85 reviews for The Absolute Athlete
The Absolute Athlete is for those who favor performance above all. Developed by record-holding powerlifter and gymnast Hadyn Wiseman, this functional program combines powerlifting, olympic lifting, and bodyweight exercises to help athletes develop maximal strength, power, speed, agility, balance, and coordination.
This program is perfect for intermediate-level lifters and athletes. The program runs for 6 weeks, with a steady increase in intensity each week and a de-load week at the end. There are 3 sessions per week, which allows dual athletes to also train for another sport. Full guide below.
Andrew Pierce
Man, 275 weeks complete
5 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
Less than expected muscle gains
Good program to implement while doing other training. I used this program while I increased more running/cardio workouts.
Man, 26
5 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
Less than expected muscle gains
I would say it’s very efficient strength program I would make some sport specific modifications and swap out some exercises but overall I was able to gain strength whilst bjj training 4-5 times per week.
jens tis
Man, 193 weeks complete
4 years of prior experience
Less than expected strength gains
Less than expected muscle gains
I liked the cool down/stretch routine at the end og each workout. I will keep using that going forward. But the program itself wasnt too great, I didnt gain as much strength or agility or muscle as I expected, so I probably wouldnt recommend it
Jerry H.
Man5 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Good to maintain muscle and not cumulate fatigue when doing other sports. If gym is the only thing you do, this routine isn’t enough in my opinion. But if the main focus is a sport, this routine is good enough to maintain strength.
Dimas
Man, 263 weeks complete
4 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
This is an amazing program, I am a professional mma fighter that has tried many different strength training programs and this is by far the best.
Orlando S.
Man, 157 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Not the best program for strength but definitely works and I felt a lot more athletic and strong outside of SBD. Body weight stayed about the same. Also I am 15 years old and I have been trying for almost 2 years so strength gains don’t come as quickly as they used to. Before: Bench - 225lbs/102kg Squat - 290lbs/130kg Deadlift - 365lbs/165kg Power Clean - 135lbs/60kg After: Bench - 230lbs/107kg Squat - 300lbs/135kg Deadlift - 375/170kg Power Clean - 145lbs/35kg
Bradley Gibbs
Man, 287 weeks complete
5 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
More than expected muscle gains
Seems most of the reviews are from people who didn't bother to read the description for this program: it's for athletes. Now, I'm not an athlete... So I modified this a little and included some rehab stuff for myself and it worked great. Recommend 👍🏻
Moe R.
Man, 255 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Honestly, one of the best programs I have ran so far. Little background on me: 5”8, 180LB, have almost a year of consistent training. My results after running this program 2 times: Bench 165 to 215 Squat 250 to 300 Deadlift 295 to 350 I’ve never done any olympic lifts so I had to learn the power clean from 0. Now, I can do 150. By far, the most amazing elements for me were the chinups and dips. I started assisted with machine. Now, my chinups are a clean 15LB extra weight for 6, and dips 15LB for 7. The functional exercises will raise your heartbeat by the end but a good bang for the buck. I have a little more toned body that shows the work I’ve put into this, and people started noticing, which made me really glad. As for modifications, I changed the inchworm for an ab roller which is a killer for abs, and did weighted walking lunges, as the pistol squat was too difficult for me. I loved the variety and intensity of training. And, It would be awesome if this program had a 4 day variation. Also, to include other exercises like hip thrusts for glutes, and more emphasis on back development (Rows maybe) as I feel it’s a bit neglected. That said, I would highly recommend you to give this program a try. It will truly break your sweat and with patience, deliver amazing results. -Moe
Campbell W.
Man5 weeks complete
8 years of prior experience
Less than expected strength gains
Less than expected muscle gains
Definitely run it with some other program/goals. I did yoga 2-3 times weekly around it, using this for my strength but it probably wasn’t enough as is coming down from a 4 day program like Calgary. That being said I absolutely loved the functional work, I can pistol squat like a champ now.
Man, 21
3 weeks complete
4 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Maybe add more explosive movements into this program.