FST-7 Five Day Training Split By Hany Rambod

FST 7 is a brutally effective bodybuilding workout routine designed by trainer Hany Rambod and used by many top IFBB pro bodybuilders.

If you’ve heard of FST-7 training but are in the dark about what it involves, then this article is for you. It provides you with a complete breakdown of this unique training system, along with a full sample workout.

FST-7 stands for Fascia Training System – 7 and its a bodybuilding training system developed by Hany Rambod. The following 5 day split variation appeared in the June, 2011 issue of Flex magazine in an article co-authored by Joe Wuebben.

FST-7 Five Day Training Split by Hany Rambod

  • Day 1 – Abs and Chest
  • Day 2 – Calves, Quads and Hamstrings
  • Day 3 – Abs and Back
  • Day 4 – OFF
  • Day 5 – Abs, Shoulders and Traps
  • Day 6 – Calves, Triceps and Biceps
  • Day 7 – OFF

FST-7 for smaller bodyparts. Perform 7 sets of 8 to 10 reps, with only 30-45 seconds between sets.

FST-7 for large bodyparts. Perform 7 sets of 8 to 10 reps, with 45-60 seconds between sets.

Beginners & Intermediates: Perform no more than two FST-7 exercises per week.

Day 1 – Abs & Chest

  • Hanging Leg Raises – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Exercise Ball Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Incline Dumbbell Presses –  4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Hammer Strength Incline Presses – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Hammer Strength Flat Presses – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Cable Crossovers FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps

* If you perform abs after chest, you might be too tired and may skip it.

* Start with an incline movement, as the upper chest is a weak area for most.

Day 2 – Calves, Quads and Hamstrings

  • Standing Calf Raises – 4 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Leg Press Calf Raises – 4 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Seated Calf Raises FST-7 – 7 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Leg Extensions –  3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Squats – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Hack Squats – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Leg Presses FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Stiff-Leg Deadlifts – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Seated Leg Curls FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps

* Alternate between front and back squats every other workout.

* Pre-exhaust your quads with leg extensions.

Day 3 – Abs and Back

  • Reverse Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Roman Chair Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Cable Rope Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Wide Grip Pull Ups –  3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Reverse Grip Pull Downs – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • T-Bar Rows – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Reverse Grip Barbell Rows – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Deadlifts – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Straight Arm Pull Downs FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps

* Reverse grip work targets the lower lats, which are a weakness for most trainees.

* Deadlifts are performed late in the workout so they don’t tax you too much early on.

Day 5 – Abs, Shoulders and Traps

  • Hanging Leg Raises – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Cable Rope Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Reverse Crunches – 4 sets x 30 reps
  • Dumbbell Presses –  4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Prone Incline Dumbbell Front Raises – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Upright Rows – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Dumbbell or Machine Lateral Raises FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Dumbbell Bent Over Lateral Raises – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Barbell Shrugs – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Dumbbell Shrugs – 4 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Reverse Pec Decks FST-7 – 7 sets x 8-10 reps

* The reverse pec deck are used to “double up” and hit rear delts, which normally are a problem weak area.

* Hany Rambod states that it is ok to alternate between different types of pressing movements (Dumbbell, Smith and Barbell)

Day 6 – Calves, Triceps and Biceps

  • Seated Calf Raises – 4 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Leg Press Calf Raises – 4 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Standing Calf Raises FST-7 – 7 sets x 20-30 reps
  • Rope Pressdowns FST-7 –  7 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Close Grip Bench Presses – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Dips – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Lying Extensions – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Straight Bar Cable Curls FST-7 –  7 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Hammer Curls – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Preacher Curls – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • High Cable Curls – 3 sets x 8-10 reps

* Pressdowns and Cable Curls first as an FST-7 allow you to make a good mind muscle connection to start your workout.

Drilling Down on FST-7

FST-7 is a training protocol that was devised by trainer Hany Rambod, who is often known as the ProCreator. He came up with the system after training many pro and amateur athletes. The FST stands for Fascia Stretch Training and the 7 refers to the number of sets you do for the key exercise that you do for each body part.

A key aspect of the system is that it promotes an excellent pump while you are working out. It’s meant to also maximize hormonal output of testosterone and human growth hormone. So, let’s drill down on the details.

Your fascia is a spider web like network that covers your muscles. The areas of fascia covering the muscles have varying degrees of thickness and strength. The whole basis of Rambod’s training protocol is that the tighter and more enclosed the fascia happens to be, the less potential a muscle has to grow. So, the wider and more pronounced the fascia is, the greater the muscle building potential.

According to this theory, the greater the ability of the fascia to stretch, the more the muscle will be able to grow, However, the stretching needs to comes from inside, not outside, of the muscle. Increasing blood flow inside the muscle is the best way to do this. In other words, the best way to increase the stretch of the fascia, according to Rambod’s theory, is to pump up the muscle during your workout.

To achieve this, you need to do what are called pump sets. That is where the 7 sets comes in. On the last exercise for a body part you perform 7 sets in order to produce as great a pump effect as possible on the working muscle.

Fascia stretching is, though  just one element of the FST-7 training system. It also includes going heavy on previous exercises  in the 6-8 rep range. It’s just the last exercise for a body part that focuses on lighter weight to promote a fascia stretching pump effect.

Who Should Do FST-7 Training?

FST-7 is an advanced training technique. It is not suitable for beginners as they will not have reached the limit of their fascia potential. However, if you have been training for at least a couple of years, you should definitely give FST-7 a shot.

This training system, like all others, has both its advocates and its naysayers. Rather than accepting it because Rambod used it as the foundation for his training of 7 Time Mr Olympia, Phil Heath or, conversely, dismissing it because current Olympia title holder Big Ramy doesn’t use it in his workout routine, try it for yourself to see if it gives you any benefit.

Make use of the 5 day split we have provided in this article and be sure to stick with the program at least six weeks. Record your before and after measurements, weight and poundages in a training journal and also take note of how you feel.

If you have reached a point where your current workout routine is no longer giving you the results you want, giving FST-7 a try may invigorate your workouts and break past your training plateau.

Download the FST-7 PDF for Free

Click here to download the full Hany Rambod guide!

FST-7 in Practice

As we have already mentioned FST-7 should come at the end of your normal workout for a body part. That workout should consist of 3 or 4 exercises that are performed in the 8-12 rep range. You then finish with your FST-7 exercise. You perform 7 sets of between 8-10 reps with a rest between sets of about 45 seconds. You want to be able to get to your goal rep number on each set. This may require that you reduce the weight on the ater sets – that is perfectly acceptable.

It is best to use isolation exercises on a machine for the FST-7 exercise as this allows you to totally focus on the target muscle.

Here are some suggestions that Hany Rambod uses with his athletes for the FST-7 portion of their workouts:

  • Lats – Lat Pulldowns
  • Pecs – Cable Crossovers
  • Deltoids – Side Lateral Raise (Cable Machine)
  • Quadriceps – Leg Extensions, Leg Press
  • Hamstrings- Seated Machine Leg Curl, lying leg curls
  • Biceps – Cable Curls
  • Triceps – Cable Pushdowns, Close Grip Bench
  • Calves – Calf Raises on leg Press

Hany Rambod advocates training large muscle groups (pecs, lats, quadriceps, hamstrings) once per week on his system and hitting smaller body parts (delts, biceps, triceps, calves) twice per week.

The system is designed to accommodate 5 workouts per week as follows:

  • Workout 1: Biceps, triceps, and calves
  • Workout 2: Legs
  • Rest day
  • Workout 3: Chest, triceps
  • Workout 4: Back, Calves
  • Workout 5: shoulder, biceps
  • Rest day

Video on FST-7 By Hany Rambod and Jeremy Buendia

Nutrition

As with any body transformation program nutrition is a vital element of FST-7 success. The first rule in gaining muscle is to make sure that you are taking in enough calories. You cannot gain a significant amount of lean muscle mass by starving yourself. If you do, your body will break down other tissues, including your muscle, to make up for the lack of dietary calories.

Amino acids are not efficiently incorporated into protein without enough energy sources from other foods. This is partly because the incorporation of amino acids into peptides requires a lot of energy which comes from ATP. Any excess of dietary energy over basic needs, therefore, improves the efficiency of  dietary nitrogen utilization.

When you are following the FST-7 program, you should increase your protein consumption. While RDA  levels of protein may be suitable for couch potatoes, they are not sufficient for bodybuilders. The intense muscle stimulation of protein lifting weights seems especially likely to increase both protein catabolism and its use as an energy use. By providing another energy source for use during exercise, a high protein diet protects the protein to be used for building muscle mass. The body will burn this protein instead of the protein inside the muscle cell.

Hany Rambod recommends that people who follow the FST-7 program take in between 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. That means that if you weight 200 pounds and want to put on a maximum amount of muscle, then you will have to take in as much as 320 grams of protein each and every day.

You should divide your protein intake up over 5 or 6 meals. Plan to eat every three waking hours and to get the same amount of protein at every meal. So, if you were consuming 320 grams over six meals, then would be eating 53.5 grams of protein at every meal. Make a couple of your meals protein shakes, using a quality whey isolate protein powder.

Supplements While On FST-7

Supplements can increase your results on any program, including FST-7. But they do not operate in a vacuum. You need to have all of the training and nutritional elements of the program firmly in place before you spend any money on supplements. Once these things are established, supplements can provide you with an edge on this program. They have the ability to increase your anabolic drive and workload capacity and decrease recovery time.

In order to accomplish these things, you need to be taking the right supplements at the right time and in the right amounts. Unfortunately, most people do not use them properly and, as a result, don’t get significant benefits.

When it comes to bodybuilding, supplements will do one or more of the following:

  • Increase a person’s ability to train by increasing endurance or enhancing muscular contraction
  • Increase production of endogenous testosterone or growth hormone or decrease the secretion of cortisol
  • Increase protein synthesis

Here is a brief overview of the most effective bodybuilding supplements to take when training on the FST-7 program:

Creatine Monohydrate

While not as effective as high does of anabolic steroids, creatine works – and it has none of the side effects that comes with steroids. It helps to increase muscle mass, provides greater levels of energy and helps people recover more quickly after their workout. The basic mechanism of creatine’s action is to help the cells convert ADP into ATP (the cell’s basic energy sources) at an accelerated pace.

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine appears to increase the body’s use of free fatty acids and fatty tissue as an energy source. More fat becomes available for energy, thus saving protein in the muscle cells. Muscle breakdown may also be reduced. Athletes have used doses ranging from 100 to 3000 milligrams or more per day before training with good effect. However, it seems that at least two grams or more per day (i.e. at least 2000 mg) are needed for the desired effects.

On the other hand it does not appear that carnitine is a limiting factor in the transport and utilization of fatty acids. So while the jury is till out out on the effectiveness of carnitine, it makes sense to use it especially at times when energy output is increased.

Protein Supplementation

Good sources of dietary protein include eggs, meat, fish, soy and dairy products. Whole protein supplements are usually inexpensive and generally contain soybean, milk, and egg protein, hydrolyzed protein with variable amounts of di, tri and polypeptides and amino acid mixtures.

The benefits of protein supplementation for bodybuilding are:

  • They are convenient to prepare and store and have a long shelf life
  • They are useful as a protein replacement for those wishing to decrease dietary fat
  • They enable people to raise their protein intake while minimizing caloric intake
  • They can increase dietary protein in people who cannot eat the volume of food necessary to insure adequate increased protein intake
  • In some cases, the cost of protein supplements is lower than corresponding high protein foods

The best protein supps are specific combinations of various high quality proteins. Taking a combination of supplemental protein not only increases dietary protein, but it will also give your metabolism, thyroid, hormone levels and metabolic rate a boost.

Summary

FST-7 is an interesting concept that seems to have worked well for a number of people, including a number of Pro bodybuilders. Whether it will work for you can only be determined by giving it a good try. If it does, stick with it. if not, ditch it and try something else!

Bonus: Pair Testolone SARM with Hany Rambod’s FST-7

When you’re on a Testolone cycle, you need to be following an optimized training program to get the best results. The FST-7 program devised by master trainer Hany Rambod is about as optimized as it gets.

FST-7 is a training protocol that was devised by trainer Hany Rambod, who is often known as the ProCreator. He came up with the system after training many pro and amateur athletes. The FST stands for Fascia Stretch Training and the 7 refers to the number of sets you do for the key exercise that you do for each body part.
A key aspect of the system is that it promotes an excellent pump while you are working out. It’s meant to also maximize hormonal output of testosterone and human growth hormone. So, let’s drill down on the details.

Your fascia is a spider web like network that covers your muscles. The areas of fascia covering the muscles have varying degrees of thickness and strength. The whole basis of Rambod’s training protocol is that the tighter and more enclosed the fascia happens to be, the less potential a muscle has to grow. So, the wider and more pronounced the fascia is, the greater the muscle building potential.

Comments and questions?

Join our closed Facebook group and get custom answers from the community.

Drop us a comment down below and one of our expert coaches will respond to it.

Contributors

Steve Shaw

Steve Shaw | Writer

Steve Shaw is the original founder of Muscle and Brawn, an experienced powerlifter with over 31 years experience pumping iron. During competition he’s recorded a 602.5lb squat, 672.5lb deadlift and a 382.5lb bench press.

Read all articles
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

13 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
KB
KB
2 years ago

Please add me to your mailing list.
Thank you.

Zeli
Zeli
2 years ago

SS, Thank you for the opportunity, much appreciated.
It seems to me from reading that arms can easily be trained more than once a week. Do you recommend an abs and arm day?
Please forward any articles or ideas. 🙏🏽

Althaf Rahman
Althaf Rahman
2 years ago

It’s a good trainer

Daniel
Daniel
1 year ago

Are we doing partials, slow eccentrics etc within the 7 sets or just regular tempo?

Leila
Leila
1 year ago

Hi
Can you please add day4?

Dawson Pickett
Dawson Pickett
20 days ago
Reply to  Leila

Day 4 is rest

hi inseel
hi inseel
1 year ago

so, where are the results? Where’s the proof that this works?

Willem De Wolf
Willem De Wolf
4 months ago
Reply to  hi inseel

he’s a 22x mr olympia winner as a trainer with this method. Proof enough?

Dawson Pickett
Dawson Pickett
20 days ago
Reply to  hi inseel

Cbum….

Adam
Adam
1 year ago

This routine doesn’t make sense because the top work is completely different from the bottom five day workout

Raymond Langford
Raymond Langford
1 year ago

Love the FST-7 routines.

Manoj Shelake
Manoj Shelake
4 months ago

Nice gaidans sir

josue amaya
josue amaya
4 months ago

I just wanted to know why when you do triceps with back you only do one exercise of fst-7 instead of two like you do when you do biceps with shoulders?

EliteHRT Sign Up

Anti-Aging, Peptide, and Health Science Delivered to Your Inbox

Join 14,000 readers keeping informed and staying up to date on all of the latest Peptide, TRT, and SARMs news, in only 5 minutes per week.

Don't like emails?

Join our Facebook group and get the same updates!