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_Wolf_ · 02-28-2006, 02:54 AM

Advanced Mass Building Programs

Exercises :

Squat
Stiff-legged Deadlift
Incline Bench Press
Parallel Bar Dips
Pendlay Row
Military Press
DB Side Lateral Raises
Partial Curl
Lying Triceps Extension
Standing Calf Raise (on board)

Sets : 3x5 (3 weeks), 4-6 weeks of 5RMs/clusters

Special Methods Used :

-cluster sets
-strength test days
-loaded stretches
-pulses (metabolic fatigue)

Ideology Explained :

This is a fully advanced HST program. This program is NOT recommended for new HST'ers, or new lifters. We are going to be implementing a bunch of new techniques, and introducing a few new exercises.

You're going to be starting right with the 5s. Since you're starting off with a heavy load, you'll take 3 weeks to build up to your 5RM and start off lighter (instead of a two week rep block like standard HST, this will just be a three rep block). After that, we start using cluster sets and strength test days.

A cluster set is a set in which you take a pre-determined amount of reps, and do small 1-3 rep "clusters" to build up to the desired amount of reps. In this case, you're going to be working up to a total of 15 reps. Once you hit your 15 reps, you're done with that exercise. Why do clusters? You'll be able to hit the desired amount of reps with your 5 rep max, but you'll be minimizing CNS fatigue, which can lead to overtraining. So you'll just be doing a lot of small sets, not going to failure.

Strength test days are just 5RM days, and they will determine what weight you use next for your cluster workouts. You'll just do your 3x5 with your 5RMs, just like good 'ol standard HST.

After you have built up to your 5RM (end of week 4), you'll be starting with week 5. On Days 1 and 2, you'll use cluster sets and do a total of 10 reps for each exercise (in 1-3 rep clusters of your 5RM). On Day 4, you'll have a strength test day. All you'll do is re-test your 5RMs (keep with 2 sets, 2x5) on every exercise. Then, the following week, you'll cluster on Days 1+2 again, but you'll use the weight from the 5RMs that you just found on Day 3 of the previous week. This is the pretty straightforward base, now I'll discuss the other extra "features" that you'll be using this whole time.

Now that you know that, I'll show you what you'll be doing for metabolic fatigue. A metabolic fatigue set is a set of high reps (~15), with a relatively light weight. The point here is to get a nice "burn". You'll do this to add hypoxic stress and increase post workout nutrient shuttling to your muscles. So, once you finish both incline dumbbell press and dips (chest), you'll do a 15 rep pulse (covered next) set with flat dumbbell flys. The weight should be somewhat heavy, but not extremely straining (something you would use for a mid-15s HST set). Here's what exercises you will use for metabolic fatigue sets :

Quads - Leg Extension
Hamstrings - Leg Curl
Chest - Flat DB Fly
Lats - Bent DB Row
Shoulders - Side Lateral Raises
Biceps - EZ Bar Curls
Triceps - Cable Pressdown

Now the type of set that you will be doing for metabolic fatigue, is a pulse set. A pulse is a single rep at the top 3-4" of the particular movement (use judgment, it doesn't have to be exactly 4"), and you do the top part of the movement, with a somewhat slow concentric (1-2 seconds), and a somewhat fast eccentric (1/2 second). Don't let the eccentric part of the lift just be dropping the weight, keep it under control. You'll do 1 set of 15 pulses for each exercise, after that body part has been trained. Pulses provide a little better way to add in metabolic fatigue, because there's not as much stress because of the shortened eccentric time of the lift (because you're only lowering the weight a few inches, not the whole way).

The last thing that you'll be adding in to your advanced cycle is loaded stretches. At the end of each muscle group (or workout, your choice)(after metabolic fatigue), you will perform a loaded stretch. A loaded stretch is taking about 60-70% of what you would use for a 6-8 rep set, and going into the stretch portion of certain movements, and holding a deep heavy stretch for about 45-60 seconds. You will do this to stretch the fascia of the muscle to allow more room for growth. Loaded stretching also has other benefits, you can easily find some of them by searching it on google.com (it is also referred to as extreme stretching, and fascia stretching). Keep in mind that loaded stretches will burn, a lot. If you start to feel any pain whatsoever, drop the weights and call it a day. Loaded stretching can be a very dangerous thing if done wrong. Here is what you will do for each body part (note : extreme stretching is done only after you have done your regular and metabolic fatigue sets for that certain bodypart) :

Quads - Take a moderately wide stance in your legs, and squat down so that you are sitting on the ground. Put your hands on the ground behind you, and lean back until you get a deep stretch. Hold for 45-60 seconds.

Hamstrings - Put your leg up on a bench or bar, and grab your toe. Straighten your leg into a deep stretch, and hold for 45-60 seconds.

Chest - Grab a pair of dumbbells, and lay on a bench. Go into the flat DB fly exercise, and sink in to the bottom of the movement. Sink and get a deep stretch for about 45-60 seconds.

Shoulders - Place a bar on a squat rack at your shoulder height. Put your hands on the bar (shoulder width apart), and flex your lats. Lower your shoulders down as far as you can to the floor, and hold for ~30 seconds.

Back - Hang from a pullup bar as long as you can, using wrist straps so your grip doesn't give out first.

Biceps - Lie down on an incline bench with a pair of dumbbells, and lay your arms down in the stretched position of an incline DB curl. Slowly go deep into the stretch, and hold it for 45-60 seconds.

Triceps - Grab a pair of dumbbells and lay down on a flat bench. Get into the fully stretched position of lying triceps extension (bottom of movement), and go deep into the stretch. Hold for 45-60 seconds.

Calves - Stand on a board on one foot, and sink down into the bottom position of a calf raise. Push on your heel with your free foot to get a good stretch. Hold for 45-60 seconds

Those are the loaded stretch exercises, now I'll explain why I chose the main exercises that I did :

Squat - the king of all exercises, you need to squat. Squats will hit all parts of your legs, as well as stimulate growth throughout your entire body.

Stiff-legged Deadlift - stiff-legged deadlifts make a perfect combo with squats. You get more emphasis on the hamstrings, as well as your back, whereas the squats will hit your quads and glutes more.

Incline DB Press - incline bench press will work your upper chest more, and is a great exercise for chest mass, and the apperance of chest mass.

Weighted Dips - this is a great exercise to combine with incline dumbbell press, it will hit your lower chest and triceps hard.

Pendlay Row - this is like a super-strict bent barbell row. It's just like a bent row, but each rep will start from the floor, and your body will never break 90 degrees (you'll always be bent over at a 90 degree angle, don't move your back any higher than that). Every rep will start dead on the floor, it's not just a touch and go. You'll do this for more isolation, and to make sure that your form is near perfect, and you're using just your lats/arms to raise the weight.

Military Press - the best overall shoulder builder. MPs are another great lift for upper body power and size. You'll be doing them seated to place more emphasis on form, rather than using body momentum to do the lift.

DB Side Lateral Raise - a great exercise to isolate the delts. It's almost like the incline bench/dip combo, but for shoulders.

Partial Curl - By going only halfway up, you'll be able to use a much heavier load, while still adding plenty of overall mass to the biceps.

Lying Triceps Extension - a great exercise for triceps mass. I like doing these with an EZ bar also, because of the less stress on the wrists.

Standing Calf Raise - great overall calf mass builder. Do them on a board for added stretch

Believe it or not, that's it for the advanced program. Right now, you're probably thinking "What did I just read?!" If you're thinking that, go back and read everything again. It's a hard thing to grasp just by reading it once, you'll have to sift through it again and again before you completely know what you're doing. You should see both great size and strength gains from this routine.