Beast Building Part 3

8/10/2019 Beast Building Part 3

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Beast Building, Part 33 Months to Personal Bests and New Found Thickness

by Christian Thibaudeau

Mirror Time!

For the past two months of our Beast Building program, we've been focusing mostly on strengtheningthe nervous system and the muscles, at the expense of balanced muscle growth for aesthetic appeal.That's okay. Let's face it, heavy basic lifting will build a ton of overall mass, but it can lead tounbalanced development.

Why? Because by using mostly compound multi-joint movements, we tend to concentrate on ourstrengths more than on our weaknesses. And this, of course, is because your body is built for survival,not for looking good on the beach.

http://www.t-nation.com/portal_includes/articles/2008/08-111

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Built for survival, not for looking good at the beach.

When you're doing a set of bench press, your body doesn't "know" that you want to build big pecs, itonly knows that you've got a big-ass piece of iron poised precariously above your chest and if youdon't lift it, it'll crush your ribcage and you'll die.

In the interest of survival, your body relies on the muscles best suited to do the job. If your triceps and

deltoids are stronger than your pectoral muscles, then these will take on more of the workload andwill be more stimulated to grow than your chest.

So Phase III of the Beast Building program will be the mirror phase in more ways than one. First, it'llbe a mirror image of what we've been doing up until now: the training program we'll use will be theopposite of the other phases (less frequency, more volume per body part, higher reps, more intensivetechniques, less rest). It'll also be the mirror phase because this is where we train to look good !

The Training Split

As I mentioned in the previous parts of this program, when you're training mostly for muscle growth,you hit each muscle group less frequently, but with a higher training volume and moreoomph.Conversely, when you're training for neural improvements, it's best to increase the frequency of training each muscle group while lowering the daily volume.

Since this phase focuses only on maximizing muscle growth, each main muscle group will be hit oncea week, but with more volume (around 12-16 sets per muscle group).

To make the most of this program, we'll use an antagonist split with alternating sets. This consists of training opposing muscle groups in the same workout, alternating one set of each of those antagonists.For example, if on Day 1 you're training chest and back, the first exercise pairing might be incline

dumbbell press (A1) and weighed chin-ups (A2). In that case, you'd alternate one set of A1 (press)with one set of A2 (chin-up), kinda like this:

First set of A1Rest 60 seconds

First set of A2Rest 60 seconds

Second set of A1Rest 60 seconds

Second set of A2Rest 60 seconds

Third set of A1Rest 60 seconds

Third set of A2


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...and so on.

The weekly split then becomes:

Day 1: Torso (chest and back)

Day 2: Lower body

Day 3: OFF

Day 4: Arms (biceps and triceps)

Day 5: OFF

Day 6: Shoulders (front/lateral deltoids and rear delt/traps)

Day 7: OFF

The advantages of this type of split are as follows:

• Ensures balanced development of opposing muscle groups. This reduces the risk of injury whilemaximizing aesthetic appeal.

• Allows for greater neural activation of the worked muscle group. Contracting a muscle after itsantagonist has been contracted increases neural drive, thus maximizing muscle fiber recruitment. Thisleads to a greater force production potential, and more growth stimulation.

• Minimizes reciprocal inhibition. When you fatigue a muscle group, it won't "resist" as much whenyou're working its antagonist. For example, when doing a curl you're not only fighting against theresistance but also against the triceps' partial activation. If you fatigue the triceps, they will be morefatigued, and thus won't create as much opposition to the biceps.

• Increases training density (more total volume done in less time) without affecting the recovery timefor each muscle group. This favors the onset of an anabolic state conducive to muscle growth.

The Methods Used

Each session will include 3 exercises for each of the targeted muscle groups. The first movement isthe basic lift, which we'll do relatively heavy. After all, forceful contractions stimulate muscle growth,and we want to be strong, not just look strong. Not to mention that heavy lifting increases myogenic

tone, which will make your muscles look much denser and harder, even at rest.

The first exercise pairing is fairly heavy, using a 7/5/3 wave loading pattern for 6 total sets (one set of 7, one set of 5, one set of 3, one set of 7, one set of 5, one set of 3).

Our second exercise pairing includes the main assistance movements, and it's still a major lift, not anisolation drill. For this one, we'll use a reverse pyramid for a total of 5 sets. Two sets of 10, two sets of


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8, one set of 6.

The last pairing is the finishing touch, the isolation work aimed at making sure the targeted musclegroups are properly stimulated. For this pairing, we'll use a special training technique. Depending onthe movement, it could be regular reps to failure plus added partial reps, double contraction reps, oriso-dynamic contrast reps. Three sets are performed for this pairing.

The Program

This is a program recommendation. You can make substitutions as long as theyÕre in line with thephilosophy of the program (in other words, don't replace bench press with cable crossovers).

Day 1: Torso

A1) Low-incline dumbbell press1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest

A2) Weighted pull-ups with a close parallel grip1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest

B1) Bench press, wide grip2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 675 seconds of rest

B2) 1-arm dumbbell rowing2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 6

75 seconds of rest


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1-arm dumbbell row.

C1) Pec deck machine: regular reps + partials3 x 10-12 full reps, then partials for the last half of the movement to failure, then partials for the firsthalf of the movement to failure.60 seconds of rest

C2) Straight-bar pulldown: low double contraction3 x 10-12. Pull the handle down to the low position, bring it back up halfway, pull it down again. Thisis one repetition.60 seconds of rest

Day 2: Lower body

A1) Front squat1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3120 seconds of rest

A2) Romanian deadlift1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3120 seconds of rest

B1) Close-stance snatch-grip deadlift standing on a platform2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 690 seconds of rest


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Close-stance snatch-grip deadlift from platform

B2) Walking lunges, long steps2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 690 seconds of rest

C1) Leg press, full reps plus top partials

3 x 10-12 full reps, then partials for the last half of the movement to failure.90 seconds of rest

C2) Lying leg curl, high double contraction3 x 8-10. Lift all the way up, lower back down halfway, lift back up. This is one repetition.90 seconds of rest

Day 3: OFF

Day 4: Arms

A1) Close-grip preacher curl1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest

A2) Close-grip bench press1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest


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B1) Incline dumbbell hammer curl2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 675 seconds of rest

Incline dumbbell hammer curl.

B2) Decline EZ bar triceps extension2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 675 seconds of rest

C1) Wide-grip/elbows in preacher curl: regular reps + partials3 x 10-12 full reps, then partials for the last half of the movement to failure, then partials for the firsthalf of the movement to failure.60 seconds of rest

C2) Rope cable pressdown: low double contraction3 x 10-12. Pull the rope down to the low position, bring it back up halfway, pull it down again. This isone repetition.60 seconds of rest

Day 5: OFFDay 6: Shoulders

A1) Push press1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest


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A2) Barbell power shrugs1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 7, 1 x 5, 1 x 375 seconds of rest

B1) Seated dumbbell press with a hammer grip2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 675 seconds of rest

B2) Upright rowing2 x 10, 2 x 8, 1 x 675 seconds of rest

C1) Cable lateral raise: regular reps + partials3 x 10-12 full reps, then partials for the last half of the movement to failure, then partials for the firsthalf of the movement to failure.60 seconds of rest

C2) Rear deltoid machine: peak double contraction

3 x 10-12. Lift the weight to the peak contraction, bring it back up halfway, lift it again. This is onerepetition.60 seconds of rest

Cardio and Abdominal Work

I can hear it now:

"Can I do cardio with this program?""Is HIIT okay?"

"Can I still work my abs?"

The answers are: yes, yes, and yes, as long as it's not at the expense of your goals for this program.

When it comes to cardio, understand that the more you do, the harder it'll be to put on a lot of muscle.This 12-weeks program is not a fat loss program. It is a muscle growth program. If your mainobjective is to lose fat and get ripped, this is not the program for you. To grow you need nutrients inexcess of your body's basic needs. To optimally lose fat, you need to create a deficit.

Both goals are therefore mutually exclusive. You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time,especially if you go from a shitty diet to a great one. In that case, simply moving from junk with low

protein to a high protein/high quality food diet will allow you to gain muscle and lose fat at the sametime, at least for a while. A proper supplement protocol can also increase your chances of gainingmuscle while losing fat.


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You can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, for a while.

But if you want to gain a large amount of muscle you must not lose a significant amount of fat. Ergo,everything you do to lose fat (caloric deficit, tons of cardio, etc.) will drastically reduce your chancesof growing new muscle. Since the whole purpose of this system is to grow as much muscle as we can,then excessive cardio is kind of a dumb thing to do. In fact, doing cardio more than twice a week willdramatically and negatively affect the benefits of this program.


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Kind of a dumb thing to do.

As far as abdominal work is concerned, feel free to add some form of abdominal work to everytraining session. Either at the end (in which case I like to use abdominal circuits) or staggeredbetween sets of the planned exercises.

Supplements to Enhance this Phase

As I said in the first two parts of this series, supplements are not necessary to progress. However,when properly used, they can drastically enhance the efficacy of a training phase.

In Phase III, our final phase, the goal is maximum hypertrophy. We still want to use the basics(Flameout, Surge Recovery, and Metabolic Drive), which I consider to be concentrated nutritionrather than supplements anyway.


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Concentrated nutrition that should be part of your basic arsenal.

With this phase, it's highly beneficial to modulate Testosterone levels in order to maximize growth.The two supplements to use to do this are Alpha Male and REZ-V. I recommend using both of theseproducts slightly differently than what it says on the label. REZ-V should be taken first thing uponwaking up, on an empty stomach. You take the whole daily dose at that time. So you should ingest 3-4capsules as soon as you get out of bed.


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Take them as soon as you get out of bed, and start your day like a man.

Alpha Male is the opposite: you should take it all at night, so that you'll mimic the body's naturalTestosterone production rhythm. Take 3 to 4 capsules before going to bed.


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Take them right before you hit the sack. What you do afterwards is your business.

Adding magnesium to the stack would also prove extremely effective. 1-2g taken in the evening andat night is the best strategy (90-95% of all hard-training individuals are deficient in magnesium, andthat really has a negative impact on recovery, insulin sensitivity, and Testosterone levels).

My final recommendation for maximizing the effectiveness of this program would be aBETA-7/creatine stack. This phase relies on higher volumes of training, and these two products arebeneficial because they increase work capacity for both the lower reps (3-6) and higher reps (7-12)


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used in this program.

Stack with creatine to maximize the effectiveness of this program.

I'll say this once more (slowly this time, so that the losers who noisily state that these articles are justpaid advertisements will maybe understand). You don't have to take all these supplements in order togrow. But if you're serious about reaching your potential, consider them very useful weapons fordoing so.

Conclusion

As I mentioned in part II, this whole series is designed to be used as a 12-week program, and that iswhat will give you the best possible results. However if you only want to use this third phase as astand-alone, fine. Understand that most of the gains will be in the hypertrophy department. So if you're interested in maximizing both your strength and size, do the entire program, and don't forget to


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get those nutrients in to grow!

Christian Thibaudeau is a strength coach, bodybuilder, Olympic lifter, and confirmed Beast. Thib isconfident that by following this twelve-week program with diligence and fortitude, you too canbecome a big, strong, and aesthetically-appealing Beast.

© 1998 — 2008 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


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Beast Building Part 3

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