posted June 21, 2000 08:21 AM            

This is off thisd site.
Ultimate Recomposition Training Guide

Day 1 - Chest Stretch chest and shoulders

1st exercise = Flat dumbbell, barbell, or machine press Warm up with a light weight for at least one set of 15-12 reps. Perform this set slowly with a full range of motion. Be sure to stretch at the bottom of the movement. Marc performed pyramid sets with low reps and heavy weights.

1st set - 10 reps
2nd set - 8 reps
3rd set - 6 reps
4th set - 4 - 6 reps
Remember, these sets were performed to positive muscle failure. If you are able to do more reps than those above, your weight is to light. If you cannot cleanly perform the number of reps above, than your weight is too heavy. You should only use a spotter on your final rep of your last set per exercise. Lifters who use assistance on every set would experience more muscle growth if they performed lighter sets with 100% of the workload being moved by their own force. This also helps prevent over-training.

2nd exercise = Incline dumbbell, barbell, or machine press A warm up is not necessary as the chest and shoulders should have enough blood volume remaining from previous exercises. Follow the same 10 - 8 - 6 - 4 pyramid as you did for flat presses.

3rd exercise = Decline machine press or dips Marc used a machine press for declines because he often used his shoulders too much indirectly when attempting to balance the barbell or dumbbells during this movement. Follow the same pyramid as you did for the previous 2 exercises. For dips, perform three sets of your body weight to failure. This is usually a 12-10-8 pyramid. Be sure to lean forward in order to stress your lower chest as you lower yourself to the bottom of the movement.

4th exercise = Machine flies (pec-deck) or cable flies Marc performed 3 slow tempo sets of these exercises with a slightly higher rep pyramid 12-10-8. Focus more on the slow stretch and contraction of the muscle than on the weight being used.

Day 2 - Arms Biceps

1st exercise = standing dumbbell or barbell curls. Each rep was performed with a slight pause at the top of the movement to force maximum contraction of the biceps. After warming up with 1 set of 15 to 12 reps, Marc followed his standard 10 - 8 - 6 - 4 pyramid. Immediately following his last set, he grabbed a dumbbell that was 15 lbs. lighter than the dumbbell he used previously and perform 1 set of curls until failure. Immediately following that set, he would grab a dumbbell that is 15-20 lbs. lighter than that previous set and again perform 1 set of curls until muscle failure.

2nd exercise = Hammer Strength bicep curls or dumbbell concentration curls on preacher curl bench Marc would perform 3 sets using a 10 - 8 - 6-rep pyramid. This exercise needs to be completed using slow tempo repetitions with a pause and a stretch at the bottom of the movement and a pause with a hard bicep contraction at the top of the movement.

3rd exercise = Hammer Curls with dumbbells or rope from low cable I had Marc perform 3 sets using a 10 - 8 - 6 rep pyramid. This exercise needs to be completed using slow tempo repetitions with a pause and a stretch at the bottom of the movement. Immediately following the 3rd set, he would cut the weight in half and continue to perform as many strict reps as possible until muscle failure.

Triceps 1st exercise = lying French press with curl bar or dumbbells Marc began this exercise with two light sets of 15-20 reps to warm-up his elbows. He then performed 4 sets using a 12-10-8-6-rep pyramid. Immediately following the 4th set, he would cut the weight in half and continue to perform as many strict reps as he could until muscle failure.

2nd exercise = cable tricep pushdowns with straight bar or rope Since his triceps and elbows were already warm, I had Marc go right into three work sets. He did 3 sets following the 10-8-6-rep pyramid to failure. 3rd exercise = reverse cable pushdowns or dumbbell tricep kickbacks Marc's last tricep exercise is for shaping. He performed 4 sets using light weight and slow tempo repetitions with a pause and a stretch at the bottom of the movement. He followed the 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid.

Day 3 - Shoulders and Calves

Shoulders 1st exercise = Smith Machine front or behind the neck shoulder press Marc begins this exercise with two light sets of 15-20 reps to warm-up his elbows and shoulders. Then he performed 4 sets using a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid. On alternating shoulder days, I had Marc switch up between front and behind the neck shoulder presses. This is because front presses mainly incorporate the use of your front delts and behind the neck presses focus on your rear delts.

2nd exercise = front dumbbell raises or up right rows This exercise will focus on the front delts. Since Marc's shoulders and elbows were already warm, he went right into three work sets. He performed 3 sets following the 10-8-6 rep pyramid to failure.

3rd exercise = side dumbbell lateral raises This exercise will focus on my side delts. I like to keep my reps high on this exercise. I perform 3 sets following a 12-10-8 rep pyramid. 4th exercise = bent-over dumbbell raises This exercise focuses on Marc's rear delts. We kept Marc's reps high on this exercise. He performed 3 sets following a 12-10-8 rep pyramid. Calves 1st exercise = seated calf raise Marc began this exercise with two light sets of 15-20 reps to warm-up his calves. He then performed 4 sets using a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid. Make sure to contract your calves hard at the top of the movement and stretch at the bottom.

2nd exercise = standing calve raise Marc then performed 4 sets using a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid. Make sure to contract your calves hard at the top of the movement and stretch at the bottom.

Day 4 Legs

1st exercise = leg extension Marc began this exercise with two light sets of 15-20 reps to warm-up his legs. He then performed 4 sets using a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid. He used this exercise to pre-exhaust his legs and to get them ready for some heavy leg training.

2nd exercise = barbell or hack squats I go right into 4 work sets with 12-10-8-6 reps.

3rd exercise = leg press Marc used 4 work sets following a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid. Be sure to lower the weight as much as possible without lifting your lower back off the back-rest.

4th exercise = leg curls Marc performed 4 sets of leg curls using high reps. Marc followed a 15-12-10-8 rep pyramid. We had him contract his hamstrings hard at the top of the curl movement and allow them to stretch at the bottom.

5th exercise = stiff legged dead lifts Marc would super set dead lifts in between each sets of leg curls. He performed 4 sets following a 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid.

Day 5 Back

1st exercise = wide chin ups Marc began his back warm up with 4 sets of chin-ups. He performed the sets in a 15-12-10-8 pyramid using his bodyweight.

2nd exercise = barbell bent over row After the warm-up, Marc did 4 heavy sets of rows. He used his standard 12-10-8-6 rep pyramid.

3rd exercise = front pull-downs Marc used the seated pull-down machine to perform 4 sets of 12-10-8-6 reps.

4th exercise = dumbbell pullovers He performed 3-4 sets of pullovers with his shoulder blades resting across a flat bench. Be sure to relax your shoulders on the bench and allow your lats to stretch when you lower the weight.

Would you change the rep scheme?

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Born to fight, Trained to kill, Ready to Die, But never will!

posted June 21, 2000 09:17 AM            

I would never lift 5 days a week.

I would never do 14 sets for just my chest.

I don't have a separate arm day, and certainly don't use that much volume (right now, I do 2 sets of direct work for biceps, and 1 set of direct tricep work.)

There is no such thing as a 'shaping' movement (at this point, I'd throw this routine in the can)

I don't use a Smith machine for shoulder presses, and certainly would not do both Smith presses AND DB presses in the same workout. Pick one of them. Way too much volume.

Drop the voulme on leg day. Pre-ex is fine, but I prefer to squat heavy.

I'd add deadlifts, and drop one of the vertical pulls, and again, drop the volume.

Just my $.02

posted June 21, 2000 11:50 AM            

Help me out, please.

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Born to fight, Trained to kill, Ready to Die, But never will!