The "Strength and Mass Holiday" ( German eBook here ) is a short, high-frequency training program in which you complete 10 different training units in 5 days. It's an excellent program to train when you have time - like on a vacation - or when you need results fast - like before a vacation. The goal is to build the maximum amount of strength and muscle mass in that period of time. The progress of this 1 week of training roughly corresponds to the progress of 4 to 6 weeks of regular training with 3 to 4 units per week.
Especially now, in times of the lockdown caused by the pandemic and the closure of the gyms, I am often asked about an alternative to the Strength and Mass Holiday. Because many people have the time to train twice a day, but the equipment is often missing because the gyms have been closed.
In episode 50 of my podcast I already explained a short training plan for at home with a minimum of equipment. This article extends that plan to include the free time between years that most of us have, and a frequency progression toward the Strength and Mass Holiday program of two workouts a day for five straight days, for even more Building strength and muscle mass. In the spirit of the growth mindset, the goal is to spend more free time efficiently and to use the opportunity to come out of the crisis stronger.
The equipment
So what do you need for the Strength and Mass Holiday at home?
- Rubber bands for pistol squats in different strengths here
- A pull-up bar for the wall here
- A pull-up bar for the door frame here
- Gymnastic rings for the pull-up bar (only possible if the bar is mounted in the wall) here
- For anyone who can't do at least 20 reps of dips on a bar or has the pull up bar for the door, alternative to the rings is a stand/parallel bars for dips here
- Weight belt here
- And if someone doesn't have any discs at home, which ones will be available this year here
Alternatively or in addition, but not mandatory, are a barbell and a rack/squat stand with weight plates for leg training.
The training program
Day 1, 3, 5
Morning
A1 dips on rings, 10 sets of 1-3 reps, 4010 tempo, 120s rest
A2 pull-ups, close neutral grip, 10 sets of 1-3 reps, 4010 tempo, 120s rest
Increase to a heavy set on both exercises*
afternoon
A1 dips on rings, 10 sets of 10 reps, 4010 tempo, 120s rest
A2 pull-ups, supinated, shoulder width, 10 sets of 5 reps, 4010 tempo, 120s rest
Same weight for all sets on both exercises**
Day 2, 4 (without barbell)
Morning
Pistol squats, with bands (use disc as additional weight if necessary), 12 sets of 1-3 repetitions, 4010 pace, 180s rest
Increase to a heavy set on both exercises*
afternoon
Pistol squats, with bands, 10 sets of 10 reps, 4010 tempo, 180s rest
Identical weight for all sets**
Day 2, 4 (alternatively with barbell)
Morning
LH front squat, 12 sets of 1-3 reps, 4010 tempo, 180s rest
Increase to a heavy set*
afternoon
LH Romanian Deadlift, 10 sets of 10 reps, 4010 tempo, 180s rest
Increase to a heavy set*
More information about the exercises
- When doing pull-ups: fully extend your elbows below and your shoulders at the level of your hands above.
- For the dips: bend your elbows completely at the bottom and straighten them completely at the top, and always look straight ahead.
- For pistol squats: attach a band to the pull-up bar and hold it with one hand. Go deep enough that the calf is completely covered by the hamstrings.
- For the front squats: Always keep the elbows up and inside and go deep enough that the calf is completely covered by the hamstrings.
- For the Romanian Deadlift: Bend your knees max. 15°, the reversal point is at the point where a stretch can be felt on the hamstrings (usually directly below the kneecap if the spine is in correct position) and the neutral position of the spine must be maintained at all times .
Microperiodization – The structure of training weights
*Microperiodization: "Increase to a heavy set," meaning gradually increasing the weight every set or every other set until you reach a "heavy" set. "Hard" is defined as a set for maximum repetitions, ie you do 2 repetitions and a third repetition would not be possible, then this set is "hard" by definition.
**Microperiodization: " Identical weight for all sets ," meaning you use the same weight for all sets and reps. Once all sets and reps have been completed with a given weight, increase the weight in the next workout.
More on microperiodization here
More information about the training programs:
- An explanation of the A1 A2 double station training here
- An explanation of tempo here
- What the optimal warm-up for strength training looks like is detailed here
- You can't do a pull-up yet and want to learn pull-ups? Then click here
- You can't do a dip yet and want to learn dips? Then click here
Good luck with the "Strength and Mass Holiday" at home!
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