3 X PER WEEK INTERMEDIATE HYPERTROPHY PROGRAMME
So, you’ve had plenty of time now to complete the 8 week beginner programme, and now it’s time for more. Some classic exercises can’t be beaten, so you’ll see that some are repeated, but don’t be fooled; this programme will challenge you to go beyond what you achieved previously, by working at higher intensities in the key compound exercises, adding more volume to assistance exercises, and mastering your bodyweight.
The aim of each workout is now more focused on individual muscle groups than it was during the beginners’ programme; however, there’s still plenty of repetition of each movement pattern throughout the week. Continue aiming for a rest day between each session, to ensure the increased fatigue per muscle group doesn’t hinder performance.
The Rules
You know the drill by now – if your reps are lower than previous weeks, add more weight. If you’re required to do one or two reps more, try to maintain the weight. If you’re facing an increase in reps of more than one or two, reduce the weight.
In many examples we’ll now be utilising 4 sets. Try to apply the rules above, but bear in mind that extra set might cause you to fatigue and reduce weight…or give you the confidence to push even further!
Pay attention to your rest periods – the larger fluctuations in rep range mean your rest periods will alter at various points in the workout.
Max/av – When you see the word “max” on the programme, treat this as a small testing session. The aim of this is to perform 3 sets of as many reps as possible, and then create an average (“av”) to use in future sessions. For example: (Set1+Set2+Set3) divided by 3 = your new working average! If you can’t complete one full rep, refer to the numbers beneath “max/av” and perform this amount of negative reps (see below). Press-ups can be performed on knees and inverted rows can be performed with the feet close to the body.
Negatives – these are reps focused on the downward phase of the movement. Use these if you cannot complete full reps, or if you fatigue halfway through a set. If you decide to use negatives for the full sets, ignore the “max” and “av” values and use the lower numbers. To see how to perform negatives for pull-ups and glute-ham raises, see the Fit Performance Facebook post on 9th February 2016.
Ab Wheel Rollouts – A nice progression from the ball rollouts. Instead of attempting to go from no reps to full, unassisted reps, try to use the progressions posted on the Fit Performance Facebook page on 26th February 2016, substituting the foot position for knees.
