In Part 1 of the Deadpool Mega Muscle Mass Workout, I told you that:
- By stimulating the hard to hit fast-twitch muscle fibers, even hardgainers can maximize the size, strength and power of their muscles.
- To wake up those fast-twitch fibers, we need to use 1 of 3 different techniques:
- Very Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions – ex. Partial range bench press or Isometrics
- Very Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions – ex. Plyometric movements (depth jumps)
- Very Fast Concentric & Eccentric Muscular Contractions - like a hummingbird flapping it’s wings
- After waking up the fast-twitch fibers, we hit them with…
- Slightly Less Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions…through a full range of motion and performed as fast as possible. Think explosive bench presses.
- Slightly Less Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions….but we drastically increase the time under tension. Sloooowwww negatives on those bench presses.
- With no pause at the top or bottom of the lift. The muscle is always under tension.
Today, I am going to give you some of my favorite Wake-Up Exercises and show you how to pair them with the traditional lifts to get the best results.
Wake-Up Exercises
For convenience, I am going to shorten my descriptions of the 3 style of wake up exercises.
- Very Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Heavy Partial Lifts” or “Isos”
- Very Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Plyos”
- Very Fast Concentric/Eccentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Vibrations”
I have broken the list of wake up exercises down by body part and/or body movement.
Hopefully, it is easy enough to follow, but if there’s a problem, please comment and I will update the post.
Here we go….
Traps
Vertical Shrug Movement
- Heavy Partial: N/A
- Isos: Isometric Shrug – Grab hold of an immovable object (ie. heavy barbell, pins in a power rack or even sit on a bench and grab the underside of the bench) and try to shrug it. The weight should not move. Hold for 2-5 seconds
- Plyos: Slam Shrugs – Set up a power rack with the pins slightly lower than your shrug lockout height. Grab your barbell and position it beneath the pins. Then, shrug the bar HARD into the pins. Repeat for 3-5 reps
- Vibrations: Using a light weight (dumbbells, barbell, bands, etc..), perform 5 shrugs as fast as possible. Remember, think hummingbird wings
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Barbell Shrugs – 3-8 reps
Horizontal Shrug Movement
- Heavy Partial: N/A
- Isos: Iso Face Pulls into the floor – Just like a regular standing cable face pull, except you are lying on your back and pushing your elbows back into the immovable floor – Repeat for 3-8 reps holding each rep for 1 sec.
- Plyos : Reverse elbow strikes into a heavy bag – 3-8 reps per arm
- Vibrations: Face Pulls using a Jump Stretch band – 3-8 reps – as fast as possible
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of Standing Cable Face Pulls – 3-8 reps
Shoulders
Overhead Pressing Movement
- Heavy Partial: Standing or Seated Partial Shoulder Press out of a Power Rack
- Isos: Isometric Shoulder Press – Shoulder Press into an immovable object - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
- Plyos: Medicine Ball Shoulder Press Throws- Repeat for 3-8 reps – think speed!!!
- Vibrations: Shoulder press using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. Remember, think hummingbird wings
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Shoulder Presses – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Lateral Raise Movement
Normally, I wouldn’t use this technique for an isolation exercise such as this, but feel free…
- Heavy Partial: N/A
- Isos: Isometric Lateral Raise – Lateral Raise into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
- Plyos: N/A
- Vibrations: Super-speed Lateral Raises using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Lateral Raises – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Reverse Lateral Raise Movement
Normally, I wouldn’t use this technique for an isolation exercise such as this, but feel free…
- Heavy Partial: N/A
- Isos: Isometric Lateral Raise – Reverse Lateral Raise into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
- Plyos: N/A
- Vibrations: Super-speed Reverse Lateral Raises using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Lateral Raises – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Biceps
- Heavy Partial: Cheating Bicep Curls or Partial Range Bicep Curls – 3-8 reps
- Isos: Isometric Bicep Curl – Curl a barbell into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
- Plyos: Drop & Catch Bicep Curls – Start by holding a barbell at the top position of a bicep curl. As you start to lower the barbell, let it drop and catch it while your elbows are still bent. This will take some practice. You don’t want to drop the barbell. – 3-8 reps
- Vibrations: Super-speed Bicep curls using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Bicep Curls – 3-8 reps – keep the form strict…not like the cheat curls
Triceps
- Heavy Partial: Partial Dips, Partial Close Grip Bench Press or Partial Pushdowns- 3-8 reps
- Isos: Isometric Close Grip Bench Press or Iso Pushdown- Your tricep force vs an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
- Plyos: Close Grip Plyo Push Ups – 3-8 reps
- Vibrations: Super-speed Pushdowns – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible.
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Dips, Close Grip Bench or Pushdowns – 3-8 reps – keep the form strict.
Okay, that’s enough for today. This post is too long already.
Tomorrow…another bunch of exercises
Enjoy
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Holy crap, that’s a lot of exercises, with a lot of equipment and terminology I’m unfamiliar with. Is this all supposed to be in one workout? Also, is this workout really only for guys trying to get ripped, or can this be for anyone?
Yeah, I am with Brit is this workout only for guys and if so, where is my “Put Abigail Whistler in a Headlock” Workout. hint Jessica Biel
Whats the recommended weight intensity for a heavy partial or isometric “wake-up” set, in comparison to the heavy explosive set?
the wakeup sets seem like they’re just tiring the muscles out before working them out.. ?
The theory is that:
Slow twitch fibers are activated first.
Fast twitch fibers are activated only when slow twitch fibers can’t get the job done.
Therefore, in a multi-rep set, slow twitch does all the work until it can’t do all the work. then fast-twitch kicks in and helps you complete all your reps.
However, using the “wake-up” sets to activate your fast-twitch muscles, you get fast-twitch participation throughout your entire work set.
That’s the theory.
In my practice, I have seen an improvement in performance.
Until the “science” catches up with this training protocol, I am willing to make the assumption that these wake-up sets are an effective tool for activating fast twitch muscle fibers.
All I can suggest is that you try it yourself and see if you notice an improvement
I’m sure this is a stupid question, but when you say 3-8 reps do you mean 3 sets of 8 reps or literally your choice of anywhere from 3 to 8 reps? 3 sets of 8 reps seems excessive for a wakeup set, but then again this is not your average workout!
1 set of 3 to 8 reps
Hi – thanks for setting this all out, it’s very helpful. I’m putting together a program based on the theories you’ve outlined above and plan to do one muscle group per workout.
My main question is once you have woken up your fast twitch fibres do you then do exercises that involve both Slightly Less Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions and the Slightly Less Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions i.e. mix them up during a 3 set brench press or do one or the other – does it matter?For example, for my chest work-out after waking up the fast twitch fibres I was planning on doing 3 sets 3-8 reps of a bench press, 3 sets 3-8 reps of incline dumbbell press and 3 sets 3-8 reps of flys. However, I’m not whether you are supposed to mix in both the Slightly Less Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions and the Slightly Less Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions into the following exercises or do one or the other. I hope this makes sense! I just wanted to make sure I understood the properly before starting out with the prgram. Please could you point me in the right direction?
Thanks!
James,
You can do both (if it works for the chosen exercise) or just one
For example – your bench press – lower the bar super slow for the eccentric contraction (or even use a forced eccentric – someone pushing down) – blast up as fast as possible for the concentric.
However, lets say you have been doing this for a couple of weeks and your pecs are killing you from the eccentric work. Then you could just do the explosive concentrics.
OR, you could just focus on the eccentric work and have a partner help you by doing forced eccentrics & then helping you lift the concentric
Keep in mind that all of this is pretty bleeding edge and nothing is written in stone.
Take the general outline and play with it yourself. You are your own guinea pig.
I would love to hear back about how it goes – here or on the facebook group
I am trying to find your next posts on this topic but am not seeing anything.
Have you posted since this last entry?