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YearLong Workout Plan

PHOTO GALLERY

1 Hang Clean/Front Squat/Push Press Complex

Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip, and bend forward at the hips so that the bar hangs just above knee level [1]. Explosively shrug your shoulders and pull the weight straight up in front of your body until it reaches chest level. At that point, bend your elbows and flip your wrists so that they face the ceiling-your upper arms should end up parallel to the floor [2]. That's one rep of the hang clean. Perform 10 reps, and stay in the top position afterward. From there, squat as low as you can [3], and then drive with your legs to return to the starting position. That's one rep of the front squat. Perform 10 reps. Finally, dip your knees as if you were about to jump, and then straighten them explosively to press the weight straight overhead [4]. That's one rep of the push press. Perform 10 reps. At this point, you've completed one set.

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Directions

FREQUENCY: Phase X is broken into two parts. Part I consists of Workout A, B, and C, and shoud be followed for four weeks. Part II consists of Workouts D, E, and F, which you’ll also follow for four weeks. Complete all of the workouts in Part I before moving on to Part II. Perform each workout once per week, resting at least a day between each session.

HOW TO DO IT: Perform each pair of exercises (marked A and B) as alternating sets, resting the prescribed amount of time after each set. (So you’ll do one set of A, rest, then one set of B, rest again, and repeat for all the prescribed sets for each exercise.) In Workout E, you’ll perform a tri-set, marked lower-case a, b, and c. This means you’ll complete one set for each of the three exercises without resting in between. So you’ll do all your reps for 3a, then all your reps for 3b, and then 3c before resting.

Perform the remaining exercises as straight sets, completing all the prescribed sets for an exercise before moving on.

TEMPO: The first digit is how many seconds you should take to lower the weight. The second digit is how long you should pause at the bottom (when your muscles are under the most tension). The third digit is how long you should take to lift the weight. A “0” means to move right to the next digit, and an “X” in place of digits means to perform each rep with explosive speed.

WEIGHT:
For the exercises that list “relative rep max” next to the reps, use the heaviest weight that allows you to perform all the given reps on the first set, and then adjust it on the sets that follow. This means that you can go for broke on the first set, using a weight you know you won’t be able to use again for the specified number of reps on the sets that follow. You’ll then use lesser weights (though equally challenging) on the remaining sets.
Unless otherwise noted, use the heaviest weight that allows you to complete all the prescribed repetitions for each set.

Workout D

1 Hang Clean/Front Squat/Push Press Complex
Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10  Tempo: X  Rest: 90–120 sec.

2A One-Point Dumbbell Row
Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10  Tempo: 311  Rest: 60 sec.

2B Glute-Ham Raise
Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10  Tempo: 311  Rest: 60 sec.

3A Plyo Pushup
Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10  Tempo: X  Rest: 60 sec.


3B Dumbbell Split Squat

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10 (each leg)  Tempo: 201  Rest: 60 sec.

4 Body-Weight Squat
Sets: 2  Reps: 5  Tempo: 20 0 10  Rest: 60 sec.


 

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