March 2003

The question-of-the-month for March comes from Sami in Bahrain, a 28 year old who wants to train heavy to obtain mass and asks how to split his routine to reach this goal.  His question is: 

Dear Mike:

How do I train heavy duty and split my routine? 

Dear Sami:

Thank you for your question.  It's great to hear from fellow bodybuilders who reside in other countries.  

During my competitive days, the mass-building training cycle that I, and most other pro bodybuilders, used was: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, off Wednesday and weekends.  The split works like this:

Note: As always, warm up before beginning any exercise program.

Monday
Shoulders: 9-12 sets total
Triceps: 6-8 sets total
Abs: 5-8 sets total

Tuesday
Quads: 8-12 sets total
Hamstrings: 6-8 sets total
Calves: 5-8 sets total 

Wednesday (Off)

Thursday
Chest: 9-12 sets total
Biceps: 6-8 sets total
Abs: 5-8 sets total

Friday
Back: 15-18 sets total
Calves: 5-8 sets total

Saturday (Off)

Sunday (Off)

Stay heavy and keep repetitions, in general, between 4-12.  Lastly, in order to gain mass, don't forget to eat properly and consume enough calories!  

Thanks again for your question, Sami, and good luck with your training.

As always, don't forget to visit the Past Qs & As and my Training Tips section for more great tips and training info.

Until next month, train hard and stay healthy.

Mike Francois

Do you have a training question for Mike?  If so, visit our Ask Mike section and submit your question.

Note: Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training program, consult with your physician or other licensed health-care professional.