It’s been a long time since I wrote a program for myself b/c for most of the last year I’ve stuck with Waterbury workouts. Occassionally I changed them a bit to suit my needs or my schedule but I’ve loved them.
Sometimes though you want to do something different or your schedule or diet mandates a different approach (e.g. I did a lower volume split-body program this summer when I worked out and I tried a 3x3 strength phase when I was on the V-diet once). Hell for the two weeks preceding this program I just went to the gym and did whatever I felt like doing; just making sure to hit most of my muscle groups.
But school has started again and I wanted to try something that I haven’t done in awhile. I also started driving to school (which takes a lot longer b/c it’s a 1-1.25 mile walk to class from the parking lot) rather than biking b/c campus is right next to my gym. I also wanted to start lifting right before class but I never get up early in the morning so that’s not going to happen. So I now work out right after.
I also wanted to start working out 5x a week and try more “split-body” training (sort of) and hit muscle groups at least twice a week. I also wanted to do some stuff I haven’t done in forever; maybe some cable cross-overs or a machine or two simply b/c I had NOT done them.
This is what I came up with:
Notes: I start off every workout with some HIIT. I get on the treadmill and incline it to a 6% grade and run sprints at 10.5 mph
A sample goes like this
Walk at 4mph for 30 seconds; hop off treadmill for 30 seconds and let it rev up to 10.5mph. Sprint for 60 seconds. Get off treadmill and slow it down 3mph. Walk for 60-90 seconds and then hop off and rev it back up and sprint for 50 seconds. Then I’ll hop back off and walk at 3mph for 60-90 seconds or so then rev it back up and sprint for 40 seconds. It kicks the living crap out of you! Then I cool down on the bike for about 5 minutes or so.
Also at the beginning of each workout I do some inferior trap work to help correct my protracted shoulder. I basically get on a 60 degree incline bench and raise my arms to 10 and 2 (Thanks Chad Waterbury!)
All exercises are 3x8 with a fast as I can concentric tempo and a controlled eccentric tempo. Supersets (A1, A2) have 60 second rest periods (A1, 60 seconds, A2, 60 seconds, A1…etc). For my leg exercises I rest 2.5 min between sets
For loading I use about 70% of 1RM (about a 10RM)
NOTE: I’m doing 3x8 b/c I only did it once before and I wanted to do a rep scheme my body is unfamiliar with for the most part (Hell I just did Single’s Club a month ago)
DAY 1:
A1) Standing Military Dumbell Press
A2) Wide Grip Pull-ups
B) Front Squats
C1) Dumbell Shurgs
C2) Lat Pulldowns
Day 2:
A1) Close Grip Bench
A2) Close Grip Chins
B) Stiff-legged deadlifts
C1) Hammer Curls
C2) Tricep Pressdowns
Day 3:
A1) Flat bench press
A2) Standing Calf Rasies
No leg movement
B1) Cable Crossovers
B2) Seeted Calf raises
C1) Ab exercise
Day 4:
A1) Military Press
A2) Shoulder-width Pull ups
B) Leg Curls
B1) Lat Raises (Machine or dumbells)
B) Lat Pulldown machine
Day 5:
A1) Weighted Dips
A2) Standing Calf Raises with Bent Knees
B) Dumbell Lunges
C1) Incline Bench
C2) No weight calf raises- 3 sets of 40 reps.
For progression I raise the weight about 2.5% per workout.
So I know I’ll get a few flames for a few of the exercises listed but in case you noticed I prioritized the compound lifts first. The main reason I’m doing an exercise such as shrugs is for variety b/c I haven’t done them in a long time.
Also you’ll notice that I have no horizontal pulling movements; this was done purposely b/c it was reccomended to me by biomechanics professor to avoid them until I make more progress correcting my protracted shoulders.
