By Strength Sensei CP
Publication Date: 2005
One reason most men don’t look like Arnold is that they don’t have Arnold’s genetics. Another reason is that life gets in the way. Professional bodybuilding is a full-time job involving multiple daily workouts, frequent eating, and various recovery methods. For those who are time-challenged, I’d like to share with you a workout that will give you the most “bang for your buck” for adding muscle bulk.
You won’t find any “beach work” exercises here, such as one-arm concentration curls. If you perform compound movements, such as chin-ups, the smaller muscles such as the biceps will still receive growth stimulation. And don’t worry about not doing any direct ab work. Those whose workouts focus on heavy squats and deadlifts often display exceptional abdominal development without ever performing a crunch.
This workout is performed four times a week, with no more than four exercises in a single training session. Three of the four workouts contain supersets to reduce workout time. If Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat doesn’t fit your schedule, it’s acceptable to Tue/Wed/Fri/Sun – what’s critical is to have at least two days rest between the workouts that contain deadlifts and squats.
Finally, don’t let what you see on paper fool you – this is a challenging workout that will test your manhood! With that warning, here ya go:
Monday
A1. Bench Press. 5 x 5-7, 5010, rest 100 seconds
A2. Wide-Grip Pull-Up, 5 x 5-7, 3011, rest 100 seconds
- Seated Dumbbell Press, 3 x 6-4-4 (triple drop sets), 4020, rest 90 seconds
Tuesday
A. Bent-Knee Deadlift, 5 x 6,6,4,4,4, 5010, rest 180 seconds
- Partial Deadlift, 3 x 7-9, 2110, rest 120 seconds
- Standing Calf Raise, 3 x 10-12, 2210, rest 60 seconds
Thursday
A1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 4 x 6-8, 5010, rest 90 seconds
A2. Supinated Chin-Up (palms facing you), 4 x 6-8, 5010, rest 90 seconds
B1. Parallel Bar Dip, 4 x 8-10, 4020, rest 75 seconds
B2. Seated Cable Row, 4 x 6-8, 2102, rest 75 seconds
Saturday
A1. Back Squat, 6 x 6,6,8,8,10,25, 5010, rest 120 seconds
A2. Lying Leg Curl, 6 x 4,4,4,6,6,8, 5010, rest 120 seconds
Pro bodybuilding is a full-time job, but you can achieve impressive levels of muscle growth without spending all day in the gym if you train hard and train smart! (Photos by Miloš Šarčev)
I’ve had clients gain 8-10 pounds of solid muscle in six months using this type of training system, as long as they were consistent with good eating habits. About every four weeks, I would change loading parameters such as exercises and tempo.
Give this back-to-the-basics workout a shot, and I am confident you’ll find that your training time has been well spent!
