ISHP-3: Instinctive Strength & Hypertrophy

Unlock your potential with the ISHP-3: Instinctive Strength & Hypertrophy program, a comprehensive 8-week journey designed for those ready to elevate their training. Committing just three days a week, you'll engage in a balanced mix of compound and isolation exercises, targeting all major muscle groups with a focus on strength and hypertrophy. Expect to master foundational lifts like the squat and bench press while incorporating essential accessory movements to enhance overall muscle development. This program is perfect for anyone looking to build a solid physique and improve their lifting performance in a structured, effective manner.

ISHP-3: Instinctive Strength & Hypertrophy Progression (3-Day Cycle)

For the student with little time, for the dad who has no time, and for anyone who needs an effective, quick, and few-days-per-week routine.

Promote muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) by utilizing a high-frequency, high-intensity, low-volume approach to training. 

Based on a gradual increase in weight and controlled repetition ranges, which makes it ideal for beginners and intermediates who are still developing strength. The use of increments each week allows users to progressively overload their muscles without jumping too quickly into heavier weights.

Low Volume with High Frequency: Beginners often struggle with overtraining or improper technique when they use high-volume workouts. This program limits sets to 1-2 per exercise, ensuring that users focus on quality over quantity while getting the benefits of frequent stimulation.

1. Determine Your 1RM

Before starting, you need to know your 1RM for each of the major lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift, etc.). You can either directly test your 1RM or use an online 1RM calculator based on a weight you can lift for x reps.

2. Progression :

Weeks 1-2 (High Reps): Use 65-70% of your 1RM for 12-15 reps per set.
Weeks 3-4 (Moderate Reps): Use 75-80% of your 1RM for 8-10 reps per set.
Weeks 5-6 (Low Reps): Use 85-90% of your 1RM for 4-6 reps per set.
Weeks 7-8 (Strength Focus): Use 90-95% of your 1RM for 1-3 reps per set.

3 Increase Weight Gradually: Each week,  the weight increases by 2.5-5% for each exercise. This gradual overload ensures continuous progress while avoiding injury.

Reps Drop as Weight Increases: As you increase the percentage of your 1RM, the number of reps you can complete will naturally decrease. This is normal and part of the program’s design.

4. Rest Periods

As you increase the weight and lower the reps, allow for longer rest periods (2-3 minutes) between sets, especially during the strength-focused weeks (Weeks 7-8).

5. Workout Frequency

The routine is performed three times a week with rest days in between (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday). You can do light cardio on rest days, but avoid heavy lifting to allow for recovery.

6. Recovery Weeks

After completing a full 8-week cycle, take a one-week break to let your body recover.

Understanding RPE 6

RPE 6 is a moderate intensity level. If you’re performing a set with a weight that you can lift for 8 reps, at RPE 6, you should feel like you could comfortably do 4 more reps if needed.
This level is ideal for volume work or in the early stages of your routine when you’re still warming up and building strength without pushing to failure. 

f you're consistently hitting the target reps and the weight feels light (RPE 6 or lower), it's a sign to increase the load.




0 reviews for ISHP-3: Instinctive Strength & Hypertrophy