1. [Home](https://www.workoutsmart.com/) 2. [Ask Dan](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) 3. [Weight Training](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training) Weight Training # After I gave my weight and strength info. I noticed your program designed for me… The question After I gave my weight and strength info. I noticed your program designed for me for the Body Mass a medium weiight -high repetition style workout.\ For example, my maximum bench is around 360 and I do 5 or so reps with 315,but your bench routine calls for me to do around 15 reps with 200,180,etc.\ Will this help me build mass? Perhaps it will. Since I can gain decent muscle mass with medium-heavy weight in the 8-12 rep range but then I plateua out on the size gains.But my strength does keep increasing.\ So will the higher reps and lower weight instead produce better muscle size and density? But will I loose strength,doing it this way. Such as on my bench press. Sometime I notice I loose strength when I try high rep routines here and there.\ What is the happy medium? Especially since I do need to loose the fat at the same time. I have been doing aerobics after my workouts,not excessively,which have been working, but again my size gains are stahled.\ Again perhaps this is another reason for yourhugher rep's lower weight routine for me. But again will it still allow for strength and size and fat loss simulatneously? Dan's answer Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS Your body seems to respond best to variation. You mention that you can improve size or strength with certain workouts but eventually your progress will stall. If you do higher reps you seem to improve in size but your strength goes down if you do this type of workout for too long. Also, you can improve in strength if you do lower reps and more weight but then you start to lose some size. Everything you say here points to a pretty classic training paradox that all advanced trainers eventually go through. What I must say is that there is no perfect way. You must first decide what you want to do and you must stick with it even if you feel that some other area might not be doing as well. At some point you will have to make a decision. If you want strength you need to train for strength. You would then want to choose one of the Strength and Power programs. If you want size you must train for size. You would then want to choose one of the Bodybuilding Mass programs. Granted, you may lose some strength on the Bodybuilding programs and you may also lose some muscle shape or size on the Strength and Power program. You simply can't maximize strength or size without training specifically for each. Nothing I have said here is anything new to somebody who has been training for awhile. However, what lots of people do not know or at least do not do is to organize their training for a whole year. This is the key to long term (and overall) success. Your training year needs to be broken down into (4) three-month cycles. Three months or 12 weeks is a great segment of time to really maximize a physical goal like strength or size. Here is an example of a great yearly training schedule: 1st Macrocycle (3 Months) - 5 Day General Fitness program\ 2nd Macrocycle (3 Months) - 4 Day Strength and Power Advanced program\ 3rd Macrocycle (1st 6 weeks) - 5 Day Bodybuilding Mass EXPRESS program.\ (2nd 6 weeks) - 3 Day Strength and Power EXPRESS Advanced\ 4th Macrocycle (3 months) - 6 Day Bodybuilding Mass Program This yearly schedule takes into account specific preparation phases, strength and power cycles, bodybuilding hypertrophy cycles, resting phases, etc. These combinations may seem long but if you think about it, every top bodybuilding or strength athlete cycles their training into yearly phases that are broken down into specific macrocycles. Most people know these macrocycles by the names "Off-Season", "Pre-Season", and "In-Season". I believe this is truly the best way to maximize your potential. Give it a shot\! Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs. See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts. [How the Wave Engine works](https://www.workoutsmart.com/wave-engine) ## More in Weight Training - [I am in only the third week of a program (5-day chest/leg mass bodybuilding) and the results are remarkable. My question concerns cardio exercises, and when I should be doing them so I'm not overtraining or exhausting myself. I'm used to doing a variety of cardio routines, a typical one would be 45 minutes on an elliptical trainer with most of it spent at level 3 or 4. Is it better to incorporate this training on the same days as I lift, and should it be before or after the iWorkoutSmart.com routine? Or should I be doing that sort of intense cardio workout on different days, or perhaps mornings and lifting in the evening? So far I've been doing lighter cardio workouts, level 2 or so for 20 minutes, before or after the bodybuilding routine.](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-in-only-the/1908) - [I occasionally miss a scheduled day due to my kids activities so I just go to my next workout the next day. I assume that back-to-back days are not adviseable to do in order to play catch-up, especially for a 45 yo.Is this true?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-occasionally-miss-a-scheduled/199) - [Sorry to bother you again (there was a misunderstanding with the last email), but what i was asking is weither you think it's better to do the regular workouts with chest, shoulders, triceps one day, back and biceps anothor. Or is it better to workout every second day and do you back with triceps and your chest and shoulders with biceps. I felt that i have more arm strength with the latter way because my tri's and bi's aren't tired out from doing exercises where they are the secondary muscles. p.s. Your programs work like magic. They almost force you to workout properly even if you don't know what you're doing. I've got a dozen of my friends using your program now and they dig it too. thanks for your time](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/sorry-to-bother-you-again/1581) - [I am currently in my 10th week and having great results. I would like to continue the program I am on after the 12th week but it appears that even if I update my fitness test the intensity level for the new 12 week program starts back at the beginning. How can I continue with the program I am on after the 12th week without having to start all over with the build up of a new 12 week program?? Thanks for your help.](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-currently-in-my/2141) - [I am a college football player who last summer used a four times a week lifting program very similar to yours. The program, which I followed down to the last detail, left me no stronger or faster than I was before. After the season finished this year, I have been doing a 3 times a week program similar to what I did in high school. I have made surprising gains in my strength. The program goes as follows: MON- BENCH, HANG CLEAN, DIPS, AB WORK WED-INCLINE BENCH, SQUAT, NARROW GRIP CHIN-UPS, AB WORK FRI- BENCH, HANG CLEAN, WIDE GRIP CHIN UPS, AB WORK My question to you is that because I'm making gains with this program should I stick with it or go back to the 4 day a week program? What else can I be doing to make me faster and stronger?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-a-college-football/221) ## Train on the programs Dan writes. [Start 14 days free](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup)