Bodybuilding, a solution to break through plateaus

Hey, we’re continuing the series on articles focused on those just starting out at the gym, or who’ve been at it for a while. This one’s all about including a different training strategy, slightly tweaked from the usual routine, which might be perfect for users with some experience whose main issue is that no matter how much they complain, they just don’t gain weight…

It’s a routine of high intensity, low volume, training 4 days a week

I won’t say much about cardio, but you can always make some room to call on Mr. Tabata, or even try some hiit, and on top of that, add some more chill sessions or a lighter pace, which means keeping a moderate intensity for longer. Think outdoor cycling, jogging without going faster than 5 min per km, or even walks on the beach or in the mountains…

First things first, ask yourself these questions:

Not happy with your plan? Seeing progress with your current routine? Still trying different methods but only ending up tired and worn out without real gains? Overtraining…?

If these make you think, maybe it’s time for a change, to try a new training strategy. That’s the starting point I’ll mention in the next paragraphs. Lots of people have accepted that muscle growth is pretty tough now, and maybe the best they can do is maintenance. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I’ll try to lay out a system that aims to extend that “hope” of improving your physique. The training method might seem a bit weird or different from what you see in gyms, but I promise you can put it into action and see the progress. I especially think it can be super effective for those considered ectomorphs, who find it impossible to bulk up.

You also have to be realistic about your lifestyle — if your job already demands a lot of activity, it doesn’t make much sense to end the day smashing yourself with endless sets, without properly recovering or making the gains you want

On the other hand, you can think of it as a kind of strategic detraining, since the training volume is drastically reduced, but the stimulus the body needs to keep building muscle tissue is maintained.

Don’t settle for maintenance, say yes to growth!

Basic Workout Principles

All exercises should be performed strictly, respecting the full range of motion (ROM), and using the right speed to really feel the muscle working. No fast, sloppy moves!

• At the point of full contraction of the muscle, hold that “frame” for one second, visualizing the moment, feeling the blood flow concentrate in the area, increasing the time under tension (TUT).
• Repeat this sequence for every rep in every set.
• Complete the sets to failure.

Repetition Ranges

• Light sets: 6-8 reps (warm up)
• Moderate sets: 4-6 reps (warm up and approximate)
• Heavy or effective sets: 6-10 reps (for sets to failure)

Training Priority

• Intensity
• Technique

Rest

Rest a full day between workouts, or even add a second rest day (Rest Day) if needed. It’s important to know the reasons why we need to rest, and train smart.

Aerobics

For maximum muscle growth focus, go for light or low-intensity aerobics. I’m usually all in for going full throttle, but I get that for some it might not be the best strategy. So, I’d lean towards brisk walking, around 8 min/km. To make this easier, you can use tech like smartphones, GPS heart rate monitors, pedometers, etc. As for duration, about 1 hour.

If you do this cardio on training days, save it for after weights.

Exercise Variety

The best progress comes from rotating exercises that hit the muscle from different angles. For example, when training chest, one week do flat bench, the next week incline press. Set a routine where you know which muscle you’re training, keeping this in mind so you can rotate weekly based on a pattern. But rotating every 2 – 3 weeks is also fine, not necessarily every week.

Plus, it helps avoid routine boredom.

Track Your Workouts

Get a journal or a simple notebook, and write down everything about your workout. Sounds like a time waster, but it’s not. This way you’ll keep track of your progress, spot weak points, and know which exercises need work…

Warm Up

Warm up enough to avoid injury risks, plus it will boost your performance, but watch out, don’t turn your warm up into your workout!

Your weight training session should last no longer than 30-35 minutes, including the warm up.

Workout

Here’s a possible routine to simplify what I’ve explained. Also, some terms first:

• Failure: the moment you can’t complete another rep with proper technique.
• Super Set: doing a set of one exercise to failure, then immediately moving to the next with minimal rest (5-10 seconds).
• Drop Set: doing a set to failure, then dropping the weight and continuing until failure again.
• Straight Set: doing a set, resting, then doing another set or sets.
• Compound Exercise: an exercise where you work a target muscle but also use other supporting muscles.

Day 1. Chest & Triceps

Chest (1 Super Set)

1. 2 warm up sets doing flat bench flyes. The first set very light, the second with about 60% of the weight you’ll use in the working set.
2. For the Super Set, pick any exercise from:

• Flat bench flyes
• Incline bench flyes
• Contractor machine

Do the set to failure. Immediately, pick from these:

• Dumbbell or barbell bench press
• Dumbbell or barbell incline press
• Dumbbell or barbell decline press

Use a narrow grip, narrower than shoulder width, and do another set to failure.

With this combo, you’ll have fully worked your chest, which will be totally stimulated, and doing more exercises might actually hold back progress or delay recovery.

Triceps (1 Drop Set)

1. Pick a triceps exercise and a weight you can do 10 perfect reps with, then work to failure.
2. Immediately drop the weight by half and continue to failure again. If you can do more than 10 reps in each set, increase the weight. At first, you’ll have to figure out your load.

Among the triceps exercises, I recommend:

• French press
• Cable pushdowns
• Barbell press

Day 2. Quadriceps & Hamstrings

Hamstrings (1 Drop Set)

1. Pick an exercise for this muscle, and do 2 warm up sets: the first light, the second moderate (60% of working set load).
2. Load a weight for 6-10 reps, work to failure. Drop the weight by half and continue to failure.

Possible exercises:

• Stiff-legged deadlifts with dumbbells
• Lying leg curls

That’s enough… Remember to keep track of all weights and when you fail…

Quadriceps (1 Super Set)

For quads, always combine leg extensions (first) followed by any compound exercise:

• Squat
• Hack squat
• Leg press

The idea is to “pre-exhaust” the quads with the first exercise, so you’re sure the quads will be the first to fail in the compound exercise, before other muscle groups.

This is the principle for this workout, where with leg extensions you do 2 sets, from light to moderate, then finish with the compound exercise.

Day 3. Calves & Shoulders

Calves (1 Drop Set)

1. Pick an exercise for this muscle group. Do 2 warm up sets: the first very light, the second more moderate (around 60%).
2. Load a weight for 6-10 perfect reps to failure.
3. Immediately drop the weight by half and go to failure again.

The goal of the Drop Sets is to stimulate every fiber in the calves without overtraining, and believe it or not, they’ll be ready.

Shoulders (1 Super Set & 1 Set to failure)

For shoulders, we’ll train the front and lateral deltoid first with a Super Set, then finish with the rear deltoid to failure.

Before starting, pick a lateral raise exercise and then a compound one, which in this case is an overhead press movement. These fit perfectly:

• Standing barbell military press
• Seated dumbbell military press

1. Warm up with a light to moderate weight
2. Load a weight for 6-10 perfect reps to failure for lateral raises
3. Immediately Super Set with the compound exercise, work to failure

This will work the front and lateral deltoids.

Rest 1 or 2 minutes, then pick a rear deltoid raise exercise, either machine or dumbbells. Go to failure on the next set.

You’re done with shoulders, literally…

Day 4. Back & Biceps

Back (3 Straight Sets)

The reason for including Straight Sets is that the back is a big muscle group, and when working it, the arms, especially biceps, get involved. Using Drop & Super Sets might fatigue the smaller muscle group first, not giving enough stimulus to the back, which is our main focus.

The solution is to pick 2 types of back exercises, then finish with traps.

For the first exercise, pick one of these:

• Behind-the-neck pulldown
• Weighted pull-ups

1. The first warm up set is very light.
2. The second set is about 60% of the weight for the last set.
3. Working set: 6-10 reps to failure, keeping technique strict.

For the second exercise, pick one of these:

• Standing bent-over row with reverse grip
• Seated row machine

Finally, work traps. Choose cable, dumbbell, barbell, or machine.

Do a light warm up set, then a working set of 6-10 reps to failure. Keep it strict. That’s it for back.

Biceps (1 Drop Set)

After finishing back, your biceps should be pre-fatigued.

Pick one of these exercises:

• Barbell curl
• Hammer curl with dumbbells

Do a set of 6-10 reps to failure, drop the weight by 50%, and go to failure again.

That’s a wrap for today, and your biceps should be on fire…

Conclusions

The method used in this type of training is based on the idea: “more is not better”

High intensity, low volume, and long rest periods are the principles of this method. Building muscle doesn’t have to be a long, boring process with tiny, slow gains.

With this approach, for those who’ve tried various methods without good results or who are currently stuck, I encourage you to give this training style a shot.

Big bodybuilders like Dorian Yates and Mike Mentzer have gone for similar programs, and you just have to check out some photos of them.

Still, this is just one piece of the puzzle — the stimulus the body needs to start building muscle, but obviously you can’t grow on air, so the next pillar to discuss will be diet, nutrition.

Train hard and smart!

Related Posts

• The exercises you need to know to work traps.