If you’re ready to take your muscle growth and strength to the next level, we have the perfect program for you. Use this “old-school” training to get your new body this year with Charles Poliquin’s 6-12-25 Workout. 

Who Is Charles Poliquin and Why Should You Listen to Him?

Charles Poliquin was a Canadian strength training coach and a prolific columnist, having written over 500 articles for popular fitness publications. He was an advocate of German Volume Training and developed his own programs, including the Poliquin Principles, which is one of his eight books. In this book, he details many of the programs he used to help professional athletes get stronger faster.

What Is the 6-12-25 Workout? 

The 6-12-25 Workout is an exercise program that consists of “tri-sets.” Tri-sets are groups of exercises that, in succession, work a specific muscle. Here’s an example of a tri-set:

• Leg Press
• Leg Extensions
• Squats

You would do a set of repetitions for each exercise with little to no rest in between sets. Once you’ve completed a set for each of the three exercises, you would then rest for several minutes.

The program revolves around blasting one body part at a time to completely work it to the max in order to build muscle fast. But, you’re not just throwing weight and reps at these body parts. There is a method to the madness. You’re training the body part with a specific goal in mind for each set of reps:

Strength—training in the six-repetition range will work what are called “fast-twitch” muscle fibers. These muscles help you build size and are responsible for generating explosive power as long as the weight is heavy enough. Stick with low repetitions and a weight that’s heavy enough that you can do no more than six reps.

Building Muscle—when you train in the 12-repetition range, it can help you to put on muscle size. For this type of training, you’ll want to stay with a moderate weight and a moderate number of repetitions. To build muscle, you need to focus on the time the muscle spends “under tension.” 

Endurance—using 25 or more repetitions in your workout will help you to build endurance. Because you’re doing so many reps, your weight will, out of necessity, need to be light. Endurance high-rep training will give you a great pump, promoting circulation and flushing the muscle with nutrient-rich blood.

What Are the Pros of the Poliquin 6-12-25 Workout?

There are a lot of really good reasons to do this workout:

• Great for fat loss
• Great for cardiovascular conditioning
• Great for maximum muscle growth
• Saves time by cutting out long, boring, and ineffective workouts
• This workout can help you overcome plateaus and spur results again
• Burn fat without losing muscle mass
• Get stronger while you build muscle

What Are the Cons of the Poliquin 6-12-25 Workout?

However, there are also some reasons why this workout might not be for you.

It may be too intense for some—this is not a program for the faint of heart. But, if you want to build muscle, lose fat, and boost your cardiovascular fitness, and you want to do it fast, the 6-12-25 Workout delivers.

You might not be at this fitness level—beginners should probably start with a workout plan that introduces the basics and focuses on proper form. Once you reach a level where you can follow a program like this, maintaining proper form should almost be automatic.

You may not have access to enough equipment—it’s important to vary your exercises and choose wisely, so you don’t strain muscles haphazardly, creating imbalances and stress on the joints. That can be tough if you don’t have a variety of equipment to choose from (barbells, dumbbells, multiple machines, bands, etc.).

This workout might be hard on joints—if you struggle with joint issues, the heavy weight as well as the high repetitions might exacerbate some conditions. (Though it can help to slow down your repetitions and give your body plenty of time to rest and recover between tri-sets and workouts.)

Ready to Try Charles Poliquin’s 6-12-25 Workout for Yourself?

Are you ready to get swole? For this example, let’s choose a leg workout. As always, make sure to do a proper warmup before embarking on this exhaustive workout.

• Choose one body part to work. (In this case, legs.)
• Select three exercises to use. (We’ll use these three for today)
  • Squats 
  • Leg Extensions
  • Leg Press
• Repetition range:
  • 6 Reps for Squats
  • 12 Reps for Leg Extensions
  • 25 Reps for Leg Press
• Apply the protocol to the amount of weight you’re lifting for each set. By the last one to two repetitions of the set, you should be close to failure (you couldn’t do another repetition if you tried):
  • Heavy for 6 Reps
  • Moderate for 12 Reps 
  • Light for 25 Reps 
• Repeat each tri-set two more times for a total of three sets.

Note: Only do this workout once or twice a week for each body part.

Charles Peloquin’s 6-12-25 Workout is a very effective plan you can use to build muscle fast. With a lot of dedication and the proper amount of rest time in between workouts, you can maximize your efforts and transform your physique.