If you want to get strong, you need to spend a few months training heavy. If you want to look like a bodybuilder, you need to do more sets and reps. Lose your gut? That means 12 weeks of circuit training. Well, life is too damn short. That’s why we’ve come up with a system that lets you develop strength, size, and definition—the “perfect” body—in a single all-encompassing workout.
Why it works
Using the most time-efficient exercises (the squat, deadlift, and dip), our workout minimizes the overall number of moves. This will stimulate the muscles enough to grow without hurting their ability to recover. Each session emphasizes specific parts aimed at strength, muscle gain, and conditioning. Workouts begin with a heavy lift, then move on to fast-paced circuits for a big pump, and finish with a calorie-burning superset designed to leave you gassed.
Directions
Frequency: Perform each workout (I, II, and III) once per week, resting at least a day between each session.
How to do it: Complete all the sets for the first exercise in each workout before moving on. Perform the exercises marked “a,” “b,” and, sometimes, “c” in sequence, resting as directed between sets, until all prescribed sets are done. Use the heaviest weight possible for the first exercise. You can probably increase this load as your sets go on. The weight you choose for the 2a, 2b, and 2c exercises should be your 10-rep max (10RM), the heaviest load you can handle for 10 reps on the first set. Stick with that weight for all prescribed sets, doing as many reps as possible with that same weight. Perform all the exercises with explosive—but controlled—speed.
