Here is my offseason program
IRON MANS "HIT" PROGRAM
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I've had several request asking me to elaborate about my off season mass building routine. I will do my very best to explain it. If you have questions please feel free to ask as it can be hard to explain things with just one post.
First let me start by saying that our muscles contain two types of tissues, (type 1) and (type 2) fibers.. Type 2 fibers contain the most growth potential so those are the ones you will want to concentrate on if your a bodybuilder. Theres 3 sub-categories of these type-2 fibers. "A-fibers", "B-fibers" and "C-fibers." When all three type-2 fibers are worked it will make the difference between a guy who looks big and a guy who looks BIG!!!
Type A can be stimulated by hitting failure on a weight that will allow for the performance of 11-15 reps. Type B fibers with 6-10 reps and type C fibers will be stimulated by hitting failure in the 1-5 rep range. Good form is always a must!
Wait a good 3 minutes between sets to allow ATP/CP levels to replenish so the most weight can be used per set..Lactic acid builds up when one moves too rapid to the next set or when using advanced techniques such as pre-exhausted super sets. LACTIC ACID will destroy the bodies ability to regenerate ATP/CP. How affective your AAS program regimine works in conjunction with your training program will be determined by how well your body regenerates ATP/CP levels. When levels of ATP are made low they trap (ANDROGEN RECEPTOR SITES) and block the signal for the body to grow. Diet and proper rest between sets has a positive affect on ATP/CP.
As most have already figured out, it's the big basic exercises not the puny isolations exercises that will put the most mass/strength on your body. Show me a man who can use 350 lbs on the shoulder press and I'll show you a man with a big set of capped shoulders. Big Kiwi comes to mind here as his shoulders are massive from doing heavy presses behind his neck. Isolation exercises would not have built his deltoids to such monsterous proportions.
One heavy set of 1-5 reps will stimulate the C fibers such as that of powerlifting program and this will build up strength that cannot be achieved on a typical bodybuilding rep scheme of 8-12. Added strength allows one to break down more muscle tissue over a period of time forcing the muscles to expand in size. Just look at the muscle size on some powerlifters!
It was the great Phil Hernon himself who stated in a thread why use (chop sticks) to eat with when one can use a (shovel)? He is comparing chop stick to isolation exercises such as leg extensions for the quads and the shovel would be squats for that same muscle group. If you want to improve on the exercises that contribute the most to making progress in the size/strength category you need to build your workout around them. Phil makes a great point!
I believe in leaving isolation exercises for pre-comp "only" when more time under tension will be needed through the use of strip sets/super sets, etc. "OVERUSE INJURIES" can be avoided when dieting down by adding light-moderate weighted isolation exercises but lifting "heavy" with isolation movements in the off season has damaged many a joints because they are not considered a natural movement for our bodies! If your joints becomes irritated with a particular basic exercises simply change to another basic exercise if needed. For example; if inclines begin bothering your rotator cuff switch to declines but its imperative to use the exercise that makes your particular body grow best, not what is working for your training partner. We all differ a bit in how our bodies responds to certain exercises. I prefer 15 degree declines for overall chest development where as a 30 degree decline works my arms and shoulders too much. My old mentor Bill likes 15 degree inclines best. My other training partner excels with flat presses. GO FIGURE! If changing exercises doesn't help the joint irritation issue at hand simply rest the injury so it can heal.Then get back after it!!!
DOGCRAPP stated in a thread that the shape of our muscles cannot be changed. In other words you will in no way turn a blocky person into a small waisted symmetrical one by using certain exercises such as those of the isolation version, or by not using certain exercises like heavy compound movements.. DC makes a great point!
BIG A said in a thread he uses mostly "incline presses" for chest but his lower chest still grows the most because it's the way his chest genetics are laid out. He stated there is no such things as an upper chest and a lower chest. Simply said, a muscle contracts as a whole. Big A makes a great point!
Iron Addict asked in one thread what musculoskeletal muscles would be out of balance if "ONLY" one basic exercise (the most important one) per body part was performed? He makes a great point!
Sammy's dad stated in a thread that Ronnie Coleman is really only doing "3" sets to failure per body part twice a week not "12" if you where to exclude all his time consuming warm up sets. Sammy's dad makes a great point!
Working a muscle group twice a week is better than once a week because of 3 reasons.(#1) Is explained by DC. If you can break a muscle down more frequently and then let it re-build you get more growth cycles. (#2) You are able to use the most weight for any rep range on the first 3 sets for any particular muscle group, therefore you'll break down more muscle tissue with 3 sets done twice weekly as opposed to 6 sets done once a week.(#3) Each body part has it's own individual (protein turn over rate) and I think every body part needs to be treated as a lagging body part. Training any body part with more frequency produces more "circulatory androgens" similar to that of a site-injection protocol.That's why you will frequently hear of trainers hitting a "weak" muscle group (twice per week) as opposed to (once).
On and on I could go but I think you get the point. Keep in mind you get the most for your efforts with the first 3 sets. This is talked about in Bill Pearls book "GETTING STRONGER". After 3 sets you get less results for your efforts. So spend your energy on the exercises (that count the most) with the first 3 sets (that count the most) by attacking the A-B-C type- 2 fibers, which (count the most) and by using that one and only exercise that (counts the most). Leave the rest of your success to genetics, nutrition, drugs, and rest.
Heres where some tend to get and quickly overtrain their CNS and larger muscle groups putting a halt to any strength gains that could have been made long term. They been taught through MUSCLE MAGS that it requires more sets to stimulate a "larger" muscle groups like quads, as opposed to the "smaller" muscle groups like the biceps. The answer would be "NO IT DOES NOT"!! Why? Because the smaller muscle groups in exception to forearms and the lower back recover at a faster rate than the larger muscle groups. The biceps recover quicker than any other bodypart even though they are considered a small muscle group. For larger muscle groups such as the legs, it take longer for the cells and muscle fibers to elevate protein synthesis along with the extra time needed for the CNS to regain its composure. Regardless of what many may have been led to believe the chest is actually a "SMALL" muscle group like the arms.Traps are actually a large muscle group not a small one because they cover nealry 1/3 of the total back mass. The calves are a small muscle group but receover very fast. Deltoids are considered a large muscle group like that of the legs and lats, yet they get pounded so hard with chest/back work they are easy to overtrain. I think you can see what I say here as it makes common sense.
Why do a push pull routine? Because of PTOR (protein turn over rate). If for example, you trained lats heavy on Monday and then trained your biceps the following day, it would most certainly disrupt the anabolic phase of the biceps growth and recovery process due to secondary involvement during the "compound" lat movement you performed on the prior day. This would make for poor bicep growth.
Some may ask; but wouldn't it limit my ability to use as much weight as possible on shoulder and tricep exercises after pounding the chest? As with any training program the body quickly adapts. Anyone who has ever incorporated a pre-exhaustion program for a particular muscle group knows that at first the weights used will be less until the muscles adapt to the change. Once your system gets used to training delts and triceps after chest the amount of weight you'll be able to use rises at a rapid rate. Wait 5-15 minutes depending on your time re-straints before going to the next body part so maximum strength can be regained. Waiting only 3 minutes between exercies in "NOT" enough!! Sit on a bench doing nothing during this time..Be that Big guy who sits around on his butt as though he's doing nothing, yet hes the BIG GUY..
Why a total of 6 sets for overall back work as opposed to 3 sets? This is decieving because in reality your only doing 3 sets for your lats "chinups" (not rows). Ever notice how the DOGCRAPP routine employs only one exercies per body part in exception to the overall back? The reason being lat pulldowns hit the lats where as row hit the muscle of the mid back. This is two different muscle groups just as the quads are the antagonist for the hamstrings. By not doing 3 sets sets of rows along with 3 sets of chins ups it would be like doing 3 sets of bicep work and leaving out the tricep. That would cause a severe muscle imbalance. So your only doing 3 sets for lats. The other 3 sets (rows) are for the upper/inner back thickness muscles..
This program consist of doing two warm up sets per body part. The first warm up set should be very light and about 15 reps. The second warm up set will consist of a moderate weight for 6-8 reps. (In noway should these sets be fatiguing). Then 3 total work sets per body part are to be performed. Work the type A-fibers on the 1st set. Fatique the B-fibers with the 2nd set and finish off blasting the C-fibers with the last set. Each set is taken to complete failure or one rep shy depending on your recovery abilities. Like "Magoo" stated in a thread, stimulate the muscle and move on. No need in doing multiple sets as you'll only be hurting your joints and zapping the CNS by doing so. Why waste uneccesary time in the gym through countless sets when end road can be met with less?????? Hit one fiber type with one intense set and move on to the other fiber type!!!!
NOTE: Some including myself tend to do better with this program by doing their medium rep set (6-10) on their first set, the low rep sets (1-5) next, and the high rep set (11-15) last. Some tend to get fatigued and lose too much strength by blasting away at their type-c fibers/high reps at the beginning. "Experiment" to see which way works best for you. Cycling the two approaches (ABC fibers) set scheme or the (BCA fibers) lay out order works great as well. I've found by attacking the C fibers (heavy weight/low reps) first one increases their chance for injury.
If one cant reach the determined rep range on a set then a (MODIFIED REST PAUSE) needs to be employed on every set of fibers except the C-fiber-heavy weight 1-5 reps. For instance if you are trying to stimulate the B-fibers of your pecs with 6-10 reps on the incline press and got 10 with 300 lbs last session. Going back to a weight of 300 lbs no longer gives you a challenge on the B-fibers so you much add more weight (for ie 315lbs). If you add too much weight and fail at rep #5 rack the weight and rest only long enough so that you can pick up the weight and crank out another rep or two to make the 6-10 range!!!!!!!
With this 3 day a week HIT program 3 sets are performed twice in an 8 day period. Its imperative you never work out two days in a row so as the CNS can be ready for the next workout. The CNS ability to recovery "does not" increases as we progress in our training. The stronger we get the more intensity that can be generated through lifting heavier weights, therefore making the recovery process taking even longer. Steroids only compound the problem by making us stronger. Big A talked about this in his STICKY telling beginners how they should train, but he was really talking about all levels of trainers. 3 days per week, MWF is optimal for offseason. Leave the 6 days per week training for pre-competition.
NOTE: a layoff is indicated every 6 weeks on the IRON MAN "HIT" for a period of ten days. Since training would normally be terminated on a Friday and would not be resumed until Monday of the (second-following week). (FAILURE to take this "10" day lay off will inevitably hold you back in SIZE-STRENGTH)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MONDAY: (WEEK 1)
Chest: One compound movement for chest. I have found the 15 degree decline or incline press to be the best for most but some like flat bench presses.
Shoulders: One over head compound pressing movement like dumbell presses or a smith machine, etc.
Triceps: Close grips or lying tricep extensions if your elbow joint can handle them..
Traps: Shrugs.
ABS: weighted crunches or weighted cable reverse cruches : Do a higher rep range on abs so the lower back is not injured.
WEDNESDAY:
Back width: pulldowns or better yet chin ups.
Back thickness: rows
biceps: dumbell curls..Avoid heavy concentrated curls such as one arm spider curls as they can rip the tendon/muscle clean from the bone.
calves: standing calf raises "not the seated version" as they are for the soleus.
quads: squats
hams : leg curls
FRIDAY: Same as mondays workout
(WEEK 2)
Monday: SAME AS WEDNESDAY ON WEEK ONE AND SO ON.
NOTE: I left out deadlifts as Iv'e witnessed several trainers trainers blow out spinal disk performing this movement while using proper form. It destroyed their bodybuilding activities along with their life so I no longer give out advise pertaining to this exercises. Be careful if you choose to do them! This workout program will need to be adjusted if you incorporate deadlifts.
NOTE: For each push-pull movement the antagonist muscle group recieves the same amount of work sets. For ie; (CHEST PRESS-ROWS). (SHOULDER PRESS- PULLDOWNS) and so one.
Preventing "boredom" will always be an important factor in everyones success. While rotating to a different exercise each session is not an necessity with this program, some "enjoy" being able to do so with the (basic mass builders). Thats fine!!! A good illustration would be doing squats one workout and substituting squats for the leg press machine the following workout and then back to squats the next time around and then back once again to the leg press and so on. But you must avoid incorporating such movements as heavy shoulders laterals, pullovers, flyes, leg extension, concentrated curls, good mornings, wrist curls, etc when trying to further your progress as these will not aid in adding the size-strength you seek but will most certainly set you back with nagging or possibly chronic "injuries".
I am confident this plan will help anyone wishing to make further gains in mass/strength.
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Last edited by IRON MAN : 11-21-2005 at 01:13 PM.
