MUSCLE GROUPS
Pick what you want to build · find the regimens that hit it
CHEST
Horizontal and incline pressing patterns plus targeted fly work. Build through controlled eccentrics, full ROM at the bottom, and a mix of compound and isolation across the week.
BACK
Vertical and horizontal pulls, hinge-pattern compounds, and dedicated lat work. Train both width (pull-ups, pulldowns) and thickness (rows, deadlifts) to round the silhouette.
SHOULDERS
Overhead pressing for the front delt, dedicated side-raise volume for the cap, and rear-delt work that nobody enjoys but everybody needs. The 3D shoulder is a high-volume project.
ARMS
Direct biceps and triceps work, plus forearm and grip volume. Most growth comes from the stretched position — incline curls and overhead extensions hit it best.
LEGS
Squat-pattern, hinge-pattern, and unilateral work. Quads grow from depth and slow eccentrics; hamstrings from controlled hinging; calves from sustained high-rep volume.
CORE
Anti-extension (planks, dead-bugs), anti-rotation (Pallof, suitcase carry), spinal flexion (hanging leg raises), and rotation (med-ball throws). Train all four patterns.
CONDITIONING
Mix of zone 2 (long, easy), threshold (hard but sustainable), and anaerobic (sprints, intervals). Build the aerobic base first; the high-end work pays off when you have it.
HOW TO ACTUALLY RUN ANY OF THESE
The regimens are real programs, not theme cosplay. If you're serious about progress, run them with the same discipline you'd give a coached block.
Add reps before load. Add load before sessions. Track every working set in a log — paper, notes app, whatever — and beat last week by one rep or 2.5–5 lbs. No log = no progress.
Most days, top sets at RPE 7–8 (2–3 reps in reserve). Save RPE 9–10 for the last 1–2 weeks of a block. Lifting to absolute failure on every set is how you blow up your knees, elbows, and lower back at 35.
4 weeks of accumulation (build volume) → 1 week deload (cut volume 30–40%, hold intensity) → repeat. Switch the primary lift every 8–12 weeks to chase fresh stimulus and dodge plateau.
7–9 hours of sleep. 0.7–1.0 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Sub-3 alcoholic drinks per week if you actually want to recompose. The program doesn't fix what your habits break.
5 minutes of zone 2 cardio + 2 movement-prep ramps before the first compound. Cold benching at 90% on a Tuesday morning is how you tear a pec. Warm-up sets up to 60–80% of the working weight, then go.
Even a pure hypertrophy block should hold 90–120 min/week of zone 2. It improves recovery between sets and keeps your resting heart rate in a safe zone. See the Conditioning page for protocols.
Pain in a joint that lasts past warm-up isn't something to push through — back off, work around it, and see a movement specialist if it persists more than two weeks. The goal is 30 more years under the bar, not a hero set today.
- New lifterStart with a 4-day full-body or upper/lower split (Saitama, Tanjiro, Goku). Master the squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, and pull-up before anything else. Run one program for 12 weeks minimum.
- Returning after a layoffTake 2 weeks at 50% of your last working weights. Don't ego-lift week 1. The CNS comes back fast; tendons take 4–6 weeks. Pick a moderate program (Vegeta, Levi) and walk it back up.
- Lagging body partFind the muscle group, pick a top-3 program, and run it for a full mesocycle. Add one extra direct accessory if needed. E.g. Back lagging? Run Vegeta + add weighted pull-ups 2x/week.
- 40+ / longevity focusVolume bias toward Conditioning (zone 2 + 1 sprint day). Strength training stays at 3 days/wk, RPE 7. Daily mobility 10 min. Tanjiro and the Saiyan Workout pack fit this.
- In-season athleteDon't run the heavy compound programs. Drop volume 50%, focus on conditioning + power preservation. Your sport is the program; lifting is maintenance.