Full Body Routine for Hypertrophy. Week 3

Javier Colomer 6 min. of reading Training Routines Leave a comment

With this third week, we bring our Hypertrophy Training Macrocycle, Build Your Muscles!, to an end.

What training plan should you follow after the hypertrophy cycle?

This is the obvious question after completing these 13 weeks, divided into 7 weeks of strength training and 6 weeks of pure hypertrophy, using Upper/Lower Body and Full Body routines. Now it’s time to plan our next steps.

In this regard, my position is quite clear: I prefer a hybrid system that allows me to work on both strength and hypertrophy while also incorporating power training.

The thing about this type of training is that it essentially requires an advanced level of proficiency in Olympic lifting movements to get the most out of it. Nevertheless, I would recommend that anyone who has never tried this approach should start introducing Olympic Weightlifting into their life. And I say life rather than routine because I’m willing to bet that a large percentage of people, once they develop a taste for it, will never give it up… That’s exactly what happened to me a few years ago, and ever since, I’ve been gradually trying to improve in this wonderful sporting discipline.

In my particular case, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve tried to maintain training plans that combine strength, power and hypertrophy, in other words, something along the lines of Performance + Aesthetics, without sacrificing “functionality”.

Perhaps this last concept isn’t quite as important when it comes to hypertrophy routines, but I believe it’s always worth considering.

Perhaps one of the most impressive “functional physiques” on the planet…

I believe it’s possible to train with the goal of maintaining a physique that meets our personal objectives without having to give up exercises that not only help us achieve that goal but also provide additional benefits, such as improving our physical abilities.

Functional Hypertrophy

This is probably the best way to describe the idea I’m trying to convey.

Those who already know me will understand what I’m talking about. For those who don’t, this is my training philosophy:

Build a body that suits your preferences, with sufficient muscle mass and a low body fat percentage, but don’t give up physical exercise, no matter how demanding it may be. This includes HIIT, metabolic workouts, WODs, or continuing to learn how our bodies work, how energy systems function, how to train them and improve their efficiency… And, of course, helping others who have the same questions I once had.

This is certainly entirely subjective, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that following this approach will improve your appearance. However, when you’ve spent many years maintaining a physique (which may not be particularly extraordinary compared to others, but means a great deal to you, especially because of the journey you’ve taken to achieve it), you need new sources of motivation.

There’s a very famous saying that can be applied to any aspect of our lives, provided the circumstances are right. If you’re given the opportunity, don’t waste it: if you don’t enjoy what you do, then none of it makes sense.

In my particular case, maintaining training plans that provide real benefits, whether by introducing more strength exercises, high-intensity training or, as I mentioned earlier, Olympic weightlifting, has allowed me to maintain that motivation and use it to determine the path I want to follow.

Example of Functional Hypertrophy

Here I’m sharing a video of Steve Cook, the athlete I used as an example in the headings of the first few weeks.

In my opinion, this athlete has one of the most aesthetic physiques in the world. As you can see in the following video, he is capable of performing power movements and even takes on a CrossFit WOD. We won’t go into detail about his technique, which clearly needs improvement, but with appropriate training, he would certainly be able to refine it and improve his performance.

However, as we’ve already mentioned, everyone has their own goals. If this isn’t one of Steve’s objectives (after all, his image is marketed within the fitness category), that’s perfectly understandable:

Conclusion

Whatever you do, make sure it has a purpose.

If you’re passionate about strength training, try, for example, the 5x5 workout routine;
If you don’t have much time but still want to train, perhaps a 3-day Push-Pull routine is exactly what you need;
However, if you’re more ambitious, I recommend it 100%. And especially if you enjoy my training style and have been following me over these past few weeks, I invite you to try my BPT system.

Full Body Workout Routine

Week 3 Schedule

Day 1

HIIT

Day 2

Active Recovery

Day 3

HIIT

Rest

Week 3 Workout Plan

DAY 1

1) Squat + Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Superset::a+b

a) For Squats, PaP -> sets of 3 reps [50-60-70-80-90%] – 60s
b) Perform 5 Supersets -> 12x Squats [75%] + 12x Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts [RiR-2, increasing the load] – 120s

2) Bench Press + Pull-Ups Superset::a+b

a) For Bench Press, PaP -> sets of 3 reps [50-60-70-80-90%] – 60s
b) Perform 5 Supersets -> 12x Bench Press [75%] + 12x Pull-Ups – 120s

3) Superset::3 rounds – 90s

Incline Dumbbell Flyes + 45º Dumbbell Rows [for both: RiR-2, increasing the load]

4) Superset::3 rounds – 90s

Hammer Curls [20+20kg] + Triceps Push-Ups [for both: RiR-2, increasing the load]

5) Abs::Isometric Plank -> Accumulate 3min

DAY 2

1) Front Squat + Overhead Press Superset::a+b

a) For both exercises, PaP -> sets of 3 reps [50-60-70-80-90%] – 60s
b) Perform 5 Supersets -> 12x Front Squats [75%] + 12x Overhead Press [75%] – 120s

2) Superset::3 rounds – 90s