Full-Body APRE Strength Challenge

Full-body training for huge strength gains? Absolutely! This 3-week program proves it.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

If you think full-body training only works for fat loss and overall health and fitness, think again. Training all major muscle groups in every workout can be just as beneficial for maximizing strength gains.

Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you with my brand new 3-week Full-Body APRE Strength Challenge, the next installment in my Train With Jim series.

This program is guaranteed to boost your weights on the bench press, squat, and deadlift, not to mention rows, curls, and just about every other movement for all major muscle groups. All that while getting you leaner and building you more muscle.

Give me three weeks and I’ll give you RESULTS you won’t believe and a whole new appreciation for full-body training.

APRE Rundown

The program I’ve created here combines whole-body training, linear periodization, APRE (short for "Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance Exercise"), and progressive overload. The protocol adjusts the weight you use EVERY workout based on your strength levels for that day – hence, autoregulated. Research shows that this style of training improves strength gains better than a standard linear periodized program.

I've incorporated the basic parameters of APRE into this program: 4 sets per exercise, the last two of those taken to failure; weight selection based off of rep maxes (RM); the weight on the fourth set being based off how many reps you did on the third set. But let's get down to more of the nitty gritty details here as they pertain to my version of this classic training style...

My Full-Body APRE Strength program is a linear periodization scheme using weekly microcycles. That means every week the weight you use gets heavier – starting at 10 reps per set in Microcycle 1 (Week 1); then increasing the weight in Microcycle 2 (Week 2) and doing sets of 6 reps; and then increasing the weight again in Microcycle 3 (Week 3) to decrease reps to 4 per set.

Week 1: Use your estimated 10RM on all exercises

Week 2: Use your estimated 6RM on all exercises

Week 3: Use your estimated 4RM on all exercises

Unlike a typical APRE scheme, there are six workouts each week in my program, but only three different full-body workouts (consistent with a standard APRE plan). Workout 1 focuses on deadlifts, Workout 2 focuses on the bench press, and Workout 3 focuses on squats. You'll repeat each workout twice for the week to fully appreciate the required weight changes on different days; the only way to do that is to repeat the same exercise with the same weight and prescribed rep range.

That being said, don’t fret if you have to switch up exercises due to travel or other reasons (since, after all, it's the holiday season). In an ideal situation, try to use the same exercises for each of the repeated workouts as best you can, especially if your main goal is maximizing strength on a particular lift.

Do any version you like of the exercises I list in the program – and that includes the three big lifts. For example, you can do standard barbell deadlifts, hex bar deadlifts, or even dumbbell deadlifts. Use whatever version works best for you and what you have access to. If you can keep that version the same for both workouts each week, and for all three weeks, great. But if you can't, don’t worry, as long as you do some version of each one.

Whereas a standard periodized training program typically calls for a certain bump in weight on a predetermined schedule (not factoring in how an individual is performing on a given day), APRE training allows for lighter weight to be used on days where strength is low, or for more weight on days when strength is particularly high. In other words, it helps you better find the weight that’s right for you for THAT day. If you go the gym and notice your Pre JYM kicked in super strong, you can bump up the weight accordingly. On the other hand, if you’re feeling off and/or you're training with a hangover (hey, it happens!), you can properly back off.

Here are the guidelines you'll use to determine whether to back off or rev up the right way (the hallmark of APRE training)...

Week 1 – First, guesstimate your 10-rep max (10RM) for each exercise. On set 1 of a given exercise, use 50% of that weight and do 10 reps. On set 2, use 75% of the weight and do 10 reps. On set 3, use 100% of the weight (your estimated 10RM) and do as many reps as you can. Just one more set to go, but set 4 is a bit "fluid."

The scheme I've just described may sound like the DeLorme Ascending Pyramid Method. However, there's a twist, and a scientific one at that. The weight you use on set 4 depends on how many reps you completed on set 3 – this is where the autoregulation comes into play. The more reps you were able to complete on set 3 (meaning, you're strong that day), the heavier you'll go on set 4. Here are the guidelines to follow to make sure you pick the right weight for that day...

If you can do 9-11 reps on set 3, keep the weight the same on set 4. If you can complete 12-13 reps, increase the weight by about 5-10 pounds. If you can do 14 or more reps, add about 10-15 pounds. However, if you completed 8 reps or less on set 3, reduce the weight by 5-10 pounds for set 4.

The basis of this protocol is the same for Weeks 2 and 3, only with heavier weights...

Week 2 – Guesstimate your 6-rep max (6RM) for each exercise. On set 1, use 50% of that weight and do 6 reps. On set 2, use 75% of the weight and do 6 reps. On set 3, use 100% of the weight and do as many reps as you can. If you can do 5-7 reps on set 3, keep the weight the same on set 4. If you can complete 8-10 reps, increase the weight by about 5-10 pounds on set 4. If you can do 11 or more reps, add about 10-15 pounds. If you can only get 4 reps or less, reduce the weight by 5-10 pounds on set 4.

Week 3 – Guesstimate your 4-rep max (4RM) for each exercise. On set 1, use 50% of that weight and do 4 reps. On set 2, use 75% of the weight and do 4 reps. On set 3, use 100% of the weight and do as many reps as you can. If you can do 3-5 reps on set 3, keep the weight the same on set 4. If you can complete 6-7 reps, increase the weight by about 5-10 pounds. If you can do 8 or more reps, add about 10-15 pounds. If you can only get 1 or 2 reps on set 3, reduce the weight by 5-10 pounds on set 4.

But that's not all there is to it. Set 4 for all exercises gets some added intensity with my rendition of APRE...

Weeks 1-3 (all weeks, all workouts) – After you hit failure on set 4, drop the weight to the 50% weight used on set 1, plus or minus the weight adjustment made in set 4. Take that to failure (one drop set) and finish with a rest-pause set.

Rest Periods: Rest 60 seconds or less between sets 1 and 2. Then, rest as short or as long as you like between the rest of the sets.

After you've completed Week 3 (three microcycles), I'll be introducing the next full-body Train With Jim program. However, if you're digging this APRE program and want to keep building on the results, you can repeat Weeks (Microcycles) 1-3 to see how much more weight you can now use for those 10-rep, 6-rep, and 4-rep sets. More weight done for the same number of reps typically leads to greater gains in muscle size, not just strength. If you choose to do this, the Full-Body APRE Strength Challenge becomes a 6-week program that lays out like this:

Week 1: Use your estimated 10RM

Week 2: Use your estimated 6RM

Week 3: Use your estimated 4RM

Week 4: Use your estimated 10RM

Week 5: Use your estimated 6RM

Week 6: Use your estimated 4RM