stronger Bodybuilding
Strength + Volume = Better Bodybuilding
By Ryan Mathias, CPT
This Program is based on the Mathias Method STRENGTH SYSTEM.
Do you want to build some serious muscle?
This Strength Guide is perfect for advanced STRENGTH WARRIORS looking to get really strong while packing on some pounds!
The Mathias Method is a System, not just a Training Program. It is a Systematic approach to Strength Training that allows you to stay Healthy, Improve your Performance, and get stronger, all while moving towards your specific training goals.
This system has been used for years, helping STRENGTH WARRIORS from all over take their training to the next level.
The weak get strong, and the strong get stronger!
Includes: Build Your Own Workout Guide – Training Template – Training Program
The Mathias Method STRENGTH SYSTEM
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Bodybuilding is a very popular sport that focuses upon aesthetics and symmetrical size. To be great at the sport of bodybuilding you must have a great looking physique that combines size with muscular detail. To be great at this sport takes years of hard work and dedication, because your muscles must get to a certain level of maturity, through years of training, before they can compare to other elite level bodybuilders. With this in mind it is vital for success that all current and future bodybuilders seeking a large, aesthetic look, gain the strength required to build a complete physique.
Strength is the basis for all lifting sports, including bodybuilding. You must first gain a solid base of strength to truly succeed in this sport. For those looking to become bodybuilders, or just mimic their physique, it is recommended that you gain the strength too squat 400lbs+, bench press 300lbs+ and deadlift 500lbs+ (females multiply each by 0.7). These are recommendations, but it would be most optimal to add 100lbs on top of that to each lift. This will allow you to use much heavier weights for all of your exercises adding to the muscular stimulus of every exercise and overall caloric expenditure. So for those looking to bodybuild, first get the strength required to succeed while your muscles mature and then work on the details of competition preparation as competitions come.
This bodybuilding program is designed for offseason bodybuilders or those seeking to prepare for future competitions. It focuses on building strength while adding size. During this training you will start with a muscle activation lift, followed by a main strength lift, accessory work, detail work, and finally a finishing move.
The muscle activation movement is meant to warm-up your muscles while stimulating the specific body part you wish to train. This is followed by the main strength lift is used to build strength while adding size. The final set of this exercise is an intensity set. This set taken to absolute failure with the use of intensity techniques like drop sets or forced reps for added growth. Then you will move on to accessory work to stimulate growth from multiple angles while adding training volume. After your basic accessory work is complete you will do any detail work that may be needed. These are movements that are specific to your needs. Do any amount of work that you need to grow certain aspects of your physique, using no more than 3 extra exercises or 10 total sets. Do not overdo this work and compromise your recovery for other workouts. On your leg and back training days you will do a finisher exercise. This is one set of a compound exercise done to increase conditioning while bringing blood into the entire trained area for recovery. All of these training components will push your body to new heights and better prepare you for the competition season. So go get stronger and start growing!
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Intensity Set = One set taken to absolute failure through the use of drop sets, forced reps or an AMRAP (as many reps as possible).
Detail Work = Any exercise, or combination of exercises, that may need to be added to create a more detailed and well rounded physique.
Finisher = One set of one exercise done with very light weight for 20-50 repetitions to completely exhaust a particular muscle group for added growth. This should be a compound exercise [such as squat, bench press, or deadlift variation] that brings all the trained muscles to fatigue.
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Progression:
To continue progressing forward, both in strength and muscular development, you should constantly be doing more work than before. To do this, add 5-10 pounds to each of your main lifts (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Military Press) every week. Do this until you can no longer lift within the given rep range for all sets. Then decrease by 10-20 pounds the following session and start the progression again.
For accessory lifts, choose a weight that keeps you within the given rep ranges. Stick with the same weight while trying to add reps over time. When you reach the top of the allotted rep range, increase the weight slightly (5-10 pounds) and again focus on increasing your reps. This will add up your total work over time and make for a smoother progression forward.
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Weekly Schedule
Day 1 Legs
Day 2 Chest
Day 3 Off
Day 4 Back
Day 5 Shoulders
Day 6 Arms
Day 7 Off
Day 1- Legs
Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:
Front Squat 3 x 5-10
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Main Lift:
Squat 5 x 3-6
Intensity Set 1 x Failure
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Accessory Work:
Leg Press 4 x 10-20
Walking Lunges/ Bulgarian Split Squats 3 x 20 steps/ 15-20
Leg Curls (any variation) 4 x 10-20
Detail Work – x –
Calf Raises (any variation) 5-10 x 8-15
Finisher 1 x 20-50
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Mobility Work 10+ min.
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Day 2- Chest
Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:
Incline Press (any variation) 3 x 5-10
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Main Lift:
Bench Press 5 x 3-6
Intensity Set 1 x Failure
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Accessory Work:
Dumbbell Press/ Incline Dumbbell Press 4 x 8-12
Flyes (any variation) 4 x 10-15
Superset Superset
Push-Ups 4 x Failure
Detail Work – x –
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Mobility Work 10+ min.
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Day 3- Off
Rest and Recover or do some light conditioning work that will help with recovery rather than fatigue you.
Day 4- Back
Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:
Pull-Ups 5 x Failure
Superset Superset
Box Jump Variation 5 x 3
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Main Lift:
Deadlift- Conventional 5 x 3-6
Intensity Set 1 x Failure
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Accessory Work:
Barbell Rows/ Dumbbell Rows 4 x 8-10
Cable Rows/ Lat Pull-Downs 4 x 8-15
Detail Work – x –
Back Raises 3 x 10-20
Calf Raises (any variation) 5-10 x 8-15
Finisher 1 x 20-50
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Mobility Work 10+ min.
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Day 5- Shoulders
Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:
High Pulls/ Shrugs 5 x 5-15
Lateral Raises 3 x 5-10
Superset Superset
Reverse Flyes 3 x 5-10
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Main Lift:
Military Press 5 x 5-10
Intensity Set 1 x Failure
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Accessory Work:
Reverse Flyes 4 x 12-15
Lateral Raises 4 x 10-15
Detail Work – x –
Face Pulls 3-5 x 10-20
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Mobility Work 10+ min.
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Day 6- Arms
Main Lifts:
Closegrip Bench Press 4 x 8-15
Barbell Curls 4 x 8-15
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Accessory Work:
(Bicep and Triceps exercises may be supersets if found more beneficial)
Skull Crushers 3 x 10-15
Preacher Curls/ Cable Curls 3 x 10-15
French Press 3 x 10-15
Dumbbell Curls/ Hammer Curls 3 x 10-15
Press Downs 3 x 10-15
Detail Work – x –
Dips – x 50-100
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Mobility Work 10+ min.
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Day 7- Off
Rest and Recover or do some light conditioning work that will help with recovery rather than fatigue you.
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