fbpx
PSMF Blog

BROWSE ARTICLES

Fierce 5 Complete Workout Program

Fierce 5

 

 The complete fierce 5 workout program

Many bodybuilders choose to use the protein sparing modified fast as a tool when bulking.  After doing a successful psmf diet, some may be looking for a workout program to stay healthy or build muscle.  There are many workouts to choose from.

The fierce 5 workout regime is made up of five workouts that have been grouped together and normally takes about one hour to complete after including both warm-ups and stretching. The fierce 5 routine generally entails simple and balanced steps that individuals desiring to venture into body building can easily understand. The fierce 5 is based on the 3 by 5 workout. This implies that the Pull-downs will be working non-consecutively for three days in a week. Furthermore, he or she will be alternating the workouts. For instance, for workouts A and B; Monday to Tuesday the person will be doing A and resting, then takes B on Wednesday and the cycle continues. Upon following such a routine, the person is expected to be adding at least 5 lbs and 10 lbs to the upper and lower body lifts respectively.

If the individual decides to carry out the reverse flies, the routine increases about 5 lbs but should never exceed 15 lbs per hand when using the DBs. When carrying out leg curls, it will increase 5 lbs each week. However, if the person fails to adhere to such increments because of lack or limited weight equipment then, he or she should be increasing weight each week for an individual exercise routine.

The fierce 5 training regime usually relies on progression, so if the person wants to achieve satisfactory results, they must ensure that they strictly adhere to the program. Therefore, when one clearly monitors the programs, the goals become more attainable.

Carrying out the fierce 5 routines will increase a person’s strength; add muscle mass as well as size. However, the goals of the fierce five workouts are never specific but generally vary from one individual to another.

 

 The five workout routines

 Novice full body program

 

It usually entails two workouts namely A and B

 

 Workout A

  • Squat 3×5
  • Bench 3×5
  • Triceps press downs 2×10 Superset
  • Pendlay Rows 3×8
  • Face Pulls 3×10
  • Calf raises 2×15
  • Triceps press downs 2×10 Superset

 

 Workout B

  • Front Squat 3×5
  • Romanian Deadlift 3×8
  • Overhead Press 3×5
  • Ab work 2×15/Curls 2×10 Superset( applicable to any kind of ab work)
  • Lat Pulldowns 3×8

 

The routine will be carried out non-consecutively for three days and there will an alternation between workouts. For example, workout A done on Monday proceeded with resting on Tuesday, then resuming on workout B on Wednesday, before resting again on Thursday and continuing with workout A on Friday. In other words, there will be a single resting interval after each day of work out.

Following the program to the latter, the person will be expected to be adding 5lbs and 10 lbs per week to the upper and lower body lifts respectively.

When performing reverse flies, the person should increase weight to 5lbs each month, leg curls increasing 5lbs each week while adding a few reps per week in the case of ab work. However, if the person fails to achieve such increments because of limited weight equipment, he or she should be increasing weight each week for a single exercise routine.

For example, in the 5 range rep exercises, he or she should add I rep for each set in the weeks when there is no weight increment. For the 8-15, 2 reps should be added for every set during that period when the person was not increasing weight.

To illustrate how compensation of the increments would be done, the following is a progression example.

  • Beginning Monday, the person can do 200 squats and bench-150
  • On Wednesday-RDL-200, while the incline-100
  • On Friday, the person can perform 200 squats and bench-150, then there will be resting on that weekend
  • On Monday, 10 more squats are added- total 210 and 5 more inclines to have incline-105
  • On Wednesday, 10 more RDL added to get RDL-210 and 5 more bench hence, bench-155
  • Lastly, Friday-RDL-210,while incline- 105

 

 The dumbbell full body program

Fierce 5

This routine is also categorized into two workouts, workout A and workout B.

 Workout A   

The following steps will be observed in this workout

  • Split Squat 3×8 for each leg
  • Bench 3×8, when no bench available, floor press can be done
  • Reverse Flies 3×10
  • Calf raises 2×15/French Press 2×10 Superset
  • DB Rows 3×8, where one arm is on the bench and the back parallel to the floor

 Workout B

  • Walking Lunge 3×8 for each leg
  • Overhead Press 3×8
  • Straight deadlift 3×8
  • Lat pulldowns and pull-ups (upon reaching 3×8, the person can start adding weight)
  • Ab work 2×15 and Curls 2×10 Superset (applicable to any kind of ab work)

For the dumbbell full body program, the person is supposed to increase weight depending on his ability; nevertheless, the recommended is 5lbs addition to each DB every week for both the upper body and lower body lifts. Furthermore, to experience satisfactory results that the program has to offer, the individual should have enough or adequate gym equipment. In the event that equipment access is limited, the person will be required to be visiting the gym or purchase adequate home equipment in order to enjoy the fruits of the program.

 

In some cases, individuals find it difficult to carry out pull ups or pull downs. The trick here is for the person to be creative because, the pull-ups and pull downs are quite essential in most exercise programs. The following is a trick on how to maximize the pull ups and pull downs;

 

  • The person can purchase a doorway pull up bar which is normally cheap. He or she can opt for a chair to assist in movement when doing a full pull up becomes difficult. In some cases, low tree limb can be a helpful alternative for a pull-up bar.

 

 The intermediate upper/ lower

 

It is divided into upper A, lower A, upper B and lower B

 

 Upper A

  • The Incline Bench 3×8
  • The Bench 3×5
  • The Lat Pulldowns 3×8 (all grips applicable)
  • Curls 3×10/Reverse Flies 3×12 Superset
  • Bent Over Rows 3×8

 

 The Lower A

  • Weighted Back Extensions 3×8
  • Squats 3×5
  • The Leg Press 3×10
  • The Ab work 3×15/Calf raises 3×12 Superset
  • Leg Curls 3×10

 

 The upper B

  • OHP 3×5
  • Flies 3×10
  • Pull-ups 3×8
  • Pendlay Rows 3×8
  • Face Pulls 3×12/Tricep press downs 3×10 Superset

 

 The Lower B

  • Front Squat 3×5
  • The Romanian Deadlift 3×8
  • Leg Extensions 3×10 and Leg Curls 3×10
  • Ab work 3×15 and the Calf Raises 3×12 Superset

 

In the intermediate lower/upper routine, the person is required to work out for two consecutive days, then rest for a day before proceeding to work out for another two consecutive days. The cycle then repeats itself. For instance, doing upper A on Monday, then upper B on Tuesday, resting on Wednesday and resuming the routine on Thursday. This type is different from the DB as working out is consecutive.

When carrying out the workouts, the person is to add 5lbs and 10 lbs to the upper body lift and lower body lift respectively. This addition is to be done in every two weeks. Furthermore, the individual can opt to increase the reps by a minimal 1 on each set, say, for example, doing bench 3×6 instead of 3×5. Upon completion of that week’s routine, the weight increase and so do the reps which go back to the normal 3×5. In addition, if the individual feels like doing isolation exercises, he or she should rely on their best judgment on weight increment. Such isolation exercises together with the routinely exercises may ensure a faster progression.

 

 Intermediate/Advanced 5 Day Lower/Upper LPP 

The program comprises of the lower A, the upper A, legs, push and pull.

 

 The lower A

  • Squats 3×5-6
  • Leg Curls 3×10-12
  • Ab work 3×15-18/Calf raises 3×12-15 Superset
  • Weighted Back Extensions 3×8-10
  • Leg Press 3×8-10

 

 Upper A

  • The inclined bench 3×5-6
  • Lat pulldowns 3×8-10 (not grip specific)
  • The bent over rows 3×8-10
  • Face Pulls 3×10-12 Superset /Curls 3×8-10
  • The decline DB bench 3×8-10

 

 Legs

  • The Squat 3×5-6 and the DL 3×5-6
  • Leg Extensions and Leg curls (Superset 3×10-12)
  • The Good Morning 3×8-10
  • The Optional Shrugs 3×8-10/ Calf work 3×12-15(Superset)

 

 Push

  • Bench 3×5-6 (Horizontal Press)
  • OHP3x5-6(Upward Press)
  • Overhead Extensions(long head iso)-3×8-10 (Superset)
  • Ab work-3×12-15 (Superset)
  • Dips or fly 3×8-10
  • The lateral Raises 3×10-12

 

 Pull

  • Pendlay Rows 3×5-6 (Horizontal Pull)
  • Yates Rows 3×5-6 (Upward Pull)
  • Lat Pulldowns 3×8-10 (any grip)- downward pull
  • Overhead face pulls/Reverse Flies (Superset 3×10-12)
  • The Curls 3×8-10

 

The person will be required to do the routine for two consecutive days then rest on the third day, however, unlike the previous routine (intermediate upper/lower), the individual proceeds with the work out for three consecutive days. To illustrate; Monday- Lower A, Tuesday- Upper A, Wednesday- Rest, Thursday –Legs, Friday – push, Saturday- Pull and Sunday- rest. These intervals are then to be repeated.

Upon working out, the person should be adding 5lbs to the upper body lifts. Furthermore, 10 lbs should be added to the lower body lifts. The additions should be done in every two weeks. Upon completion of the week one routine, the person can increase his or her reps from the lower to the higher range.

It should be noted that in DB exercises, the increase in weights is usually halved. Therefore in the event, a person wishes to partake in isolation exercise, they should use their judgment to determine the weight increase.

In addition, there usually exists an optional extra set, usually an extra heavy single, triple or double each day that one can do next to the normal exercise. One extra exercise is usually recommended per day as a way of shifting the individual’s attention from the regular set. It is also a fun experience.

 Substitutions, Warm-ups, and Stretching

fierce 5

 

 Acceptable Substitutions/Interchangeable Exercises  

There exists a number of acceptable substitutions and they usually include;

  • Any triceps isolation exercise is fine. Close grip bench is usually not necessary
  • Reverse Flies-Face pulls
  • Lat Pulldowns – Any form of pull/chin up. To add weight, the person will require a dip belt. The pull up should be carried from above the person’s head.
  • The Incline Bench-Overhead Press
  • Front Squat-Hack Squats, Leg press, and Step-ups
  • RDL-Good Morning, Reverse Hyper, Glute Ham Raises, SLDL among others
  • Bench-Decline bench, dips (leaning forward).The person will, however, need a dip belt to add weight
  • Pendlay Rows-Any horizontal pull. A good example is the T-bar routine, where the arms are stretched directly out in front of the person for it to be termed as a horizontal pull.

 

 Warm-ups  

The main purpose of warm-ups is usually to put the muscles in a position to work. This implies that no warm-up is meant to fatigue the body.

Warm-ups are usually important before an individual carries out any form of workouts, be it squats, Romanian deadlift, lat pull downs and pull ups, bench, rows among others. For starters, a single set of warming up activity is generally recommended. When the person continues working out and adding weights, the numbers of warm-up sets that they normally did will also increase. In fact, some workouts require some intense warming up. For instance, a 135 lb squat will require one warm-up set, however, for a 315 lb squat a 135 to 275 lb is required.

 

 Stretching routines   

Stretching routines are usually done to keep the body healthy and ensure that the person stays injury free. Furthermore, they are responsible for improving and maintaining the body’s movements. However, they are not a must. Stretching routines normally take shorter periods as compared to warm-up routines. It is thus wise to do stretching routines prior to working out.

 

The common frequently asked questions (FAQ) – Fierce 5    

 

 

Potential body builders who are in doubt normally tend to ask questions that they feel are not clear with regards to the fierce 5 workouts. To provide a solution for that, there includes a number of FAQs and the relevant solutions that potential body builders and body builders can look at whenever things are not clear.

 

 Who should use this program?

 

The fierce 5 workout is designed for individuals who have no prior experience in body building or those that have lost consistency or don’t have a well-structured training regime. In fact, to most of them, the program acts as the first encounter or as a reminder. It is thus useful also for any person having less than six months of training that is highly structured and dedicated. This implies that individuals who have been working out in recent years but have a workout regime that lacks intensity or consistency, then the program best suits them.
 

How long can I run this program/ how long does it take to complete the program?

 

Honestly speaking, the program is meant to run until the person feels that he or she needs to stop or run until the individual begins to legitimately stall. For instance, individuals that are bulking normally stall after a period of four to six months. However, if an individual continually stalls, it would not be recommended that he or she goes to another intermediate program.

 

In other cases, a legitimate stall is usually advised. For example, the person can opt for four to seven days off, then begins to intensely work out again.

 

 What happens when the person fails on their sets/ what can a person do if they fail on their sets?

 

When a person fails a lift for two consecutive days, they should do a reset of the weight by dropping about 15% of the weight for that lift in which the person is failing. Upon reset, the person has an opportunity to work on their form since the weights have been reduced. However the person should note that failure to work on their form can further break or make their lift, it is, therefore, important for the person to work hard on getting his or her form back. In addition, lighter weights normally show quicker results meaning in some instances, failure to reduce the weight is normally associated with slower results.

 

 Are there other available programs that a person can run after the fierce 5/ what program should a person run after this one?

 

Currently, there exists a wide range of alternative and complementary programs to the fierce five. Nonetheless, persons are advised to always move to an upper/lower routine recommended to them by their fitness instructors or the gym coach.

 

 I’m a man/woman and I plan on cutting/bulking. Does that change whether or not I should run this program?

 

The fierce 5 workout program is highly suitable for men who are trying to bulk. However, for cutting males and bulking females, the progressions would require a change. It is usually advisable to run the progression to the extent that the person stalls on squat, RDL or bench. At such a point, the person then cuts the progression in half (weight increases half as much as the program standard). For those cutting individuals wishing to reduce their body weight by 30 lbs, the All-Pros routine is the recommended option.

 

 What about form?/ how will the person’s form be affected?

 

To be on the safer side, the individual should focus on the basic principles of the program. This means that adhering to the principles of a particular exercise will prevent the person from being injured because a number of weights being lifted would be the right one. The issue of form is that there is too much about it which a person cannot entirely comprehend, hence the only safe option is for the person to focus on the basics. However, upon the individual progressing to lifting more weight, that becomes the point where the person focuses his or her time to knowing or learning the form.

 

 What is a super-set?/ what does it entail?

 

When there is a talk about a super-set, the idea is that there are two independent exercises or routines that have been joined together to form one independent work out, normally implemented back to back. For example, when a person is doing the curls and abs super-set, he or she normally does one set comprising of the abs and immediately performs a set of curls. After finishing the curls, the person immediately commences the second set of abs and the cycle goes on depending on the instructions. Super-sets are highly encouraged because they save lots of time and create pumps as well.

 

 I’m having a hard time with pendlays. What am I doing wrong and can I sub it out?  

Most potential body builders regularly complain about the issue of pendlays. The trick in this particular case is usually getting to have the time to learn about the lift. It is because the body is built to be flexible and following the right instructions about how to work with pendlays can easily solve the problem. For starters, some few guidelines should be observed to ensure a successful work out;

 

  • Keep the back straight
  • Keep the elbows above the bar at the top of the lift
  • There should a be regular straight up and a down shins interval
  • The hips should be kept far back
  • When a normal height is required, the person can put weights under the bar in order to raise it up etc

 

 How long should a person wait between sets? / is there a standard time frame?  

In most cases, a time frame of 2-3 minutes is recommended between heavy sets, such as the bench, RDL, Incline, Lat pull down and squat. During isolation exercises, the waiting time is generally ranging from 30-60 seconds on reverse flies, curls, and triceps press downs. In the case of super sets, there is no waiting time as they are done back to back.

 

 What is the recommended weight that a person can use?/ how much weight should a person use?

 

Just like in most exercises, starting on a lighter note is always the norm. Due to the nature of progression in the program, the person is advised to start workouts weight that is much lighter than he or she thinks can manage. In fact, the person will notice with time that the program works effectively with lighter weight due to the progressions. As a standard recommendation, lifters should begin with weights which are 85% of what they feel they can lift.

Furthermore, if the individual has no weight lifting experience at all, beginning with 50% of the perceived weight is generally a good start. Such recommendations normally ensure that individuals do not struggle to keep up. According to the original fierce five workout program, the person should increase at least 5 to 10 lbs; however, the person should opt to be increasing the weight by 10-15% in every two weeks. In addition, the person should adjust the weight from 50% to 85% upon reaching the third week. This routine is useful since the person is still new thus allowing the individual to know the important facts of the exercise together with safe weight to avoid injuries and soreness.

 

 Are there any other versions of the program?/ Where did the other versions of the program go? I heard you can only get bigger from high reps sets  

The higher rep version used to exit but later cut off due to the fact that increasing weight in that version was really hard. The difficulty in increasing weight further made individuals stall quite early, implying limited growth. In simpler terms, there was no progressive resistance thus the difficulty in adding weight. It should, however, be noted the current difference between the low reps and high reps should not be of concern to starters.

 

 What should I be eating?/ what is the right diet for such a program?   

The type of diet will hugely depend on what the person aims to achieve at the end of the program. Individuals seeking to increase their muscle size will have to bulk while those seeking to lose fat will be cutting, depending on what you wish, the instructor advises you on the type of diet to take and the type to avoid. Diet entirely depends on the person’s goals.

 

 What supplements should an individual use?   

The main purpose of supplements is usually to fill what the diet workouts do not provide. It is not the key to satisfactory results as many starters normally presume. Supplements will only be of importance to the person if the minimum requirements for his or her macro or microelements are not attained. It is, therefore, imperative for the body builder to first know their diet before proceeding to take the supplements.

 

All trainees are advised to consume multivitamins as they fill in micros and also creatine, which assists an individual to go through the sets. Creatine is relatively cheap and easily available. Lastly, protein powder is also a useful supplement if the person has not yet attained the protein macro in their diet. But if they have, then it is not of importance.

 

 Can I run this program 4 days per week?  

In bodybuilding, the bodybuilder should not work sets of muscles for two consecutive days. It is one of the basic principles of bodybuilding and fitness. There should be intervals in between where the person can rest or perform isolation exercises. Individuals that generally deviate from this basic principle are in most cases using banned substances.

 

 Are there any substitute exercises for the program?

 

The body can adapt to various exercises if there are proper training and protocols. It is because there is no specific exercise that a body builder can opt to stick to for the rest of his or her lifting career. In fact, a body builder should grow in all aspects and the fierce five program is suited for that. The program ensures that there is a balanced muscle development. Interfering with the program’s routines by shifting to other forms of exercise can cause muscles imbalances that eventually cause problems with posture and injuries.

However, there exist acceptable substitutions as previously highlighted.

 

 My grip is slipping on RDL/DL. What do I do?   

In most cases, a grip that is mixed normally does the trick. The person can add liquid chalk or even chalk when need be. Nevertheless, if the mixed grip still does not work, an alternative is the purchasing of lifting straps.

 

 In what order should I do these exercises?/ is there a standard order?   

Normally, the order in which the person should carry out an exercise will depend on how they have been instructed unless there are other accepted ways. In most instances, exercises that require most energy or consume the most energy before completing are the ones given priority.

 

 What about deloading?/ which is the right time for deloading?   

Deloading is usually signaled when the body becomes sluggish. This is contrary to other instances where the person feels energetic. On the event of a sluggish body, a deloading is usually vital. It can be every 6-8 weeks depending on the builder. To deload, the person can skip a single workout to get a consecutive rest of not more that 5 days. Deloading functions to keep the nervous system satisfied in turn assisting the person to push even more weights in the future. In the fierce gibr program, the recommended deload time is about 4 days of consecutive rest.

 

 What if I miss a day?/ what could happen?   

It is always important for the builder to not skip the routine which he or she had earlier skipped. The builder must always make time for the skipped exercise.

 

 Advanced FAQ – Fierce 5

 

 Which candidates qualify for the program?   

Individuals who have passed the beginners phase in weight or bodybuilding but still cannot add weight to the bar are suitable candidates for the program. The person must, therefore, take the program with a much faster progression to achieve quick results

 

 Can the program go on for long?   

Some instructors believe that an individual can go on with the program as long as they wish.

 

 What should a person do when they fail on their sets?   

The best solution when such happens is cut the weight by 10% and focus on getting back your form. The fierce 5 program will only work when you cut the lighter weight that is causing the individual to fail in the routine.

 

 What can a person doing the Upper/Lower routine, but they really want to do DL. What should they do? 

In such a case, the person can opt to replace or completely remove the front squat and the RDL from the lower B. the person can replace the removed routines with the DL 3×5 and lunges 3×8

 

 Postures and imbalances

All builders must always be checking on their bodies in their lifting careers because muscles imbalances will at some point occur. It is, therefore, imperative for every builder to always be receiving physical therapy services in cases of imbalance. The physical therapist will help the person in knowing why and how the person has developed muscle imbalances. Furthermore, the physical therapist will advise the individual on healthier ways to avoid future muscle imbalance as well as give the person important exercise tips. It is paramount that the bodybuilders invest in themselves first as fitness begins with the person. Currently, therapy sessions are relatively cheap even without insurance implying that it will be the person’s fault not to consult one.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Navigation