Setting up a workout for hypertrophy is complex, but it is possible to give some guidelines so that you can do this and achieve excellent results. So we are going to present what factors should be thought about in order to set up a monthly schedule, for beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced ones.
TRAINING LEVEL
It is essential to correctly identify your training level . The most basic and general method, since to do this accurately it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the person evaluated, involves the time of bodybuilding practice:
- Beginner : up to 1 year
- Intermediate : 1 to 3 years
- Advanced : 3 to 5 years
TRAINING FREQUENCY
There is no point in being at the intermediate level and wanting to train with an ABCD division if you can only work out 3 times a week. Likewise, training 7 times a week will not bring you more results. Below the s ugestões of frequency:
- Beginner : 3 to 4 times weekly
- Intermediate : 4 to 5 times a week
- Advanced : 5 to 6 times a week
TRAINING DIVISION
Using an incorrect division can, in addition to not generating the expected results, cause injury. So it is necessary to pay attention to this point. Bearing in mind that the training divisions are usually oriented by letter: “A” represents a training to be used on one day, “B“ another training to be used on another day, “C” another training on another day and so on.
- Beginner: A or AB
- Intermediate: AB or ABC
- Advanced: ABC, ABCD or ABCDE
NUMBER OF EXERCISES
The number of exercises that you will do in the training is essential for the good results to appear. One should not exaggerate the number of movements performed and choose few. So let’s define a margin for the total number of exercises per workout:
- Beginner : A (8-10) or AB (8-10)
- Intermediate : AB (10-15) or ABC (8-12)
- Advanced : ABC (8-15) or ABCD (8-12) or ABCDE (6-10)
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Now let’s look at the process of assembling the training itself.
TYPES OF MOVEMENTS
When selecting the exercises it is important to consider the movements that work as many muscles as possible, the multi-articular exercises . Also consider the following movement patterns: pulling, pushing, rowing, developing, squatting, stabilizing, lifting and flexing.
The basic exercises for each pattern are:
- Pull: pulled, fixed bar.
- Push: bench press, push -up
- Paddle: closed stroke, open stroke
- Develop: development, handstand bending
- Squat : squat, sink
- Stabilize: ventral bridge, side bridge
- Lift: earth, stiff, lumbar extension
- Flex: sit-ups, rotations
The isolated exercises like triceps thread and pulley were not considered here. For each level of training we will select a certain number of movements:
- Beginner : 1 to 2 exercises for each movement pattern
- Intermediate: 2 to 4 exercises for each movement pattern
- Advanced : 2 to 5 exercises for each movement pattern
ORGANIZATION OF EXERCISES
As important as the “quality” of the exercises is their organization within the training. For example, training chest and shoulder on different days is a big mistake, since in chest work there is a lot of activation of the anterior deltoid (muscle of the shoulder region). We will show you the organization suggestions for each level :
Beginner
- A: All movements.
- AB: (A) Upper limbs and (B) Lower limbs or (A) Chest / Shoulder / Triceps and (B) Back / Biceps / Leg.
Intermediate
- AB: (A) Upper limbs and (B) Lower limbs or (A) Chest / Shoulder / Triceps and (B) Back / Biceps / Leg.
- ABC: (A) Chest / Shoulder / Triceps, (B) Back / Biceps and (C) Leg.
Advanced
- ABC: (A) Chest / Shoulder / Triceps, (B) Back / Biceps and (C) Leg.
- ABCD: (A) Chest / Shoulder, (B) Back, (C) Triceps / Biceps and (D) Leg.
- ABCDE: (A) Chest, (B) Back, (C) Shoulder, (D) Leg and (E) Triceps / Biceps
NUMBER OF SERIES FOR HYPERTROPHY
For the muscles to be stimulated in an ideal way, the number of exercises must be in line with the number of sets . For example: performing 3 exercises in 4 series is very similar to doing 4 exercises in 3 series. As long as the movements are of the same pattern: pulling, pushing, rowing, developing, crouching, stabilizing, lifting or flexing. Let’s go to the suggestions:
- Beginner : 2 to 3 sets
- Intermediate : 3 to 4 series
- Advanced : 3 to 6 series
NUMBER OF REPEATS AND EXECUTION SPEED
Despite being a simple factor, it is essential to adapt the number of repetitions to the type of stimulus and, more than that, to the type of result expected from training.
It is also important that the number of repetitions correlates with the speed of execution. Performing a series of 12 repetitions in 6 seconds is more like speed and explosion training than hypertrophy.
Remembering that the concentric phase is that of muscle contraction and the eccentric phase is that of relaxation. Here is the analysis:
- Hypertrophy: 6-12 repetitions with 1-2 seconds in the concentric phase and 2-3 seconds in the eccentric phase.
- Strength : 1-6 repetitions with explosion in the concentric phase and 2 seconds in the eccentric phase.
- Speed: 2-10 repetitions with explosion in the concentric and eccentric phase.
- Explosion: 1-5 repetitions with explosion in the concentric phase and 1 second in the eccentric phase (here there may even be a pause before each repetition).
- Resistance: 10-20 repetitions with 1-5 seconds in the concentric phase and 1-5 seconds in the eccentric depending on the number of repetitions. Smaller repetition ranges should be worked with slower execution speeds.
INTENSITY TECHNIQUES
The intensity techniques were designed to be used when the muscles no longer respond to conventional work. They should be used with caution, because, as a remedy, it is necessary to use the right measure. Excessive intensity techniques can be detrimental to your training. Better understand this technique and find out some applications here .
- Beginners : 1-2 movements per training, preferably in isolated exercises (which work only one muscle).
- Intermediaries : 2-4 movements per workout on different muscles. In multi joint exercises the tip is to use the machines to apply the intensity techniques.
- Advanced : There is no guideline. It is possible to use the techniques in just one exercise or in all movements of the training. The indication is not to perform a very voluminous workout and, if you choose to use them in different movements, use two techniques – one with more joint wear and one with less, such as a drop-set and an isometric at the end of the series, for example .
