My General Fitness Program

Written By Ethan Shepard

You can do this program in almost any gym: commercial, hotel, or private. No special equipment is needed. It’s built for overall muscle growth with steady strength gains. If you’re injury-free and can move without pain, you’ll get excellent results. If you do have pain or injuries let’s get in touch!

How to work the sets:

  • Set 1: Choose a weight where you finish with about 4–6 reps left in the tank (Reps in Reserve, RIR).

  • Set 2: Add weight so you’re left with 2–4 RIR.

  • Set 3: Go heavier, aim to stop just 1 rep shy of failure. This is the money set. The first two sets are your ramp-up; the third is where most of the gains come from.

Adjusting on the fly:

  • If you finish a set and feel like you could’ve done many more reps, increase the weight.

  • Example: If Set 1 ends at 12 reps but you feel like you had 8 more in you, go heavier right away.

RIR & RPE quick guide:

  • RIR (Reps in Reserve): How many good reps you could still do after stopping/finishing the set.

  • RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): Scale of 1–10.
    10 = 0 RIR (failure, i.e. you could not complete your last attempt)

  • 9 = 1 RIR

  • 8 = 2 RIR

  • 7 = 3-4 RIR

Rest periods:
Take 90–150 seconds (1:30–2:30 minutes) of rest between sets that hit the same muscle. The program is arranged so you can alternate between different muscle groups, this way one group rests while you work another.

4-Day Hypertrophy Plan

Day 1 – Chest + Biceps

  • Bench Press – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Barbell/DB Curl – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Incline DB Press (or Smith)– 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Incline DB Curl – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Rotator Cuff ER (DBs) – 2×12–15
    2nd set have 1-2 RIR

Day 2 – Ant. Legs + Core

  • Squat – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Side Bend / Carry – 3×10–12/side
    same idea regarding RIR for each set, but the reps won't change so the weight won't change as drastically between sets.

  • Bulgarian Split Squat – 3×6–12

  • Hanging Leg Raise / Ab Rollout – 3×10–12

  • Copenhagen Plank – 3×Failure (timed)/side

Day 3 – Lats + Triceps

  • Row (pref. Machine / alt. Lawn mower) – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Overhead Triceps Extension/Dips – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Pull-Ups / Lat Pulldown – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Rope Pushdown – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Lateral Raises/ Rear Delt Ext. – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Deep Neck Flexor Chin Tuck + Lift – 3×Failure (timed)
    overtime progress with KB on brow of forehead, performing concentric neck flexion

Day 4 – Post. Legs + Shoulders/Traps

  • Romanian Deadlift – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Overhead Press – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Hip Thrust – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • BB Shrugs / Upright Row / Face Pull – 3×10-12, 8-10, 5-8

  • Rotator Cuff IR (DBs) – 2×12–15
    2nd set have 1-2 RIR

  • same idea regarding RIR for each set, but the reps won't change so the weight won't change as drastically between sets.

  • Copenhagen Squeeze – 2×12–15 w/weight (no weights then 2x7-8 RPE)
    2nd set have 1-2 RIR

  • same idea regarding RIR for each set, but the reps won't change so the weight won't change as drastically between sets.

Progression: micro load with 0.25 lb plates.

Efficient: Let’s say 2 mins per set and 2 mins per rest cycle that is 56 mins for a great, steady paced workout. That time is significantly cut if you work differing muscle group during rest periods instead.

Built-in resilience: cuff, adductors, and deep neck flexors trained weekly.

Ethan Shepard
Previous

Dry Needling v. Acupuncture