The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program was written for athletes that want to maximize their time in the gym to build real strength and muscle mass. I’ve cut out all of the extra fluff to make sure that you’re benefitting from every minute you spend in the gym. It’s also a great program for athletes that already have a great fitness routine, but want to add in specific strength work. Keep reading for all the details.
Quite often I get requests for certain types of programs, and I’ve received more than a few for a great three-day workout routine. I’ve heard you loud and clear. This is that program. I’ve calibrated it to provide benefit to the widest variety of athletes, with a beginner or intermediate experience level.
Provided that you have safe form on the basic barbell lifts like squat, bench press, deadlift, and strict press, you will be fine to use this program. It’s designed for experienced beginners, all the way through intermediate athletes. If you’re an advanced strength athlete, you’ll have to look at one of my other programs like this one, or this.
Before we go any further, let’s take a quick overview of the programs goals, as well as some key points to keep in mind. You’ll find those below.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program Overview
- 6 Weeks in Length
- 3 day-split with 4 rest days per week
- Each session should be a full-body workout lasting around 60min
- Ideal program to pair with hybrid training, or CrossFit programming
- Designed to build lean muscle mass and strength
- Can be done in most home gyms, and any commercial facility
- No special equipment required
For beginner and intermediate athletes it’s important to build consistency in your programming, for best results. The research shows, time and again, that the specifics of your programming matter much less than the amount of time you spend working hard on each of the major muscle groups.
In the next section I’m going to cover the important points that exercise scientists agree make a good fitness plan. I’ll also review the key training tips you can use to improve the efficacy of this workout program. Let’s take a look.
Muscle and Strength Building Research
Exercise scientists have been conducting strength training research for many years. As such, there’s quite a lot of good information that we can use to guide our approach. If you’ve read any of my other programs, you’ll know that I always like to use research to provide guidance when creating an effective strength training program.
As a coach, I find that most athletes tend to get stuck on the minutia of a program, in the mistaken belief that those small details will have an outsized impact on their performance. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at a piece of research to illustrate this point.
Should You Train to Failure?
This is a very common question that is argued about endlessly on the internet. To answer this question let’s take a look at this research article entitled, “Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” It’s a catchy title I know. Here’s a quick excerpt of their conclusions.
Training to muscle failure does not seem to be required for gains in strength and muscle size. However, training in this manner does not seem to have detrimental effects on these adaptations, either. More studies should be conducted among older adults and highly trained individuals to improve the generalizability of these findings.
Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
It’s important to point out that this meta analysis of 35 different pieces of research indicate that training to failure for strength training didn’t produce superior results. That does not mean it isn’t effective for other reasons.
If we look at the practical considerations of training to failure, we can see that there are two benefits for athletes that want to build strength and muscle mass. The first is that it allows you to add a little more volume, which research shows, is key to increasing your muscle mass. It should be no surprise to anyone that athletes with more muscle mass, are often stronger as well.
Moreover, the biggest benefit training to failure has for strength athletes is that it teaches your brain to become comfortable with strain. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen a good intermediate athlete bail on a lift because they were used to moving the bar faster than heavy weights allow.
With very heavy loads, it feels like the bar isn’t moving, and a less experienced athlete will assume they just can’t lift it. Athletes that work to their absolute limit, from time to time, are comfortable sticking with that difficult lift. This is why I always include a few sets to failure in my programs.
This brings us to our next question. Is it important to use percentages, or can you just go by feel most of the time? Well, I’m glad you asked, because research has an answer.
Do Percentage Based Program Work Better?
The correct term for a percentage based program is periodization. This really means the type of strength training progression you will be using to increase the weight across days and weeks, for each body part. All effective strength training programs implement some form of progressive overload. The question is which is the most effective method?
In this research studied entitled, “Effects of Periodization on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” we can find an answer. Another title that really rolls off the tongue! Check out the excerpt below.
The results suggest that when volume is equated between conditions, periodized resistance training has a greater effect on 1RM strength compared to NP resistance training. Also, UP resulted in greater increases in 1RM compared to LP. However, subgroup analyses revealed that this was only the case for trained and not previously untrained individuals, indicating that trained individuals benefit from daily or weekly undulations in volume and intensity, when the aim is maximal strength. Periodization of volume and intensity does not seem to affect muscle hypertrophy in volume-equated pre-post designs. Based on this, we propose that the effects of periodization on maximal strength may instead be related to the neurophysiological adaptations accompanying resistance training.
Effects of Periodization on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
There’s a lot of info here, so I’m going to unpack this a little. If you’re an intermediate or greater strength athlete, then a periodized, percentage based program will likely be the best one for you. Simple progressions like linear periodization work well for very new athletes, but they are not superior to programs which have different percentages on different days. However, there is some limited evidence that going to failure does promote muscle growth.
Most athletes aren’t aware that there are only two ways you gain strength. The first method is to gain muscle, as larger muscles almost always exert more force than smaller ones. Secondly, you need to practice with heavy weights, as lifting heavy teaches your nervous system to recruit more muscle fiber more quickly and efficiently. This allows you to move bigger weights.
Now that we have some guidelines on how to set up an efficient and effective weight training program, let’s get to the details of the The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program. In the next section I’m going to provide you with the program, as well as some info on how to structure your gym session as far as warm ups, and cool downs.
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The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program
In this section I’m going to cover some general guidelines how to structure any session of the program. It’s important to note that you don’t need a big elaborate warm up and cool down to get the maximum from this strength plan.
First you need to warm your body up. This is best accomplished with 3-5 minutes of monostructural cardio, like jogging, incline walking, assault bike, rowing, or any other full body cardiovascular movement.
You should then switch to light stretching for general flexibility, focusing on the different muscle groups you will be using in the days session. At that point, you can begin your warm ups to your first working set. To illustrate this, I’ll show you an excerpt from one of my premium programs below.
This is session 7 from my 9 Week Functional Fitness Strength Program. It’s designed for functional fitness athletes who want to build strength. As such, you can see that I use the standard cardio warm up, with an easy warm up WOD or circuit to target the muscles that we’re using later on in the workout. It also provides a little extra technique work on these movement patterns.
For each of your training days, I always recommend finishing it with a 10min walk or cycle at very easy pace. If you read my article on scientifically validated recovery methods, you’ll remember that it was one of the few recovery practices that actually promoted increases in muscle mass, and strength. It’s also the best way to get back to normal a little quicker. I highly recommend it.
Now that you have a good idea how to structure your gym session, let’s get to the specific workouts. We’ll cover all 6 weeks in the next section. I want to encourage you to read through all six weeks, as I will cover some details about each lift throughout the weeks. Don’t forget to download the free PDF below
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program PDF Download
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 1
Welcome to week one of the The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program. In this week we will work on establishing your current strength levels, by setting your one rep max. I’ve included two different methods to determine your one rep max, which will require some explanation.
For those of you who’ve previously set 1 rep maxes before, you can simply follow the recommended warm up progression, working to your current 1 RM. It’s important to use your current one rep max for this program, as all the percentage based work relies on this number. Don’t use your 1RM from 2016, it isn’t current, and you’ll likely want to die in the latter weeks of the program if you do.
For athletes that haven’t set a one rep max before, I prefer that you use the second method, in the green blocks. This method requires that you take your warm-up sets to a moderately heavy weight, using the progression listed. You will then pick a weight that you can do for at least 3 reps, and go for max reps.
I want to emphasize that for squat and bench press you should use a spotter, or spotter arms. Do not attempt one rep maxes without appropriate safety precautions. People die every year from dropping bench press bars on their necks.
Once you’ve established your rep max with a very heavy weight, you will then drop the weight and reps into this rep max calculator. It will spit out your predicted one rep max, based off of your performance. You will use this number for the percentage based work in the coming weeks. Now let’s take a look at week 2.
If you like this program but want to work on some functional fitness WODs as well, then you’ll love the program below. It’s the full version you saw in the warm up section.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 2
This is the first week of the actual program, as week 1 is setting your one rep maxes. You can see that in each week we have two primary barbell lifts, followed by some accessory work. For this week, you will feel like the weights are heavy, but you shouldn’t be close to max effort.
You will also notice that you work your upper body and lower body in each session. You can’t escape leg day if you work your entire body !
If we take a look at Session 4, we can see that we will be doing 5 sets of bench press, and 5 sets of deadlifts. I recommend taking 2-3 minutes of rest between your working sets, to make sure you feel fresh for each set. As with any strength training program, it’s important that you intend to lift each rep at max speed.
Strength is a skill, and your intention of moving the weight quickly will translate into more muscle recruitment, ultimately giving you the specific results you’re looking for. Taking enough time between sets will help you do this, yielding better results.
The accessory work is 3 supersets. If you can do at least 6 pull ups then you will do those, working to 2 reps left in reserve (2 RIR) on each set. If you can’t, you will do 12 lat pull downs with the same 2 RIR.
Each superset will be a set of pull ups or lat pull downs, immediately followed by a set of cable triceps push downs. You can then rest 2-3 minutes before the start of the next superset. I programmed these supersets to help build muscle mass in key secondary muscles, for the big primary lifts. Now, let’s look at week 3.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 3
In week 3 it starts to become heavy. You’ll notice that you probably have around 1 rep left in the tank on most of these sets. That’s ok, just make sure that you push at your max effort for each rep.
Because there are only 3 gym days each week, I would recommend that you take at least one day of rest between each training session. That will allow you to go into these workouts with less soreness. Ideally, you would be able to take 2 days of rest between the second and third session of this week, as the 3rd session is a big one.
If we take a look at Session 8 we can see that we’ve added an extra set this week, and increased the load. You will be doing 6 total sets for the barbell strict press, and the back squat. For the back squat I recommend wearing a lifting belt.
If you read this article where I reviewed the research on belts you’ll know that it actually does decrease the chance of injury, and it allows you to use more muscle, to lift more weight. That’s a win, win, win, in my book.
The accessory work is another superset where you will perform a seated dumbbell press, followed by a reverse lunge, using the same dumbbells. Some of the stronger athletes might be able to to do more than 10 reps at 1RIR. Thats ok. I want you to work to 1 RIR, getting at least 10 reps per leg in. Now let’s look at week 4.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 4
At this point in most of my other strength training programs, athletes start to mutter under their breath, and give me dirty looks. It’s ok, I’m used to it by now. This happens because you are getting very close to max effort for many of these sets. You shouldn’t expect strength gains without some gut busting effort!
If we look at Session 12, we see that it’s a big training day in the weight room. While I expect that most days will have you in the gym for 60min, you might be here a little longer on these days, depending on how much rest you take. I would encourage you to go into each set as fresh as you can. Don’t rush your rest!
More astute readers will notice that the rep ranges we are using are a little higher on these days. That’s because our research above showed that undulating periodization, with different reps, and different percentages worked better than a standard linear periodization. Science for the win!
Just like the back squat, I recommend wearing a lifting belt for the deadlift. Make sure that when you wear it, you put it on tightly. During the lift you will try to break the belt with your stomach, by actively pushing it against the belt. This builds more pressure in your core, providing more spinal support. Next, we’ll cover the second to last week.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 5
This is the second to last week, and you guessed it, it’s even heavier! At this point in the training cycle we start to drop overall volume. That’s why those large initial sets have disappeared. I’ve found as a coach and athlete that those sets are great in the initial phases of a strength program, but they can limit your top end strength towards the end of a program.
The goal for the last two weeks of the plan are to allow you to get experience straining near your strength limit. You have to learn how to keep pushing hard on each rep, without having your form fall apart.
One of the best tips I can give you is to maintain proper form for each and every rep. You’re practicing your lifting technique just as much as you’re building muscle. Not only is it safer, but it will allow you to lift heavier in the long term. Now, let’s look at the final week.
The Ultimate 3 Day Strength Training Program: Week 6
This is the last and heaviest week of the program. You can see that we are spending a lot of time above 90% of your 1RM for the big barbell lifts. This will help to prepare you for your next one rep max attempts, which will happen after this week. At this point, your hard work should be noticeable, and I bet you can feel real increases in strength in each workout session.
I recommend taking 3-4 days off after the final workout session of this program. You can then repeat week 1, on the following week, to set your new one rep max attempts. It’s a good idea to take 3 attempt at your one rep max.
The first attempt is a small personal record. The second is what you’d really like to hit, with the last being an aggressive PR attempt. Remember to use a spotter, or spotter arms to do these attempts safely.
Now that we’ve finished this program you need a new one to keep the gains going. In the next section I’ll list several follow on programs that would pair nicely with this one.
Your Next Fitness Program
In this section there are several programs that will help you continue to make progress after this 3-day split program. I recommend following the links to the fitness plans that interest you the most, as each one will be best for specific goals. Here’s the list.
- 7 Week Free Strength Training Program
- 9 Week Functional Strength Training Program
- 4 Day Split Program for Functional Strength
- 8 Week Functional Bodybuilding Hybrid Program
- 10 Week Functional Powerbuilding Program
Take a look at these programs, and see which ones interest you the most. If you’re the type of athlete that likes to have all the details, then I recommend checking out my premium programs.
Those are downloadable ebooks, that are over 100 pages in length. As you might imagine, I provide much more coaching and training info in them. You can find all of my premium programs here.
Final Thoughts
I always recommend that my athletes focus on getting the basics right. It makes no sense to kill it in the gym, only to slouch in every other aspect of your program. You need to make sure that you’re sleeping enough, otherwise you’ll find that making gains can be much harder than it should be. Remember, you found time for the gym, you can find time for sleep.
You should also eat a reasonable diet. Notice I say reasonable, not perfect. For athletes looking to gain strength and muscle, you should be in a small caloric surplus, around 300-500 calories. This isn’t a weight loss program, we’re looking for muscle gains! You can use this calculator to give you a good idea where to start.
If you have any comments or questions put them in the comments section below. That way other athletes can see my responses as well. Now get out there and get training. Don’t forget to join the email list.
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