
If you continue to follow this 5-8-12 format, exchange strong mass-building and strength-building moves (think multijoint, but from a multitude of angles) at the beginning, and single-joint movements with which you can use dropsets or another pump-inducing technique at the end.A good workout undergoes diminishing returns after about six weeks, so make that your target date for a routine makeover. Don't be afraid to change up the exercise selections in each routine.There simply aren't a lot of multijoint exercises for the last three body parts. The back workout (as shown) includes three multijoint movements, the biceps and triceps workouts have just one each, and the hamstrings and calf workout has no multijoint moves.This is superior for driving fluids and nutrients into the muscle because it increases the so-called metabolic stress as the muscle swells, hitting another mechanism of growth. Pump-training is often done with a higher-rep protocol, relying on a single-joint movement that also includes an advanced training technique. The last of the three exercises is where you'll train for the pump. Tackle those heaviest weights first, before fatigue has set in. While building strength per se isn't the goal in these workouts, you will get bigger (and definitely stronger) by including some lower-rep sets. Low-rep (6 and fewer) to moderate-rep (8-12) sets can induce muscle growth via both mechanical tension and muscular damage, which are both mechanisms of hypertrophy.


The first two exercises involve multiple joints and are completed with alternate rep targets to build both muscle and strength. This 5-8-12 structure allows you to build muscle by tapping into all three mechanisms linked to muscle growth.

Those rep targets aren't arbitrary, either. Most often that's done with a single-joint exercise, like cable cross-overs. The last exercise in each workout is geared toward generating a deep muscle pump.
