Workout Routines Archives

An Example Lean Muscle Gain Day

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Here is an outline of my new Wednesday routine that incorporates intermittent fasting and strength training

This snapshot of a typical Wednesday is something I will follow for the next 4 weeks before changing the strength training components.

Tuesday night,
9:30PM (the night before)

Finished eating my last meal for the next 16 hours:

2 scoops mixed protein powder,
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup oats
1 Tbsp Almond Butter

Wednesday morning,
7:30AM

3 Beverly International Quadracarn (mixed Carnitine supplement)
1 cup of black coffee
Note: I can’t prove or disprove if this supplement is doing anything yet but my collective program is working awesome!

11:45AM
Pre-Workout

6 BCAA tablets, 4 Mass Amino Casein Tablets, 3 Quadracarn

12:15PM – 1:15PM
Workout #1

During the workout I sip a BCAA and L-Glutamine mixture (Beverly International Glutamine Select) with about 6g BCAA’s and 10g Glutamine.

The pre-workout aminos and “during workout” Aminos are very important to have a great workout in a 16 hour fasted state. They serve anabolic and anti-catabolic functions as well as provide the body with a readily available source of aminos to be converted into blood sugar.

Superset #1
1) Dumbbell reverse lunges (3 x 6-8 reps)
2) Incline Dumbbell Curls (3 x 10-12 reps)
3) Close neutral grip dumbbell press (3 x 8-10 reps)

Exercise #2
Leg Extensions with 60 seconds rest (7 x 6-12 reps)

Exercise #3
DB Front Squat (1 x 10-15 reps)

1:30PM – 2:00PM
Meal #1

1 1/2  scoops Beverly International Mass Maker Ultra
1 1/2 scoops beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein
1 Banana

3:30PM – 4:00PM
Meal #2

8 oz low fat greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
2 tsp orange flavored fish oil (Barlean’s)
1.5 oz raw mixed nuts
2 Beverly International Fit Tabs (multi-vitamin)
4 Ultra 40 Liver Tablets

6:15PM – 7:15PM
Meal #3

2 medium grilled chicken breasts with cheddar cheese (small amount) and asparagus
1 1/2 pieces grilled corn on the cob with pastured butter and sea salt
2 cups mixed greens salad with fresh raspberries, Udo’s oil and balsamic vinegar
2 squares 90% dark chocolate with 2 tsp Almond Butter

9:30PM – 10:15PM
Workout #2

 Superset:
Heavy Barbell Bench Press (6 x 1-3 reps)
Single leg calf raises (6 x 12-20 reps)

10:45PM – 11:15PM
Meal #4

This will be my final meal for the next 16 hours again:

Breakfast wrap (who says this can only be at breakfast!)
3 Eggland’s best Whole Eggs
1 egg white (cheap generic egg)
1 oz cheddar cheese
2 tsp coconut oil (for cooking eggs)
1 Ezekiel sprouted grain wrap
Salsa and plain greek yogurt

Shake:
1 cup organic whole milk
1 scoop Beverly International UMP protein
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter with flaxseeds

 

 

Bodybuilder Routine Templates – Part 1

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I always find it a bit comical listening to people at the gym dispensing advice as some sort of doctrine that is written in stone. Oh my, don’t even get me started. In particular, advice on bodybuilder type routines. Let’s face it, most people that are interested in bodybuilder routines aren’t actually bodybuilders, they just want to look good. Trust me; there is NOTHING wrong with that. I’m right there with you! For several years now, I have focused on full body workout routines but every year, I find emptiness in my heart that can only be filled by the great pump.

In fact, Arnold himself said it best in his movie Pumping Iron “Let’s say you train your biceps, blood is rushing in to your muscles and that’s what we call the pump…..It’s as satisfying to me as cumming is, you know, as in having sex with a woman and cumming. So can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like getting the feeling of cumming in the gym”. Ok, maybe I wouldn’t take it that far but, unlike the alternative, I can go to the gym whenever I want!

Ok, so back to my opening statement. I will hear people say things such as “you’re supposed to train back with you biceps because you use them together”, or “you have to train chest shoulders and tri’s together since they are all used together”.

Here’s what I say:
Throw shit on the wall and see what sticks!

Before I show you some example bodybuilder routines, let’s chat for a moment about what these typical routines involve and what they SHOULD involve.
There are several ways to make a muscle bigger (I have combined moderate and high for simplicity…):

  • Higher repetitions with minimum rest periods (10-15 reps, 30-60 seconds rest)
  • Higher repetitions with longer rest periods (10-15 reps, 120-180 seconds rest)
  • Lower repetitions with longer rest periods (4-8 reps, 120-180 seconds rest)
  • Lower repetitions with shorter rest periods (4-8 reps, 60-90 seconds rest)

Sadly, most routines focus on the first item…. maybe on the second usually not. The first method will make your muscle big and soft because you force it to store more energy locally. The technical term is sacroplasmic hypertrophy.

If you focus exclusively on this type of training, you will become “big”, soft and weak!

No thanks!! Like everything in life, this type of training has its place and I will use in for 1-2 months out of a training year. The second type of higher repetition training will increase the size of your muscles by growing your slow twitch and type IIA fast twitch muscle fibers. Again, there is value here if your goal is to look big, but you won’t have the lean “carved” look that turns heads.

The lower repetitions are the often neglected and most misunderstood goldmine for true muscle growth. Ironically, ladies need to spend more time in the lower rep range to get that “toned” look they so desire. Confused yet? Don’t worry, in Part II of this article, I will go more in depth on how to utilize both rep ranges and rest periods for maximum muscle growth and I promise to outline some killer bodybuilder routines!

 Example 4-day Training “splits”

Option 1:
Recommended by Clay Hyght, DC, CSCS,
competitive bodybuilder of 17 years and NPC judge:

Day 1 (  Monday) – Chest & Biceps
Day 2 ( Tuesday) – Back & Abs
Day 4 (Thursday) – Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs
Day 5 (     Friday) – Legs

Option 2:

I recommend you modify the order and which day starts after a 2 day rest based on your weakest point.For example, if Legs are your weak point ($10 says they are!), you may want to try:

Day 1 (   Monday) – Legs
Day 2 (  Tuesday) – Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs
Day 4 ( Thursday) – Back & Abs
Day 5 (      Friday) – Chest & Biceps

 Option 3:

Other varieties that I often use inculde splitting legs into quad based or hip based (hamstrings and glutes) and performing pairing one with an upper body muscle group.

Day 1: Chest and Quads
Day 2: Back and Shoulders
Day 4: Hamstrings, Calves and Core
Day 5: Arms and repeat weak bodypart

There is NO right answer! I have made progress on every one of these
as well as twice per week (not day) training!

At the moment, I am enjoying fantastic results on a 3-day routine with a 4th day that utilizes metabolic circuits as part of a fat loss phase…. but I’ll save that for another article.

 

 

 

 

 

    

Fat torching Thor Workout, New England Muscle Style!

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New England Muscle Thor Workout (A-day)

Goal: Build strength and lean muscle, torch fat!

I have posted the first part of the workout that you can download in PDF format from link below.

This is a fairly advanced workout that has a strength building component that will allow you to build lean muscle while burning fat at the same time. For this to happen, you need a very good nutrition and supplement plan!

The first part of the workout is a classic “size and strength” module. You will use a weight that is in the 4 – 8 rep range for 2 compound upper body movements. You will alternate between them until you have completed 25 reps. Simple right?!

The second part is a metabolic circuit. The goal is to perform all 10 exercises in a row for 30 seconds each with only 30 seconds of rest in between each exercise.

This routine never gets easy and has me on the floor when it’s over…..

Good luck, should you choose to accept this mission!!

Download the Thor Workout PDF version here

New England Muscle Workout Routines Page

 

 

Just how many reps to build muscle?

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Have you ever wondered how many reps
is best to build muscle?

This is a very common question with a lot of confusion! The trainers and strength coaches that know what they are doing always have a specific reason for the number of repetitions they prescribe for a given exercise.

After reading this post, YOU will understand the benefits of all the different rep ranges and answer the question of just how many reps are needed to build muscle.

Before I get into the number of reps,  let me take a brief moment to explain what parts of a muscle can grow (i.e. get bigger, more numerous and/or thicker):

What muscle parts get thicker, more numerous and/or bigger?

  • Muscle fibers, called myofibrils
  • Protein filaments called actin and myosin (they move the muscle fibers)
  • Sarcoplasm (not the slime from Ghost Busters!) is the gelatenous energy stores of carbohydrates (glycogen) and fat, enzymes, etc.
  • Connective tissue

Ok, so after looking at that list you can see that there are 4 general things that “build a muscle”.

There’s No Such Thing As A Bad Rep Range!
Many rep ranges can build muscle….
It just depends on your goals!

Now I will discuss the rep ranges from a single rep all the way up to 20 reps and the benefits of each range.

Low rep ranges (1 – 5 reps)

This rep range puts your muscle under the greatest amount of tension (although moving a moderate weight faster could achieve the same tension but that’s a different post!) since you are moving the heaviest weight.

This rep range increases the number of muscle fibers called myofibrils.The more of these you have, the more force you can produce and the stronger you are! This rep range is ideal for strength gains although some individuals will build massive muscle size as well using this range if they have a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers.

High rep ranges (11 – 20 reps)

This type of training increases the muscle energy stores that I generally called sarcoplasm in the above list box. This type of muscle growth is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. I call it the all show and no go muscle! Perhaps that’s a bit extreme… and If you are a body builder, you should spend some time in this rep range.

If you are an athlete then this range has a more limited value (although still very useful!). It does increase muscular endurance and has some fat burning benefits.

On a side note, the one mistake I see far too often is people switching exclusively to high rep training when trying to “get ripped”. This will not force your muscle to stay strong and you stand to lose more lean mass while dieting with this approach.

Medium rep ranges (6 – 10 reps)

As you might have guessed, this rep range is an optimal compromise between the low and high rep ranges and you will build muscle endurance and strength..

This is where most people spend their time but more in the 8 – 12 rep range. Over the long term that is certainly not optimal.

The Jay Cutler Workout Routine – Welcome to crazy land

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Jay Cutler Workout Routine Overview

Jay Cutler has meticulously refined his workout regimen since 2003. Although it’s now common knowledge amongst top bodybuilders, Jay learned through observation, trial and error to incorporate deep tissue massages and mobility work (such as pilates). These factors help stretch Jay Cutler’s workout routine over 5 days per week. This is part of the reason Jay is regarded as one of the best body builders.

This workout routine is highlighted for entertainment purposes only. Unless you are a professional body builder yourself (in which case, why the hell are you reading my blog for advice!) you will NOT make progress on such a program.

Jay Cutler splits his workouts into 5 days with Wednesday and Sunday being recovery days. His workouts have been known to take up to 4 exhausting hours! I need to stress that the purpose of a weight training session is to stimulate muscle growth, not annihilate it… For the average person, more is not better!

Jay Cutler Workout Routine Split

Monday sessions – Abs, Delts, Traps and Triceps

Tuesday sessions – Back

Wednesday – Recovery

Thursday sessions – Abs, Forearms Chest and Biceps

Friday sessions – Quads

Saturday sessions – Abs Hamstrings and Calves

Sunday – Recovery

 

Jay focuses on 3 or 4 sets of 10 – 15 reps per isolation exercise. Can you say boring?! For us mere mortals, this type of training would not produce optimal results. The biggest mistake individuals make is not developing a foundation of strength first. Performing many more sets of lower reps will allow you to increase your strength levels. This is paramount to adding muscle mass!

Try performing 10 sets of 3 for the full body compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats and bench press for a couple of months. You may be shocked by what happens!

To get started with a Super Effective Muscle Building plan,
click here -> Muscle Maximizer Program

 

Beginner Full Body Workout Routine, Phase 1

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Great news! I have added a new site folder called:
Workout Routines
There you will find new workouts
posted on a monthly basis.

 

Click here to download
the first full body workout routine:
Beginner – Phase 1