Attack Your Weak Points | Offseason & Peaking | Build Athletic Resilience | Build Strength For LIFE
What is 10/20/Life?
The 10/20/Life Philosophy is a life-long approach for any level of lifter or athlete. Many recreational lifters utilize the protocols in this book to have a better plan in the gym, with no plans to ever compete. On the other hand, many competitive lifters from Beginner to Pro use this approach with great success!
From The Author and creator, Brian Carroll: “With 10/20/Life, my objective is to teach you to get the results you want by coaching yourself—the same way a superior coach would take you through an individualized program in a great gym. We start out with a thorough examination of your weak points because that’s how quality coaching works. The idea is to show you what to program, and when, based on your weaknesses in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. This sounds simple, but it’s something most people don’t even consider, much less put into practice.
From there, the 10/20/Life system takes you through the best injury-preventative warm-up in the industry, followed by a comprehensive layout of coaching cues for each individual lift. From start to finish, you’ll learn what to look for and what to do, and you’ll learn the reasoning behind all of it. By the time you’re finished working your way through these materials, you’ll be able to coach yourself, and others, like a pro.”
Learn to be your own coach, attack your weaknesses and utilize a proven philosophy that is a guide to permanent success.
LISTEN TO OUR COLLEAGUES
Foreword by Professor Stuart McGill- Professor of Spine Biomechanics & Author of “Back Mechanic”:
“Great coaches know the science of how to expand the biological limits of their athletes, and then respect those limits to avoid injury. Brian Carroll knows how to build the injury resilient and high-performance strength athlete. He has been there himself and continues to coach others to reach their potential.”
From Blaine Sumner “The Vanilla Gorilla” – IPF World Champion, IPF World Record holder and highest wilks score in powerlifting history:
“Brian Carroll has been involved in Powerlifting for nearly 20 years. His years of ‘in the trenches’ knowledge and wisdom have helped me with insights concerning my own programming, my back rehab (our stories are similar) and his 10/20/Life strength training principles are proven over and over to help keep athletes honest, healthy and strong for the long haul.”
10-and-20 weeks at a time, for a lifetime of positive momentum in training and in LIFE.
10/20/Life Video Series
5-Step Process
STEP # 1: Choose your schedule. (3 different)
STEP #2: Determine your weak points in the main lifts. (use the coaching guide to correct form)
STEP #3: Use the Weak Point and Assistance Exercise indexes to custom design your own program. (pick your assistance work as specified in the Weak Point index)
STEP #4: Follow the warm-up protocol listed. (4 parts, super easy and custom)
STEP #5: Determine your level of readiness, then train according to the system’s RPE plan for that day or if you’re in precontest, you go off of percentages. (this all depends on where you are in your phase of training)
Testimonials for 10/20/LIFE
"The words Thank You do not say enough for an excellent training experience! Your professionalism and passion are extraordinary. As a former powerlifter and having my son, a collegiate powerlifter, training with you was an enriching experience. We were genuinely impressed with your ability to translate all your years of technical expertise on the lifts into an understandable and immediately usable application. Your coaching enabled my son to easily set two new PRs, each of 50+ pounds, during our incredible time together! Thank you for your valuable insights and advice on nutrition, recovery, and back rehabilitation. Your “10/20/Life” principles and “Gift of Injury” have enabled me to resume Powerlifting after thinking all was lost after nearly 25 years. Your techniques and coaching have allowed me to deadlift again and squat while maintaining a healthy and resilient back. Lastly, thank you for giving back to the Powerlifting community. My son and I feel blessed to have met such a knowledgeable, passionate, and approachable person. We look forward to continuing our training together. You are one of a kind, my man!"
After training with the Conjugate Method to boost my athletic performance as a D1 lacrosse player, I encountered Brian Carroll, who introduced me to a life-changing regimen. While Conjugate helped me build strength quickly, it also came with persistent minor injuries and left me completely drained, often diminishing my performance on the field. Over time, workouts became a grueling chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Switching to 10/20/Life, as introduced by Brian, was a game changer. I immersed myself in the book and applied the principles I learned. Not only did my performance metrics surpass previous plateaus, but I also experienced a significant improvement in my overall well-being. With 10/20/Life, I can train intensely and efficiently, and still have ample energy for daily activities. It has led me to achieve personal records I once thought were unattainable, enhanced my strength and recovery, and revitalized my enthusiasm for training. 10/20/Life is now my go-to training method, and I plan to use it exclusively for the foreseeable future.
Brian Carroll’s 10/20/Life was recommended to me by a fellow powerlifter and coworker, and it has genuinely changed my lifting. The book contains a vast amount of knowledge and provides you with everything you need to know to be successful and healthy in the sport of powerlifting. He includes invaluable information on discovering sticking points and addressing those weaknesses as well as both on- and off-season meet prep programs that are simple and effective. After reading Brian’s book multiple times through and following his program for the past 3 meets, I had an injury-free prep and broke 3 RPS world records in the 148 Women’s Elite Open division. On the same program, my boyfriend was also able to take 4 state records in his Master’s division as well as a state record in the Open division. This book is an excellent resource for anyone willing to work and will guarantee results for those who stay consistent and motivated throughout the program. Thank you for sharing your expertise, Brian!
“Changing from a coach who chose to jump from reputable program to reputable program to a coach who trains 10/20/Life and trains her clients with 10/20Life has made lifting enjoyable again. I used to hurt all the time, whine that I was old, and live on the verge of injury. Now, following 10/20Life, I look forward to deload weeks, my numbers are up, and my body is recovering. I no longer see my chiropractor twice a week and my massage therapist more than once a month. My body feels better, and I don’t complain about being old. Because I feel so much better with 10/20/Life, I have even found a new passion for geared lifting, and I love seeing the Now, following 10/20Life, I look forward to deload weeks, my numbers are up, and my body is recovering. I no longer see my chiropractor twice a week and my massage therapist more than once a month. My body feels better, and I don’t complain about being old. Because I feel so much better with 10/20/Life, I have even found a new passion for geared lifting, and I love seeing the bigger numbers! Thank you, Brian, for creating programming that will allow me to continue to powerlift for years to come.”
“There is no easy way. There is no magic pill. And there are no instant results. What there is, however: hard work, long hours, smart planning, ideal timing, optimal programming, and attention to detail. In short, this is 10/20/Life. Through Brian’s life experience and professional work, you get a definitive blueprint for the day-in and day-out fundamentals of incremental improvement. Brian’s accomplishments on the platform are unrivaled. He has brought what has helped him succeed in a sport that is ever changing. All facets of a customized personal program with 10/20/Life are covered and delivered to you in an easy-to-read, intuitive format. If you want to make certain that you’re on the path for lifelong improvement (not just your next training block), make the effort to read 10/20/Life. You’ll thank yourself years down the road.”
“Every athlete knows that the day will come that they can no longer do what has driven them for so many years. I spent the majority of my life playing football, from Pop Warner, through high school, to college, and eventually in various Arena Football Leagues. During that time I was on countless all-conference teams, selected for national level all start games, and numerous lineman awards. I always knew that when the day comes that I could no longer play football at a high level, I would have to find a way to still compete. My love for lifting made powerlifting a natural go to sport, but little did I know there would be so many bumps along the way. After going at it on my own for some time, which resulted in a partially torn hamstring, tricep, and a completely detached pec major tendon, I turned to Brian Carroll’s 10/20/life for direction and guidance. In less than 18 months from surgery date, and less than one year working with Brian I beat my all time best total by 70lbs (2500lbs) and at a lower body weight. I cannot say enough about the 10/20/Life program. It has changed the way I look at training and has saved me from myself!”
“A fighter has to be strong enough to control the opponent, deliver powerful punches and kicks and deal with severe impacts. After training for more than 10 years at the top of the pro-fighting and BJJ circuit, Brian Carroll’s 10/20/Life method has not only addressed all of the above, but it has actually helped make my training fun again. Today I feel like I am training increasingly smarter as well as being much more mindful of technique—a winning combination for getting stronger and staying injury free.”
“I started using 10/20/Life in July 2015. At the time I had gotten over a major sick bug and was frustrated with the inability to find a programming methodology that could keep me training effectively while finishing my Masters and dealing with other life stresses. In a year and a half of using the program my gym lifts have gone up by… – Squat: 130 lbs – Bench: 70 lbs – Deadlift: 105 lbs During this time my weight has stayed about the same but my body fat percentage has gone down quite a bit. I’m very grateful for Brian Carroll for creating a fantastic methodology that helped a “less than genetically gifted” lifter make incredible progress during some of the most stressful times of my life.”
“ I’ve run 10/20/Life programming for over five years, for equipped powerlifting and have successfully incorporated it into many of my strongman off season and contest prep cycles as well. Although progress isn’t typically linear, mine actually has been. My total has steadily increased each meet; 1120, 1160, 1270, 1300, 1345, all while taking one year off from competition in between, adding a second sport to train for and with zero “bombs.” I love the philosophy in its entirety. I’ve learned how to warm up properly, bring up my weaknesses, get better at attempt selection, and most importantly; I’ve learned how to prep my body to effectively get stronger, while still going into meets healthy.”
I started working with coach Brian Carroll in mid-2008 as his first online training client. Neither of us knew exactly what to expect, but he was confident in his ability to get me stronger, and I trusted his judgment. By the end of 2010, he had added over 300 lb to my total and taken me to a 2150 lb. pro total as a 220-lb. lifter. Brian’s 10/20/Life principles truly took me to the next level and have allowed me to hit multiple raw and equipped pro totals since.
