Fitness is complicated these days. There are so many programs, exercises, and implements to choose from that it’s hard to know what you should really be doing to make strength and muscle gains. Or maybe it’s what you should be doing after four weeks on one workout plan that worries you. Do yourself a favor and forget all the other options and focus on the program given here. It’s guaranteed to work for as long as you use it, ensuring a lifetime of steady progress without plateaus.
HOW IT WORKS:
You’re going to concentrate on one or two major barbell exercises—the bench press, squat, deadlift, or overhead press— each workout. These lifts work the most muscle mass and will always challenge your body. The intensity of each lift will progress over four weeks: The first week you’ll do sets of eight reps using a moderate percentage of the heaviest load you can handle for one rep. The next week you’ll go a little heavier and do five reps. The following week, you’ll increase the intensity so you can perform only three reps, and then in Week 4, you’ll lighten things up. This “deload” week will refresh you to start the cycle again in Week 5. Add weight to each main lift every month and you’ll see astounding gains within weeks. The remaining exercises are meant to work the muscles that are prime movers on the main lifts and to prevent muscle imbalances. They’ll also target your arms, abs, and many other body parts you want to enhance. To keep the program working long term, simply switch up the exercises slightly from month to month. For instance, swap out the one-arm row for a bentover row next month (you can do this with the main lifts, too, although they won’t require it as frequently). This workout’s foundation is similar in nature to Jim Wendler’s popular 5/3/1 system, but you’ll note a few significant changes. First, the rep scheme and percentages diff er, giving you more volume at the beginning of each cycle, and each of these sets is performed for a fixed number of reps. Next we added variation to your assistance work to make things interesting.
4-WEEK PLAN Week 1 4 sets of 8 reps @ 65%070%
Week 2 4 sets of 5 reps @ 75%-80%
Week 3 3 sets of 3 reps @ 85%-90%
Week 4 5 sets of 5 reps @ 60%-70%
Note that the workout pages that follow show only the percentages, reps, and sets for the first week (65%-70%). You must be sure to change the percentages, reps, and sets each week accordingly.
DIRECTIONS
Frequency: Perform each workout (Day 1, 2, and 3) once per week, resting at least a day between each session.
Time Needed: 45–60 min.
How To Do It: Perform the exercise pairs (marked “A” and “B”) as alternating sets. You’ll complete one set of A, rest, then one set of B, rest again, and repeat until all sets are complete. Perform the remaining exercises as straight sets. The bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press must be done with a certain percentage of your max—the heaviest load you can lift for one rep. If you don’t know your maxes, estimate them using the formula in “Figure Out Your Max” below. In the sidebar, you can see how the sets, reps, and percentages look over four weeks.
Find the Max: You can get a rough estimate of your max if you know how many reps you can perform with a certain weight. The formula to find your max is as follows (note that it’s most accurate in the five- to eight-rep range).
One-rep max = (weight x reps x 0.0333) + weight For example, a guy who can bench-press 225 pounds for six reps can probably do one rep with 270 pounds, but be conservative.
THE WORKOUTS
DAY 1
1) Bench Press
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65% 70% of max
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65% 70% of max
Hold the bar with an overhand, outside- shoulder-width grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and arch your back. Take the bar off of the rack, lower it to just below your sternum, and then push your feet hard into the floor to help you press the weight back up.
2) Incline Dumbbell Press
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–12
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–12
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree incline, grab a dumbbell in each hand, and sit on the bench, holding the weights at the sides of your chest. Press the dumbbells straight overhead.
3) One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–10
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–10
Grab a dumbbell in one hand and rest the opposite hand and knee on a bench. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, row the weight until it touches your side. Do all your reps with one arm first, then switch sides. That’s one set.
4a) Dumbbell Curl
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the weights up to shoulder level.
4b) Face Pull
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station and grab an end in each hand. Squeezing your shoulder blades together, row the handle to your forehead.
5) Weighted Sit-Up
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Hold a weight behind your head and lie on your back on the fl oor. Raise your torso off the floor as high as you can.
DAY 2
1) Squat
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65%–70% of max
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65%–70% of max
Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly outward. Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can, trying to get your thighs at least parallel to the floor. Keep your posture as upright as possible and maintain the normal arching your lower back.
2) Deadlift
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65%–70% of max
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65%–70% of max
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, bend down, and grab the bar outside your knees. Your shoulders should be over the bar. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, drive your heels into the fl oor and push your hips forward, lifting the bar until it’s in front of your thighs.
3) Bulgarian Split Squat
Sets: 3 Reps: 8–10 (each leg)
Sets: 3 Reps: 8–10 (each leg)
Stand a few feet in front of a bench and rest the top of your left foot on it. Keeping your torso upright, bend your right knee and lower your body until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor.
4) Back Extension
Sets: 3 Reps: 10–12
Sets: 3 Reps: 10–12
Get on a back-extension apparatus and set the pad so that it’s under your hips. Allow your body to bend 90 degrees at the hips. Extend your back so that your body forms a straight line.
DAY 3
1) Overhead Press
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 @ 65%–70% of max
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab the bar with a grip just wider than shoulder width. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your chest out. Press the bar overhead and slightly backward so that it ends up in line with the back of your head.
2) Dip
Sets: 3 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3 Reps: 12–15
Go to a parallel-bar dip station. Suspend yourself over the bars. Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push back up.
3) Pull-Up
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–10
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 8–10
Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands outside shoulder width and your palms facing away from you. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
4a) Barbell Curl
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 10–12
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 10–12
Hold a straight bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your elbows braced against your sides, curl the bar to shoulder level.
4b) Dumbbell Shrug
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 10–12
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 10–12
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow your arms to hang at your sides with your palms facing each other. Shrug your shoulders as high as you can.
5a) Hanging Leg-Raise
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Grab on to a pullup bar and hang. Raise your legs up as high as you can, allowing your back to round.
5b) Russian Twist
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Sets: 3–4 Reps: 12–15
Grab a medicine ball, dumbbell, or weight plate and sit on the floor with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees. Hold the weight straight out in front of you and keep your back straight (your torso should be at about 45 degrees to the floor). Twist your torso as far as you can to the left and then reverse the motion, twisting as far as you can to the right.
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