This program is designed with more of the “90’s bodybuilder look” as the goal. For whatever reason, 90’s bodybuilders, proportionately had huge bubbly arms and quads, compared to other body parts. So for programming, that translates to more arm and quad emphasis. With more volume, frequency added to those body parts. While still training every other body part as well. Just with comparatively less volume/stimulus.
As for every program, feel free to adjust variables slightly as needed. The base metric of “1 REP” is not well established in “research”, and can vary largely from individual to individual. So feel free to make slight adjustments to the program’s prescribed: Rep ranges, Number of working sets, and Proximity to Failure (RIR). Anyone that argues any of these variables down to the single metric of measure as definitively “the best”, has spent too much time on social media, and too little time applying training to actual humans. In addition, every individual brings large differences to the table as far as “outside the gym” variables: nutrition, sleep, stress, etc. So while I’m confident this program provides epic guidelines and a great place to start, you are ultimately your own study of 1. So feel free to experiment a bit.
Also, with exercise selection I always follow one of my main, guiding training principles of: As little as possible to produce maximal results. That said, there is no exact cut off point for the number of exercises per workout. So if you want to add an exercise or even two to any given workout, same as the advice I give above… try it out, measure progress and adjust accordingly. Lastly, exercise selection is based on what I feel has the most evidence for being effective long-term, but for any single exercise on the program, there are always other options that can accomplish the same goal similarly. So feel free to swap exercises based on preference, or if you need a recommendation get in the forums.
Rest: 90 seconds – 3 minutes before working sets
RIR: 0-2
Suggested split structure:
Monday – Legs
Tuesday – Back/Biceps/Abs
Wednesday – Calves/Chest/triceps/Delts
Thursday – Off
Friday – Legs 2
Saturday – Arms/calves/Abs
Sunday – Off
*These are still just suggestions. There is no right or wrong option here. You can also make this work with any schedule. Whenever you train, just pick right up on the next session. Hypothetically, if you’re ever sick, rundown, excessively busy, stressed or just have a moment of laziness and train less days than the suggested split, no worries at all just pick back up right where you left off. At the same time if you are recovering like a robot, or just absolutely love training more often than the suggested split, have added it. Don’t let anyone, myself included, limit how much you love the train, or make you feel guilty for missing a session. Long-term consistency and adherence are.
Legs
A1 Seated Leg Curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Quad dominant heel elevated squats
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 5-8 reps
Hack squats (banded)
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-12 reps
Lying Leg Curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Leg extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Rear foot elevated split squats
Set 1: 6-10 reps (per leg)
Set 2: 6-10 reps (per leg)
Back/Biceps/Abs
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Chest Supported Tbar row
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
RDLs
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 6-8 reps
Machine rows
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-12 reps
Single arm preacher curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Incline Cable Curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Ab Mat Crunches (body weight)
Set 1: AMRAP
Set 2: AMRAP
Calves/Chest/Triceps/Delts
Hip loaded Calf Raises
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Incline DB press
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Roller Cable Flys
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Flat machine press
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Cuff cable cross triceps extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Dips
Set 1: 6-8 reps
Set 2: 8-12 reps
Set 3: BW AMRAP
Lying cuff lateral raises
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
cable rear delts
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Legs 2
Leg extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Banded hacks
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Lying Leg Curls (single leg)
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Banded leg press (feet low)
Set 1: 12-15 reps
Set 2: 20 reps
Arms/calves/Abs
Seated cable cross extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Machine preacher curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
banded smith machine JM press
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
DB hammer curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Seated overhead rope extensions
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
incline DB curls
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Set 3: 10-12 reps
Standing Calf Raises
Set 1: 5-8 reps
Set 2: 8-10 reps
Hanging Leg Raises
Set 1: BW – AMRAP
Set 2: BW – AMRAP
