The Growth Program
I used this workout plan when training for Mr. Olympia and it was very successful for adding muscle mass during those years I was at my best, between 1976 through 1983.
It's a three way split routine emphasizing pulling muscles on day one, legs on day two, and pushing muscles on day three:
Day 1 - Back, biceps, forearms, abs Day 2 - Thighs, calves, abs
Day 3 - Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs
This routine helped me grow because I incorporated one power lifting exercise into This routine helped me grow because I incorporated one power lifting exercise into eeach workouach workoutt. On day one it was wide gripdeadliftdeadlift using straps (not reversing one hand as this puts undue stress on the supinated hand and can cause a biceps tear - I've seen it happen). I'd start my back workout with 6 sets of wide grip deadlift, the first three from the floor: 135 for 15 reps warm-up, 185 for 12, 225 for 10; then I'd elevate the barbell so the plates would sit on crates a foot high, or I'd use a power rack. My first set would be 10 reps with 275 from the knees up . I'd rub oil on my thighs to slide the smooth part of the bar up the thighs until my upper body was leaning slightly backward, then lower the weight very slowly making sure that both ends of the bar
touched the power rack pins at the same time. My next set was 325 for 10 reps done the same way. I'd do plenty of stretching with the 2 arm lat stretch between sets and take my time before venturing into the next set. My final set was with 375 for 8 reps and sometimes I did another sets of 400 pounds for 6 reps. My upper back, traps, and spinal erectors got much thicker doing this and my back got wider. In 1982, training for Mr.
Olympia, I worked up to 6 reps with 555 pounds in this exercise and developed a great deal of massiveness in this area.
Next cameT bar or leverage rowT bar or leverage row, 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps increasing the weight each set and doing 2 arm lat stretch between sets. This is a great size builder for the low central lats. My favorite way of doing it became using a 7 foot Olympic bar with one end in a corner, small diameter plates on the other end and using an interlocking finger grip right behind the collar. My upper body would follow the weight downward,
stretching low to the floor and the plates would touch my ribcage at the top of the rep.
The remainder of the back routine consisted offront pulldownfront pulldown, doing 2 arm lat stretch between sets, andone arm dumbbell rowone arm dumbbell row, doing one arm lat stretch between sets, all
for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps increasing weight each set. That gave me a total of 15 heavy sets for back.
Then it was on to biceps. A favorite routine of mine was to start withone armone arm dumbbell concentration curl
dumbbell concentration curl, 3 sets per arm heavier each (35,40,45) set 8 to 10 reps. I ould deliberately hold the dumbbell for one second at the top of the curl and squeeze the biceps for peak contraction, and then start lowering the dumbbell very slowly.
Alte
Alternrnatate e dudummbbbbeell curlll curl came next, 3 sets 8 to 10 reps increasing the weight each set (I'd use something like 40, 45, 50 pounds). Each dumbbell would travel down and up completely before I curled the other dumbbell. Each negative would begin very slowly and I would pronate the dumbbell (turn it inward on the way down).
Finally45 degree incline dumbbell curl45 degree incline dumbbell curl with lighter dumbbells, usually 12 reps with 30s, 10 with 35s, and 8 with 40s. I did a great deal of dumbbell work for biceps in those days, because it was the best. You can curl and supinate (turn your wrist outward at the top of the movement bringing your outer biceps into play).
After a total of 9 sets for biceps, I'd tackle forearms withbarbell reverse curlbarbell reverse curl 12 reps super-setted withseseateated bd barbarbeell wrll wrist cist cuurlrl 20 reps, two super sets of these. After each set of curls and forearm exercise I held the pronated arms back stretch for 15 seconds.
This gave me a total of 15 sets for back, 9 for biceps, and 4 for forearms, adding up to 28 total sets in a workout, which proved to be enough for growth.
Because of the heavy deadlifts, I preferred to take the next day off from training because squatting was my main movement. Not a good idea squatting with a sore lower back.
So after the rest day, I started my thigh routine with a few sets ofone legged topone legged top extensions
extensions to get some blood in the knees, and then started my 6 sets of barbell squat (see page 25): 135 for 15 reps, 185 for 12 reps, 225 for 11 reps, 260 for 10 reps, 285 for 9 reps, and 300 for 8 reps. I did below parallel squats doing slower negatives than positives.
Next exercise was leg press (see page 25): 15 reps with 200, 12 reps with 250, 10 reps ith 300 pounds. Leg presses always felt light after heavy squats and I did higher reps to get a good overall pump in the thighs. I never went extremely heavy in this one, but concentrated on going deep into the negative and then not quite locking out at the end of the rep.
Then it was leg curls (page 25)70 x 12, 80 x 11, 90 x 10 reps followed by one leg up stretch between sets.
I ended the thigh work with 3 sets of leg extensions (page 24), 160 x 12, 180 x 10, 200 x 8 on my trusty old Nautilus machine. Training for Mr. Olympia in 1979 I became very strong on this one, doing 10 reps with 275 pounds.
Calves were up next and I did calf stretch for 15 seconds after each set:
Standing calf raise (page 26) 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps. I usually started calf work with this one, so it was always my lightest exercise, I wanted to get a good warm-up. Too much weight gave me a sore neck or upper back so I seldom went over 150 pounds. I kept my knees slightly bent so I could get a deeper stretch at the bottom of each rep.
Donkey Calf raise is probably the best calf exercise. Only rest you get is when you are sitting on your partner's back 4 sets of 20 to 25 reps to a burn each set. Best if your rider is heavier than you.
Seate
Seate d Calf Raid Calf Raisese
Seated calf raise is great for the soleus, the large muscle mass underneath the outer two heads of the gastrocnemius. Since it's hard on the Achilles tendon, I always do this one last, usually one drop set, without rest doing 120 x5, 110 x 5, 100 x 5, 90 x 5 to a maximum burn, then do calf stretch 15 seconds afterwards.
Ab work ended the leg day routine, which was usually anything except hanging knee ups in order to give the upper body a rest.
My main exercise on day three program wasbarbell bench pressbarbell bench press with a shoulder width grip to put more emphasis on pecs, front delts, and triceps. I'd take the bar off the rack and lower it to just below my pecs at the top of my ribcage very slowly, and as soon as it touched my pecs I'd push it up with just enough force to get it overhead, ending with my elbows not quite locked out. I'd do doorway stretch between sets and my weights and reps were 135 x 12, 185 x 10, 225 x 8, 255 x 6, 275 x 4, 290 x 2. These were all done with slow negatives, I was very strong in those days, especially when training for 1982 Mr. Olympia.
I would nor could never use weights this heavy today in my workouts. But I was at the peak of my training career, in my late thirties, with not a lot of injuries that prevented
me from handling the heavier poundages. You need to use heavier weights to stimulate
deep down into the muscle, causing enough micro trauma, followed by proper rest, nutrition, and recuperation to enable the muscle to heal itself and grow bigger and stronger. Don't think that by using weights as heavy (or heavier) than I did that you will get the growth you want. If you are not very careful (I was) you may injure yourself, and then it's back to square one, starting light again, resting more, and getting ongoing therapy. It's better to select lighter weights and do slower negatives so your muscles perceive the weights as feeling heavy, without being quite so heavy. This also allows
you to maintain good form during each of your sets and get a pump exactly in the area required.
After I finished bench presses, I did70 degree incline dumbbell press70 degree incline dumbbell press, doing something like 60 pounders 10 reps, 70s for 8 reps, 80s for 6 reps, again with slow negatives, not quite locking out at the top of each rep. By now my pecs and front delts were really pumped and I'd keep doing doorway stretch between sets.
Next came10 degree decline dumbbell fly10 degree decline dumbbell fly for lower outer pecs: 40s for 12 reps, 50s for 10 reps, 60s for 8 reps. I'd keep doing doorway stretch between sets and right after the stretch, do the "crab" most muscular pose holding it for 15 seconds to develop striations in the inner pecs.
Then it wasdudummbbbbeell pullovell pulloverr lying across a bench. This exercise worked a lot of areas but was my main movement for developing serratus. It also expanded my ribcage, pumped up my lower pecs, and really developed the posterior head of my triceps. I got
quite strong on this one and often did 12 reps with a 90 pound dumbbell, 10 reps with 100, and 8 reps with 110, doing the one arm shoulder stretch between sets.
My triceps were so pumped up after this one that I worked them next, starting withcloseclose grip bench press
grip bench press on the Smith machine (if you don't have one, use a barbell). Hands ere 12 inches apart with my elbows pointed outward to emphasize my outer triceps, and I lowered the weight slowly to my chest, pushing it up to an almost locked out position. 140 x 12, 160 x 10, 180 x 8 were the sets and reps I'd perform and I'd do arms back stretch for 15 seconds after each set.
One arm dumbbell extension
One arm dumbbell extension came right afterwards, I'd hold on to a support and lean slightly backwards, making sure to let the weight down deeply behind my back and then, keeping my upper arm close to my head, not quite lock out at the top of the exercise. I used 30 pounds for 12 reps, 35 pounds for 10, and 40 pounds for 8 reps, holding one arm shoulder stretch for 15 seconds with each arm between sets. This one really developed the rear head of my triceps.
My final exercise for triceps was pressdownpressdown with close grip on a V bar on the lat machine. With elbows close to my sides, I'd lean slightly forward and press the bar down to a complete locked out position, then hold the lockout for one second on each rep. Then I'd let the bar return slowly back to my upper chest and then push it down hard, again holding the contraction for a second. I usually did 70 pounds for 12 reps, 80 pounds for 10 reps, and 90 pounds for 8 reps doing arms back stretch between sets..
After triceps work I was ready to finish off deltoids. I'd already worked front deltoids ith the overhead dumbbell press, so all that was left now was an exercise for rear delts and something for side or lateral deltoids.Bent over dumbbell lateral raiseBent over dumbbell lateral raise was my preferred exercise in those days. I'd get behind a T bar or the leg roller on a leg curl machine and lean as far forward as I could, grab not so heavy dumbbells and do
something like 20 pounds 15 reps, 22.5 pounds 12 reps, and 25 pounds for 10 reps.
Rear delt stretch followed each set.
My last exercise for delts was
side cable raise side cable raise
. Holding a cable handle in front of my legs, I'd raise the handle across the front of my body until it was as high as my ear. I'd do 30 pounds for 12 with each arm, 35 pounds for 10, and then 40 pounds for 8 reps.
Sometimes I'd do 3 sets of 12 reps with 30 pounds non-stop with each arm, no rest between sets to define the lateral delts and bring out the separation of the biceps, bracio-radialis, and triceps of the outer upper arm.
Ab work was always at the end of my workout and my plan was to gradually increase the total amount of reps right up until contest time until I was doing 1000 reps total each
orkout. Often I came back to the gym later in the afternoon to do this and it usually took me a half hour of non-stop ab exercises to complete it. The minimum program was leg raise, 4 sets of 25 reps super setted with abdominal crunches 4 sets of 25 reps, followed by 100 seated twists. As I progressed in my ab work I'd add to this program 4 sets of 25 reps hanging knee ups super setted with 4 sets of 25 two arm cable crunch
ith 90 pounds, followed by 100 more seated twists.
After that I'd ride the stationary bike for 15 to 20 minutes or run a slow mile and a half.