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Man with a Plan, Part II
How to Design a Training Program

By Mike Robertson
First published at www.johnberardi.com, Oct 20 2003.

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The Program

Hopefully, after the first article, you have taken the time to thoroughly evaluate your training or physique status. I hope you have also taken the steps to determine your weaknesses, goals, and an action plan to help you achieve your goals. Now is the time to start molding your own INDIVIDUAL program to help you achieve your goals!

Laying out the weekly schedule

This is fairly easy. You need to decide how many times per week you want to train, as well as on what days you want to train. Be realistic and don’t set yourself up for failure: Saying you’ll make it to the gym 3x a week and accomplishing this goes a lot further to promoting a positive image than saying you’ll make it 5x a week, then only really training 3.

3x/week: M-W-F, T-Th-S, etc.

If you are only training 3 days per week, you should always strive to have at least one day of rest in between. If this simply can’t happen, the two workouts that go back-to-back (e.g. Sat-Sun), should emphasize different muscle groups or exercises (e.g. low body Saturday, upper body Sunday).

4x/week: M-T-Th-F, M-W-F-S, T-Th-Sa-Su etc.

This layout allows the more serious trainer time to specialize, as well as increase training volume and intensity. You can only work out so long before the quality of your workouts is decreased. By increasing the number of workouts per week, you can hit more exercises per week with greater intensity. I liked the M-T-Th-F option when I was in school because it left my weekends free, while still getting in 4 training days per week. Now that I’m in the working world, I like the third option a little better because I have more energy on the weekends to focus towards my training.

Sets & Reps

Before I get too far into this one, a brief definition of volume and intensity are necessary. Volume is essentially the number of lifts you do for an exercise. So if you do 3 sets of 8 repetitions, your volume is 24 (3x8) repetitions. Intensity is usually referred to as a percentage of your 1-RM. So, if your max bench press is 200 pounds and you are training with 150, you are training at 75% of your 1-RM. We could delve much deeper into these definitions, but let’s keep it simple for now!

Everyone I talk to about training wants to know what set and rep scheme is best. 3x10, 5x5, 4x8, 3x3, 10x3, they all serve a purpose at a specific point in your training. The key with sets and reps is to use the right scheme at the right time. Below I will give you some ideas of what set and rep schemes to use for different goals, but remember: This isn’t a magic pill! Just by using the right set and rep scheme means nothing if you don’t train hard, eat right, and recover properly!

Hypertrophy
3-5 sets
8-12 reps

Basic Strength
4-5 sets
3-6 reps

Strength & Power
4-10 sets
1-6 reps

This wasn’t derived from some table or book, this is again based off of basic training knowledge. It should also be stated that there are exceptions to all the numbers I just listed above. For example, advanced trainers may never go over 5 repetitions but they see great gains in hypertrophy and muscle size. This is especially true with Elite level powerlifters or Olympic weightlifters.

Also note that just because you use one set and rep scheme for a primary exercise, you don’t have to continue that scheme throughout the rest of your program. For example, if you want to increase your bench, you may use a 5x5 routine to bench, but a 3x8 or 4x6 routine to increase your triceps strength and hypertrophy. Figure out what works best for you and use it. I’m hoping I haven’t thoroughly confused you, but often times people put too much effort into designing the perfect program, and then zero effort when it comes to the actual training. Basically after you’ve decided your goals, choose a set-rep scheme that will help you to achieve those goals and that works best for you.

Since I wanted to improve my squats, I needed a fairly high volume of work, but I also wanted to keep the intensity high. Excessive, non-functional hypertrophy is not a good thing for a competitive powerlifter! I know that a 5x5 rep scheme keeps the volume per set low, while still allowing me to train at a high intensity. This is the set-rep scheme I decided to use for my primary exercise.

Rest Periods

Monitoring rest periods is an excellent way to promote optimal levels of GH and testosterone during your workouts. Unless you are going extremely heavy, I would recommend 2-3 minute rest periods for your primary exercise, and then 90-120 seconds rest for assistance exercises. Prehab and ancillary exercises can be performed with 60 seconds rest.

Exercises: The harder the better

The basic barbell and dumbbell seems to have gotten lost in this day and age of cutting-edge machines, physioballs, Ab rollers, etc. Here’s a secret: The best thing you can do in the gym is use basic, nuts-and-bolts free weight exercises if you want to improve your strength and physique levels! I have provided a list below of some staple exercises for each body-part:

Chest
Flat Bench
Incline
Decline

Back
Pull-ups
Bent-Over Rows

Quads
Squats
Front Squats
Lunges

Hamstrings
Deadlifts
RDL’s
Glute-Ham Raises

Shoulders
Military Press
Bradford Press
Push Jerk

Biceps
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls

Triceps
Narrow Grip Bench
Dips

Calves
Standing Calf Raise
Seated Calf Raise

We aren’t talking rocket science or quantum mechanics here. These are the basics that are guaranteed to make your body grow! Free weights incorporate more muscles, make the body work as a unit, and bring stabilizers and smaller muscle groups into play that are often lost when you use machines. If you want to look better, get stronger, etc., start moving the heavy iron to kick start some progress!

For a complete listing of possible exercises, as well as exercise tips, downloadable images and video clips, go to www.bsu.edu/webapps/strengthlab. This is a thorough database of exercises that myself, Dr. Robert Newton and Justin Cecil created while completing my Masters work.

Priority is key!

Now that you have determined what days you are going to work out and what set-rep schemes you will be using, you need to examine your goals and weaknesses and plan accordingly. For example, I wanted my squat to go up, so it was prioritized by putting it first in my training week, as well as placing it after a day of rest. Here’s how I laid out my workouts:

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5

Sunday
Speed Bench, 9x3

This isn’t the Weider priority principle at work here, this is common sense. Start your training week off with the hardest exercises or the ones you want to improve on.

Exercise #2

Here is the problem…when most people focus on one exercise or body part, they totally forget about the surrounding or opposing musculature. How many people have you seen at the gyms working out ferociously on bench presses on Monday, but then they either skip their back work or bury it at the end of their workouts? Muscle balance is key, and that’s why you should always put a balancing exercise after your main exercise or perform it first on a separate day.

You can choose two ways to balance your workouts. The first example trains opposing muscle groups on the same day, back-to-back, in a superset fashion:

Option 1. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Same Day)

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
Pull-ups, 4x8

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8

Sunday
Speed Bench, 9x3
T-Bar Rows, 4x6

This second option is a more traditional method that “blasts” the prime mover at the beginning of the workout, then trains the opposing musculature later on.

Option 2. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Different Days)

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
DB Bench, 4x8

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10

Sunday
T-Bar Rows, 4x6
Pullups, 4x8

You will see that both squats and lunges really hit the quads hard. Following these exercises on Tuesday, we would add in some assistance hamstring work. But, by always prioritizing quads, we would eventually see muscle imbalances. Therefore, Saturday’s workout starts off with two heavy hamstring exercises, and then would be followed by some quadriceps assistance exercises. By continually balancing your workouts, you promote muscular balance and a healthy body.

Exercise #3

Now, depending on which option you chose for Exercise #2, follow it the rest of the way to see how your program will finish up.

Option #1. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Same Day)

It’s time to add more power to our workout. We have hit our primary exercise as well as one to balance our workouts, so now it’s time to finish off the prime movers. Insert another exercise that really taxes the prime mover, but in a different way than the primary exercise. Remember, the harder the exercise and more specific to your goals, the better! In Russia, some powerlifters trying to improve their squat will squat first thing on Monday, then bench, and then SQUAT AGAIN THAT SAME DAY! However, I wouldn’t suggest this for the average trainee. Choose an exercise that works the same muscle groups but in a different fashion.

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10
Step-ups, 3x8

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
Pull-ups, 4x8
Narrow-Grip Bench, 10-8-6

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8
Good Mornings, 3x5

Sunday
Speed Bench, 9x3
T-Bar Rows, 4x6
Bradford Press, 3x12

Option 2. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Different Days)

Now that we have thoroughly taxed the prime movers, it’s time to balance today’s workout with some assistance exercises.

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8
Good Mornings, 3x5

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
DB Bench, 4x8
Bradford Press, 3x12

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10
Step-ups, 3x8

Sunday
Speed Bench, 9x3
Pull-ups, 4x8
Speed Bench, 9x3

This set-up doesn’t look ideal because powerlifters nearly always train bench first on upper body days since it’s a competitive lift. In this case, it’s hard to keep balance because pressing movements tend to dominate over pulling movements. But, for the sake of brevity and to better explain our purpose, we will keep the template as is for now.

Exercise #4 and Beyond

I’m going to finish the programs here, then explain later. Take a look to see how I’ve finished the routines, then I’ll explain how to finish out your routine.

Option #1. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Same Day)

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10
Step-ups, 3x8
GHR, 4x6
Back Extension, 4x10
Calf Work, 3x40 sec.

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
Pull-ups, 4x8
Narrow-Grip Bench, 10-8-6
Barbell Curls, 3x6
Shoulder Horn, 3x12
Ab Work, 3x8

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8
Good Mornings, 3x5
Bulgarian Squats, 4x6
Reverse Hypers, 2x15
Forearms, 3x12

Sunday
Speed Bench, 9x3
T-Bar Rows, 4x6
Bradford Press, 3x12
Throatcrushers, 4x8
DB Curls, 3x8
Shoulder Circuit, 2x8

The fourth exercise is basically the “balance” to exercise #3. Nothing too exciting there, we are just trying to further promote muscle balance. Exercise #5 is what I consider “prehab” work: In essence, do it now while you are healthy, or you may be doing it later as a “rehab” exercise. These help promote overall strength and integrity of the body. The last exercise(s) are usually ancillary work such as abs, calves, forearms, etc. Basically, any muscle group or exercise that you don’t need to prioritize but still need to work can be done at this time.

Option 2. Antagonist Muscle Pairing (Different Days)

Tuesday
Squat, 5x5
Lunges, 3x8
Good Mornings, 3x5
GHR, 4x6
Back Extension, 4x10
Calf Work, 3x 40 sec.

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to heavy triples
DB Bench, 4x8
Bradford Press, 3x12
Throatcrushers, 4x8
Barbell Curls, 3x6
Shoulder Horn, 3x12
Ab Work, 3x8

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x5
RDL’s, 3x10
Step-ups, 3x8
Bulgarian Squats, 4x6
Reverse Hypers, 2x15
Forearms, 3x12

Sunday
T-Bar Rows, 4x6
Pull-ups, 4x8
Speed Bench, 9x3
Narrow-grip bench, 10-8-6
DB Curls, 3x8
Shoulder Circuit, 2x8

This last option is very similar to the previous one. The fourth exercise is the only exception, in that it is basically a “compliment” to exercise #3. Exercise #5 is still prehab, and everything after that is ancillary or further prehab work.

Please note that since this is a powerlifting specific program, we can’t balance everything out exactly as we would like to. The goal here is to do some damage control, and to try and prevent muscular imbalances as best as possible.

Week-by-Week Improvements

Going to the gym is always more fun when you are seeing improvements in your strength and physique. Now that we have our training plan mapped out, let’s examine how we set-up the training program to see continued success!

The first week of training should be moderately hard, but no exercises should be to failure and you shouldn’t miss any reps. Basically, we are setting ourselves up for continued success. In Week 2, we should strive to add 5-10 pounds on most low body exercises, and 2.5-5 pounds on most upper body exercises. This week will be tougher, but your body will be better prepared to deal with the individual workouts since you’ve already been through it once before. Week 3 is the gut-buster, again going up in weight on all exercises. On this day if you can’t complete the required reps, take one rep off each exercise per set. However, if possible, try to maintain the same volume while increasing the intensity. Also, if you are going to train to failure, this is the week to do it. Keep in mind that failure is not a goal, but we are going to put everything we have into every set, every rep, and every exercise. This week will be the hardest of the cycle, but get through it and you’ll be rewarded next week!

Short Circuit

Here is where most weight trainers go wrong: They see great gains for a few weeks, but then instead of giving their body a break, they keep trying to increase the volume, intensity, etc., until they hit a wall. To make matters worse, they keep beating their head against the wall until they get injured or just stop coming to the gym. The fourth week of our cycle is what I call a “short circuit.” It’s a short circuit because human nature seems to state that if a little is good, a lot is even better. To prevent human nature from taking over, we’re going to greatly reduce the volume, while slightly reducing the intensity. This break allows our body time to recuperate and heal itself, as well as getting it ready for the next training cycle. Using Option #1 from before, here’s what a “short circuit” or “unload” week may look like:

Tuesday
Squat, 5x3
RDL’s, 3x6
Step-ups, 2x8
GHR, 3x6
Back Extension, 2x10
Calf Work, 2x40 sec.

Thursday
Max Effort Bench, Work up to light triple
Pull-ups, 3x6
Narrow-Grip Bench, 6-4-4
Barbell Curls, 3x5
Shoulder Horn, 3x8
Ab Work, 2x8

Saturday
Deadlift, 5x3
Lunges, 2x6
Good Mornings, 2x5
Bulgarian Squats, 3x5
Reverse Hypers, 2x12
Forearms, 2x10

Sunday
Speed Bench, 5x3
T-Bar Rows, 3x6
Bradford Press, 3x8
Throatcrushers, 3x6
DB Curls, 3x5
Shoulder Circuit, 2x6

A general and easy rule to follow is to cut the volume on all exercises by approximately 40%, while using the weights you used in Week 2. This week is absolutely necessary, because it helps aid in physical AND mental recovery. This “step” method is one of the easiest forms of periodization you can use, and can really help you see continued success in the weight room. Below is a visual idea of how the step method works:

After the week 4 unload, week 5 would start where week 3 left off. At the start of your week 5 cycle, you can re-evaluate your training, add or subtract exercises, etc. Remember, you know your body best, so if things aren’t going as planned, scrap it and start over. Nobody said the first time would be perfect, but if you are always trying new things and paying attention to your body, eventually you will find out exactly what your body needs to achieve new levels of greatness!

Training Cycle Completion & Wrap-Up

This article should give you the necessary keys to writing your first training cycle. Granted, there are some simplifications here and I really haven’t scratched the surface of everything you can do, but for the average trainee this should greatly help you hone in on your individual strength and physique goals. In the last installment of my articles, I will go through each specific type of trainee (bodybuilder, powerlifter, athlete, etc.) and give them ideas of how to set-up their training!

Next time, I’ll be providing a few more strategies for program design and will provide a general template for each option to help you map out your training cycle. Come on back now, y’hear.

Mike Robertson, M.S., C.S.C.S., is the Director of the Athletic Performance Center (APC) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The APC offers sport performance training, injury rehabilitation, and personal training to its clients. Mike received his Masters in Sports Biomechanics from the Human Performance Lab at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Mike has been a competitive powerlifter for the last 2.5 years, and is the USAPL Indiana State Chair. To contact Mike, please send an e-mail to mikerob022@yahoo.com.