Q: I’ve been using P/RR/S training for months now, and it’s working great. I love the variety aspect; it makes me look forward to each new week. My question is about how to split the body-parts. Do you also recommend variety in that aspect of the program? I prefer to train four days per week, two on/one off, then two on/two off.
A: Without a doubt variety is a profoundly important reason that Power/Rep Range/Shock consistently provides results. As I’ve said many times, the human body is an amazing machine that learns to adapt to constant stimuli extremely quickly. That’s why you must continually provide the muscles and central nervous system with new training stimuli—and that includes variety in all aspects of your training. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself literally “standing still.”
So, to answer your question: Yes, changing the way you group your bodyparts is definitely an essential aspect of P/RR/S and is an area lifters should address every few months at least. I alter my split every nine weeks, after completing three full P/RR/S cycles, and have been doing that for years.
The way you decide to group your muscles in each workout should be an individual matter and based on your personal strengths, weaknesses, preferences, schedule, recovery ability and more. The trick is to keep close watch on how your physique is progressing so that you can strategically alter your split to most efficiently address what’s happening with your body as a whole—that is, if you’re like me and looking to achieve perfect balance. What is now a lagging body-part could end up a stand-out the following year, and vice versa, which will give you a solid clue as to what you need to prioritize in the next training cycle.
Here are the last four body-part splits I’ve used over the past 36 weeks. You can see that even as a seasoned pro bodybuilder I’m still tweaking my program to keep my body guessing.
Monday: Chest, biceps, abs
Tuesday: Quads, hams, calves
Thursday: Lats, traps, abs
Friday: Shoulders, triceps, calves
Monday: Lats, traps, abs
Tuesday: Biceps, triceps, calves
Thursday: Chest, shoulders, abs
Friday: Quads, hams, calves
Monday: Quads, hams, calves
Tuesday: Chest, triceps, abs
Thursday: Lats, traps, calves
Friday: Shoulders, biceps, abs
Monday: Chest, front and side
shoulders, calves
Tuesday: Lats, traps, rear shoulders,
abs
Thursday: Quads, hams, calves
Friday: Biceps, triceps, abs
Editor’s note: Eric Broser’s new DVD, “Power/Rep Range/Shock Max-Mass Training System,” is available at Home-Gym.com. His e-books, Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout and The FD/FS Mass-Shock Workout, which include complete printable workout templates and Q&A sections, are available at X-Workouts.com.
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