UPPER BODY WORK OUT FOR GROWTH

“stimulate, don’t annilate”

This is an adage that I heard in my early training years and its always stuck with me. When the focus is to build muscle, the key is in delivering the proper stimulus to promote growth with out working the muscles into a point of total submission. The key is to accumulate and recruit as many muscles fibres we possibly can, especially the fast twitch muscle fibres responsible for power, strength and size. I focus on a mix of isometric contractions/pauses, eccentric overloading and range of motion extensions combined with intensity techniques and accumulation protocols. This combination of controlled, precise reps allows us to deliver the proper stimulus and gain maximum recruit; the more muscle we recruit means the more potential we have for strength and size. Quality and intensity of reps are far more important that high volume when building muscle. Extensive volume will cause our bodies to burn more glycogen, more glycogen burned means more cortisol released (stress hormone), which is catabolic, so to promote an anabolic environment we must focus on quality over quantity.

So with out further ado here is my upper body work out:

Activation:

A1           -Standing Isometric Shoulder Complex: 3lb Dumbbells

•    Isometric Front Raise-60 Seconds
•    Isometric Side Raise-60 Seconds

A2           -Prone Isometric Shoulder Complex: 1lb Dumbbells

•    Prone Isometric L-60 Seconds
•    Prone Isometric T-60 Seconds

A3           -Close Grip Push Up Using Foam Roller-Contrast Tempo: 12 Reps

                2 Reps 5 sec up/down, 2 rep standard repeat 3 times       

A4           -Isometric Pull Up-Neutral Grip-30 Seconds

A5           -Standard Grip Push Up Using Foam Roller-Contract Tempo: 12 Reps

A6           -Isometric Pull Up-Medium Overhand Grip-30 Seconds

Super Set 1

B1           -Incline Barbell Press-Alternating Eccentric + Accommodating Resistance

4 Sets; 10, 8, 6, 4/6/8** Reps

B2           -Overhand Lat Pull Down-Alternating Eccentric

                4 Sets; 12, 10, 8, 6/8/10** Reps

             Alternating Eccentric-every other rep you must complete using a 5 seconds eccentric tempo.

Accommodating resistance-Bands used around the bar & secured to the rack to take away the descending strength curve of the movement. As we move into the top portion of the lift (easier), the bands will be stretch and will apply extra resistance through the range of motion.

**-Last set is triple drop set, complete 4-6 reps, decrease weight by 15-30% and complete 6-8 reps, decrease again and complete 8-10 reps. Using alternating eccentric on each drop set.

Super Set 2

C1           -Flat Dumbbell Press Complex-Triple Press

3-4 Sets; 9-12 Reps          -3 Reps Slow Eccentric

                                                -3 Reps Per Arm Iso Alternating

                                                -3-6 Reps ¾ Rang of Motion

                                                Complete all reps without resting

C2           -Incline Bench Prone Barbell Row-Iso Dynamic

                3-4 Sets; 9-12 Reps          -3 Reps + 5 Sec Iso + 3 Reps + 5 Sec Iso + 3-6 Reps

Super Set 3

D1           -Spider Curls-Iso Neural + Reps

                -2 Sets; 20 Seconds Isometric Contraction + 7-10 Reps

D2           -Cable Extensions-One & a Quarter Reps

                -2 Sets; 8-10 Reps (1 ¼ Reps From Bottom)