Muscle Mass Training: 3-Day Exercise Regimen

If you devote maximum attention to one less important aspect, other important aspects will start to suffer. How does this relate to exercise, especially when it comes to muscle hypertrophy? It means that in such a training, you should not focus too much on single-stage movements. Instead, most of the time should be devoted to multistage exercises that promote muscle mass growth, such as deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, and bench press. Multistage exercises have the advantage of allowing you to work with heavier weights, which leads to a larger number of high-performance muscle fibers. If we want to increase body weight, especially muscle mass, we should aim our training at the main processes leading to muscle hypertrophy. These are three mechanisms: – mechanical tension (mechanical tension), – muscle damage (muscle damage), – metabolic stress (metabolic stress). Thanks to scientific research, we can better understand the phenomenon of muscle hypertrophy and create better training plans to achieve better results. In the case of a 3-day training plan, exercises such as the deadlift, squats, pull-ups, and bench press can be a good choice. Performing complex exercises allows us to cover the muscle parts during each training more effectively and efficiently.

The number of sets is a highly personal characteristic, especially when considering the level of adaptation in strength training. If we want to choose the right number of sets, we must consider it in the context of the entire week and understand our anatomy, because we have to calculate the set in relation to the specific muscles involved in each exercise. For example, the number of adjustments in the set should take into account the muscle mass of the knee and hip joints. If we want to choose the appropriate number of sets, we must consider it in the context of the entire week and be aware of our anatomical dependence, as we have to calculate the set for the special muscle muscles involved in the individual exercise. We must achieve the row for the entire duration of the running time and the maximum load reduction at the running length of the series. For example, it can look like this: Squats 4 sets, Deadlifts 6 sets, Bulgarian Squats 3 sets. This gives us 7 sets for the muscle mass of the squats per week and 10 sets for the muscle mass of the hip joint. The number of sets is mainly dependent on the level of adaptation and progress in strength training. Typically, the minimum number of sets ranges between 6 and 8, while the maximum value, depending on muscle groups, varies between 20 and 22. The number of sets should be increased from week to week, starting with the lowest value and aiming for the highest value; after reaching the maximum value, we should return to the starting value. It should be noted that the training volume, including the number of sets, is closely related to the number of training days. Using the maximum volume in a 3-day training plan will result in the training being too long, which will ultimately lead to a reduction in their efficiency.

In training focused on muscle mass development, we must familiarize ourselves with the concept of the stimulating repetition. This is such a repetition in which muscle fibers controlled by motor units with a high threshold of activity are activated and slowly shortened. In practice, these repetitions are shown by a decrease in the speed of lifting the load at high fatigue. In the case of repetitions in the 1-5 range, at a load of > 85%, each repetition will have a stimulating character. Repetitions in the range of 6-15 and more cause a later recruitment of motor units, as stimulating repetitions are mainly caused by increasing fatigue during the series, especially at the end of the series.

The length of the break is directly related to the selected range of repetitions. A series with a low number of repetitions, < 5, should have a longer period of regeneration, e.g. 120-150 seconds. Series with a medium and high number of repetitions, 6-15 and more, should have regeneration intervals of 60-90 seconds. The optimal interval between series for building muscle mass is 1-2 minutes.

According to the aforementioned, a training plan primarily consists of selecting exercises and training parameters such as sets, repetitions, and rest times. The training scheme is a random element of the above assumptions. However, it is recommended to conduct split trainings to reinforce the anabolic environment. This type of training can be divided based on various assumptions, not just muscle groups. In our opinion, for a three-day training program, the best choice would be to separate the upper and lower body into distinct trainings and introduce a full-body training with a focus on the muscles of the upper body.

The lower body workout focuses on the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. A sample routine for this day includes barbell squats (e.g., 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions), Romanian deadlifts (3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions), Bulgarian split squats or lunges (3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per leg), and standing calf raises (4 sets of 15-20 repetitions). Proper load selection and controlled eccentric movement guarantee a strong hypertrophic stimulus while maintaining full joint safety.

In short, in the case of a 3-day weekly plan, the volume is distributed as follows: Quadriceps: Week 1: 10 series, Week 4: 14 series, Knee prosthetic muscles (calf muscles, thigh and calf muscle group): Week 1: 11 series, Week 4: 19 series, Chest muscles: Week 1: 10 series, Week 4: 14 series, Back muscles: Week 1: 10 series, Week 4: 15 series, Shoulder blade muscles: Week 1: 10 series, Week 4: 10 series, Arm muscles: Week 1: 5 series, Week 4: 10 series. With this distribution of training volume, we ensure that each muscle group is trained evenly and appropriately... The large number of series for the knee prosthetic muscles may be surprising... This is due to the fact that this muscle group consists of two muscle groups, therefore, if we add up the number of series, the total volume is larger... Similarly, the smaller number of series for the shoulder blade and arm muscles may be surprising... This is a deliberate distribution, if we take into account the synergy of these muscles during other exercises for other muscle groups... The key to effectively carrying out a training plan is not the distribution of the trained muscle groups, but the appropriate distribution and selection of exercises together with the training parameters... No training plan can make up for the lack of correct technique, muscle activation, training speed, and rest time... We can also offer an alternative training plan, taking into account the division into muscle groups: - Day I - Chest, triceps, abs; - Day II - Back, biceps; - Day III - Legs, shoulders.

–pressure of bars on a horizontal bench– 3 sets, 6/6/6; –pressure of barbells on the positive bench– 3 sets, 10/8/6; –muscle contractions with barbells on a horizontal bench– 3 sets, 12/12/12; –pumping with handles and forward torso inclination– 3 sets to refusal; –French pressing of bars lying down– 4 sets, 12/10/8/6; –straight arm raises with the help of the top pull– 3 sets, 12/10/8; –abdominal press– 3 sets, 10–15 repetitions per set.

–deadlift– 5 cycles, 6/6/6/6/6; –pull-up on the bar in grip position– 4 cycles, 5/5/5/5; –rowing with the barbell during torso lowering– 3 cycles, 10/8/8; –bending of the forearms with a barbell in standing position– 4 cycles, 12/10/8/6; –alternating bending of the forearms with seated dumbbells– 3 cycles 15/15/15.

3 sets, 10/8/6; Excessive load on the barbell 3 sets 10/8/6; 3 sets 12/12/10; 4 sets 10/10/8/10; straight leg stretches 10/10/6; 4 sets 15/20 repetitions on the fingers; 10/8/8/6. A pre-training warm-up and post-training stretching should be performed for each training session.