22 Proven Rep Schemes

by Christian Thibaudeau Yesterday

Rep-schemes
Here's what you need to know...

• While there's no one best set/rep scheme, there are plenty of great ones to
choose from, all time-tested and proven to work.

• Methods like 10 x 1, 5 x 2, ramping up to a 3RM, 3/2/1 waves, and 1/3 ratchet

loading, among others, work great for pure strength gains.

• For gaining both size and strength, schemes like cluster 5's, 5 x 5, and
1/2/4/6 are extremely effective.

• For pure hypertrophy, 4 x 8, 10/8/6/20, and Gironda's 6 x 6 have been around

forever and continue to pack on muscle.

"How many sets and reps should I do to get the best results?"

I hear that question every day. People all want a cut and dried answer so all
they'll have to do is follow it and make uninterrupted progress. Sadly, it's not as
simple as that. There is no one "best" sets/reps scheme. And sometimes a little
detail like doing one too many sets in a certain intensity range could absolutely
kill your progress. However, while there are no best schemes, there are several
great ones. Here are 22 of them. All of them will work if you respect the given
guidelines and train hard.

1. For Pure Strength Gains

Ramping up to a 3RM (60-90%): The principle of ramping is fairly easy to
understand. You start with a moderate load and gradually build your way up to the
heaviest weight you can lift for the chosen rep number. It's as simple as that.

Understand, though, that ramping works optimally with low reps. Ramping is based on
one simple fact: Every time you do a set, two things happen. First, you
potentiate/activate the nervous system, which increases your performance potential
for subsequent sets. Second, you create fatigue (neural and muscular), which
decreases performance potential. The key with ramping is creating more activation
with as little fatigue as possible. Activation is linked to force production, so
you can amp up the nervous system either by lifting heavy weights or accelerating
the weight as much as possible.

Here are the guidelines to follow when ramping (regardless of whether it's to a 1,
2, or 3RM):

• Only do the chosen rep number on all your sets, even the lighter ones.

• Treat every set as if it were a max effort set. Warm-ups do not exist with
ramping. Each set is a "practice set" leading to the max effort. Every set should
be done with 100% focus and trying to push or pull as hard as possible on the bar.

• Do not use too many sets as you work up to your RM as you want to avoid
excessive fatigue. I used to take up to 12 sets to reach my top weight, but later
found better results using only 5 or 6 sets to get there. Don't go too low, either,
or the large jumps will create an inhibitory effect instead of a
stimulating/confidence-building one.

Start with 60% of RM when you ramp. When ramping to a 3RM, you'll normally reach a
point that's approximately 90% of your max, so make jumps of about 7-10% per set.
It might look something like this:

180 lbs x 3
200 lbs x 3
220 lbs x 3
240 lbs x 3
260 lbs x 3
270 lbs x 3

You want to rest long enough to prevent fatigue from hurting your performance, but
not so long that you lose the neural potentiation effect. Two minutes between sets
works best for most.

Ramping up to a 2RM (60-92/95%): This is the same as ramping to a 3RM, but you use
sets of 2 instead of sets of 3. While ramping to a 3RM is my new favorite form of
ramping most of the time (it builds strength with much less negative impact on the
nervous system), ramping to sets of 2 is something that I often use to learn to
demonstrate strength without the huge toll that a 1RM can take on my body and
nervous system.

Ramping up to a 1RM (60-97/100%): In the past, ramping to a 1RM was my favorite way
of ramping, but over the long haul I found that it can be brutal on neural
recovery. Neural fatigue is odd in that you rarely notice it. You begin to feel a
bit less motivated or energetic, but not enough to think that there's something
wrong. Then you can get used to being in that situation and "a bit less
motivated/energetic" becomes your normal state. You're probably functioning at 80%
efficiency but don't even know it! But trust me, ramping to a 1RM is at least 2-3
times harder to recover from than ramping to a 2 or 3RM. While ramping to a 1RM is
a very effective way to peak strength, it shouldn't be used for more than 2-3 weeks
in a row.

10 x 1 @ 90%: This scheme will allow you to gain strength as well as the skill to
be able to demonstrate it. While you can build strength using lower weights like
80%, it's the 90%+ lifts that make you good at demonstrating maximum strength. I
find that you can get maybe 3-4 lifts in the 95-100% range (more than that and you
risk neural fatigue), but you double that number by simply going down to 90-95%!
And, truth be told, you can build just as much strength using weights that are 90%
of 1RM as you can using weights that are 95-100% of your 1RM.

5 x 2 @ 90%: "Hard doubles" are a great way to build strength. Even if you're using
the same percentage and do the same total reps as for the 10 singles (90%), I find
5 hard doubles easier psychologically. It's hard to maintain focus and intensity
over 10 sets, even if each set is very short. You also recruit more motor-units
doing hard doubles than singles at the same intensity level. The reason is that you
do create some fatigue with the first rep and are forced to recruit some more motor
units to be able to perform the second rep. Ten singles is very effective for
advanced lifters with lots of heavy lifting experience because they're generally
able to recruit more motor-units in that first rep. Intermediate lifters will get
better results from the doubles because they can't recruit as many fibers in the
first rep and need the second to get complete stimulation.

3 x 3 @ 90%: "Hard triples" is similar to the hard doubles in that you use fatigue
from the first reps to increase motor-unit recruitment as the set progresses. I
find that 3 x 3 (90%) is a good way to train for strength if you have little
experience in maximal lifting. Intermediates will make great gains too, but for
advanced lifters it might be a bit too demanding because they are so efficient at
recruiting muscle fibers (and because their max is higher, 90% of 500 pounds is
more demanding on the body than 90% of 200 pounds, even if "relatively speaking"
the intensity is the same).
Advanced lifters can still use it, but doing 5 doubles would work better in most
situations. The advanced lifters who will benefit the most from hard triples are
those who are strong, but not explosive. Naturally explosive lifters are the best
at recruiting fast-twitch fibers and will quickly lose strength from rep to rep.
It's not rare to have an explosive lifter fail to get 3 reps at 90% while a strong
but slower lifter can bang out 5 reps with that weight.

3/2/1 waves (88-97/102%): This is quite possibly the most powerful loading scheme
you can use to build strength. I know some experts have spoken out against it, but
I've seen it work too many times to listen to "theory" and disregard reality. Heck,
even Ilya Illyin, arguably the best Olympic lifter at the moment, uses this scheme
in his training. It has a profoundly stimulating effect on the nervous system, but
it can also be draining because of the high neural output.

Basically, you perform "waves" of 3 sets on an exercise. The weight is increased on

every set during a wave while the reps are decreased. For example, a wave might
look like this:

315 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 2
335 lbs x 1
Rest your normal length between each set.

If you can successfully complete a wave without missing a rep, you're allowed to
start a new wave. The new wave uses more weight than the preceding one. Normally I
recommend starting the wave with the load you used for the second set of the
preceding wave:

325 lbs x 3
335 lbs x 2
345 lbs x 1

If you can complete all the reps in that second wave, you can start a third wave:

335 lbs x 3
345 lbs x 2
355 lbs x 1

Stop the exercise when you can no longer complete a wave.

Note that the first wave is conservative while the second one is more challenging
but one notch below your maximum. The third wave, of course, leads to a 1RM. Being
able to complete 4 waves would lead to a PR. For example, if your 1RM on a lift is
350 pounds, your waves might look like this:

310 lbs x 3, 320 lbs x 2, 330 lbs x 1

320 lbs x 3, 330 lbs x 2, 340 lbs x 1
330 lbs x 3, 340 lbs x 2, 350 lbs x 1
340 lbs x 3, 350 lbs x 2, 360 lbs x 1

On any given day you should be able to complete 2 waves. Completing 3 waves is a
very good session while completing 4 waves is an amazing workout. Completing 5
waves means that you underestimated the weights to use!

1/3 Ratchet loading (80-90%): This is also a form of wave loading, but uses waves
of two sets. The difference is that the same weight is used for both sets in a wave
(in 3/2/1 waves it is gradually increased), but the reps increase. The first set is
designed to potentiate the nervous system and get used to the new weight; the
second set is a more demanding effort. Normally we use three waves (for a total of
6 sets), but we sometimes do four waves on a particularly good day. The waves are
as follow:

Wave 1: 80% x 1 Rest 90 sec. 80% x 3 Rest 120 sec.

Wave 2: 85% x 1 Rest 90 sec. 85% x 3 Rest 120 sec.
Wave 3: 90% x 1 Rest 90 sec. 90% x 3 Rest 120 sec.
Wave 4: 92-95% x 1 Rest 90 sec. 92-95% x 3

This is a good way to build strength as you practice performing a lift with heavy
loads while not being as hard on the nervous system as 3/2/1 waves.

2. For Gaining Strength and Size Equally

Physique
Cluster 5's @ 88-92%: Clusters are an advanced method to build size while getting a
lot stronger. They consist of doing 5 repetitions with a load you would normally
use for 3 repetitions (88-92%). You accomplish that by taking pauses between every
rep. The length of the pause can be as short as 5 seconds and as long as 20
seconds. The goal is to get all 5 reps in, so you might start with shorter breaks
early in the set and then extend them as the set (and fatigue) progresses.

The short break is enough to replenish some ATP in the muscles, recharge the
nervous system a bit, and get rid of a possible metabolite accumulation, but it's
not long enough to get rid of all the fatigue from the previous rep(s). This
results in you being able to use a bit more weight than you normally would for 5
reps while still being forced to recruit more motor-units from rep to rep due to
some fatigue accumulation.

5 x 5 @ 75-85%: Among strength athletes, the 5x5 scheme has been one of the longest
standing training methods. The Russian squat strength programs from the 70's used
it, Hatfield's powerlifting peaking cycle used it, Bill Starr's "The Strongest
Shall Survive" program used it, and Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" plan and
the "Texas Method" used it. The 5x5 method is probably responsible for more muscle
and strength being built than any other approach!

There are many variations of this approach, from doing all 5 sets of 5 with the
same weight to gradually working up to 2-3 max sets of 5 (with 2 sets being a bit
lighter) or using a fixed weight for one workout (same weight for all the sets),
but alternating heavy (80-85%) and lighter (75%) days. They all work! Simply keep
the reps at 5 and the load between 75 and 85%.

5/4/3/2/1 (80-95%): This is one of my favorite schemes because it's based on a

psychological trick that gets you more mentally involved in the workout with every
single set. You basically remove one repetition while adding weight on every set.

For low-rep guys like myself, this method is fantastic because the decreasing rep
pattern makes you believe that each set is easier than the one before, while the
added weight makes it harder. I find my performance to be better with each passing
set and it always leads to a solid performance. This is the scheme I use when I'm
not really "into it." You can finish it quickly and it'll give you a good amount of
strength and size stimulation. While sometimes you can end the 5/4/3/2/1 with a
true 1RM, I find better results being a bit more conservative as it will stimulate
gains just as much while having less of a negative impact on the nervous system. A
typical workout would look like this:

5 reps @ 80%
4 reps @ 82%
3 reps @ 85%
2 reps @ 87-90%
1 rep @ 92-95%

5/4/3/2/1/1+ (80-105%): This is the advanced version of the 5/4/3/2/1. You perform
the first 5 sets as described above, but after the first single, you continue doing
sets of 1 until you hit your max for the day. It could look like this:

5 reps @ 80%
4 reps @ 82%
3 reps @ 85%
2 reps @ 90%
1 rep @ 95%
1 rep @ 100%
1 rep @ 102-105% (attempt at a new max if you're feeling strong that day)

Be careful using this one. It's tempting to always go for a new max, especially
since the 5/4/3/2/1 countdown makes you feel super strong, but going for a 1RM too
often will drain the nervous system and you'll quickly hit a wall and stop
progressing. Only go for a maximum when you're almost certain of hitting something
big.

1/2/4/6 (80-92%): This is the opposite principle of 5/4/3/2/1. You start with the
lowest reps/heavier weight sets and work your way up in reps while decreasing the
load. The benefit is that is that you amp up the nervous system prior to doing the
highest reps set(s), which will allow you to recruit more fast-twitch fibers on the
volume set, stimulating more growth. Note that we skip the sets of 3 and 5 reps.
The reason is that we want to potentiate the nervous system but get to the 6-rep
set without accumulating too much fatigue. So a progression might look like this:

1 rep @ 90-92%
2 reps @ 88-90%
4 reps @ 85%
6+ reps @ 80% (You go to failure. The objective is 6 reps, but if you can get 7 or
8, go for it!)

6/4/2 waves (75-90%): The basic principle of this scheme is the same as the 3/2/1
wave but with higher reps. While 3/2/1 wave loading is one of the most powerful
strength-building schemes, the 6/4/2 wave loading approach represents one of the
best compromises between strength and size gains. The 3/2/1 method will give you a
lot of strength and some size gains, but 6/4/2 will give you good strength and size
gains. The 6/4/2 scheme uses more volume, so you hit your limit in waves (whereas
it's 4 waves for the 3/2/1 scheme). The first wave is conservative, the second wave
would lead to your 3RM, and a third wave would lead to a personal record for 3
reps.

3/5 ratchet loading (75-85%): This is the strength/hypertrophy variation of 1/3

ratchet loading - the same principles (waves of 2 sets, same weight for both sets,
increase the reps) but different loads.

Wave 1: 75% x 3 Rest 90 sec. 75% x 5 Rest 120 sec.

Wave 2: 80% x 3 Rest 90 sec. 80% x 5 Rest 150 sec.
Wave 3: 85% x 3 Rest 120 sec. 85% x 5

You only do three waves because of the higher volume.

1/6 contrast (70-95%): This will stimulate high-threshold hypertrophy while also
building strength about as well as the 6/4/2 waves. This loading scheme uses
contrasts between sets of 1 repetition with 90-95% of your maximum and sets of 6
reps with 70-80% of your 1RM. You perform a total of 6 sets, or 3 contrast
pairings. Each pairing is gradually heavier. So it would look like this:

1 rep @ 90%
6 reps @ 70%
1 rep @ 92.5%
6 reps @ 75%
1 rep @ 95%
6+ reps @ 80% (Notice the +. This means that you go to failure. There's a good
chance you'll get more than 6 reps because of the neural activation from the
preceding sets.)

This approach takes advantage of post-tetanic potentiation - maximum lifting

increases neural activation, which improves your capacity to recruit fast twitch
fibers in your set of 6 reps. You also get a psychological boost from going to a
lighter weight after your set of 1.

3. For Maximizing Size

thibaudeau legs
4 x 8 @ 70%: Boring, bland, but effective! I say that because if you've been
involved in training for a decent amount of time, "4x8" will obviously be very
familiar to you as it's been THE staple loading scheme of most bodybuilders across
the ages. If it's stuck around for that long it's for a good reason - it works.
Doing 4 sets of 8 reps close to failure is a decent way to stimulate growth,
especially for beginners. It's nothing flashy but the basics never let you down.

10/8/6/20 (50-75%): I learned this loading scheme when I was 17 years old (almost
20 years ago!). A powerlifter friend of mine who held the Canadian Junior record in
the deadlift at 181 pounds taught it to me. The first three sets are done with
gradually heavier weights and fewer reps and you finish off with a pump set. A
workout would look like this:

10 reps @ 60%
8 reps @ 70%
6 reps @ 75%
20 reps @ 50% (roughly)

I really like this approach for pure hypertrophy. It's very effective since it
attacks all the zones that have the greatest impact on hypertrophy. I feel that
this method will be even more effective when used with Plazma™ because the main
benefit of the set of 20 is to bring nutrient-rich blood into the muscle that was
stimulated earlier during the heavier sets.

6 x 6 (short rest) @ 70%: Vince Gironda called this loading scheme "a Mr. Olympia
routine," most likely because it was a scheme he often relied on when training
Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia. It's based on a high training density, not on
load (despite the fairly low reps per set). You perform 6 sets of 6 repetitions
with a moderate weight (roughly 70% or a weight you could get 10 reps with) and you
must complete the 6 sets of 6 repetitions in as little time as possible.

Gironda's recommendations were normally to shoot for rest periods of 30 seconds

between sets, with his more advanced clients being allowed only 15. Remember, the
key factor with this loading scheme is density, not load, so if you can't do all 6
sets of 6 reps with 30 seconds of rest, you'd be better off reducing the load until
you adapt to the short rest periods.

8 x 8 (short rest) @ 60%: This is another one of Gironda's popular routines. It's
basically the exact same thing as 6 x 6 but you do more sets and more reps. This is
obviously more demanding and the goal is to create the biggest pump possible in the
shortest time possible.

Rest/Pause 6 + 4 @ 75-80%: Rest/pause is one of the most effective techniques to

stimulate growth. It's somewhat similar in concept to clusters - you end up doing
more reps than you should be able to do with a given load. To do that, just like
with clusters, you include a rest period within the set itself. The version that
works best for size is using 75-80% (or the most weight you can get 6 or 7 reps
with). You do 6 reps with that weight, then rest for 15-20 seconds and try to
complete 4 more reps with the same weight. That technique will allow you to
stimulate more muscle fibers and thus more growth. It's a very demanding technique,
though. I recommend no more than 1 or 2 sets of this technique on an exercise. You
could perform one or two regular sets of 6, then end with one or two rest/pause
sets.

5-4-3-2-1 HDL @ 70%: This is the hardest form of rest/pause training. It works
amazingly well, but it's draining on the body. You shouldn't use it for more than 3
workouts i

Break 3 Rules, Build More Muscle

by Christian Thibaudeau   Yesterday
Thibadeau-partial-deadsquat

Here's what you need to know...

•  For hypertrophy, it doesn't really matter what the exercise looks like as long
as it puts the muscle under an optimal load/tension. Accordingly, some of the
biggest bodybuilders on the planet rely heavily on partial reps.

•  If you can't feel a muscle working in an exercise, you can't stimulate it or

grow it optimally. Isolation work will fix this problem and even improve your
compound lifts.

•  You can build muscle with almost any kind of rep range. If you train
consistently and try to gradually become stronger in the rep ranges you're doing,
you'll grow muscle with 3 reps or 20 reps.

Despite my focus on performance, I also want to look muscular and lean, as do my

clients. I've even competed in bodybuilding myself to see what it was like and to
understand it better. I also had the opportunity to work with a lot of great
bodybuilders, amateurs and pros. I worked with Amit Sapir for a few years, starting
when he was an amateur and up to when he won his pro card. I also was involved in
the Darryl Gee project that was documented on T Nation. Currently, I'm training
Patrick Bernard, a new IFBB pro in the 212-pound class, as well as a young woman
who won her class in figure at a recent contest. I've definitely learned a thing or
two in the process.

You can learn from anyone who's training hard and making progress - bodybuilders,
powerlifters, athletes, CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, etc. Close your mind to any
of these training modalities because of pre-conceived ideas and you'll miss out on
a lot. That said, here are three things I learned from working with bodybuilders.

1. Partial or "incomplete reps" can be very effective.

As a performance guy, form is important to me. Good technique equals better

performance. Of course, when you're competing in lifting sports like Olympic
lifting, powerlifting, strongman, and CrossFit, a rep doesn't count if it's not
complete or done within the rules. As such, I've always had a hard time accepting
half squats, benches that weren't locked out, and touch and go deadlifts. With
bodybuilders I often see these same "incomplete reps" - things like squats that are
just a tad too high (coming from an Olympic lifting background, I'm used to going
as low as your ligaments and bones will allow you to go!), bench presses that
aren't locked, close-grip benches not lowered all the way to the chest, etc., but
I've changed my tune. Here are some observations I made:

1. The first guy I ever trained who had thighs over 32 inches was a bodybuilder who
was only going down halfway on his squats (thighs parallel to the floor) and on
some reps he would stop even higher, yet this guy had humongous quads! I also
noticed recently that even the (arguably) best Olympic lifter in the world, Ilya
Illyin, squats in a similar manner. It's also very common for Chinese Olympic
lifters to do quarter squats or quarter front squats after their main squat work is
done.

2. My client, IFBB pro Patrick Bernard, has amazing triceps, yet he never works
full range on close-grip benches (stopping 1-2" from the chest and just short of
lockout), dips (just doing the upper half of the range of motion), or bench presses
(stopping 1-2" before lockout). He can easily do a full range lift - he's benched
455 pounds using a competition-style bench press - but when he trains, he generally
uses one-half to two-thirds of the range of motion.

3. I used to work with Alex Raymond and he used to stop short on any triceps
extension because of an elbow injury, yet his triceps were among his best body
parts. When doing shoulder presses, he'd also stop just short of lockout and lower
the bar or dumbbells only to mouth level, yet he had amazing shoulders.

4. Some of the guys with the biggest biceps I've seen are those who only train the
middle of the range of motion on curls, keeping the muscle under constant tension.

5. While Patrick Bernard uses a full range of motion on his squats, he uses only a
very short range of motion on his leg press. As a result (or in spite of it), he
has amazing vastus medialis development.

And these are only examples. Partial reps are fairly common, if not the norm, in
bodybuilding. It was a shock for me at first, but after analyzing it I realized
that for a bodybuilder, the purpose of doing a lifting exercise is simply to put
tension on a muscle to make it grow. It doesn't really matter what the exercise
looks like as long as it puts the muscle under an optimal load/tension.
Empirically, they found that doing only a portion of the range of motion on some
movements is what worked best for their own goals and their own body.

Furthermore, bodybuilders tend to use relatively higher reps while still relying on
pretty heavy weights. That's something that can take its toll on the joints, and
reducing the range of motion can give the joints a break. Now I'm not saying to
start avoiding full range of motion on every set of every lift. After all, going
full range on big movements often involves a greater amount of muscle mass and
reaching a stretched position increases growth stimulation by activating the mTor
pathway. However, when you're focusing on constant tension training (as opposed to
heavy/strength lifting), it's perfectly okay to train in the range of motion that
keeps the target muscle loaded.

Here are some examples of how to incorporate partial range of motion training:
Exercise Training Range Purpose
Bench Press Stopping a few inches from lockout Keeps constant tension on the
pectorals, prevents the triceps from kicking in too much; reduces elbow strain
Close-Grip Bench 1-2" from chest to just prior to lockout Makes the close-grip
work safer on the shoulders, avoids having the chest kick in too much
Incline Bench Press 1-2" from chest to 1-2" from lockout Keeps constant
tension on the pectorals, avoids excessive shoulder strain
Dip Keeping the shoulders above the elbows in the low position Has the triceps do
most of the work while reducing shoulder strain
Shoulder Press Bar/Dumbbell handle no lower than mouth level and up to 1-2"
short of lockout Keeps constant tension on the deltoids, prevents the triceps from
taking over, reduces shoulder strain in the bottom position
Squats/Front Squat From upper thigh parallel to the floor and up to 1-2" short
of lockout Keeps the quads under constant tension and reduces the participation of
the glutes and hamstrings
Leg Press Going down just prior to reaching a 90-degree angle at the knees
Increases vastus medialis stimulation and reduces hip and lower back strain
Curl (Biceps) From just short of full elbow extension up to just short of
finishing the flexion Keeps the stress on the biceps by preventing the front
delts and traps from kicking in too much, reduces elbow strain
Triceps Extension
(pulley, dumbbell or bar) Go from full flexion to about an inch before reaching
full extension Reduces some elbow stress, provides constant tension on the
triceps
Romanian Deadlift Going as low as possible but only going three-fourths of
the way up Keeps the hamstrings under constant tension, reduces the risk of
possible lumbar hyperextension

I wouldn't use partial-movement training exclusively. For me, it's more of an

assistance technique. I certainly wouldn't use it when going heavy for low reps as
it defeats the purpose of the exercise. This is best kept for when using moderate-
to-high reps (8-20). If you decide to use this technique, incorporate at least one
full-range compound exercise with each muscle group. The bottom line is that you
should train mostly in the full range of motion, but understand what partial range
of motion can do for you and don't be afraid to use it if it fits your goals.

2. Learning to feel a muscle makes it easier to stimulate (and grow).

Curls

I used to make fun of isolation exercises, yet I was the one praising the
importance of having a good mind-muscle connection. It might not seem like a huge
paradox until you understand that if you have a lousy mind-muscle connection, the
best way to fix it is by doing isolation work for that muscle. In that regard,
isolation work is a good idea, even if it's just used as a tool to improve your
recruitment of a muscle so that you can better stimulate it with compound
movements.

If you can't feel a muscle working in a movement, you can't stimulate it optimally.
The more you feel a muscle doing work, the better your recruitment of that muscle
is and the more it will grow. Period.

Most of the time, just "thinking" about a muscle while doing an exercise, or trying
harder to feel it working, isn't going to make a difference. If you don't feel the
pectorals being loaded during a bench press, you won't feel them better simply by
thinking about them. That's where isolation work can help you. By learning to
isolate and flex a muscle, creating maximum tension with that muscle, you'll
gradually improve your capacity to recruit it. The better you are at recruiting it,
the easier you can integrate it when doing the big lifts.

A few years back, after I'd just transitioned from Olympic weightlifting to regular
strength lifting/bodybuilding, my delts were so dominant I couldn't make my pecs
grow no matter what. I could bench press in the 400's but had a flat chest. So I
decided to "reprogram" my chest recruitment by doing more isolation work and pre-
fatigue training. Within a short period of time I could feel my chest during any
variation of the bench press. It wasn't long until my chest caught up to my
shoulders, so much so that at one point I had to use the same strategy for my
deltoids because my chest had begun taking over!

Now let's be honest here. Sure, it sounds better to preach doing the big basics
rather than isolation work. Squats, bench presses, deadlifts, push presses, power
cleans... all of those make you sound hardcore. But the truth is that any
resistance exercise can build muscle mass; isolation exercises just do it on a
smaller scale because they don't involve as many different muscles. But, if you
train hard on them, they "work" too.

Still, I feel that the biggest benefit of isolation work is to increase your
capacity to recruit a lagging muscle, and by increasing that capacity you also
improve your chances of optimally stimulating that muscle during the big basic
lifts. I see isolation work as motor learning - learning to maximally recruit and
contract a muscle. While the bulk of your training program should revolve around
the big basic lifts, isolation work might be necessary to solve a problem with
lagging muscle groups. In that case, isolation work by itself or as a pre-fatigue
superset (doing the isolation exercise before the compound movement) can help solve
the issue by increasing your capacity to recruit a muscle and integrate it
optimally in a big compound lift.

3. Use a large arsenal.

Bodybuilders tend to use a much broader range of training stimuli than strength
athletes, and I'm not even talking about exercises but rather about the different
types of loading. Strength athletes tend to stick to low reps (1-5) in their
training. Sometimes they might go up to 6-8 reps, but that's mostly on isolation
work. Bodybuilders, on the other hand, will use any type of reps to stimulate
growth - low (1-5), moderate (6-10), high (12-20), and even very high (more than
20).

Bodybuilders have long understood that provided you work hard, you can grow muscle
with pretty much any kind of rep range. If you train consistently and try to
gradually become stronger in the rep range(s) you're doing, you'll grow muscle
regardless of if you are doing 3 or 20 reps. Strength athletes, by being so focused
on simply lifting bigger and bigger weights, are actually robbing themselves of
some potential gains. After all, while it's true that the nervous system is key
when it comes to showcasing strength, it's still the muscles that are lifting the
weight. All things being equal, the more muscle you have, the stronger you'll be.

I love low reps. If I were to train only based on what I enjoy doing I'd never go
above 3 reps per set, with the bulk of my work being done for singles or doubles.
And I actually did that for a pretty long time. But the truth is that when I also
included slightly higher reps (5-10), I gained more muscle, faster. Now that I want
to gain some muscle back after some medical problems, I'm including some higher rep
work (up to 10 reps), even on the big movements, and I'm noticing a difference in
growth. And while I'm only lifting heavy once a week, I've noticed that I'm still
getting stronger even though I'm doing less "pure strength" work.

If you get significantly stronger in any rep range, you'll be stronger overall.
It's true, though, that gaining strength on lower reps (let's say 2-5 reps) will
transfer better to a 1RM test of strength and make you a lot stronger overall than
gaining strength on higher reps (8-12).

A good approach could look something like this:

Weeks 1-3
Day 1: Pull workout, sets of 10 reps
Day 2: Push workout, sets of 10 reps
Day 3: Leg workout, sets of 10 reps
Day 4: Test* (1 leg, 1 push, 1 pull), sets of 3 reps

Weeks 4-6
Day 1: Pull workout, sets of 6 reps
Day 2: Push workout, sets of 6 reps
Day 3: Leg workout, sets of 6 reps
Day 4: Test* (1 leg, 1 push, 1 pull), sets of 2 reps

Weeks 7-9
Day 1: Pull workout, sets of 3 reps
Day 2: Push workout, sets of 3 reps
Day 3: Leg workout, sets of 3 reps
Day 4: Test* (1 leg, 1 push, 1 pull), sets of 1 rep

* Day 4 of each week is designed to be a "test" day where you go for a heavy set to
ensure that you keep the feeling of using near-maximal weights. For instance, work
up to a 3RM of front squats (leg), bench presses (push) and deadlift (pull) in 5-6
sets.

Of course, bodybuilders use even broader rep ranges, but this represents a great
compromise for my goals and training preferences as it allows me to keep gaining
strength fast while also building a bit more muscle.

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5 Workouts for Non-Responsive Biceps
by Christian Thibaudeau   10/24/13
Five-workouts-biceps

Here's what you need to know...

• Some guys get big arms just by pressing and pulling. Others aren't so lucky.
These workouts are for them.

• Staggered sets, doing more pull-ups, hitting the biceps daily, and using
occlusion and constant tension methods all work tremendously well.

• Pick just one method and kill it for 3-4 weeks, then don't train biceps at all
for a week. Next, choose another method and hit it for 3-4 weeks again, followed by
another week off. Then purchase several sleeveless T-shirts.

Direct arm training is boring. I get seriously demotivated when I have to work
"arms." I prefer simply to work on heavy lifting and performance. Fortunately, my
arms are satisfactory for my goal and I can maintain them and even improve them
slightly by only doing the big basics.

It wasn't always that way. While my triceps have always been good (I'm a natural
presser), my biceps always lagged behind. I eventually had to knuckle down and
focus on my biceps to get them up to par with my delts, traps, and chest. I used a
number of special tried-and-true strategies, all of which I'll teach you here.

Note: These strategies are meant to be used one at a time. Do not combine them.
1. Staggered Sets

Staggered sets worked extremely well for my biceps training. Every time I did a
pressing workout I performed a set of a biceps exercise before every set of
horizontal or vertical pressing.

I found this helped my pressing by stabilizing the elbow joint – like how hamstring
work before squatting stabilizes the knees – and was a great stimulus for the
biceps for two reasons:

1. The amount of mechanical work done. During a heavy pressing workout I might ramp
up my bench press in 12 sets and then perform 3-5 sets using a different technique
(e.g., chains, bands, different tempo, etc.)

So if I'm performing staggered sets, at the very least I'm getting in about 18 sets
of biceps work, almost without noticing it. Even if you follow a more traditional
training routine where you use 3-4 pressing exercises for 3-4 sets each, that still
adds up to a similar volume if you're staggering your biceps work.

2. Stretching a pumped muscle. During most pressing movements, the biceps are
stretched under load, provided you use a full range of motion. If you perform this
loaded stretch on a pumped muscle, you'll stretch the fascia and increase the
sensitivity of the IGF-1 receptors, both of which positively affect protein
synthesis and muscle hypertrophy.

With this approach, the weight used on the biceps exercise is irrelevant. The goal
is simply to induce the biggest pump possible with the least amount of effort. The
key is to constantly contract the biceps as hard as possible – essentially flex the
muscle while doing the movement, and never release the contraction.

So do a set of 8-10 reps in-between each set of a pressing movement, and flex the
muscle during the entire movement on each and every set. The constant contraction
has an occlusion effect on the muscle, leading to an accumulation of waste product
and edema, followed by a huge rush in blood flow to the muscle once you end the
set. This causes a big pump with very little muscle damage.

A question I often get about this technique is if you have to drop your "arm day"
when applying staggered sets to the pressing workouts. The answer is no, you can
keep doing your arm day. The staggered sets, if done with the constant tension
technique, won't cause significant muscle damage and shouldn't interfere with your
regular arm training.

Additionally, if you're using Plazma™ pre-workout, the constant tension technique

will deliver an enormous amount of nutrients to the biceps, which will help them
recover and grow from the "heavier" biceps training.

2. The Plazma Load

Christian Rope Curl

This can only be performed while using Plazma. If the blood isn't filled to the
brim with specific nutrients, you're wasting your time. The goal here is to use a
very long time-under-tension as well as to take advantage of the occlusion effect
to create a huge rush of nutrient-rich blood into the biceps.

Make sure you start pre-loading with Plazma 20-30 minutes before the workout and
continue to sip it during rest periods.
Exercise Sets Reps
A1 Preacher Curl* 3 8-10
Rest with arms held at your sides for 5 seconds.
A2 Flex your biceps as hard as possible for 30-45 seconds 3
Rest for 1 minute.
A3 Dumbbell Hammer Curl* 3 8-10
Rest with arms held at your sides for 5 seconds.
A4 Flex your biceps as hard as possible for 30-45 seconds 3
Rest for 1 minute.
A5 Standing Reverse Curl with EZ Bar* 3 8-10
Rest with arms held at your sides for 5 seconds.
A6 Flex your biceps as hard as you can for 30-45 seconds 3
Rest 1 minute and start over, performing the circuit three times total.

* Constant tension as explained above.

The constant-tension reps cause an accumulation of metabolites and growth factors

in the muscle and when you release the tension (the 5 seconds of rest) blood rushes
back inside the muscle. That's called reactive hyperhemia. Flexing hard afterwards
will occlude the muscle again, preventing the nutrient-rich blood from exiting the
muscle, thereby producing even more growth factors.

Since this strategy uses constant tension and occlusion you can use it frequently.
In fact, if combined with a double-dose of Plazma you can use it 3-4 times a week
and make tremendous progress.

Note: If you perform this biceps strategy on a leg day, do the biceps work first.
If performing it with a pressing workout, again do the biceps work first. By
pumping the biceps you'll get the added benefit of a loaded stretch during your
presses. Conversely, do it at the end on pulling days as it will hinder performance
in your pulling exercises.

3. The Accidental Growth Solution

This is for those who hate doing direct arm work but still need their arms to grow.
It's simple – start every session with a lot of pull-ups.

Use two different workouts:

A. Perform 50 pull-ups in as little time as possible.

B. Perform as many pull-ups as possible in 10 minutes.

Alternate workouts during the training week (i.e., A-B-A-B, etc.)

The biggest mistake seen with the A days is trying to do too many reps in the first
set. If you go anywhere near failure on any of the sets, it will greatly hinder
your ability to complete the task in decent time.

The same thing holds true for B days. If you start too fast you'll quickly burn out
and won't even be able to do even one more pull-up, thereby defeating the purpose
of the method.

Try to end each set with 2 or more reps in the tank so that you can be ready to go
in 15-20 seconds.
Two Notes:

1. This method works best with lifters who can do 8-10 strict pull-ups. Use an
elastic band to provide help if you can't do that many. If you can do a lot more
than 10 strict pull-ups (e.g., 15 or more), then add weight – just enough to knock
you back to 8-10 strict reps.
2. Be sure to mix up your choice of grip. Change it as often as you want during a
workout. The supinated grip hits the biceps more; the neutral grip will target the
brachialis; and the pronated grip fries the corachobrachialis.

4. The Million-Dollar Challenge

Tim Patterson once asked me, "If there was a challenge where the person who added
the most weight to his bench press in one month won a million dollars, what would
you do?"

My answer was to bench press every day. And that's especially true with the biceps
as you can do them every day while maintaining your regular training schedule.

Pick one biceps exercise, the one you feel the most. I like the preacher curl, but
some might prefer the standing barbell curl or hammer curl. Here's how you do it:

Set 1: Warm-up with a light weight.

Set 2: Do 6 reps with a weight you could do about 10 reps with.

Sets 3-6: Perform 3 strict reps on each set, using as much weight as possible.

Sets 7-9: Perform 3 loose reps (use a slight cheat to lift the weight) with as much
weight as possible – 10-20% more than the preceding sets.

Set 10: Use 50% of the max you used for the strict reps and perform as many strict
reps as possible.

Remember, you're doing this every damn day. On some days you'll feel weaker and
you'll have to use a bit less weight. Some days you'll feel stronger and should use
more weight. The key is that for both steps (strict and loose) you strive to lift
as much weight as you can.

While ideally you'd use the same weight for sets 3 to 6, use more weight if you
need to. The goal is to do at least one set with the absolute heaviest weight you
can do with strict form.

The same applies for sets 7 through 9. You may adjust the weight from set to set if
you think you can do more or feel like you should decrease the load. Don't be
afraid to go up a notch if you feel like you can.

Since you'll be doing a fair amount of biceps work daily, you won't do anything
else for biceps for 3-4 weeks. You should see some significant growth, and the
daily heavy work will increase your biceps' capacity to recruit its fast-twitch
fibers, making your bi's even more responsive to training after those 3-4 weeks.

5. The Do-Over
Christian Dumbbell Curl

This is an old-school method I learned from 1970's-era competitive bodybuilders.

You have one dedicated day where you train the biceps hard, i.e., an arm day
(biceps/triceps). The next day you have a workout where you pair biceps with
another major muscle group.

On the dedicated arms day, choose three exercises for the biceps. I recommend one
with a supinated grip (barbell curls), one with a neutral grip (hammer curls), and
one with a pronated grip (reverse curls).

For each exercise perform 3 sets of 6 reps and then 3 sets of 3 reps with a heavier
weight. Go heavy but still control the eccentric – you can lift fairly fast but
always lower the weight under control.

The next day begin the workout with pump work for the biceps. For each of the 3
exercises you used the day before, perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps using the constant
tension technique. Then go about your regular planned workout.

So it might look like this:

Day 1
Exercise Sets Reps
A Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3,3 6,3
B Standing Reverse EZ Bar Curl 3,3 6,3
C Preacher Curl 3,3 6,3

* Fast concentric; controlled eccentric.

The rest of your arms workout can be done before or after the biceps work.

Day 2
Exercise Sets Reps
A Dumbbell Hammer Curl 2 10-15
B Standing Reverse EZ Bar Curl 2 10-15
C Preacher Curl 2 10-15

* Constant tension: slow concentric, slow eccentric, contracting the muscle at all
times.

The biceps portion must be done first in the workout. Then you can perform the rest
of the planned workout.

Effective Biceps Programming

These workouts should be used for 3-4 weeks at a time. After the 3-4 week cycle,
stop all direct biceps work for a week. And remember, only use one method per
cycle.

After the 1-week break you can perform a second 3-4 week cycle using a different
method, but do not do more than two 4-week cycles in a row. It's far better to go
back to your normal training for at least 8 weeks to allow supercompensation to
occur.

Now can we go back to talking about heavy lifting and performance?