Equipment needed for an effective bodybuilding program

I’m a firm believer in training with equipment that allows you to utilize your body more efficiently.
This pretty much eliminates most exercise machines. The only exercise machine we have in my gym is
a chest-supported row. Machines limit the lifter’s range of motion. Your muscles don’t work like a
robot’s limbs in real life and they shouldn’t in the gym. Free weights are best, but there are other tools
of the trade that can help you achieve the body you’re looking for. Here’s my list of essential gear.
Dumbbells—preferably a set of 20-pound to 100-pound weights
The dumbbell is the most versatile training tool, and most gyms carry weights up to 100 pounds. If
you train at home, you may want to consider buying a set of PowerBlocks or looking to local “for
sale” lists online to find an inexpensive set of used dumbbells.
Barbells—45-pound barbell with 300 to 400 pounds
You can get a standard Olympic barbell at most fitness equipment stores that will come with a 300-
pound weight set of plates. I’ve had major success finding extra weights on craigslist, but shop
around and you’ll find what you are looking for. A company like gopherperformance.com offers many
options for weight plates and barbells.

Exercise Bench
An adjustable bench is best. A flat bench will work, but in order to hit both incline and decline
exercises, you’ll need one that is more versatile. Look to performbetter.com for good options.
Squat Rack
A squat rack can act as the foundation for all your barbell movements. Pressing, rowing, chins,
deadlifts, and squats all need a home. The squat rack will provide this. If you are willing to spend the
money on a solid squat rack for your home, look into roguefitness.com, but most gyms will have you
covered.
Blast Strap
A great bodyweight tool for pushing and pulling movements, the blast strap is available at elitefts.net.
TRX
This suspension trainer is a versatile tool for bodyweight movements that you can take anywhere.
TRX straps are a bit more expensive but a valuable tool to take on the road. You can pick one up at
trxtraining.com.

Track, Hill, or Stadium Steps
Use these options during high-intensity cardio days.
High-Density Foam Roller
For warmup and self-massage, foam rollers come in various sizes. A good versatile size is a 36-inch
round model available in fitness supply stores and at power-systems.com.
Bike, Treadmill, Track
These can be used for other cardio options or high–intensity interval training (HIIT).

SAMPLE TRAINING SPLITS
 You can configure your workouts dozens of ways to hit every muscle in your body.
On the following pages are just a few samples of how you can fill 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-day
training splits with exercises by major muscle groups. (Note: These samples are
different from the 24-week plan I’m recommending in Chapter 9. Choose what works
best for you.)
THE 3-DAYS-PER-WEEK WORKOUT
Day 1: Back, Rear Deltoids, Biceps
Day 2: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 3: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves
ADVANTAGES
• Overall muscle stimulation
• Greater frequency to major muscles
• Greater strength gains
• More recovery
• Less central nervous system fatigue
• Ideal for ectomorphs
DISADVANTAGES
• Less muscle specialization
• Less isolation
• Elimination of weak point training
• Less volume per body part
• Less frequency to the “show muscles”
• Not for all endomorphs
• Less “pump”

SAMPLE 3-DAY BODYBUILDING TRAINING SPLIT
WORKOUT 1—BACK, REAR DELTOIDS, BICEPS

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Horizontal Pull A) Barbell Pronated Row 4 x 8
Back/Lat Superset* B1) Sternum Chinup
B2) Dumbbell Single-Arm Row
3 x 10
3 x 15 each arm
Vertical Pull C) Wide-Grip Pullup 3 x 8
Horizontal Pull D) TRX Face Pull 3 x 15
Biceps Superset E1) Dumbbell Standing Hammer Curl
E2) Barbell Reverse-Grip Curl
3 x 10
3 x 12
* In a superset, you complete all sets of the pair of exercises before moving to the next pair of lifts.

WORKOUT 2—CHEST , SHOULDERS, TRICEPS

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Vertical Push A) Barbell Military Press 5 x 8 to 10
Chest/Shoulder Superset B1) Dumbbell Bench Press
B2) Single-Arm Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
4 x 12
4 x 8 to 12 each arm
Chest/Triceps Superset C1) Parallel Dip
C2) Feet-Elevated Pushup
3 x 15 to 20
3 x 15 to 20
Triceps Superset D1) Lying Pronated Triceps Extension
D2) Bench Dip
3 x 15 to 20
3 x 15 to 20

WORKOUT 3—QUADRICEPS, HAMSTRINGS, CALVES

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Bilateral Push/Knee—Quad Dominant A) Barbell Squat 4 x 20
Bilateral Pull/Hip—Hamstring Dominant B) Barbell Romanian Deadlift 4 x 8 to 10
Quadriceps/Hamstring Superset C1) Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
C2) Glute Ham Raise
3 x 12 each leg forward
3 x 10
Unilateral/Quad Dominant D) Dumbbell Walking Lunge 3 x 20 each leg forward
Bilateral/Specialization E) Barbell Standing Calf Raise 5 x 25

There are numerous ways to work the 3-day split into your week.
(Note: The cardio workouts will be described in Chapter 11.)
ALTERNATING WORK/REST DAYS
Monday: Workout 1, High-Intensity Cardio
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Workout 2, Cardio
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout 3, High-Intensity Cardio
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
3 DAYS ON, 1 DAY OFF, REPEAT
Monday: Workout 1, High-Intensity Cardio
Tuesday: Workout 2, Cardio
Wednesday: Workout 3, High-Intensity Cardio
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout 1, Cardio
Saturday: Workout 2, High-Intensity Cardio
Sunday: Workout 3, Cardio
3 DAYS ON, 2 DAYS OFF, REPEAT
Monday: Workout 1, High-Intensity Cardio
Tuesday: Workout 2, Cardio
Wednesday: Workout 3, Cardio
Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest
Saturday: Workout 1, High-Intensity Cardio
Sunday: Workout 2, Cardio
Monday: Workout 3, Cardio

THE 4-DAYS-PER-WEEK WORKOUT

Day 1: Chest, Back, Traps, and Abs
Day 2: Quads and Calves
Day 3: Shoulders and Triceps
Day 4: Hamstrings, Back, and Biceps
ADVANTAGES
• Greater volume
• Greater overall “pump”
• More muscle specialization
• More isolation exercises
• Greater structure for hypertrophy
• Favorite of endomorph and mesomorph body types
DISADVANTAGES
• Average strength gains
• Less recovery
• More central nervous system fatigue
• Not preferred method for ectomorphs
• Higher volume
• Greater chance of overtraining

SAMPLE 4-DAY BODYBUILDING TRAINING SPLIT
WORKOUT 1—CHEST , BACK, TRAPS, ABS

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Chest Superset* A1) Barbell Bench Press
A2) Dumbbell Incline Fly
4 x 6
4 x 15
Back Superset
B1) Barbell Supine Row
B2) Eccentric Pullup†
†Take 3 seconds to lower.
4 x 8
4 x 10
Chest Exercise C) Dumbbell Bench Press 3 x 10
Back/Traps Superset D1) Dumbbell Single-Arm Row
D2) Barbell Shrug
3 x 15 to 20 each arm
3 x 20
Abs Superset E1) Hanging Leg Raise
E2) Supine Floor Reverse Crunch
5 x 15 to 20
5 x 15 to 20

WORKOUT 2—QUADS AND CALVES

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Calf Superset A1) Donkey Calf Raise
A2) Jump Rope
4 x 20
4 x 30 seconds
Bilateral Exercise B) Barbell Squat 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8
Quads Superset C1) Barbell Front Squat
C2) Dumbbell Split Squat
3 x 8, 6, 4
3 x 5 each leg forward (3 seconds eccentric)
Quads Finisher D) Dumbbell Walking Lunge 2 x 20 steps

* In a superset, you complete all sets of the pair of exercises before moving to the next pair of lifts.

WORKOUT 3—SHOULDERS AND TRICEPS

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Shoulder Exercise A) Barbell Standing Military Press 4 x 6
Shoulder Exercise B) Dumbbell Arnold Press 3 x 8
Shoulder Giant Set
C1) Dumbbell Seated Press
C2) Dumbbell Front Raise
C3) Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
C4) Exercise Band Pull Apart
3 x 8
3 x 10
3 x 12
3 x 15 to 20
Triceps Superset D1) Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press
D2) Lying EZ Bar Overhead Extension Skullcrusher
4 x 6
4 x 10 to 12
Triceps Finisher E) Parallel Dip 3 x 30

WORKOUT 4—HAMSTRINGS, BACK, AND BICEPS

EXERCISE TYPE EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
Total Body A) Trap Bar Deadlift 4 x 6
Back/Hamstring Superset B1) Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift
B2) Chinup
3 x 12
3 x 4
Back/Hamstring Superset C1) Barbell Romanian Deadlift
C2) Glute Ham Raise
3 x 15
3 x 8
Biceps Superset E1) Dumbbell Standing Hammer Curl
E2) Barbell Reverse-Grip Curl
4 x 10
4 x 12

Sample Configurations for 4-Day Bodybuilding Training Split
ALTERNATE WORK/REST DAYS (Allows for a greater volume of training)
Monday: Workout 1, Cardio
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Workout 2, High-Intensity Cardio
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout 3
Saturday: Workout 4, High-Intensity Cardio
Sunday: Rest
4 DAYS ON, 2 DAY OFF, REPEAT (Allows for a greater balance of training and recovery)
Monday: Workout 1, High-Intensity Cardio
Tuesday: Workout 2, Cardio
Wednesday: Workout 3
Thursday: Workout 4, High-Intensity Cardio
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Workout 1
(start rotation again)

2 DAYS ON, 2 DAYS OFF, REPEAT (Allows for greater recovery)
Monday: Workout 1, Cardio
Tuesday: Workout 2, High-Intensity Cardio
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout 3, Cardio
Saturday: Workout 4, High-Intensity Cardio
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Workout 1
(start rotation over)


 THE 5- AND 6-DAYS-PER-WEEK WORKOUT

The typical bodybuilding training program calls for training 5 to 6 days per week. I
have used all six splits successfully. Recently, I have found that a 3- or 4-day split fits
nicely into my schedule in the off-season. However, when I’m preparing for an
upcoming bodybuilding competition, I will incorporate training cycles where I train 5
days per week. I know plenty of successful bodybuilders who follow a 6-day split
schedule even for off-season training. Again, it really depends on how much time you
can devote to your training.
There isn’t much of a difference between a 5- or 6-day split. But they are quite
different from 3- and 4-day splits.

ADVANTAGES
• Greater training frequency
• Greater muscle isolation
• More muscle specialization
• Ability to shorten training time
• Favorite of most bodybuilders
DISADVANTAGES
• Less recovery
• Average strength gains
• High volume
• SAMPLE “BODY PART” WORKOUTS FOR USE ON 5- OR 6-DAY
PROGRAMSCentral nervous system fatigue

DAY 1: CHEST WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
A) Barbell Bench Press 5 x 10
B1) Dumbbell Incline Fly
B2) Suspended Blast Strap Pushup
4 x 12
4 x 10
C) Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
D) Exercise Band Pushup 3 x 20
DAY 2: ARM WORKOUT

EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
A1) Dumbbell Standing Hammer Curl
A2) Exercise Band Pushdown
4 x 8
4 x 15
B1) Barbell Wide-Grip Curl
B2) EZ Bar Skullcrusher
4 x 10
4 x 12
C1) EZ Bar Preacher Curl 4 x 10
C2) Parallel Dip 4 x 15 each

DAY 3: LEG WORKOUT

EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
A) Barbell Squat 5 x 5
B1) Barbell Reverse Lunge
B2) Glute Ham Raise
4 x 6 each leg
4 x 8
C1) Dumbbell Goblet Squat
C2) Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
3 x 15
3 x 15
D) Dumbbell Walking Lunge 3 x 30 yards
E) Standing Calf Raise 1 x 100 (minimal rest as needed)
 Note: For the 6-day split, break the leg workout into 2 days: Quads and Hamstrings/Calves.

DAY 4: SHOULDER WORKOUT

EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
A) Barbell Standing Military Press 4 x 6
B1) Dumbbell Arnold Press
B2) Lying Incline Internal Rear Raise
4 x 8 to 12
4 x 15
C1) Dumbbell Lateral Raise
C2) Dumbbell Incline Press
3 x 15 to 20
3 x 10

DAY 5: BACK WORKOUT

EXERCISE SETS X REPETITIONS
A) Trap Bar Deadlift 5 x 5
B1) Overhand-Grip Barbell Row
B2) Eccentric Chinup
4 x 8
4 x 6 (3-second negative)
C1) Barbell Shrug
C2) Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk
3 x 10
3 x 30 yards

SAMPLE FREQUENCY FOR 5-DAY SPLIT
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
Tuesday: Shoulders
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Chest
Friday: Arms (Biceps, Triceps)
Saturday: Rest
SAMPLE FREQUENCY FOR 6-DAY SPLIT
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Quads
Tuesday: Back

Wednesday: Chest
Thursday: Hamstrings, Calves
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Arms