The 'Highway to Hench' 12 week workout programme is an intermediate to advanced hypertrophy programme aimed at those looking to make significant gains in both strength and lean muscle mass. The great thing about this programme is that it is suitable for both advanced lifters and those with less experience. So, even if you are relatively new to weight training you can still benefit tremendously from following this programme providing you are mindful of your form and technique. For help and advice on form and technique, why not book a gym-based one-to-one session with a Hoppa Fitness personal trainer or an online exercise tutorial with an experienced member of our team.
The 'Highway to Hench' 12 week workout programme will see participants complete 4 workouts per week. The programme targets every major muscle group over the course of a week, however, workouts are split with each workout focusing on only 2 muscle groups to maximise intensity and to allow sufficient recovery between sessions.
Training Principles
The 'Highway to Hench' 12 week workout programme is designed to maximise strength gains and promote the building of lean muscle mass in the shortest time possible. This is achieved through a combination of low reps for muscle density and strength and medium rep ranges for muscular power, strength and size. In addition, the programme incorporates higher rep ranges for muscular endurance and cardiovascular health.
The Programme
The 'Highway to Hench' 12 week workout programme is divided into a 4 week phase that is repeated 3 times. During the first week participants will complete all exercises within the 5-8 rep range. The emphasis of the first week is strength gains and muscular density. The second week all exercises are performed within the 8-10 range. This medium rep range is classic hypertrophy training that promotes the building of lean muscle mass. The third week combines hypertrophy training with muscular endurance training, with all exercises performed within the 12-15 rep range. Finally, the fourth week is superset week. Supersets not only promote muscle growth and endurance but also target the muscle from multiple angles in a single set.
Progression
Central to all successful workout routines is an emphasis on progression. The body's adaptation to exercise can occur relatively quickly, which will result in diminishing returns and stall progress. This is why it is important to make sure every workout is challenging. If you begin to feel comfortable with an exercise it is vital that you increase the intensity or number of sets/reps performed to continue making gains. The 'Highway to Hench' workout programme is divided into 3 phases consisting of 4 weeks of varying rep ranges. With every new phase participants are encouraged to increase the weight on all exercises. This not only increases strength but also maximises the potential for muscle growth.
Super Sets
Supersets are frequently used to boost the aerobic intensity of your regular lifting program and reduce the total time you need for each workout. Traditional resistance-training programmes have you perform all assigned sets of the first exercise before moving on to the second exercise. However, a superset is when a set of two different exercises are performed back-to-back with minimal rest in between. With supersets, you perform the first set of the second exercise right after completing the first set of the first exercise, before doing the second set of the first exercise. The number of sets performed with superset and regular weight training methodologies are typically the same, however, compared to regular weight training sets, a superset results in the reduction of rest because you’re performing the sets back-to-back before resting between sets.
The Schedule
Warm Up
It is important to remember to warm up before any workout session to avoid unnecessary injuries or muscle tears. Typically, a warm-up consists of 5 to 10 minutes on a cardio machine and a few minutes spent stretching. Try to employ both static and dynamic stretches when warming up. In addition to your pre-workout warm up, do not forget to do warm up sets when doing heavy lifting exercises. Failure to do so can result in injury.
Active Rest
It is important to allow your muscles to repair after a gruelling weightlifting session, this is a fundamental principle when trying to promote muscle growth. Sufficient rest is central to allowing muscles to repair themselves in preparation for future workouts and helps with injury avoidance. However, this does not mean you should sit around idle on your days off. Active rest can take the form of any moderate physical exercise inside or outside a gym environment. When you are not bench pressing or deadlifting your own bodyweight, take the opportunity to participate in a favoured sport, go for a run, or simply aim to smash your personal best on that step counter you rarely use.
Nutrition
For increases in strength and muscle mass it is important to follow a high-protein diet plan. Try to aim for at least 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight. For further nutritional information check out the Hoppa Fitness nutrition page.
Sample Day 1
Highway to Hench
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