Okay, late as usual (I warned you, Justin), it's time to present part III of this series of articles on periodization for bodybuilders. If you haven't already, go read Part I and Part II first so this will make more sense.

Training Zone Recap

I finished the second part of this article series by giving some volume recommendations for both improving and maintaining loads for the four different components of training: pure strength, intensive bodybuilding, extensive bodybuilding and really extensive bodybuilding. Without recapping that entire article, I'll simply summarize the loading parameters for each below.

Type of training Reps (%1RM) Rest Tempo Set length Exercise
Strength training 1-5 (85%+) 3-5' 2-3/0/X 20" or less Compound
Int. bodybuilding 4-6 (80-85%) 2-3' 3-4/0/1 20-30" Compound
Ext. bodybuilding 6-8 (75-80%) 1-2' 3/0/2 30-40" Compound
10-15 (70-75%) 1-2' 3/0/2 40-60" Or Isolation
Really extensive N/A (60-65%) 1' 2/0/2 60-120" Isolation

[b]Notes:[/b] Tempo reads X/Y/Z where X is the lowering speed, Y is the pause, Z is the lifting speed. Some coaches add fourth value for the pause at the top. Rest intervals are in minutes, set length is in seconds. The really extensive zone should be timed for 1 to 2 minutes (up to maybe 3 if you're a masochist) without focusing so much on reps. If you must count reps, 15-30 reps on a 2/0/2 tempo works fine.

Volume recommendation recap

Along with training zone parameters I also gave some volume recommendations for both training and maintaining loads, recapped below. I should probably have noted that these numbers don’t necessarily reflect volume per exercise but rather total volume per bodypart. So if you want to do two exercises for chest in a pure strength training cycle, you could do 3-5 sets of flat bench press and incline bench press or what have you. This is the same for the other loading zones.

Type of training Training Load Maintaining load
Strength training 6-10 sets 2-3 sets
Intensive bodybuilding 2-8 sets 1-2 sets
Extensive bodybuilding 3-6 sets 1-2 sets
Really extensive 1-2 sets 1 set

One thing I didn't mention is that, in general, within any given workout, you would work in the same order. So for any given bodypart, strength training comes first (if it's being done at all), intensive bodybuilding second, extensive bodybuilding third, really extensive bodybuilding last. Additionally, if you've never worked in the pure strength training rep range, you should spend at least 6 weeks (if not longer) working in the intensive bodybuilding zone to prepare your connective tissues for the heavier loading.

So now I can finally give some sample routines, right? Well, not quite, I have a few more topics to cover first.

Another comment on rep range emphasis

Within any given cycle, unless you are specializing (see below), you're probably best off picking a primary training emphasis, a secondary training emphasis and a maintenance training emphasis. Once again, this is simply to avoid having to try and hit everything at once. As you progress through a training year, obviously those training emphases will change (this is the whole point of periodizing in the first place).