Fundamentals: One-Exercise-Per-Bodypart Programs for MASS Building

 For some reason, by FAR the most "hits" on any of my pages here at Integral Strength are for one of my oldest posts, one that I wrote in 2009 when I first started this blog entitled "Old Time Mass Tactics: One-Exercise-Per-Bodypart Training."  You can read it here if you're interested:

https://cssloanstrength.blogspot.com/2009/05/old-time-mass-tactics-one-exercise-per.html

Even though I wrote that piece when I was 35 - and I'm now 48 - I do think that it still "stands on it's own", and so I wouldn't change much, if anything, about it.  However, my views HAVE changed a little since that time, primarily when it comes to older lifters because, well, I'm an older lifter now, and when you're in your upper 40s (or older) you probably shouldn't train the way you did when you were in your early to mid 30s.  For instance, when I was in my early 30s, I was the strongest I had ever been in my entire life.  I could squat and deadlift (in competition) over 600 pounds (in the 181 pound class), and I even managed to bench press 405 lbs one time by bulking up to the 198lb weight class.  But now that over 15 years have passed since that time, I'm the weakest I have ever been in my life, at least when it comes to RAW strength and power.  Sure, I could squat and deadlift over 400 lbs if I wanted to, but my body simply can't handle that kind of training any more without hurting like all manners of the 8 hells of Zen!  I have accrued too many injuries, from both HEAVY powerlifting and from both "point" fighting and full-contact fighting (Kyokushin) in my youth.  I still train hard, but I also train a lot SMARTER than I did years ago.  I hope that what follows will reflect my full-range of knowledge (that I have acquired since that original post) when it comes to "one-exercise-per-bodypart" training programs.  In addition, the following is more detail-oriented than that original post, so here goes:

The great Sergio Oliva built most of his muscle mass with one-exercise-per-bodypart training.

First off, it doesn't matter whether you train with a one-exercise-per-bodypart or with a multi-exercise, multi-angular approach to training each bodypart, certain "training laws" still apply, and they always will!

"Set-in-Stone" Training Strategies

The following are the "rules" that I think all lifters / bodybuilders / strength athletes should live by!  These are the rules you should never deviate from.  Don't get me wrong; training is an art!  It's an art as sublime as creating a masterpiece on canvas or on paper - or at least it CAN be - but there are still "laws" that must be mastered before anyone can do whatever they want.  Only a true master artist-trainer who has trained for so long that he/she knows exactly what to do in the moment can allow him/herself to not follow these rules.

Volume, Frequency, Intensity

It doesn't matter the program, these 3 variables must be properly manipulated.  Two of the variables can - in fact MUST - be high, and the other variable left over must be low.  The only caveat is making all 3 variables moderate (as in a lot of full-body, 3-days-per-week programs).

For instance, the most popular form of training is with a one-bodypart-per-day program where you train each muscle group once per week for a massive number of sets, and then let your bodypart heal for an entire week (or something close, give or take a day) before training it again.  While I don't think this is the way hardgainers, natural trainees, or aging lifters should ever train, I understand its popularity.  It allows a bodybuilder to train 2 factors high (volume and intensity) while the other factor (frequency) is kept very low.  I think its popularity lies in its simplicity.  Because, while I believe MOST trainees would do better on a more balanced approach where all 3 variables are moderate, or an approach where FREQUENCY is always the "high" variable with one of the other two remaining factors (either volume or intensity) being the "low" one, I understand the popularity of this one-muscle-group-per-day approach due to its ease of applicability.  However, even though they are not as easy to "program", I still think everyone should use one of the other forms of training in his/her muscle-building career even if he/she gets fantastic results from infrequent, hard, and voluminous training.  It's important for any successful bodybuilder or lifter to learn the intricacies of how to properly manipulate and manage all 3.

Based on that information, here are the "4 Ways" that you can train:

1. High Volume, High Intensity, Low Frequency (example above)
2. High Intensity, High Frequency, Low Volume (typically my favorite way to train)
3. High Frequency, High Volume, Low Intensity (This is actually how a LOT of older trainees and "hardgainers" should train, but it's also the most difficult to properly program.)
4. Moderate Volume, Moderate Frequency, Moderate Intensity (typical of a H-L-M, Full-Body program, which I will NOT include in this post, since I have a feeling this is already going to be a LONG post.)

NOTE: Before continuing, one word of note must be mentioned: "intensity" above refers to amount of weight lifted, NOT "exertion of effort" or "momentary muscular failure" or any other such typical "bodybuilding" definition of effort.  However, when performing such "intense" sets along with "so-called" intensity techniques such as training to failure means that the bodybuilder is definitely going to have to take off multiple days before training the same bodypart again.  AND "intensity" also refers to the total amount of weight lifted for the entire workout, and this is where some trainees will get confused because they are equating volume with intensity, not understanding the clear difference, but we'll get to more of that in a little bit.

The Other Factors
We will return to volume, frequency, and intensity momentarily, but for now let's look at a few other factors.  And before we get to to that, just know that this article is meant for those of you (guy or gal) who want as much muscle as possible, or as much strength and muscle as possible.  This article - and the forms of training involved - are NOT for those of you who want to be incredibly strong or incredibly strong and fast while staying in a weight class.  We've got enough ground to cover as it is, so we can save that topic for another post.  (ANOTHER word of note: I'm also working on an article/post on training for martial artists, and it will be specifically about training for strength, speed, and power while maintaining one's bodyweight.  So it will also be good for anyone who prefers a "long, lean, dense" look of muscularity.  This post is NOT for those sort of lifters.)

Diet and Nutrition
The first factor that you MUST take into account when trying to build plenty o' muscle mass is NUTRITION.  Without a proper diet, you can hang up your muscle-building gains, and, in fact, there is no reason to follow this or ANY workout program geared toward building muscle if your diet is not "on point".
You must consume plenty of calories to begin.  Consume at minimum 12 times your bodyweight in calories daily.  15 times your bodyweight is even better.  Ensure that you are consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.  In addition, make sure that you are consuming a combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  As I've said elsewhere, no one ever got massive on a ketogenic diet.  For building muscle, you definitely need some carbohydrates along with some good fat.
Follow the Big 4
I've written it so many times at this point, that I sound pretty much like a broken record.  But it MUST be written about here just to keep things concise in one article.  But I don't need to go into a lot of detail.  If it's detail you want, then you can read plenty about it elsewhere on my blog.  Nonetheless, you MUST do the following each and every week:

1. Squat something heavy

1. pick heavy stuff off the ground

1. press heavy stuff over your head

1. drag or carry heavy stuff for time or distance

So, basically, this means that you must - or should if you want to achieve results worth a damn - use compound movements the majority of the time.  Think barbell squats, deadlifts, any barbell or dumbbell overhead pressing movement, barbell bench presses, power cleans, power snatches, barbell curls, dips, chins - the basic movements that will never be improved upon.  Never.  Ever.

Back to the 3 Variables
Now that we have that out of the way, let's return to our 3 variables of volume, intensity, and frequency, and look at how to program a One-Exercise-Per-Bodypart routine (the reason you're reading this damn thing in the first place) into each of the 4 Ways of training.

High-Volume, High-Intensity, Low-Frequency
As mentioned above, this is THE most popular way to train in any traditional gym (sorry, Crossfit, you don't count here, and that might be a good thing) in any city anywhere in this country.  (I don't say "anywhere in the world" because this is decidedly NOT the way a lot of East Europeans train.  Once again, that's for another post to capture that training reality, and the methodologies involved, in their entirety.)

If you are already performing this sort of training (maybe most of you reading this?  Hmm, I'm not really sure🤔) AND you are getting good results with this sort of training, then you are going to LOVE implementing one-exercise-per-bodypart training into your program.  And the most popular way to program this is with a 10 sets of 10 reps program.  Most of what is below on the 10x10 method is from an article I wrote several years ago dealing with 10 sets of 10 reps.  Give THIS a try before moving on to any kind of advanced program - trust me, this one will be advanced enough!

For those of you interested primarily in building muscle (this may not be the best program for mass and strength - that one follows), but have at least some kind of training experience under your belt, the 10 sets of 10 reps program is the best place to start this sort of training.  This technique is straightforward and simple, but surprisingly effective.  It works like this: pick a weight that you can get 20 reps with before reaching failure.  Now, sticking with that same weight on all sets, attempt to perform 10 sets of 10 reps.  After the first couple of sets, you’re going to be telling yourself, “no problem; I got this thing licked.”  By the time you’ve done 4 sets, you’re going to be a little less sure about your ability to finish all 10 sets, and by the time you’ve done 6 sets, you won’t know how in the hell you’re going to get 10 reps on all of your remaining sets.

Don’t worry if you can’t get all 10 reps on all 10 sets.  You probably won’t.  Just stick with the weight at each workout until you can do 10 sets of 10.

Here’s a good bodypart split for this program:
Day One—Chest and Back
Day Two—Legs
Day Three—Off
Day Four—Shoulders and Arms
Day Five—Off
Day Six—Off

Stick with this regimen for at least 6 weeks.  Maybe longer if you’re not real advanced.  After that, you’ll be ready for something different.

Advanced 10 Set Method
This one’s a helluva workout for advanced trainees.  Not only is it great at adding quality muscle tissue, it’s also a very good way to bring up your strength.

One reason that many advanced bodybuilders fail to make progress is that they don’t devote enough time during the training year to heavy lifting.  When you have been lifting weights for a few years, your body actually needs heavy training—I’m talking 6 reps or under—in order to grow more muscle mass.  You don’t have to spend all of the training year working out this heavy, but you do need to do it at least some of the year.

For this program, you are going to pick a weight where you can get 10 reps before reaching failure.  In case you haven’t already figured it out, this means you’ll be performing 10 sets of 5 reps with this particular weight.  At the next workout, you will add 5-10% to the weight lifted and perform 10 sets of 4 reps.  At the third workout, you will add another 5-10% and perform 10 sets of 3 repetitions.  At the fourth workout, you will go back to the weight you lifted for 10 sets of 4 reps and attempt 10 sets of 5 reps.  For workouts five and six, you will increase weight by another 5-10% (respectively) and perform 10 sets of 4 and 10 sets of 3.  Got it?  If you haven’t, here’s a hypothetical 6-week squat program to demonstrate what I’m talking about.
Week 1
375 pounds for 10 sets of 5 reps
Week 2
395 pounds for 10 sets of 4 reps
Week 3
415 pounds for 10 sets of 3 reps
Week 4
395 pounds for 10 sets of 5 reps
Week 5
415 pounds for 10 sets of 4 reps
Week 6
435 pounds for 10 sets of 3 reps
     

If this program really works wonders for you, don’t be afraid to stick with it for another 6-week cycle.

The French Connection
As with many bodybuilders, one of my favorite films is “Pumping Iron.”  For me, that was the glory days of bodybuilding.  Maybe I just have a sense of nostalgia about the film because I first saw it when I was about 14 to 15 years old, and decided that I wanted to start "pumping iron" myself.  However, unlike a lot of other folks, I’m of the mind that the best physique in the entire dang movie belonged to a certain French bodybuilder named Serge Nubret.  You know the bloke.  He’s the one that entered the contest at the last moment and relegated young Louie to 2^nd place.

Anyhow, Serge Nubret’s favorite workout program was a 20 sets of 20 reps regimen where—you guessed it—he would pick one exercise and blast it for 20 sets of 20 reps.  As I recall, two of his favorite exercises for this sort of thing was bench presses and dips.  (As a side note, one of Sergio Oliva’s favorite chest programs was to superset 20 sets of bench presses with 20 sets of dips—tires me out just thinking about it.)

If you thought the first two regimens were hard, they’re absolutely nothing compared to the 20 sets of 20 killer.

Unlike the 10 sets of 10 method, I wouldn’t advise using the 20 sets of 20 technique on a bodypart for more than a month.  After that, it’s time to move on to some heavier training.

Some bodyparts and exercises are better relegated to this form of training.  Here’s a list of exercises I would recommend for this:
Chest—bench presses, cable crossovers, wide-grip machine dips
Biceps—cable curls, dumbbell curls
Triceps—bench dips, close-grip board presses
Shoulders—lateral raises, Bradford presses
Lats—Wide-grip pulldowns, cross-bench pullovers
Quads—leg presses, hack squats, smith machine squats
Hamstrings—leg curls, stiff-legged deadlifts
Calves—standing or seated calf raises, donkey calf raises

Tom Platz (legs seen here) built almost ALL of his mass with one-exercise-per-bodypart training.

High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Low-Volume

If you recall, I mentioned above that THIS is my favorite OVERALL method of training.  This is especially true if your interest is getting big, jacked, AND strong.

In Russian, Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, this is the way the majority of strength athletes train.  It builds a lot of both strength and muscle mass typically through what is known as synaptic facilitation or "greasing the groove", as it's more commonly known.

At this point, you MAY begin asking yourself how you can possibly train your muscle groups so frequently without overtraining.  Professor Vladmir Zatsiorsky—one of the greatest researchers ever in the field of strength and power—summed it up best when he said the key to getting stronger is “to train as frequently as possible while being as fresh as possible.”  In other words, you should work hard, but not too hard.

If you are wondering just what this “grease the groove” stuff should look like as far as sets and reps per session goes, take a look at the table below.

Optimal Training Conditions

% of one-rep maximum     reps per set     sets per lift

                                   70%                                    3-5              12-20

                                                 80%                                    2-3              8-12

                                                 90%                                    1-2              3-6

These optimal training conditions are based on both Russian and Eastern-bloc research.  When you train outside these parameters, results are diminished.

Looking at this table, you are probably still wondering what a week’s worth of training might look like.  Below are two example programs.  The first is for lifters new to serious strength training.  The second is for those who are seasoned strength and power athletes.

Just Starting Out—the Beginner’s Program

Day One (Monday)

Squat—3 sets of 2 reps at 90% of one-rep maximum.  These should be performed with the stance that most suits you—in other words: the stance that lets you use the most weight.  If you are not familiar with your “squatting footprint,” then start off with a medium-wide stance.  Make sure you take each rep as deep as possible, at least going below parallel.

Bench Press—5 sets of 2 reps at 90% of one-rep maximum.  Use a medium grip.  Bring the bar down slowly, pause on your chest for a second, then explode back to lockout (at least, try to explode).

Incline Sit-ups—3 sets of 15 reps.  Perform this exercise on a steep incline bench.

Day Two (Wednesday)

Deadlifts—5 sets of 1 rep at 90% of one-rep maximum.  Like the squats, use the stance on these that most suits you, be it a “conventional” or a “sumo” stance.  If you aren’t familiar with what stance works best for your body type, then I suggest starting off with a “conventional” stance.

Incline Bench Press—8 sets of 3 reps at 80% of one-rep maximum.  Use a medium grip.  Bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest, almost to your neck.

Bench Dips—4 sets of 15 reps.  Use your bodyweight on all 4 sets.

Day Three (Friday)

Squats—12 sets of 3 reps using 70% of one-rep maximum.  Use the same stance as on Monday’s workout.

Bench Press—10 sets of 5 reps using 70% of one-rep maximum.  Perform these using the same grip as Monday’s workout.

Wide Grip Chins—4 sets of 10 reps.  Use your bodyweight on all 4 sets.  If you can’t get 10 reps, then do as many repetitions as you can.

Hanging Leg Raises—3 sets of 15 reps.  Use your bodyweight on these sets.

Serious Strength Athletes only!

Day One (Monday)

Squats—4 sets of 2 reps at 90% of one-rep maximum.

Bench Press—6 sets of 2 reps at 90% of one-rep maximum.

Squats—8 sets of 2 reps at 80% of one-rep maximum.

Bench Press—10 sets of 2 reps at 80% of one-rep maximum.

Standing Good Mornings—3 sets of 10 reps.  Take each set a couple reps shy of failure.

Abs—4 sets of 20-30 reps.  Pick an exercise of your choosing.

Day Two (Wednesday)

Deadlifts—5 sets of 1 rep at 90% of one-rep maximum.

Bench Press—12 sets of 3 reps at 70% of one-rep maximum.

Abs—4 sets of 20-30 reps.

Day Three (Friday)

Squats—8 sets of 2 reps at 80% of one-rep maximum.

Bench Press—15 sets of 3 reps at 70% of one-rep maximum.

Squats—12 sets of 3 reps at 70% of one-rep maximum.

Skullcrushers—4 sets of 10 reps.  Each set should be one or two reps shy of failure.

Abs—4 sets of 20-30 reps.

Day Four (Saturday)

Deadlifts—12 sets of 3 reps at 70% of one-rep maximum.

Bench Press—8 sets of 2 reps at 80% of one-rep maximum.

Wide Grip Chins—5 sets of maximum reps.

Abs—4 sets of 20-30 reps.

If this is the sort of training that you are interested in, then I have many, MANY more articles/posts on this style of training here at Integral Strength, so we'll leave it here for now since this post is already getting long and (potentially) unruly as it is.

High-Volume, High-Frequency, Low-Intensity

Now we move on to the ONE of the 4 Ways of training that is the most difficult to program, but it's also - paradoxically or not - the best program for older trainees, and, yes, for "hardgainers".  The key to making this sort of training "work" is to ENSURE that your intensity stays low.  When muscle-builders first take up this sort of training (if they ever do), then it's very common to feel as if you're not doing enough.

Several years ago on this blog, I was periodically writing a "Journal of Strength" where I would outline my thoughts on training, and the following comes from one of those journal entries, at a point when I was just "getting into" high-volume, high-frequency workouts.  Here is what I said then:

 I decided for the next several weeks I would perform a high-frequency, high-volume, low-intensity training program where I will train my entire body every day at each training session.  I will work out 5 to 6 days each week, basically just taking a day off whenever I feel as if I need it.

     I first discovered how beneficial this program could be many years ago from the late strength-training guru—and my mentor, though I never met him—Bill Starr.  At the time, I was coming off of neck surgery for a couple of herniated disks.  It was almost six months after the surgery before I could train, and when I did train, I couldn’t resume my ultra-heavy training that I had done for the decade previously.  (Now, let me add that, unfortunately, I attempted some very heavy training at first, which only resulted in unnecessary injuries, because I trained too heavy, too quickly.)  I was familiar with Starr’s theories on training for the older athlete, which basically involves full-body workouts performed 5 to 6 days each week for fairly high reps, and, so, I thought I would give it a shot.  Although not “old” by any stretch of the imagination, my body needed the break until I could recover more fully.  (I must add that during this time I first started experimenting with bodyweight-only training during some sessions, as well, and found that it could be quite effective.)

     I was surprised with the results I was getting at the time, and it cemented my belief that high-frequency training was the most effective all-around way to train, but that it didn’t have to necessarily be performed for multiple sets of high-reps.   It could, in fact, work well with both high-volume and high-frequency.

     I must caution something here: this training is probably best done by those who have trained for many years, and have a keen understanding of how training affects their bodies.  This is one reason that this kind of training works well for the older athlete—the older athlete understands his body very well.

     The fact is that it’s simply harder for novice or intermediate lifters—or even some advanced lifters—to train using high-volume and high-frequency.  High-frequency, high-intensity programs (with low volume) and high-volume, high-intensity programs (with low frequency) are simply much easier for the average lifter to understand/control.

     I will perform this new program for the next 4 to 6 weeks, at which time I will go back to heavier training—assuming the pain I’m having abates.  I am also fully aware that, at some point, I will need to perform this kind of training for the remainder of my life—which may not be for another 10 or even 20 years down the road—because this is the best form of lifting for the older athlete. (C.S.'s note: apparently I was prescient when this was written, because I train this way the MAJORITY of time as I approach 50 years on this earth!)  It’s great for focusing on the muscles without overloading the joints, tendons, and ligaments.

     Tonight, here’s the workout I ended up performing:

• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 20 to 30 reps with 135 pounds
• Bench Presses: 1 set of 50 reps with 110 pounds (warm-up)
• Dumbbell Bench Presses: 3 sets of 20 to 25 reps with 50 pounds
• Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 sets of 15 reps with 40 pounds
• Dumbbell Shrugs (seated): 3 sets of 20 reps with 50 pounds
• Barbell Curls: 3 sets of 20 reps with 55 pounds
• 2 sets of Hanging Leg Raises for 10 reps

     One of the keys is to not feel overly tired at the end of each session.  This will allow you to train with the frequency you need.  You may (or perhaps should) be a little sore the day following each workout, but it should be slight.

     The workout I did may not seem as if it was much, but the key is to string a lot of workouts such as this one back-to-back-to-back.  Tomorrow I will probably perform something along the lines of lunges, overhead presses, dips, forearm curls, and calf raises.  The day after that it may be squats, chins, dumbbell rows, pullovers and presses, and push-ups.

     When I feel tired, I’ll take the day off.

     And when I feel like pushing it “balls-to-the-wall”, I’ll do that, too.

Hopefully, my journal entry made its point, and you understand why this can be so effective.  Doing this consistently, day-after-day, not missing a workout, can add up to some nice gains in the course of only a few months.

Summing it Up

Long as this post ended up being, it could have been a LOT longer, because there is an absolute plethora of ways to train using "one-exercise-per-bodypart" programs.  In another post, I would like to discuss some various "stories" that will entertain and inspire about many of the workouts of the "old-time" bodybuilders using this method.  Until then: train big, eat big, GET big! (And stop using so many exercises for each bodypart.)