested. However, at around 12 hours, you can be actively recovered though not fully *rested*.
When recovered by not reset your central nervous system still hums with excitement but you have recovered sufficiently from the prior session to work again. This allows you to supercharge a download into your muscle software. It’s like temporarily having extra RAM to operate your computer. Basically, the sum total training effect (neurological stimulation) peaks between 8-12 hours decreasing to reset at 20-24. But if you’re under approximately a half day when you train again, you impinge upon recovery. This time corridor may vary based upon the individual: some people recover faster, others slower; some reset more easily, some less easily.
You can’t push this in my experience more than two sessions sequentially without facing fatigue and muscle ache and exhaustion. But you may pull it off for a 4-6 week cycle alternating work days with rest days, like I did. And you should to take a full week off after the cycle to reset your nervous system totally, or you’ll hit a massive fatigue wall. As a result, I don’t suggest this to anyone doing any other type of strength training, nor to people with highly physical jobs. My experience in Russia involved us using this method approx. every 6 hours, but we were professional athletes heavily supervised and monitored, and the course duration was 5 days. We had a 2 1/2 day break, and then we did the course again (with a different exercise selection.)