0% found this document useful (0 votes)
79 views25 pages

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide. First Chapter

1) The document discusses the key factors of a good muscle training program, including volume, intensity, and frequency. 2) It is divided into chapters that cover topics such as body types, anabolism vs catabolism, examples of workouts, and natural competitions. 3) The author, Caio Bottura, shares his experience as a natural bodybuilder and how he uses his experience and knowledge to help others.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
79 views25 pages

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide. First Chapter

1) The document discusses the key factors of a good muscle training program, including volume, intensity, and frequency. 2) It is divided into chapters that cover topics such as body types, anabolism vs catabolism, examples of workouts, and natural competitions. 3) The author, Caio Bottura, shares his experience as a natural bodybuilder and how he uses his experience and knowledge to help others.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

1

INDEX

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


2

9
The Training Variables……………………………………………………..10
Volume...............................................................10
Intensity………………………………………………………………….13
Frequency.......................................................... 22

Chapter 2................................................................. 27

First Step.................................................... 27

Novato 29
Intermediate............................................................. 31

Advanced………………………………………………………………… 32
Biotypes.................................34
Second Step…………………………………………………………….. 39
Why I Do Not Recommend ABCDE............................ 40
Anabolism and Catabolism………………………………………………. 43
Natural vs. Hormonal
What is the Right Frequency?............................ 47
Examples of Workouts.......................................................... 49
Abdomen............................................................. 60

Third Step…………………………………………………………….. 65
Do I need to change my workout?
How many Exercises, Sets and Repetitions?............................ 68
Order of Exercises…………………………………………………….. 70
Fourth Step............................................................ 72

How Much Bulking/Cutting Time………………………………………. 75


Deload
Chapter 3.................................................. 84

Form Failure
Concentric and Total Failure……………………………………………….. 85
Why Not Train to Failure?........................... 86
Failure vs. Volume
Chapter 4 .................................................... 92

Chapter 5............................................................... 97
Benefits of Sleep............................................................ 98
Tips for Sleeping Better.................................................. 99

Chapter 6…………………………………………………………………….104

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


3

Chapter 7.........................................................110

Squat……………………………………………………………112
Supine……………………………………………………………………118
Land Survey.................................................................123

Chapter 8……………………………………………………………………. 132


Natural Competing.......................................................... 136

Appendix I…………………………………………………………………….145
Appendix II...............................................................149

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


4

NOTICE
All rights reserved. This book may not
to be reproduced in its entirety or partially. To
to make the acquisition of this material, the buyer informed the
your Individual Taxpayer Registry number (CPF) and any
situation of plagiarism or unauthorized sharing of this book
will be linked to this number and penalized with a fine and
other applicable actions.

The author is not responsible, directly or indirectly,


for any use of the information contained in this book.
The knowledge shared in this material is the result
of studies and personal experiences in the field of bodybuilding.
The aim is to clarify issues related to the subject.
for people who do not have training in the area and who wish
better understand how the weight loss process occurs
and/or gain of muscle mass.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


My name is Caio, and I decided to write this part in the first person.
even so, without making me seem like a celebrity or someone far removed from you
reality. First, I wanted to thank you for trusting my work and
acquire my book. I'm sure that if you are hungry for
knowledge just like me, will enjoy the content I prepared here.

I am an ordinary person, just like you. I like to socialize,


watching movies, eating, and reading books — nothing out of the ordinary, right?
I am 22 years old, and six years ago my life took a different turn. In
In 2010, I did an exchange to the island of Bermuda; a rock in the middle of
Atlantic (as defined by some of its inhabitants). There, I found the
my passion for the sport of bodybuilding, or bodybuilding to be more precise
specific. After spending my whole life training all the
different types of sports, I found myself: it was in the gym that
I was able to find my true identity. This exchange
changed my life, in general: I learned to speak English and be
independent in a country where the culture and language were totally
different from mine. That's why I changed a lot, matured ten years in one, and
I decided to pursue something many people are afraid of: my dreams.

In 2013, I moved to Ohio to pursue higher education and


trying to compete in bodybuilding. I knew that in the United States there was
much more opportunities in sports and, since I had just finished
to attend high school, what is the easiest way for me to move there, if not
as a student? After much studying and many tests, I was accepted
at the universities I chose and I secured some scholarships.

In my first year of college, I prepared for my


first natural bodybuilding competition (I didn't even imagine that this
it existed at the time, but I was very happy when I found out that it did) and

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


6

I placed fourth in three different categories. On that same day,


after talking to the jurors and hearing from them that if it weren't for the
my poses (very poorly done), I would have been able to come in first or
in second place I promised to come back and surprise you with my evolution in
the following year. Having experienced a stress never felt before, with a
restrictive diet (in foods and timings), I decided to change trainers, and that was when
that I discovered the flexible diet (the subject of my first book, "Diet
"Flexible and Weight Training"). A year later, I competed again and became a champion.
champion in all the same three categories in which he had placed in
fourth place, one year ago.

Today, I study Strength and Conditioning.


Conditioning, in Portuguese, at the University of Findlay. A course
focused on weight training. I have read hundreds, if not thousands of articles
(usually scientific) on the internet and I have a huge collection of books
in the area, which I read, reread, and study daily. Another hobby of mine is
listening to podcasts from experts in the field, which is another source of my
knowledge. With my knowledge acquired empirically,
practical and theoretical, I created a YouTube channel in mid-2014, and today I already
I have over 140 thousand subscribers on it. I created a blog (CoisasDeAtleta.com).
also for the publication of articles on training, diet, prevention of
injuries and everything related to the world of sports.

This book is the gathering of all my knowledge brought together in these


last six years, and aims to help you avoid making mistakes
that I made, and achieve good results without wasting hours, days, or even
years in the gym doing workouts and applying ineffective techniques. All the
material here is valid for men and women. The main source of
the knowledge I used to write this material is Eric's book
Helms called 'The Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid'
of muscle and strength training," in free translation). I have already had the great pleasure
to speak with Eric Helms and receive permission to use his content in

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


7

some of my articles, on my blog. Eric has a degree in Fitness and in


"Wellness" (Well-being) and has two post-graduate degrees: one in Science of
Exercise and another in Sports Nutrition. At the moment, he is completing
his Doctorate in "Strength and Conditioning" in New Zealand. Also
I had the pleasure of working with one of your colleagues, Andy Morgan, and
translate your book 'The Last Shred' into Portuguese. I hope this book
enrich your knowledge about the world of bodybuilding. Happy reading!

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


8

CHAPTER ONE - THE FOUNDATION OF A GOOD TRAINING

"Caio, what is the best workout for hypertrophy?" This may be


most frequent question I receive daily. And I don't blame anyone,
because unfortunately, the fitness industry misleads and ends up deceiving many
people. When I say 'to deceive', I mean that they make people
believe that by following the training protocol of their idols, they will have
miraculous results in a short time. There are dozens of methods of
training out there; just a quick search on Google and you will
you will find lost among so many options. Many of them are workouts
made by professional athletes who are constantly in the media, and in the
most of the time they end up being a marketing ploy or just a
my interpretation of the training of such people.

I'm not going to say that these workouts don't work, but understand that
they are developed for a very specific population. The best
there is no training; what exists is the best training for you at that moment
determined moment. That is, it depends on several factors, such as
goal, age, training duration, genetic disposition, activity level and
many others. The first factor to be assessed is your level of training:
beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Now, many people get confused here.
First, if you have been training for ten years but still don't know how to set up
a well-done workout, what is the correct form of compound exercises, what
what RPE means and how to manipulate the mesocycles to get stronger
improve the physique, not even reached the intermediate level (in my
opinion). But I think many are able to be honest with themselves.
to identify themselves with one of the categories. In this book, we are going to
adopt the idea that if you have been training for less than a year, you are a novice.
It doesn't matter if you have the most privileged genetics in the world and already ...

achieved unimaginable results in this time; in terms of potential


genetic, you are still a novice, and in terms of performance

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


9

(performance), is elite. This does not mean that, if you are a beginner, you do not
you will achieve good results and the body you desire. The biggest difference between
being a beginner, intermediate, or advanced is your ability to volume
training (the more advanced, the greater it will be), one of the three variables of
training.

THE TRAINING VARIABLES

You have probably heard of the three pillars of sport that


are training, diet, and rest. And yes, they are all essential if you
I wanted to achieve good results, but what I want to talk about in this book is HOW.
do this, especially the training part. There are three factors that
affect your training: the volume, the intensity, and the frequency. All
training needs to take these factors into account and combine them so that the
the best result is achieved. In the following pages, I will explain and
define each of these variables and provide recommendations about them. This
material may seem a little new and different from what you might expect
to imagine that it is; it is normal for people to generalize and simplify
many topics related to the gym, but now you will learn
what these terms are really about and how to incorporate them into your
routine.

VOLUME

The key to hypertrophy is volume and it has a linear relationship.


with strength and hypertrophy, that is, when the volume increases, your strength
and lean mass also increases [1,2].

Before diving into details on the subject, I would like to introduce


an analogy. To understand volume, you must understand the concept of
"progressive overload". This is the concept of increasing the volume over time.
the more volume, the more hypertrophy you will generate, because

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


10

the greater will be the stimulus of your training. So, imagine that you live in
times of ancient Greece, and you go out to hunt an animal every day
for dinner. The first animals you hunt will be small, as
you do not have the strength, or the muscles, necessary to carry animals
bigger until your house, still. As the years go by, you
can hunt bigger and bigger animals and carry them home without
a lot of effort. With that, your muscles will adapt and get
increasingly larger. If you kept hunting small animals, you
would probably not develop such strong muscles, due to the lack of
necessity. So, this is more or less what we think about when
we talk about 'progressive overload'. There are several ways to increase the
volume, I will explain them in this book. The image below serves to illustrate the
given example:

Volume can be defined in several ways, but for you


understand, I will define it as load x repetitions x sets. That is, the
amount of load moved per training session. This is the factor that most

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


11

stimulates hypertrophy. Remember: low volume can yield less


hypertrophy, but excessive volume can harm it even more, because
you enter overtraining. Another way to define volume would be by
number of repetitions per training session, but when we think this way,
it is very important to already combine volume with intensity. If you
If intensity were disregarded, one could measure volume with repetitions x
series. For example: if you do twelve repetitions on the bench press with thirty
Kilograms (total), the volume created is 360 kilograms. But if thirty kilograms is one
very light load, and you would be able to do eight repetitions with fifty
kilos, in this second example, the total volume produced would be four hundred
kilos.

Then you ask me, "but what is the difference?" In the first
for example, you completed a larger volume in terms of repetitions,
however, a smaller load volume. The key factor for hypertrophy is the
Load volume. In the mentioned example, the very light load does not provide the stimulus.
necessary for hypertrophy, and you stop recruiting the motor units
necessary to stimulate those muscle fibers. The load is the
amount of weight you use for a certain set, and it is
characterized as the most critical factor of resistance training [3,4,5,6].

Before you ask me: no, I am not saying to use


burdens that you cannot bear or burdens that force you to use your
muscles in a wrong and dangerous way to be able to lift them. The
form always comes first, that's how we avoid injuries and
we achieved the best activation of the target muscle. But the form is without load
it will not allow you to achieve the desired result. I just want to emphasize that
I am writing for natural athletes. You should always use a load.
challenging for you, and this can be five, ten, twenty, or forty
kilos. It all depends on your development throughout your
training. To understand a little better about the load and how
To manipulate it, we must understand the concept of intensity.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


12

Overtraining is something directly related to training volume.


At the beginning of your training with increased volume, your progress
it also increases, but there is a moment when if you continue
increasing the volume, your progress stagnates and then starts to decline.
This is due to the fact that your training-induced fatigue is greater than
that your good physical condition. Your performance in training is your
physical condition minus fatigue, and if the fatigue is greater, your
performance drops and worsens. Usually when you reach this point, it is
It's ideal to introduce a deload that lasts, on average, a week. In most cases
sometimes, it helps to reverse this and bring you back to the
balance, but if the problem is more serious, a longer period
rest and low training volume should be introduced [7].

INTENSITY

Intensity is another variable that should be manipulated in your


training, and the greatest determinant of intensity is the number of repetitions
what you can do with a certain load (this would be the version
(simplified). This happens because we have different types of fibers.
muscular, and we need to focus on those that generate more hypertrophy and which are
most used in anaerobic exercises (weight lifting), for what
we can have better performance within the gym and,
consequently, better results.

There are two most common ways to measure intensity.


Keep in mind that intensity is not about how breathless you become or
sweated during the workout, but rather the difficulty of each set of each
exercise. The first way, and the way that I use and will teach in this
book, it is adopting the RPE or RIR scale (I will explain them in detail in
brief) or adopting percentages of your 1RM.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


13

Before explaining the first one, I will briefly explain the second.
way. The 1RM in English means 'one repetition max', which in
portuguese would be 'a maximum repetition'. The 1RM is the maximum load with
that you can perform a repetition without losing the correct form
for a specific exercise. For example, my 1RM in the lift
the ground is 230 kilos. So, when I put more weight than that, I
generally I can't perform any repetition, or I do it in a way
inadequate and dangerous, and when I use less weight it probably stays
very easy and I can do more than one repetition. With this
information, I can schedule my training with percentages of my
1RM (in this case, for the deadlift as each exercise has its own
own 1RM). Here is an example:

Series %1RM Weight Repetitions


1 75% 172.5 kg 10
2 80% 184kg 8
3 85% 195.5 kg 6

In the table above, I am taking into account my 1RM of


230kg is just a basic example of how my sets could be.
I could choose to work with 78%, 83%, and increase by 10%
a series for another, instead of 5%. Now, I will present a table
what will be your standard, your guide for when to use percentages. It was
created for the general population and provides the number of repetitions that you
should be able to do for a certain percentage of your 1RM. This
it doesn’t mean she is perfect; maybe you can do more
repetitions with a lower percentage (e.g., 70%) than stated in the
table, and this may be because you have more muscle fibers of
slow contraction (type 1) and a greater resistance capacity. For this reason,

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


14

you may not be able to do the same number of repetitions for


high percentages (e.g., 95%). Here is the table:

% 1RM Number of Possible Repetitions


100% 1
95% 2
93% 3
90% 4
87% 5
85% 6
83% 7
80% 8
77% 9
75% 10
70% 11
67% 12
65% 15

This technique is more used by powerlifters, and I believe it should be


self-regulation has been implemented. Self-regulation is when you
self-assess during your warm-up. We know that there are days when
we feel super good and others in which we feel super weak and
tired. So, one day, 75% may seem like 80% or 70%. That's why,
some athletes find their 1RM of the day, that is, they train and lift the
loads until they reach the maximum load they can do that day and
then they use the percentages based on it. The problem with that is the
impact this has on the central nervous system. Training with weights
highs, and mainly finding your 1RM takes a lot of your energy and doing

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


15

doing this every day can have a very big impact on your CNS and leave
you are super fatigued and with a recovery ability far from ideal.

If you are training for strength (and I advise you to do so


even if the main goal is hypertrophy), the percentages of the load
They must be 85% of 1RM or higher, and the repetitions should be six or lower. If
the goal of the series for hypertrophy, the percentages will vary between 70% and
85% of 1RM, and the repetitions will be between six and twelve.

I talked so much about 1RM, but I believe that many of you do not
they know their own 1RM simply because they have never tested it. As a way
I will leave the 1RM test protocol here for any questions. In this protocol,
I incorporate some of the things I do, and I also used information.
excerpts from the "Essentials of Personal Training Symposium Workbook" [8]
Practical guide to the symposium on basic principles of
personal training

Before anything else, I believe you should raise the temperature.


this can be done in various ways; 5-10 minutes on the treadmill already
They help. Later you should do mobility work for the area.
worked on, to eliminate any tension or muscle irritation. You can
You can watch my lower limb mobility routine.
assist here

1RM TEST PROTOCOL

Warm up only with the bar, doing sets (1-2) of five repetitions.
how would you do if the bar were at maximum weight;

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


16

2. Use a weight with which you can do 5-8 repetitions


comfortably, without getting close to failure. Do a series with good
shape and with a lot of speed in the concentric phase. Perform the series
thinking that you are using your maximum load;
Estimate a weight that allows you to perform 3-5 repetitions.
increments of:
• 4-9kgs (total) or 5% to 10% for limb exercises
superiors
• 14-18kgs (total) or 10% to 20% for exercises for the limbs
inferiors
Rest for about two minutes;
Estimate a conservative weight that allows you to perform 2-3 repetitions
making increments of:
• 4-9kgs (total) or 5% to 10% for limb exercises
superiors
• 14-18kgs (total) or 10% to 20% for exercises for the limbs
inferiors
6. Rest for two to four minutes;
7. Increase the load by making increments of:
• 4-9kgs (total) or 5% to 10% for limb exercises
superiors
• 14-18kgs (total) or 10% to 20% for exercises for the limbs
inferior
8. Try to perform a repetition;
9. If you can, rest for four minutes or more (if you have been
difficult) or two minutes (if it was easy) and return to step 7. If
you couldn't do it, rest for five minutes and reduce the load by removing:
• 2-4kgs or 2.5% to 5% for upper limb exercises;
• 7-9kgs or 5% to 10% for lower limb exercises;
And try again

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


17

Now that you understand how to work with percentages,


let's talk about the RPE or RIR. The RPE scale allows athletes
better organize the volume and intensity of training. A good training
structured is that which generates more long-term results and preserves
your health, and not the most exhausting and tiring.

First of all, the acronym RPE stands for 'Rate of Perceived Exertion', the
Effort Rate
Perceived." The RPE is a scale in which you (yes, you yourself, that is why
it is different for each individual) determines numerically its
effort exerted (or stress generated by series) in each series of your
training. This
such as increased heart rate, etc.

The RPE scale was created in 1970 by Gunnar Borg, and it was
originally developed to determine the intensity in training of
resistance. The Borg scale is no longer very reliable for lifting
weight, as it takes into account activities such as 400m sprints, among
other things. In this way, it becomes difficult to compare a series taken to failure to
a different activity, like running. Usually, a serious approach to it.
A fault in squatting can have a different effect than running the most.
as quick as possible for twenty seconds.

At the beginning of the 21st century, this scale was modified for us.
weightlifting practitioners. The powerlifter from the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation)

Powerlifting), Mike Tuchscherer, modified the scale based on the


RIR scale ("Repetitions in Reserve", or in Portuguese: Repetições em
Reservation). In other words, at the end of a set, the athlete would indicate how many
repetitions believe that they could still do it with that weight, at that
same series. I, for example, can squat 150kg and
do eight repetitions, but I could manage to do ten (with difficulty and almost

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


18

failing or failing at the tenth repetition). So, my RIR for that


series would be 2.

Caio, why do you stop at the eighth repetition if you can do more?
you can ask me. If I intend to do four sets of ten on the
squatting with a load that is my 10RM (the maximum number of repetitions)
what I can do with this load is ten, that is, I would take my body to
failure in all series), my series will probably look like this:

1 x 10 (Failure)

1 x 8 (Failure)

1 x 7 (Failure)

1 x 6 (Failure)

"But didn't you say you can do ten with that load?" Yes,
but when you push your body to failure, especially in an exercise
like squats, you wear out your central nervous system. And
also harms your training volume, that is, you can't handle doing the
volume of what you need in that session. In the example above, I was able to
do 31 repetitions with the weight. If I did 4×8, I would be able to do 32.
and the most important thing, without wearing myself out for the rest of the training.

I'm not saying it should never lead to failure; for sure this
technique has its place in weight training but should be used
strategically and in the right place.

So an RPE 10 is equivalent to a RIR 0, an RPE 9 is equivalent to a RIR


1, and so on.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


19

Here is a table of the RPE scale taken from the book: "Muscle and Strength
Pyramids ("Muscle and Strength Pyramid", in loose translation), by Eric
Helms is translated by me

10 can't do more repetitions or increase the weight

9.5 you can't do more repetitions, can you increase


at least the load

9 can you do 1 more repetition

8.5 for sure you can do one more repetition, maybe two

8 Can you do 2 more repetitions?

7.5 I'm sure you can do 2 more repetitions, maybe 3.

7 can you do 3 more repetitions

5-6 can you do 4-5 more repetitions

1-4 very light load

Eric Helms and Dr. Zourdos studied the accuracy of this scale and
they concluded that it may be very effective in relating the intensity of the
training at the athlete's preparation level, and it is much more effective than the scale
Borg original to predict the 1RM of athletes. So as I said before, the
RPE for each load varies from individual to individual. For example,
100kg on bench press for ten repetitions could be an RPE 7 for me.
while for others it may be an RPE 10.

The usefulness of this scale is not just to maintain a better volume for
training session (one of the factors that most stimulates hypertrophy), but
also help with the self-regulation of your training session. Using the

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


20

RPE scale, you maintain the intensity of your workout by evaluating the sets.
by RPE, and not by the load that you always use. So, if one day you
is weaker (this can happen for various reasons such as a night
poor sleep, high stress, poor diet before training, etc.), a
a new load (lighter) should be used for the same RPE, that is, if
you were using 50kg on the leg extension machine in a set where the RPE is 8,
On this day you can use 45kg and the intensity will be maintained. That's because the load
The 45kg will have an intensity corresponding to an RPE of 8 due to its
condition.

The secret is for you to determine the RPE of each set of your workout.
when developing it. This way, you will be able to be more objective and
observe your daily performance and progress. But it may take some
months until you get used to this type of schedule - don't be eight or
eighty. If you can't properly assess the series or put it into practice
this concept is fine; new habits take time to be formed
developed. Just don't give up because I'm sure that if
If you take your training and progress seriously, you can benefit from the use.
of scales like these.

Strength gain and hypertrophy are usually achieved at intensities of


80-90% of your 1RM, so learn to manipulate the RPE so that you don't
hinder your training volume and your future training sessions.
Using the RPE, you will also be able to measure your progress from a
more objective way and see your strength gains, which will motivate you a lot,
because we all know that hypertrophy results are slow and
subjective, so having results like strength gains makes you more
motivated to keep training hard.

Of course, there are several other factors within intensity. For


example, it is directly linked to the volume. So, if your training
if you have high intensity, your volume capacity will be smaller, which

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


21

it can be counterproductive. Generally, hypertrophy training has a


moderate intensity with a higher volume.

FREQUENCY

And finally, the last variable is frequency. Frequency is the


number of times you stimulate a certain muscle. I could
write thousands of things and cite hundreds of studies on frequency,
to put it simply, more frequency leads to more hypertrophy (this applies
only natural athletes and you do not need/should not train the same muscle
every day, as rest is necessary for hypertrophy). And I will enter
but I will delve deeper into this subject in the next chapters. It is important to remember

that a higher frequency causes a greater weekly volume for


determined muscle, but it is not necessarily the same volume by
session. For example, if you train chest once a week, and your volume of
training is 3,000 kilos, that is 3,000 kilos per week. But if you
train chest 2 times a week with a volume of 2,000 kilograms per
session, this amounts to 4,000 kilos per week, so that your
frequency and volume would be greater, generating more hypertrophy. It is always
it's better to think about the week than about each day, as the changes in
our bodies are very small in 24 hours, so we generally
we use the seven-day period when we talk about training, hypertrophy, diet
and calories.

A novice does not need to worry much about this; a program


a well-structured four-day-a-week training program is already sufficient for
good results. And when the time comes to increase the volume, he will have
the flexibility to add another day to your program, if you do not want to
make your sessions very long. So, if you are a novice, it is very
good that you are learning all the concepts listed in this book, but
don't get too attached to them, as you will be able to progress easily
without being too detailed.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


22

A systematic review was conducted by Wernborn and other colleagues in


2007 [9], in which they analyzed all studies on volume,
frequency and intensity (the three variables that affect training) and its
relationship with muscle growth. From this, the
VIF recommendations (volume, intensity, and frequency). These
recommendations also take into account strength, as a muscle more
strong has the potential to generate more strength.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Volume: 40-70 repetitions per muscle group per session

Note: if you are a strength athlete, the warm-up sets are more
heavy ones can be included.

Intensity: 1-15RM (rep max, that is: the maximum number of repetitions)
what you can do with that load) it must be like you train at
most of the time.

Note: for hypertrophy, 1/3 – 1/4 of your training should be in 1-6RM, and the
rest, in 6-12RM. The opposite applies to powerlifters.

Frequency: Train each muscle group 2-3 times a week (that's why I
I hate the ABCDE workout

40-70 repetitions per muscle group per session and 2-3 times per week.
a week corresponds to 80-210 repetitions per muscle group per
week.

It is important to reinforce that recommendations should not be taken lightly.


as an absolute truth. You can do more repetitions, use a

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


23

different intensity, and train at a higher or lower frequency. But


for the majority of the population, these numbers will work very well, the
principle. I have done several workouts with a much larger volume myself, this
because after years of training I understand that some groups
muscles in my body need more volume and have the ability
to endure more.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


24

REFERENCES:

1. Robbins, D.W., P.W. Marshall, and M. McEwen, The effect of training volume
on lower-body strength. J Strength Cond Res, 2012. 26(1): p. 34-9.

2. Radaelli, R., et al., Dose-response of 1, 3, and 5 sets of resistance exercise on


strength, local muscular endurance, and hypertrophy. J Strength Cond Res,
2015. 29(5): p. 1349-58.

3. Fleck, SJ, and Kraemer, WJ. Designing Resistance Training Programs. 4th ed.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1-62, 179-296, 2014.

4. McDonagh, MJN, and Davies, CTM. Adaptive response of mammalian skeletal


muscle to exercise with high loads. Eur J Appl Physiol 52:139-155, 1984

5. Pauletoo, B. Intensity. NSCA J 8(1):33-37, 1986

6. Stone, MH, and O’Bryant, HS. Weight Training: A Scientific Approach.


Minneapolis: Burgess, 104-190, 1987.

7. Helms, E. (n.d.) The Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid.

8. Earle, RW. Weight training exercise prescription. In Essentials of Personal


Training Symposium Workout. Lincoln, NE: NSCA Certification Commission, 3-
39, 2006.

9. Wernbom, M., J. Augustsson, and R. Thomee, The influence of frequency,


intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional
area in humans. Sports Med, 2007. 37(3): p. 225-64.

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura


25

APPENDIX II

I honestly hope that the book has been helpful and that you can achieve the
desired outcomes after applying your new knowledge gained from it.
I haven't started my coaching job yet because I intend to graduate.
First, but I suggest you read my blog and watch my videos if you
Did you like my content here? There you will be able to deepen your knowledge.
and learn a little more about my work by following me on social media
You will also be able to interact with me and know when I start.
consultancies.

MY SOCIAL MEDIA:

@botturacaio
Twitter:@botturacaio
Facebook: facebook.com/botturacaio
Youtube: youtube.com/caiobottura
Padrim:padrim.com.br/caiobottura
athletethings.com

RELATED BOOKS THAT I RECOMMEND:

• Flexible Diet and Weightlifting


• "Get Fit" by Andy Morgan
• The Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid

Natural Bodybuilding - The Complete Training Guide Caio Bottura

You might also like