Lately, a bunch of dudes have been hitting me up in the comments on Facebook and Instagram with concerns that my free Goliath Training Program may be “a scam” or that it may be “impossible to make gains in 30 days” etc….

First of all bros, let me just say that I understand your concerns, there ARE a lot of bogus workout programs and fitness scammers out there these days… especially on social media… so I totally get how you may be a little skeptical about this one at first.

There are no clever marketing tricks or strings attached here though – this program is 100% free and designed to help you get better.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If you want to try it, cool. If not, that’s cool too. No hard feelings from me either way.

However, if you pass up this chance to try something different… something that could help you reach the next level… the only person you’ll have to blame is yourself.

Now… I’m not bragging when I say this but I can almost guarantee that The Goliath is nothing like most of those generic programs you’ll find online these days…

…and if you have tried any of my other workout programs you’ll know I can be unconventional and don’t always follow the mainstream “rules of fitness”…

To that point, people often get upset when I challenge dogmas, rules, and ideals they believe to be true – and that makes them uncomfortable… so they will often comment angrily on a post or show me a research study to “prove” I’m doing it wrong “but Jamin, it says here that on average…”

DON’T BE AVERAGE.

If you do average shit, you’re going to get average results.

That said, if your goal is to add size and get stronger, I challenge you to try this program and see what sort of results you’ll get…

…and yes it is 100% POSSIBLE to make gains in size and strength in 30 days or less (without using drugs and without any cheats).

So what is The Goliath program all about and why is it different?

Goliath is a 30 day program that is designed around the big lifts, specifically squats and pull-ups.

Each week you will train for 6 days, and the squat will be the foundation of every workout.

Squats every day, you ask?!?

YES.

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

After an interesting discussion about new ways we can challenge ourselves to grow, my training partner Nate and I decided it would be a great idea to build a program around squats and pull-ups (which have been called the upper body squat).

We then went to the drawing board and designed The Goliath Program.

It worked so well for us that we decided to give it away for free to help other bros who have been struggling to make gains finally make some progress.

Since we released it last year, thousands of hardgaining bros have successfully completed the program and just about everyone made significant gains in size and strength, ourselves included.

Now, if you’re a skeptical gym bro you’re probably reading all of this and thinking “yeah yeah blah blah” or “heard it all before” and you still may not be convinced this program is legit (or for you)… that’s why I posted the first full week of the program below so you can try it for yourself. You can check it out below:

THE GOLIATH TRAINING PROGRAM

Program Overview: It’s no secret, training to be your absolute best requires dedication, commitment, and hard work. However, it also requires a continuous progression of new challenges to force your body to adapt to new stresses and stimuli so you can continue to grow and improve over time. Goliath was designed to spur continued adaptation and fight stubborn plateaus. The goal here is to build muscle, get stronger, push past physiological plateaus, and get closer to your true genetic potential.

USER ADVISORY: THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED FOR SEASONED VETS AND THOSE WILLING TO GO DEEP INTO THE PAIN CAVE. USER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.  

Workout Split: During this program you will have 6 primary training days and 1 rest day each week. Advanced users can use the rest day as an active rest day, but a full day of rest is generally recommended.

Active Rest Days: On the “rest day” where you aren’t lifting you can turn it into an active rest day where you can do 15-30 minutes of (1) HIIT Training; or (2) sports like pick-up basketball or flag football; or (3) go hiking, swimming, cycling, etc. There is no right or best way to do cardio, just pick an activity that you actually like and do that.

How Much Weight To Use: The term ‘1 Rep Max’ or (1RM) is simply the maximum amount of weight you can lift for one rep on any particular exercise. In this program, you may see 1RM listed as a percentage (i.e. 80%) of weight to use. This simply means if 250 pounds is your 1 Rep Max on squats, you will lift 80% of that, or 200 pounds. Pro Tip: If you do not know your 1 Rep Max (1RM), or need help calculating the percentages, you can find some helpful online calculators here. Keep in mind that online calculators may only be 80-90% accurate, but they should be able to give you a general idea of where you are in terms of strength.

Super Sets & Rep Scheme: Some of the exercises are meant to be performed in super, tri, and/or giant sets. So if the sequence says “1a, 1b, 1c” for example, you should perform each exercise back to back without resting. Also, when it comes to the rep scheme, “5×10” means 5 sets of 10.

Warm Up Sets: Before your first set on each exercise, perform 1-2 warm up sets of 10-15 reps. This will help your joints and muscles get warm and prepare you for the workload that is to come.

Tracking: Keep a workout journal or training log of the weights you use during each workout to effectively track your progress.

GOLIATH WEEK 1

TEST DAY (Optional):
1. Barbell Back Squat:
(a) Warmup: 3×10 escalating weight
(b) Work: 1×5 60%, 1×4 70%, 1×3 80%, 1×2 90%, 1×1 Max for the day
(c) Work: 3×5 @ 75% day 1RM

2. Weighted Chins 5×3 ascending weight: 60 rest between sets

3. Inverted row 5×8

4a. Dumbbell pullover to extension 3×12-15
4b. Dumbbell Walking lunges 3×20 steps

Note: Test Day: we tested a sample workout out on ourselves first just to make sure everything we were put down on paper actually made sense in the gym. You do not have to complete the Test Day, you can skip right to Day 1 below. However, we figured it can’t hurt to throw in another free workout for you to try because we are cool like that. You can save this one for a rainy day. 

GOLIATH DAY 1:

1. Barbell Back Squat
(a) Warmup: 3×5 @ 45%, 55%, 65%
(b) Work: 6×6 @ 70% w/:90 rest between sets

2a. Chin-Up 5×10
2b. Standing Overhead Barbell Press 5×10 w/:60 rest between sets

3a. Reverse Curls 3×10
3b. Tricep Pressdowns 3×10
3c. Hanging Knee Raises 3×10

Are you not sure whether Goliath is for you? Watch the video below, then decide:

GOLIATH DAY 2:

1. 3/7 Squat (example: 3 front squats, duck under the bar and complete 7 back squats)
(a) Warmup: ramp up to 50% 1RM Back Squat
(b) Work: 50% 1RM- set interval timer for 2:00 and do 3 front squats, then 7 back squats. Rest remainder of the 2:00. PERFORM 8 SETS

2a. Straight Legged Inverted Row: 4x MAX REPS
2b. Sit-Ups: 4×15

Watch the video below for a breakdown of the “3/7 Squat” format:

GOLIATH DAY 3:

1. Barbell Back Squat 5×7 @ 75% 1RM w/:90 rest

2a. Tempo Pull-Up 4×8 (example: 2 second pause at the bottom and 2 second pause at the top. Overhand Grip).
2b. RDL 4×8 (example: 2 second negative on the way down/explosive pull and glute squeeze at the top).

3. Superman Holds 2x:90

GOLIATH DAY 4:

1a. Split Squat 4×12 each leg—4 second negative/explosive on the way up
1b. Dumbbell Step-Up 4×8 each leg—4 second negative/explosive on the way up
1c. Plyometric Step-Up 4×12 total –Explosive for every jump
REST: 90 seconds after 1c has been completed

2a. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press 4×8—4 second negative/explosive on the way up
2b. Chest Supported Row 4×12—4 second negative/explosive on the way up
REST: 60 seconds after 2b has been completed

3a. Hanging Knee Raises 1×50
3b. Pull to Face 1×50

GOLIATH DAY 5:

1. Bear Complex 8 reps (Clean + Squat + Press + Back Squat) with 80% of bodyweight.

2. 5-3-1 Barbell Back Squat (1) 2×10 warmup; (2) clusters (5 reps at 65%, 3 reps at 75%, 1 rep at 85%). No rest between 5-3-1 reps. Repeat 3 times. Rest 2-3:00 minutes after cluster is over

3. Barbell Hip Thrust 2×20 with your own body weight on the bar

4. Inverted Row 1×50

GOLIATH DAY 6: (CHALLENGE DAY)

1. Front Squat Challenge: Complete 50 reps in 5 minutes with your bodyweight on the bar.
Rest 5:00

2. Strict Chin-Up Challenge: max reps in 5:00…NO KIPPING!

Here are a few general training and recovery tips to help you crush it every week:

1. Eat enough calories: If you want to power through Goliath and not just simply “survive”…it mans you’ve got to eat right. The workout volume and intensity are both challenging, so you will need to provide your body with enough fuel to power through 6 grueling workout sessions each week. I strongly recommend increasing your daily caloric intake (by 10-20%) and using a few helpful supplements such as BYLT and 1316 Whey to help you recover. You can use my daily meal plan outline as a template – just be sure to adjust the macros to your own needs.

Pro Tip: I increased my weekly cheat meals from 1 to 3 each week to give my body more needed fuel. Nothing super unhealthy, more more of a healthy “cheat” like Chipotle post-workout. 

2. Get enough sleep. I cannot stress enough how important recovery is if you’re going to complete all 4 weeks of this program. This means that sleep needs to be a priority. Your body is going to take a pounding and be awfully sore, but by getting enough sleep you will increase recovery ability so you’ll be able to crush it every single workout. I recommend getting at least 7 hours per night on weekdays, while shooting for 8-10 hours on the weekends.

3. Take ice baths. Like I mentioned above, recovery is critically important if you want to survive all 4 weeks. So head to your local convenience store and buy some giant bags of ice, fill up your bathtub, and ice up son. Try to hop in the ice bath at least twice per week.

4. Have fun. Remember, not every day will be a good day. Not every lift will make your highlight reel or Instagram. There will be days where you suffer, because THIS IS REAL TRAINING and it is going to get ugly. So when you have a bad lift or an off day, don’t beat yourself up too bad over it – these things are going to happen when you’re on a program like this. So stay positive. Relax. Enjoy the battle. Love the process. Even the King of the Jungle was once just a tiny cub who couldn’t hunt, protect, or feed himself. Remember that…

Weekly Supplementation Schedule

Upon Waking
Whey Protein: 20-40 grams
BCAA’s: 5 grams
Glutamine: 5 grams
Greens Powder: 1 serving

Taken With Meals
Fish Oil (Or Krill Oil): 2-3 grams; 3 times per day

Before Your Workout
Pre-Workout Mix *optional*

During Your Workout
BYLT *1 serving*

After Your Workout *within 30 minutes*
Whey Protein: 20-40 grams
Creatine: 2-5 grams
BCAAs: 5 grams
Betaine: 1-3 grams

Before Bed
Casein Protein: 20-40 grams
Probiotic *1 serving*

For a full list of recommended supplements Click Here.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking at the first week of Goliath and thinking “oh helllll no” – just remember that you’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try.

You have no idea the power that lies within you right now.

This power is inside all of us, we just have to test/push ourselves & unlock it.

So if you’re serious about taking your strength, conditioning, and endurance to the next level, it’s finally time to prove it – and you can prove it by putting in the work.

Then work some more.

Refuse to be outworked.

Refuse to give in to fear, insecurity, weakness and self-doubt.

Push yourself beyond your predefined mental and physical limits each and every day.

Most importantly, love the battle.

Love the journey and respect the process.

Today is a brand new day to build on yesterday’s accomplishments and grind towards your goals.

The key to greatness is right there in your hands.

It’s right there inside you.

The rest is for you to decide.

CLICK HERE to download the full program. 

Thanks for reading. If you have questions or comments please post them below or on the Goliath Training Forum.