The Pyramid Training Program. By John Bubb, former NABBA Pro bodybuilder

The Pyramid Training Program

By John Bubb, former NABBA Pro Bodybuilder

Exclusive for Bodybuilding Mauritius

Follow-up plan for people who have been doing the original Bulk Up schedule.

Those of you who started the original Bulk Up plan (click here to read) when it was first published must have completed your three months suggested time plan and be wondering where to go next. Even people who started when it first appeared on the blog will be getting towards the end by now. You will remember that I said that you should forget you are bodybuilders for six months and concentrate on  Power Lifting Type workouts. This will not only thicken your physique, but make you much stronger so that when you return to the more conventional bodybuilding type training your poundages will have increased substantially and you will be able to use more productive weights on higher reps. We will keep the same days for body parts as before.

With my friends outside the gym

MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS: CHEST & TRICEPS

Exercise # 1: Barbell Bench Press on Flat Bench 

Don’t worry, you will be using D/Bells and Inclines next time!

Exercise 1: Flat bench barbell presses

Sets and reps

Warm up set: Start with 1 set of 15, really silly light – as before.  

Working sets: 

• 1 set of 8 heavy (but make sure you get 8)
• 1 set of 6 heavy (but get 6. If you start failing at this point you’ll never make the really heavy reps later)
• 1 set of 4 heavy (as above)
• 1 set of 2 heavy
• 1 set of 2 flat out
• 1 set of 4
• 1set of 6
• 1 set of 8.

Notes:

• Treat the first sets of 8,  6,  4 as a build up. Use heavy weights but make sure that you achieve the required number of reps. After you have done the two sets of two try to use slightly more weight on the final 4,  6,  8 than you did in the build up. REMEMBER You don’t gain anything from failed reps

• Every fourth workout perform two flat out singles after the first set of two. This will give you something to aim at and give you an indication of your progress.

• We won’t worry too much about arms on this schedule, just concentrating on the compound exercises. When I used to do power lifting programmes back in the sixties my arms used to grow even though I wasn't doing any pure arm movements at all. Trust me, it works!

• However we will do a little triceps work just to aid the Bench Presses and keep you in touch.

Triceps work

Exercise #1: Triceps extensions (Push-downs)
Use the pulley machine and do 2 sets of Triceps Extensions (Push-downs) 2 X 10.   

Exercise 1 for triceps: cable pushdowns

Exercise #2: Close grip bench presses

1 X 10 Very light.

3 X 8 heavy.

If, like me, you find these hurt your wrists, do Seated French Press with a single heavy dumbbell.

Try to train with two training partners so that you've always got spotters and moral support.

Exercise 2 for triceps: close grip bench press or French press

TUESDAYS & FRIDAYS: LEGS, BACK AND BICEPS

Exercise#1: low, Very strict Thigh Extensions.  2 X 20.

Leg exercise #1: Leg extensions (2 x 10 reps)

Leg exercise #2: Conventional Squats

Exercise #2: Conventional squats

1 x 20 Very very light.

1 X 10

1 X 8

1 X 6

1 x 4

1 X 2

1 X 2

1 X 4

1 X 6

1 X 10

Notes:

• Do these exactly the same as the Bench Presses and try a couple of singles after the first set of two Reps every four or five workouts.

• DON’T BE TEMPTED TO TRY SINGLES EVERY WORKOUT OR YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED. OBVIOUSLY THE SAME APPLYS TO THE BENCH PRESS.

• KEEP RECORDS AND GIVE YOURSELF A NICE SURPRISE EVERY FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS.

As before, substitute DEADLIFTS for squats every third workout.

Every third workout substitute squats for deadlifts

We will continue much as before.

Do that really light set of 8 to 10 to warm-up.

Then do 4 fairly heavy reps

Then do 2 really heavy.

Then 4 singles adding weight each set.

Then a final set of 6 fairly heavy.

Some people might feel that this is not enough, but I always found that I made better progress on Dead Lifts if I didn’t do too many and I seemed to make my best gains on the singles and low reps.

"Bench press, squats and deadlifts are really the basis of all bodybuilding"

Remember, Bench Press, Squats and Dead Lifts (The compound exercises) are really the basis of all bodybuilding. If you only concentrated on these three for two years you would make more general progress than the young skinny lad who rushes around the gym doing endless sets of arm exercises.

BACK

Exercise #1: Lat Machine Pull-downs to chest (Very Strict) Shoulder width grip.  1 X 20

Exercise #2: Low Pulley Rowing, light and strict, Close Grip.  1 X 20

Exercise #3: Single Arm Rowing with D/Bell 1 X 10 light, Then 5 X 6 heavy. Try to do these really strict, feeling the muscles stretch and contract. NO TWISTING AND HEAVING – like all those around you are doing!!!

BICEPS

Again, we won’t go mad. Just a few token sets to keep you in touch and put your mind at rest.

Strict Incline D/Bell Curls

1 X 15 very light.

5 X 6 heavy, BUT, still very strict.

Calves

Finish up with your favourite calf exercise (is there such a thing!!)    five or six sets of 20.

Important guidelines

• Don’t forget, lots of rest between sets on the compound exercise. I don’t care what anybody says, you shouldn’t sacrifice the poundages you use by rushing into the next set too quickly.

• ALWAYS USE CORRECT STYLE.

• GO DOWN TO PARRALLEL ON YOUR SQUATS EVEN IF IT MEANS USING SLIGHTLY LESS WEIGHT.

• EAT LOTS OF PROTEIN – CHICKEN, TURKEY, FISH AND SOME BEEF.

• DRINK AT LEAST 3 PINTS OF PROTEIN SHAKES A DAY. CHOOSE ONE THAT YOU LIKE SO THAT YOU ENJOY DRINKING IT. IT SHOULDN’T BE LIKE TAKING MEDICINE! IF IT IS YOU WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE IT UP.

• ONLY EAT GOOD CARBS AND AVOID ALL JUNK.

While you are on this course don’t be tempted to do extra on the days in between. Train hard four days a week and rest as much as possible on the days in between. This doesn’t mean that you’ve got to lie in bed for three days a week. Just follow a normal way of life without too much exertion.

I’ll see you in three months with your next follow-up.

John Bubb for Bodybuilding Mauritius

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About the Author

John Bubb is a former NABBA professional bodybuilder with more than half a century of experience in the iron game. John has six top four finishes at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe from 1967 to 1971, including a runner-up placing to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1968. 

John has trained several bodybuilders from many countries and has remained very active in the bodybuilding arena decades after hanging his posing trunks. He is one of our most prized contributors at Bodybuilding Mauritius and we feel very honoured to have someone of the calibre of John dispensing advice to all of us with such enthusiasm. 

We at Bodybuilding Mauritius are very keen about old-school bodybuilding as we believe that in order for bodybuilding to have a future it must look back at its past. We couldn't ask for a better guru of Golden era bodybuilding than "Iron Grandpa Bubb".