12/10/11

Ok, so I just did the same workout I performed and posted on 12/06/11. This time I did 2 Manmakers within the circuit instead of 1.  Oh My ME did that make a difference!  I just barely made it through 3 rounds. BRUTAL!

Manmaker, Pull-up, Hang Clean Circuit

• 1 Manmaker
• 3 Pull-ups (use different hand positions, and add other twists to make it even more challenging)
• Repeat x5 (Should take 1:45 - 2:15 to complete)

 Rest 1 minute

• 5 Hang Cleans as heavy as you can do

 Rest 90 seconds

• Repeat entire sequence 3-5x

Do 2 Manmakers to significantly increase the intensity as you progress

04/23/11 - 04/26/11

Due to lack of time, I have not been blogging here lately.  I have still been working out like a Primal Animal, but I have not had time to post or mess with fitday.

Sunday was the beginning of Week 6, and I have stuck to the plan!

I "may" begin a new Round of INSANITY starting next week. If not, I will start it on Week 10

INSANITY: THE ASYLUM™ Has Arrived!

Buy INSANITY: THE ASYLUM™NOW!

Full List of Routines

I will continue to update this post (and bring it to the top) as routines are added

12 Week Program for 2011 
A Great Warm-up
Bodyweight  Conditioning Routine
Burpee Bedlam 
Concept II Rower Routines
Crossfit Routines
DB Bear Complexes and The Bear
Full Timed Intervals
Fight Gone Bad
Filthy Fifties
ManBREAKERS
Manmakers
Mass/Strength Routine
Mass/Strength Routine II
Mass/Strength Routine III
Max Effort Black Box (MEBB)
Metabolic Pairings
Primal Blueprint Fitness
Squats, Box Jumps & Sprints
Upper Body 5x5's
Upper Body (PUSH) Blaster
10x10 DB Circuit
30 Minute Bodyweight Challenge
96 Day Routine
100 Day Routine

12 Week Program for 2011

Week 1-6

• Sunday: *Upper Body (PULL) & P90X^® Ab Ripper X
• Monday: *Upper Body (PUSH)
• Tuesday: SQUATS
• Wednesday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Thursday: P90X^® Upper Body PLUS & Abs Core PLUS
• Friday: SPRINTS - Concept II Rower
• Saturday: P90X^® Yoga

Week 7 & 8

• Sunday: *Upper Body (PULL) & P90X^® Ab Ripper X
• Monday: P90X^® Chest
  
• Tuesday: SQUATS and P90X^® Abs Core PLUS
• Wednesday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Thursday: P90X^® Total Body PLUS
• Friday: SPRINTS - Concept II Rower
• Saturday: One on One Fountain of Youth Yoga

Week 9

• Sunday: *Upper Body (PULL) & P90X^® Ab Ripper X
• Monday: P90X^® Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
  
• Tuesday: SQUATS and P90X^® Abs Core PLUS
• Wednesday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Thursday: P90X^® Total Body PLUS
• Friday: SPRINTS - Concept II Rower
• Saturday: One on One Fountain of Youth Yoga

Week 10 - 12

• Sunday: *Total Body (STRENGTH)
• Monday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Tuesday: *Total Body (CONDITIONING)
• Wednesday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Thursday: *Total Body (STRENGTH)
• Friday: Rest, or P90X^® Stretch
• Saturday: *Total Body (CONDITIONING)

* Can be any combination of Free Weights, Body Weight Conditioning Exercises, P90X^® Routines, Crossfit, etc - varies EVERY week

AFTER 12 weeks, I will switch it up with my Mass/Strength Routine II

Concept II Rower Workouts

 












Interval Sprints
Sprinting, in one form or another, should be done once per week.

Warm Up

• 250 Meters, at a slow pace
• Stretch
• Another 250 Meters, at a slow pace

Beginner

• 15 second sprint, followed by 45 seconds of Rest. Repeat every minute on the minute for 6 rounds, progressing to 9 or 10 rounds, and or adjust the interval to 20/40
  
• Use either the "Watts" or "500/M" settings to gauge you intensity level
  

Intermediate

• 30 second sprint, followed by 30 seconds of Rest. Repeat every minute on the minute for 9 or 10 rounds
• Use either the "Watts" or "500/M" settings to gauge you intensity level

Tabata Sprints (Advanced)

• 20 Seconds of ALL-OUT Effort, followed by 10 seconds of Rest. Repeat 8 x for a total of 4 minutes
• It does not matter which setting you use. If you are truly going ALL OUT, you will not be looking at it anyway. You will be going into survival mode!!!
  

Power Rowing (My personal favorite)

• Using the "Watts" setting, row as hard and powerfully as you can for 15- 20 seconds. Try to get the highest wattage number you can. Do this for 10 rounds
  
• Take your highest and lowest score, and discard the the others. Your goal is to beat that the next time

250 Meters Sprints

• Using the 500/m setting do 5-7 Rounds as fast as you can, with 1 minute breaks between sets
• Take your best and worst time, and discard the the others. Your goal is to beat that the next time

500 Meter Psuedo Sprints

• Using the 500/m setting do 5-7 Rounds as fast as you can, with 1 minute breaks between sets
• Take your best and worst time, and discard the the others. Your goal is to beat that the next time

5000 Meters

• For time

Cool Down

• 500 Meters, at a slow pace
• Stretch

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle

- From Mark's Daily Apple

So you wanna put on some lean muscle mass. And you want to do it within the context of the Primal Blueprint, but aren’t sure where to start. It’s a common question and it’s about time I addressed it head on.

As I’ve made pretty clear, our ultimate goal is to achieve positive gene expression, functional strength, optimum health, and extended longevity. In other words: To make the most out of the particular gene set you inherited. These are my end goals, and I’ve modeled the PB Laws with them in mind. But that doesn’t mean packing on extra muscle can’t happen with additional input. After I retired from a life of chronic cardio and started living Primally, I added 15 pounds of muscle, while keeping low body fat levels without really trying, so it’s absolutely possible for a hardgainer to gain some. The question is how much and at what expense?

I’d be the first to tell you that lean body mass is healthier than adipose tissue. Generally, the more lean mass a person has, the longer and better they live. But to increase mass at the expense of agility, strength, or speed is, in my opinion, counterproductive. What would Grok do – go for enormous biceps or the ability to haul a carcass back to camp? Unless you’re a bodybuilder (nothing wrong with that, mind you; it’s just not my focus), I can’t advise simply packing on size without a proportional increase in actual strength. Those bulging biceps might look good on the beach, but then again, so does the body that comes with keeping up with the younger guys, knocking out twenty pull-ups in a row, and lifting twice your bodyweight. Form is best paired with a healthy serving of function. The two are quite delicious together, and, luckily, following the PB allows us to get both without sacrificing either.

Of course, we’re all built a little differently. The basic building blocks are the same in everyone, but sexual reproduction (as opposed to asexual reproduction) has the funny habit of producing unique genetics and small variations that affect the way we respond to our environments. It’s why some people are short and some are tall, or why some of us respond better to carbohydrates than others. Even though we all pretty much operate the same way, there IS a range of possible outcomes that is proscribed by your direct ancestors. By that same token, some people just naturally have more muscle mass. They’re usually innately more muscular than the average person, and putting more on through resistance training is often an easy task. Then there are those who can’t seem to gain a pound: the hardgainers. They might be increasing strength, but it doesn’t seem to translate into visible muscle mass. Now, my initial advice for a hardgainer is this – don’t worry too much about it! As long as you’re getting stronger, you’re doing it right.

Let’s face it, though. You’ve probably heard that enough already. It’s fun being the lanky guy at the gym who can lift more than most, but you’re dead set on bulking up (who doesn’t like a bit more muscle to go along with that strength?), and you want to do it in a Primal context. Besides, continuing to increase strength will eventually require increasing size. To do so, you have to target the very same anabolic hormones that others use to get big, only with even more enthusiasm and drive. Like I said, we all have similar engines, but some require more fuel and more efficient driving (sorry for the corny analogy). Activating these hormones will work for anyone, provided they work hard and eat enough food.

The main hormones that contribute to muscle anabolism are testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). A little more about each and how to utilize them:

Testosterone

Crazy bodybuilders don’t inject themselves with anabolic steroid hormones that are based on testosterone for nothing. Among other roles, testosterone is an important muscle-building growth factor that favorably affects protein synthesis in addition to working with other hormones (like GH and IGF-1) to improve their function (more on this later). If you want to increase strength and build muscle, testosterone is absolutely required (don’t worry, though: no injections necessary!).

Growth Hormone

It’s right there in the name, isn’t it? Growth hormone. It helps muscle grow and, perhaps more importantly, it burns body fat. After all, leaning out is a big part of building muscle (or else you’ll just look puffy) and GH will help you do it.

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1

IGF-1 is extremely similar in effect to GH, as it should be – GH stimulates IGF-1 production in the liver. In fact, it’s suspected that IGF-1 is actually responsible for most of the “growth-promoting effects of circulating GH.”

Anabolic hormones all work together. In fact, to maximize their muscle-building potential, you must have all three present. Testosterone increases IGF-1, but only in the presence of GH. GH promotes skeletal muscle cell fusion independent of IGF-1, but the two are most effective in concert. Luckily for you, the types of exercises that stimulate the secretion of one will generally stimulate the secretion of the others. Funny how that works out, huh?

Enter The Central Nervous System

In order for your body to start pumping out these delicious anabolic hormones, you must first give it a reason to do so. I might even say you should give your genes a reason to express themselves. The most effective way to do this is by notifying the central nervous system. Now, the CNS can be a stubborn bastard, but he’s all you got when it comes to interpreting stimuli and relaying messages to the rest of the body. He’s not easily perturbed, and he won’t bother if you aren’t serious. If you insist on doing nothing but light aerobics or tiny isolation exercises, your CNS will barely notice. If you want to get your CNS’ attention, pick up the intensity. Run some sprints or do some heavy lifting. When you do an exercise like the squat with a heavy weight, all hands are on deck. Your CNS realizes that some serious exercising is going down and notifies the hypothalamus, which in turn talks to your pituitary gland. This tiny – but vital – member of the endocrine system is the gland that dispatches luteinizing hormones to tell the testicles to secrete testosterone. It’s also the gland that synthesizes and secretes GH. IGF-1 is mostly produced by the liver, but its production is facilitated by the presence of GH, so we can see that it all comes down to CNS stimulation. Chronic cardio doesn’t affect your CNS in any meaningful way, so that’s why we tend to avoid it; vigorous sprints, hard and heavy lifting, and anaerobic output will get its attention, so do plenty of these to maximize muscle growth.

Cortisol: A Hormone to Avoid

Promoting muscle and strength growth also requires avoiding excess amounts of catabolic (muscle wasting) hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is the major stress hormone, and it exists for a very legitimate reason (dealing with “flight or fight” incidents, inadequate sleep, anxiety), but in large amounts cortisol increases serum amino acids by breaking down muscle, inhibiting protein synthesis and reducing amino acid uptake by the muscles – all awful things for muscle growth. Compounding the problem even further, the broken-down muscle is converted into blood glucose, which then raises insulin secretion and increases insulin resistance while promoting fat storage. And we all know how great those muscles look with a nice layer of adipose tissue covering them up! On a serious note, most people following the PB already minimize cortisol by getting plenty of sleep and reducing stress, but if you’re preoccupied with building muscle mass and engaging in extended workout sessions to achieve it, avoiding excess cortisol can get tricky: excessive exercise without enough recovery time actually increases cortisol. It makes sense (think of it like your body’s telling you it needs a day or two off), but the desire for more muscle mass drives many to work out to the point of counter-productivity. Just be careful, and give yourself at least a day of rest after a particularly grueling session.

Lift Really Heavy Things

If you haven’t figured it out already, you’re going to be doing some heavy lifting in order to put on lean mass. The foundation of your routine should be the big compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses (bench and overhead), pull-ups, rows, dips, snatches, power cleans, clean and jerks. These engage multiple muscles while triggering your hormonal response systems. Bodyweight stuff, while valuable, simply isn’t going to get you the strength and mass increases you’re looking for. Testosterone, while useful, only gets really anabolic when you start lifting. You need to get under some decent weight, enough so that your CNS and endocrine system are blasted, but not so much that you can’t maintain proper form.

A popular routine is the 5×5 method. Popularized by programs like StrongLifts and Starting Strength, doing compound lifts for five sets of five reps allows you to strike a balance between strength building and superficial muscle hypertrophy. Done this way, your hypertrophy won’t be purely sarcoplasmic, which results in fluid-filled muscles that look big but don’t see a corresponding increase in actual strength. Instead, the 5×5 method promotes myofibrillar hypertrophy: hard, dense muscle fibers that increase strength and size (with no puffiness). That’s real muscle that would make Grok proud.

If you’re lifting heavy and lifting hard, keep your workouts spaced at least a day apart and don’t lift more than 3x/week. Three exercises per session should be perfect. That may not sound like much, but it’ll be plenty if you do it right. Remember, you’re doing big compound movements that will really shock your system, with an emphasis on intensity and power. You don’t want to overwork yourself, release a bunch of cortisol, and set yourself back a few weeks.

Squats and deadlifts are absolutely required. No excuses. They engage the most muscles and produce the biggest hormonal response. They will be the bedrock of your mass building campaign. Most programs recommend doing squats every session, and I tend to agree. You can handle it. Deadlifts are a bit more taxing and so should be relegated to every other workout. So, one week you’ll deadlift once, the next week twice. You can also sub in power cleans for the occasional deadlifts (or do them in addition) if you’re comfortable with such a complex movement. Presses are paramount, both overhead and bench. I’d alternate both types of presses every session. Pull-ups are great, but weighted pull-ups are even better. Same goes for dips. Just try to get one pulling, one pushing, and one squatting exercise in each session.

An example for beginners, with sets coming first in the sequence:

A
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure (add weight if “Failure” is becoming more than 12 reps)
Overhead Press 5×5

B
Squat 5×5
Deadlift 1/2/3×5 (your choice; deadlifts can be incredibly taxing, and with exhaustion comes poor form, so be careful; sometimes it’s better to do a really heavy load for a single set)
Bench Press 5×5

C
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure
Overhead Press 5×5

Do this sequence every week (maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and steadily increase the weight each session. Once you’re making progress, feel free to add in other exercises like dips or more Olympic lifts. For more mass, more lactic “burn” (and more GH secretion), reduce your rest periods between sets or even superset them. If you feel like doing some cardio, stick to sprints once weekly, or even a Crossfit-style metcon (metabolic conditioning) workout, maybe some Tabata burpees. The key is conserving strength and giving your body time to rest and recover for the next round of squats, deadlifts, and presses.

This “program” can be tweaked and altered. Just make sure you’re doing big movements while maintaining extreme intensity and great form. Oh, and always make sure to squat and deadlift. Always. They produce the most testosterone, GH, and IGF-1.

Eat Lots (I Mean Lots) of Plants and Animals

No one would ever call the Primal Blueprint a protein-sparing plan, but you’re going to have to eat even more than before. Stuff yourself. I always say that body composition is 80% diet, and that goes for putting on mass as well as losing fat. You need to provide plenty of protein for all those hormones to synthesize, after all.

• Never let your protein intake go lower than 1g/lb of body weight when you are aiming to add long-term muscle. It’s the building block of muscle, and your body is going to be starving for it.
• Eat plenty of saturated and monounsaturated fat. Fat blunts insulin secretion while increasing testosterone production. Insulin may be useful for stuffing your muscles full of glycogen, but that’s not what you’re going for… right?
• Dietary fat, in conjunction with all the GH you’ll be producing, also spares muscle wasting.
• You may have heard of the popular GOMAD method – Gallon of Milk a Day for easy mass-building. It undoubtedly works, but a gallon of milk isn’t exactly Primal and I can’t recommend it. Instead of milk, why not a dozen eggs a day? ADEAD? If you can manage it, eating them on top of your regularly scheduled meals is a great source of affordable protein, fat, and vitamins (Vitamin A in particular may have pro-anabolic effects).
• Eat often. If you’re going for pure size and strength, fasted workouts and skipped PWO meals may not be the ticket. You’ll burn more fat with the extra GH secretion and existing muscle will be spared, but you may be missing the chance at prime protein synthesis when you fast. A PWO meal of protein and fat will still blunt the insulin secretion and provide fuel for your muscles.
• Increase caloric intake. You’re going to be expending so much energy on the lifts (and you’ll continue to burn through it even on rest days) while eating clean, Primal foods (and keeping insulin low as ever) that fat accumulation shouldn’t be an issue at all. Eat!
• On those days when you do expend a ton of energy – maybe on your metcon or sprint day – having a Primal-friendly starch, like squash or sweet potato, is a decent way to replenish depleted glycogen stores.
• Eat a big piece of fatty meat every single day. Steak, whole chicken, lamb leg, organs, whatever. Just eat a solid piece of animal flesh for a powerful protein infusion on a daily basis.
• A hardgainer is often someone who doesn’t eat enough. Sure, genes play a role, but you can ultimately have a significant say in how those genes rebuild you. To a point. Eat more and lift harder to grab the reins.

I’m a firm believer in the body’s natural ability to achieve proper homeostasis, provided we supply the right environment and the right foods. For some of you, that might mean lower body mass, lower than you’d like. In my opinion, that amount of muscle is probably “right” for you and I wouldn’t recommend going above and beyond to achieve more of it… but I also wouldn’t condemn it, especially if it’s pursued in accordance with the Primal Laws. As for me, I am comfortable where I’m at and tend not to seek added mass (I’m also at a point where lifting heavy increases my risk of injury, and I HATE downtime). But if you are a hard-gainer looking to add a few, as long as it’s not just show muscle and you can actually lift some decent weight and at the very least manipulate your own body weight comfortably, eat those dozen eggs and gain that weight.

P90X vs P90X+

How P90X differs From P90X+ and how they compliment one another - taken from my P90X+X Hardgainers Thread

While P90X^® is slightly superior to P90X+ in terms of it's ability to build muscle, P90X+ also includes a very important and essential element in determining actual muscle strength - ISOMETRICS.

Isometric strength is the most "accurate" in terms of defining your true muscular strength. While you may not be getting all "ripped" from lifting those heavier weights like P90X^®, the isometric exercises Tony focuses on in the P90X+ will harden those bulging biceps into "nuggets of steel." Any of the movements where Tony has us "stop and hold," the hanging ab/core exercise, or 360 - chattarunga, combat push-ups, etc. are all isometric focused, and while P90X might make us ripped, the X+ turns us into "steel." And I'll take a steel-hardened (maybe less-defined) muscle any day over a bulging "ripped" muscle.

Isometrics will give your muscles "staying power" for the long haul. If you are an endurance athlete this is the kind of muscle development you want. Your muscles become like a coiled cobra, quick, springy, and full of force.

Yes, I can't wait to do my next round of P90X^®, because I know the "hidden" gains I've received from the P90X+ will reveal themselves in definition as I gain from doing the next round of the X.

I do agree that if you're looking for "ripped" then P90X is the "gold-standard" but if you're looking for a "total body standard" of actual muscle strength then the additional component of P90X+ is the TITANIUM STANDARD (keeping with my steel metaphor).

Both the X and the X+ are integral in a total body fitness synergy. I am truly excited to see how these two workouts combined over the course of the next two years defines, strengthens my body back into a lean-mean fighting machine.

If you're looking at the results of size and definition as the components of success or standards for the P90X+ in comparison to the P90X^® I do think you will wind up disappointed. But if you'll look at the process of the isometric conditioning as giving you TRUE muscular strength, then both P90X and P90X+ are the standard which all other exercise programs on the market will be measured against. And in my opinion there is nothing out there that even begins to touch these two without hiring your own private trainer - which we have in Tony (and a lot cheaper might I add).

Further elucidation…

The isometric function of the P90X+ routine is working in the "deeper layers" of our muscles, results that cannot necessarily be seen but they are there. For example, my transverse abdominus muscles (the deepest of the abs/core muscles) after the abs/core + workout, I can literally "feel" those muscles getting more developed and toned, like a flak jacket wrapping around my mid-section - I never had that feeling doing Ab Ripper X which seems to work my hip flexor/ab muscles more and my erector spinae (lower-back muscles). So abs/core+ is the perfect compliment to Ab Ripper X in my opinion.

And I know and I can feel that those high intensity lower-weight upper body exercises, while I may not get "Swarzeneggerized" with X+, these isometrics are strengthening me "deeply & internally" laying a foundation that when I go back to P90X^® those superficial muscles that are the ones we equate to being "ripped" will start really bulging and getting defined, with tensiled steel strength! I'm into power not necessarily pretty. Then I will cycle back and forth between the X and X+ and soon 1-on-1 workouts, which I am really excited about.

We've got to have faith that Tony and the Beachbody Team know what he/they are doing. We've got to put out of our minds that the X is something more than the X+, or that X+ is something less than.

In the same measure I would encourage those who feel that the X+ is not giving them the same kind of intensity/results workout to increase your intensity. Increase your weights, go deeper in your Spiderman push-ups, bring your knees higher on knee raises, do 1 extra pull-up, kick higher & harder, etc. PUSH YOURSELF! Push yourself beyond what you think you can do - you did it with P90X^®, now do it with P90X+! What this is saying is that your body has reached a certain level of fitness as a result of P90X and in order to take it to the next level you've got to work harder and more intense - BRING IT!

When you can stop comparing results you become freed from those results and 100% committed to the process of becoming truly totally fit and strong.

Primal Blueprint Fitness

Primal Blueprint Fitness is built around a very simple formula that draws from recent work done in modern exercise physiology labs—as well as from what we know of evolutionary biology—to arrive at the perfect exercise prescription for maximizing fitness with the least amount of time and suffering. PBF workouts are based on real-world natural movements that result in functional fitness. PBF combines simple full-body workouts, using as many muscles in combination as possible, with occasional short anaerobic bursts, and then regular longer, easier aerobic efforts to effectively work every muscle, energy and performance system in the body. The science supporting this strategy is irrefutable. After all, it’s what our ancestors did for two million years, adapting to selection pressures in their environment to survive and become lean, healthy, fit, and strong.

The actual prescription is simple: conduct an average of one sprint workout a week, two brief, but intense, strength sessions a week, accompanied by plenty of low level aerobic activity (your choice), play and rest. It’s that simple. While a week represents an arbitrary block of time on the continuum of pursuing lifelong fitness, and I like to allow for plenty of fluctuation in my weekly, monthly or annual exercise patterns, it’s helpful to get a picture of a suggested PBF-style routine that might fit with your busy life and allow for proper recovery between challenging efforts.

Get your FREE copy of the Primal Blueprint Fitness ebook

My Current Routine fits PERFECTLY withing the Primal Fitness Blueprint

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Crossfit Routines

"Tabata Something Else"
Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest. Do 8 intervals for the 1st exercises, then 8 intervals for the 2nd, etc:

Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats

There is no rest between exercises. Add total reps from all 32 intervals.


Angie - For Time:
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats


Barbara - 5 Rounds for Time:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats


Chelsea - Each min on the min for 30 min:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats


Cindy - As many rounds as possible in 20 min:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats


Fran - 21-15-9 reps, for Time:
Thruster 95 lbs
Pull-ups


Jackie - For Time:
1000 meter row
Thruster 45 lbs (50 reps)
Pull-ups (30 reps)


Daniel - For Time:
50 Pull-ups
400 meter run
95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
800 meter run
95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
400 meter run
50 Pull-ups

100 Day Routine

1. Upper Body PULL
2. Legs
3. Upper Body PUSH
4. REST
5. Upper Body PULL
6. Legs
7. Upper Body PUSH
8. REST
9. Upper Body PULL
10. Legs
11. Upper Body PUSH
12. REST
13. Upper Body PULL
14. Legs
15. Upper Body PUSH

16. REST
17. Light Cardio
18. Total Body
19. REST
20. Light Cardio
21. Total Body
22. REST
23. Light Cardio
24. Total Body
25. REST
26. Light Cardio

The 2 sequences above are simply repeated. It finishes like this:

79. Upper Body PULL
80. Legs
81. Upper Body PUSH
82. REST
83. Upper Body PULL
84. Legs
85. Upper Body PUSH
86. REST
87. Upper Body PULL
88. Legs
89. Upper Body PUSH
90. REST
91. Upper Body PULL
92. Legs
93. Upper Body PUSH

94. REST
95. Light Cardio
96. Total Body
97. REST
98. Light Cardio
99. Total Body
100. Light Cardio

---------

Total Body Exercises:

• Clean - from the deck or the hang position
• Power Clean - from the deck or the hang position
• Snatch - from the deck or the hang position
• Power Snatch - from the deck or the hang position
• Deadlifts
  
• Push Press
• Push Jerk
• Thrusters
• Overhead Squat
• Overhead Reverse Lunge - better suited for ancillary work, not 5x5's
  
• The Barbell Bear - not the best choice though - better suited for a WOD/MetCon Day, BUT, use a much lighter load than usual - think conditioning, not strength!
• WOD/MetCon Routines...see below
  

WOD/MetCon Routines (Workout Of the Day/Metabolic Conditioning):

• Crossfit WOD
• The Fitness Conduit WOD
• Or one of the routines from my 96 Day Routine
  

Mass/Strength Routine III

Monday: Upper Body Pull - HEAVY

1. Pull-ups 5x5
2. Hanging Rows 5x5
3. Lower Weight Ancillary Work (Low Row, TG lower Back, Curls - 2x8-10 each)
   

Tuesday: Legs - HEAVY

1. Squats 5x5
   
2. Deadlifts 5x5
   

Wednesday: Upper Body Push - HEAVY

1. Bench Press 5x5
2. Press 5x5
3. Lower Weight Ancillary Work (BW Dips OR Side Tri-rise, Military Push-ups, Tricep Push-downs - 2x8-10 each)

Thursday: REST

Friday: Total Body - HEAVY

1. Squats 1x5, 2x3, 3x1
2. Pull-ups 1x5, 2x3, 3x1
3. Dips, 1x5, 2x3, 3x1
4. Snatch 3x5 (Optional)
   

Saturday & Sunday: REST

---

This is essentially a blend of:

• Mass/Strength Routine (6 sessions/wk, each body part 2/wk)
• Mass/Strength Routine II (3 sessions/wk, each body part 3/wk)

One of the 3 Routines should work well for you and your schedule. Hell, why not mix it up, on occasion

As always, mix up the exercises to suit your specific needs and goals

A Great Warm-up

This is the warm-up I use for my Mass/Strength Routine II

General Warm-up
To raise the heart rate, get the blood flowing, and slowly warm up the body

• 500 Meter Row OR 3 minutes on a Cardio Equipment of Choice
• OR Jumping Jacks / Equivilant
  

More Specific Warm-up
To further increase joint movement and flexibility (approx 3 minutes)

• Arm Circle
• Elbow Flys
• Swimmers and Reverse Swimmers - each arm
  
• Cats & Dogs
• Pec Stretch
  
• Samson Stretch

Exercise Specific Warm-up
The exercises to be performed during the workout (or similar), but at significantly lighter weight to prepare the body for what's coming. They are to be performed with minimal rest in between exercises and rounds

Round 1

• BW Squat x 10
  
• Jumping Pull-ups x 10
  
• Push-ups on knees x 10

Round 2

• Squat with 45lb bar x 10
  
• Jumping Pull-ups x 10
  
• Push-ups x 10

Round 3

• Squat 95lb bar x 10
  
• Hanging Rows on Rings x 10
  
• Push-ups x 10

Round 4

• Squat 135lb bar x 10
  
• Pull-ups x 8-10
  
• BW Dips x 8-10

Round 5 (OPTIONAL - For 1RM days only)

• Squat 185lb bar x 5
  
• Pull-ups x 8-10
  
• BW Dips x 8-10

The weights and reps are based on my current abilities. Scale it up or down based on where you are for each given exercise.

Total warm-up time: 15 minutes, give or take

Mass/Strength Routine II

The Basic Formula is:

• SQUAT
• PUSH
• PULL
  
• over time, add a COMPLEX TOTAL BODY MOVEMENT

Here is an example of a Monday Wednesday Friday Schedule

Monday:

• Squat 5×5
• Weighted Pull-ups 5x5
• Weighted Dips 5×5
• Deadlift 3x5 (Complex Total Body Movement)
  

Wednesday:

• Squat 5×5
• Hanging Rows on Rings 5x5
• Bench Press 5×5
• Cleans 3x5 (Complex Total Body Movement)

Friday:

• Squat 2×5, 1x3, 3x1 (1 extra for fun...or a record)
  
• Pull-ups 2×5, 1x3, 2x1
• Weighted Dips 2×5, 1x3, 2x1
• Snatch 3x5 (Complex Total Body Movement)

NOTE: Make sure you do a proper Warm-up, even more important on Friday.

This routine utilizes the popular 5×5 method – a method popularized by programs like Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, that involves doing compound lifts for 5 sets of 5 reps, which allows you to strike a balance between strength building and superficial muscle hypertrophy. Done this way, your hypertrophy won’t be purely sarcoplasmic, which results in fluid-filled muscles that look big but don’t see a corresponding increase in actual strength. Instead, the 5×5 method promotes myofibrillar hypertrophy: hard, dense muscle fibers that increase strength and size (with no puffiness). In other words: Real Muscle!

This routine is based on lifting heavy & hard, and keeping the workouts spaced at least a day apart for a total of 3x/week. 3 sessions/week is plenty if you do it right. This is all about doing big compound movements that will really shock your central nervous system thus eliciting a Mammoth Nueroendocrine Response (release of anabolic hormones). The emphasis is on intensity and power.

This routine also prevents you from overworking yourself, thereby minimizing the release of catabolic (muscle wasting) hormones like cortisol.

Squats and Deadlifts are absolutely required. They engage the most muscles and produce the most testosterone, GH, and IGF-1. They will be the bedrock of this mass building campaign. Most elite programs recommend doing squats every session, and I tend to agree.

Deadlifts are a bit more taxing and so I relegated them to once per week.

Also note that Friday is the most demanding of the 3 routines, and it can be since there is an extra day of rest. It is also where you go for your 1-rep max every week

I have also supercharged each workout with a Total Body Olympic Lift. These complex movements will really maximum the effect!

For more mass, more lactic “burn” (and more GH secretion), super-set the exercises.

Metabolic Pairings can also be used here to change things up, and really pack on the mass: maximum muscle recruitment!

Refrain from any additional workouts throughout the week. The key is conserving strength and giving your body time to rest and recover for the next round of squats, deads, and presses.

Finally, the routines listed above are merely examples. They need not be performed exactly as shown. If your upper back is bothering you and Presses aggravate it, substitute another move. If you want to do Snatches instead of Push Jerks, go for it!

Metabolic Pairings

FULL DETAILS are listed below. For now, here is the Basic Formula I use:

• Heavy Lift (5-6 Reps)
• NO Rest - go immediately into the the following
  
• BW Conditioning Exercise (10-15 Reps)
• 75 Second Rest, maximum
  
• Repeat
  

Heavy Lifts I prefer:

• Squats
• Front Squats
  
• Deadlifts
• Thrusters
  
• Cleans
• Snatch
• Power Pulls

Conditioning Exercises I prefer:

• Burpees
• No Push-up Burpees
• Box Jumps
• Kettlebell Swings
• Manmakers
  

A Typical Metabolic Pairing Routine
2 Rounds Each Pairing - NO Rest Between Exercises - 75 Sec Rest Between Rounds:

Pair 1

• Squats x5
• Burpees x15

Pair 2

• Deadlifts x5
• Box Jumps x15

Pair 3

• Cleans x5
• Kettlebell Swings x15

Squats --> Burpees -->Rest -->Squats --> Burpees -->Rest -->Deadlifts --> Box Jumps --> Rest --> Deadlifts --> Box Jumps --> Rest -->Cleans --> KB Swings --> Rest --> Cleans --> KB Swings --> DONE

That's 6 rounds - Enough to smoke most mortals. As my fitness improves I go to 9 rounds or even 12 rounds!!!

Mix it up, challenge yourself, have fun, pack on the mass, and watch the fat literally melt away!!!

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Stripping Fat With Metabolic Pairings - by Christian Thibaudeau
The goal of these metabolic pairings is to drastically jack up fat use for fuel by increasing energy expenditure and stimulating the release of free-fatty acids. These fatty acids are shuttled into the bloodstream thanks to an elevation in growth hormone brought on by an increase in lactate production (which acidifies the whole body).

The best way to create this ideal internal environment is by using a combo of one weighted, relatively heavy exercise, and one high-speed, lower load movement (an abdominal drill is also added to the mix in the more advanced versions).

Metabolic Pairings - Program Design

• Use 2 or 3 combos per metabolic session
• Each combo is then performed anywhere from 2 to 5 times.

5 sets are reserved for those with a good level of conditioning, as it can quickly become hell on earth. Heck, I've had tough-as-nails football players quit after two rounds of the first combo because of severe leg cramps or nausea!

With this type of training, it's wise to gradually build up the volume (number of sets) and difficulty (level) of work.

Also, you don't have to use combos of the same level. For example, if you pick combos 1, 2 and, 4, you can do a level II for combo 1, a level I for combo 2, and a level III for combo 4.

How you put it all together is up to your imagination and puke tolerance.

---

Metabolic Pairings
Combo 1A: Clean-Grip Power Pull and Burpees (Level I)
The clean-grip power pull offers many of the benefits of the Olympic lifts since it's basically the pulling part of these movements. But to make it effective, you must really use a powerful thrust of both your arms and legs (ahem, engine principle).

Lower the bar like in a Romanian deadlift and then explode upward, bringing the bar to your sternum (much like an upright row) using a full lower body extension (ankles, knees, and hips) and upper body pull (arms, lower back, and traps). Since this movement is less technical than the full Olympic lifts, you can, and should do more reps, whereas you should stick to no more than six for the Olympic lifts.

A1) Clean-grip Power Pull - 8 to 10 reps
No rest
A2) Burpees - 12 to 15 reps
Rest 75 seconds

For this combo and all of the ones to follow, you can add an abdominal exercise after A2. In that case, you wouldn't rest between A2 and A3 (abdominal movement). You'd rest after the abdominal exercise.

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Combo 1B: Thrusters and Burpees (Level II)
To make the thrusters even more effective for metabolic purposes, start each repetition by "power curling" the dumbbells to your shoulders.

A1) Thrusters - 10 to 12 reps
No rest
A2) Burpees - 12 to 15 reps
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 1C: Power Clean from Hang/Push Press and Burpees (Level III)
This is the most advanced version of the combo, and arguably the most effective in terms of body transformations.

A1) Hang Power Clean and Push Press - 4 to 6 reps
No rest
A2) Burpees - 15 to 20 reps
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 2A: Bulgarian Squat and Shuffle Running (Level I)
Shuffle running is pretty simple: Imagine running in place, but taking extra long steps and jumping in the air slightly. The goal here is long steps and speed of movement. You switch legs in the air, but you aren't actually moving. Just move your legs as fast as you can without moving forward or backwards.

A1) Bulgarian Squat - 8 to 10 reps per leg
No rest
A2) Shuffle Running - Max reps in 45 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

---

Combo 2B: Stationary Lunge and Shuffle Running (Level II)
For the stationary lunges, start standing up with both legs together. Take a long step forward with the target leg and drop down into a lunge position, and then push yourself back up to the starting position. Alternate legs on each rep.

A1) Stationary lunge - 8 to 10 reps per leg (alternate)
No rest
A2) Shuffle running - Max reps in 45 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 2C: Walking Lunge and Shuffle Running (Level III)
In a walking lunge, you aren't pushing yourself back up from a lunge position, but rather moving forward by pushing yourself with the front leg and bringing the back leg in front, into a lunge position.

A1) Walking Lunge - 10 to 12 reps per leg (alternate)
No rest
A2) Shuffle Running - Max reps in 60 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 3A: Snatch-Grip Deadlift and Three-Way Dumbbell Swing (Level I)
For the three-way dumbbell swing, there's no rest between each part of the set. So, you perform the required number of reps (15 for example) with the left arm, then immediately move on to the right arm, and then finally to both arms.

Since you're using the same dumbbell for all three portions, when you're up to the both arms portion, grab the one dumbbell with both hands (don't use two dumbbells).

A1) Snatch-grip Deadlift - 6 to 8 reps
No rest
A2) Three-way DB Swing - 15 reps left arm, 15 reps right arm, 15 reps both arms
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 3B: Snatch-Grip Power Pull and Three-Way Dumbbell Swing (Level II)
The snatch-grip power pull is performed the same way as the clean-grip power pull explained earlier. The only difference is the width of the grip: wide for the snatch-grip pull.

A1) Snatch-grip Power Pull - 6 to 8 reps
No rest
A2) Three-way DB Swing - 15 reps left arm, 15 reps right arm, 15 reps both arms
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 3C: Power Snatch from Hang and Three-Way Dumbbell Swing (Level III)
A1) Hang Power Snatch - 4 to 6 reps
No rest
A2) Three-way DB Swing - 20 reps left arm, 20 reps right arm, 20 reps both arms
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 4A: Dumbbell Squat and Vertical Jump/Bodyweight Squat (Level I)
This one is essentially a triple set rather than a combo because when you reach a point where you can't jump you switch to bodyweight squats. On that later portion (squats), the goal is to get as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.

A1) Dumbbell Squat - 15 to 20 reps
No rest
A2) Vertical Jump and BW Squat - 8 to 12 jumps plus max BW squats in 30 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 4B: Leg Press and Vertical Jump/Bodyweight Squat (Level II)
A1) Leg Press - 15 to 20 reps
No rest
A2) Vertical Jump and BW Squat - 10 jumps plus max bodyweight squats in 30 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

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Combo 4C: Back Squat and Vertical Jump/Bodyweight Squat (Level III)
A1) Back Squat - 15 to 20 reps
No rest
A2) Vertical Jump and BW Squat - 10 jumps plus max bodyweight squats in 30 seconds
Rest 75 seconds

DB Bear Complexes and The Bear

Dumbbell Bear Complexes
5 Dumbbell Deadlifts
5 Dumbbell Hang Cleans
5 Dumbbell Thrusters (Squat with a Push Press)

Loading should equal 45% of Lean Body Mass. Ex if your LMB is 150b, the total weight of the dumbbells should be 67.5bs, so you would use 30 or 35lb dumbbells depending on your conditioning and strength. Of course I would say just round it up!!!

This exercise is done on a 1 minute interval - it starts every minute, on the minute. The break you get depends on how fast you perform the sequence. Ex if it takes 30 seconds to perform the 15 moves, you would have a 30 second break.

This sequence is repeated for a total of 20 minutes!

You will find that every round "may" take longer, so your rest will diminish accordingly. The idea is to see if you can actually finish this exercise - you my not make it 20 minutes the first couple of times.

I would suggest that you try this routine with the appropriate weight, it is better than using lighter weight just to make it through.

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The Bear (Barbell Version)
With at least 50% of your lean body mass perform the following movements with a barbell

1) Clean - from the ground, and catching it in the squat position, then stand up
2) Front Squat
3) Push Press
Number 2 & 3 should be done in one continuous movement known as a "Thruster"
4) Back Squat
5) Push Press (behind the back)
Number 4 & 5 should be done in one continuous movement as well.
6) Lower weight back to the floor.

The entire sequence is 1 Rep. Perform 6 reps.

Repeat all of the above 6 times.

If you do this with 50% of your lean body mass it will be challenging, anything less, and the results will not be the same. I typically do this with 70% of my Lean Body Mass!

Do 6 sets of push-ups after you recover

Mass/Strength Routine

Day 1, Monday: Upper Body (PULL) - MODERATE

Day 2, Tuesday: Legs - MODERATE & Abs

Day 3, Wednesday: Upper Body (PUSH) - MODERATE

Day 4, Thursday: Upper Body (PULL) - HEAVY

Day 5, Friday: Legs - HEAVY

Day 6, Saturday: Upper Body (PUSH) - HEAVY

Day 7, Sunday: REST

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MODERATE uses a weight that works for the 8-10 rep range

HEAVY uses a weight that works for the 1-5 rep range