jimcip72 
"I want to educate and inspire drug-free bodybuilders to make gains like never before!"
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| Created: | 07/24/2008 |
| Total Visits: | 3515 |
| Total Blog Entries: | 10 |
| Total Comments: | 2 |
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November 21, 2009
For full chest development, I want to have equal priority on the pectoral major and the pec minor. Today I flip-flopped the chest workout. Instead of hitting the flat bench press first, I did inclines. And then I followed the same pattern all the way through making adjustments on the angles of the bench on each movement (where necessary):
Chest
A) Incline Barbell Press (6-7 sets x 4-8 reps) - This was done first instead of the Flat Bench Press.. The first 4-5 sets are just warm-ups and acclimation sets. The last 2 is where it counts.
B) Flat Bench Dumbbell Press (3 x 6-10) - Two things to note here: 1) If I start with a barbell press movement, I will do a dumbbell press next. And 2) If I use the flat bench for the first movement then I pick the incline for part two and vice versa.
C) Incline Flyes (3 x 8-10) - I like to do a flye movement here and I use the same angle as movement number one. I pyramid weight here, starting really light on the first set to get the stretch going, a moderately heavy second set, then an all-out last set.
D) Cable Flyes (2 x 10-12) - For the most part, the angle of this movement stays pretty much the same. When I originally wrote this program out, I was going to do either the Flye Machine or Cable Crossover as my final chest movement. The Cable Crossover would be the preferred as there is more freedom of movement when compared to the Flye Machine. I decided to take this one step further and do them lying on a bench. The regular standing version allows for a lot of movement and leverage advantages because your body can free float around. When locked into position by laying on the bench, there is no way to cheat it through. And it was worth it! My chest feels great after.
Biceps
E) EZ Curls (5 x 6-10) - The first 3 sets are just warm-ups and acclimation…then it is all out for 2 sets!
F) Incline Dumbbell Curls (2-3 x 6-8) - Again, I worked up to 40 pounds on the last set. Another thing I do here is start fairly steep (about 70-75% angle) and then drop the bench a notch with each set. This allows my shoulder/biceps tie-in to get acclimated to the movement.
G) Spider Curls (1 x maximum) - Those who don’t know what this is, it’s just standing on the opposite end of the preacher bench and doing your curls while the arms hang over the steep side. This allows peak contraction at the top of each rep which, by the way, is what I am focused on here.
No weight training till Monday! But since I am trying to bring in the New Year as lean as possible, there will still be cardio to be done! You can check out my cardio, diet, and supplementation at my www.jamescipriani.com blog.
See you Monday!
Posted in Training
November 20, 2009
I must have done something good the other day as my legs are pretty freakin’ sore! Back attack today. From the Traps to the Erector Spinae muscles, I am hitting it!
A) Pulldowns (5-6 sets x 6-10 reps) - These are done standard overhand style with a semi-wide grip. The first 3 sets were just warm-ups. The last set was to all out failure! Today I did warm-up set of 10, 8, and 6. Then I did 3 worksets of 8-10, 6-8, and 4-6. I started at 100 pounds and worked my way up in 20 lb jumps to 200 for a solid set of 6. I think for this last set I should strap up next time.
B) Wide-grip Low Cable Row (3 x 8-10) - We have 2 different pulldown/row stations in my gym. One is definitely heavier than the other. The only explanation for it would be the drag of the rods and pulley. I used the heavier one today, whcih usually accounts for about a 10% difference in weight used. I started at 160 and went up to 180 for a 2 sets of 8.
C) Closegrip T-bar Row (2 x 6-8) - I normally hit 1-arm Dumbbell Rows here. But this was a time I wanted some variety. I did want to stay with a movement that had my palms in a neutral position. My other options were the Hammer Strength Iso-Row or even a V-bar Pulldown. I opted for the T-bar gripping the close, palms in handles and worked my way up to 125 lbs. This was a little awkward. I usually take a standard bentrow grip on here and can usually handle 180 lbs pretty standardly. Where the close, v-handle is makes it an uneasy leverage and hard to balance.
D1) Hyperextensions (2 x 15-20) - I used my bodyweight only today and aimed for high reps. I am very conscious of holding the top contracted position on these for a solid 1-second count…squeezing my glutes very hard. I don’t pivot from the waistline on these. I pivot from the hips. More like a Romanian Deadlift, keeping my chest up and out and concentrating on pushing my sternum towards the floor.
stagger-setted with
D2) Dumbbell Shrugs (2 x 6-10) - I worked up to a pair of 125 lbs dumbbells. Again, I am very conscious of form. I drop my shoulder very far down. I only initiate the movement with my traps…not legs and body momentum. AND I make sure to hold that top contracted position for a full 1-second count.
Tomorrow - Chest and Biceps! Read it first at www.jamescipriani.com
Posted in Training
November 19, 2009
Gees!!! I was dragging ass today! This past Saturday, I went to go watch the NPC Eastern USA’s and then went out around NYC for a little bit afterward. I didn’t get to bed till 4:30 in the morning (not exactly anabolic activity) and had to get up at 7:30 to start a very rare Sunday workday. I was on the go all day Sunday and had my normal crazy Monday schedule. Well…I think it hit me Tuesday. When I got back to the gym to workout, I couldn’t get my normal energy surge…no matter how hard I tried. I did the best I could with what I had and made it a pretty productive workout!
Training blog is always posted first on my personal website: www.jamescipriani.com
Legs
A) Smith Machine Squat (7 sets x 5-8 reps pyramiding my weight up) - I haven’t done these in years! I normally stay far away from the Smith Machine (most machines, for that matter) but the Squat racks were all taken again and I felt like I needed some other variety other than the Hack Squat or the many variations of deadlifts. I figured if Smith Machine Squats were good enough for Dorian to build his monster quads, they were good enough for little ole me. The first 4-5 sets were warm-ups and acclimation. The last 2 are really where I hit it. Squats I usually don’t go to complete failure on…but I work!
B) Leg Press (3 sets x 10-12 reps pyramiding weight) - Pretty straight forward here. Again, nothing too intense today due to my energy. But it was still hard. I worked my way up to 630 lbs for a moderately taxing set. Although my reps are fairly high, I plan to have an occasional foray down into the 8-rep zone.
C) Dumbbell Stiffleg Deadlift (2-3 sets x 10 reps) - I was really feeling the drain here. I only did 2 sets with 105 lb dumbbells. Quite frankly, I didn’t want to balance anything and I was probably better getting off of my feet. So I finished with the following:
D1) Leg Extesions (2 x 8-12)
stagger-setted with
D2) Leg Curls (2 x 8-12)
Overall, it was a very good workout for considering how I felt. I used more weight in the Leg Press and Stiff-leg, I added a super-set at the end of the workout, and I got to squat with a little different variety then I am accustomed to. All of this equals progression and stimulus.
Tomorrow - REST! Back on Thursday. See you then!
Posted in Training
November 18, 2009
Second week going with the new program, so I was locked, cocked, and ready to rock! No more acclimation week. From here on out, I am chasing momentary muscular failure on the last 1-2 sets on just about all of my exercises. It’s the longest workout of the week…but coming off the weekend I am at my freshest. And today felt great!
Core/Ab Warm-up (as many rounds as I can fit in 10 minutes)
A1) Hanging Leg Raise
A2) Standard Floor Crunches
A3) Ab Bench Crunch
I did 4 total rounds again hitting each set for 8-15 reps. As each round ticked by, I was getting less and less reps. Obviously through fatigue. I pretty much go non-stop straight through. On abs, I concentrate very hard on my breathing and the contraction. Anyone can just shuffle out reps rapidly. Abs, more than any other muscle group, concentrating on the feel and the contraction is imperative! Hanging Leg Raises were done with AbOriginals (O-shaped straps that you rest your triceps in while in the hanging position). The Ab Bench is a machine popularized by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman. You can find out more on this at Homegym.com.
Shoulders
A) Seated Dumbbell Press (5 x 8-10 pyramiding weight) - This week I did these a little differently. I added a twist…literally. I start with the palms in (neutral position) and rotate them forward as I press the weight up and reverse the motion on the way down. It’s pretty much half of an Arnold Press. The first 3 sets were warm-ups and acclimation. I really didn’t hit failure until the last set. Because of the switch in pressing style, I went a little lighter than last week. I started at 45’s and worked my way up to 85 lb dumbbells for a set of 9.
B) Upright Rows (3 x 10-12 pyramiding weight) - I used the E-Z curl bar for this as I find it is less torque on my wrists. I started with an easy set of 75 pounds and then went straight to 95. I didn’t think I could hit a second set at that weight, so I went back down for my last set to 85 for a full set of 12.
C) Side Lateral Raises - I did 2 sets of 12 with moderate weight to cap off the delts (30 and 35’s). This exercise I am super strict on and hold the top contracted position for a 1 second count. I made a note to take this up, but I didn’t feel ready this week. I thought with the first two exercises being a little harder I would be a little fatigued. I could still use more weight. Next week definitely.
Triceps
A) Lying Triceps Extensions (3 x 8-10) - I use the E-Z Curl bar for this and take an inside grip. I started at 95 and worked my way up to a hard set with 115 for 9 reps.
B) Pushdowns (2 x 8-10) - I did my first set with 100 and second set was with 110. I hit failure at the 8 rep mark on the last set.
C) Overhead Cable Extensions with Rope (2 x 8-10) - I liked this movement last week so I did it again. I did both sets at 80, hitting 9 reps on the first set and 8 on the last.
Tomorrow - LEGS!!! Read about it first at www.jamescipriani.com
Posted in Training
November 15, 2009
Here’s where I hit every guy’s favorite bodyparts:
A) Bench Press (6-7 sets x 4-8 reps) - You all know this exercise well enough. The first 4-5 sets are just warm-ups and acclimation sets. The last 2 is where it counts. I wasn’t feeling it today here. I worked my way up to 285. That felt heavy enough!
B) Incline Hammer Machine Press (3 x 6-10) - Normally I would opt for a free weight movement….usually the dumbbell version. I was obviously a little low on my “pop” today so I took the easy route…the machine version. This takes the balance factor out (not that I am promoting that) and I don’t have to kick any dumbbells up. On the plus side, I was able to fully concentrate on the push and focus on the muscles in hand. I worked up to three 45 pound plates on each side.
C) Flat Bench Flyes (3 x 8-10) - I pyramid weight here, starting really light on the first set to get the stretch going, a moderately heavy second set, then an all-out last set. I worked up to a good set the 65 pounders.
D) Cable Flyes (2 x 10-12) - When I originally wrote this program out, I was going to do either the Flye Machine or Cable Crossover as my final chest movement. The Cable Crossover would be the preferred as there is more freedom of movement when compared to the Flye Machine. I decided to take this one step further and do them lying on a bench. The regular standing version allows for a lot of movement and leverage advantages because your body can free float around. When locked into position by laying on the bench, there is no way to cheat it through. And it was worth it! My chest felt great after. Not very strong here by any means. I started with 50 pounds per side but had to take it down to 40 for the last set.
E) EZ Curls (5 x 6-10) - The first 3 sets are just warm-ups and acclimation…then it is all out for 2 sets! I worked up to a strong set of 105 lbs.
F) Incline Dumbbell Curls (2-3 x 6-8) - I worked up to 40 pounds on the last set. Another thing I do here is start fairly steep (about 70-75% angle) and then drop the bench a notch with each set. This allows my shoulder/biceps tie-in to get acclimated to the movement.
G) Spider Curls (1 x maximum) - Those who don’t know what this is, it’s just standing on the opposite end of the preacher bench and doing your curls while the arms hang over the steep side. This allows peak contraction at the top of each rep which, by the way, is what I am focused on here. I try to use roughly half of what I did in the Standing EZ Bar Curl and just go to failure (which is when I can no longer hold that top position for a full 1-second count). I did a set of 10 with 55 pounds.
Posted in Training
November 14, 2009
Back attack today. From the Traps to the Erector Spinae muscles, I am hitting it!
A) Pulldowns (5-6 sets x 6-10 reps) - These are done standard overhand style with a semi-wide grip. The first 3-4 sets are warm-ups and acclimation sets. The last 2 are to all out failure! Occasionally, you will see me with a foray into the 4 rep range. But mostly I won’t go lower than 6. I started at 120 pounds and worked my way up to 200 for a solid set of 6.
B) Wide-grip Low Cable Row (3 x 8-10) - Pretty self-explanatory here. I started at 180 and pyramided the weight up to 220 for a set of 8.
C) One-Arm Dumbbell Row (2 x 6-8) - I hit the first set with 105’s then the second set with the 115’s. Both were a fairly moderate set of 8. I MUST jack this weight up next week!
D) Hyperextensions (2 x 15-20) - I usually stagger-set these with Shrugs, but I just did straight sets today. I used my bodyweight only today and aimed for high reps. I am very conscious of holding the top contracted position on these for a solid 1-second count…squeezing my glutes very hard. I don’t pivot from the waistline on these. I pivot from the hips. More like a Romanian Deadlift, keeping my chest up and out and concentrating on pushing my sternum towards the floor.
E) Dumbbell Shrugs (2 x 6-10) - What I try to do here is just match the weight I did on my DB Rows and go to failure. Even if it takes me out of my rep range. Again, I am very conscious of form. I drop my shoulder very far down. I only initiate the movement with my traps…not legs and body momentum. AND I make sure to hold that top contracted position for a full 1-second count.
Posted in Training
November 13, 2009
Today is an off day from weight training. But I still have to hit my cardio!
You can read all of my cardio and nutrition updates at my Build it Up/Rip it Up Nutrition & Supplement Schedule web page. I updated it Wednesday at www.jamecipriani.com .
Back attack tomorrow!
Posted in Training
November 12, 2009
Leg attack today. If you have been reading my blog (at www.jamescipriani.com ), you might recall that my lower back was getting smoked on my previous routine. If you are one of the many followers who have been a supporter of my website over the years, you know that I have had lower back issues in the past. So much so that it killed my training for about 3 months back in 2001. I have pretty much kept it under wraps since then, but I am also ultra-sensitive to any flare ups.
I was going to start with free bar squats today. It was national “use all the squat racks” today at my gym. Due to my appointment schedule, I am not allotted the luxury of time. So waiting for an opening wasn’t an option. Being that the structure of my routine calls for a squat motion as movement #1, I opted for the Hack Squat. This may have been a blessing in disguise for my lower back.
Legs
A) Hack Squat (7 sets x 5-8 reps pyramiding my weight up) - The first 4-5 sets were warm-ups and acclimation. The last 2-3 are really where I hit it. I didn’t go to failure today because of my back. I took it up to 320 lbs and hit 8 reps on all my sets.
B) Leg Press (3 sets x 10-12 reps pyramiding weight) - Pretty straight forward here. Again, nothing too intense today. I worked my way up to 540 lbs for a moderately taxing set.
C) Dumbbell Stiffleg Deadlift (2-3 sets x 10 reps) - My first set was an acclimation set then I did the last 2 with 100 lb dumbbells. I like this version over the barbell version. The dumbbells slide down my leg like wheels of a rail-car on a track. The only problem is that I can only do this movement when the reps are higher. If I was going 4-6 reps with this movement, I would have to use a barbell as the dumbbells in the gym don’t go heavy enough to get a full stimulus.
D) Standing Calf Raise (3 x 8-12) - I really wanted to do calves on day 1. But I ran out of time. So I threw them in here at the end of my leg workout. I worked up to 400 pounds on the Standing Calf Machine.
Overall, it was a very good break-in workout for this routine. AND…my back felt a thousand times better after. It was almost therapeutic. Especially the stiffleg deadlifts.
Tomorrow - REST! Back on Thursday. See you then!
Posted in Training
November 10, 2009
Monday was my first day of the new routine. Basically this week would be an acclimation week, but I am still going to hit it fairly hard. No more “A” and “B” workouts alternated each week (see more about this on my blog at www.jamescipriani.com ). The structure that I have laid out is what I am going with straight through to the New Year. I will shuffle some different exercises in and out for some variety, but the core “Money Exercises” will remain the same throughout.
Core/Ab Warm-up (as many rounds as I can fit in 10 minutes)
A1) Hanging Leg Raise
A2) Standard Floor Crunches
A3) Ab Bench Crunch
I did 4 total rounds hitting each set for 8-15 reps. As each round ticked by, I was getting less and less reps. Obviously through fatigue. I pretty much go non-stop straight through. On abs, I concentrate very hard on my breathing and the contraction. Anyone can just shuffle out reps rapidly. Abs, more than any other muscle group, concentrating on the feel and the contraction is imperative! Hanging Leg Raises were done with AbOriginals (O-shaped straps that you rest your triceps in while in the hanging posistion). The Ab Bench is a machine popularized by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman. You can find out more on this at Homegym.com.
Shoulders
A) Seated Dumbbell Press (5 x 6-10 pyramiding weight) - the first 2 sets are like warm-ups and the third is like and acclimation. Then the last 2 sets are straight to failure. I started at 55’s and worked my way up to 95 lb dumbbells.
B) Upright Rows (3 x 10-12 pyramiding weight) - I used the E-Z curl bar for this as I find it is less torque on my wrists. I started with an easy set of 55 pounds and worked up to a moderate set of 85 for a full set of 12. I hardly do this movement, so I started light. Definitely need to amp this up next time!
C) Side Lateral Raises - I did 2 sets of 12 with moderate weight to cap off the delts (30 and 35’s). This exercise I am super strict on and hold the top contracted position for a 1 second count. I can definitely bump this up next week.
Triceps
A) Lying Triceps Extensions (3 x 8-10) - I use the E-Z Curl bar for this and take an inside grip. I started at 95 and worked my way up to a moderately hard set with 115.
B) Pushdowns (2 x 8-10) - I did my first set with 90. That was easy. My second set was with 100. Again, only moderate. Bump up next week.
C) Overhead Cable Extensions with Rope (2 x 8-10) - This third triceps movement was optional. I was feeling good, so I decided to cap off tris with a different leverage. I did an easy set with 70 pounds but when I bumped it to 80, I definitely hit a wall. If I choose to do this movement next week, I will start with 80.
Tuesday - LEGS!!!
Posted in Training
November 9, 2009
November 8, 2009: It’s time to change my training template while dropping bodyfat. I am going back to a four day split (decribed in a moment).
I was following Dave Tate’s Stronger Phase 3 Diet Program for the last 6 weeks (you can see more by checking out past blog posts at www.jamescipriani.com ). This was working well for me while my calories were still high. Now that they are dropping (specifically carb calories), I am not able to do a full week without completely draining myself. Couple that with some mental and physical stagnation as well as my lower back is smoked! I have to make some changes.
This will be the split I end up using for the rest of my transformation phase.
The Four Day Split
Monday: Abs, Shoulders, Triceps, Calves
- The workout will start with an ab circuit including 3-4 movements done each on a different plane of tension. I will get as many sets in as I can inside of 10 minutes.
- Some form of shoulder press will be the first move for the delts
- Most of the time I will do some form of Upright Row second to counter the motion of the first move as well as getting the traps stimulated.
- Some form of Side Lateral Raise will cap off the shoulder workout.
- Triceps will start with some form of exercise where the arms are perpendicular to the body - lying tricep extensions or closegip bench press.
- Pushdowns will be the standardly the second move for triceps.
- If I choose to do another movement for the triceps, it will be dependent on how I feel that day and what I feel like doing.
- Calves will always be done with Standing and/or Seated Calf Raises.
Tuesday: Quads and Hamstrings
- Some form of free form Squat motion will always be performed first.
- A machine pressing movement will be second - either Leg Press or Hack Squat
- Staying with the “Money Exercises,” I will do some form of Deadlift for the hamstrings - the Stiffleg Deadlift (aka - Romanian Deadlift) more than not.
- On most days, the above three exercises will probably be plenty. But on the days I want to do a little extra, I will finish with a couple of Leg Extension/Leg Curl supersets.
Thursday: Back
- Any Pull or Row will be first. More than likely a standard Pulldown as I find it good to get warmed up on.
- A machine Row or Pull will be second (opposite move from 1st exercise).
- More than not, I will do Heavy One Arm Dumbbel Rows third.
- A lower back exercise will be included here - Hyperextensions.
- I will close out the back workout with some form of Shrug.
Friday: Chest and Biceps
- Barbell pressing is always first (either flat or incline).
- A Dumbbell or Barbell press will be second (opposite angle of 1st move)
- Fifty percent of my chest work will be flies with one dumbbell movement (same angle as the first move) and one machine.
- Biceps will start with a Standing Barbell or Preacher Curl
- Incline Curls will be the second move more than not.
- Final move will be a hard contraction move - either Concentration or Spider Curls
Keep in mind the movements are selected based on my training needs, not yours. You may want to add in movements you feel work best.
As for sets and reps, you are just going to have to stay tuned as I blog on each workout daily. Heck, I want to make sure you come back to me, don’t I?
Furthermore, I am going to be updating my diet, supplement, and cardio section tomorrow here (first on my blog at www.jamescipriani.com ). I hope I will see you then!
Posted in Training
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