The '6-12-25 Workout' Promises To Get You Stronger Quickly—Here's How It Works
WellnessEverything you need to know about the fitness trend that's got us counting reps and building muscle.By Phil HiltonJanuary 20, 2025Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.All gym routines have an element of predictability about them, so when a fresh way of lifting weights—like the 6-12-25 workout—sweeps through social media, there is always a temptation to try it, if only for the change of pace.Given the 6-12-25 workout is currently surging through the internet, we figured it would be a good idea to ask an independent expert who knows his weights the big questions. What it is? And is it any good?Oliver Kerr trains people who want to become trainers in his role as a manager for Your Personal Training and, happily, he is a fan of the approach. “I’ve seen it a lot in the press recently, and you have things that come in and out of fashion. It’s a variation of the drop-set [when you quickly follow lifting a very heavy weight with a much lighter one]. It’s very effective.”The numbers 6-12-25 represent the number of repetitions in each set, so the method is six reps followed by 12 reps followed by 25. Crucially, the number of reps should also affect the weight, so six reps is a weight you can just about lift six times, rep number six should feel barely achievable, and so on. The method starts with a very heavy weight, moves to a lighter weight, and then a much lighter weight again. Kerr explains this approach is more complex than a traditional drop set in which you reduce the weight but perform the same exercise, and it also involves switching the exercise and the weight.“With each of the exercises, you want to target the same muscle group—so if you’re training chest, for example, for the six-rep exercise, you would tend to do a big compound move like a bench press. For the 12 reps, you would do an accessory exercise, a move that complements the initial compound, like a press up, and for the 25-rep set, something that isolates a muscle group like a dumbbell incline chest fly.” (On a bench set at an angle, moving weights out to the side and back together – like flapping wings.)By performing three sets in succession, you are fatiguing the muscle. Kerr says if you manage to match the right weight to each set, the method is “very brutal.” Selecting the right exercises and the right weights is somewhat tricky, so the 6-12-25 may not be the right approach for a gym beginner – knowing just how much you can lift on a 25-rep set is easier if you’ve been spending time in the gym for a while.Speed is part of the magic. The system was invented by strength guru Charles Poliquin and is intended to be quick and something of a shock to the system. “With a drop set system like this, you don’t tend to rest between exercises. Because you’re not doing the same movement, there will be a short pause between sets where you are changing from one position to another, so a 10-15 second rest.”Once you have completed the three sets, though, you will need a two-to-three-minute break. “You are doing close to 50 reps hitting the same muscle—you will need the rest.”This approach is extremely effective because it encompasses three separate elements of strength in a single, intense protocol. “The main benefit of this model, and why everyone is talking about it, is that it’s such a well-rounded approach. The ranges come with different effects—in the set of six, you’re lifting a heavier weight, bringing strength. The set of 12 brings muscle building, the set of 25 creates endurance and helps fat loss.”For someone time-pressed with a broad goal of “getting into shape,” it’s a powerful approach; however, if you have a specific need, it may not be the right protocol. If you’re a climber who needs endurance or a rugby player who needs brute strength, you should work in the rep ranges that will build the body you need.“For general health and wellness and for someone like me, a middle-aged guy, busy at work, busy with family, who doesn’t have nearly as much time to get to the gym as he used to, this is ideal," adds Kerr.Try this basic 6-12-25 workoutKerr suggests trying this full-body session with these combinations: two or three rounds of each in total, doing so two or three times a week.Chest: 6 bench press, 12 press-ups, 25 incline dumbbell fliesLegs: 6 back squats, 12 Bulgarian split squats (each leg), 25 seated leg-extensionsBack: 6 deadlifts, 12 bent-over rows, 25 wide-grip pull-downs.3 Dumbbell Sets to Build Muscle QuickerSupercharge Your Gains With The Best Home DumbbellsTake a shortcut to faster gains with a full range of hand weights. Here are our favorite dumbbell sets to speed up your lifting progress at home.NordicTrackNordicTrack Select-A-Weight Dumbbells$399 NordicTrackBells of SteelNÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbells$760 Bells of SteelCore FitnessCore Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells$370 Core Home Fitness
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All gym routines have an element of predictability about them, so when a fresh way of lifting weights—like the 6-12-25 workout—sweeps through social media, there is always a temptation to try it, if only for the change of pace.
Given the 6-12-25 workout is currently surging through the internet, we figured it would be a good idea to ask an independent expert who knows his weights the big questions. What it is? And is it any good?
Oliver Kerr trains people who want to become trainers in his role as a manager for Your Personal Training and, happily, he is a fan of the approach. “I’ve seen it a lot in the press recently, and you have things that come in and out of fashion. It’s a variation of the drop-set [when you quickly follow lifting a very heavy weight with a much lighter one]. It’s very effective.”
The numbers 6-12-25 represent the number of repetitions in each set, so the method is six reps followed by 12 reps followed by 25. Crucially, the number of reps should also affect the weight, so six reps is a weight you can just about lift six times, rep number six should feel barely achievable, and so on. The method starts with a very heavy weight, moves to a lighter weight, and then a much lighter weight again. Kerr explains this approach is more complex than a traditional drop set in which you reduce the weight but perform the same exercise, and it also involves switching the exercise and the weight.
“With each of the exercises, you want to target the same muscle group—so if you’re training chest, for example, for the six-rep exercise, you would tend to do a big compound move like a bench press. For the 12 reps, you would do an accessory exercise, a move that complements the initial compound, like a press up, and for the 25-rep set, something that isolates a muscle group like a dumbbell incline chest fly.” (On a bench set at an angle, moving weights out to the side and back together – like flapping wings.)
By performing three sets in succession, you are fatiguing the muscle. Kerr says if you manage to match the right weight to each set, the method is “very brutal.” Selecting the right exercises and the right weights is somewhat tricky, so the 6-12-25 may not be the right approach for a gym beginner – knowing just how much you can lift on a 25-rep set is easier if you’ve been spending time in the gym for a while.
Speed is part of the magic. The system was invented by strength guru Charles Poliquin and is intended to be quick and something of a shock to the system. “With a drop set system like this, you don’t tend to rest between exercises. Because you’re not doing the same movement, there will be a short pause between sets where you are changing from one position to another, so a 10-15 second rest.”
Once you have completed the three sets, though, you will need a two-to-three-minute break. “You are doing close to 50 reps hitting the same muscle—you will need the rest.”
This approach is extremely effective because it encompasses three separate elements of strength in a single, intense protocol. “The main benefit of this model, and why everyone is talking about it, is that it’s such a well-rounded approach. The ranges come with different effects—in the set of six, you’re lifting a heavier weight, bringing strength. The set of 12 brings muscle building, the set of 25 creates endurance and helps fat loss.”
For someone time-pressed with a broad goal of “getting into shape,” it’s a powerful approach; however, if you have a specific need, it may not be the right protocol. If you’re a climber who needs endurance or a rugby player who needs brute strength, you should work in the rep ranges that will build the body you need.
“For general health and wellness and for someone like me, a middle-aged guy, busy at work, busy with family, who doesn’t have nearly as much time to get to the gym as he used to, this is ideal," adds Kerr.
Kerr suggests trying this full-body session with these combinations: two or three rounds of each in total, doing so two or three times a week.
Chest: 6 bench press, 12 press-ups, 25 incline dumbbell flies
Legs: 6 back squats, 12 Bulgarian split squats (each leg), 25 seated leg-extensions
Back: 6 deadlifts, 12 bent-over rows, 25 wide-grip pull-downs.
Take a shortcut to faster gains with a full range of hand weights. Here are our favorite dumbbell sets to speed up your lifting progress at home.
