BBTP

THE Book of Bodybuilding Training Programs

1

THE Book

Of

Bodybuilding Training Programs™

A Collection of Proven Bodybuilding Programs

By Dr Clay Hyght, DC, CSCS


2

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... 2Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3

Part 1: ................................................................................................................................ 4Pointers & Tips to Maximize Your Training ............................................................ 4

How to Use this Book ............................................................................................... 5Warming Up the Right Way ..................................................................................... 6The Best Bodybuilding Exercises ....................................................................... 10The Best Bodybuilding Supersets ...................................................................... 15Dr Clay’s Favorite Workouts for each Body Part ............................................ 18Everything You Need to Know About Rest Intervals ..................................... 25How-to Structure an 8-week Training Program ............................................... 27

Part 2: Three Days per Week Training Programs ................................................ 30Training Program: Hub ........................................................................................... 31Training Program: Nashville ................................................................................... 34Training Program: Magnolia .................................................................................. 37Training Program: Magnolia .................................................................................. 39

Part 3: Four Days per Week Training Programs .................................................. 40Training Program: Rock .......................................................................................... 41Training Program: Spokane ................................................................................... 45Training Program: Camille ..................................................................................... 48Training Program: Berkeley ................................................................................... 52Training Program: Pendulum ................................................................................. 55Training Program: Stacks ....................................................................................... 60Training Program: Talladega ................................................................................. 63Training Program: Gatewood ................................................................................. 66

Part 4: Five Days per Week Training Programs ................................................... 69Training Program: Biltmore .................................................................................... 70Training Program: Zen ............................................................................................ 74Training Program: Trojan ....................................................................................... 79Training Program: Denver ...................................................................................... 82Training Program: Bear .......................................................................................... 86Training Program: Texas ........................................................................................ 91Training Program: Phoenix .................................................................................... 96Training Program: El Diablo ................................................................................... 99Training Program: Pearl ....................................................................................... 103

Part 5: ............................................................................................................................ 107Questions & Answers ............................................................................................... 107


3

Introduction You have in your possession a compilation of the most effective bodybuilding training programs I have ever designed. These are actual routines that I have designed for clients ranging from wanna-be bodybuilders to professionals who make their living based upon how their physique looks. This book is my attempt to help you avoid wasting time in the gym by giving you the exact programs that I’ve already used successfully. I’ve also giving you a plethora of other information to help you utilize the programs properly. This book is not a book on training theory. I think you’ll agree there’s enough theory around. What you need is to simply know what works. We can discuss theory another time. This book is very much a work in progress. I’ve chosen to make this be an electronic book (ebook) so that it can be updated on a regular basis. And since the whole point is for you to have and use the most recent version, you will automatically be sent the latest version each time one comes out. (So make sure we always have your most recent email address; otherwise it will take us a while to guess what it is.) I make my living writing books like this. And I think you’ll agree I charge a fair price. Just like you don’t want people stealing from you, I don’t either. So, when you decide that your friend might enjoy the book, send them to www.DrClay.com so they can get their own copy. I want your input. As I said, I’m always going to be working to make this book even better. So please drop me a quick email at [email protected] and let me know what you think. In other words, what would you like to see in the next version you receive? All the best, Dr Clay Copyright Notice: The entire contents of the book are Copyright © 2010 J. Clayton Hyght. No portion may be duplicated or transmitted without the prior written consent of the author. To quote a portion of this book, simply drop an email to [email protected] expressing your desire. Warning: Always get your doctor’s approval before engaging in ANY training program. The programs in this book are not mean to treat or prevent any disease. Resistance training is inherently dangerous. Do so at your own risk. The author, publisher, nor anyone associated with the book can or will be held liable for the use of the programs contained in this book.

http://www.drclay.com/�

mailto:[email protected]�

mailto:[email protected]�


4

Part 1: Pointers & Tips to Maximize Your Training


5

How to Use this Book It’s best to start by at least skimming the entire book. There are notes and tips throughout that you may miss if you just focus in on one section. Most of the book will, of course, be self-explanatory. But do note that once you get into the training routines themselves (Parts 2, 3, & 4), there’s something unique. Important Note When you encounter a new routine there will first be a copy of the routine along with miscellaneous notes. These notes are VERY important as they give you various details about how to exact that particular exercise in the manner intended. These notes are NOT always the same in each and every routine. So at some point, do read them all. Even though you’re not doing the Camille program, the notes in it may give you some ways to better execute the program you are doing. Right after the noted-up version of each program, you will find a printer friendly version of the workout. I did this because some people (myself included) would prefer to read the notes at home but take a clean-looking version to the gym.


6

Warming Up the Right Way Unfortunately most people have NO idea how to warm-up properly. And the truth is, the proper warm-up can not only enhance your training performance, but also the results that follow. On the other hand, not warming up right can make you feel weak as a kitten and slow as molasses in January. Why Warm Up? Each and every set should have a purpose. A warm-up set actually has a few purposes – they prepare the joints, the muscles, AND the nervous system to perform optimally during the upcoming “work sets.” Sure, it’s the work sets that are really responsible for us ultimately getting bigger and stronger, but it’s the warm-up sets that ensure that the work sets are as productive as possible. In other words, without warming up properly, you’re not going to be able to do as much weight or as many reps with a given weight as you would have if you had warmed up like an intelligent bodybuilder should. How to do Warm-up Sets Right As with virtually all aspects of training, there’s no one single right way to warm up. But there are certainly some rules of thumb that will help you tremendously. Then by keeping a training log you’ll be able to finely-tune things and go from a good warm up to a great warm up. Overall your goal with warming up is to be able to do enhance the performance of your workout. You must warm up enough such that you start to feel loose and the weights start to feel lighter. But don’t do so many warm-up sets and reps that you start to fatigue the muscle. Note: if you feel a lactic acid burn during a warm-up set, you’re depleting muscle glycogen and have gone too far. Allow me to get a bit more specific as this is very important. As an example, let’s say you’re preparing to do your first work set of 8-12 reps on a compound exercise. Generally speaking, select a weight that’s about 50% of what your work set will be and perform about 15 reps. Then go up to about 60% of your work set and do about 10-12 reps. Then go to about 75% of your work set and do about 5-6 reps; then about 85-90% and do 2-4 reps. Though and oversimplification to some extent, the first two sets are more to promote blood flow and ‘warm-up’ the muscles, connective tissue, and joints. While the last too heavier sets are more to prime the nervous system and enhance motor unit recruitment.


7

With that in mind, I recommend performing the first two warm-up sets in a liberal manner. By that I mean don’t worry about rep speed or tempo. Do whatever feels like it’s warming you up best. For example, you may hold the stretch position for a few extra seconds. I like to do this on squats and incline barbell presses. On the other hand, heavier, neural-priming sets should be done in a more explosive manner to enhance motor unit recruitment. Although fast eccentric and concentric may increase motor unit recruitment more, I’d recommend sticking to the safer, but still effective method of doing a control eccentric and rapid concentric rep speed. Exceptions There are always exceptions aren’t’ there? Warming-up is no different. For starters, the above is a warm-up protocol that’s more suitable for the first exercise for a body part. Subsequent exercises for the same body part do not require as extensive a warm-up. Maybe one light feeler set and a heavier neural-priming set (or acclimation set as I like to call them) is all that’s needed. If the next exercise is more isolating, then one feeler set of a new exercise may well be all that’s needed. This brings me to my next point…. Tips for a Great Warm-up …the more ‘compound’ an exercise is, the more warm-ups should be done (i.e. squats, deadlifts). On the other hand, isolation exercises like concentration curls require far less warming up – maybe even none if it’s the 2nd or 3rd

biceps exercise in a routine.

Although it typically parallels the point above, it’s worth noting that the stronger you are, the more warming up you’re generally going to need to do. I can squat 405 for a few reps on a good day. Therefore I have to warm-up more than when I could only do 225 for a few reps. Guys that can squat 585 for reps have to warm up even more to get their body to the point where it’s ready to squat so much. And since most people like to start with one plate on each side (135 pounds), it simply takes longer to warm up and acclimate from there to some really heavy work sets.


8

Sample Warm-up Protocol I don’t really like to give specific weights and reps out of fear that people will lose the point and simply try to mimic those exact weights and reps. But I’m going to make an exception here, because I want to illustrate how a proper warm-up might be done, using a quad workout as an example. 1. BB Squats –

Warm up sets: 45 x 20 / 135 x 10 / 185 x 8 / 225 x 6 / 275 x 4 / 315 x 3 / 340 x 3 Work sets: 365 x 10 / 385 x 8 / 405 x 5 2. Leg Press – (plates listed are per side) Warm up sets: 3 plates x 15 / 5 plates x 10 / 7 plates x 5 Work sets: 9 plates x 12 / 10 plates x 10 / 10 plates + a 25lb plate x 8 3. Leg Extension – Warm up set: 90 x 10 Work sets: 120 x 14 / 140 x 10 / 150 x 9 It may seem that seven warm-up sets is a bit excessive for three measly work sets, but it’s really not when you think about it. Read on and I’ll explain. For starters, doing a set with the bar is just to loosen you up and prepare your low-back, hips, and knees for the range-of-motion they are about to do. It’s not at all taxing. And for someone who can squat 365 for 10 reps, 135 for 10 isn’t taxing at all, either. Note that as the weight starts to approximate the weight of the work set, the reps go down such that they are well below what the work set will be. Thus you’re able to avoid lactic acid accumulation throughout the entire warm up. The key is that none of these sets are very taxing, but they prepare you in such a manner that you know you’re ready for a solid set of 10 with 365 pounds. Sure, you could’ve left off the set with the bar and maybe even the set of 275 or 340. But you’ll find that those extra sets really help you to be ready (both mentally and physically) for your work sets. Some days you may find you feel good and loose and are ready to rock n roll. In that case, drop a warm-up or two if you feel so inclined. On the other hand, some days you’ll feel a bit stiff and not so ready to tear up the gym. Again, adjust accordingly. (I sometimes do two sets at 135 before going up from there. Other times I skip 185 pounds all together. Listen to your body.)


9

Warm-up Summary If a workout is worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and that includes warm-up sets. That’s why you should log your warm-up sets just as you do your work sets. This will allow you to try a few different approaches and then see exactly how they affect your workout performance. And as your strength goes up, your warm-ups will change. They are ever-evolving just like the weight and reps you’ll use. But when it comes down to it, as long as your first warm-up set is nice and light and your first work set goes well and feels good, then you warmed up well. Consider warm-up sets your chance to have a smooth transition to your first work set.


10

The Best Bodybuilding Exercises To help you achieve your physique goals faster, here’s a list of, what I consider to be, the Best Bodybuilding Exercises around – period. Please keep in mind that best is a bit of a relative term. There are no absolutely best exercises for all people at all times. Take barbell squats for example. They are certainly one of the best quad (even lower body) exercises around. But if you have a back problem that prohibits you from doing them without significant pain, then they are not the best for you, at least for now. With that being said, each of our bodies do all functions very, very similarly. Therefore these exercises will, in fact, be the best for most people. So use these great exercises as the backbone of your training programs or, if nothing else, as a starting point on your journey to figuring out which exercises work best for you. Primary vs Isolation Exercises In the list below, when I say primary exercise I’m typically referring to a more compound exercise that would typically be done early – even first – in your routine. These typically recruit more motor units and are great to hit with heavier weight and slightly lower reps to maximally enhance your strength and power. By isolation exercises I’m referring to those that tend to – of course - be more isolation in nature and promote great pumps. That makes these exercises great options to fill out lagging, flat muscles. For maximum synergy, use a combination of primary and isolation movements. Though definitely not set-in-stone, a good rule-of-thumb is to do primary exercises first in your routine with heavier weight and less reps. Then finish off your routine with an isolation exercise done with higher reps and a relatively lighter weight. Best Chest Exercises There are quite a few good chest exercises. In fact, even if we separate them based on which region of the chest they emphasize – upper, middle, lower – there are still multiple good ones for each area. You may be surprised to find that I do not include the ever-so-popular barbell bench press. It’s simply too dangerous from a longevity standpoint to be included among the best of the best. And frankly, at least for most people, it’s significantly overrated in terms of how effectively it stimulates the pecs.


11

Upper Chest Best Primary Exercise: Incline* BB Bench Press (tie) Incline* DB Bench Press (tie) Best Isolation Exercise: Low-to-High Cable Flyes * On an incline set to about 30º Middle Chest Best Primary Exercise: Flat DB Bench Press Best Isolation Exercise: Flat DB Flyes Lower Chest Best Primary Exercise: Decline DB Press Best Isolation Exercise: Decline DB Flyes Best Back Exercises If we just take into account free-weight exercises, there are quite a few good back exercises. However, when we take into account the plethora of good back training machines that have come along in the past couple of decades, we have many great exercises to choose from. Before we get into which ones are best, let’s make sure you understand the terminology upper back and lats. By upper back I’m referring to the muscles between and around the shoulder blades. For example the middle and lower traps as well as the rhomboids. These could be thought of as the primary muscles that give the upper back its thickness. When talking about the lats, I’m, of course, primarily referring to the latissimus dorsi themselves. You can think of the lats as the primary muscles that give the back its width.


12

Upper Back Best Primary Exercise: Overhand BB Row (tie) Chest-supported Row* (tie) Best Isolation Exercise: Prone Trap Raise (aka “Y” raise) (tie) Behind-Neck Pulldown (tie) * These chest-supported rows can be done on a T-bar apparatus using the wide, horizontal handles or on an incline bench using dumbbells. Lats Best Primary Exercise: One-arm DB Row Underhand BB Row Best Isolation Exercise: DB Pullover Straight-arm Rope Pulldown Best Overall Back Exercises Since the back is such a complex muscle group, and there are so many great exercises, let’s take a look at the best exercises for overall (upper, lat, and lower) back stimulation.

• Deadlift / Rack Deadlift • Pull-up / Chin-up • One-arm DB Row / Underhand BB Row

Each of the above works the overall back incredibly well. Take deadlifts for example. While they may not be the single best exercise for either the upper back or the lats, they are certainly one of the best back exercises in terms of how well they work the entire back. Same for pull-ups and chin-ups. Best Shoulder Exercises Shoulder exercises are a bit more straightforward than those of some other body parts, largely because there really aren’t all that many to choose from. Let’s take a look at the best exercises for each section of the deltoids – anterior, medial, and posterior.


13

Anterior Delts Best Primary Exercise: BB Shoulder Press (to front; aka Military) (tie) DB Shoulder Press (tie) Best Isolation Exercise: DB Front Raise* * Starting with a neutral grip and ending with an internally rotated (thumb down, pinky up) grip at the top. Medial Delts Best Primary Exercise: DB Lateral Raise Best Isolation Exercise: Cable Lateral Raise Posterior Delts Best Overall Exercise*: Unilateral, Cable Rear-Delt Extension * Since the rear delts are fairly difficult to isolate, the best exercise and the best isolation exercise are one and the same. Best Biceps Exercises Best Primary Exercise: EZ-Bar Curl Best Isolation Exercise: Concentration Curl Best Triceps Exercises Best Primary Exercise: Skull Crusher Best Isolation Exercise: Rope Pushdown Best Ab Exercises Best Primary Exercise: Hanging Leg Raise Best Isolation Exercise: Decline Crunch


14

Best Glute Exercises Best Primary Exercise: BB Walking Lunge Best Isolation Exercise: Hip Thrust Best Quad Exercises Best Primary Exercise: BB Squat (tie) Hack Squat (tie) Best Isolation Exercise: Leg Extension Best Hamstring Exercises Best Primary Exercise: Stiff-legged Deadlift Best Isolation Exercise: Seated Leg Curl (tie) Lying Leg Curl* (tie) * with feet plantar flexed (pointed down) Best Calf Exercise Best Overall Exercise: Standing Calf Raise No doubt the exercises listed here are some of the best. But don’t let that stop you from experimenting to find your own. The best exercise for you may be a slight variation of one of these. And if nothing else, do a variety of exercises to keep providing a new and unique stimulus to your body.


15

The Best Bodybuilding Supersets Supersets are a great tool for a bodybuilder looking to maximize size, and to an extent they can promote strength gains as well. To promote maximum hypertrophy, do two exercises for the same body part. This lengthens the time the muscle is under tension and does wonders for getting a great pump. To maximize strength gains, do an exercise for one body part followed by an exercise for the antagonistic body part. Though there are many great superset combinations, here’s a list of some of the absolute best! Best Chest Superset 1a) Flat DB Flye 1b) Flat BB Bench Press Best Shoulder Superset 1a) DB Lateral Raise 1b) DB Front Raise 1c) DB Overhead Press The above is a triple superset (or a giant set as some call it) that I call my Delt Triad. Since I’m a bit biased towards it and it’s not a traditional superset, here’s another great shoulder superset. 1a) Lateral Raise 1b) Machine Shoulder Press* * This can be done with a barbell or dumbbells, but after frying your medial delts with lateral raises, it’s nice to not have to worry about balancing the weight. Using a machine allows you to use all of your effort and focus on simply pushing the weight up.


16

Best Lat Superset 1a) DB Pullover 1b) Straight-arm Rope Pulldown Tied with… 1a) Decline DB Pullover 1b) Underhand BB Row Best Upper Back Superset 1a) Dual D-ring Pulldown 1b) Reverse Flye (seated) Best Bicep Superset 1a) Alternating DB Curl 1b) Low Cable Curl Best Tricep Superset 1a) V-bar Pushdown 1b) Rope Pushdown You can also flip-flop the above two exercises and do rope pushdowns first followed by v-bar pushdowns to finish. Both are excellent options. Best Arm Superset 1a) Skull Crusher 1b) EZ-bar Curl Best Quad Superset 1a) Leg Extension 1b) Smith Machine Squat Best Ham Superset 1a) Hamstring Rope Pull-through 1b) DB Leg Curl


17

Best Calf Superset 1a) Donkey Calf Raise 1b) Standing Calf Raise Best Ab Superset 1a) Floor V-ups 1b) Reverse Crunches 1c) Crunches I call this triple superset my Ab Triad. So, for the same reasons as with my delt triad superset, here’s another great superset for your abs. 1a) Incline Reverse Crunch 1b) Decline Crunch Don’t feel like you should only do the supersets listed above. Although there are great, feel free to experiment and come up with your own. After all, training is supposed to be fun!


18

Dr Clay’s Favorite Workouts for each Body Part Although I certainly do have a plethora of ‘book knowledge’ when it comes to weight training, I really think that one of the things that makes me good at what I do is that I ‘walk the walk.’ In fact, I’ve personally been doing bodybuilding training week in and week out for over 21 years straight! In this time I’ve learned a LOT about how to get maximum results in the gym, all while staying healthy and injury-free. The fact is, sometimes something might seem like a good idea on paper, but it may not pan out in the trenches. That’s where good ‘ol OJT (On-the-Job-Training) comes in handy. To help you learn from my experience, I dug into my own training logbook to find some of my absolute favorite routines for each body part. Here they are in no particular order: Dr C’s Favorite Chest Routine A 1. Incline BB Bench Press – 5 x 2-5 / 1 x 15-25 2. Decline DB Press – 3 x 8-10 3. Shallow Incline Flye – 3 x 12-15 4. High-to-Low Cable Flye – 3 x 12-15 5. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 3 x 12-15

• This routine rocks! Although the volume is on the high side, it’s very well-rounded in that it hit all rep ranges and all areas of the chest.

• For the record, I would normally not do as few as two reps on incline BB

presses, but I had a great training partner and wanted to make the most of it since I usually train solo.

Dr C’s Favorite Chest Routine B 1a. Decline Flye – 4 x 10-12 1b. Decline Smith Machine Press – 4 x 10 2a. Flat Flye – 2 x 10-12 2b. Flat Smith Machine Press – 2 x 8-10 3a. Shallow Incline Flye – 2 x 10-12 3b. Shallow Incline Smith Machine Press – 2 x 8 4a. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 3 x 12 4b. Deep Push-up* – 3 x AMRAP * With each hand on a 25 lb weight plate, still touch your chest to the ground.

• This exact routine made my chest more sore than I EVER recall it being! And I actually did this routine at a little 24-hour gym has very little equipment. It doesn’t even have a barbell bench press which is why I opted for the Smith machine. But that can come in handy here, because


19

you can then push the presses to absolute failure and simply twist the bar to safely rack the weight.

• Although I wouldn’t do this routine very regularly, the combination of pre-

exhausted supersets and variety of angles does wonders for torching your pecs from top to bottom.

Dr C’s Favorite Chest Routine C 1. Hammer Strength Chest Press – 5 x 5 2. Dip – 3 x 12-15 3. Incline DB Flye – 1 x 15 / 2 x 8-10 4. Chest Press Machine (Icarian) – 5 x 8-12 (just 30 seconds rest)

• My affinity for the Hammer Strength chest press is admittedly part of what makes me like this routine so much. If you don’t have access to this machine, opt for DB press instead.

• The 5 x 5 format is perfect for strength gains; while the short rest between

the five sets of Icarian chest press makes for an incredible pump. And any time you can combine heavy weight AND a great pump in the same workout, it’s bound to be a good one.

• Note: I normally would have gone down into the 8-12 range on dips, but I

was erring on the side of caution since my front shoulders felt a bit tight. It ended up being a good change of pace anyway.

Dr C’s Favorite Back Routine A 1. Pull-up (med width overhand grip) – 3 x 3-5 2. Neutral-grip Pull-up (narrow grip) – 3 x 3-5 3. DC Chins – 3 x 10 4a. Inverted Row (on Smith machine) – 3 x 8 (explosive rep speed) 4b. Incline, Chest-supported DB Row – 3 x 10 5. One-arm DB Row – 3 x 8-12 6. Behind-neck Pulldown – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest)

• Obviously this is a high-volume back workout, but boy do I love it! The routine not only helps build your strength in vertical pulling, but the volume and variety are great for hypertrophy.

• Even though the pull-ups are low-rep, I still get a great pump in both my

upper back and lats. Then the combo of inverted rows (elbows out to hit upper back) and chest-supported DB rows hit your upper back perfectly. Then your lats get hit nicely with the DB rows, followed by a crazy finisher for your upper back – seven sets of behind-the-neck pulldowns.


20

• Note: if you need to target back width/lats more than upper back, substitute underhand pulldowns in place of behind-neck pulldowns.

Dr C’s Favorite Back Routine B 1. Rack Deadlift – 3 x 3-5 / 1 x 5-8 * 2. DC Chins – 2 x 7 (+ strip set on last set**) 3. One-arm DB Row – 2 x 10-12 4. Double D-ring Pulldown – 4 x 8-12 5. Straight-arm Rope Pulldown – 4 x 8-12 * The three sets of 3-5 reps were all tough and progressively heavier, but not to failure (which is typical of how one should do deadlifts). But the last set was all-out, no-holds-barred! ** Since I add weight to my lap on work sets of DC Chins, I was able to do a strip set by simply taking the weight off my lap and doing bodyweight only on the strip set.

• If I had to do just one back routine, it would probably be this one – it’s that good! The rack deads are great to start with as they are a perfect compound exercise to hit hard and heavy. Like the deads, the DC chins hit the overall back nicely.

• While the DB rows and straight-arm rope pulldowns focus on lats, the d-

ring pulldowns hit your upper back incredibly if you angle your torso back a tad and focus on spreading the d-ring apart while focusing on your interscapular upper back muscles.

Dr C’s Favorite Back Routine C 1. Pulldown – 4 x 12-15 2a. Chest-supported T-bar Row (wide, horizontal handles) – 3 x 6 / 1 x 20 2b. Hammer Strength High Row – 4 x 10-12 3. Hammer Strength Low Row – 3 x 10-12 4. DB Pullover – 3 x 10-12 5. Low Cable Row – 5 x 8-12 (~ 30 seconds rest)

• I started this workout with basic pulldowns since I felt like I needed a bit of loosening-up prior to hitting it hard and heavy. The thing that shocked me about the workout was how great the t-bar and Hammer high row superset hit my upper back – it was awesome! I also like finishing back workouts with a few quick but intense sets of low cable rows.

• As is often the case with your more memorable workouts, this one was

pretty high in volume. Make sure to make lower-volume workouts more the norm as opposed to these high-volume ‘shock’ workouts.


21

Dr C’s Favorite Shoulder Routine A 1. BB Shoulder Press (seated) – 3 x 6-8 (after 4 progressively heavier warm-up/acclimation sets) 2. Lateral Raise (standing) – 4 x 6-10 3. Truck Driver – 2 x ALAP (choosing weight that allows 45-60 seconds) 4. Lateral Raise Machine (Cybex) – 3 x 12-15 (+ 10 sec isometric hold on last rep of last set) 5. Unilateral Cable Rear Delt Extension – 15, 12, 8

• Not only is this one of my favorite shoulder workouts, it also well represents what a typical shoulder workout of mine might be like.

Dr C’s Favorite Shoulder Routine B 1. Hanging Clean & Press – 4 x 5 2. Lean Away Lateral Raise – 3 x 10 3. Lateral Raise (Up and Down the Rack)* – 2 sets 4. Truck Driver – 2 x ALAP 5. Side-lying, Incline, Rear Delt DB Extension – 3 x 12-15 * I start with 5 lb DB and do 10 reps; then go up 5 lbs each time until I can’t do ten reps anymore; then go back down the rack getting 10 reps or AMRAP if you can’t get 10. Due to this being after lean away laterals, I was only able to go up to 15 lbs before going back down the rack. Thus each up and down the rack ‘set’ in this case was really five sets. Needless to say, after two of these UDR sets, your medial delts will be toasted! Dr C’s Favorite Shoulder Routine C 1. Hammer Strength Shoulder Press – 5 x 2 (after 3 progressively heavier warm-up/acclimation sets) 2a. Lateral Raise – 3 x 12 2b. Shoulder Press Machine (Cybex) – 1 x 12 / 2 x 7 3. Standing, Alternating DB Front Raise – 3 x 8-10 (ea side) 4. Seated Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 (~30 sec rest) 5. Rear Delt Machine Flye – 2 x 15 / 2 x 10 6. Side-lying, Incline DB External Rotation – 3 x 12-15

• I rarely do or recommend as few as two-rep sets. But to boost strength in a hurry, it’s a good option if executed safely. With the Hammer Strength Shoulder Press machine (and with most shoulder machines) I feel safe going as heavy as I can for two reps.

• The cool thing about this routine is how it incorporates heavy weight and

low reps for strength, plus things like a pre-exhaust superset of laterals followed by machine shoulder press for maximum size. It’s a very well


22

rounded routine, but it is fairly high volume, so don’t do this month in and month out.

Dr C’s Favorite Arm Routine A 1. Close-grip Bench Press – 5 x 5 2. EZ-bar Curl – 5 x 5 3. Overhead Tricep Extension Machine – 3 x 8-12 4a. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 8-10 4b. Rope Pushdown – 3 x 10-12 5. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 8-10 6. Preacher Curl Machine – 1 x 20 / 1 x 10 7. DB Hammer Curl – 2 x 10 8a. Standing DB Wrist Curl – 3 x 10-12 8b. Seated, One-arm, DB Wrist Extension – 3 x 12-15

• I typically train biceps and triceps in the same day, as I did here. On this workout I also did forearms since I’d been neglecting them for some time. Notice that I got each of the heavy movements done early in the routine, then I moved on to finish off triceps followed by biceps.

• More times than not I do three exercises each for biceps and triceps. But

often I’ll do just two each or occassionally four each as in this workout. Dr C’s Favorite Arm Routine B 1a. Skull Crusher – 4 x 8-10 (+1 strip set on last set) 1b. EZ Bar Curl – 4 x 8-10 (+1 strip set on last set) 2. V-bar Pushdown – 2 x 10-12 / 2 x 5-7 (+1 rest pause set on last set) 3. One-arm, Behind-head, Rope Extension – 3 x 10-12 4. One-arm DB Preacher Curl – 2 x 10-12 / 2 x 7 5. DB Hammer Curl – 3 x 8-12 6. Low Cable Curl – 2 x 15-20

• It makes sense that one of my favorite arm workouts would start with my absolute favorite arm superset – skull crushers and EZ-bar curls. Although I’d normally only do two or three work sets of each, on this day I was really digging them and did an extra.

• To hit the long head of the triceps I usually opt for one-arm DB overhead

extensions, but today I went for the cable version which is a bit more naturally feeling in many regards. They keep some tension on the tri’s even in the extended position, which is a plus over using dumbbells.

• I also really like the biceps exercise one-arm DB preacher curls. They

allow you to focus well on one arm at a time. They also place good tension in the bottom portion of the rep, yet still allow decent tension in the


23

contracted position – at least if your bench is steep enough. And to finish an arm workout with a good biceps pump, low cable curls work perfectly.

Dr C’s Favorite Arm Routine C 1. J-press – 3 x 6-8 2a. Skull-crusher – 3 x 8-12 2b. Randy Press – 3 x 4-6 (to each side) 3. One-arm, Underhand, Tricep Extension (with D-ring) – 3 x 15 4. Standing, Alternating, DB Curl – 4 x 6-8 5. EZ-bar Preacher Curl – 3 x 10-12 6. EZ-bar Reverse Curl – 3 x 8

• The J-press is a great skull-crusher/close-grip bench hybrid exercise that’s great for boosting the strength of your triceps. But I still included skull-crusher’s in this workout. When you superset those with Randy presses, your triceps will be begging for mercy! It’s one of my favorite mass-building tricep supersets, for sure!

• The bicep portion of this routine isn’t fancy, but it works and works well.

Dr C’s Favorite Quad Routine A 1. BB Squats – 10 x 10 2. Leg Extension – 1 x 20 / 2 x 12-15

• Great training programs don’t always have to be elaborate, and this particular routine is proof of that. It simply calls for 10 sets of 10 reps on BB squats (done to parallel or deeper) followed by 3 sets of leg extension.

• Although the routine is simple, it sure as heck ain’t easy! In fact, it’s the

hardest quad workout I’ve ever done. But it’s worth it. I once did this routine 10 weeks in a row, and my quads grew more in that time period than they ever have in my life!

• Note: pyramid up in weight on squats such that the first two sets are fairly

light, the next two are tougher but still not all-out, and sets five through eight are really, really tough! Then, just when you feel like you absolutely can’t do any more, do and sets nine and ten and make then absolutely all out!

Dr C’s Favorite Quad Routine B 1. Hack Squat – 2 x 5-7 / 1 x 15-20 (after 6 progressively heavier warm-up/acclimation sets) 2. Leg Press (Cybex Squat Press machine) – 3 x 15 / 1 x 20 3. BB Walking Lunge – 2 x 30 (total steps) 4. Leg Extension – 1 x 12 + 2 strip sets*


24

* After taking doing your 12RM for AMRAP (which should be 12), immediately reduce the weight by about 25% and do AMRAP, followed immediately by another ~25% weight reduction and AMRAP. If your quads aren’t fried down to the bone after this double strip set, then you should check your pulse!

• I absolutely love this quad routine! It’s pretty straightforward and no-nonsense, but it’s tough! But most importantly, it works.

Dr C’s Favorite Quad Routine C 1a. Leg Extension – 4 x 12 1b. Smith Machine Squat – 4 x 8-12 2. Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 x 10

• This routine FRIED my quads!! It made my distal quads, in particular, more sore than they’ve been in a long time.

• There are two keys to making this routine work: 1) go (or hobble rather) as

quickly as possible from leg extensions to smith squats 2) go to parallel or deeper on both the smith squats and the split squats.

In Closing: Never underestimate trial and error. I never would’ve discovered most of these routines had I not been willing to experiment. Books don’t teach trial and error. Although you shouldn’t waste time with senseless crap, do experiment with various exercises, exercise order, sets, reps, etc. As long as you stick to the fundamentals (sound exercises, good form, plenty of recuperation) you’ll do great.


25

Everything You Need to Know About Rest Intervals Although a book could be written about rest intervals alone, it’d be a boring book. I can tell you all you need to know about rest intervals between sets in just a few short paragraphs. The longer you rest between sets, the more time your muscles have to replenish their short-term fuel supply that was partially depleted during your last set. This is important when performance is a main goal as in powerlifting and in training for strength. Think of it this way: longer rest allows you to lift more weight and thus get stronger. There is, however, a drawback to resting too long. After a period of time your nervous system starts to get un-primed (for lack of a better term). This can negate the enhanced nervous system activity that you should have before a work set. Likewise, your muscles and joints will start to lose their warmth and pliability if you rest too long. I’m sure that at some point you’ve rested too long between sets, only to find that once you got around to the set, it felt way heavier than it should. That’s why you don’t want your muscles or your nervous system to cool down too much. Short rest intervals challenge muscles to keep up in terms of creating energy and removing waste products. This is of benefit to us bodybuilders because short rest intervals can make muscles grow by creating more capillaries and mitochondria among other things. Blood flow (aka the pump) to a muscle is also maximized when rest intervals are fairly short. This can also help a muscle become larger, over time, by stretching the fascia around the muscle. That all sounds great, but there is also a drawback to short rest intervals. Short rest intervals prevent you from lifting maximum weight or doing the maximum number of reps you otherwise could have. As with most things, there are pros and cons to both long and short rest intervals. So what’s a growing bodybuilder to do? The answer is…some of each. On heavy, low-rep sets (2-6 reps) where improved strength is the main objective, use longer rest intervals that are about 2-4 minutes long. This will enable you to use the heaviest weight possible and thus get the most out of the set. These exercises will usually be near the front or beginning of your workout.


26

On exercises that call for higher reps (12-15), stick to a shorter rest interval of about 45-60 seconds. This will maximize the chemical stress placed on the muscle, and it will maximize blood flow to the muscle, both of which will ultimately help you grow. Sets that call for a middle-of-the-road (8-12) rep range should also have a middle-of-the-road rest interval – about 90 seconds is perfect. While these are excellent guidelines, let common sense be your guide. You’ll need to rest longer on squats than on concentration curls, regardless of the rep range. Rest Interval Guidelines Rep Range Rest Interval 2 – 6 reps 2 – 4 minutes (120 – 240 seconds) 8 – 12 reps 90 seconds 12 – 15 reps 45-60 seconds


27

How-to Structure an 8-week Training Program Entire books actually have been written about periodization, which is essentially a plan that calls for training in different ways at different times. As I tend to do, I’m going make it simple for you and just tell you what you need to know to get the most out of your training program. I’ll leave all the theory and excessive science to other writers and authors. I’ve found through extensive trial and error that 8-week training programs work best. If you go much shorter then you don’t have time to really improve on the unique exercises in your program. Going longer, however, increases the risk of reaching a plateau on one or more exercises. Of course there are times when a longer or shorter training program may be called for. And, of course, you’re free to experiment. But I assure you that as a general rule, 8-week programs work. So when in doubt, that’s what you should go with. Periodizing Intensity As I learned at 19 when 275 pounds crushed me on the bench just days after I did it for two reps, you can’t train all out all the time! Doing so is a recipe for overtraining disaster. Even if you take ample time off and away from the gym, you still can’t go all out every workout and expect to make progress. Your body will rebel. It’s almost as if you have to trick your body into progressing (getting bigger and stronger) as opposed to forcing it to progress. Let me show you how to cycle your intensity on an 8-week program. Week 1 This should be an easy, breezy training week. If someone watched you train for the first time during this week they should think “That person trains with great, controlled form…they make it look easy!” Use a full and complete range-of-motion (ROM), and in some instances, use a larger ROM than you normally would (i.e. squats). Week 1 is all about feeling the muscle. When appropriate, pause in the contracted position. Do NOT come close to training to failure this week. You should always be able to do more reps. If I had to illustrate with a number, I’d say go about 75% of all out. So if you can do 10 reps with 200 lbs, then do 10 reps with about 150 pounds. I jokingly (but fairly seriously) say regarding week 1 – “stop when it gets hard.”


28

Week 2 Week two is very much like Week 1 in that your form should still be impecable and you should really be focusing on feeling the muscle work. However, go ahead and bump up your intensity from 75% to about 85%. This will have you beating all your numbers from last week by a rep or maybe two. Week 3 The 3rd

week of your 8-week training program is where you start to think performance and have to get a bit mentally prepared for your workouts. You’ll pretty much always do as many reps as you can on your work sets, but strict form and feeling the muscle work outweigh the number of reps or weight. You should beat all your numbers from last week, but still do smooth, controlled reps. I’d say this week is about 95% intensity.

Week 4 Time to go all out! Although you should always train safely and use good form, now’s the time when you can use a little body english on your last couple reps. Your goal is to beat your numbers from Week 3. If you’ve done everything right up to this point, that won’t be a problem. Week 5 Week 5 is just like Week 4 in that it’s all out, 100% intensity. Try to beat your performance on some of your sets from last week. On the sets where you don’t improve, you should aim to tie last week’s performance. Week 6 This week you are essentially aiming to duplicate last week’s performance. It won’t be easy, because last week was all out. But it’s easier to tie records than it is to break them. This week is also the time to take an honest look at your form on all your exercises. If you’ve gotten too sloppy on anything during your progression from Week 1 to Week 5, then Week 6 is the time to tighten that form back up, even if that means doing a bit less weight or reps. Week 7 Week 7 is pretty much just like Week 4. Your goal is to beat your log book (so to speak). Even if you just improve one rep on one set of an exercise, that’s still an improvement.


29

Week 8 This final week is like Week 6, but even a tad more intense. When in doubt, go for it! This is the week you don’t need to worry about pushing too hard. As long as you still train safely (duh), then you should really push yourself this week and go for that extra five pounds or extra rep. After all, some much needed recovery is right around the corner. Week # Relative % Intensity Notes Week 1 ~ 75 % easy, great form, full ROM, feel the muscle Week 2 ~ 85 % not hard, great form, beat week 1 Week 3 ~ 95 % push yourself, great form, beat week 2 Week 4 95 – 100 % all out, safe form, beat week 3 Week 5 95 – 100 % all out, safe form, beat week 4 Week 6 90 – 95 % maintenance, tie week 5 Week 7 95 – 100 % all out, safe form, beat week 6 Week 8 100 % Go for it! Closing Words I always say, “It’s better to train smart than to train hard.” I arrived at that saying the hard way…by lots of trial and error. My tendency is to not put a weight down until I have done as many reps as I possibly can. And although that may be considered the cool, testosterone-way of lifting weights, it’s certainly not always the best or smartest way to do things. Training all out, week in and week out, is a great way to make a little progress and then plateau indefinitely. I’m sure you’re like me in that you’d rather avoid plateaus. The best way to do that is to spend just a little time planning. Know ahead of time, before you even enter the gym, whether you should go balls to the wall that day or if it’s time to ease back a bit. And in addition to the above guidelines, listen to your body. Sometimes your body isn’t ready to go all out or to break a record, even if the calendar says it should be. Train smart by knowing when to train hard.


30

Part 2: Three Days per Week Training Programs


31

Training Program: Hub Training Days per Week: three Keywords: 3-day, upper-lower, strength, size, foundation Intro: This workout divides your body into upper and lower halves and is perfect for entry-level bodybuilders. It’s also perfect for advanced bodybuilders who need to let their body rest a little but don’t want to take off completely. “No Frills” describes this workout completely. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Upper Body 1 Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Lower Body 1 Thursday: Off Friday: Upper Body 2 Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Monday: Lower Body 2 Etc… Alternate between the upper and lower body workouts each time you train. Upper Body 1 1a. Flat DB Press – 4 x 6-10 1b. Overhand BB Row* – 4 x 8-12 2a. Pull-up** – 3 x 4-8 2b. Standing BB Shoulder Press*** – 3 x 4-8 3a. Skull Crusher – 3 x 8-12 3b. EZ-bar Curl – 3 x 8-12 *Pull bar to lower chest area. ** Slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. *** Use your legs to ‘spot’ yourself a bit on the last rep or two as needed. Lower Body 1 1. BB Squat – 4 x 6-10 2. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift* – 2 x 6-10 3. BB Walking Lunge – 2 x 24-30 (total steps) 4a. Standing Calf Raise – 2 x 8-12 / 1 x 6-8 / 1 x 20-25** 4b. Hanging Leg Raise*** – 3 x AMRAP


32

* Make sure to squeeze your glutes as you get near the top. ** Use a slightly faster rep speed on this high-rep set. *** Take your feet up high by your hands (or as high as you can). Upper Body 2 1a. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-12 / 1 x 20 1b. Neutral-grip Pulldown (narrow)* – 3 x 8-12 2a. DB Shoulder Press – 3 x 8-12 2b. DB Row – 3 x 8-12 3a. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 3b. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 * Use the commonly used, neutral-grip handle where the handles are just a few inches apart. Lower Body 2 1. Hack Squat – 3 x 8-12 2. Leg Press – 3 x 10-15 3. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 8-12 4. Unilateral DB Calf Raise* – 3 x 12-15 5. Bicycle Crunch – 3 x AMRAP * Try to get on something high enough such that your heel doesn’t touch at the bottom.


33

Training Program: Hub Training Schedule Monday: Train Wednesday: Train Friday: Train Upper Body 1 1a. Flat DB Press – 4 x 6-10 1b. Overhand BB Row – 4 x 8-12 2a. Pull-up – 3 x 4-8 2b. Standing BB Shoulder Press – 3 x 4-8 3a. Skull Crusher – 3 x 8-12 3b. EZ-bar Curl – 3 x 8-12 Lower Body 1 1. BB Squat – 4 x 6-10 2. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 6-10 3. BB Walking Lunge – 2 x 24-30 (total steps) 4a. Standing Calf Raise – 2 x 8-12 / 1 x 6-8 / 1 x 20-25 4b. Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x AMRAP Upper Body 2 1a. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-12 / 1 x 20 1b. Narrow-grip Pulldown – 3 x 8-12 2a. DB Shoulder Press – 3 x 8-12 2b. DB Row – 3 x 8-12 3a. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 3b. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 Lower Body 2 1. Hack Squat – 3 x 8-12 2. Leg Press – 3 x 10-15 3. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 8-12 4. Unilateral DB Calf Raise – 3 x 12-15 5. Bicycle Crunch – 3 x AMRAP


34

Training Program: Nashville Training Days per Week: three Keywords: 3-day, push-pull split, foundation, recovery Intro: This training program works perfectly as a recovery program between higher volume programs. It’s also perfect for times of the year when you want to maintain size and strength while spending as little time in the gym as possible. It will have you hitting each body part once per week, which allows for full and complete recovery. It also utilizes the famous push/pull training split which maximizes recovery of the pushing and pulling muscles. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Back, Biceps, & Abs Thursday: Off Friday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Saturday: Off Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 5-8 2. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 3 x 5-8 4. Lateral Raise* – 3 x 10-15 5. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 6. Unilateral, Overhead DB Extension – 3 x 10-15 * Make sure your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are level at the top. Back, Biceps, & Abs 1. Pull-up* – 3 x 6-10 2. Deadlift** – 2 x 6-8 3. DB Row – 3 x 8-12 4. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 5-10 5. EZ-bar Curl*** – 3 x 8-12 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 * Slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Always use overhand grip on pull-ups. ** Old-school Deadlifts this time around. These two sets are work sets and do NOT include warm-ups. (FYI – you should probably do three, progressively heavier warm-up sets.)


35

*** Unless otherwise indicated, always use a grip that puts your hands about shoulder-width or slightly narrower. Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves 1. Squat – 3* x 8-12 2. Leg Press** – 3 x 10-15 3. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-12 4. Lying Leg Curl – 3 x 6-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 6-12 * As usual, these do NOT include warm-up sets. This means three work sets in addition to the (roughly three) warm-up sets you’ll need to do. ** Make sure to go nice and deep on this such that your knee is bent to less than 90º at the bottom.


36

Training Program: Nashville Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps Wednesday: Back, Biceps, & Abs Friday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 5-8 2. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 3 x 5-8 4. Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 5. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 6. Unilateral, Overhead DB Extension – 3 x 10-15 Back, Biceps, & Abs 1. Pull-up – 3 x 6-10 2. Rack Deadlift – 2 x 6-8 3. DB Row – 3 x 8-12 4. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 5-10 5. EZ-bar Curl – 3 x 8-12 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves 1. Squat – 3 x 8-12 2. Leg Press – 3 x 10-15 3. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-12 4. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 6-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 6-12


37

Training Program: Magnolia Training Days per Week: three Keywords: 3-day, flexible schedule, foundation, recovery Intro: Here’s another great bridge program to use between really intense routines. I designed this one in particular with a split and schedule that works great if you need to be out of town (or playing) a lot on the weekends but want to make sure you’ve still hit the primary muscles at least once per week. Now you can have a 3-day weekend every weekend, yet still maintain your physique. And it’s certainly feasible to even make some decent progress, depending on where you are now. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Back, & Abs Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps Friday: Off Saturday: Off Chest, Back, & Abs 1a. Incline BB Press* – 8, 6, 4, 2 1b. Pull-up – 4 x 4-8 2a. Hammer Strength Low Row** – 3 x 8-12 2b. Hammer Strength Chest Press (flat)*** – 3 x 8-12 3. Neutral-grip Low Cable Row (moderate width)**** – 3 x 10-15 4. Decline Crunch – 4 x 10-15 * Since you probably won’t be using a spotter, always err on the side of caution and only do reps you know you can do; which is pretty much what you should do anyway. ** Do this bilaterally, both arms at the same time. *** If you don’t have a Hammer chest press, use another good chest pres machine. **** Use a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and squeeze your upper back. Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps 1. Shoulder Press Machine – 3 x 8-12 2. Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 3a. Randy Press* – 3 x 6-10 (ea side)


38

3b. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 4a. Straight-bar Pushdown – 3 x 10-15 4b. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 10-15 * Which could be called a lying db extension, holding one db with both hands, lowering beside your head in an alternating, left-right manner. Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves 1. Squat – 3 x 10-15* / 1 x 20 2. BB Walking Lunge – 3 x 24-30 (total steps) 3. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 8-12 4. Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 5. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 10-15 * Pyramid up in weight.


39

Training Program: Magnolia Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Back, & Abs Wednesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps Chest, Back, & Abs 1a. Incline BB Press – 8, 6, 4, 2 1b. Pull-up – 4 x 4-8 2a. Hammer Strength Low Row – 3 x 8-12 2b. Hammer Strength Chest Press (flat) – 3 x 8-12 3. Neutral-grip Low Cable Row (moderate width) – 3 x 10-15 4. Decline Crunch – 4 x 10-15 Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps 1. Shoulder Press Machine – 3 x 8-12 2. Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 3a. Randy Press – 3 x 6-10 (ea side) 3b. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 4a. Straight-bar Pushdown – 3 x 10-15 4b. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 10-15 Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves 1. Squat – 3 x 10-15 / 1 x 20 2. BB Walking Lunge – 3 x 24-30 (total steps) 3. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 8-12 4. Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 5. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 10-15


40

Part 3: Four Days per Week Training Programs


41

Training Program: Rock Training Days per Week: four Keywords: 4-day, strength, foundation Intro: I designed this workout to build strength, while still promoting some hypertrophy. Think 75% strength, 25% hypertrophy. It’s perfect for bodybuilders to put this routine between two higher-volume, hypertrophy-oriented training programs. As I told the client I originally designed this program for, really focus on improving your strength on the following exercises in particular: incline bb press, pull-ups, deadlifts, bb shoulder press, squats, and stiff-legged deadlifts. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Shoulders & Triceps Friday: Legs & Abs Saturday: Off Monday 1. Incline BB Press – 6, 5, 4, 3, 2* 2. DB Press (flat) – 2 x 8 3. High-to-Low Cable Flye – 2 x 12-15 4. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 2 x 12-15 5. EZ-bar Curl** – 3 x 4-8 6. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 7. EZ-bar Reverse Curl – 2 x 8-10 * Stick to these exact reps. On most sets you could probably do one more rep if you had a spot, but DON’T! Virtually always leave ‘one in the hole.’ Go up in weight very slowly and methodically…yet steadily. As a general rule, aim to improve on about two sets each week. ** Use strict form on these such that you can pause for a split-second at the top – very controlled. Tuesday 1. Pull-up – 5 x ½ BWRM* 2. Underhand BB Row – 3 x 6-10 (every other week) 2. Rack Deadlifts – 2 x 4-6 (rotate with UH BB Row) 3. Decline DB Pullover – 2 x 8-10 4. Double D-ring Pulldown** – 3 x 8-10 5. Side-lying DB External Rotation – 3 x 12-15


42

6. Decline Crunch (steep)*** – 4 x AMRAP * After finding your Body Weight Repetition Maximum (BWRM) the first week, do half of that number for five sets. For example: if you can do 8 good pull-ups, then do 5 sets of 4 reps. Try to add one rep to one set each week, making sure to keep your form great (chest up as you approach the bar). ** Make sure to arch your back and pull the handles apart to hit your upper back well. *** Use the steepest ab bench you can find. If you get to where you can do three sets of more than 10, add resistance by holding a plate or db. Thursday 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press* – 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 2. Standing Lateral Raise** – 3 x 6-10 3. Seated Lateral Raise machine*** – 2 x 6-10 4. Incline, Chest-supported, Rear Delt Kickback – 3 x 8-12 5. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 4-8 6. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 * Go down to chin-level and all the way up just short of lock-out. Don’t ‘short stroke’ it. ** Even though these are heavy for laterals, keep your form perfect with your pinky higher than your thumb. *** Do NOT shrug your shoulders! Keep your traps out of the movement. Friday 1. BB Squat – 3 x 5-10* 2. Leg Press – 3 x 8-12 3. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift** – 2 x 6-8 4. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 5-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 6-10 (+ Strip Set on last set)*** 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 8-12 7. Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x AMRAP * Make sure to warm-up well before doing these three work sets. Although these should be really tough, you’re probably leaving one rep in the hole. Focus on precise form and getting in a good groove. ** Always keep your back arched (never rounded) throughout the entire range-of-motion.


43

*** After taking the final set to failure, reduce the weight about 20-25% and immediately do AMRAP.


44

Training Program: Rock Training Schedule Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Thursday: Shoulders & Triceps Friday: Legs & Abs Monday 1. Incline BB Press – 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 2. DB Press (flat) – 2 x 8 3. High-to-Low Cable Flye – 2 x 12-15 4. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 2 x 12-15 5. EZ-bar Curl – 3 x 4-8 6. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 7. EZ-bar Reverse Curl – 2 x 8-10 Tuesday 1. Pull-up – 5 x ½ BWRM 2. Underhand BB Row – 3 x 6-10 (every other week) 2. Rack Deadlifts – 2 x 4-6 (rotate with UH BB Row) 3. Decline DB Pullover – 2 x 8-10 4. Double D-ring Pulldown – 3 x 8-10 5. Side-lying DB External Rotation – 3 x 12-15 6. Decline Crunch (steep) – 4 x AMRAP Thursday 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x 6-10 3. Seated Lateral Raise machine – 2 x 6-10 4. Incline, Chest-supported, Rear Delt Kickback – 3 x 8-12 5. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 4-8 6. V-bar Pushdown – 3 x 6-10 Friday 1. BB Squat – 3 x 5-10 2. Leg Press – 3 x 8-12 3. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 6-8 4. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 5-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 6-10 (+ Strip Set on last set) 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 8-12 7. Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x AMRAP


45

Training Program: Spokane Training Days per Week: four Keywords: size, moderate volume, 4-day, arm day Intro: This four-way split is geared toward size, but without a really high volume. One of my personal favorites about this 4-day program is that it has you training biceps and triceps together…which, in my opinion, is fun because of the full-arm pump you get. Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Shoulders, & Abs Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Wednesday: Off Thursday: Back Friday: Biceps, Triceps, & Abs Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Chest, Shoulders, & Abs 1. Shallow Incline Dumbbell Press* – 15, 12, 10 2. Decline Barbell Press – 12, 10, 8 3. Flat Dumbbell Flye-Press** – 3 x 10-15 4. Low-to-High Cable Flye*** – 2 x 15-20 5. Seated Lateral Raise – 4 x 10-15 6. Arnold Press – 3 x 10-12 * Set the incline to about 15-20º or put a couple plates under one end of a bench. ** This is a flye (palms facing each other) in the bottom position and a press (palms facing away) at the top. *** Keep your chest lifted (back arched) as your near the top to keep the tension on your upper chest (not shoulders). Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Lying Leg Curl – 12, 10, 8 2. Smith Squat* – 15, 12, 10, 20 3. Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift** – 2 x 12-15 4. Leg Press – 20, 15, 10 5. Seated Leg Curl*** – 3 x 7, 10, 12 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15-20 7. Standing Calf Raise – 5 x 8****


46

* Use a fairly narrow (~ hip-width) stance. Go down to parallel and stop short of lockout to keep tension on your quads. ** In addition to squeezing your glutes as you near the top, stop a few degrees short of vertical to keep tension on your hams. *** Pause slightly in the contracted position on each rep. **** Start with your 8RM (after warming up) and stay with that weight through all sets. Thus you’ll probably only get 5 or 6 on the last set or two. If you can get an actual 5 x 8 with the same weight, time to go up. Back & Abs 1. Dumbbell Row – 12, 10, 8 2. Decline Dumbbell Pullover – 3 x 10-15 3. Pulldown (elbows forward)* – 3 x 15 4. Row Machine** (horizontal grip) – 3 x 10-15 5. Rear-delt Flyes*** – 3 x 12-15 * Keep your torso vertical and keep your elbows under your wrists (which will feel

like your elbows are forward). This keeps tension on the outer part of the lats. ** Use a row machine that supports your chest. Grab the wide, horizontal

handles, slightly wider than shoulder-width to hit your upper back. *** Keep the thumb-side of the dumbbells down to hit your rear delts. Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1a. Barbell Curl – 15, 12, 10, 8 1b. Skull Crusher – 15, 12, 10, 10 2a. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 12-15 2b. V-Bar Pushdown – 3 x 12-15 3a. Incline Dumbbell Curl* – 12, 10, 8 3b. One-arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension – 3 x 12-15 4a. Floor V-ups – 3 x AMRAP 4b. Reverse Crunches – 3 x AMRAP 4c. Regular Crunches – 3 x AMRAP * You can do both arms at the same time or alternating, whichever you prefer (just be consistent week to week).


47

Training Program: Spokane Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Shoulders, & Abs Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Biceps & Triceps Chest, Shoulders, & Abs 1. Shallow Incline Dumbbell Press – 15, 12, 10 2. Decline Barbell Press – 12, 10, 8 3. Flat Dumbbell Flye-Press – 3 x 10-15 4. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 2 x 15-20 5. Seated Lateral Raise – 4 x 10-15 6. Arnold Press – 3 x 10-12 Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Lying Leg Curl – 12, 10, 8 2. Narrow Squat – 15, 12, 10, 20 3. Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift – 2 x 12-15 4. Leg Press – 20, 15, 10 5. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 7, 10, 12 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15-20 7. Standing Calf Raise – 5 x 8 Back 1. Dumbbell Row – 12, 10, 8 2. Decline Dumbbell Pullover – 3 x 10-15 3. Pulldown (elbows forward) – 3 x 15 4. Row Machine (horizontal grip) – 3 x 10-15 5. Rear-delt Flyes – 3 x 12-15 Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1a. Barbell Curl – 15, 12, 10, 8-6 1b. Skull Crusher – 15, 12, 10, 10 2a. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 12-15 2b. V-Bar Pushdown – 3 x 12-15 3a. Incline Dumbbell Curl – 12, 10, 8 3b. One-arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension – 3 x 12-15 4a. Floor V-ups – 3 x AMRAP 4b. Reverse Crunches – 3 x AMRAP 4c. Regular Crunches – 3 x AMRAP


48

Training Program: Camille Training Days per Week: four Keywords: biceps, hamstrings, rest-pause, medial deltoids Intro: On one hand this simply a great, balanced four-way split that has you training four times per week. On the other hand, this workout is quite unique right off the bat. It starts with a killer rest-pause set on incline Smith presses, and later the same workout it has a really solid, fairly high volume biceps program. The leg workout has a slight ham dominance to it, which we all need at some point. Later in the week is a shoulder workout that emphasizes medial delts to help cap off your shoulders. And you’ll start that shoulder working by running the rack on lateral raises, right off the bat. If you’ve never done that, you’re in for the medial delt burn of your life! Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Biceps, & Abs Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Wednesday: Off Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Shoulders & Triceps Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Incline Smith Press – 1 x 8-10 +2RP* 2. Decline Dumbbell Press – 10, 8, 6 3. DB Flye (flat) – 3 x 10-15 4. Incline Dumbbell Curls** – 10, 8, 6 5. Low-cable Curls*** – 3 x 12-15 6. Dumbbell Hammer Curls – 3 x 8-10 7. Concentration Curls – 2 x 15 * After taking the initial set to failure, rest about 20 seconds and do as many as you can, then rest 20 and take it to failure. ** Here, I’d do these in an alternating fashion as opposed to both arms at once. *** Step back far enough away from the cable so that your arms are not hanging straight down at the bottom. Keeping them a bit forward (think preacher curl) will keep tension on your bi’s at the bottom of the movement. Quads, Hams, & Calves 1a. Lying Leg Curls* – 3 x 10-15


49

1b. Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 3 x 10-15 2. Leg Press – 20, 15, 10, 15, 20 3. Narrow-stance** Squats – 3 x 12-15 4. Seated Leg Curls*** – 3 x 8-12, 1 x 20 5. Standing Calf Raises 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 6. Seated Calf Raises – 3 x 15-20 * In this instance, do these in a more isolated fashion: keep your toes plantar flexed (pointed down) and lightly contract your glutes and abs to keep from using your lower back (spinal erectors) to tilt your pelvis forward. ** Your feet should be no wider than your hips. For most this means your feet should be about 10-12 inches apart. Note: you will likely only be able to go parallel but no deeper. *** Pause slightly in the contracted position. Back & Abs 1. Dumbbell Rows – 4 x 6-15* 2. Feet-supported Pull-ups** – 3 x 8-12 3. Chest-support, Incline DB Rows*** – 3 x 12-15 4. Underhand Low-Cable Rows – 15, 12, 10, 20 5. Rear Delt Cable Crossover – 4 x 12-15 * Pyramid up in weight each set. You should do roughly 15, 12, 9, 6 ** Aka DC Chins – the heels of your feet are on a bench a few feet in front of you as you hang from a Smith machine bar. *** Keep your arms out away from your sides so that you’re hitting your upper back. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together. Shoulders & Triceps 1. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x Up and Down Rack* (10 reps ea; beg w/ 5 lbs) 2. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 15, 12, 10 3. Behind Back Cable Lateral Raise – 2 x 15 4. Close Grip Bench** – 12, 10, 8, 6 5. Straight Bar Pushdown – 3 x 8-12 6. Rope Pushdown*** – 3 x 15 * Begin with 5 lbs and do 10 reps. Immediately drop those and do 10 lbs for 10 reps and repeat, going up until you can no longer get 10 reps. Then immediately drop down and do the lighter dumbbells (that you will just have done) and do them for 10 reps or until you can’t do more, whichever comes first.


50

* Use a full range of motion, lightly touching your chest at the bottom and driving up to the top, just short of lockout. *** Make sure to spread the rope ends apart near the bottom and pause in the contracted position.


51

Training Program: Camille Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Biceps, & Abs Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Shoulders & Triceps Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Incline Smith Press – 1 x 8-10 +2RP (rest-pause) 2. Decline Dumbbell Press – 10, 8, 6 3. DB Flye-Press (flat) – 3 x 10-15 4. Incline Dumbbell Curls – 12, 10, 8 5. Low-cable Curls – 3 x 12-15 6. Dumbbell Hammer Curls – 3 x 8-10 7. Concentration Curls – 2 x 15 Quads, Hams, & Calves 1a. Lying Leg Curls – 3 x 10-15 1b. Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 3 x 10-15 2. Leg Press – 20, 15, 10, 15, 20 3. Narrow-stance Squats – 3 x 12-15 4. Seated Leg Curls – 3 x 8-12, 1 x 20 5. Standing Calf Raises 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 6. Seated Calf Raises – 3 x 15-20 Back & Abs 1. Dumbbell Rows – 4 x 6-15 (pyramid) 2. Decline Pullovers – 3 x 10-15 3. Cobra Lats – 3 x 12-15 4. Underhand Low-Cable Rows – 15, 12, 10, 20 5. Rear Delt Cable Crossover – 4 x 12-15 Shoulders & Triceps 1. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x Up and Down Rack (start with 5lbs; 10 reps each) 2. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 15, 12, 10 3. Behind Back Cable Lateral – 2 x 15 4. Close Grip Bench (EZ Bar) – 12, 10, 8, 6 5. Straight Bar Pushdown – 3 x 8-12 6. Rope Pushdown – 3 x 15


52

Training Program: Berkeley Training Days per Week: four Keywords: back, triceps, hamstring superset Intro: This four-day program has a killer back workout in it, and the triceps workout isn’t much easier. If you’ve been looking for a kick-ass superset for hamstrings, you’ve found it. Other than those notables, you’re looking at a solid 4-day program designed to enhance both your size and strength. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Shoulders and Triceps Friday: Legs Saturday: Off Chest & Biceps 1. Decline BB Press 10, 8, 6 +1RP* 2. Shallow Incline DB Press 12, 10, 8 3. DB Flyes – 3 x 8 + 1SS** (45 sec rest) 4. Straight Bar Curls – 4 x 5 5. Incline DB Curls – 3 x 6-10 6. BB Spider Curls*** – 4 x 10 (30 sec rest) * Rest/Pause set – on the last set, rest 20 seconds and go to failure again (will be ~ 3 reps) ** Each set is a strip set (SS). Do your 8RM (rep max), then grab 20-25% lighter DB and do ~ 8 reps again (or AMRAP, whichever comes first). And only rest ~ 45 sec between sets. Stretch your chest right after the flyes. *** Start with your arms hanging straight down and keep your upper arm (humerus) vertical throughout the movement. Back & Abs 1. Overhand BB Rows – 12, 10, 8 + 1RP 2. Feet-supported Chins* – 3 x 8-12 3. Behind Neck Pulldowns** – 3 x 12-15 4a. DB Pullovers – 2 x 10 4b. Straight-arm Cable Pulldowns – 2 x 10 5. Prone, Chest-supported, Incline DB Rows*** – 3 x 10-12 6. Decline Crunches **** – 3 x 8-12


53

* Aka DC Chins ** Do these nice and slow. Stop at or just below the occiput (base of the skull), and pause in the contracted position each rep. This is a finesse exercise. *** Pause in the top, contracted position on each rep. **** Add resistance as needed. Shoulders & Triceps 1. BB Shoulder Press (seated) – 12, 10, 8 + 1RP 2. Behind-the-back Cable Laterals (back & forth b/w each arm) – 3 x 10-15 3. Truck Drivers** - 3 x ALAP 4. Behind-the-head EZ Bar Triceps Extensions – 3 x 8-15 5a. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 6-8 5b. Randy Press – 3 x 6-10 (each side) 6. Rope Extension – 3 x ~ 15 (30s rest) * Rest/Pause set – on the last set rest 20 seconds and go to failure again (will be ~ 4 reps) ** Once the plate you’re ‘driving’ drops below you being able to see yourself in the mirror through the hole, that set it done. Use a weight that allows you to go 35-60 seconds. Once you can go longer than 60 sec, go up in weight. Legs 1. Squats – 2 x 6-8* 2. Leg Press – 12, 10, 8, 20** 3a. Lying Leg Curls - 4 x ~ 10 3b. DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts - 4 x ~ 10 3c. Hamstring Ball Rolls – 4 x AMRAP 4. Seated Calf Raises 3 x 15-20 5. Standing Calf Raises 3 x 8 * Really push yourself on these, because you’re just doing two sets…make ‘em count! ** This set of 20 is NOT an easy, light set of 20. It should be the toughest set if done properly. *** Bring the dumbbells and the ball over to the prone leg curl machine and you should be able to superset these.


54

Training Program: Berkeley Training Schedule Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Thursday: Shoulders and Triceps Friday: Legs Chest & Biceps 1. Decline BB Press 10, 8, 6 +1RP 2. Shallow Incline DB Press 12, 10, 8 3. DB Flyes – 3 x 8 + 1SS (45 sec rest) 4. Straight Bar Curls – 4 x 5 5. Incline DB Curls – 3 x 6-10 6. BB Spider Curls – 4 x 10 (30 sec rest) Back & Abs 1. Overhand BB Rows – 12, 10, 8 + 1RP 2. Feet-supported Chins – 3 x 8-12 3. Behind-the-Neck Pulldowns – 3 x 12-15 4a. DB Pullovers – 2 x 10 4b. Straight-arm Cable Pulldowns – 2 x 10 5. Prone, Incline DB Rows (pause at top) – 3 x 10-12 6. Decline Crunches (weighted) – 3 x 8-12 Shoulders & Triceps 1. BB Shoulder Press (seated) – 12, 10, 8 + 1RP 2. Behind-the-back Cable Laterals (back & forth b/w each arm) – 3 x 10-15 3. Truck Drivers - 3 x ALAP 4. Behind-the-head EZ Bar Triceps Extensions – 3 x 8-15 5a. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 6-8 5b. Randy Press – 3 x 6-10 (each side) 6. Rope Extension – 3 x ~ 15 (30s rest) Legs 1. Squats – 2 x 6-8 2. Leg Press – 12, 10, 8, 20 3a. Lying Leg Curls - 4 x ~ 10 3b. DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts - 4 x ~ 10 3c. Hamstring Ball Rolls – 4 x AMRAP 4. Seated Calf Raises 3 x 15-20 5. Standing Calf Raises 3 x 8


55

Training Program: Pendulum Training Days per Week: four Keywords: incline press strength, bb curl strength, standing calf raise strength, push/pull, flexible schedule Intro: This 4-day program uses a 3-way push-pull split that is very flexible. You can take a day or two off and simply pick right back up where you left off without worrying about recovery. The 6 x 4 set/rep scheme use on Incline BB Press will get your incline press strength going up in no time. The same could be said for the 5 x 5 set/rep scheme on BB Curls and the 8 x 5 scheme on Standing Calf Raises. Lastly, since this program uses alternating workouts for each body part (which minimizes risk of overtraining), it could also be used on a five-day training schedule – or on a two on, one off schedule. Training Schedule Monday: Train Tuesday: Train Wednesday: Off Thursday: Train Friday: Train Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Simply rotate through workouts. For example, train Ch, Sh, Tri I on Monday; Bk & Bi I on Tues; Off Wed; Legs I on Thurs; Chest, Sh, Tri II on Fri; etc… Chest, Shoulder, & Triceps 1 1. Incline Bench Press* – 6 x 4 2. Dip** – 3 x 8 3. Push Press*** – 4 x 7 4. Unilateral Lateral Raise – 2 x 8 5. Skull Crusher – 10, 8, 6 * Make the incline fairly shallow – about 30º is ideal. ** Use a fairly wide grip and lean forward (tuck your chin to your chest) to target the chest. *** When I say push-press I’m not talking Olympic lifting style, I’m talking bodybuilder style. In other words, bend your legs a bit on each rep to help you explode the barbell up.


56

Back, Biceps, & Abs 1 1. DB Row – 12, 10, 8 2. Pulldown* – 3 x 12 3. Overhand Low Cable Row – 15, 12, 10 4. Alternating DB Curl – 12, 10, 8 5. Reverse Curl – 15, 12, 10 6a. Floor V-up – 3 x AMRAP 6b. Reverse Crunch – 3 x AMRAP 6c. Crunch – 3 x AMRAP * Medium-width grip, which is right on the bends in the bar for most people (and most bars). Legs 1 1. BB Squat – 4 x 8 2. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 3. Walking BB Lunge – 2 x 24 (total steps) 4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps 2 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 8 2. Shallow* Incline Flye – 2 x 15 3. Lateral Raise – 4 x 12-15 4. V-Bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8 5. Rope Pushdown – 2 x 15 (30 sec rest) * Set the incline to about 15-20º; or put a plate or two under the head end of a flat bench. Back, Biceps, & Abs 2 1. Chins* – 4 x 7 2. Deadlift – 10, 8, 6, 4 3. Underhand BB Row** – 10, 8, 6 4. BB Curl – 5 x 5 5. Hammer Curl – 2 x 10 6. Weighted Decline Crunch – 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 * Arch your back on the way up as if you’re trying to touch mid-chest to the bar. ** If your lower back happens to be really tight after deadlifts and makes bb rows painful, opt for db rows. Legs 2 1. Leg Press – 5 x 10 2. Lying Leg Curl – 15, 12, 10 3. Front Squat (or Hack*) – 2 x 15


57

4. Seated Leg Curl – 12, 8 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 20 6. DB Calf Raise** (unilateral) – 3 x 12-15 * Opt for front squats unless your lower back really needs the rest. ** Some find it more comfortable to hold the db in the hand opposite the working leg, others (like me) prefer to hold the db on the same side. Either way get a good stretch and a good squeeze.


58

Training Program: Pendulum Training Schedule Monday: Train Tuesday: Train Thursday: Train Friday: Train Chest, Shoulder, & Triceps 1 1. Incline Bench Press – 6 x 4 (make the incline shallow – about 30 degrees) 2. Dip – 3 x 8 3. Push Press – 4 x 7 4. Unilateral Lateral Raise – 2 x 8 5. Skull Crusher – 10, 8, 6 Back, Biceps, & Abs 1 1. DB Row – 12, 10, 8 2. Pulldown – 3 x 12 3. Overhand Low Cable Row – 15, 12, 10 4. Alternating DB Curl – 12, 10, 8 5. Reverse Curl – 15, 12, 10 6a. Floor V-up – 3 x AMRAP 6b. Reverse Crunch – 3 x AMRAP 6c. Crunch – 3 x AMRAP Legs 1 1. BB Squat – 4 x 8 2. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 3. Walking BB Lunge – 2 x 24 4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps 2 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 8 2. Slight Incline Flye – 2 x 15 3. Lateral Raise – 4 x 12-15 4. V-Bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8 5. Rope Extension – 2 x 15 Back, Biceps, & Abs 2 1. Chins – 4 x 7 2. Deadlift – 10, 8, 6, 4 3. Underhand BB Row – 10, 8, 6 4. BB Curl – 5 x 5 5. Hammer Curl – 2 x 10 6. Weighted Decline Crunch – 12, 10, 8, 6, 4


59

Legs 2 1. Leg Press – 5 x 10 2. Lying Leg Curl – 15, 12, 10 3. Front Squat (or Hack) – 2 x 15 4. Seated Leg Curl – 12, 8 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 20 6. DB Calf Raise (unilateral) – 3 x 12-15


60

Training Program: Stacks Training Days per Week: four Keywords: chest & back, low-moderate volume Intro: This 4-day program is unique in that it hits back and chest twice per week – once with a light day, and once with a more typical workout. The program overall is low to moderate in volume. This allows you to really push yourself to the max on each work set without fear of overtraining. Relatively low volume programs like this are great to use if minimizing gym time is important to you. Likewise, we should ALL use programs like this about every 3rd or 4th

training cycle for variety and to give our bodies a break from high volume training.

Training Schedule Monday: Back & Light Chest Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Wednesday: Off Thursday: Chest & Light Back Friday: Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps Saturday: Off Sunday: Off Back & Light Chest 1. Pull-ups – 2 x AMRAP (if > 10, add weight) 2. Rack Deadlift* – 1 x 10, 8, 6 3. Low Cable Row – 1 x 10 + 2RP** 4. BB Bench Press – 3 x 15*** * Start with the bar just below knee level. Make sure to squeeze your glutes as you near the top. Avoid hyperextending. ** After doing the set of 10, rest about 20 sec and do AMRAP; then rest 20 sec more and again do AMRAP – now you’re done with this double strip set (which is really 3 ‘sets’ in all). *** Select a weight that’s fairly easy on the first set, but that you’re barely able to get 15 with on the last set. Only rest about 1 minute between sets. Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. BB Squat – 4 x 10*, 1 x 20 2. Stiff-legged Dead-lift – 15, 12 3. Unilateral Leg Press** – 2 x 15 4. Lying Leg Curl – 2 x 8-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 10 6. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20


61

* You could use the same weight on all four sets, but more times than not I would adjust the weight a bit on each set, typically by going up. As an example: 365 x 10 / 375 x 10 / 385 x 10 / 385 x 10. In this example, 385 x 10 would be your max (your 10 RM). ** Don’t push your leg with your hands to spot yourself unless you absolutely need it. Chest & Light Back 1. Flat DB Press – 1 x 12, 10, 8 2. Dips* – 1 x 12 + 2RP 3. Incline Hammer Strength Press – 1 x 8, 15** 4. Seated Row Machine*** (narrow, vertical handles) – 2 x 15**** 5. Pull-downs – 2 x 15**** * Tuck your chin toward your chest and use a fairly wide grip to hit your chest optimally. ** This is a reverse pyramid. Start with a set of 8 reps. Then do 15 on your 2nd

and final set.

*** Most gyms have a good chest-supported row machine – and most have two sets of handles. Use the vertical handles that are more narrow in order to target your lats. **** Don’t take these sets to failure. They are more like pump sets. Shoulder & Arms 1. Seated BB Press – 1 x 12, 8 2. Lateral Raise – 2 x 12, 1 x 20 3. Standing, Alternating DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 4. EZ Bar Curl* – 2 x 12-15, 1 x 20-30 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 2 x 8-12 6. Skull Crusher – 2 x 12-15 7. Rope Pushdown – 1 x 20-30 * Grab the bar on the bends that place your hands just slightly narrower than shoulder-width. On smaller bars this will be the outer bends, on larger bars the inner bends.


62

Training Program: Stacks Training Schedule Monday: Back & Light Chest Tuesday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Thursday: Chest & Light Back Friday: Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps Back & Light Chest 1. Pull-ups – 2 x AMRAP (if more than 10, add weight) 2. Rack Dead-lift – 1 x 10, 8, 6 3. Low Cable Row – 1 x 10 + 2RP 4. BB Bench Press – 3 x 15 (only rest about 1 minute and select a weight that’s fairly easy on the first set but that you’re barely able to get 15 on the last set) Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. BB Squat – 4 x 10, 1 x 20 2. Stiff-legged Dead-lift – 15, 12 3. Unilateral Leg Press – 2 x 15 4. Lying Leg Curl – 2 x 8-10 5. Standing Calf Raise – 4 x 10 6. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20 Chest & Light Back 1. Flat DB Press – 1 x 12, 10, 8 2. Dips – 1 x 12 + 2RP 3. Incline Hammer – 1 x 8-10, 1 x 15 4. Seated Row Machine (narrow, vertical handles) – 2 x 15 5. Pull-downs – 2 x 15 Shoulder & Arms 1. Seated BB Press – 1 x 12, 8 2. Lateral Raise – 2 x 12, 1 x 20 3. Standing DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 4. EZ Bar Curl – 2 x 12-15, 1 x 20-30 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 2 x 8-12 6. Skull Crusher – 2 x 12-15 7. Rope Extension – 1 x 20-30


63

Training Program: Talladega Training Days per Week: four Keywords: chest, back, squats, strength, lateral raise, medial delt Intro: This 4-day program has ample low-rep sets, making it a bit more focused on strength. It’s designed to improve your strength base between more hypertrophy oriented cycles. You’ll hit chest and back twice per week on this program, yet other body parts just once per week to optimize recovery. Also note the intense lateral raise sets which will torch your side delts. There’s also a killer squat workout, which will have you doing as many 15 reps and as few as 4. This will really help improve your overall squat performance. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Back, & Abs Tuesday: Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps Wednesday: Off Thursday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Friday: Chest, Back, & Abs Saturday: Off Chest, Back, & Abs 1. Decline DB Press – 4 x 8, 6, 4, 2 2. Underhand BB Row – 10, 8, 6, 4 3. Incline BB Press – 3 x 6 4. Pulldown (mod width)* – 12, 10, 8 5. DB Pullover** – 2 x 12 6. Decline Crunches (add weight as needed) – 4 x 10-15 * Grab the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip, a bit narrower than you normally would. For most people on most bars this will be just inside the bends. ** Be safe, but get a great stretch at the bottom. Note: you could superset exercises 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and even 5 and 6 if you so desire. Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps 1. Seated DB Shoulder Press – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x Up & Down the Rack* (10 reps ea; beg w/ 5 lbs) 3. Skull-Crusher – 12, 10, 8 4. EZ BB Curl – 10, 8, 6 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 2 x 10


64

6. Low Cable Curl – 2 x 10 * Start with 5 lbs dumbbells and do 10 reps. Immediately go to next set of dumbbells and repeat until you can’t get 10 reps. Then go back down the rack doing 10 or AMRAP. Three sets of these and your medial delts will be FRIED! Note: you could superset exercises 3 and 4, as well as 5 and 6 if you so desire. This works well since they’re antagonistic muscles, and it will save a little time. Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Wide (& Deep) BB Squat* – 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Lying Leg Curl (plantarflexed) – 12, 10, 8, 6 3. Walking BB Lunge – 3 x 18-24 4. Standing Calf Raise – 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 * Get a slightly wider than shoulder-width stance and drop down nice and deep on every single rep. ** Keep your feet plantarflexed (toes pointed down) throughout the set. Chest, Back, & Abs 1. Deadlift (from a hang)* – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. BB Bench – 5 x 5 3. DB Row – 10, 8, 6, 4 4. Push-up – 2 x AMRAP 5. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x 50 (total) * The ‘hanging position’ is with your back flat and the bar hanging just below your knees (as if you were almost midway through a deadlift). You will start/stop each rep at the hanging position. So essentially this is a deadlift where you go down to just below your knees, not to the floor.


65

Training Program: Talladega Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Back, & Abs Tuesday: Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps Thursday: Quads, Hams, & Calves Friday: Chest, Back, & Abs Chest, Back, & Abs 1. Decline DB Press – 4 x 8, 6, 4, 2 2. Underhand BB Row – 10, 8, 6, 4 3. Incline BB Press – 3 x 6 4. Pulldown (stay vertical; squeeze outer lat) – 12, 10, 8 5. DB Pullover (get a great stretch) – 2 x 12 6. Decline Crunches (add weight as needed) – 4 x 10-15 Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps 1. Seated DB Shoulder Press – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x Up & Down the Rack (10 reps ea; beg w/ 5 lbs) 3. Skull-Crusher – 12, 10, 8 4. EZ BB Curl – 10, 8, 6 (can superset 3 & 4) 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 2 x 10 (can superset 5 & 6) 6. Low Cable Curl – 2 x 10 Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Wide (& Deep) BB Squat – 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Lying Leg Curl (toes pointed down) – 12, 10, 8, 6 3. Walking BB Lunge – 3 x 18-24 4. Standing Calf Raise – 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 Chest, Back, & Abs 1. Deadlift (from a hang) – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. BB Bench – 5 x 5 3. DB Row – 10, 8, 6, 4 4. Push-up – 2 x AMRAP 5. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x 50 (total)


66

Training Program: Gatewood Training Days per Week: four Keywords: 4-day, size, strength, foundation Intro: This workout has you training four days per week, and it’s a good one! It has a really tough leg and back workout, as well as a nice, pump-inducing arm workout on Friday. You’ll hit each body part once per week and use 7 sets of 10 (aka FST-7) with short rest intervals with four different exercises throughout the week. I guess I could summarize this training program by saying it’s a solid, no-nonsense, four-day bodybuilding program. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Abs Tuesday: Legs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Biceps & Triceps Saturday: Off Monday 1. Incline BB Press* – 10, 8, 6 2. Flat DB Press – 12, 10, 8 3. High-to-Low Cable Crossover* – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest) 4. Arnold Press – 12, 10, 8 5. Standing Lateral Raise** – 15, 12, 10 6. Hanging Leg Raise - 4 x AMRAP * Keep your chest up (back slightly arched) to keep tension on your chest. ** Keep and eye on your form: do not let your shoulders shrug; make sure your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are level at the top. Tuesday 1. Lying Leg Curls – 12, 10, 8 2. BB Squat – 4 x 8-12 3a. DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 3 x 12-15 3b. Adductor Machine* – 3 x 12-15 4. Hack Squat (narrow; feet and knees together) – 20, 15, 10 5. Seated Leg Curl** – 8, 10 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 8-12 7. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 6-10


67

* This will help thicken up your legs on the inside near the top. Pause in the contracted position on each rep. ** Practically always pause for a split second in the contracted position on these. Thursday 1. Rack Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 2. Hammer Strength Low Row (unilateral)* – 12, 10, 8 3. Pulldown – 3 x 12-15 4. Straight-arm Rope Pulldown – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest) 5. Unilateral, Rear-delt Cable Extension – 3 x 12-15 6. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x AMRAP** * Do these unilaterally (one are at a time). Do not twist your torso much at all. Your spine should stay straight, but the shoulder on the working say will come back a bit. ** Do as many as you can, but shooting for 50 total reps is about right. If you can do more than 50, slow them down a bit and pause slightly in the contracted position to make them harder. Friday 1. EZ BB Curl – 10, 8, 6 2. Close-grip Bench – 10, 8, 6 3a. Seated, Alternating DB Curl – 12, 10, 8 3b. Randy Press* – 12, 10, 8 4. Low Cable Curl – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest) 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest) * Do these Randy Presses on the same bench you do the curls on. Or do them on the floor next to that bench.


68

Training Program: Gatewood Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Abs Tuesday: Legs Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Biceps & Triceps Monday 1. Incline BB Press – 10, 8, 6 2. Flat DB Press – 12, 10, 8 3. High-to-Low Cable Crossover – 7 x 10 4. Arnold Press – 12, 10, 8 5. Standing Lateral Raise – 15, 12, 10 6. Hanging Leg Raise - 4 x AMRAP Tuesday 1. Lying Leg Curls – 12, 10, 8 2. BB Squat (fairly wide & deep) – 4 x 8-12 3a. DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 3 x 12-15 3b. Adductor Machine – 3 x 12-15 4. Hack Squat (narrow; feet and knees together) – 20, 15, 10 5. Seated Leg Curl – 8, 10 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15-20 7. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 8 Thursday 1. Rack Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 2. Hammer Strength Low Row (unilateral) – 12, 10, 8 3. Pulldown – 3 x 12-15 4. Cobra Lat Pulldown – 7 x 10 5. Unilateral, Rear-delt Cable Extension – 3 x 12-15 6. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x AMRAP Friday 1. EZ BB Curl – 10, 8, 6 2. Close-grip Bench – 10, 8, 6 3a. Seated, Alternating DB Curl – 12, 10, 8 3b. Randy Press – 12, 10, 8 4. Low Cable Curl – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest) 5. V-Bar Pushdown – 7 x 10 (30 sec rest)


69

Part 4: Five Days per Week Training Programs


70

Training Program: Biltmore Training Days per Week: five Keywords: adductor, lat superset, calf raise Intro: This is a great five-day training program with a great superset for lats on back day and a killer calf raise working to beef up lagging gastrocs. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest and Abs Tuesday: Back Wednesday: Shoulders & Hamstrings Thursday: Off Friday: Biceps & Triceps Saturday: Quads Chest & Abs 1. Shallow Incline DB Press* – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Flat DB Flye – 3 x 12-15 3. Incline BB Press** – 12, 10, 8 4. Decline Flyes*** – 3 x 12-15 5. Hanging Leg Raise straight to knee raise**** – 5 x AMRAP * Set the incline to about 20º or put a couple plates under the head end of a flat bench. ** You won’t use quite as much weight as you normally would on incline bb since it’s coming 3rd

in the routine. Adjust the weight accordingly.

*** Bring the pinky side of the dumbbells together to better target the lower pecs. **** On leg raises try to bring your feet up to the bar you’re hanging from. Once you can’t do any more of those, bend your knees and just raise your knees up as high as you can. Tuesday 1. DB Row – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Overhand BB Row* – 4 x 10-15 3a. Decline Pullover – 3 x 8-12 3b. Underhand BB Row – 3 x 8-12 4. Pulldown (moderate width)** – 3 x 12-15 5. Unilateral Rear-Delt Cable Extension – 4 x 12-15


71

* Using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, row the bar up to lower chest level (just below your nipples about the area of the xiphoid process). ** Grab the bar about shoulder width and pull to your upper chest, keeping your back arched throughout.

Wednesday 1. Standing Lateral Raise – 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 2. Seated BB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Seated Scaption* – 3 x 12-15 4. Lying Leg Curl – 15, 12, 10, 8 5. Hamstring Rope Pull-through** – 3 x 12-15 6. Seated Leg Curl – 2 x 15-20 * Scaption is half-way between a lateral raise and a front raise. Use dumbbells and raise them up with your arms about 45º forward of straight out to the sides. This hits both the front and medial delts. ** Get a good stretch at the bottom and squeeze your glutes hard as you near the top. Friday 1. “J” Press* – 15, 12, 10, 15-20 2. EZ Bar Curl (narrow grip) – 15, 12, 10, 15-20 3. Unilateral Overhead DB Extension – 12, 10, 8 4. Hammer Curl – 12, 10, 8 5. Unilateral Underhand Triceps Pushdown** – 2 x 15-20 6. Low Cable Curl – 2 x 15-20 * This is like a skull crusher on the way down (lower the bar toward your forehead), and a close-grip bench on the way up (‘scoop’ the bar from over your forehead to over your chest then push it straight up). ** Grab a D-ring handle with a supinated (palm up) grip and proceed to do extensions/pushdowns, making sure to pause in the contracted position. Saturday 1. BB Squats (wide stance)* – 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 2. BB Walking Lunge (slight side step)** – 3 x 24-30 3. Leg Press – 2 x 15-20 4. Adductor Machine – 3 x 12-15 5. Side-lying External Rotation*** – 3 x 15 6. Standing Calf Raise – 100 reps with 15RM**** (30 sec rest) * Go down nice and deep till you feel a good stretch in your glutes and upper hams; this should be parallel or a tad deeper.


72

** Do walking lunges as you normally would but with a slight lateral step to change it up a bit and engage the adductors a bit more. *** Use a light weight with these; it’s a finesse exercise, not a strength move. **** Do 100 reps total, starting with a weight you can do about 15 times; then rest 30 seconds between each set until you complete 100 reps. Yep, it’s tough!


73

Training Program: Biltmore Training Schedule Monday: Chest and Abs Tuesday: Back Wednesday: Shoulders & Hamstrings Friday: Biceps & Triceps Saturday: Quads Chest & Abs 1. Shallow Incline DB Press – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Flat DB Flye – 3 x 12-15 3. Incline BB Press – 12, 10, 8 4. Decline Flyes – 3 x 12-15 5. Hanging Leg Raise straight to knee raise – 5 x AMRAP Tuesday 1. DB Row – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Overhand BB Row – 4 x 10-15 3a. Decline Pullover – 3 x 8-12 3b. Underhand BB Row – 3 x 8-12 4. Pulldown (moderate width) – 3 x 12-15 5. Unilateral Rear-Delt Cable Extension – 4 x 12-15

Wednesday 1. Standing Lateral Raise – 15, 12, 10, 8, 20 2. Seated BB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Seated Scaption – 3 x 12-15 4. Lying Leg Curl – 15, 12, 10, 8 5. Rope Pull-through – 3 x 12-15 6. Seated Leg Curl – 2 x 15-20 Friday 1. “J” Press – 15, 12, 10, 15-20 2. EZ Bar Curl (narrow grip) – 15, 12, 10, 15-20 3. Unilateral Overhead DB Extension – 12, 10, 8 4. Hammer Curl – 12, 10, 8 5. Unilateral Underhand Triceps Pushdown – 2 x 15-20 6. Low Cable Curl – 2 x 15-20 Saturday 1. BB Squats (wide stance) – 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 2. BB Walking Lunge (slight side-step) – 3 x 24-30 3. Leg Press – 2 x 15-20 4. Adductor Machine – 3 x 12-15 5. Side-lying External Rotation – 3 x 15-20 6. Standing Calf Raise – 100 reps with 15RM (30 sec rest)


74

Training Program: Zen Training Days per Week: five Keywords: five-way split, moderately high volume, strength, hypertrophy Intro: This 5-day program is a fairly high volume workout that’s geared toward hypertrophy. But it has ample low-rep, high-tension sets to maintain and improve strength. This training program was originally designed to be done pre-contest, so no stone is left unturned in this killer program. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Back Tuesday: Chest & Abs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Quads & Calves Friday: Shoulders & Hams Saturday: Biceps, Triceps, & Abs Back 1. Hammer Strength Low Row (unilateral) – 3 x 6-10 2. Chest Supported T-Bar Row* – 3 x 8-12 3. Pulldown (medium-width grip)** – 15, 12, 10 4. Hammer Strength Shrug*** - 2 x 8-10 5. Underhand Low Cable Row**** – 7 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest) * Adjust your body position so that you’re rowing the bar toward your lower chest. Focus on squeezing your scapulae together. ** Lean back just enough to feel this in your upper back as well as your lats. *** If you don’t have this machine, do db shrugs. **** Grab the bar just wide enough so that your elbows clear your sides when you row back. Pause very slightly in the contracted position to accentuate the squeeze on your lats. Chest & Abs 1. Hammer Strength Incline Press* – 3 x 5-8 2. Flat DB Press** – 3 x 6-10 3. Flat Flyes – 3 x 10-15 4. Low to High Cable Flyes*** – 4 x 10-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Seated Lateral Raises – 3 x 12-15 6a. Incline Reverse Crunches – 3 x 10-15 6b. Decline Crunches – 3 x 8-12


75

* Start with the handles just a pinch higher than nipple level, and keep your chest lifted ‘up’ throughout, especially near the end. ** If you feel that you lose tension on your chest near the top, then don’t worry about making the dumbbells touch. *** Think of drawing an upside down ‘V’ with the cable handles. And as always, lift your chest up near the top – think about pulling the cables up and in with your upper pecs. Quads & Calves 1. Leg Extension – 3 x 10-15 2. Hack Squat – 3 x 8-12 3. Unilateral Leg Press* – 8, 12, 15 4. Walking BB Lunge – 2 x 20-30 steps 5. Butt Blaster** – 3 x 10-12 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 8-10 7. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 6 / 2 x 20 (short rest last 2 sets)*** * Your feet should be in almost the same spot as with bilateral leg press, but you’ll need to bring the working foot in a bit closer to the middle. ** Yep, guys need to hit their glutes, too. Pause slightly in the contracted position. *** On the last two set of 20 reps, only take 30 seconds rest between. Shoulders & Hams 1. Seated Scaption* – 3 x 8-12 2. Shoulder Press Machine – 2 x 6-10 / 2 x 10-15** (short rest last two sets) 3. Cable Lateral Raise - 4 x 8-12 (45 seconds rest) 4. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 5. Unilateral Leg Curl*** – 3 x 5-8 6. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-12 7. Seated Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest) * Half-way between a lateral raise and a front raise. ** Only rest 30 seconds between the last two, higher-rep sets. *** Use a unilateral leg curl machine if your gym has one. If not, simply do lying (prone) leg curls one leg at a time.


76

Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1a. BB Curls – 4 x 6 1b. Skull Crusher – 3 x 10 2. Unilateral, Reverse Grip Triceps Extension* – 3 x 10-12 3. V-bar Pushdown – 2 x 8-12 / 1 x 20 4. DB Hammer Curl – 3 x 8-12 5. Preacher Curl Machine** – 2 x 6-10 / 1 x 20 6. Rope Crunch*** – 4 x 8-12 * Use a supinated (palm up) grip on a D-ring handle. Pause in the contracted position. ** If your gym has a good preacher curl machine, use it. Hammer Strength, Strive, and Cybex make good ones. If not, do free-weight preacher curls. *** Set the rope from an overhead pulley. Get a good squeeze and exhale as you near the contracted position.


77

Training Program: Zen Training Schedule Monday: Back Tuesday: Chest & Abs Thursday: Quads & Calves Friday: Shoulders & Hams Saturday: Biceps, Triceps, & Abs Back 1. Hammer Strength Low Row (unilateral) – 3 x 6-10 2. Chest Supported T-Bar Row – 3 x 8-12 3. Pulldown (medium-width grip) – 15, 12, 10 4. Hammer Strength Shrug - 2 x 8-10 5. Underhand Low Cable Row – 7 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest) Chest & Abs 1. Hammer Strength Incline Press – 3 x 5-8 2. Flat DB Press – 3 x 6-10 3. Flat Flyes – 3 x 10-15 4. Low to High Cable Flyes – 4 x 10-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Seated Lateral Raises – 3 x 12-15 6a. Incline Reverse Crunches – 3 x 10-15 6b. Decline Crunches – 3 x 8-12 Quads & Calves 1. Leg Extension – 3 x 10-15 2. Hack Squat – 3 x 8-12 3. Unilateral Leg Press – 8, 12, 15 4. Walking BB Lunge – 2 x 20-30 steps 5. Butt Blaster – 3 x 10-12 6. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 8-10 7. Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 6 / 2 x 20 (short rest last 2 sets) Shoulders & Hams 1. Seated Scaption 3 x 8-12 2. Shoulder Press Machine – 2 x 6-10 / 2 x 10-15 (short rest last two sets) 3. Cable Lateral Raise - 4 x 8-12 (45 seconds rest) 4. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 5. Unilateral Leg Curl – 3 x 5-8 6. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-12 7. Seated Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest)


78

Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1a. BB Curls – 4 x 6 1b. Skull Crusher – 3 x 10 2. Unilateral, Reverse Grip Triceps Extension – 3 x 10-12 3. V-bar Pushdown – 2 x 8-12 / 1 x 20 4. DB Hammer Curl – 3 x 8-12 5. Preacher Curl Machine – 2 x 6-10 / 1 x 20 6. Rope Crunch – 4 x 8-12


79

Training Program: Trojan Training Days per Week: five Keywords: size, strength, 5-day, biceps, curl strength, moderately high volume Intro: This program is a moderately high volume, 5-day program that has a bit of a biceps emphasis. You’ll hit biceps twice per week, once with a strength-inducing 8 x 3 rep scheme, and another with a more traditional set/rep scheme. If you want to boost your curl strength while also hitting the rest of your body hard, too, this is your program. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Quads & Calves Wednesday: Off Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Shoulders & Triceps Saturday: Hams & Calves Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Decline DB Press – 4 x 5-8 2. Incline Smith Machine Press – 3 x 8-10 (+ 1SS on last set)* 3. Flat DB Flye + Squeeze Press** – 3 x 10-15 4. EZ Bar Curl – 8 x 3 5a. Medicine Ball Twist*** – 3 x AMRAP 5b. Crunch – 3 x AMRAP * After your last set, immediately do a Strip Set (SS) reducing the weight about 20-25% and take it to failure. ** Do flyes as you normally would, but when you’re done with flyes, press the dumbbells together in the middle and press them up and down until you’re spent…which won’t take long, just a few reps. *** Do NOT round (flex) your spine. Quads & Calves 1. BB Squat – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Hack Squat – 3 x 12-15 3. Walking Lunge – 2 x 24-30 (total steps) 4. Leg Extension – 1 x 10 + 2 SS* 5. Seated Calf Raise – 4 x 8-12


80

* After the set of 10, immediately perform two Strip Sets, reducing the weight about 20-25% each time. Back & Abs 1. Pull-up* – 4 x 6-8 2. UH BB Row – 6, 8, 10 3. Rope Row (aka Face Pull)** – 3 x 10-15 4. UH Pulldown*** – 4 x 10-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 * Use a pull-up machine or add resistance as needed to stay around the 6-8 rep range. ** Put a rope on a low cable row station and row it toward your upper chest (not really your face, which is why I don’t call them face pulls). *** Arch as you bring the bar down to touch your middle to lower chest. Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 4 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x 6-8 / 2 x 10-15 3. Truck Driver* – 2 x ALAP 4. Floor Press** – 4 x 6-9 5. Overhead, Behind-the-Back Rope Extension*** – 3 x 8-12 6. Incline DB Curls – 2 x 6-10 / 2 x 10-12 * Keep the plate up so you can see through the hole. Shoot for 60 sec then go up in weight when you can get that. ** Essentially a close-grip bench press done on the floor. Pause slightly at the top and the bottom. *** Stretch down until your forearms are parallel to the ground. Hamstrings & Calves 1. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 6-10 2. Hamstring Pull-through* – 3 x 8-12 3. Lying Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 5a. Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x AMRAP 5b. Floor V-up – 3 x AMRAP * Squeeze your glutes near the top; it’s a ham AND glute exercise.


81

Training Program: Trojan Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Quads & Calves Thursday: Back & Abs Friday: Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps Saturday: Hams & Calves Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Decline DB Press – 4 x 5-8 2. Incline Smith Machine Press – 3 x 8-10 (+ 1SS on last set) 3. Flat DB Flye + Squeeze Press – 3 x 10-15 4. EZ Bar Curl – 8 x 3 5a. Medicine Ball Twist – 3 x AMRAP 5b. Crunch – 3 x AMRAP Quads & Calves 1. BB Squat – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Hack Squat – 3 x 12-15 3. Walking Lunge – 2 x 24-30 (total steps) 4. Leg Extension – 1 x 10 + 2 SS 5. Seated Calf Raise – 4 x 8-12 Back & Abs 1. Pull-up – 4 x 6-8 2. UH BB Row – 6, 8, 10 3. Rope Row (aka Face Pull) – 3 x 10-15 4. UH Pulldown – 4 x 10-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 Shoulders & Triceps 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 4 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x 6-8 / 2 x 10-15 3. Truck Driver – 2 x ALAP 4. Floor Press – 4 x 6-9 5. Overhead, Behind-the-Back Rope Extension – 3 x 8-12 6. Incline DB Curls – 2 x 6-10 / 2 x 10-12 Hamstrings & Calves 1. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 6-10 2. Hamstring Pull-through – 3 x 8-12 3. Lying Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 5a. Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x AMRAP 5b. Floor V-up – 3 x AMRAP


82

Training Program: Denver Training Days per Week: five Keywords: back, 5-day, moderately high volume Intro: Here’s a 5-day program that’s fairly typical for a competitive bodybuilder. However, this program uses twice weekly back workouts. But when you consider the complex nature of the back, two back sessions really shouldn’t be that uncommon since these workouts are divided functionally into rowing vs. vertical pulling days. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest & Abs Tuesday: Back (rowing) Wednesday: Off Thursday: Legs Friday: Shoulders & Triceps Saturday: Back (vertical pulling) & Biceps Chest & Abs 1. Incline BB Press* – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Flat DB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Decline Flye** – 3 x 12-15 4. Incline Hammer Strength Press*** – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Hanging Leg Raise – 4 x AMRAP * Stop just short of lock-out to keep the tension on your upper chest. ** Bring the pinky side of the db together. *** Use good form and focus on squeezing your chest near the top, contracted position. Back 1. Rack Deadlift* – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. DB Row – 12, 10, 8 3. Chest-supported T-bar Row** – 10, 8, 6 4. Prone, Chest-supported DB Row*** – 3 x 12-15 5. Straight-arm Rope Pulldown**** – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) * Start with the bar just below knee level (right at your tibial tuberosity). Do not hyperextend at the top. ** Although fairly heavy, still focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.


83

*** Done on an incline bench; pause at the top of each rep to really hit your back well. **** In the contracted position make sure your thoracic spine is arched (extended). Think about driving your elbows back with your lats. Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Leg Extension – 3 sets of 15* 2. Leg Curl – 3 x 12-15 3. BB Squat – 15, 12, 10 4. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 5. Walking Lunge – 2 x 30 (total steps) 6. Standing Calf Raise – 12, 10, 8, 6** 7. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15-20 * Not done quite to failure; kind of like a heavy warm-up. ** Stretch after your last set of calf raises. Shoulders & Triceps 1. Standing BB Shoulder Press* – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 3. Plate Front Raise** – 3 x 10-15 4. Close-grip Bench Press – 12, 10, 8, 6 5. V-bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8, 20 6. One-arm Overhead DB Extension*** – 3 x 10-15 * You can use your legs a bit to help you on the last couple reps. ** Grab a weight plate and do front raises. Raise until your hands are about eye level. *** Go down until your forearm is parallel to the ground and up just short of your forearm being vertical. Back & Biceps 1. Wide-grip Pulldown* – 3 x 12-15 2. Narrow, Parallel-grip Pull-up** – 3 x AMRAP 3. EZ Bar Curl – 12, 10, 8 4. Incline DB Curl – 3 x 8-12 (ea side) 5. Low Cable Curl – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) * Use a wider than shoulder-width grip and stay fairly vertical throughout to focus on your lats (sort of ‘outer’ lats).


84

** Grab the narrow handles that put your hands in a neutral (palms facing each other) position. Still arch as you come up. If you can do more than 12 good reps, add resistance.


85

Training Program: Denver Training Schedule Monday: Chest & Abs Tuesday: Back (rowing) Thursday: Legs Friday: Shoulders & Triceps Saturday: Back (vertical pulling) & Biceps Chest & Abs 1. Incline BB Press – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. Flat DB Press – 3 x 8-12 3. Decline Flye – 3 x 12-15 4. Incline Hammer Strength Press – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Hanging Leg Raise – 4 x AMRAP Back 1. Rack Deadlift – 10, 8, 6, 4 2. DB Row – 12, 10, 8 3. Chest-supported T-bar Row – 10, 8, 6 4. Prone supported DB Rows on Incline Bench – 3 x 12-15 5. Cobra Lat Pullover (with rope) – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) * stretch your back/last intensely after training Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Leg Extension – 3 sets of 15 2. Leg Curl – 3 x 12-15 3. BB Squat – 15, 12, 10 4. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 5. Walking Lunge – 2 x 30 (total steps) 6. Standing Calf Raise – 12, 10, 8, 6 7. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 15-20 Shoulders & Triceps 1. Standing BB Shoulder Press – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x 10-15 3. Plate Front Raise – 3 x 10-15 4. Close-grip Bench Press – 12, 10, 8, 6 5. V-bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8, 20 6. One-arm Overhead DB Extension – 3 x 10-15 Back & Biceps 1. Wide-grip Pulldown – 3 x 12-15 2. Parallel-grip Pull-up – 3 x AMRAP 3. EZ Bar Curl – 12, 10, 8 4. Incline DB Curl – 3 x 8-12 (ea side) 5. Low Cable Curl – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest)


86

Training Program: Bear Training Days per Week: five Keywords: back, back size, 5-day, high-frequency back, hams Intro: This is the best workout I’ve ever designed to bring your back up as quickly as possible. It also has a bit of hamstring emphasis to it. It’s intense, but it works. Not for rookies. T raining S c hedule Sunday – Back, Hams, & Abs Monday - Chest Tuesday - Off Wednesday - Quads & Calves Thursday - Shoulders & Hams Friday - Biceps & Triceps Saturday - Off Back & Hams 1. Rack Deadlift – 2 x 5-8* 2. One-arm DB Row – 4 x 5** 3. Feet-supported Pull-up*** – 3 x 8-12 4. Chest-supported T-bar Row – 3 x 10-15 5. Unilateral Leg Curl**** – 4 x 8-12 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 * Go to failure or one rep short. ** Do these fairly explosively (at least on the way up). The key on these is not to go to failure, but to generate maximum power by moving a heavy weight quickly. *** Aka – DC Chins **** Use the Flex brand if available. If you don’t have a unilateral leg curl machine, do them one leg at a time on a regular leg curl. Chest & Abs 1. Decline DB Press - 8, 6, 4 2a. Incline DB Flye* - 3 x 8-12 2b. Incline BB Press - 3 x 6-10 3. Seated Chest Press machine** - 4 x 8-12 4. High-to-Low Cable Flye - 2 x 10-15 5. Low-to-High Cable Flye – 2 x 10-15 * Bring the thumb side of the dumbbells together at the top.


87

** Use a machine if you have a good one (like Icarian). Quads & Calves 1. BB Squat – 5 x 10 2. Leg Press – 2 x 10-15 / 1 x 20-25 3. Leg Extension (feet angled in slightly) – 1 x 12-15 + 2SS* 4. Glute Extension** (on 45º back extension) – 3 x AMRAP (if 3 x 15, add resistance) 5. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 12-15 6. Standing Calf Raise – 1 x 8, 6, 4 / 2 x 20-25 (then stretch) * After the set of 12-15, do two Strip Sets dropping the weight about 20-25% each time. ** On a 45º back extension apparatus, do extensions but use only your glutes, keeping your back rounded forward slightly. Shoulders & Hams 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 4 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 4 x 7-10 / 1 x 20 3. Cuban Rotation* – 3 x 12-15 4. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 6-8 5. DB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-10 6. Lying Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest) * With your upper arms parallel to the floor, rotate internally and externally as far as you can. Use a light weight. Think finesse. Arms 1a. Dip* – 3 x 5-8 1b. Chin-up** - 3 x 5-8 2. Incline DB Curl – 3 x 8-10 3. Straight-bar Pushdown – 3 x 8-12 4. Randy Press - 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest) 5. Standing alternating DB Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest) * Use a narrow grip and stay vertical to target triceps. ** Use a supinated (palms up) grip that’s shoulder width or a pinch narrower to focus on biceps. Ancillary Back Training Notes: None of the sets on this ancillary program should be taken to failure. The goal is more to get a pump. You should, for the most part, be able to still


88

accelerate the weight on your last rep. So you're probably looking at about 75% of what you could do if you went all-out. Week 1 - no additional back work Week 2 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Weeks 3 & 4 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 4 x 8-10 Weeks 5 & 6 Monday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 8-10 Weeks 7 & 8 Monday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Tuesday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 10-15 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 8-10


89

Training Program: Bear T raining S c hedule Sunday – Back, Hams, & Abs Monday - Chest Tuesday – Off (or ancillary back work) Wednesday - Quads & Calves Thursday - Shoulders & Hams Friday - Biceps & Triceps Back & Hams 1. Rack Deadlift – 2 x 5-8 (to failure or one rep short) 2. One-arm DB Row – 4 x 5 (explosive) 3. Feet-supported Pull-up (DC chins) – 3 x 8-12 4. Chest-supported T-bar Row – 3 x 10-15 5. Unilateral Leg Curl (flex machine) – 4 x 8-12 6. Decline Crunch – 3 x 8-12 Chest & Abs 1. Decline DB Press - 8,6,4 2a. Incline DB Flye - 3 x 8-12 2b. Incline BB Press - 3 x 6-10 3. Seated (Icarian) Chest Press machine - 4 x 8-12 4. Cable X-Over/Flye - 4 x 10-15 (2 sets high to low, 2 low to high) Quads & Calves 1. BB Squat – 5 x 10 2. Leg Press – 2 x 10-15 / 1 x 20-25 3. Leg Extension (feet angled in slightly) – 1 x 12-15 + 2 drop sets (reduce weight about 20% each time, take each set to failure) 4. Glute Extension (on back extension apparatus) – 3 x AMRAP (if 3 x 15, add resistance) 5. Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 12-15 6. Standing Calf Raise – 1 x 8, 6, 4 / 2 x 20-25 (then stretch) Shoulders & Hams 1. Seated BB Shoulder Press – 4 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 4 x 7-10 / 1 x 20 3. Cuban Rotation – 3 x 12-15 4. Seated Leg Curl – 3 x 6-8 5. DB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 8-10 6. Lying Leg Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest)


90

Arms 1a. Dip1

1b. Chin-up - 3 x 5-8

1

2. Incline DB Curl – 3 x 8-10 - 3 x 5-8

3. Straight-bar Pushdown – 3 x 8-12 4. Randy Press1

5. Standing alternating DB Curl – 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest) - 5 x 8-12 (30 s rest)

Ancillary Back Training Week 1 – no additional back work Week 2 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Weeks 3 & 4 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 4 x 8-10 Weeks 5 & 6 Monday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 8-10 Weeks 7 & 8 Monday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Tuesday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 10-15 Wednesday - Hammer Strength High Rows - 3 x 12-15 Thursday - Straight-arm Rope Pulldowns - 3 x 12-15 Friday - Low Cable Rows - 3 x 8-10


91

Training Program: Texas Training Days per Week: five Keywords: chest, curl strength, adductors, high-frequency chest, 5-day, advanced, Intro: This program has been my most effective in bringing up a lagging chest quickly. Because of the intensity and volume, this is not a rookie workout. It’s for advanced trainees who happen to need to bring up their chest (or curl strength). The leg workout is unique in that it’s designed to thicken up your thighs near the top in the adductor region. If your thighs appear straight up and down without much meat at the top, this workout is for you. Add food, sleep, and dedication and you’re set. Weekly Schedule Sunday: Off (or push-up routine) Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Wednesday: Off (or push-up routine) Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps Friday: Quads Saturday: Hams & Calves Monday 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 4-6 2. Smith Incline – 1 x 8 + 2SS 3. Flat Flye/Press – 2 x 8-10 4. Flye Machine - 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest)*** 5. EZ Bar Curl – 10 x 3**** * After warming up well, do one balls to the wall set of 8, then rest 20 seconds and repeat, then rest 20 seconds and repeat again. If you get 8 on the first set, you’ll likely get about 4 on the 2nd and about 2 on the 3rd

.

** As you do when you supinate a dumbbell during a curl, smoothly rotate between the flye position at the bottom and the press position at the top. *** Immediately stretch your chest after the last set. **** Yes, you read that right, ten sets of three! You won’t need to rest more than about a minute or so (just catch your breath). Do not go quite to failure on these. So your 3rd

rep should definitely be tough, but you should be able to grind out another one or two if you had to. Maybe here’s how to look at it – go to failure but with strict form.


92

Tuesday 1. Pull-up – 5 x ½ your RM* 2. Underhand BB Rows – 6, 8, 10 3. Rope Rows** - 3 x 10-15 4. Underhand Pulldowns – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Hanging Leg Raises – 3 x AMRAP 6. Medicine Ball Twists – 3 x 20 (total reps) * First, do as many good pull-ups as you can. This is your RM (repetition maximum). From now on, do sets of half that, making sure your form is good. Let’s say you get 8 pull-ups. You’ll do 5 x 4. After a couple weeks, a couple of the sets will feel fairly easy, do 5 reps on those. Over the course of this 8 week program, you should end up doing about 5 x 6. FYI, at that point you’ll be able to do about 12 pull-ups. ** Row toward your mid-chest. Thursday 1. Shoulder Machine Press – 3 x 4-6 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x 6-8 / 1 x run-the-rack 3. Truck Driver – 2 x ALAP 4. High-to-Low Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 5. Randy Press (+ burn out w/ DB)** – 3 x 6-10 (ea side) 6. Unilateral, Overhead DB Extension – 3 x 8-12 7. Incline DB Curl – 7 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest) * Start with the 5 lb dumbbells and do ten reps; then go to the 10’s and do ten reps; then to the 15’s and do ten reps, and so on until you can’t get ten reps. Then work your way back down, either doing ten reps or as many as you can. ** After each set of Randy Press, press the dumbbell up and down over your chest to really burn out your triceps. Friday 1. Adductor Machine – 3 x 10-15 2. Wide-stance Squat – 10, 8, 6, 20 3. Walking Lunge – 3 x 24-30 4. Leg Extension – 2 x 10 + 1SS* 5. Adductor Machine – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) * Each set is a strip set. Saturday 1. DB Leg Curl – 4 x 6-10 2. Hamstring Rope Pull-Through – 3 x 10-15 3. Seated Leg Curl – 7 x 8-12


93

4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20 Ancillary Push-Up Routine Notes:

• None of the sets in this program should be to failure! They should be roughly 80% of what you could do.

• Rest intervals should be 30-60 seconds. So, of course, your reps will drop

set to set, especially at first. But make sure to not hit failure. Week 1 3 sets of about 20 reps (or 80% or so of rep max) on Thursday & Saturday. Week 2 Do 3 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Week 3 Do 3 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. (Also, by this point if doing 20 is to easy – not roughly 80% - then do a few more reps. So adjust the reps as you progress. Week 4 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. Week 5 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. Week 6 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Week 7 Do 5 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Week 8 Do 6 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.


94

Training Program: Texas Weekly Schedule Sunday: Off (or push-up routine) Monday: Chest & Biceps Tuesday: Back & Abs Wednesday: Off (or push-up routine) Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps Friday: Quads Saturday: Hams & Calves Monday 1. Decline DB Press – 3 x 4-6 2. Smith Incline – 1 x 8 + 2SS 3. Flat Flye/Press – 2 x 8-10 4. Flye Machine - 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 5. EZ Bar Curl – 10 x 3 Tuesday 1. Pull-up – 5 x ½ your RM* 2. Underhand BB Rows – 6, 8, 10 3. Rope Rows - 3 x 10-15 4. Underhand Pulldowns – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) 5. Hanging Leg Raises – 3 x AMRAP 6. Medicine Ball Twists – 3 x 20 (total reps) Thursday 1. Shoulder Machine Press – 3 x 4-6 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 2 x 6-8 / 1 x run-the-rack 3. Truck Driver – 2 x ALAP 4. High-to-Low Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 10-15 5. Randy Press (+ burn out w/ DB) – 3 x 6-10 (ea side) 6. Unilateral, Overhead DB Extension – 3 x 8-12 7. Incline DB Curl – 7 x 8-12 (30 seconds rest) Friday 1. Adductor Machine – 3 x 10-15 2. Wide-stance Squat – 10, 8, 6, 20 3. Walking Lunge – 3 x 24-30 4. Leg Extension – 2 x 10 + 1SS 5. Adductor Machine – 7 x 8-12 (30 sec rest) Saturday 1. DB Leg Curl – 4 x 6-10 2. Hamstring Rope Pull-Through – 3 x 10-15 3. Seated Leg Curl – 7 x 8-12 4. Standing Calf Raise – 8 x 5 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20


95

Ancillary Push-Up Routine

• None of the sets in this program should be to failure! They should be roughly 80% of what you could do.

• Rest intervals should be 30-60 seconds. So, of course, your reps will drop set to set, especially at first. But make sure to not hit failure.

Week 1 3 sets of about 20 reps (or 80% or so of rep max) on Thursday & Saturday. Week 2 Do 3 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Week 3 Do 3 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. (Also, by this point if doing 20 is to easy – not roughly 80% - then do a few more reps. So adjust the reps as you progress. Week 4 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. Week 5 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. Week 6 Do 4 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Week 7 Do 5 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Week 8 Do 6 sets of push-ups on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.


96

Training Program: Phoenix Training Days per Week: five Keywords: chest, shoulders, high frequency Intro: This is a super-intense chest and shoulder routine. If done too often or for too long, it’d be overkill. Used as it should be (maybe once per year), it will jumpstart some growth to your chest and shoulders and really enhance the neuromuscular efficiency of the two. This should normally be a six-week routine. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, and Calves Tuesday: Back and Abs Wednesday: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps Thursday: Quads, Hams, and Calves Friday: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, and Abs Saturday: Off Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, & Calves 1. DB Chest Press – 2 x 5* (3 x 5 week 3; 4 x 5 week 4 on) 2. BB Shoulder Press – 2 x 6** 3. BB Curl – 3 x 5 4. DB Hammer Curl – 3 x 8 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20 6. Unilateral DB Calf Raise – 3 x 8-12 * On the 3rd week add one set making it 3 x 5; on the 4th

week add another set going to 4 x 5.

** Go to 3 x 6 the 3rd & 4th

week, then 4 x 6 for weeks 5 & 6

Back & Abs 1. Decline Pullover – 15, 12, 9 2. Under-hand Pulldown – 3 x 6-10 3. Low Cable Row – 3 x 12-15 4. Over-hand BB Row* – 3 x 12-15 5. Rope Crunch** – 3 x 8-12 * Don’t go too heavy. Row to your lower chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together. ** Done from an overhead pulley.


97

Wednesday: 1. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-10* 2a. Seated Lateral Raise – 2 x 8-12* 2b. Seated Arnold Press – 2 x 8-12** 3. Bent-over Reverse Flye (for rear delts)*** – 3 x 12-15 4. V-Bar Pushdown – 12, 8, 15 5. Unilateral Overhead DB Extension – 2 x 10-15 * Do 4 sets starting week 4. ** Do 3 sets starting week 4. *** Keep the thumb-side down to hit rear delts. Thursday: 1. BB Squat – 3 x 8 / 1 x 20 2. Leg Press – 3 x 12-15 3. Unilateral Calf Press* – 3 x 12-20 4. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 * Done on the leg press. Get a good squeeze on each rep. Friday: 1a. DB Flye – 2 x 12-15* 1b. BB Bench – 2 x 12-15* 1c. Push-up – 2 x AMRAP* 2a. Seated Lateral Raise – 3 x 12-15 2b. Frog-kick (on end of bench) – 3 x AMRAP 3. Alternating DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 4. Narrow grip EZ Bar Preacher Curl – 2 x 12-15* 5. Cuban Rotation – 2 x 15* * Add a set starting week 3.


98

Training Program: Phoenix Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, and Calves Tuesday: Back and Abs Wednesday: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps Thursday: Quads, Hams, and Calves Friday: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, and Abs Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, & Calves 1. DB Chest Press – 2 x 5 (3 x 5 week 3; 4 x 5 week 4 on) 2. BB Shoulder Press – 2 x 6 3. BB Curl – 3 x 5 4. DB Hammer Curl – 3 x 8 5. Seated Calf Raise – 2 x 15-20 6. Unilateral DB Calf Raise – 3 x 8-12 Back & Abs 1. Decline Pullover – 15, 12, 9 2. Under-hand Pulldown – 3 x 6-10 3. Low Cable Row – 3 x 12-15 4. Over-hand BB Row – 3 x 12-15 5. Rope Crunch – 3 x 8-12 Wednesday: 1. Incline BB Press – 3 x 8-10 2a. Seated Lateral Raise – 2 x 8-12 2b. Seated Arnold Press – 2 x 8-12 3. Bent-over Reverse Flye (for rear delts) – 3 x 12-15 4. V-Bar Pushdown – 12, 8, 15 5. Unilateral Overhead DB Extension – 2 x 10-15 Thursday: 1. BB Squat – 3 x 8 / 1 x 20 2. Leg Press – 3 x 12-15 3. Unilateral Calf Press – 3 x 12-20 4. BB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 2 x 10-12 Friday: 1a. DB Flye – 2 x 12-15 1b. BB Bench – 2 x 12-15 1c. Push-up – 2 x AMRAP 2a. Seated Lateral Raise – 3 x 12-15 2b. Frog-kick (on end of bench) – 3 x AMRAP 3. Alternating DB Curl – 2 x 8-12 4. Narrow grip EZ Bar Preacher Curl – 2 x 12-15 5. Cuban Rotation – 2 x 15


99

Training Program: El Diablo Training Days per Week: five Keywords: biceps, 5-day, advanced Intro: This is a 5-day advanced program designed to focus on biceps with three biceps workouts per week. Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Quads Wednesday: Shoulders and Triceps Thursday: Back and Biceps Friday: Off Saturday: Hamstrings, Biceps, and Abs Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. BB Bench Press* – 5 x 5 2. Incline Smith Machine Press – 15, 12, 10, 8 3. Dip** – 4 x AMRAP (with bodyweight) 4. DB Flye – 3 x 12-15, 1 x 20 5. BB Curl – 4 x 5 6. Hammer Curl – 3 x 8 7. Hanging Leg Raise (straight to knee raise)*** – 4 x AMRAP * Stretch your chest and warm up well prior to starting the work sets. ** Tuck your chin to your chest and use a fairly wide grip to hit your chest. Use a good ROM but don’t overstretch at the bottom. You’ll find you can go deeper as the sets go on and you get loose. *** Once you’ve done as many leg raises as you can, immediately bend your legs and do knee raises. It’s essentially a strip set. Quads 1. BB Squat – 6 x 10 2. Leg Press* – 4 x 10-15 3. BB Walking Lunge – 3 x 24-30 4. Unilateral Leg Extension – 3 x 15 5. Side-lying External Rotation – 3 x 15-20 * Go nice and deep. Use a non-stop tempo…like a piston.


100

Shoulders & Triceps 1. Seated DB Press – 5 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x 8-12 3. Machine Shoulder Press – 3 x 12-15 4. Behind-back Cable Lateral* – 3 x 12-15 5. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 5 6. Straight Bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8, 6 7. Rope Extension – 3 x 15 * Start with the handle around the middle of your butt, then stop when your arm is parallel to the ground or the point at which you need to shrug to complete the rep, whichever comes first. Back & Biceps 1. Underhand BB Row – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Underhand Pulldown* – 15, 12, 10, 8 3. Wide-Grip Pulldown – 3 x 10-15 4. Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 5. Overhand Low Cable Rows** – 3 x 12-15 6. Unilateral Rear-Delt Cable Extension – 4 x 12-15 7. EZ Bar Preacher Curl*** – 4 x 8-12 * Use a fairly narrow grip, arch your back, and pull to mid chest. ** Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top as if you’re trying to pinch someone’s finger between them. *** Stop short of vertical to keep tension on your bi’s. Hams, Biceps, & Abs 1. DB Leg Curl* – 4 x 6-10 2. DB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 15, 12, 10 3. Seated Leg Curl** – 12, 10, 8 4. Standing Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 5. Concentration Curl – 2 x 15 6. Decline Crunch – 100 reps total*** * If you find this too awkward (holding the db between your feet), sub lying leg curl; but do these if you can. ** Squeeze in the contracted position. *** Take each set pretty close to failure, and do as many sets as it takes to do 100 reps.


101

Training Program: El Diablo Training Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Quads Wednesday: Shoulders and Triceps Thursday: Back and Biceps Friday: Off Saturday: Hamstrings, Biceps, and Abs Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. BB Bench Press – 5 x 5 2. Incline Smith Machine Press – 15, 12, 10, 8 3. Dip – 4 x AMRAP (with bodyweight) 4. DB Flye – 3 x 12-15, 1 x 20 5. BB Curl – 4 x 5 6. Hammer Curl – 3 x 8 7. Hanging Leg Raise (straight to knee raise) – 4 x AMRAP Quads 1. BB Squat – 6 x 10 2. High & Wide Leg Press – 4 x 10-15 3. BB Walking Lunge (step slightly to the side each step) – 3 x 24-30 4. Unilateral Leg Extension – 3 x 15 5. Side-lying External Rotation – 3 x 15-20

Shoulders & Triceps 1. Seated DB Press – 5 x 5 2. Standing Lateral Raise – 3 x 8-12 3. Machine Shoulder Press – 3 x 12-15 4. Behind-back Cable Lateral – 3 x 12-15 5. Close-grip Bench – 3 x 5 6. Straight Bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 8, 6 7. Rope Extension – 3 x 15 Back & Biceps 1. Underhand BB Row – 12, 10, 8, 6 2. Underhand Pulldown – 15, 12, 10, 8 3. Wide-Grip Pulldown – 3 x 10-15 4. Deadlift – 10, 8, 6 5. Lat exercise of your choice – 3 x 12-15 6. Unilateral Rear-Delt Cable Extension – 4 x 12-15 7. EZ Bar Preacher Curl – 4 x 8-12


102

Hams, Biceps, & Abs 1. DB Leg Curl – 4 x 6-10 2. DB Stiff-legged Deadlift – 15, 12, 10 3. Seated Leg Curl – 12, 10, 8 4. Standing Alternating DB Curl – 3 x 6-10 5. Concentration Curl – 2 x 15 6. Decline Crunch – 100 reps total


103

Training Program: Pearl Training Days per Week: five Keywords: shoulder complex, 5-day, advanced, moderately high volume Intro: This is an advanced, 5-day program designed primarily for size. It has a shoulder complex that I call my Killer Delt Complex. Once you try it you’ll see why. Weekly Schedule Sunday: Off Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Back Wednesday: Shoulders, Triceps, and Abs Thursday: Off Friday: Legs Saturday: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, and Abs Exercises Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Shallow Incline Dumbbell Press 12, 10, 8 2a. Decline Flye 3 x 12-15 2b. Dips 3 x AMRAP (if 15, add weight) 3. Flat BB Press (medium grip) – 2 x 8-12* 4. EZ BB Curl – 15, 12, 9 5. DB Concentration Curl – 3 x 15** ( 6a. Floor V-up – 3 x 15*** 6b. Reverse Crunch – 3 x 15 6c. Crunch – 3 x 15 * Stretch your chest immediately after this exercise. ** Go back & forth between arms with no rest. *** If you can do more than 15 on any of this Ab Triad, go slower and do them more strictly to make them harder. As a last resort, do more reps. Back 1. Underhand Pulldown – 15, 12, 10 2. Overhand Low Cable Row (medium grip)* – 3 x 12-15 3. DB Pullover – 3 x 10-12 4. Low Cable Row** – 3 x 12-15 5. Light Back Extension – 3 x 10-15


104

* Instead of using a bench-press width grip, grab the bar right at shoulder width and row it to your upper abdomen. ** Lean slightly forward and pause in the contracted position. This time these are more about finesse. Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs 1a. Hanging Snatch – 3 x 7 1b. Hanging Clean & Press – 3 x 7 1c. Hanging Clean – 3 x 7 1d. Hanging High Pull – 3 x 7 2. Incline Skull Crusher – 15, 12, 9 3. V-bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 20 4. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x AMRAP Note: The 1a – 1d superset is done with the same barbell without putting it down. Use straps if your grip interferes with the set. All are done from a hanging position (bar held just below knees, flat back, eyes looking forward) instead of from the floor. This complex is all about speed, so use a light weight. Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Lying Leg Curls – 12, 10, 8 2. BB Squats – 15, 12, 10, 20 3a. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 x 12-15 3b. Walking BB Lunges – 3 x 30 4. Unilateral DB Calf Raises – 5 sets AMRAP (back & forth)* * Select a weight that allows you to get about 20 reps on the first set; then go back and forth between legs non-stop until you’ve done five set with each leg. Because your rest will be short, your reps for the five sets will look roughly like 20, 17, 14, 12, 10 Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1. Lateral Raises – 20, 17, 14 (30 sec rest) 2. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 15 3a. Rope Pushdown – 3 x 15 3b. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 15 4. Hanging Leg Raises* - 3 x AMRAP 5. Decline Crunches – 15, 12, 10** * Get your feet up high by your hands tucking pelvis / tailbone under so that your tailbone is facing forward when your feet are at the top. ** Add resistance as needed.


105

Training Program: Pearl Training Schedule Monday: Chest, Biceps, and Abs Tuesday: Back Wednesday: Shoulders, Triceps, and Abs Friday: Legs Saturday: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, and Abs Chest, Biceps, & Abs 1. Shallow Incline Dumbbell Press 12, 10, 8 2a. Decline Flye 3 x 12-15 2b. Dips 3 x AMRAP (if 15, add weight) 3. Flat BB Press (medium grip) – 2 x 8-12 4. EZ BB Curl – 15, 12, 9 5. DB Concentration Curl – 3 x 15 6a. Floor V-up – 3 x 15 6b. Reverse Crunch – 3 x 15 6c. Crunch – 3 x 15 Back 1. Underhand Pulldown – 15, 12, 10 2. Overhand Low Cable Row (medium grip) – 3 x 12-15 3. DB Pullover – 3 x 10-12 4. Low Cable Row – 3 x 12-15 5. Light Back Extension – 3 x 10-15 Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs 1a. Hanging Snatch – 3 x 7 1b. Hanging Clean & Press – 3 x 7 1c. Hanging Clean – 3 x 7 1d. Hanging High Pull – 3 x 7 2. Incline Skull Crusher – 15, 12, 9 3. V-bar Pushdown – 12, 10, 20 4. Bicycle Crunch – 4 x AMRAP Quads, Hams, & Calves 1. Lying Leg Curls – 12, 10, 8 2. BB Squats – 15, 12, 10, 20 3a. DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 x 12-15 3b. Walking BB Lunges – 3 x 30 4. Unilateral DB Calf Raises – 5 sets AMRAP (back & forth)


106

Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, & Abs 1. Lateral Raises – 20, 17, 14 (30 sec rest) 2. Unilateral, Rear Delt Cable Extension – 3 x 15 3a. Rope Pushdown – 3 x 15 3b. Low Cable Curl – 3 x 15 4. Hanging Leg Raises - 3 x AMRAP 5. Decline Crunches – 15, 12, 10


107

Part 5: Questions & Answers


108

Question: How can I make sure to avoid overtraining? Answer: About the only way to know for sure is to monitor your performance. If you’re getting stronger, then you’re not overtraining. Here are a few tips to help you avoid overtraining: 1) do not take each and every set to failure 2) take at least one full week off every 16 weeks 3) get plenty of sleep (at least 7 hours per night). Question: Will I overtrain if I train to failure? Answer: As in most cases, my answer of it depends is accurate for this question. While it’s certainly true that taking a set to failure (such that you can’t complete another rep) is taxing on the CNS*, it’s not like you automatically overtrain if you take some sets to failure. The key is to avoid training to failure too often. Think about it this way – if a pale white person went outside with no sunscreen, would they burn? It depends. If they were outside for just five minutes, then no they wouldn’t burn. But if they stayed outside in the sun for 60 minutes, then they would likely burn. Training to failure works the same way…some is good, but too much is bad. The best rule-of-thumb is to only take the last set of an exercise to failure. On other sets, leave at least one rep in the hole. This will stimulate your muscles without annihilating your CNS. * Central Nervous System Question: Let’s say I’m supposed to ease back a bit in my training and do a maintenance week (i.e. week 6), but I feel strong. I’m beating my numbers easily and the weights almost feel light. Should I listen to my body and go all out, or should I hold back as my plan calls for? Answer: It sounds like your body is really in a zone right now and your recovery is great. In cases like this, listen to your body – it’s talking to you loud and clear. Go ahead and make that week and all-out week. With that being said, you may find that if you do end up going all out from week 3 or 4 through week 7, you’ll need to take it easy week 8. It’s been my experience that most people can train all out for about four weeks before their body starts to


109

rebel. So skipping that maintenance week at week 6 may force you to have one week 8. In essence, you’d just be rearranging the 8-week periodization protocol that I laid out. Or you may find you can rock on through week 8. Either way you’ll have had a great training cycle. Question: Is true that using heavy weight builds muscle while using light weight cuts you up? Answer: No. That is not true; let me explain. Using (relatively) light weight for higher repetitions does cause lactic acid production – or more accurately, lactic acid accumulation. Thus the working muscle will ‘burn.’ That burning sensation is what makes people (even those that should know better) think that high reps ‘cut you up.’ But as with many old wives’ tells, there is, perhaps, a smidgen of truth to the ‘high reps/light weight for cutting’ dogma – if doing a lighter weight for more reps burns more calories than lifting a heavy weight for less reps, then one would burn a smidge more fat during the high-rep set. But I assure you, that effect is negligible. Largely because lifting a heavy weight, even if for low reps, still burns a good amount of calories. As for the heavy weight (and subsequent low reps) question – heavy weights actually tend to cause gains in strength more so than gains in size. Using a weight that allows you to get between 1 and 5 repetitions - in other words ‘heavy’ – will primarily enhance your strength via an improvement in your body’s ability to contract the muscle more forcefully and efficiently. Since this improvement has to do with the nerves and the muscle, we call this improved neuromuscular efficiency. Oddly, lifting in that 1-5 rep range doesn’t do as much as most would expect in terms of size gains. That’s because those neuromuscular improvements don’t take up much if any room in the muscle. In other words they don’t cause the muscle to actually get bigger. (One would, however, get some hypertrophy lifting in this low rep range due to more muscle fibers – actin and myosin – being built over a period of time.) Here’s the take-home point – and PLEASE pay attention as this will really help you: use weight-lifting to sculpt the muscles themselves; use diet and cardio to burn fat and uncover those sculpted muscles.


110

Question: Which is better, free-weights or machines? My gym has lots of good machines that I’m wondering if I should use. Answer: This question is an oldie but goodie. I would say it’s a basic question, but given the number of pro bodybuilders and other people with great physique that use machines, I think it’s worth addressing. I know people don’t like when I say this but…it depends. There is a time and place for both free weights and machines. They each have pros and cons. Free Weight Pros – You have to balance and stabilize free weights (i.e. barbells and dumbbells). Therefore you engage smaller ancillary muscles whose job is to help stabilize joints and aid in balance. This not only helps keeps those muscles strong, but it also causes you to burn a few more calories. So all things being equal, free weights are better in that they help keep your body functional and offer more bang for the buck. Free Weight Cons – Because you have to balance free weights and they tend to use more muscle, it can become harder to isolate a muscle using free weights. Thus if you’re trying to bring up a specific muscle or region of a muscle, you may find it tough to isolate the area. Machine Pros – Machines often make it easier to isolate a muscle. This is really important for advanced bodybuilders who have ample size but need to improve a specific area. Likewise, if you’re working around an injury, machines can be invaluable in helping you get good workouts while nursing the injury. Machine Cons – Machines don’t build as much functional strength as free weights do. While the main pro to machines is that they help isolate muscles, that’s also the main con. They do so well at isolating muscles that many joint-stabilizing muscles get neglected, which leads to….you guessed it, joint instability. A rule-of-thumb that will serve you well is this: when in doubt, go with free weight exercises. Free weight exercises have a high level of strength transference. Meaning, strength attained from lifting free weights will transfer to other lifts, including machine exercises. But strength built on machines has low strength transference. For example: if you’re strong on squats, then you’ll be strong on the leg press. But just because you’re strong on the leg press does NOT mean you’ll be strong on the squat. Use machines to isolate muscles as needed. This can be warranted when trying to 1) ‘finish off’ a muscle late in a routine 2) pre-exhaust a muscle prior to doing a compound free weight movement 3) bring up a specific area (such as your lower


111

traps). Otherwise, tend to stick to free weights – although they are generally harder, they are worth the extra effort. Question: How do I know when I should go up in weight on an exercise? Answer: Whether you’re doing one of the workouts listed here in BBTP or one of your own, you should have a target number of reps (or rep range) you want to do for any given set. You have to know this first. Let’s assume you’re using a workout from BBTP so that I can better answer your question. Let’s say that the program calls for you to do 8 reps in a given set. You want to select a weight that you can do 8 times with good form. But how do you know what that weight is? That’s where keeping a logbook comes in handy. You can simply look back and see what you did last time and fine tune from there. In theory, once you can do 9 reps, then you should go up in weight to one that’s heavier and that you can only do 8 times. But this isn’t always an option, because you may have to jump up ten pounds or more depending on what your gym has available. And making a bigger jump in weight may put you well below 8 reps. So here’s my rule-of-thumb. If your target is 8 reps, consider that to really be + or – 2 reps. Meaning 8 reps is really more like 6-10. Once you can do 10 reps on a set that calls for 8, go up. When you go up, you may only get 6 reps, but that perfect. Work your way back up to 10 and repeat. Using standard barbells and free-weight plates, however, should enable you to finely tune things even more. You can add just 2 ½ pounds to each side. Let’s look at one more scenario before closing. I often prescribe rep schemes that call for multiple sets in a given rep range – 4 x 8-12, for example. You could stick with the same weight for all sets. But you’d generally need to select one that you can do 12 reps on in the first set, because fatigue will cause your reps to drop on subsequent sets. (How much depends on your muscular endurance and your rest interval between sets.) Then once all your sets are in the 11-12 or 10-12 range, it’d be time to go up in weight. A better way is to adjust the resistance on each set. This is generally what I do and what I have my clients do. In this instance you’ll usually pyramid up in weight (although doing a reverse pyramid is a good option, too). So start with a weight you can do for 12 times. The add a pinch so you can only get 10, followed by a pinch more to get just 8 reps on your third set. Since, in this example, you have four sets to do, you can go for another set of 8 with the same weight, or drop down in weight and do another set of 11 or 12 reps.


112

There’s really no right or wrong way to do the various rep ranges as long as you stick to a couple of rules: Rules for Selecting the Right Weight and Reps Each Set

1) Take each work set to within a rep or two of failure – push yourself! 2) Select a weight that allows you to get the prescribed number of reps. 3) When you can’t be precise with rule #2, do the best you can. As long as

you adhere to rule #1 you’ll do fine. Question: What should I do if I don’t have the equipment needed to do one of the exercises you’ve prescribed? Answer: No worries. As long as you make a reasonable substitution, you’ll be fine. For example, let’s say the first exercise is Incline Smith Press, but you don’t have access to a Smith machine. Then the next closest option would be a regular barbell incline press. Another good alternative would be an incline chest press machine. Other exercises, because of their unique nature, are harder to substitute. Take deadlifts, for example – there’s really no substitution for deadlifts because of the very unique manner in which they work and challenge the body. They hit your back all the way from upper traps down to the lumber spinal erectors. If, for some reason, you can’t do deadlifts, then you’ll just have to pick another back exercise. But there’s no substitution, per se, for deadlifts. Sometimes I list specific machines in workouts. If you happen not to have this machine, then look closely at the exercise (or how the body moves during that exercise) and pick an alternative that most closely mimics the one I originally prescribed. For example, Hammer Strength Low Rows can be well substituted by using either DB Rows (as in one-arm db rows) or Low Cable Rows. Question: I sometimes don’t feel a muscle working. Does that mean I’m doing it wrong? Answer: Not necessarily. Although incorrect execution of an exercise can cause you to not feel it working as well as you should, neuromuscular inefficiency can also cause the same thing. Neuromuscular efficiency is essentially how well a given nerve and muscle work together. Someone with good neuromuscular efficiency can turn a nerve impulse from the brain into a strong, forceful contraction of the given muscle. But being able to do this well takes time.


113

Someone who’s relatively new to weight training – or just new to a given exercise – may not yet have the ability to cause really strong and forceful contractions in that given movement pattern. Thus they tend to not feel the exercise as well. But just as an overgrown path in the woods get worn from repeated use (and thus more efficient to travel on), the neuromuscular paths from your brain to your muscles will get broken in and become more efficient over time. And for the record, muscles (or muscle groups) that are especially prone to not being able to feel them well due to lack of neuromuscular efficiency include the upper back, abdominals, and glutes.

BBTP

Documents

Transcript of BBTP