Switching Things Up With PRRS and FD/FS

Q: I’m an avid user of P/RR/S and FD/FS and have been cycling back and forth on those two programs for a few years, making awesome progress. Because of work and family obligations, I need to cut back to three workouts from my usual five per week. What would you suggest to switch things up a bit?

A: Normally in a case like yours I would say to continue using both of my systems—but simply group your body-parts into a three-day split while doing less overall volume for each muscle. As you mentioned that you want to switch things up a bit, though, I’m going to take this opportunity to introduce a new program that I have been implementing very successfully with some of my more experienced clients who are in a similar situation to yours. I call it “O-Bey-6,” and I’ll be presenting a detailed article on it in the near future. In the meantime  here’s a “Cliff Notes” version to get you started rocking and rolling.

The name O-Bey-6 reflects the two main parameters of the system: 1) Stick with the basics (hence “Bey-6”), as in mostly compound freeweight lifts, and 2) obey the “6-rule” for exercises, rep tempo and rep count. To clarify, you use six movements per workout, take six seconds to complete each rep, and perform a total of six repetitions in each set—with the goal of reaching momentary muscular failure on the final rep. There is no direct arm, calf or abdominal work, but because you are focusing on basic exercises, your core, bi’s, tri’s and calves will still get ample stimulation to progress.

At each of your three weekly gym sessions, you choose one form of squats (or leg presses), deadlifts, chest presses (or dips), overhead presses, pullups and rows. You can use the same movements at all three workouts or switch things up each time; however, if you decide to stick with the same exercises for a full week, I suggest making some changes the following week.

Another important point, as you will see in my examples below: While repetitions will take six seconds each to complete, the tempo (as in negative/midpoint/positive strokes) will change at each workout. That’s where the magic really happens! The exact same movement can feel totally different when performed with a unique tempo.

Here is a typical week of O-Bey-6:

 

Monday

Squats, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

Stiff-legged deadlifts, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

Incline presses, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

Wide-grip pullups, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

Seated close-grip

cable rows, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

Seated dumbbell

presses, 2-3 x 6 (4/1/1)

 

Wednesday

Leg presses, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

Deadlifts, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

Bench presses, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

Undergrip pullups, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

Wide-grip barbell

upright rows, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

Seated presses, 2-3 x 6 (3/0/3)

 

Friday

Hack squats, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

Rack partial deadlifts, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

Dips, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

Close-grip pullups, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

One-arm dumbbell

rows, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

One-arm dumbbell

presses, 2-3 x 6 (2/2/2)

 

If you decide to give O-Bey-6 a shot, let me know your thoughts.

—Eric Broser

 

Editor’s note: Eric Broser’s new DVD “Power/Rep Range/Shock Max-Mass Training System” is available at Home-Gym.com. His e-books, Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout and The FD/FS Mass-Shock Workout, which include complete printable workout templates and Q&A sections, are available at X-Workouts.com.