Y3T Training Guide
This eBook is brought to you by world leading bodybuilding coach, Neil Hill. Today, Neil is head coach of
Team BSN, Team GASP, featured writer to FLEX magazine USA. Neil is also trainer to athletes including 3 X
212 Mr. Olympia Flex Lewis, global fitness superstar Steve Cook and IFBB Pros William Bonac and Steve Kuclo
to name a few.
Today Neil is regarded as one of the most sought after coaches in the world of bodybuilding and has
actually gained recognition in other arenas, having been hired for over 2 years by various celebrities and
VIPs from around the world to get them into shape for movies and TV shows.
Also contributing greatly to this eBook is Dr. Paul Rimmer who joined Team Y3T in 2014 as “Head of
Sciences.” Within his time at Team Y3T Dr. Rimmer has worked very closely with Neil Hill to create what is
regarded as one of the most advanced online distance learning courses in the world of fitness, under the
Neil Hill Academy. The course spans across 13 modules, and is taught online over 6 months.
Dr. Paul Rimmer is also an avid speaker having presented his research at several of the UK’s leading
universities.
In terms of his academic credentials Dr. Rimmer is a PhD graduate from Cardiff University in Healthcare
Sciences. Dr. Rimmer specialised in how injury, surgery and rehabilitation effect biomechanical outcomes
in those with anterior cruciate ligament rupture, and worked with specialist imaging analysis for assessing
long term knee health in this population.
Dr. Rimmer’s time at university has covered many areas important to health and fitness, including nutritional
biochemistry, sports physiology, anatomy, psychology and strength and conditioning principles.
Outside of academic learning Dr. Rimmer has read and written on many subjects related to physiology and
has a huge interest in endocrinology, cell signalling and the effect of sports supplements.
Dr. Rimmer’s passion both professionally and privately is bodybuilding and strength training, having
competed as an amateur bodybuilder and presently in training for his first powerlifting contest at the end
of 2015. He has submersed himself in bodybuilding and strength training culture and exposed himself to
many ideas and methods and has endeavoured to understand from a scientific perspective the practices
employed for gaining muscle, strength and losing body fat.
Dr. Rimmer believes that a combination of scientific knowledge and others experience is the best way to
provide the most complete picture of the most effective methods available today, especially when
considering the limited amount of research into competitive bodybuilders resistance training methods
nutritional requirements that exists in the present day.
Y3T Training Guide
Introduction
Welcome to the official Y3T Training Guide SECOND EDITION where myself and Dr. Paul Rimmer are going to
educate you specifically on training to maximise your potential in seeing results. With references
continuously made to scientific research and “real life” anecdotal evidence we are going to teach you about
my training techniques and why Y3T works so effectively. There’s no BS or gimmicks here, otherwise my
name (or Dr. Rimmer’s) wouldn’t be attached to it! By the time you have finished reading the Y3T Training
Guide SECOND EDITION I expect you to understand:
• How Y3T was developed and then evolved
• The fundamentals behind Y3T
• The science of Y3T (this is highly advanced compared to the FIRST EDITION)
• Who Y3T will help
• Frequently asked questions
Section 1 - The Birth of Y3T
Section 2 - The Fundamentals of Y3T Today
Section 3 - The Science of Y3T
Section 4 - Who Can Y3T help?
Section 5 - How to apply Y3T
Section 1 - The Birth of Y3T
Y3T Training Guide
Section 1 - The Birth of Y3T
From day one I have always been very competitive and what you would call a natural athlete in as much as I
always wanted to be the best and always put my all in to the discipline I was participating in. This
competitive edge which I always had running through me translated very well in to the gym where I
quickly gained a reputation for being a crazy mother***er – stories of people throwing up, failing to finish
my workouts and giving up weren’t uncommon. That reputation now goes before me on a global scale
where some of the most renowned photographers, journalists and videographers have travelled from afar
to capture these savage workouts for viewers and readers alike. All of my athletes will have their own crazy
s*** to share with you, the gym is a place to work not p**s about – lesson number 1 for you!
Having this mind-set in the gym meant that I very quickly learned where my physical limits actually lay
because believe me, I pushed my body to the very edge of what it could physically do. The psychological
factor of pushing my body to the realms of impossibility never scared me: when I got to my infamous
Dungeon Gym it was a case of GAME FACE ON, that s*** got me going and it was always war against myself.
The mental game was one I always won, with no exception.
The feeling of hundreds of kilos pushing back against my thigh muscles when they are already burning
aggressively and the sensation that my head was about to explode never threatened my mental strength. If
anything it just made me crave more intensity and gave me more aggression. Yes it was f***ing challenging
but as athletes that is what we are supposed to face and chase, otherwise what’s the point? If you want
comfort and ease take up chess, this s*** isn’t for you.
My mind-set was like granite, absolutely no f***er was going to train harder than me. Pound for pound I
would always go further because my mind was already made up. It might sound cliché but it was the
complete truth. The unfortunate thing was that physically I did have certain limitations, which I couldn’t
remedy or escape from. As a child I had a birth defect which meant that my knees were always genetically
weak – the fact I had competed at swimming as a junior (at an elite level) meant that it had developed into
a bigger problem because my main competitive stroke was breaststroke. This meant that my knees were
moving through planes which weren’t natural let alone for someone with pre-existing knee issues.
This physical limitation I had in front of me meant that whilst I loved squatting 5 ½ plates for reps and sets
the reality was my genetic defect was going to eventually get in the way whether I liked it or not. It wasn’t a
case of manning up: if anything if I had toned it down I may have helped myself in the longer run, in
hindsight. My knees just couldn’t cope with the level of stress I needed them to in order to fulfil my
potential as a pro athlete. I’d train them with the savage intensity I expected of myself then have to rest for
longer than I wanted to because my knees were f***ed. My training split was based around a typical
bodybuilding split – 6-12 reps per set, heavy as I could, to failure and, like I said before, executed with the
intensity and aggression of an animal on a mission. Thinking back as I sit here and write this makes me
smile… The walls of my Dungeon Gym sure have some stories to tell.
Some I couldn’t even share with you. . . . . . . .
Y3T Training Guide
At this point I was absolutely f***ing sick and tired of having to take time off the gym because of niggles and
injuries, with my joints complaining all of the time. It wasn’t only my knees anymore either, my shoulders
and elbows were in bits too! I clearly remember being 12-14 weeks out from a bodybuilding competition
early on as an amateur and not being able to train triceps because my tendonitis was that severe. In that
instance I came second, but I kept thinking how much better I could have been if my training was more
consistent, without those constant interruptions. What compounded this was that during my off-season
training, I could become quite inconsistent with my eating because psychologically I was disheartened by
the fact that I couldn’t weight train as I wanted to. Whatever I do I do it 110% or I won’t bother at all because
that’s just the way I am. The fact that I couldn’t string any meaningful amount of training sessions together
was making me miss meals and just have a general lack of interest in my pursuit as an elite bodybuilder.
Having gone through the same s*** for years, I reached a point where I would either give up for good or find
another way to train.
It was this moment in my life that I began to go beyond 12 reps initially closer to 20. From here I
gradually built upon this evolving ideology that I was developing – 20 reps increased to 30 reps and beyond.
At this point in time I was simply curious, rather than sold on the idea. Literally - like magic - within the first
two months of adopting this new approach, the complaints that my joints had previously suffered with, all
stopped. Even my knees felt better (OK, they would never be perfect because of the birth defect) and these
had been unsupportive since the very start.
The thing which surprised me the most, though, was the change in the way my physique now looked. My
muscle bellies looked fuller, my separations and cuts were deeper (and more pronounced) and my muscle
groups had actually grown. At first I was a bit confused, as I had originally started using higher repetition
ranges as a means to “do something” whilst allowing my joints time to recover from the heavier, more
conventional weight training - that I still loved to do.
So: like a mad scientist in a lab, my intrigue for this developed into an obsession. I quickly submerged myself
in education and grew my knowledge about the physiology of the human body. I began to apply this and
then mentally digest what I was experiencing first hand so that I could ultimately learn how this could be
applied to my athletes – because by this point in my life I had a strong client base.
As I began to understand muscle fibres in more depth and the effect that different training methods have
on different muscle fibres, energy systems and the fact that two different forms of hypertrophy exist
(sarcoplasmic & myofibrillar) I put together a training approach which I felt was 3 dimensional. Low rep
ranges, medium rep ranges, high reps ranges - and other variants came into play. Looking back now, at this
point I hadn’t quite mastered the methodology but it was this thinking which led to the development of the
Y3T Training System as we know it today.
Y3T Training Guide
To bring this chapter to an end it was the constant frustration and pain dealt to me by my injuries which
forced me to think outside of the box with my training – it had to change. It wasn’t just me either I was
surrounded by other athletes who were experiencing very similar problems.
Initially the idea behind the medium to high rep ranges was to give the joints a break from heavy duty work
whilst doing “something.” However that “something” actually developed into a very potent and effective
muscle building tool which actually accelerated the rate at which I and my athletes could build quality
muscle.
Hopefully that introduction has helped bring you up to speed with the journey Y3T has undergone since its
birth and the reasons why it came about. That is just a very brief insight though, now we are going to get
into the really exciting and educational stuff.
This is going to be fun, mind-blowing and extremely interesting.
When I travel the world with my work, appear at expos, speak at seminars or even when I get an email I love
hearing about people’s stories where they have used Y3T to open a completely fresh chapter in their
training life. They’ve suffered with all the issues I’ve outlined, the same s*** I went through, and now
through reading my work are able to train better, get better results FASTER and stay injury free. To me, that’s
so rewarding.
Section 2 - The Fundamentals of Y3T Today
Y3T Training Guide
Section 2 - The Fundamentals of Y3T Today
As I near 30 years in this industry, many of those years spent as an elite bodybuilder and coach at the very
highest levels I feel that those experiences have contributed greatly to the evolution of Y3T. As it stands
today I feel that Y3T is unrivalled as a training protocol, I really do.
In order to help you get the most from this eBook and absorb the knowledge within, you need to have a
solid understanding of the key fundamentals of Y3T. Below, we will go through them to make sure you are
up to speed on this.
Multiple-Dimensional Approach
The majority of other training programs are one-dimensional: as a result they are seriously limited, in my
opinion.
Provided that you apply the principles correctly most training ideas do have their merits. However, I think
that sticking exclusively to one training format will quickly become a limiting factor (as you learn about the
science in this eBook, you’ll discover why). These approaches include low-volume high-intensity lifting –
which is fantastic, German Volume Training can work, as can the conventional 8-12 rep range
bodybuilding split. However, where I feel people fall short is by using the same approach all of the time.
Hypertrophy relies on the fact that you can sustain progressive overload, on a gradual yet consistent basis.
You will NOT be able to continuously put the muscle and body under more stress, week after week using
the same training method with the same rep ranges, training volume and so on. To continuously maintain
progression you need to change the stimulus and emphasis of your workouts in a planned manner.
Y3T is a multi-dimensional approach to training for muscular hypertrophy. With the periodization which is
implemented within Y3T you continue to create opportunities for stimulation and progressive overload,
without hitting plateaus as you normally would by doing the same thing every week.
My training program is designed to work over a 3-week window, broken into 3 micro cycles.
Week 1, micro cycle 1 – Heavy, compound movements with high weight and low rep ranges, creating a
moderate amount of training volume.
Week 2, micro cycle 2 – Moderately heavy, compound & isolation movements with moderate weight and
moderate rep ranges, creating a moderate-high amount of training volume.
Week 3, micro cycle 3 – Light, high repetition, maximal intensity training: going to and beyond failure,
creating a high amount of training volume.
By utilising different rep ranges and training volumes this allows us to create a situation of progressive
overload (more about the science of this later!) between micro-cycles. Like I touched on earlier
progressive overload is one, of if not the key determinant; in generating muscle hypertrophy (Kraemer et al.
2002). The structure of these micro-cycles also allow for periods of recovery of both the muscles and
surrounding tissues helping prevent injury and avoid overtraining, under recovery and central nervous
system fatigue which carry with it a reduction in performance and increased risk of injury, which can be
caused by long periods of more linear progression systems (Gleeson , 2002).
Y3T Training Guide
By changing the overall emphasis each week, Y3T is constantly introducing a new training stimulus. This isn’t
designed to “shock” the body into responding because that implies that we are guessing – with Y3T there is
no guessing, it is all pre-planned.
There is a strong foundation behind every method being used here. I will save the more in-depth
information for later on where we talk science with Dr. Paul Rimmer who’s an outstanding academic who I
employ full-time for Team Y3T.
Injury Prevention
During the introduction I described the training injuries I used to get and how they frequently held me back;
I’m sure you can relate to a lot of them. It was ultimately the genetic defect within my knees which ended
my career as a competitive athlete on-stage. However, if I had not thought outside of the box, with my
training, my competitive days on stage and my ability to keep refining my physique would have ended
much sooner than they did. It was only by the fact that certain training principles (which now are the
fundamentals of Y3T) enabled me to work around my genetic defect for as long as I did.
With the realisation that Y3T could help to reduce injury, I began to pay more attention to this within my
programming. The more frequently you can train without needing time away from the gym due to injury
the more stimulation you can achieve, in theory at least.
By using heavy compound lifting once every three weeks (rather than every week), Y3T significantly reduces
the amount of poundage that the joints and their connective tissues are having to deal with, over a
three-week period. Connective tissues, including the ligaments and tendons, are usually where people
suffer with injuries, due to the fact that these tissues have a restricted blood flow - compared with muscle
tissue.
However because we are using higher rep ranges for the next two weeks, we are able to stimulate the
muscle fibres (which is actually more beneficial than constantly using lower rep ranges – this will be
described later) whilst placing the joints and connective tissues under less stress. By the time you return to
Week 1 your connective tissues still feel fresh, which means that your physically in a better place to attack
the heavier weights again - and not sabotaged by joint pain which can be a real limiting factor,
psychologically and physically.
“Another really strong plus point with high rep training is the increased blood flow you experience into
the muscle and joint. This process of forcing blood into the muscles is known in scientific terms as
‘Transient Hypertrophy’ and commonly referred to as ‘pump’.
The reason bodybuilder’s chase this pump isn’t just because of the immediate feeling of fullness and visual
increase in muscle size. It also plays a key role in driving nutrients and growth factors into the muscles to act
on the target tissues, providing all the raw nutrients and hormonal support to optimise recovery and muscle
growth (Schoenfeld, 2010).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
As if you hadn’t of guessed from the section heading, injury prevention is something I feel strongly about.
Dr. Rimmer and myself have had lengthy discussions about this topic from multiple different angles.
Y3T Training Guide
“It’s not just from the perspective of reducing the amount of load placed on the joints when lifting heavy,
but also in using appropriate range of motion to stimulate muscle activity but without unduly or
adversely loading joints in position they might be vulnerable, such as in full extension where many
injuries take place (Bethapudi et al., 2013). This also has the added bonus of keeping the muscle under
almost constant tension, which helps stimulate muscle growth in association with appropriate rep
tempo, this will be discussed more about this later alongside the other science stuff!” Dr. Paul Rimmer
If you’re interested in how I perform these movements and for some ideas on variations on different
exercises please keep an eye out for my up and coming subscription site which has detailed instruction on
how to perform the movements safely and for maximum muscle growth.
Within every training program there will be some exercise you just don’t get along with, some may not hit
the muscle effectively which can be relate to either biomechanics or ‘the mind muscle connection’ which we
will talk about a little later when trying to feel the muscle working.
“The mind muscle connection can be worked on and improved, as can biomechanics of bigger
movements such as the squat, deadlift and pressing movements that may require appropriate
adjustment in grip, postural positioning, muscle movement patterns and working on mobility and
stability. In fact resistance training when progressed properly and performed with correct form and
tempo does not only develop muscle strength and size, but also mobility and stability at the joint
(Kraemer et al., 2002).
There are many factors that can influence your ability to safely and/or effectively perform an exercise,
previous injury can be an obvious one, however for some of us our individual variation in the location in
which our muscles attach and insert and the shape of our joints, underlying genetic conditions and even
your ethnic background can cause differences in joint motion and muscle activation patterns which can
limit the effectiveness of some exercises (Tamari et al.. 2006).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
In all of this there will be an element of trial and error in finding what works for you, so remember start
light and work on technique but if you feel pain or things just don’t work then there are plenty of variations
available to target the muscle group effectively and most importantly safely! Like myself and Dr. Rimmer
have covered above, your genetic make-up, motor patterns, mobility and age can all contribute to injury so
when addressing injury prevention we have to keep an open mind and be smart with our training. With Y3T,
I focus on these areas with specific exercise selection, training volume, intensity and other key factors.
Y3T Training Guide
Calorie Burning
Most of my athletes do less cardiovascular training for fat/calorie burning purposes than a lot of others. This
simply comes down to the fact that Y3T will almost certainly push your body to heights it’s never felt
therefore your calorie expenditure will reflect this. An extreme example is Week 3 Leg Training Day. The
amount of hard-core athletes who pride themselves on a no BS “balls to the wall” attitude who I’ve seen fail
to complete a Week 3 leg workout would shock you – it’s f***ing intense and as a result you will burn a LOT
of calories. Within a matter of weeks I notice my new athletes fall into better condition and I also notice we
can increase calories as a result of the increased demands placed on their body.
“Due to the massive demand placed on our energy systems, especially when in a caloric deficit, muscle
glycogen, one of our body’s key sources of energy for high intensity training (check out the section on
energy systems for more details!), will be depleted significantly, especially during weeks two and three.
This will force the body to mobilise its other energy store, adipose tissue, to provide energy for a wide
spectrum of bodily functions post training, in short accelerating fat loss. High intensity training has also
been shown to release a cascade of hormones that stimulate the release of energy stored as body fat
(Boutcher, 2010).
Even when not in a notable caloric deficit, the high energy demand, high intensity nature of the Y3T
system will impact on EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption), this in short means that
your calorie burning capabilities will be elevated for a prolonged period (reported in some studies to be
greater than 24 hours!!) after you’ve finished training, due to the body’s requirement for increase oxygen
consumption to enable recovery (Børsheim and Bahr, 2003; Schuenke, Mikat and McBride, 2002).
EPOC is required for replenishing many of the body’s systems including balancing the endocrine (hormonal) system, replenishment of energy stores, including glycogen, ATP and creatine stores, repairing
cellular damage and muscle anabolism (Bahr, 1992).” Dr. Paul RImmer
The take home message from Dr. Rimmer’s explanation and from my experience is…. Every weekly
micro-cycle within the Y3T Training System will promote muscle building and calorie burning, helping you
grow quality muscle tissue whilst maintaining or reducing body fat levels! I’ve seen this time and time again
with my own eyes.
Y3T Training Guide
Cardiovascular Fitness
An old myth which refuses to die in the weight training world is that weight training does not train your
cardiovascular system. This is complete bullshit: .Seriously: Anyone who says this can come and train legs
with me and we will put that theory to the test!! I initially built Y3T around my own training experiences,
which by nature were extremely intense. The athletes I now train all have great levels of cardiovascular
fitness and this is purely down to the fact that by using Y3T, their cardiovascular and cardiac systems get a
very comprehensive workout – in addition to their muscles.
I have had cardiac consultants review my clients’ progress and the feedback that they have given has been
unanimous: Y3T only improves it.
“From a scientific perspective, any form of weight training that increases the body’s demand for oxygen
will increase heart rate and have benefits on both “aerobic” and “anaerobic” energy systems, which both
come in to play when doing moderate to high volume, highly intense resistance training, just like what
Neil prescribes in the Y3T System. Specifically with Y3T you are actually working very thoroughly through
all energy systems which really accentuates these effects.
As you can imagine, performing 60 reps on a leg press while including a rest/pause protocol pushes your
cardiovascular system to realms in which great levels of stress exist.” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Those are the cornerstones of the Y3T Training System. Their explanation was to give you a better overall
understanding of what the training system is all about - and how it has the potential to bring you benefits.
By now I’d hope you are ready to learn some really cool s***, where myself and Dr. RImmer are going to get
really technical and get the facts of Y3T across to you.
Section 3 - The Science of Y3T
Y3T Training Guide
Section 3 - The Science of Y3T
Over the past 3 decades I’ve been very fortunate to meet and learn from some of the most gifted brains in
the world of science. These individuals are genuine scientists with an understanding of the body beyond the
realms most could ever dream of grasping.
I’ve always been very conscious that with my public presence I have a responsibility to ensure the advice I’m
giving and promoting is scientifically sound. I’ve always been of the mind-set that results are and always will
be the number one priority of any training programme because that is the proof. However, I’m also a huge
advocator and admirer of the latest science so when I try new protocols I don’t just try them on the my floor
I also discuss and consult with a select few individuals in the world of science whom I really trust.
One of those individuals is of course Dr. Rimmer who you now already know of. Dr. Rimmer is relatively
young in his academic career but has excelled immensely and works with some of the very best academics
in the country. We are really blessed to have his input and we are always discussing various topics within the
circles of training.
In the “real world” I’ve demonstrated on multiple occasions and stages that Y3T DOES work. But, I’m also a
believer that in order for you to really appreciate the value of something you need some sort of scientific
explanation and validation. This chapter really is all about doing that, educating you and explaining
WHY and HOW Y3T works.
I’ve asked Dr. Rimmer to really delve into the science for you so that you are getting first-hand knowledge
from a leading academic. . . . . . .
Y3T Training Guide
Muscle fibres
“The largest muscle fibre in the body is only the size of a human hair. There are many factors that can
influence the rate at which muscles can grow including gender, age and of course genetics. Different
muscle groups have a variation in anabolic potential. In particular the upper body muscles typically
has increased muscle growth potential, this is proposed to be for a number of possible reasons, firstly
the lower body is more frequently loaded and have therefore already taken, to a certain extent, some
adaptations in muscle growth. It is also possible the muscles of the upper body have greater amounts of
androgen receptors than the lower body, making them more responsive to resistance training
(Cureton et al., 1988; Kadi et al., 2000).
Androgen receptors are sites that are activated within the cells of the body, particularly by our muscle
building steroid hormones (more about hormones later!), when activated these receptors access and
instruct areas of our genetic code, which carries the instructions to build proteins including muscle, to
initiate a complex process to increase muscle protein synthesis increasing muscle growth.”
Dr. Paul Rimmer
By the way this isn’t an excuse to skip leg day. . . . . . Just a reminder that you may need to train them that bit
harder and be more persistent than other muscle groups. The Y3T method as you will see will force even the
most stubborn of body parts to grow with hard work, I just want to you to understand that you have to train
like a f***ing demon and be persistent with your pursuit for greatness.
“Even within muscle groups there is potential for the individual muscles to respond differently to a
specific exercise. This is potentially caused by the different length tension relationships and activation
patterns these muscles have across the joint, loading some muscles more than others (Folland and
Williams, 2007). This highlights the importance of targeting individual muscles within groups, isolating
the different constituent parts to maximise muscle hypertrophy using different exercises and anatomical
positions.
For example studies that have assessed hypertrophic response in the quadriceps have found a wide
range of hypertrophic responses between the component quadriceps muscles (vastus lateralis vs rectus
femoris for example) and even within the location within the muscle group, so at the mid-point of the
thigh, closer to the hip (proximal thigh) and closer to the knee) (Narici et al., 1996; Tracy et al., 1999;
Roman et al., 1993; Hakkinen et al., 2003).
Y3T Training Guide
Muscles of the Quadriceps
Rectus Femoris.
Vastus Intermedius lies
under the rectus femoris so
can’t be seen!
Vastus Lateralis
Vastus Medialis
These differences in hypertrophic response are potentially due to the exercise prescribed within these study’s
to induce muscle hypertrophy; this highlights the importance of using a variety of exercises and ensuring all
muscle fibres within the muscle group of interest are activated in order to optimise muscle growth.
We know for example that squatting with different foot positions changes the loading and muscle activation
patterns of the muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and other hip flexors and extensors.
Studies on muscle hypertrophy have shown significant growth at between 60-90% of 1 repetition max.
Targeting where we train clients within this range will depend on goals (performance, strength, aesthetics
etc.), genetic predispositions, phase of training and muscle fibre type targeting (Folland and Williams, 2007).
Within the human body we primarily have 3 different types of muscle fibre:
1. Type 1 Slow twitch muscle fibre
2. Type 2a Fast twitch muscle fibre
3. Type 2b Fast twitch muscle fibre
Each individual will have a unique blend of all three types of muscle fibre, below you can see how each
muscle fibre types characteristics and how these characterises influence their physiological roles in the
body.
Y3T Training Guide
Table of fibre type characteristics.
Type 1Type 2aType 2b
Contraction time. SlowModerately fastVery fast
Resistance to fatigue.HighFairly HighLow
Activity use. AerobicLong-Term AnaerobicAnaerobic
Power output.LowMediumVery High
Mitochondrial density.
HighHighLow
Major storage fuel. TriglyceridesCreatine Phosphate, Creatine Phosphate,
GlycogenGlycogen
Several studies have tried to determine muscle fibre type distribution in the individual muscles in the
body. However trying to generalise this too all people is well quite honestly impossible without getting
‘inside each individuals muscle groups and checking under the microscope, as you can imagine this is
highly invasive and impractical proposition!
This is evident when studies have assessed fibre type distribution across a number of different muscle
groups. For example in the gluteus maximus has shown a slow twitch percentage of between 52 and
68%, the hamstrings between 43 and 67%, the gastrocnemius between 44 and 78% and the soleus of
between 70 and 90%. This not only highlights the variation in fibre type distributions within certain
populations, but also that muscle groups such as the soleus, that are activated most often and in low
demand activities such walking, have the need for higher fatigue resistance in the form of higher
proportions of type 1 fibres.
There are many factors that may influence fibre type distribution, anatomical location, gender, age,
ethnicity, activity level and of course individual genetic variations (Simoneau and Bouchard, 1989 and
1995).
The field of genetics provides the best opportunity to investigate an individual’s general fibre type
distribution from a simple sample of the body’s cells. This field is in its infancy and far from accurate in
the current position. However even if this was accurate it would have its shortfalls, firstly as individual
muscle fibre type distributions are likely to vary from muscle to muscle identifying how our genes
‘program’ individual muscles is to put it mildly difficult. Secondly we know that the type of training we
may do can influence the ratio of 2a and 2b fibre types (but not the ratio between type 1 and type 2
fibres) meaning that even if we could identify our fibre type distribution at a given point, these can to
some extent change over time (Willmore and Costill, 1994)
Y3T Training Guide
It is of the consensus of the scientific community that the number of muscle fibres you are born with is
established at birth and remains throughout the duration of life with adaptations taking place as a result
of cellular changes of the myofibrils and potentially the sarcoplasm (Wilmore & Costill, 1994). The take
home message from this is that some people will be more fast twitch dominant; others will be more slow
twitch dominant and each person will have their own unique ratio.
In terms of potential, there are studies which point to the fact that fast-twitch fibres are capable of
growing bigger than slow twitch fibres (Kraemer, 1994) however many of these studies only focus on one
form of training, which leaves me with some doubt on this subject. Other studies, conducted on
sub-maximal loads, with higher rep ranges have supported the idea that slow twitch muscle fibre
populations have significant growth potential and in some instances the same as fast twitch fibres
(Mitchell et al. 2012).The Y3T system will of course target primarily the type 2 fibre types in weeks 1 and 2
as they will adapt and grow quicker, however over time week 3 will allow all muscle fibres to grow,
unleashing your full genetic potential.” Dr. Paul Rimmer
After a period of time using Y3T you may well see a greater hypertrophic or strength response more
consistently during some micro cycles over others. This is something I see in a lot of my athletes on a daily
basis. This is great because it can act as a key guide to see which weeks you wish to focus on more in order
to get the best out of your physique and performance. This system allows for you to tailor your training to
your individual needs making it suitable for all body types, genetic predispositions and performance goals.
Like I always tell me clients to do, analyse your body, your progress, your feedback and use that information
to your advantage!
My training system is based on more than just repetition ranges, the Y3T styles encompasses a wide range
of methods to maximally recruit as many muscle fibres as possible and force hypertrophic adaptations. This
is something I’ve spent a very long time mastering with a very broad range of clients.
Y3T Training Guide
Muscle fibre recruitment
“The nervous and muscle systems are closely interconnected. Each neuron that stimulates a group of
muscle fibres is known as a motor unit, a motor unit is the smallest contractile element that the nervous
system can activate. As the axon of a motor neuron approaches a muscle that it innervates, it divides
into multiple branches, each of which makes a ‘connection’ via a synapse with an individual muscle fibre
at a region called the neuromuscular junction.
The Neuromuscular Junction.
Y3T Training Guide
When we lift something up, our brain tells the muscle to work and the amount of effort required will dictate
how many muscle fibres are brought into play - and which ones. This recruitment of muscle fibres is
triggered by mechanisms known as motor units. We have:
1. Small motor units – these motor units are responsible for the recruitment of our type 1 muscle fibres
(slow twitch), which are rich in myoglobin and mitochondria, giving them a red, appearance due to
increased blood supply. This makes them ideal for sub-maximal, low intensive prolonged exercise because
they are resistant to fatigue.
2. Large motor units – these motor units are responsible for the recruitment of type 2 fibres (fast twitch),
which are not enriched with myoglobin or mitochondria giving them a white appearance as blood supply
is limited. Therefore they fatigue faster. However, they are far stronger and more powerful. They are also
known as “high threshold motor units” because the threshold required in terms of exertion is high, in order
to excite them and in turn get them involved.
If we say that we have 100 muscle fibres available in a muscle (purely for example purposes) and 60% are
type 1 slow twitch fibres and 40% are fast twitch fibres (a blend of type 2a and type 2b) and we lift a protein
shaker up, our brain signals will only require a tiny percentage of these fibres, and they will only recruit the
slow twitch fibres. Therefore our “small” motor units become stimulated, which in turn recruit the
appropriate fibres (when thinking about muscle fibre stimulation, you must understand that it is motor unit
recruitment which dictates this). If we were to deadlift a 5-rep max, our “large” motor units are stimulated
and in turn bring the more powerful muscle fibres in to play. Easy, right?
From the over simplified example from above, you can begin to understand that different training loads and
intensities can dictate, to an extent, which muscle fibres are being stimulated. Based on the fact that we all
have different muscle fibre populations - and the ratios in which they exist within us - Y3T enables you to
target them all, in turn, across a 3-week training rotation.
Following on from the above point, I want to explain to you that we tend to follow a set motor unit recruitment pattern when training. At least a lot of the current literature suggests this.
1. Small/slow motor units are activated first
2. Large/fast motor units are brought into play as soon as the body feels they are required to handle the
stress/load placed upon the muscle(s)
The rate at which the larger motor units takes over comes down to the level of exertion placed upon that
muscle and - in my opinion - the level at which the individual is trained at (how effective neurologically they
are, which comes from repetition and good practise). For example, doing a 6 rep max set will quickly require
the introduction of your larger motor units because the big, stronger muscle fibres are required. When you
“fail” this is because these “stronger” muscle fibres fatigue faster, therefore the ability to handle that force
(especially during the concentric phase) diminishes fast. So what happens when we use a sub-maximal
weight (for example: 50% of our 1 rep max) and do 30 repetitions? Again, the small motor units recruit the
slow twitch fibres first and then - as the weight gets heavier - the fast twitch fibres are recruited in order to
help shift what is now becoming a challenging load.
Y3T Training Guide
It is generally accepted that adaptations to resistance training take place initially in our central nervous
system responsible for much of the early increases in strength proportionate to muscle growth in the early
stages of training. This early phase of training is important to learn the right muscle patterns including
appropriate activation of stabilisers, synergists and agonist/antagonist interaction (Gabriel et al., 2006).
It is important to understand how different training methods cause adaptations including the different
types of muscle contractions: eccentric; concentric; and isometric contractions, which we’ll get back to later.
“Training enables greater activation of muscle fibres through increased motor unit recruitment and
therefore greater levels of force production. However, full activation of muscle fibres rarely occurs. This is
generally known as ‘incomplete muscle fibre activation’ (Gabriel et al., 2006).
Motor unit firing rate influences the length of time that motor units are activated within a muscle. This is
a summative effect and the more rapidly the firing rate (frequency of nerve impulses or ‘twitches’), the
greater the force production. The maximum level of firing rate creates a state of fused tetanus creating
maximum muscle activation (Gabriel et al., 2006)
Twitch summation and force production from a motor unit.
Wave
Summation
Unfused Tetanus
Fused Tetanus
Y3T Training Guide
One mechanism by which motor unit activation potentially increases muscle force is by the stimulation
of multiple motor units at the time. This is referred to as ‘synchronisation’. Resistance training can help
increase synchronisation especially when large demand is placed on the muscle such as during heavy
lifting or when the muscles become fatigued, both of which are achieved using the Y3T system
(Gabriel et al., 2006).
Training has also demonstrated the capacity to reduce antagonist activity during movement. This is
dependent on factors such as the speed and range of movement of the activity. Any simultaneous
contraction of the antagonist muscle (co-contraction) will obviously work in opposition to the agonist
muscle and reduce the net force being produced in the desired direction. However as with many of the
theorised adaptions, limited evidence exists to support this idea in trained athletes (Gabriel et al., 2006).”
Dr. Paul Rimmer
A lot of people will make the argument that we should simply work within the low rep ranges, force the
muscle to fail and in turn force adaptation (and hypertrophy as a result). That’s fine: however that approach
assumes that you are able to do that constantly (what happens when you hit a sticking point you cannot
bypass?) and secondly this is highly unlikely to target your type 1 muscle fibres, which could mean missing
out a whole heap of muscle growth if you have a high proportion of type 1 muscle fibres!
Now we’ve covered fibre type and how training volume and pushing to fatigue can recruit these fibres
effectively, there may be some other advantages of training across a number of repetition ranges that are
related to the structure of our individual muscle fibres.
Muscle fibre anatomy.
There are two main components of the muscle fibre that we are interested in, the myofibrils and the
sarcoplasm.
Y3T Training Guide
The myofibrils are the contractile components of the muscle cell that contains actin and myosin filaments,
under the influence of electrochemical signals these filaments ‘cross bridge’ to create muscle contractions.
The sarcoplasm is the region of fluid that surrounds the myofibrils and contains nutrients and other
important structures that provide energy for muscles to contract. It has been hypothesised that resistance
training can stimulate hypertrophy in both the myofibrils and the sarcoplasm dependant on the repetition
ranges you use.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy occurs when the myofibrils within the muscle fibre expand. These are contractile
fibres, which mean they are “functional” and therefore make you stronger as they expand. These fibres are
often more tightly knitted together, which means that if they are stimulated exclusively, it can increase your
strength: however, it can limit your potential to maximise the size of your muscles.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is proposed to occur when sarcoplasm (which is a non-contractile fluid) levels
increase within the muscle cell. In essence you are increasing the “volume” within the muscle, which creates
a larger looking muscle. It equates for approximately 25% of the muscle size, and as sarcoplasmic
hypertrophy occurs the overall cross-section of the muscle increases.
During exercise the pump we feel is caused by cellular hydration, forcing fluids, nutrients and growth factors
into the muscle causing those cells to swell. This helps regulate anabolic processes that increase the rate of
muscle protein synthesis and decrease muscle protein breakdown.
“The physiological mechanism by which cell swelling increases anabolic processes directly is at the time
of writing yet to be discovered. It has been suggested that the increased pressure on muscles cells that
force adaptations to strengthen the cells structures against damage, it may also have a direct effect on
transportation of water soluble amino acids into the cells allowing for more raw materials for muscle
building to be present (Schoenfeld, 2010).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
High volume resistance training has been shown to increase glycogen storage within the muscle, this will
also allow for water to be pulled inside the muscle cell as around 3g of water are pulled into the muscle for
every 1g of water. This may increase cellular hydration further amplifying the anabolic effects that cellular
swelling caused by resistance training may have.
Y3T Training Guide
Amount of hypertrophy
Theoretical relationship between repetition range and stimulation of hypertrophy type.
Myofibrillar
Hypertrophy
Sarcoplasmic
Hypertrophy
Repetition Range
“Now, the first form of hypertrophy mentioned above (myofibrillar hypertrophy) occurs when we train
with moderate to heavy loads. Resistance training across a number of repetition ranges has been
demonstrated to stimulate myofibrillar growth across multiple studies, with the greatest response being
in type 2 fibres (Folland and Williams, 2007). Referring back to the points above on muscle fibre types
and recruitment, this will target the fast twitch fibre (type 2) populations almost exclusively because it is
stimulating the large motor units, which recruit fast-twitch fibres (Fry et al, 2003). Simple.
The latter form of hypertrophy mentioned (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) is proposed to increase when we
use more repetitions, targeting the muscles need to adapt to store more energy for the higher intensity,
higher demand of increased repetition, higher volume resistance training. On a final note the
sarcoplasm has to expand in order to accommodate and provide energy for increased myofibrillar
density. Whether sarcoplasmic hypertrophy can occur independently of myofibrillar hypertrophy or at
an accelerated rate in response to higher repetition ranges is still a matter of debate and in need of
further research.
Either way we know that resistance training will increase myofibrillar hypertrophy and as these
contractile components account for around 75% of the muscle cells volume, we can be pretty sure that
the Y3T system is targeting myofibrillar hypertrophy effectively in all muscle fibre types as well as driving
fluid and nutrients into the muscle to further augment hypertrophic response.
Y3T Training Guide
An Individual Muscle Cell.
Myofibrils and Sarcoplasm: The green line outlines the muscle cell walls, inside the muscle cell the pink
area represents myofibril contractile tissue, the white areas represent the cell fluid or sarcoplasm.
I guess at this point you might be thinking ‘well how exactly does a muscle grow? Well the truth is we
know that it is associated with increased protein synthesis within the muscle cells that is stimulated by
weight training and amplified by proper nutrition, we also know it has something to do with the
breakdown and rebuilding of muscle cells to adapt to increased training stimuli. However the underlying
adaptive mechanisms described in the literature are complex and contain many cellular processes
influenced by many of the body’s systems.
One of the most widely cited mechanisms by which myofibrillar hypertrophy takes place is outlined
described by Goldspink (1992), and relates to the how the actin filaments (a protein responsible for
creating cross links with another protein myosin to cause muscle shortening contraction) act on Z disks.
Z disks are a series of regions that links the chains of actin and myosin filaments (sarcomere) to give the
muscle its length and help transmit force.
The organisation of the actin filaments pulls at an oblique angle to the Z disk, this angle when combined
with heavy loading may initiate rupturing the Z disc.
Y3T Training Guide
Rupturing of the z disc: A mechanism for muscle remodelling?
Once ruptured this would tear the myofibril longitudinally, at this point proteins are used to repair and
‘fill in’ these gaps leading to a larger myofibril and therefore increased muscle mass. As these new
muscle fibres are added in parallel, this stacking up may also increase the oblique angle at which the
actin filaments act on the Z disk leading to an increased Z disk rupture rate and muscle growth. However
after a certain point this angle becomes inefficient to transmit force to create z disk rupture and this has
been hypothesised to be one of the limiting factors on muscle size, as force transmission becomes more
difficult, limiting the amount of breakdown and remodelling that can take place under this mechanism.
It has also been suggested that increases in muscle size may be caused by the addition of new nuclei from
satellite cells that surround each muscle fibre. Under increased loading these undergo mitosis (process of
cell splitting and developing into identical parts) which then become myonuclei. These then produce
muscle specific proteins that increase muscle fibre size. Strength training has been linked to increased
satellite cell and myonuclei numbers. This adaptation would allow for increased muscle protein synthesis
which takes place inside the myonuclei, helping contribute to increased muscle hypertrophy
(Folland and Williams, 2007; Schoenfeld, 2010).
We need to remember that regardless of the underlying mechanism there are benefits to creating an
environment that maximises muscle fibre stimulation and that there are multiple benefits of targeting all
muscle fibre types. Visually you will benefit from stimulating as many types of muscle fibres as possible,
and to do that you need to use multiple rep ranges. Because, we still have to remember that we have a
large proportion of type 1 slow twitch muscle fibres within the body - and by tapping into that
population, we could significantly improve the overall appearance and size of the muscle. When we
consider that these muscle fibres are designed for prolonged periods of exercise, 10-15 repetitions
wouldn’t create enough of an opportunity to work these fibres or in turn to stimulate them adequately to
yield the result we want.” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Y3T Training Guide
From from my experiences in the gym I can categorically say that high repetition training is an extremely
effective training tool and holds a lot of merit. Remember, I’m saying this having seen it work with a
significant range of clients as well, over many years. Regardless of the exact percentages (because they will
always be subjective to the study) there is indeed a lot of potential to develop size through slow twitch fibre
muscle mass.
Some studies do actually support the idea that one of the key reasons that professional bodybuilders are
able to grow so much muscle is down to their ability to target this exact muscle fibre population. It’s
certainly something to consider. There isn’t one single client on my team, professional or amateur who isn’t
given specifically high rep range workouts. I’m yet to meet someone who hasn’t benefitted from doing it. If
we consider that your muscle mass is actually composed 50% of slow twitch muscle fibres (for some it will
be a higher proportion), then it makes complete sense to explore ways to bring these muscle fibres into play
in the gym. With the evidence present you’d have to say you are missing out on a lot of potential growth by
ignoring higher rep ranges.
Below myself and Dr. Rimmer have crystallised the main physiological mechanisms at play within multiple
rep ranges for you to get a conclusive summary to conclude this topic.
Workout A – Heavy, low rep training (6-8 rep range)
Literally within seconds during this type of training your high threshold motor units are stimulated by the
stress placed on the central nervous system. This results in the immediate recruitment of fast twitch muscle
fibres. Provided the weight selection is appropriate by reps 6-8 the fast twitch fibres arrive at a total state of
fatigue, rendering them spent. However, the slow twitch fibres remain relatively non-fatigued in comparison
and therefore unstimulated.
Workout B – Moderate weight, high rep training (20-30 rep range)
In this instance in order to achieve more reps the weight you use will be relatively lighter, therefore the first
8-10 reps will only recruit small motor units which means slow twitch fibres are predominately recruited.
However as the level of stress builds on the muscle the body is forced to recruit fast twitch fibres for
approximately 5-8 reps. Once the fast twitch fibres reach a point of fatigue you are forced to use rest/pause
to enable the relevant energy systems to briefly recuperate enough (more on this later!). This equates to the
continued recruitment of both fast and slow twitch muscle fibres.
Conclusion
That summarises muscle fibre recruitment and how specific muscle fibre populations are stimulated and
brought into play. Hopefully you are beginning to understand that by deliberately using a specific rep range,
within a periodised programme as you do with Y3T you can become selective in which fibre populations
you predominately recruit by using different points of stimulation in the gym.
Other Scientific principles employed by Y3T
Y3T Training Guide
Other Scientific principles employed by Y3T
To further equip you with the right information to move forward I’m going to quickly break down some key
terminology for you so that understanding Y3T becomes easier, and more importantly the application of it.
I’ve seen a lot of people applying Y3T wrongly, partially because of a lack of understanding of the science
therefore they don’t appreciate the importance of some of the key fundamentals.
Rep tempo - this refers to the speed at which you perform one repetition and is broken down into 4
phases, eccentric phase, isometric phase, concentric phase and isometric phase. We manipulate each phase
during Week 1, 2 and 3 in order to illicit a different, yet specific response.
Eccentric Contraction - this refers to with the “negative” part of a rep (where you are lowering/resisting
the weight), the muscle is under tension whilst lengthening.
Isometric phase – the first isometric phase arrives after the eccentric phase and is the point at which you
pause before moving the weight again, the muscle is under tension but the weight is not in motion.
Concentric phase – this refers to the “lifting” part of the rep, which results in a concentric contraction of
muscle fibres as the muscles shorten under tension.
Isometric phase – the second isometric phase comes after the concentric phase where you pause with
the muscle under tension, before going into the eccentric phase again.
Y3T Training Guide
Time under tension.
When designing Y3T as you know it today I put a lot of thought into the rep tempos prescribed and the
reasoning behind them. The ideology is to promote and sustain a constant contraction on the target muscle
throughout the working set at specific phases of each rep. Combined with 3 different specific rep ranges
over the 3 week training cycle this creates an environment where muscle stimulation is maximised, as you
already know.
Why is this important I here you ask? Well multiple scientific studies have shown that the time a muscle
spends under tension is massively important to stimulating an adaptive response in muscles and you
guessed it, that adaptive response is hypertrophic in nature.
“Even with very low loads as long as the muscle is worked to the point of fatigue this stimulates hypertrophy in the same manner as higher intensity (heavier) resistance training and the added bonus is that by
training a little lighter this allows the muscle to be under tension for a longer period, as intensity is related to fatigue, meaning more work is demanded on the muscle, more muscle fibre recruitment and you
guessed it more growth (Burd et al., 2012). The slower tempo also allows more control of the weight and
lighter loading through the joint helping reduce the risk of injury whilst stimulating muscle growth.
More recent studies have also shown that increased amounts of time under tension has increased muscle
protein synthesis , the process by which the body uses hormones and amino acids to build muscle, for
longer periods when combined with appropriate nutrient feeding (Burd et al., 2012).
As we discussed previously, complete recruitment of as many fibres as possible is something we should
aim for and that by using methods that cause muscle fatigue, not energy system fatigue (which we’ll talk
about later), is essential as it appears that fatigue associated with the muscle (severe burning sensation
and almost intolerable amounts of pain!!) is a key driver of hypertrophic response.
Y3T Training Guide
Of particular interest is the tension applied for the eccentric phase of lifting, this creates a unique
situation as the muscle is still active and contracting (otherwise the weight would accelerate rapidly to
the floor under the action of gravity, this would be caused by relaxation. these are not the same thing!)
whilst simultaneously having to lengthen and stretch. This causes an increased demand on the muscle
fibres, leading to greater remodelling and muscle growth. If you ever suffer with severe delayed onset
muscle soreness (DOMS) this is caused in large part by the eccentric portion of a muscles movement
(Schoenfeld, 2010).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
From observing people in the gym from all over the world for many years, and combined with the body of
evidence Dr. Rimmer has put forward, I notice a lot of people spend too much time focusing on the “lift” and
not enough on the lowering/eccentric/negative phase of the rep. Arguably, this is more important to
creating a hypertrophic response so PLEASE take this on board!
Progressive overload
Continuously forcing progressive overload is the key to promoting a hypertrophic response as we’ve already
discovered. In order to force the muscle to adapt we have a few options, we can either lift the same number
of repetitions with a heavier weight each week, we can keep the same weight and achieve a higher number
of repetitions or using the time under tension principle keep the same weight, same number of repetitions
but slow the repetition speed. Ultimately, all would equate to some form of progressive overload in theory.
In general (assuming we use the same tempo each week) the weight multiplied by the number of
repetitions will give us the volume of an exercise for that given week and in an ideal world, each week we
want to increase the volume. This increase in volume is known as progressive overload and will force the
body to adapt and grow.
Many linear training systems use structured sets and reps, with the rep ranges varying very slightly. The
issue with this can be that if we are not developing muscle quickly enough to meet the weekly increase in
weight then progress can stagnate, either through the body not adapting quickly enough or that the
volume reached can be too high for adequate recovery and muscle growth.
One of the key benefits of the Y3T system is that due to the varying repetition ranges between each of the
three micro cycles and the use of drop sets and giant sets for example, that there is an in built structure that
allows for progression between phases 1, 2 and 3 but also allows enough recovery between the same
phases in order to allow progression on each phase!
Although week 1 is the ‘heaviest’ week the volume is still relatively low in each exercise. For example if you
did 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 100kg this is an exercise volume of 4x6x100=2400kg! However week three
might include the use of a rest pause style of training with one set equating to 50 repetitions, even if this
was at an average of 60kg per repetition this would give a volume of 50x60=3000kg!!!
Y3T Training Guide
The added bonus of this, as we have discussed previously, is that you are also stimulating all fibre types and
not having to lift heavy every week which reduces the risk of injury. As you can see in the diagram below,
it also allows for a period of in built reduction in volume as each micro cycle starts again, allowing for more
steady progress and a reduced risk of overtraining and central nervous system fatigue.
Weekly Volume
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Weeks
Y3T Training Guide
Energy Systems
Within the human body we have four major energy systems, which play key roles within the body. They
influence our training - and our training stimuli influence these energy systems. They are the mechanisms
used within the body to create energy - known as ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). These metabolic pathways
are called:
Aerobic energy system.
ATP energy system.
ATP-PC energy system.
Lactic acid (Anaerobic Glycolytic) energy system.
ATP is the body’s energy currency. . . . . whatever the energy system we use the goal is to create ATP fast
enough in order to provide energy to support the body’s function, obviously the higher the energy demand,
for example resistance training, the more difficult it becomes for the body to generate ATP, meaning fatigue
happens quicker essentially.
“As the name suggests Adenosine tri-phosphate is and adenosine molecule with three attached
phosphate molecules. When chemical reactions remove one of the phosphate groups this releases
energy (Willmore and Costill, 1994). What we have left is Adenosine di-phosphate (ADP), this cannot be
used for energy and has to be converted back to ATP, or new ATP created, in order to be used for energy
again. It is the job of our body’s energy systems to help maintain ATP to be used as energy again.”
Dr. Paul Rimmer
The energy systems described at the beginning of this section are very relevant and important to our
training - especially with Y3T and the wide variety of repetition ranges and training volumes that it involves.
Energy production is directly affected by both the intensity and the duration of exercise. Let’s take a look at
each energy system in more detail, and their significance in relation to our weight training.
Y3T Training Guide
Aerobic energy system
“The aerobic system uses oxygen to produce energy (ATP) and can work for very long periods of time, at
low work intensity. This is the energy system you would use whilst jogging for example. The full oxidation
of glucose and fatty acids releases large amounts of sustained energy but at a very slow rate (Willmore
and Costill, 1994).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
ATP energy system
“The ATP energy system is anaerobic, meaning it generates energy without needing the addition of
oxygen. The rate of energy production is very high, however the very small amount of ATP stored in
muscles is broken down into the form ADP which cannot be used for energy production rapidly providing
only a few seconds worth of energy (Willmore and Costill, 1994).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
ATP-PC energy system
“Luckily for us the body also stores phosphate in the form of phosphocreatine, enzymes can then remove
the phosphate from the creatine and re-synthesises the ATP from the ADP. The rate of energy production
from this system is very fast however it is depleted very quickly typically within 10 seconds in an average
person (Willmore and Costill, 1994).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Lactic acid energy system
“The lactic acid energy system is also anaerobic. It taps into glycogen stores to re-synthesise ATP. The
rate of energy production for the lactic acid system is moderate and has a reasonably high work
capacity - lasting for up to 2 minutes. Of course, the infamous ‘burn’ feeling, from prolonged working
sets, comes from the accumulation of hydrogen ions within the working muscles, a process called
acidosis, this increase in acidity causes disruption of enzymes responsible for energy production
impairing muscle function and creating fatigue. Lactic acid is often perceived as a waste product of
anaerobic glycolysis, but in fact it can be converted back into glucose in the liver by a process called the
Cori cycle (Willmore and Costill, 1994).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Energy system recruitment
We need to piece this information regarding energy systems together now, and to apply it -specifically in
relation to weight training and more importantly in relation to Y3T training. I feel it is very important you are
able to grasp this because it will help you appreciate the value of each individual element of Y3T training
and the impact it can have.
Energy system recruitment and integration is quite a complex topic. The body doesn’t just utilise one
energy system exclusively, it’s more of a case of moving between energy systems and the determining
factors which dictate which ones and for how long include:
• Work intensity
• Work duration
• Fitness levels/ability to recover (within each energy system).
Y3T Training Guide
“It is important to note that the body does not necessarily wait for depletion of one energy system before
kicking in another. The body’s primary concern is producing ATP and it will use whatever system is
available individually and in combination in order to sustain energy production as long as is possible. It
is when energy demand exceeds our raw energy materials that each system ‘fails’ reducing rate of energy
production and in turn performance.
Obviously the higher the intensity, the quicker each of these raw materials becomes depleted and the
aerobic system cannot come in to play to produce more energy (until we rest) as the demand for oxygen
in the muscles exceeds what the body can provide. In our rest periods the lower demand for energy
allows for re-synthesis of ATP within our muscles using aerobic systems, and obviously given enough
time and nutrients these recover completely.
Interaction of energy systems: Rate of energy production versus time to system fatigue.
Y3T Training Guide
When we lift weights, the first few reps will be run on our ATP-PC energy system whilst the body tries to
access other energy stores that take longer to ‘kick in’ as they require breakdown of more complex
compounds into energy. This would be in the form of stored glycogen meaning the lactic acid energy
system will come in to play. However, if you are doing a prolonged working set, with rest/pauses (more on
this technique later) then the ATP energy system will have a brief period to recover and recycle and come
back in to play and allow oxygen into the muscles in order to help produce a few more seconds of work.
You can appreciate that every energy system is comprehensively worked during the different situations
presented in weight training, particularly when muscle growth is the goal. This is due to the higher
repetition formats that are incorporated with muscle growth/hypertrophy. By contrast, the lower
repetition formats involved with strength-specific training and power training aim to recruit individual
energy systems, rather than all of them with increasing effectiveness. This energy system involvement is
compounded further when using Y3T because of the higher variation in workout intensities, repetition
ranges and rest periods required with Y3T.” Dr. Paul Rimmer
So what does this all actually mean?
Ultimately, you are tuning the body for muscular hypertrophy and improving its capacity to perform
within training environments, which will ultimately elicit the best response. By being more efficient at
working within set intensities and repetition ranges, with specific training volumes, you will enable
progress to occur faster, forcing the body to adapt quicker and see better results. One thing I have
continuously found with my athletes when using Y3T is that their general “fitness” within each training
modality improves fast which makes the body very efficient at building muscle, partially because it
becomes so well-conditioned to working hard in each “realm” described above by Dr. Rimmer.
Conclusion
There’s certainly merit in training the body with each energy system in mind, if you want to maximise
muscular hypertrophy. By knowing which energy systems are working predominately in a training situation,
you can elicit a specific response, which is fundamental to making rapid progress - because this helps to
remove guesswork. This brings me back to one of my earlier points which is that by gaining a better
understanding of WHAT is happening to the body at any given time you can make deliberate decisions to
achieve a certain goal/response, quicker.
Hormones and training
Y3T Training Guide
Hormones and training
Hormones regulate everything within the human body and I’m a big believer in training (and eating) in a
manner which will allows us to manipulate hormones to our advantage, yielding more rapid and more
responsive results (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005). Within the human body we have over 30 identified
hormones, which are produced and regulated by the endocrine system. The endocrine system is simply an
umbrella term for all of the glands within the body where hormones are produced. If there is one thing I
have learned about resistance training (nutrition & supplementation also!) it’s that hormones are very
powerful and you CAN do things in a deliberate sense to accelerate your progress. Again, people might
dispute this point but I have seen this happen time and time again. Take my word for this, it is very powerful.
When specifically considering resistance training for muscular hypertrophy, there are a handful of hormones
which are of particular interest to us which I want you to take on board.
Testosterone
“Testosterone is the master male sex hormone: Free testosterone (as opposed to bound testosterone)
is available for use in the body, is and this is important as it binds with androgen receptors (remember
these from earlier?!!) and stimulates muscle hypertrophy by telling areas of our genetic code responsible
for making muscle protein to use amino acids to do just that (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005)!
When lifting heavy weights over a prolonged period of time, our body will respond and increase
testosterone and growth hormone output (Kraemer and Zatsiorsky, 2006). It does this as a natural
reaction in order to enable us to recover more easily and to build more muscle tissue, to deal with the
consistently higher levels of stress that are being placed upon the body in the gym.
Several factors have been demonstrated to influence the level of testosterone response in this phase that
appears to not be reliant on an individual’s strength. These factors include:
Muscle Group: Exercising bigger muscle groups has demonstrated larger releases in testosterone,
implying that compound movements should be performed early in the workout routine to elevate
testosterone and increase exposure to smaller muscle groups. This increased demand for testosterone is
caused by the higher metabolic stress caused by compound movements creating more demand for
testosterone to up-regulate muscle building pathways (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).
Training intensity and volume: Resistance training within the range of 60-85% of 1 RM, has shown to
increase testosterone levels when compared to lower weights and at comparable volume and intensity. It
is suggested that if using lighter weights closer to 60% of 1RM that volume should be adjusted
accordingly, using greater number of sets and reduced rest periods to optimise acute testosterone
production, as we suggested earlier using the principle of progressive overload! It is also important to
note that training near to 1RM has shown little or no elevation of testosterone in the period immediately
following training (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Y3T Training Guide
Y3T is possibly the most challenging training system that you will encounter, owing to the levels of
intensity it involves (which are strategically planned to be deliberately overloading) and the training
rotation it requires. These elements of Y3T mean that you are constantly dealing with new stress factors
when training which will, in my opinion, equate to a hormonal reaction. This hormone reaction will
encourage testosterone and another key hormone, growth hormone, production to increase. As a real life
testimony to this, I have worked with a significant number of clients who have suffered with low sex drives
for a long period of time, owing to low testosterone production. Following their choice to starting working
with me and using the Y3T system, they report back that their sex drive is thriving again. It’s important to
note that this has involved having a consistent, good diet in place as well. However, I firmly believe this style
of training has been a big factor in these improvements.
Testosterone and growth hormone are responsible for promoting muscle growth, recovery and even fat loss.
What is of particular interest, here, is how our training might affect our testosterone and growth hormone
production.
Growth Hormone
“Growth Hormone comes in many isoforms, these isoforms have a slight difference in their structure,
determining its specific functions in the body; certain types of isoform have been demonstrated to
show increased levels in response to acute bouts of exercise, especially resistance training. Elevations in
growth hormone have been demonstrated in both males and females and seems to last for a period of
around 30 minutes until returning to basal levels.
As with testosterone, training intensity and volume and the size of the muscle being exercised appear to
positively influence GH production. The type of muscle contraction also seems to influence GH release,
with eccentric contractions seemingly increasing GH when compared to other muscle contraction types,
and as we’ve discussed previously Y3T is big on focussing on the muscle in the eccentric portion of the
repetition (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).
An association with lactic acid accumulation also appears to exist, therefore the volume of exercise done
at appropriate intensities to stimulate high levels of lactate should be considered to illicit maximum
GH response. Repeated exposure of increased GH caused by resistance training is important for muscle
hypertrophy, especially through satellite cell proliferation of myonuclei, numbers of which have been
shown to correlate with hypertrophy of both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibres
(Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).
GH stimulates the release of insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) at a time periods of 6-9 hours after
release and is responsible for many of the actions of GH on muscle tissues. IGF-1 is also released in the
acute phase after resistance training from the stimulated muscle tissue itself in the form of mechano
growth factor (MGF). This is released as a response to tension on and contraction through the muscle.
This has a marked effect on increasing muscle protein synthesis, helping in generating a hypertrophic
adaptation (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).
Y3T Training Guide
IGF-1’s name (Insulin like Growth factor 1) is derived due to its molecular similarity to insulin. It also has
the capacity to bind and activate to insulin receptors on cells, and all be it at a much lower level allowing
for some of the actions that insulin performs to take place (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2005).”
Dr. Paul Rimmer
This body of evidence really highlights to you the importance of eccentric loading when you train which is
why I place great emphasis on controlling the negative part of the repetitions, with Y3T. As you know there
are different time phases I prescribe for eccentric phases depending on the week, exercise and other
important factors. However, the fact remains this is a very important point to take home and this science
really reiterates the fact!
Insulin
“Insulin is without doubt the most anabolic hormone in the body. Insulin is referred to as a ‘storage’
hormone and it plays a significant role in muscular hypertrophy and fat loss, which makes it a very
important hormone to consider. Insulin can be regulated and manipulated through diet with great
success. Resistance training can also have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity improving how the
body’s cells ‘see’ and responds to carbohydrate leading to increased muscle gain and glycogen stores
with a reduced likelihood of carbohydrates being stored as unwanted body fat
(Burghout and Keizer, 2000).
When lifting weights with enough intensity we can up-regulate the output of a group of proteins known
as GLUT4 proteins, which are carbohydrate transporters (Lund et al., 1995). These transporters open up
channels in phospholipid cell membranes, that allows water soluble nutrients such as glucose and amino
acids, that cannot pass into the cells unassisted, to enter the muscle cells to restore glycogen and build
muscle (Lund et al., 1995).
As a result, during exercise and immediately post-exercise, it is possible to improve insulin sensitivity
and potentially to create an opportunity to feed the body for growth. This isn’t necessarily the “anabolic
window” (as it has been coined (Ivy & Portman, 2004) but simply a time where the body is better primed
to utilise carbohydrates and protein. For certain individuals they will be better fuelled in their workout as
a result.” Dr. Paul Rimmer
I’m very thorough when it comes to planning and I have always aimed to tick every box with Y3T. The
hormonal impact from weight training will be more significant for some individuals, compared with others.
However, across the board, I’ve found it to be extremely powerful - and in real-life practice, it has shown to
be effective. Fundamentally this is a very crucial part of the puzzle because ultimately promoting the natural
production of anabolic hormones within the body is going to have a broad range of benefits on your results
and the time it takes to see them.
Conclusion
That brings the science of Y3T to an end. Although you have gone through this section I want you to revisit
this and digest each part properly, paying special attention to the references Dr. Rimmer has made to
specific key scientific points. The reality is from my experience by understanding something you are going
to be more likely to apply it (because you appreciate the importance of it) and secondly, if you are really
interested in seeing faster results (or help your clients!!) understanding WHAT is happening means that you
can make the right changes at the right time. Don’t just skim through the science of Y3T, revisit it and learn it
thoroughly!
Section 4 - Who can Y3T help?
Y3T Training Guide
One of the questions I hear a LOT in reference to Y3T is “is it right for me?” and the truth is, Y3T can help a lot
of different people with different goals. If there’s one thing that experience has taught me, it is that when
you are looking to improve your performance / physique in an aesthetic manner, you need to use a range of
training tools. Sticking to one training methodology is like sticking to one form of meat in a diet: it is limiting
- and eventually you will face issues which will prevent further progress.
Can Y3T training benefit you?
(Before I share this with you, I want to remind you that I am a “no bullshit” personality and that I will only say
what I genuinely feel or know. If I don’t believe something is for you, then I will say so. I turn people away
every week if I feel they are not suited to my methodologies).
1. Bodybuilders (or those looking to add size!)
Obviously, anybody who wants to build muscle mass will benefit from using Y3T because of the key points I
have touched upon, in earlier sections of the book. Both forms of hypertrophy are targeted as you train the
entire muscle fibre population within each muscle. I have yet to find anybody that hasn’t witnessed
impressive results from using Y3T correctly, when it comes to building size.
2. MMA Fighters/Martial Artists/Boxers
I’ve worked with some fantastic martial artists and caged fighters over the years and I have found that Y3T
works perfectly with their goals. Depending on the point within their schedule and how imminent they are
to their next fight, I adjust certain elements to suit their specific needs. However, the fundamentals remain
very much the same when they lift weights: that is to use a multiple-faceted involvement of their muscles to
boost strength, performance and endurance. These clients have a significant cardio-conditioning
programme away from the weights room as well.
3. Rugby Players
Having worked with a variety of rugby players I have found that their strength and overall muscular
endurance has improved dramatically when including Y3T into their training. Again, some small
adaptations are made, in order to make it specific to their game. However the overall ideology and training
split remains the same when I programme their plan.
4. Strongmen
Strongmen competitors don’t just require strength and power; they also require a great deal of stamina
whilst maintaining strength and power. That’s a very hard combination when it comes to training and it
requires a great deal of workload, within a challenging environment. I’ve found that by using Y3T with
athletes in this category, they have improved strength whilst also getting “fitter”, making them far more
efficient during their competition events.
5. Women looking to be healthy, fit and strong
The days of excessive cardio exercise for control of body fat are gone. As we have discovered resistance
training at the intensity demanded in Y3T is a much more effective way to burn fat in the short and long
term. Building lean muscle tissue will provide you with the ability to add muscle and curves to areas where
you want them developing a strong yet feminine look.
Y3T Training Guide
It also has its health benefits.
“Resistance training is very important for women as they are at increased risk of osteoporosis, a
condition where bones become brittle and prone to fractures and breaks. Resistance training loads our
bones as well as muscles and this helps them remodel and become stronger, reducing the risk of bone
disorders (Kraemer et al., 2002).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
On a final note many women are worried about getting too muscly! Most women do not need to fear this as
they have naturally low levels of testosterone when compared to men, and as we discovered earlier this is
important for muscle growth and is responsible for the gender differences in muscularity that are typically
seen after puberty.
“Women do still produce growth hormone, however the amount s they produce are able to stimulate
recovery and only a moderate amount of muscle growth, when compared with testosterone and growth
hormone in combination (Kraemer et al., 2002).” Dr. Paul Rimmer
Conclusion
Due to the fact Y3T is a very diverse training programme which really takes in to account a broad spectrum
of training goals it lends itself very well to a lot of different athletes, with different goals. Fundamentally an
athlete wants to build lean muscle tissue, reduce body fat, become stronger, fitter (within different energy
systems) and become a better them. Through the multiple-faceted approach Y3T uses to stimulate muscle
fibres, train energy systems and burn calories it can help you achieve all of these things. All I will say to you,
from a “real world” perspective is, TRY IT.
Section 5 - How to apply Y3T
Y3T Training Guide
Section 5 – How to apply Y3T!
This section is all about helping you gain an understanding of Y3T from a practical perspective in order to
allow you to apply it correctly. Ultimately this is where you are going to see results.
I want to reiterate that no matter how small you may think one part of the puzzle is which I have explained
EACH part is of great importance. It’s a specific sequence of actions which combine to create something
which is truly effective. If you start missing parts or removing them then the rest of the things you are doing
will become compromised.
Take everything on board and apply it as I suggest.
Before we go any further I want to retouch upon some basic key terms again so you are able to understand
the application of Y3T as I explain it below. We have covered some of this in the eBook previously, but I want
to make sure you haven’t missed this. It’s KEY!
Basic Training terminology
Rep tempo – this simply means the speed at which you perform one repetition and is broken down into 4
phases, eccentric phase, isometric phase, concentric phase and isometric phase
Eccentric phase – this refers to the “negative” part of a rep (where you are lowering/resisting the weight),
which stimulates an eccentric contraction of muscle fibres
Isometric phase – the first isometric phase comes after the eccentric phase and is the point at which you
pause before moving the weight again
Concentric phase – this refers to the “lifting” part of the rep, which results in a concentric contraction of
muscle fibres
Isometric phase – the second isometric phase comes after the concentric phase where you pause before
going into the eccentric phase again
Rest period – the time in which you take between sets to recover and recuperate
Drop set – having performed your set for the prescribed number of reps, you then move into another set of
the same exercise with less weight without any rest. Typically I suggest reducing the weight by around
25-50%
Y3T Training Guide
Triple drop set – the same as above, except you drop the weight twice which gives you a total of 3 sets
done, reducing the weight each time
Giant set – this refers to 3 or more exercises performed back to back as a circuit, with little or no rest
between them
Superset – this refers to 2 exercises performed back to back with little or no rest between them
Isometric holds – this refers to holding the weight in a static position at an advantage point where the
target muscle is constantly under tension (tensing)
With that established, let’s now go into greater depth about the Y3T training rotation - week by week - and
tie everything that we have learned together, putting it all into useful context.
Y3T training rotation
Y3T Training Guide
Week 1
The first week of your training cycle is based around lower rep ranges and more working sets. When we
train, rep ranges and set volume must have an inverse relationship. If one goes up, the other comes down
typically speaking.
During Week 1 the focus is primarily on myofibrillar hypertrophy. The energy systems used during the lifting
element of each workout will mainly be the ATP system and the lactic acid system whilst the aerobic system
will also come into play during rest periods and the latter stages of the workout.
Structuring your Week 1 Y3T training schedule –
• Bigger body parts such as the thighs, hamstrings and back will have approximately 12-14 working sets
whilst the shoulders and chest will be 10-12 and smaller body parts like arms and calves will have 8 working
sets.
• The rep range used will be in the region of 6-8, although on occasions this can rise to as much as 10-12,
depending on the individual and whether or not you are able to push that bit harder.
• The exercises you use will primarily be key compound lifts such as bench press, squats and overhead press.
• The rest periods prescribed are around 90 seconds, enough time for the ATP energy system to replenish
ready for heavy lifting
• The prescribed rep tempo is very important, and will usually focus on a 3-5 second negative (eccentric
phase), a brief pause (isometric phase) at the bottom with a controlled explosive lifting phase (concentric).
However, I often stipulate specific tweaks to any given exercise, where necessary - so watch out for them
(plus the rationale behind them), when I explain them later on.
Let’s put this knowledge into practise and create a typical sample Week 1 Y3T training schedule
Quadriceps
Warm up with 4 sets of Leg Press
3 working sets of Leg Press 6-10 Reps
3 working sets of Squat 6-10 Reps (you may need to do 1-2 Warm up sets first)
3 working sets of Dumbbell Hill Squats 6-10 Reps
3 working sets of Leg Extension 6-10 Reps
Hamstrings
Please make sure your hamstrings are very warm before doing ANY Working set. The chances of injury are
ALWAYS going to be higher if you’re not warmed up properly. Plus with the target rep range only being 6-10
Reps, this increases the chances as well because the weight being used is greater.
Warm up with 4 sets Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
3 Working sets of B-Bell Stiff Leg Deadlift 6-10 Reps
4 Working sets of Lying Leg Curls 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Lying Single Leg Curl 6-10 Reps
Back
Warm up with 4 sets of Close Grip Low Pulley Row
3 Working sets of Close Grip Low Pulley Row 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Standing Dumbbell Row 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Barbell Rack Pulls 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Close Grip Pull Downs 6-10 Reps
Chest
Warm up with 4 sets of Flat Dumbbell Press
3 Working sets of Flat Dumbbell Press 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Incline Dumbbell Press 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Weighted Dips 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Incline Barbell Press 6-10 Reps
Shoulders
**When doing exercises such as a side raises, front raises, or rear raises, the eccentric part of the exercise
changes to 2-3 seconds due to the biomechanics of the shoulder joint. In my experience if you use negative
for 4-5 seconds on these exercises you are in danger of loading the shoulder joint and connective tissues
rather than the target muscles. However this is only for (raise) exercises which means on pressing exercises
(on shoulder day) you must stick to the prescribed rep tempo for that week.**
Warm up with 4 sets of Dumbbell Press
4 Working sets of Dumbbell Press 6-10 Reps
4 Working sets of Standing Dumbbell Side Lateral Rise 6-10 Reps
2 Working sets of Dumbbell Front Rise 6-10 Reps
4 Working sets of Dumbbell Bent Over Rise 6-10 Reps
Triceps
Warm up with 4 sets of Lying EZ-Bar Skull Crushers
3 Working sets of Lying EZ-Bar Skull Crushers 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Seated Dumbbell Extension 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Straight Bar Cable Push Down 6-10 Reps
Biceps
Warm up with 4 sets of Standing dumbbell Curl
4 Working sets of Standing Dumbbell Curl 6-10 Reps
3 Working sets of Standing Barbell Curl 6-10 Reps
2 Working sets of Low Pulley Cable Curls 6-10 Reps
Calves
Warm up with 4 sets of Seated Calf Raises
4 Working sets of Seated Calf Raises 8-12 Reps
4 Working sets of Standing Calf Raises 8-12 Reps
Week 2
Week 2
You will aim to stimulate sarcoplasmic hypertrophy almost exclusively during Week 2 workouts: you will be
involving more type 2B fast twitch fibres and even your type 1 slow twitch fibres. All 3 energy systems will
be utilised. However the lactic acid energy system will be involved more as the ATP system will struggle to
meet energy demand during the higher rep sets.
Structuring your Week 2 Y3T training schedule:
• The Week 2 training phase utilizes both compound and isolation exercises, to help target muscles in
different ways. These are strategically set out during the workout to meet this requirement
• The typical rep range used will be 12-18 per working set, although there might be exceptions - where you
are able to push harder
• Due to the increased rep ranges, the total number of working sets will decrease. Larger muscle groups will
be between 10-12 sets per session and smaller muscle groups will be between 6-9 sets per session
• The rest periods prescribed will be around 90-120 seconds
• The prescribed rep tempo, as ever is extremely important. During Week 2 the eccentric phase is reduced to
2-3 seconds. The concentric phase is set at 1 to 2 seconds, and the isometric contractions will differ. Usually
with the compound exercises the “pause” at the bottom of each rep will be 1 second with no pause at the
“top” of the rep.
Week 2
Quadriceps
Warm up with 4 sets of Wide Stance Squat
6 Working sets of Wide Stance Squat 14-18 Reps
4 Working sets of Hack Squat 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Dumbbell Lunges 14-18 Reps
Hamstrings
Warm up with 4 sets of Lying Leg Curl
6 Working sets of Lying Leg Curl 14-18 Reps
4 Working sets of Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift 14-18 Reps
Back
Warm up with 4 sets of T-Bar Row
3 Working sets of T-Bar Row 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Hammer High Lever Row 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Low Pulley Row 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Lat Pull Downs 14-18 Reps
Chest
Warm up with 4 sets of Incline Dumbbell Fly
3 Working sets of Incline Barbell Fly 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Incline Barbell Press 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Incline Cable Cross Overs 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Flat Dumbbell Press 14-18 Reps
Shoulders
**When doing exercises such as a side raises, front raises, or rear raises, the eccentric part of the exercise
changes to 2-3 seconds due to the biomechanics of the shoulder joint. In my experience if you use negative
for 4-5 seconds on these exercises you are in danger of loading the shoulder joint and connective tissues
rather than the target muscles. However this is only for (raise) exercises which means on pressing exercises
(on shoulder day) you must stick to the prescribed rep tempo for that week.**
Warm up with 4 sets of Standing Barbell Press
3 Working sets of Standing Single Arm Barbell Press 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Seated Dumbbell Lateral Rise 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Barbell Front Rise 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Rope Pulls 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Lying Incline Dumbbell Rise 14-18 Reps
Triceps
Warm up with 4 sets of Straight Bar Cable Push Downs
3 Working sets of Straight Bar Cable Push Downs 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of V-Bar Bent Over Cable Extensions 14-18 Reps
2 Working set of Dumbbell Kick Back 14-18 Reps
Biceps
Warm up with 4 sets of EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
3 Working sets of EZ-Bar Narrow Grip Preacher Curl 14-18 Reps
3 Working sets of Standing Wide Grip D-Bell Curl 14-18 Reps
2 Working sets of Dumbbell Hammer Curl 14-18 Reps
Calves
Warm up with 3 sets of Reverse Stance Hack Squat Calf Raises
3 Working sets of Reverse Stance Hack Squat Calf Raises 15-20 Reps
3 Working sets of Seated Calf Raises 15-20 Reps
Week 3
Week 3
The third and final week of the Y3T training cycle has gained an infamous reputation, which has felled elite
athletes (i.e. seeing them fail to reach the end of a session). I’m not joking when I tell you that exercise
intensity will have a whole new meaning in your mind after this.
The emphasis on the third week is, of course, high repetition training which is combined with that brutal
intensity. Don’t mistake a 50 reps set as something you use 10% of your 1 rep max for - and “get a pump”
with. By the time you have finished reading this book and understand the correct application of Y3T (and all
of the training techniques I use) Week 3 will demand every fibre you have to offer!
Structuring your Week 3 training schedule:
• During Week 3 you will not only be using compound and isolation exercises, you maybe also be using drop
sets, triple drop sets and giant sets. I prescribe a wider variety of training tools in Week 3 to really take to the
muscles to the point of failure, and then ultimately beyond
• The rep ranges grow tremendously, anywhere from 20 reps all the way up to 80 reps, depending on the
muscle group
• Every muscle fibre will be engaged and stimulated during Week 3, and each energy system will also be
pushed extensively towards their limits
• Rest periods will range for 120-180 seconds depending on the phase of the workout (if you can take less
rest then do it). If you have done a straight set, then it will be shorter. However if you have just done 5
exercises back to back you will need the longer rest period to enable the energy systems to recover, and
restore performance for the next bout of training!
• Rep tempo is less straightforward during Week 3. Why? Simply because there are so many different rep
ranges, exercises and protocols being used. I certainly cannot give you set rep tempo for Week 3 training.
Rather than specific numbers I simply recommend a “constant level of tension.” This means constantly being
in control of the weight, feeling every part of the movement throughout the entire range. However I want
you to aim for 2 seconds to maintain control of the weight at all times. Provided you are in CONTROL of the
load, the entire time, that’s what counts. You will be very tempted to start to cheat once your muscles are
flooded with lactic acid and hydrogen ions. This is where mental toughness comes into play.
• If there is a giant set (more than 2 exercises performed back to back) they will be labelled with the same
letter, with a different number after them. For example A1, A2 and A3 would symbolise that you are to do 3
exercises directly after one another as ONE “giant” set!
Week 3
Quadriceps
Warm up with 2-3 sets of Leg Press
3 Working sets of Leg Press 60-80 Reps
3 Working Drop sets of Leg Extensions 20-25 Reps per Drop
2 Working Supersets of Barbell Squat with Dumbbell Lunges 15-20 Reps per exercise
Hamstrings
Warm up with 3 sets of Lying Leg Curls
4 Working Supersets of Lying Leg Curls 15-20 Reps & Lying Leg Curl Half Reps 15-20 Reps
3 Working sets of Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift 20-25 Reps
Back
Warm up with 3 sets of Pull Down
2 Working Drop sets of Pull Down 15-20 Reps per Drop
2 Working Drop sets of Rack Pulls 15-20 Reps per Drop
2 Working Drop sets of Low Pulley Cable Row 15-20 Reps per Drop
2 Working sets of Lying Incline Dumbbell Row 20-25 Reps
Chest
Warm up with 2 sets of Incline Machine Press
4 Working Drop sets of Incline Machine Press 15-20 Reps per Drop
2 Working Drop sets of Flat D-Bell Fly 15-20 Reps per Drop
2 Working Drop sets of Cable Cross Overs 15-20 Reps per Drop
Shoulders
**When doing exercises such as a side raises, front raises, or rear raises, the eccentric part of the exercise
changes to 2-3 seconds due to the biomechanics of the shoulder joint. In my experience if you use negative
for 4-5 seconds on these exercises you are in danger of loading the shoulder joint and connective tissues
rather than the target muscles. However this is only for (raise) exercises which means on pressing exercises
(on shoulder day) you must stick to the prescribed rep tempo for that week.**
Warm up with 3 sets of Seated D-Bell Press
3 Working Drop sets of Dumbbell Press 20-25 Reps per Drop
3 Working Drop sets of Dumbbell Seated Lateral Rise 20-25 Reps per Drop
2 Working Drop sets of Barbell Front Rise 20-25 Reps per Drop
3 Working Drop sets of Bent Over Dumbbell Rise (Rear Delts) 20-25 Reps per Drop
Triceps
Warm up with 3 sets of Straight Bar Cable Push Downs
3 Working Triple Drop sets of Straight Bar Push Down 15-20 Reps per Drop
3 Working Drop sets of Straight Bar Bent Over Cable Extension 20-25 Reps per Drop
Biceps
Warm up with 3 sets of Standing EZ-Bar Curl
3 Working Super sets of Standing EZ-Bar Curl 20-25 Reps / Close Grip Low Pulley Cable Curl 20-25 Reps
2 Working sets of Single Arm Preacher Curl 20-25 Reps
Calves
Warm up with 2 sets of Standing Calf raises
4 Working Super sets of Standing Calf Raises 20-30 Reps / Seated Calf raises 20-30 Reps
Take your time to analyse each training week and the KEY fundamentals for each training week. These
workouts are f***ing intense and they will test your metal. However, for them to be as effective as they
should be you have to apply them correctly. To make sure you aren’t going to make things easier on yourself
I’ve compiled a list of my training “tips & tricks” to ensure you are doing everything possible to get the most
from Y3T when you step inside that gym!
Training tips and tricks
Y3T Training Guide
Training tips & tricks
Working with the very best athletes in the world from a variety of backgrounds has helped me develop a
sense for very minor changes which can have a very big impact on the overall outcome. By making minor
tweaks to the WAY you train once in the gym you can have a very positive effect on your results. In the first
edition of this eBook I brought some of these points out in public for the very first time. As well as the
original ones I’ve added some new, very effective training tips for you to try. Make sure you do, please.
1 – Rest/Pause
This simply means that rather than stopping your set at the point of failure, you stop just short of failure, rest
for a few seconds and then do another few reps, then rest again, do a couple more reps and so on, all the
way to the desired rep target. This is the single most effective training tool I can teach you for forcing the
muscles to adapt, and ultimately grow. I have very specific rules in relation to each week of Y3T and using
rest/pause properly, when it comes to selecting an appropriate weight. Below I have outlined them for you
to follow.
Week 1
With low rep ranges, you are looking to select a weight that forces you to the point of near failure (1-2 reps
before failure) near the end of your set. So, in this instance, if you are aiming to achieve 8 reps you want to
select a weight that forces you to require (potentially) a short rest/pause at rep 5-6 before forcing another
1-2 reps out. At this rep range - with this level of resistance - that is all you can expect to achieve, due to the
recovery of the present energy system and general fatigue associated with it.
Week 2
With moderate rep ranges you are looking to pick a weight, which forces you to approach near failure at
around 60-70% of the way into the set. Hence if you are going for 15 reps, you should require a brief rest/
pause at the 10-11th rep.
Week 3
With the high rep ranges in Week 3, the emphasis of rest/pause really changes. If you are aiming to complete
50 reps, you are looking to reach near failure at approximately the 25th rep - and from there involve rest/
pause all the way to the final 50th rep. That gives you an indication of the brutality and level of intensity
required: you will need every f***ing fibre in your body to get this done! If you are not following a straight
set - and using a giant set instead, then the same can be said. Each exercise in the sequence (e.g. where you
are performing 20 reps per exercise) should be done for 10-12 reps before requiring a rest/pause.
Y3T Training Guide
In case you are curious, I will elaborate on the reasoning behind using the rest/pause technique. By applying
a brief rest (of 2, 3, 4 or 5 seconds) the ATP energy system is allowed to briefly recover. By doing this, even in
the higher rep ranges, the type 2b fast twitch fibres (mainly) can remain partially involved, which is
beneficial because they are generally the most hypertrophic muscle fibres. This does not recommend
training them exclusively from the other muscle fibres: what it does mean is that by continually stimulating
them, you will maximise their growth potential – in addition to stimulating the other muscle fibre types. This
will also allow you to go beyond your usual point of failure, which in turn challenges the muscle population
on a bigger scale. This eventually leads to more adaptation (and more muscle hypertrophy).
Remember: it all comes down to progressive overload.
2 – “Squeezing” the muscle
When you use Y3T there is a specific rep tempo that works best (described above). However what cannot be
numerically prescribed is the effort that you engage towards contracting the targeted muscle properly.
Here is a quick test for you – right now in your chair, can you tense your quads whilst sitting? If not, you need
to take this point on board, rapidly. Now, stand up and perform 10 squats (with no weight). Now do another
10 squats - this time counting to 3 seconds on the way down and tensing the quads the entire time.
Y3T Training Guide
Which hurts more? Which is harder?
When I get people to do this I often find that more muscular individual finds it harder - that’s logical
because they are simply contracting and squeezing that muscle through the entire range of motion better.
As a result they will find it more taxing because they aren’t simply moving from point A to B, they are
actively recruiting the targeted muscles whilst moving.
If you watch any of my coaching clips you will hear me tell the athlete to “squeeze!” all of the time. If you are
interested in building muscle tissue and getting stronger, you NEED to get this active recruitment into your
head.
By actively focussing on tensing the muscle whilst moving through the range of motion with resistance, you
are forcing it to work harder. If you cannot “feel” a muscle when training then I suggest you learn to do so,
without using weight first. Practice by tensing the muscle with isometric holds, then with slow reps (without
weight), so you can begin to activate the muscles properly. The level of progress you will experience, after
learning this simple trick, is extremely significant.
If you discover that once you introduce weight you cannot feel the muscle, then reduce the weight.
Remember: you are training your muscle - and as such should be stimulating it at all times. I will often
reduce the weight that somebody uses when they train with me because their muscles are not working
hard enough: they are not fully engaged.
Time and time again I see people literally throw away their chance to build muscle because they miss out on
this very simple tip. I’ve actually brought some weak body parts up with my Team Y3T athletes JUST by
using “isometric” squeezes as an additional training tool. That’s WITHOUT any weight. All because the
recruitment of the muscle fibres and tension was there. So this should highlight to you just how important it
is to constantly squeeze your muscles when you do EVERY rep.
3 – Partial reps
Before I elaborate on this, I want to emphasise that I always advocate using the broadest range of motion
available whilst maintaining tension on the target muscle.
I’m a big proponent of using partial reps provided they are done safely and at an appropriate time. The
application is relatively simple: we will either use around 25% of the range of motion at the “bottom” of a
rep or at the “top” of a rep, depending on the exercise. Sometimes we can even do both. I will explain how to
select the right application for any given exercise in a moment.
The idea behind using partial reps is that you are, once again, taking a muscle beyond its usual point of
failure and thus creating extra stress and tension on the muscle fibres. The great thing is you can do this at a
point of great fatigue, where the actual resistance required is relatively small - which means that the muscle
fibres are placed under a great load YET the connective tissues are not.
The key to doing partial reps correctly is to pick the right time to use them, the right range of motion and
the right rep range. It’s also important that you use them in an appropriate workout. For example, it would
not be wise to use them during a low rep training session, usually. In my opinion, partial reps are best
reserved for higher rep training and at the end of a set (for between 10-20th rep).
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When looking to choose the correct range of motion I want you to refer back to Point 2 in this section,
where I taught you about “squeezing” the muscle. When picking the right point at which to apply partial
reps within the movement, think about the degree of tension on the muscle. Take the pec-dec, for
example. You would be best off using the “top” portion of the rep for your partial reps set. In contrast, using
side lateral dumbbells raises, you would be best off using the “bottom” portion of the rep. Another major
point to consider when choosing the range of motion is the stress that the exercise places on the connective
tissues. If you performed the pec-dec partial reps at the “bottom” half of the rep, your shoulder joint would
become more exposed. If you performed the side lateral raises partial reps at the “top” part of the rep, your
rotator cuff is placed under much greater stress. So: always have muscle stimulation and joint health in mind
when selecting when and how to do your partial reps sets.
Finally, always remain in control of the weight – the same as you would with a full range of motion. The idea
is to create more time under tension, which in turn creates greater muscle stimulation.
4 – Grip/Stance
It’s freaking incredible how you can change the emphasis of an exercise on the target muscle just by making
a minor adjustment to the grip/stance of your body. For example, when doing bicep curls if you bring your
little finger up against the inside of the dumbbell (so your hand isn’t in the middle of the handle as normal)
you’ll instantly feel more stress and load on the outer portion of your biceps.
Likewise, when doing tricep pushdowns if you stand closer to the cable (almost touching the end of your
nose), grip the bar with a “close grip” position and push your elbows back the tension will almost exclusively
go to the long head (inner portion) of your triceps.
The story is the same with stance, on leg day. Leg press with a narrow stance and your outer portion of your
thighs will take more of the tension and you will quickly feel this.
Learn to utilise small adjustments like this and experiment what works for you. Because it is such a broad,
open playing field you need to analyse what does and doesn’t add something to your workout by trial and
error. I’ve spent years playing with different angles and positions to get what I feel is the maximal point of
attack for me and the athletes I work with closely for long periods of time. It’s a worthwhile investment of
your time!
5 – Mechanical advantage & disadvantage
With biomechanics being a very strong point in Dr. Rimmer’s academic inventory we’ve had some really
productive, interesting conversations about something known as “biomechanical advantage” and
“biomechanical disadvantage.”
To give you a working example to best describe what this means, let’s use a seated bicep curl.
If you start with the bench at an incline of 45 degrees and perform ten repetitions and then move the bench
upwards to say 80 degrees and do another 10 repetitions with the same weight, you would have moved
from a biomechanically “disadvantaged” position into a more advantageous positon in terms of being
stronger.
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Basically, you can do the same exercise starting at point B (usually the harder/tougher angle) and then move
into a stronger position/angle as you fatigue. This is a great training tool which is quite advanced because it
enables you to work the same muscle through different planes of motion, and create an awful lot of isolated
tension when used correctly. This particular training tool is best used during week 2 and 3 rather than
week 1.
6 – Reverse drop sets
These are absolute f***ers!!!! From the name you might have already guessed what is in store for you.
Starting with a lighter weight, you work to a point where the muscle begins to fatigue (but nowhere near
failure) and then INCREASE the weight. You can do this once, twice or even three times. It’s a VERY
demanding training method which is extremely effective for creating a very concentrated intensity within a
short period of time. This is also mentally very draining so get your s*** together before you step-up to this!
Again, this isn’t for week 1 and I would actually say its best kept for week 3. Imagine the crazy s*** you could
do on the leg press with this! As a final pointer on this, once you have increased the weight for the final time
then GO for failure because you don’t need to reserve anything for the next increase.
7 – Rep it
Through the entire eBook myself and Dr. Rimmer have emphasised the importance of correct rep tempo,
especially during the eccentric phase. Even the science is very solid behind this, so don’t ever, ever forget
that! However, like most things in the world of resistance training there are times where switching things up
at the RIGHT key moments can have their benefits.
Something I like to do, almost spontaneously (and this is decided at that specific moment whether or not I
think it’s going to be beneficial) is finishing the muscle with some more fluid reps until complete failure.
For example, if I have just done 20 reps on the leg press to failure having used the right rep tempo and rest/
paused my way there. Potentially, if I speed the reps up a little I could get a couple or even a handful more
reps.
The purpose of this is just to get extra blood volumisation, tension and stress on the target muscle. I HAVE
TO emphasise I don’t always do this and when I do I’ve ALWAYS done the preceding reps properly. Again,
this is something for week 2 and 3 and not week 1, typically.
Again, I must emphasise that the seven techniques I’ve shared with you are just “other tools”, which I use
occasionally to train a muscle. I would not suggest that you regularly use short ranges of motion because I
believe that this would be counter-productive. These are very specific training tools, which are only meant
to be included occasionally, in very specific situations. There are occasions when I won’t use any of them for
particular individuals. First of all: consider how well you recover from the prescribed sets before considering
the addition of any of these other tools. Ultimately these are ways in which you can inflict more stress and
destruction on your muscles so choose wisely before using them all at once!
FAQ’s
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FAQs
Every day people from around the world email me asking about questions relating to their training plan.
This is something which really overwhelms me and I often wish I had the time to sit down and reply to each
and every one of them.
In the first edition I included a broad range of questions which I often get asked, and since that was
published I’ve had MANY more questions asked of me so I have added to the list.
1. What do you think about training a muscle group more than once a week?
If you look at a typical training split, you will often train a muscle group more than once a week - by default.
Triceps with shoulders, shoulders with chest and so on. My personal approach to training means you will
isolate each muscle group once a week - as I’ve shown throughout this EBook. However, if somebody has a
body part which is particularly resistant to growth I do believe that there is merit in doing some extra work
4-5 days after you last trained it. This would be a secondary workout, meaning it wouldn’t be as intense, or
done with as much volume as the “main” workout that week for the same muscle group. It would involve 4-6
sets of higher reps with greater emphasis on slower negatives, longer isometrics and generally increased
time under tension to accentuate the “mind to muscle connection.”
2. How do I choose the right exercises?
In the template workouts that I shared with you I have obviously only included a small selection of the
possible exercises that you can use. Typically, I get the client to repeat the 3 week Y3T Training Cycle 3-4
times, which results in a total of 9-12 weeks of training before changing the exercise selection. I believe that
this is beneficial because it gives you adequate time to improve your performance with a given
exercise - through learning the correct motor patterns - and in turn to improve the rate of stimulation that
the specific exercise helps your targeted muscles to achieve. In the description for each week I have made it
clear about the type of exercise (i.e. compound or isolation) so always make a “like for like” switch e.g.
bent-over row for T-bar row.
3. Why do you use a lot of dumbbell work over barbells?
This is typical of my training programming - especially with pressing movements. The first reason is injury
prevention, as it is my belief that dumbbells will place less stress on your connective tissues/joints when
pressing, compared with barbell pressing. Additionally, I prefer using dumbbells because they enable you to
increase the range of motion, which means that you can exaggerate the load on the muscles during the
isometric phases of movements. Finally, using dumbbells ensures that both sides of the body work with
equal force (because we all naturally have a dominant/ stronger side).
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4. Why do I need to stick to specific rep tempos?
A large number of people believe that by merely moving a weight from A to B, then they will achieve their
intended result. This is simply not true for most people. To make a muscle grow we need to force
adaptation; for that to occur we need to stress the muscle. There is a variety of ways by which we can
achieve this - through stimulating both forms of muscular hypertrophy. Using specific rep tempos creates a
range of stresses on the target muscle, leading to greater stress, stimulation and over time adaptation. Rep
tempo is very important and possibly the most overlooked training tool.
5. When I apply the slower rep tempos I cannot lift my usual weight, what should I do?
Decide what your goal is, big muscles or a big ego! The reason you struggle is because by slowing down the
movement, all of a sudden it gets harder. That’s designed deliberately to create more tension on the muscle
(explained above). So use as much weight as you can whilst:
a) Using the right rep tempo and rep range of motion
b) Squeezing the target muscle through the entire range of motion available, whilst keeping that muscle
under tension
6. Should I always use a full range of motion (bar partial reps)
I’m cautious when answering this because I’m concerned that some people may misinterpret my reasoning.
The answer is no but I will give you some absolutes to go with that so that you may appreciate why. You
should use the fullest, longest and widest ranges of motion for every rep possible WHILST making sure that
the muscle you are training is under tension. That isn’t always a “full” range of motion.
Let’s look at a dumbbell bench press – if you lowered the dumbbells as low as you could, I would argue the
main emphasis then becomes on the shoulder joint and connective tissues, which I do not consider to be
optimal. Therefore I would suggest stopping an inch or two before that point and then launching the bench
press from there (this will differ depending on the person’s biomechanics). This applies wherever you reach
the point where the pectoral muscles feel like the tension is lost. The same applies when pushing a weight
upwards. Using the same example, I would argue that going all the way to the top of the movement, with
full lock out extension then becomes a triceps-dominating exercise and this will potentially place too much
stress on the elbow joints. Always ask yourself, “Is this working the muscle that I am training?”
What I will say, it does usually mean using a near full range of motion anyway: we are talking minor
adaptations to improve the tensions achieved at either extreme end of the rep.
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7. What should I do if an exercise irritates me?
The first thing that you need to do is to replace it with an exercise that doesn’t irritate you. However, it is also
critical that you get it looked at and fixed. It might be that you have an imbalance within your muscles or
that you are too inflexible or that you need soft tissue work (or all!). Don’t ever ignore injuries or let them go
on - they will only get worse.
8. I feel sick when I train legs, especially high reps what should I do?
Feeling nauseous or even throwing up on a “Week 3” workout is not abnormal: this illustrates how far you
are pushing the body. Provided that your Doctor has said you are healthy to train, you are feeling OK on a
daily basis and there are no signs of illness, then it’s simply a case of pushing on through it. I would be sick
on leg day regularly, especially when working with high reps. However I would advise you not to eat too
close to your workout starting and to make sure that your pre-workout supplement isn’t having any
negative effect.
9. How often should I be getting stronger on my Y3T training rotation?
Every third week I would expect you to experience marginal progress, compared with what you experienced
during Week 1. This might be achieving 7 reps with the same weight as last time, where previously you only
managed 6 reps. It would be reasonable to progress up to 8 reps on the next cycle. After this point, you
would then upgrade the weight by the smallest increment possible. It’s essential to make very small yet
progressive steps. During Week 2 and Week 3 of Y3T, I’m not so concerned about strength increasing,
although across a 3-6 month period I would expect some improvement, naturally. Something else to
consider is the impact of psychology on your workouts – you will feel better equipped mentally as the
weeks progress, which can contribute to you getting stronger.
10. How long can I use Y3T for?
Forever - because the emphasis is on regularly changing the training stimulus and making appropriate
adaptations to suit the individual. I genuinely believe - and I put my name to it - that the Y3T Training System
has the potential to enable an individual to both fulfil and excel their genetic potential, as the ultimate body
re-composition methodology currently available.
11. How do I know if I am recovering properly?
There are SO many facets which will dictate your rate of recovery, or lack of it. Hydration, sleep, stress, diet,
training frequency, sports, age, gender, genetic predispositions and supplementation. You will feel sore, in
most cases at least when you are training hard. That’s often part and parcel of training like this. However by
day 4-5 you should find that the muscle has stopped aching severely and it’s fresh for the next workout. If
you cannot recover then address the above points, make a note of each and see if you REALLY are ticking all
of those boxes. You almost certainly aren’t if you can’t recovery properly.
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12. I’m trying to get my 1 & 3 rep maxes up on squat, bench & deadlift. How can I fit this in with Y3T?
This is a really common question I get. Many of my athletes are strength athletes so we have to modify their
Y3T training plan accordingly. I can’t give specifics because it does depend on a number of things. However,
we tend to work within the “strength” rep ranges (1-5 reps) prior to the hypertrophy based work, again over
a 3 week cycle. However I have to emphasise that every athlete of mine who does this is very experienced in
working within such low rep ranges, which are more dangerous so please bare this in mind!
13. If I haven’t done Y3T or anything with high reps should I just go straight into a Y3T split or
build-up to it?
The short answer is yes. However, like with any resistance training be wary that you always need to take the
correct pre-cautions. Also, be advised that after your first cycle of high rep training your body will feel VERY
fatigued and sore (almost certainly!!). Don’t panic, just be prepared and make sure your diet and supplement
plan is on point to help with recovery.
14. Why are a lot of the Y3T chest workouts based around incline work, more so than flat or decline?
This is a VERY deliberate thing which I’ve implemented in my Y3T training plans for a lot of my athletes. The
reality is the upper chest area is where most lack, so by spending more time bringing that up your overall
pec development also improves. I’ve never seen someone with great upper pec development yet their mid
and lower regions are weak. Don’t think that because it’s a “pec minor” exercise you aren’t training the entire
pec region because you ARE, 110%.
15. Where does cardio training fit into all of this?
Cardio is a very subjective thing because it depends on your goal, your timescales, your genetics, your
current body composition, diet and training frequency to name just a few key factors. What I always say is,
especially when starting Y3T for the first time is start LOW because you can always build. The reality is with
Y3T you’ll almost certainly be burning more calories now than you did before. You’ll also require more
calories to recover and fuel your workouts. Most of my athletes will start their cardio at around 20-25
minutes, 3-4 times a week first. From here we assess progress and change accordingly. Don’t go crazy
straight away with cardio, it just doesn’t make sense to!
Y3T Training Guide
Summary
I’ve been excited for some time to bring the SECOND EDITION to you, with Dr. Paul Rimmer because it
shows the evolution of Y3T and the science behind it. It also makes Y3T more effective and understandable
to you which is very important to me, after all it is my name up against it.
I want to really thank you for taking the time to purchase and read this eBook. As always I want to hear
about your progress and thoughts on this eBook.
Please tweet me @Neil_yoda_hill and hashtag #Y3TDisciple and I might just answer you!!
I would also like to publicly thank Dr. Rimmer for his outstanding input into this project and the work he
does on a daily basis for Y3T & the Neil Hill Academy (online distant learning course).
Thank you, Neil Hill.
Y3T Training Guide
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