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# In all your responses to some earlier questions, you stated the best thing is to…

The question

In all your responses to some earlier questions, you stated the best thing is to switch programs(into cycles) I am currently in week 2 the 5 day strength/training. I will want to switch to bodybuilding program to gain some mass after 4 or five weeks. Where do I pick up in that phase(bodybuilding)week 1? or week 5? Then after that I will want to lean out. What should I do?

Dan's answer

Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS

Hello, If you have "major" goals like strength development, mass development or leaning out you will need to spend at least 6 weeks in each particular phase of training. When you see some of my responses about specific cycling of programs most of them will be 12 week cycles. A yearly program would look something like this: 12 weeks on the 4 Day Bodybuilding Mass Express Cycle, 12 weeks on the 5 Day Strength and Power Cycle, 6 weeks on the 3 Day Get Lean Cycle, 6 weeks on the 4 Day Strength and Power Express, 12 Weeks on the 5 Day Bodybuilding Mass Cycle. You don't want to do a Strength and Power program for 5 weeks, then the Bodybuilding program for 6 weeks, then the Get Lean program for 6 weeks etc. Cycling your programs like this is not a bad thing it's just not the best thing\! You simply need to spend more time working on a particular goal in order to maximize your results. If you do switch out a program cycle after 6 weeks, start the next program on week 7\! Thanks for your question. Don't eat too much candy\!

Dan

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