Joe Fazer’s come a long way in the gym. After seven years of consistent training and committed eating, he’s gone from severely underweight to seriously muscly.
But recently, life’s gotten in the way for Joe. He hasn’t been putting in the hours — in fact, over six weeks, he can count the number of times he’s been to the gym on one hand — and consequently, his gains have suffered.
The Plan
To hit the ground running, Joe decided to change his gym focus entirely. Joe’s new approach would be all about bodybuilding, prioritizing mind-muscle connection and lifting to failure.
Here’s his six-day training program:
Day 1: Push A (chest dominant)
- Incline dumbbell press | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- Flat machine press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Pec fly | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Machine shoulder press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Lateral raise | 3 sets until failure
- Triceps pushdown | 3 sets until failure
- Overhead triceps extension | 3 sets until failure
Day 2: Pull A
- Rear delt pullback | 2 sets, 10-15 reps
- T-bar row | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- Lat pulldown | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Single arm row | 3 sets until failure
- Shrugs | 3 sets until failure
- Cable biceps curl | 3 sets until failure
- Hammer curl | 3 sets until failure
Day 3: Legs A (quad dominant)
- Squat | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- Leg press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Quad extension | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Lying hamstring curl | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Calf raise | 3 sets until failure
- Abductor | 2 sets until failure
Day 4: Push B (shoulder dominant)
- Seated barbell one handed press | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- Cable lateral raise | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Seated chest press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Dips (weighted) | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps Set 3: until failure
- Pec fly | 2 sets until failure
- Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 sets until failure
- Triceps pushdown | 3 sets until failure
Day 5: Pull B
- Pull-ups (weighted) | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- T-bar row | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Close grip lat pulldown | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Single arm row | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Rear delt fly | 3 sets until failure
- EZ bar curl | 3 sets until failure
- Reverse grip cable curl | 2 sets until failure
Day 6: Legs B
- Stiff leg deadlift | Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps
- Hack squat | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Lying hamstring curl | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Quad extension | 3 sets, 10-15 reps
- Calf raise | 2 sets until failure
- Abductor | 2 sets until failure
The Diet
A decent workout plan isn’t all that matters when it comes to reaching your goals. Hitting the gym six times a week isn’t much use if you’re not getting enough protein. To fuel his body throughout his bodybuilding program, Joe will need to eat around a gram of protein per pound of body weight and at least 3,500 calories per day.
A man of simple taste, Joe sticks to what he knows. Like most bodybuilders that’s chicken, rice, steak, eggs, and broccoli. But if you want to mix things up, look here for high-protein recipe inspiration.
Take Home Message
Come rest day, Joe had learned the hard way that six days of heavy lifting will leave you bed-bound with a serious case of DOMS. But he was feeling good. Bring on the rest of the program.
To keep up to date with Joe’s journey, check out his YouTube channel.
Enjoy this article?
FIND MORE HERE:
After finishing an internship with Myprotein, Emily returned to university to finish her degree in Business Management and Marketing, before coming back to work full-time with the team. Emily specialises in high-protein recipes, inspiring real-life stories and accessible health and fitness advice, and her work has been featured in The Supplement Magazine. When she’s not in the kitchen baking or cooking, she’s out exploring Manchester’s best food spots, or working up an appetite at the gym.
