Your Best Body Workout – 2011 – Week 7 – Day 2

Welcome to Week 7 – Workout 2.

Same workout as last week – Same instructions as last week

With this new program, we are going to make some changes….

• Change the rep scheme
• Introduce some Neural Activation training techniques
• Suggest some alternate exercises
• Reduce the number of supersets
• Increase the amount of time per superset

As I said last week, I want to see an even better improvement in performance – shorter rest periods, more reps per 5 min, etc..

Get to work.

PHASE 1

Warm-Up

5 Minutes of the following 4 Mobility Exercises:

1.  Circles – Starting with the ankles and moving all the way up to your neck, gently make circles with all of your joints – 10 revolutions each joint in each direction

2.  Rolling Like A Ball

4. Lateral Lunges

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5 Minutes of the following Muscle Warm-Up Exercises

I am going to list a bunch of exercises. You choose which ones you want to do….remembering that the goal is to warm up the muscles and make them pliable and ready to handle the following workout

• 1 Arm Swing Snatch – Dumbbell or kettlebell – choose a light weight – the goal is to warm-up
• Bodyweight Squat
• Step-Ups
• Burpees
• Push – Ups
• BW Rows
• Jumping Chins
• Shuffle Lunges

PHASE 2

The HIRT Workout

HIRT Superset #1

• 2 exercises per superset
• 10 minutes per superset
• NO REST between sets
• Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)
• Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)
• Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

• Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

1. Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR
2. Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

This will get your nervous system all charged up and help you perform better on the work set.

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Zercher or Front Squat

• 10 reps per set @ 20RM weight
• Goblet squats and band front squats are great substitutes

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of BW Jumping Squats – goal is to explode up quickly & leave the ground

Alternative work exercise – Back Squats.

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1 Leg Deadlift

• 10 reps per leg per set

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of BW Hip Thrusts where you try to explode up quickly so that your feet leave the ground OR a couple of broad jumps across the gym floor (and yes, people will look at you)

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #2

• 2 exercises per superset
• 10 minutes per superset
• NO REST between sets
• Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)
• Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)
• Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

• Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

1. Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR
2. Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Hi-Lo Vertical Cable/Band Slam

• 10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

I need to make a video of this…and I will, but for now, let me describe with the aid of these 2 videos.

Imagine a medicine ball slam

But, instead of using a medicine ball, we used a cable stack (rope handle) or a strength band

The guy in this video is way too spastic for my liking. What I want is a very distinct up and down movement. Nice and powerful like the med ball slam but with the added resistance of the cable stack or the strength bands.

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of the same exercise (Slams) with light weight/resistance – the goal is speed.

Alternative work exercise – Standing Straight Arm Pushdowns.

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1 Arm DB Press

• 10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of 1 Arm Med Ball Vertical Throws – try and throw the med ball through the ceiling.

Alternative work exercise – Face Pulls.

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HIRT Superset #3

• 2 exercises per superset
• 10 minutes per superset
• NO REST between sets
• Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)
• Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)
• Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

• Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

1. Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR
2. Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Swing Snatch

• 10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of very light swing snatches where your goal is speed, not strength

Alternative work exercise – none

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Bulgarian Split Squat

• 10 reps per leg per set @ 20 RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of Shuffle Lunges where you try to explode up quickly so that your feet leave the ground.

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #4

• 2 exercises per superset
• 10 minutes per superset
• NO REST between sets
• Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)
• Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)
• Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

• Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

1. Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR
2. Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Standing Cable/Band Row

• 10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of light resistance Band Rows (goal is speed) or some Isometric Rowing using an immovable object (like a heavy piece of fitness equipment)

Alternative work exercise – Seated Rows or (shudder) Machine Rows.

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Push-Ups

• 5-20 reps per set

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of Explosive Push-Ups with the goal being to lose contact with the floor/bench/wall

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #5 - optional

Repeat one of the first 4 Supersets – your choice

HIRT Superset #6 - optional

Repeat one of the first 4 Supersets – your choice

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PHASE 3

10 minutes of DIY

• If you really want to lose weight, spend 10 minutes doing some HIITsprints on an exercise bike. I would recommend 10 sprints with a 10 sec ON : 50 sec OFF ratio
• If you want to buff up those biceps, hit the curls for 10 minutes
• If your hip flexors are really tight, put in 10 minutes stretching them along with your quads and lower lumbars.
• And if your goal is power & strength, spend 10 minutes doing static holds or partial lifts

PHASE 4

Stretching – minimum 10 minutes

Focus on the muscles you just worked, plus the ones that are tight on just about everyone….hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, chest, neck & traps

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So, that takes care of Monday’s workout.

Wednesday & Friday will be similar in theory but with different exercises hitting different muscles and working different movement patterns.

Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun are up to you.

It all depends on your goals

• If your main goal is strength & power, you will perform Neural Recharge workouts –Here is a sample workout
• If you want to improve your cardio, do cardio
• If you want to improve your flexibility, do a yoga class or stretch
• If you want to have fun while exercising, take a class, play a sport, etc…
• But, NO SERIOUS LIFTING on your off days. You’ll screw up your recovery.

You can also rest on those off days. These 3 workouts are pretty intense and will do a lot on their own.

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