Bulldozer Training: A Rest-Pause Muscle Building System

Bulldozer training combines rest-pause sets with progressive resistance. The workouts are shorter but more intense and will produce impressive gains in muscle mass.

I started playing around with rest-pause training a few years ago. This involved loading the bar with weight, doing a set and then pausing only briefly before doing another set. It didn't take long for me to realize one thing - rest-pause style training is both brutal and effective.

I spent less time working out in the gym, but felt amazing muscle soreness. Limited rest between sets also made my workouts far more challenging. I had no time to pause and think. Every training session felt like a war. I'd do a set, take a short break (without ever fully recovering) and move on to the next set.

Fast forward 12 months into the future. I was still using rest-pause training (which I now refer to as bulldozer training, as I was slowly and continuously plowing through my workouts like a bulldozer) and was more muscular than ever. I refined my set and repetition approaches in a way that I felt maximized the gains of my efforts in the gym as much as possible.

This article outlines the basics of bulldozer training. Keep in mind that this style of rest-pause training can be used both as a stand-alone training system, as well as a tool that you can incorporate into your current training structure. I will describe some example training programs in a follow-up article.

Make every repetition count

The first few repetitions of a muscle building set can feel quite easy. On the other hand, the last few repetitions of a set are the most intense and these repetitions are generally considered to be the repetitions that induce the most growth. With this information in mind, let's take a look at how muscle fibers are recruited.

Small muscle fibers contract before large muscle fibers. Smaller muscle fibers are slow contracting fibers, also known as endurance fibers. Slowly contracting muscle fibers can contract very often and for a long time - think of endurance athletes. Fast contracting fibers are the "strength or power fibers" and are important for training with weights, strength training and high-intensity sports like sprinting?

Slow-contracting motor units have about 100 fibers, while fast-contracting motor units have up to 10,000 fibers. As you can see, there is a distinct difference between the two types of muscle fibers, with the fast-contracting fibers being the larger of the two.

Slow contracting fibers are more likely to be activated than fast contracting fibers. For example, a 10-20:1 ratio of activation of slow-contracting fibers to activation of fast-contracting fibers would not be unusual. Furthermore, the recruitment of a motor unit occurs on an all or nothing basis. It is therefore understandable that the larger fast-contracting motor units are more difficult to activate than the slow-contracting motor units and are therefore reserved for more intensive tasks.

There are several studies that indicate that the greater the effort involved in a repetition, the stronger the response. Dr. Ralph N. Carpinelli, a faculty member of the Human Performance Laboratory at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York has conducted an exhaustive meta-analysis of the scientific literature on training with weights and gains.

Dr. Carpinelli had this to say:

"The size principle states that when the central nervous system recruits motor units for a specific activity, it starts with the smallest, most easily excitable, weakest motor units and progressively moves to the larger, more difficult to excite, more powerful motor units to maintain or increase strength."

Why does any of this matter? Simple... More intense repetitions activate more muscle fibers. So if you increase the average load a muscle is exposed to per repetition, then you also increase overall muscle fiber recruitment and can theoretically make your training sessions more productive and efficient.

This is where rest-pause training comes into play. By limiting the rest between sets, you never allow a muscle to fully recover, making each repetition more demanding. So you perform a higher percentage of more demanding repetitions.

Bulldozer training - art or science?

During the time I've spent refining my bulldozer training set and repetition schemes, the science behind each repetition has been what I've given the least thought to. Training is as much an art form as it is a science, and I certainly didn't develop the Bulldozer Training approach based on hard science. While it makes sense to mention average intensity per repetition, the adjustments I made were based more on my gut.

I don't want to make it seem like bulldozer training is some sort of magical or ultimate form of training. There are many ways to effectively build muscle and I personally have used many approaches over the years. However, I still believe that bulldozer training is extremely effective and something you should definitely try.

The basics of bulldozer training

Bulldozer training is based on the following principles:

• Limited rest between sets. The breaks between sets are typically 15 to 30 seconds long, but can be up to 60 seconds long for certain basic exercises or extended set patterns.
• Shorter but more intense training sessions. Due to the limited rest between sets, you will spend less time in the gym on any given day, but your workouts will have a higher intensity per repetition.
• Fewer exercises per muscle group. You won't need 4 to 5 (or more) exercises to train a muscle group hard. Bulldozer training uses a higher number of sets per exercise than most other training systems, so you generally won't perform more than 2 to 3 exercises for a given muscle group.
• Weight progression using total repetitions. You will add up the total reps you perform on a given exercise and increase the weight on the next training session when that total rep count has reached a predetermined goal.
• Mini sets and macro sets. Groups of sets for a given exercise are called mini-sets. They are characterized by a different nomenclature because they are not performed like most sentences - i.e. in a fully rested state. Macrosets are groupings of mini-set clusters.
• No muscle failure. Do not perform your sets to muscle failure. Finish each mini-set when you feel you can't do the next repetition. If you are not sure, finish the set.
• Use the same weight. Use the same weight for each mini-set of a given exercise.

*Intensity in this context does not refer to absolute strength, but rather to the load placed on a muscle in terms of muscle fiber recruitment.

Notation macro sets and mini sets

Bulldozer sets will use the following style of notation:

• Exercise x 5 mini-sets - 30/30/30/30

"Exercise" obviously means the exercise performed. "5 mini-sets" means that you have to perform 5 sets with the specified rest intervals between sets - in our example 30 seconds.

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then move on to the next exercise

Bulldozer workout examples

I recommend performing no more than 7 sets for a specific exercise. 7 mini sets can be pretty damn brutal - especially with heavy basic exercises. An exercise of which 7 sets are performed is generally enough to cause painful muscle soreness. Use the following mini-set guidelines for each type of exercise:

• Barbell and dumbbell multi-joint exercises - 5 to 7 mini-sets per exercise
• Machine multi-joint exercises - 5 to 7 mini-sets per exercise
• Barbell and dumbbell isolation exercises - 3 to 7 mini sets per exercise
• Machine isolation exercises - 3 to 7 mini sets per exercise
• Bodyweight exercises - 5 to 7 mini sets per exercise

7 sets bench press example

The combination of a heavy multi-joint exercise and limited rest intervals is intense. This 7 set example limits the rests between sets to 30 seconds and is extremely challenging to say the least. Remember that each mini set is completed just before reaching muscle failure.

• Bench press x 7 mini sets x 30/30/30/30/30/30/30

The sets will look like this:

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 6 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 7 and then move on to the next exercise

7 sets bench press example with increasing rest intervals

This is another great way to train multi-joint exercises. The rest intervals start at 30 seconds and gradually increase as you fatigue more and more.

• Bench press x 7 mini sets x 30/30/45/45/60/60

The sets will look like this:

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 45 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 45 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 6 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 7 and then move on to the next exercise

7 sets bench press example with extended rest intervals

In some cases, it may be more comfortable to pause for up to 60 seconds between sets. Certain multi-joint exercises are extremely demanding and require longer rest intervals. In some cases, a continuous rest of 60 seconds can provide a good balance between rest and effort.

• Bench press x 7 mini sets x 60/60/60/60/60/60

The sets will look like this:

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 6 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 7 and then move on to the next exercise

5 sets bench press example

5 set structures can be a perfect choice for secondary exercises or for exercisers who prefer fewer sets per exercise but more exercises per training session or muscle group.

• Bench press x 5 mini sets x 30/30/30/30

The sets will look like this:

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then move on to the next exercise

5 sets bench press example with increasing rest intervals

You can also work with increasing pause lengths in a 5 mini-set approach, which could look like this:

• Bench press x 7 mini sets x 30/30/45/60

The sets will look like this:

• Perform set 1 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 2 and then pause for 30 seconds
• Perform set 3 and then pause for 45 seconds
• Perform set 4 and then pause for 60 seconds
• Perform set 5 and then move on to the next exercise

The repetition target system

Bulldozer Training uses the repetition target system. This system is a progressive approach that tells you when it's time to increase the weight on a given exercise.

The repetition target system looks like this: You simply count the total repetitions on a given bulldozer mini set pattern and when the total number of repetitions reaches a predetermined target, you increase the weight on that exercise for the next training session.

The whole thing looks like this:

1. Step 1 - Determine an appropriate repetition goal for a given exercise and a bulldozer set pattern.
2. Step 2 - Count your total repetitions for this exercise and if it reaches the previously determined target, increase the weight the next time you perform this exercise.

Repetition targets for multi-joint exercises

The following repetition targets are intended as guidelines only. Feel free to adjust these values based on how you feel during a given exercise. Also, remember that the average repetition in bulldozer training is more demanding, so it's perfectly fine to keep the number of reps per set at 3 to 5. I tend to keep this average number of reps higher for machine exercises, moderately heavy multi-joint exercises and isolation exercises.

7 mini sets and multi-joint exercises: A repetition goal of 25 to 35 repetitions works well for training regimens with 7 mini-sets and multi-joint exercises.

5 mini sets and multi-joint exercises: A repetition goal of 20 to 25 repetitions works well for training regimens with 5 mini-sets and multi-joint exercises.

Repetition goals for isolation exercises or moderate exercises performed on machines Isolation exercises work better with slightly lighter weights and a higher number of repetitions. Simply put, performing 3 repetitions of an exercise like dumbbell side raises is not the most efficient way to build muscle. An average of 6 to 8 reps per mini set works well for isolation exercises, but even this number is only a rough guide. Adjust your repetition goals based on your needs.

7 mini sets and isolation exercises: A repetition goal of 40 to 50 reps works well for training regimens with 7 mini sets and isolation exercises.

5 mini sets and isolation exercises: A repetition goal of 30 to 40 repetitions works well for training regimens with 5 mini sets and isolation exercises.

3 mini sets and isolation exercises: A repetition goal of 20 to 30 repetitions works well for training regimens with 3 mini sets and isolation exercises.

Repetition targets for leg exercises

Certain leg exercises such as squats, leg extensions and calf raises are usually performed using higher repetition sets. For these types of exercises, you could use a repetition range of 8 to 10 repetitions per mini set.

Example bulldozer chest workout

The following is an example of a chest training session using the bulldozer training system. I have found that 15 total mini sets is plenty of work for large muscle groups and that 7 to 10 mini sets is plenty of work for smaller muscle groups. But feel free to adjust your total number of sets based on how you feel and what you need.

These 15 mini-sets can be performed in the following way:

• 7 mini sets per exercise, 2 exercises - Generally 2 basic exercises or one basic exercise and one challenging isolation exercise. I recommend multi-joint exercises or challenging machine exercises for this approach, although it is certainly possible to build muscle with a basic exercise and the right isolation exercise.
• 5 mini sets per exercise, 3 exercises. This scheme is far more flexible and allows for exercise variations such as bench presses, hammer strength machine exercises and butterflies. (One heavy basic exercise, one moderate machine exercise and one challenging isolation exercise). You can also use a 17 mini-set scheme, which could look like this:
• 7 mini sets for one exercise, 5 mini sets for 2 additional exercises. However, I wouldn't go any higher with the total number of mini-sets.

Example of a chest training session - 7 mini sets per exercise, 2 exercises

Chest training session
14 mini sets in total
Exercise	Minisets	Repetition target	Pause intervals
Bench press	7	25	30/30/45/45/60/60
Chest press on the machine	7	35	30/30/30/30/30/30

Example of a chest training session - 5 mini sets per exercise, 3 exercises

Chest training session
15 mini sets in total
Exercise	exercise	Exercise	Exercise
Bench press	5	20	30/30/45/60
Chest press on the machine	5	30	30/30/30/30
Butterflys	5	40	30/30/30/30

Example of a chest workout - 17 mini sets, 3 exercises

Chest training session
17 mini sets in total
Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise
Bench press	7	25	60/60/60/60/60/60
Dumbbell bench press	5	30	30/30/30/30
Flying movements	5	35	30/30/30/30

Final words

Bulldozer training may seem deceptively simple. Try a moderately light day to get a feel for this system before going all in. Resist the temptation to use too high a volume. Trust the process and train with common sense. The combination of rest-pause and progressive resistance will result in some pretty impressive muscle gains.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/bulldozer-training-rest-pause-muscle-building-system-tool