Power Bodybuilding

A Mass and Power Program for the Natural Lifter

     This morning, I was reading some old muscle magazines—I have hundreds of them boxed in my attic—when I came across an article by Don “Ripper” Ross entitled, aptly for this essay, “Power Bodybuilding.”  I’m always looking for inspiration for new training programs, and this article gave the idea for the program you’re now reading.

     Ross’s program was a 6-days-per-week routine where you trained chest and arms on days 1 and 4, back and shoulders on days 2 and 5, and, finally, legs on days 3 and 6.  I really like a lot of the training programs that Ross created—this one included—but I do think it had too much overall volume at each session for that many training days.  Each day contained between 8 and 10 exercises in his program.  Ross was the kind of guy that thrived on hard work and a lot of volume (oh, and a lot of anabolics).  This program keeps some of Ross’s principles—heavy training, multiple sets for each lift, low reps—and keeps the 6-days-per-week of training, but it cuts down on the overall volume at each session and it uses a means of varying intensity and workload.

     First, I will give you the outline of the program.  After that, I will give you the details on how to run it.  As the saying goes, the devil is in the details, so make sure you understand those details before using it.

The Power Bodybuilding Program

Monday/Thursday: Chest and Shoulders

Bench presses: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Incline dumbbell bench presses: 4x6-8

Military presses: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Tuesday/Friday: Back and Arms

Bent-over rows: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Wide-grip chins: 4x6-8

Barbell curls: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Wednesday/Saturday: Legs and Abs

Squats: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Front squats: 4x6-8

Romanian deadlifts: 5x10,8,6,4,2

Seated calf raises: 4x6-8

Ab wheel: 4x6-8

Making the Program Work

     Okay, pay attention.  These details are what make this program work.

• On the exercises for the 5x10,8,6,4,2 set/rep scheme, do the following.  Select a weight for your first set of 10 reps where you can get 20 reps for one tough, all-out set.  This program is efficacious by ramping up the workload over the coming weeks, so do not select a weight heavier than this to start with.  For the next set, add 5 to 10 pounds—5 for smaller lifts and 10 for larger ones—and do a set of 8.  On the 3rd set, add the same amount of weight and do a set of 6.  Continue in this manner until you reach your final set of 2 reps.  As with your weight selection to start, do not increase your weight by too much on each ascending set or the program won’t be nearly as effective, nor will your results.

• At the next workout, for your 5x10,8,6,4,2 exercises, start the session by doing a set of 10 with what you did at the first workout for a set of 8.  The next set of 8 will then be done with what you previously used for a set of 6.  The set of 6 will be with what you previously used for 4 reps, and so and and so forth.  The 2-rep set will always be a new, heavier weight you haven’t utilized in previous workouts.

• For the exercises requiring 4 sets of 6-8, on your first day of training, do 4 sets of 6 reps with a weight that you can get around 12 reps with.  As with the 5-set movements, do not select a weight that’s too heavy for your first session.  At the next workout, you will do 4 sets of 7 reps with that same weight.  And at the workout session after that, you will do 4 sets of 8 reps with the same poundage.  At the following workout, add weight, and start back with 4 sets of 6 reps.

• The first week or two of training will seem easy.  You may even have fun and enjoy them—or you may get bored because they just don’t seem hard enough; that will depend on your training temperament.  But by the 3rd and 4th week, the training will begin to get hard.  By the 5th or 6th week of training, you may be struggling to get all the required reps on all your sets.  Stick with the program until you reach this point of struggling to get all of your reps on all sets at each workout.  Your last week of the program should be one where almost every single set is tough.  At that point, take a week off from training.

• After you take a week off, you can run the program again, but choose some different exercises.  If you read this blog regularly, then you know the drill: these should be same but different.  Don’t replace squats with leg extensions, for instance.  But you can replace them with bottom-position squats, hack squats, or leg presses.  Trade big, compound movements for other big, compound movements.

• You can add a set or two of loaded carries at the end of your leg days if you want.

• If you want to stick with this program for the long haul, you can probably add more exercises to each training day after you’ve run it a couple of times as is.  Don’t add too much, however.  Another exercise, maybe two, for your large muscle groups, and only one additional movement for the smaller muscle groups.

• You will want to eat big when on this program.  Instead of using my advice, however, we’ll turn to Ross again.  Here’s what he said about diet in his power bodybuilding article: “As with definition training, diet plays an important part in making size gains. You need more calories. This doesn't mean to stuff yourself with fattening foods or junk deserts. Keep protein intake high. Eat plenty of meat, fish, poultry and eggs. Add salads, fresh fruit (and juices), nuts and thick soups to this, and you have your basic bulk diet. The special ingredients are dairy products. These are the size builders. Eat some cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese with each meal. Mix protein powder with your milk and have a glass in the morning, after your workout, and at night. Use low fat but NOT skim milk, if you tend to get fat while trying to bulk. Use whole, unprocessed grains and raw sugar and honey only, but these in moderation. Limit this to one meal a day. If you're a hard gainer, you can eat more of these.”  I don’t think I could have said it much better.

     As always, if anyone has any questions about the program, please leave them in the comments section below or shoot me an email.  And if you want to be massive and strong, give this program a try.  The only thing you have to lose is a physique that’s jacked and powerful.