PRRS Training: Basic and Advanced

[iannxd]

I don't get how this works. Does it require you to change exercises every week, or every cycle? And how come the major muscle groups, eg. chest, back; get the same amount of sets at the minor muscle groups, eg. bi's/tri's? I thought the major muscle groups needed more sets than the minors.

[AndrewChan]

I don't get how this works. Does it require you to change exercises every week, or every cycle? And how come the major muscle groups, eg. chest, back; get the same amount of sets at the minor muscle groups, eg. bi's/tri's? I thought the major muscle groups needed more sets than the minors.

the short answer is you basically go by how you feel as long as you follow the general outline of time and tempo.

if you're a beginner, its probably not the best idea to be changing excercises every week and every cycle.

i've had a few years under my belt, so i can feel if im going stale on certain exercises so i'll change it up. but the tempo remains the same as Eric outlines

i personally do more sets for major muscle groups but thats just personal preference

[TigerStealth]

the short answer is you basically go by how you feel as long as you follow the general outline of time and tempo.

if you're a beginner, its probably not the best idea to be changing excercises every week and every cycle.

i've had a few years under my belt, so i can feel if im going stale on certain exercises so i'll change it up. but the tempo remains the same as Eric outlines

i personally do more sets for major muscle groups but thats just personal preference

well said; also i do more sets for chest/back/legs than i do for shoulders/arms. be sure to customize to your strengths and weaknesses though

[iannxd]

How would you incorporate more sets into this program? Like do more exercises? Or for each exercises, double the sets?

[sixthsense]

How would you incorporate more sets into this program? Like do more exercises? Or for each exercises, double the sets?

You do not need more than 10 sets for larger muscle groups and 6-8 for smaller ones...not if you are truly putting 100% into each set!

Once you have stimulated the muscle to grow doing more just takes away from your recovery ability (which will directly affect how much you actually DO grow).

[EthanHun]

I have ABC Workouttoday. Abz bis and chest today

This will be my last Power week. for a while.

Im doing P P RR RR S S
Then repeat. So i have 4 weeks ahead of me still i start over.

Im loving this workout.

[sixthsense]

I have ABC Workouttoday. Abz bis and chest today

This will be my last Power week. for a while.

Im doing P P RR RR S S
Then repeat. So i have 4 weeks ahead of me still i start over.

Im loving this workout.

So nice to hear that!

[CampbellSoup]

Question about my split...
Currently I am using-
Monday- Chest
Tuesday- Back
Wednesday- Shoulders/traps
Thursday- Arms
Friday-Off
Saturday-Legs
Sunday- Off

New split-- 4 days with extra tricep work
Monday- Chest/ 1/2 tricep workout
Tuesday- Back/ Traps/ forearms
Wednesday- Cardio, Abs/calves
Thursday- Shoulders/Triceps/Biceps
Friday- Quads/Hams
Saturday- OFF
Sunday- OFF

I have the most trouble with triceps, and I am starting to think I just have too much tricep work with 3 total days. Especially on P and RR days with the chest and shoulder days closely preceding arm day. I was thinking that adding the 1/2 tricep workout on monday could catch them up a little bit and will probably start to help my chest workouts get better/stronger.
I am currently reading the whole thread, but while I read some old posts I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts or other ideas. I could also move my 5 day split around. Give me your thoughts/feedback before I go crazy, haha thanks.

[CampbellSoup]

Oh, I forgot to mention in my last post... P/RR/S is the best program ever, so I wanted to make sure I have the correct split to reap the most rewards from it.

[martian1985]

if i do chest/bis on the same day would i be switching muscle groups between sets?

[justinmonty]

looks like a very nice program and should be stickied!!! just a question is there any testimonies on how it worked for members on the board.?

[BigRick87]

looks like a very nice program and should be stickied!!! just a question is there any testimonies on how it worked for members on the board.?

I agree that I should be stickied.

Testimony= Best program I have ever used! Seriously I have been using this program for years now with excellent success in strength and size. If this program did not work I would of stopped using it a long time ago. The great thing about p/rr/s is that it can easily be tweaked to obtain your personal goals.

[SteveHinchee]

looks like a very nice program and should be stickied!!! just a question is there any testimonies on how it worked for members on the board.?

Here is a link to some testimonials

http://prrstraining.com/hires.htm

[SteveHinchee]

Question about my split...
Currently I am using-
Monday- Chest
Tuesday- Back
Wednesday- Shoulders/traps
Thursday- Arms
Friday-Off
Saturday-Legs
Sunday- Off

New split-- 4 days with extra tricep work
Monday- Chest/ 1/2 tricep workout
Tuesday- Back/ Traps/ forearms
Wednesday- Cardio, Abs/calves
Thursday- Shoulders/Triceps/Biceps
Friday- Quads/Hams
Saturday- OFF
Sunday- OFF

I have the most trouble with triceps, and I am starting to think I just have too much tricep work with 3 total days. Especially on P and RR days with the chest and shoulder days closely preceding arm day. I was thinking that adding the 1/2 tricep workout on monday could catch them up a little bit and will probably start to help my chest workouts get better/stronger.
I am currently reading the whole thread, but while I read some old posts I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts or other ideas. I could also move my 5 day split around. Give me your thoughts/feedback before I go crazy, haha thanks.

Think about taking your 4 day split this way:
monday-legs
tuesday-chest/bis
wed-off
thurs-back
fri-delts/tris

During chest your tri's are still getting stimulated so if you try to do them next there is a good chance you wont get the full work out of them as they are somewhat already tired. Throw them in on friday and they've had 2 full days of rest and slam the heck out of them hard.

[tank316]

looks like a very nice program and should be stickied!!! just a question is there any testimonies on how it worked for members on the board.?

The program was created by Eric in 2000. At his suggestion of ''give it try'' was enough to get me back on stage again. You continue to grow without hitting a plateau.
I have a variety of aged clients on it as well. My cousin who is 42 and mother of 5 is stepping on stage for the 1st time is loving it. She has dropped from a size 14 pant to a size 9 and keeps getting stronger/leaner.

[dream9Rr]

Hi,

I've been browsing different websites and forums to check out some programs and this looked very interesting to me. I designed my own workout template based on this and just had my first Power day! Not really feeling a pump, but my muscles are TIRED!

I was wondering tho', can you stick to this program for years to come, ofcourse always improving weight and reps and taking rest weeks, or is there a point in time where you have to switch it up and follow another program? If so, which program would you recommend?

Thank you!

[tank316]

Hi,

I've been browsing different websites and forums to check out some programs and this looked very interesting to me. I designed my own workout template based on this and just had my first Power day! Not really feeling a pump, but my muscles are TIRED!

I was wondering tho', can you stick to this program for years to come, ofcourse always improving weight and reps and taking rest weeks, or is there a point in time where you have to switch it up and follow another program? If so, which program would you recommend?

Thank you!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=118730071

FD/FS is brutal, but you really shouldn't have to ''switch it up'' with PRRS!!!

[BigRick87]

Hi,

I've been browsing different websites and forums to check out some programs and this looked very interesting to me. I designed my own workout template based on this and just had my first Power day! Not really feeling a pump, but my muscles are TIRED!

I was wondering tho', can you stick to this program for years to come, ofcourse always improving weight and reps and taking rest weeks, or is there a point in time where you have to switch it up and follow another program? If so, which program would you recommend?

Thank you!

In my opinion there is no reason to change programs. I have been using P/rr/s for about 4 years now with great success.

[CampbellSoup]

Think about taking your 4 day split this way:
monday-legs
tuesday-chest/bis
wed-off
thurs-back
fri-delts/tris

During chest your tri's are still getting stimulated so if you try to do them next there is a good chance you wont get the full work out of them as they are somewhat already tired. Throw them in on friday and they've had 2 full days of rest and slam the heck out of them hard.

Thanks for your input. Im going to start a new split next week to try something new. Regardless of the split, PRRS is here to stay. Thanks again.

[sixthsense]

Hi,

I've been browsing different websites and forums to check out some programs and this looked very interesting to me. I designed my own workout template based on this and just had my first Power day! Not really feeling a pump, but my muscles are TIRED!

I was wondering tho', can you stick to this program for years to come, ofcourse always improving weight and reps and taking rest weeks, or is there a point in time where you have to switch it up and follow another program? If so, which program would you recommend?

Thank you!

The variety that is built into PRRS allows you to stay on the program pretty much forever as long as you keep it progressive, but as Tank mentioned above, FDFS is another one of my programs that can be implemented for short periods here and there.

You can also vary PRRS is a bit by using such things as PRRS Burst Cycling and PRRS Hybrid weeks.

[L_erwin]

Been doing this for about a month. First two weeks i didn't go by the outlined tempo. The last two weeks, i have. WOW what a difference. I've never in my life went by a tempo. Always explosive. For example; Using my previous exercise speed, i could bust out a rep before i even completed the eccentric part of a prrs rep.

Since the change it's been very humbling. Weight used has dropped a lot. I've forgotten what a good pump felt like and what it's like to barely be able to walk to the car after a leg workout. This routine has me looking forward to my next workout again.

Very optimistic about how this will transform me over the next few months!

[sixthsense]

Been doing this for about a month. First two weeks i didn't go by the outlined tempo. The last two weeks, i have. WOW what a difference. I've never in my life went by a tempo. Always explosive. For example; Using my previous exercise speed, i could bust out a rep before i even completed the eccentric part of a prrs rep.

Since the change it's been very humbling. Weight used has dropped a lot. I've forgotten what a good pump felt like and what it's like to barely be able to walk to the car after a leg workout. This routine has me looking forward to my next workout again.

Very optimistic about how this will transform me over the next few months!

Another satisfied customer!

But seriously...thanks for posting this. And yes, the tempos are a BIG part of this program!

[TigerStealth]

Been doing this for about a month. First two weeks i didn't go by the outlined tempo. The last two weeks, i have. WOW what a difference. I've never in my life went by a tempo. Always explosive. For example; Using my previous exercise speed, i could bust out a rep before i even completed the eccentric part of a prrs rep.

Since the change it's been very humbling. Weight used has dropped a lot. I've forgotten what a good pump felt like and what it's like to barely be able to walk to the car after a leg workout. This routine has me looking forward to my next workout again.

Very optimistic about how this will transform me over the next few months!

it is humbling but you will find that on subsequent PRRS cycles you will be able to increase weight because you have gotten stronger in that rep range and tempo range. This program really dominates when it comes to progressive overload. glad to hear you are liking it!

[baker]

Just ordered the DVD.

P/RR/S Training starts mid April, I have high hopes for the program.

[PuffinMyLye]

My chest is the one muscle group that I can tell is clearly lacking on my body. Would you guys recommend I add more volume on chest day or more frequencey (2 chest workouts per week instead of one)?

[BigRick87]

My chest is the one muscle group that I can tell is clearly lacking on my body. Would you guys recommend I add more volume on chest day or more frequencey (2 chest workouts per week instead of one)?

I do either add some intensity techniques ( dropsets, rest pauses, etc) or do a mini chest workout some other day in teh week. I would not go over 12 sets, normally i perform 10 Though this may be a personal thing.

[PuffinMyLye]

I do either add some intensity techniques ( dropsets, rest pauses, etc) or do a mini chest workout some other day in teh week. I would not go over 12 sets, normally i perform 10 Though this may be a personal thing.

When you say don't go over 12 sets you mean for the week? So if I were to do 8 sets on Monday I could do say 3-4 sets on Thursday?

[Roc11]

so if I do everything you mention below I should be on a good start right? I don't really lift weights or anything but I'm determined to get in shape. I just want to make sure i am doing it right so I wont strain my body! So just do week 1-3 and then keep repeating it right?

Part II

Week 1: POWER


The goal during POWER week is to make a direct attack on the Type II A and II B muscle fibers, with an emphasis on the II B?s. These are the higher threshold fibers and the way we get at them is with heavy weights. The goal for this week is to utilize weights that allow for 4-6 reps to failure. The way in which you perform your reps is of great importance during POWER week. I have found that an eccentric (negative) contraction of about 4 seconds followed immediately by an explosive concentric (positive) contraction works best at nailing those fast-twitch fibers. Remember...even though you will be attempting to explode with the weight during the positive portion of the rep, it will not move very quickly at all due to the heavy load you are lifting. Rest between sets is also very important. Since you want to be able to lift as heavy as possible during POWER week, you will be resting about 4-5 minutes between sets in order to fully regenerate ATP and creatine phosphate stores in the muscle cells. As far as the exercises go, choose those that are basic or compound in nature. These include movements like bench presses, squats, deadlifts, military presses and bent rows. POWER week workouts will not impart a tremendous pump, but rather will make your muscles feel as if they?ve been smashed with a wrecking ball.

Rep Goal: 4-6
Rest Between Sets: 4-5 minutes
Lifting Tempo: 4/0/X
Exercises: Mostly compound

Here is an example of a typical POWER workout for chest:

1-Bench Press: 4 x 4-6
2-Incline Dumbell Press: 3 x 4-6
3-Weighted Dips: 2-3 x 4-6

Week 2: REP RANGE

As I mentioned earlier there are several fiber types that lie along the continuum between Type I and Type II muscle fibers. The goal of REP RANGE week is to show these ?intermediary? fibers no mercy! We will accomplish this by using three distinct rep ranges (hence the name of this week) for three separate exercises for each body part. The first exercise will be to failure in the 7-9 rep range. The second will be to failure in the 10-12 rep range. The final exercise will be to failure in the 13-15 rep range.
In order to make the stimulus this week even more unique from the POWER week, you will also change your rep tempo. Both the eccentric and concentric portion of each rep should take 2 seconds to complete, while the mid-point of the movement (isometric contraction) should be held for one full second. Additionally, if you happen to be using a movement that contains a strong ?peak contraction effect,? such as leg extensions, you are also encouraged to hold this portion of the rep for one full second before you begin the eccentric portion of the rep. The exercises used this week should be both compound and isolation in nature, with free weights, machines and cables all being fair game. One particularly effective approach is to choose a free weight compound movement for the 7-9 rep range; a free weight isolation movement for the 10-12 rep range; and a machine or cable movement for the 13-15 rep range. Of course, you are encouraged to experiment a bit to get an idea of what feels most effective to you. Rest between sets during REP RANGE week will be 2-3 minutes. You can expect a tremendous pump from REP RANGE week workouts, and some deep muscle soreness in the days that follow...but we love that kind of pain, don?t we!


Rep Goal: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15
Rest Between Sets: 2-3 minutes
Lifting Tempo: 2/1/2/1***
Exercises: Compound, Isolation, Machine or Cable

***1 second hold at peak for certain exercises


Here is an example for a typical REP RANGE workout for shoulders:

1-Military Press: 4 x 7-9
2-Seated Side Lateral: 3 x 10-12
3-Reverse Pec Deck Flye: 2 x 13-15

Week 3: SHOCK

In my opinion, SHOCK week is the most intense and excruciating portion of this routine. It will without a doubt test your ability to withstand pain, fend off nausea, and fight back the tears! SHOCK week separates the men from the boys, the freaks from the fakes! The goal during this week is complete and utter annihilation of every fiber, from slow-twitch, right on down to the fast-twitch Type II A?s; to force your body to release natural GH like water from a collapsed damn; and to literally ?force? your muscles to grow in a ?do or die? like fashion! Each grueling session during shock week contains 2 different types of supersets and a punishing dropset for each major bodypart. The first superset will be performed in what is known as ?pre-exhaust? fashion. This means that an isolation movement will be performed first, with a compound movement immediately after. The second superset will be what as known as ?post activation,? made famous by Ironman contributing author Michael Gundill. In post activation supersets, it is the compound movement that proceeds the isolation movement. Each of these supersets provides a unique stimulus for both your muscles and nervous system. Once you have completed your supersets it is time for a dropset, which will complete the torture that you will impart on your muscles during SHOCK week. Reps for each exercise will be in the range of 8-10, and the tempo will become more rhythmic in nature. An eccentric contraction of just one second will be followed immediately by a concentric contraction of the same speed. There will be no resting (as long as you can handle it) at the top or bottom, as each rep should be performed in a ?piston-like? fashion. Rest between sets should be long enough to allow you to catch your breath fully, as well as to prepare your mind for the next onslaught. Your individual level of cardiovascular conditioning, as well as your constitution, will determine the length of your rest. Free weights, cables, and machines are all utilized during SHOCK week. My warning to you is that you better be prepared when you enter the gym on SHOCK week, because every workout will leave you breathing with the intensity of a steam engine and a burn that will reach your very core! Fun!


Rep Goal: 8-10 (dropset is 8-10, drop, 6-
Rest Between Sets: cardiovascular and mental recovery
Lifting Tempo: 1/0/1
Exercises: Compound, Isolation, Machine or Cable

Here is a typical SHOCK workout for triceps:

1-Superset: Rope Pressdown/Lying Extension: 2 x 8-10 each
2-Superset: CG Bench Press/Underhand Grip Pressdown: 2 x 8-10 each
3-Dropset: Single Arm Overhead Dumbell Extension: 1 x 8-10, drop, 6-8

After you have completed the 3 week POWER, REP RANGE, SHOCK cycle, return to the beginning and repeat. With each cycle do your best to increase the weights you lift and/or the reps you achieve. After three full cycles I recommend that you take off one full week from the gym before returning to the program. After your break, you might want to switch up some or all of the exercises that you used in the cycle proceeding.

I would like to mention that the P/RR/S program that I presented in this article is not meant for beginners (although in a future article I will explain how those with less experience can begin to employ my system, as well as how more advanced lifters can work with an even more intense version). You can begin to use the program as presented here, after about two solid years in the gym.

So, if you have been training for some time, are stuck in a rut, or are looking to take your physique to the next level, POWER, REP RANGE, SHOCK training may just be your first class ticket to ?FREAKVILLE!? Enjoy the ride my friends.

**Ironman magazine 2006

[slowbus]

I'm currently doing a P/RR/S routine looking like this:

Monday: Back/Chest
Tues: Rest
Wednesday: Legs/Core
Thurs: Rest
Friday: Shoulders/Arms
Sat: Rest
Sun: Rest

I'm use to doing a 5x5 fullbody routine.

I was wondering if it would be beneficial for me to do a fullbody split on P/RR/S instead of these isolated muscle groups on different days? I miss the fullbody swole pump that I got on my 5x5. Would I be overtraining if I DID do fullbody workouts on each day as opposed to dedicating different days to different groups?

Workouts would look like

Day 1:
Deadlift 3x4-6
Bench 3x4-6
Front Squat 3x4-6
Curls 3x4-6
Pullups 3x4-6

Should I stick to my current regimen? The difference I see over this regimen compared to the fullbody workout is that when dedicating different days to different muscle groups, I can variate the exercises I do, where as the full body regimen is geared more towards strength. I want to be both massive and strong.. having trouble deciding what to do.

[BigRick87]

When you say don't go over 12 sets you mean for the week? So if I were to do 8 sets on Monday I could do say 3-4 sets on Thursday?

12 in a workout for example

monday If i do a normal chest workout ( no more than 12 sets maximum)


thursday mini workout 3 sets or so.