Hercules Workout: Build Raw Muscle And Strength

Brad Borland is a strength & conditioning specialist, cancer survivor and the founder of WorkoutLab.

Hercules: The Thracian Wars won’t pound its way into theaters until next summer, but you can’t help but to be in awe of all the Tweets Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has filtered out about this monumental movie. Between his behind-the-scenes movie pics and, more specifically, the training videos, you cannot help but get insanely motivated and super jacked about your own training.

This winter is the perfect time to pack on some serious, strong, raw muscle. Like Hercules, it will take a brutal plan that is not only effective but also savagely simple in execution. No overly complicated program here, just real, heavy strength training to pack on thick, sinewy muscle mass the Hercules way.

Most successful endeavors in life are simplistic in nature; hard work, discipline and dedication are the all-important common threads that run through all victorious outcomes. This Hercules-inspired training program will challenge you to go to war but will also try to bury you under the heavy weight and effort it requires. But you will prevail in the face of adversity and rise to this demanding test of will and determination and emerge with a thicker, stronger and more muscular physique. Time to go to war!

Rules of War

Building raw muscle and strength will require a few rules. Keeping with the simple theme, you will utilize some easy to implement tactics for significant gains.

Simple, compound movements are at the top of the list. The majority of the exercises will be in the form of multi joint moves so a large number of muscles will be stimulated instead of countless single joint moves. This will allow you to lift heavier without wasting your time on too many lighter exercises.  Big weight = big muscle.

Go heavy, then moderate, then heavier. This program will have you training with a low rep range for three weeks, then a moderate rep range for another three weeks, then back to a lower rep range. Too much time on the bottom of the rep ladder has the potential to cultivate burnout. The moderate “break” in the middle will keep your interest level up and injury-free.

Train three days per week. Whether it’s Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday be sure you are training on non-consecutive days with a day away from the weights in between. This will give you enough rest in between these brutal sessions – you’ll need it.

Do something different on rest days. If desired, take two rest days per week and do something fun and different. This could be circuit cardio with kettlebells, sled pulls/pushes or participate in your favorite sport such as shooting hoops with friends or casual activity like swimming, biking or hiking.

Always adhere to good form and technique and leave your ego at home.  Just because you are training with a heavy, basic program doesn’t give you the green light to swing and heave weights you have no business lifting. Be patient and the gains will come with proper and safe form and technique.

The Nine Week Hercules Muscle and Strength Program

For this nine week program your training will be split into three parts. As stated earlier, you will go hard and heavy for three weeks, throttle back on the weight for the next three weeks and then go back heavy for the final three weeks. By the last three weeks you should be lifting heavier than you did in the beginning of the program.

Don’t get the idea that the middle three-week phase is your hall pass to take it easy. The weights will be a bit lighter, but you will still go to failure with higher reps.

Weeks 1-3

Session 1
Weeks 1-3
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Squat	2x12	4	6-8	120
Flat Bench Barbell Press	2x12	4	6-8	120
Bent-Over Barbell Row	2x12	4	6-8	120
Barbell Upright Row	1x12	4	6-8	60
Seated Calf Raise	1x12	4	8-10	60
Floor Crunch		3	15	30

Session 2
Weeks 1-3
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Deadlift	2x12	4	6-8	120
Barbell Romanian Deadlift	2x12	4	6-8	120
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press	2x12	4	6-8	120
Standing Barbell Push Press	1x12	4	6-8	120
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press	1x12	4	6-8	60
Barbell Curl	1x12	4	6-8	60
Hanging Leg Raise		3	15	30

Session 3
Weeks 1-3
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Front Squat or Leg Press	2x12	4	6-8	120
Incline Bench Barbell Press	2x12	4	6-8	120
Medium-Grip Pull-Up or Dumbbell Row	2x12	4	6-8	120
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row	1x12	4	6-8	60
Standing Calf Raise	1x12	4	8-10	60
Incline Sit-Up		3	15	30

Weeks 4-6

Session 1
Weeks 4-6
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Deadlift	2x12	3	8-10	120
Dumbbell Row or Close-Grip Pull-Up	2x12	3	8-10	120
Incline Bench Barbell Press	2x12	3	8-10	120
Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral	1x12	3	8-10	60
Leg Press Calf Raise	1x12	3	10-12	60
Floor Crunch		3	15	30

Session 2
Weeks 4-6
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Squat	2x12	3	8-10	120
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press	2x12	3	8-10	120
T-Bar Rows	2x12	3	8-10	120
Standing Barbell Push Press	1x12	3	8-10	120
Dumbbell Curl	1x12	3	8-10	60
Parallel Bar Dip	1x12	3	8-10	60
Hanging Leg Raise		3	15	30

Session 3
Weeks 4-6
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Romanian Deadlift	2x12	3	8-10	120
Barbell Front Squat or Leg Press	2x12	3	8-10	120
Flat Bench Barbell Bench Press	2x12	3	8-10	120
Bent-Over Barbell Row	2x12	3	8-10	120
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	1x12	3	8-10	60
Incline Sit-Up		3	15	30

Weeks 7-9

Session 1
Weeks 7-9
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Squat	2x12	5	5	120
Flat Bench Barbell Press	2x12	5	5	120
Bent-Over Barbell Row	2x12	5	5	120
Barbell Upright Row	1x12	5	5	60
Seated Calf Raise	1x12	5	6-8	60
Floor Crunch		3	15	30

Session 2
Weeks 7-9
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Deadlift	2x12	5	5	120
Barbell Romanian Deadlift	2x12	5	5	120
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press	2x12	5	5	120
Standing Barbell Push Press	1x12	5	5	120
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press	1x12	5	5	60
Barbell Curl	1x12	5	5	60
Hanging Leg Raise		3	15	30

Session 3
Weeks 7-9
Exercise	Warm Up	Sets	Reps	Rest
Front Squat or Leg Press	2x12	5	5	120
Incline Bench Barbell Press	2x12	5	5	120
Medium-Grip Pull-Up or Dumbbell Row	2x12	5	5	120
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row	1x12	5	5	60
Standing Calf Raise	1x12	5	6-8	60
Incline Sit-Up		3	15	30