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Tempo: Another Spin
However, this chart still doesn't fully articulate all that's required for hypertrophy. As Charles Poliquin has noted, repetition speed or time under tension (TUT) needs to be taken into account, too.
The repetition is broken down into four phases: lowering (eccentric), the transition to concentric, raising (concentric), and the transition to eccentric.
A tempo of 4/1/2/1 timing on the shoulder press would mean that four seconds is spent lowering the weight to the upper chest, a one second pause on the upper chest, two seconds raising or pushing the weight away from the body to extension, and a one second pause at the top of the movement before beginning again.
So, TUT should be incorporated into the table if we're going to be efficient.
Without further ado ? The Complete Prilepin's Table For Hypertrophy
Percent Reps per Set Optimal # of Reps Total Range of Reps Rest Period Length TUT Range
<70% 6-10 32 20-40 45-75 sec. 4/1/1/1-3/1/0/1
70-80% 5-8 30 20-30 60-90 sec. 4/1/0/1-3/1/0/1
81-90% 5-7 21 15-25 75-120 sec. 4/1/0/1
<91% 1-2 7 4-10 90-180 sec. No Recommendations
The TUT calculation is based on doing between 25 and 45 seconds of work for a set. The lower rep ranges are more dependent upon the top figure of the TUT recommendation, and the higher repetitions are more dependent upon the lower figure.
You'll notice an emphasis on the eccentric number; namely, it's greater than the concentric number. Eccentric training tends to promote hypertrophy. It's also the major source of soreness due to the type of damage it produces in the muscle and surrounding areas.
The TUT amount throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the previous chart. The best rest periods between sets tends to be those that are shorter. With the goal of doing more work in less time, shorter rest periods accomplish that task.
However, when TUT is introduced into the equation, we want to be sure to allow enough recovery to make future sets productive. In doing so, we need to start at the upper end of the rest period range and the lower end of the rep range.
For example, consider a shoulder press. Assume that 200 lbs. is 68% of the max.
Week 1 ? 6 sets x 6 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/1/1 tempo and 75 seconds rest.
Week 2 ? 5 sets x 7 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/1/1 tempo and 75 seconds rest.
Week 3 ? 4 sets x 8 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/0/1 tempo and 60 seconds rest.
Week 4 ? 4 sets x 9 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/0/1 tempo and 60 seconds rest.
The repetitions are increasing, the number of sets slightly decrease, and the TUT slightly decreases but stays within range, as do rest periods as well.
That's a basic example of how the hypertrophy table, fully articulated, could work.
Program Design with the Complete Hypertrophy Table
Now let's use all this info to build some muscle! The goal in designing any hypertrophy program should center on training as much as possible but within recovery boundaries. Frequency combined with the principles above will guarantee results as long as overtraining doesn't occur.
Consider the following split:
Day 1 ? Chest, shoulders, back
Day 2 ? Off
Day 3 ? Legs and arms
Day 4 ? Off
Day 5 ? Chest, shoulders, triceps
Day 6 ? Back, legs, biceps
Day 7 ? Off
Day 8 ? Cycle repeats
* Don't be afraid to group bodyparts in different ways during the same training cycle.
* To maximize recovery, make days 1 and 3 higher intensity days and days 5 and 6 lower intensity days.
* Pick one exercise per body part on days 1, 5, and 6. Pick two on day 3 but keep the total overall sets in mind. As a rule, don't do more than 12 worksets. Hypertrophy is largely the result of increased frequency. The goal is to break down the muscle and get out of the gym, get recovered, and then get back into the gym.
* Keep the exercises the same over the course of the four weeks.
* On days 1 and 3, keep the rest periods the same, but add a percent to the lift each week.
* On days 5 and 6, keep the weight the same, but decrease the rest periods by 5 seconds per week.
* If you're a slow gainer, don't add a percent every week, but do so every other week, and run the program for six weeks.
* Upon completing the first rotation of 4-6 weeks, change exercises and choose new percentages, new reps, new TUT, and rest periods. However, keep the basic principle that days 1 and 3 have higher percentages than days 5 and 6.
Rest 2 minutes between exercises. Warm up completely for all exercises before starting.
Day 1 ? Chest and back (9 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Flat dumbbell bench press 3 6 81 90 sec.
B High incline barbell press 3 6 81 90 sec.
C Low pulley cable rows 3 6 81 90 sec.
All sets are done with a 4/1/0/1 tempo.
Day 2 ? Off
Day 3 ? Legs and arms (12 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Squats 4 5 81 120 sec.
B Still legged deadlifts 2 6 81 120 sec.
C Underhand close grip pulldowns 3 6 81 90 sec.
D Dips, elbows in 3 6 81 90 sec.
All sets are done with a 4/1/0/1 tempo.
Day 4 ? Off
Day 5 ? Chest, shoulders, triceps (9 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Flat barbell bench press 3 10 70 75 sec.
B Seated dumbbell press 3 10 70 75 sec.
C EZ bar triceps extensions 3 10 70 75 sec.
All sets done with a 3/0/2/0 tempo.
Day 6 ? Legs, back, biceps (11 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Leg press* 4 10 70 75 sec.
B Front pulldowns to the chest 4 10 70 75 sec.
C Dumbbell curls 3 10 70 75 sec.
* Two sets high on the platform and narrow, two sets lower and wider on the platform.
All sets done with a 3/0/2/0 tempo.
Day 7 ? Off
Conclusion
Bodybuilding, at least as the popular media portrays it, tends to be much more about feeling than reason. The problem with this approach is that feeling is not a reliable guide. Getting a pump sure feels like you're growing, but without a rationale behind it, you really don't know if you are.
While Pripelin's chart was designed primarily for strength gains, it can be tweaked for hypertrophy to serve more mirror-minded trainees that still want to modulate intensity in an organized manner. Overall, this program contains the right amount of volume, intensity, and frequency to be very effective, assuming that nutritional status is up to par.
Training with a rationally formulated program builds confidence in the trainee, and it works. And above all, confidence in a program is ultimately what decides its success and the progress of the trainee. This program can build that kind of confidence.
Source: http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4677737
However, this chart still doesn't fully articulate all that's required for hypertrophy. As Charles Poliquin has noted, repetition speed or time under tension (TUT) needs to be taken into account, too.
The repetition is broken down into four phases: lowering (eccentric), the transition to concentric, raising (concentric), and the transition to eccentric.
A tempo of 4/1/2/1 timing on the shoulder press would mean that four seconds is spent lowering the weight to the upper chest, a one second pause on the upper chest, two seconds raising or pushing the weight away from the body to extension, and a one second pause at the top of the movement before beginning again.
So, TUT should be incorporated into the table if we're going to be efficient.
Without further ado ? The Complete Prilepin's Table For Hypertrophy
Percent Reps per Set Optimal # of Reps Total Range of Reps Rest Period Length TUT Range
<70% 6-10 32 20-40 45-75 sec. 4/1/1/1-3/1/0/1
70-80% 5-8 30 20-30 60-90 sec. 4/1/0/1-3/1/0/1
81-90% 5-7 21 15-25 75-120 sec. 4/1/0/1
<91% 1-2 7 4-10 90-180 sec. No Recommendations
The TUT calculation is based on doing between 25 and 45 seconds of work for a set. The lower rep ranges are more dependent upon the top figure of the TUT recommendation, and the higher repetitions are more dependent upon the lower figure.
You'll notice an emphasis on the eccentric number; namely, it's greater than the concentric number. Eccentric training tends to promote hypertrophy. It's also the major source of soreness due to the type of damage it produces in the muscle and surrounding areas.
The TUT amount throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the previous chart. The best rest periods between sets tends to be those that are shorter. With the goal of doing more work in less time, shorter rest periods accomplish that task.
However, when TUT is introduced into the equation, we want to be sure to allow enough recovery to make future sets productive. In doing so, we need to start at the upper end of the rest period range and the lower end of the rep range.
For example, consider a shoulder press. Assume that 200 lbs. is 68% of the max.
Week 1 ? 6 sets x 6 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/1/1 tempo and 75 seconds rest.
Week 2 ? 5 sets x 7 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/1/1 tempo and 75 seconds rest.
Week 3 ? 4 sets x 8 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/0/1 tempo and 60 seconds rest.
Week 4 ? 4 sets x 9 reps with 200 lbs. @ 4/1/0/1 tempo and 60 seconds rest.
The repetitions are increasing, the number of sets slightly decrease, and the TUT slightly decreases but stays within range, as do rest periods as well.
That's a basic example of how the hypertrophy table, fully articulated, could work.
Program Design with the Complete Hypertrophy Table
Now let's use all this info to build some muscle! The goal in designing any hypertrophy program should center on training as much as possible but within recovery boundaries. Frequency combined with the principles above will guarantee results as long as overtraining doesn't occur.
Consider the following split:
Day 1 ? Chest, shoulders, back
Day 2 ? Off
Day 3 ? Legs and arms
Day 4 ? Off
Day 5 ? Chest, shoulders, triceps
Day 6 ? Back, legs, biceps
Day 7 ? Off
Day 8 ? Cycle repeats
* Don't be afraid to group bodyparts in different ways during the same training cycle.
* To maximize recovery, make days 1 and 3 higher intensity days and days 5 and 6 lower intensity days.
* Pick one exercise per body part on days 1, 5, and 6. Pick two on day 3 but keep the total overall sets in mind. As a rule, don't do more than 12 worksets. Hypertrophy is largely the result of increased frequency. The goal is to break down the muscle and get out of the gym, get recovered, and then get back into the gym.
* Keep the exercises the same over the course of the four weeks.
* On days 1 and 3, keep the rest periods the same, but add a percent to the lift each week.
* On days 5 and 6, keep the weight the same, but decrease the rest periods by 5 seconds per week.
* If you're a slow gainer, don't add a percent every week, but do so every other week, and run the program for six weeks.
* Upon completing the first rotation of 4-6 weeks, change exercises and choose new percentages, new reps, new TUT, and rest periods. However, keep the basic principle that days 1 and 3 have higher percentages than days 5 and 6.
Rest 2 minutes between exercises. Warm up completely for all exercises before starting.
Day 1 ? Chest and back (9 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Flat dumbbell bench press 3 6 81 90 sec.
B High incline barbell press 3 6 81 90 sec.
C Low pulley cable rows 3 6 81 90 sec.
All sets are done with a 4/1/0/1 tempo.
Day 2 ? Off
Day 3 ? Legs and arms (12 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Squats 4 5 81 120 sec.
B Still legged deadlifts 2 6 81 120 sec.
C Underhand close grip pulldowns 3 6 81 90 sec.
D Dips, elbows in 3 6 81 90 sec.
All sets are done with a 4/1/0/1 tempo.
Day 4 ? Off
Day 5 ? Chest, shoulders, triceps (9 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Flat barbell bench press 3 10 70 75 sec.
B Seated dumbbell press 3 10 70 75 sec.
C EZ bar triceps extensions 3 10 70 75 sec.
All sets done with a 3/0/2/0 tempo.
Day 6 ? Legs, back, biceps (11 sets)
Exercise Sets Reps Percent Rest
A Leg press* 4 10 70 75 sec.
B Front pulldowns to the chest 4 10 70 75 sec.
C Dumbbell curls 3 10 70 75 sec.
* Two sets high on the platform and narrow, two sets lower and wider on the platform.
All sets done with a 3/0/2/0 tempo.
Day 7 ? Off
Conclusion
Bodybuilding, at least as the popular media portrays it, tends to be much more about feeling than reason. The problem with this approach is that feeling is not a reliable guide. Getting a pump sure feels like you're growing, but without a rationale behind it, you really don't know if you are.
While Pripelin's chart was designed primarily for strength gains, it can be tweaked for hypertrophy to serve more mirror-minded trainees that still want to modulate intensity in an organized manner. Overall, this program contains the right amount of volume, intensity, and frequency to be very effective, assuming that nutritional status is up to par.
Training with a rationally formulated program builds confidence in the trainee, and it works. And above all, confidence in a program is ultimately what decides its success and the progress of the trainee. This program can build that kind of confidence.
Source: http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4677737