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- Jul 22, 2002
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My work outs are very unorthodox so I will be very descriptive, its the only way to explain. I don't have a set work out I will follow consecutively with a particular split. I always go off feel for my own training which I developed using trial and error over the last 11 years. I have decided to write an example arm work out, this is one I recently did for my own training. My work outs typically are short 45 mins to 1hr. For myself and clients. I have stuck with this fine tuned style due to the success I've noticed from so many people I've used it with any myself. If you have the time to read, this is the first time I have shared.
There is a lot of theory and debate on working a muscle group more than once per week. There are also a lot of recovery factors that can manipulate the answer to that question. Personally I like to choose one split or large muscle group to hit 2x a week, and every thing else once. This works great to bring up a lagging group. If you train your entire body twice per week, recovery can really be a concern. At the moment I'm hitting arms twice per week; (back/bi's, chest/tri's/ bi's/tri's) I also alternate the order in which I do this, and some weeks I may choose a different group to double hit. Any week that I double hit a split, I will use a complete opposite style of work out for the 2nd work out. Usually one has almost all emphasis on strength, and the other will be focused around higher reps/mass. Also some pure arm days I will train one group at a time, instead of alternating in between exercises. I like to alternate back and fourth because the pump is very unique with blood in both bi's/tris the entire work out.
So enough with the intro, here is the work out. There are not a lot of total sets you will notice, but they are very intense and some advanced exercises used. I will mention weight/reps/sets. Sub in what ever weight that will get you to a similar rep range to failure. Many people I notice focus too hard on “how many reps” This really shouldn't be your concern, range is SO much more important. Stick within a rep range, forget about how many, your only rep focus should be on progression using the same weight, which validates progress.
*warm up* (light curls 15 reps)
(Bis)
-DB hammer curls; drop set: (drop 1 increment down 2 sets total)
95lb DBs x 9 reps to failure, within 15 seconds drop down to 75lb, 5 reps per arm.
(rest now about 2.5-3 min's, yes I know it seems long) at this point strength is a focus, this is not circuit training, catch your breath back 100% and don't be afraid to lose the pump, you want one more high quality set like this, if you only rested 1 minute you wouldn't be able to get more than 2-3 reps with the same weight)
2nd set is exactly the same except only about 7 reps with the 95s, and I dropped down to 65's after to failure.
(don't obsess with the amount of reps, just the approximate rep range, very heavy weight low reps to failure is whats important at this point in the work out)
(Tris)
- Close grip smith machine bench press, rack style 3 levels to failure 2 sets:
365 for both sets, start off using the rack hooks lowering the weight approximately 1" above your chest. ( I like hands to have about an 8-9" gap apart, find your own sweet spot, get as close as possible w/o wrist strain. Touching your chest can really put un-needed stress on the wrist, comon sense but wrist wraps help a great deal)
1st level going 1" from chest on hooks I got 9 reps to failure. Immediately after increase the height of the rack hook 1 increment, continue the set right away, I got 3 more reps like this, go up 1 more level with the hook, this time I got 2 and 1 forced rep w/ a spotter.
Perform 2 sets like this.
(bis)
- Single arm DB preacher curls (palms up) a spotter is mandatory using this variation of the exercise.
you will hit failure several times through out the set by decreasing range of motion with your spotters help.
I used a 50lb DB: start off by lowering all the way, I got about 9 clean reps before I reached the point where I wouldn't be able to get a 10th if I lowered the weight all the way down. I signal my spotter at this point and he knows to decrease the range of motion for me by about 2". He does this by kneeling and holding both fist about 2" higher then where I lowered it before, I know to raise the DB once I hit his hands. I will get about 2 more reps like this before he can tell we need to decrease the range of motion even more and he'll go up another 2" for 1 rep, then about 1-2" for the next rep, and so on for about 3-4 more reps until the range is completely diminished. The 2nd from the last rep I only lower the DB about 3" which looks like 5% of a rep at best. The last rep with my spotters assistance I lower the db all the way down like a negative rep and pull my hardest with his help the entire way up to squeeze 1 more out, your spotter must maintain assistance the entire rep both negative/positive portions of the exercise because you will be at an extreme point of fatigue.
(I will do 2 sets per arm like this. You can do 3 if you're not alternating bi's/tris/bi's how I am in this particular work out, you don't want to get stuck on one muscle too long when alternating or you will completely lose the pump of the sister group. These are killer, every client I have used them on has dramatically gained strength/size in their bi's fast. Do these every Bi work out and I'm confident you will notice you are able to increment up the weight over time using the same rep range)
(tris)
Hammer machine push downs 3 sets.
(now this exercise works perfect for me, some clients it just doesn't feel right with, others like me can get the most incredible pump)
This is the exercise:
**broken link removed**
I do 3 regular sets w/ this about 15 reps to failure using the stack. I only rest about 45-60 seconds in between sets, rather than decrease the weight and maintain the rep range, I will just maintain the weight and naturally decrease the rep range via fatigue. My fist power exercise I try to rest much longer, deeper into the session I will focus more on maintaining the pump, higher reps with shorter rest.
(bis)
-Lying cable curls 3 sets, using different levels of failure via momentum/range:
For this I will use the stack and start off very strict lying with my back completely on the ground, no swinging or momentum UNTIL I reach failure with strict form. This typically is about 8 reps into the exercise. Once you hit failure using strict form, cheat. The best way to do this is when lowering the weight, lift your back slightly off the ground just enough where when you drop back to the ground, you have created enough momentum to perform another rep. (this takes practice to perfect) You do not want to swing your back too much or you will make the rep to easy, and perform too many. Your first cheating rep should be JUST enough to get the rep and it should feel as if you're about to hit failure with each additional rep, its actually a good sign if you fail to complete a rep due to lack of enough momentum, this just shows you're not over doing it, and helps you guage properly in the future “how much is just enough?”.
The next rep is exactly the same, the only thing that changes is you add a bit more momentum, the minimum amount to finish a rep. Again you do this by raising your upper body off the ground, inevitably you will need to raise it a bit higher this time to complete a full rep or you won't have enough momentum to complete it. Do an additional 5-7 reps like this. Your very last rep you will need to swing your back to the ground pretty hard to successfully complete the rep. This exercise allows you to hit failure at many different levels, and is Ideal if you don't have a spotter.
(tris)
-Tricep extensions supper set transitioned into pulley push downs. 3 sets to failure using both exercises.
For this I will use the stack and extra plates. Start off with very strict form doing just a tricep extension. I like to keep elbows close together, bringing the bar up to my chin emphasize on the stretch at the top, and the elbow lock out at the bottom, many clients I notice naturally stop with out locking elbows out I feel this is very important. I will get about 12 reps like this,
Continue on like this until you reach failure and can no longer lower the weight to a lock out, at this point transition into a pulley push down by getting over top of the bar. Keep elbows out pointed away from each other and hands close together like a close grip bench, you should be bent over at least 45* or more, and the cable should be near your trap/neck. Complete an additional 4-6 reps.
note: (Your last 2 reps should be forced. Do not use a spotter for these last 2 reps unless they are extremely experienced. If your mind:muscle connection is developed cheating and using momentum will always be more Ideal when applicable because it allows you to remove just enough resistance to perform a rep while pushing/pulling with 100% maximum effort, a spotter will tend to assist too much/little unless very experienced.)
(Bis)
Single arm cable curls 3 sets per arm about 12 reps to failure.
Nothing fancy here, finishing up Biceps with a traditional exercise. At this point I will go higher in reps. The only thing I will note on how I perform the exercise, I like to have the tension pulling down on an angle, not straight down. So in other words, when grabbing the handle take about 2 steps forward, you'll notice the cable is bent like so: " \ " using free weights the resistance always is pushing straight down (gravity) I just add this slight variation to the curl. it gives the bicep a very good stretch on the lower portion of the exercise, the finished curl also your fist shouldn't even go higher then your chest using this variation. I also will turn my my palm inwards and squeeze at the top. If you get less than 10 reps on your 2nd or 3rd set drop the weight 1 increment.
Thats it, I know its an odd looking work out. But I have countless testaments the success of this style of training. All my work outs look like this, but some times more mild in the off season. I have a strong focus on gaining a strength base, so many of my routines may look like a hybrid powerlifting:bodybuilding work out. Some days are all very heavy w/ low reps, others its the complete opposite, and others its a mix between the two. I also use many pre-exhaust techniques, and use a large variety of grip/ranges of motion on many exercises which I really didn't cover in this work out. Give it a try, if I wasn't clear on any of the exercises let me know and I'll try to explain better or get a video example. My website is in progress and I'm working on a video section that will demonstrate certain spotting techniques and exercises I use.
There is a lot of theory and debate on working a muscle group more than once per week. There are also a lot of recovery factors that can manipulate the answer to that question. Personally I like to choose one split or large muscle group to hit 2x a week, and every thing else once. This works great to bring up a lagging group. If you train your entire body twice per week, recovery can really be a concern. At the moment I'm hitting arms twice per week; (back/bi's, chest/tri's/ bi's/tri's) I also alternate the order in which I do this, and some weeks I may choose a different group to double hit. Any week that I double hit a split, I will use a complete opposite style of work out for the 2nd work out. Usually one has almost all emphasis on strength, and the other will be focused around higher reps/mass. Also some pure arm days I will train one group at a time, instead of alternating in between exercises. I like to alternate back and fourth because the pump is very unique with blood in both bi's/tris the entire work out.
So enough with the intro, here is the work out. There are not a lot of total sets you will notice, but they are very intense and some advanced exercises used. I will mention weight/reps/sets. Sub in what ever weight that will get you to a similar rep range to failure. Many people I notice focus too hard on “how many reps” This really shouldn't be your concern, range is SO much more important. Stick within a rep range, forget about how many, your only rep focus should be on progression using the same weight, which validates progress.
*warm up* (light curls 15 reps)
(Bis)
-DB hammer curls; drop set: (drop 1 increment down 2 sets total)
95lb DBs x 9 reps to failure, within 15 seconds drop down to 75lb, 5 reps per arm.
(rest now about 2.5-3 min's, yes I know it seems long) at this point strength is a focus, this is not circuit training, catch your breath back 100% and don't be afraid to lose the pump, you want one more high quality set like this, if you only rested 1 minute you wouldn't be able to get more than 2-3 reps with the same weight)
2nd set is exactly the same except only about 7 reps with the 95s, and I dropped down to 65's after to failure.
(don't obsess with the amount of reps, just the approximate rep range, very heavy weight low reps to failure is whats important at this point in the work out)
(Tris)
- Close grip smith machine bench press, rack style 3 levels to failure 2 sets:
365 for both sets, start off using the rack hooks lowering the weight approximately 1" above your chest. ( I like hands to have about an 8-9" gap apart, find your own sweet spot, get as close as possible w/o wrist strain. Touching your chest can really put un-needed stress on the wrist, comon sense but wrist wraps help a great deal)
1st level going 1" from chest on hooks I got 9 reps to failure. Immediately after increase the height of the rack hook 1 increment, continue the set right away, I got 3 more reps like this, go up 1 more level with the hook, this time I got 2 and 1 forced rep w/ a spotter.
Perform 2 sets like this.
(bis)
- Single arm DB preacher curls (palms up) a spotter is mandatory using this variation of the exercise.
you will hit failure several times through out the set by decreasing range of motion with your spotters help.
I used a 50lb DB: start off by lowering all the way, I got about 9 clean reps before I reached the point where I wouldn't be able to get a 10th if I lowered the weight all the way down. I signal my spotter at this point and he knows to decrease the range of motion for me by about 2". He does this by kneeling and holding both fist about 2" higher then where I lowered it before, I know to raise the DB once I hit his hands. I will get about 2 more reps like this before he can tell we need to decrease the range of motion even more and he'll go up another 2" for 1 rep, then about 1-2" for the next rep, and so on for about 3-4 more reps until the range is completely diminished. The 2nd from the last rep I only lower the DB about 3" which looks like 5% of a rep at best. The last rep with my spotters assistance I lower the db all the way down like a negative rep and pull my hardest with his help the entire way up to squeeze 1 more out, your spotter must maintain assistance the entire rep both negative/positive portions of the exercise because you will be at an extreme point of fatigue.
(I will do 2 sets per arm like this. You can do 3 if you're not alternating bi's/tris/bi's how I am in this particular work out, you don't want to get stuck on one muscle too long when alternating or you will completely lose the pump of the sister group. These are killer, every client I have used them on has dramatically gained strength/size in their bi's fast. Do these every Bi work out and I'm confident you will notice you are able to increment up the weight over time using the same rep range)
(tris)
Hammer machine push downs 3 sets.
(now this exercise works perfect for me, some clients it just doesn't feel right with, others like me can get the most incredible pump)
This is the exercise:
**broken link removed**
I do 3 regular sets w/ this about 15 reps to failure using the stack. I only rest about 45-60 seconds in between sets, rather than decrease the weight and maintain the rep range, I will just maintain the weight and naturally decrease the rep range via fatigue. My fist power exercise I try to rest much longer, deeper into the session I will focus more on maintaining the pump, higher reps with shorter rest.
(bis)
-Lying cable curls 3 sets, using different levels of failure via momentum/range:
For this I will use the stack and start off very strict lying with my back completely on the ground, no swinging or momentum UNTIL I reach failure with strict form. This typically is about 8 reps into the exercise. Once you hit failure using strict form, cheat. The best way to do this is when lowering the weight, lift your back slightly off the ground just enough where when you drop back to the ground, you have created enough momentum to perform another rep. (this takes practice to perfect) You do not want to swing your back too much or you will make the rep to easy, and perform too many. Your first cheating rep should be JUST enough to get the rep and it should feel as if you're about to hit failure with each additional rep, its actually a good sign if you fail to complete a rep due to lack of enough momentum, this just shows you're not over doing it, and helps you guage properly in the future “how much is just enough?”.
The next rep is exactly the same, the only thing that changes is you add a bit more momentum, the minimum amount to finish a rep. Again you do this by raising your upper body off the ground, inevitably you will need to raise it a bit higher this time to complete a full rep or you won't have enough momentum to complete it. Do an additional 5-7 reps like this. Your very last rep you will need to swing your back to the ground pretty hard to successfully complete the rep. This exercise allows you to hit failure at many different levels, and is Ideal if you don't have a spotter.
(tris)
-Tricep extensions supper set transitioned into pulley push downs. 3 sets to failure using both exercises.
For this I will use the stack and extra plates. Start off with very strict form doing just a tricep extension. I like to keep elbows close together, bringing the bar up to my chin emphasize on the stretch at the top, and the elbow lock out at the bottom, many clients I notice naturally stop with out locking elbows out I feel this is very important. I will get about 12 reps like this,
Continue on like this until you reach failure and can no longer lower the weight to a lock out, at this point transition into a pulley push down by getting over top of the bar. Keep elbows out pointed away from each other and hands close together like a close grip bench, you should be bent over at least 45* or more, and the cable should be near your trap/neck. Complete an additional 4-6 reps.
note: (Your last 2 reps should be forced. Do not use a spotter for these last 2 reps unless they are extremely experienced. If your mind:muscle connection is developed cheating and using momentum will always be more Ideal when applicable because it allows you to remove just enough resistance to perform a rep while pushing/pulling with 100% maximum effort, a spotter will tend to assist too much/little unless very experienced.)
(Bis)
Single arm cable curls 3 sets per arm about 12 reps to failure.
Nothing fancy here, finishing up Biceps with a traditional exercise. At this point I will go higher in reps. The only thing I will note on how I perform the exercise, I like to have the tension pulling down on an angle, not straight down. So in other words, when grabbing the handle take about 2 steps forward, you'll notice the cable is bent like so: " \ " using free weights the resistance always is pushing straight down (gravity) I just add this slight variation to the curl. it gives the bicep a very good stretch on the lower portion of the exercise, the finished curl also your fist shouldn't even go higher then your chest using this variation. I also will turn my my palm inwards and squeeze at the top. If you get less than 10 reps on your 2nd or 3rd set drop the weight 1 increment.
Thats it, I know its an odd looking work out. But I have countless testaments the success of this style of training. All my work outs look like this, but some times more mild in the off season. I have a strong focus on gaining a strength base, so many of my routines may look like a hybrid powerlifting:bodybuilding work out. Some days are all very heavy w/ low reps, others its the complete opposite, and others its a mix between the two. I also use many pre-exhaust techniques, and use a large variety of grip/ranges of motion on many exercises which I really didn't cover in this work out. Give it a try, if I wasn't clear on any of the exercises let me know and I'll try to explain better or get a video example. My website is in progress and I'm working on a video section that will demonstrate certain spotting techniques and exercises I use.
