Dr Squat 80 Day Cycle with RTS
by Mike Tuchscherer
One of the people I respect most in Powerlifting is Dr. Fred Hatfield. He is a lifter who not only was very strong and talented, but was also willing to engage his brain and commit to his craft in a way that not many (any?) other lifters can duplicate. The guy went and LIVED in Soviet Russia so he could learn more about they trained athletes for cryin’ out loud! The result of this unprecedented blend of physical and mental work was a lifter who was far ahead of his time.
One of Dr. Squat’s standby routines – one that he recommends all lifters start out with – is the 80 Day Cycle. If you have never seen it before, you can see it in its original context here. What I would like to do is take the 80 day cycle that Dr. Hatfield has written and use it as a basis for an RTS program. You can use this program in your own training or use it as a tool to learn to better program your own training. Without further ado…
Day 1
Bench: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 3
Deadlift: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 6
Squat: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 9
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 11
Bench: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 13
Deadlift: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 16
Squat: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 19
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 21
Bench: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 23
Deadlift: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 26
Squat: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 29
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 31
Bench: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 33
Deadlift: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 36
Squat: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 39
Deadlift: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 41
Bench: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 43
Deadlift: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 46
Squat: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 49
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 51
Bench: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 53
Deadlift: x3 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 56
Squat: x3 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 59
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 61
Bench: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 66
Squat: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x5 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 71
Bench: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 76
Squat: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 80 (Wednesday prior to contest)
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Competition on Saturday
This was not an easy program to convert. First, there is the basic problem with percentage programming. Not everyone responds to percentages the same way. Then, most percentage programs attempt to estimate your progress along the program by steadily increasing the percentage used for a given number of reps or gradually increasing the number used as a 1RM to base all other loading from. This program uses both methods concurrently. That makes for a conversion to RPE difficult to estimate. However, if you look at the program in the original context, you can see where I came up with the above schedule quite easily. And it’s okay if it doesn’t perfectly emulate the original 80 day cycle. It is only supposed to be based on it.
Problems aside, there’s clearly plenty to learn from this. Dr. Hatfield is clearly not afraid to have the athlete work hard and he has several things that work, but for whatever reason seem to have gone out of fashion in the strength world. Things like deadlifting for reps, plenty of volume, and static holds are a mainstay of the program. He is not very clear about assistance work, so add supplemental exercises as you see fit.
So there you have it. If you decide to give the above cycle a try, I would love to hear about your results with it. Please feel free to email me using the website’s contact form or, even better, make a post on the forum and tell us all what you thought!
by Mike Tuchscherer
One of the people I respect most in Powerlifting is Dr. Fred Hatfield. He is a lifter who not only was very strong and talented, but was also willing to engage his brain and commit to his craft in a way that not many (any?) other lifters can duplicate. The guy went and LIVED in Soviet Russia so he could learn more about they trained athletes for cryin’ out loud! The result of this unprecedented blend of physical and mental work was a lifter who was far ahead of his time.
One of Dr. Squat’s standby routines – one that he recommends all lifters start out with – is the 80 Day Cycle. If you have never seen it before, you can see it in its original context here. What I would like to do is take the 80 day cycle that Dr. Hatfield has written and use it as a basis for an RTS program. You can use this program in your own training or use it as a tool to learn to better program your own training. Without further ado…
Day 1
Bench: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 3
Deadlift: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 6
Squat: x3 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 9
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 11
Bench: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 13
Deadlift: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 16
Squat: x4 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 19
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 21
Bench: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 23
Deadlift: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 26
Squat: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 29
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 31
Bench: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 33
Deadlift: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 36
Squat: x6 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 39
Deadlift: x5 @10, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 41
Bench: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 43
Deadlift: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 46
Squat: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 49
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 51
Bench: x2 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 53
Deadlift: x3 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 56
Squat: x3 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 59
Deadlift: x5 @9, 6-9% Fatigue
Day 61
Bench: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 66
Squat: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x5 @9, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 71
Bench: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Deadlift: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Day 76
Squat: x2 @10, 4-6% Fatigue
Bench: x2 @7, 4-6% Fatigue
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Day 80 (Wednesday prior to contest)
Squat: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Bench: 120% Hold x8sec, 3 sets
Competition on Saturday
This was not an easy program to convert. First, there is the basic problem with percentage programming. Not everyone responds to percentages the same way. Then, most percentage programs attempt to estimate your progress along the program by steadily increasing the percentage used for a given number of reps or gradually increasing the number used as a 1RM to base all other loading from. This program uses both methods concurrently. That makes for a conversion to RPE difficult to estimate. However, if you look at the program in the original context, you can see where I came up with the above schedule quite easily. And it’s okay if it doesn’t perfectly emulate the original 80 day cycle. It is only supposed to be based on it.
Problems aside, there’s clearly plenty to learn from this. Dr. Hatfield is clearly not afraid to have the athlete work hard and he has several things that work, but for whatever reason seem to have gone out of fashion in the strength world. Things like deadlifting for reps, plenty of volume, and static holds are a mainstay of the program. He is not very clear about assistance work, so add supplemental exercises as you see fit.
So there you have it. If you decide to give the above cycle a try, I would love to hear about your results with it. Please feel free to email me using the website’s contact form or, even better, make a post on the forum and tell us all what you thought!
