Body building for guys (16 year olds)?

Question

I am a 16 year old boy, weight at only 35 kg. I took supplements but it doesn't do anything. My wrist is pretty small and my veins (Those green ones) are pretty visible, trying to build some flesh around that and my chest area which my bones is pretty visible. Now, here is my problem:

a) Am I having anorexic? I took toast, rice and potatoes almost everyday which is filled with carbohydrate, I took the most I could and yet I am not growing.

b) If I am not having anorexic, can I try body building? If yes, what is the weight (kg) do you recommend me to start with and how long and how often do have to do it. I am sick of being small.

Please help, teen problem.

Answer 1

I was once in your shoes. I used to be a cross country runner my freshman year back in high school. Sophomore year I decided to build up muscle and only run track and field. The key is sticking to the CORE compound exercises, the exercises that stimulate many muscles all at once. They are squats, deadlifts, bench press, pullups, dips, and overhead presses. You DO NOT need any exercises beyond that or else your face overtraining, and muscles do not grow in an overtrained state. (If you do several sets of deadlifts correct, you will be absolutely worn out and shaking) Eat alot of quality carbs like pasta and rice. Eat plenty of egg whites as well as chicken, turkey, tuna. Supplement with a protein shake where needed. I never used more than one packet of an MRP (meal replacement powder) in a day.

Answer 2

You can't 'have' anorexic. Anorexia is a maladaptive disorder having nothing to do with trying to gain weight. From that diet your definately having too many carbs, and no protein. To build muscle mass you need a slightly higher than normal intake of lean protein.
Also, at your age, you should see a doctor before starting any weight bearing exercise. Your 'long' bones should be completely calcified or your could damage the growth plates within them. For this a doctor may order x-rays to view the long bones.

Answer 3

u r really thin only 35 kg,by right u should be above 55 kg.yes u r anorexic as u don't eat much in other high calories food like fish,meat n eggs.u can't rely only on carbohydrate food 4 ur body growing.u must eat at least 5-6 times daily in nutritious food n drink lots of water.proper exercise is also vital if u want really building up ur body.take care.

Answer 4

This does not mean that you are anorexic. One of the reasons that you are not gaining is because you are focusing on carbs. If you are looking to grow muscle and not just fat, you want to focus on Proteins. Things like chicken and lean beef. The protein in these meats will allow your body to build muscle, and not just get fat.

You are 16, and probably have a very fast metabolism, and this is why carbing all day is not helping you.

Answer 5

Well Victor, first of all you are young and still growing, dont get panic about your body mass, when i was young at your age i play basketball, still playing. i was too skinny that was my only problem it was hard on screens and taking rebounds, positioning under the rim....I couldnt go up in weight, when i was 23 i weight 75 kilos, i was lifting weights eating properly, after 23 i start gaining some body mass because simply i couldnt get much taller...now i weight 90 kilos and is hard to go down not up...So do your weight lifting, dont overdo it, keep eating good and bother about your body mass it can only grow, you are just being young. Patient man dont stop work out and eat properly it is just a matter of time i can guarantee that! Dont give up dont be disappointed, if i knew how things will turn up for me i wouldnt have stopped playing basketball in my team...

I feel i have to tell you that so you dont make same mistakes i did, dont give up man, it is only a matter of time!

There is no way to tell how much kilos you start with, start with the amount of kilos that you have totally contol over. for example start with the lowest, then go up..when you see that you cant control a constant and slow lifting then it is allready too much...Dont be ashame if you start at low weights you are too young, it is absolutely ok! Do not overdo it, your will increase and you WILL develope. Dont give up and dont overdo it

Carbohydrates will not make you grow, it is a very good power source though. Proteins wiull make you grow. (eggs, chcken, meat, milk, tunna fish, beans) in combination with carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates - Energy
Proteins - structure

There is a lot of programs about how often how much how long...but you cannot apply the same programs to all individuals. we are different everybody this is why diet and gym programs are usually so many and different...Work out as often as you can until you get tired, dont overdo it. work out until you feel tired, next time you can work ou longer.



Good Luck victor

Answer 6

390g of carbs is WAY TOOO MUCH! You should keep your carbs intake below HALF of your protein intake! What I don't get is why you've been lifting for so long, yet you don't see any results. I lifted/ did cardio for 8 months and got ripped and lost 76kg of pure fat. My body is genetically toned to gain muscle fat/easily, yet it loses fat quickly too; and doesn't let go of muscle. I guess some people's genetics really are "odd" in some ways.

Answer 7

Did you ever used Muscle Gaining Secrets technique. Proceed to here : http://Go.MuscleGainWay.com . This is able to undoubtedly benefit you!

Answer 8

1-You'll have to eat sensibly in order to see any muscle growth...this is first and foremost as no one ever grew in they gym the food they eat has them growing...look up 'the anabollic diet. and 't-dawg2.0' for mucle building diets

2-get enough rest....this is when you grow

3-Work out following a full body program no matter what your friends tell you if you're going to work out



For the last year I've been building my case for the muscle-building power of a well-designed high frequency training program. I introduced the world to my Perfect 10 program in order to give you a taste of high frequency training. Those who followed the program as prescribed were ecstatic with the results.

However, the plan was limited to one or two body parts. Why didn't I release a plan that targeted the entire body? Simple: I needed more data.

At any given time, I work with about fifty different trainees from all walks of life. That's a pretty respectable sample, but I wasn't satisfied with the amount of data I'd collected. So I waited around for the last year to accumulate feedback from the T-Nation population. In the meantime, I kept manipulating my clients' parameters in order to find a system that works best for muscle growth.

In fact, I've been experimenting with high frequency plans ever since I first witnessed the Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas. But I didn't want to devise a system that works well; I wanted to create a system that works incredibly well. I believe that high frequency training is the future of bodybuilding, and I wasn't going to skimp on any detail!

What I'm going to share with you is a hypertrophy training system that works better than any other parameters known to man. I'm usually very reluctant to make any claims regarding the results that my programs produce, but I'll say this: the following program will build muscle faster than you've ever built it before. And that's no ********.

This high frequency training system is based upon the following maxim: the more often you train a muscle – in an intelligent way – the more hypertrophy you'll achieve. It really is that simple, albeit in a complicated way. How's that for a duplicitous statement?


Clean Your Slate

Let's say I had a device that could totally wipe out all of the bodybuilding information that you've ever heard or read. If I had such a tool, I'd use it. But since I don't, you must do your best to avoid thinking about anything else you've ever been taught. Open up your mind and answer the following question for me:

If you knew absolutely nothing about bodybuilding parameters, what would you do to a muscle in order to make it grow as fast as possible?

Answers:

A. Train the muscle group often (every 1-2 days).
B. Train the muscle group infrequently (every 7-10 days).

Which answer makes the most sense? I think it's safe to say that most of you would choose option A. So why have so many bodybuilders chosen option B? Does it make sense?

I'll tell you why many bodybuilders choose option B: because they want it to be true. The mind is a powerful, and sometimes deceiving, tool. Wouldn't we all be thrilled to the gills if we could grow maximum muscle with only one workout per body part every 7-10 days?

Sure, such an infrequent plan would turn your fitness levels, work capacity, and cardiovascular conditioning into ****, but hey, who wants to spend a lot of time building a better body, right?

Since we live in an overly-stressed modern world with the clock spinning out of control, it sure makes sense to market a system that convinces you that training a body part four times per month is your ticket to fast muscle gains. In fact, to augment your position you could say that it's the best way to build muscle because, after all, there's a single best way to do everything, right?

And while you're at it, throw in a philosophy, say, objectivism, that was devised from a philosopher who knew nothing about building muscle. Quote her whenever you can to make your bodybuilding case even more solid. Brilliant!

Promoting a system that only requires one workout per body part every 7-10 days with 20 minute sessions is a great marketing strategy. Hell, every 2 A.M. infomercial I've ever seen promises the same thing. So it must be a great system! I can't tell you how many times a world-renowned strength coach has mentioned the power of a few 20 minutes sessions each week for building professional athletes and bodybuilding champions.

Okay, I'll step back from the sarcasm for a second. Infrequent training regimens are a good marketing strategy, but the results suck. Those who believe that infrequent training plans are best should have a fountain dropped on their head.


The Science is in the Evidence

Bodybuilders are known for being the most diligent of all species when it comes to nutrition. Indeed, many bodybuilders are undaunted by the presence of even the most alluring, physique-wrecking foods. Nope, they'll eat whatever they need to eat, along with any amount necessary in order to add just a few pounds of muscle.

I applaud their tenacity; however, even if they hired Dr. John Berardi to monitor every bite of their food for the next two months, they wouldn't build huge amounts of muscle. Nope, not without an extremely effective bodybuilding plan – a plan that's so powerful that even those who throw caution to the nutritional wind build muscle.

The best evidence for any hypothesis is based on real-world observations. What I mean is this: if I want to develop the most effective hypertrophy plan, then I should collect data from the people who built muscle without even trying. After all, we all know how difficult it is to build muscle at any rate – especially a fast rate.

Therefore, the best group to analyze would consist of people who don't give a damn about building muscle, and barely consume enough protein to meet the sub-par RDA standards. If these people built bigger muscles, then I've found one helluva good population to analyze.

I feel I've designed the ultimate hypertrophy program without evidence from the bodybuilding world. Yep, that's right. The origin of this program lies in the hypertrophy I witnessed from your everyday Joes. After all, if a mechanic can build up his forearms faster than a bodybuilder without even knowing that protein drinks exist, that's some pretty strong evidence to support what the mechanic is doing.

Think about how often a full-time mechanic grabs, grips, and twists with his forearms on a daily basis. Growing up in Redneckville, USA has provided me with plenty of data. I've seen new mechanics add an inch to their forearms within the first six weeks of starting a job in a repair shop. What do you think the nutritional plan of a typical mechanic consists of? I'll tell you what it consists of: beer, tobacco, and saturated fat.

But forearms are notorious for being muscle groups that respond best to lots of volume, so that isn't a good example, right? Well, that's ********, but I'll go along with it to establish my position.

So is there any other evidence to support regimens that build muscle in non-lifters? You bet there is! In fact, there's so much evidence that I could spend the entire article writing about it, but that's what my future book is for. In the meantime, let's look at another group of non-lifters who built muscle without trying: rock climbers.

Here's the interesting part: rock climbers don't want any extra muscle! In fact, it's safe to say that rock climbers represent a case study in catabolism. Not only are professional rock climbers not seeking hypertrophy, they're avoiding it! Yep, every extra ounce of muscle they add is an extra ounce that they have to lug up a mountainside.

I used to be the head trainer at an extreme fitness gym in a major city. At this gym, we had the crème de la crème of artificial rock-climbing walls. This wall attracted some of the top climbers in that area so I was fortunate to observe hundreds of climbers during my tenure at the club. Very few weighed more than 150 pounds.

I befriended a bunch of these lads and asked them about their training and nutritional regimens. They barely consumed enough food to maintain basic physiological functions, and their training was limited to climbing (minimal to no weight-training). Furthermore, most were deathly afraid of red meat, and were convinced that high-protein diets would detonate their kidneys. The highest protein intake ever reported to me by one of these climbers was 100 grams per day – and most of it was soy. But they all had proportionally large forearms, biceps, lats, and upper backs.

Then we have lumberjacks. Do you know any lumberjacks? If you do, tell them to take off their shirts so you can analyze their upper back development. Or, buy a ticket to one of those log-cutting events that you've probably seen on ESPN.

These guys possess upper back development that would impress any competitive bodybuilder. And the ones I know virtually live on Budweiser, gravy, and Copenhagen.


Any Other Evidence?

We're surrounded by a plethora of examples that support the efficacy of high frequency training. But I'll refrain from mentioning the calf development of soccer players, sand volleyball players, ballet dancers, and cyclists. And I'll refrain from mentioning the thigh development of downhill skiers and speed skaters. And I'll refrain from mentioning the shoulder, lat, and upper arm development of gymnasts who perform the rings, pummel horse, and uneven bar events.

And I'll refrain from mentioning that right-handed basketball players who favor their left leg when jumping all have bigger left calves. Since the people in question are athletes, I won't bring it up. Nope, I wouldn't even think of mentioning it.

Well, now that I've broached the subject of genetically-superior individuals, I'll give a few more important pieces of evidence. First, even though Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the most genetically gifted bodybuilders in history, you've got to remember that his calves weren't genetically great. In fact, Arnold's calf girth was downright embarrassing.

So what strategy did the greatest bodybuilder of all time employ to build his calves? I'll let him tell you:

"I train them 30 to 45 minutes a day, six days a week." (1)

Okay, so he trained them six days a week, but did he do anything else? According to his book, he also sought to stimulate his calves throughout the day. For those who wanted bigger calves, he said:

"When you are walking, make an effort to go all the way up on your toes... " (1)

Six days of training per week along with tricks to stimulate the calves throughout the day. That's a lot of frequency
Arnold has also mentioned that his left biceps used to be smaller than his right. He targeted the problem:

"I noticed that whenever I was asked to show my biceps, I would automatically flex the right arm. So I consciously made an effort to flex my left arm as much or more than my right. Eventually I was able to make my left biceps the equal of my right." (1)

With regard to Arnold's calves and biceps, notice that he didn't mention anything about stimulating the muscles more infrequently.

But the bodybuilding testimonials don't end with Arnold; I just mentioned him since he's often credited with being the first "thinking man's" bodybuilder. Bob Gajda, the 1966 Mr. Universe, also used high frequency training to build up his lagging body parts. (2) I could go on and on.

Nevertheless, I'll freely admit that many bodybuilders have extolled the benefits of super high intensity training to stimulate muscle growth. Dorian Yates comes to mind. But mind-blowing levels of intensity are virtually impossible to maintain for any length of time, not to mention that most of us also seek greater fitness levels.

Training your entire body for, say, four sessions each week will build up your overall fitness levels much higher than one set of a handful of exercises taken to failure every seven days. (Shameless plug: I discuss this topic at length in my upcoming book.)

Now, back to the story at hand. The previous examples were given to support the muscle-building power of training your muscles with a very high frequency, because all of the people in question did just that.


I Get Your Point, Now What?

So what does this all mean to someone who's trying to build muscle at the fastest physiological rate that their body allows? It means that you should be training your muscles with a high frequency – much higher than your body is accustomed to.

We've been brainwashed into believing that high-frequency plans are either not possible or only for genetic freaks. In either case, the information source is dead wrong.

Where everyone else has failed in the past is within their moronic periodization plans – or should I say, lack of periodization plans. Also, the mechanics, rock-climbers, and lumberjacks built muscle without any regard for nutrition. Now imagine what a total-body plan that involves sufficient carbs, protein, and fat could do for your physique!

But remember what I said in the beginning of this article regarding the answer to this puzzle: it's simple, but in a complicated way. The answer is simple; it merely involves increasing your frequency of training each body part during the week. But, we don't want our hypertrophy limited to an isolated portion of our body – we want hypertrophy across the entire body.

If the previous groups started training their entire bodies with the frequency they expose to their respective key body parts, they'd probably burn out in no time. This is where it gets complicated.

Furthermore, if you started training your entire body, say, six times each week then you'd probably end up in traction, not to mention that our bodies will adapt to a specific set of parameters in no time. Even if you respond best to 5 x 5 for hypertrophy, you've got to remember that the number of times you can perform 5 x 5 in a row is limited. With high frequency training, the plethora of training sessions each week would burn out the 5 x 5 parameters quicker than a politician pulls up his pants after a knock on his hotel room door. This is where it gets even more complicated.

Finally, it's not easy for any of us to get to the gym 8-10 times each week. I know it's tough to make time to train, and that's why it's taken so long to create this program: I had to make it as user-friendly as possible. But there's only so much I can do to make high frequency training a viable option for you.

Obviously, if I recommend that you train each body part for eight workouts per week, it's not possible to accomplish this in three sessions. Since most trainees go to the gym 3-4 times each week, sometimes I feel like my boat has been dropped upstream in a creek, sans paddle. And that's where things get very, very complicated for yours truly.

So, to devise this high frequency program I had to tackle the following challenges:

1) Quickly induce hypertrophy over the entire body without burnout.

2) Find a periodization plan that works for those who aren't genetic freaks.

3) Make it as user-friendly as possible.

Well, I've created just such a program!


The Waterbury High Frequency System

The purpose of this program, first and foremost, is to induce muscle growth. But not only will you build more muscle than you imagined, your work capacity and fitness levels will also skyrocket. Oh yeah, and soreness will quickly become a thing of the past due to your supercharged recovery ability.

This plan induces lightning fast hypertrophy by quickly building up the frequency of training each body part for eight sessions each week. Not only will you be performing eight sessions each week, but these will be eight total-body sessions. This will be accomplished in only eight weeks.

Sound impossible? It's not.

The efficacy of this program lies within the periodization plan. The frequency of stimulating each body part must be built up, dropped down, built up further, dropped down again, and then built up to its peak. (At least that's what I've discovered after five years of fine-tuning this system.)

The Waterbury High Frequency System is periodized into five phases. Here's a brief overview of each phase.


Phase I: Establish Frequency Stimulus

Purpose: To expose the primary muscle groups to four sessions each week with submaximal loads to manage fatigue. This will effectively prime the trainees who've only been training each body part 2-3 times per week.

Duration: 2 weeks


Phase II: Max Motor Unit Recruitment 1

Purpose: To retrain your nervous system to recruit the high-threshold motor units. Since Phase I was performed with submaximal loads, it's necessary to retrain your ability to recruit the largest, high-threshold motor units. By recruiting these large motor units, you'll also be recruiting all of the smaller motor units (muscles).

Basically, you'll recruit your entire muscle fiber population (minus the emergency reserve that's virtually untouchable without a life-or-death scenario). This phenomenon is based on Henneman's size priniciple. (3)

Duration: 1 week


Phase III: Augment Frequency Stimulus

Purpose: To reestablish a moderately high frequency plan in order to force the muscles to recover more quickly between workouts.

Duration: 2 weeks


Phase IV: Max Motor Unit Recruitment 2

Purpose: To recruit even more high-threshold motor units than Phase 2. This phase will set you up for big gains in Phase V since you'll have enhanced your ability to recruit muscle fibers.

Duration: 1 week


Phase V: Peak Frequency Stimulus

Purpose: To force your muscular and nervous systems to recover from training in less than 24 hours.

Duration: 2 weeks


The Program

This is it. Five years in the making!

Addendum: Most of the sessions involve exercise pairings. If you absolutely can't alternate between exercises, perform all of the prescribed parameters before moving on to the next exercise.

Keep in mind that you'll need to lower the load to cater to incomplete rest periods from performing straight sets. If you must, substitute exercises with a similar variation. However, switching from back squats to leg extensions isn't a viable option; switching from back squats to front squats or hack squats is. You get the idea.


Phase I

Day 1

A1 Back Squat (narrow stance)
A2 Bent-over Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms down grip)
B1 DB Military Press
B2 Lunges
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet straight ahead)
C2 Incline Bench Press (narrow grip)
Sets: 4
Reps: 6
Rest: 60 seconds between pairings (A1, rest 60s, A2, rest 60s, A1, rest 60s, etc)
Load: 8RM

Day 2

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)

B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 14RM

Day 3

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 4

A1 Back Squat (wide stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms up grip)
B1 BB Military Press
B2 Split Squats
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Incline Bench Press (wide grip)
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 5

A1 Deadlifts (sumo stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Pull-ups or Pulldowns (palms down grip)
B2 BB Skull Crushers
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight ahead)
C2 Swiss Ball Crunches
Sets: 4
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

Days 6 and 7

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 8

A1 Back Squat (narrow stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms down grip)
B1 DB Military Press
B2 Lunges

C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet straight ahead)
C2 Incline Bench Press (narrow grip)
Sets: 5
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

Day 9

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 14RM

Day 10

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 11

A1 Back Squat (wide stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms up grip)
B1 BB Military Press
B2 Split Squats
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Incline Bench Press (wide grip)
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 12

A1 Deadlifts (sumo stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Pull-ups or Pulldowns (palms down grip)
B2 BB Skull Crushers
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight ahead)
C2 Swiss Ball Crunches
Sets: 5
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

Days 13 and 14

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).


Phase II

This phase consists of working up to a 5 repetition maximum (RM) for the following lifts. Start the session with approximately 70% of your 1RM for the lift, or a 12-14 RM. Perform 5 reps, rest and add 10%, perform 5 reps, rest and add 5%. Keep increasing the load 3-5% until you reach a comfortable 5RM.

Rest 1-2 minutes between the initial efforts; rest 2-3 minutes between efforts with higher loads. This shouldn't be a balls-out competition effort. Therefore, no face-slapping or screaming is required.

Day 1

Back Squat (wide stance)
Bench Press
Lying DB Triceps Extension

Day 2

Deadlift (narrow stance)
Chins or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
Hammer Curls

Day 3

Off

Day 4

Front Squat
BB Military Press
Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)

Day 5

Off

Day 6

Deadlift (sumo stance)
Seated or Chest-Supported Rows
BB Biceps Curls

Day 7

Off


Phase III

This phase introduces your body to a few twice-daily sessions. Separate each session by at least 6 hours (more is better).

Day 1

AM Workout

A1 Back Squat (narrow stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms down grip)
B1 DB Military Press
B2 Lunges
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet straight ahead)
C2 Incline Bench Press (narrow grip)
Sets: 3
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

PM Workout

A1 Back Squat (wide stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms up grip)
B1 BB Military Press
B2 Split Squats
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Incline Bench Press (wide grip)
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 2

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)

B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 4
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

Day 3

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 4

A1 Front Squat or BB Hack Squat
A2 Upright Rows
B1 DB Side Raise
B2 Leg Curls
C1 Bench Press
C2 Barbell Curls
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 70s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 5

AM Workout

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 3
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

PM Workout

A1 Deadlifts (sumo stance)
A2 DB Bench Press
B1 Pull-ups or Pulldowns (palms down grip)
B2 BB Skull Crushers
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight ahead)
C2 Swiss Ball Crunches
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 14RM

Days 6 and 7

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 1

AM Workout

A1 Back Squat (narrow stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms down grip)
B1 DB Military Press
B2 Lunges
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet straight ahead)
C2 Incline Bench Press (narrow grip)
Sets: 4
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

PM Workout

A1 Back Squat (wide stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms up grip)
B1 BB Military Press
B2 Split Squats
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Incline Bench Press (wide grip)
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 2

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 5
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

Day 3

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).

Day 4

A1 Front Squat or BB Hack Squat
A2 Upright Rows
B1 DB Side Raise
B2 Leg Curls
C1 Bench Press
C2 Barbell Curls
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Rest: 70s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 5

AM Workout

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)
B1 Chin-ups or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
B2 DB Triceps Extensions
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 4
Reps: 6
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 8RM

PM Workout

A1 Deadlifts (sumo stance)
A2 DB Bench Press
B1 Pull-ups or Pulldowns (palms down grip)
B2 BB Skull Crushers
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight ahead)
C2 Swiss Ball Crunches
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 14RM

Days 6 and 7

Off from weight training. No more than 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (if desired).


Phase IV

This phase consists of working up to a 3 repetition maximum (RM) for the following lifts. Start the session with approximately 70% of your 1RM for the lift, or a 12-14 RM. Perform 3 reps, rest and add 10%, perform 3 reps, rest and add 5%.

Keep increasing the load 3-5% until you reach a comfortable 3RM. Rest 1-2 minutes between the initial efforts; rest 2-3 minutes between efforts with higher loads.

Day 1

Back Squat (wide stance)
Bench Press
Lying DB Triceps Extension

Day 2

Deadlift (narrow stance)
Chins or Pulldowns (palms up grip)
Hammer Curls

Day 3

Off

Day 4

Front Squat
BB Military Press
Dips or Decline DB Bench Press (palms facing each other)

Day 5

Off

Day 6

Deadlift (sumo stance)
Seated or Chest-Supported Rows
BB Biceps Curls

Day 7

Off


Phase V

Now that you've finished dropping the volume and increasing the loads, your system is prepped for 8 total body sessions each week. Avoid going to failure during any set to control fatigue.

Day 1

AM Workout

A1 BB Military Press (standing)
A2 Front Squat (shoulder width stance)
B1 Chins or Supinated Grip Pulldowns (wide grip)
B2 Lying DB Triceps Extension (use decline bench if available)
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet straight ahead)
C2 Hanging Leg Raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 4
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 6RM

PM Workout

A1 DB Incline Bench Press
A2 BB Back Squat (shoulder width stance)
B1 Chins or Supinated Grip Pulldowns (narrow grip)
B2 Triceps Pressdowns or Overhead DB Extension (don't rest between arms)
C1 Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight ahead)
C2 Reverse Crunch
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

Day 2

AM Workout

A1 Deadlifts (narrow stance)
A2 Dips
B1 Seated Cable or Chest Supported Rows (wide grip, palms down)
B2 Standing Hammer Curls
C1 Seated Calf Raise (feet straight)
C2 External Rotation
Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 5RM

PM Workout

A1 DB Romanian Deadlifts (wide stance)
A2 Decline DB Bench Press
B1 Seated Cable or Chest Supported Rows (narrow grip, palms down)
B2 Standing Barbell Curls (narrow grip)
C1 Seated Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 External Rotation (use a different exercise than the AM workout)
Sets: 2
Reps: 14
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 16RM

Day 3

Off from weight training.

Day 4

AM Workout

A1 Chins or Supinated Grip Pulldowns (narrow grip)
A2 Triceps Pressdowns or Overhead DB Extension (don't rest between arms)
B1 DB Incline Bench PressB2 BB Back Squat (wide stance)
C1 Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 Reverse Crunch

Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 60s between each pairing
Load: 5RM

PM Workout

A1 Chins or Supinated Grip Pulldowns (wide grip)
A2 BB Skull Crushers (use decline bench if available)
B1 DB Military Press (standing)
B2 Front Squat or Hack Squat (narrow stance)
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Hanging Leg Raise
Sets: 2
Reps: 14
Rest: 75s
Load: 16RM

Day 5

AM Workout

A1 BB Bench Press
A2 Seated Cable or Chest Supported Rows (narrow grip, palms up)
B1 DB Romanian Deadlifts (narrow stance)
B2 Standing Reverse Curls
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet angled out)
C2 External Rotation
Sets: 4
Reps: 4
Rest: 60s between pairings
Load: 6RM

PM Workout

A1 DB Bench Press
A2 Seated Cable or Chest Supported Rows (wide grip, palms up)
B1 Deadlifts (sumo stance)
B2 Standing BB Biceps Curls (wide grip)
C1 Seated Calf Raise or Donkey Calf Raise (feet straight)
C2 External Rotation (use a different exercise than AM workout)
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between pairings
Load: 14RM

Days 6 and 7

Off from weight training.

Days 8-14

Add one set to each workout. For example, the AM Workout on Day 8 becomes 5 x 4 for all exercises.

Note: Phase V is organized with a 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off schedule. However, you can use any combination that fits your schedule as long as you don't lift three continuous days in a row. For example, some of my clients favor the 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off schedule.

Continue with Phase V for as long as you keep reaping benefits. Once you start feeling rundown, take a week off from Phase V and perform Phase IV. Then, return to Phase V.

The exercises I chose are some of my favorites, but feel free to throw in whatever variation tickles your training fancy. However, stick with my exercises for as long as possible.