From christian Thibaudeau.
i notice no 3-day splits
Strategy #4: High Volume/Low Frequency This is where most "regular" bodybuilding programs fall. Each muscle group is trained with a relatively high volume of work (12-20 sets per muscle group) but only once a week.
Sets are normally performed either in the total hypertrophy zone (8-12 reps) or functional hypertrophy zone (6-8 reps). Around 3-4 sets of 2 to 5 exercises per muscle group are used with this form of training: larger, more complex muscle groups (chest, back, quads) being trained with more exercises (4-5) than smaller muscle groups (shoulders, triceps, biceps, hamstrings, calves) which are trained with 2-3 exercises.
At least one multi-joint movement per muscle group is used (up to two or three for larger muscle groups) and the isolation exercises should be selected to focus on a specific weak point within the muscle group.
Various different training splits can be used, including:
Day 1: Quads, hams, and calves
Day 2: Chest and back
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders and traps
Day 5: Biceps and triceps
Day 6: Abs and lower back
Day 7: Off
Or...
Day 1: Chest, shoulders, and triceps
Day 2: Quads and abs
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Back, biceps, traps, and rear delts
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Hams, lower back, and calves
Day 7: Off
Or ...
Day 1: Quads and chest
Day 2: Back, lower back, hamstrings, and calves
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders, traps, and abs
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Biceps and triceps
Day 7: Off
Or ...
Day 1: Chest and biceps
Day 2: Quads, hams, and calves
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Back, lower back, and traps
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Shoulders, triceps, and abs
Day 7: Off
Methods you can use with this approach:
• Regular lifting with your 6-8RM or 8-12RM
• Rest-pause: Perform a 6-8RM set; when you reach failure rest for 10-12 seconds and then perform a few more reps.
• Double rest-pause: Perform a 4-6RM (or 6-8RM) set; when you reach failure rest for 10-12 seconds and then perform a few more reps, then rest 10-12 seconds and again perform a few more reps.
• Single drop set: Perform a 4-6RM (or 6-8RM) set, then reduce the load by 25% and perform reps to failure.
• Pre-fatigue: Superset one isolation (8-12 reps) with one compound exercise (6-8 reps) for the same muscle group.
• Post-fatigue: Superset one compound (6-8 reps) with one isolation exercise (8-12 reps) for the same muscle group.
• Antagonist superset (if training two opposing muscle groups in the same session): Superset one exercise for a muscle (e.g. chest) with one for its antagonist (e.g. back). Sets of 6-8 or 8-12 reps are performed.
Pros and cons of this approach:
• It allows you to use a wide variety of exercises for each muscle group, which minimizes the risk of developing a severe imbalance: PRO.
• You can create a lot of micro-trauma at each session which will represent an important training stimulus: PRO.
• There's less neuromuscular improvements than with high frequency training because you're not training each muscle group very often: CON.
• Some people won't give a maximum effort on all sets because they unconsciously want to pace themselves to be able to finish the workout: CON.
• A higher volume of work allow for hypertrophy stimulation via the cumulative fatigue phenomenon as well as the stimulation of hGH release induced by the elevation of lactate levels: PRO.
• If you wimp out during a training session and your workout isn't productive, then you have to wait a whole week before being able to stimulate that muscle again: CON.
• Training fewer muscle groups per session allows you (compared to whole-body training) to train each muscle group with an equally high quality of effort, whereas with whole-body training the muscles being trained last won't be trained as hard: PRO.
Why or when should you use this approach?
This approach is better suited for individuals who already have built a decent muscular base through the use of basic training and decide to focus their efforts on maximizing their muscular development. If you're training for bodybuilding-type or aesthetic-type gains, this is the best approach most of the time.