Hello and welcome to Workout of the Week, number 52. This time we have a five-day-a-week hybrid strength and size program.
So what’s our training goal? We want to maximize strength and size, also known as muscular hypertrophy—building some muscle mass.
Training variables: Training intensity—we work with the range of intensities. 87.5% to 95% of the one-rep max, targeting the strength angle; 77.5% to 87.5%, a mix—the hybrid approach to strength and hypertrophy; and then 67.5% to 80% of the one-rep max for the functional and non-functional hypertrophy. So it’s the range of strength qualities and hypertrophy qualities.
The rep ranges: 1 to 3 for the strength development; 4 to 6 for the maximum strength and the functional hypertrophy aspect; and then 6 to 10 for the functional and non-functional hypertrophy.
The exertion: hard to near maximum. The training effort: maximum effort for the strength, and a repeated effort for the hypertrophy.
Let’s have a look at the exercises. We use a bro split—a muscle group split—therefore we look at exercises for the chest, for the back, for the shoulders, for the quads, for the arms, and for the hamstrings. Mainly compound exercises with some isolation movements. The exercise order: we work from most complex to least complex.
If we look at a few more training variables, it’s a five-day-a-week program. It’s mainly a station training, so it includes some supersets for the legs and the arms.
Now the question is: how does it look? Here’s our program, and we’ll jump right inside.
Here we are inside our program. You download that PDF, you get an overview of the program, you can see I’ve written quite a lot this time, then the table of contents, and then here’s the weekly overview. So five days a week. We do three consecutive sessions: the chest day, the back day, and the shoulder day. Then we take one day off, and then we have two more days: the leg day and the arm day.
Workout Number One: the chest day. Yeah, three exercises: the bench press, the dumbbell incline bench press, and the dumbbell flyes. Yeah, so you see 1 to 3. It’s a station training. You see the tempo, the rest between the sets—inter-set rest. Then for the first exercise, strength development: three sets of three at 87.5%, which equates to an RPE of eight. The second exercise: three sets of six at 77.5% of the one-rep max, which also equates to an RPE of six. The third exercise: three sets of 10 at 67.5% of the one-rep max, which equates to an RPE of 8 again.
Again, this is only the first week of the program. If you go to the membership, you can get the four-week program, and you see the progression from week to week.
Workout Number Two: Similarly to the first one, now this is the back day. We choose three exercises: the deadlift, the bent-over row, and the lat pulldowns. And the same here. The first exercise, targeted toward strength development: three sets of three at 87.5%. The second: three sets of six at 77.5%. And the last exercise: three sets of 10 at 67.5%.
We go to our shoulder day. And here again we do the shoulder press—that can be done with a barbell, preferably, but you can also use dumbbells if you want to. The upright row and the bent-over raises. Yeah, and the same: first exercise strength, second exercise strength-size hybrid, third exercise size.
Then we go to our leg day. So here we see a bit of a variation. We do the back squat as a standalone. Then we do 2A-2B and 3A-3B. So that means they are complexes as supersets. So we start with a back squat, then we do leg presses and RDL, and then we do leg extension and leg curls. Again, here the first exercise—the squatting strength focus: three sets of three at 87.5%. Second two exercises—the hybrid focus, leg press and RDL: three sets of six at 77.5%. And then the last two exercises—I’ve reduced it to two sets per exercise—two sets of 10 at 67.5%.
Then if we go to our arm day, the last one. Here you can see 1A-1B, 2A-2B, 3A-3B. So these are complexes. We start with the heaviest one: the barbell French press. It’s a bit unusual to do such low repetitions, I know that. But just because everyone does it doesn’t mean I can’t do it. And I have used this approach successfully with my athletes. Again, we can debate and discuss anyway. It works. So three sets of three at 87.5% for the barbell curls and the French press. Two sets of six at 77.5% for the dumbbell incline curls and the dumbbell overhead extension. And then for the last two exercises: two sets of 10 at 67.5%. Yeah, and this is the dumbbell single-arm spider curls—you could also use concentration curls if you would like to. And the triceps cable extension is this one. Can also be changed to the kickbacks, whatever.
Yeah, so you download this PDF, you get a glossary, you can read a bit about myself, you can see what others have to say about me—my former athletes, my former colleagues. And then last but certainly not least, you can subscribe to the membership.
Let’s move back. So what are the next steps?
Number one: you download that program, that workout.
Number two: you join the membership. If you like to, there you get the four-week periodized program. Considering we are in week 52, you get another 51 four-week training programs. Do your math—you have quite a bit of training weeks ahead of you if you would like to follow every single training program.
You like and subscribe. Grab all workouts here, and you can see the previous workout. And if you haven’t already, you can subscribe.
I’ll see you next week with Workout of the Week, number 53.
