Astounding Three Day Workout For Mass!

[Unregistered]

Hey, i was just wondering how the rest of your week went, I'm interested in starting this program just for something different to do.

[Plop]

I think this workout is terrible.........train one muscle group per week

sun......legs

tue....chest, shoulders, triceps

fri.......back, biceps

[midian]

Originally posted by Plop
I think this workout is terrible.........train one muscle group per week

sun......legs

tue....chest, shoulders, triceps

fri.......back, biceps

programs like HST and DFHT train muscles up to 3 times a week, and are imo one of the best that are out there now

imo this article is based upon an opinion rather then studies, and the title is just something to get the attention of people it aint worth more or less then the next workout

[Plop]

Originally posted by midian
programs like HST and DFHT train muscles up to 3 times a week, and are imo one of the best that are out there now

imo this article is based upon an opinion rather then studies, and the title is just something to get the attention of people it aint worth more or less then the next workout

yes, maybe for the people that have been training for a while and those that have great recovering abilites it might be the best.

not for me, certanliy not the majority this workout.........but thats only my opinion, not stoping anyone from trying this.

[midian]

Originally posted by Plop
yes, maybe for the people that have been training for a while and those that have great recovering abilites it might be the best.

not for me, certanliy not the majority this workout.........but thats only my opinion, not stoping anyone from trying this.

yeah i had problems with recovery too at first, but it's all about diet, rest and the way you warm up before the routine

[Unregistered]

wait a minute! there are no isolation movements in this program?? are you nuts? 5 out of the 13 exercises in this program are isolation exercises. i am sorry, but he lost me after that. i cannot, in good conscience, take the advice of anyone who doesn't know the BASICS of weight training. i can' believe that they published this guy. what were they thinking?

[Unregistered]

hey guys. just writing back on how my workouts going. (first post top of page 3).

its been two and half weeks and its going great. I've been increasing in weight steadily each week. After 5 workouts I can't tell too much of a difference in my body but my workout partner (who is thin, i have some excess weight) sees and feels a difference.

Not sure if we are gonna do this workout 3 days a week. I don't think one day is enough recovery time. Might switch to 1 on 2 off.

As far as the warmup set goes...the warmup set is about half the weight I will use for the main set. I do bout 6-10 reps just to get my body used to the movement of the exercise.

I am enjoying this program more as it puts my body in a new world of pain and my strength has increased.

So far so good =).

p.s. I havent registered on this site cause i'm too lazy

[Plop]

i know for a fact if i did this workout, no matter how good my diet and supplement use is, i will break down after probably a couple of months.........well sorry, but i like to lift heavy and hard.

and they say go to faulire......good luck when you are doing that 3 times a week lol

[Unregistered]

I am doing it twice week, mondays and fridays. Because of the christams and new years, i was only able to go on monday and friday of those two weeks. After those 2 weeks i realized that i would not be able to handle 3 days a week. 1 day of rest is not enough for me to be able to come in to the workout fresh and put up more weight than i did on the prior workout. 2 days is working great

[BigManDave]

I started body building in August 2003, at 175 lbs. (See post by "Stilllearning") I quickly overtrained using this routine. Yes, it worked for a few weeks, but any longer than that, imho, is too long. I changed over to a 3 day split and saw much improvement. I've gained 10lbs of muscle since August. I am now on another 3 day full body routine, just to change things up a bit. Only this time I plan to do it right. It looks something like this:

Day 1
DB Squats
Standing Calf Raise
DB Bench
CG Bench
BB OHP
BB Row
BB Curl
Ab Crunches

Day 2
Deadlifts
SLDL
DB Flys
Skullcrushers
BB Upright Row
DB Row
DB Hammer
Twisting Crunches

Day 3
Lunges
Seated Calf Raise
BB Pullovers
Cable Pulldowns
BB Shrugs
DB Curl
Leg Raises

As you can see, I'm trying to stick with compound movements, yet different exercises to maximize recovery. I've only done this for one week so far, so I'm still trying to figure out what works best - this may get changed around a bit.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Plop
yes, maybe for the people that have been training for a while and those that have great recovering abilites it might be the best.

not for me, certanliy not the majority this workout.........but thats only my opinion, not stoping anyone from trying this.

You obviously haven't read about HST or DFHT have you?

[Unregistered]

well, after 4 weeks, all is going good. I'm seeing improvement in my physique and I've gotten stronger. Can't really say how much muscle i have added because I did not know my body fat % before this program and i don't know it now. But just by looking in the mirror i can see added muscle.

4 weeks left on this program. then i will take a week off or so to rest then back to a normal routine for a couple months.

[Unregistered]

this work out is hype for getting stronger...i mean STRONG

it works and ppl should not say it does not work until they try it

out. I did n i got improvments. now i will change my work out n

get back 2 this work out after a month.

[Realtest]

I have been lifting for many years and have not had a great or some magic schedule except 1.I have tried the once a week bodypart training with little or regressing effects.I have never gotten weaker from any routine other then this.I remember in my younger days about 10 years ago when i did Chest bench presses 3 times a week doing 5 sets.I use to work my traps and Biceps the same way and it was very exciting because the difference in strenghth and size was very very apparent.I am starting this program later today which is Tuesday.I remember doing my traps training for Boxing at 20 yrs old.I am 6'1 220lbs.Well back then i was 6 ft. 170lbs but when i worked my traps 3 times a week people could tell i looked tuff.As i filled out i have never revisited the same 3 time a week body part program.Anyway i have belief now that this program is not overtraining for me.We will see for sure soon but this program before i start it, is motivating and I know for sure that working a body part 3 times a week works!!I have to say that when i was working my traps 3 times a week I was doing 10 sets per workout.I am only going to do 3 sets for all bodyparts except 2 sets for arms.Theres alot of guys who criticize this shedule but every one's body is different.I am a drug free guy and my best gains was always doing a body part 3 times a week.I will update you guys on how it works out but im pretty sure i will see results faster then any other schedule and i believe the people that workout a bodypart once a week are undertraining severely.I will update you guys!!

[Intermediate]

I quite like this workout. Basically I've been training HIT style for 2 1/2 yrs with good results. However, I don't do squats (for various reasons). I prefer other compound movements for the legs like (selected) Leg Press machines, Hack Squat. Despite all the negative publicity, I've gotten good results with the Smith Squat (done strictly to parallel and no more). Unlike this workout, I do higher reps for lower body (usually 12, sometimes up to 15). I also dump the leg extensions and leg curls in favour of one other lower body compound movement.

[Unregistered]

Hey Guys

I have been following this routine for 2 weeks now and I have seen immediate results in strength and in mass. However. I don't think I can do this 3 times a week. On my third workout day I can feel that I am not fully recovered to hit the weights with the same intensity I had on the first workout day. So, I have limited the routine to 2 days rather than 3.

Do you guys recommend I do a bit of cardio on the third day? BTW, I intend to go through the cutting phase after 6 weeks.
Will you guys follow the same routine for cutting but with moderate weights?

Cheers
Vic

[Realtest]

I changed my mind.To be honest I don't think training your whole body 3 times a week is good for strenghth or mass.I said I was going to do this program but the 3 sets felt like they were not enough but I also don't believe in training a body part once a week.No way!! I think every 5 to 6 days is best for mass and strength.After 96 hours or 5 days your body will recuperate if you do like 10 sets for chest.If you do 20 sets for anything you will need more time to rest.The main thing is 4 to 6 reps and you will gain!!!

[Unregistered]

i've been doing this workout for about 4 weeks now and i've added my own twists here and there. i added a couple exercises that i felt the author left out and i dont do a set number of reps. i do 1 set of each exercise but i go until failure. i really enjoy it and i have seen improvements in my body and i've definitely gotten stronger. i cant speak for everyone but my body recovers just fine off 1 days rest and my muscles are ready to go every monday, wednesday, and friday. i'm no fitness pro but i know what works for me. i recommend it

[Realtest]

You might look more toned and in better shape but no way will you add muscle and strength working a bodypart 3 times a week.You might for a couple months but then you will hit that definate sticking point.I use to do my chest 3 times a week when i was really young and i looked toned and had a max bench of 255 at age 16.I was stuck on 255 for years!!!Since then I have overtrained again working my body in the gym for 15 sets a body part 2 times a week.Once every 5 to 6 days is best for muscle growth and strength and make sure you do 4-6 reps and do the reps not to slow and not to fast.These days I am benching around 315lbs but I have not been deicated at all due to an injury for the past 5 years but im starting all over again.hopefully a 400Lb bench press in the next 2 years!!

[Unregistered]

Hi all.

I'm a beginner bodybuilder. And I'm here to say this style of program does work. This article is not a set-in-stone training program. Do what works best for you. If your making great gains from volume training, by all means, don't stop now. Experiment some. Compile yourself your own list of exercises you want to do. However, make sure the big 3(Squats/bench/deadlift) are included and put them into your routine some distanse from each other. Because they suck alot of energy from you. You don't want to bust your a$$ on bench then jump right to squats or deadlifts without some minor recovery time. Make sense?

Mix it up from workout to workout. For example, do flat bench on workout 1, then do decline, or incline bench on the other days. Be sure to get back to flat sometime in the next week though. I'm not preaching anything though, cause it's entirely up to the person doing this type of workout. Personally, I feel decline benches are giving me the best strength gains from my chest. Plus, they build shadow casting lower pecs. Which looks cool in my opinion. :-)

Figure out which big 3 power exercise your lacking the most, or simply want to improve the most, and put it first. It's ok to do some isolation exercises. The only isolation exercises I agree with, and are performing however, are curls and tricep extensions. Think about it though. How else are you going to target the arms 100%? You need these isolation exercises for sure.

I like to squat first thing, and get them suckers out of the way. Squats are brutal, and my legs are long, skinny, and weak. :-) They're almost an entire body workout in themselves. Every muscle in your body is flexed to the max when your bar is stacked with plates and your spotter is helping you complete one last rep. Makes me cringe just thinking about it. :-) For me, it motivates me to continue and push hard just knowing squats are done and over with. :-)

Do your isolation exercises last. You want to work your body from the inside out. For example, you don't want to work a smaller support muscle before a big one in a compound excerise. It wouldn't be a good idea to do tricep extensions before bench, or biceps before pull downs or rows. Make sense?

And now we move on to the prospect of overtraining. Feel your body. Keep documented tabs on your progress. If you feel your stength is dropping, or your not gaining as fast as you think you should be, try backing off some and see if you make better gains. As I said before, feel and monitor your body, and experiment. Mix things up. Eat right. Make gains. You will.

And 1 more thing. Barring an injury, the mind ALWAYS poops out before the body. ALWAYS.

I think I've covered everything I can think of.

Enjoy,
Nate

[Unregistered]

First of all, this program does indeed WORK. For all those who are knocking it, read on...

Like I said, it works...it works for reasons other than what you may think. Let me explain: First off, for someone like me (and I know there's lots of people out there just like me), who is in medical school full time and holds a part time job, a family and a houshold, a 5 or 6 day split was not cutting it for me. Many days a week I was either mentally drained our physically burned out or I had to cram for tests or I had alot of reading and homework assignments, or I simply needed to spend some time with my wife, I just flat out could not work out. So on those days that particular muscle group would suffer greatly, going 10 to 12 days off before I could work that group again. Or I could bump all the workouts 1 day, but that still put me behind. So I tried this program..3x a week really works for my schedule and I have gained substantially on this program in just 2 months. Why?
Well for starters...ANY PROGRAM WILL WORK SO LONG AS YOU STAY CONSISTENT. Working out 3x a wk. allows me to stay consistent. It may not be mon,wed and Friday, in that order, but I am able to do it 3x in a week. Now when I mean stay consistent...I don't mean rigid. It's OK to swap out an exercise for a different one now and then; instead of BB Curls, throw in a DB preacher now and then. You see what I mean.
Now the author of the article had it erroneous when he mentions to go all out to complete failure.. NO!NO!NO! I support Bill Pearl on this when he said to NEVER go to failure.. Yes, the last few reps should be hard and maybe a little cheating will help you get through, but not straining to exhaustive failure. This does not work because our bodies have a fight or flight mechanism built into our CNS. During an exercise we will fight to strain and complete the set to fail...however, after a few days of rest, our cells remember this straining to fail moment and your mind will come up with every excuse not to work out....because this method is defeating to the psyche. Work out HARD but don't STRAIN. Besides, this type of training cause ligament, cartilage and muscle injury.
Now for those who question the volume in this routine I say this: Back in the 50's and 60's the bodybuilders(who were big, not freaky big, but still bigger than probably you and me) worked out 3x a week, mon,wed, and fri. Gyms were only open on those days. Now they didn't do just one set and I don't advocate this either. I believe 3 good hard working sets per exercise for a muscle group except legs and back is sufficient. If you want to do just one set per exercise then train utilizing rest-pause or drop set techniques....these techniques blow torch your muscles in one set but you don't STRAIN. If you are straining with these techniques then you are not doing them right.
Another reason why this program works is because it is easier to use progressive overload...which is the main key to muscle growth. Why? well, knowing you have only a set or two to do on only one exercise, mentally, for some reason, one is able to give that exercise more gusto and to add a little more weight after every week or two. For myself, with the volume split training I would try adding more weight to all my exercises but it didn't work. Example arms; With BB curls 3x8reps, I would add more weight on these each week but my concentration curls and my preacher curls that proceeded got weeker or stayed the same whenever I added weight on my curls. The same If I started out with preachers and added weight on that exercise...then the bb curls would feel weeker or stay the same. So it is MUCH HARDER to progressively overload on ALL your exercises for each body part.
So for all those out there with jobs, family, school, etc,, try this routine with a little modification. It does work unless you want to be freaky big like those steroid monsters in M&F. But you should gain enough on this program to impress, SO LONG AS YOU REMAIN CONSISTENT...that is the KEY!!!
As far as recuperation concerns...don't worry, you can recover just fine if your diet is wholesome and protein intake is adequate. Keep cardio to 20 30 minutes on non weight days. If by chance you are feeling extra tired from a workout, skip a day, no biggy. So long as you get it in 3x a week. Just remember, TRAIN, DON'T STRAIN!

Peace

[jack10525]

Well it seems the general reply to this routine is negative. I think it may have it's place though. For the last 3 months I've been using MAX OT and have made some decent gains in strength and size. I think my body is ready for a change of pace now. My gains have stopped and my joints are beginning to ache. I'm probably slightly overtrained. My point is, this may be a great in-between program to get over a plateau or let your body recover a little more. I also like the idea of going to the gym less.

[RedDelPaPa]

That's total nonsense on that bit above about not repping to failure. Maybe if your a juicer(ROIDS), that's fine.

Ask any real bodybuilder. You get addicted to squeaking out that last rep or two. I know I am. I love the feeling of repping until my spotter has to take the weight from me. My muscles scream for mercy, but it makes me mentally pleased after a super tough set. So that mind excuse bit is total BS for a real bodybuilder.

If you want to get big and strong, you MUST rep to failure. Eventually, even that won't be good enough. You will reach a point where you won't get any bigger unless you up your intensity level even further by using a spotter and pushing 1 or 2 reps past failure.

If your doing this workout, 1 or 2 sets per bodypart is nothing. Especially if your on Creatine. Take each and every set to absolute failure.

You get out of lifting what you put into it. If you desire to get big and strong but don't rep to failure, your wasting your time.

Red

[Rexer]

I am aginst HIT but have to admit that everything works for a while. VOlume training for me all the way. I would not even do this on a tight schedule.

[ChallyRT]

This article has helped me tremendously. Although I am not using the exact exercises from the article, I am using the principle of the article.

I am doing one set for each muscle group each day, three days a week (monday, wednesday, and friday) tp failure. To start off, I am putting on enough weight to only be able to do eight reps at that weight and no more (I am too tired to do any more). The next time I work out, I try to go to nine reps, and then once I make it to nine reps, I try to go to ten reps. Once I get to ten reps, I add another five pounds of weight and start over again at eight reps.

In the first two weeks on this work-out, I have gained five pounds to my bench press each week.

[ChallyRT]

Originally posted by Plop
I think this workout is terrible.........train one muscle group per week

sun......legs

tue....chest, shoulders, triceps

fri.......back, biceps

I wasn't gaining **** from only doing each muscle group once a week.

[RedDelPaPa]

5 pounds a week on your bench is pretty good. Really good infact considering your not going under 8 reps. 4-6 is optimum for strength gains from my understanding.

I personally, have added 70lbs to my bench in 7 weeks. But I'm also on creatine, and I am eating loads of protein each day. I don't use this routine explicitly, and I wouldn't preach it either. The best things you can do to stimulate muscle growth is eat, eat, eat, and mix up your routine.

I switch up my routine quarterly. Every 3 months, I switch back and forth from my own variation of this routine, to volume training.

Right now, I'm on my volume routine. I'll be switching back in June. This is very good cause it keeps the body guessing. Don't let your muscles know what to expect, or they stop growing. Wierd, but true.

I seem to get good gains from both volume training, and this type of workout routine. But like I said, I keep my body guessing from switching up every 3 months. Another bonus to this is, workouts don't get boring. It's not the same old thing month in and month out.

[Younglifter14]

I really like this make your muscles guess principal.

I think next week Im going to bench my computer monitor (with somes weights attached) so my chest wont see it coming. This with some of this crazy creatine stuff you reccomended will hopefully put on 70lbs to my bench in 7 weeks like you

[RedDelPaPa]

I hope for your sake your not attempting to poke fun or anything. I have added 70lbs to my bench in 7 weeks. If you don't buy it, that's fine and good. I have 2 training partners who have witnessed it first hand. They don't know how it happened, and neither do I. All I know is a date 7 weeks ago, I could barely handle 135lbs. This last Sunday, I pressed 205lbs twice with spotter help on the second rep. Call it what you want, make fun of it, whatever makes you feel good. I know what has happened.

Nate

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by RedDelPaPa
I hope for your sake your not attempting to poke fun or anything. I have added 70lbs to my bench in 7 weeks. If you don't buy it, that's fine and good. I have 2 training partners who have witnessed it first hand. They don't know how it happened, and neither do I. All I know is a date 7 weeks ago, I could barely handle 135lbs. This last Sunday, I pressed 205lbs twice with spotter help on the second rep. Call it what you want, make fun of it, whatever makes you feel good. I know what has happened.

Nate

im not poking fun im serious. I like to confuse the muscles also. Next time I might wear a sweater when working out then a shirt to trick them into new growth

Young