Massive Blitz: 4 Week High Rep Muscle Building Cycles
This is a fun (well, painful and effective) little training approach to use when you are in the mood to try something a little different. It is not for the faint of heart. You have been warned.
Here's how it works.
For 4 weeks you will "specialize" your training by targeting one muscle group with very high reps. During this time you will perform both a compound movement and an isolation or machine movement. This specialization will involve some aspects that are seemingly counterintuitive to the muscle building process:
- Lighter weight
- Higher reps
- Limited rest between sets
It is recommend that you blitz only one major muscle group during a given 4 week period. I have made a couple exceptions. See the schedule listed below. If you enjoy this style of training, consider rotating your specialization periods in the following manner:
- Weeks 1-4 - Chest blitz
- Weeks 5-8 - Quads blitz
- Weeks 9-12 - Shoulders blitz
- Weeks 13-16 - Back blitz
- Weeks 17-20 - Hamstrings & Calves blitz
- Weeks 21-24 - Triceps & Biceps blitz
Optional: You can also interject a recovery week in between specialization "blasts." During this week, train the previously targeted specialization muscle group using a deload workout. This should involve about 60% of the weight used during a normal body part workout. For example, If you normally bench press 225 pounds x 3 sets x 5 reps, your deload week should be 135 pounds (60%) x 3 sets x 5 reps.
Blitz exercise sets, reps, rest and weight
For each blitz exercise you will:
- Perform 6 sets of 15 reps
- Rest 90 seconds in between sets for primary movements, 60 seconds in between sets for secondary movements
Starting weight for primary, compound movements should be around 50% of your one rep max. Starting weight for the secondary exercise should be able your 20 rep max; a weight you could perform 20 reps with, and no more. When you are able to to perform 15 reps for all 6 sets, add a small amount of weight to the bar.
4 week chest blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for chest during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:
- Bench press
- Dumbbell bench press
- Incline bench press
- Dumbbell incline bench press
Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:
- Pec dec
- Dumbbell flye
- Chest dips
- Machine chest press
- Cable crossovers
For this example, we will use bench press and pec dec. This is what a blitz chest workout would look like:
| Chest Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Bench Press | 30% Max x 10 | ||
| Bench Press | 40% Max x 10 | ||
| Bench Press | 6 x 15 | 90 sec | |
| Pec Dec | 1 x 10 | ||
| Pec Dec | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
4 week quads blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for your quads during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:
- Squats
- Front squats
- Leg press
Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:
- Leg extensions
- Hack squats
- Goblet squats
- Dumbbell lunges
For this example, we will use squats and leg extensions. This is what a blitz quads workout would look like:
| Quads Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Squats | 30% Max x 10 | ||
| Squats | 40% Max x 10 | ||
| Squats | 6 x 15 | 90 sec | |
| Leg Extension | 1 x 10 | ||
| Leg Extension | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
4 week shoulder blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for shoulders during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:
- Military press
- Push press
- Seated overhead dumbbell press
- Seated BTN press
Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:
- Side laterals
- Upright rows
- Arnold press
- Rear delt flye
For this example, we will use military press and side laterals. This is what a blitz shoulder workout would look like:
| Shoulder Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Military Press | 30% Max x 10 | ||
| Military Press | 40% Max x 10 | ||
| Military Press | 6 x 15 | 90 sec | |
| Side Laterals | 1 x 10 | ||
| Side Laterals | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
4 week back blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for back during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:
- Low rack deadlifts
- Barbell row
- T-Bar row
Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:
- Machine row
- Seated cable row
- Pull ups
- V-bar lat pull downs
- Lat pull downs
- Inverted rows
For this example, we will use barbell row and V-bar lat pull downs. Here is what a blitz back workout would look like:
| Back Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Barbell Row | 30% Max x 10 | ||
| Barbell Row | 40% Max x 10 | ||
| Barbell Row | 6 x 15 | 90 sec | |
| V-Bar Pull Downs | 1 x 10 | ||
| V-Bar Pull Downs | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
4 week hamstring and calves blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for hamstrings and calves during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary exercises for hamstrings:
- Stiff leg deadlift
- Dumbbell stiff leg deadlift
- Glute ham raise
- Leg curls
Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises for calves:
- Seated calf raise
- Machine calf raise
- Leg press calf raise
For this example, we will use stiff leg deadlift and seated calf raise. Here is what a blitz hamstring and calves workout would look like:
| Hamstrings & Calves Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 30% Max x 10 | ||
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 40% Max x 10 | ||
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 6 x 15 | 90 sec | |
| Seated Calf Raise | 1 x 10 | ||
| Seated Calf Raise | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
4 week arm blitz
You will be performing only 2 exercises for arms during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following triceps exercises:
- Close grip bench press
- Skullcrushers
- Cable tricep extensions
- Two arm seated overhead dumbbell extension
Choose from one of the following biceps exercises:
- Barbell curls
- Alternating dumbbell curls
- Machine curls
- EZ bar curls
- Chin ups
For this example, we will use skullcrushers and barbell curls. Here is what a blitz arm workout would look like:
| Arm Blitz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Week Cycle | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Skullcrushers | 1 x 10 | ||
| Skullcrushers | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
| Barbell Curls | 1 x 10 | ||
| Barbell Curls | 6 x 15 | 60 sec | |
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