The following is a program designed to put on mass in the off-season. This program is the one I will follow for the eight weeks following my October 14 show in New York.
Some of the principles I used to devise this program include (but are not limited to) the following:
1. This is a back to the basics type of program designed to be performed only 3 times per week. You should work on 1 on/1 off/1 on/1 off/1 on/2 off schedule.
2. The program is centered around the "BIG 3", squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. These exercises should be performed with maximum intensity. If after you finish your 5 sets of these exercises, you are totally taxed, call it a day and go home and grow. Put everything you have into these exercises. They are all multi-joint exercises that tax the majority of your musculature and really put a strain on your central nervous system. Perform them well, and you will get big.
3. The program works on a descending repetition and ascending rest interval type of structure. Each week you will decrease your reps. by 1 (on most exercises) and you will increase your rest every other week. This will allow for several things. The first is that the higher reps in the beginning will help you focus on form. As you work through the weeks, your rest increases, but your reps go down, which in turn should allow you to lift heavier.
4. Set weekly goals to increase your weights by 2.5 - 5% on most of your lifts (use 2.5% for the smaller muscle groups and 5% for the larger muscle groups. For example, on deadlifts you might perform 5 X 12 @200 in week 1. Week 2 you do 5 X 11 @ (200 x 1.05) 210,week 3 you do 5X10~(210x1.05) 220,week 4 you do 5X9 @ (220x1.05) 230, week 5 you do 5 X 8 @ (230 x 1.05) 240, week 6 you do 5 X 7 @ (240 x
1.05) 250, week 7 you do 5 X6 @ (250x 1.05) 260, and week 8 you do 5 X6 @ (260x
1.05) 270. OK, so the math isn't perfect, but you get the idea. In 8 weeks you've gone from deadlifting 200 for 5 sets of 12, to 270 for 5 sets of 6. If you follow a similar example for all of your lifts, you will get stronger and bigger everywhere.
Click Here To View The Workout Program!
Good luck with this program, be safe, be smart, and grow! Please contact me if you have any questions at OPT4FIT@OPT4FIT.com.
Other Workouts Of The Month:
January - Dumbell Workout
February - Four Day Split
March - Lower Body Slim-Down/Upper Body Mass Gaining
April - Get Back! Focus on Building Back Size
June - Advanced Program
July - For Advanced Bodybuilders
August - Precontest Program
September - Plateau Buster
October - Mass Gainer
November - Torso/Limbs Split System
December - Holiday Maintenance
More Workout Programs / More Bodybuilding Info / Todd's Competition Day
Todd Opheim
opt4fit@opt4fit.com
Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
Back To Todd Opheim's Main Page
Back To The Articles Main Page.
Related Articles
Going Full Circle: A Realization In Training, Part 4.
Bulking Up - Going From 175 To 200 Pounds In 6 Months!
Layne Norton: 7 Weeks Out!
