HeLiuM: 6-Day Full Body HLM

Helium is a Full Body HLM (Heavy/Light/Medium) program that’s designed to be run anywhere from 3-6 days per week. Having a busy and erratic schedule requires programming with great flexibility and that is the driving force behind this program. Structure: As mentioned, HeLiuM allows you to lift anywhere from 3 to 6 days per week. It’s written as follows: Week 1 1. Heavy 2. Light 3. Medium 4. Heavy 5. Light 6. Medium 7. Heavy Week 2 1. Medium 2. Light 3. Heavy 4. Medium 5. Light 6. Heavy 7. Medium Repeat It’s set up this way because every 3 day stretch MUST include either a Light workout OR a rest day, and this layout assures that’s possible. Your read that right - Light days are NOT required. If you prefer to do Heavy-Medium-Rest-Heavy-Medium-Rest you can certainly do that. You can also run is as Heavy-Light-Medium-Heavy-Light-Medium. You can even do Heavy-Rest-Medium-Rest-Heavy-Rest-Medium. The structure as it’s written allows all of these approaches and more, and also allows them to change from one week to the next based upon your schedule and availability. Each day will consist of 4-5 lifts and include both upper body and lower body work. HeLiuM utilizes supersets and giant sets for the vast majority of exercises, but these are incorporated only for time saving purposes and all exercises can be done separately if you so choose. Progression: Double Progression should be used for all lifts. When you’ve reached the top end of the rep range for an exercise (either on the first set, or on all sets - whichever you prefer) you’ll increase weight on that exercise next time you do it. For example, if you’re doing a Bench Press with 165 pounds and the Rep Range is 6-8, if you’re able to do 8 reps you’ll increase the weight to 170 pounds the next time you Bench Press. Notes: - If you don’t like, or can’t perform, a specific exercise, feel free to use an appropriate replacement. I’ll repeat - APPROPRIATE replacement. Don’t change a squat to a curl because it’s an entirely different body part, lol. Also be cognizant of whether you’re doing a Heavy, Light, or Medium day. A logical exercise on a Heavy day would be a Low Bar Squat. You could change this to a High Bar Squat or a Safety Bar Squat, but shouldn’t change it to a Goblet Squat or a Lunge (these would be more appropriate for a Light day). - Don’t mistake Heavy, Light, and Medium for effort levels. Heavy, Light, and Medium could be more accurately described as referring to the relative amount of stress the workout will incur. Effort level should be high every day. - HeLiuM can be repeated for as long as you’re progressing on it.