Welcome to RPAlternate's newest guide to MRP man-building.

A year ago I made a post wherein users could ask questions. We were relatively small back then, as a subreddit, so I'm not doing that again; we have too many new man-children for me to answer the same questions four times.

Instead I'm creating a guide for building your body (Someone else can build your mind). Experienced users need not apply here (you're already jacked... aren't you?) Newer man-children stand to gain the most from this guide.

This guide simply lines out the best path for building muscle. I will not be focusing on weight loss (in fact, if you follow this, you will likely GAIN weight.) I won't even be focusing on fat loss. I am only concerned with your muscle gain.

You can be 12% BF all day but it means shit for shit if you haven't got the mass underneath to make it worthwhile.

Introduction

You read in here often, "LIFT," as some sort of cure-all to your life's problems. As if going to the gym and lifting weight can somehow make your life better? It's bullshit right?

If you have to ask, then you have no business asking... you don't even know what you don't know, yet.

OF COURSE going to the gym and lifting weight can make your life better. Doing so gains you the following:

  • Alone time: time with yourself and your thoughts. I even eschew male company at the gym unless the guy is comparably motivated to shut the fuck up and lift.
  • Learning how to fail alone: You will fail at some point; the weight won't move and you will feel weak and shitty. But you will learn that this happens from time to time and one failure isn't a failure.
  • Learning how to succeed, alone: You will succeed more than you fail, and when you fail, you will learn how to overcome that small hiccup and succeed again. You will learn that sometimes you need to fall a bit to learn how to climb better.
  • Learning your physical limits: Men these days don't know what they are capable of (most aren't capable of much at all.) You need to learn what you aren't capable of as much as you need to learn what you are capable of.
  • Routine: having a schedule that you don't deviate from sets a schedule and creates expectations for you and your family.
  • Refuge: the gym is your temple. Most are open 24 hours, these days. Wife causing you strife? Go to the gym. Sex rejection? Go to the gym. Feel like jacking off? Go. to. the. gym.

Nothing in this life is made more difficult by being stronger.

Where to Begin?

Perhaps you read "lift" and went to the gym and dicked around because, and be honest, you don't know what the fuck you are doing. You want to lift, but without a plan, it's very daunting.

I did a 6x6 ramp-up program once, 7 years ago... Went from 175 lb to 205 lb in less than 6 months on lifting and beer. I got huge and I also got fat. I stopped the beer part and within a month I had gone from a well-proportioned, but fat 205 to a shredded 195. The point here is that I had nothing and just said, here's a plan I just made from farts and wishes... a plan I can now run with. The point is I had a plan.

Now I know more things about stuff and I have dabbled with a few beginner plans: Ice Cream Fitness, Starting Strength, Stronglifts, etc. My favorite by far, which is also the most boring is Stronglifts. The boring part is the part I like because boring = simple. A beginner shouldn't be doing floor cleans and a beginner shouldn't be worried about what his biceps look like when his biceps can't do shit.

Move units, then talk shit and we can do this. --Dr. Dre.

Preface

This plan runs through 4 phases:

  1. Stronglifts: Gain strength and size due to the novice effect; strength and hypertrophy are achieved due to the sudden change in stimulus.
  2. Supplant stalled lifts with assistance work to drive hypertrophic stimulus. Strength increases begin to slow down.
  3. PPL: Add accessory work and reduce main lift volume to stimulate further hypertrophy and specialize slowing strength development.
  4. 5/3/1: Increase strength development by replacing the linear progression model with a high intensity, low volume monthly peridoized model.

Stronglifts 5x5

Stronglifts is a beginner program that focuses on the "big 5" lifts:

  • Squat
  • Deadlift
  • Bench Press
  • Overhead Press
  • Barbell Row

The program is run over 3 days per week wherein in a 6 week period, you squat 6 times, and do all other lifts 3 times. Over that 6 week period, at the very beginning, a true novice can hope to see an increase in the 5-rep weight of 30 lbs for squatting and dead lifting and 15 lbs for all other lifts.

This program is boring, but it is simple and straight-forward each session should take about an hour. Don't worry about your biceps; the rows will take care of those, for now. Don't worry about your triceps; the bench press and overhead press will take care of those for now. Don't worry about your shoulders; the overhead press will take care of those, for now.

Nothing in Stronglifts is revolutionary or new. It simply takes the 3x5 strength-building standard and adds extra sets for volume. It then ramps the intensity up regularly and quickly to account for novices. This sort of progression is called linear progression.

http://stronglifts.com/5x5/

Download the spreadsheet and use it or... Download the app and use it.

The stronglifts site is large and has a lot of information, but I'll distill down some of the important info.

  • Warm-up: Start with the bar and do 2 sets of 5 reps. Add 10 lbs (5 lb, each side) and do 3 reps. Repeat this until you get to the target 5x5 weight. Don't rest between the warm-up sets.
  • Resting between sets: at least a minute when it's easy and upwards of 5 minutes when it gets harder. SCIENCE: resting replenishes the Phosphagen/Creatine/ATP energy system... 3 minutes is about the amount of time it takes to do this.
  • Do no more than 5 by 5: Do no more than 5 sets and no more than 5 reps per set.
  • Deadlift is 1x5: Deadlift is rough on the CNS. Keep it low, for now.
  • Failing (stalling) on a set: If you can't complete a set, continue to the next set and do your best. Even if you did 5,5,4,2 and your last set will most likely be "1", do not lower the weight. This is now your new benchmark. Do not add weight for the next time you do that exercise.
  • Failing 3 times: If you fail at a specified weight for 3 sessions in a row, then you subtract 10% from the current weight and start anew. The lower weight will give you time to recover physically and mentally.
  • Failing 3 times in a row, 3 times on the same weight: Example: you are bench pressing at 205 and can't do all 5 sets completely. You fail 2 more times and deload 10%. Eventually you get to 205 again and fail 3 times in a row again. you deload 10% (again) and eventually make it back to 205. Yet, once again, you fail 3 times in a row. This is known as a plateau. Congratualtions, you are basically no longer a beginner for that exercise. For this exercise it's now time to advance to something bigger and better. (more on this in a moment).

Drink water, eat food, eat more food, drink more water, and grow. Remember, Muscle can't grow without resources.

The likley outcome of this program will be an increase in strength and size, better body proportions, lowered body fat, better sleep, your dick will get touched at home, and depending on how well your body reacts, more IOIs in public.

What will NOT happen: You will not get that cut, jacked look. That is not what Stronglifts is for. That comes later. Please be patient.

Moving on and adjusting the plan

So you've plateaued on an exercise, but everything else is still moving along.

You don't want to ruin the nice novice gains you are making on everything else just to get better at bench press. Instead, we are going to supplant some bench press with some new lifts called assistance lifts.

Here is what a week of Stronglifts looks like:

|Week 1| | | |Week 2| | :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-: A|B|A| |B|A|B Squat|Squat|Squat| |Squat|Squat|Squat Bench Press|Overhead Press|Bench Press| |Overhead Press|Bench Press|Overhead Press Barbell Row|Deadlift|Barbell Row| |Deadlift|Barbell Row|Deadlift

Stronglifts is what we call a "high-volume strength plan." Notice how you are squatting every workout? See how you do some exercises twice a week? When you get better at lifting (read: stronger) your body becomes less adaptable and requires different stimulus to continue growing. In our example, you plateaued on bench press. Since your body is less adaptive to the stress, we need to change the type of stress. We do this by continuing on 5x5, but only once a week, and adding 8-12 rep sets on the second day. The format will stay the same, but now we have a lower volume day and a higher volume assistance day:

|Week 1| | | |Week 2| | :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-: A|B|A| |B|A|B Squat|Squat|Squat| |Squat|Squat|Squat BP 4x5,1x5+|Overhead Press|BP 3x10| |Overhead Press|BP 4x5, 1x5+|Overhead Press Barbell Row|Deadlift|Barbell Row| |Deadlift|Barbell Row|Deadlift

This is how you implement this:

After you plateau on the lift, deload 10% again. In our example, 205 was the plateau weight, so now we de-load back to 185.

Week 1, A1, has "BP 4x5, 1x5+". This means that you will do 185 for 4 sets of 5 reps and then 185 for 1 set of As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP). This is the first step to increasing stimulus: adding volume at a higher intensity ont he last set; programing your muscles to move past that 5 rep wall it is used to and stimulating new muscle-drive neurons (stronger muscle).

Week 1, A2, has "BP 3x10". This means you will do a weight for 3 sets of 10 reps. But how much weight?

We need to caluclate your theoretical 1 RM - 1 repetition max. This is the maximum weight you can do once. Since you de-loaded to 185, you were able to knock out 9 reps on that last set. using a 1RM calculator, we find that 9 reps of 185 is a theoretical 1RM of ~240. It is unlikely that you could do 240 once... you haven't trained for it and your max ever lifted is 205. To compensate, we will use 90% of this 1RM to come up with your training max -TM. This equates to ~215. This number probably seems more logically attainable.

For the 10 rep sets, I recommend using 50% of your TM to start; 107.5... but we'll use 105 as the number. For Week 1, A2, you will do bench press for 3 sets of 10 reps at 105 lb. This is the second step to increasing stimulus: adding high volume, low intensity work to stimulate cellular growth (larger muscle)

Since you excelled at 185 for the 5x5 set, add 5 lbs to the total; next week (week 2, A) you will do 4x5 and 1x5+ at 190 lb. If this is successful, add 5 lbs for a total of 195, do the 4x5 and then the 1x5+.

Now, let's say you did 195 for 7 reps on the last set. That equates to a 1RM of ~235 lb (that's 5 lbs less than last week!) This is where you start to understand adaptability and stimulus: you can do 185 9 times, but 195 only 7. To get a 240 1RM, you'd need 195 at 8 times... but you just can't. That's okay, keep going. Do the next day's 3x10 bench press work using the original number (105) plus 5 more pounds (110 total). Next week when you hit 200, perhaps you hit 7 reps on the last set for a 1RM of 240. Personally, I'd rather have a 1RM claculated from 200 then from 185.

The likley outcome of these modifcations to the Stronglifts program will be a small increase in strength in the affected lifts, larger size and definition across the affected lifts (the 3x10 will stimulate larger muscle growth.)

What will NOT happen: You will not get that cut, jacked look... but you can see how it's getting closer. Please be patient. You are learning that hardwrok over a longer time yields greater appreciation in the results.

Breaking down the exercises

Eventually you will get to a point where you are stalling regularly and plateauing on other lifts. The 5x5 is turning out to be a self-limiting volume (not enough stimulus at too high a volume). That 5 rep limit is becoming a bummer!

Eventually your schedule looks like this:

|Week 1| | | |Week 2| | :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-: A|B|A| |B|A|B Squat 4x5,1x5+|Squat 5x10|Squat 4x5,1x5+| |Squat 5x10|Squat 4x5,1x5+|Squat 5x10 BP 4x5,1x5+|OHP 4x5,1x5+|BP 5x10| |OHP 5x10|BP 4x5, 1x5+|OHP 4x5,1x5+ BB Row 4x5,1x5+|Deadlift 1x5+|BB Row 5x10| |Deadlift 1x10|BB Row 4x5,1x5+|Deadlift 1x5+

You've likely discovered, as well, that this is a fuck-ton of squatting.

Here's where you stop looking at exercises for what they are and start looking at what they do:

Exercise Muscle Groups Function
Squat Legs Legs
Bench Press Chest Push
Barbell Row Back Pull
Overhead Press Shoulders Push
Deadlift Back Pull

Perhaps you noticed something: Deadlift is a back exercise? Yes, it is. It utilizes the legs, to be sure, but most lifting professionals, coaches, trainers, etc. use the deadlift as a back exercise, or more succintly, a pulling exercise.

The functions of each lift now illustrate a new way to view the Stronglifts schedule:

|Week 1| | | |Week 2| | :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-: A|B|A| |B|A|B Legs|Legs|Legs| |Legs|Legs|Legs Push|Push|Push| |Push|Push|Push Pull|Pull|Pull| |Pull|Pull|Pull

Now it's time to increase and change the stimulus some more. We will do this paradoxically by removing some volume on the main lifts but adding accessory lifts. Accessory lifts are those lifts that help the main lift, but aren't exactly the main lift (like with assistance work.) For instance, The incline Bench Press is similar to the bench press, but it actually uses slightly different muscles. The Leg Press is similar to the squat, but allows you to pile on more weight because you don't have to actually support it on your back, The bicep curl pulls weight to you but doesn't use your back, you get the picture.

While you can still irk out some extra novice gains, you'll end up injuring yourself or stalling more and more regularly with this much squat volume. You'll learn that sometimes less is more.

Push-Pull-Legs

PPL (Push Pull Legs) is what I like to call a secondary beginner program. Some people jump right into PPL. This isn't wrong, it's just different. I think PPL is better suited for a better trained individual, which is why I start with Stronglifts, plain and short.

This post on Reddit's Fitness sub is a stellar example of a PPL routine.

PPL is also a linear program, which is why I label it as beginner but it has plenty of accessory and assistance lifting so that it gives the impression of being more advanced, hence secondary. The accessories also make it much less boring than Stronglifts.

PPL runs as a 6-day a week cycle: PPLPPLR - Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, REST. Over those 6 days you hit all main lifts once, except squats, which you hit twice.

Pull-1 Push-1 Legs Pull-2 Push-2 Legs
Deadlift 1x5 Bench Press 4x5,1x5+ Squat 2x5,1x5+ BB Row4x5,1x5+ OHP4x5,1x5+ Squat 2x5,1x5+
OHP 3x10 BP 3x10
Pull Acc. Push Acc. Leg Acc. Pull Acc. Push Acc. Leg Acc.

You'll notice that OHP 3x10 and BP 3x10 are done on the alternating days. This allows you to hit the 3x10 sets fresher than if you piled them next to each other.

Another new change is that Squats have been reduced to 3 sets of 5 reps. This allows you to hit your weights easier, but doesn't tire you out as much. Since you are likely going to see some new increases in squat gains from going from 5x5 to 3x5, the squat work is reduced from 3x per week to 2x per week.

All accessory work is also the same across the board (Pull Acc. is the same for both days, as are Push Acc. and Leg Acc.)

I recommend doing Pull first if doing deadlift the day before squat day bothers you.

The accessory work will help make gains in all lifts as now you are directly stimulating the stabilizing and supporting muscle groups on top of the main muscle groups. The accessory work is list as a range: 8-12 or 15-20. This means that you can do 5x15 or 3x12 or 8-10-12, or 15-15-20-20-20. Pick a scheme you want to work with and run with it. This is accessory work and it doesn't matter that much. If you complete your sets successfully, add 5 lbs for the next time. For some things you may only be able to add 2.5 lbs.

Continue PPL until you plateau as you did with Strong Lifts.

The likley outcome of these modifcations to the Stronglifts program will be a small increase in strength in the affected lifts, larger size and definition across your body due tot he accessory work, a decrease in body fat due tot he extra calories and greater lean mass achieved

**What will NOT happen: You will not become incredibly strong and you may find you are plateauing in strength development... 5-rep sets can get you close, but the next phase of our plan will begin to show GREAT gains in strength.

Eat a ton of protein. Squat heavy. Push heavy objects. Have sex. Love life. --Jim Wendler

5/3/1

5/3/1 refers to the repetition format for this next phase. More specifically, it is 3x5, then 3x3, then 5,3,1. This is over a 3 weeks period.

Remember when I said Stronglifts was a 3x5 program with extra volume? This is an example of a 3x5 program. But where Stronglifts and PPL use a set weight to complete the 5x5 and 3x5 sets, 5/3/1 ramps up the weight with each set.

Remember when you were calculating 1RM to find your TM for an assitance work starting point? This is where that is absolutely necessary.

5/3/1 typically runs as a program across 4 days per week. Each day focuses on a specific main lift. 5/3/1 removes BB Row as a main lift, and relegates it to accessory work.

Wednesday is a rest day, as are the weekends. You can use whatever days you want, just make sure you have some off days and that the deadlift days don't back onto the squat days and the bench days don't back onto the OHP days.

5/3/1 runs as a 3-week, periodized schedule:

Week 1 (3x5)
Mon Tue Thu Fri
Squat Bench Press Deadlift OHP
Ass. Ass. Ass. Ass.
Acc. Acc. Acc. Acc.
Week 2 (3x3)
Mon Tue Thu Fri
Squat Bench Press Deadlift OHP
Ass. Ass. Ass. Ass.
Acc. Acc. Acc. Acc.
Week 3 (5/3/1)
Mon Tue Thu Fri
Squat Bench Press Deadlift OHP
Ass. Ass. Ass. Ass.
Acc. Acc. Acc. Acc.

At this point, one would re-cycle the program with new TMs and do it again, de-loading for a rest week on week 7. If you feel particularly drained over the 3 week cycle, then de-load and rest on the 4th week.

The periodized programming portion of the 5/3/1 program comes from the ramp-up for the sets.

  • Week 1 (3x5): 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5
  • Week 2 (3x3): 70% x 3, 80% x 3, 90% x 3
  • Week 3 (5/3/1): 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1

This is the basic model.

Some people like to pyramid the sets (65-75-85-75-65) (25 reps total) Some like to make all last sets AMRAP sets (5,5,5+) (15+ reps total) Some combine the two (65x5,75x5,85x5+,75x5,65x5+) (25+ reps total) Some add "joker" sets (65x5,75x5,85x5,90xAMRAP) (15++ reps total) *Some combine all of these: (65x5,75x5,85x5+,90xAMRAP,75x5,65x5+) (25++ reps total)

I recommend starting wit the basic scheme and adding as you deem fit.

All percentages are run from your TM (90%1RM.) Calculate these based on the last sets you did for each lift. You will end up with a sort of mini-deload, but that's okay... you're still moving up!

Go to Black Iron Beast to have a template created for you. Play with the options to see what's what.

Combining 5/3/1 and PPL

While there are "approved" or "sanctioned" 5/3/1 templates (they come from Wendler's literature) you can mix 5/3/1 with anything, including the PPL program I already mentioned. Instead of the linear progression model, you just replace the 5-by sets with the appropriate weekly scheme for 5/3/1. My program looks like this:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
Pull 1 Push 1 Legs 1 Pull 2 Push 2 Legs 2
DL (5/3/1) BP (5/3/1) Squat (5/3/1) BB Row (5x5+) OHP (5/3/1) Squat (5/3/1)
OHP 5x10@50% Leg Press BP 5x10@50% Squat 5x10@50%
Pull Acc. Push Acc. Leg Acc. Pull Acc. Push Acc. Leg Acc.

You'll notice that I've replaced the OHP and BP 3x8-12 with the BBB template (from black iron beast) 50% 5x10. I do leg press on Leg 1, but do a 5x10 squat on leg 2; you'll never get better at squatting unless you squat more.

I do all final sets as AMRAP sets (5+, 3+, 1+) except on Leg 2 squat day, I do a strict 5, 3, or 1 as prescribed.

Because of the additional volume of the BBB 5x10 sets, I removed some of the accessory work: I alternate tricep push downs and tricep extensions, and hammer curls and DB curls (I do incline curls) I also alternate RDL and Leg curls keeping machine work to the Leg Press day and the Barbell work on the squat 5x10 day.

Conclusion

While long-winded and possibly information dense, this is a plan. Perhaps you follow this directly and perhaps you take ideas from it. Whatever you choose... make a plan, and run with it.

I will nearly-gurantee that if you follow this plan you will be jacked, strong, and have a greater appreciation for yourself and your time. YMMV as you only get out what you put in.

And don't tell me you don't squat because you play soccer, or you run, or you do some other thing that makes you believe you don't need to squat. I don't give a shit if it's hard... nothing easy was every worth having.

On a personal note

When I first started lifting with that 6x6 plan I talked about, I didn't squat, because frankly, it was hard and the idea scared me a bit; no one ever taught me how or the benefits of it. I leg pressed, and did extensions, and leg curls, but none of that replaces the squat. Later I stopped lifting, started running all the time, read MMSLP, started lifting, found RP, lifted more.

Ever notice when someone who runs all the time walks into the room? Yeah, neither does anyone else. Ever notice when a jacked dude who lifts walks into a room? You may not have because you don't pay attention to such things, but you will notice when people notice YOU walking intot he room.

When I started lifting, just before RP, I was about 180 - 185 lbs. I was wiry and strong, but no jacked. BJJ kept me in great shape and I could take on all-comers with confidence, but BJJ never made anyone jacked. When waiting on a lifting station, such as a bench, or squat, guys would look at me and continue their sets. I'm either not someone to be a bother or I'm seen as being below them.

I'm consistently 195 or higher now.

Now when I wait on a station, guys offer to have me work in and sometimes they even stop doing their sets and go somewhere else. Women, especially, will just stop doing their sets, let me do mine, and make room whenever I need it. And they do it with a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye. I'm always gracious, with a grin, and I alway offer them to work in, "no... I don't want to bother you." Suit yourself.

Before, walking through the BART station (bay area "subway") people would rub shoulders, or not move. Now, I'm given a wider berth (space is still limited on the platform) and apolgies are given even when they didn't do anything wrong.

Before, my wife would say she liked the V at my waist (I was 180 and cut), now I'm a little less cut, but I'm bigger, and she says she likes my V while squeezing my arm or stroking my chest.

I used to drive for Uber. Women, when in the front seat, would sometimes do the arm touch as women are oft to do. When they do there's always a light squeeze ont he arm... then they are suddenly very interested in the things I say or the opinions I have. My eyes, they earlier cared little about, if at all, are suddenly the nicest eyes they have ever seen. Sometimes the boyfriend mate-guards. Sometimes the orbiters try. I was once asked to drop a boyfriend off first because she wanted to be dropped off at her house, alone and this was after their original plan was to just to drop them both off at her house. The boyfriend didn't interject or mate guard that time.

My point is, this is just the external, superficial value in lifting weights. Your confidence will increase, your "command presence" will increase, you will carry yourself taller, and people will simply respect you for being present.

Do not underestimate the value of lifting. Hike. fine. Run. fine. swim. fine. Do whatever else, but ALSO lift.

Good luck.