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Beginner/Intermediate Program: Phase 2

After six of those five-day cycles, I recommend you do a three-week phase where the average set is six to eight reps, and do only four to six sets per body part over a five-day cycle, or you can do any other split that suits your recovery pattern. After this three-week block, you can return to the German Volume Training method by doing the following ten sets of six reps routine. In the exercises that are prescribed for 10 sets, use a load you'd normally be able to do 12 repetitions with. The goal in this phase is to do ten sets of six with that load.

SAMPLE 10 sets of 6 routine:

Day 1 - Chest and Back

Exercise Sets Reps Tempo Rest Interval
A-1 Incline Dumbbell Presses 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
A-2 Wide-Grip Pull-Ups(palms facing away from you) 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
B-1 Flat Dumbbell Flyes 3 6 3 0 1 0 60 sec
B-2 Bent-Over Rows with EZ Bar 3 6 3 0 1 0 60 sec

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each "A" exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each "B" exercise and each superset.

Day 2 - Legs and Abs

Exercise Sets Reps Tempo Rest Interval
A-1 Bent-Knee Deadlifts 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
A-2 Seated Leg Curls 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
B-1 Twisting Crunches 3 12 - 15 3 0 3 0 60 sec
B-2 Standing Calf Raises 3 12 - 15 3 0 3 0 60 sec

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each "A" exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each "B" exercise and each superset.

Day 3 - Off

Day 4 - Arms and Shoulders

Exercise Sets Reps Tempo Rest Interval
A-1 Parallel Bar Dips 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
A-2 Incline Hammer Curls 10 6 5 0 1 0 90 sec
B-1 Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises* 3 10 - 12 2 0 X 0 60 sec
B-2 Seated DumbbellLateral Raises 3 10 - 12 2 0 X 0 60 sec

(*While seated on the edge of a bench with your torso bent over, raise the dumbbells out to the side, making sure the top two knuckles (the ones closest to your thumb) are in line with your ears at the top of the movement.)

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each "A" exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each "B" exercise and each superset.

Day 5 - Off