Finally I am done with the Bronze Body phase. Those 4 weeks were a little tough. But they seem very simple as compared to what I am about to face in the next 16 weeks. Today officially, I start the Silver Body phase. This is a 5 week phase that aims at increasing your strength even more while maintaining muscular and cardiovascular endurance, increase in energy levels and a tighter waistline. I can definitely say that the Bronze Body phase helped me a lot. I dropped my body fat by 3%, I can definitely see the muscles I previously did not know existed on my body. It feels good.
This week, we shall follow something called as descending sets. As new muscle gets added to your body (as it did to me during the previous phase), it still needs to be trained and it needs to strengthened. To do that, we go in the opposite direction, heavier weights. But because the weights are heavy, the number of reps will go down. Over the course of an exercise, the reps will go down from 8 to 6 to 4. The last set followed immediately on occasion by pushups or some other body-weight blaster. Workouts for the big body parts shall be interspersed with ab circuits and interval cardio – all helping in fat burning. Then the weights drop, the reps rise, and all-new exercises are done back to back with no rest in between. This is called supersetting.
Remember: Your muscles have to get stronger before they get bigger. Only then can you overload the fibers enough to truly break them down and make them grow.
Weeks 6 and 7: Strength Phase, Part 1
- Warm up for 5 -10 minutes using a treadmill, stationary bike
- Rest 1 ½ minutes between sets and exercises, except as noted
- Try to increase your poundage atleast slightly from week 6 to 7
Monday
Chest:
Dumbbell bench press – 3 sets – 8, 6, 4* (superset final set with pushups with your feet elevated on a bench, done to failure)
- Lie on a bench, holding dumbbells just outside your shoulders, palms facing forward, feet planted
- Squeeze your pecs to press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling in a slight arc and back about 10 degrees. Exhale deeply on the ascent
- Maintaining continuous tension on your chest muscles, bring the weights back to the start position, dropping your shoulders as the weight approach your body. Inhale on the descent
- Incline barbell bench press – 3 sets – 8, 6, 4* (superset final set with pushups done to failure)
Arms:
- Standing barbell curl – 3 sets – 6 reps
- Incline dumbbell curl – 3 sets – 6 reps
- Dip (narrow grip) – 2 sets – 8 reps
- Pushdown – 3 sets – 6 reps
Abs:
Interval cardio:
Alternate 1 minute of slow jogging at 55% MHR with 1 minute of running at 70% MHR for 12 minutes total
Tuesday
Legs:
- Barbell Squats – 4 sets – 10,8,6,4 reps
Leg Press (unilateral) – 2 sets – 8 reps
- Sit in the machine and adjust the back support to a comfortable position
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform and straighten your legs. Release the locks on the side of the machine to allow the sled to travel up and down unimpeded. This is the start position
- Bend your knees to lower the sled, inhaling during the descent
- Once your knees approach your shoulders, exhale as you push through the balls of your feet to press the sled back up carefully nearly to full extension. Don't lock out your knees
- Keep your back flat against the seat support and your feet flat on the platform throughout
Lying leg curl – 3 sets – 8,6,4 reps
- Lie facedown on the leg curl machine so that your knees are situated at the end of the seat pad and the rollers rest atop your Achilles tendons
- Grasp the handles for support
- Smoothly curl your ankles toward your butt, stopping 2 inches from the back of your thighs. Give your hamstrings an extra squeeze
- Exhale on the way up, and then inhale as you lower the ankle pads back to the start position
- Romanian deadlift – 3 sets – 10 reps
Wednesday
Steady State Cardio: Do 30 minutes on any piece of cardio equipment at 65% MHR
Thursday
Shoulders:
- Seated dumbbell press – 3 sets – 8,6,4 reps
Bent-over lateral raise – 3 sets – 8, 6, 6 reps
- Stand with your feet planted on the floor, and lean forward until your chest is nearly horizontal
- Reach down and grab the weights already positioned at your feet. Use an overhand, thumbless grip. Let the dumbbells hang at arms' length, elbows bent slightly. This is the start position
- Raise both dumbbells in a circular motion until both arms are parallel with the floor, keeping your pinkies above your thumb. Exhale during your ascent. Pause for one- or two count at the top
- Slowly lower both dumbbells back to the start position. Inhale during the descent
Dumbbell Lateral raise – 2 sets – 8,8 reps
- Hold dumbbells in front of you at arms' length, except for a slight bend at the elbows, so that your palms face each other. This is the start position
- Pulling with your elbows, raise the dumbbells out in an arc so that your palms are facing down as the weights approach shoulder level. At the top, count to two
- Return to the start position, stopping one inch before your quads. Never relax in the bottom position by allowing the weights to rest against your outer thighs, not ever for a second. The goal is to keep the tension on the target muscles continuously for the duration of the set
Ab Circuit no.1 (don't rest until you have done all three ab moves consecutively. Then rest for a minute and repeat until you have done the required sets)
Triceps (superset first two)
- Skull crusher – 3 sets - 8, 6,6 reps
- Dip – 3 sets – 8, 6 ,6 reps
- Pushdown – 2 sets – 15 reps
Friday:
Back:
Pullup: 3 sets – to failure
- This is one of the most feared exercises in the world. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, and then hang from it with your body fully extended. This is the start position
- Take a deep breath and then exhale as you pull up your body toward the bar, arching your back and bringing your elbows down to your rib cage as you rise
- Lower your body back to the start position
- This is a hard exercise, and, if you cant complete the assigned number of reps, use the assisted pullup machine in the gym
Bent over barbell row: 3 sets – 8, 6, 4 reps
- Hold a loaded barbell at arms' length and, keeping your back flat; lean forward so that your torso is about 10 degrees short of being parallel with the floor. Use an overhand grip with your hands roughly shoulder apart. Bend your knees slightly to prevent lower –back strain. This is the start position
- Breathe deeply and pull the bar up, exhaling as it approaches your navel. Don't swing the weight up; keep your body tight. Keep breathing throughout
- Lower the bar back to the start position without rounding your back
Seated cable row: 3 sets – 8, 6, 4 reps
- Assume an upright position with your back slightly arched, holding the small handles in front of you at arms' length. This is the starting position
- Take a deep breath and then exhale as you pull the handles to a point 2 inches below the pit of your stomach, drawing together the shoulder blades
- Here is the tricky part: let the handle travel back to the start position under control, never losing the arch in your back even at full extension. Extend your arms fully. Don't roll your shoulders forward; keep them back
Interval Cardio: Alternate 1 minute of jogging at 55% MHR with 1 minute of running at 70% MHR for 20 minutes total
Saturday and Sunday: Active rest
Now as you have seen above, these exercises have become tougher and extensive. Having done these all week, my body is very sore, but it is totally worth it. Hopefully, by the end of this phase, I would have prepared by body for the gold and platinum phases that have come straight from HELL!!!!!
Ciao!!
KJ
