1 Year

Training guide

MONTH #1
Some pointers that will get you started on your road to a huge,
ripped physique
Here are some pointers that will get you started on your road to a huge,
ripped physique.
1. Weight training, cardiovascular training, and a good sound diet, all act
synergistically to produce the best possible results. Ignore any one of them,
and your results will be sub-optimal. Read and learn from the
many articles that Bodybuilding.com provides, and you will progress much
faster.
2. Know what you want. If you have no idea what you want, how can you
possibly get it? Remind yourself constantly of what you are trying to
achieve. If you are not absolutely clear about this, life will get in the way of
your aspirations.
3. In regard to weight training keep these pointers in mind:
a. Research indicates that 60-90 second rest intervals between sets is
optimal for muscular hypertrophy. This is not to say that under 60 or over 90
second rest intervals will not produce results. Under 60 will simply help you
to increase endurance, and over 90 will help increase strength. 60-90 will
optimize hypertrophy, strength, and endurance. Initially, start will this rest
interval.
b. General bodybuilding belief is that 3 sets of each exercise is optimal.
Research has debated this as have many experts in the field. There are
proponents of more sets and there are proponents of less sets. We will start
with 3 and adjust from there. Just realize that this is not a magic number
that is the absolute best always.
c. The number of exercises required to stimulate a muscle to grow is also an
area of much debate. Realize that any stimulus that your body is not
accustomed to will result in your body being required to adapt to that
stimulus (i.e. muscular hypertrophy, increased endurance, increased
strength). This is provided that you also have a proper diet and adequate
rest in order to repair the damage incurred during your weight training
session. Initially, the stimulus can be quite small with impressive results,
and then can be built upon. With this in mind, we will start with one exercise
for each major muscle group and build from there.
d. The issue of frequency of workouts is another widely discussed area in
bodybuilding. Some argue for up to 2 times per day, 6 days per week, while
at the other end of the spectrum, others argue as little as one workout per
10 days. With such a wide disparity in these numbers it is easy to get
confused. I encourage you to follow the rules set forth here, and stick with

them diligently for optimal results. If "all" of these so called experts were
really correct, then you would think there would be much less disparity. With
this in mind, I suggest you start with an every other day workout system
focusing on the best possible exercises. Your workouts should be Monday
(on), Tuesday (off), Wednesday (on), Thursday (off), Friday (on), Saturday
and Sunday (off), then repeat. This schedule may be adjusted to fit your
individual needs, but please do not work out on consecutive days (at least
with weights). In future months this may be adjusted.
e. The number of repetitions per set is also an area that must be addressed.
Generally speaking, the lower the repetitions performed per set, the greater
the strength increases. The higher the repetitions, the greater the
endurance. In the middle somewhere is an optimal combination of both
endurance and strength, and this also happens to be the best area for
muscular hypertrophy. This repetition range will vary, but common belief is
that 8-12 repetitions is optimal. We will start here. If you are able to get 13+
reps with a weight, it is too light. If you are able to get less than 8 reps with
a weight it is too heavy. Make adjustments accordingly. I suggest you do
your first set at 12 reps, 2nd at 10 reps, and 3rd at 8 reps for now. Each set
you should attempt to push yourself at or near temporary muscular failure,
although this is somewhat less important (and more dangerous) for
beginners.
f. You should aim for proper execution of each of the lifts before attempting
to increase your weight. Poor form will only lead you to injury, and
furthermore, poor form with increased poundage will only increase your
chance for injury. Once you get the form down pat, try to increase you
weight (within the 8-12 rep. range) at least once a week.
4. It is impossible to address every individual concern regarding weight
training in one concise article, but over the course of the year, we will build
upon the basics presented here throughout the coming year. Individual
questions
regarding
this
program
can
be
sent
to
me
at OPT4FIT@opt4fit.com. I also suggest hiring a qualified personal trainer to
take you through the program(s), and exercises to be sure you are
performing them safely and properly.
5. The exercises listed in this month's article are some very basic exercise
that will be built upon in coming months. I encourage each of you to get
very good at them, before adding any additional exercises. Next month, I
will have a totally different set of exercises based off of the same workout
structure, so that you can further expand upon your base of exercises. At
that point we will get in to more advanced programs.
Month #1 Workout Program
Here is a printable spreadsheet of this program that you can print and use
as your workout log! You must have Microsoft Works or Excel or a
compatible program to use the top two links. Use the HTML link if you do not
have these programs.

Bodypart

Exercise

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Compound Legs
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Lower Back
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Biceps
Triceps
Abs

Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Lying Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Hyperextensions
Barbell Bench Press
Latissimus Pulldowns
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Barbell Curls
Rope Tricep Pushdowns
Crunches

12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
12 Reps
15 Reps

10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
15 Reps

8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
8 Reps
15 Reps

GOOD LUCK, TRAIN HARD, TRAIN SMART, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, AND BE
CONSISTENT. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH!

MONTH 1 WORKOUT- BASIC ONE DAY SPLIT

WHOLE BODY PROGRAM
Bodypart

Exercise

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Compound Legs
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Lower Back
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Biceps
Triceps
Abdominals

Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Lying Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Hyperextensions
Barbell Bench Press
Latissimus Pulldowns
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Barbell Curls
Rope Tricep Pushdowns
Crunches

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MONTH #2 - A Continuation in Pursuit of an

Optimal Physique
A Continuation in Pursuit of an Optimal Physique. At this point,
you should have completed a full 12 workouts using the first
month, basic, whole body workout. The following is a list of
things you should have experienced. See expectations for month 2
So, you've made it through the first month in your Year's Worth of Workouts.
At this point, you should have completed a full 12 workouts using the first
month basic whole body workout. The following is a list of things you should
have experienced during the first month, and also some things you should
expect during your second month basic whole body program.
Month 1 Experiences
1. After completing your first two or three workouts, you should have
experienced some general soreness in all of your bodyparts. The soreness
should have been such that your musculature felt a tight feeling, but it
should not have been significant. You likely felt a decreasing amount of
soreness as you progressed through the month. This is explained by the
principle I call "What have you done for me lately?", that I addressed in
the intro to the first month workout. Basically, after your body adapts to the
program, it will not be as difficult for your body to adapt to the stimulus,
therefore, it will be less likely that you will damage the muscle significantly
enough to create the muscle soreness that you did initially.
2. You should have noticed that weights that you found challenging in the
first few workouts seemed light during the last week of the program. This is
due to the fact that your body adapted to the program. If you followed my
directions correctly, you should have been trying to increase your weights
on each of the exercises at least on a weekly basis. The result of this should
be that you are now much stronger on each of the exercises you have been
performing. This increased strength is a pre-requisite to developing
muscular hypertrophy.
3. You should notice that each of your muscle groups "feels" tighter. This is
due to the physiological adaptations that your body has to the weight
training you are performing.
4. As I addressed in my intro article, you should have been keeping your
rest intervals at 60-90 seconds between sets. Initially, the rest interval
probably seemed somewhat short, but as the month progressed, you likely
felt like the rest interval was almost too long. This is due to your increased
endurance that I told you would be an added benefit to this program.
5. Summarizing 1-4 above, you should now be stronger and have more
endurance, and at least to a small degree, you should be noticing an
increase in muscle mass.

Month 2 Experiences
1. This month we will continue to build on the foundation laid in month 1.
We will introduce new exercises for each bodypart, which we will then
combine with the exercises you learned in month 1 for your month 3
workout. That is where we are headed, but, first, here is what you can
expect from the month 2 workout.
2. Your leg workout will consist of two basic compound movements and one
movement for your hamstrings. During the first month, you performed Leg
Presses, which is an excellent movement for beginners, because your hips
are fixed, and the performance of the movement does not require balance.
This month, we will move you into Squats and Lunges, which will require a
great deal of balance, and which have a much higher learning curve than
the Leg Presses. These movements will tax every major muscle group in
your body, as you will be required to support the weight with the muscles of
your upper body (as opposed to the Leg Press). You will notice that your
stabilizer muscles of your upper and lower body will be required to aid in
your balance. Initially, these will be difficult movements to perform, but as
your neuromuscular patterning (mind working with the muscle), improves,
the exercises will become easier. I suggest you invest in a qualified personal
trainer for a session or two to help insure you are performing these
exercises correctly. If this is not a viable option for you, you can
reference Bodybuilding.com for proper performance instruction. (Click
here!) The Romanian Deadlift will replace the Lying Leg Curl as your primary
hamstring exercise. Since the hamstring is a muscle which crosses both the
knee and the hip joint, a well structured program should have exercises that
work at both of these joints. The lying leg curl is an excellent exercise for the
knee joint portion of the hamstring, and the Romanian deadlift is an
excellent exercise for the hip joint portion.
As mentioned earlier, we will combine the two exercises in month 3 to be
sure you are hitting the hamstrings most effectively. Please be very cautious
with this exercise, as it is high risk. Do not go heavy on this at first, and
instead try to make sure you get the proper form down. This exercise can
cause a significant amount of soreness due to the stretch that it requires, so
again, be cautious when increasing weight. Your legs will likely be more sore
than they were during your first month program, and it will likely take your
body well in to week 2 or even week 3 before you notice the soreness
diminishing. At that point you should concentrate on starting to increase
your poundage on these exercises. Your calf exercise for this month will be
the seated calf raise. This exercise better isolates the portion of your calf
musculature known as the soleus. The standing calf raise better isolates the
portion known as the gastrocnemius (gastroc.). Next month we will combine
the two exercises.
3. After that exhaustive explanation of the lower body portion of the month
2 workout, here is what to expect form your upper body portion. The barbell
bench press will be replaced by an incline dumbbell press. This will allow
you to get used to the different stimulus that the dumbbells provide, as well
as allow you to focus on the often neglected upper chest. The Latissimus
Pulldowns will make way for Seated Rows. This will allow you to focus on

your rhomboids which are the muscles that draw your shoulder blades
toward your spine. The Dumbbell Overhead Presses will be replaced by
Dumbbell lateral raises which will help you focus on the medial (side)
portion of your shoulders. This exercise will help to increase your shoulder
width and will allow you to increase that coveted V-taper that is the
trademark of all championship physiques. Alternate Dumbbell Curls will
replace the Barbell Curls and will again allow you to learn the dumbbell
movement that will compliment the barbell movement in future workouts.
The Rope Triceps Pushdowns will step aside for the Overhead Dumbbell
Extensions. This movement will allow you to get a better stretch of the
triceps muscle. Rather than performing crunches, you will perform reverse
crunches which will shift the emphasis from your upper abs to your lower
abs.
4. This month's program should produce a greater amount of general
soreness throughout your entire body than the month 1 workout, especially
in your legs. You will notice that the soreness becomes lesser as the month
progresses. You will also notice that the workouts will be much more difficult
that the month 1 workout had become (at least initially). Please do not let
this discourage you, as your body will be forced to adapt to these new
stimuli which will result in even better endurance, increased strength, and a
greater degree of muscular hypertrophy.
5. As I have mentioned several times, next month, we will combine the first
two months into a workout program that will allow you to continue to see
progress. Please, concentrate on getting very good at performing all of the
movements in these programs, and you will be well on your way to the body
you have always wanted.
A Brief Word on Diet and Cardiovascular Exercise
You have probably noticed that I have not addressed the topics of diet and
cardio up to this point. This is because I believe that trying to introduce too
much at the same time is often the reason a lot of programs fail. People
often get frustrated that they can't do everything at once, so they instead
decide to do nothing. This is not the right answer. Certainly, the strength
training portion is a critical part of developing your ideal physique, and I
encourage you to focus wholeheartedly in this area. However, diet and
cardio also play critical roles in the pursuit of a great body.
Without going into a great amount of detail, I offer the following advice to
get you started in these two areas.
1. Cardiovascular exercise is primarily utilized as a fat burning endeavor,
but at this point, I suggest you utilize it to compliment your strength
training. What I mean by this is that if you perform a moderate amount of
cardio (2-3 x per week at a heart rate of 60-70% estimated heart rate max),
you will further enhance your endurance capacity, which will make your
strength training easier. If you increase your cardio beyond this, you will
likely see a drop in strength, as your body has a limited amount of recovery
ability. In other words, use cardio. to make your strength training better at
this point, rather than specifically as a fat burning method.

2. Webster's defines "diet" as daily fare. That is what I would like you to
define it as. This is a very simplistic way to look at it. If you have a daily fare
of cheeseburgers, sodas, and ice cream, your body will be made up of these
substances. You are what you eat. If instead you provide it with adequate
protein from lean sources (chicken breast, egg whites, and cottage cheese
for example) and carbohydrate from quality sources (oatmeal, potatoes,
rice, vegetables, and fruit for example), your body will be made up of these
substances. You can choose the best route for you, but you know what my
thoughts are in regard to your best choice. As far as the proper percentages
of calories and overall calories that you should take in, there are many
different opinions on this. A basic guideline that should get you started
would be a diet that consists of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
and 2-3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight. You should keep
your fat intake at approx 15-20% of total calories. These guidelines should
be divided into 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to optimize the
absorption of these nutrients. Again, these are general rules, and in no way
can I guarantee that these rules are perfect for everyone. I will however, say
that this is the best ratio that I have found for me as well as the majority of
my clients. You must also keep your water intake high (I suggest a minimum
intake of approx .66 times your bodyweight in ounces per day). For example,
a 200 pound person would need approx 132 ounces per day or about a
gallon.

Bodypart
Compound Legs

Exercise
Barbell Squats

Compound Legs

Dumbbell Lunges

Hamstrings/Lower
Back
Calves

Romanian Deadlifts

Chest

Incline Dumbbell Presses

Back

Seated Rows

Shoulders

Dumbell Lateral Raises

Biceps

Alternate Dumbbell Curls

Triceps

Overhead Dumbbell
Extensions
Reverse Crunches

Abs

Seated Calf Raises

Set 1
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
12
Reps
15
Reps

Set 2
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
10
Reps
15
Reps

Set 3
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
8
Reps
15
Reps

Good luck with your continuation to your optimal physique. Train hard, eat
smart, and most importantly, be consistent.
See you next month!

MONTH #3 - Time to Split

Here we are in Month 3. Hopefully, you've successfully
completed Month 1 and Month 2, and are experiencing great
results. I hope my tips on what you should have experienced
helped to understand what you were going through.
Ok, so here we are in Month 3. Hopefully, you've successfully completed
Month 1 and Month 2, and are experiencing great results. I hope my tips on
what you should have experienced during those months helped to
understand what you were going through. With the last 2 months firmly
situated under your lifting belts, here is what you should expect in Month 3.
1. Your overall training volume will remain unchanged. You will continue to
work out 3 days per week on alternating days. The number of sets per
workout will remain at 30 total sets.
2. You will alternate Day 1 - Legs with Day 2 - Upper. For example, you
would perform workout 1 on Monday, workout 2 on Wednesday, workout 1
on Friday in week 1. In week 2 you would perform workout 2 on Monday,
workout 1 on Wednesday, and workout 2 on Friday. You would then start
back over on the same rotation for weeks 3 and 4 and so on.
3. You will be doubling you workout volume per bodypart in each individual
workout, although your total workout volume will remain unchanged. What
this means is that instead of doing just one exercise for each upper body
part, you will now perform two. This will result in a more significant amount
of muscular trauma, which in turn will require a greater amount of rest
between workouts in order to repair the damage. This increased volume will
definitely result in a greater amount of muscular soreness, so you should be
prepared for that.
4. The exercises are all of the exercises that you have already been
performing during the last two months, so you shouldn't have to spend a
great deal of time perfecting form (this should have already been
accomplished), and instead should focus on increasing your intensity.
5. Rest intervals between sets should remain at 60-90 seconds. Repetitions
should also remain at 8-12.
6. Do not attempt to add additional workouts to this schedule, as at this
point, it would be overkill. Stick with my cardio. and dietary suggestions
from last month.
7. During this month, you should notice a greater muscular pump in each of
the bodyparts you are working. This is due to the increased volume and
subsequent increase of blood in the muscle.
8. You should notice an even greater amount of muscular growth during this
month.

9. Next month we will introduce you to some new exercises to keep things
fresh and to add to your repertoire of exercises.
See you next month. Good luck and train hard.
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT BELOW TO VIEW THE WORKOUT!

MONTH 3 WORKOUT - Two Day Split (Upper

Body/Lower Body)
Day #1 - Legs
Bodypart

Exercise

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Compound Legs
Compound Legs
Compound Legs
Hamstrings
Hamstrings
Quads
Calves

Barbell Squats
Leg Press
Dumbbell Lunges
Romanian Deadlifts
Lying Leg Curls
Leg Extensions
Standing Calf
Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Reverse Crunches
Crunches

12/
12/
12/
12/
12/
12/
12/

10/
10/
10/
10/
10/
10/
10/

8/
8/
8/
8/
8/
8/
8/

12/
12/
15/

10/
10/
15/

8/
8/
15/

Bodypart

Exercise

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Chest
Chest

Barbell Bench Press

Incline Dumbbell
Presses
Latissimus
Pulldowns
Seated Rows
Dumbbell Overhead
Press
Dumbbell Lateral
Raises
Barbell Curls
Alternate Dumbbell
Curls
Overhead Dumbbell
Extensions
Rope Tricep
Pushdowns

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

12/

10/

8/

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12/

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10/

8/
8/

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10/

8/

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12/

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8/
8/

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10/

8/

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8/

Calves
Abdominals
Abdominals

Day #2 - Upper

Back
Back
Shoulders
Shoulders
Biceps
Biceps
Triceps
Triceps

Write the weight that you used in the space provided in the
"Set" columns above.
Bodybuilding.com - The Future Of Bodybuilding!

Good luck with your continuation to your optimal physique. Train hard, eat
smart, and most importantly, be consistent.
See you next month!
Ready For Month #4? Click Here!

MONTH #4 - 3 Months Down, Time For the 3 Day

Split!
3 Months Down, Time For the 3 Day Split! You've learned a wide
variety of exercises and have perfected their form. See details for
3 day split.
Congratulations, you've made it to Month 4. You've learned a wide variety of
exercises and have perfected their form. You've progressed from the one
day full body system to the two day split. You've made significant
improvements in your body at this point. You should be looking and feeling
better from head to toe. You should have gained a respectable amount of
muscle at this point, and you haven't had to kill yourself getting here. So,
what next? It is now time for the three day split. Here are the details.
1. You will take your two day split system and divide it further into three
days. In other words it will now take three workouts to complete your entire
body. It will be split into two upper body workouts (day #1- back and biceps,
day #2-chest, shoulders, and triceps) and one leg workout (day #3- legs,
calves, and abs). This workout split is known in bodybuilding circles as the
push/pull system, as you are working the push muscles one day and the pull
muscles on another day.
2. You will now workout 4 times per week rather than 3. The optimal split
would be Monday on, Tuesday on, Wednesday off, Thursday on, Friday on,
Saturday off, and Sunday off. These days could be manipulated somewhat,
but the goal is to try to workout no more than two days in a row. The
following is a sample schedule.
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Back/Bis.

Ch./Sh./Tris. off

Friday

Sat./Sun.

Leg/Cal/Ab

Back/Bis.

off

Ch./Sh./Tris. off

Ch./Sh./Tris. Leg/Cal/Ab

off

Back/Bis.

Leg/Cal/Ab

off

Ch./Sh./Tris. Leg/Cal/Ab

Back/Bis.

off

3. Rest intervals will remain at 60-90 seconds. Repetitions will remain at 812 for most exercises.
4. Your upper body volume will be increased and your lower body volume
will remain unchanged. This will result in an even greater amount of micro
trauma than last month, and will result in more muscular soreness (at least
initially). That is the major reason why you need 4-5 days rest before hitting
the same bodypart again.
5. You will not be required to learn a bunch of different new exercises, but I
have added a few in order to better round out the program and to keep you
learning new exercises. The new exercises have an asterik next to them. The

most significant of the new exercises is the deadlift. You should use caution
with this exercise and work up slowly in weight, concentrating on using
impeccable form. You've already learned the squat and the bench press, and
the deadlift completes the big three exercises. Once you get these down,
you can be assured you've learned the three greatest muscular enhancing
exercises. I will take out the squat and romainian deadlift this month, as
they work a lot of the same musculature as the deadlift, and would be too
taxing at this point in the program.
6. You should continue following my diet and cardiovascular suggestions
from Month 2.
7. You should have gained a significant amount of strength and muscle at
this point, and the changes I have integrated this month should keep that
trend going strong.
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT BELOW TO VIEW THE WORKOUT!

BODYBUILDING.com MONTH 4 WORKOUT - 3 day

split
Day #1 - Back/Bis.
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Back (lower)
Back (outer)
Back (inner)
Back (traps)
Back (upper/outer)
Biceps
Biceps
Biceps

Deadlifts*
Latissimus Pulldowns
Seated Rows
Barbell Shrugs*
Bent over Rear delt raise*
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls*
Alternate Dumbbell Curls

12/
12/
12/
12/
12/
12/
12/
12/

10/
10/
10/
10/
10/
10/
10/
10/

8/
8/
8/
8/
8/
8/
8/
8/

Day #2 - Chest/Shoulders/Tris.
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Chest (upper)
Chest (middle)
Chest (upper/inner)
Shoulders
(anterior)
Shoulders (medial)
Shoulders
(rotators)
Triceps
Triceps
Triceps

Incline Dumbbell Presses

Barbell Bench Presses
Incline Dumbell Flyes*
Dumbbell Overhead Press

12/
12/
12/
12/

10/
10/
10/
10/

8/
8/
8/
8/

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Lying Dumbell 90 degree external rotation*

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Lying EZ Bar French Presses*

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
Rope Tricep Pushdowns

12/
12/
12/

10/
10/
10/

8/
8/
8/

Day #3 - Legs/Calves/Abs
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Compound Legs
Compound Legs

Leg Press
Hack Squats*

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Compound Legs
Hamstrings
Hamstrings
Quads
Calves
Calves
Abdominals
Abdominals

Dumbbell Lunges
Lying Leg Curls
Seated Leg Curls*
Leg Extensions
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Reverse Crunches
Crunches
* denotes new exercises this month

View Month 4 In Your Browser

Microsoft Works Spreadsheet
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
Good luck with this new program. See you next month.
Ready For Month #5? Click Here!
Back To The Front Workout Of The Year Page...

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MONTH #5 - This One Is Super!

You'e seen impressive strength and muscular gains. You'e
educated yourself and perfected a wide variety of exercises. So,
now what? Read on to see why this month is going to be super!
So, you've made it through 1/3 of the full year. You'e seen impressive
strength and muscular gains. You've educated yourself and perfected a wide
variety of exercises. So, now what?
As the title indicates, this month will be super. Superset that is. This month
will focus on supersetting agonist (working muscles) with antagonist
muscles (opposing the working muscles). This style of training has been
proven to increase strength and muscular hypertrophy. Most importantly it
will increase your muscular endurance which will serve as a smooth
transition to next month's workout.
With the first 4 workouts of the program, you have been utilizing the
straight set system, which has you perform an exercise for x number of
reps, followed by a rest period of 60-90 seconds, then performing your next
set, and continuing for the prescribed number of sets until the exercise is
completed. You then moved on to your next exercise in the same fashion,
and completed all exercises of your workout.
This month you will be pitting 2 exercises with each other in a superset
fashion. For example, we will work chest and back together on day 1. The
first 2 exercises will be the bent-over barbell row for back, and the flat
dumbbell bench press for chest. The proper performance of these exercises
would be to perform 12 reps of the bent-over barbell row immediately
followed by 12 reps of the flat dumbbell bench press, with no rest in
between sets. You would then rest for 60-90 seconds, and continue with 10
reps of the bent-over barbell row immediately followed by 10 reps of the flat
dumbbell press, with no rest in between sets. Rest for 60-90 seconds, and
perform your last set(s) of 8 reps in the same fashion. Then you move on to
the next grouping of 2 exercises, and so on.
In addition to the superset, we will also perform a system known as
compound sets. The only difference in compound sets and supersets is that
compound sets are two or more successive exercises for the same muscle
group. We will utilize this for shoulders, calves, and compound legs.
The new exercises this month will be denoted by a double asterisk (**). The
supersetted/compound setted exercises will be denoted by a single asterisk
(*).
I will be removing all of the big three exercises (squat, deadlift, and bench
press) from your program this month. This will give your system a break
from these exercises and will better prepare you for next month, when they
will all be back.

You will notice that this system will result in a greater amount of fatigue and
will be more taxing than the prior months. You will also notice an initial
strength decrease as your body adapts to the new system of training. You
should be able to see your strength increase as the month progresses.
The split will again be a three day system, but will pit back, chest, and abs.
on day 1, shoulders, biceps, and triceps on day 2, and legs, and calves on
day 3. Simply pick the workout up where you left off from last month,
starting with day 1. You will be working out 4 times per week following the
same type schedule as last month.
Continue to follow my dietary and cardio suggestions from month 2.
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT BELOW TO VIEW THE WORKOUT!

BODYBUILDING.com MONTH 5 WORKOUT SUPERSETS

Day #1 - Back and Chest and Abs.
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Back (inner)
Chest (middle)

Bent-over Barbell Rows*,**

Flat Dumbell Bench Presses

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (upper)
Chest (upper)

Dumbell Shrugs*,**
Incline Barbell Presses**

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (outer)
Chest (outer/inner)

Latissimus Pulldowns*
Flat Dumbbell Flyes

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (lower)
Abs (lower)

Hyperextensions* (compound set)

Reverse Crunches

12/
15/

12/
15/

12/
15/

Abs (upper)

Crunches (straight set)

15/

15/

15/

Day #2 - Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps

Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Shoulders
(rotators)

Lying Dumbell 90 degree external rotation

12/

12/

12/

above exercise straight setted for warmup

Barbell Overhead Presses*,**

12/

10/

8/

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

12/

10/

8/

Biceps
Triceps

Barbell Curls*
Close Grip Bench Presses**

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Biceps
Triceps

Incline Dumbbell Curls*,**

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Biceps
Triceps

Preacher Curls*
Rope Tricep Pushdowns

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Shoulders
(anterior)
Shoulders (medial)

Day #3 - Legs/Calves
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Compound Legs
Compound Legs

Leg Press*
Barbell Lunges

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Compound Legs
Hamstrings

Hack Squats*
Romanian Deadlifts

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Quads
Hamstrings

Leg Extensions*
Lying Leg Curls

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Calves
Calves

Standing Calf Raises*

Seated Calf Raises

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

** denotes new exercises this month

* denotes superset with next exercise
Check back at Bodybuilding.com for tons of bodybuilding info!

View Month 5 In Your Browser

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Good luck with this new program. See you next month.

MONTH #6 and #7 Super Calories

Last month saw us doing supersets. How do we keep progressing
from here? The answer lies in this months workout.
Well, here we are fresh in the middle of holiday season. Thanksgiving has
passed and Christmas and New Years are just around the corner. We are
busy shopping, spending time with family and friends, and devising our own
personal Christmas lists. If you are like me (and I think you are), #1 on the
Christmas list is a more muscular, perfectly symmetrical body.
I have received over one hundred e-mails from readers of this section here
at Bodybuilding.com, and thus far the response is "Awesome"! I assume
there are hundreds of others out there using the program that I have not
heard from. Those who have had faith in the program and approached it
with diligence and consistency are all seeing superb results. I hope you
are all seeing the results that this program has advertised. Please continue
to let me know how things are going.
Now, back to our #1 request on our wish list. To recap, we've progressed
from a one day split to a two day split. We then moved to a three day split,
and last month we ventured into supersets. How do we keep progressing
from here? The answer lies in this months workout.
As I stated, last month was superset month. You should have a fair amount
of muscular endurance and strength at this point, and your body should be
prepared for what is to come. Last month we dropped the "Big 3" exercises,
in order to rest your body for the months to come. Well, this month they are
all back. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are now the order of the day. I
have pulled out my tried and true mass gaining program that I personally
follow at least 2 times per year. This is honestly the best program I have
ever discovered for gaining strength and mass at the same time. It is ideal
for this time of year, as for most of us, it is off-season, and we have a limited
amount of time to workout. You will no longer be required to workout 4 times
per week. Below is the breakdown of your next 8 weeks.
1. This is a back to the basics type of program designed to be performed
only 3 times per week. You should work on a 1 on/1 off/1 on/1 off/1 on/2 off
schedule. Basically it is a Monday, Wednesday, Friday workout schedule.
2. The program is centered around the "BIG 3": squats, bench presses, and
deadlifts. These exercises should be performed with maximum intensity. If
after you finish your 5 sets of these exercises, you are totally taxed, call it a
day and go home and grow. Put everything you have into these exercises.
They are all multi-joint exercises that tax the majority of your musculature
and really put a strain on your central nervous system. Perform them well,
and you will get big.
3. The program works on a descending repetition and ascending rest
interval type of structure. Each week you will decrease your reps by 1 (on

most exercises) and you will increase your rest every other week. This will
allow for several things. The first is that the higher reps in the beginning will
help you focus on form and take advantage of the muscular endurance you
built up last month. Form is essential on all exercises. Do not even
contemplate poor form with this program or you will get injured. This is not
the time to be a show off. Perfect your form in the first couple of weeks and
keep that form as your weights go up. As you work through the weeks, your
rest increases, but your reps go down, which in turn should allow you to lift
heavier.
4. Set weekly goals to increase your weights by 2.5 - 5% on most of your
lifts (use 2.5% for the smaller muscle groups and 5% for the larger muscle
groups. For example, on deadlifts you might perform 5 X 12 @ 200 in week
1. Week 2 you do 5 X 11 @ (200 x 1.05) 210, week 3 you do 5 X 10 @ (210 x
1.05) 220, week 4 you do 5 X 9 @ (220 x 1.05) 230, week 5 you do 5 X 8 @
(230 x 1.05) 240, week 6 you do 5 X 7 @ (240 x 1.05) 250, week 7 you do 5
X 6 @ (250 x 1.05) 260, and week 8 you do 5 X 6 @ (260 x 1.05) 270. OK, so
the math isn't perfect, but you get the idea. In 8 weeks you've gone from
deadlifting 200 for 5 sets of 12, to 270 for 5 sets of 6. If you follow a similar
example for all of your lifts, you will get stronger and bigger everywhere.
5. It is difficult to get all 5 sets of the same exercise with the same reps and
weight for each set, but the idea is to strive for this. Have a competent
spotter on hand so you can really push yourself. Don't despair if you don't
get all 5 sets at the specified reps. Stick with the weight you did for your
first set for all 5 sets. Push hard, especially on the "Big 3".
6. You have already learned all of the exercises in this program. Don't try to
add additional lifts to the program, as this will lead to overtraining. There
will be time for more specialization work later, but for now stick with the
program. You should be able to get bigger everywhere with this program.
7. Cardio should be perfromed only on off days and should be limited to no
more than 3 times per week at 20-30 minutes per session at a moderate
intensity (60-70% of estimated max. heart rate). Any more than that and
you will overtrain very quickly. This does not mean you should skip out on
cardio altogether, just don't go overboard.
8. During the holidays, you will have a tendency to overeat. We all do. The
excess calories can be a blessing during this program, as it will help with
recovery and allow us to pack on more muscle. Just remember, we are what
we eat. If we load up on the holiday cookies and candy, we will look the part.
Load up on turkey and sweet potatoes and...you get the picture. Don't use
this as an excuse to become a fat @#!. Eat smart, train hard, and grow.

Bodybuilding.com Month(s) 6 and 7 Workout

Workout
#1
Bodypart
Back

Biceps
Abdominal
s

Workout
#2
Bodypart
Shoulders
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps

Abdominal
s

Workout#
3
Bodypart
Legs
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Abdominal
s

Sets/Reps/Re
st

Sets/Reps/Re
st

Sets/Reps/Re
st

Sets/Reps/Re
st

Deadlifts
Pullups

Week#1
5/12/1 min.
3/max/1 min.

Week#2
5/11/1 min.
3/max/1min.

Seated Rows
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Hanging Ab. Raises

3/12/1 min.
4/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
3/max/1 min.

3/11/1 min.
4/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
3/max/1min.

Week#3
5/10/1.5 min.
3/max/1.5
min.
3/10/1.5 min.
4/10/ 1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
3/max/1 min.

Week#4
5/9/1.5 min
3/max/1.5
min.
3/9/1.5 min.
4/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.
3/max/1min.

3/12/1 min.
5/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
4/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
4/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.

3/12/1 min.
5/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
4/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
4/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.

3/12/1 min.
5/10/1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
4/10/ 1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
4/10/ 1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.

3/12/1 min.
5/9/1.5 min
3/9/1.5 min.
4/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.
4/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.

3/15/1 min.

3/15/1 min.

3/15/1 min.

3/15/1 min.

5/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
4/12/1 min.
3/12/1 min.
3/15/1 min.

5/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
4/11/1 min.
3/11/1 min.
3/15/1 min.

5/10/1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
4/10/ 1.5 min.
3/10/1.5 min.
3/15/1 min.

5/9/1.5 min
3/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.
4/9/1.5 min.
3/9/1.5 min.
3/15/1 min.

Exercise

Exercise
Lying DB external rotation
Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbell Flyes
Barbell Overhead Press
Dumbell Lateral Raise
Weighted Dips
Overhead Dumbell
Extensions
Weighted Crunches

Exercise
Squats
Lunges
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Oblique Crunches

MONTH #8 - Taking Strength Gains And Making

Some Muscles.
Taking Strength Gains and Making Some Muscles. We are going
to re-introduce some lifts you are already familiar with from prior
months and take out the 'Big Three'.
OK, so you made it through the holidays and the Month 6 and 7 workout. You
should have increased your strength on all of your lifts, particularly on the
BIG 3 (squats, deadlifts, and bench press). We are now going to take your
increased strength and apply it to a hypertrophy program that should lead
to even greater amounts of muscular gains. If you followed the last workout
to a "T", you are aware that the program was extremely taxing on your
system. The loads being placed on your body were maximal, and the results
were a bigger and better body. However, you also noticed that your body
was constantly broken down and that as the weeks progressed your joints
began to speak to you. Rather than trying to push your body even further,
with greater amounts of weight, we will now step back a little, and increase
your variety, increase your repetitions, and decrease your rest intervals.
This month will look a lot like Month 4, but with the additional strength you
have, you should be able to apply greater resistance at this point which will
allow you to keep growing. We will take out the Big 3 to let your body
recover, and re-introduce some lifts you are already familiar with from prior
months. It breaks down like this:
1. You will continue on a 3 day split system. Back and Bis on Day#1, Chest,
Shoulders, and Tris on Day #2, Legs, Calves, and Abs on Day #3.
2. You will now increase your workouts to 4 times per week rather than 3.
The optimal split would be Monday on, Tuesday on, Wednesday off,
Thursday on, Friday on, and Saturday and Sunday off. You can manipulate
this somewhat, but the goal is to try to workout no more than two days in a
row. The following is a sample schedule.
Monday - Back/Bis
Tuesday - Chest/Shoulders/Tris
Wednesday - off
Thursday - Legs, Calves, and Abs
Friday - Back/Bis
Saturday and Sunday - off
Monday - Chest/Shoulders/Tris
Tuesday - Legs, Calves, and Abs
Wednesday - off
Thursday - Back/Bis
Friday - Chest/Shoulders/Tris
Saturday and Sunday - off

Monday - Legs, Calves, and Abs

Tuesday - Back/Bis
Wednesday - off
Thursday - Chest/Shoulders/Tris
Friday - Legs, Calves, and Abs.
Saturday and Sunday - off
3. Rest intervals will be decreased to 60 seconds your first time through the
program (first three days) and then you can increase rest intervals to 60-90
seconds. This decreased rest should allow you to quickly build up any
muscular endurance you lost in your last few weeks of the Month 6 and 7
workout.
4. Repetitions should be 10-15 for your first time through the program (first
three days) and then decrease to 8-12. You will notice that the increased
reps. and decreased reps will result in significant lactic acid buildup around
reps 8-10, but you must push thorough this to allow for increased blood flow
and subsequent increased nutrients being shuttled to the muscle. You will
also notice that your will be using about 60 % of you max. weight for the
first three days, and you will still feel very taxed. Not to worry, simply try to
increase to 65 % the next time through, 70 % the next time, 75% the next
time, and ultimately to 80 % by the end of the month.
5. Since you have probably put on a little bit of bodyfat following the Month
6 and 7 program, it is ok to add a little this month. I would suggest 3-4 times
per week at 30 minutes per session at a moderate intensity. This will further
enhance your strength training, and should not be so intense that it
sacrifices mass gains.
6. Continue to follow my diet suggestions from month 2.
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT BELOW TO VIEW THE WORKOUT!
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Bodybuilding.com - MONTH 8 WORKOUT - The new 3 day

split
Day #1 - Back/Bis.
Bodypart

Exercise

Back (outer)
Back (outer)
Back (inner)
Back (traps)
Back (upper/outer)
Back (lower)
Biceps
Biceps
Biceps

Latissimus Pulldowns
Straight Arm Pulldowns
Bent Over Barbell Rows
Dumbbell Shrugs
Bent over Rear delt raise
Hyperextensions
Alternate Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Set
1

Set 2

Set
1

Set 2

Set
1

Set 2

Day #2 Chest/Shoulders/Tris.
Bodypart

Exercise

Chest (upper)
Chest (middle)
Chest (upper/inner)
Shoulders (anterior)
Shoulders (medial)
Shoulders (rotators)

Incline Barbell Presses

Dumbbell Bench Presses
Pec Deck Flyes
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Barbell Upright Rows
Lying Dumbell 90 degree external
rotation
Lying EZ Bar French Presses
Cross Bench Dips
Rope Tricep Pushdowns

Triceps
Triceps
Triceps

Day #3 - Legs/Calves/Abs
Bodypart

Exercise

Compound Legs
Compound Legs
Compound Legs
Hamstrings
Hamstrings

Leg Press
Hack Squats
Dumbbell Lunges
Romanian Deadlifts
Seated Leg Curls

Quads
Calves
Calves
Abdominals
Abdominals

Leg Extensions
Donkey Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Reverse Crunches
Weighted Crunches

MONTH #9 - 4 Day Split.

We are now up to the 3/4 of one year mark. Hopefully you have
progressed through each month diligently and you've seen the
results I promised.
We are now up to the 3/4 of one year mark. Hopefully you have progressed
through each month diligently and you've seen the results I promised.
Following up on the 3 day split from last month, this month we will split the
workout up even further to 4 days. This is not a workout that I recommend
for most natural bodybuilders, but if you have followed the year long
program to this point, this is the next logical step. Due to the increased
volume on arms, shoulders, chest, and abs., you will notice an increased
amount of micro-trauma (soreness). This increased trauma requires a
greater amount of rest between training sessions for the same bodypart.
This particular split will quickly lead to over-training for the natural
bodybuilder, so I do not recommend you follow it for more than 1 month. Be
sure to change to the Month 10 program as soon as it is posted. Also, if you
are not going to be able to sleep enough or intake adequate nutrition, this is
not the program for you. Stick with Month 8 for another month.
Now that all of the warnings are out of the way, here is what you should
expect from this program:
1. To this point you have noticed that I focus allot on the legs and back, as I
feel these are the foundations to a solid physique. They are also the most
overlooked and undertrained bodyparts for amateur bodybuilders. If you
have followed the program to this point you should have a very solid
foundation.
2. This month will allow you to focus more on the "show" bodyparts like
chest and arms. Again, the increased volume should create more trauma,
but only if you give all sets and exercises your best effort. It does no good to
add the volume if you are not capable of pushing yourself through the
increased number of sets.
3. You will notice I increased the training for your abdominals. This is
because in months to come, we hope to uncover these bad-boys, so I hope
to add some muscle with increased volume.
4. The "BIG 3" are back. That's right Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Presses.
You didn't think I'd forget these did you?
5. Sets remain at 3 per exercise. Use 2 light warmups on Squats, Deadlifts,
and Bench Press before increasing to your work sets.
6. Rest intervals between sets remain at 60-90 seconds.

7. You will follow the same workout schedule as last month. Just do workout
1 on Monday, workout 2 on Tuesday, Wednesday off, workout 3 on Thursday,
workout 4 on Friday, and Sat/Sun off.
8. Cardio. should be 3 times per week at 20-30 minutes per session at a
moderate intensity.
9. Diet should be similar to Month 2 guidelines.
Answers To The Most Common Questions.
I have received tons of e-mails from all of the people around the world
following this program. I must say the response has been impressive, and
somewhat overwhelming. As some of you may have recognized, my
response to e-mails is often tardy as a result of the overwhelming response.
Although I try to respond to each e-mail individually, this is sometimes
difficult. Thanks so much for your belief in the program, it makes what I do
very worthwhile.
The primary objective of the year long program is to take a beginning
bodybuilder and progress them through a year of workouts with the result
being a more muscular, symmetrical, lean physique. Specific dietary,
cardio., or strength training questions are outside the scope of these
workouts. If you have specific questions I recommend consulting with a
personal trainer in your area.
There are some common questions in the e-mails I receive, and rather than
try to address them all individually, I will answer them here.
Q: How do you perform _______________ exercise?
A: Bodybuilding.com has alot of good information and videos instructing
proper form on most of the exercises. Do a search here using the exercise
name. If you can not find a particular exercise on BB.com, I recommend
consulting with a personal trainer in your area.
Q: I'm just starting out and was wondering where you recommend I
begin?
A: Start out with month 1 of the year long program and work up through the
months. Each month adds a little something, so you will be learning as well
as building a better body.
Q: I don't have access to all of the exercises/equipment you list in
your workouts. What do you recommend I do?
A: I list preferred exercises for each month, but there are certainly
alternatives. If you do not have access to machines, and the workout calls
for them, just substitute a free-weight alternative. Again, a qualified
personal trainer would be able to show you an alternative.
This month's workout is below!
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT BELOW TO VIEW THE WORKOUT!

View Month 9 In Your Browser - Recommended

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Good luck and train hard. Let me know if you have any questions. Please
contact me if you have any questions at OPT4FIT@OPT4FIT.com.
Ready For Month #10? Click Here!

Bodybuilding.com MONTH 9 Workout- 4 day split

Day #1 - Back/Abs
Bodypart

Exercise

Back (lower)
Back (outer)
Back (inner)
Back (inner)
Back (traps)
Back (upper/outer)
Abs.
Abs.
Abs.

Deadlifts (add 2 warmup sets)

Pullups or Assisted Pullups
Seated Rows
One Arm Dumbell Rows
Barbell Shrugs
Bent over Rear delt raise
Hanging Ab Raises
Machine Crunches
Oblique Crunches

Set 1

Se

Set 1

Se

Day #2 Chest/Shoulders/Tris.
Bodypart

Exercise

Chest (middle)
Chest (upper)
Chest (lower)
Chest (upper/inner)
Shoulders (anterior)
Shoulders (medial)
Shoulders (medial)
Shoulders (rotators)

Flat Barbell Bench Presses (add 2 warmup sets)

Incline Dumbell Bench Presses
Decline Barbell Bench Presses
Incline Dumbell Flyes
Overhead Barbell Presses
Barbell Upright Rows
Dumbell Lateral Raises
Lying Dumbell 90 degree external rotation

Day #3 - Legs/Calves/Abs
Bodypart

Exercise

Quads
Compound Legs
Compound Legs
Hamstrings
Hamstrings
Calves
Calves
Abdominals
Abdominals
Abdominals

Leg Extensions
Squats (add 2 warmup sets)
Barbell Lunges
Lying Leg Curls
Standing Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Roman Chair
Weighted Crunches
Oblique Crunches

Day #4-Arms
Biceps
Biceps
Biceps
Biceps/Brachioradialis
Triceps
Triceps
Triceps
Triceps

Barbell Curls
Incline Dumbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Dumbell Hammer Curls
Close Grip Bench Presses
Barbell Lying French Presses
Overhead Dumbell Extensions
Straight Bar Pushdowns

Set 1

Se

Set 1

Se

Months 10, 11, and 12 - Putting The Finishing

Touches On Your Optimal Physique.
We will attempt to maintainyour muscle mass while we shed the
excess adipose tissue. If you are still lean and wishto continue
gaining mass, you should simply go back to month 4.
You'e made it thorough the majority of the year. You've progressed from a
one day split clear up through last month's four day split. You've learned a
wide variety of exercises and routines. Undoubtedly you've increased your
muscular strength, endurance, and most importantly (for most) you've
gained some serious lean muscle tissue.
Up to this point, the programs have been designed with the overall goal
being increased muscle mass and strength throughout the entire body. If
you've followed my general diet and cardio. advice throughout the year,
you've maintained a respectable amount of cardiovascular conditioning as
well as a manageable bodyfat level. Most likely you are at a point where the
extra muscle mass has changed your overall muscle shape and definition,
but a decrease in body fat is needed to show your best body. That is what
we will try to accomplish in the next three months. We will attempt to
maintain your muscle mass while we shed the excess adipose tissue. If you
are still lean and wish to continue gaining mass, you should simply go back
to month 4 and progress through month 9 until you are ready to chisel
down.
For the rest of you, we will be going back to Month 5 and utilize a three day
split/superset workout. You will follow the Month 5 workout for month(s) 10,
11, and 12. You have the option of rotating in additional exercises for
variety. For example, you could perform seated rows rather than bent-over
barbell rows, and flat barbell bench presses rather than flat dumbbell bench
presses. Hopefully you get the picture. You should have a great base of
exercises at this point, so this substitution process should be fairly easy. This
program should help to increase muscular endurance and due to the
increased pace/intensity, should provide a greater amount of calories
burned per workout. As I stated in Month 5, this program will also help
increase muscular hypertrophy and strength, but due to increased cardio.
activity and decreased caloric intake, you should not expect great progress
in these two areas (I shoot to maintain strength and hypertrophy while I cut
down). Once again, here is the Month 5 workout to be followed in months
10, 11, and 12:
This month's workout is below!
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The proper execution of this program can be found in Month 5.

Decreasing Bodyfat
As for decreasing your bodyfat to show off your new body, diet and
cardiovascular exercise will take on an increased level of importance. The
basic gist of it is, you must create a caloric deficit to force your body to
utilize stored bodyfat as an alternate fuel source. A pound of bodyfat is
equal to 3,500 calories. Therefore, for every 3,500 calories you take in below
your maintenance calorie level, you can expect to drop 1 pound of
bodyweight. As each individual varies, the exact prescription will vary also.
Therefore, I will give some general guidelines that should help everyone.
1. You should have your bodyfat taken by a qualified personal trainer. This
will help you determine what you lean body mass is and what your fat mass
is. For example, a 200 pound male bodybuilder with 15 % bodyfat would
have a lean body mass of 170 pounds, and a fat mass of 30 pounds.
2. Our goal will be to maintain the lean body mass while we shed the fat
mass. Using the above example this man may wish to decrease his bodyfat
to 5% in order to compete in a bodybuilding competition. Since we know he
has 170 pounds of lean tissue, we can estimate his bodyweight at 5 %
bodyfat to be 179 pounds (170 / .95). You can use this formula to estimate
your goal.
3. This man would need to lose approximately 21 pounds of bodyfat to
reach his goal (200-179). This shows us that he would need to create an
overall caloric deficit of 73,500 calories to reach his goal (3500 calories per
pound X 21 pounds).
4. Once you know this information, you can then figure out how to create
this deficit and the optimal amount of time to take to get to the goal. Most
experts agree that a loss of 1-2 pounds per week is optimal. Trying to lose
weight faster than this will lead to increased risks including, loss of lean
tissue, health complications, and a decreased chance of maintaining the
weight loss. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOSE MORE THAN 2 POUNDS PER WEEK!
This means you should shoot for a caloric reduction of 3500 to 7000 calories
per week, or 500-1000 calories per day. Although there are no steadfast
rules here, I recommend 500 per day for those under 150 pounds, 750 per
day for those 150-200 pounds, and 1000 per day for those 200 pounds and
over. Our sample bodybuilder would need to create a 1000 calorie per day
deficit for roughly 73 days to reach his goal (73500 / 1000). This equates to
a diet period of roughly 10-11 weeks.
5. You can then utilize decreased calorie intake and increased calorie output
(cardiovascular exercise to reach your goal). I suggest a fairly equal blend
between decreased intake and increased output. Using our sample
bodybuilder, I would suggest 500 calories per day from diet and 500 calories
per day from cardiovascular exercise.
6. You can figure out your maintenance calories in many different ways. I
have found a reasonably accurate formula that works with the vast majority
of people I train. The formula is 15 times your bodyweight for a person with
an average metabolism. If you have a slower/faster metabolism you will

need to adjust your number up or down from here, but this will give you a
starting point. Taking our sample bodybuilder, we can estimate that he takes
in 3000 calories per day (200 pounds x 15). If we reduce his calories to 2500
calories per day, he will create a deficit of 500 calories per day (3000
-2500).
7. I recommend a diet that consists of 1 times your bodyweight in grams of
protein, 15-20% of total calories from fat, and the remainder of calories from
carbohydrate. Again, this is a general suggestion. I am not pretending to be
your Doctor on dietitian, and I strongly suggest checking with your Doctor or
dietitian before utilizing these suggestions. Neither I nor Bodybuilding.com
assumes any responsibility for those who choose to ignore this disclaimer.
Taking the 200 pound bodybuilder, his diet would be as follows: 2500
calories per day, 200 grams of protein/800 calories from protein (1 gram per
pound of bodyweight), 15% calories from fat (42 grams/375 calories per
day). You can figure carbohydrate grams and calories by subtracting calories
from protein and fat from total calories. 2500 (total) - 800 (protein) - 375
(fat) = 1325 calories from carbohydrate calories. The grams of carbohydrate
is carbohydrate calories divided by 4 (calories per gram of carbohydrate).
This example would be 1325 / 4 = 331 grams of carbohydrate per day. Once
again, his breakdown would be 2500 calories, 200 grams of protein, 331
grams of carbs, and 42 grams of fat. I suggest that you try to divide your
calories up into 5 to 6 fairly equal small meals. This bodybuilder may
therefore choose to have 5 meals at 500 calories per meal with 40 grams of
protein, 66 grams of carbs., and roughly 8 grams of fat.
8. Again this is just a general guideline, you will need to adjust to fit your
individual needs. Further complicating the formula is the fact that your body
will adjust to a decreased calorie intake by slowing your metabolism. This
will require that you increase/decrease your calories on a consistent basis in
order to keep your body guessing. Using the above example, I would have
this bodybuilder at an average of 2500 calories per day, but would likely
reduce his calories even further for one or two days per week, and increase
his calories on or two days per week. The increase or decrease would come
from carbohydrate calories. This is known as carbohydrate/calorie cycling,
and details on this are beyond the scope of this article. I suggest reading the
book "Sliced", by Negrita Jayde and Bill Reynolds for further details on this
dieting method.
9. Remember to keep your water intake high. Again, I suggest .66 ounces
per pound of bodyweight.
10. I know this diet stuff is quite confusing, just as it is hard to comprehend,
please realize, it is also very difficult to articulate. I strongly suggest getting
further help from a qualified personal trainer if this is going over your head.
11. Cardiovascular exercise should be utilized to create a further caloric
deficit. Our sample bodybuilder would need to create an average of 500
calories per day deficit via cardio. This is an area where I prefer to keep it
simple. There are so many opinions on the optimal form/duration/intensity of
cardio. that it can be quite confusing. Some think short duration/high
intensity is the key. Others think long duration/low intensity is the key. Some

prefer running, others prefer cycling. Don't get caught up in all of the things
that don't really matter. What does matter is that you need to burn calories.
In our example, 500 calories per day (on average), will help get this
bodybuilder to his goal.
12. You may be curious as to how many calories you burn in a specified
period of time. The truth of the matter is that this is very difficult to estimate
without the use of sophisticated equipment. The best we can do is use the
estimates that our standard cardiovascular equipment gives us. You know,
when you get on the treadmill, and it estimates calories burned for you, use
this number. I prefer to use the equipment that allows me to plug in my
bodyweight, as these are more accurate. I know there are alot of experts out
there who will shun my method and who think that this is not as accurate as
possible. To those people, I suggest posting additional ideas on the
Bodybuilding.com message boards. This method has proved to be very
successful for me and my clients. As for cardio. outside the gym, you will
have to estimate the number of calories burned. There are books out there
with estimates ("Sliced" is one of them), but remember, they are only
estimates.
13. Once again, I emphasize the importance that this is an average daily
caloric deficit. You may choose to have more on one day and less on
another. I typically recommend a little less on weight training days and a
little more on no-weight training days.
14. Also, I suggest you take a complete day off from any activity at least
once per week to allow your entire system a recovery day. If you don't do
this, you will be much more likely to fail in your endeavors.
That is it in a nut-shell. I realize that this information can seem somewhat
vague and confusing. I promise you, I have used these formulas with
success with hundreds of clients. If you follow the general guidelines, I am
confident you will see outstanding results, and you will have a body that
others envy, and that you once thought was impossible to attain. It has
been a pleasure sharing with you all my one year program and look forward
to communicating with you in the future.
Good luck and train hard. Let me know if you have any questions. Please
contact me if you have any questions at OPT4FIT@OPT4FIT.com.
Back to the front workout of the year page.

BODYBUILDING.com MONTH 5 WORKOUT SUPERSETS

Day #1 - Back and Chest and Abs.
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Back (inner)
Chest (middle)

Bent-over Barbell Rows*,**

Flat Dumbell Bench Presses

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (upper)
Chest (upper)

Dumbell Shrugs*,**
Incline Barbell Presses**

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (outer)
Chest (outer/inner)

Latissimus Pulldowns*
Flat Dumbbell Flyes

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Back (lower)
Abs (lower)

Hyperextensions* (compound set)

Reverse Crunches

12/
15/

12/
15/

12/
15/

Abs (upper)

Crunches (straight set)

15/

15/

15/

Day #2 - Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps

Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Shoulders
(rotators)

Lying Dumbell 90 degree external rotation

12/

12/

12/

above exercise straight setted for warmup

Barbell Overhead Presses*,**

12/

10/

8/

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

12/

10/

8/

Biceps
Triceps

Barbell Curls*
Close Grip Bench Presses**

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Biceps
Triceps

Incline Dumbbell Curls*,**

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Biceps
Triceps

Preacher Curls*
Rope Tricep Pushdowns

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Shoulders
(anterior)
Shoulders (medial)

Day #3 - Legs/Calves
Bodypart

Exercise

Set
1

Set
2

Set
3

Compound Legs
Compound Legs

Leg Press*
Barbell Lunges

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Compound Legs
Hamstrings

Hack Squats*
Romanian Deadlifts

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Quads
Hamstrings

Leg Extensions*
Lying Leg Curls

12/
12/

10/
10/

8/
8/

Calves
Calves

Standing Calf Raises*

Seated Calf Raises

** denotes new exercises this month

* denotes superset with next exercise
Check back at Bodybuilding.com for tons of bodybuilding info!

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12/

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