Average week in the life of Max Citrin training: 2007 Schedule

As you look at the program below you might notice that it is very high in volume, compared to much of what is out there today. I worked every muscle, 2x/week, and arms and shoulders 3x/week and calves everyday. I didn't do it because I am a masochist, or because I am have trouble backing off. I do it because it works. People who say you should work a muscle only once every week, or only when a muscle is not sore, don't seeme to appreciate the body's trememndous capacity to adapt. If you workout more frequently, the body develops higher work capacity, and recuperative capacity, and adapts faster. You just need to be patient and diligent in working up to higher training volumes. You must be attentive to your body and work it out as soon as it is ready, until you progressively decrease the time in between workouts to the point that you are working out a muscle 2x/week. There is no such thing as overtraining, just underrecuperation. High volume training is out of vogue, particularly in our society of laziness, but it works, and it is based in science. A muscle doesn't take 7 days to recover.

Olympic Weightlifters do heavy squats everyday, 2x/day. How is that possible.

 This is an example of my a typical week.

Day #1

Morning: Chest and Back             Afternoon: Legs       Calves 1-2x

Day #2

Morning: Arms         Calves         Afternoon: Back & Shoulders 

Day #3

Morning: Arms         Calves         Afternoon: Shoulders & Back

Day #4

Morning: Arms         Calves         Afternoon: Cardio

Day #5

Morning: Legs          Calves         Afternoon: Chest & Back

Day #6

Morning: Shoulders  Calves          Cardio, extra Hamstrings  

Day #7

Cardio, Calves.
Like this day to be Sunday, sharing time or resting w/ loved ones.

My training schedule frequently changes so body parts are moved around as needed. But typically train all parts hard twice per week, shoulders and arms 3x per week, calves everyday (at least pre-contest or if I am thinking about maybe doing a contest, and on some days I hit em twice). This sometimes has to change a bit in the final few weeks leading up to a contest as posing must take up a greater portion of the training. Cardio is done for a few weeks on and off as necessary to keep me in shape to get through my grueling two-a day workouts of constant supersets plus calves.

Once I am in shape I move so fast through my weights workouts that they are cardio, and fun. Some extra is added if I want to drop a little fat. Basically it is not timed, but just around my schedule as it works out. If I do too much running it tends to really eat the muscle from my arms and chest so I try to avoid going overboard with it, although sometimes I enjoy it. At the same time, I don't think cardio is nearly as catabolic as people sometimes make it out to be. In fact there have been studies showing it to even be anabolic, particularly when done in high intensity fashion. Cycling definately doesn’t take that much away from the upper body but it takes much longer to get the same cardiovascular, as well as fat-burning effect. Running really tightens the mid-section.

In order for me to stay in shape all year round, I eat clean 97% of the time. I structure my nutrition around eating to fuel my workouts and to recover from them as efficiently as possible. It is important to take in the right carbohydrates and proteins at the right times to help your body become a fat burning and muscle building machine. I will continue to strive to learn more and hope to pass along what I can all of you. I enjoy being a role model for all who want to change their very own health. I hope you continue to journey down the road to better fitness.

In Strength and Health,

Max Citrin