The ShredSmart PPL/Full Body Workout Program Guide
Get shredded with this great 4 day workout routine
If you’ve been training for a few years, your physique probably resembles that of many intermediate lifters: moderate muscle development with around 20% body fat. While it may seem lackluster, this level of fitness is already better than 90% of the general population, but it's natural to want more.
The problem with this physique is that it leaves you in a sort of “no man’s land”—not muscular enough to look like a professional bodybuilder, and not lean enough to have muscle definition. This can be a frustrating place to be, especially when the effort you put into training doesn’t seem to reflect in your appearance.
For those who find themselves in this situation, there are two primary paths to achieve a more impressive physique:
Bulk Up: Increase muscle development while trying to stay around 20% body fat. This approach, often referred to as "going bear mode," focuses on building size.
Get Lean: Improve muscle definition by losing fat while maintaining or slightly increasing muscle mass.
The ShredSmart Program is designed to help individuals pursue the second path—getting lean. This approach enhances your appearance by defining the muscle you already have, and also sets a solid foundation for a future bulk to build more size.
The ShredSmart Program Overview
Nutrition and Training Guide: The ShredSmart book provides a comprehensive guide on nutrition and training to help you build and maintain muscle. The key to successful weight loss is creating an energy deficit, but to ensure you lose fat and not muscle, it's crucial to focus on how you train and your daily protein intake. The book details how to set your calorie and protein intake and how to track them using a food scale and nutrition app. This ensures your body has the necessary fuel and amino acids to repair and grow muscle tissue.
Training
Maintaining or improving muscle size and strength requires consistent weight training. ShredSmart offers six training splits to accommodate various preferences and time constraints:
4x Full Body
4x Upper-Lower
4x Push-Pull-Legs
4x Leg, Push, Pull, Full Body
3x Full Body
3x Upper, Lower, Upper
These routines are based on the latest research, ensuring optimal volume, frequency, effort, rest periods, and progression.
Why the Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body Split is Effective
One of the sample programs in ShredSmart is the 4x per week Legs, Push, Pull, Full Body routine. This program, along with the other five routines, is accessible via Boostcamp.
Balanced Workload
The Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body split is an effective training routine because it distributes the workload evenly throughout the week. By focusing on specific muscle groups each day, this split allows for ample recovery time while still providing frequent stimulation to each muscle group.
Push Day: Targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. This includes exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions. By focusing on pushing movements, you ensure that these muscle groups are worked thoroughly.
Pull Day: Focuses on the back and biceps with exercises such as pull-ups, rows, and bicep curls. Pulling movements are essential for building a strong and balanced upper body, which helps in overall muscle development and functional strength.
Leg Day: Dedicated to lower body exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts. This is crucial for building powerful legs and enhancing overall athletic performance. Training the legs also has a systemic effect, promoting overall muscle growth due to the large muscle mass involved.
Full Body Day: Incorporates exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This could include compound movements like deadlifts, clean and press, and pull-ups. A full-body workout ensures that any muscles not adequately fatigued during the week get additional stimulation, leading to balanced development and increased calorie burn.
Recovery and Adaptation
One of the key benefits of the Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body split is the optimal recovery it provides. By giving each muscle group a full day of rest before working it again, you allow for sufficient recovery and adaptation. This reduces the risk of overtraining and helps prevent injuries, ensuring that you can maintain consistency in your training.
Versatility
The Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body split is highly versatile and can be adjusted to fit different schedules and preferences. For those with limited time, the program can be modified to include fewer sessions per week, while still covering all major muscle groups. For example, a three-day split might combine push and pull exercises into one session, followed by legs and then a full-body workout.
Full Body Program Variations
In addition to the Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body split, ShredSmart offers full body program variations:
3x per week full body program: Ideal for those who have limited time but still want to ensure they work every major muscle group multiple times per week. This program typically involves compound movements that target several muscle groups at once, making each workout efficient and effective.
4x per week full body program: Provides more frequency and volume, which can be beneficial for muscle growth and strength. This variation allows for more detailed attention to different muscle groups while maintaining a holistic approach to training.
Progression Guide
A crucial aspect of any training program is progression. The ShredSmart Program includes two primary methods for progression: Multi-Set Double Progression (MSDP) and Wave Loading Linear Progression (WLLP).
Multi-Set Double Progression (MSDP)
This method involves increasing the weight once you hit the top of the rep range for all sets of an exercise. It ensures that you are continually challenging your muscles and promoting growth.
Example:
Week 1: 8 x 70 kg, 7 x 70 kg, 7 x 70 kg
Week 2: 8 x 70 kg, 8 x 70 kg, 8 x 70 kg (add weight)
Week 3: 7 x 72.5 kg, 7 x 72.5 kg, 7 x 72.5 kg
Week 4: 8 x 72.5 kg, 7 x 72.5 kg, 7 x 72.5 kg
Continue until reaching 3 sets of 8 reps
Wave Loading Linear Progression (WLLP)
This technique increases intensity (weight) and reduces volume (reps) over a month, then returns to the initial rep count with a higher load.
Example:
Month 1:
Week 1: 8, 8, 8 x 70 kg
Week 2: 7, 7, 7 x 72.5 kg
Week 3: 6, 6, 6 x 75 kg
Week 4: 8, 8, 8 x 72.5 kg
Month 2:
Week 5: 7, 7, 7 x 75 kg
Week 6: 6, 6, 6 x 77.5 kg
Week 7: 6, 6 x 6 (deload)
Week 8: 8, 8, 8 x 75 kg
More Workout Programs
When it comes to finding more workout programs, the Boostcamp App is the best place to look is the Boostcamp App.
Boostcamp offers over 50 free workout programs written by renowned coaches, but you can also choose to create and customize your own workout program to your needs and likings!
Conclusion
The ShredSmart Program provides a structured and research-backed approach to achieving a leaner, more defined physique while maintaining muscle mass. It offers flexible training options and detailed nutritional guidance, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to “look like they lift.” By focusing on fat loss and muscle maintenance through precise nutrition and effective training splits like the Push/Pull/Legs/Full Body routine, ShredSmart sets the stage for sustainable and impressive results. Whether you're aiming to shed fat or build muscle, this program can help you navigate the journey with confidence and clarity.
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