“You string a bunch of days of quality, efficient action together, and you can be successful.” – Kai Greene
That quote was taken from an article that I read in a magazine, and to me it couldn’t have been said any better. This is the number one reason I’m able to continuously make progress . As I’ve said before, consistency is key, but consistently doing the correct things is even more important.
I had a discussion with one of my clients recently about this very topic. Their main argument was that, during the week they eat healthy, but on weekends they eat whatever they want. I had to explain that this is like taking one step forward but two steps back. You can not outwork a poor diet! There are simply no shortcuts, no magic supplements, and no other substitute for being consistent with doing the right things day in and day out.
With that in mind, here are some tips to make sure you stay on track and head in the right direction in your physique-building journey:
CONSTRUCT A PLAN
Depending on whatever your goals might be – add lean mass or to preserve what lean mass you have while stripping away all of the fat – you have to have a logical plan. Educate yourself and don’t be afraid to experiment. Have a picture in your mind of what you want to look like and remember that each day you can take a step towards that. Every rep of every set of every exercise will count towards your goals.
EAT RIGHT
Something that I should have paid more attention to in my earlier stages of building my physique is the importance of proper nutrition. Look at nutrition as your fuel and building blocks. If you don’t have proper nutrition and perfect it over time, then it’s like trying to build a house with no materials.
MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS
Take progress pictures and body measurements to make sure you’re heading in the right direction with what you have planned out. Don’t rely on the scale or the mirror or what your friends might say. Be real with yourself and you will know what you need to improve on when you review the pictures. I suggest taking pictures every few weeks.
BE PATIENT
One of my biggest screw-ups in the past was not giving something enough time to work. Take a slow approach to everything because there is no quick fix that is permanent. You have to look at every day as an opportunity to get yourself a step closer to your goals. You can make excuse after excuse, but you’re only cheating yourself. If you want it badly enough you will have the dedication and discipline it takes to build the physique you’ve always wanted.
THE 3 ON, 1 OFF CONSISTENCY TRAINING PROGRAM
Repeat this cycle for 6 weeks!
Training Split
Day 1 Chest/Biceps/Abs
Day 2 Quads/Calves
Day 3 Shoulders/Triceps/Abs
Day 4 Off
Day 5 Back/Hamstrings
Day 6 Chest/Biceps
Day 7 Quads/Hamstrings
Day 8 Off
THE WORKOUTS
Day 1: Chest/Biceps/Abs
Perform two warmup sets of the first exercise
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Bench Press *Drop Set |
4 | 10, 8, 6, 6* | |
| Incline Bench Press *Drop set on last set |
4 | 10* | |
| Incline Dumbbell Flye | 4 | 12 | |
| Superset | |||
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 15 | |
| Cable Flye | 3 | 15-20 | |
| Pushup | 3 | Failure | |
| E-Z Bar “21” Curl | 4 | 21 | |
| One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl * Hold weight for 3 seconds at the halfway point of the negative each rep |
3 | 12* | |
| Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl *Hold contraction for 3 seconds each rep |
3 | 15* | |
| Superset | |||
| Lying Leg Raise | 3 | 20 | |
| Bicycles | 3 | 30 | |
Day 2 – Quads/Calves
Perform two warmup sets of the first exercise
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Leg Extension *2 drop sets on last set |
4 | 12-15* | |
| Squat | 10 | 10 | |
| Leg Press | 4 | 20 | |
| Negative Leg Press *5 second negatives |
3 | 10 * | |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 15 | |
| Superset | |||
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 20 | |
| Standing Calf Raise *Pause for 3 seconds at top for peak contraction |
4 | 10* | |
Day 3 – Shoulders/Triceps
Perform two warmup sets of the first exercise
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise *30 seconds rest between sets |
5 | 12* | |
| Seated Barbell Press *Drop set on last set |
4 | 12, 10, 8, 6* | |
| Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Press | 3 | 12 | |
| Superset | |||
| Barbell Upright Row | 3 | 10-12 | |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 10-12 | |
| Dumbbell Bent Over Lateral Raise *Drop set on last set |
3 | 15* | |
| Cable Pressdown | 4 | 25 | |
| Triset | |||
| EZ Bar Skull Crusher | 3 | 10 | |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 10 | |
| Close-Grip Pushup | 3 | Failure | |
| Rope Crunch | 5 | 20 | |
Day 5 – Back/Hams
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Deadlift | 10 | 10 | |
| Barbell Row | 4 | 10, 8, 6, 6 | |
| Wide Grip Pulldown | 3 | 15 | |
| One-Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 | |
| Reverse Grip Pulldown *Pause 3 seconds for each peak contraction |
3 | 12* | |
| Lying Leg Curl *Rest 30 seconds between sets |
7 | 12* | |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 15 | |
| Dumbbell Reverse Lunge | 3 | 10 |
Day 6 – Chest/Biceps/Abs
Perform two warmup sets of the first exercise
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10-12 | |
| Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye | 3 | 15 | |
| Incline Bench Press *5 Pause for 3 seconds at bottom of movement |
3 | 10 * | |
| Dumbbell Bench Press *3 second peak contraction each rep |
4 | 10 * | |
| Cable Flye *Rest 30 seconds between sets |
5 | 10 * | |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 4 | 12 | |
| Spider Curl *3 second peak contraction each rep |
3 | 15* | |
| Superset | |||
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 15 | |
| Seated Barbell Curl | 3 | 10 | |
| Ab Rollout | 5 | Failure | |
Day 7 – Quads/Hams
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Superset | |||
| Leg Extension | 6 | 12 | |
| Squat | 6 | 12 | |
| Superset | |||
| Leg Press | 4 | 15,12, 10, 8 | |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 15 | |
| Dumbbell Step-Up | 3 | 10 (each leg) | |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 15 | |
