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Workout Summary
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The last few months have been great for many of us in the iron game.
We’ve upped the calories as well as the weights and the result has been new found mass and power.
I hope you’ve had fun with that but now spring is here which means summer isn’t far behind.
The jackets go away and the tank tops come out to play.
So now our focus needs to be on taking that foundation we’ve built since Thanksgiving and sculpting it out so come June we can reveal our ultimate physique.
You ready for this eight week program? I thought so. Let’s go.
Weight Training
While you might not be using the extra plates and bigger dumbbells like you were during your bulk, you will still be going heavy and upping the intensity. This five day split won’t be a traditional program. You’re going to push yourself in a variety of ways to develop that muscle while etching out the detail that you need to create that shredded look.
Related: Tank Top Workout - 4 Day Muscle Building Split
This means supersets, forced reps, drop sets, holds, and rest-pause training. For those of you that need to know:
Supersets: 2 exercises performed back to back without rest.
Forced Reps: Having a partner or spotter help you lift the weight while you lower it yourself under control.
Drop Sets: Upon failure, reduce the weight you’re using and continue your set until you reach your desired rep range or failure.
Holds: Upon completing the set, you hold the weight with muscles contracted until failure.
Rest-Pause Set: Upon failure, rest for 10-15 seconds and continue your set until you reach failure again or reach your desired rep range.
Outside of your warm-up sets, there isn’t a single straight set in this program. This not only increases the intensity to help bring out the best in your muscles, it also will help you burn more calories.
This is an eight week program. The rest periods change over the course of the eight weeks. This means every time you step in the gym, you’re going to have to bring it because the rest time will gradually decrease.
- Weeks 1 and 2 – 2 minutes rest between sets.
- Weeks 3 and 4 – 90 seconds rest between sets.
- Weeks 5 and 6 – 60 seconds rest between sets.
- Weeks 7 and 8 – 45 seconds rest between sets.
Day 1: Chest & Abs
| Exercise | Warm up Sets | Work Sets | Intensity Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Incline Barbell Bench Press | 2x8-10 | 3x10 | 2-3 forced reps |
| 2. Dumbbell Fly | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | Drop sets |
| 3. Weighted Dip | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | Rest-pause |
| 4. Pec-Deck | 1x10 | 3x12 | Holds on last rep |
| 5a. Cable Crossover | - | 3x12 | Superset |
| 5b. Pushup | - | 3x12 | - |
| 6. Hanging Leg Raise | - | 3x12 | Holds on last rep |
| 7a. Decline Situp | - | 3x15 | Superset |
| 7b. Side Bends | - | 3x15 | - |
| 8. Plank | - | 3xfailure | - |
| 9. Rope Crunch | - | 3x15 | Drop sets |
Day 2: Back
| Exercise | Warm up Sets | Work Sets | Intensity Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Neutral Grip Pullups | 2x8-10 | 3xfailure | Rest-pause |
| 2. Bent Over Barbell Row | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | Holds on last rep |
| 3a. Reverse Grip Pulldown | 1x10 | 3x8-10 | Superset |
| 3b. Straight Arm Pulldown | 1x10 | 3x8-10 | - |
| 4. Wide Grip Seated Row | 1x10 | 3x12 | 2-3 forced reps |
| 5. Rack Deadlift | 1x10 | 3x15 | Drop sets |
Day 3: Shoulders
| Exercise | Warm up Sets | Work Sets | Intensity Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a. Upright Row | 1x10 | 3x10 | Superset |
| 1b. Seated Lateral Raise | 1x10 | 3x10 | - |
| 2. Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | Drop sets |
| 3. Front Plate Raise | 1x10 | 3x12 | 2-3 forced reps |
| 4. High Rope Face Pull | 1x10 | 3x12 | Rest-pause |
Day 4: Arms
| Exercise | Warm up Sets | Work Sets | Intensity Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. EZ Bar Preacher Curl | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | 2-3 forced reps |
| 2. Close Grip Bench Press | 1x10 | 3x10-12 | Rest-pause |
| 3. Hammer Curl | 1x10 | 3x12 | Drop sets |
| 4. Overhead Rope Extension | 1x10 | 3x12 | Holds on last rep |
| 5a. Standing Cable Curl | 1x10 | 3x15 | Superset |
| 5b. Reverse Grip Pushdown | 1x10 | 3x15 | - |
Day 5: Legs
| Exercise | Warm up Sets | Work Sets | Intensity Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Squat | 1x10 | 3x8-10 | Rest-pause |
| 2. Leg Press | 1x15 | 3x15 | Drop sets |
| 3. Single Leg Extension | 1x15 | 3x15 | Holds on last rep |
| 4a. Stiff-Legged Deadlift | 1x15 | 3x15 | Superset |
| 4b. Seated Leg Curl | 1x15 | 3x15 | - |
| 5. Lying Leg Curl | 1x15 | 3x15 | Forced reps |
| 6a. Standing Calf Raise | 1x20 | 3x20 | Superset |
| 6b. Seated Calf Raise | 1x20 | 3x20 | - |
Cardio
Cardio will be performed High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT Style) for 20 total minutes. If possible, perform your cardio separate but if you must do it when training, do it post-weight training when glycogen storages are depleted.
Related: Fast Shred Program - 4 Day Compound Set Workout Split
Here’s your format for HIIT:
- 2 minute warm-up
- 30 seconds all-out effort followed by 90 seconds low-moderate effort.
- Repeat for a total of 8 rounds.
- 2 minute cool down.
You can do any form of cardio you like but my personal recommendations are elliptical, walking/sprinting, and boxing/kickboxing with the heavy bag. Alternate which forms of cardio you do so the program stays interesting and will challenge you in different ways.
HIIT cardio can be performed 3-4 times a week or as you see fit based on your individual goals.
49 Comments+ Post Comment
How often with this plan should we do cardio? It says 3-4 times a week but also says it's better if you do it separately from training. Should we be doing cardio 3-4 times a week?
Hi Sarah,
Sure, you could do 3-4 cardio session per week paired with this program.
For the drop sets, I can see that sometimes set counts are limited to 10-12 counts. Are those counts are enough to perform a drop set or we are expected to have the weight heavy enough to reach failure early?
hello im Donand i am 22, 6 feet, 330lbs. i am looking to burn fat and tone out the mass and muscle i already have. will this work for me? im pretty big and strong i just dont wanna be a fat guy anymore.
Hi Don,
Yes, this would be a good workout to use for those goals.
Hope this helps!
So this is a 12 week program right? Am I supposed to do the workouts Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and repeat the same routine until I hit 12 weeks? Wouldn't my muscles get too used to the training? Or will I still get good results? If anyone could recommend anymore good workout programs to get a Tom Hardy kind of build that'd be awesome.
Hi Nathan,
No. As long as you are moving up in weight and challenging your muscles, your body will not get used to the training. Muscle confusion is somewhat of a myth. Your body needs progressive overload to get results - and that is best achieved (in my opinion) by doing the same workouts for a period of time and tracking them so you know when you can increase the weight used.
We have this bane workout: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/insane-like-bane-training-pro...
Tom hardy's venom inspired workout will also be coming on 9/4, so stay tuned!
So for the warm up if it says 2×8-10
And for the workout it says 3×8-10
Basically I'm doing same exercise 5 sets just 2 are warmup? Correct
Hi Honest,
Yes, that is correct.
How should a drop set be performed? is 3 sets = 1 drop set ?
im doing leg press - warm up -> start with heavy weight -> reduce weight -> reduce again -> finished
when im done i can barely walk haha. cant imagine doing more than 1 round.
Should the weight we are lifting be heavy through the whole workout or be a build up?
Hi Sara,
Use 70-85% of your working max for these rep ranges.
Hope this helps!
I’m finishing up week 6, and I’m having trouble keeping up the number of reps as the rest time between sets decreases. Should I lower the weight, bump back up the rest time, or just do as many of the reps as I can?
Hi Michael,
Any of those or a combination of all of the above is a fine way to adapt the program to your individual capabilities.
These programs are simply templates and progressions to them are just recommendations. If you're not ready to progress, there's nothing wrong with keeping the workout the same for a couple of weeks. Progress isn't always linear. So long as you're challenging yourself consistently over time, you'll see results.
Hope this helps!
Where is day 6 and the rest of the workout or do you just repeat days 1-5 for 8 weeks
Hi Ryan,
There are only 5 workouts for this program. Yes, that is correct.
Hope this helps!
I need to ask about supersets for the same exercice
It means that if I have bench press 3x10 then I have to repeat 30 continuously
Hi Mohammed,
Supersets are depicted by letters within this workout (i.e. 1a and 1b). You perform both exercises without resting in between. After you've finished both you rest and that equals one set.
Hope this helps!
Thank you I didn't notice a and b
Workout plan looks solid, thanks for the guide. I'm excited to try it out.
I was just curious about what kind of diet you followed while on it. What are your macro percentages?
Hi, would you suggest this workout for women to lose fat/weight? Also is the HIIT cardio done every day after workout?
Thanks
Hi Michaela,
Sure this is a fine program and will help anyone with fat loss goals. The HIIT cardio can be performed 3-4 times a week or as you see fit.
Hope this helps!
How soon should I expect to see results?
Hi... I am.about his workout routine ... Can explain abt the drop set .. how to use them ..
Hi Vikram,
Drop Sets: Upon failure, reduce the weight you’re using and continue your set until you reach your desired rep range or failure.
Hope this helps!
hi,
But u have given there is no single straight sets. shud i perform all the stuff like rest pause, drop set only in the last set of a exercise?
Hi,
Thank you for the response. For example there is a ex with 3*12 drop set. shud i perform the first set with 12 rep and den go for lower wt till failure?
Hi Vikram,
Drop sets are traditionally performed on the very last set of each exercise.
Hope this helps!
Hi Vikram,
Yes, that is how this particular program is written to be performed on every set. However, it is important to know your own capabilities. Personally, I would only perform the the intensity method on the final set of each exercise. But, if you feel you're advanced enough to do it on every single set, then you could do that as well.
Hope this helps!
Does battle rop HIIT count as cardio here...can i do it after workout?
Hi Nibras,
Yes, absolutely. That'd be a fine form of HIIT cardio for this program.
Hope this helps!
So for 8 weeks it's the same routine of these five days? And could you carry this program out longer then 8 weeks?
Hi James,
Yes, that is correct. After 8 weeks you may want to take a week to deload and reassess your goals. Check this article out:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-deload
If you're goals are the same, you're enjoying the program, and seeing results, you can run it again. If not, find something fresh and new that is aligned with helping you reach your goals.
Hope this helps!
Do i have to do the cardio everyday or only the days i k going to gym?
Hi Nibras,
You can do either or. Try to figure out what works best for you. Also, don't forget to account for the additional calorie expenditure and the affect it will have on your caloric needs and your recovery time.
Hope this helps!
Can i do low intesity cardio for this program?..and do i have to change the items of workout or continue this workouts for straight 8weeks?
Hi Nibras,
Sure, you can do low intensity cardio with this program. This program is designed to be an 8 week program, so the exercises remain the same for all 8 weeks.
Hope this helps!
When it gives a number and two letters (Ex: 5a, 5b) does that mean I choose only one of the exercises?
Hi Anon,
That represents a superset. Perform both exercises without rest inbetween and then rest after you've completed one set of both exercises. Repeat for the prescribed number of sets.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the program. Loving it so far. My gym doesn't have a lying leg curl machine. Any advice on what I can sub that with and not over train other muscles? Thanks.
Hi Justin,
Given the amount of volume within this routine, if you can do all the other hamstring exercises written, you should be fine just cutting that one exercise out of the program. Your muscles will still get plenty of work without it.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for the program
Few questions:
How often do you recommend cardio, everyday or every other day?
You mentioned lots of good diet plans on the website, any one in particular you would recommend?
Hi Ante,
The frequency of the amount of cardio you do will depend on the type of cardio and intensity level you choose to perform. Personally, since this workout is very high volume with all of it's intensity factors, I'd keep it to low intensity recovery walks (anywhere from 15-45 mins a day) and you could do them as many times a week as you'd like.
As for diet plans, it really depends on your caloric needs, what food types you have access to, and your allergens. I'd recommend learning how to actually structure your diet as it will provide you with a lot more variety day to day. Below is an excellent link to learn how to build your own fat loss meal plan:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/fat-loss-meal-plan
I hope this helps!
What weight % is recommended for each the set types?
Appears to be a solid split. Would you recommend a simple cutting diet to accompany this regiment? ie 1 gm protein per LBM and 500 calorie reduction.
I prefer 1 gram protein per pound of overall bodyweight instead of LBM. The training is intense so the protein is very important. There are plenty of nutrition plans here on M&S for your consideration to coincide with this training program. Thanks for reading.
Hope my newest article for M&S helps a lot of people get ready for summer. Thanks for sharing it.
Drop sets on the last set or each of the 3 sets
If it would have been only for the last set then it would have been mentioned. Every set is a dropset.