An advanced muscle building workout and why it works.
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You’ve done at least three months on this 3-day muscle building routine and you’re ready for more?
Great!
If you’ve gained at least 15 pounds of muscle on that routine, and it feels easy, then you’re ready for what lies below.
But promise you’ll only do it for a month.
Why This Routine Works (short version)
This routine develops the type IIB fibers through high tension multiple sets. This makes you stronger by increasing relative strength though enhanced neural drive.
Then the routine hits the type IIA fibers. It does this by a slightly higher time under tension given to me by the extended sets. This stimulates hypertrophy, increased muscle glycogen, ATP and Krebs cycle activity.
Again, only do this routine for 4 weeks max. Then go back to the previous routine linked above. Use 10 pounds less on everything in the old routine for two weeks before starting to ramp back up in intensity. These are foundational weeks to let injuries heal and the nervous system calm down.
My Favourite Advanced Muscle Building Routine
I always get caught between two minds when I hit my workout at the gym. One side of me says to lift heavy to get big and the other says that form should matter more than my weight poundage.
This is an issue that used to twitst me up every time I prepped a workout training cycle. I know each technique has its merits, so I swayed back and forth. I never stayed with either method long enough to see the results.
With the low weights I get to move some decent poundage’s and my ego gets gratified but alas, there is no killer pump. When I stick to the perfect form method with lighter weights I get great pumps. But I never feel like I am working hard enough to get anywhere because the weights are so light.
So in my search for the perfect weight workout, I decided to combine the two methods and get the best of both worlds.
First The Heavy Weights (Visual)
First, put two exercises of 5×5 with 1 minute to 2 minutes rest between sets. Then move onto one or two more exercises for 3 or 4 sets apiece with the odd drop set or super set. This finishes the workout with a great pump.
Stay with the same weight on the 5×5’s until I get all 5 sets of 5. You’ll usually hit 4 or 3 reps on the last two sets in the beginning. When you finally complete the full 5×5 up the weight by 5 to 10 pounds and start over. This way you’re always getting stronger, so that’s the first rule of muscle mass realized.
Now you’ve trained the muscles with between 85-100% of your rep max. You’ve stimulated strength gains through enhanced neural drive and hit your type IIB fibers hard. (REF)
Then The Big Muscle Pump
Now onto the second group of exercises. Squeeze and pump the muscle time. Try to fill the muscle with blood while keeping in mind that weight is a secondary concern. Here is where you hit the type IIA fibers. You’ll get a slightly higher time under tension developed from the intensity techniques.
The weights for this type of training are usually within 70-80% of your one rep max. Bump up the weight when you’re no longer fatigued at around 10-12 reps. You’re chasing the pump. So no more than 30-45 seconds of rest. You’ll hit a different set of fibers thrashing all life out of the muscle.
The Built In Plateau Buster And Why The Program Works
The 5×5 method can also a lazy man’s periodization. And periodization is:
“The planned manipulation of training variables (load, sets, and repetitions.) This maximizes training adaptations and prevents the onset of overtraining syndrome.”
5×5 does this because the intensity varies from week to week when you’re trying a new weight. Or if you’re still trying to get all the “5’s” at the current weight. The high intensity higher resp at the end allow me to get nutrients and blood into the muscle. This gives me tons of time under tension and stretches the fascia.
So in effect this routine is a double whammy muscle builder that requires a ton of food and rest to work.
Let’s Get To Work
Here is an example of this type of workout program. None of the set totals include your warm ups:
Monday
Chest:
DB Bench press 5×5
Dips 5×5
Incline flyes super set with incline smith presses for 3x failure on both..
Biceps:
Barbell curls 5×5
Incline dumbbell curls 10/8/6
Hammer curls drop set – 4 sets
Tuesday
Quad Dominant:
Squats 5×5
Lunges pyramid up 12,10,8,6
Sissy Squats 3 x max
Hamstrings:
DB or barbell, stiff leg deadlifts 5×5
Lying Frankenstein curls (toes down on way up and toes out on way down) 4- drop sets, each drop being 8 reps (8-8-8)
Calves:
Standing calf raises 3-drop sets of 10-10-10 per set.
Seated calf raises for 4 sets of 40-50 seconds each
Thursday
Shoulders:
Standing presses 5×5
High pulls from the hips 5×5
Face down incline laterals supersetted with bent over lateral raises for rear delts 4 sets to failure
Triceps:
Close grip bench 5×5
Skull Crushers 4×8
Superset of kick backs and close grip pushups with elbows wide 3x 10
Friday
Back:
Deadlifts 5×5
Chins (add weight as needed) 5×5
Triple drop set under grip Barbell row for 4 sets (go for 10 reps on each drop)
Abs:
4 sets of crunches supersetted with hanging leg raises
Take the next two days off and then restart the cycle.
Let’s Wrap It Up
There are several ways to manipulate this schedule. It depends on your recovery ability and other stress factors in your life.
Some of my clients respond best if they drop the second exercise of 5’s or alternate it with a 10/8/6 rep scheme.
When subtracting things, take away arm and shoulder exercises first. They walk the edge of too much work on this routine.
Sometimes I like to make this an “every other day” workout, especially if you’re hitting the cardio hard. You train weights one day, do cardio the next and keep the rotation going.
This won’t work though if you have a strict lifestyle schedule outside the gym.
Before you go
If you debate between doing more and doing less, do less. As a natural bodybuilder, the more rest the better. It’s far more productive to be slightly under trained than over trained.
However if you give every workout your all on this routine, you will look forward to the rest!
Go get those muscle gains and ask me any questions in the comments.
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