Bullmastiff

This article is verified by 2 studies/publications.

Plan overview

Muscle focus

See how the planned working sets are spread across muscle groups.

Loading training plans…

Bullmastiff is Alex Bromley’s four-day strength-and-size programme, organized into a base phase and a peak phase. It uses three-week waves, performance-based load adjustments and additional bodybuilding work. The design gives you a longer progression than a routine that simply repeats the same week.

Who this plan suits

It suits experienced recreational lifters who know the main barbell movements and can manage substantial weekly work. It is not a promise of readiness for professional competition. Allow for longer sessions and the changing demands of the base and peak phases.

Schedule and workout structure

These tables describe week one of the base phase, not the entire eighteen-week block. The main lifts use four sets of six at 65% of 1RM, with extra repetitions on the last set. Development lifts use three sets of twelve. The two-set accessory choices and repetition targets are training.fit examples within the author’s categories. Later waves change the workload.

Monday

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Barbell Squats	4	6, 6, 6, 6+
Romanian Deadlift	3	12
Cable Lat Pulldown	2	12
Lying Leg Curl	2	15
Reverse Crunches	2	15

Wednesday

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Bench Press	4	6, 6, 6, 6+
Barbell overhead press with a controlled tempo	3	12
Cable Tricep Pushdowns	2	15
Biceps Curls	2	15
Reverse Flys	2	15

Friday

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Deadlift	4	6, 6, 6, 6+
Front Squats	3	12
Cable Row	2	12
Leg Extensions	2	15
Reverse Crunches	2	15

Saturday

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Standing barbell overhead press	4	6, 6, 6, 6+
Close-Grip Bench Press	3	12
Cable Tricep Pushdowns	2	15
Biceps Curls	2	15
Reverse Flys	2	15

How progression works

Within three-week waves, the prescribed work progresses before the workload resets for the next wave. The final main-lift set guides the following week’s increase. The public rule adds 1% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM) to the previous week’s working weight for each repetition beyond the target. Four extra repetitions therefore add 4% of your 1RM. Follow the base and peak prescriptions separately rather than carrying one phase’s volume unchanged into the other.

What the science says

A meta-analysis found a modest maximal-strength advantage for periodized training in volume-equated comparisons, but no clear hypertrophy advantage. It does not establish Bullmastiff’s waves as the best periodization system. ^[1]

Autoregulated loading did not show a clear overall strength advantage in a meta-analysis. AMRAP-guided changes can organize decisions, but they still depend on repeatable execution and appropriate workload. ^[2]

These papers examine training principles and prescriptions. They do not establish that Bullmastiff is superior to other well-designed programmes.

Programme source and version

Original programme description: Alex Bromley – Bullmastiff (Peak Strength, PDF).

Bullmastiff alternative exercises

You can perform the following exercises as alternatives to Bullmastiff.

Filter the exercises below by muscle group and difficulty.

Exercise	Main muscle group	Difficulty	Type of training
Band Seated Leg Extension	Thigh training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Barbell Bench Squat	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Barbell Squats	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Bench Press	Triceps training	Medium	Compound exercise
Biceps Curls	Biceps training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Cable Bent Over Reverse Grip Row	Shoulder training	Medium	Compound exercise
Cable Lat Pulldown	Upper back	Easy	Compound exercise
Cable Row	Neck training	Medium	Compound exercise
Cable Tricep Pushdowns	Triceps training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Close-Grip Bench Press	Triceps training	Medium	Compound exercise
Deadlift	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Dumbbell Front Squat	Thigh training	Medium	Compound exercise
Front Squats	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Leg Extensions	Thigh training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Lying Leg Curl	Thigh training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Resistance Band Leg Curl	Thigh training	Easy	Isolation exercise
Reverse Crunches	Abs workout	Medium	Isolation exercise
Reverse Flys	Shoulder training	Medium	Compound exercise
Ring Leg Curl	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Romanian Deadlift	Lower back	Hard	Compound exercise
Safety Bar Squat	Thigh training	Hard	Compound exercise
Smith Machine Bench Press	Chest training	Medium	Compound exercise
Smith Machine Squats	Thigh training	Medium	Compound exercise
Trap Bar Deadlift	Thigh training	Medium	Compound exercise

Sources

Effects of Periodization on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Moesgaard L et al. Sports Medicine. 2022; 52(7):1647-1666. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01636-1.
The Effect of Load and Volume Autoregulation on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Hickmott LM et al. Sports Medicine – Open. 2022; 8(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00404-9.