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Franco Columbu Workout

Franco Columbu Bodybuilding Workout Routine

Franco Columbu is an ex training partner of Arnold and is the first power-builder to ever win 2 Mr. Olympia titles, taking the trophy home in 1976 and 1981. Franco may only be 5 and half feet tall but this man is seriously strong, with recorded lifts like 525lbs Bench-press, 655lbs Squat and a 750lbs deadlift.

Franco Columbu placed 5th at the World's Strongest Man competition in 1977. His training was very specific and he would cycle his workouts every second week training each body-part twice a week. Franco has some very specific ideas on gaining strength and would always deadlift after his leg workout.

He believed in the 5 X 5 rep training for increasing his strength and would start his deadlift workout with 5 reps of 300lbs, then 5 reps with 400lbs, then 500lbs then 600lbs and his last set before attempting his max lift of around 700lbs was done with 650lbs deadlifting for 5 reps.

Franco Columbu's workout that he did to win his first Mr. Olympia title in 1976 using a routine that looked like this:

· Day 1:Chest and shoulders AM, then arms in PM
· Day 2: Back in AM, legs in PM
· Day 3: Chest and shoulders
· Day 4: Arms
· Day 5: Legs in AM, back in PM
· Day 6: Chest and shoulders
· Day 7: REST DAY
· Day 8: Arms in AM, legs in PM
· Day 9: Back
· Day 10: Chest and shoulders in AM, then arms in PM
· Day 11: Back in AM, legs in PM
· Day 12: Chest and shoulders
· Day 13: Arms
· Day 14: Rest

Franco followed a very specific routine following the pattern above and doing his abdominals in the mornings on his training days 3, 5, 6, 9, 11 and 12, and then he would train his abs again in the PM on his first day only to get going. We're not going to list all Franco's workouts and have included a chest workout that he would do for his 2nd Mr. Olympia title in 1981.

Franco's Chest Workout

Bench press: 3 X 15, 10 and 4 reps which he would always superset together with cable crossovers doing 3 X 20 reps
D/B flyes 3 X 20, 15 and 6 reps which he would superset with cable crossovers 3 X 20 reps
Incline bench press: 3 X 15 reps
Barbell pullovers: 3 X 25 reps
Dips: 3 X failure
Cable crossovers: 3 X 25 reps

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