High-Volume, High-Frequency Workouts for Quick Mass Gains

How to Build Muscle and Achieve the Physique You Want with High-Volume, High-Frequency Training

     After penning my article on my son Garrett’s high-volume, high-frequency training, I had a couple of emails asking if I could write a program or explain in more detail what a workout routine would look like using his methods.  This is my response.

     You don’t need to read that article first, but I’m not going to re-iterate the 6 “training types” that are contained within it.  So, here’s a LINK if you wish to read that one first and get your mind on better muscle-building “footing” as to what is being discussed in this article.

     The workout routine I will suggest, and explain, here uses a high-volume, moderate (to high) frequency, and low-intensity methodology.  “Intensity” in this case is used as it is by strength and power athletes, but not typically bodybuilders, as a percentage of your 1-rep maximum.  So, even if you train really hard, you would still NOT be utilizing “high-intensity” because the 1-rep-maximum percentage will be (relatively) low.  This workout program is also different from high-frequency, moderate (to high) volume, and low-intensity programs because the volume is first in order of importance with frequency 2nd.  This doesn’t mean that, at some point, the 2 methodologies wouldn’t converge as one.  As a bodybuilder advances—gains muscle, increases his strength and, therefore, his workload, and increases his work capacity—in either method, there will come a point where either the volume or the frequency increases enough that they essentially, at that point, mirror one another.  The method here will involve training a muscle group 3 days per week, which is the lowest number of days that I still consider to be “high frequency,” which is another reason that frequency is 2nd in method order.

     These workout ideas are meant for those interested in gaining muscle, not strength, and who are also past the beginning stage of training.  I would recommend that you have at the minimum 6 months of training under your lifting belt before the workout routine below.  It’s also best if you have already been doing full-body workouts 3 days per week during those 6 months.  However, the program that I will outline does contain a “break-in” period that allows you to adapt to the frequency, so it is not necessary to have been training your muscles 3 days a week before attempting this, simply preferred.

     This program follows a 2-way split, where you will train half of your body at one workout and the other half at the next, for a total of 6 days per week of lifting.  I have chosen an upper/lower split, simply for clarity and because I believe it’s probably the best split for anyone starting this kind of training.  However, if you would prefer a different split, then feel free to use one.  My son, for instance, currently trains on a 2-way “torso/limbs” split.  One workout is chest, lats, and shoulders (torso) and the 2nd is legs and arms (limbs).  This means that his arms, in a manner, get 6 days of training, since they are worked indirectly on the “torso” day.  However, he has done this intentionally in order to bring up his arm development more.  Those new to training, however, will do better by using the split I suggest.  Another possible split would be a “push/pull” split with one day being quads, calves, chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the 2nd being hamstrings, lats, biceps, and abs.  A split I like, and have used often, is legs and back at the 1st session and chest, shoulders, and arms on the 2nd.  A 3rd option is some sort of “full-body split” where you do, say, some sort of squat, bench press, and curl at one workout and some kind of pull (deadlift or clean variation), overhead press, and chin on the second.  If you know that one of these variations would be better for your current goals, then use one.  If you’re unsure, or just starting out with this method of training, stick with my upper/lower recommendation.

     In this routine, you will work up to 10 sets at each workout for larger muscle groups and 6-8 sets at each session for smaller muscles.  I will give a brief outline of the workout first and then I will explain the details.  As I often write, pay attention to the details.  They matter and are what allows your body to thrive with this kind of regimen.

Workout One - Upper Body (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

• Incline barbell bench presses: 5x10 (5 sets of 10 reps)

• Flat dumbbell bench presses: 5x10

• Wide-grip chins (or pulldowns): 5x10

• Seated cable rows: 5x10

• Behind-the-neck presses: 4x10

• Seated dumbbell presses: 4x10

• Barbell curls: 6x10

• Triceps extensions: 6x10

Workout Two - Lower Body (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)

• Front squats: 5x10

• Hack squats: 5x10 (machine or barbell)

• Romanian deadlifts: 5x10

• Lying leg curls: 5x10 (optional)

• Standing calf raises: 3x20 (barbell or dumbbells)

• Seated machine calf raises: 3x20

• Steep incline sit-ups: 3x20-30

     Here are the details, along with a few tips, to make the program work:

• Select a weight, at least to start the program, where you could get at least 15 reps if you were doing the exercise for 1 all-out set.  Even better, might be 20 reps.  If you find that too light, that’s fine.  As you adapt, you can increase the weight if you find that you need to do so.  You should, however, get all of the sets with relative ease.  Only the last set on an exercise should approach “hard” once you are doing the “complete” routine as outlined above.

• In the 1st week, do only 2 sets for each exercise.

• In week 2, increase this to 3 sets per exercise.

• In week 3, increase this to 4 sets per exercise.

• In weeks 4-7, do the program exactly as written.

• In the 8th week, return to just 2 sets per exercise for a “de-load” week.

• In weeks 9-12, do the program, again, exactly as written.

• 12 weeks is probably long enough, and you will find that it has “run its course” by that point.  However, if you are getting good gains and want to continue with it, do another de-load week after that, before returning to it for however long you wish to utilize it.  After 4 weeks of the “regular” program, always take a de-load week.

• After 12 weeks of training, if you still want to use it, however, I think it’s best to run it again with new exercises and start the program all over again by doing 2 sets the 1st week, 3 sets the 2nd, and so on.

• If you’re an advanced bodybuilder who is already accustomed to high-volume, high-frequency training, you might need more variety from the start.  In this case, you can use different exercises at each session.  You might, for example, do the barbell inclines and flat dumbbell benches for your chest on Monday, wide-grip dips and incline dumbbell presses on Wednesday, and incline flyes and flat barbell presses on Friday.  Use that same technique for all of your muscle groups but keep the routine the same otherwise.

     Make sure that you are consuming enough calories and definitely enough protein while running this program.  In bodybuilding circles, it’s long been the belief that nutrition is more important than training for gaining muscle.  I’m not sure if that’s entirely true.  I have long thought that the reason for that belief is because most (popular) bodybuilding programs just don’t work unless your nutrition is “on point.”  When I was powerlifting, the one problem with a lot of the HFT programs that I utilized was that I gained muscle even when I didn’t want to gain muscle.  That should tell the bodybuilder something about the efficacy of HFT routines.  But if you get on a good HFT regimen and you do everything “right” from a nutritional standpoint it is then that your hypertrophy gains will go through the roof.

     In a follow-up article (which I just began to outline), I will offer some thoughts on various additional tips and strategies for getting the best results from high-frequency training based on your goals.  Until then, give this program or some of my other HFT programs a try.  You may be surprised just how well they work for hypertrophy, especially if you have been using a more popular and well-known low-frequency model.  If you’ve had trouble gaining muscle in the past, HFT just might be the solution.

     If you enjoyed reading this article and want more muscle-building workout programs and routines, consider purchasing one of my books.  You can find more information on all of my books at the My Books page of the blog.

     As always, if you have any questions or comments about this article, leave them in the “comments” section below.  You can also send me an email if you prefer a more private correspondence.  I typically answer all email questions within a couple of days.  Also, any questions might help me in flushing out my next HFT article.