Weeks 11 and 13: Muscle-Up Workouts – Gold Body Phase

So now that we are officially in Gold Body Phase, I am super excited. The past 10 weeks have been super challenging and super fun. The workouts in this phase are based on the traditional bodybuilding-style muscle-growth program. Just reading about them gives me goose-bumps. I am sure they are going to be very challenging J

So this week, exercises are often paired in supersets to keep the heart pumping while maximizing time efficiency. Over the course of an exercise, reps rise and fall in step-like pattern for muscle growth and simulation. The key to any muscle-building phase is the application of the progressive overload principle, which means that muscle will only increase in strength and size when it's forced to handle more weight than it's handled before. Throughout this phase, always try to increase your weights while still hitting the target rep range. If the workout asks you to do 15 reps and you can do more means that you are going light. If you cannot get to 15, you are going too heavy. As the reps fall, train heavier. Remember that the pace of your initial gains will slow down as body adapts, further progress becomes that much harder generate.

Notes:

• Warm up for 5-10 minutes using a treadmill, elliptical or any other cardio equipment
  
• Select a weight that causes you to reach failure in the rep range given. This should be heavier in week 13 than it is in week 11
  
• Any two exercises paired in supersets should be done back-to-back, without resting in between. Once you have finished the pair, rest 1 minute and then do additional sets.
  
• Rest 1 minute between sets and exercises when doing straight sets
  
• Complete the cardio workout outlined below
  

    
 

Monday

Chest: (Superset the first two exercises)

• Barbell bench press – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Pushup (feet elevated) – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 set – 15 to 20 reps
  

Back: (Superset the first two exercises)

• One-arm dumbbell row – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Bent-over barbell row – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Pulldown – 1 set – 15 to 20 reps
  

Shoulders: (Superset)

• Upright row – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Seated dumbbell press – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  

Ab Circuit # 3 (Don't rest until you have completed all three moves consecutively. Then rest for a minute and repeat)

• Jackknife – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Hanging running man – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
  • Grasp the handles of any two parallel bars in the gym
    
  • Assume an upright position b extending your arms and locking out your elbows. Raise one knee toward your chest, as if you are beginning to run
    
  • As you lower it, raise the opposing knee as if you are pedaling a bike
    
  • If you are feeling up to it, try doing dips while you are pedaling J
    
• Crunch – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  

Cardio:

• Set the treadmill incline at 1.0 and find the speed that brings your heart rate to 65% of your MHR
  
• Increase your speed 0.5 every minute for the next 4 minutes
  
• Back off to your cruising speed for 2 minutes
  
• Continue alternating in this fashion until completing 30 minutes of total work
  

     
   

Tuesday

Quads: (Superset the exercises)

• Barbell squat or leg press – 4 sets – 15, 20, 25, 10 reps
  
• Leg Extension – 4 sets – 10, 15, 15, 10 reps
  

Hamstrings, glutes and lower back (Superset the exercises)

• Lying leg curl – 5 sets – 10, 8, 8, 6, 20 reps
  
• Hyperextension – 5 sets - 10, 8, 8, 6, 20 reps
  
  • Lie facedown on the apparatus so that your ankles rest against the footpads and your torso floats freely over the end. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest
    
  • Bend at the waist and lower your torso in a controlled manner, exhaling and keeping your back flat
    
  • Reverse the movement to the start position, where your upper body is diagonal to the floor
    

Wednesday

Cardio:

• Set the treadmill incline to 1.0 and warm up for 5 minutes at 60% MHR
  
• Raise the incline to 2.0 and run 1 minute at 80-85 % MHR
  
• Run 1 minute at 55-60% of MHR
  
• Continue alternating these two intervals for 20 minutes of total work
  

Thursday

Arms: (Superset 1)

• Standing barbell curl – 5 sets – 10, 8, 6, 5, 20 reps
  
• Dip (Closed grip) – 5 sets - 10, 8, 6, 5, 20 reps
  

Arms: (Superset 2)

• Preacher curl – 3 sets – 8, 6, 6 reps
  
• Skull-crusher – 3 sets – 8, 6, 6 reps
  

Ab Circuit # 3 (Don't rest until you have completed all three moves consecutively. Then rest for a minute and repeat)

• Jackknife – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
• Hanging running man – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  
  • Grasp the handles of any two parallel bars in the gym
    
  • Assume an upright position b extending your arms and locking out your elbows. Raise one knee toward your chest, as if you are beginning to run
    
  • As you lower it, raise the opposing knee as if you are pedaling a bike
    
  • If you are feeling up to it, try doing dips while you are pedaling J
    
• Crunch – 2 sets – 15 to 20 reps
  

 
 

Friday

Cardio Circuit:

• Jump rope for 1 minute
  
• Without resting, do pushups for 30 seconds
  
• Without resting, jump rope for 30 seconds
  
• Without resting, do pushups for 30 seconds
  
• Rest 1 minute and repeat
  
• Continue in this fashion for 20 minutes of total work
  

 

Saturday

Upper Body:

• Incline Barbell bench press – 5 sets – 8, 8, 6, 15*, 6 reps
  
• Pullup (assisted) – 5 sets – 8, 8, 6, 15*, 6 reps
  
• Seated dumbbell press – 5 sets – 8, 8, 6, 15*, 6 reps
  

*Drop set: Select a weight that causes you to fail at 5 reps. Lessen the weight and do 5 more reps. Lessen the weight again and do 5 more reps

Sunday: Active rest

Week 10: Active Rest

Week 10 was an active rest week. There were no set workouts and it was light exercises, light cardio, lighter weights, play softball, football and stuff like that. The reason for this week being a rest week was that in every training regimen, the 10^th week is where you let things be a little light. Your body needs adequate rest to recuperate from the non-stop workout craziness that it has been through in the past nine weeks. The body will only become stronger in this rest period. It has to get ready for another long haul of workout craziness J

Do note that there is no reason that you should let up on the platinum diet. Since the body is going to grow in this period, it should have adequate nutrition to fuel this growth.

KJ

Weeks 8 & 9: Strength Phase, Part II

After completing weeks 6 and 7, I enter a much anticipated strength phase. All the strength that I have gained in the past 2 weeks shall be put to test in these coming 2 weeks. I am looking forward to more pain and more gain. I have started to like this program a lot J. As usual, the basics are listed below:

• Warm up for 5 -10 minutes using a treadmill, stationary bike
  
• Rest 2 minutes between sets and exercises, except as noted
  
• Try to increase your poundage at least slightly from week 8 to 9
  

 

Monday

Chest:

• Incline barbell bench press – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Weighted dip (wide grip) – 3 sets – 5 reps
  

Superset:

• Pushup – 1 set – to failure
  
• Incline dumbbell fly – 1 set – 15 reps
  

Interval Cardio: Alternate 30 seconds of sprinting at 90-95% of MHR with 1 minute of jogging at 50% of MHR for 30 minutes

 

Tuesday

Back:

• Pullup – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Seated cable row – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Bent-over barbell row – 2 sets – 15 reps
  

Abs circuit #2 [*don't rest until you've done all three ab moves consecutively. Then rest 1 minute and repeat until you have done the required sets]

• 
  
  Machine or rope crunch – 3 sets – 15 to 20 reps each
  
  • Hang a bifurcated rope attachment from the high pulley of a cable stack
    
  • Grasp the rope handle with both hands, which should be next to your ears. Tuck your chin. This is the start position
    
  • Without letting your hands slip away from the side of your head, curl your shoulders forward in a semicircle toward your knees until your elbows almost touch them. Contract your abs and exhale
    
  • Return to the start position
    
  • The pace throughout should be slow and deliberate, not fast
    
  • Don't lower your hips – you will know you have when your butt touches your heels
    
• Hanging knee raise – 3 sets – 15 to 20 reps each
  
• Knee-in – 3 sets – 15 to 20 reps each
  

 

Wednesday

Cardio: do 35 minutes on a cross-trainer at 65 to 75%of MHR

 

Thursday

Arms:

• Standing barbell curl – 3 sets - 5 reps
  
• Dip (close grip) – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• 
  
  Preacher curl – 3 sets – reps
  
  • Adjust the seat so that the top of the vertically angled pad is at chest height when you are sitting down
    
  • Plant your foot or the machine frame, reach down and grasp the bar with an underhand grip, locking your wrists so that they are in line with your forearm. Make sure that the top of the pad rests snugly against your underarms. This is the start position
    
  • Keeping your body tight – no momentum – raise the bar up to the front of your shoulders, keeping your triceps in contact with the pad at all times. (As you curl, push your underarms into the pad.) Exhale on the ascent
    
  • Lower the weight to the start position without letting your biceps relax. Inhale on the descent
    
• Pushdown – 3 sets – 10 reps
  

 

Abs circuit #3 [*don't rest until you've done all three ab moves consecutively. Then rest 1 minute and repeat one more time for two sets total]

• 
  
  Reverse crunch - 2 sets -15 reps
  
  • Lie flat on a bench or the floor and raise your thighs till they point straight up while keeping your shins horizontal, so your knees are bent 90 degrees. This is the start position
    
  • Simultaneously draw in your abs as your roll your pelvis toward your torso, stopping only after your hips leave the bench or floor and your knees come over your chest/. Exhale during the roll
    
  • Return to the start position, inhaling
    
• Decline situp – 2 sets -15 reps
  
• Knee-in - 2 sets -15 reps
  

 

Friday

Legs:

• Leg Press – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Leg extension – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Lying leg curl – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
• Standing calf raise – 3 sets – 5 reps
  

Shoulders:

• 
  
  Seated barbell press – 3 sets – 5 reps
  
  • Sit on a bench with back support perpendicular with the seat pad
    
  • Space your feet evenly on the floor. Pick up a barbell and raise it to shoulder height so that it rests behind your head, palms facing forward. This is the start position
    
  • Press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended. Exhale as you press, and don't lean forward, or you risk training your neck
    
  • Return to the start position, inhaling on the way down
    

Interval cardio: alternate 30 seconds of sprinting at 90-95% of MHR with 1 minute of jogging at 50% of MHR for 20 minutes total

 

Saturday and Sunday: Active rest 

Silver body: Week 7 Diaries

Well, the routine is going well so far. Unfortunately, I pulled a muscle in my groin and its making my life hell. It is very difficult to do any kind of ab exercises where I have to raise my legs (Jackknife). But its getting better and hopefully it should heal soon. Week 8 and 9 are going to bring on more pain...but hey "NO PAIN, NO GAIN".

Ciao ,
KJ