Walk Through of a Phase 3 Drop Set I Superset Workout
Here is an example of the Monday Phase 3 Option 1 Bench Press/Dumbbell Curl drop set routine. Take note of the structure of this drop set I superset, as you will duplicate it for all the exercise combinations/supersets shown for this third week.
The purpose is to choose weight that achieves temporary muscular failure with the prescribed number of repetitions in around thirty seconds.
Warm Up
Before you begin your first warm up set of Dumbbell Bench Press, grab a set of twenty-pound dumbbells to complete your set of Dumbbell Curls. Place the dumbbells right next to the bench you have set up for your Dumbbell Press. Now begin the Dumbbell Bench Press using a warm up weight. It is better to be too light than risk straining yourself by choosing too heavy of a weight. Immediately following your warm up for chest complete a similar warm up set of 25 repetitions of Dumbbell Curls.
Work Sets
Pyramid up in weight for three supersets of chest and biceps. Your first set of the pyramid, complete twenty to twenty five slow repetitions concentrating on stretching and really feeling your chest.
Soon as you are done, pick up the twenty-pound dumbbells and finish off your first pyramiding superset with twenty to twenty five repetitions of Biceps Alternate Dumbbell Curls.
For the second pyramid set of Dumbbell Press, use a heavier weight like a pair of 75-pound dumbbells or what ever you can do for 10 + repetitions.
Do not pick anything too heavy. You will get more than enough heavy intense training soon! If you were to train to failure with the weight you choose, you should be able to do many more repetitions.
Again immediately, follow by another set of Alternate Dumbbell Biceps Curls using a little heavier weight than your first set. Use about sixty percent of your maximum weight for this set of Dumbbell Curls and perform ten to fifteen slow and bicep conscious repetitions. Make sure to keep your wrist straight and solid for every repetition of Curls. Keep the stress on the biceps not in your forearms’.
By now, you will feel a slight sweat break out as your body temperature rises from the last two warm up sets. The next two sets are the ones that count! So go all out!
Drop Set
Before you begin the drop sets, place all the different weight Dumbbells you are going to require for the drop set at your bench. This will ensure you are not allowing your muscles to recuperate by having to grab dumbbells.The point here is to completely obliterate your chest muscles as fast and as hard as possible! Mentally you will have to fight wanting to rest a little between each switch in weight. Don’t fail yourself here! Learn to love the pain of hard work! Remember to yourself that the more you can push yourself in the pain zone the better your explosive growth! You need to train yourself to look forward to the pain! Soon you will not feel like you had a real workout unless you live in this pain zone for extended periods, even until muscular failure several times during each drop set! It is important for maximum effect that you do not rest any more than three seconds between your drop sets!
Take a few deep breaths and prepare yourself for going all out. Now begin the Dumbbell Press using a weight that causes temporary muscular failure after four to six repetitions.
Focus on good stable form, and go nice and slow using Gravity Edge Principle One. Upon muscle failure, put down the dumbbells you are using and immediately grab the next lightest set of dumbbells you set out before you started. (About seventy percent the weight of the first dumbbells). Dumbbell Bench Press using these dumbbells for as many repetitions as you can applying Gravity Edge Principle Two! If you rep out the dumbbells for more than thirty seconds before failure then you have used too light of a weight. When you can do no more, immediately grab the third lightest set of dumbbells, which for maximum effect will be about forty to fifty percent of your maximum starting weight.
Immediately Dumbbell Bench Press using these dumbbells for as many repetitions as possible again using Gravity Edge Principle Two! You should have by this time hit momentary muscular failure three to four times. Muscular failure is your sign to drop to the next lowest training weight you set out for yourself before beginning the brutal set! You will have to be real tough here to fight through all the muscular burn in order to even make it to muscular failure. Especially during the last lighter parts of the drop set, muscular bum is so intense many will quit from the burn before they actually reach the goal of muscular failure!! Beware of this and be a warrior!!
It is easy to stop here but do not! Instead, immediately take the weights you set out for your Alternate Dumbbell Curls and pound out eight to ten repetitions. The gradual pyramiding up of your weight with the Alternate Dumbbell Curls is now peaked. Go no heavier than this last set. The rest of the sets of Alternate Dumbbell Curls are to be performed with a weight that allows you to finish eight to ten repetitions. You are only performing drop sets with the chest exercise of your primary exercise for each drop set superset. The second exercise, in this case Dumbbell Curls, are just performed as heavy straight sets. One at the end of each drop set superset.
At this point your chest will have gotten some rest while you were performing the Alternate Dumbbell Curl Biceps movement. You may rest another thirty seconds to a minute at the most before you start your next and last drop set superset.. For your last set repeat the format of the previous drop set using the same weights. Do your best to duplicate the same amount of repetitions of the former drop set.
Use your own discretion as to whether you are in good enough shape to perform another brutal drop set! If you are a seasoned trainer, you will benefit from performing two-drop sets per each exercise. If you are just beginning or are over forty, I recommend stopping after one of these drop set superset routines and proceeding to your next set of exercises.
Once you have warmed up with your first exercise, it is not necessary or productive to warm up again for each following exercise. Instead, start with doing your heaviest weight and perform your one or two drop sets!
For example following the Monday routine below, after you have performed your first warm up exercise of Dumbbell Bench Press/Alternate Dumbbell Curls and your one or two sets of drop sets, go directly to doing your maximum weight for six repetitions for the Incline Hammer Strength Press/ Easy Bar Barbell Curl drop set superset.
Power Partials
Power Partials is a method of training where you take any exercise and reduce the range of motion to the range where your strength is the greatest then increase your training weight. Otherwise, you will take an exercise increase the weight equal to or greater than your one repetition maximum and do short quick repetitions in your most powerful range of motion.
When you do this type of training you may get old timers in the gym give you dirty looks! In their eyes, you are training with weight way over your head and have poor form!
Since you will be doing short range of motion, to benefit from this type of training your repetitions per set needs to increase. Though training weight
Multiple Set Angles
Multiple sets for the same muscle group can increase the effect to the muscle group by alternating the angle you perform each set by 10 — 20 degree variations. For example with Bench Press you can start with your first set on the flat bench , your second set can be performed at a 10 degree angle while your third and final set completed at a 35 degree angle.
Quarter And Half Repetitions
Towards the end of your regular sets you can perform quarter and half repetitions. For example when you reach momentary muscular failure, on the negative portion of the following repetition stop a quarter of the way through the range of motion , pause make a concentric contraction then return to the fully contracted position. Half repetitions are the same concept just performing a half repetition instead of quarter repetitions. Quarter and half repetitions do not replace full range of motion but are added to the end of each set when momentary muscular failure occurs to add time under relative load to your sets.
Rest Pause Training
Rest Pause Training is the purposeful stopping/pausing during the performance of a repetition at various positions throughout the range of motion. This method was developed to help as effectively as possible develop a mind to muscle link in order to maximize progress in much less time!
Using Calf Raises as an example, start each repetition by placing your hands on the calves. Accelerate to the midway point of the movement and pause holding the resistance for a count to five. For exercises like bench press or leg extension do not lock out your knees or elbows. The stress must be on the muscle group being trained not your joints. Proceed with a consistent slow and steady motion back to the starting point. When you think you are about one third complete the range of motion, pause hold the weight and count to five. Feel the stress being incurred on the muscles. After you count to five lower the weight to the half way position and repeat holding the weight for a count to five. Lower the weight now to the starting position and proceed with your next repetition.. If you do not feel the muscles tensed enough pause and make slight adjustments to help you get the absolute most out of every point during the repetition.
This intensity technique is most effective if the pauses are held for five seconds. When I hit a pause position I will count in my head one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand, four, one thousand, five, one thousand then continue with the repetition. Pause position training is one of the best methods for beginners to develop the mind muscle link required to extract as much benefit out of an exercise movement.
The number of repetitions completed per set when following this principle will be greatly reduced.
Isometric Pauses
Isometric pauses are performed at the end of a set upon reaching momentary muscular failure. A spotter is necessary for this technique to be safe with free weights.lf you are using a Bowflex or other machine you may attempt Isometric pauses on your own.
As you reach momentary muscular failure, Pause and hold the resistance /weight at your strongest position in the range of motion of the exercise. Hold the weight as long as you can until you cannot hold it anymore. Count to yourself to see how long you hold the weight. If you can hold the weight longer then 5 to 10 seconds you did not push yourself hard enough during your set!
Add Isometric Pauses starting for one set per exercise. As you advance you can increase this to every set per workout.
Drop Sets
Drop Sets are performed by starting your exercise set with your maximum four to six repetition weight, doing as many repetitions as possible(4-6) then immediately dropping the exercise weight to seventy percent of the weight you were just using and doing as many repetitions as possible. This process is repeated again with fifty percent of your first set weight then once more with thirty percent to really finish off the body part you are working.
If you can do more than two of these drop sets it is not because you are strong! On the contrary you are not pushing yourself hard enough!
An example for Dumbbell Press follows:
• Start with 100 pound dumbbells first set for four to six repetitions.
• Immediately perform as many repetitions as possible with seventy pounds.
• Immediately perform as many repetitions as possible with fifty pound dumbbells.
• Immediately finish off your chest with as many good repetitions as you can with thirty pound dumbbells.
If your maximum training weight for Dumbbell Press is less than one hundred pounds then you will not need to do as many drop sets. For example if you can only press fifty pound dumbbells for five repetitions then do a drop set of thirty five pound dumbbells and a last set of twenty five pound dumbbells. Set up the dumbbells you will need before you start and do not cheat by resting over five seconds at the most in between drop sets.
While doing drop sets is a good time to remember the mindset of a champion is one that strives to be in the pain zone for as long as possible! The set is a waste and really does not even start until you are feeling it!
Giant Sets
Giant Sets are performing three or more exercises one after another with only as much rest as it takes to start the next exercise. This is preferably three to five seconds so prepare ahead of starting your giant set by setting up everything you will need for your set.
A good example of a giant set for biceps is:
• Preacher Dumbbell Curls with thirty pounds each arm for twelve reps.
• Immediately perform Preacher Barbell Curls for twelve repetitions.
• Immediately perform Preacher Easy Curl Bar Reverse Grip Curls twelve repetitions.
A partner is required for this type of high intensity training.
Supersets
Supersets are the act of performing two sets of two different body parts one after another with as little rest as possible in between.
A good example of this for chest and biceps is:
• Dumbbell Flyes immediately followed by Machine Preacher Bench Curls
• Dumbbell Press immediately followed by Standing Dumbbell Curls
• Cable Flyes immediately followed by Cable Bicep Curls
Supersets are great for keeping your heart rate up while you weight train adding extra cardiovascular benefits for your heart and your waist!
Supersets are also excellent for getting a lot of work done on your body in as little time as possible!
High Repetition Training
High Repetition Training is one of the most under rated training methods for achieving great results! I like to start a training cycle with high repetition training for the following benefits:
• Great for developing good form and a powerful mind to muscle link.
• Great for increasing the body’s ability to supply blood into the muscles.
• Increases vascularity.
• Good for strengthening the tendons to prepare for heavy training stress reducing chances of injury.
• Excellent pump.
• Good for developing tolerance to lactic acid build up.
• Stresses different types of muscle fibers
There are two repetition ranges I train between when doing High Repetition Training. The first is between twenty and twenty five repetitions. The second is between twelve and fifteen repetitions.
I focus especially on my repetition speed when I do High Repetition Training. I emphasize slow training. As per Gravity Edge Principle One.
Pre-Exhaustion Training
Well you have guts to read a paragraph with the header pie-exhaustion! This is a method of training where two sets are performed right after one another. The first set is an exercise that isolates the targeted muscle and then the second exercise is a compound movement which utilizes another muscle group to push the targeted muscle group further when it is impossible to do any more with the targeted muscle alone.
Here are some examples for all the different body parts:
Chest
• Flat Dumbbell Flyes and Hammer Strength Lower Incline Press
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes and Incline Smith Press
• Cable Flyes and Parallel Bar Dips
Back Thickness
• Horizontal Shoulder Blade Shrugs followed by Cable Rowing Back Width
• Cable Vertical Shoulder Blade Shrugs followed by Lat Machine Pull Downs
Legs Front (Quadriceps)
• Leg Extension followed by Squats
Rear Legs (Hamstrings)
• Seated Leg Curl followed by Leg Press with heel of foot.
• Lying Leg Curls with machine or dumbbell followed by Stiff Legged Dead Lifts
Shoulders
• Dumbbell Side Laterals followed by Machine Shoulder Press
• Rear Dumbbell Laterals followed by Rope Upright Rows.
• Front Dumbbell Raises followed by Military Press
Calves (Width)
• Seated Calf Raises followed by Straight Legged Standing Calf Raise.
Calves (Thickness)
• Standing Calf Raise followed by Seated Calf Raise
Triceps
• Cable Extensions followed by Triceps Lying Press
Biceps
• Dumbbell Curls followed by Reverse Grip Chin Ups
• Preacher Curls followed by James’ Barbell Curls
Alternate Phase A - General Overview: Giant Supersets
Beware! Giant supersets may cause you to consider quitting bodybuilding for a sane pastime like basket weaving! This Alternate is definitely not for the faint of heart! Because of the incredible intensity of this phase, substitute this phase in the second or third phase of The Four Week Plan.
Training Structure
• Body split into three workouts training larger muscles once during the week and smaller muscles up to three times.
• Superset two exercises for the same body part then repeat the two exercise cycle with as much as a fifty percent reduction in weight.
• Warm up each muscle thoroughly starting with very light weights then proceed to your maximum for the working sets.
• Stretch the muscles being worked fully between warm up sets one and two of each different exercise. Hold each stretch for a count to twenty.
Number of Working Sets~ 1-2 warm upsets per muscle group. Two Giant supersets per each group of exercises.
Repetition Scheme:
Warm up 20- 25 repetitions (1 or 2 warm up sets optional)
1-2 Giant Supersets (dependent on conditioning and what you can complete in
your optimal workout duration time)
Part I: Exercise I: 6 repetitions maximum 6 repetition weight.
Part II: Exercise II: 6 repetitions Maximum 6 repetition weight.
Part Ill: Exercise I: 6 repetitions 50% of weight used first portion of set.
Part IV: Exercise 11:6 repetitions 50% of weight used first portion of set.
The first cycle of the superset is performed with a weight which is a challenge to complete six strict form repetitions. The second cycle of the two exercises supersetted are performed with up to fifty percent less weight. All parts above (I, II, Ill, IV) are to be performed non-stop. So prepare all weights ahead of time and preferably have a spotter help prepare some weights ahead of time.
Set Tempo
(4)- (2) - (3) Warm up, Part I, Part II
(4)- (2) - (0) Part III, Part IV
Workout Duration
As per your personal optimal workout duration figured out. See “The Basics Of
Success “Section Workout Time Adjustment Charts page.
Workout Pace
Keep heart rate up for duration of workout. Begin with a minute and a half rest between giant supersets focusing on reducing rest time as you improve conditioning.
Aerobic Factor
No other cardiovascular work is required or recommended above weight training routine. Abstain from all cardiovascular activity except walking on days off.
Training Frequency
As Per Workout Cycle you are following.
The following routine was inspired by Larry Scott The first ever MR Olympia and creator of many innovative training routines! I highly recommend his book” Loaded Guns.”
Workouts next page……..
Alternate Phase A Workout: GIANT SUPERSETS
Phase A Workout 1: Chest/Biceps/Abs
Superset Exercises
1 Incline Dumbbell Press Superset W/ Dumbbell Flyes
2 Chest Dumbbell Press Giant Superset W/ Decline Flyes
3 Incline Bench Seated DBCurls / Seated Easy Curl Bar reverse Curls
4 Weighted Crunches Giant Superset W/Crunches Heels Up
Back/Triceps Routines
1 Wide Grip Front Chin Ups/Barbell Rowing
2 Chin Bar Hanging Scapular Shrugs/ Dumbbell Rows
3 Close Grip Chin Up / Dumbbell One Arm Rowing.
4 Triceps Triceps Lying Extension / Triceps Close Grip Press.
Legs I Shoulders I Calves
1 Barbell Squats Superset W/ Lunges
2 Stiff Legged Dead Lift / Dumbbell Leg Curls
3 Dumbbell Shoulder Press / Front Straight Arm Dumbbell Raise
4 Dumbbell Side Laterals / Dumbbell Rear Laterals
5 Calves Standing Calf Raise / bodyweight Calf Jumps
Walk Through Example for A Phase A Giant Super Sets Chest Workout
Here is an example of Monday 3 Option B. Set up the Smith Machine with a slight incline on the bench. Putting a forty-five pound plate under the side of the bench your head will be on works well. Do a warm up set or two with a light weight.
When you load the Smith Machine with weight, use a size of weight plate that will require you to put two plates on each side to load your six-repetition weight. This enables you or a partner to strip the weight off the bar quickly to fifty percent of the beginning weight for your second cycle. For example if you can perform six repetitions with one hundred and eighty pounds use two forty five pound plates on each side of the Smith Machine Press to total two plates per side. If you can only do one hundred and forty pounds for six repetitions then load the bar with two thirty five pound dumbbells on each side.
Now go and get two sets of dumbbells. The first set will be of a weight that you can comfortably with immaculate form perform six repetitions with. The second set will be up to fifty percent less weight. I state up to fifty percent less because the weight you choose will vary depending on how good of shape you are in. For this example, the first set of dumbbells used will be thirty pounds and the second set of dumbbells will be fifteen pounds.
Start by performing six repetitions and only six repetitions slowly with good form of the Incline Smith Machine Presses. Immediately when you have finished doing six repetitions pull the bench backward a little so you have room to perform six repetitions with the thirty-pound dumbbells of Dumbbell Flyes.
While you are performing the Dumbbell Flyes have your workout partner pull off a forty five pound plate off each side of the Smith Machine Press to total one plate left on each side.
When you have completed six slow, focused, growth-inspiring repetitions of Dumbbell Flyes go back and do six more slow repetitions of the Smith Machine Incline Bench Press. No rest between sets except what is honestly required to get into position. Be prepared as to minimize your rest time to be under four seconds.
If the weight seems too light, a good trick to increase the productivity of the set is to really slow down the repetitions. This more than compensates for the lighter weight and helps you to get a better workout for the muscles you intend to stimulate.
When you are finished the six repetitions on The Smith Machine, immediately grab the fifteen pound dumbbells and finish off your last set of Dumbbell Flyes in this hellish test of will!
Perform two cycles of this to torture yourself if you have been bad!
The Secret to Being A Real Champion
What good is it to only look good with no inner substance or core? A true Champion is much more than just a pretty face or in this case a better body! To really be a true winner lead by example and practice a healthy lifestyle that corresponds with the way you look! When you feel good about yourself it shows on the outside as well!!
Lead a healthy life style:
• Don’t smoke.
• Don’t eat junk alone in your closet at night.
• Participate in your life fully.
• Do not gossip
• Tell yourself the truth and others as well.
• Practice kindness and humility.
• Keep your alcoholic beverages down to one night a week or less.
• Practice what you preach.
• Spend your time doing the things in life you enjoy.
• Hang around productive people who want you to succeed and have succeeded themselves.
• Apply your training and diet will power to other aspects of your life! Be well rounded don’t give body builders any worse of a reputation than they already have!
• Be forgiving of your mistakes and forgive others as well.
• Be accountable and responsible for your actions.
· Be thankful for what you have today.
How To Get Explosive Growth From Every Repetition
Every moment of every repetition, the better you can put your mind and consciousness into the muscle(s) being worked; the more you will achieve in the littlest time!
Concentrate on keeping tension in the targeted muscle at all times. As soon as you feel the tension let off focus on bringing it on again. I achieve this by really paying close attention to the muscle I am training at all times. To do this:
• Train where you will not be distracted by well meaning friends or anything else that could ruin your concentration.
• Use your warm up sets to build your mind to muscle link as training with a light weight will allow you to focus on your form more effectively.
• Train slowly using Gravity Edge Principle One. This will allow you to immediately realize if the stress on the targeted muscle is relieved.
• At the very moment you are aware that the tension has decreased on the targeted muscle pause at that point in the repetition to figure out why the tension has been relieved.
• Adjust your form to at all times have maximum tension throughout the movement or repetition.
Underground Forearm Training Tips
Forearms do get a lot of training from exercises that require the intense holding of heavy bars like Chin Ups, Lat Pull Downs, Dumbbell Curls, and Dumbbell Press. For this reason, I recommend Reverse Grip Wrist Curls once a week as a supplement to your forearms. The reverse grip movement is neglected compared to the inside forearms which are worked quite frequent.
When training forearms an ability to push through an intense burn is mandatory just like calf training. As well, just like calf training, I recommend no rest burn training to really stress the forearms at all times.
Neglecting forearms will rob you of showing one of the most viewed body parts! A technique I use for extra forearm development is to grab a light dumbbell and have your palms facing upwards. Twist your palms so that they will now be facing the floor.
When the palms are facing the floor pull the back of your fist towards you as if to try and touch your knuckles to your forearms. Hold for a count to four and then return to the start position slowly.