[wcm_restrict]
Click Here To Join
———————
This is Week 4 of the Spring 2024 Hypertrophy cycle.
Please read the Lengthened ROM Blog, as the philosophy for this current training cycle will reflect all of the principles discussed in this post.
This cycle is designed in the idea of utilizing a predominance of movements that train the muscle at long muscle lengths and/or provide significant overload tension at the lengthened position of the movement.
For movements that do not overload the muscle in the lengthened position (the exercises that are inherently “lower stimulus” short overload movements) will be progressing in a manner that provides additional stimulus to the portion of the movement where the muscle is lengthened.
We can expect the lower fatigue “short” movements to utilize partials, dropsets, rest/pause sets, and “lengthened only sets” as a way to accentuate the lengthened portion of these exercises that are inherently lacking sufficient stimulus at that portion of the ROM.
Per the standard SOP for Evolved Programs, we will progress effort week to week. The objective is to begin the cycle around 4 reps from failure on demanding compound movements and around 1-2 reps from failure for “short overload” single joint movements that have much lower fatigue cost per unit.
As we enter “week 4,” the lengthened movements are closing in on 1-2 reps from failure, while the short overload movements will be moving into partials and other intensity techniques
——————–
Monday
Lower Body
Part A and B Repeat week to week
A. Barbell RDL (1 and 1/2 Reps)
2-3 Warm-up sets, then;
2 work sets x 5-8 Reps (~2 then 1 RIR)
Rest 2-3 min between work sets
Alternative Movement you can swap (stay consistent week to week):
–DB RDL (1 and 1/2 Reps)
–Trap Bar RDL (1 and 1/2 Reps)
—
B. Front Foot Elevated Split Squat (Quad Dominant)
1-2 Warm-up sets per leg, then;
1 set x 6-10 Reps (heavier; ~2 RIR)
Rest 1-2 min between legs
1 set x 10-15 Reps (lighter; ~1 RIR)
Rest 1-2 min between legs
Alternative Movement you can swap (stay consistent week to week):
– Flat Foot Split Squats (quad dominant)
–DB Split Squat (quad dominant)
*flat ground
—
C. Leg Curls (see options below)
1-2 warm-up sets, then:
1 work set x 8-15+ Reps (~1 RIR)
Rest 30 seconds
1 work set x Max Reps with same weight (0 RIR)
(goal for 40-60% of the reps from prior set)
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL SET:
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
“At Home” Leg Curl Options:
Hamstring Walkouts (scaled option)
Gliding Leg Curls (with Rings/TRX)
Gliding Leg Curls (with barbell)
Hamstring Curls on Rower
Slider Leg Curls (Slider = skateboard, towel, socks, etc…)
DB Leg Curls
Stability Ball Leg Curls
Rings/TRX Leg Curls
Banded Leg Curls
—
D. Giant Set Sequence:
2 progressive warm-up sets, then:
2 challenging work rounds
Target ~1 then 0 RIR across all movements for the work rounds
*This is similar to last weeks’ sequence, but with the lunges prior to the squats
Banded Sissy / Leg Extension x 8-15+ Reps
Jumping Lunges x 6-10 Reps (3-5 per leg)
Heels Elev Air/Goblet Squat x 8-15 Reps
(3 sec lower, pause bottom)
Rest 2-3+ min
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL SET of Leg Extensions
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
Alternative Movement you can swap to target the Rec Fem Quad Muscle
–DB Leg Extensions
–Seated Banded Leg Extensions
Other Quad targeting swaps:
–Spanish Squat
—
E. Superset x 2 work rounds:
Decline Lying Leg Raise x 6-12 Reps
Decline (weighted) Sit-ups x 6-12 Reps
Rest 2 min
—
F. As Many Rounds as Possible in 7 Minutes:
Row 10-15 Cals (~30-45 sec cardio)
15 Bench Jump overs (lateral or facing)
30 second Weighted Plank Hold unbroken
——————–
Tuesday
Upper Body
Part A and B Repeat week to week
A. Flat DB Bench Press
2-3 Warm-up sets, then:
1 set x 6-10 Reps (heavier; ~1-2 RIR)
Rest 2 min
1 set x 10-15 Reps (lighter; ~0-1 RIR)
+ Superset the FINAL SET:
Flat DB Flies (Bottom 60% ROM) x 8-12 Reps (~1 RIR)
Alternate movements you can swap for Flat DB Bench Press (stay consistent week to week):
–Flat Barbell Bench Press
—
B. Alternate Movements:
1-2 warm-up sets each, then:
3 work sets (see reps and RIR below for each)
Strict Pull-ups x 6-10 Reps (~2-1-0 RIR)
Rest 1-2 min
DB Lateral Raise x 10-15 Reps (~0 RIR)
Rest 1-2 min
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL TWO SETS of lateral raises:
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
Alternative Movement you can swap for Pull-ups (stay consistent week to week):
(weighted) Pull-ups
Weighted Rack Pull-ups
Unweighted Rack Pull-ups
Leg in front Rack Pull-ups (no elevation)
Foot-Assisted Pull-ups
—
C. 3 Rounds (Rest 5 min)
2 Rounds (Rest 3 min)
1 Round
20 Reps Hang DB Muscle Snatch (10 per arm)
6 Reps Burpees
15 Reps Bentover DB Row
6 Reps Burpees
—
D. Superset Movements:
1 warm-up set each, then:
2 challenging work sets each
Pause and STRETCH target muscle at bottom of each rep
Target ~1-2 then 0-1 RIR across the 2 work sets of each
Incline DB Tricep Ext x 10-15 Reps
Incline DB Curls x 10-15 Reps
——————–
Thursday:
Lower Body
Part A and B Repeat week to week
A. Heels Elevated Back Squat
Each rep should have a PAUSE at the deepest stretch position at the bottom of each rep.
2-3 Warm-up sets, then;
1 set x 6-10 Reps (heavier; ~2 RIR)
Rest 2 min
1 set x 10-12 Reps (lighter; ~1 RIR)
Alternate movements you can swap for Back Squats (stay consistent week to week):
–Foam Roller DB Hack Squats
–Landmine Hack Squat
–Heels Elevated Safety Bar Squat
—
B. Superset Movements:
1-2 warm-up sets each, then:
2 work supersets (see reps and RIR below)
*Bring DB’s over to the Hip Extension with you
Weighted Hip Extensions (45-degree) x 8-12 Reps (~1 then 0 RIR)
Walking DB Lunges (Glute focus) x 8-12 steps (4-6 per leg) (~2 then 1 RIR)
Rest 2-3 min
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL set of Hip Extensions:
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
Alternative Movement you can swap for Hip Ext (stay consistent week to week):
–Horizontal/GHD
–Home Hack (with barbell and box)
–Home Hack (Hips over barbell)
—
C. 2 Rounds:
Front Squats x 6-10 Reps
Russian KBS x 10-15 Reps (all hamstrings/glutes)
Lying Windshield Wipers x 16-24 Reps (8-12/side; ADV use decline, or scale w/bent knees)
Rest 2-3 min
Skater Plyos x 20-30 Reps (10-15/side)
Kipping Toes to Bar x 8-15 Reps
Medball Throw Sit-ups x Max Reps in 30 seconds
Rest 2-3 min
Alternative Movement you can swap for Kipping TTB:
–Hanging Knee Raises
–Strict Toes to Bar
–Lying Leg Raise (with Hip Thrust at top)
—
D. Heavy Russian Twists
2 x 12-20 Reps (6-10/side)
Rest 1-2 min between sets
——————–
Friday
Upper Body
Part A and B Repeat week to week
2-3 Warm-up sets, then:
1 work set x 6-9 Reps (heavier; ~2 RIR)
Rest 2 min
1 work set x 9-12 Reps (moderate; ~to failure)
Rest 2 min
1 work set x 12-15 Reps (lighter; ~to failure)
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL TWO SETS:
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
Alternative Movement you can swap for DB Row (stay consistent week to week):
–Head Supported DB Row
–Chest Supported Cable Row
—
B. Superset Movements:
1-2 warm-up sets each, then:
2 work supersets each (see reps and RIR for each below)
Incline DB Lateral Raise (Behind back) x 10-15 Reps (~1 then 0 RIR)
DB Front Raise x 8-12 Reps (both 0 RIR)
Rest 2-3 min
+ Immediately after Failure on the FINAL SET of Front Raise:
complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
The Incline DB Lateral focuses more on the lengthened range-of-motion by placing the arms behind the body. The Front Raise will therefore be much lighter, given the fatigue carried into the second exercise.
—
C. One Arm Banded Lat Pulldowns
1-2 warm-up sets, then:
3 tough set of 12-20 Reps per arm (~1-0-0 RIR)
Rest 30 sec between arms
Due to slightly shorter rest than normal, expect reps to drop into the 6-12 rep range by the final set each arm
+ Immediately after failure on the FINAL TWO SETS for each arm…
Complete 3-4 “attempted partial reps”
(i.e. you try hard as possible to make the rep, but fatigue prohibits you from getting full range of motion)
Alternative Movement you can swap for Banded One Arm Pulldown:
–One-Arm DB Rows (lat focus, see cues in video description)
—
D. Superset Movements:
1-2 warmup sets as needed, then:
5 Rounds:
Reps 15-12-10-8-6
Use ~20 rep max for each movement and keep same weight throughout
Barbell Floor press
DB Hang Power Clean and Press
—
E. Banded Tricep Pushdowns
1 warm-up set, then:
1 tough set of 15 Reps (to failure)
Rest 2-3 min
3-4 sets of 8-10 Reps (Use same weight)
Rest only 20-30s between sets
Due to short rest between sets, expect the 8-10 reps to get quite tough by the final 1-2 work sets
——————–
Saturday – OPTIONAL Conditioning
45-60 Minutes of ZONE 2 Cardio
This can be performed with whatever modality you can do with EFFICIENCY.
For most people, this would likely be optimized with a bike, elliptical, or steep incline walking.
Zone 2 can be completed by rowing OR running (or other modality) however most people are inefficient rowers and runners, and therefore will often find it difficult to stay within the target heart rate zone for ZONE 2.
My views on finding this zone have changed a bit.
In the past, I’ve veered towards relatively crude formulas based on HEART RATE.
Now I tend to simply use RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) as the BEST way to assess ZONE 2.
Take a 12-15 word sentence that you have memorized with a normal speaking cadence (not rushed).
When you believe you are in ZONE 2, speak this sentence. If you can complete it in one breath without having to stop to get air, and without feeling like that sentence caused you to go into a breathing deficit (i.e. you aren’t gasping for air at the end of the sentence), then you are likely in ZONE 2.
Another RPE based assessment of effort is the duration component.
We are performing ZONE 2 workouts for 45-60 min, but we want to select a pace / effort level in which we *COULD* continue at the SAME PACE for 2-3 hours.
This means that when complete your ZONE 2 workout, you are glad it’s over, strictly due to monotony/repetition, and not due to accumulated fatigue.
In fact, you should feel like the session never actually gets harder. The first 10 minutes should feel the most taxing, as you move from doing nothing into Zone 2.
Once you’ve established yourself into Zone 2, each 10-minute period should be exactly as difficult as the prior 10-minute period.
At no point should you think that the workout has increased in difficulty. It just a steady and consistent effort could be repeatable for multiple hours (if needed).
—-
OTHER FORMULAS:
Well-trained aerobic athlete:
180 minus age = approx. Zone 2 (~75% of Max Heart Rate)
Lifter or non-trained aerobic athlete:
170 minus age = approx. Zone 2 (~65-72% of Max Heart Rate)
*Max Heart Rate can be determined generally with 220 minus age
——————–
[/wcm_restrict]