Mix Up Your Reps for Great Results

So I read something interesting the other day and I’ve been meaning  to write about it but sadly I have been neglecting my blog lately, and for the one or two of you that actually read it, I am sorry!  The article was on Bodybuilding.com, which, if you have never been on that site it is full of knowledge for everyone from teenagers to senior citizens on how to get in shape.  Check it out, cause they have great articles about workouts, nutrition, and supplements.  Anyways, the article I was reading was about how to put on mass in 4-5 weeks.  Studies have shown that mixing low reps with high reps in one workout or workout program triggered significant gains in muscle and strength, and then it hit me…every time I have ever plateau’d, I just switched up my workout by changing the reps I did and viola, improvement!  So reading this article just confirmed to me, that it can be that simple.  So here is what I suggest for a 5 week plan, not just for mass, but sculpting muscle and creating a leaner body, and depending on how you eat, you could either gain size or tone up:

Week 1

This week, you will start with high reps and lighter weight to get you geared up for the next 5 weeks.  Try 4 sets with reps of 12-15 and single out a body part each day.  Use a training split like Chest (Mon), Arms (Tues), Legs (Wed), Shoulders (Thurs), Back (Fri).  Stick with about 4 exercises per body part, hitting all the different heads of each muscle.  Cardio every day for 30 mins after your workout with a low impact, fat burning heart rate of around 120-140bpm.

Week 2

This week, switch it up and increase your weight poundage and drop your reps to 8-10, and do 5 sets per exercise.  We are shocking the body by increasing weight, changing the reps, and adding one more set.  Same cardio plan.

Week 3

Again, add more weight, and drop your reps to 4-6.  Stick with 5 sets and the same cardio plan.

Week 4

Okay, big change this week by doing a full body workout on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Pick just one exercise for each body part and do 5 sets of 10-12 reps.  Although you are only weight training Mon, Wed, and Fri, we are going to do cardio every day, and on Tues, and Thurs, I want you to do an hour of cardio.

Week 5

Finish up the program with a workout that incorporates the 4 weeks prior.  Go back to the 5 day training split, one body part per day and do 4 sets with different rep ranges.  First set do 12-15 reps, Second do 8-10, Third do 4-6, and Fourth do 10-12.  Basically, it is week 1’s workout but with alternating rep ranges from  the four weeks.  This will completely shock the muscles and finish up an awesome 5 week workout to help put you in great shape.

Subsequently, I am using this plan to get ready for my wedding on May 6^th, and I am excited about showing up in the best shape of my life.  Stick with a healthy diet and throw in a killer ab routine twice a week and I guarantee you will love your results!  It’s all about sticking with a plan and succeeding both physically and mentally, see you in the gym!