Road to Success
F.A.Q
Q. How much rest time should I take between sets?
A. Generally, I recommend taking anywhere between 2-5 minutes rest
between compound movements and 1-2 minutes rest between isolation
movements. With that said, ideal rest time will vary from person to
person. I recommend performing your set when you feel recovered and
confident that you will be able to lift the most amount of weight with
proper form for your designated rep range.
Q. Should I train until failure?
A. For the most part, I highly recommend avoiding training to complete
failure. When performing compound movements (Bench presses, squats,
deadlifts, and OHP) I recommend aiming for your designated rep range,
but rack the weight when you feel you have about 1 rep left in the
tank. By doing this, you are going to avoid overtaxing your central
nervous system and allow yourself to create a greater total workload
during your workouts. With that said, training to failure on isolation
lifts at the end of your workout is okay in moderation because it will
not be as taxing on your body.
Q. Can I do this program if I am bulking or cutting?
A. Yes, this program is great to do whether you are bulking or cutting.
If you are in a caloric surplus, you are going to build more muscle and
strength than in a caloric deficit. If you are cutting, be sure you
continue to lift as heavy as possible on all of your lifts. Lifting
heavy with this program will help you retain as much muscle mass and
strength as possible.
Q. What if I don’t have access to (or want to swap) an exercise in this
program?
A. I recommend doing everything in your power to complete the compound
movements in this program. With that said, I want you to feel free to
swap out isolation lifts with alternatives that hit the same muscle
group. Keep the exercises as similar as possible to the program I
assigned.
Q. What if I miss a workout?
A. If you are unable to workout for one day, do not stress. Simply
resume the program from where you left off. These workouts are not
assigned to specific days of the week. Instead they are a continuous
rotation.
Q. Should I incorporate deload weeks?
A. Eventually you will encounter a few consecutive days where you feel
weak, exhausted, unmotivated, etc. When this happens, you can either
incorporate a deload week or take a few days off from the gym. If you
choose to deload, you will complete the same weekly workout routine,
but you will cut your sets in half and decrease your working weight by
50-60%. If you select to take some time off, which is my preferred
method, I suggest taking anywhere from 2-4 days off from the gym
completely. Both of these methods will let your central nervous system
recover and allow you to recharge both mentally and physically.
Typically deloads/off days are needed more frequently when in a caloric
deficit.
Q. How should I warm up?
A. I typically recommend warming up with 5-6 light sets of your first
exercise for the day steadily increasing weight. I also recommend
steadily increasing weight on your warm up sets so you can lead up to
your working sets. Be sure to take advantage of my full-length
instructional video covering this routine down below because I include
extra tips and exercises to warm up!
Q. How often should I train abs?
A. I recommend training abs 2-3 times per week. I have created two
different ab workouts (down below), which I recommend. You can complete
3 sets of each exercise and then move on to the following movement or
complete each exercise for 1 set, take a small break, and repeat in a
circuit fashion. I want you to work abs on the days that you have the
most energy at the end of your workout.
Q. What should I do if I feel like I am not making progress?
A. If you are following this program and your training is on point, I
recommend evaluating your nutrition. Count your macros and have a
specific goal in mind. If you would like personalized help for shedding
body-fat or gaining lean mass, I would love to work with you as my
client. You can visit my website www.christianguzman.com for more
information.
Q. How long should I follow this program?
A. This program does not have a set time limit. If you are progressing
in your lifts, there is no reason to switch programs. Personally, I
like to follow programs for at least 6-8 months before considering
switching.
Q. How do I know I’m making progress?
A. There are many different ways to progress. Constant progression can
be in the form of lifting more weight on a given exercise, improving
your form with a certain weight, lifting the same weight for more reps,
or improving your rep speed. It is important to realize that you will
not progress and hit personal records every single workout. Simply be
sure that you are making some sort of progress as the weeks and months
go on.
TO VIEW THE FULL DEMONSTRATIONAL VIDEOS, CLICK THE LINKS DOWN BELOW. USE
PASSWORD: “PROUDBUTNEVERSATISFIED” (ALL LOWERCASE) TO VIEW THE VIDEOS.
DAY 1: CHEST & TRICEPS: http://vimeo.com/101376643
DAY 2: BACK & BICEPS: http://vimeo.com/101495147
DAY 3: LEGS: http://vimeo.com/101443461
DAY 4: SHOULDERS & ARMS: http://vimeo.com/101490432
DAY 5: FULL UPPER DAY: http://vimeo.com/101429649
DAY 6: FULL LOWER DAY: http://vimeo.com/101433823
Chest & Triceps
Exercise
Flat Bench Press
Incline DB Press
Tricep Extension
Chest Cable Fly
Overhead Extension
Pec Deck
Sets
5
4
4
4
4
3
Reps
3-5
6-8
8-10
10-12
10-12
10-15
Back & Biceps
Exercise
Pull Up
T-Bar Row
Barbell Curl
Pull Down
Seal Row
Hammer Curl
Unilateral Row
Sets
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
Reps
4-6
6-8
8-10
8-10
10-12
10-12
10-12
Legs
Exercise
Squats
Leg Press
Standing Calf Raise
Stiff Legged Deadlift
Walking Lunges
Sets
5
4
5
4
3
Reps
5
8-10
6-8
8-10
12-15
Shoulders & Arms
Exercise
Over Head Press
Alternating DB Curl
Close Grip Bench Press
DB Side Lateral
Incline DB Curl
Tricep Extension
Face Pull
Rope Hammer Curl
Overhead Extension
DB Shrugs
Sets
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
Reps
5
8-10
6-8
10-12
10-12
10-12
10-12
10-12
8-10
6-10
OFF DAY
Upper Body
Exercise
Barbell Incline Press
Pull-Ups
Flat DB Fly
Seated DB Military
Barbell Row
Tricep Extension
Cable Side Lateral Raise
Preacher Curl
Sets
4
3
3
4
3
3
3
3
Reps
6-8
8-10
10-12
8-10
6-8
10-12
10-12
10-12
Lower Body
Exercise
Sumo Deadlift
Squat
Standing Calf Raise
Leg Extension
Hamstring Curl
Seated Calf Raise
Sets
3
3
3
3
3
3
OFF DAY
Reps
5
6-8
8-10
10-12
10-12
10-12
Abs (1)
Exercise
Runners
Cable Curl
Standing Plate Twist
Sets
3
3
3
Reps
15-20
15-20
15-20
Abs (2)
Exercise
Leg Raises
Decline Ab Crunch
Decline Twist
Sets
3
3
3
Reps
15-20
15-20
15-20