High Intensity Growth Phase Main purpose is to increase strength in a controlled manner and stimulate some hypertrophy after the maintenance phase. Major muscle groups are worked with 4-5 exercises with one HIT set per exercise. Who would benefit from this program? Any athlete wanting to increase overall strength without excessive muscle growth and limit possible connective tissue (tendons, ligaments) damage. While strength is a precursor to size, muscular hypertrophy is not the main goal when working with 75-85% 1RM in the 6-12 rep range. Ideally, the training yields the greatest results in the 6-8 rep range, however limiting factors (age, experience, injuries, etc.) must be factored in. THE WORKOUT EXERCISES: Exercises were chosen based on my particular needs. I chose to focus more on upper body improvement and lower body maintenance. I needed to thicken lower pecs and lats. I also chose my rep ranges based on areas I wanted to improve (lower reps and high intensity) and areas that I wanted to maintain or limit chance of aggravating injuries (higher reps and/or lower intensity). WARMUPS SETS: Warmup sets varied between 3-4 sets for main exercises that I would be pushing the most weight and using the highest intensity or 1-2 sets for secondary exercises or even NO WARMUP for small body parts that were thoroughly warmed up after previous exercises. EXAMPLE: LEG PRESS: Since my working set would consist of pushing over 1,000 lbs. to failure, I would do 3-4 progressively heavier sets of 10-12 reps, always keeping my focus and energy on that DO OR DIE work set. STRAIGHT BAR CURL: After the previous exercise of dumbbell concentration curls, the bicep is thoroughly pumped. There was nothing more to warm up so I would go directly to the WORK SET. All reps are CONTINUOUS, NO LOCKOUT OR PAUSE UNLESS NOTED. GOALS: The goal was to increase either weight, reps or both workout to workout once the desired reps were achieved. The exceptions were single joint exercises that might suffer damage. You will notice that many of these have higher rep ranges and might remain static for several weeks before moving up. Instead of jumping up to the next dumbbell I would first achieve the desired reps. Then I would add intensifiers ( explained in a minute) to add intensity without increasing likelihood of damaging (or further damaging joint in my case) the connective tissue. INTENSITY: I feel like I should say something about intensity. Everyone does not have the same level of intensity anymore that we have the same pain thresholds. Depending upon the trainees intensity level the term going to failure might mean that failure is achieved when there is: a. discomfort b. maximum discomfort or c. you would rather die right there under that bar than surrender that last rep and you continue fighting with every fiber of your being until you cannot move the weight another fraction of an inch. I tend to train in the C range. So when I say my working sets were to failure, I mean they were to FAILURE! That being said intensifiers are techniques to take you beyond a particular plateau. Lets say that you just cant get another rep and to increase in weight would be to fail to get even the minimum prescribed reps. You would then add an intensifier to that particular exercise. Now I differ from some gurus who would have you do a prescribed intensifier for every exercise in a workout or entire routine. I feel this is recipe for over training a.k.a. DISASTER. Some intensifiers include: forced reps, partial reps, negative reps and rest/pause reps. I ALWAYS NOTE IN MY LOG WHEN AN INTENSIFIER WAS USED AND FOR HOW MANY REPS! THE RESULT: This is 6 consecutive weeks. CHEST/BICEPS DECLINE HAMMER PRESS: 320 x12 360x8 380x8 380x10+2(forced reps) 400x10 410x10 INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS: 90X12 100x12( I chose to take this exercise to 90% failure the first two weeks to protect shoulders) 105x10 105x12 110x12 115x12 SLIGHT INCLINE DUMBBELL FLY: 60x10+2 65x10 65x12 70x12 75x8 +2 80x10 DUMBBELL CONCENTRATION CURL: 35x10 40x10 40x10+2 (negatives) 40x11 45x8+2 (forced reps) 45x10+2 (negatives) BARBELL CURL: 90x12 100x10 100x10+2 (forced reps) 110x10 120x10 120x10 +2 (forced reps) +3 (partial reps) BACK SUPINE DUMBBELL PULLOVERS: 75 x12 80x12 80x12 85x10 85x12 90x12 CLOSE GRIP CABLE PULLDOWNS: (These were done on a Cybex multi-station and plates are greater than 10lbs increments. I also varied grip choice some weeks depending on what my shoulder felt like and also to help break through a plateau while maintaining proper form, NOT PULLING WITH HIP FLEXORS OR LEANING BACK). 14.5 x8 15.5x10 16x6 Pull up with neutral (palm facing grip): I did this because a group of weenies were trying to homestead the multi-station. x12 16x8 16x10 ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROWS W/ KNEE SUPPORTED ON BENCH: 100x12 110x8 110x10 115x10 115x12+3 (Partial reps) 120x10 SEATED CABLE ROW W/WIDE GRIP TO LOWER CHEST: (Cybex Multi-station) 12x12 14x10 14x12 15x8 15x10 16x8 DEAD LIFTS W/DIAMOND BAR FROM FLOOR: (I never went 100% to failure on deads) 285X12 315x8 315x12 365x8 405x10 455X10 LEGS EXTENSIONS: 170X12 190X12 230x12 250x12 One leg extensions: 130x10 250X12 + Partials HAMMER LEG PRESS: (Feet mid to low on platform, slightly wider than hip width, CONTINUOUS FULL RANGE MOVEMENT). 850X15 1020x12 1060x9 1090x10 One Leg Presses: 460x10 1180x12 HACK SQUAT: (this is a 45 degree hack. I prefer 30 degrees and usually put some plates under the platform to lean it back, however these are all steep sets. Foot placement is mid platform, slightly wider than hip and toes pointing forward. I find this puts more tension on outer quad. I would, however, vary foot placement during warmup sets). 315x12 405x10 405x12 460x10 225x20x4 ( I was feeling pretty beat up by Week 5 and needed to rest the joints but still keep up the intensity so I did one legged movements and high reps sets). 460 x15 SEATED LEG CURLS: 150x12 170x10 190x7 190x7 (I did not feel like I was getting a good contraction so the weight was JUST TOO HEAVY). 170x10 170x12 STIFF LEGGED DEAD LIFTS: 185x12 225x10 225x12 225x15 275x12 CALVES: ( I did a different calf exercise each workout and varied between high reps sets of 20 and heavy sets of 12-15) Examples: STANDING ONE LEG RAISES: sets of 20 bodyweight and sets of 12 w/45lbs plate. SEATED CALF RAISES: 90lbs. x 20 reps, 135lbs x 12 rep sets. SEATED CALF PRESS MACHINE: 190 x 3 sets of 12. SHOULDERS/TRICEPS: SEATED DUMBBELL PRESS: 90x12 100x10+2 (forced reps) 105x6 (hurt!) Arnold Presses: 45x12 Arnold 55x10 110x12 DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES: 25x12 30x10 +2 (forced reps) 30x12 35x8 35x9+3 (forced reps) 35x12 BENT OVER DUMBBELL REAR LATERAL RAISES: 25x12 30x10 30x12 35x7 35x10 40x10 TRICEPS PUSHDOWNS WITH TRIANGLE BAR: (Cybex) 12x8 12x12 14x10 14x12 +2 (forced reps) 15x10 +2 (negatives) 16x10 SUPINE TRICEPS EXTENSIONS W/EZ CURL BAR: 75x10 75x10 + 2 (forced reps) 85x8 85x12 85x12 + 3 (negatives) 95x11 SEATED OVERHEAD DUMBBELL EXTENSIONS: 90x12 100x10 105x10 110x10 110x12 115x10
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 13:24:21 +0000
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