Gym

You probably know this already, but bodybuilders can be a little insane -- okay, a lot
insane. So insane, in fact, that they hear voices. Were not talking paranormal activity here
but rather paraplegic activity -- comatose bodyparts suddenly coming to life for a few
seconds just to taunt any thought of egomania into submission.
Try this test. Sneak a peek at your physique in the nearest mirror. If you hear a voice say
something like, "Wow, youre starting to look like a badly drawn cartoon," it may be time to
specialize -- unless your friends see you talking to the mirror, in which case you may be
heading for a padded room.
Addition and Subtraction
When most bodybuilders think about specialization, they automatically think more sets.
While more sets can be part of the answer, bodybuilders often forget to reduce sets for other
bodyparts to keep the overall systemic stress about the same. Thats especially important
for drug-free trainees.
For example, if youre doing four bodyparts at a
session for six sets each, youre doing 24 total work
sets -- and 24 sets at any one workout may already
be pushing the limits of your recovery ability, placing
you very close to the overtraining edge. Say, one of
those bodyparts is quads, and they just havent
been responding the way you want them to, so you
add another exercise, like hack squats, for three
work sets.
Now, three sets doesnt sound like a big deal, but if you were walking the overtraining
tightrope to begin with, just one extra set has the recovery-draining power to knock you off
balance, sending your gains spiraling downward. Abetter strategy is to take a work set or
two away from stronger bodyparts when you up your sets for your quads. That keeps your
work set total the same but allows you to do a few more sets for your lagging bodypart.
Fewer Sets, More Effort
Specialization for Total Body
Muscle Size
by Steve Holman
1 2002 All Content. IRONMAN Magazine eBOOK 102 www.ironmanmagazine.com
Adding sets for a lagging bodypart is the easy part. Its subtracting sets from stronger
bodyparts thats so difficult because bodybuilders equate fewer sets with less stimulation.
"Gee, I dont want my stronger bodyparts to start shrinking," you say. After all, the concept of
workload has a lot of relevance. If you reduce sets for a bodypart and all other variables
remain the same, it could atrophy. The solution is to up your effort a notch when you reduce
the workload.
In other words, when you decrease the sets for a stronger bodypart or two in favor of a
weak bodypart, slightly increase the stress level on the stronger bodyparts so they not only
maintain their size but keep growing as well.
Say, you want to reduce your volume on biceps work. If youve been doing three sets of
barbell curls and three sets of incline curls, try switching to one set of barbell curls to failure
with a few forced reps, followed by a superset of incline curls and barbell curls. That gives
you half the volume -- dropping from six sets to three -- but an intensity uptick with forced
reps followed by a superset that counterbalances the set
decrease. Now you can add two or three extra sets to your
lagging bodypart on the same day without sacrifice -- and your
biceps may even grow faster with the shift to high-intensity, low-
duration work.
Keep in mind that a little extra stress goes a long way. A study
by Frank G. Shellock, Ph.D., verifies this. In the study untrained
subjects performed one set of positive-only curls with one arm
and a set of negative-only curls with the same weight with the
other arm until they reached positive failure. The results were
quite interesting, if not startling. The positive-work-only biceps
showed no damage, while the negative-work-only biceps
showed damage that peaked five days after exercise. Also,
while the subjects soreness was completely gone by the ninth day, some didnt regain all
their strength in the trained muscles for six weeks.
While the test subjects were untrained individuals, it nevertheless appears as if high-
intensity weight training is much more severe than was previously believed, even for those
who do it on a regular basis. Because of their extensive adaptation to exercise bodybuilders
who are used to heavy training wont experience the type of extreme damage exhibited in
the study; however, the results do suggest that bodybuilders should take more time between
workouts to completely recover and/or drastically reduce the number of sets when they use
Specialization for Total Body Muscle Size
by Steve Holman
photo by Mike Neveux
high-stress techniques, such as negatives and forced reps.
In other words, too many stress techniques, even with a volume reduction, can lead to
overtraining rather quickly, so dont get carried away.
Intensity for Immensity
If supersets, as well as other high-stress techniques, have the power to increase mass,
then why not continue to use the same sets and intensity for your strong bodyparts and just
attack the lagging one with more intensity? Thats not a bad idea, but note the caveat at the
end of the last section. Ramping up stress for a bodypart can lead to overtraining just as too
many sets can. The solution is more stress and fewer sets. Thats right, keep everything the
same for your stronger bodyparts, but do fewer sets for your weaker bodypart. Just show it
no mercy by incorporating supersets, forced reps and negatives -- even more intensity than
that in the biceps example above.
In our hypothetical 24-set workout -- six sets for four target areas -- you would reduce the
sets for your lagging bodypart to three or four and put that bodypart through a living hell in
those work sets. Go for the quick kill. Keep in mind that intensity and volume are inversely
proportional. The more intensity you use, the fewer sets you should do. Once again, its a
balancing act.
The downside of this tactic is that if you work your
lagging bodypart into the ground first, which is what
you should do in most cases in order to prioritize,
youll be more drained than usual when you get to
your other bodyparts. You may just go through the
motions for your stronger bodyparts after your all-out
attack on the lagging muscle group -- and that could
result in stagnation, or worse, atrophy. Wouldnt it be
much more effective to train your lagging bodypart
alone on its own special workout day? Now were
talking total focus.
The Specialization Split
Okay, so you want the perfect program that will
enable you to bring that lagging bodypart up to speed most efficiently. Weve already
discussed how increasing sets, using stress techniques and balancing workload can help in
by Steve Holman
a standard routine if you use them correctly. Now lets talk nonstandard routines -- the
perfect split for your level of bodybuilding experience, with one day a week set aside for
specialization.
Early intermediate specialization
If you have around six months of hard training under your belt, youve probably been
doing primarily compound movements and using about two to three sets per bodypart. If
that sounds like you, you probably shouldnt consider specializing until you have more
training experience. Sometimes, however, lagging bodyparts are so severe that you have to
do something early on in your training career or your symmetry will get way out of whack.
If you feel strongly about your need to specialize, youll want to follow something similar to
the Early Intermediate Specialization Routine that accompanies this article. With that routine
you do a full-body schedule on Monday and Friday, with your specialization workout on
Wednesday. Try hitting two lagging muscle groups on Wednesday with about seven sets
each. Also, when Friday rolls around, skip the direct work for the bodyparts you trashed on
Wednesday. That will provide more recovery time until you do direct work again on Monday.
Early advanced specialization
If youre more advanced, with, say, a year to 18 months of hard-training experience, you
need a few more sets -- four to six -- for each muscle group. Youre no doubt using a split
routine already, dividing the body over two days, which is a good strategy; however, you
need to somehow squeeze in a specialization day. The solution
is to split your routine on Monday and Tuesday, use Thursday
as your specialization day and then do a full-body routine on
Friday. As with the early intermediate specialization you should
not include direct work for the bodyparts you annihilated on
Thursday in your Friday session. See Early Advanced
Specialization Routine for the complete program.
Advanced specialization
Once youve been training hard and consistently for 1 1/2 to
two years, training most bodyparts once a week is sufficient for
maximum growth -- if you train intensely with various stress
techniques such as forced reps every so often and/or you use
enough sets to require seven days of recuperation. With this
by Steve Holman
routine you split the body over three days, as follows:
Monday: Chest, delts and triceps
Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, calves and abdominals
Wednesday: Back, biceps and forearms
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Specialization
You rest on Thursday and then come back to the gym on Friday for specialization. Note
that you may have to shuffle the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday workouts to allow for
sufficient recovery before or after your specialization day, depending on the lagging
bodypart. For example, if youre specializing on back, switch the Tuesday (legs and abs)
and Wednesday (back, biceps and forearms) workouts. That will give your back an extra
day to recover before your specialization routine on Friday.
As for the back end of the workout week, if you specialize on chest on Friday, you want to
switch the Monday (chest, delts and triceps) and Tuesday (legs and abs) sessions to give
your chest an extra recovery day after the specialization routine. That may be a bit
confusing, but once you analyze the Advanced Specialization Routine that accompanies this
article, you should understand the shifting concept a little better.
Specialization is the best way to get your physique
in line aesthetically, and there are more than 50
bodypart attacks that you can plug into the core
routine that fits your experience level. No excuses. No
bodybuilder in his or her right mind (Are we ever in
our right minds?) wants to look like a bad caricature,
with pipe-cleaner arms dangling from cannonball
delts. If you follow the appropriate strategy, dont
overtrain and give your lagging parts total focus, youll
look at your physique with more satisfaction than ever
before, and maybe one day youll mistake your
reflection for Flex Wheeler. Just dont start talking to
him, or somebody may call the guys in the white
coats.
by Steve Holman
Early Intermediate Specialization Routine
(at least six months of training)
Monday
Squats* 2 x 8-10
Leg extensions 1 x 6-8
Leg curls* 2 x 6-8
Standing calf raises* 2 x 12-20
Bench presses* 2 x 8-10
Incline presses 1 x 8-10
Pulldowns* 1 x 8-10
Undergrip pulldowns 2 x 8-10
Cable rows* 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell upright rows* 2 x 8-10
Lying extensions 1 x 8-10
Barbell curls 1 x 8-10
Full-range crunches 2 x 8-10
Wednesday
Specialize on one or two bodyparts and do ab work -- but thats all. Simply plug in one of
the Specialization Attacks routines, but in most cases do fewer sets.
Early intermediates should never do more than about seven sets per bodypart, even
during a specialization phase.
Friday
Repeat Mondays routine, but delete the direct work for the bodyparts you trained on
Wednesday. For example, if you hit arms on Wednesday, eliminate the barbell curls and
lying extensions on Friday.
*Do one or two warmup sets with 50 to 70 percent of your work-set weight prior to your
work sets.
Early Advanced Specialization Routine
(at least one year of training)
Monday**
Squats* 2 x 8-10
Sissy squats 1 x 8-10
by Steve Holman
Stiff-legged deadlifts* 2 x 8-10
Leg curls* 2 x 6-8
Leg press calf raises* 2 x 12-20
Standing calf raises 2 x 12-20
Seated calf raises 2 x 12-20
Incline kneeups 1 x 8-10
Ab Bench crunch pulls 2 x 8-10
Tuesday**
Cable flyes 2 x 8-10
Pulldowns* 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell pullovers* 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell shrugs 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell presses* 1 x 8-10
Incline one-arm laterals 1 x 8-10
Lateral raises 2 x 8-10
Thursday
Specialize on one or two bodyparts -- but thats all. Simply plug in one of the
Specialization Attacks routines, but in most cases do fewer sets. Early advanced trainees
should never do more than 10 sets per bodypart, even during a specialization phase.
Friday***
Squats* 2 x 8-10
Leg curls* 2 x 6-8
Standing calf raises* 2 x 12-20
Pulldowns* 1 x 8-10
by Steve Holman
*Do one or two warm-up sets with 50 to 70 percent of your work-set weight prior to your
work sets.
**You may want to switch the Monday and Tuesday workouts, depending on your
specialization bodyparts. For example, if youre specializing on chest on Thursday, switch
the Monday and Tuesday workouts, which will give your chest an extra day to recover
before your specialization routine on Thursday.
***Remember to delete the direct work for the bodyparts you trained on Thursday.
Advanced Specialization Routine
(at least 1 1/2 years of training)
Monday**
Bench presses* 2-3 x 8-10
Dumbbell flyes 1 x 8-10
Cable crossovers 2 x 8-10
Incline presses* 2 x 8-10
Incline cable flyes 2 x 8-10
Lying extensions* 2 x 8-10
Overhead extensions 2 x 8-10
Kickbacks 2 x 8-10
Tuesday**
Squats* 3 x 8-10
Sissy squats 1 x 8-10
Stiff-legged deadlifts* 2 x 8-10
Leg curls* 2 x 6-8
Leg press calf raises* 2 x 12-20
Incline kneeups 2 x 8-10
by Steve Holman
Wednesday**
Pulldowns* 2-3 x 8-10
Dumbbell pullovers* 2 x 8-10
Cable rows 2 x 8-10
Bent-over bent-arm
laterals 2 x 8-10
Dumbbell shrugs 2 x 8-10
Barbell curls* 2 x 8-10
Incline curls 2 x 8-10
Concentration curls 2 x 8-10
Reverse curls 1 x 8-10
Wrist curls 1 x 8-10
Friday
Specialize on one or two bodyparts -- but thats all. Simply plug in one of the
Specialization Attacks routines. In most cases you should be able to handle the routine as
listed; however, try not to do more than 24 sets at this workout thats 24 total sets, not per
bodypart.
*Do one or two warm-up sets with 50 to 70 percent of your work-set weight prior to your
work sets.
**You may want to switch these workouts around, depending on your specialization
bodyparts. For example, if youre specializing on back on Friday, switch the Tuesday and
Wednesday workouts, which will give your back an extra day to recover before your
specialization routine on Friday. You must also be aware of the back end of this routine. For
example, if you specialize on chest on Friday, you want to switch the Monday and Tuesday
workouts to give your chest an extra recovery day after the specialization routine.
Specialize-for-Size
Rules to Grow By
1) All workouts should include fewer than 30 total work sets, be it a specialization workout
or a full-body session.
2) Dont get carried away on your specialization day. Early intermediates should do seven
sets per bodypart, early advanced trainees should do 10 sets per bodypart, and advanced
bodybuilders can do 10 to 20 sets per bodypart. Advanced trainees should keep in mind,
however, that if they do 20 sets per bodypart, they should do only one bodypart at that
workout, not two, or the set total for that day will be too high (see item 1 above). They
by Steve Holman
should also keep in mind that 20 sets is a hell of a lot of work, and the target muscle may
not be fully recovered by the next workout, which can hamper gains. If you choose Arnolds
32-set chest workout, for instance, you may want to reduce the number of sets for each
exercise so your total is less than 20.
3) Specialize on a bodypart or bodyparts for four to six weeks, then specialize on two
other bodyparts or go back to a standard routine in which all bodyparts are trained equally.
4) Use stress techniques, such as forced reps, negatives and static contraction,
periodically if youre in the early advanced or advanced categories. Early intermediates
should steer clear of stress techniques, other than adding weight to the bar.
Back
Dorian Yates
Machine pullovers* 3 x 7-10
Undergrip pulldowns* 2 x 7-10
Bent-over barbell rows* 2 x 7-10
One-arm machine rows 1 x 7-10
Rear-delt machine 1 x 7-10
Bent-over laterals 1 x 7-10
Hyperextensions 1 x 7-10
Deadlifts* 2 x 6-8
*Pyramid weight on each set; last set is all out to failure, often with forced and/or partial
reps.
Steve Reeves*
Behind-the-neck pulldowns 3 x 8-12
Cable rows 3 x 8-12
One-arm dumbbell rows 3 x 8-12
*From Building the Classic Physique the Natural Way.
Mike Mentzer (traps)
Superset
Shrugs 2 x 6-9
Upright rows 2 x 6-9
by Steve Holman
Michael Francois
Deadlift day
Overhand-grip deadlifts (warm-up) 3 x 5 singles to max
One-arm dumbbell rows 3 x 8-10
Leaning T-bar row machine 3-4 x 8-12
Tom Platz
T-bar rows or Front lat pulldowns 30 x 6-100*
Seated cable rows 4-8 x 15-30
*Thats not a misprint. He performs the exercise for a solid hour.
Shawn Ray
Chins 4 x 12
Seated cable rows 4 x 8-10
Bent-over rows 4 x 8-10
T-bar rows 4 x 8-10
Deadlifts 4 x 8-10
Lats
Hypercontraction X-Rep*
Pullovers** 2 x 8-10
Pulldowns*** 3 x 8-10
Undergrip pulldowns**** 1 x 1
Midback
Close-grip cable rows** 2 x 8-10
Behind-the-neck pulldowns*** 3 x 8-10
Bent-over bent-arm laterals**** 1 x 1
Upper traps
Forward-lean dumbbell shrugs 2 x 8-10
*From the book Underground Mass-Boosting Methods.
**Do two warm-up sets with 50 percent of your work-set weight prior to the work sets.
Remember that the work sets should be medium intensity dont go to failure. Focus on
by Steve Holman
perfect form with a quick twitch at the bottom stretch position.
***Do one warm-up set with 50 percent of your work-set weight prior to your heavy sets.
****Use a poundage that allows you to hold the weight in the contracted position for 15
seconds. Once you reach contraction overload and can no longer hold the weight, slowly
lower through the negative range of motion for six seconds. Try to increase your contraction
time at each workout until you reach 25 seconds, at which point you should increase your
resistance by 10 to 20 percent at your next workout.
Aaron Baker
Undergrip close-grip pulldowns 3 x 10
Seated pulley rows 2 x 15,10
Behind-the-neck pulldowns 3 x 10
Deadlifts 2 x 6-12
Biceps
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Barbell curls 4 x 10
Incline dumbbell curls 4 x 10
Concentration curls 4 x 10
Craig Titus
Barbell curls* 4 x 9-12
Cable preacher curls* 4 x 9-12
Standing cable curls* 4 x 9-12
Concentration curls 3 x 12-15
*Pyramid weight and drop reps by one on each successive set.
Larry Scott
Superset
Dumbbell preacher curls 6 x 6
Barbell preacher curls 6 x 6
Barbell reverse curls 4 x 8
by Steve Holman
Hypercontraction Training*
Incline curls** 4 x 8-10
Barbell curls*** 2-3 x 6-9
Concentration curls*** 2-3 x 8-10
*From the video "Hypercontraction Training."
**Add weight on each successive set; all sets are low-to-medium intensity.
***Take all sets to positive failure.
Paul Jean-Guillaume
Wide-grip preacher curls 4 x 8-12
Close-grip EZ-curl bar preacher curls 4 x 8-12
Alternate dumbbell curls 6 x 8-12
Standing barbell curls 4 x 8-12
Lying cable curls (to forehead) 4 x 8-12
Calves
Cory Everson
Donkey calf raises 4 x 15-25
Seated calf raises 4 x 15
Jodi Friedman-List
Paul DeMayo
Standing calf raises 3 x failure
Seated calf raises 3 x failure
Leg press calf raises 3 x failure
by Steve Holman
Standing calf raises 10 x 10
Seated calf raises 8 x 15
One-leg calf raises 6 x 12
Positions of Flexion*
Toes-pointed leg curls 2 x 8-10
Donkey calf raises 2 x 12-20
Standing calf raises 2-3 x 12-20
Seated calf raises 2-3 x 12-20
*From Critical Mass.
Chest
Bertil Fox
Barbell bench presses 5 x 4-8
Dumbbell bench presses 5 x 6-8
Barbell incline presses 5 x 6-8
Superset
Dips 5 x 8-10
Flyes 5 x 5-8
Mike OHearn
Bench presses 8 x 5
Incline presses 4 x 12
Incline flyes 4 x 12
Cable crossovers 4 x 12
Target Overload POF*
Lower chest
Bench presses 3 x 8-10
Flat-bench flyes 2 x 8-10
Pec deck flyes 2 x 8-10
by Steve Holman
Upper chest
Incline flyes 2 x 8-10
Low-cable crossovers 2 x 8-10
Chris Faildo
Dumbbell bench presses 4 x 8-12
Incline flyes 4 x 8-12
Cable crossovers 4 x 8-12
Dips 4 x 8-12
Bench presses 5 x 8-10
Flat-bench flyes 5 x 8
Machine incline presses 6 x 8-10
Parallel bar dips(bodyweight) 5 x max
Cable crossovers 6 x 12
Dumbbell pullovers 5 x 10
Deltoids
Pre-Ex Positions of Flexion*
Superset
Behind-the-neck presses 2 x 6-9
Skip La Cour
Barbell presses* 3 x 4-6
Dumbbell presses 2 x 4-6
*Prior to his work sets he does two to three light warm-up sets.
by Steve Holman
Michael Ashley
Lateral raises* 5 x 10-12
Bent-over lateral raises 4 x 10-12
Seated dumbbell presses* 5 x 10-12
Shrugs 4 x 10-12
*Add weight on each successive set.
Steve Reeves*
Behind-the-neck presses 3 x 8-12
*From the book Building the Classic Physique the Natural Way.
Don Long
Front presses 4 x 16,12,10,8
Behind-the-neck presses 4 x 16,12,10,8
Lateral raises 4 x 16,12,10,8
Cable lateral raises 4 x 16,12,10,8
Bent-over dumbbell laterals 4 x 16,12,10,8
Melissa Coates
*Optional.
Forearms
Larry Scott
Wrist curls 4 x 8
Reverse curls 4 x 8
by Steve Holman
Positions of Flexion*
Flexors:
Incline wrist curls 1-2 x 8-12
Decline wrist curls 1-2 x 8-12
Extensors
Hammer curls 1-2 x 8-12
Incline reverse wrist curls 1-2 x 8-12
Decline reverse wrist curls 1 x 8-12
Note: Static-contraction squeezes with a Super Gripper can help finish off your forearms
with a severe fiber burn. Try them at the end of either of these routines.
Hamstrings
High-Intensity Pre-Ex*
Superset
Leg curls 2-3 x 6-9
Stiff-legged deadlifts 2-3 x 6-9
*From Mass-Training Tactics.
Karl List
Seated leg curls 3 x 15
Lying leg curls 3 x 15
Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 15
Paul DeMayo
Lying leg curls 4 x 10-12
Standing leg curls 3 x 10-12
Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 10
by Steve Holman
Quadriceps
Compound Aftershock*
Squats 1-2 x 8-10
Superset**
Sissy Squats 1-2 x 5-7
Leg presses 1-2 x 5-7
Leg extensions 1-2 x 8-10
*From the book Compound Aftershock.
**Research indicates the muscle burn from supersetting can increase growth hormone
release.
Tom Platz
Flat-footed Olympic-style squats* 6 x 15,10,10,6,5,1
*Pyramid the weight.
Note: Platz did leg extensions, leg curls and hack squats on his other leg day, 5x8-12 on
each.
Cory Everson
Squats 8 x 10-20
Hack squats 4 x 10-15
45 degree leg presses 6 x 10-15
Lunges 4 x 12-15
Note: Set totals include warm-ups; pyramid weight on most exercises.
Jeff Poulin
Smith machine lunges 4 x 10-15
Leg presses 4 x 10-20
by Steve Holman
Paul DeMayo
Squats 4 x 10-12
Leg extensions 3 x failure
Dave Palumbo
Squats 3 x 6-12
Triceps
Shawn Ray
Close-grip pushdowns 4 x 8-12
Dumbbell kickbacks 4 x 8-12
Mike Mentzer
Superset*
Triceps pushdowns 2 x 6-9
Dips 2 x 6-9
*Take each set to total failure with forced reps and sometimes negatives after the forced
reps.
Hypercontraction Training*
Overhead extensions** 4 x 8-10
Lying extensions*** 2-3 x 6-9
One-arm pushdowns*** 2-3 x 8-10
*From the video "Hypercontraction Training."
**Add weight each set; all sets low to medium intensity.
***All sets to positive failure.
by Steve Holman
Aaron Baker
Lying EZ-curl bar extensions 4 x 8-10
Pushdowns 4 x 10
Seated machine dips 3 x 10
Dumbbell kickbacks 3 x 10
Lee Labrada
Pushdowns 3 x 10-15
Lying extensions 3 x 10
EZ-curl bar overhead extensions or close-grip bench presses 3 x 10
Sue Price
Rope pushdowns 2 x 9-10
Bench dips 3 x 12
Lying dumbbell extensions 4 x 10-12
Abdominals
Mia Finnegan
Incline leg raises 4 x max
Incline reverse sit-ups 4 x max
Incline double crunches 4 x max
Hanging leg raises 4 x max
Cory Everson
Giant set
Pulldown crunches 3-4 x 25-40
Decline sit-ups 3-4 x 100
Leg raises off bench 3-4 x 10-40
45-degree twists 3-4 x 50-100
Crunches 3-4 x 40-80
by Steve Holman
Granite Abs Routine 2
Synergy and hip-curl function:
Incline knee-ups 2 x 8-10
Pre-stretch and torso-curl function:
Ab Bench crunch pulls 2-3 x 8-10
Paul Jean-Guillaume
Leg lifts 4 x 20
Cable crunches 3 x 20
Crunches 200 reps
Twists with bar 200 reps
by Steve Holman

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You probably know this already, but bodybuilders can be a little insane -- okay, a lot

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