A quick reference for the jargon used throughout the program and this guidebook. Skim it once; come back whenever a term trips you up.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hypertrophy | Growth in muscle size — the goal of this program (distinct from training purely for maximal strength). |
| Tension | The force created within a muscle as it is loaded and stretched. The main driver of hypertrophy; everything else serves it. |
| RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) | How hard a set felt on a 1–10 scale, based on reps left in the tank. RPE 10 = failure. See The 6 Training Principles for the full scale. |
| RIR (Reps In Reserve) | The flip side of RPE — how many reps you had left before failure. 0 RIR = RPE 10 (failure); 2 RIR ≈ RPE 8. |
| Failure | Trying and being unable to complete another rep with good form. The last set of each exercise goes to failure (except intro/deload weeks). |
| Early Sets | Every working set before the last one. Stopped ~1–2 reps shy of failure (~RPE 8–9). Not warm-up sets. |
| Last Set | The final working set of an exercise — taken all the way to failure, and where intensity techniques are applied. |
| Double Progression | The primary progression method: add reps until you hit the top of the rep range on all sets, then add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range. Reps first, then weight. |
| Progressive Overload | Continually giving the muscle a new stimulus over time (more reps, more weight, better technique/mind-muscle connection) to keep it growing. |
| The Negative (Eccentric) | The lowering/lengthening phase of a rep. Controlled over 2–4 seconds on most lifts — more important for growth than the lifting phase. |
| The Positive (Concentric) | The lifting/shortening phase. Usually performed forcefully/explosively. |
| ROM (Range of Motion) | How far the muscle travels through a rep. Reaching the deep, stretched portion matters most — the stretch beats the squeeze. |
| Long-Muscle-Length Bias | Favoring exercises that load the muscle while it's stretched (e.g. Bayesian cable curl, DB Bulgarian split squat). Loading at long lengths drives more growth. |
| LLPs (Long-Length Partials) | Partial reps performed in the stretched portion of a lift — often used to extend a set past failure. |
| Myo-reps | Extending a set beyond failure with short (~5s) mini-rests, squeezing out 3–4 extra reps each round until you can't get 3. Captures more effective reps. |
| Static Stretch (intensity technique) | Holding a fixed stretch after the last set. Used for calves only here — a ~30s hold per calf. |
| Intensity Technique | A method applied to the last set to push past normal failure (failure, LLPs, myo-reps, static stretches). |
| Mind-Muscle Connection | Consciously feeling the target muscle work. Improving it can increase hypertrophy, especially on isolation work. |
| Stimulus-to-Fatigue Ratio (SFR) | How much growth stimulus an exercise delivers relative to the systemic fatigue it costs. The program favors high-SFR machine/cable choices. |
| Volume | Total hard work for a muscle, usually counted as working sets per week. Ramps up across the second block. |
| Deload / Intro Week | A reduced-effort week (Weeks 1 & 6) to learn lifts and shed accumulated fatigue. Sets stop short of failure. |
| Training Block | A multi-week phase with a consistent set of exercises. This program runs a 5-week Foundation block and a 7-week Ramping block. |
| Split | How muscle groups are divided across training days. This program uses Upper / Lower / Pull / Push / Legs, 5× per week. |
| Maintenance Calories | The daily calorie intake at which bodyweight stays stable — the baseline for setting a surplus (bulk) or deficit (cut). |
| Recomp (Recomposition) | Building muscle and losing fat at roughly the same time, typically near maintenance calories. |