Dave's V.I.F Mass Building Program

This program tackles three of the five different types of workout programs that will hopefully keep your body growing in the right direction: Volume Dominant, Intensity Dominant, and Frequency Dominant or V.I.F for short. Each phase is 4 weeks long for a total of 12 weeks.

VOLUME DOMINANT PHASE

In the first phase or the "Volume Dominant" phase we utilize a high number of sets per muscle group to stimulate growth. Before the 4 weeks are up the number of sets you perform for most muscle groups will grow from 8 sets to 20 sets.

Because of the high volume of work for a muscle group, only one or two muscle groups can be trained in a session which also means that you can (and should) train each muscle group only once per week.

Workout Volume For Large Muscle Groups (Small Muscle groups):

• Week 1 = 2 Sets of 10 Reps Per Exercise (Same)
• Week 2 = 3 Sets of 8 Reps Per Exercise (Same)
• Week 3 = 4 Sets of 6 Reps Per Exercise (No More than 10 Total sets)
• Week 4 = 5 Sets of 6 Reps Per Exercise (No More than 10 Total sets)

Rest 60 seconds between sets in weeks 1 and 2, 90 seconds in weeks 3 and 4.

INTENSITY DOMINANT PHASE

The second phase or the "Intensity-Dominant" phase revolves around the use of heavy weights, in the 80-90% range. Reps are in the 6 - 8 range. During this phase, the number of sets per exercise is fairly high but the overall volume of work is fairly low because you focus only on 1-2 exercises per muscle group. Because overall training volume is low for each muscle group we will work each muscle twice a week, splitting the workouts into Upper and Lower body.

Each week you should aim for slight increases in the weight you are using for each exercise.

Workout Volume:

• Week 1 = 3 Sets of 8 Reps
• Week 2 = 3 Sets of 8 Reps (increase weight)
• Week 3 = 4 Sets of 6 Reps (increase weight)
• Week 4 = 4 Sets of 6 Reps (increase weight)

Rest 60 Seconds between sets in weeks 1 and 2, 90 Seconds in weeks 3 and 4

FREQUENCY DOMINANT PHASE

The last phase or the "Frequency Dominant" phase relies on training each muscle group more frequently, 3 times per week. It works by improving neural drive to the muscle and 'forcing' the body to add muscle because it needs them to work hard almost every day. With this type of training the volume of work needs to be super low to avoid overtraining. You will do 3 "Whole Body" workouts.

You will use "Undulating Reps" which means the rep ranges for the particular whole body workout will change each week, giving your body an extra shock.

Workout Volume:

• Week 1 = Workout A - 2 Sets of 6 Reps, Workout B - 2 Sets of 10 Reps, Workout C - 2 Sets of 12 Reps
• Week 2 = Workout A - 2 Sets of 10 Reps, Workout B - 2 Sets of 12 Reps, Workout C - 2 Sets of 6 Reps
• Week 3 = Workout A - 2 Sets of 12 Reps, Workout B - 2 Sets of 6 Reps, Workout C - 2 Sets of 10 Reps
• Week 4 = Workout A - 2 Sets of 6 Reps, Workout B - 2 Sets of 10 Reps, Workout C - 2 Sets of 12 Reps.

Workout Loads:

• 2 Sets of 6 Reps - 85% of 1 RM - Rest 90 Seconds Between Sets
• 2 Sets of 10 Reps - 75% of 1 RM - Rest 60 Seconds Between Sets
• 2 Sets of 12 Reps - 65% of 1 RM - Rest 30 Seconds Between Sets

THE WORKOUTS

Volume Phase - Week 1

Volume Phase - Week 2

Increase Weight and Number of Sets, Decrease Reps

Volume Phase - Week 3

Increase Weight and Number of Sets, Decrease Reps

Volume Phase - Week 4

Increase Weight and Number of Sets, Reps Remain The Same

Intensity Phase - Week 5

Upper & Lower Body Workouts Twice a Week

Intensity Phase - Week 6

Increase Weight. Sets and Reps Stay the Same.

Intensity Phase - Week 7

Increase Weight, Add a Set and Reduce Reps to 6

Intensity Phase - Week 8

Increase Weight, Sets and Reps Stay The Same

Frequency Phase - Week 9

Full Body Workouts, 3 Times Per Week, Undulating Reps

Frequency Phase - Week 10

Full Body Workouts, 3 Times Per Week, Undulating Reps

Frequency Phase - Week 11

Full Body Workouts, 3 Times Per Week, Undulating Reps

Frequency Phase - Week 12

Full Body Workouts, 3 Times Per Week, Undulating Reps

Nutrition Information

Okay you're MASS BUILDING trying to add QUALITY MUSCLE MASS, not just WEIGHT. So you've got to take nutrition as seriously as you do when you CUT.

1) Calories:

Figure out your BMR by using the BMR Calculator.

The typical recommendation is add 500 calories to this number. But everyone is different, so I'm going to exercise caution here and ask you to add 10% to that number to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE. If you find that your not gaining .5 to 1lbs of body weight each week, then you can bump it up to 15%.

So if your BMR is 3000 calories, add 300 calories to make your TDEE = 3300.

2) Macronutrient Ratio: 20-30-50

a. Protein: Protein should be 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight.
i. Your weight X 1 = ____ grams Protein
ii. 200lbs X 1gram = 200 grams Protein
b. Fat: Fat should be about 30% of your TDEE.
i. TDEE X .3 = ____ Calories/ 9 calories = ____ grams Fat
ii. 3300 X .3 = 990 calories / 9 calories = 110 grams Fat
c. Carbs: Carbs should make up the remainder of your calories:
i. TDEE - Fat Calories - Protein Calories = Carb Calories
ii. 3300 - 990 - 800 = 1510 Calories/ 4 Calories = 377 grams Carbs

If you have any questions about nutrition planning ask in the nutrition section of the forum.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Why do you have to be 18 years old or have intermediate level training experience to do this routine?
   Because the routine uses near maximal weight, it's important that your body's growth plates have sealed. There have been several studies conducted on teen weight lifting that suggest that certain types of weight lifting may damage the epiphysis, or growth plate, of your bones. There is evidence that lifting heavy weight could speed up growth plate closure, which would stunt your growth. So if you are under 18, stick with the teenage training guidelines in this article. Intermediate level experience is a requirement because you have to understand how to logically increase the load you'll be using every week. Most people with 2 or more years of training experience know their bodies well enough and the weights they can handle to push their body to the limit and know what a logical increase would be. If you have no clue on how to set your own personal loading parameters for an exercise, you will not be able to perform this routine effectively.
2. I thought working a muscle twice a week wasn't recommended for gaining mass? In the Intensity Dominant Phase you have us working each muscle twice a week and in the Frequency Phase it's 3 times a week, what gives?
   Because the total volume of work that is done per muscle group is decreased in both the Intensity Dominant Phase and the Frequency Phase you will be able to work your muscles twice or three times a week without entering an overtrained state. The workouts are spaced far enough apart to allow for proper recovery and if you are practicing supportive nutrition you should be able to make solid gains, even though the work volume is low.
3. I don't have XX Equipment or Can't Do XX exercise, can I use a different exercise?
   Of course, just make sure you swap it with an exercise that is close to the movement of the original exercise. Switch compound movements for compound movements, not isolation exercises. Not sure which exercise to pick? Browse 600+ videos of different exercises organized by body part in the exercise videos section.
4. After increasing the weight on a exercise I can't get the required reps, should I go back down to the previous weight?
   Absolutely not! If you want muscle mass you have to subject your muscles to an overload, so REGRESSING IN WEIGHT MOVED isn't going to help. Stick with the heavier weight and strive to do "One-More-REP!" the next time the workout is performed until you can reach the required reps. If you still can't get the prescribed reps you probably were a little aggressive in the weight increase. Try to jump up in weight in smaller increments.

This program was developed by Dave Herber