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Phase 4 The Four-Day Split (Weeks 10-12)
After 9 weeks of consistent training with gradual progression in your exercises, total sets, weight and your training split, you're in the home stretch to becoming an advanced bodybuilder. By now you should be realizing incredible gains in your muscle strength, as well as in your mass and muscle definition. This phase completes your transition. When finished, you'll be ready to train with the best of them.
"Once you've completed this final phase, you will be ready to take on advanced high intensity training techniques."
Now you'll train your entire body over the course of four workouts. This will help you to further increase the amount of work you can do for each muscle group and the intensity you can put into training each muscle group. This four-day training split will split up your body into a chest, triceps and abs workout; back, biceps and forearms workout; legs and calves workout; and shoulders, traps and abs workout. Yes, ab day comes twice per week now. Since abs help maintain your upright posture all day, they can withstand more frequent training. In fact, they respond well to it.
Once you've completed this final phase, you will be ready to take on advanced high intensity training techniques such as - supersets, drop sets, rest-pause and extended sets to name a few. You can find more info on these techniques right here at Bodybuilding.com, as well as my own website www.jimstoppani.com.
Weeks 10-12 Workouts
Do each workout below once per week--for example, Workout 1 on Monday, Workout 2 on Tuesday, Workout 3 on Thursday and Workout 4 on Friday.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Phase 4 Rundown
Exercises
The exercises in this phase are ones you've been using in the previous phases, with yet another additional exercise added to most muscle groups. Triceps and biceps will not need an additional exercise added. These smaller muscle groups generally require less total work than the larger muscle groups (i.e. chest, back, shoulders and legs). Arm progress will come from the weight and rep ranges used.
Sets
Continue doing 3 sets per exercise. However, since you're now adding yet another exercise for most groups, you'll be doing an extra 3 sets for these muscle groups.
"The exercises in this phase are ones you've been using in the previous phases, with one exercise added to most muscle groups."
Reps
In this phase, drop the reps to 4-6 on the first exercise you do for each muscle group, excluding calves, abs and forearms. This will maximize your strength gains. On the second exercise, drop to 6-8 reps per set for building strength and muscle mass. The final exercise or exercises will see the reps jump to 15-20 per set. Research from Japan has shown that combining heavy weight and lower reps with lighter weight sets for higher reps enhances both strength and muscle mass gains.
Weight
As you have been doing in the previous 3 phases, choose the proper weight for each exercise that allows you to hit the listed rep range. Continue to increase the weight as you can compete more reps than the listed rep range.
Rest
During this phase, rest 2-3 minutes between sets where you are using heavier weight and fewer reps. However, drop rest periods between sets down to one minute on the lighter weight sets where higher reps are performed. Doing higher reps with shorter rest periods will help to maximize growth hormone levels, which will lead to further gains in size and strength, as well an encourage fat loss for greater definition.
