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As time goes by I am getting more and more questions about my workout routine. I am taking this opportunity to hopefully answer these questions all in one place. Please note that I am not being dogmatic but rather just stating what works best for me and how I get my best results. I have been working out for 5 years although most of that time was wasted by a cycle of bulking then cutting that meant losing all my hard earned muscle and having to start over again. I feel like I have only started getting anywhere in the last year. So here goes, the first question usually goes something like this:

How many reps should I do per set for optimum muscle growth?

Ok, the reps per set question is easily answered. In my experience I only do between 4 to 8 repetitions per set. For example if I am doing a bicep curl, I want to get at least 4 good reps but no more than 8. If I can do more than 8 then I know that the weight is too light and I could achieve better growth with a heavier one. If I can’t get at least 4, I have to reduce the weight a little as any less would not be stimulating the muscle for growth as much as it would be for strength.

How many sets per body part should I do?

Again, from my own experience 6 - 9 sets per body part is sufficient. At the moment I am only doing 6 sets for each body part with great results. If I am working out my shoulders, that might be 3 sets of flies and three sets of standing dumbbell presses. I’ve come to know that quality counts for more than quantity i.e. if you perform great full-motion reps and aim for 1 or 2 more reps than the previous workout, you will ignite more growth than the guy who does 15 sets of cheated reps with incorrect form.

How many body parts should I hit per workout?

A maximum of 2. Any more would result in over-training. Once you workout for more than 45 minutes, it becomes counter-productive. Stimulate muscle growth, then get the hell out of there. If you perform 6 sets per body part and are working 2 body parts in a particular session, this should last no longer than 40 minutes. Some days you will work just 1 body part which is absolutely fine but don’t go over 2.

How many training sessions should I do per week?

I recommend a 4 day split. This means 4 days of working out and 3 days of rest. I also do my four days consecutively i.e. Monday through Thursday. I like having the weekends off so this is perfect for me. At the moment, it breaks down like this:

• Monday - Biceps and Triceps
• Tuesday - Shoulders and back
• Wednesday - Chest & Abs
• Thursday - Legs

How much rest should I take between sets?

I take 2 minutes religiously. Why? Because I find this amount of time sufficient to allow me to get the maximum number of reps in my next set. Any more than this is a waste of time and increases the length of my workouts unnecessarily. This also allows the lactic acid in your muscles, built up from the previous set, to be flushed out. Tip - use a stopwatch, don’t guess.

What do I do for my abs?

Well abs are no different from any other muscle, they need weighted resistance to stimulate growth. Doing endless repetitions for minutes at a time is a good cardiovascular workout but it’s not going to make your abs grow (unless you are a complete beginner). Surprisingly, I don’t even train my abs all year round. All I need to do is to start in April or so and go to September. This is because my abs are getting hit indirectly year-round from all my other exercises. So, what I do is mostly decline sit-ups with a weight on my chest. Here I go for between 6 - 10 reps as I find slightly higher reps necessary to get proper form when working the abs. Again, if I can get more than 10, I need to increase the weight. You’ll need an abs bench for this similar to the one in the picture. This is key though, DO THESE SLOW! Please don’t rush this exercise, perform it slow and hold it for a second at the top of the rep. The other point is that the majority of work in building a six-pack is done in the kitchen and not the gym. Your diet is going to make all the difference between getting the abs you want and not. There is no point in obliterating your mid-section every week only to have a layer of fat cover the view. Diet is a big topic and I’ll cover it more in upcoming articles.

I hope this clears a lot up for you guys and you start seeing amazing results from your workouts. Feel free to let me know how things are going for you.

Mark McManus

Related Articles:

• How To Build A Great Body - The Training
• Why I Love Bodybuilding & Fitness

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