For
the past 6 months or so I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on bringing up my Delts, Bis and Tris. In order to maximize my training frequency for these muscle groups I started training all three together 3 times per week. Although I’m using much less overall volume per muscle group per training session the results have been significant!
About the same time I started using this training approach, Dr Layne Norton and Dr Jake Wilson released their excellent Muscle College Radio podcast. The first episode focused on ‘Overtraining and Overreaching’. This show, along with information contained on Episode 4 ‘Listener’s Questions’, delved into this topic with great detail (complete with cited research studies). I highly recommend checking them out! I also want to thank Dr. Jake Wilson for granting me permission to refer to some of the information from the show for use in this article.
To briefly paraphrase the essence of what was discussed on those episodes, there appears to be an ‘anabolic cap’ or ‘threshold’ with training. Once you have stimulated a given muscle group to a certain degree within a single training session, you don’t really yield additional benefits by piling on more training volume. Rather a more optimal approach is to add additional training sessions spread out over the course of a week. This is because after about 48 hours your muscles have essentially completed the recovery/adaptation process (ex. muscle protein synthesis) and are ready for another bout of exercise. Each day beyond that time frame is essentially a lost opportunity for growth.
So for example; rather than blasting a muscle group with 18-20 sets once per week, one would see better gains training that same muscle group 3 times per week using only 6 sets per workout. This is based on the ‘summation of training’ principle. That is; the sum of several workouts at less than 100 % effort creates a greater overall training stimulus than pushing to 100% during any isolated single training session. Note that you will want to follow an intense overreaching cycle with a period where you taper your training in order to allow for supercompensation.
My own variation on this concept is based on a form of undulating periodization which utilizes an A, B, C workout format. In each training session I hit the delts, bis, and tris from a different angle. I perform three complete cycles of A, B, and C for a total of 9 training sessions which is one training phase.
Upon completion of a training phase, I will begin a new training phase consisting of a new A, B, C cycle. This keeps the workout stimulus fresh while still allowing enough repetition to promote a positive adaptation.
Each of the individual workouts is performed circuit style moving with minimal rest from Delts to Bis, and Tris. I then rest about a minute or so between each circuit. There are a total of 4 circuits utilizing a pyramid type of loading scheme (15, 12, 10, and 8 reps). I have an example below.
One training phase to the next may feature completely different exercises or the differences may be more subtle by changing performance variables. Examples would be using bilateral, alternating, or unilateral reps, various grips (ex. neutral, prone, reverse grip), different tempos etc. It is also important to keep detailed notes, writing down resistance levels for each set of each exercise to make sure one is using progressive overload from one workout to the next. Lastly I am also a big fan of utilizing a variety of modalities such as free weights, cables, machines, and elastic resistance.
Here’s a sample of a three workout Delts-Bis-Tris training phase:
NOTES:
You can use the basic concepts above for any muscle group(s) you want to prioritize.
Although this may seem to be very low number of sets per muscle group, it is important to put it in the context of one’s total training program. My own program consists of several full body workouts (compound push-pull-legs) each week, so those same muscles are receiving a lot of additional stimulus as synergists.
Perform this complete cycle three times before starting a new training phase.
Each set should be challenging but still a rep or so short of failure (except perhaps on the last set where you may want to push to failure).
Intensity techniques like drop-sets can be used for the last set. I will do all 8 reps, immediately lower the resistance and do as many reps as possible to failure.
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