Hey guys,
Here is a routine a came across by John Paul Catanzaro, seeing how I didn’t find it on T-Nation I figured I would post it here. Looks pretty insane.
Triple split training will induce some serious size, but I must warn you, this is only for the serious trainee! You need at least 2 years of training experience (the more, the better), a bunch of time on your hands, and the discipline to not only get through your training sessions but to incorporate proper restoration, nutrition and sleep. The triple split method involves three workouts each training day.
For best results, you should choose two opposing body parts or movement patterns and sequence them in an A1-A2 agonist-antagonist fashion. That means once you finish the first set of the first exercise, you move on to the first set of the second exercise and then go back and forth between the two exercises until all sets are complete. Aim for around 60 total repetitions per body part per training session for a grand total of close to 200 reps for that body part for the day.
In this routine, youâ??ll notice that the first workout has a slower eccentric component but you get more rest between sets; while the latter sessions have slightly faster eccentric tempos with lower rest intervals.
The parameters look like this: 1st workout: 10 sets x 6 reps at 5-0-1-0 tempo, 90 second rest interval 2nd workout: 8 sets x 8 reps at 4-0-1-0 tempo, 75 second rest interval 3rd workout: 6 sets x 10 reps at 3-0-1-0 tempo, 60 second rest interval Okay, enough talk, letâ??s get to the routine.
Day 1 (Workout 1) â?? Back & Chest A1) Medium-Grip Pull-Ups A2) Low-Incline Barbell Press 10 sets x 6 reps at 5-0-1-0 tempo, 90 second rest interval
Day 1 (Workout 2) â?? Back & Chest A1) Bent-Over EZ-Bar Row (supinated) A2) Lying Dumbbell Press (neutral) 8 sets x 8 reps at 4-0-1-0 tempo, 75 second rest interval
Day 1 (Workout 3) â?? Back & Chest A1) Seated Cable Row (neutral) A2) High-Incline Cable Flyes (pronated) 6 sets x 10 reps at 3-0-1-0 tempo, 60 second rest interval
Day 2 (Workout 1) â?? Quads & Hams A1) Front Squat A2) Lying Leg Curl (feet neutral) 10 sets x 6 reps at 5-0-1-0 tempo, 90 second rest interval
Day 2 (Workout 2) â?? Quads & Hams A1) Back Squat (heels elevated) A2) Romanian Semi-Stiff-Legged Deadlift 8 sets x 8 reps at 4-0-1-0 tempo, 75 second rest interval
Day 2 (Workout 3) â?? Quads & Hams A1) Seated Leg Extension A2) Russian Good Mornings 6 sets x 10 reps at 3-0-1-0 tempo, 60 second rest interval
Day 3 â?? off
Day 4 (Workout 1) â?? Triceps & Biceps A1) Close-Grip Bench Press A2) Scott EZ-Bar Reverse Curls 10 sets x 6 reps at 5-0-1-0 tempo, 90 second rest interval
Day 4 (Workout 2) â?? Triceps & Biceps A1) Parallel-Bar Dips A2) Incline Hammer Curls 8 sets x 8 reps at 4-0-1-0 tempo, 75 second rest interval
Day 4 (Workout 3) â?? Triceps & Biceps A1) Standing Reverse-Grip Pressdowns A2) Seated Dumbbell Curls 6 sets x 10 reps at 3-0-1-0 tempo, 60 second rest interval
Day 5 (Workout 1) â?? Abs & Calves A1) Sicilian Crunch A2) Standing Calf Raise 10 sets x 6 reps at 5-0-1-0 tempo, 90 second rest interval
Day 5 (Workout 2) â?? Abs & Calves A1) High-Pulley Twisting Crunch A2) Donkey Calf Raise 8 sets x 8 reps at 4-0-1-0 tempo, 75 second rest interval
Day 5 (Workout 3) â?? Abs & Calves A1) Supine Cable Pull-Ins A2) Seated Calf Raise 6 sets x 10 reps at 3-0-1-0 tempo, 60 second rest interval
Day 6 â?? off
Repeat Note: Tempo refers to the speed of movement and is represented by a 4-digit number: eccentric (negative) contraction â?? isometric (pause between negative and positive) contraction â?? concentric (positive) contraction â?? isometric (pause between positive and negative) contraction. For example, a tempo of 5-0-1-0 means to lower the weight for a count of 5, no pause at the bottom, raise the weight for a count of 1, and do not pause before starting the next repetition.
Try to take two naps in between workouts, i.e. one nap between workout 1 & 2 and the second nap between workout 2 &3. A trick I learned from Olympic strength coach, Charles Poliquin, that serves particularly useful during triple split routines is to use whey isolate with grape juice, maltodextrin and corn flakes or rice chex in a blender immediately post-workout.
You will be asleep (actually, you can consider it a mild coma) within 15-20 minutes. Wake up; eat a solid meal; and train an hour later. Itâ??s that simple! In order to achieve success on this program, you must follow the following instructions:
Eat a minimum of 7 meals a day every 2.5 hours.
You should be taking in 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight and up to 15 grams of fish oil every day.
Consume 3 shakes post-workout on training days but none on non-training days; in other words, itâ??s better to eat your food than drink it.
Take in plenty of branched-chain amino acids both before and during your workouts (at least 20 grams per workout.)
Plan for restoration as well (i.e. massage, stretching, electronic muscle stimulation, contrast showers, salt bathes, etc.)
Ideally, the first workout should be performed three hours upon awakening and the second and third workout should be performed within a 4-6 hour window after the previous training session.
Do not perform the second and third workout every 3rd cycle, so you will only workout once a day on the 3rd and 6th cycle of the routine.
Perform the first workout 6 times and then switch to another routine.
If double split training can nearly double the muscle glycogen content of a body part, can you imagine what triple split training can do? After just a few workouts, glycogen stores are so depleted that the body overcompensates by loading muscles with more glycogen than normal thus prompting hypertrophy or size gains, but hereâ??s the key: you must allow supercompensation to occur! And how do you accomplish that? Itâ??s called restoration. If you can not put aside a good month to devote to this routine than donâ??t bother.
Trying to squeeze these workouts into a busy lifestyle will quickly lead to overtraining. It is an ideal program for someone in their late teens or early twenties who is still living at home with mommy and daddy, has the summer off of school, and needs to put on some size. If you want to gain quick mass, then this routine will deliver â?¦ but you will pay the piper! Expect to be extremely sore and tired all the time. It is one month of hell, but if you follow the program exactly as outlined, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Good luck!