Part 1: Preface to the Preface
Preface to the Preface
I have set out to create a toolbox for the intermediate trainee. Over the long term, my hopes are that
this guide doesn’t solely amount to progress in the weight room. Instead, I believe that these
principals can be of good use to you long after the program has run its course. The goal of this
program is to not be “a program”. Instead, it will be a set of principals that you can conveniently
extract from in order to create something that is optimal… because it’s sustainable. A program that is
both optimal and sustainable is not an oxymoron. In fact, when you plan (eh, program) your training,
we learn to accept the notion that we are not living in a vacuum. We must plan around an athlete’s
psyche, genetics, and environment in order to avoid “falling off” while doing as little backtracking as
possible. In my 18 years of training, I have yet to have a month that was “perfect” in any way, shape,
or form. I have yet to have a year that was not progressive in some manner, either. In the end, it all
adds up. If you are reading this and you’ve had issues with “falling off”... I am sure that you can
relate. Do you ever think to yourself, “Man, if only I had been a bit more patient and stuck with it?”
Don’t worry; I got you…I got you!
Why the Intermediate? Are you an Intermediate?
The vast majority of committed gym trainees are intermediates. Due to genetic differences, this phase
often looks different on everyone. The truth is that the intermediate phase can suck people in while
keeping them there for the rest of their lifting careers. When you are a beginner, anything works as
long as you keep showing up and working hard. So long as you do this, we are usually done with this
“beginner phase” in about six months or so. Some people go through this phase much quicker while
others find a way to extend it for years. However, about half-a-year is the common going rate for the
beginner. What usually happens afterwards is that the motivated trainee becomes an intermediate.
Unfortunately, they often stay in that “intermediate phase” for the the rest of their training life
because they continue to use methods that only worked as a beginner. In reality, the “intermediate
phase” should last about three to four years. From there, the perpetual journey as an “advanced
trainee” begins.
Part 2: Macros and the 10-20 Rule
How should I eat on this program?
Synthesizing new muscle tissue is a metabolically expensive process. Because of this, we have to eat
at some form of surplus to ensure that we have enough left over to 1) train hard enough and 2) to
inhibit recovery. During a gaining phase, you will put on some fat. By no means is the goal here to
get fat. We want a controlled rate of gain so that we continue to build muscle for an extended period
of time. In my opinion, a solid gaining phase should last no less than six months and up to a year, if
possible. We will do this by only taking what we need in regards to the size of our surplus, paired
alongside a high protein diet.
How much weight do we want to gain?
We want to gain between 0.25-1% of our bodyweight per month. Some months will be faster and
others will be slower. Generally speaking, this is an appropriate rate of gain for an intermediate.
How much protein?
The good old 1g per lb. of bodyweight should suffice in this case. Some of you might want to go a
bit higher and some a bit lower. As long as we are not above or below 20% of this margin, we should
be fine.
What about the calories?
There are many good calculators online that plug you into one of the many formulas used to
determine our needs. For the most part, they all take you to a very similar place. A practical way to
determine your caloric needs is to use the 10-20 rule.
The 10-20 Rule
Assume that your bodyweight multiplied by 10-20 will, more or less, determine how much we gain
or lose. In my experience, about 95% of people’s caloric needs across all goals can be found between
these numbers. Creep closer to the left (10) and you start to see fat loss. When you creep closer to the
right (20) you will see that weight gain happens.
10x --- Weight Loss --- 15x --- Weight Gain --- 20x
So this makes 15 a good default maintenance to aim for. However, the goal is not maintenance. We
want to work with some form of surplus. Some people may only require 15 calories per lb. to gain
bodyweight at the desired rate. A good place to start your trial intake should also take into
consideration how active you are outside of the gym:

Sedentary (Desk Job Commutes to work) – 14.5-15.5 calories per lb.

Lightly Active (Student who walks around campus some) – 15.5-16.5 calories per lb.

Moderately Active (Job requires some standing and moving) – 16.5-17.5 calories per lb.

Active (Very active job, server or personal trainer) – 17.5-18.5 calories per lb.

Very Active (Laborious job say a construction worker) - 18.5-20 calories per lb.
Of course these are all estimations, which will require you to give a trial run while adhering to your
intake. The more adherence you have to following your intake, the more likely you are going to gain
weight in a predictable and favorable way. The more honest you are with yourself, the sooner you
will be able to pinpoint what intake works best for you over the long run. You will figure out if this
intake works for you by weighing yourself every day during the 1st week of the program. This
should be done naked, first thing in the morning after using the bathroom. Write down all the weighins and average out your weight for the week. Then simply repeat the AM weigh-in process on the
4th week of the program to see if the differences in weight line up with our desired rate of gain. If you
find yourself gaining more than necessary, go ahead and lower your intake by .5 on the formula. If
you gain below the rate, go ahead and add .5 to your formula. Eventually, you will know where your
“sweet spot” lays. This will be the point that allows you to gain consistently with minimal fat gain.
How about carbs and fats?
During a controlled gaining phase, we need to go no further than ensuring that we have enough of
both. As long as your fat is no less than 15% nor greater than 35% of your calories, we are okay. You
can base this off previous data and/or simply by personal preference.
What if I don’t want to track?
You don’t have to! Just make sure you are eating enough protein and gaining some weight overtime.
The key is to not gain weight so fast that you have to cut back down before the six -month marker is
reached. If you continue to fail gaining at an appropriate weight, you might want to consider
tracking. Enough food talk; let’s lift some weights!
Part 3: The Most Important Component of Your Program
REF: #1 most important component of your program
Realistic – Enjoyable - Flexible
The first time I heard this acronym was from fellow coach and colleague Eric Helms. Though it
might initially seem insignificant, in my own experience I feel that it’s the leading cause of plateaus
and setbacks for the intermediate bodybuilder. What’s the longest you have gone while being
progressive in the gym? As we get into the “build your own” section of this program, keep this
question in mind. The goal is not about making the most progress now, but making the most progress
overtime. The best physiques weren’t built in a few short months. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work this
way. If you recall, the intermediate phase is about 3-4 years long.
If you want to look like an advanced bodybuilder, you need to have that long-term frame of mind in
place. Progress is progress, but the rate at which you progress is realistically not going to be as fast
as you would like. The same can be said about my own intermediate phase. It wasn’t until I started
thinking long-term that I started making consistent progress.
When committing to a program, you have to ask yourself the following: Is this realistic and can I
expect myself to commit to this for the next few months or so? Will I enjoy this program and all that
it consists of? Am I able to make this program mesh well with the other demands in my life? When I
go through difficult phases during school or work, will I be able stick to this program?
As mentioned before, we don’t live in a vacuum and your training decisions should reflect this
notion.
Part 4: The Big Three: Volume – Intensity – Frequency
Volume is best described as the total amount of work done. To put it in even simpler terms: load x
sets x reps. At a certain point, you have probably heard that volume is the main driver of hypertrophy
and that there is a linear relationship between volume and hypertrophy. This is true, but only up until
a certain point before gains start to plateau. With a further increase in volume, one might even begin
to see a decline in progress. Even worse than a decline, we often seen that our overly-ambitiousvolume-junky bodybuilder ends up getting hurt, or always having to work around something. Injury
is worse because it not only equates to less progress, but potentially no progress at all. This is why it
must be avoided at all costs. To this day, I can’t decide which one keeps bodybuilders from reaching
their full potential: wrong turns in programming design or injuries via extra work done with reckless
abandon. They usually go hand-in-hand. Because of this, we are going to work with volume
guidelines that I have not only seen work best in practice, but are also backed up by the scientific
literature. This will be in the vicinity of 40-70 reps/muscle group/session.
Intensity is an objective measure of how much, or how heavy, we are lifting relative to our estimated
1RM. It is not how much “focus” you are able to consistently apply to your training sessions. While I
appreciate an athlete with great work ethic, when we talk about intensity, we are simply going over
how heavy you are lifting. Since our goal is primarily muscle gain, we will focus on the rep ranges
that are most practical for our specific goals. Great physiques have been carved out via the heavier
end of this rep range spectrum. However, “pumpers” making a living within the higher rep ranges
can claim the same. In my opinion, the most useful rep ranges for a bodybuilder look to be
somewhere in the 6-20 rep range.
Frequency plays off of the two variables above and helps pace out the dosing of our stimulus. Our
first “aha” moment as bodybuilders comes while planning out your microcycle, or training week.
Almost right away, you realize that the quality of your work increases when you pre-plan how you
will sprinkle your work across the training week. With this program, we will be using frequency to
balance and spread out the two other components (volume and intensity) in a way that allows us to
get the most out of our training week. Too much volume or intensity on any given day will likely
decrease the quality of our training. Below, we have a common real world example to better illustrate
the role of frequency. For a bodybuilder, this usually tends to be the number of times a body part is
hit within a given week. Let’s use “chest day” as an example:
Example 1 - Common Bro Chest Day

Bench Press 3 x 6-10

Bench Press 2 x 12-15

DB Incline 3 x 12-15

Chest Press Machine 2 x 12 -15
Example 2 - Common Bro Chest Day Split into Twice a Week Frequency
Monday

Bench Press 3 x 6-10

DB Incline 2 x 12-15
Thursday
Bench Press

Bench Press 2 x 12-15

Chest Press Machine 2 x 12-15
In my experience, 2-3 times per week is the frequency that time and time again ends up winning
because it best allows us to consolidate our weekly volume. It also keeps the majority of lifters
healthy over the longitudinal course. This is what will allow us to make the most consistent progres s
in the healthiest and most sustainable manner possible. Upon glancing at the two examples above,
despite volume and intensity being matched, which one would you imagine generates more quality
work? Which example would likely lead to more consistent progression over time?
Progress and its Importance
Despite our goal being muscle hypertrophy, it’s in our best interest to continually progress over time.
Show me a bodybuilder that is continually lifting the same weights for the same amount of reps and
you’ve got a bodybuilder that is likely not growing. As your muscles grow, they will be able to move
more weight and reps. As you add more weight and reps, you are adding volume to your program
once more which, in turn, will make your muscles grow. See how this works now? While a training
program that is crazy hard might feel productive, is it actually? Sure, that leg day that your favorite
IG bodybuilder told you to do will likely translate to incredible soreness the days following. The real
question is: it actually making you better?
"To me, the sign of a really excellent routine is one which places great demands on the athlete, yet
produces progressive long-term improvement without soreness, injury or the athlete ever feeling
thoroughly depleted. Any fool can create a program that is so demanding that it would virtually kill
the toughest marine or hardiest of elite athletes, but not any fool can create a tough program that
produces progress without unnecessary pain."
Dr. Mel C. Siff
Putting It Together
Now that we have constructed the basic principles that we will work from, let’s actually start
building something. When we think of the word “bodybuilder”, movements such as curls, lateral
raises, and triceps extensions come to mind. While these are important contributors, the majority of
your progress will come from big, multi-joint movements. While powerlifters have their “big
three”… we will refer to the “big six” that we have in our arsenal. Every one of these is just as
important as the next, just as it is for powerlifters. The major difference is that all powerlifters have
the same “big three” in rotation but not all bodybuilders have the same “big six”. This is where it
gets tricky. You will have to do some self-reflection in regards to which variations work best for you
within each category.
Part 5: Choosing the Right Exercises for You
The Big Six - Pick One of Each






Squat Variation of Choice
o
Leg Press
o
Squat (High Bar, Low Bar, or Front Squat)
o
Other squat machines: Hack Squat Machine or Smith Machine
Hip-Hinge Variation of Choice
o
Deadlift (Conventional or Sumo)
o
RDL (Barbell or Dumbbell)
o
Trap Bar Deadlift
o
Barbell Glute Thrust/Bridge (or other variation)
Horizontal Press Variation of Choice
o
Bench Press
o
DB Press
o
Machine Press of Choice
Vertical Press Variation of Choice
o
Single Arm Overhead DB Press
o
Barbell Overhead Press (standing or seated)
o
Machine Overhead Press
Horizontal Row Variation of Choice
o
DB Row
o
Chest Supported Machine Row
o
Seated Cable Row (Overhand, Underhand, or Neutral)
Vertical Pull Variation of Choice
o
Single Arm Pull-down
o
Dual Arm Pull-down (Neutral, Overhand, or Underhand Grip)
o
Pull-Up Variation of Choice (Overhand, Underhand, or Neutral)
The movements listed above are not listed in level of effectiveness. Instead, they are listed in regards
to which movements tend to be more of a “one-size-fits most”. These are movements that I have
found, over time, to be the most progressive for the majority of bodybuilders. Please refrain from
getting too caught up in dogmas because bodybuilding is filled with them. No exercise is essential.
Now we will get into things you may want to consider when selecting which ”Big Six” movements
that you would like to include in your training split.

Is this practical?
Essentially, which movements do you have access to? There is no urgency to drive across town
solely because you need access to a trap bar, unless your daily schedule allows for this (and you
really want to do trap deadlifts). Using dumbbells for your primary press may not be the best idea if
you can see yourself outgrowing the weights that gym has to offer. Few of us are blessed with
training facilities that have everything and you will have to compromise a bit because of this. I
personally prefer a leg press to a squat but because I travel quite frequently, I have recently had to
adopt a squat as my primary squat variation. The exact leg press model I have at home is great but
it’s rare to be able to find it on the road. Practical is not a sexy word but it’s something you will have
to ask yourself when choosing a movement you want to commit to. Is this practical?

Is this sustainable?
This question is mostly asking: will this movement hurt you in the long run? Injuries often happen
due to faulty technique or because certain movements, structurally speaking, don’t fit certain people.
Not everyone has access to a qualified technique coach that is able to fix the unique glitches that
occur when an individual performs a certain movement. Furthermore, you may look at yourself and
realize that your femurs are like Manute Bol. Through honest observation; you may realize that
you’re probably better off leg pressing rather than squatting. One of the biggest breakthroughs a
bodybuilder can make is to eventually know thyself. An even bigger one is to follow that up and
accept thyself. Personally, I was born with an asymmetrical shoulder girdle. Because of this, I cannot
barbell bench press as well as I can DB chest press. Eventually, I became okay with not having an
impressive bench press 1RM to reply with when asked the notorious question: “how much ya
bench?”
Below is an easy way to determine what movements fit you and which ones don’t.
YOU vs. The Weight vs Your Body = X
YOU vs The Weight = ✓

Does it feel right?
This one is pretty straightforward. Do you feel the movement in the targeted muscle groups? Let’s
take a bench press for example. When you perform the movement, you may determine that you feel it
more in your triceps. However, when you use that awesome plate loaded chest press machine in your
gym… it’s all about your pecs. Early on, it’s important for a bodybuilder to have a mindful
connection with the muscle groups being targeted. Your training partner might enjoy squats but if
you feel them more in your lower back and shoulders… you don’t have to do them. Remember, you
are the last leg in customization and only YOU actually know which movements feel right.
Part 6: So Where's the Program?
Moving Forward…
So now that we have set a few guidelines, you are probably wondering what the program looks like.
Surely there are a few of you are already brewing up some ideas in your heads. However, I would
like to consolidate a few things even further for you guys. Our base template is going to be an
upper/lower format. This is simply due to the fact that this is often what is practical for most. It’s
often the easiest format to monitor while sticking to the guidelines. Over the years, it’s the split that I
have found to be most productive over the long term. Remember, if you are an intermediate looking
to achieve “advanced levels” of muscularity… we have to think long term. The sooner you can start
focusing on what you can do for longer periods of time (rather than this week, month, or specific
workout) the better off you will be.
Upper-Lower eh? But how many days?
I believe four days per week to be the best place to start for an intermediate. If progress continues,
we should stay there. As a matter of fact, some of the best bodybuilders on the planet train about four
days a week. My fellow 3DMJ Coach Jeff Alberts, who has been training for over 3 decades, spends
most of the year training four days a week. Even still, he continues to improve year after year. To
further elaborate why I suggest training four times a week:

It makes our volume and frequency recommendations easy to apply with minimal overlap

It’s easy to fit in the majority of people’s schedules and allows for flexibility

With the roaming off days, it allows the lifter to refrain from going to the gym when recovery is
delayed. It also allows for the scheduling of other life events etc.

Muscular tissue is very dynamic in nature. The same cannot be said for connective tissue. Three
off-days per week can help keep connective tissues healthy.

It allows you to add 5th day over time if needed.
Upper Lower Template 1
Day 1) Upper Day 2) Lower Day 3) Upper Day 4) Lower
This variation is for a bodybuilder who wishes to prioritize their upper body region. Either the
upper body as a whole is lacking relative to the lower half or many of our identified weak body
parts are found in the upper body. This particular set up allows our freshest day of the week
(1st day of the week) to be dedicated to those body parts. Beyond that, your 3rd training day of
the week will be another upper body session rather than your 4 th day. Essentially it front loads
the work done on weaker body parts earlier in the week.
Upper Lower Template 2
Day 1) Lower Day 2) Upper Day 3) Lower Day 4) Upper
The second example is better suited for a bodybuilder with problem areas that are the exact
opposite. The concept is very similar. While the cause of weak body parts can certainly be
blamed on genetics, it can just as often be blamed on the lack of prioritization in those areas.
For practical reasons, we will be using Template 2 as an example that we work off since it will,
most likely, be the version that the majority of you will go with. I am not accusing you guys of
being small legged by any means. Instead, I suggest this version since it front-loads the more
fatiguing day (lower) first. Even our balanced bodybuilders will most likely opt for this version
for that very reason.
Part 7a: Creating Your Customized Program
Filling in the blanks
Next, you will start filling in the spreadsheet with the “Big Six” movements you have deemed to be
appropriate for you. For obvious reasons, we will have more of our compounds scattered amongst
our “Upper Body” training days. Since our shoulders move in so many different ways, more
movements must take place in order to ideally target all of our upper body muscle groups.
Upper Body Days

4 Compound Movements

Prioritize (that word again) in the order that you need them most
Lower Body Days

2 Compound Movements

Prioritize (that word again) in the order that you need them most
I will now fill out the example template as if it were my own and use the movements I find to be best
for mein the long run. I will also start each day with the movements that target the muscle groups
that I feel are of the highest priority. Again, this is my own version of this program. You should seek
to make your program as customized as possible depending on your own needs.
Day 1) Lower
RDL
Leg Press
Day 2) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
Single Arm Pulldown
DB Incline Press
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press
Day 3) Lower
RDL
Leg Press
Day 4) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
Single Arm Pulldown
DB Incline
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press
Filling in the Details
While I do believe that you can make some substantial progress to your physique by incorporating
those“Big Six” movements, that last 10-30% of it certainly matters if you want to build a complete
physique. For example, we know that a well-executed row will stimulate our biceps. However, it
may not be enough to maximize development in the biceps. Before we decide to add them into the
mix, we should quantify how much overlap is taking place within our movements. This is not an easy
feat since it is very dependent on the individual. Some people may use their triceps more than others
when doing a press. Since we can’t quantify exactly how much overlap is occurring on movements,
we just have to make note it. It’s important to understand that you cannot (nor do you want to) avoid
all overlap completely.
We might have gotten a bit ahead of ourselves here. To clarify, before we can add in isolation
movements… it’s important to have to have general idea of what amounts of volume we will be
working with when it comes to our compounds.
Another “Rule of Thumb”
A common trend you see amongst some of the more successful and “timeless” programs is that the
primary movements (in our case the Big Six) are often kept below 30 total reps. Often times, when
you go over that suspected threshold, the quality of the work diminishes. Over time, the“wear and
tear” proves to be too much and it simply isn’t required based on that we know about muscle growth.
However, the caveat in that argument is that these are primarily strength programs and that is not our
main focus. Though I understand this and agree with it to an extent, I believe that this rule meshes
well with the amount of volume we will need to stimulate muscle growth. We will be working in
slightly higher rep ranges therefore the rep count will add up a bit quicker. However, there is less
structural wear and tear in these rep ranges. We will not be dipping below 6 reps on any of the Big
Six movements.
Part 7b: Putting It All Together
Putting it All Together
As mentioned previously, this is where the 6-10 rep range will roam for the entirety of this program.
For horizontal rows and vertical pulls, I have decided to move the reps one increment higher. Those
movements will be performed in the 8-12 rep range. This is for safety reasons. Even the most
technically savvy bodybuilder will have a hard time keeping their form tight in the lower rep ranges
on these movements. The standard number of sets will be 4 working sets across all movements.
Initially this seemed a bit risky. However, since you will carefully select your compound movements,
I suspect that “wear and tear” will be less of an issue. We will only be lifting this heavy earlier in the
week so the final two days will be more volume focused.
Day 1) Lower
RDL4 x 6-10
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Chest
Supported Machine
Row 4 x 8-12
Single Arm Pulldown
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 610
Day 3) Lower
RDL (TBD)
Leg Press (TBD)
Day 4) Upper
Chest
Supported Machine
Row (TBD)
Single Arm
Pulldown (TBD)
DB Incline (TBD)
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press 4 x
6-10
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press
(TBD)
Progression for Day 1 & Day 2
Our first 2 days of the week will be the most progressive in regards to the compound movements.
The progression scheme will be as follows during these first 2 days.
Moderate Rep Progression Scheme (use this example for exercises in the 6-10 & 8-12 rep
ranges
Week 1 – DB Incline Press – 50lbs x 10, 10, 10
Week 2 – DB Incline Press – 55lbs x 8, 8, 8
Week 3 – DB Incline Press – 60lbs x 6, 6, 6
Week 4 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of
rep range
Week 5 – DB Incline Press – 55lbs x 10, 10, 10
Week 6 – DB Incline Press – 60lbs x 8, 8, 8
Week 7 – DB Incline Press – 65lbs x 6, 6, 6
Week 8 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of
rep range
Week 9 – DB Incline Press – 60lbs x 12, 12, 12
Week 10 – DB Incline Press – 65lbs x 10, 10, 10
Week 11 – DB Incline Press – 70lbs x 8, 8, 8
Week 12 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of rep
range
Progression for Day 3 & Day 4
On the final two days, weights will be lighter and reps will be higher. Keep in mind that you will
likely be fatigued from the days of training prior, so it’s important that we remain technically tight
and attentive when doing higher rep work with these compounds. You will be using the 10-15 rep
range for your big 6 movements on these days for a total of 3 sets.
Day 1) Lower
RDL4 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Chest
Supported Machine
Row 4 x 8-12
Day 3) Lower
RDL 3 x 10-15
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Single Arm Pulldown
Leg Press 3 x 10-15
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 610
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press 4 x
6-10
Day 4) Upper
Chest
Supported Machine
Row
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press 3 x
10-15
High Rep Progression Scheme (use this example for exercises in the 10-15 rep range):
*Until you get 3 sets w/top end rep range, don't increase load. When you do, increase in the smallest incremen
and start at the bottom of the rep range and rebuild. This is called double progression
Week 1 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 13, 12, 11
Week 2 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 13, 13, 12
Week 3 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 15, 14, 13
Week 4 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of
rep range
Week 5 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 15, 14, 14
Week 6 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 15, 15, 14
Week 7 – DB Incline – 60lbs x 15, 15, 15
Week 8 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of
rep range
Week 9 – DB Incline – 65lbs x 13, 12, 12
Week 10 – DB Incline – 65lbs x 13, 13, 12
Week 11 – DB Incline – 65lbs x 14, 12, 12
Week 12 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of rep
range.
Part 7c: Finally Done!
Now We Curl!
I am pleased to be restarting this section from earlier before, but you can see that we had a good
reason to stop. Now that the big rocks are in place, we are free to fill in the smaller pebbles. We have
a rough idea of how much room there is to fill as the Big Six follows two patterns:
Days 1-2
4 x 6-12 = 24-44 reps/week
Days 3-4
4 x 10-15 = 40-60 reps/week
So what we are looking at is plus or minus an average of about 30-40-ish reps across all body parts
which will be closer to the lower end of the recommended ranges discussed earlier. Recall that we
decided on about 40-70 reps/muscle group/session. At this point, we already have the lower end of
those values fulfilled via the Big Six alone. The small print to performing these movements are that
the factors which make them great also have the ability to work against them when we are trying to
maximize hypertrophy. Solely relying on these Big Six movements alone to achieve desired
volume targets for each muscle group may not be realistic since the compounds can often create too
much systematic fatigue. Furthermore, some muscle groups (dependent on the person) simply need
more direct work than others in order to fully maximize their growth potential. Below you will see
what my mock training split would look like with the addition of my isolation movements.
Day 1) Lower
RDL4 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row 4 x 8-12
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Leg Press 3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 6-10 Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Leg Extensions
Calve Raises
Day 3) Lower
RDL 3 x 10-15
Single Arm Overhead DB Leg Curls
Press 4 x 6-10
Biceps Curls
Calves
Triceps Extensions
(Long Head)
Lateral Raise
Day 4) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press 3 x 10-15
Biceps Curls
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
Lateral Raise
Rear Delt Fly
Rear Delt Fly
But how many reps and sets Berto?
Upon entering the gates of Old Saint Bro, we must remember to approach these movements with the
assumption that we have completed about 40-ish reps or so for the body part that we are about to
isolate. Giving you guys the benefit of the doubt, I’m going to give you 40-ish reps to play with (for
each respective body part).
…12-15 & 15-20 reps for about 2-3 sets.
The isolation movements will follow the same trend as the compound movements. As the week goes
by, the rep ranges will increase as well. Now, before you guys give me the evil eye about the rep
ranges that I recommend, please be aware that a lot of thinking went into this. The three main
reasons I went with these rep ranges are, as follows:
1. It can become pretty impractical to add load to many isolation movements over time. Think
about it: going from a 20lb dumbbell to a 25lb dumbbell is a 25% increase. You would never go
from doing sets of 6 with 300lbs on a squat to increasing weight and performing 375 x 6 the
very next week. Adding reps in these rep ranges is a form of micro-loading and is suited well
for these particular movements.
2. Since the rep ranges are higher, there is less inclination to cheat. “Plain and simple” doesn’t
look cool enough to cheat on, unlike those full body 135lb curls you see from time to time.
Regardless of how cool they look, chances are that they are not maximizing the amount of load
placed on the biceps. While load is a great proxy for muscular tension, an inappropriate load
increment can often change form; to a point that the tension is being redistributed and you are
actually getting less work in the targeted area.
3. These higher reps ranges tend to feel a little more “painful”. In my opinion, this pain can help
provide guidance for a lifter. Isolation movements are usually safer than compound movements,
however, it can become much easier to displace load onto other areas while performing them.
Localized pain felt in the muscles being targeted can serve as a guide that we are doing the
movement right.
That being said, the rep ranges that we will be using are in both the 12-15 & 15-20 rep ranges. The
progression scheme for both rep ranges will be the exact the same.
High Rep Progression Scheme (use this example for exercises in the 12-15 & 15-20 rep
range):
*Until you get 3 sets w/ top end rep range, don't increase load. When you do, increase in the smallest increment
and start at the bottom of the rep range and rebuild. This is called double progression.
Week 1 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 15, 15, 15
Week 2 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 17, 16, 15
Week 3 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 18, 16, 16
Week 4 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of rep range
Week 5 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 20, 18, 17
Week 6 – Lateral Raise– 15bs x 20, 19, 19
Week 7 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 20, 20, 20
Week 8 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of rep range
Week 9 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 16, 15, 15
Week 10 – Lateral Raise– 15lbs x 17, 16, 16
Week 11 – Lateral Raise – 15lbs x 19, 17, 16
Week 12 - Deload by reducing sets by 1 set and weight by 10-15% from week prior and doing bottom end of rep range
Mission Accomplished!
Day 1) Lower
Day 2) Upper
Day 3) Lower
Day 4) Upper
RDL4 x 6-10
Chest Supported
Machine Row 4 x 8-12
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Leg Press 3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 6-10 Leg Extensions
2 x 15-20
Single Arm Overhead DB Leg Curls
Press 4 x 6-10
2 x 15-20
Biceps Curls
Calves
3 x 12-15
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Long Head)
3 x 12-15
Lateral Raise
3 x 12-15
Rear Delt Fly
3 x 12-15
Leg Curls 3 x 12-15
Leg Extensions
3 x 12-15
Calve Raises
3 x 12-15
RDL 3 x 10-15
Chest Supported
Machine Row
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press 3 x 10-15
Biceps Curls
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
2 x 15-20
Lateral Raise
2 x 15-20
Rear Delt Fly
2 x 15-20
Part 8: Rest Periods? Failure? Can I Switch Movements?
Rest Periods Between Sets
This part is dependent on the individual. Rests periods should last for as much time is needed in
order to put your best foot forward while giving adequate effort to the performance of the following
sets.
Small Print on Progression
The progression scheme examples were built in a “perfect world” scenario. This was done in order to
explicitly show the direction that we would like for you to be heading in. There may be times that
you will be able to keep up with the progression rate as written in the example. However, my bet is
that you will, more than likely, NOT be able to progress as quickly. If the latter occurs, you might
have to rely on more subjective forms of progression. While being more objective with your
decision-making is a huge theme in this program, there is also a time and place for more subjective
reasoning to take place. How do I know that I am making progress?
Form Felt Tighter
Maybe the weight was the same as last month…but everything feels better. You feel the targeted
muscles more and had fewer deviations in form this go-around. You also feel more in control and
confident throughout your sets and reps.
Greater Reps in Reserve
The weights moved more fluidly. After you finished your sets, you realized that you had a few more
reps left in the tank compared to last month. Last month, that 4x6 was all you had. However, this goaround, you are sure you could have completed one more rep!
Improved Recovery
Maybe your load isn’t increasing.. but you also realize that you are not feeling as beat -up or tired as
you did after the last go-around. This is a sign that you are adapting and that progress is likely on the
way.
These are all forms of progress that don’t necessarily involve having to add more weight or reps to a
set. It’s imperative that you remember this as you go through some of your sticking points because
they will happen.
Failure? How often?
Failure Within the Big 6 Movements
With your Big Six compounds movements, the goal should be to leave 1-2 reps in reserve by the
time you get to your final set. Note: it might take you a while to find the proper loads for these
movements. In that sense, the first month is certainly going to be an exploratory month. Upon
establishing these marks, you will be quite surprised to realize how effectively one can progress
while staying 1-2 reps away from failure. Failure is not necessarily a prerequisite to progress. In fact,
taking sets to failure too frequently may actually slow down progress.
Failure Within the Isolation Movements
With isolation movements, it’s okay to come closer to failure or even fail from time to time on your
final set. Just remember that failure is not “when you can no longer do any more ugly reps”. Instead,
we are talking about technical failure, or when you have deviated from the starting the technique.
Technical failure (for compounds as well) will be set as the standard. This is very important to note
going forward.
Changing Movements
When it comes to isolation movements you can change them every 8-12 weeks. This is about right
since it will keep things fun and also prevent some “wear and tear”. We may not be perform a lot of
weight within our isolation movements but we sure do our get our fair share of reps. Isolation
movements can become relatively easy to master compared to compounds. Within a month or so, you
will probably feel right at home with your new bicep curl variation.
When talking about compounds, I would prefer you stick to the ones that meet the criteria discussed
earlier. You know: practical, sustainable, and keeping in mind the overall feel of the movement. The
reason being is that these movements can often take a while to master. Moving from one variation to
the next can have us spending too much time having to learn then unlearn movements. Over the long
run, this can slow us down in regards to progress. My advice would be to only swap these out when
the movements are causing us physical (same goes with isolations) or mental pain. A common
problem I see is mental burnout. Unfortunately, this can happen even while a lifter is making
awesome progress on a lift. Swap the movement for another one and come back to it when you are
feeling healthy enough to resume again.
Part 9: Volume Recommendations and Potential Plateaus
Volume Recommendations & Potential Plateaus
I think the volume is too low Berto?
Most ambitious lifters will tell you this, and I will inquire the following. When the last time was they
did a program that was this patiently progressive? That they committed a program/scheme for a
minimum of six months? That you ate at a moderate surplus while partaking in such a p rogram? I
sadly have to say via my own experiences that maybe 5% of intermediate lifters can honestly say that
they have undergone at least one such phase in their lifting careers. Give it a go as written and you
will be quite pleasantly surprised.
Plateaus
Before we declare that we have come down with a case of “the plateaus”… it’s important that we
agree on what constitutes as one. Often times, the rate of progression that a bodybuilder hopes for
isn’t typically one that is plain, simple, and/or realistic. It may have been at some point in their
career, but it’s likely not that way forever. This was extremely hard for me to quantify since people
progress at such different rates. However, the following is what made the most sense: if you can add
weight or reps to 1/4 of all work on a monthly basis, we are progressing. If you are able to add
quality (subjective progression) to about ½ of all sets, then I’d say you are doing pretty well.
Remember, both of these factors don’t have to be occurring at the same time. For example: let’s say
that everything is feeling quite challenging, yet you are adding weight and/or reps to at least 1/4 of
all work. Perhaps even the inverse of this is happening: you are not able to increase weight and/or
reps to 1/4 of all work, but you are feeling the targeted muscle groups better than ever on nearly
everything. Either way you look at it, you’re still making progress. These two usually go hand in
hand, however, it’s not out of the ordinary that one side of the coin seems to be winning more often.
If your rate of progression has been below this threshold more than two months, then it might
be time to change something.
Changing the program?
First off, we have to confirm that there is a halt in our progress due to the fact that we have outgrown
the current version of the program. Let’s confirm this before we make too many changes by going
through this simple checklist:

Are you consistent without having missed more than 2 training days in any 4-week period?

Are you eating enough to gain weight at the recommended rate?

Is your form on all movements within the realm of good to very good so that we can confirm
that technique is not what is limiting our rate of gain?

I recommend about 55-65 hours of sleep per week for my bodybuilders. Are you consistently
falling within those ranges?

Are your stress levels outside of the gym no greater than what is usual?

Have you have followed the program to a tee? Yes, this means taking deloads as
recommended and not adding in additional work.
If you can answer yes to all of these, then yes… you have hit a plateau.
Plateau Busters
Sometimes adding more is not the answer. However, it is usually the solution we tend to gravitate
towards, more often than not. We may very well need to add more, but first, here are some idea that
might help you get out of that sticking point. I recommend you, at the very least, consider these
options before you add more to the program:

Changing the Order/Prioritizing
Compounds (Big Six) always go first. That being said, you can swap the order in which they are
completed on that specific day. For example: let’s say that my RDL is doing well, but my leg press is
stuck. I can opt to simply do the leg press first followed by the RDL.
A similar example regarding my isolation movements would be if my progression on calves came to
a halt. On the other hand, both my leg extensions and hamstring curls were doing quite well. I would
simply make calves the first isolation movement completed on my lower body days.

Isolation Salad
The best way that I can describe this method, would be the following: instead of doing all prescribed
sets on isolation movement straight through, you would instead do them in a circuit fashion. For
example, on my “Day 4”, I would simply do one set of each movement and then move to the second
movement, etc. It’s important to still take the recommended rest period between different isolation
movements (this shouldn’t be done in “typical” circuit fashion i.e. running from one station to
another with zero rest).
Single Arm Overhead DB Press 1 x 10-15
↓
Biceps Curls
1 x 15-20
↓
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
1 x 15-20
↓
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
1 x 15-20
↓
Lateral Raise
1 x 15-20
↓
Rear Delt Fly
1 x 15-20
After completing this circuit, you will start back up with the 2nd set of the 1st biceps movement while
starting the round all over again. This might reduce the amount of “pump” that you get. Remember
the goal is not to get a pump, but to progress. Always refer back to that section progression when
you are feeling like you are missing out on a great pump. Show me a bodybuilder that is continually
lifting the same weights for the same amount of reps and you’ve got a bodybuilder that is likely not
growing. As your muscles grow, they will be able to move more weight for more reps. As you add
more weight and reps, you are adding volume to your program once more, which in turn, will make
your muscles grow. Pacing your isolation movements in this manner allows you to do more work and
break through plateaus that might be occurring within these movements. I don’t recommend you do
this with your Big Six movements*
Two Set-Reset Month
Perhaps you have reached a point where you feel overreached… now we will be running a block that
will allow us to shake off a majority of the fatigue that we have accumulated over previous weeks
leading up into this point. A month of performing only two sets on all movements (while trying to
remain just as progressive) can work wonders. There’s something about doing only two sets that
motivates a lifter to approach their work with much more urgency and focus. Upon completing this
phase, you will deload per usual. However, we will only be reducing the weight used. The volume
will remain the same. What you do next depends on what happened during this “reset” month.
If you progressed, it’s easy; just go back to the former version prior to the reset month, as it was
obviously working. We just needed to catch our breath for a bit, and we are all good now.
If you didn’t progress, go through the flow chart below after your reset month:
Considering that we already took a deload and trained with less volume for a month, there are two
options we can follow up on:
Since option two (return to normal training volume) is only recommended to people who have had
their performance recover during the reset month, we now only have one option:
Part 10: Adding Volume
Adding Volume
Yes, it has taken us a while to get here. As you already know, the act of just mindlessly “doing more”
is not something that I advocate. You can certainly add more volume (it is certainly something that
you will find yourself doing throughout your career), but you have to make sure it isn’t just mindless
volume. It’s important to exhaust all other possible breaks in the system bef ore we can add to it.
Adding more to a system that is already broken can (and will) be a recipe for disaster.
Practical Ways of Adding Volume to Compounds:
If you are only able to train four days per week, add one additional set to all compounds that have
stalled (via the guidelines above) for one month’s time. Once the month is completed, set volume
back to original levels for the following month. Continue rotating your Big Six volume in this
manner: one higher volume month followed by one lower volume month. The example given below
assumes that your lower body compound movements have stalled out:
Month 1
Day 1) Lower
RDL5 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row 4 x 8-12
Leg Press 5 x 6-10
Leg Press 4 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 6-10 Leg Extensions
2 x 15-20
Single Arm Overhead DB Leg Curls
Press 4 x 6-10
2 x 15-20
Biceps Curls
Calves
3 x 12-15
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Long Head)
3 x 12-15
Lateral Raise
3 x 12-15
Rear Delts Flies
3 x 12-15
Leg Curls 3 x 12-15
Leg Extensions
3 x 12-15
Calve Raises
3 x 12-15
Day 3) Lower
RDL 4 x 10-15
Day 4) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press 3 x 10-15
Biceps Curls
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
2 x 15-20
Lateral Raise
2 x 15-20
Rear Delt Flies
2 x 15-20
Month 2
Day 1) Lower
RDL4 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row 4 x 8-12
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Leg Press 3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
4 x 8-12
DB Incline Press 4 x 6-10 Leg Extensions
2 x 15-20
Single Arm Overhead DB Leg Curls
Press 4 x 6-10
2 x 15-20
Biceps Curls
Calves
3 x 12-15
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Long Head)
3 x 12-15
Lateral Raise
3 x 12-15
Rear Delt Fly
3 x 12-15
Leg Curls 3 x 12-15
Leg Extensions
3 x 12-15
Calve Raises
3 x 12-15
Day 3) Lower
RDL 3 x 10-15
Day 4) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm Overhead DB
Press 3 x 10-15
Biceps Curls
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
2 x 15-20
Lateral Raise
2 x 15-20
Rear Delt Fly
2 x 15-20
While it’s practical to simply add volume to the specific days within our current training split,
another way to go about it is (for those of you who are able) to fit in another day of training. This is
actually the option that I would recommend. Performing your new levels of training volume on an
additional day will ensure higher performance quality. I strongly recommend this one over the
first option, when possible.
Day 1) Lower
RDL4 x 6-10
Day 2) Upper
Day 3) Lower
RDL 3 x 10-15
Chest Supported
Machine Row 4 x 812
Day 4) Upper
Chest Supported
Machine Row
3 x 10-15
Day 5
RDL
1 x 6-10
&
1 x 10-15
Leg Press 4 x 6-10
Single Arm
Pulldown
4 x 8-12
Leg Curls 3 x 12-15
DB Incline Press 4 x Leg Extensions
6-10
2 x 15-20
Leg Curls
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press 4 2 x 15-20
x 6-10
Biceps Curls
Calves
3 x 12-15
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Long Head)
3 x 12-15
Lateral Raise
3 x 12-15
Rear Delt Fly
3 x 12-15
Leg Extensions
3 x 12-15
Calve Raises
3 x 12-15
Leg Press 3 x 10-15
Single Arm
Pulldown
3 x 10-15
Leg Press
1 x 4-6
&
1 x 10-15
DB Incline
3 x 10-15
Single Arm
Overhead DB Press 3
x 10-15
Biceps Curls
2 x 15-20
Triceps Extensions
(Short Head)
2 x 15-20
Lateral Raise
2 x 15-20
Rear Delt Fly
2 x 15-20
Practical Ways of Adding Volume to Isolations

Add one set to your plateaued isolation movements on the first day of the week

Add one set to your plateaued isolation movements on the second day of the week

If you added a 5th day of training to your week (due to a Big Six plateau), include your extra
isolation work on that day. Be sure to follow the progression scheme appropriate to that specific
rep range. Like previous days, be sure to avoid straying too close to failure.
Part 11: Final Notes and Closing
Important Note/Consideration
If you decide to add a 5 th day of compound movements to your training split, consider bringing over
at least 2-3 isolation movements from previous days, as well. Though they may not have plateaued,
choose the ones that are the most difficult to progress with. You may also choose to bring over the
isolation movements that are typically performed last, on any given day. This will prevent them from
always having to be performed in a fatigued state (relatively speaking), which may ignite some
further progress as well. If this ends up being a full body split (some upper movements mixed with
some lower movements), then that’s completely okay.
How do I know when I have outgrown this program?

When you are in a position where you’ve added three additional sets to your same Big Six
movements on the 5th day on the program.

When you have plateaued on more than five different compound movements at any given time.

When you have plateaued on more than five different isolation movements at any given time.

When you are in a position that you have to continue adding sets to your isolation movements
for a 4th time.
At this point, it would be in your best interest to hire a professional to help continue your progression
going forward. You will be able to carry over a significant amount of what you have learned
throughout your intermediate years over to the high intermediate/advanced realm. However, at this
point, the continuation of your journey within the guidelines of this program may not be optimal nor
practical. The advanced stages of an athlete’s career are best left to programs that are fully
customized.
Final Note
Many of you will enjoy this program and thrive under it for a very long time. I hope this is the case
for most of you. I also hope that it’s a program that you enjoyed so much that you find yourself
having a hard time moving on when you finally do outgrow it. Regardless, I hope that this program
gives you some insight on which principles to prioritize when committing to a program a nd that they
are of good use for a very long time. My biggest advice to you is to enjoy your time spent living in
the process. The better you get at this very simple skill, the more success you will find over the long
term. This isn’t just in regards to training. This advice can be applied to many of the tabs within your
extremely diversified happiness portfolio.