Joe Fazer’s come a long way in the gym. After seven years of consistent training and committed eating, he’s gone from severely underweight to seriously muscly.
But recently, life’s got in the way for Joe. He hasn’t been putting in the hours — in fact, over six weeks, he can count the number of times he’s been to the gym on one hand — and consequently his gains have suffered.
The Plan
To hit the ground running, Joe decided to change his gym focus entirely. Joe’s new approach would be all about bodybuilding, prioritising mind-muscle connection and lifting to failure.
Here’s his six-day training programme:
Day 1: Push A (chest dominant)
| Incline dumbbell press |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| Flat machine press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Pec fly | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Machine shoulder press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Lateral raise | 3 sets until failure |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 sets until failure |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 sets until failure |
Day 2: Pull A
| Rear delt pullback | 2 sets, 10-15 reps |
| T-bar row |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| Lat pulldown | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Single arm row | 3 sets until failure |
| Shrugs | 3 sets until failure |
| Cable biceps curl | 3 sets until failure |
| Hammer curl | 3 sets until failure |
Day 3: Legs A (quad dominant)
| Squat |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| Leg press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Quad extension | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Lying hamstring curl | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Calf raise | 3 sets until failure |
| Abductor | 2 sets until failure |
Day 4: Push B (shoulder dominant)
| Seated barbell one handed press |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| Cable lateral raise | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Seated chest press | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Dips (weighted) |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps Set 3: until failure |
| Pec fly | 2 sets until failure |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 sets until failure |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 sets until failure |
Day 5: Pull B
| Pull-ups (weighted) |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| T-bar row | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Close grip lat pulldown | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Single arm row | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Rear delt fly | 3 sets until failure |
| EZ bar curl | 3 sets until failure |
| Reverse grip cable curl | 2 sets until failure |
Day 6: Legs B
| Stiff leg deadlift |
Set 1: 5-9 reps Set 2: 10-15 reps |
| Hack squat | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Lying hamstring curl | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Quad extension | 3 sets, 10-15 reps |
| Calf raise | 2 sets until failure |
| Abductor | 2 sets until failure |
The Diet
A decent workout plan isn’t all that matters when it comes to reaching your goals. If you’re not getting enough protein, there’s no use hitting the gym six times a week.
To fuel his body, and gains, throughout his bodybuilding programme, Joe will eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight, and at least 3,500 calories every day.
Meal one
To start the day, Joe tucks into seven pieces of streaky bacon, four large fried eggs and a healthy serving of ketchup on two white muffins with a tall glass of OJ.
| Calories | 977kcal |
| Protein | 57.5g |
Meal two
It’s hardly revolutionary, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s right, chicken and rice.
| Calories | 630kcal |
| Protein | 58g |
Meal three (pre-workout)
Before the gym Joe likes to load up on two things: calories, and sugar for a quick energy. So that calls for a big bowl of cereal with milk.
| Calories | 200kcal |
| Protein | 3g |
Meal four (post-workout)
In the fine dining location of his car, Joe demolishes two wraps filled with chicken and cheese. An easy 60g of protein right there.
| Calories | 799kcal |
| Protein | 60g |
Meal five
While the rest of us are probably sleeping, Joe starts prepping his fifth meal of the day. And it’s a good one. A healthy pan full of pesto and chicken pasta.
| Calories | 850kcal |
| Protein | 66g |
Meal six
His sixth and final meal of the day, Joe gets cosy in bed with a shaker full of Pink Grapefruit Clear Whey.
| Calories | 84kcal |
| Protein | 20g |
A man of simple taste, Joe sticks to what he knows. But it seems to work. After a full day of eating Joe finishes the day having consumed 3,540 calories and 264.5g of protein. All in a day’s work.
Strength test
In what he calls his “prime”, six months ago, Joe tested his one rep maxes to see what his body was capable of. After six months of inconsistency and six weeks off, he’s keen to see how he fares before he starts building back.
| Exercise | Six months ago | Now |
| Squats | 170kg | 150kg |
| Bench press | 110kg | 100kg |
| Deadlift | 220kg | 200kg |
| Pull ups | 21 reps | 18 reps |
| Dips | 32 reps | 25 reps |
Take Home Message
Come rest day, Joe had learned the hard way that six days of heavy lifting will leave you bedbound with a serious case of DOMS. But he was feeling good. Bring on the rest of the programme.
To keep up to date with Joe’s journey, check out his YouTube channel.
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