Accelerated gains: put your workout into high gear with this dramatically effective three-part training system

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Tabatha Elliott

LIKE A WELL-TUNED SPORTS CAR, you accelerate through your workout from 0-60 in just seconds. No cruise control here--when you reach the finish line, your muscles are sore and your fuel tank reads empty. But gunning hard on the gas pedal isn't necessarily the smartest way to train. After all, drivers who push their cars the hardest over time are the ones you see standing on the side of the road. We're going to change the way you think about how you drive yourself in the gym.

This workout is unconventional but compelling in its simplicity. The program is called 5-10-20, and it promises to minimize the amount of time you spend in the gym while maximizing your results. You can even use this protocol to bring up lagging areas. So buckle up for some workout advice that won't get you pulled over for reckless training.

TWICE AS NICE

The 5-10-20 regimen combines two effective training techniques into one program. The first technique is known as tri-sets, which involves doing three different exercises for a muscle group back-to-back-to-back with virtually no rest in between.

Using shoulders as an example, a tri-set might include barbell shoulder presses followed by overhead dumbbell presses and lateral raises, resting between each only long enough to get ready for the next movement. One set of each makes one tri-set. Repeat the process 1-3 more times based on your level of expertise and which muscle group you're training (perform more sets for larger muscle groups like legs, chest and back), and you've completed the program. The minimal rest periods make it a quick workout (around two minutes or so per tri-set) but also a demanding one.

The second technique has you vary your repetitions. Typically, when you do tri-sets, you go for as many reps as possible on every exercise you do. But with 5-10-20 training, each movement in the tri-set has a specific rep range. The first exercise is done with a weight with which you can complete about five reps, the second with a weight with which you can do more than 10 reps, and the last exercise calls for--you guessed it--20 reps. (Warning: Your muscles will really burn at this point!)

These numbers aren't arbitrary; there are some very good reasons for doing such rigid rep ranges:

* Choosing a weight with which you can do only five reps is ideal for building muscular strength, adding density to your muscle fibers.

* Performing 10 reps puts you squarely in a range ideal for building and shaping your muscles.

* Completing 20 reps of an exercise enhances muscular endurance and helps you burn additional calories that may eventually lead to reductions in bodyfat. Combining all three rep ranges in one workout gives you the best of all worlds--in a single set!

Exercise selection for your tri-set is critical. The first exercise should be a fairly heavy basic compound movement, preferably using a barbell, because strength is best built using fundamental multijoint exercises. Perform a different compound movement for the second exercise to work your muscles from a different angle, but do it with either dumbbells, which incorporate a slightly greater range of motion, or a machine, which requires less stabilizer involvement than the first move. For your third exercise, go with a single-joint isolation move, preferably with cables or a machine to ensure continual tension throughout the entire range of motion.

There you have it--the secret to kick-starting your routine. The technique is demanding, so your body won't have any choice but to respond. Use it for 4-6 weeks max for a given bodypart, then go back to a more traditional training approach, or just throw it in every now and then for a shock workout. You can either be satisfied with a lack of progress or you can do something about it. We're betting you'll choose the latter.

The Right Moves

HERE'S YOUR GUIDE to choosing the appropriate exercise at the right time
of the 5-10-20 program.

            EXERCISE 1             EXERCISE 2

GOAL        Strength               Muscle-building
REPS        5                      10
MOVEMENT    Basic compound         Basic compound
                                   from a different angle
REST        Proceed immediately    Proceed immediately
            to Exercise 2          to Exercise 3
            without resting        without resting

            EXERCISE 1:            EXERCISE 2:
            BARBELL                DUMBBELLS
                                   OR MACHINE

CHEST       Flat, incline or       Flat, incline or decline
            decline barbell press  dumbbell press
BACK        Bent-over              Dumbbell row,
            barbell row, pull-up   seated cable row,
                                   front pulldown
SHOULDERS   Barbell                Dumbbell overhead
            overhead press         press, machine press
QUADS &     Barbell squat,         Leg press,
GLUTES      Smith-machine          hack squat
            front or back squat
HAMSTRINGS  Romanian deadlift      Lying leg curl
BICEPS      Standing barbell curl  Dumbbell curl--
                                   standing, seated
                                   or incline
TRICEPS     Close-grip bench       Triceps extension--
            press, bench dip       lying or seated

            EXERCISE 3

GOAL        Muscle endurance
REPS        20
MOVEMENT    Single-joint
REST        Rest about 2 minutes
            after you complete
            set, then repeat

            EXERCISE 3:
            CABLES
            OR MACHINE

CHEST       Pec-deck flye,
            cable crossover
BACK        Straight-arm
            pulldown
SHOULDERS   Cable or machine
            front or lateral raise,
            reverse pec-deck
            flye, bent-over
            lateral raise
QUADS &     Leg extension
GLUTES
HAMSTRINGS  Seated leg curl,
            standing one-leg curl
BICEPS      Preacher curl,
            cable concentration
            curl
TRICEPS     Pressdown (standard
            or reverse grip),
            machine extension