Male Physique Template How-To
Thank you for purchasing the RP Male Physique Template!
In order to give you the best possible experience, we’ve included in this document detailed instructions
on how to run the template. In the FAQ document which you’ve also received, we address numerous
possible questions that you might have about the particulars of the process. Our best advice to you is to
read this whole document first (and watch this how-to video), and then move on to the FAQ. Only upon
reading both of these documents do we recommend you start using the template for your training.
Step by Step How-To Instructions
Opening the template and making sure all sheets are included.
When you receive your template, it will come in the form of an Excel file and several other Word files.
The actual program is in the Excel file and covers 3 sheets. If you use another program to view
spreadsheets (Google Docs, any Apple products, etc…) we unfortunately cannot guarantee that the
formulas and drop-down menus will function properly, so we highly recommend using Microsoft Excel.
When you open your Excel file, you should see 3 sheets:
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Mesocycle 1: Basic Hypertrophy
Mesocycle 2: Metabolite Focus
Mesocycle 3: Resensitization
If any of those sheets are missing (highly unlikely), please contact us and we’ll send you a corrected
document.
Understanding the Training Phases
Each sheet is a mesocycle of training, of which the first two are each 5 weeks in duration and the last is
either 3 or 4 weeks long. That’s right, it’s 13-14 weeks of training in one product. And the best news, you
can re-use the whole sequence of mesocycles (or any one of them individually) for up to several years of
training.
So what do the different mesocycles entail and why are they ordered in the way that they are?
We recommend you start with the “Basic Hypertrophy” mesocycle. Just like the others, it allows you to
choose your exercises based on your needs and preferences; type in an estimate of how strong you are,
and it generates a 5 week training program which you rate as you go so that the program changes to
your needs the whole time. It’s the first mesocycle because it has enough volume (amount of training)
to get you to grow muscle effectively, but it starts out nice and easy so that you can get the most while
doing the least you have to. It gets harder as you go, and by the end it will be a real challenge. But when
you’ve finished it, you’ll be that much stronger and that much better at doing sets and sets of each
exercise.
After the first mesocycle is complete and you’ve done 5 weeks of training, your body will be a bit
resistant to muscle growth and we’ll need to pull out all the stops for you to keep progressing at the
fastest rates. In the second mesocycle (Metabolite Focus), your reps per set will go up considerably as
the weights will be intentionally lighter. In addition, the rest time will shorten to just enough time for
you to barely catch your breath, and some supersets will be included as well. This kind of training raises
your level of lactate and other muscle metabolic byproducts; it’s these byproducts that play a big role in
stimulating your muscle cells to grow. How do you know the metabolites are summing up in your
muscles during the training? Because of the high reps, short rests, and supersets you’ll literally feel a
“burn” in your muscles like you might not have felt before. This is exactly what we want, so if you’re
feeling it, you’re on the right track!
When you’ve completed the metabolite mesocycle, your physique will have changed for the better. But
now, because we threw the kitchen sink at your muscles, your body will be very resistant to any further
growth in the short term. So how do we get you growing again? You do the third mesocycle:
“resensitization.” The process of getting your muscles ready for growth again requires lower volumes
(set numbers and rep numbers) of training, so that’s just what this mesocycle will program for you. The
training will be heavier than you’re used to (heavy weight keeps your gains much better during periods
of lower volume), but it will be fewer sets and way fewer reps. You’ll probably not get any big pumps or
see any big changes in your physique during this time, but that’s ok because at a deep physiological
level, your body is forgetting the high volume training of the last 10 weeks. The next time you train with
high volumes again (by circling back around to meso 1 when you’ve completed the third meso), your
body will be ripe and ready to respond with steady growth! And for those of you who love to train with
tons of sets and reps, no worries about feeling bored… this phase is only 3 or 4 weeks long.
Now that we have a general outline of the process, let’s zoom in to see how each mesocycle sheet works
and how you can program it to work best for your needs.
Steps 1 and 2: Entering your preferred exercises.
Before we get into the details, please keep this in mind. If you EVER get lost in all of this just look at the
mesocycle workout sheet itself and follow the numbers (1-6) and big arrows for the instructions in each
step of the process, all color-coded for your convenience. Please watch this video before you read the
rest!
Also, before you enter ANYTHING into any cell in the template, save a spare copy of the program
somewhere so that if you mess up the program by typing into the wrong cell or deleting parts of the
program, you always have a fresh program to go back to and “save as” a new program for future use.
In the “1.)” column, you’ll see a bunch of empty green cells, and just to their left, the category to which
they belong (such as “quads” or “hamstrings”). Those are all of the exercises that will compose each of
your workout days for the next five weeks. To choose an exercise, just scroll through the drop-down
menus of each cell and pick a movement! A couple of quick tips:
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Pick the exercises that you have access to at your gym and/or that you’ve done before or are the
most comfortable doing.
For better stimulus and fatigue management, we recommend picking two different movements
for each of the options for exercises when two cells are available, such as when “quads” is two
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exercise in a row, however, you can choose to repeat the movement if you feel confident in
your ability to benefit and recover from this approach.
Only select movements you’re competent in. This is not a novice program and you must know
the basic lifts well. Consider consulting a local coach to help you with technique if you’re
struggling.
To help you remember the proper techniques for the exercises, every time you pick an exercise,
the corresponding how-to video will pop up in a clickable link in the light blue “2.)” column right
next to the exercise name column. These videos are a great reference point for you, and they
star RP’s very own IFPA Pro Bodybuilder, Jared Feather (and sometimes Dr. James Hoffmann on
the odd exercise here and there)
Step 3: Entering your estimated 10RM values.
Once you’ve picked your exercises in column “1.),” you’re ready to pick the estimated 10RM values in
the 10RM column “3.)” colored purple. 10RM means “10 repetition max,” the most weight you can do
for one set of 10 on each exercise. Does this mean you MUST actually go to the gym for the whole week
before this program and find your 10RM values by testing them? Absolutely not. If you have actual
recent 10RM values from your older training, great, use those. If you don’t, you don’t have to worry at
all. This program is designed to work well in a wide range of weights that are estimates of your 10RM.
Your only job when picking them is to not be a complete knucklehead during the process. For example,
don’t pick for a 10RM something you’re likely going to struggle getting for 6 reps on a good day. These
don’t have to be “gun to your head” 10RMs, just realistic ones. On the other hand, don’t get super
conservative and put down weights you can rep out for 15 on any given day. Just give your best guess to
a realistic 10RM, keep your fear and ego out of the decision as much as you can, and go from there.
Importantly, please pick a 10RM for that exercise when that exercise is performed in the order in which it
occurs. For example, if you pick squats as your fifth exercise of that lower body day, you’ll be quite tired
and your 10RM will be MUCH LOWER than if you were fresh. So if you can squat 315 for 10 fresh, pick
something like 245 for your fifth exercise squat 10RM instead of picking 315 and grinding out hard
doubles.
After the first week, if your first couple of sets on an exercise are 6 or fewer reps on mesocycle 1, 10 or
fewer reps on mesocycle 2 and less than 3 reps on mesocycle 3, you need to bump the weight down in
that initial 10RM column. If they are over 12 reps on mesocycle 3, over 20 reps on mesocycle 1 and over
30 reps on mesocycle 2, you need to bump that weight up. All else should work just fine. If your last
couple of sets in any exercise (when you are tired from the first sets) dip below 6 reps, no worries, so
long as the first couple were over 6 reps.
Step 4: Following the workouts.
Once you’ve completed the 10RM column and filled in all those values, you can switch over to the “4.)”
column where the first week of your newly generated workout awaits! Your whole workout will be
generated for you, including weights, sets, and rep recommendations.
First things first when you’re training; the warmup. You’ve lifted a bunch before, so we’re not going to
tell you how to warm up. Warm up how you usually do until you’re ready to begin the working sets, and
feel free to warm up for the different exercises to your liking within each workout.
Rest times are quite simple. In both mesocycles 1 and 3, take enough time between sets to pretty much
fully catch your breath. That’s 2-5 minutes for most people, and unlikely to be less than minute. Big
compound moves like squats and deadlifts will require more rest than isolation moves like dumbbell
curls. In mesocycle 2, however, we want you to rest only as long as it takes to barely catch your breath
between sets. So for normal (non-superset) sets, we recommend that you take just enough time to not
be gasping for air… something like 30 seconds to 1:30 for most. For the supersets, there’s no rest
between the first and second move (within the superset), but there is short rest (30s to 1:30) between
each superset. If your template has a label “heavy” before that workout even on Mesocycle 2, stick to
normal 2-5 minute rests between sets and not the shortened rests you’ll do for the other days of that
mesocycle.
When you’re doing each working set, you’ll notice that the “rep goal” column is rather strange. It says
something like “3/fail, 2/fail or 1/fail.” What does the /fail (read: “from fail”) system mean?
It’s VERY SIMPLE. If the rep goal says “3/fail,” then you are to stop the set when you think you’ve got
about 3 reps left in the tank. When it says “2/fail,” stop when you only have two reps or so left and
when it says “1/fail,” stop the set when you only have one rep left before you give out. That’s it, it’s as
simple as that. What this means is that you’ll be pushing it pretty easy on the first weeks, and ramping
up the relative intensity as the weeks progress to week 4, which will of course be pure hell. This system
is designed to execute the function of progressive overload to give you maximum results, and it will
work well ONLY IF YOU’RE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. If you push all the work sets to near failure in the
first weeks, you’re going to overreach and hit the proverbial wall long before the mesocycle is over
(getting subpar results). If you take it too easy, then the workouts will not be sufficiently challenging in
order to deliver the best results.
A very quick note; if you have to break your technique to get more reps, YOU’VE ALREADY FAILED. When
we write “3/fail,” we ALWAYS mean “3 reps away from failure WITH GOOD TECHNIQUE.” Never let your
technique slide for more reps. Sorry for yelling. 
Lastly, if you’re confused about the from-fail system and are just not sure if you’re guessing right, don’t
be frustrated. Always seek to learn your body better, but in the meantime, just guess your best. Great
results will come even if you’re not 100% on target with every guess. Remember, you’re NEVER training
to failure in any week of this program.
Step 5: Rating the workouts.
After each workout, write down the reps you actually got in the “rep results” column. You’re almost
done with your workout-tracking for the day. You just need to do one more thing; rate your effort.
Most of the exercises have drop down menus (in blue, just to the right of the “rep results” column for
each workout) for almost every single training day, save for deload and the first couple and last couple
days of each mesocycle. Rate the exercises that have blue cells in their rows for that day by selecting
either -1, 0 , or 1 from the drop-down menu in every blue cell.
The purpose of the ratings is very important. How you rate your exercises plugs into a feedback system
that programs the future number of sets for that muscle group. The algorithm can get quite
complicated, but the usual process is to alter the number of sets you’ll be doing in the next half-week of
training. Thus, if your training was super tough early in the week, your training later in the week will be
made easier so that you can recover better. If your training was smooth, no changes will be made, and if
you training was too easy, the next half week will get harder. This function extends through most of the
mesocycle, so please stay diligent with the ratings to get the most out of the plan.
The exact rating descriptions are featured at the top of each mesocycle sheet in the blue column labeled
“5.)” sheet, so please read them carefully and rate accordingly.
These ratings ONLY WORK if you’re HONEST about your experience. No tough guy stuff, but don’t take it
too easy either. If you blew through all the reps and didn’t feel a twinge sore from last time, fantastic,
rate it a 1 and you’ll have more work in your future. But if you had a tough workout and were still sore
from last time but still rated it a 1, you’re setting up a tidal wave of volume that will crash down on your
already-beaten-down-self in mere days. That can lead to performance loss, unintentional overreaching,
bad results, and possibly even injury. So do your best with the ratings and the workout will adjust itself
for you, no ego or fear of overtraining required.
Step 6: Deloading.
Assuming you’ve survived week 4 of the accumulation phase, the 5th week of the plan (3rd or 4th only in
the last mesocycle) is a deload. You can see this week once you’ve scrolled all the way to the right, and
it’s colored green for easy visibility. The purpose of this week is to preserve your muscle gains while
dropping your fatigue off and allowing you to have another productive training cycle ahead. You’ll notice
that the week’s rep goal is usually to do “1/2 reps of week 1,” so that’s exactly what you should do! If
the reps of week 1 are odd numbers, just err on the side of lower. So for example, if you did 7,5,4 reps
on week 1, doing 3,2,2 reps on the deload week is the recommended approach.
Not only are the reps lower, but the weights will be lower too, especially in the second half of the deload
week. This is to promote recovery and maintain muscle, and is entirely planned (your template is not
broken because the weights are so puny). There is no rating scale for those workouts, in part because
they will be super easy. If you choose to skip the deload week or make it harder, that is unlikely to be a
good decision for your medium and long term training.
Final Step: Repeating the program or moving on?
After the deload week, you can move on to the next sheet in the rotation. Make sure to choose different
exercises (highly recommended to not just do the same ones) and continue for another 5 weeks of
training. After you’ve done the first two mesos, do the third and then circle back around to the first, and
so on, choosing new exercises every time. If you want to switch your bodypart focus, please consider
purchasing another focus template.