Bread & Butter
I'm used to doing more exercises for more reps, what am I missing?
This program can be tough to trust if you're used to mainstream bodybuilding programs. This program skews towards strength gains, as opposed to muscle growth. There's a reason for this. Above all else, volume drives muscle growth. And volume is a byproduct of sets, reps, load, and range of motion.
Doing (5×10) appears to be more volume than (3×5), but if you're doing (5×10)@35 and (3×5)@225, then (3×5) is way more volume.
(5×10)@35=1750
(3×5)@225=3375
Most beginners aren't strong enough to accumulate much volume. If you increase the weight you can lift by 100 pounds, you'll be able to expose your body to a lot more volume.
There's nothing wrong with doing a bodybuilding program with tons of exercises, tons of sets, and tons of reps, but these programs usually overlook progressive overload. You get guys going to the gym and doing a bunch of work, which is good, but they care more about the pump than adding weight to the bar.
This program is a targeted attack. There's no fluff. You focus on improving the biggest lever for muscle growth. After you finish this program and get stronger, you'll see much better progress from programs with more exercises, sets, and reps.
Can I do dumbbell exercises instead of barbell exercises?
If you must. The upper body does better with dumbbell exercises. It's difficult to load lower-body exercises with dumbbells beyond a certain point. Also, the lowest weight increment is usually 5 pounds, which is problematic, as dumbbell exercises tend to be more difficult than barbell exercises. A five-pound jump on the barbell is NOT the same as a five-pound jump on dumbbells. You need to open up zones and progress through reps before you progress through weight.
Here's an idea of what you can do:
Goblet Squats (3×5-7){+5}
Romanian deadlifts (3×5-7){+5}
Incline press (3×5-8){+5}
Overhead press (3×5-8){+5}
One-arm dumbbell row (3×5-8){+5}
Dumbbell curl (3×8-12){+5}
Can I use dumbbells for complementary exercises?
Sure. You'll need to open up a zone and progress through reps before you progress through weight. See the previous question's answer for a flashlight.
I can't do 20 reps with the bar. What should my starting weight be?
You should use dumbbells and work within a zone to build strength. Let's say you can't do overheads with the empty bar. You can use lighter dumbbells and work within a 5-7 rep zone until you're strong enough to transition to the bar.
What about abs? And forearms? And other muscles the program doesn't directly train?
You can train body parts the program doesn't directly address as long as you don't interfere with the heart of the program. For instance, you shouldn't train your grip and exhaust your forearms prior to deadlifting. When in doubt, add extra stuff to your “Friday” session, after you finish the basic barbell work. You have two days to recover after this session, so you have more wiggle room.
What about fat loss?
Walk. And eat better. See other drops about how to eat for fat loss.
Why is the deadlift only done for one set?
Using only one set for the deadlift is “borrowed” from Starting Strength. There are two reasons (from what I recall) why Starting Strength uses only one set for deadlifts.
First, Starting Strengthers are HUGE advocates of the low bar squat, which involves the hamstrings more than the high bar squat. In other words, low bar squats are rather deadlifty (in their own way), which creates crossover strength. Typically, if you increase your low bar squat, your deadlift will also increase. And so, (1×5) is enough to spur adaptation, as the deadlift hitches a ride on the heels of your squat (especially as a noob).
Second, squats and deadlifts tax similar muscle groups, including the lower back. In general, squatting and deadlifting heavy three times per week is overkill for anyone but a soft-skinned noob. Doing more than one work set for deadlifts (atop three squatting work sets) would melt your nervous system. Increasing the workload to (2×5) or (3×5) wouldn't make you stronger and would only add unnecessary stress to the equation, making each session harder to recover from, making you more likely to stall earlier.
Now…
I'm not a fan of low bar squatting, but I think one work set of deadlifts is still enough to spur adaptation despite the high bar squat not having as much crossover. If you're worried about the disparity, you can alternate the volume every training session.
Session 1
A) Back squat (3×5)
C) Conventional deadlift (1×5)
Session 2
A) Conventional deadlift (3×5)
C) Back squat (1×5)
I wouldn't add weight to the bar on the low(er) volume days. On the days with one work set, I'd simply work up to a set with the previous (3×5) weight. In other words…
Session 1
A) Back squat (3×5)@225
Session 2
C) Back squat (1×5)@225
Session 1
A) Back squat (3×5)@230…
Adding weight to bridge rows is getting awkward. Any suggestions?
First, make sure you're attaching the weight to your body using two belts. Second, once you reach a weight you're uncomfortable with strapping to your body, you can scale positions.
Once you're uncomfortable with the amount of weight you're strapping to yourself during bridge rows, move to bodyweight rows with straight knees. This exercise is tougher, so you won't be able to use as much weight. Start light and make progress just as you did with bridge rows.
Once you're uncomfortable with the amount of weight you're strapping to yourself during bodyweight rows with straight knees, you can elevate your feet.
I don't like bridge rows.
If you don't want to do bridge rows, here are some alternatives:
Seal rows: if you have equipment for these, do them for (3×5) with a barbell and add five pounds, initially. you'll have to scale down sooner rather than later.
One-arm dumbbell bench rows: open up a (3×5-7) zone.
Should I do GOMAD?
I'm not a fan of GOMAD. Most of the people that find their way to my programs are skinny-fat. Skinny-fat and GOMAD don't mix. You'll get fat.
I'm cutting and losing fat, how will this affect the program?
If you're in a calorie deficit, make sure you eat plenty of proteins. You will likely stall prematurely since you aren't adequately fueling your body for recovery and adaptation.
I recommend decreasing the rate of progression sooner rather than later, especially for upper-body exercises. Add only 2 or 3 pounds to the presses from the beginning, for instance.
Can I do Phase 1 with different exercises?
This program skews towards old-school barbell exercises. You can steal the progression principles and apply them to almost any exercise. If you wanted to do Bulgarian split squats instead of back squats, you could… but you wouldn't be doing my program anymore.
I WANT TO GET JACKED. MAKE ME JACKED.
The base program was created for all-around muscular development, not necessarily getting jacked out of your mind. As mentioned, the purpose of this program is to get stronger. You'll be in a better position to get jacked once you're strong. Also, chances are, if you're skinny-fat, you aren't going to be eating boatloads to warrant more training.
Still, if you're a greedy SOB and you want to make tiny modifications to this program for increased muscle growth, here are some things I'd recommend…
Let's recap the base program:
Session 1
A) Back squat (3×5){+5}
B) 30° Incline press (3×5){+5}
C) Conventional deadlift (1×5){+5}
D) Bridge row (3×8){+2.5}
Session 2
A) Back squat (3×5){+5}
B) Overhead press (3×5){+5}
C) Conventional deadlift (1×5){+5}
D) Biceps curl (3×8){+1}
Since you train your entire body every session and recovery is important, the best time to add “extra” is on your “Friday” session (after you finish the base) because you have a two-day break before your next training session. I recommend doing one exercise for the body part you're striving to grow. Here are some good ones:
- Shoulders: cuban press, Lu raises
- Biceps: zottman curl
- Triceps: overhead triceps extension
- Back: lat pulldowns, rear-delt fly
- Chest: push-ups, fly
- Legs: Bulgarian split squat, pistol squat
- Glutes: hip thrusts
- Hamstrings: slider hamstring curls
I wouldn't do an exercise for every body part. Just pick two or three you want to give a little extra nudge to. (In my opinion, you can't go wrong with push-ups and lat pulldowns, assuming you're doing the base program.) Do one easy warm-up set for this exercise, then, the next set, take to failure. That's it. You want to strive towards 15-20 reps with this exercise. If you can do more reps, add weight and, again, reach failure.
Got more questions?
I'm here.