If you want to gain strength by doing workouts that can be completed in a short amount of time, there are several workouts that you can do, one of which is what I call, Rapid 3s.
At this time in my life, I prefer fast workouts. Fast workouts have two characteristics which include:
They are performed at a fast pace.
They are fast in terms of the amount of time it takes to complete them.
You may be wondering, as I have, whether fast workouts have the ability to build both strength and muscle size. There have definitely been bodybuilders who utilized fast workouts to build muscle. Vince Gironda was a well known trainer of bodybuilders from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. He preferred fast workouts and trained his students to work out fast. This was even true of his most famous clients which include, Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, and Mohamed Makkawy, the winner of several pro bodybuilding competitions in the 1980’s.
What about powerlifters? Are there any who work out fast? Personally, I don’t know of any who work out as fast as the workout that I will be outlining in this article. You may not be able to reach you maximum strength potential, but I still believe that it is possible to gain a most of the strength you are capable of gaining by doing fast workouts. One method for accomplishing this is the Rapid 3s workout.
How to do Rapid 3s Workout
How do you do the rapid 3s workout? You simply pick two to three exercises per workout, and do each exercise for eight to ten sets of three reps with minimal rest between each set. You can do this with free weights, and it is even easier to do with machines that have a weight selector pin that enables you to quickly change the amount of weight you are using.
Rapid 3s for the Minimalist
For the minimalist who only has a small amount of time to train, I recommend three short workouts per week according to the following workout schedule:
Mondays
Bench Press: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Squats: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Do your best to rest only 30 seconds between sets.
Strive to finish the workout in 12 to 16 minutes
Wednesdays
Deadlifts: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Do your best to rest only 30 seconds between sets.
Strive to finish workout in six to eight minutes
Fridays:
Repeat Monday’s workout.
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Rapid 3s With More Exercises
If you have a little more time, I recommend adding in lat pulldowns or seated pulley rows to your workouts on Mondays and Fridays, and to add overhead presses to your workouts on Wednesdays. This would result in the training schedule that is listed below:
Mondays
Bench Press: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Lat Pull downs or Seated Pulley Rows: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Squats: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Do your best to rest only 30 seconds between sets.
Wednesdays
Overhead Presses: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Deadlifts: Do 8 to 10 sets of 3 reps
Do your best to rest only 30 seconds between sets.
Fridays
Repeat Monday’s workout
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Hopefully you noticed that the Rapid 3s workout requires that you only rest 30 seconds between sets. No doubt, this is a small amount of rest, but remember, one of the benefits of these workouts is that you can finish them fast. At this point, you may be wondering how much weight to lift for each set.
The poundages for each set of an exercise for the Rapid 3s workout is outlined below:
Set 1: Do 3 reps with 40% of your single rep max
Set 2: Do 3 reps with 50% of your single rep max
Set 3: Do 3 reps with 60% of your single rep max
Set 4: Do 3 reps with 70% of your single rep max
Set 5: Do 3 reps with 80% of your single rep max
Set 6: Do 3 reps with 85% of your single rep max
Set 7: Do 3 reps with 65% of your single rep max
Set 8: Do 3 reps with 65% of your single rep max
Set 9: Do 3 reps with 65% of your single rep max
Set 10: Do 3 reps with 65% of your single rep max
You can finish the Rapid 3s workout slightly faster by only doing eight sets per exercise as follows:
Set 1: Do 3 reps with 40% of your single rep max
Set 2: Do 3 reps with 50% of your single rep max
Set 3: Do 3 reps with 60% of your single rep max
Set 4: Do 3 reps with 70% of your single rep max
Set 5: Do 3 reps with 80% of your single rep max
Set 6: Do 3 reps with 85% of your single rep max
Set 7: Do 3 reps with 75% of your single rep max
Set 8: Do 3 reps with 75% of your single rep max
I hope to write a book on rapid 3s sometime in the next few months. In addition, I have been creating other workouts that are designed to develop strength, size, and overall conditioning through the use of fast workouts.
I have found that fast workouts that are performed in a short amount of time with the right amount of intensity are not hard to recover from, which means that you can do them often. Fast workouts that are done on a frequent basis have the ability to speed up your metabolism and help you stay lean.
If you don’t have time for long workouts, but you still want to gain a substantial amount of strength, consider the Rapid 3s workout as a means to help you accomplish your goal. May God bless you with the best of training.