Thick, massive, and lean physiques...you've seen them. They are rarely seen in the gym, but these guys do the big lifts...squats, bench, and deadlifts. Not everyone can do these but with my hybrid training, it's very possible. My training is a "pure" power-bodybuilding routine because it crosses bodybuilding with powerlifting. My other hybrid programs online are more advanced than this one. This one just helps to get your ready for the other programs and plus it will show you how hardcore hybrid training can be.
Hybrid training can benefit any powerlifter or bodybuilder that want the physique of both sports. They are out there. I can easily pick out any physique and tell the person used to be in powerlifting. How? Man, their thickness and density is evident. Chuck Sipes, Bill Pearl, Franco Columbu, and Lou Ferrigno are a few example of this. That's why I recommend aspiring bodybuilders to compete in powerlifting first before going to bodybuilding. Because after a few years of training like a powerlifter, your density and thickness will show up. Also, dieting will be easier since more muscle tends to promote more of a fast metabolism. Hybrid training basically combines high reps and light weight with low reps and heavy weight, but it goes a little further than that. Hybrid training is constant and never stays the same. You change the weight, sets, reps, rest periods and exercises every 1-2 weeks. This keeps your body guessing and it never gets used to the workouts which forces it to keep growing and getting stronger.
This power-mass program has two phases and for the sake of this online program, I won't use a lot HIT techinques simply because this is to be a introduction to hybrid training. But don't worry, the routines I set up will be enough. The program will be broken down into three parts. Phase one will be four days-a-week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. You'll be introduced to a new HIT technique called "death sets", which you much called an evolved version of a drop set. Phase two's training will be four-days-a-week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and I'll introduce the "Blast Doubles & Triples". Well, if your ready, let's get into the first phase of the hybrid mass program.
PHASE ONE
Throughout this program, basic Hybrid methods will be used like, drop sets, explosive sets, and rest-pause set. They will be explained below.
Explosive Set
You basically ease it down to the weakest position and then explode to the strongest position.
(i.e. curl down slow and explode back up.)
Rest-Pause Set
This is doing 60-65% of your 1RM and doing a 5 second pause in your weakest position (i.e., when the bar is a inch away from your chest on the bench). Once the 5 seconds are up, you explode up.
Before I introduce the routine here, Let me explain the newest addition to hybrid training---death sets!!
DEATH SETS
This is done after a heavy set like the rest-pause and explosive sets. Difference here is that your dropping 20-30 pounds from your last set and you try to go to failure and drop 20-30 more and do the same. You only do these for two sets with no rest in between.
*NOTE: Be sure to do your warmup sets according to the rep scheme below. We're taking the bench press as an example.
- 135x 12c
- 135x 10
- 185x 6
- 225x 3
- 255x 1
MONDAY (light bench day)
Bench Press 4 sets of 8 reps at 65% of 1RM; 2x explosive-death sets
**Lying Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps; 2x death sets
Barbell Curls : E-Z Curls 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Curls: Straight Bar 1 death set
Standing Behind-the-Neck Press 3 sets of 5 reps; 2 explosive-death sets
TUESDAY
Rack Squats or Full Squats 2 sets of 10 reps then 1 set of 5 reps and 1 sets of 8 reps
**Leg Extensions 4 sets of 10 reps
Lying Leg Curls 5 sets of 10 reps
Two Upper ab exercises only!!
THURSDAY (heavy bench day)
Bench Press
1 set of three reps at 74%:
1 set of three reps at 75%;
1 set of three reps at 84%***;
1 set of three reps at 85%***;
1 set of three reps at 87%***
3 rest-pause death sets (-30 from last heavy set)
NOTE: On week 2, go up on these heavy sets by five pounds!!
Flat-Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets of 15 reps
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets of 15 reps
**Lying Tricep Extensions 3 sets of 6-8 reps; 1 death set
**Pushdowns 2 sets of 20 reps with submaximal weight
**Standing Behind-the-Neck Presses 2 sets of 3 reps; 2 death sets
Two lower ab exercises only
FRIDAY
Alternating Lat Pulldowns 5 sets of 10 reps (alternating front to back)
Cable Rows 4 sets of 10 reps
Rack Deadlifts 3 sets of 8 reps
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Preacher Curls: Straight bar 1 death set
**One-Arm Concentration Curls 1 set of 10-15 reps; 1 death set
SATURDAY
Cardio (users' choice)
**no warm-up sets needed
***use a partner or spotter
As you see, you'll be using a lot of "death sets", but this is the only phase of the power mass program that uses it. As you go further into hybrid training, you'll be using a lot more of other hybrid methods that are worse than death sets. You also see that you'll be using hybrid combinations of rest-pause and explosive with death sets. Well, this is phase one down and two more to go. Next week, I'll discuss the nutrition or should I say...hybrid nutrition that will give the power to increase your strength and size before the summer season. In the meantime, use the "weight-gain" diet on the "Routine & Diet" page or you can focus on keeping your protein up. In two weeks, I'll discuss the second phase of which will be include "Blast Doubles", "Blast Triples", and another new hybrid method..."Countdown" method. Until, next week, get big!!
Curtis D.
Hybrid Training- "Hybrid Training for Maximum Results!!"