If you want to stop spinning your wheels and finally build some muscle, and I mean a lot of muscle, you need to use two training methods: heavy strength training to build muscle density and hardness, and hypertrophy methods that focus on rep volume and intensity techniques.
In the first part of this three-phase program, I outlined the exact workouts I use for the Strength phase. Now let's look at the next 10-day phase: Volume.
To get big, not just strong, you need volume in your training in addition to strength and power exercises. There's going to be a lot of exercise variety with any high-volume training program, and variety is good! Every time I've introduced something new to my training that my body isn't used to, it's had a positive effect on muscle growth and strength.
However, variety doesn't mean "cram as many goofy exercises into one training program as you can." You need a strategic plan. You have to apply volume and variety intelligently, in its own phase.
Here's how you do it:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Lying Hamstring Curl – After the fifth set, keep doing additional sets until you can't do 10 reps | 5 | 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 |
| B | Deadlift | 3 | 12 |
| C | Barbell Lunge (wide stance) | 3 | 12-15 |
| D1 | Standing Hamstring Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| D2 | Stiff-Leg Deadlift | 3 | 12-15 |
| E | Seated Hamstring Curl | 2 | 20 |
| F | Leg Extension | 4 | 20, 15, 12, 12 |
| G | Wide Stance Leg Press | 4 | 25, 20, 15, 12 |
| H | Pendulum Squat/Hack Squat | 3 | 12-15 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Incline Barbell or Dumbbell Press | 4 | 15, 13, 11, 10 |
| B | Low Incline Dumbbell Flye | 3 | 12-15 |
| C | Flat Dumbbell Press | 3 | 12-15 |
| D | Machine Flye | 3 | 12-15 |
| E | Hammer Strength Press (Decline) | 2 | 12-15 |
| F | Machine Dip | 3 | 12-15 |
| G | Cable Straight Bar Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 |
| H | Straight Bar Overhead Extension | 3 | 12-15 |
| I | Close Grip Bench Push-up | 2 | failure |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Neutral Chin-Up | 4 | 12-15 |
| B | Wide Grip Pulldown | 3 | 12-15 |
| C | Low Row, Cable or Hammer | 3 | 12-15 |
| D | One-Arm Reverse Pulldown | 2 | 12-15 |
| E | High Row Hammer | 2 | 12-15 |
| F | Standing EZ Bar Curl – 2 sets close, 2 sets wide | 4 | 12-15 |
| G | Preacher Machine Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| H1 | Concentration Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 2 | 12-15 |
| H2 | Preacher One-Arm Machine | 2 | 12-15 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Reverse Pec Dec | 3 | 15-20 |
| B | Standing Lateral Machine | 3 | 12-15 |
| C | Seated Hammer Press | 4 | 15, 12, 11, 10 |
| D | Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| E | Seated Lateral Machine | 2 | 15-20 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Leg Extension | 5 | 25, 20, 15, 12, 12 |
| B | Pendulum Squat/Hack Squat | 4 | 12-15 |
| C | Narrow Barbell Lunges (Smith) | 4 | 12-15 |
| D | Front Squat | 2-3 | 20-25 |
| E | Hamstring Circuit – Pick 3 different hamstring curl machines and perform a circuit. Do 12-15 per exercise. | 3 | 12-15 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Standing Barbell Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| B | Lying Decline Dumbbell Skullcrusher | 3 | 12-15 |
| C | Standing Hammer Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| D | Rope Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 |
| E | Hammer Preacher Machine | 3 | 12-15 |
| F | Close-grip Decline Bench | 3 | 12-15 |
| G | Dumbbell Concentration Curl | 2-3 | 12-15 |
| H | Overhead Dumbbell Extension | 2-3 | 12-15 |
Enjoy this second phase... if you can. The volume is crazy, so expect a skin-tearing pump. You can also expect to be thoroughly exhausted after each workout. And if you find yourself dreading the never-ending nature of these workouts, don't think things are going to get any easier. The insanity of Phase 3 is yet to come.