This 12-week hypertrophy cycle is designed to set the foundation for muscle hypertrophy (growth). You will be allocating four days a week to hypertrophy training, with an optional fifth day to work on areas of the body that need a little extra or to make up the exercises that you missed during the week due to time constraints. The most optimal training split would be two on, one-off, one on, one-off, one on, optional workout or off.
The key, of course, is recovery. When you train 4 days per week it doesn’t allow you to always have a full day off between each workout. The most effective schedule I’ve used is 2-on, 1-off, 1-on, 1-off, 1-on and 1-off (e.g., Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat). But the most important thing is to get in the four workouts each week.
So that means the first two workouts that are back-to-back must complement each other. Put another way: the first two workouts need to be drastically different from each other to avoid overtraining. You can’t lift heavy both of those days, and trying to lift heavy a day after you performed high reps isn’t good, either. Alternating lower rep sets (5×5, 10×2, 6×6), with higher rep sets (3×15, 4×12) works best for both recovery and optimal stimulation.
Exercise selection is also very important. You will alternate horizontal and vertical pushing exercises, horizontal and vertical pulling exercises, squats, lunges and hinges, and core work with loaded carries. These will allow you to hit your upper and lower body four times a week, but in a different pattern to avoid overtraining and produce muscle. Remember, the key to muscle growth is to build up more than you break down.
The volume per workout will not be as high as your traditional bodybuilding workouts. Performing ten to twenty sets per body part only one to two days a week is not an optimal method to produce muscular gains for athletes and the working class. Instead, working more muscle more often will produce large increases in anabolic hormones (testosterone, growth hormone) and protein synthesis, thus leading to more muscle. Hitting each muscle with high frequency and less volume will allow protein synthesis and anabolic hormones to remain high, and allow for sufficient recovery.
During the twelve weeks, there will be three different areas of focus to lay the foundation for optimal muscle growth.
Patterns
Symmetry
Advanced
Each phase will have some of the same exercises each week, for each of the four-week phases, but the sets, reps, and intensity will change from week to week. I highly suggest using a training log to track progress, to be sure that you are hitting your numbers and improving.
Along with these phases, you will focus on the 5 fundamental movement patterns of hypertrophy training.
Loaded Carry
Squat
Hinge
Pull
Push
These movements will make up the cornerstone of the twelve-week hypertrophy program. There will be some additional movements in the workouts, such as biceps curls, lunges and core work, but these movements will be the most critical. Remember, more muscle worked at one time across the body will improve muscle hypertrophy much more efficiently than isolating muscles.
Utilizing these 5 fundamental movement patterns will also reduce your time in the gym. With your busy schedules, it will be hard enough to fit in 4 solid workout programs each week. These workouts will be brief, yet focused, and will last 45-55 minutes, depending on the workout.
12-Week Hypertrophy Cycle: Phase One Patterns
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than sixty seconds between exercises. All movements except for the swing should be done with control.
Week 1
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A Dumbbell Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Kettlebell Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Farmers Carry 5 x 40 yards
Finisher sled push for 3 sets of 40-50 yards. You can substitute all sled work with regular sprints. The same volume and distance will apply.
Day two:
1A TRX/Bar Inverted Row 4 x 12
1B Goblet Squat 4 x 12
1C Half kneeling dumbbell overhead press 4 x 12
1D Hard style plank 4 x 20 seconds
Finisher 2 hand kettlebell swing, 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 5 minutes
Day three:
1A Pull-ups 6 x 6
1B Romanian deadlifts 6 x 6
1C Standing dumbbell shoulder press 6 x 6
1D Goblet carries 6 sets of thirty to forty yards
Finisher sled push for 3 sets of 40-50 yards
Day four:
1A Push-ups 5 x 10
1B TRX/Bar Inverted Row 5 x 10
1C Goblet squat 5 x 10
1D Stability ball stir the pot 5 x 5 reps each direction
Finisher 3 sets of 10 of dumbbell biceps curls and lying dumbbell triceps extensions
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 8 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). You can also choose to do anything that you missed throughout the week. For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
This week, we will be changing up the reps just a little to increase the volume demands. Try and increase your weight from the previous week.
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than sixty seconds between exercises. All movements except for the swing should be done with control.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A Dumbbell Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Kettlebell Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Farmers Carry 5 x 50 yards
Finisher sled push for 4 sets of 50 yards
Day two:
1A TRX/Bar Inverted Row 4 x 10
1B Goblet Squat 4 x 10
1C Half kneeling dumbbell overhead press 4 x 10
1D Stability ball rollouts 4 x 10
Finisher 2 hand kettlebell swing, 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 5 minutes
Day three:
1A Pull-ups 8 x 4
1B Romanian deadlifts 8 x 4
1C Standing dumbbell shoulder press 8 x 4
1D Goblet carries 8 sets of thirty to forty yards
Finisher sled push for 4 sets of 50 yards
Day four:
1A Push-ups 5 x 8
1B TRX/Bar Inverted Row 5 x 8
1C Goblet squat 5 x 8
1D Stability ball stir the pot 5 x 8 reps each direction
Finisher 3 sets of 12 of dumbbell biceps curls and lying dumbbell triceps extensions
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). You can even make up what you missed during the week. For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
Week 3
This week, we will be adding in some new movements to progress you towards the next phase.
Patterns: Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than sixty seconds between exercises. All movements except for the swing should be done with control except for the KB swing.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A Dumbbell Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Two Kettlebell Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Farmers Carry 5 x 40 yards
Finisher sled push for 5 sets of 20 yards sprints
Day two:
1A TRX/Bar Inverted Row 3 x 15
1B Goblet Squat 3 x 15
1C Half kneeling dumbbell overhead press 3 x 15
1D Hard Style Plank 3 x 20 seconds
Finisher 2 hand kettlebell swing, 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 5 minutes
Day three:
1A Pull-ups 7 x 4
1B Romanian deadlifts 7 x 4
1C Standing dumbbell shoulder press 7 x 4
1D Goblet carries 7 sets of thirty to forty yards
Finisher sled push for 5 sets of 20 yards sprints
Day four:
1A Push-ups 4 x 12
1B TRX/Bar Inverted Row 4 x 12
1C Two kettlebell front squat 4 x 12
1D Stability ball stir the pot 4 x 6 reps each direction
Finisher 4 sets of 10 of dumbbell biceps curls and lying dumbbell triceps extensions
Day 5:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
Week 4
In the final week of the Pattern phase, aim to increase the weight on each of the movements. The reps and sets do not change, so the challenge here is increasing the weight and moving through the workout a little faster. Finish week four strong by mastering these movements.
Patterns
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than sixty seconds between exercises. All movements except for the swing should be done with control.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes.
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes.
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side.
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system.
Day one:
1A Dumbbell Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Two Kettlebell Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Farmers Carry 5 x 40 yards
Finisher sled push for 3 sets of 40-50 yards with a heavier weight than sprint weight
Day two:
1A TRX/Bar Inverted Row 4 x 15
1B Goblet Squat 4 x 15
1C Half kneeling dumbbell overhead press 4 x 15
1D Hard Style Plank 4 x 20 seconds
Finisher 2 hand kettlebell swing, 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 5 minutes
Day three:
1A Pull-ups 5 x 6
1B Romanian deadlifts 5 x 6
1C Standing dumbbell shoulder press 5 x 6
1D Goblet carries 5 sets of thirty to forty yards
Finisher sled push for 6 sets of 20 yards sprints
Day four:
1A Push-ups 4 x 12
1B TRX/Bar Inverted Row 4 x 12
1C two kettlebell front squat 4 x 12
1D Stability ball stir the pot 4 x 6 reps each direction
Finisher 4 sets of 10 of dumbbell biceps curls and lying dumbbell triceps extensions
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
12-Week Hypertrophy Cycle: Phase Two: Symmetry
Phase two we will focus on symmetry work. Over time, our bodies endure a multitude of physical stresses. Everything from sitting at a desk to running can cause changes to our physical structures. During this process, our bodies have no other choice but to compensate to do what we need to do each day. All of us have a dominant side that we usually want to take up most of the work. If we are right-handed, we will primarily use our right side most of the time. That is just the way it is.
As a bodybuilder, I relied heavily on barbell training. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows and pull-ups were the cornerstone of my mass gaining program. After a while, I noticed some gaps in my training. I noticed that I was feeling odd pains and movement dysfunctions, so I looked into it.
As we continue to overuse one side of our body, asymmetries in our bodies, in particular, our skeletal muscle system, grow bigger and bigger. As our asymmetries grow, so do our chances for muscular imbalances, pain and injury during sport and exercise. Now, it is unrealistic to think that we can use each side of our body equally. It is just too high of an expectation to have.
We will always gravitate towards the path of least resistance and use our strong side to move. So, how can we help balance out our body to reduce our asymmetries in our muscles? With my clients, I have implemented symmetry exercises in their strength training protocols in an effort to make each side of the bodywork independently and reduce compensation.
Week Five
Symmetry
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than sixty seconds between exercises. All movements except for the swing should be done with control. Make sure to complete the number of prescribed reps on both sides of the body before you move onto the next exercise.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side, alternating sides
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A 1 arm dumbbell bench press 5 x 5
1B 1-leg deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Suit Case Carry 5 x 20 yards
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day three:
1A 1-arm incline dumbbell bench press 8 x 4
1B Suitcase deadlift 8 x 4 (4 x 4 each side)
1C pull-ups 8 x 4
1D 1-arm overhead/waiter carry 8 x 30-40 yards (4 sets each side)
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day four:
1A 1-arm kettlebell push press 6 x 6
1B 1-leg rear foot elevated split squat 6 x 6
1C 1-arm TRX Row or inverted row 6 x 6
1D Suitcase carry 6 x 30-40 yards (3 each side)
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
Week 6
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes.
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes.
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side, alternating sides.
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system.
Day one:
1A 1 arm dumbbell bench press 5 x 5
1B 1-leg deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Suit Case Carry 5 x 20 yards
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day two:
1A 1-arm dumbbell row 3 x 15
1B 1-arm rack squat 3 x 15
1C 1-arm dumbbell overhead press 3 x 15
1D side plank 3 x 30 seconds each
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day 3:
1A 1-arm incline dumbbell bench press 10 x 3
1B Suitcase deadlift 10 x 3 (5 x 3 each side)
1C pull-ups 10 x 3
1D 1-arm overhead/waiter carry 10 x 30-40 yards (5 sets each side)
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
Day 4:
1A 1-arm kettlebell push press 4 x 10
1B 1-leg rear foot elevated split squat 4 x 10
1C 1-arm TRX Row or inverted row 4 x 10
1D Suitcase carry 4 x 30-40 yards (2 each side)
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
Week 7
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes.
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes.
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side, alternating sides.
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system.
Day one:
1A 1 arm dumbbell bench press 5 x 5
1B 1-leg deadlift 5 x 5
1C Chin-ups 5 x 5
1D Suit Case Carry 5 x 20 yards
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day two:
1A 1-arm dumbbell row 4 x 12
1B 1-arm rack squat 4 x 12
1C 1-arm dumbbell overhead press 4 x 12
1D side plank 4 x 20 seconds each
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 7 minutes
Day three:
1A 1-arm incline dumbbell bench press 8 x 4
1B Suitcase deadlift 8 x 4 (4 x 4 each side)
1C pull-ups 8 x 4
1D 1-arm overhead/waiter carry 8 x 30-40 yards (4 sets each side)
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day four:
1A 1-arm kettlebell push press 6 x 6
1B 1-leg rear foot elevated split squat 6 x 6
1C 1-arm TRX Row or inverted row 6 x 6
1D Suitcase carry 6 x 30-40 yards (3 each side)
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
Week 8
Over the past 4-weeks, there have not been any exercise changes and only rep and set changes. This last week, you will have the liberty to have some options for exercises, sets, and rep schemes that you feel you want to work on. We also add in the 1-arm dumbbell snatch to get you doing some more explosive lifts that you will be doing in the advanced phase.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side, alternating sides
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A 1 arm dumbbell bench press 4-5 x 5-8
1B 1-leg deadlift 4-5 x 5-8
1C Chin-ups 4-5 x 5-8
1D Suit Case Carry 4-5 x 20-30 yards each side
Finisher Bike or Rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day two:
1A 1-arm dumbbell row 3-4 x 12-15
1B 1-arm rack squat 3-4 x 12-15
1C 1-arm dumbbell overhead press 3-4 x 12-15
1D side plank 3-4 x 30 seconds each
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day three:
1A 1-arm incline dumbbell bench press 5-10 x 3-6
1B Suitcase deadlift 5-10 x 3-6
1C pull-ups 5-10 x 3-6
1D 1-arm overhead/waiter carry 5-10 x 30-40 yards (3-5 sets each side)
Finisher bike or rower intervals 6 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Day four:
1A one arm dumbbell snatch 5 x 3
2A 1-arm kettlebell push press 3-5 x 8-12
2B 1-leg rear foot elevated split squat 3-5 x 8-12
2C 1-arm TRX Row or inverted row 3-5 x 8-12
2D Suitcase carry 3-5 x 30-40 yards (2-3 each side)
Finisher 1-hand kb swings 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off for 6 minutes
Day five:
Perform the warm-up and pick one movement pattern and perform 3 sets of 10 reps for that movement pattern (push/pull/hinge/squat). For increased recovery, perform 20 minutes of cardio on the airdyne bike or concept 2 rower.
12-Week Hypertrophy Cycle: Phase Three Advanced
You now have had eight weeks of solid hypertrophy workouts. You mastered the fundamental movements in phase one. Your body has worked on its muscular imbalances in phase two. Now it is time to step it up a notch. The barbell and metabolic complexes will make up the cornerstone of this phase. Once you develop a solid base, the barbell will help add slabs of muscle to your frame. I also include some complexes to maximize time under tension. A complex is basically performing a certain amount of movements, usually 4-8 movements, for a prescribed amount of reps, usually 5-10, without putting the weights down. Building muscle is all about time under tension, and these metabolic complexes that I have put together will be sure to hit some untapped muscle fibers and help them grow.
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than 2 minutes between exercises. All movements except for the swing and Olympic lifts should be done with control. With all major lifts in this phase (squat, deadlift, bench, OLY lifts), increase weight slowly on each set. The last one to two sets should be your heavier sets. The others should be doable with a rep or two left in the tank each set.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Wheel Rollouts 5 x 5
Barbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 5 reps for each exercise. Do not put the bar down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
Bent over row x 5
Hang clean x 5
Push press x 5
Front squat x 5
Deadlift x 5
Day Two:
1A Walking Lunges 4 x 10 each
1B Pull-ups 4 x 10
1C one arm overhead carry 4 x 40 yards, 2 each side
Dumbbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 5 reps for each exercise. Do not put the two dumbbells down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 DB Hang snatch x 5
2 DB bent over row x 5
2 DB Curl N Presses x 5
2 DB Alternating reverse lunges x 5 each
2 DB one leg deadlift x 5 each
Day three:
1A Back Squat 8 x 3
1B Barbell push press 8 x 3
2A Farmers Carry 3 x 40 yards
Kettlebell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 8 reps for each exercise. You will be using two kettlebells for this complex. If you have to use one KB, make sure you do both sides for each set. Do not put the KB down until you are done with each complex. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 KB swing x 8
2KB clean x 8
2KB push press x 8
2 KB front squat x 8
Day four:
1A Snatch or Clean 5 x 3
2A Front Squats 3 x 8
2B Bent Over Row 3 x 8
2C Incline barbell bench press 3 x 8
2D Hanging leg raises 3 x 8
Finisher dumbbell squat curl and press. As many reps as possible in two minutes. Use a weight where you can get no more than 20 reps, but at least 10 reps.
Day five:
Since the weights will be so demanding in this phase, day five should be saved for recovery. Take 20-40 minutes to foam roll, do some mobility work, perform some steady-state cardio, and maybe work on a lifting technique that you may be having. This day should be used as an active recovery day.
Week 10
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than 2 minutes between exercises. All movements except for the swing and Olympic lifts should be done with control. With all major lifts in this phase (squat, deadlift, bench, OLY lifts), increase weight slowly on each set. The last one to two sets should be your heavier sets. The others should be doable with a rep or two left in the tank each set.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day One:
1A Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Wheel Rollouts 5 x 5
Barbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 6 reps for each exercise. Do not put the bar down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
Bent over row x 6
Hang clean x 6
Push press x 6
Front squat x 6
Deadlift x 6
Day Two:
1A Walking Lunges 3 x 12 each
1B Pull-ups 3 x 12
1C one arm overhead carry 3 x 40 yards, 3 each side
Dumbbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 6 reps for each exercise. Do not put the two dumbbells down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 DB Hang snatch x 6
2 DB bent over row x 6
2 DB Curl N Presses x 6
2 DB Alternating reverse lunges x 6 each
2 DB one leg deadlift x 6 each
Day three:
1A Back Squat 7 x 4
1B Barbell push press 7 x 4
2A Farmers Carry 4 x 40 yards
Kettlebell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 9 reps for each exercise. You will be using two kettlebells for this complex. If you have to use one KB, make sure you do both sides for each set. Do not put the KB down until you are done with each complex. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 KB swing x 9
2KB clean x 9
2KB push press x 9
2 KB front squat x 9
Day four:
1A Snatch or Clean 6 x 2
2A Front Squats 4 x 6
2B Bent Over Row 4 x 6
2C Incline barbell bench press 4 x 6
2D Hanging leg raises 4 x 6
Day five:
Since the weights will be so demanding in this phase, day five should be saved for recovery. Take 20-40 minutes to foam roll, do some mobility work, perform some steady-state cardio, and maybe work on a lifting technique that you may be having. This day should be used as an active recovery day.
Week 11
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than 2 minutes between exercises. All movements except for the swing and Olympic lifts should be done with control. With all major lifts in this phase (squat, deadlift, bench, OLY lifts), increase weight slowly on each set. The last one to two sets should be your heavier sets. The others should be doable with a rep or two left in the tank each set.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day one:
1A Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Wheel Rollouts 5 x 5
Barbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 8 reps for each exercise. Do not put the bar down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
Bent over row x 8
Hang clean x 8
Push press x 8
Front squat x 8
Deadlift x 8
Day Two:
1A Walking Lunges 3 x 15 each
1B Pull-ups 3 x 15
1C one arm overhead carry 3 x 40 yards, 3 each side
Dumbbell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 8 reps for each exercise. Do not put the two dumbbells down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 DB Hang snatch x 8
2 DB bent over row x 8
2 DB Curl N Presses x 8
2 DB Alternating reverse lunges x 8 each
2 DB one leg deadlift x 8 each
Day three:
1A Back Squat 3 x 10
1B Barbell push press 3 x 10
2A Farmers Carry 3 x 40 yards
Kettlebell Complex:
Perform 3 rounds of 10 reps for each exercise. You will be using two kettlebells for this complex. If you have to use one KB, make sure you do both sides for each set. Do not put the KB down until you are done with each complex. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 KB swing x 10
2 KB clean x 10
2 KB push press x 10
2 KB front squat x 10
Day four:
1A Snatch or Clean 5 x 3
2A Front Squats 3 x 8
2B Bent Over Row 3 x 8
2C Incline barbell bench press 3x 8
2D Hanging leg raises 3 x 8
Day five:
Since the weights will be so demanding in this phase, day five should be saved for recovery. Take 20-40 minutes to foam roll, do some mobility work, perform some steady-state cardio, and maybe work on a lifting technique that you may be having. This day should be used as an active recovery day.
Week 12
Perform in a circuit fashion. Rest no more than 2 minutes between exercises. All movements except for the swing and Olympic lifts should be done with control. With all major lifts in this phase (squat, deadlift, bench, OLY lifts), increase weight slowly on each set. The last one to two sets should be your heavier sets. The others should be doable with a rep or two left in the tank each set.
Warm-up:
Soft Tissue Work (foam roll and ball work on the glutes, quads, t-spine, shoulders, etc.) as needed for five minutes
Any correctives or mobility drills (hips, T-spine, ankle, shoulders) as needed for 5 minutes
Turkish Get-ups 3 per side
Jump Rope or jumping jacks for two minutes to activate the nervous system
Day One:
1A Bench Press 5 x 5
1B Deadlift 5 x 5
1C Wheel Rollouts 5 x 5
Barbell Complex:
Perform 4 rounds of 6 reps for each exercise. Do not put the bar down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
Bent over row x 6
Hang clean x 6
Push press x 6
Front squat x 6
Deadlift x 6
Day Two:
1A Walking Lunges 3 x 12 each
1B Pull-ups 3 x 12
1C one arm overhead carry 3 x 40 yards, 3 each side
Dumbbell Complex:
Perform 4 rounds of 6 reps for each exercise. Do not put the two dumbbells down until all five exercises are completed. Rest two minutes between complexes.
2 DB Hang snatch x 6
2 DB Bent over row x 6
2 DB Curl N Presses x 6
2 DB Alternating reverse lunges x 6 each
2 DB one leg deadlift x 6 each
Day three:
1A Back Squat 8 x 3
1B Barbell push press 8 x 3
2A Farmers Carry 5 x 40 yards
Kettlebell Complex:
Perform 4 rounds of 8 reps for each exercise. You will be using two kettlebells for this complex. If you have to use one KB, make sure you do both sides for each set. Do not put the kettlebell down until you are done with each complex. Rest two minutes between complexes.
Since the weights will be so demanding in this phase, day five should be saved for recovery. Take 20-40 minutes to foam roll, do some mobility work, perform some steady-state cardio, and maybe work on a lifting technique that you may be having. This day should be used as an active recovery day.
There you have it, follow this 12-week hypertrophy cycle and you are sure to add athletic muscle that performs. None of that “all show and no go” stuff here, leave that for the bodybuilders.
Justin Grinnell is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, as well as a Certified Personal Trainer,and a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. He is also the Owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing, Michigan. State of Fitness opened up just four years ago and is already one of the leading training facilities in the Midwest. State of Fitness has over 450 members who train every day under his leadership. In addition to being a facility owner, Justin has his own blog at www.grinnelltraining.com (link below), and has been a featured writer for over 6 years in the magazine Healthy & Fit and is a writer for Muscle & Fitness.
