In theory, weight training is fairly simple. You lift weights. You build muscle. You burn fat. You see results. However, if it was that easy, we’d all have the bodies we want, right? The trap many folks fall into when it comes to weight training is getting stuck in the same ol’ routine:
- Monday is leg day.
- Tuesday is back and chest day.
- Wednesday is shoulders and arms day.
- Thursday is another leg day.
- Friday you hit abs and calves, and so on.
While the muscle groups may change each day, the exercises, reps, and weights we use stay the same week in and week out. Couple that with a diet plan that “everyone is doing” for building muscle and losing fat, and the results are often mediocre at best.
If your goal is to get cut, the Renaissance Periodization program will get you there. [Photo courtesy of Shutterstock]
The Classics, Redefined
Enter Renaissance Periodization, a new twist on old-school bodybuilding and physique training, coupled with a more individualized approach to nutrition, to help people keep their training progressive and results-oriented.
Renaissance Periodization is a concept developed by trainer Nick Shaw, a competitive powerlifter, bodybuilder, and coach who wanted to reach the masses with a cost-effective, results-oriented program after hitting a ceiling on his number of personal training clients.
Shaw created what is now known as the Renaissance Diet and “RP” training templates, launching the first nutrition and workout template in February 2015. Shaw noted:
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and what a lot of people miss out on when looking at a workout program or someone else’s diet is actually on what their body needs. That’s why templates and nutrition are based around a person’s current weight and goals (mass gain or leaning out).”
Recently, RP developed a training program specifically for women: RP Female Physique Training. Women can choose from a training regime of 3-6 days per week, containing a total of four 5-week-long training cycles, and once the 20 weeks are up, go right back through them with a completely different set of exercises and movements for each prescribed day. Shaw noted:
“You can keep on training with these templates for years because it allows you to choose the exercise you want to do for each prescribed movement in your weekly routine, such as a close-grip bench press, wide-grip bench press, push-up, low incline dumbbell press or flat dumbbell press for a ‘horizontal push’.”
The results? No matter which template you choose, as with most things in training, if you stick with anything that is progressive for long enough, you should see results.
A Peek Inside the Program
Here is part of a week’s worth of “RP Female Physique, Basic Hypertrophy Training,” coupled with a small female’s diet template if your aim is “lean muscle gain.”
Day 1: 2 Sets x 10 Reps
- Medium-grip bench press
- Incline dumbbell flye
- Standing barbell shoulder press
- Cable overhead tricep extension
- Dumbbell rear lateral raise
- Leg press
- Lying leg curl
Day 2: 2 Sets x 10 Reps
- High bar squat
- Barbell walking lunge
- Stiff-legged deadlift
- Deficit deadlifts
- Calves on calf machine (complete 4 sets)
- Incline dumbbell press
- Wide-grip pulldown
- Hanging leg raise
Day 3: 2 Sets x 10 Reps
- One-Arm dumbbell row
- Underhand EZ row
- Wide-grip pull-up
- Cable upright row
- Dumbbell hammer curl (complete 4 sets)
- Lying leg curl
- Front squat
Continue for a sample RP nutrition template and meal schedule.
Nutrition Template
Choose from any of the following for each of your prescribed macros.
Lean Protein Sources
- Any fish (tuna, salmon, etc.)
- Any seafood (shrimp, scallops, etc.)
- Chicken breast
- Turkey breast
- Any beef 90% or leaner
- Any steak 90% or leaner
- Any turkey 90% or leaner
- Egg whites or egg substitute (2 egg whites = 1oz meat)
- Note: 2oz = 12g protein, 3oz = 18g protein, 4oz = 24g protein, 5oz = 30g protein, 6oz = 36g protein, 7oz = 42g protein.
Veggies
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Green Peppers
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Green Beans
- Portobello mushrooms
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
- Note: 1 small handful = 1 cup
Healthy Fats
- Small handful of nuts
- ½ avocado
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 2 Tablespoons any natural nut butter
- Note: 1 serving approx = 15g fat
Healthy Carbs
- Whole grain bread
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat pasta
- Oatmeal
- Sweet potatoes
- Quinoa
- Any fruit
Workout Shake Carbs
- Gatorade
- Lemonade
- Fruit punch
- Kool Aid
- Any fruit juice
A meal like this could become a staple in your diet on the RP program [Photo courtesy of Shutterstock]
Sample Meal Schedule: “Hard Training Day” for Lean Muscle Gain
Note: The following is only part of the complete daily meal plan.
Morning Training Session
- Meal 1 (drink ⅓ of workout shake upon waking, ⅔ during workout): 15g whey protein in water + 50g workout carbs)
- Meal 2 (post-workout, 20 minutes after workout is over): 2-3oz lean protein, 1 small handful of greens, ½ serving healthy fats, 50g healthy carbs
- Meal 3 (2-4 hours after last meal): 2-3oz lean protein, 1 small handful of greens, 1 serving healthy fats, 50g healthy carbs
Sample Meal Schedule: “Light Training Day” for Lean Muscle Gain
Note: The following is only part of the complete daily meal plan.
Morning Training Session
- Meal 1 (drink ⅓ of workout shake upon waking, ⅔ during workout): 15g whey protein in water + 25g workout carbs
- Meal 2 (post-workout, 20 minutes after workout is over): 2-3oz lean protein, 1 small handful of greens, ½ serving healthy fats, 25g healthy carbs
- Meal 3 (2-4 hours after last meal): 2-3oz lean protein, 1 small handful of greens, 1 serving healthy fats, 25g healthy carbs
A Focused Approach
There is nothing magical about the RP program except that it takes the thought out of training and eating for many, allowing you to simply show up to the gym and do the work.
Pair solid training with a diet focused on ensuring you are eating enough of the right types of foods throughout the day (a caveat many fitness enthusiasts miss out on), and it’s no wonder so many RP clients are satisfied with outcomes.
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