Phase 3: The Three-Day Split
Weeks 7-9

After 6 weeks of consistent training you should be nailing your form on the exercises you've been doing. That's because your nervous system and muscle fibers are getting properly trained through the constant repetition. In week nine, step up the amount of work you're doing for each muscle group and the intensity, yet again. Remember, the goal here is to keep progressing. The only way to do that is to keep raising the bar with more work and higher intensity.

Phase 3 progresses you to a 3-Day Training Split. So instead of dividing your body up into two different workouts, divide it among three different workouts. You'll train fewer muscle groups each workout, allowing you to do more exercises per muscle group while training each muscle group with even greater intensity.

Although there are numerous ways to pair muscle groups to work with a 3-day split, one of the most effective is also known as a push/pull/legs split. That means the body is broken down into a push day, where you train all the pushing muscles of the upper body (chest, shoulders and triceps); a pull day, where you train all the pulling muscles of the upper body (back, trap, biceps and forearms); and a leg day (legs and calves).

Weeks 7-9 Workouts

Workout 1: Push Day

• Bench Press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Smith Machine Upright Row: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Triceps Pressdown: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest

Workout 2: Legs Day

• Squat: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Leg Extension: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 20-25 reps 1-2 minutes rest
• Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 20-25 reps 1-2 minutes rest
• Reverse Crunch: 3 sets to failure 1-2 minutes rest
• Crunch: 3 sets to failure 1-2 minutes rest
• Oblique Crunch: 3 sets to failure 1-2 minutes rest

Workout 3: Pull Day

• Barbell Row: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Seated Cable Row: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Barbell Shrug: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 6-8 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 2-3 minutes rest
• Wrist Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 1-2 minutes rest

Click To Enlarge.
Instead Of Dividing Your Body Up Into Two Different Workouts, Divide It Among Three Different Workouts.

Phase 3 Rundown:

Exercises:

The exercises in this phase are the ones you've been using in the previous phases with yet again another additional exercise added to most muscle groups. The point is to increase the amount of work for each muscle group. Although you could increase the amount of work simply by doing more sets per exercise, better to add more exercises. Different exercises target different areas of the muscles, a necessity for overall development and balanced shape. You'll also add an exercise for a new muscle group to target - the forearms.

Sets:

You'll still be doing 3 sets per exercise. However, since you're now adding another exercise for most muscle groups, you'll be doing an extra 3 sets per muscle group.

Reps:

In this phase, drop the reps to 6-8 for first exercise for each major muscle group, excluding calves, abs and forearms). On the second exercise, drop down to 8-10 reps. But on the last exercise, increase to 12-15 reps per set. This will help you to develop muscle strength, muscle size and muscle definition.

Weight:

As you have been doing in phases 1 and 2, choose the proper weight that allows you to hit the listed rep range for each exercise. And continue to add weight as you can compete more reps than the listed rep range.

Rest:

During this phase, rest 2-3 minutes between sets, allowing you to stick with heavier weight while complete more reps for maximum size and strength gains.

Do each workout once per week allowing at least one day of rest between workouts

Click To Enlarge.
Different Exercises Target Different Areas Of The Muscles, A Necessity For Overall Development And Balanced Shape.

About The Author:

Jim Stoppani received his doctorate in exercise physiology with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Connecticut. Following graduation, he served as a postdoctoral research fellow in the prestigious John B. Pierce Laboratory and Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale University School of Medicine, where he investigated the effects of exercise and diet on gene regulation in muscle tissue. He was awarded the Gatorade Beginning Investigator in Exercise Science Award in 2002 by the American Physiological Society for his groundbreaking research.

Dr. Stoppani is the creator of the Platinum 360 Diet as found in the book, LL Cool J's Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle (Rodale, 2010) and creator of the diet program found in the book, Mario Lopez's Knockout Fitness (Rodale, 2008). Dr. Stoppani has been the personal nutrition and health consultant for numerous celebrity clients, such as LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Mario Lopez, and has appeared on the NBC television show Extra as an Extra LifeChanger and as a science expert on the Spike television shows Jesse James is a Dead Man and MANswers.

Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.
info@jimstoppani.com

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