Leroy Colbert's Method: 6 Sets Each for a Total of 42 Sets

Bodybuilding legend Leroy Colbert was very adamant about full-body training and said
he never trained productively any other way.
In Colbert's time, the norm was 3 sets per body part. He explained that after 3 sets,
lifters would often drop the weights like they were on fire because they believed that
doing more than 3 would make their muscles shrink. Nevertheless, Colbert went
against the grain, started doing 6 sets per body part, and the rest is history.
I've successfully recommended this type of routine to dozens of lifters and used
Colbert's method exclusively to gain 16 pounds of mostly lean bodyweight while
keeping my waist the exact same size. Here are his simple guidelines:

Train your entire body every other day.

Keep the reps between 6 to 10. If you get 10 reps on all sets, increase the weight.
Perform at least 6 sets per body part for optimal growth. You can, however, perform
more sets on certain body parts.
Establish a mini push/pull setup within the workout. As such, don't train chest right after
triceps or biceps directly after back. For example, training the body in this order fulfills
this requirement: Triceps, biceps, chest, back, thighs, shoulders, and finally, calves.
Do 6 sets each for a total of 42 sets.

Note: If you think 42 sets is too much, consider what Arnold's mentor, Reg Park, once
said: "I realize I was doing about 90 sets a workout, which I am sure was far more than
any British bodybuilder was doing in 48/49. By March/April 1949, I entered and won the
Mr. N.E Britain, beating the previous national winner. Not bad for only 7 or 8 months of
serious training."
The basic idea of Colbert's routine is to have a list of exercises for each muscle group
you cycle through (2 per training day), increase the weight whenever possible, and get
plenty of rest and proper nutrition.
For example, if you wanted to prioritize your arms, your routine for a particular day
might look something like this:
Exercise

Sets

Reps

A1 Body Drag Curl

6-10

A2 Close Grip Bench

6-10

B1 Incline Curl

6-10

B2 Overhead Triceps Extension

6-10

C1 Weighted Pull-up

6-10

C2 Incline Bench Press

6-10

D1 Bent-Over Barbell Row

6-10

D2 Decline Dumbbell Fly

6-10

E1 Barbell Front Squat

6-10

E2 Military Press

6-10

F1 Hack Squat

6-10

F2 Dumbbell Lateral Raise

6-10

Standing Calf Raise

12-15

Seated Calf Raise

12-15

Total Sets: 46
Rest Between Sets: 1 minute
Set Length: 32 seconds (4 seconds per rep)
Total Time Per Workout: 1 hour and 10 minutes
This routine stimulates every major muscle three times a week. Moreover, it's a very
flexible routine and you should be able to make it your own and reap maximum benefits
with the tips below.

Make Colbert's Routine Your Own

Take advantage of the fact you're training each body part 3 times a week by varying the
rep ranges. For example, if strength is your primary concern, then do 5 sets of 5 on two
of the days.
If you have a favorite exercise that consistently gives you gains, by all means put it as
one of your 5 alternates. On the other hand, if something like behind the neck press
causes you pain, knock it off the list immediately.
Full-body training is very effective at bringing up weak body parts because you can hit
them first three times a week.