High-Frequency Focus Training 2

 

The Focus Strikes Back!

     One of my more popular training programs—I wrote it over a decade and a half ago for IronMan magazine—is “High-Frequency Focus Training,” or HFFT for short.  It involves combining two of the most popular, and result-producing, programs that you can do.  It’s a high-frequency training program—you train your entire body at each session—but one that also uses a “focus” at each training session, as well.  For the “focus” aspect, you train a muscle group(s) with more sets for a pump.  My original "beginner" program (I also wrote an advanced one—click on the link above for details), as an example, looked like this:

Monday:

High Frequency Portion

• Squats – 5 sets of 3 reps. Perform two warm-up sets of 5 reps, followed by 3 work sets of 3 reps, using approximately 70-75% of your one-rep maximum.

• Deadlifts– 5 sets of 3 reps. Use the same set/rep format as the squats.

• Barbell Bench Presses or Incline Bench Presses – 5 sets of 3 reps. Same set/rep format as the squats and deadlifts.

Focus Portion: Chest and Arms

• Flat Dumbbell Bench Presses – 4 sets of 10 reps

• Incline Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets of 10 reps

• Cable Crossovers – 3 sets of 10 reps

• Dumbbell Curls supersetted with Dips – 8 sets of 10 reps on each exercise.

Wednesday:

High Frequency Portion

• Squats – 5 sets of 3 reps. Perform two warm-up sets of 5 reps, followed by 3 work sets of 3 reps, using approximately 70-75% of your one-rep maximum.

• Power Cleans – 5 sets of 3 reps. Use the same set/rep format as the squats.

• Overhead Presses– 5 sets of 3 reps. Same set/rep format as the squats and power cleans.

Focus Portion: Legs

• Leg Presses – 3 sets of 20 reps

• Leg Extensions – 3 sets of 20 reps

• Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps

• Standing Calf Raises (machine or barbell) – 2 sets of 30-50 reps

Friday:

High Frequency Portion

• Squats – 5 sets of 3 reps. Perform two warm-up sets of 5 reps, followed by 3 work sets of 3 reps, using approximately 60-65% of your one-rep maximum. Less weight is used on this day because of the heavy leg training on Day Two.

• Deadlifts– 5 sets of 3 reps. Use the same set/rep format as the squats.

• Barbell Bench Presses or Incline Bench Presses – 5 sets of 3 reps. Same set/rep format as the squats and deadlifts.

Focus Portion: Back and Shoulders

• Lat Pulldowns – 4 sets of 10 reps

• Bent-Over Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps

• Dumbbell Pullovers – 2 sets of 20 reps

• Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 10 reps

• Front Raises – 3 sets of 10 reps

     This program uses the same concept but just goes about it in a slightly different manner.  It’s similar enough that I just decided to call it HFFT2.

     HFFT2 will require that you train 6 days per week, so it’s perfect for you if you’re a “gym lover” that just enjoys daily training.  If you’re not able to make it to the gym that frequently, or you simply don’t want to, then I will give you some tips at the end for how to make it work with slightly less frequent sessions.  Or you could always simply use the program above.

     HFFT (the 1st one or this one) is perfect for you if you want to take advantage of all of the benefits that high-frequency lifting has to offer but you also enjoy training in the “standard” bodybuilding way, with enough sets for a shirt-busting, blood-gorging pump.

     In this program, you will do a “push/pull” split.  Day one will be your “push” day, where you will train chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, and calves.  Day two will be your “pull” day, where you will train back (lats, traps, lower back), biceps, hamstrings, and abdominals.  Unlike the original HFFT, you will start each training day with the “focus” portion before moving on to the “frequency” segment.

     Without further ado—I enjoy “words” and prose as much as anything in life, which means that I can sometimes meander a good bit in my essays—here’s the program:

HFFT 2

Monday - Push - Quads Focus

• Front squats: 8 sets of 8 reps.  Use a weight where you could get 16 reps for one all-out set.  When in doubt, especially when you first begin the program, do less and not more.  If you utilize a weight that is too light the first week, you can always adjust the next.  Every Monday, add 10 pounds to the bar.

• Bench presses: 1 set of 10-12 reps.  This is one “work” set.  Do two to three warm-up sets first (depending on your strength).  For your work set, use a weight where you stop a couple reps shy of momentary muscular failure.

• Behind-the-neck presses: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Rope pushdowns: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Standing or seated calf raises: 1 set of 25-30 reps.  You can do these with a barbell or dumbbells (standing) or seated on a machine.

Tuesday - Pull - Biceps Focus

• Barbell or cable curls: 8 sets of 10 reps.  Use a weight where you could get double the reps for one all-out set.  Rest no more than 1 minute between sets.  Add 5 pounds to the bar (or weight stack) at every Tuesday workout.

• Chins: 1 set of 6-8 reps

• Romanian deadlifts: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Steep incline sit-ups: 1 set of 15-25 reps

Wednesday - Push - Chest and Calves Focus

• Incline bench presses: 8 sets of 8 reps.  Same methodology as the squats from Monday.

• Standing calf raises (barbell or dumbbell): 5 sets of 25-30 reps.  The calves, being both smaller muscles and a muscle group that is “used” daily through walking, standing, etc., do well with high reps.  Take each set to the brink of complete muscular failure.

• Sissy squats: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Dumbbell lateral raises: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Reverse pushdowns: 1 set of 10-12 reps

Thursday - Pull - Hamstrings Focus

• Stiff-legged or Romanian Deadlifts: 8 sets of 10 reps.  Use the same methodology as the curls from Tuesday, but add 10 pounds to each subsequent workout.

• Chins: 1 set of 6-8 reps

• Seated alternate dumbbell curls: 1 set of 10-12 reps (each arm)

• Steep incline sit-ups: 1 set of 15-25 reps

Friday - Push - Shoulders and Triceps Focus

• Standing or seated dumbbell overhead presses: 8 sets of 8 reps

• Skull crushers: 6 sets of 10 reps

• Dumbbell bench presses: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Hack squats (machine or barbell): 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Standing or seated calf raises: 1 set of 25-30 reps

Saturday - Pull - Back Focus

• Barbell or T-bar rows: 8 sets of 10 reps

• Barbell or dumbbell shrugs: 5 sets of 8 reps

• Romanian deadlifts: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Standing dumbbell curls: 1 set of 10-12 reps

• Steep incline sit-ups: 1 set of 15-25 reps

Tips and Advice

     Stick with the program for at least 6 weeks.  At that point, you may want to make some changes.  You can replace exercises, just be sure that you replace them with same but different movements.  Another change you can make is, instead of using one-exercise-per-muscle group for the “focus” segment, you can utilize multiple exercises per muscle group.  Still, limit your total sets to between 8 and 10.  For example, you could do 3 exercises for 3 sets each or 2 movements for 4 to 5 sets each.  Replace front squats with back squats, lunges, and leg extensions, for instance.  Those are just suggestions.  But, whatever movements you select, pick at least 2 compound exercises.

     If you find it hard to move up in weight on all of the “focus” lifts, take an active recovery week.  A good idea is to take an active recovery week every 4th week after 3 weeks of progressively heavier weights.  On this week, instead of doing 8 sets on your focus lifts, simply do 3 or 4 sets.

     If you’re a “low-volume lifter” who responds best to less work, then you could train on a 3-on, 1-off or even a 2-on, 1-off rotation.  You could also simply reduce the number of sets on your “focus” portion of the session.  Instead of 8 sets, do 5 or 6.

     This is a mass-building regimen.  You need to eat plenty of calories and protein each and every day.  Get a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.  2 grams might be even better.  As far as calories, consume at least 15 times your bodyweight in calories on a daily basis.  As with the extra protein, at least 20 times your bodyweight might be even better.  Don’t eat “junk” food, however, but get your calories from nutrient-dense, high-quality foods.

     High-frequency training, in its many guises, is one of the best ways to gain muscle, especially for natural lifters.  But if you also enjoy doing a lot of “pump” training, then give this program a try.  It’s a new year, so if you’re looking for a new program, this just might be it.

 If you enjoyed reading this article, then consider buying a copy of one of my books.  My book "Ultimate Mass and Power” is packed full of workout routines in every single chapter.  My follow-up book “Ultimate Mass and Power Essays” is crammed with great workout ideas, training theories, and even more programs.  And, if you’re looking for a book that can take you from neophyte beginner to a full-fledged advanced lifter, consider my book “Ultimate Strength.”  You can find more information in the My Books page.

     At the moment, I am also putting the finishing touches on my book on the training methods of Bill Starr.  It contains all of the heavy-light-medium essays that I wrote for the blog along with some brand new chapters.  So, be on the lookout for it very soon!