My Three-Phase Training Approach
My goal was to come out of a four-year semi-retirement from bodybuilding in March and achieve my best ever size, shape, and over all condition by early November. I broke my training plan into three phases. Phase (I) was basically a powerlifting approach but I kept bodybuilding concepts in mind. In Phase (II) I took a bodybuilding approach to training but kept some of the powerlifting concepts in mind, and Phase (III) was a pure bodybuilding approach – both mind and body. I started phase one of my three-phase training approach as soon as I returned home from the Arnold.
In Phase (I) I trained six days a week (four hard workouts and two easier ones). I used a lot of power movements and focused on increasing the weights on each exercise as the weeks went by. However, no matter how heavy the weight got, I still kept a mind to muscle link and made sure the right muscle was being worked. I also included a few bodybuilding type exercises with slightly higher reps yet still went pretty heavy. Reps were explosive. Rest between sets was longer than normal. I wanted to lift as heavy as possible and rested as long between sets as necessary to be fully recovered for the next one. I normally performed each Phase (I) workout in one session, but there were times when I trained chest at noon and saved the shoulders and triceps for an evening workout.
Phase (II) I switched to more training sessions and mostly bodybuilding exercises but I focused on lifting very heavy. I kept the reps fairly low but not as low as in Phase (I). Reps were still performed in an explosive manner.
Phase (III) was almost all bodybuilding movements with higher reps than in the previous phases. During these sessions I really concentrated on contracting and squeezing the muscle and not so much on the amount of weight. Pace was a little quicker and attention to detail was foremost. In addition Phase (III) training often consisted of two or three sessions per day.
In the remainder of this article I’ll explain my Phase (I) training program to get you started. I’ll explain the other phases in subsequent articles and lead you step-by-step down the same path I followed to achieve my best ever condition.
PHASE (I) Training
Day 1 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Barbell Bench Press – 8 sets of 3 reps. I wrap my thumbs around the bar and tuck in my elbows (like a power lifter). I use a lot of shoulders and triceps in the movement and work up to heavy poundages. On my heavy days I’ll go up to 90 percent of my max for sets of three. If I’m successful, I’ll increase the weight next session.
Incline DB press – 3x10
Pec Dec – warm-up, then 2x10
Bradford Press – 3 sets of 6 reps. This is a hybrid exercise performed with a barbell. Simply do a military press and a behind the neck press in the same set... one rep front press, the next rep behind the neck. Don’t lock out; the bar should just barely clear your head.
Tricep Pushdowns – 3x10
JM Press – 3 sets of 5 reps. You do this one like a close grip bench press. Index fingers about nine inches apart. Lower the bar higher up on the chest than a traditional close grip bench and focus on the triceps. You don’t need to go all the way down to the chest, stop when you start to feel the chest contract and simply push or should I say squeeze the weight back up using all triceps.
Lying Dumbbell Extension – 3 sets of 10 reps. I perform this exercise using a dumbbell in each hand, lowering the dumbbells to the shoulder and then I continue to allow them to roll back and down. This really stimulates the elbow extensors (inner portion of the triceps). The more developed the elbow extensors are, the bigger your bench press will be…the extensors are where big benches come from!
Day 2 - Back/Legs 
This day combined a very intense back workout with some light leg work.
Deadlifts – 6 sets of 2 to 5 reps. Varying grips and stances…sometimes sumo style and other times traditional. I start with 5 reps and by the time I got to the 6th set I’m doing heavy doubles.
Barbell Rows – warm-up then 3 sets of 6 reps as heavy as possible (you can use a looser style to lift a little heavier than usual, but still focus on the lats and mid back – not your lower back.)
T-bar Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps as heavy as possible. Remember I train in my garage and don’t have a T-bar so here’s how I do it. I use a regular barbell … weights on both sides. I put the stationary end on top of a baseball base (to keep it from digging into the floor) and grab the other end with a special handle I made. (see photo). Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Leg extensions – 4 sets of 15- 20 reps. Squeezing the weight on both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (raising) portions of the movement... really just going for a pump on this one.
Rear Lying Dumbbell Raises – 3 x 10. I like combining rear delts work with back.
Reverse Hyperextensions – 4 x 10 as heavy as I could go. I do this one on a special Louie Simmons machine that I’m lucky enough to have. You could use a glute-ham machine or even regular hyperextensions with weights and focus on glutes and hams.
Day 3 – Bicep, Calves, Abs
This is a pretty easy day. Nothing too intense.
Straight barbell curl – warm-up, then 3x6 as heavy as possible using fairly good form but not perfect.
Preacher EZ Bar curls – 2x10
Dumbbell Hammer curl – 2x10
Cable crunches for abs – 3x20.
Standing Calf raise - 3x20
Day 4 Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Basically the same set and rep scheme as day one, just different exercises.
Incline Barbell – 8x3
Flat Dumbbell Press - 3x10
Flat Dumbbell Flyes – 2x10
Side Lateral Raises – Up and down the rack. 8 Reps each…I always started the set with 20 pound dumbbells and continue up the rack... 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70... THEN back down. I do 8 reps at each weight… good form when the weights are low, but as I continue up the rack, the reps become less and less strict and the range of motion very limited. But the partial reps with the 60’s and 70’s create an unbelievable burn and I still think I get some growth stimulus from them. Reps were performed in a fast manner. Only 1 set is needed!
Weighted Dips – 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps... Add weight each set.
Skull Crushers - 3x10
One-Dumbbell Overhead Extension - 3 x 10
Day 5 – OFF
Day 6 – Back/Legs
This is a heavy leg and light back day.
Squats – 6 sets of 3 to 6 reps. Using a wide stance and going to parallel.
Leg Press – 3x10 Close stance.
Hack Squat 3x8
Lying Leg Curls – 4x6
Lat Pulldowns to front – 3x15
Seated Pulley Rows – 3x10
Day 6 – Biceps, Calves, Abs
Again, not too intense…I went heavy but focused more on getting a good pump.
Dumbbell Incline Curls – 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Barbell Reverse Curls – 3x10
Seated Calf Raise – 3x20
Cable Crunches – 3x20
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You can have the best training program, the best workout facility and the best trainer in the world but without proper nutrition and supplementation it’s all pointless. If you don’t have quality protein in your diet and amino’s in your bloodstream at all times, then you are absolutely wasting your time if you’re trying to build lean muscle tissue.
