Tag: bodybuilding

  • The 4-week Intermix workout plan for building more lean muscle in less time

    The 4-week Intermix workout plan for building more lean muscle in less time

    When the weather is great, no one wants to spend too much time cooped up in the gym. The 4-week Intermix workout plan by HFP contributor Bryan Olson (@thebryandavidolson) is the perfect solution for building lean muscle when you want to keep training time to a minimum. Another added bonus: cardio is kept to a minimum too.

    There’s two parts: weight lifting days and conditioning days. Only two days are in the gym and three can be done outdoors or at-home.

    How the Intermix plan works

    The weight lifting days (two) are solely focused on building rock-solid lean muscle with the five big lifts: squat, deadlift, bench press, row, and overhead press. You’ll perform each exercise for 10 reps and rest for approximately 90 seconds. This is a sweet spot for building mass.

    Need some tips and cues on how to do the main lifts better? Check out our how-to guide of the best exercises for men and women

    In between the weight lifting days are the bodyweight-only conditioning workouts (three). These routines will compliment the muscle-building routines and act as fat-loss accelerators. They’re high-intensity, non-stop circuits to get your heart rate elevated and metabolism firing.

    With the combination of these two, you’ve essentially transformed your body into a lean, mean, muscle-building machine. You’re bulking up and cutting fat, simultaneously.

    Want more gut-busting, metabolism-stoking routines? Check out our 5 high-intensity Hurricane workouts for fat-loss.

    Directions

    Work out for five days straight, then rest for two days. Day 1 and day 4 are in the gym, day 2, 3, and 5 are outdoors or at-home. Follow the plan for 4 weeks then cycle through another round but increase the weight used. Or, transition onto another program. If you want more mass, try our 4-week Bulk Up plan. More strength? Try the 4-week Pre-cut plan or the 3-day Monster plan. If you want a similar program, check out our Quick-Switch workout plan. If you’re looking for more weight training, check out the BUILT for the BEACH v2 workout plan.

    The Intermix Workout Routines

    DAY 1 — In the gym


    1. BACK SQUAT 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    2. BENCH PRESS 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    3. BENT-OVER ROW 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    4. OVERHEAD PRESS 3-5 sets 10 reps 90 sec

    DAY 2 — Outdoor/at-home


    Complete 3 rounds with 60 seconds rest
    1A. BURPEE x 10
    1B. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER x 20
    1C. FLUTTER KICK x 30

    Complete 3 rounds with 60 seconds rest
    2A. PUSH UP x 10
    2B. JUMPING SPLIT SQUAT x 20
    2C. HOLLOW ROCK x 30

    Complete 3 rounds with 60 seconds rest
    3A. JUMP SQUAT x 10
    3B. ICE SKATERS x 20
    3C. JUMPING JACKS x 30

    Day 3 — Outdoor/at-home


    1. RUN 1-2 miles

    Repeat the following circuit until 100 reps are reached.
    2A. PUSH UPS x 10
    2B. SQUATS x 10
    2C. PLANK SHOULDER TAPS x 10
    2D. SUPERMAN x 10

    3. RUN 1-2 miles

    Day 4 — In the gym


    1. DEADLIFT 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    2. BENCH PRESS 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    3. FRONT SQUAT 3-5 sets 10 reps rest 90 sec

    4. OVERHEAD PRESS 3-5 sets 10 reps 90 sec

    Day 5 — Outdoor/at-home


    1. JUMP ROPE x 4 minutes with no rest.

    2. DB THRUSTER x 20 seconds on. 10 seconds off. Complete for 4 minutes.

    3. DB RENEGADE ROW WALKS x 20 seconds on. 10 seconds off. Complete for 4 minutes.

    4. 40 YARD DASH x Sprint very minute on the minute for 4 minutes.

    5. LUNGES FOR TIME x 4 minutes with no rest.

    This workout series was originally produced by HFP for MensFitness.com.

  • The Built for the Beach v2.0 workout plan: Get that ‘WTF?!’ body

    The Built for the Beach v2.0 workout plan: Get that ‘WTF?!’ body

    After a couple cycles of this plan, people will definitely be saying “WTF?!” about your bigger and leaner physique. Doesn’t matter if you’re just starting, cycling off another one of our plans, or just getting back into the whole working out thing. This is a solid all-around guide to get built for beach season. In typical HFP fashion: the moves are relatively basic, the programming is straight-forward, and the scaleability for beginners, intermediate, or advanced folks is simple.

    Complete beginner? Check out our visual guide of the 20 best exercises for men and women

    Want custom workout programming, a nutrition guide, and phone, email, and text access? Check out our new exclusive service at DigitalFitnessAdvisor.com

    Here’s how Built for the Beach v2.0 works


    The plan begins with legs first. Leg day can take a lot out of you and require a lot of mental strength getting it done. We’re going to get that out the way early in the week. Monday Motivation, right?

    The second workout is a split of shoulders and arms. It’s nice to combo these three up, they compliment each other well. And, when you walk out of the gym you’ve got one helluva pump.

    The third day is time to chill and relax. Let everything recover.

    The fourth day really gets things started again with a split between chest and back. You’ll be super-setting back and forth between the two big muscle groups so your heart will be pounding and muscles pumping with blood. This is a killer combo of strength plus metabolic conditioning.

    Day five is somewhat another active recovery day, but with steady-state cardio to really emphasis fat loss. 45-60 minutes or so at 60-65%.

    On day six you’ve got some options. Unfortunately, both options are challenging. This is full body circuit day. You’ll be hitting every muscle group with a series of exercises non-stop. Very reminiscent of the day four chest and back super-sets, but with everything else thrown in there. Another strength and conditioning combination.

    Day seven: chill, again. Do some light cardio to get the blood flowing, but for the most part, rest up for your next week.

    What’s up with doing abs several days per week?

    Some of you might be a bit confused by this. Muscles need rest to recover, right? No different for the abs, right? Yes, but here’s the deal: instead of going hard on the abs a couple days per week with a load of exercises, sets, and reps; the training frequency increases to several days per week, but the workload on each individual day decreases. There are also two options of ab workouts so each day is experiencing something slightly different. If you’ve been training the same way since, like, forever, this is a good change to try.


    Directions

    Beginners can start with half the number of sets, but slowly add an additional set as you feel comfortable. For resistance: find a weight where you hit failure (can’t do anymore with good form) at the number of prescribed reps. For the full body circuit workouts in day six, the prescribed number of reps is 10, but pick a weight you can do about 15. Due to the fact that you’ll be circuit training, you’ve got no time to recover. You’ll need lighter weight than what you’d typically use for straight sets with regular rest.

    Progressing forward: Follow this plan for 6 weeks. Then, you can follow the 10×10 workout plan for 2-3 weeks to really accelerate your fat loss even further. You may then cycle back to this 6 week plan or find another HFP plan of choice.

    Don’t forget to get your eating situation in check. Check out this piece on intuitive eating for lean muscle.

    The Built for the Beach v2.0 Workouts

    Day one: Legs and abs

    1. BB squat 6 sets x 10, 8, 6, 8, 10, 25

    2A. Bulgarian split squat 5 x 8-10
    2B. DB Romanian deadlift 5 x 8-10

    3. BB walking lunge 5 x 10-12

    4. Air squat 300 reps as fast as possible

    Rest 45-60 seconds between sets
    *Complete leg day with ab workout option one.

    Day two: Shoulders, arms, and abs

    1. DB high pull 5 x 8-10

    2. DB shoulder press 5 x 8-10

    3A. DB pinch press pause 5 x 12-15
    3B. Cable delt flye 5 x 12-15

    4A. DB off-set curl 5 x 10-12
    4B. DB kickback 5 x 8-10
    4C. Tate press 5 x 8-10

    5A. Cable curl 5 x 10-12
    5B. Cable pushdown 5 x 10-12

    Rest 45-60 seconds between sets

    THE FINISHER

    6. BB shoulder + arm complex 3 x failure

    Rest as little as possible
    *Complete shoulder and arm day with ab workout option two.

    Day three: Rest/recovery/active recovery

     

    Day four: Chest, back, and abs

    1A. DB bench press 5 x 8,8,6,6,8
    1B. BB deadlift 5 x 8,8,6,6,8

    2A. DB floor press 5 x 8-10
    2B. Standing cable row 5 x 8-10

    3A. DB flye 5 x 8-10
    3B. DB renegade row 5 x 8-10

    4A. Push-up 5 x failure
    4B. Pull-up 5 x failure

    Rest 45-60 sec between sets.
    *Complete chest and back day with ab workout option one.

    Day five: Steady-state cardio

     

    Day six: Full body circuit (two options)

    Option one: Complete exercises in a circuit format for 6 rounds. Rest 60 seconds after each round. Perform 10 reps per exercise.

    KB goblet squat
    DB bench press
    DB bent-over row
    DB high pull
    Cable curl
    Cable pushdown
    Hanging leg raise

    Option two: Complete exercises in a circuit format for 6 rounds. Rest 60 seconds after each round. Perform 10 reps per exercise.

    DB thruster
    DB renegade row
    Push-up
    Pull-up
    DB curl
    DB kickback
    Plank (to failure)

    The built for the beach ab workouts (two options)

    Option one

    1. Hanging leg raise 5 x failure

    2A. BB roll-out 5 x failure
    2B. Cable chop 5 x failure

    3. Plank 5 x failure

    Rest 30 seconds between sets

    Option two

    1. Stability ball circles 5 x failure

    2A. BB roll-out 5 x failure
    2B. V-up 5 x failure

    3. Plank 5 x failure

    Rest 30 seconds between sets

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  • The Push, Pump, and Stretch plan for enhancing your aesthetic

    The Push, Pump, and Stretch plan for enhancing your aesthetic

    The Push, Pump, and Stretch is beginner-friendly, but demanding enough for the diehard iron-enthusiast. It’s the proven basics infused with subtle variations to intensify your muscles pop and definition.

    We tapped Dale Parducci (@dparducci), a certified trainer, fitness model, and rising expert in the wellness space for his go-to training blueprint to simultaneously gain muscle and burn fat.

    Who doesn’t love the lifter’s high and a rock-solid pump? Don’t forget to check out our 7 euphoric pump-producing techniques.

    HOW IT WORKS

    The Push, Pump, and Stretch is broken into three parts:

    • Part one is the “activation” or “push” part of the program. The “push” is an exercise performed for lower repetitions, but higher weight.
    • Part two is the “pump,” which is typically a superset or a higher-repetition exercise working to flood the muscle(s) with blood.
    • Finally, part three is the “stretch,” which is for improving circulation to allow more blood flow into the muscles being worked.

    Regardless of whether you’re trying to bulk up or lean out, you’ll need to dial in the nutrition. For a better understanding of what to eat, and how much, check out our piece on intuitive eating for lean muscle.

    If you’re a beginner that feels a little uncomfortable with the exercises, check out this how -to guide on the essential beginner exercises and the cues for doing them.

    DIRECTIONS

    On this plan, you’ll train three days on followed by one day off, followed by one more day on, and then two more days off. Parducci recommends chest and triceps in day one, back and biceps in day two, legs in day three, no training in day four, shoulders, traps, and abs in day five, then day six and seven are off again. In his opinion, this provides the amount of rest and recovery for each muscle group and the body as a while. Follow this plan for 4-8 weeks. Steadily increase the weight used with each week.

    Once you finish, you may cycle through once more, but we do recommend transitioning into one of our other plans such as: the 6-week Redemption plan, the 4-week Reconstruction plan, the 6-week Unlabeled plan, the 4-week Winter Bulk Up, the 3-day Monster plan, the 4-week Quick-Switch Cycle, or the 10×10 plateau-crushing plan.

    THE WORKOUTS

    Day One: Chest & Triceps


    1.Hex press 4×8
    2.Incline bench press 4×8
    3A. Incline landmine press 3×12
    3B. Pronated-grip incline flye 3×12
    4. Double-handled pushdown 4×20
    5. Incline dumbbell skull crusher 4 x 10-12
    6. Rope crunch 4×12

    Rest for approximately 1 minute between sets.

    Day Two: Back & Biceps


    1.One-arm supinated pulldown 4×8-10
    2A.One-arm dumbbell row 4×10
    2B. Incline chest supported row 4×10
    3. Dumbbell pullover 3×12
    4. Barbell shrug pause 4×10
    5. Modified preacher curl 4×8-10
    6. Overhead cable curl 3×10-12
    7. Bench roll up 4×12

    Rest for approximately 1 minute between sets.

    Day Three: Legs & Abs


    1. Slow & explosive back squat – 3×8
    2A. Dumbbell sumo deadlift 3×8-10
    2B. Goblet squat- 4×8
    3.Stiff-leg deadlift 3×10
    * Stretching: Between each set, stretch each quad and ham for 30 seconds.
    4. Standing calve raise 2×10-12

    Rest for approximately 1 minute between sets.

    Day Four: OFF

    Day Five: Shoulders, Traps, and Abs


    1.Shoulder press 4×8
    2A. Rear delt swing 4×20
    2B. Face pull 4×10
    3. Heavy standing side lateral 4×12
    4. Dumbbell front raise 4×12
    5. Russian twist 6×10-12

    Rest for approximately 1 minute between sets.

    Day Six: OFF

    Day Seven: OFF

  • The Quick-Switch Cycle: A two-part plan for bulking up and leaning out

    The Quick-Switch Cycle: A two-part plan for bulking up and leaning out

    We’re all familiar with bulking and cutting. Typically a program is done for one to three months (or more) with a focus on bulking or cutting. However, the Quick-Switch Cycle will put your body through change and variation much more frequently with the goal of stimulating muscle growth while also keeping you lean.

    The Quick-Switch Cycle was created by holistic personal trainer, fitness model, and HFP-network contributor Joe Rodonis (@JoeRodonis).

    How it works

    Variation is what triggers your body to grow and improve. (Plus, you won’t find yourself getting bored following the same routine for a month or two.) You’ll be targeting specific muscle groups five days per week, but changing your routine every two weeks.

    The first month, you’ll focus on building mass for weeks one and two in the Quick-Switch Cycle Mass Phase. For this phase, you’ll be doing something called “reverse pyramiding,” where you start heavy and drop the weight as the reps increase. For example: the first set of every exercise will always be the heaviest you can lift, then you reduce the weight with each set after that. This will maximize your workout because you’re pushing hard and heavy weight from the get-go. Track the weight you use for each exercise, and aim to increase that amount between 2–5% each week.

    During weeks three and four, or the Quick-Switch Cycle’s Cutting Phase, you’ll focus on endurance-based exercises. (To get the full cutting phase portion of the program, scroll all the way to the bottom) During this particular phase, aim to use weights that are roughly 75% of your 10-rep max. Your rest periods decrease during this week so you’ll be constantly moving and elevating your heart rate. Pay attention to form and keep up the pace. You’ll notice the muscle groups targeted on each day also change (again, keeping with the theme of variety).

    Other programs you should check out: the 6-week Redemption plan, the 4-week Reconstruction plan, the 6-week Unlabeled plan, the 3-day Monster plan, and the plateau-smashing high-intensity 10×10 plan.

    To add an element of competition or a challenge: Rodonis threw in a workout named “The Athletic Gauntlet.” It’s a test of endurance and strength that you’ll perform at the end of the week when you’re cutting. Try to beat your time each week and watch yourself improve. Listen below for Rodonis’ explainer for the challenge. The “Athletic Gauntlet” demo video can be seen at the bottom of this page. If you enjoy the Athletic Gauntlet, you can also check out a series of high-intensity interval workouts called “The Hurricanes” which are ranked by categories.

    Directions

    You can follow the structure of this plan for another 2–3 months, as long as you keep varying the points of focus each week.

    Month 1:

    Week 1 and 2: Mass workouts
    Week 3 and 4: Cutting workouts and the Gauntlet

    Month 2:

    Week 1: Mass
    Week 2: Cut
    Week 3: Mass
    Week 4: Cut

    The Quick-Switch Cycle: Mass Phase (Week 1 & 2)

    Chest & Triceps (Mondays)


    1. Flat Press 5 sets x 4,6,8,6,4 Rest 60 seconds

    2. Incline Press 5 sets x 4,6,8,6,4 Rest 60 seconds

    3A. Dumbbell Chest Press 3 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    3B. Tricep Dumbbell Press 3 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    3C. Dumbbell Flye 3 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    4A. Tricep Overhead Extension 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    4B. Tricep Kickback 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    5A. Triceps Dips 3 sets x 45 seconds Rest 30 seconds
    5B. Push Ups 3 sets x 45 seconds Rest 30 seconds

    Shoulders & Traps (Wednesdays)


    1. Shoulder Press 4 sets x 8,8,10,12 Rest 60 seconds

    2. Shrugs 4 sets x 8,8,10,12 Rest 60 seconds

    3A. High Pull 3 sets x 8 Rest 30 seconds
    3B. Front Raise 3 sets x 8 Rest 30 seconds
    3C. Lateral Raise 3 sets x 8 Rest 30 seconds

    4A. Plate Car Drivers 3 sets x 20 Rest 30 seconds
    4B. Plate Front Raise 3 sets x 20 Rest 30 seconds

    5. Narrow Shoulder Press 3 sets x 8 Rest 30 seconds

    Legs (Thursdays)


    1. Heavy Squat 5 sets x 4,6,8,6,4 Rest 60 seconds

    2A. Narrow Dumbbell Squat 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    2B. Kettlebell Side Lunge 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    2C. Goblet Squat 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    3A. Dumbbell Alternating Lunge 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    3B. Kettlebell Swing 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    4. Calf Raise 4 sets x 8,12,15,20 Rest 60 seconds

    Back & Biceps (Fridays or Saturdays)


    1. Kneeling Wide Row 4 sets x 8,8,10,12 Rest 60 seconds

    2. Standing High Row 4 sets x 8,8,10,12 Rest 60 seconds

    3A. Single-Arm Landmine Row 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    3B. Alternating Renegade Row 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    4A. Pull Up 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds
    4B. Cross Body Hammer Curl 4 sets x 12 Rest 30 seconds

    5. Barbell Bicep “21s” 3 sets x 7 high, 7 low, 7 full
    Rest 60 seconds

    6. Down the Rack Curls
    Complete 8 repetitions with as many pairs of dumbbells as possible.

    The Quick-Switch Cycle: Cutting Phase (Week 3 & 4)

    Chest and Back

    1.Bench press 4×20
    1B.Lat pulldown 4×20 Rest 30s
    2A.Decline bench press 4×20
    2B.Seated cable row 4×20 Rest 30s
    3A.Neutral-grip incline press 4×20
    3B.Cable facepull 4×20 Rest 30s
    4A.Pull-up 4×20
    4B.Burpee 4×30-60s Rest 30s

    Legs

    1A.Leg press 3×20
    1B.Reverse lunge 3x30s rest 30s
    2A.Squat 4×20
    2B.Standing calf raise 4×20 rest 30s
    3A.Goblet squat 3×20
    3B.Jumping lunge 3x45s rest 30s
    4.Side lunge 3×20 rest 30s

    Shoulders and Arms

    1A.Dumbbell overhead press 3×20
    1B.Dumbbell side raise 3×20 Rest 30s
    2A.Hammer curl 3×20
    2B.Lying triceps extension 3×20 Rest 30s
    3A.Barbell overhead press 3×20
    3B.Dumbbell front raise 2×20 Rest 30s
    4A.Cable facepull 2×20
    4B.Rear delt flye 2×20 rest 30s

    Challenge: The Athletic Gauntlet 


    Complete 3 rounds of the following 10 exercises as quickly as possible

    Kettlebell Push Up x 20
    Kettlebell Swing x 20
    Medicine Ball Walkover x 10
    Medicine Ball Mountain Climber x 30
    Alternating Step Up x 20
    Kettlebell Squat High Pull x 20
    Shoulder Taps to Push Up x 15
    Kettlebell Chest Press with Leg Raise x 15
    Kettlebell Russian Twist x 20
    Jump Tuck x 10

  • The 10×10 workout plan to give your muscles an unexpected jolt

    The 10×10 workout plan to give your muscles an unexpected jolt

    German Volume Training, or GVT for short, has been around the weightlifting world since the 70s. The idea between GVT is to overload your muscles with extreme volume, but with fewer exercises. The traditional setup you’d see would most likely be three main, compound exercises performed for a total of 10 sets at 10 repetitions each. Between each set you’d see a modest amount of rest—roughly a minute or two. And, as expected, the amount of weight used would need to be on the lighter side or else you’ll burn out early. On paper, it doesn’t sound too bad, but you’ll soon realize that 300 reps is a ton of reps, and even more so when they are big-boy/big-girl exercises. You may also see a couple isolation exercises thrown in for 3 sets at 10 repetitions each. For this particular mini-plan, we’ve modified traditional GVT. It’s somewhat of a mutant.

    How it works

    Good news: Not all of the three main exercises are overly-exhausting compound lifts. Bad news: Those three main exercises are now a tri-set, which means no rest in between exercises. All in all, this should be a complete shock to the body. It most likely won’t even know what hit it. Not only is the volume incredibly taxing, but the non-stop approach will push your muscular endurance and cardio-game through the roof. This is ideal for busting through stubborn plateaus in your regular programming whether it be strength or body composition.

    When to use the 10x10s

    If you’ve been following other programs like our 6-week Redemption plan, the 4-week Reconstruction plan, the Winter Bulk Up, or our Unlabeled plan, the 10×10 is a nice change or transition betweens the other program cycles. For example, follow Unlabeled for 6 weeks, then use the 10×10 for 2 weeks, then onto Redemption.

    Directions

    Work out every other day for one-two weeks ONLY. You may use mix and match any of the workouts in whatever structure you prefer. For example: select one of the following workouts for 3-4 sessions, or you can rotate between two of the following workouts for 3-4 sessions, or even use three workouts for 3-4 sessions. If at any point you’re more sore than normal, or not recovering well, bake in an extra rest day between workouts.

     

    WORKOUT 1: Squatting, pulling, and pressing


    Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Complete a total of 5-10 rounds. Rest only if needed.

    Front Squat x 10 reps
    Renegade Row x 10 reps
    Dumbbell Clean and Press x 10 reps

    THE FINISHER

    Complete the following exercises as a superset. Complete a total of 5-10 supersets

    Push Ups x 10
    Pull Ups x 10

    WORKOUT 2: Cleaning, pulling, and squatting


    Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Complete a total of 5-10 rounds. Rest only if needed.

    Hang Clean x 10 reps
    Pull Up x 10 reps
    Goblet Squat x 10 reps

    THE FINISHER

    Complete the following exercises as a superset. Complete a total of 5-10 supersets

    Dips x 10
    Knee Tucks x 10

    WORKOUT 3: Pulling and pressing


    Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Complete a total of 5-10 rounds. Rest only if needed.

    Deadlift x 10 reps
    Dumbbell Clean and Press x 10 reps
    Pull Up x 10 reps

    THE FINISHER

    Complete the following exercises as a superset. Complete a total of 5-10 supersets

    Push Up x 10 reps
    Floor Hip Thrust x 10 reps

    WORKOUT 4: Pushing, swinging, and squatting


    Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Complete a total of 5-10 rounds. Rest only if needed.

    Kettlebell Swing x 10 reps
    Push Ups x 10 reps
    Kettlebell Goblet Squat x 10 reps

    THE FINISHER

    Complete the following exercises as a superset. Complete a total of 5-10 supersets

    Dumbbell Curl x 10 reps
    Dumbbell Kickback x 10 reps

    WORKOUT 5: Pressing and pulling


    Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Complete a total of 10 rounds. Rest only if needed.

    Dumbbell Bench Press x 10 reps
    Dumbbell Row x 10 reps
    Dumbbell Squat/Deadlift x 10 reps

    THE FINISHER

    Complete the following exercises as a superset. Complete a total of 5-10 supersets

    Hands-Elbows Planks x 10 reps
    Floor Hip Thrust x 10 reps

  • The 4-week Winter Bulk Up workout plan

    The 4-week Winter Bulk Up workout plan

    Winter does have its advantages. And one of the best is that you can set yourself up to be your at your biggest and leanest once the warm weather swings back around. The trick is to use the winter to Bulk Up, then transition into an aggressive shred during the spring. This gives your body a change it needs. You’ll be able to eat more, and to some degree, rest a bit more as well.

    Program designer Tim McComsey (@TimMcComsey) says there are three main components to the Bulk Up:

    If you’re very new to working out, check out our best exercises for men and women to learn proper form. 

    1. It’s focused on large muscle groups such as Chest, Back, and Legs. You will train them twice per week. Smaller muscle groups like Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps are secondary. The beginner of each week will be the most challenging, the middle-to-end is scaled back as though it’s a tapered recovery without going easy.

    2. The rest periods between exercises are longer to enable ample recovery from heavier, bigger lifts. You’re looking at 60-90 second between sets versus 30-45 seconds which you would see in a weight loss plan.

    3. The Bulk Up plan revolves around “straight sets” versus the use of “super-sets” or “tri-sets”. Once you complete a set of an exercise you will rest, then repeat for the prescribed number of sets that follow. This is another strategy to allow for ample recovery. The only time “tri-sets” will be used are for short ab/core workouts at the end.

    Before you get started, check out this piece on intuitive eating and this one on Tim’s grocery store essentials for building lean muscle.

    DAY ONE: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

    1. *BB Flat Chest Press
    2. *DB Incline Chest Press
    3. Push Ups
    4. *DB Standing Shoulder PressSeated DB Lateral Raise
    5. Cable Tricep Press Downs with Straight Bar
    6. DB Bent-over Tricep Kick Backs

    Sets, reps & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest

    The Tri-set Finisher
    Complete 3 sets of with 30 seconds rest between each one.

    7A. Hanging Leg Raise x 12
    7B. Decline Bench Reverse Curl Up x 12
    7C. Swimmer Kicks x 30

    DAY TWO: Back & Biceps 1

    1. *Pull Ups
    2. *BB Bent-over Rows
    3. *Cable Free Motion Wide-grip Pull Downs
    4. *Seated Free Motion V-bar Rows
    5. BB Shrugs with 1 second hold
    6. BB Standing Curls
    7. Seated DB Hammer Curls

    Sets, reps & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest

    DAY THREE: Legs 1

    1. *BB Squat
    2. *BB Deadlift
    3. *DB Forward Lunge
    4. *Glute Ham Leg Raise
    5. Standing Calf Raise
    6. Seated Calf Raise

    Sets, reps & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest

    The Tri-set Finisher
    Complete 3 sets of with 30 seconds rest between each one.

    7A. Free Motion Cable Torso Rotations with Straight Bar x 15 per side
    7B. Side Plank Up-Downs x 15 each side
    7C. Decline Bench Weighted Russian Twist x 15 per side

    DAY FOUR: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps 2

    1. *Standing High Free Motion Crossover Fly
    2. *Flat Bench DB Fly
    3. *Machine Cable Fly or Band Fly
    4. *Standing DB Front Raise
    5. *Seated DB Shoulder Press with Palms-In
    6. DB Bench Tricep Skull Crushers
    7. Weighted Bench Dips

    Sets, reps, & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest

    DAY FIVE: Back and Biceps 2

    1. *Chin Ups
    2. *Single-arm DB Row
    3. *Free Motion T-bar Pull Downs
    4. *Two-arm DB Row
    5. *Seated DB Shrugs with 1 second hold
    6. Cable Rope Curls
    7. Cable Crossover Curls

    Sets, reps, & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest

    DAY SIX: Legs 2

    1. *Sissy Squats
    2. *Slide Board Hamstring Curls
    3. *Narrow Stance BB Squats
    4A. Standing DB Calf Raises
    4B. Weighted Walking Calf Raises

    Sets, reps, & rest protocol
    * 4 sets x 8 reps : 90 seconds rest
    3 sets x 10 reps : 60 seconds rest
    A/B indicates superset

    Continue Your Gains with The Size, Strength, and Shred Cycle


  • The 3-day Monster plan for size and power

    The 3-day Monster plan for size and power

    This is called the Monster plan because that’s exactly what it will do to you—turn you into a monster. If you’ve been training several days per week or doing a lot of high-intensity interval stuff for the last few months, this is a nice block of change. Month after month, week after week of continuous bombardment of the muscles with volume and intensity would wear anyone down. Let’s use the next 30 days for size and power. And the way to do it effectively will require a change in thinking, and programming.

    Watch Brandon Da Cruz (@brandondacruz_) demo one of his programs below.

    Introducing: The Monster Plan

    How it works

    Now that you’ve fully accepted the fact that sub-5 or 10% body fat all year isn’t necessary, and quite frankly, understand that it could also be burning you out—your new mass and power plan could still take some getting used to.

    You’re going to be working out three days per week. Structured as one day on, one day off. But don’t let the three days fool you into thinking life just got easy because after the first week of this program you’re going to pay close attention to the tempo of your repetitions. Instead of simply lifting start to finish, you’re going to follow a “3/1/3/1” tempo for higher repetition exercises (above 6). And for lower repetition exercises you will follow a “2/1/0/1” tempo. Essentially your “power” exercises in the low rep ranges will be explosive, and your “growth” exercises in the high rep ranges will be slower, controlled movements.

    For both of these, you’ll feel it in the morning. We promise. And make sure to follow the rest periods—you’ll need them.

    Attempt to either increase the weight, or the number of reps each week as you progress. You want to build monsterous size, but don’t be a monsterous lug head—increasing weight by very small increments like 5-pounds can surprisingly go a long way.

    Understanding tempo training

    If you’re bench pressing high reps for 3/1/3/1, it’s 3 seconds on the way down, 1 second with the bar at your chest, 3 seconds on the way up, and 1 second at the top. If you’re bench pressing low reps for 2/1/0/1, it’s 2 seconds on the way down, 1 second with the bar at your chest, an explosive push on the way up (0 seconds), and a 1 second pause at the top.

     

    Workouts & Directions

    Day One: Push

    1. Flat bench press: 3 sets of 4-6
    2. Incline DB press: 3 sets of 8-10
    3. DB shoulder press: 3 sets of 4-6
    4. BB wide-grip upright row: 3 sets of 8-10
    5. DB lying tricep extension: 3 sets of 4-6
    6. Weighted dip: 3 sets of 8-10
    * Rest 60 seconds between sets

    Day Two: Legs & Abs

    1. DB goblet squat: 3 sets of 4-6
    2. BB landmine squat: 3 sets of 8-10
    3. Alternating lunge: 3 sets of 8
    4. DB stiff-legged deadlift: 3 sets of 8
    5. Weighted rope crunches: 3 sets of 10-12
    6. Hanging leg raise: 3 sets of 15
    * Rest 60 seconds between sets

    Day Three: Pull

    1. Weighted pull-up: 3 sets of 8-10
    2. BB bent-over row: 3 sets of 4-6
    3. Single-arm DB row: 3 sets of 6-8
    4. Face pull: 3 sets of 8-10
    5. BB curl: 3 sets of 6-8
    6. DB alternating hammer curl: 3 sets of 8-10
    7. DB shrug- 3 sets of 8
    * Rest 60 seconds between sets

    SPONSORING PARTNER

  • The basic body transformation plan that’s souped up with experiments

    The basic body transformation plan that’s souped up with experiments

    You’ve mastered the basics and have cycled through several programs, but yet again, you’re looking for something “new” to see how far you can push your body’s physique. For this basics+science plan from rising fitness star Ian Canrobert (@CanrobertFitness), you’ll be incorporating the compound movements you’re already familiar with, but with a dedicated “focus” for each exercise. As what would be expected from a basics program, compound lifts will be the meat and potatoes of your training and will also be supplemented with specific accessory work.

    The “new factor” you’ve been looking for will be the exercise “focus”. Each of the focused-approaches to your lifts will help you grow in multiple departments including power, strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, stability, mobility, and flexibility.

    HOW IT WORKS

    This program “focuses” consists of mechanical tension, muscle damage, metabolic stress, accommodating resistance, occlusion training, and intra-set stretching. Here is a cheat sheet:

    Mechanical tension (MT): big lifts, heavy weight, low reps.
    Muscle damage (MD): various lifts, slow-controlled repetitions for placing the muscle under maximum time under tension.
    Metabolic stress (MS): various lifts, quick repetitions for maximum blood flow.
    Accommodating resistance (AR): use of bands or chains to keep resistance on the muscle throughout the range of motion.
    Occlusion training (OT): also known as blood-flow restriction to increase pumps and growth
    Intra-set stretching (ISS): statically holding an exercise in the finished position to improve hypertrophy and mobility.

    *Rate of perceived exertion (RPE): how you physically feel will be how you determine how much weight to use.

    The plan is structured into a five day split broken down into a push, pull, shoulders, legs, and a weakness/supplemental day in between shoulders and legs). The weakness/supplemental day may range from foam rolling and myofascial release to mobility work to a few sets of a lagging body part of your choice.

    DIRECTIONS

    For the first two weeks you may slightly increase your weight used on lifts, however, the focus should primarily be on adapting to this as a new training plan. In the third week will you may “overreach”, which means increasing the weight you use and volume of sets you perform. In the fourth week, it’s advised that you come back down to a moderate weight and volume to regain mental and physical traction so that your performance won’t suffer in the coming weeks. Repeat this cycle over a long-term period of 14-22 weeks.

    This program will last for a suggested 14-22 weeks (allow the first two weeks for finding a groove that works best).

    Rate of Perceived Exertion Cheat Sheet (RPE)

    10 – Very energetic – Hard/Heavy
    8 – Good energy – Heavy/Heavy
    6 – Moderate
    5 – Moderate
    4 – Moderate
    2 – Fairly tired – Easy/Light
    0 – Exhausted – Easy/Light

    THE WORKOUTS

    Day 1: Chest/triceps

    Focus Exercise Sets x Reps Goal Weight  Rest
    MT Flat barbell bench press 4×6 RPE 9 2-3 minutes
    MD, AR Flat barbell bench press + chains 4×8-12 RPE 6 1-2 minutes
    MD, ISS Incline DB press 4×8-12 RPE 7 1-2 minutes
    MS, ISS Incline DB fly 4×15 RPE 4 30sec-1min
    MD Incline wide/narrow pushups 4x AMRAP RPE 4 1-2 minutes
    MT Cable straight bar press downs 4×6-8 RPE 7-8 2-3 minutes
    MD, ISS Incline DB skullcrusher 4×10-12 RPE 6-7 1-2 minutes
    MS, OT Cable rope tricep extensions 4×15-20 RPE 3-4 30sec-1min

    Day 2: Back/biceps

    Focus Exercise Sets x Reps Goal Weight  Rest
    MT, AR Deadlift 4×6 RPE 9 3 minutes
    MS Single arm DB row 4×8-12 RPE 7 1-2 minutes
    MD T-bar row 4×12-15 RPE 5-6 1-2 minutes
    MS, ISS Lying incline bench single arm cable pulldown 4×10-12 RPE 4 1-2 minutes
    MS Cable rope pull through 4×15-20 RPE 3-4 30sec-1min
    MT Wide grip bar curls 4×6-8 RPE 7-8 2-3 minutes
    MD DB hammer curls 4×8-12 RPE 6 1-2 minutes
    MS, OT Close grip cable straight bar curls 4×15-20 RPE 3-4 30sec-1minute

    Day 3: Shoulders/abs

    Focus Exercise Sets x Reps Goal Weight  Rest
    MT Seated DB military press 4×6-8 RPE 8-9 2-3 minutes
    MS Standing BB overhead press 4×12-15 RPE 4-5 1-2 minutes
    MD Bent over isolated DB lateral raises 4×8-12 each side RPE 6 1-2 minutes
    MD Bent over DB posterior flies 4×8-12 RPE 6 1-2 minutes
    MS, ISS Cable rope posterior face pull 4×15-20 RPE 3-4 30sec-1min
    MT Side cable crunches 4×8-10 each side RPE 7-8 1-2 minutes
    MD Decline bench weighted side crunches 4×10-12 RPE 6 1 minute
    MS Seated bench DB jack knives 4×15-20 RPE 4-5 30sec-1min

    Day 4: Weakness – FREE DAY

    Day 5: Quads/calves (alternate with ham week)

    Focus Exercise Sets x Reps Goal Weight  Rest
    MT, AR High/low bar barbell back squat 4×6 RPE 9 2-3 minutes
    MD, OT DB split squat (each side) 4×8-12 RPE 7 1-2 minutes
    MD, ISS DB goblet squat 4×10-12 RPE 6-7 1-2 minutes
    MS Lunge 4×15-20 RPE 4-5 1 minute
    MS Moon jump lunge 3x 30 sec RPE 4-5 30sec-1min
    MS, ISS Seated calve raises (machine or w/ barbell) 5×15-20 RPE 4-5 30sec-1min
    MD, ISS Standing calve raises 5×8-12 RPE 6-7  1-2 minutes

    Day 5: Hams/calves (alternate with quad week)

    Focus Exercise Sets x Reps Goal Weight  Rest
    MD, AR Barbell Romanian deadlift + chains 4×8-12 RPE 7-8 1-2 minutes
    MS Barbell Romanian deadlift on box 4×12-15 RPE 4-5 1 minute
    MD, ISS Lying DB hamstring curl 4×8-12 RPE 5-6 1-2 minutes
    MS, OT Banded prone hamstring curls 4×15-20 RPE 3-4 30sec-1min
    MS, ISS Standing calve raises 5×12-15 RPE 4-5 30sec-1min
    MD, ISS Seated calve raises 5×20-25 RPE 6-7 1-2 minutes
  • The 3 beasts workout plan for strength, size, and power

    The 3 beasts workout plan for strength, size, and power

    This plan is broken into two main parts: an upper body workout and a lower body workout. An abdominal beast workout will supplement the upper and lower body days. We’ve picked big compound moves to get the most amount of work out of each session. A variety of rep ranges were also chosen to get a mix of strength, size, and power.

    In week one, the upper body beast is done twice (Monday & Friday) with the lower body beast done on Wednesday. In week two, reverse the order. The lower body beast is done twice (Monday & Friday) with the upper body beast done on Wednesday. The abdominal beast can be added to the end of each main workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

    FOCUS NYC trainer Ryan Heffernan demos the lower body beast, FOCUS NYC trainer and powerlifter Luis Tejada has got the upper body beast, and Mike Simone performs the abdominal beast.

    THE WORKOUTS

    The Upper Body Beast

    1. Barbell Chest Press – 5 x 5
    2. Pull Ups – Weighted – 5 x 5
    3. Barbell Standing Shoulder Press – 4 x 6
    4. Barbell Shrugs – 4 x 6
    5. Weighted Dips – 3 x 8
    6. Barbell Bicep Curls – 3 x8

    *2 minute breaks on 5 x 5 exercises
    *90 second breaks on 4 x 6 exercises
    *60 second breaks on 3 x 8 exercises

    The Lower Body Beast

    1. Barbell Sumo Squats – 5 x 5
    2. Barbell Straight Legged Deadlift – 5 x 5
    3. Barbell Front Squats – 4 x 6
    4. Barbell Sumo Deadlifts – 4 x 6
    5. Barbell Squats – 3 x 8
    6. Glute Ham Leg Raise – 3 x 8

    *2 minute breaks on 5 x 5 exercises
    *90 second breaks on 4 x 6 exercises
    *60 second breaks on 3 x 8 exercises

    The Abdominal Beast

    1A. Weighted Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x 8
    superset
    1B. Wheel Roll Out – 3 x 8
    Rest 45 seconds

    2A. Floor Hip Thrusts with Twist – 3 x 12 per side
    superset
    2B. Swiss Ball Oblique Side Bends – 3 x 12 per side
    Rest 45 seconds

    3A. Swiss Ball Weighted Overhead Crunch – 3 x 8
    superset
    3B. V Crunch – 3 x 8
    Rest 45 seconds

  • This 5-day bodybuilding split is a timeless classic

    This 5-day bodybuilding split is a timeless classic

    Working out has gotten so complex. So many classes, so many new pieces of equipment, supplements—even the clothing. Options are great, but sometimes you just need someone to give it to you straight. If your number one goal is to build muscle and burn fat to look and feel better—at the end of the day—you’re bodybuilding. Like I said, there’s many different ways to get there but this is a surefire, straight-forward way of getting it done—and very effectively.

    More into athleticism than aesthetics? Try our 3-day Contender’s Plan for high-performance athletes

    The Workout Plan

    DAY 1 – Chest & Back 1


    1. Barbell Chest Press 4 x 8 rest 90 sec
    2. Cable Pulldowns 4 x max rest 90 sec
    3. Barbell Incline Press 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    4. Barbell Bent Over Row 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    5. Push Ups 3 x 10 rest 45 sec
    6. V-Bar Cable Row 3 x 10 rest 45 sec
    7. Hip Thrust 3 x max rest 60 sec

    DAY 2 – Legs 1


    1. Barbell Squat 4 x 8 rest 90 sec
    2. Plie Squat 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    3. Barbell Romanian Deadlift 4 x 8 rest 90 sec
    4. Dumbbell Lying Hamstring Curl 3 x 10 rest 60 sec
    5. Barbell Bridge Off Bench 3 x 10 rest 45 sec
    6. Standing Calf Raise 4 x 8 rest 45 sec
    7. Rope Cable Crunch 3 x 12 rest 60 sec

    DAY 3 – Shoulders & Arms


    1. Standing Military Press 4 x 8 rest 90 sec
    2. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    3. Standing Dumbbell Arnold Shoulder Press 3 x 10 rest 60 sec
    4. Standing Barbell Bicep Curl 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    5. Barbell Bench Tricep Skull Crushers 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    6. Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3 x 10 rest 45 sec
    7. Bench Dips 3 x 10 rest 45 sec
    8. Plank 3 x 60 sec rest 30 sec

    DAY 4 – OFF

    DAY 5 – Chest & Back 2


    1. Dumbbell Incline Chest Press 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    2. Dumbbell Flat Chest Press 3 x 12 rest 60 sec
    3. Dumbbell Incline Chest Fly 3 x 12 rest 60 sec
    4. Chin Ups 4 x 10 rest 60 sec
    5. Incline Bench Dumbbell Row 3 x 12 rest 60 sec
    6. Single Arm Dumbbell Row 3 x 12 rest 45 sec
    7. Weighted Bench Hip Thrusts 3 x 12 rest 60 sec

    DAY 6 – Legs & Abs 2


    1. Barbell Walking Lunges 3 x 12 per leg rest 60 sec
    2. Narrow Barbell Squats 3 x 12 rest 60 sec
    3. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges 3 x 12 rest 60 sec
    4. Single-leg Standing Calf Raise 3 x 15 rest 45 sec
    5. Barbell Shrugs 4 x 8 rest 60 sec
    6. Dumbbell Seated Shrugs 4 x 10 rest 45 sec
    7. Weighted Crunch 3 x 12 rest 45 sec

    DAY 7 – OFF

    *This program was originally produced by HUMANFITPROJECT for Men’s Fitness magazine.