Cardio & Weight Training Workouts.
Cardio Time
Once again, don't worry about intensity or results. Just continue to establish the habit of exercising three times a week. Continue for another three weeks, or until you are ready for the next step. The most important goal is to maintain your minimum. How fast you run a mile or how much you can lift does not matter, simply set a minimum number of times each week that you will exercise. Making cardio workouts part of your exercise regimen is a surefire way to improve fitness and health.
Once again, don't worry about intensity or results. Just continue to establish the habit of exercising three times a week. Continue for another three weeks, or until you are ready for the next step. The most important goal is to maintain your minimum. How fast you run a mile or how much you can lift does not matter, simply set a minimum number of times each week that you will exercise. Making cardio workouts part of your exercise regimen is a surefire way to improve fitness and health.
The Push & Pull Workout
PUSH / PULL
The Push/Pull workout is a very effective high-volume routine. With a lot of drive and dedication you’re guaranteed solid results. Here’s the Push/Pull split:
PUSH DAY: MONDAY & THURSDAY
Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
PULL DAY: TUESDAY & FRIDAY
Legs, Back, and Biceps
By doing this split, you will eliminate overworking the muscles involved with pushing movements on your pull day, and vise-versa. For example, we all know that your triceps are engaged and working hard when doing bench press. It may be intended for chest, but you feel your triceps firing. Subsequently, by doing all the pushing exercises on the same day, you will completely work all those muscles involved in those “push” movements. Hence, by going into the gym the next day and doing all the “pull” movements, you can give the opposing muscles a rest while working out the diametric muscle groups.
This routine uses pyramid style sets. The pyramid sets consist approximately of 3 to 4 sets per exercise, starting with a weight you can press 12 times (on average). Here is an example of one exercise using pyramid style sets:
SET 1
12 reps (increase weight after set)
SET 2
10 reps (increase weight after set)
SET 3
8 reps (lower weight)
SET 4
10 reps (done with exercise)
Within each set the reps need to be challenging if you want muscle adaptation and growth. Let’s use set number 2 as an example; you had better be struggling to get rep number 9 and barely lock out the final rep 10. The greatest part of using pyramid style sets throughout the Push/Pull workout is that it gets you lifting heavier weight. The more you challenge yourself, the more gains you’re going to see. When I was on an "up-cycle” in my training, I always tried to increase weight for each workout (if possible) and record it so that I could keep challenging the last baseline. You’ll also notice that reps may vary and pyramid sets are not always used in the Push/Pull workout.
An “up-cycle” is a new phase (or personal goal) in training that leads to peak performance. Basically it is a cycle of time you commit toward attaining a set goal. It may be a Caribbean cruise, a bodybuilding contest, a reunion or wedding, spring break vacation, or a challenge at the gym.
If you’re already training at an advanced level it is important to trust the Push/Pull system and go with the flow. If you do, the results can be amazing! Overtraining is much easier than you might realize, and this routine could be a nice departure from what you might be used to doing. Your job is to keep up the intensity and consistency…and of course maintain a solid nutritional plan.
Incorporate power movements into your workouts and work your way down to body shaping isolations and money maker movements like preacher curls for biceps and lateral dumbbell fly’s to round out the delts. Power movements include exercises like bench press, incline bench press, military press, bent over rows, power cleans, deadlifts, squats, and leg press to name a few. When moving heavy weight it’s important to watch your form, stay mindful through the range of motion and breathe through the push or pull. Keep your head in the game. A pulled muscle will not only sideline you from your workouts, it will take you off of your cycle and keep you from ultimately reaching your goal.
THE MOVEMENTS
Below is the push/pull routine similar to the one I used:
PUSH DAY: MONDAY & THURSDAY
CHEST
Bench Press (Olympic bar or dumbbell)
4 sets - pyramid weight
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
4 sets - pyramid weight
Chest Fly's (dumbbells or cable)
3 sets - ascending weight
SHOULDERS
Military Press
4 sets/pyramid weight
Upright Rows (use either a short bar or Olympic bar)
4 sets/pyramid weight
3-Angle Dumbbell Fly's (front, lateral, rear)
3 sets/same weight
TRICEPS
Lying Down EZ-Bar Extensions
4 sets/pyramid weight
Cable Rope Pushdowns
4 sets/pyramid weight
Lying Dumbbell Extensions
3 sets/ascending weight
Lying Dumbbell Extensions (explained)
Grasp 1 dumbbell so the end is cradled with both hands. The center bar of the dumbbell should hang between your thumbs
and pointer fingers vertically.
PULL DAY - PYRAMID STYLE - TUESDAY & FRIDAY
LEGS
Squats (using an Olympic barbell)
4 sets/pyramid weight
Leg Press
3 sets/ascending weight
Leg Extensions
3 sets/ascending weight
Leg Curls
4 sets/pyramid weight
Romanian Deadlifts (using an Olympic barbell)
3 sets/ascending weight
Lunges (using an Olympic barbell)
3 sets/same weight
Calf Raise Machine
4 sets/pyramid weight
BACK
Wide Lat Pull-downs
4 sets/pyramid weight
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
4 sets/pyramid weight
T-Bar Rows
3 sets/ascending weight
BICEPS
Standing Olympic Bar Curls
4 sets/pyramid weight
Seated Dumbbell Curls
4 sets/pyramid weight
Preacher Curls
3 sets/ascending weight
Don't be afraid to super-set any of the exercises. For example: try doing lunges with leg extensions, or standing Olympic bar curls with T-bar rows. Super-sets are a great way to saturate the muscle with blood and take your workout to the next level.
Remember to keep it fresh and rotate your exercises. As a rule of thumb, try to maintain the total number of sets per body part to 10 to 12 sets, and remember that nothing is set in stone.
You should discuss getting fit with a health care professional / Trainer before you begin attempting to improve your fitness level on your own, particularly if you haven't been active in awhile.
