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John Defendis Training Routine
John Defendis is one of those bodybuilders who believes in volume training, serious volume. Over the years bodybuilding ideas, backed up by sports science recently has changed from the random achievement of muscle growth to the specific mechanisms that work.
On the one hand we've got experts like Mike Mentzner who proved that the high intensity training (HIT) that Arthur Jones from Nautilus was talking about worked for building muscle. On the other end of the scale there were people, with proof that increasing volume and lowering the weight builds muscle too.
Most people who train with weights to build muscle will be afraid of the radical change in training style, using significantly less weight is also not very popular with bodybuilders. But John Defendis took the whole thing a step farther, doing sets of 100 reps each.
This type of training is not for the faint of heart, it hurts like hell. The lactic acid build up generates a very painful burn. Unlike training with a heavy weight, completing additional reps because you're able to still move the weight intensifies the pain you feel.
The important part about even accepting a challenge of 100 reps in a set, you need to be fully aware that continuous use of a system like this will NOT build muscle. No-one trains with weights to look like a marathon runner. You should have been training with weights on a regular basis to build muscle for well over a year before doing 100's.
The idea of doing 100's started in the 1980's when bodybuilders would do 3 to 5 sets of 100 reps for each body-part to get great results. The important part was that it's only used for 3- 6 weeks. You should be warned that doing 100's for 3 weeks will lose some muscle size, because your muscle-fibers start to store energy for endurance and their girth doesn't expand.
However, you'll always see that when going back to any old routine after the 100's you were doing, then BAM, you suddenly experience a muscle growth period you last experienced first starting out your training as a novice. There are many arguments for doing 100's, one suggesting that very high rep training will allow more time during a set to concentrate on contractions, forging a better mind/muscle link.
Endurance weight training usually is completely foreign to regular weight training workouts, doing 100's it'll take you a few workouts building up your cardiovascular and muscular systems to build the required fortitude required to complete 100 reps without stopping.
You should first start by doing 20 to 30-rep sets each body-part, then you can jump up to 50 or 60-reps sets. Everyone is different, with a different genetic muscle fiber mix, if you feel comfortable and capable than go ahead an attempt 100 reps per after starting off with less reps in your subsequent workouts.
The last point is weight selection. We need to try and select a weight where we'll reach a point of complete muscle failure at 100, not before or after. It may require you to cheat a few reps, but that is not the point of this exercise pattern. Good form at all times is your priority; it therefore takes a while to get good at weight selection.
Sample 100 Rep John Defendis Workout
Day One:
Leg Extensions 1 x 50, 1 x 100
Squats 1 x 100
Leg Presses 1 x 100
Hack Squats 1 x 100
Leg Curls 1 x 50, 1 x 100
Stiff Legged Deadlifts 1 x 100
Standing Calf Raises 2 x 100
Seated Calf Raises 2 x 100
Hanging Leg Raises 2 x 50
Sit-ups 2 x 50
Day Two:
Bench Press1 x 50, 1 x 100
D/B Flyes 1 x 50
Incline Presses 1 x 100
Pec Deck Flyes 1 x 100
Military Press1 x 100
D/B Side Lateral 1 x 50
Front Raises 1 x 50
Rear Laterals 1 x 50
Upright Rows 1 x 100
Lying Extensions1 x 100
Press-downs 1 x 100
Overhead D/B Extensions 1 x 100
Day Three:
Pull-downs 1 x 50, 1 x 100
Bent-over Rows 1 x 50
Seated Rows 1 x 100
Pullovers1 x 100
Deadlifts 1 x 50
Hyperextensions 1 x 50
Barbell Curls 1 x 100
Dumbbell Curls 1 x 100
Preacher Curls 1 x 100
Reverse Curls 1 x 100
Wrist Curls 1 x 100
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Disclaimer: The information presented is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding any suggestions and recommendations made.