Combining Fortitude and CTP Training

The six months it took me to truly recover from overtraining has proven to be a blessing in disguise. This situation forced me to reevaluate how I structured my training to maximize stimulation while making recovery an absolute priority. I was fortunate enough to receive some help and insight from David Allen and Scott Stevenson that I am very thankful for. If you have not read Scott’s eBook Fortitude Training I would highly recommend it, as it has proven to be an invaluable resource in creating my own training program. The training program I have created focuses on training frequency with a push/pull structure throughout the week. The program implements a variety of different stimuli to target each different avenue of potential muscular growth.

---

RECENT: Carbohydrates and Cortisol Control: Rediscovering Passion

---

Each training cycle consists of a three-week blast followed by a one-week cruise. After the one-week cruise is done you will begin a new training cycle.

Training Cycle

Week 1: Base Plan Week 2: Introduce Intensity Techniques (Partials, iso holds, static pulses, stretches, occlusion, etc.) Week 3: Introduce Bands Week 4: Cruise

• Loading Sets – Focus is on progression overload throughout the training cycle. Reps fall in the typical hypertrophy range of 6-12.
• Pump Sets – High rep range (15-30), Supersets, Tri-sets, Giant Sets. The goal is to create metabolic stress.
• Rest Pause – DC Style (Max reps, rest 10-30 secs, repeat two more times) or Muscle Rounds (Six sets of four with a 10-second rest in-between sets). Rest pause training will stimulate muscle growth with a combination of high mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and progressive overload.

Blast Training Structure

Day 1: Pump Sets for Chest, Front/Side Delts, and Triceps. Loading Sets for Quads and Calves. Day 2: Pump Sets for Back, Rear Delts, and Biceps. Loading Sets for Hamstrings. Day 3: Loading Sets for Chest, Front/Side Delts, and Triceps. Pump Sets for Quads and Calves. Day 4: Loading Sets for Back, Rear Delts, and Biceps. Pump Sets for Hamstrings. Day 5: Rest Pause for Chest, Front/Side Delts, Triceps, Quads, and calves. Day 6: Rest Pause for Back, Rear Delts , Biceps, and Hamstrings. After each blast I implement a one-week cruise. During this week cruise you only train twice, repeating the rest pause days.

---

RELATED: How I Use CTP Training to Force Frequency and Intensity

---

I have found that incorporating a one-week cruise after three weeks of hard training six days a week has prevented me from experiencing the negative associations that are typically seen with overtraining. I am able to train with intensity and passion during every session, which ultimately has made this fun for me again.

Example of Week One — Base Plan

Day 1

Pump Sets for Chest, Front/Side Delts, and Triceps. Loading Sets for Quads and Calves Chest: Tri-Set

• Dumbbell Bench, 8 Reps
• Machine Fly, 12 Reps
• Neutral Grip Hammer Press, 8 reps

Three rounds, three-minute break between each round. Shoulders: Superset

• Dumbbell Side Lateral Partials, 30 reps
• Over and Backs, 10 reps

Two rounds, two-minute break between each round. Triceps: Superset

• EZ Bar Pushdowns, 12 reps
• Seated Overhead Rope Extensions, 15 reps

Two rounds, two-minute break between each round Quads: Loading Set — Zig Zag Move between two loading movements. The first movement is a compound movement and the second movement is an isolation movement.

• Leg Press, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Leg Extension, 12 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Disclaimer: You may experience fatigue between movements, so reps may decrease, keep load the same as long as reps do not fall lower than six. Three rounds. Calves: Seated Calf-Raises, 3 sets 10 with 10-second hold at top of last rep.

Day 2

Pump Sets for Back, Rear Delts, and Biceps. Loading Sets for Hamstrings Back: Tri-Set

• One Arm Supinated Pulldown, 8 reps
• Wide Grip Pulldown, 8 reps
• Arc Pulldown, 8 reps

Three rounds, three-minute rest between rounds. Rear-Delts: Superset

• Reverse Flys, 30 reps
• Spider Crawls, 30 seconds.

Two rounds, two-minute rest between rounds. Biceps: Superset

• Preacher Curls, 8 reps
• Reverse Curls, 10 reps

Two rounds, two-minute rest between rounds. Hamstrings: Loading Sets — Zig Zag

• RDLs, 8 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• GHR, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Three rounds.

Day 3

Loading Sets for Chest, Front /Side Delts, and Triceps. Pump Sets for Quads and Calves Chest: Loading Set — Zig-Zag

• Flat Dumbbell Press, 8 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Machine Flys, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Three rounds. Shoulders: Loading Set — Zig-Zag

• Dumbbell Overhead Press, 8 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds

Three rounds. Triceps: Loading Set — Zig-Zag

• Rope Pushdowns, 12 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Dips 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Three rounds. Quads: Giant Set

• Front Squats, 8 reps
• Leg Press, 10 reps
• Hack Squat, 6 reps
• Leg Extensions 8 reps

Three rounds, three-minute break between rounds. Calves: Superset Donkey Calf Raise, 20 reps Bodyweight raise, squeeze two seconds at the top of each rep for 10 reps Three rounds, two-minute break between rounds.

Day 4

Loading Sets for Back, Rear Delts, and Biceps. Pump Sets for Hamstrings Back: Loading Set — Zig-Zag

• One-Arm Supinated Hammer Row, 8 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Cable Pulldown, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Single Arm Pulldown, 12 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Three rounds. Rear delts: Loading Set Dumbbell Reverse Flys, 12 reps. Three rounds, 90 seconds rest Biceps: Loading Set — Zig-Zag

• Easy Bar Curls, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Hammer Curls, 10 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds
• Preacher Curls, 8 reps
• Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat.

Two rounds. Hamstrings: Giant Set

• Leg Curls, 10 reps
• Dumbbell Stiff Leg, 8 reps
• Smith Lunge, 8 reps
• Smith Squat, 6 reps — hips open, feet out.

Three rounds, three-minute rest between rounds.

Day 5

Rest Pause for Chest, Front/Side Delts, Triceps, Quads, and Calves

• DC-Style Rest Pause — Every rest-pause set is done with three failure points. A hypothetical incline barbell bench press 11 to 15-rep set would start with eight reps to failure, rack the weight, take 30 seconds rest, unrack, two to four reps to failure, rack the weight, take 30 seconds rest, unrack, and a final one or two reps to failure.
• Muscle-Rounds – A muscle round consists of six sets of four repetitions with only a 10-second rest in-between each set. Each muscle round should only have one failure point.

Chest: Rest Pause. Incline barbell press: Build up to heavy set of 8 reps then do one DC-Style rest pause set. One round. Machine Hammer Press: Muscle round six sets of four reps with a 10-second rest. Two rounds, take a two-minute rest between rounds. Shoulders: Rest Pause Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises — Build up to heavy set of 15 then do DC-style rest pause sets. Finish each set with partials to failure. Two rounds, take a two-minute rest between rounds. Triceps: Rest Pause Rope Pushdowns — Build up to a heavy set of 15 reps, then perform DC-style rest pause sets. Finish each set with partials to failure. Two rounds, take a two-minute rest between rounds. Rest-Pause Skull Crushers from the Floor — Build up to a heavy set of 15, then perform DC-Style rest- pause. Two rounds, take a two-minute rest between rounds. Quads: Rest Pause Hack Squats — Build up to heavy set of 8 reps, then perform a DC–style rest pause set. One round. Do multiple feeder sets to reach your hard set of 8. Single-Leg Extension — Muscle rounds, six sets of four, alternating leg rests while the other works. Two rounds, two-minute rest between rounds. Calves: Rest Pause Standing Calf Raises — 8 reps, 4 reps, 2 reps with 10 second rest in-between. Three rounds, rest two minutes between rounds.

Day 6

Rest Pause for Back, Rear Delts , Biceps, and Hamstrings Back: Rest Pause Dumbbell Rows — Work up to a relatively heavy set of 10 reps, then perform a muscle round of six sets of four reps. One side rests while the other works. One round. Wide Grip Pulldowns — Work up to heavy set of 10 reps, then perform one DC-style rest-pause set. Single Arm Pulldowns— Work up to heavy set of 8 reps, then perform one DC-style rest-pause set. Rear delts: Rest Pause Reverse Flys — DC-style rest-pause with reps totaling 35-45. Two rounds, rest two minutes between rounds. Biceps: Rest Pause EZ Bar Curl — Work up to heavy set of 10, rest-pause set of 8 reps, 4 reps, 2 reps, with 10-second rest period. One round. Preacher Curls — Work up to heavy set of 10, rest pause set of 8 reps, 4 reps, 2 reps, with 10 second rest period. One round. Hammer Curls — Work up to heavy set of 10, rest pause set of 8 reps, 4 reps, 2 reps, with 10-second rest period. One round. Hamstrings: Rest Pause Lying Leg Curl – Work up to a heavy set of 15, then perform DC-style rest pause and finish with 25 partials. Three rounds, three-minute rest between rounds.