Heavy/Light Cycle Training

Every body likes to rag on the magazines, but every blue moon they give really good routine advice. I am currently doing a modified routine out of Flex from a couple of years ago called “The Big Four” routine. It centers around the Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Standing Military Presses alternating Heavy/Light training with a four days a week split. I really think with honestly giving it a shot people can bust through some sticking points in their weights. Additional benefits would be hitting those fast/slow twitch muscle fibers as well as avoiding injuries… which sometimes happens when people go in week after week and keep using their max weight. Here’s something along the lines of what I have been doing….

M – Chest/Triceps (Heavy Bench Presses)
Flat Bench Presses – 4 Sets… 10, 8, 6, 4 Reps
Incline Bench – 3x10-12
Flat DB Flyes – 3x10-12
Pushdowns – 3x10-12
Lying Extensions – 3x10-12
Reverse One-Arm Extensions – 3x10-12

T – Back/Biceps (Light Deadlifts)
Deadlifts – 4 Sets… 10-12 Reps
Pulldowns – 3x6-8
Barbell Rows – 3x6-8
Seated Rows – 3x6-8
Barbell Curls – 3x6-8
Alternate DB Curls – 3x6-8
Concentration Curls – 3x6-8

W – Rest

T – Shoulders/Traps/Calves (Heavy Military Presses)
Standing Military Presses – 4 Sets… 10, 8, 6, 4 Reps
Lateral Raises – 3x10-12
Rear Raises – 3x10-12
DB Shrugs – 3x10-12
Standing Calf Raises – 3x12-15
Seated Calf Raises – 3x12-15

F – Quads/Hams/Forearms (Light Squats)
Squats – 4 Sets… 10-12 Reps
Leg Press – 3x6-8
Leg Extensions – 3x6-8
Lying Leg Curls – 3x6-8
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3x6-8
Reverse Wrist Curls – 3x8-10
Wrist Curls – 3x8-10

S – Rest

S – Rest

M – Chest/Triceps (Light Bench Presses)
Flat Bench Presses – 4 Sets… 10-12 Reps
Incline Bench – 3x6-8
Flat DB Flyes – 3x6-8
Pushdowns – 3x6-8
Lying Extensions – 3x6-8
Reverse One-Arm Extensions – 3x6-8

T – Back/Biceps (Heavy Deadlifts)
Deadlifts – 4 Sets… 10, 8, 6, 4 Reps
Pulldowns – 3x10-12
Barbell Rows – 3x10-12
Seated Rows – 3x10-12
Barbell Curls – 3x10-12
Alternate DB Curls – 3x10-12
Concentration Curls – 3x10-12

W – Rest

T – Shoulders/Traps/Calves (Light Military Presses)
Standing Military Presses – 4 Sets… 10-12 Reps
Lateral Raises – 3x6-8
Rear Raises – 3x6-8
DB Shrugs – 3x6-8
Standing Calf Raises – 3x8-10
Seated Calf Raises – 3x8-10

F – Quads/Hams/Forearms (Heavy Squats)
Squats – 4 Sets… 10, 8, 6, 4 Reps
Leg Press – 3x10-12
Leg Extensions – 3x10-12
Lying Leg Curls – 3x10-12
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3x10-12
Reverse Wrist Curls – 3x12-15
Wrist Curls – 3x12-15

S – Rest

S – Rest

Repeat…

I’m no expert to give advice or anything, I am just posting because I have been able to make a couple of personal bests in lifting since starting this a week or so ago. I’m sure every one will be skeptical on how productive the 10-12 rep days are, but I did the heavy Deadlift on Back/Biceps day with everything else being in the 10-12 rep range after (Remember the Fast/Slow twitch fiber deal)…. And I came home and my biceps were exploding out of my skin!!! I was seeing muscles that I have never seen before. And because I went light last week with Deadlifts, I pulled a personal best today for 455lbs for 2… doing a 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 Rep range. I planned on just doing four sets and ending at 405 for 4, but it felt really light. For me that was very satisfying, because I have been stuck for a while. There really is something to periodization in your lifting programs… Again, I’m no expert… just trying to share some different ideas with the forum. Later.

I'll have to agree with what you said, Weapon X. My philosophy is quite similar to yours with a few minor adjustments.. However, I only do this for legs, and I'm thinking about including this method for the rest of my muscle groups:

LEGS:

Heavy Day

Smith Machine Squats: 6 to 7 sets, 12 reps down to 6 reps

Light Day

Leg Extentions 3 sets, over 10 reps
Leg Curls 3 sets, over 10 reps.....

I know I should probably include squats in there too for light day.

I have a couple of questions for you:

1. On heavy days, how many sets and reps do you perform to warm your muscles up for the heavy lifting?

2. Like for "back/biceps", you put "heavy deadlifts". Does this just mean heavy day for the biceps and back?

Thanks for the insight,

Jeff

Why Smith machine squats? Most people here would agree that you should be doing your squats with free weights - it's a more natural range of motion and works many more muscles (to stabilize the weight on your shoulders).

Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?

Yes that's because there aren't many spotters around of course and if I fail during squatting, I'm in deep trouble. Sure, I would definitely do free-weight squats at a local gym, but a home gym is a bit modified due to lack of spotters.

Hey Jeff,

I'll try to awnser your questions...

1. On heavy days, how many sets and reps do you perform to warm your muscles up for the heavy lifting?

Of course there are tons of different ways people warm up... I guess the most basic, and probably the one that's been around for awhile would be just pryamiding up. Like for a four set day of Deadlifts using that 10, 8, 6, 4 deal... I would just go 135x10, 225x8, 315x6 and 405x4. Something like that... I have tried other methods, reverse pryamiding works for me on some lifts... like for my light day for Deadlifts I might go 135x12, 225x10, 315x10, 275x10... droping back down for that last. There is a small article in the new Flex from 2 time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu were he believes that doing a 10, 8, 6, 15 rep range works best for most people. So I guess it's all on the person...

2. Like for "back/biceps", you put "heavy deadlifts". Does this just mean heavy day for the biceps and back?

That particular program all centers around the Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Military Press... so the "heavy deadlifts" just means to go heavy on the Deadlifts, and go with 10-12 reps for your regular Back/Biceps stuff. Maybe print out what I originally wrote.. you can see that the days you go heavy in your first lift... everything else is followed by 10-12 reps. And the days you go light in your first lift... you go 6-8 reps in everything else. It really makes a lot of sense and it works like a charm... I am also finding that I am learning to dread those 10-12 rep days even more than the 6-8 rep days. Every form of sports does some type of periodization to avoid plateaus or sticking points... either going three weeks doing 10-12 reps, the next three weeks doing 8-10 reps, and the next going 6-8 reps and then ending with another three weeks doing 4-6 reps... or whatever.

Hope some of that helped. You can basically modify that program above to whatever your needs are... I actually lost the magazine it was in, I am going by one of my old journals. As long as the Heavy/Light deal remains consitant... I think that it works best for those of us who aren't genetic marvels and who are drug free as well. Nobody can go all out week after week!! Even somebody like Ronnie Coleman who can Deadlift 805 for two reps, he doesn't do that every week. He probably cycles his Heavy to Heavier lifting somehow... probably instinctivly. Later.

Sean

Thanks for the info!

Jeff

Hey Weapon X... What do you think about working every muscle group with heavy/light days, similar to your "heavy/light" days? Like instead of heavy/light deadlifts, what about heavy/light curls or heavy/light shrugs or heavy/light barbell rows?

Thanks

Jeff

Hey Jeff, I'm not sure what you mean? If you mean say mixing up like your bicep/tricep day with high and low reps, I'm sure that's cool. Or doing one day heavy arms and then the next light... same deal I guess.

I think the deal with the above routine is to utilize all your energy for the lifts that produce the most gains. The big compound lifts... the structure with the high and low could be used with any movement. I'm actually substituting the flat barbell for incline barbell. Variety in rep ranges is definetely a good thing.

Yes, that's it!

Thanks!
Jeff

Great Forum.
I’ve just started a 4-day Heavy/Light split routine myself with a few variations to fit me. The credit for the routine goes to Scott Donald of Aberdeen, Scotland. The heavy side will start on Mon./Tues. The light side (60% of heavy for the first week, then 80% thereafter) will be on Thurs./Fri., with Wednesday as a rest day. Seventy-two percent of the exercises will be compound movements and 28% will be Isolation movements.

UPPER BODY Monday Thursday
HEAVY LIGHT

Incline Bench (Wide Grip) 2X4 2X12
Dips 2X6 2X15
Chins 2X6 2X15
One Arm Row ----- 2X15
Barbell Bent-Over Row 2X6 2X12
Hang Clean Press 2X4 2X12
Side Laterals 1X6 1X15
Close Grip Bench 2X4 2X12
Barbell Curls 2X4 2X12
Triceps Pushdowns ----- 2X6

LOWER BODY Tuesday Friday
HEAVY LIGHT

Squats 2X6 2X12
Front Squats 2X6 2X15
Jump Squats 3X6 2X15
Power Clean 2X3 ------
Deadlift 2X4 2X12
Stiff Legged Deadlift 2X6 2X15
Calves 2X6 3X15
Abs & Twist 2X5 3X10

Monday and Tuesday were killers. Can't wait to rest Wednesday.
It should be noted that in reviewing the setup I've posted, the columns are not repoducing as originally typed. So please note that for example under UPPER BODY-HEAVY, Incline Bench Wide Grip should read 2X4 and under LIGHT- should read 2X12 and so on.

Peace

weaponx, My angle on this training is 1 week Heavy, 1 week 15 reps. I do sets of 15 on light week and it really kills ALL muscle groups. I am inproveing all weight groups when I go back on heavy week.

He who dares wins

Cool man, yea.. I think I may try that method next. There's definetely something to the whole periodization deal. Later.

Hey Weapon X, do you recommend a 7 day rest period after the light day? Or should it be less?

Thanks

Jeff

Hey Weapon X, do you recommend a 7 day rest period after the light day? Or should it be less?

Hey Jeff, I'm not sure what you mean? The above program that I originally wrote has you really mixing up the light and heavy with doing 10-12 and 6-8 in the same day... and it's a four days a week program. I am kind of doing a modified program of the one above, but I think I may be changing it slightly, I guess the possibilities are endless of how you could do things with alternating rep ranges and your rest days. Later man.

There's definetely something to the whole periodization deal. Later.

Yes there is. And I recently have learned that following the Optimum Anabolics program. And before that, Tom's program. I've made better gains using some type of periodization then just going heavy-heavy-heavy all the time.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

That's ok. Like, when you rest after an intense, heavy workout with weights, you would rest until you fully recovered, depending on how well you recovered--for me it's usually 5 to 7 days' rest. I was just wondering if you should also rest that 5 to 7 days after the light workout, because fast-twitch muscle fibers were activated (I think).

Maybe I'm the one confused here lol. Do you use the light/heavy workout routine just temporarily to get gains, meaning, trying to increase the weight your stuck on with maybe the bench press, or do you use it all the time?

Thanks,

Jeff

Hey Jeff, yea... I guess if you did primarily light days, you would be able to recover quicker. I don;t know if that helps, but to give a better example of the above program... here is my two chest days copied from my journal -

Chest/triceps/Abs - 11/13/04... Saturday

Incline Bench - 3x10-12
135x12, 160x12, 190x10... PERSONAL RECORD... drop set to 160x5
Flat DB Press - 3x6-8
80x8, 95x6, 90x6
Crossovers - 3x6-8
5x8, 6x8, 7x8
Pushdowns - 3x6-8
8x8, 9x8, 10x6
Overhead BB Ext - 3x6-8
25 (on each side)x8, 35x8, 45x6
Reverse Pusdhdown - 3x6-8
4x8, 5x8, 6x5
Decline Crunches - 3xTo Falure

Chest/Triceps/Abs - 11/20/04... Saturday

Incline Bench - 4x4-10
135x10, 160x8, 190x6, 225x4... PERSONAL RECORD
Flat DB Press - 3x10-12
65x12, 80x12, 75x12
Crossovers - 2x10-12
4.5x12, 5.5x10
Pushdowns - 3x10-12
6.5x12, 7.5x12, 8.5x10
Overhead BB Ext - 3x10-12
60x12, 75x12, 90x10
Reverse Pusdhdown - 2x10-12
3.5x12, 4.5x10
Decline Crunches - 3xTo Falure

I made some slight variations from that last week... cut out some sets, but you should get the idea if you viewed them side to side. Mixed up the rep ranges within one workout feels great, having these scheduled days with the rotation is a great change for the body and strength levels. I hope to be at 245x4 for Inclines within the next month or so.... and 205x10-12 as well. Later.

Thanks!

Jeff