New workout program - 3 on / 1 off
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I haven't hid the fact in this forum that I love the high intensity workouts, spersetting upper/lower body, circuit type stuff. But yesterday I started a new workout program to shock my body so to speak. The aim is to build muscle and a bit of size.<br />
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Its a 4 week program that has a 3 day on/1 day off routine. Its a bit of a meathead program but I've never done anything like this and given I've made great ground on fitness and fat loss (and some muscle def in between) I thought I'd try something to "blow past my genetic potential" (good ol' sales slogans!!!).<br />
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The program is based on a 100 rep for each muscle group philosphy<br />
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[U]Day 1[/U]<br />
[B]Chest[/B]<br />
Bench press - 4 x 4<br />
Wide grip dips - 8 x 8<br />
Cable flies - 1 x 20<br />
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[B]Back[/B]<br />
Lat pulldowns - 4 x 4<br />
Close grip BB bent over rows 8 x 8<br />
Pullovers 1 x 20<br />
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[B]ABs[/B]<br />
Hanging leg raises - 1 x 25<br />
Stab ball jacknifes - 1 x 25<br />
Lying leg raises - 1 x 25<br />
Knee up thingys with med ball between knees - 1 x 25<br />
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Then I did a run on the tready with the incline up at 8, running at 12km/h for 5mins<br />
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So first day took some getting used to with the "resting" between sets (2mins on 4x4, 1min 8x8). Warmup on the bench with 80% max for 10-12 reps, then 90% for 6 reps and then do 4 reps for 4 sets.<br />
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I'm not a huge bench presser with the barbell, usually do dbs (27.5 and 30kg max) with lower body supersets, so I started light to see how things went.<br />
W/up - 50kg<br />
2nd w/up - 60kg<br />
4 x 4 - 70kg<br />
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Felt good after, so I think I can up that next time round<br />
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Dips - I never do these as it seems to trigger off some sharp pain at the top point of my shoulder, tried it and could only manage 5 sets of 5. So did the remaining sets of close grip pushups. See how I go next time, or find a different exercise<br />
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cable flies - again an aparatus I don't ever use, but got to 17 with 12.5 kgs. Sweating a bit after that and could definitely feel the 'pump'. Next week I go for 20.<br />
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Lat pulldowns I've done before so loaded it up a bit for warmup sets. 4x4 with 90kgs<br />
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Bent over BB rows, I've never done. Usually do 1-arm db row. So loaded an olympic bar with 10kgs either side and got to work. Great stuff this. Final set was a struggle and only got 7 out. Next time I'll load up a bit more and get the full 64 reps out.<br />
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Pullovers are one of those weird lie on the bench and bring a db from behind your head to infront of your chin/upper chest. Again never done this before. Got a 15kg db and went to work. Pump definitely ggoing when I got to about 12 and kept on until 18 and dropped the damn thing. Next time I'll keep the weight and work on getting 20 with better technique<br />
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Abs - no issues<br />
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On to day 2..... -
that dips pain is a rotator cuff problem - I have the same thing. Physio does fix it, and lots of rotator cuff exercises tyo strengthen the 'little muscles'...<br />
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cable exercisesI have never done until under my new trainer - they are bloody good I reckon. Try curls with cables...<br />
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looks hard out though, that's for sure. -
Cheers for the info Bart. I watched a few videos on how the rotator cuff works and little exercises to work on it. Will seek some therapy<br />
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Day 2 Legs - OUCH<br />
Leg press - 4x4<br />
Bulgarian split squat (with weights) - 8x8<br />
Seated leg extensions - 1x20<br />
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Feet forward hack squat - 4x4<br />
Deadlifts - 8x8<br />
Leg curls - 1x20<br />
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Calf raises - 1x20<br />
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Cycle - 10mins<br />
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Man my legs and but are absolutely shot. Never done heavy leg presses before, so that had me walking like a joke the last couple of days. <br />
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The 64 bulgarian split squats holding 10kg plates in each hand are a killer, but these are one of my fave exercises. <br />
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I felt as if my legs were going to just cease up when I hit 16-17 leg extensions (at 35), so dropped the weight 1 plate to get the 20 reps.<br />
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The deadlifts were great, and thats where you really build strength and sweat it out.<br />
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After the TM leg curls I was ready to punch someone out.....<br />
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Did work on the bike to let it all out and plenty of stretching after. -
looks like a great workout to me - love that feeling of walking like a spastic for the next two days too...!<br />
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Rotator Cuff - I bit the bullet and went to physio this monring, and booked in again on Monday. However, one thing that I had forgotten, when you do your shoulder exercises, pull your shoulder blader together and back and down (if that makes sense), whcih gives you a stable platform for your shoulder to work from, which will reduce the chance of injury if you don't already have one, and help fix you if you do!! -
Day 3<br />
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Shoulders<br />
Seated db Shoulder press - 4x4<br />
Leaning single arm Lat raise - 8x8<br />
Bent over rear Lat raises - 1x 20<br />
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Tri's <br />
Close grip bench press - 4x4<br />
Overhead DB extensions - 8x8<br />
DB kickbacks - 1x20 (both arms)<br />
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Biceps<br />
EZ bar curls - 1x20<br />
Incline DB Curls - 1x25<br />
Single arm DB concentration curls - 1x20<br />
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I can see why this is day 3, because my arms were totally stuffed after this. The 8x8 exercises are just murder (but great), and finishing off with the high rep sets on the biceps really get that pumped feeling going. Something my muscles are not used to, which can only be a good thing for breaking up those fibres.<br />
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The toughest exercise were the bent over rear lat raises. I had never tried this before and would see guys in the gym do it, and think they were wasting their time. But I did it with very small weights and could really feel it in the upper back/rear delt area. <br />
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Yesterday was a rest day and thank goodness for that. -
[quote name='ACT Crusader']The 8x8 exercises are just murder[/QUOTE]<br />
I'll be interested to hear how you get on with the BB Rows in the 8x8's throughout the program. Whenever I've done volume work exercises like BB Rows and Deads really lose their form on the last few sets.. maybe I'm just not good at concetrating<br />
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Rear delt raises are bloody hard although the rows may help improve these as well.<br />
I remember reading that Arnold used to keep wieghts under his bed so he could do sets of rear delt raises (the lying on your side variation) before he got out of bed! -
Hey Duluth - the deads aren't too bad, and funnily enough adjusting my breathing has helped me over the last few months with those. However the BB rows are something I've never really done before so in sets 6,7,8 its been a real struggle and have only been able to do at most 6 reps in those sets.<br />
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The bent over close grip row motion doesn't feel that natural to me and the two days I have done them thus far have never really felt I was in any sort of decent rhythm. So that is my first priority I guess. I'm watching quite a bit of instructional video and even had my old PT yesterday give me a couple of tips while he was working out.<br />
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So I did Day 1 again yesterday and upped by 5kg on the bench press warmup sets and 4x4s. Also upped a bit on the Lat pulldowns. Maintained weight on the bb rows.<br />
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Off to do some legs today...
