Muscle Density Workouts for Incredible Strength
Kinobody is about developing a lean, fit and powerful physique.
I have always found the best way to do so is to use muscle density workouts to get as strong as possible in the gym without adding excess size.
This is the exact approach I use in my best-selling muscle density training program, The Greek God Program.
*Your results may vary. Testimonials and examples used are exceptional results and are not intended to guarantee, promise, represent and/or assure that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.
This is accomplished with lower rep strength training and a strict diet.
I also like to add interval running, boxing, jump rope or recreational sports a couple times per week. This serves to keep my conditioning up and to burn a little extra fat.
How To Build, Increase, and Train For Muscle Density
This workout routine has you lifting 3x per week on non consecutive days alternating between the two muscle density workouts below.
Example – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Two times per week on non lifting days I will do 30-45 minutes of strategic cardio + my core workout routine.
Workout A – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
Bench Press: 3 sets x 3-6 reps
Rear Delts Exercise: 3 sets x 6-10 reps
Elevated Hand Stand Pushups or Shoulder Press: 2-3 sets x 5-8 reps
Skull Crushers: 2-3 sets x 5-8 reps
Workout B – Back, Traps, Biceps
Weighted Chin ups*: 3 sets x 2-6 reps
Dead lifts or Power Cleans: 3 sets x 2-5 reps
Barbell Curls: 3 sets x 3-6 reps
*When doing weighted chin-ups, it’s important that you’re using a high-quality weight belt that can support the weight without distracting you or making you uncomfortable.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iff7Ypt3S0
Above is a video I filmed for fun to display some of my strength feats that I have recently accomplished using my muscle density workout.
It is my hope that this video inspires you to take it to the next level in your fitness/health quest.
Strength Feats Included in Video:
- 315 lbs Bench Press
- One Arm Chin up
- Weighted Dips with 185 lbs
- Weighted Chins with 120 lbs
- Barbell Curls and Skull Crushers with 135 lbs
What Are The Principles Of Training For Muscle Density?
1. Stick To Just Three Strength Training Workout Per Week
A few months ago I switched to 3 strength training workouts per week and I’ve never looked back. My muscle density and strength shot up instantly and has continued to improve ever since. Prior to this I was lifting 4-5x per week.
How could it be that less time in the gym = Better results?
The answer my friend is recovery. Not just muscle recovery but CNS recovery.
You see when you are constantly lifting weight your central nervous system gets fatigued. As a result your body is less effective at recruiting maximal muscle fibers. Allowing a full day of rest in between muscle density workouts keeps you fresh for maximum gains and results.
2. Use Three to Five Exercises per Workout
Forget about doing 8-12 exercises in a single workout!
For best strength gains stick to 3-5 exercises per workout.
Performing too many movements and total volume will burn you out and your last few exercises will be practically useless since your strength will be deteriorated by that point.
3. Do ONly Three Work Sets per Exercise
This strength building routine requires you to do no more then 3 work sets per exercise. Any more then this results in no additional strength gains.
With that being said, if you are looking to pack on extra muscle, 1-2 additional sets can be used to evoke greater hypertrophy (muscle growth).
I always perform my heaviest set first (after 3 build up sets). For my second set I will usually reduce the weight by 10%. My third set I will reduce the weight by another 10%.
This is known as reverse pyramid training and is highly effective especially when recovery capabilities are compromised from a diet.
Example:
Set 1 – 200 lbs x 3
Set 2 180 lbs x 5
Set 3 160 lbs x 8
I perform as many reps as possible for each set without hitting failure. Training to failure teaches you to fail and kills strength gains.
4. Rest Three Minutes Between Sets
I now rest a full 3 minutes between sets for main movements.
Allowing full 3 minute rest periods will allow you to lift heavier and strength gains overtime will be much greater.
5. Focus on the Money Movements
Exercise selection is very important.
My favorite movements are Bench Press, Incline Press, Weighted Dips, Weighted Chin ups*, Power Cleans, Barbell Curls, Skull Crushers, Shoulder Press and Hand Stand Push ups.
I am a big fan of chins, dips and hand stand push ups as these are closed chain exercises (hands are fixed to ground or bar). Closed chain exercises are better for your joints and activate more muscle.
6. Stick to the Same Movements For At-least 4-6 Weeks Before Changing
Muscle confusion is the stupidest principle in the fitness community and is based on zero science whatsoever.
If you keep changing the movements every week your body will never have a chance to get stronger on an any single lift. Muscle confusion exists to sell workout programs and to convince you to keep your personal trainer.
The truth is that the people who make the best gains stick to the same basic workout program for several months.
The people who never make any gains jump from one program to another to another.
7. Bring a Notebook to the Gym to Record Weight/Reps
Every time I made the best gains in the gym I was recording each and every workout.
Trust me this helps big time. Knowing exactly how much you did on an exercise last workout is vital to your success.
Want A Complete Workout Program Designed To Add Dense Muscle Quickly?
Then check out my extremely popular program, The Greek God Program.
We’ve gotten so many testimonials from this dense muscle workout program, of people packing on solid mass while staying lean an shredded.
Will you be our next transformation?
Your Kino Question For The Day: Which of these 7 tips did you find most effective? Why? Let me know in the comments below.
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[…] advantage of boxing is that it increases the strength and density of your bones. Resistance training of all forms, including in boxing, fortifies your bones […]
Everything you say is good and it works but i think i need also a third day as leg day some squats front squats and hamstrjng curls so if i do monday a routine then B routine o wed without deadlifts but with rows and on friday same volume but front squats 3 set then 3 set back squat andbthen 3 set ham curls what do you think?
How do you work in the dips, incline bench, and other variated exercises that target main muscle groups differently? Should I just add the incline to the same day that I have bench, and alternate that with dips for A1 and A2 days? Also, trying to do your recomp diet
sorry if already asked but if i have skinny thighs and need to work them what day should i do them and what exercises?
First of all, great site Greg! Been following your progress since you first posted in rosstraining.
If I were to add db side laterals to the first work out and pistol squats, hamstring curls and calf raises to the 2nd work out, what rep range and sets would recommend?
laterals around 8-15 reps, pistol squats 3-5 reps, hamstring curls 6-10 reps, calf raises 8-15 reps. Sets 2-3
On Chins, where are you placing your hands, wide or narrow and are you using underhand or overhand?
If I’m doing overhand, I go slightly wider than shoulder width. If I’m doing underhand, I’ll go about shoulder width or a tad closer.
Hey Greg,
since I do not want to get my legs any bigger, I personally am opposed to doing deadlifts (assuming they will make my legs grow, if not, correct me please).
Then again I think doing just chins and curls might be too little for one session.
At the same time I am not sure, whether my dips would still progress as well as the 2 previous pushing exercises.
Can I expect this protocol to work, if I put the military press to workout B?
Cheers
If you’re not doing deadlifts you can add some cable rows. Follow the rest of the workout as written.
Hi Greg
I know this is an old-ish post but would appreciate if you could answer anyway? :)
I’ve been dieting /cutting for some months now and really struggled to make any strength increases.
I’ve been doing the following with basically 3×8:
Monday- Chest /Shoulders
Tuesday – Back /Abs
Wednesday – Legs
Thursday – Arms /Abs
Friday – Chest /Shoulders
I know you recommend less workouts than this but please bear in mind that I go to the gym on my lunch hour so I get about 35 miins each day :)
Anyway, I want to continue to cut (currently at 14% BF – 40 years old) but I want my strength to increase.
I am probably doing about 4 chest, back or leg exercises (example: flat db press superset with dumbbell flyes + incline db press superset with incline dumbbell flyes) on any given day but your routine would suggest I am doing way too much volume?
Most people are very reluctant to do ‘less’ than they are doing for fear of going backwards and I am no different but could you suggest what might work for me in my scenario? (Mon – Fri workouts for 35 mins each)
Btw, I’ve also been skipping breakfast for about the last 2 or 3 months which really helps with the fat loss :)
For completeness, I am:
40 years old
152 lbs
5′ 10″
14% BF
Cheers
You’re overdoing it. 1-2 exercises per muscle group. Lift 3 days per week, you’ll get stronger.
Hi Greg
Thanks for the reply, are you really telling me to drop to 3 x 35 minute workouts per week and I will get stronger and also leaner (trying to do both ;-))
Remember that I cannot fit a full body workout with 3 minutes rest between sets as you suggest into 35 minutes…
No don’t do a fully body workout. Break up your body into 2-3 workout days.
Ok, what do you think to this…?
Monday – Flat bench 3 sets RPT, Flat flyes 3 sets RPT, Shoulder press 3 sets RPT, side lateral raises 3 sets x 8 – 10
Tuesday – Cardio or HIIT & Abs
Wednesday – Dual Pulley row 3 sets RPT, chin-ups 3 sets x as many as I can (probably to failure though), Bicep curls 3 sets RPT, Bicep hammer pulley curls 3 X 8 – 10
Thursday – Cardio or HIIT & Abs
Friday – Incline bench 3 sets RPT, Incline flyes 3 sets RPT, Tricep pushdowns 3 sets RPT, Tricep overhead extensions 3 sets RPT
I know there is a lack of leg work in there but I don’t want big legs so happy to get the conditioning on my legs from the cardio days.
I have also tended to finish off each day with a drop set or bodyweight exercise with any remaining time, just to exhaust the muscle and deplete glycogen levels but I think I read in another one of your articles that you should never 1) train to failure and 2) waste your time and energy exhausting the muscle with extra exercises. Interested to know your thoughts on this?
And lastly, as mentioned before I’ve been skipping breakfast for some time now but I do enjoy a cup of tea and tend to have 2 cups of white tea in the morning before I break my fast. I hate coffee and black tea but do you think I might be sabotaging the benefits of the fast by having a couple of splashes of milk? (I like my tea strong)
I wouldn’t do shoulder press after flat flyes. Switch those exercises. And I would do weighted chin ups and start with weighted chin ups and then go into rows. Finishing off with a bodyweight exercise to failure will not do anything for you. If anything, it will interfere with your strength gains.
No, a couple splashes of milk in tea is fine.
Hey Greg,
Awesome website, heaps of great info. Was wondering with the workouts A and B, three days a week training. Do you do for example Mon-A Wed-B Fri-A, nest week Mon-B Wed-A Fri-B, and so on. Is this correct?
Regards Andrew
Yes that’s exactly it!
Hey Greg its a nice Info. I was wondering if i can incorporate Incline Bench press on Workout A so example my first workout is incline Bench press 3sets of 3-6 reps after that it follows the rest in Workout A.
Yeah that could work but I’d drop the sets to 2 and bench press to 2 sets.
Is this type of training going to make my muscles dense and hard because i`ve been doing alot of pumps through 8-12 reps and there really pump up but after an hour there back to normal like soft and round shape. because my goal now is to make it hard or dense
thanks!
Yes definitely! But you’ll also need to maintain a low body fat, that will help a lot with the hardness.
is it alright to use DB on workout A chest instead of BB?
Yes
What about for legs? Do you just squat?
I used to do a lot of squats. I don’t need to anymore. My legs have reached a solid size and I maintain them quite effortlessly. Sprints and pistol squats.
What do I do to build square pecs?
I do dips and fingertip pushups on pushing day and train with bodyweight.
You need to stay at a low body fat and emphasize a lot of incline benching. Fingertip push ups won’t strengthen your chest. The tension is way harder on your hands.
Will pushups with feet elevated work on the upper chest?
What about straight bar dips?
Feet elevated push ups will hit the upper chest harder. I’d recommend doing them weighted if you can do 15+ reps.
What kind of your cardio routines would suit this workout?
You can do any form of cardio on rest days. Just don’t go over 40 minutes of cardio. I like to do 20 minutes of intervals and 20 minutes of walking.
Would you recommend warm up sets for all 4 exercise in this workout? or just 1-2 first exercies.
Just the first 1-2
Would you recommend this routine on a bulk?
Volume is really low, it will work for building muscle but I’d advise eating around maintenance. You won’t need very high calories for this style of training.
On those 3 x 6-10 rear delts. Should i start with 10 reps on the first set or 6 reps?
You can start with 10 reps and take short rest periods and do two more sets of 6-10 reps.
Should i increase the weight when i can do 12 reps on the first set with the same weight i did 10 reps with?
12 reps is really high. I’d recommend increasing the weight when you can do about 8 reps
Hey Greg
Any suggestions on leg exercise that don’t add to much mass to the legs? i would like to train legs on workout b but i would still like to wear slim fit jeans without problem. i think squats and leg presses would add to much mass in that region.
I do pistol squats for 3-5 reps per leg. I avoid training to failure and don’t add any weight to these movements. You can also do jump based movements for 3-6 reps.
Could i add in lateral raises?
Yep.
Would you recommend workout A or B?
or alternate between between rear delt on workout a and laterals each workout?
I really want to build those round shulders. Then Laterals would be importent?
Yeah do a rear delt movement on one workout and a lateral movement on the other workout.
If you’re a beginner would you recommend this workout then to specialization then move to super hero workout?
Yes that would be a very good protocol.
What can I replace deadlift/power clean with? Thank you
Barbell or dumbbell rows for more upperbody emphasis or bulgarian split squats or pistol squats for leg emphasis.
can we do both dumbbell rows and squats?
If I would like to add weight “good weight” (muscle) while doing this routine which diet plan would i follow? Thanks.
No need to follow any specific diet plan. What you should focus on is hitting a slight calorie surplus and getting in sufficient protein. If for example your maintenance is 2500 then you will want to consume about 2800 calories per day. For protein intake aim for 1g per pound of goal bodyweight.
[…] Greg O’Gallagher’s website Kinobody.com – Greg is a fellow blogger who I love to follow. He is also an advocate of Martin Berkhan’s condensed window eating fasting protocol. Greg will help you fill in the gaps when it comes to training (particularly in the fasted state). If you’re interested in learning how to set up your training routine to get the best results from intermittent fasting, check out his sample routine here. […]
Ok cheers
I’ll do that…
I don’t think I’m quite ready for weighted chin-ups yet but not far off. I can do 8,7,6 normal chin-ups…
Keep the great articles coming and thanks for the advice.
Greg,
Good article and I look forward to starting this routine. I just have some questions about this. First is, what exercises out of both A and B should I do the build up/RPT? Second is do I increase the weight each week or how often should I increase it? Thank you very much in advance.
Bench press and chin ups
Would you recommend RPT on the other exercises as well in this routine? Skull-crushers, barbell curls, handstand push ups,
Yah you can do them on all movements.
How much % should be protein and carbs on your first meal and second and last meal? If you want to IF and do Kinobody Recomp Protocol?
Read the build muscle and lose fat article. It will explain how to figure out your macros in grams. Don’t worry about percentages.
Hi Greg,
Can reverse pyramid sets be performed for all exercises listed in the A & B workouts? Or are they to be performed only on bench press, dips and deadlifts?
Thanks.
I use RPT on a lot of exercises. Some isolation movements don’t suit RPT. This includes lateral raises and rear delt flyes.
Hey Greg,
Just a couple of questions after reading through your blog.
First, for pure strength gains, should I do visual impact phase 3 or this routine (RPT)?
Secondly, according to visual impact, I should do my HIIT immediately after my workouts but you commented earlier that if I plan on implementing HIIT into my routine, it should be done on off days. So which set of instructions should I follow?
Finally, according to the report in your newsletter, you said that one should do visual impact backwards. And to gain strength and fat loss, rusty recommended eating at target weight x 8-10. Personally, how did that work for you? Did you manage to gain strength?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Cheers :)
1) Either routine will work. Go with either.
2) You can do HIIT after lifting workouts. I wouldn’t do that for more than 3-4 weeks at a time. It’s rather intense and difficult to recover from especially when dieting.
3) 8-10 calories per pound of goal bodyweight is very low in calories. I was able to manage that when I was heavier (more fat availability). As I got closer to my goal weight I needed to bump up the calories considerably. 10-12 calories per pound of goal bodyweight.
What would the percentages of the three build up sets be in relation to the heaviest work set?
Example:
Build-Up 1: 100 (50%)
Build-Up 2: 130 (65%)
Build-Up 3: 160 (80%)
Work Set 1: 200
Work Set 2: 180
Work Set 3: 160
What would you recommend?
I recommend
60% for 5
75% for 3
90% for 1-2
Hey, a question on dip. Do you go all the way down (triceps less than parallel) or just at parallel?
Thanks Greg!
I prefer to just go to parallel on dips. I find it hard on my shoulders if I go below parallel.
So Greg is this your staple workout??? And how do you feel about the wide grip floor press substituted for the bench press since I just have a barbell and chairs??
This is a very close to what I do year round. With that said I do make tweaks and changes to my routine every 1-2 months. I do this to keep challenging myself and to keep progress coming along when results slow down.
I wouldn’t make floor press the foundation of your chest movement. You’re only doing about half the range of motion. I would try and get access to a bench. Incline bench press is probably one of my favorite exercises and works the chest very well.
So what other exercises would be foundaton exercises that you would recommend for a staple chest exercise with limited equipment? Besides pushups. Lol
Incline Barbell Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Weighted Dips.
Can I add squats to one of the workouts just to increase leg strength. I don’t want to set aside a leg day because I want to really focus on upper body and already have some big legs, so don’t want high volume to grow them you know. Thanks Greg.
Yah. I would add them to workout B.
Hi
I have started a strength gaining program and im trying to fing a goo tricep exercise ? i tried the close grip bench press and im not really a fan ! What exercise would you recommend for tricep strength and density ?
Thanks again
Skull crushers and rope extensions are my favourites.
Hey greg, what is actually your workout program for bulking or to build muscle? Can you mention it in detail? Is it reverse pyramid training is the best for growth muscle? Sorry for my bad english.
Good question! I like a mix of low volume, heavy lifting (reverse pyramid style) and volume work, 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps. I might start a major muscle group off with 1-2 compound lifts for strength and finish off with 1-2 exercises for higher reps with short rest. When my goal is building muscle i’ll keep my strength work in the 4-6 rep range instead of the 3-5 rep range.
Are splits or full body better for beginners
For beginners full bodies work pretty well. If you are a beginner and going to do a split I would make it a 2 day split.
Will an hour of tae kwon do 3 times a week on offdays interfere
with recovery if I am trying to gain strength and muscle?
Nope that is a great workout to do on your off days. Will keep you limber and quick to better utilize your strength gains.
Thanks Greg,
I think I will start with this routine then. However, I play basketball and want
to increase my vertical and speed, so are there are any leg
exercises other than squat you would recommend for strong
and explosive, but not bigger legs.
I have found olympic lifts like hang cleans and shoulder width grip barbell snatches to have awesome carry over to jumping. These will build power in your legs without size. Aside from that practicing jumping will have the most profound effect on your vert.
How does this workout compare to something like stronglifts or starting strength for a skinny teen athlete with big legs? If I use the same progressive overload principles (5 pounds added every workout), will I get similar strength and size gains on my upper body?
This program is geared towards building muscle and strength mostly on the upper body. If you don’t want to get bigger legs than steer the hell away from starting strength.
2.5 lbs every workout on upper body lifts is a good gain. 5 lbs is too much to consistently increase.
That makes sense. I was looking through your other posts and the visual impact system. I actually probably shouldn’t get my legs too much bigger myself. My ass is usually bigger than the girls that I date.
Awesome site, I especially like your section on fasting. I’ve been reading a lot on nutrition and overall general health. Going to try and implement your style with a lot of vegetables like kale to get that GQ look and also be as healthy as possible.
Keep up the good work. There is so much random and conflicting information about nutrition and bodybuilding out there, it is good to be able to read advice from someone who shows that he has attained the body himself.
What about squats?
@TJ
I don’t do squats anymore. I have built my legs up enough and no longer want them any bigger. If you want to add size to your legs you can include squats.
Hi Greg.
Just wondering are you still doing this workout routine? Do you train legs and ever do any other exercises or just the ones you have listed?
@George
I am doing something similar to this routine. I just cut the volume down a little bit since I am doing Visual Impact Cardio.
Ihave just finished phase 2 of VI muscle building and am about to move on to phase 3 , but i havent gained musch body fat during the program and am still sitting around 7-8 % BF so i dont really want to loose much more weight/ bodyfat so was wondering do you still get really dense muscle if you eat a maintinace diet to maintain my current condition and follow the program as layed out or do you have to be dropping bodyfat to get the results Rustys talks about in phase 3 ?
Best Regards
Dan
@Dan
If you’re at a very low body fat then you won’t need to lose more fat. Increase your strength and your muscle density will improve.
Greg, dude … those are some impressive numbers for sure!
Of course the 300+ bench is cool, but the dips and pull ups are pretty dang awesome. You don’t see numbers like that as much as you see high bench presses … plus those are more of a “real-life” exercise, although, the bench really is a staple and does have functional value for sure.
-Kevin
Hey Greg,
Quick question….I recently purchased Visual Impact and I am looking to gain that “Hollywood” physique. My problem? I can’t lift sh**t. People have told me I should gain some strength with a workout similar to Starting Strength before I start on a demanding routine like VI. I’ve looked at Starting Strength and found this one on your site. My question: Would you reccomend doing this routine for a while to build some base strength before doing VI, or would it be okay to start right away with VI? Thank you in advance for your help.
Josh
@Josh
You may just want to start with Visual Impact. The high reps are good for beginners because they will hone your technique and improve muscle memory.
Great program… I am wondering, do you wait 3 minutes in between and after your warm up sets also? And for the warm up sets do you only do 3-6 reps even though the weight is nonchallenging. OR do you use weight that is not too far away from your worksets (otherwise known as pyramid method)?
@John K.
For warm up sets I rest as long as needed (usually 2 minutes). I only perform 3-6 reps for warm up sets because I am not fatiguing myself. I just want to practice with lighter weights before I get to the big weights.
Hey, great article. I just came across it and am VERY interested in trying your method. I am a hardgainer..fast metabolism.. and I am trying to put on more size as well as become stronger. I am 5’11 and 155lbs, have been going to the gym regularly, gained 15 lbs of muscle so far doing the usual method 4x/week workouts 8-12 reps, 8-10 exercises per workout. But now ive been stuck at this weight for about a year. Im 22. I am in shape with about 10% body fat and strong relative to my size (ex. bench press 200-220x 6 reps for my heaviest set).
So I am just wondering if I would benefit from this routine, or what can i implement in addition to this routine in order to help achieve my goals. My goal is to be around 175-180lbs and around 10% body fat within the next year or two. Thanks.
I’m cursed with chicken legs, would you recommend adding squats to workout B? We’re talking twigs here…
@Anthony
You can add a workout c where you would train legs. Ex: squats, lunges and calf raises.
You would still workout 3x per week but you would alternate between 3 workouts instead of 2.
Hi, Great blog. I am trying to harden up without putting on weight and I am using your program above, doing the low-end of the recomended reps, doing cardio 2-3 times per week on non-lifting days, and following a low-calorie diet. Some questions about your program:
1) Do you do warm-up sets before each lift or just the first lift? Do you take the full 3 minute rest on warm-up sets?
2) Do you try to increase the weight on each lift every week? I know it differs based on experience and starting strength, but should I be shooting to have more weight on the bar each time I repeat a given workout even if I’m not putting on weight?
Thanks and keep posting I think you have some great stuff here.
@Andrew
1. I will do one or two warm up sets for the lifts after my first lift. I take 2-3 minutes between warm up sets.
2. I try and increase the weight every week if I am maintaining or increasing my weight. If I am cutting then I try and maintain my current level of strength.
How much slower is the pace of muscle gain??
If I want to gain weight with this program, should I shorten rest times to 1-2 minutes?? Because I thought longer rest periods only build strength, but not muscle.
@Gary
Stick with the long rest periods. You will definitely add muscle from myofibrillar hypertrophy, it will just come at a slower rate.
What’s a good lifting cadence for building muscle with this routine??
@Gary
I’ve had the best results not fixating on tempo. I like to explode on the way up and lower smoothly.
Actually doing high intensity cardio in my current program wondering if I should do low intensity…
Thanks
Greg ,
Thanks for the great posts, it is both extremely informative and motivational. Have a quick question not sure if it has been answered yet. Ive been following a the visual impact regimen (just finishing up phase two)…during the first phase my diet was mediocre at best but over the last month have been following the lean gains approach. You said you only do cardio on rest days, where as now I’m doing low intensity interval cardio on every strength training day, about 12-15 min on a 2 day split. Is it possible I’m doing too much cardio? Do you suggest to do 2 high intensity days instead of 4-5 lowintensity days?
Thanks Greg!
Thom
@Thom
If you are going to do cardio after strength training I like to limit it to 30 minutes maximum and keep it low intensity. On non lifting days you can do 15 minutes of intervals first followed by 30 minutes of low intensity.
Impressive strength!
I’ve been spending quite some time developing bodyweight skills/strength. Cause I find this suits my karate training better. stuff like one arm pushups, front levers, planche progressions and pistols, etc. But now I have excess to the university gym and want to do a weighttraining cycle.
My question is, if I am looking for some hypertrophy combined with strenght would I decrease the weights with 10% again for sets 4 and 5? Or would it be better to work in a 8-12rep range for 3 sets?
I am not looking to add much more muscle just upgrade my physique a little, I am fairly lean, but my lowerbody and waist have always been a little wider.
Thanks in advance, love the site!
-Sjoerd
Greg-
Great job on the awesome strength feats documented in your video (and Avicci is sick). I was wondering if this workout that you provided is all you do in terms of lifting, or if you alternate between this and a muscle building routine geared towards hypertrophy. If you do alternate, how often?
Thanks,
Ryan
@Ryan
This is what I do mostly. I have built up a decent amount of muscle so I am not looking to add much more. That’s why I stick with the low volume training. Every once in a while I will throw in high volume training (visual impact phase 1 style) to mix it up and get the shrink wrap look.
Whats a dumbbell alternative to close grip bench press? Also whats
a good dumbbell rear delts exercise? Finally, can this workout be used to
build some mass for a novice lifter
Thanks,
Omar
@Omar
Yes this workout can help you build mass as a beginner. You just need to be gradually increasing the weights over time and eating enough calories (especially in the post workout window). You can perform Dumbbell Flat Presses and bent over dumbbell flyes.
Can this also work well on fat loss? like if i would train like this
monday= HIIT + Cardio + Boxing
tuesday= Full body workout
wednesday= HIIT + Cardio + Squash
thrusday=Full body workout
friday= HIIT + Cardio + Squash
Saturday= Working 9 hours (Physically verry active, so it counts as cardio )
Sunday=Full body workout
would this be a nice fatt burning workout program wich would give good results? with proper diet ofc.
and i still find it weird that you can build muscle while doing small amounts of exercises per musclegroup :s
thanks
@Onur.
Seems like way too much volume. You don’t need to train that much for fat loss. Just eat a lot less. Cut out 1 of the cardio workouts.
Great article and video!
I am looking forward to your upcoming articles:-)
Do you have an idea when your cardio and nutrition articles will be published?
@Espen
By next week hopefully. I was debating doing a video for the cardio workout but i’ll see. If I end up deciding to do a video it will take much longer.
Did this workout also improve your physique? or just your strenght? if i also wanted to build muscle would this be a good workout routine to fallow?
I Have another question. I want to include incline bench to the Workout A. How many sets and reps?
Ok, thanks a ton for the advice!
I had a couple questions. I remember reading in one of your other articles that you said you owed the majority of your back development to chin-ups and pull-ups. However, I always thought that it was important to include horizontal back exercises in your workouts as well. How can just doing chins and pull-ups, as important as they are, be enough?
Also, I’ve been focusing a lot on forearm training lately and want to use hammer curls or incline hammer curls in my workout. What sets and reps would you recommend for that to get stronger without undergoing a lot of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy? And will hammer curls work my biceps enough, particularly as long as I do weighted chins as well?
@Christopher
Drop your horizontal rows and focus on improving your strength in chin ups. Build up to 5 reps with 50% of your body weight attached. I guarantee your back will be noticeably more developed.
Hammer curls and chins is enough for your biceps. I’d do 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps per set with at-least 2 minutes rest between sets.
So do you do for example 200 x3 then 180 x 6 then 160 x 8 and your done with bench or does that only count as one set then you do it two more times??
That’s 3 sets. Make sure to rest 2-3 minutes between those sets.
Dude, Greg. The video you have made to go along with this article is astounding! It’s totally inspirational. In fact, whenever I’m down about my diet and workout plan or need help, I turn on my computer and watch this! Thanks a lot Greg for all the help :)
what is the ideal bodyfat percentage for that male model look i am 14% thanks
@James
For the male model look you need to be pretty lean and slim. Probably 8-10% bodyfat.
Sick strength! 315 looked like a piece of cake for you.
I always advocate going heavy with the basic compound movements. Just go in, lift and leave; no need to spend hours doing high volume ‘pump’ workouts. I see you are taking care of your wheels with strategic cardio?
Awesome! Thanks for all your workout wisdom dude! Going to be trying this the next few months before summer!
@greg
“bench press:
first build up set 40 lbs x3, second build up set 120 lbs x 3, third build up set 180 lbs x 3 and then like you said, the dropsets, set 1 – 200 lbs x 3, set 2 180 lbs x 5, set 3 160 lbs x 8”
so the total sets are 6, 3 build up sets + 3 dropsets, is that right?
sorry i have really bad english, little bit hard to understand your explanation
thank you greg
@wibikurus
Yes. That’s the right idea. However I wouldn’t call them drop sets because you should be resting in between the sets.
On Workout A, what is the “Rear Delts Exercise”?
You can do any rear delt exercise of your choice. I usually opt for Bent over flyes or face pulls.
@Greg you bench more than Blake Griffin but he is tall so I guess that may put him at a disadvantage. I think he’s like 250 pounds.
on this article https://kinobody.com/262/best-workout-for-chest-part-1/
you said to split between those three exercises, but now, you recommend to stick on the same movement for 4-6 weeks. my question is, which one is better for hardgainer like me to put mass on chest and also become stronger?
“I always perform my heaviest set first (after 3 build up sets)”, what’s the meaning of build up sets? do you increase the weight you lift on the first 3 sets and then work on drop sets?
on the example above, “set 1 – 200 lbs x 3, set 2 180 lbs x 5, set 3 160 lbs x 8”, doing 8 repetition on the set 3, but some exercise on your workout have maximum 6 reps, little bit confuse about that.
thank you Greg
you wrote amazing article!
@wibikurus
I wouldn’t compare this article to the chest specialization workouts. However even with the chest specialized training you are still performing each exercise every single week. There is just more variety with the movements since you are trying to bring up a stubborn muscle group.
Build up sets are warm up sets. Just make sure to keep the reps low on build up sets around 3-6 reps to avoid fatigue.
Lastly the rep range in the workout is more for the first two sets. The last set you can reduce the weight and increase the reps slightly if you’re doing the reverse pyramid training.
Sounds like the LeanGains protocol.