Massive Blitz: 4 Week High Rep Muscle Building Cycles

Steve Shaw
Written By: Steve Shaw
April 10th, 2014
Updated: June 13th, 2020
25.9K Reads
Massive Blitz: 4 Week High Rep Muscle Building Cycles
Looking to "switch up" your training? This workout system focuses on four week blocks that hammer muscle groups into growth using high reps and limited rest.

This is a fun (well, painful and effective) little training approach to use when you are in the mood to try something a little different. It is not for the faint of heart. You have been warned.

Here's how it works.

For 4 weeks you will "specialize" your training by targeting one muscle group with very high reps. During this time you will perform both a compound movement and an isolation or machine movement. This specialization will involve some aspects that are seemingly counterintuitive to the muscle building process:

  1. Lighter weight
  2. Higher reps
  3. Limited rest between sets

It is recommend that you blitz only one major muscle group during a given 4 week period. I have made a couple exceptions. See the schedule listed below. If you enjoy this style of training, consider rotating your specialization periods in the following manner:

  • Weeks 1-4 - Chest blitz
  • Weeks 5-8 - Quads blitz
  • Weeks 9-12 - Shoulders blitz
  • Weeks 13-16 - Back blitz
  • Weeks 17-20 - Hamstrings & Calves blitz
  • Weeks 21-24 - Triceps & Biceps blitz

Optional: You can also interject a recovery week in between specialization "blasts." During this week, train the previously targeted specialization muscle group using a deload workout. This should involve about 60% of the weight used during a normal body part workout. For example, If you normally bench press 225 pounds x 3 sets x 5 reps, your deload week should be 135 pounds (60%) x 3 sets x 5 reps.

Massive Body

Blitz exercise sets, reps, rest and weight

For each blitz exercise you will:

  • Perform 6 sets of 15 reps
  • Rest 90 seconds in between sets for primary movements, 60 seconds in between sets for secondary movements

Starting weight for primary, compound movements should be around 50% of your one rep max. Starting weight for the secondary exercise should be able your 20 rep max; a weight you could perform 20 reps with, and no more. When you are able to to perform 15 reps for all 6 sets, add a small amount of weight to the bar.

4 week chest blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for chest during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:

  • Bench press
  • Dumbbell bench press
  • Incline bench press
  • Dumbbell incline bench press

Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:

  • Pec dec
  • Dumbbell flye
  • Chest dips
  • Machine chest press
  • Cable crossovers

For this example, we will use bench press and pec dec. This is what a blitz chest workout would look like:

Chest Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Bench Press 30% Max x 10    
Bench Press 40% Max x 10    
Bench Press   6 x 15 90 sec
Pec Dec 1 x 10    
Pec Dec   6 x 15 60 sec

Massive Quads

4 week quads blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for your quads during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:

  • Squats
  • Front squats
  • Leg press

Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:

  • Leg extensions
  • Hack squats
  • Goblet squats
  • Dumbbell lunges

For this example, we will use squats and leg extensions. This is what a blitz quads workout would look like:

Quads Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Squats 30% Max x 10    
Squats 40% Max x 10    
Squats   6 x 15 90 sec
Leg Extension 1 x 10    
Leg Extension   6 x 15 60 sec

4 week shoulder blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for shoulders during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:

  • Military press
  • Push press
  • Seated overhead dumbbell press
  • Seated BTN press

Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:

  • Side laterals
  • Upright rows
  • Arnold press
  • Rear delt flye

For this example, we will use military press and side laterals. This is what a blitz shoulder workout would look like:

Shoulder Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Military Press 30% Max x 10    
Military Press 40% Max x 10    
Military Press   6 x 15 90 sec
Side Laterals 1 x 10    
Side Laterals   6 x 15 60 sec

Massive Back

4 week back blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for back during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary compound exercises:

  • Low rack deadlifts
  • Barbell row
  • T-Bar row

Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises:

  • Machine row
  • Seated cable row
  • Pull ups
  • V-bar lat pull downs
  • Lat pull downs
  • Inverted rows

For this example, we will use barbell row and V-bar lat pull downs. Here is what a blitz back workout would look like:

Back Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Barbell Row 30% Max x 10    
Barbell Row 40% Max x 10    
Barbell Row   6 x 15 90 sec
V-Bar Pull Downs 1 x 10    
V-Bar Pull Downs   6 x 15 60 sec

4 week hamstring and calves blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for hamstrings and calves during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following primary exercises for hamstrings:

  • Stiff leg deadlift
  • Dumbbell stiff leg deadlift
  • Glute ham raise
  • Leg curls

Choose from one of the following secondary isolation or machine exercises for calves:

  • Seated calf raise
  • Machine calf raise
  • Leg press calf raise

For this example, we will use stiff leg deadlift and seated calf raise. Here is what a blitz hamstring and calves workout would look like:

Hamstrings & Calves Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Stiff Leg Deadlift 30% Max x 10    
Stiff Leg Deadlift 40% Max x 10    
Stiff Leg Deadlift   6 x 15 90 sec
Seated Calf Raise 1 x 10    
Seated Calf Raise   6 x 15 60 sec

Massive Arms

4 week arm blitz

You will be performing only 2 exercises for arms during this 4 week period. Choose from one of the following triceps exercises:

  • Close grip bench press
  • Skullcrushers
  • Cable tricep extensions
  • Two arm seated overhead dumbbell extension

Choose from one of the following biceps exercises:

  • Barbell curls
  • Alternating dumbbell curls
  • Machine curls
  • EZ bar curls
  • Chin ups

For this example, we will use skullcrushers and barbell curls. Here is what a blitz arm workout would look like:

Arm Blitz
4 Week Cycle
Exercise Warm-Up Sets Work Sets Rest
Skullcrushers 1 x 10    
Skullcrushers   6 x 15 60 sec
Barbell Curls 1 x 10    
Barbell Curls   6 x 15 60 sec

 

4 Comments
Darren
Posted on: Fri, 02/02/2024 - 04:08

So for four weeks I just hit chest , next four q different muscle , with like 12 weeks between chest workouts how would that build anything ? I want to do this but confused

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Roger
Posted on: Sat, 02/10/2024 - 12:41

Hi Darren, I get the confusion on this. The way I understand is that you can train the other bodyparts as you normally would, but you only do the blitz training for the targeted muscle. So, if you start with chest, you blitz chest but keep the rest of your training schedule as is. The next four weeks, you would do back blitz and train everything else normal, and so on.

I hope that helps.

Darren
Posted on: Sat, 02/10/2024 - 12:54

Yeah I finally worked that out but thanks a lot for confirming sir . Greatly appreciated

paul
Posted on: Mon, 07/11/2022 - 02:18

how do we structure the workout
example
Chest do we do all the five days or four days