This is the final installment of an eight-part series of blogs regarding, The 4 x 10 Workout Series, which will be briefly reviewed at the start of this article. Even so, you may wish to go back and read the previous articles in order to fully understand how The 4 x 10 Workout Series works. If you choose to do this, you can read the previous articles by clicking on the following link:
From Giants To Pyramids: The 4 x 10 Workout
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The final article in this series of eight blogs picks up with chapter 12 below:
Chapter 12
Length Of Each Phase And Progression
At this point, you should understand how to do four different phases of 4 sets of 10 reps. These phases include:
Phase 1: Giant-sets for the same muscle group
Phase 2: Super-sets for the same muscle group
Phase 3: Super-sets for opposing muscle groups
Phase 4: Giant-set Circuits
One thing that has not yet been addressed is the length of time and the number of workouts that should be performed for each phase. The answer is fairly simple as you should do two workouts for the first three phases and three workouts for the last phase. This is outlined below:
Phase 1: Giant-sets for the same muscle group for two workouts
Phase 2: Super-sets for the same muscle group for two workouts
Phase 3: Super-sets for opposing muscle groups for two workouts
Phase 4: Giant-set Circuits for three workouts
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If you perform three full body workouts per week, you will complete all four phases in three weeks. When you break the phases down into a three-week schedule, the following plan emerges:
Week 1
Workout 1: Perform a phase 1 workout: Giant-sets for the same muscle group
Workout 2: Perform a phase 1 workout: Giant-sets for the same muscle group
Workout 3: Perform a phase 2 workout: Super-sets for the same muscle group
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Week 2
Workout 1: Perform a phase 2 workout: Super-sets for the same muscle group
Workout 2: Perform a phase 3 workout: Super-sets for opposite muscle groups
Workout 3: Perform a phase 3 workout: Super-sets for opposite muscle groups
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Week 3
Workout 1: Perform a phase 4 workout: Giant-set circuits
Workout 2: Perform a phase 4 workout: Giant-set circuits
Workout 3: Perform a phase 4 workout: Giant-set circuits
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Adjustments
The length of each phase is not written in stone. You may adjust the length of any of the phases according to what you feel works best. My basic advice is not to stay in phase one too long because it is designed to produce a high degree of fatigue. This has the potential to cause burn-out and overtraining if you continue to do it too frequently for too many workouts. It is possible that some of you who are reading this are an exception and have the type of physiology that responds exceptionally well to a high degree of fatigue on a regular basis, however, most of you should be careful not to overdo it with giant-sets for the same muscle group.
In terms of varied individual responses, it is possible that one of the phases will trigger better results for you than the others because of your personal physiology. This being the case, if you want to focus on a particular phase longer than the others because it works better, you should feel free to do so by sticking with a phase as long as it keeps working.
The Right Amount of Effort
It is my belief that training with the right amount of effort is a critical factor in weight training success. Many people who are involved in weight training believe that more is better when it comes to effort, which basically means to perform the maximum number of reps you are capable of within a set. My experience is that this strategy works for a while, but it eventually leads to a dead-end road. If your goal is long-term success, my advice is that your hardest sets should be pushed to the limit of your ability to repeat reps using a steady even rep pace. If fatigue sets in and you are forced to decrease your rep speed at the end of a set, you are pushing too hard.
Use The Ideal Amount of Weight
When doing the 4 x 10 workout, the ideal amount of weight for a set of an exercise will allow you to perform ten reps using a steady even rep pace. If you are using a poundage that prevents you from reaching ten reps using a steady even rep pace, the weight is too heavy and you should decrease the weight enough to perform ten even paced reps. On the other hand, if you are using a poundage that allows you to perform more than ten even paced reps, the weight is too light. In this case, add the amount of weight necessary that will allow you to perform ten even paced reps, no more, no less.
The ideal amount of weight for a set will probably vary according to the phase you are in. During phase one, you will not be resting between sets for the same muscle group. This will cause a rapid increase in fatigue within the muscle you are training. You may be strong on your first set, but will quickly grow weaker with each successive set. The result is that you will not be able to use as much weight for your second, third, and fourth sets compared to what you can normally use when you are at full strength.
As you progress from phase to phase, the fatigue factor will decrease because you will get a little more rest between sets for the same muscle group with each successive phase. This will allow you to remain a little stronger throughout the workout each time you switch to the next phase. By the third and fourth phase, your overall workload will be noticeably bigger in terms of the average amount of weight you use for each set. The bottom line is that you will find that your average poundage per set will generally increase as you progress from phase one to phase four.
Adding Weight to Your Lifts
After completing a three-week cycle of four phases, you will repeat the three-week cycle. I recommend that you start each cycle with the same amount of weight that you used for your previous cycle. If you do this and find that the weight in the new cycle feels easier to lift than the same weight at the start of the previous cycle, it is an obvious indicator that you have gained strength. If it is apparent that you have gained strength, you can add weight as you proceed through the new cycle. I suggest adding five pounds to start with, but you can add more if it helps you achieve the right level of effort. The right level of effort for your hardest sets is defined as the limit of your ability to perform ten even paced reps, no more, no less.
Progress Will Vary for Different Exercises
When considering progressive increases in the poundages you are using, understand that not all exercises are created equal. You will generally find that you can add weight to bench presses, squats, and lat pull-downs easier than you can add weight to biceps curls or dumbbell lateral raises. It will generally be harder to add weight to isolation exercises for small muscles than it will be to add weight to compound exercises that involve large muscles.
Progress at the Rate Your Body can Tolerate
If you are motivated, dedicated, and eager to improve, you will be tempted to add weight before you are truly ready. This will slow your progress down in the long run. Be honest with yourself and let your body tell you when you are ready to add weight. If you add weight too fast and too often, you will start to strain and your lifting form will be compromised. In the end, this will hinder your ability to keep progressing.
You will progress at the rate that your body can tolerate. When you try to progress faster than your capacity for improvement, it is like trying to sprint a marathon; you may take off quickly at the start, but it will undermine future progress.
Train Hard and Smart
Training hard is important, but so is training smart. If you train hard, but not smart, you probably won’t get too far. You must understand that smart training requires a certain degree of hard work, but not to the degree that you suffer from overtraining. In the end, you must train hard, but be smart about how you do it by following the guidelines in this book regarding training with the ideal amount of effort.
The 4 x 10 Workout Series Option
The concept of doing four sets of ten reps for each muscle group is simple, but there are a variety of ways that you can organize your exercises to do four sets of ten reps. The variety will produce a series of different growth activators including, metabolic stress, mechanical loading, and muscle damage.
Remember that the 4 x 10 workout series is just one training option that you can use. My philosophy regarding any training method is simple and straight forward: If it works, keep doing it as long as it works. If it stops working, don’t be afraid to change or try something new in order to start making progress again. My hope is that the content in this series of articles will provide you with the information needed to help you make more progress. May God bless you with the best of training.