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SIZEJIM STOPPANI’S 12-WEEKSIZESHORTCUTWWW.BODYBUILDING.COM/SHORTCUT

SHORTCUT TO SIZEThe 12-week program I am about to take you throughis based on one of the oldest, tried and true methodsfor gaining strength and muscle. This type of traininghas successfully prepared almost every type of athleteimaginable, from Olympic weightlifters to soccer players.It works so well that it has been used continually fordecades.I know that I am best known for my unique exercisesand novel training programs, but sometimes you haveto rely on the basics. That’s especially true when a basicprogram works as well a this one. Of course, I have takenthe basic, but very effective program and tweaked it toperfect its effectiveness and to maximize the resultsyou get. These results include greater strength, biggermuscles, and less body fat.PERIODIZATION WORKS. PERIOD!This program is based on the training concept calledperiodization. Periodization is the method of changingup your training at specified time points. The veryfirst periodized scheme to be used with weights iscalled Linear Periodization (also known as ClasscPeriodization). That simply means that you start with lightweight and high reps and as the program progressesthe weights used get heavier and heavier and the repscompleted per set get fewer and fewer. Most periodizedprograms take many months to complete. Many lastanywhere from 4 to 12 months to complete the cycle.But this periodized program utilizes a concept known asmicrocycles. Where a typical linear periodized schememight stick with the same weight and rep range for amonth or longer, the micro cycles change up the weightand rep ranges every week.In week one your rep range will be 12-15 reps. In weektwo you bump up all the weights and drop reps downto 9-11. Week three adds weight again to each exerciseto drop the rep range down to 6-8. And in week fouryou bump the weight up again to drop reps down to3-5 per set. Those are the four microcycles that you willrepeat. On the fourth week you have completed the first4-week phase. On the fifth week you drop the weightback down and start all over at 12-15 reps per set. This isthe start of Phase 2. But now you will be able to do eachrep range with at least 5 and up to 20 pounds more thanyou could in Phase 1. In the sixth week, or week 2 ofPhase 2, you will be back at 9-11 reps per set. In week7, or week 3 of phase 2, weight will go up again to dropyour repa down to 6-8 per set. And in week 8, or week 4of phase 2, weight will go up to limit reps to 3-5 per set.That completes Phase 2. And in week 9 you start Thefinal phase, phase 3 by dropping back down to 12-15reps per set and run through the four microcycles againuntil you are back down at 3-5 reps per set. Of course,in each phase you will be using 5-20 pounds more thanyou did in phase 2 and 10-40 pounds more than youused in Phase 1. This is how you get stronger. Muchstronger, over this 12-week program.The constant increase in weight each week and therecycling of these four phases leads to impressivestrength gains. The microcyles also lead to musclehypertrophy due to the constant changing up of the repranges each and every week. Another reason for thestrength and mass gains has to do with the fact that youkeep the weight steady on each exercise for all sets andyou are forced to complete the minimum number of repsin that rep range.Greater gains in strength and muscle mass areguaranteed with this program. I have seen someimpressive results with this program. In men, I have seengains of strength over 90 pounds on the squat and over50 pounds on the bench press. And for muscle, someguys have gained over 15 pounds of muscle. Yes, puremuscle, while actually dropping body fat. Speaking ofbody fat, when maximizing body fat with my trainingand diet tweaks some men have lost over 20 pounds ofbody fat. And women have also seen impressive gainsin strength and muscle while losing body fat. Womenfollowing my program have increased their squatstrength by over 60 pounds, and bench press strengthby 30 pounds. And gains in muscle of over 10 poundsand fat loss over 10 pounds.But I’m not the only one to report insane gains in musclesize and strength with concomittant losses in bodyfat. Researchers from Federal University of Sao Carlos(Sao Paulo, Brazil) reported impressive results using asimilar microcycle linear periodization program for 12weeks. They had one group of female athletes followa linear periodization program with weekly microcyclesrepeating three times for a total of 12 weeks and asecond group following a reverse linear periodizedprogram with microcycles for 12 weeks. While the linearperiodized group started with 12-14 reps per set andended each phase with 4-6 reps per set, the reverseWWW.BODYBUILDING.COM/SHORTCUT

linear group started each phase with 4-6 reps andended with 12-14. They measured their muscle mass,body fat and strength on bench presses, lat pulldowns,barbell curls, and leg extensions before and after the12 weeks. They reported that the linear group gained7 pounds of lean muscle mass while the reverse grouponly gained 3 pounds of muscle. The linear group alsolost over 5 pounds of body fat while the reverse grouplost a little over 3 pounds of body fat. Although bothgroups increased strength on all exercises, the lineargroup made greater gains than the reverse group.The first exercise you do for each muscle group (exceptfor abs and calves) will remain constant throughout all12 weeks. This is the exercise that you are focusingon increasing your strength on. Most of the assistanceexercises that follow the first exercise will change everyphase. For abs, the exercises will change each weekbased on the rep ranges. This is due to the fact thatsome ab exercises are easier to do for higher reps, whilesome are difficult to do for lower reps. So I organized thebest ab exercises for the prescribed rep ranges.GET FOCUSEDAs I already mentioned, this program works wellto increase the three main goals that we all have –increasing muscle strength, boosting muscle size, andenhancing fat loss. To boost muscle mass as much aspossible, we’ll be using two intensity techniques: restpause and dropsets.Focus: Maximizing Muscle Growth – During weeksone and two of each phase of the program, you will doone rest-pause on the last set of each exercise. To dothis, reach muscle failure on the last set, then rack theweight and rest 15 seconds. Then continue the set untilyou reach muscle failure again. During weeks three andfour of all phases, you will do a drop set on the last setof each exercise. To do this, take the last set to musclefailure then immediately reduce the weight to theamount you used for that exercise during week 1, andcontinue the set until failure again.SHORTCUT TO SIZEWORKOUT PROGRAMPHASE 1: WEEK 1Rest-pause set as last set of each exerciseWORKOUT 1: CHEST, TRICEPS, CALVESEXERCISEBench PressIncline Bench PressIncline Dumbbell FlyeCable CrossoverSETS x REPS4 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-15Triceps PressdownLying Triceps ExtensionCable Overhead Triceps Extension3 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-15Standing Calf RaiseSeated Calf Raise4 x 25-304 x 25-30WORKOUT 2: BACK, BICEPS, ABSEXERCISEDumbbell Bent-Over RowWide-Grip PulldownStanding PulldownStraight Arm PulldownSETS x REPS4 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-15Barbell curlDumbbell Incline CurlOne-Arm High Cable Curl4 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-15Hip ThrustCrunchOblique Crunch3 x 20-30*3 x 20-30*3 x 20-30** Shoot for at least 20-30 reps, but if you can do more, continueuntil reaching failure. If you cannot complete 20 reps, do asmany as you can tring to get as close to 20 reps as possible.WWW.BODYBUILDING.COM/SHORTCUT

WORKOUT 3: SHOULDERS, TRAPS, CALVESEXERCISEDumbbell Shoulder PressDumbbell Lateral RaiseOne-Arm Cable Front RaiseHigh Cable Rear Delt FlyDumbbell ShrugSeated Calf RaiseLeg Press Calf RaiseSETS x REPS4 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-153 x 12-154 x 12-154 x 25-304 x 25-30WORKOUT 4: LEGS AND ABSEXERCISESETS x REPSSquat 4 x 12-15One-Leg Leg Press3 x 12-15Leg Extension3 x 12-15Romanian Deadlift4 x 12-15Lying Leg Curl3 x 12-15Hip ThrustCrunchPlank3 x 20-30*3 x 20-30*3 x 1 minute* Shoot for at least 20-30 reps, but if you can do more, continueuntil reaching failure. If you cannot complete 20 reps, do asmany as you can trying to get as close to 20 reps as possible.PHASE 1: WEEK 2WORKOUT 2: BACK, BICEPS, ABSEXERCISEDumbbell Bent-Over RowWide-Grip PulldownStanding PulldownStraight Arm PulldownSETS x REPS4 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-11Barbell curlDumbbell Incline CurlOne-Arm High Cable Curl4 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-11Hanging Leg RaiseWeighted CrunchDumbbell Side Bend3 x 15-19*3 x 15-193 x 15-19* If you cannot complete 15 reps, do as many as you can tryingto get as close to 15 reps as possible.WORKOUT 3: SHOULDERS, TRAPS, CALVESEXERCISEDumbbell Shoulder PressDumbbell Lateral RaiseOne-Arm Cable Front RaiseHigh Cable Rear Delt FlyDumbbell ShrugSETS x REPS4 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-114 x 9-11Seated Calf RaiseLeg Press Calf Raise4 x 15-204 x 15-20Rest-pause set as last set of each exerciseWORKOUT 1: CHEST, TRICEPS, CALVESEXERCISEBench PressIncline Bench PressIncline Dumbbell FlyeCable CrossoverSETS x REPS4 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-11Triceps PressdownLying Triceps ExtensionCable Overhead Triceps Extension3 x 9-113 x 9-113 x 9-11Standing Calf RaiseSeated Calf Raise4 x 15-204 x 15-20WORKOUT 4: LEGS AND ABSEXERCISESETS x REPSSquat 4 x 9-11One-Leg Leg Press3 x 9-11Leg Extension3 x 9-11Romanian Deadlift4 x 9-11Lying Leg Curl3 x 9-11Hanging Leg RaiseWeighted CrunchSide Plank3 x 15-19*3 x 15-193 x 1 min.* If you cannot complete 15 reps, do as many as you can tryingto get as close to 15 reps as possible.WWW.BODYBUILDING.COM/SHORTCUT

PHASE 1: WEEK 3Seated Calf RaiseLeg Press Calf RaiseDrop set as last set of each exerciseWORKOUT 1: CHEST, TRICEPS, CALVESEXERCISEBench PressIncline Bench PressIncline Dumbbell FlyeCable CrossoverSETS x REPS4 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-8Triceps PressdownLying Triceps ExtensionCable Overhead Triceps Extension3 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-8Standing Calf RaiseSeated Calf Raise4 x 10-144 x 10-14WORKOUT 2: BACK, BICEPS, ABSEXERCISEDumbbell Bent-Over RowWide-Grip PulldownStanding PulldownStraight Arm PulldownSETS x REPS4 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-8Barbell curlDumbbell Incline CurlOne-Arm High Cable Curl4 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-8Weighted Hip Thrust*Cable CrunchCable Oblique Crunch3 x 10-143 x 10-143 x 10-14*Perform the hip thrust while holding a medicine ball ordumbbell between your feet, or while wearing ankle weights.WORKOUT 3: SHOULDERS, TRAPS, CALVESEXERCISEDumbbell Shoulder PressDumbbell Lateral RaiseOne-Arm Cable Front RaiseHigh Cable Rear Delt FlyDumbbell ShrugSETS x REPS4 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-83 x 6-84 x 6-84 x 10-144 x 10-14WORKOUT 4: LEGS AND ABSEXERCISESETS x REPSSquat 4 x 6-8One-Leg Leg Press3 x 6-8Leg Extension3 x 6-8Romanian Deadlift4 x 6-8Lying Leg Curl3 x 6-8Weighted Hip Thrust*Cable CrunchCable Woodchopper3 x 10-143 x 10-143 x 10-14*Perform the hip thrust while holding a medicine ball ordumbbell between your feet, or while wearing ankle weights.PHASE 1: WEEK 4Drop set as last set of each exerciseWORKOUT 1: CHEST, TRICEPS, CALVESEXERCISEBench PressIncline Bench PressIncline Dumbbell FlyeCable CrossoverSETS x REPS4 x 3-53 x 3-53 x 3-53 x 3-5Triceps PressdownLying Triceps ExtensionCable Overhead Triceps Extension3 x 3-53 x 3-53 x 3-5Standing Calf RaiseSeated Calf Raise4 x 6-94 x 6-9WORKOUT 2: BACK, BICEPS, ABSEXERCISEDumbbell Bent-Over RowWide-Grip PulldownStanding PulldownStraight Arm PulldownSETS x REPS4 x 3-53 x 3-53 x 3-53 x 3-5Barbell curl4 x 3-5WWW.BODYBUILDING.COM/SHORTCUT