Contents
Mad twenty – a program for an explosive growth in strength and mass
Primary goal: increased strength and mass gain
A type: split
Preparation level: medium, high
Number of workouts per week: 4
Necessary equipment: barbell, dumbbells, exercise equipment
Audience: men and women
Author: Steve Shaw
Eliminate your training routine and prepare for explosive growth in mass and strength with a unique combination of 5, 10, and 20 repetitions. This program produces results.
At the beginning of the year, I developed a bench press program that allowed me to overcome my training plateau. It was conceived to help millions of athletes stuck in the 80-110 kg level to explode the plateau and make progress. While I knew this training protocol was supposed to work, I didn’t expect its popularity to grow at the speed of light.
The reviews for this program were really great. High training volume has proven to be the spark many athletes have needed to rekindle their progress. Along with accolades touting the effectiveness of the program, I also received questions like this:
Can I use this program for squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, or cable rows? Of course, the answer is yes.
The next workout is about that: a complete program based on my 20-rep protocol. This program not only allows you to increase strength and break through the plateau, but also stimulates the beginning of a new round of muscle gain. I recommend sticking to this program for at least 4-6 months. If you can hold out for a whole year, I am sure you will reap a rich harvest.
I want to be clear. I would not use this program in the drying phase. Think of the Mad 300 as a weight training session. Raise the energy value of the diet by 500-200 calories above the equilibrium level, and the protein intake – at least XNUMX grams per day.
A quick overview of the GXNUMX
You will have to perform 7 sets with the same working weight in the following:
- Bench press
- Squat
- Overhead press
- Deadlift or Barbell Row (choose one exercise, not both)
Here’s a flowchart for the seven approaches:
- Set 1 – Working Weight x 5 Reps
- Set 2 – Working Weight x 5 Reps
- Set 3 – Working Weight x 5 Reps
- Set 4 – Working Weight x 10 Reps
- Set 5 – Working Weight x 10 Reps
- Set 6 – Working Weight x 10 Reps
- Set 7 – Working Weight x Max Reps, target 20+ reps
The seventh approach is key. If you can complete 20 or more reps in this approach, add 2,5 kg to your working weight in the next workout. If you are not able to reach the cherished 20 reps, continue to exercise with the same weight and strive for progress next week.
You will realize that once you can complete 20 reps on your key set, you will progress faster and increase your weight more and more. It is not uncommon for the working weight to increase by 2,5 kg every 2-4 weeks. After 6 months, this can add 15-25 kg to your bench press, squat or deadlift.
To summarize, by completing the GXNUMX exercise, you will:
- Use the same working weight for all sets
- Aim for maximum reps on the last set
What should be the working weight
If your maximum bench press is 110 kg, your maximum squat is 160 kg, and your maximum deadlift is 180 kg, I recommend starting the Mad XNUMX program with the following working weights:
- Bench press – 60 kg
- Squats – 85 kg
- Deadlift – 85 kg
- Rod pull – 60 kg
- Army press – 45 kg
Example of a training schedule
This is a simple training split. You can adjust it to fit your weekly schedule. In addition, do not hesitate to change the exercises to suit your preferences.