[Manfred_Man]

A Word on Progression

Bodybuilders make a sh*tpile of mistakes that prevent them from realizing their goals. That alone could be fodder for an entire book. Here I want to focus only on one thing: progression. Unless you're drugged or genetically superior, your muscles only respond by getting bigger if you continue to challenge them. Within the context of this article series, progression means adding weight to the bar. Now, there are tons of different ways to progress weights and this is too long (and overdue) as it is. I'll only make this comment: you should strive to add weight to the bar whenever you can do so in good form. So if you get to the high end of a rep range and feel like you have a rep left over, add weight at the next workout. This will probably drop you to the low end of the rep range and then build up again. For really extensive bodybuilding, you would increase weight when you got to the high end of the time range. Just remember that, in general, if you're not getting stronger, you're not getting bigger. And if you're not getting bigger, you're not getting stronger. So if you're not adding weight to the bar over time, you're just another bozo wasting his life in the gym with nothing to show for it.


And, finally, some workout examples.

I should mention that, for all workouts, exercises for multiple bodyparts can be alternated or supersetted to cut down on gym time. As well, exercise selection is somewhat arbitrary; don't take it as holy writ. You can substitute one compound exercise for another and one isolation exercise for another depending on what you have available at your gym or to meet your preferences. Note also that proper warm-ups should be done prior to the first exercise for a given bodypart. So for the first chest, back or quad exercise do warm-up sets. For the second exercise, warm-ups usually aren't going to be necessary unless you simply want to perform them.

Workout 1
The first workout is a leg workout with an emphasis on quads and hams; calves are at maintenance (or can be worked another day). No pure strength training is being done (this would be a training cycle for someone who wanted to prepare themselves for a strength training focus). The primary focus is on the intensive bodybuilding zone, secondary emphasis is on the extensive bodybuilding zone and maintenance work is in the really extensive bodybuilding zone.

Exercise SetsXReps Rest Tempo
Squat: 3-4X4-6 3' 3/0/1
SLDL*
*Note: Can perform leg curl if SLDL is too much for low back 3-4X4-6 3' 3/0/1
Front or hack squat*
*Note: Can also leg press 2-3X4-6 2-3' 3/1/1
Lying leg curl 2-3X4-6 2-3' 3/1/1
Leg press 1-3X10-12 1-2' 3/0/2
Seated leg curl*
*Note: Can use standing leg curl 1-3X10-12 1-2' 3/0/2
Leg extension 1X15-20 N/A Slow or Timed
Seated leg curl 1X15-20 N/A Slow or Timed
Standing calf raise*
*Note: Pause at bottom of each rep 3-4X6-8 2' 3/1/2
Seated calf raise 2-3X12-15 1.5' 2/0/2

Workout 2
This is a continuation of the previous workout. The focus is on quads with a pure strength training emphasis, secondary emphasis on intensive bodybuilding and maintenance for extensive/really extensive bodybuilding. Hamstrings and calves are being maintained across the board.

Exercise SetsXReps Rest Tempo
Squat *
*Note: Use a 4-5RM load, X means lift as fast as possible 3-5X3 4-5' 3/0/X
Lying leg curl *
*Note: Can use SLDL 1-2X6-8 2-3' 3/0/1
Front squat*
*Note: Alternately work 6-10 sets of 3 reps in the squat and skip this exercise 3-5X3 3-4' 3/0/X
Standing leg curl *
*Note: Or use lying leg curl 1-2X10-12 1-2' 3/0/2
Leg press 2-3X10-12 or 1-2X12-15 1-2' 3/0/2
Seated leg curl 1X15-20 N/A Slow or timed (1-2')
Standing calf raise*
*Note: Pause at bottom of each rep 2-3X6-8 2' 3/1/2
Seated calf raise 1-2X12-15 1.5' 2/0/2

For the second lower body workout of the week, the focus could be switched to hamstring dominant with a quad/calf maintenance. All I'm doing is switching out exercises here, putting hamstring exercises where quad exercises were in the previous workout and vice versa, in case you hadn't noticed.

Exercise SetsXReps Rest Tempo
SLDL or DL*
*Note: Use a 4-5RM load 3-5X3 4-5' 3/0/1
Leg press 1-2X6-8 2-3' 3/0/1
Lying leg curl*
*Notes: Alternately work 6-10 sets of 3 reps in the DL/SLDL and skip this exercise 3-5X3 3-4' 3/0/X
Leg press*
*Note: Or use leg extension 1-2X10-12 1-2' 3/0/2
Standing leg curl 2-3X10-12 1-2' 3/0/2
or 1-2X12-15
Leg extension 1X15-20 N/A Slow or Timed (1-2')
Standing calf raise*
*Note: Pause at bottom of each rep 2-3X6-8 2' 3/1/2
Seated calf raise 1-2X12-15 1.5' 2/0/2

Workout 3
Workout 3 represents a further continuation of the cycle. This is a move back to a quad/hamstring emphasis in each workout with pure strength at maintenance and the focus on extensive and really extensive bodybuilding methods (the extra strength from the strength cycle will mean heavier loads during the bodybuilding work). By picking a higher rep range for the strength work (meaning it overlaps with strength and intensive bodybuilding), the trainee can focus on extensive and really extensive bodybuilding methods.

Exercise SetsXReps Rest Tempo
Squat
*Notes: X means lift as fast as possible 2-3X5 2-3' 3/0/X*
SLDL 2-3X5 2-3' 3/0/1
Leg press 3-4X10-12 1-2' 3/0/X
Leg curl 3-4X10-12 1-2' 3/0/X
Leg extension 1-2X15-30 1' Slow or Timed (1-2')
Seated leg curl 1-2X15-30 1' Slow or Timed (1-2')
Standing calf raise*
*Note: Pause at bottom of each rep 3-4X6-8 2' 3/1/2
Seated calf raise 2-3X12-15 1.5' 2/0/2
Seated calf raise
(Expect to be screaming at the end of this) 1-2X15-30 1' Slow or timed (1-2')

Ok, so if you're doing heavy 5's and 12's in the bench, you don't need more than a couple of sets of triceps (maybe 1-2 sets of 12 and 1 15-30 rep set). This is the same for back and biceps. If you use a split where you work chest/back one day and delts/arms (light chest/back) another, it gets setup just like the lower body workouts.