SUPERHERO WORKOUT / GET A BODY LIKE A SUPERHERO IN 12 WEEKS - by GLEN TITHER

GET A BODY LIKE A SUPERHERO IN 12 WEEKS!

WHO DOESN'T WANT A BODY LIKE BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SILVER SURFER, THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, FLASH, CAPT MARVEL, the list is endless.

Name someone with your dream body composition; most people won't look much further than their favourite superhero; Let's face it, who doesn't want the body of a superhero?
Strength, Power, Speed, Thick muscle mass, Ripped - what's not to love?

Well, with the correct workouts, and all the usual components which make a strong, healthy body (correct hydration; proper sleep/rest & recovery; flexibility; a healthy, balanced, nutritionally complete diet & supplementation) you can achieve it.

So, getting straight into it - you need to increase your overall strength and power; the best way to achieve this is via compound exercises and olympic lifts. This will build a strong foundation and thick muscles. The first 6 weeks of this program will tackle this with heavy resistance and low - medium repetitions.
Next you'll need a strong core, to add the all important stability to enable you to get the best out of those big moves, and to sculpt that all important ripped mid-section. Throughout this program you'll finish every workout with 4 sets of just 2 core stability moves. However, just like the compound resistance exercises, these 2 moves engage multiple muscles.
Finally, you'll want muscle definition; this is where the second 6 weeks workouts come in. The second phase of this program works you through a new set of exercises, to ensure overload, and higher repetition ranges. You'll have to drop the resistances a little from weeks 1 - 6, but your muscles will be worked closer to fatigue and feel pumped.

Below is an example of one of my own 'Superhero' workouts.
Feel free to tweek it to your own equipment and exercise preferences. However, you must keep to the same training principles; your workouts must be comprised of mainly big, multiple muscle group, compound exercises and olympic lifting moves.

Total program duration: 12 weeks.

Weeks 1 - 6:

Repetition increases every 2 weeks, as follows:
weeks 1 & 2: 4 - 6 repetitions
weeks 3 & 4: 6 - 8 repetitions
weeks 5 & 6: 8 - 10 repetitions.

Resistance - once you have completed week one of the program you will have recorded all the resistances for each exercise. Throughout this first 6 week period, use these same resistances for all 6 weeks. This way, as the weeks pass by, your overall strength will increase as a result of the small repetition increases and subsequant muscular overload, with the demand placed upon the muscles as a result of using the same resistance.

Rest: try to keep rest periods in between all exercises to 45 seconds - 1 minute.

Core Stability: The workouts themselves will place a significant demand on your entire core. However, I have also added my favourite core stability exercises to the end of each workout.
I have chosen what I feel are the best exercises which give the most 'bang for your buck' and, just like the compound exercises in the workouts, work multiple core muscles, as opposed to having to work through multiple isolation exercises to get the same effect.
I have chosen the Suspension Trainer Body Plank and Kneeling, Abdominal Wheel Roll Out/Ins.
4 supersets with a 1 minute rest in between sets; 1 minute Suspension Trainer Body Plank and 15 x Kneeling Roll Out/Ins.

To get the most out of the exercises I have paired muscle groups taking into account the four roles of muscles during exercise (Agonist, Antagonist, Synergist & Fixator).

Back & Triceps
Pull-Ups
Suspension Trainer Neutral Grip Inverted Rows (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Incline Bench Prone 2 Dumbbell Rows (pronated grip)
Decline Bench EZ Bar Tricep Extensions
Suspension Trainer Tricep Pushdowns
2 Bench Raised Leg Weighted Dips

Trapezius & Shoulders
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell T,Y,I's (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
EZ Bar Close Grip Upright Rows
Hex Bar Shrugs
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Barbell Military Presses
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises & Face Pulls Combination
(perform 1 x prone lateral raise then, without rest, perform 1 x face pull; this equals 1 repetition)

Chest & Biceps
Dumbbell Decline Bench Chest Presses
Flat Bench Barbell Chest Presses
Incline Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Dumbbell Supinated Curls
Dumbbell Across Body Alternate Hammer Curls

Power / Olympic Lifting
For these big moves, you still need to stick to the repetition ranges stated above. However, you don't have to smash out continuous reps; feel free to perform singles, with a few seconds rest period between reps as the ranges increase.
 
Dumbbell Front Squat
Dumbbell Clean
Dumbbell Push Press
Dumbbell Clean & Press
Single Arm / Single Dumbbell Snatch

Legs & Calves
Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
Suspension Trainer Leg Curl & Hip Raise Combo
(perform 1 x raised hip leg curl then, without rest, perform 1 x hip raise; this equals 1 repetition)
Hex Bar Deadlifts with chains
Hex Bar Standing Calf Raises
Weighted Belt Donkey Raises
Seated Barbell Soleus Raises

Weeks 7 - 12:

Repetition increases every 2 weeks, as follows:
weeks 7 & 8: 14 - 16 repetitions
weeks 9 & 10: 16 - 18 repetitions
weeks 11 & 12: 18 - 20 repetitions

Except for all exercises within the Power workouts and the Hex Bar Deadlifts within the Legs workout; keep the reps for all these exercises to 4 - 6 reps. Your increased strength, gained during weeks 1 - 6, will enable you to use much more weight during this 7 - 12 week workout/phase.

Resistance - once you have completed week seven of the program you will have recorded all the resistances for each exercise. Throughout this second 6 week period, use these same resistances for all 6 weeks. This way, as the weeks pass by, your overall strength will increase as a result of the small repetition increases and subsequant muscular overload, with the demand placed upon the muscles as a result of using the same resistance.

Rest: try to keep rest periods in between all exercises to 45 seconds - 1 minute.

Back & Triceps
Suspension Trainer Neutral Grip Pull-Ups
Suspension Trainer Pronated Grip Lever Rows (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Barbell Pullovers
Dumbbell Across Body Tricep Extensions
EZ Bar Close Grip Presses
EZ Bar French Presses

Trapezius & Shoulders
Dumbbell Shrugs
Dumbbell Upright Rows
Dumbbell Y's (5 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Dumbbell Bent Arm (90 degrees) Lateral Raises 
Dumbbell Neutral Grip Shoulder Presses
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises & Face Pulls Combination
(perform 1 x prone lateral raise then, without rest, perform 1 x face pull; this equals 1 repetition)

Chest & Biceps
Dumbbell 45 Degree Incline Bench Chest Presses
Barbell 30 Degree Incline Bench Chest Presses
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell Alternate Arm Bicep Curls
Seated 30 Degree Incline Bench Supinated Curls
EZ Bar Bicep Curl 21's

Power / Olympic Lifting
Barbell Front Squat
Barbell Clean
Barbell Push Press
Barbell Split Jerk
Barbell Jump Squat

Legs & Calves
Dumbbell Step-Ups
Suspension Trainer Starting Blocks/Sprinter Starts
Barbell Romanian Deadlifts
Hex Bar Deadlifts with chains
Seated Barbell Soleus Raises
Dumbbell Standing Calf Raises
Weighted Belt Donkey Raises

www.gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk
glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

FRAUDULENT EMS INTERNET, WARRINGTON @emsinternet - by GLEN TITHER

BE WARNED! DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH INTERNET COMPANY EMS INTERNET!!!
@emsinternet
EMS INTERNET FRAUDULENTLY ALTERED MY CUSTOMER AGREEMENT FORM TO READ 10 TIMES MORE THAN I'D AGREED TO PAY, THEN STOLE £118.80 FROM MY BANK ACCOUNT!

I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM SALESPERSON BRETT BRIDGEN WHO EXPLAINED THAT A SMALL BUSINESS APP WITH EMS INTERNET WOULD BE FREE, BECAUSE THEY WERE DEVELOPING BUSINESSES IN THE AREA TO INCREASE THEIR PORTFOLIO;
I THEN AGREED TO MEET BRETT ON THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER JUST BEFORE I WAS SETTING UP ONE OF MY FITNESS CLASSES.
BRETT THEN TURNED UP WITH AN IPAD MINI, ON WHICH HE SAID HE WOULD SHOW ME A PRESENTATION OF THE WORKINGS OF THE APP. HOWEVER, WITH NO EMS ROAMING WIFI CONTRACT HE EXPECTED TO USE THE WIFI CONNECTION OF THE BUILDING I WAS IN! NOT A GOOD START; SO HE COULDN'T SHOW ME THE APP PRESENTATION, BUT HE EXPLAINED ITS WORKINGS VERY ROUGHLY.
HE THEN EXPLAINED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE APP DEVELOPMENT WAS FREE THAT THERE WAS A £9.99 + VAT FEE FOR HOSTING IT. I RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO PAY THIS HOSTING BUT ONLY FOR 2 MONTHS, TO SEE IF THE APP ACTUALLY DEVELOPED MY BUSINESS; BUT MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH BRETT THAT IF IT DIDN'T THEN IT WOULD BE CANCELLED AND NO MORE MONEY WAS TO BE WITHDRAWN.
I FILLED IN THE CUSTOMER AGREEMENT FORM WITH £9.99 + VAT AND SIGNED THE FORM.
I THEN CHECKED MY BANK A FEW WEEKS LATER ONLY TO FIND THAT EMS INTERNET HAD WITHDRAWN £118.80!! NOT THE AGREED AMOUNT OF £11.88 (£9.99 +VAT)
WHEN I QUERIED THIS WITH EMS THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD MY CUSTOMER AGEEMENT FORM AGREEING TO PAY £99.00 + VAT!
HOWEVER, WHEN THEY SCANNED AND EMAILED ME THE FORM IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT HAD BEEN FRAUDULENTLY ALTERED BY SOMEONE AT EMS INTERNET, TO READ THE HIGHER AMOUNT - THEY'D SIMPLY SCIBBLED OUT THE 9. TO LEAVE 99 + VAT!!!
LIKE ALL BUSINESSMEN, IF ON THE VERY RARE OCCASION THAT I DO AMEND A MONETARY AMOUNT ON ANY PAPERWORK, I ALWAYS COUNTERSIGN OR INITIAL NEAR THE ALTERATION; THIS WAS NOT DONE.
THE MORE CONTACT I HAD WITH EMS INTERNET THE MORE SUSPICIOUS I BECAME - NOT ONLY IS THEIR WEBSITE VERY AMATEUR (FOR AN INTERNET COMPANY YOU'D EXPECT IT TO BE AMAZING), EMS NEVER CONTACT YOU VIA A LANDLINE, IT'S ALWAYS FROM A MOBILE NUMBER; WHEN I ASKED THEIR RECEPTIONIST FOR THEIR ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT/MANAGER SHE COULDN'T GIVE ME THEIR DETAILS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ONE; THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISORS ARE THE WORST I'VE EVER SPOKEN TO, YOU'D HAVE THOUGHT THEY'D HAVE BEEN BENDING OVER BACKWARDS TO SORT THIS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD CAUSED!

THEY STOLE THIS MONEY THE VERY NEXT DAY (31ST OCTOBER) FOLLOWING MY MEETING WITH BRETT, WITHOUT EVEN HAVING DEVELOPED THE APP. YET WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY, AND VERY RELUCTANTLY, AGREED TO REFUND THE STOLEN MONEY, THEY TOOK 5 DAYS TO RETURN IT!

I MUST ADMIT, AT THE MEETING I FELT VERY VUNERABLE HAVING GIVEN ALL OF MY BANK DETAILS TO BRETT, INCLUDING MY ALL OF MY CARD DETAILS. THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUT OF CHARACTER FOR ME; I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TOLD HIM TO SHOVE IT IF IT WASN'T FREE. I WAS EVEN MORE WORRIED WHEN I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH OF EMS INTNERNET AND BRETT BRIDGEN, ONLY TO FIND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY EMS INTRNET ON SEVERAL FORUMS/REVIEW SITES, SO THIS CLEARLY ISN'T AN ISOLATED CASE; AND THAT BRETT WAS A CONVICTED FRAUDSTER, HAVING DEFRAUDED HIS OWN GRANDAD OUT OF £50,000 ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO!
SO, NOT ONLY HAD EMS INTERNET FRAUDULENTLY ALTERED MY AGREEMENT FORM TO READ 10 TIMES MORE THAN I'D AGREED TO PAY, BUT A CONVICTED FRAUDSTER ALSO HAD ACCESS TO MY, AND ANY OTHER COMPANIES HE VISITS, BANK DETAILS!

I HAVE SINCE REPORTED THIS TO CHESHIRE POLICE (CRIME REF: CC14348626), THE POLICE ACTION FRAUD SQUAD (REF: NFRC141100849386) (TEL:0300 123 2040), WARRINGTON TRADING STANDARDS (TEL: 0345 4040506) AND MY BANK, TO DEAL WITH.
I HAVE ALSO MOVED ALL MONEY FROM THE ACCOUNT WHICH I GAVE EMS INTERNET, AND CLOSED THIS ACCOUNT COMPLETELY, SO THAT NEITHER BRETT NOR ANYONE AT EMS CAN STEEL ANY MORE MONEY FROM ME.

IF ANYONE ELSE DEALS WITH THIS COMPANY AND HAS SIMILAR EXPERIENCES PLEASE CALL ALL OF THE ABOVE ORGANISATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD UP A CASE AGAINST EMS INTERNET.

NEW - 1 INCH SPINLOCK STANDARD BARBELL WEIGHTLIFTING / GYM CHAIN COLLARS - by GLEN TITHER

glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

standard 1 inch barbell weightlifting chain collar
standard 1 inch barbell spinlock weightlifting chain collar

With the ever increasing popularity of using weightlifting chains, and resistance bands, during workouts, I found it frustrating that every chain collar I came across was only made to fit Olympic barbells, with an end / 'sleeve' which is approximately 2" thick; and that no-one seemed to cater for standard 1 inch thick barbells.

A large percentage of barbells and dumbbells sold worldwide are 'standard'  - 1 inch thick.
Used by millions, myself included, within their own 'Home Gyms'; as well as within countless gyms.

This being the case, I decided to design and make, 2 different weightlifting chain collars to fit the millions of 'standard' barbells.
I also decided to make these collars to fit both 1 inch smooth barbells and 1 inch spinlock barbells.

Each collar has an extended hook component, on which to loop up to 50kgs of weightlifting chain(s), or your resistance bands.

My smooth chain collars can be easily slipped onto the end of a smooth 1 inch standard barbell, and tightened in place via the grub lock with the allen key provided.
My spinlock chain collars can be screwed onto the end of a spinlock 1 inch standard barbell, just like the spinlock collars which come with your spinlock barbells to lock the weight discs in place.

Chains are an amazing addition to anyones gym. With the aid of the weightlifting chain collars they can be safely used with a wide variety of exercises e.g. Deadlifts, Squats, Chest Presses, Shoulder Presses, Lying Tricep Extensions, Barbell Curls etc.

I have found that there are two main problems when using chains which are not attached to chain collars, and instead are just slipped onto the barbell:

1: the chain isn't secure and can slip off at any moment. This can mean that your set is constantly being interupted whilst you ensure the chains are properly on the barbell. This can also seriously knock your confidence during lifts, as you are never 100% sure that one, or both, of the chains aren't going to fall off mid-way through the movement because you aren't keeping the barbell travelling perfectly straight.
Just imagine performing a barbell bench press and having to get up off the bench and sort your chains out after every rep! or half way through the concentric phase of the lift one of the chains falls off!

2: during deadlifts in particular the chain will gather as you lower the barbell back to the floor.
If the chain starts off too near the weight discs, or you move slightly during the lift, this could mean that the chains have gathered in the spot where you intend to return the weight discs to the floor. Again, this has an effect on your confidence during the lift, and can result in you starting the next repetition from a position where the barbell is not straight.

If used during barbell or hex bar deadlifts, these chain collars simply attach to the end of the bar and enable the chain to stay far enough away from the weight discs. As the chain gathers on the floor, during the eccentric phase of the movement, you are confident knowing that you will always be able to return the bar/weight discs flat onto the floor.

If used during any other exercise, you are confident in knowing that the chains won't slip off the end during any part of the movement.

Each design of chain collar is sold in pairs.
These are currently on sale on my ebay site for £30 a pair plus £3.00 p&p.
Or you can email at glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk and I can arrange the payment direct through a bank transfer or through Paypal.

Weightlifting chains works for three reasons:
1) They help match the resistance curve of an exercise with the strength curve of a muscle;
2) they prolong the time under tension of an exercise;
3) they increase the intensity of an exercise.
A strength curve, or force curve, is a mathematical model that represents how much force an individual can produce at a specific joint angle. This is in contrast to a resistance curve, which is how difficult an exercise is at specific points of the exercise.
There are three basic types of strength curves: ascending, descending, and ascending-descending.
An ascending strength curve refers to being able to display more force when you extend a joint; 
A descending strength curve refers to being able to display more force as you flex a joint; 
An ascending-descending strength curve means you can display more strength at the midrange position of a joint.

Lifting chains are best used for exercises that involve ascending strength curves; because the muscle tension required decreases throughout the range of motion, so the weight feels lighter as you get close to the end range of the exercise. Examples include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and military presses.
The muscle tension during a descending strength curve increases throughout the range of motion, so the weight feels heavier as you near full flexion.
The muscle tension during an ascending-descending strength curve increases then decreases; due to the fact that the point of most resistance is predominantly at the beginning of the range of motion.
In effect, what lifting chains does is provide variable resistance so you can match the strength curve of a muscle with the resistance curve of the exercise.

Before chains became popular, partial movements were often used as a practical way to match the resistance curve of an exercise. For example, because a lifter is stronger at the finish of a deadlift, he/she might perform deadlifts in a power rack with safety rods set up so that the barbell is positioned at knee height. As such, someone performing a 250kg deadlift from the floor might be able to use 300kgs with the bar set at knee height. With this in mind, using weightlifting chains remove the requirement to perform two variations of the same exercise, because the weight of the barbell increases as more of the chain links are lifted off the floor.
Another advantage of using chains is that they slow down the concentric portion of the exercise, prolonging the time the muscle is under tension.
It has the same effect as doing dropsets, which serve to increase the time a muscle is placed under tension.
Generally, to stimulate maximal muscle growth, a muscle needs to be under tension for 40-70 seconds per set, another important factor in using the variable of workout intensity to your advantage. Intensity is defined according to how much an individual can lift in relation to how much weight they can lift for one repetition (1RM). High levels of intensity are necessary to work the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which must be activated for an individual to achieve the highest levels of muscular hypertrophy. Because lifting chains increases the amount of weight lifted during certain portions of an exercise, the intensity of the exercise is higher.
Chains are also excellent for helping trainees squat lower. If you want to achieve maximal muscle size in your lower extremities, you need to perform full range of motion squats, with your hamstrings touching your calves at the bottom of the motion. Chains work on your subconscience to get you to squat lower, because the weight feels lighter as you go deeper.

As a general guideline, you want to use chains that are roughly 10% of the barbell weight (bar + plates + collars). So if the loaded barbell weight is 100 kgs, each chain should weigh 10 kgs. However, you can go slightly lighter or heavier.

EXPLODE, LOAD, HOLD (TRAINING PRINCIPLE & WORKOUTS) - by GLEN TITHER

Explode, Load, Hold

To ensure you continue to see results for all of your hard work during your training sessions you must aim for continuous ‘overload’, which will place increasing stress on your musculoskeletal system and shock it into further development.

It has always been recommended that you should shock and stress your musculoskeletal system every 4 - 6 weeks, by changing your workouts; this can be done by sticking with the same training principles which lead to your goal(s) but changing the reps, sets & exercises, or by changing the training principle altogether to place a completely different type of demand on your muscles.

As I’ve said many times before, everyone is an individual, and reacts to stimulus differently; therefore, there will be those of you who will need to change their workouts every 2 weeks to ensure you don’t plateau and you experience continuous progression, and there will be others who only need to change things up every 8 weeks. If you’ve been training for 12 months or more then you’ll know what your body needs, so make the necessary changes that suit you.

Explode, Load, Hold training principle is an excellent way to work out in a completely different way than you’re used to; it incorporates a tri-set consisting of an explosive/plyometric component (Explode) immediately followed by a standard resistance component (Load) immediately followed by an isometric component (Hold).

Because you begin with explosive/plyometric movements you must ensure you perform a thorough warm-up to ready your muscles, ligaments and tendons for the demands of this first component; take the time to perform plenty of dynamic stretches for all the major muscle groups.

Explode - Explosive movements mainly use your fast-twitch muscle fibres, which have greater potential for developing muscle mass; think sprinters, olympic lifters. Fast twitch fibres are capable of performing fast/explosive movements but they fatigue quickly. With this in mind this component should be 4 - 8 repetitions only.

Because your central nervous system and fast twitch muscle fibres have been stimulated during the short burst ‘Explode’ component, you will probably find that you are able to use higher resistances for the ‘Load’ component.

Load - Once you’ve completed the explosive/plyometric component, you rest for 10 seconds and move onto your ‘Load’ component, which will consist of standard resistance exercises. Ideally this should be a compound exercise, which will engage multiple muscle groups and allow you to use a greater resistance. This component needs enough repetitions to work the muscles to virtual fatigue so I’d recommend 8 - 12 repetitions.

Hold - Lastly, following a further 10 seconds rest, you’ll perform an isometric hold to break down even more muscle fibres and complete the fatigue/exhaustion of the relevant muscle group being worked. I’d recommend holding this position for 20 - 30 seconds.

‘Explode, Load, Hold’ workouts are extremely demanding when done correctly.

The number of sets you choose to perform is down to personal preference. However, I perform 4 - 6 sets with a 1 minute rest period in between sets.

Below are my own personal ‘Explode, Load, Hold’ workouts if you wish to work through them yourself.

I prefer to include a core stability component at the end of every workout. During this 6 week period I’m using 3 supersets of Body Plank (x1 minute) & Abdominal Wheel Out/Ins (x20 reps).

Back & Triceps

Suspension Trainer Explosive Lever Rows

Pull Ups

Suspension Trainer ½ way Pull-Up Hold (arms bent 90 degrees)

Explosive Diamond Press-Ups

Lying EZ Bar Tricep Extensions

Bench Dip ½ way Hold (upper arm at 90 - 70 degrees)

Chest & Trapezius

Close Grip (floor) to Wide Grip (2x Sandbags/Low Step) Explosive Press-Ups

Barbell Incline Bench Chest Press

2x Sandbag/Low Step ½ way Press-Up Hold (upper arms parallel to floor)

Barbell High Pulls

EZ Bar Close grip Upright Rows

Hex Bar Shrug Hold (shrug shoulders as high as possible and hold)

Shoulders  & Biceps

Barbell Push Press

Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press

Floor Inverted Shoulder Press ½ way Hold (upper arms parallel to floor)

Explosive Suspension Trainer Supinated Bicep Curls

Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Suspension Trainer Hammer Curl ½ way hold (arms flexed 90 degrees)

Triceps & Biceps

Explosive Bench Dips

Lying EZ Bar Close Grip Presses

Wall Press (close grip, lean against wall & imaging pushing the wall over)

Suspension Trainer Explosive Hammer Curls

Dumbbell Incline Bench Bicep Curls

Dumbbell Prone Spider Curl ½ way hold (arms flexed 90 degrees)

Legs

Jump Squats

Barbell Front Squats

Static Squats (thighs parallel to floor)

Jump Lunges

Hex Bar Deadlifts

Wall Chair

Website: www.gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

Email: glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

21's TRAINING (2nd Set Of Workouts) - by GLEN TITHER

21's Training (2nd set of workouts)

Following on from my original blog/article, covering 21's Training and Time Under Tension, please find below a 2nd set of workouts for you to work through. All exercises follow the 21's training principle, unless stated.

Back & Triceps
Chin-Ups, or Suspension Trainer Chin-Ups
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell Rows
Incline Bench Prone T,Y,I's with a 2 second hold at the top of the movement (1x T,Y,I = 1 rep, do 4 reps per set) Perform complete ROM, not 21's.
EZ Bar Decline Bench Close Grip Presses
Incline Bench (75 degree+) Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extensions
Raised Leg Bench Dips x21 full ROM reps
 
Shoulders & Biceps
Incline Bench Lying Side Lateral Raises
Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press
Incline Bench Prone Lateral Raises x12 full ROM reps
Dumbbell Spider Curls (supinated grip throughout)
Dumbbell Hammer Curls
EZ Bar Bicep Curls

Chest & Trapezius
Dumbbell Incline Bench (45 degrees) Chest Press
Dumbbell Incline Bench (30 degrees) Chest Press
Dumbbell Incline Bench (30 degrees) Chest Flyes x12 full ROM reps
Single Dumbbell Upright Rows
Hex Bar Shrugs x21 full ROM reps
EZ Bar Close Grip Upright Rows 

Triceps & Biceps
EZ Bar Incline Bench (30 degree) Close Grip Presses
EZ Bar Decline Bench Tricep Extensions
Dumbbell Kickbacks x12 full ROM reps
Incline Bench Lying Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Suspension Trainer Hug Curls x12 full ROM reps

Legs
Dumbbell Front Squats
Raised Leg Hip Raises x21 full ROM reps
Hex Bar Deadlifts x6 full ROM reps
Suspension Trainer Hamstring Curl & Hip Raise x12 full ROM reps
Kettlebell Squat Swings x30 full ROM reps
Suspension Trainer 45 degree Prone Squats x21 full ROM reps

Website: www.gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk
Email: glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk
Online Personal Trainer: 1-2-1 Personal Training; Sport Specific 1-2-1 & group/team training sessions: several different fitness classes.

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE - by GLEN TITHER

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE

Following on from the success of my 30 and 60 Day Core Challenges, I have been asked if I'd devise a similar 'Challenge' to develop sexy arms for women. Hence this blog/article/project.

Now I know that the title states 30 Days, but to fit in a 3 on- 1 off, workout/rest split, I’ve had to do it for 31 days.

Rather than just concentrating on the biceps and triceps muscles, as the majority of other fitness professionals seem to be doing; I have decided to cover the entire arm: Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps & Forearms, for a more structured and complete look.

There are so many more exercises I could have included in this project, had I devised it with gym-goers in mind and included exercises which utilise machines, barbells, suspension trainers, kettlbells etc. However, I want these workouts to be available to everyone, even those with very limited home-gym equipment i.e. a set of dumbbells or bottles of water as resistance. Therefore, the exercises selected are either bodyweight or dumbbell orientated.

For optimal arm development exercise selection is paramount. You must choose the right exercises that will ensure growth in every single muscle fibre. Shoulders aside, the muscles in the upper arms are Biceps Brachii, Brachialis and Triceps Brachii.

Each exercise you choose should focus on each muscle individually. A tip to remember which bicep head you are hitting is to picture where your arms are in relation to your torso.

Exercises with your elbows in front of your torso, e.g. preacher curls, concentration curls, cable curls, suspension trainer curls etc, will hit the long head for biceps peak.

Exercises with your elbows behind your torso, e.g. incline dumbbell curls, drag curls, will hit the short head for length and fullness. 

To hit the brachialis there really is no substitute for dumbbell or cable hammer curls.  

The triceps respond differently to the biceps because the majority of tricep exercises place a high demand on all three heads. However, certain exercises do tend to place more of a demand on particular heads than others. For example: hit the long head with dumbbell, barbell or cable overhead tricep extensions.

Add mass to the lateral head with pushdowns or lying dumbbell/barbell tricep extensions. Finally, hit the medial head close grip presses or raised leg bench dips.

The shoulder (deltoid) is the most freely moveable of all the joints on the body and as such it is involved in a wide range of exercises, even those which don’t target the deltoids in isolation. However, the exercises predominantly used to develop the shoulders are - Anterior (front) deltoid: dumbbell/barbell/cable front raises; Medial (side) deltoid: dumbbell/cable side lateral raises; Posterior (rear) deltoid: dumbbell/cable prone lateral raises; and all three aspects: dumbbell/barbell overhead press.

Correct Resistance

I have prescribed achievable repetition increases throughout this challenge. However, it is of paramount importance that you always work with the correct resistance; this will ensure adequate stress is being placed upon the muscles, resulting in continued muscular and strength development.

If the weight is too light then once you have completed the prescribed number of repetitions you will be able to carry on and perform 5 - 10 or more.

Similarly, if you choose a weight which is too heavy then exercise form will be compromised before you can even finish the prescribed number of repetitions.

You must always work with a weight with which you can perform the prescribed number of repetitions, but feel that you could only perform 2 or 3 additional repetitions, before you cannot continue without compromising exercise form.

Reps & Sets

The number of repetitions (reps) for each workout is outlined in the tables below. If you select the correct weight (see above) from Day 1 then you will be able to withstand the steady increase in reps as the days tick by.

You must perform 2 sets of each exercise, with 20 seconds rest in between each set, before moving onto the next exercise.

You will be performing 9 different exercises per day, so that’s 18 sets in total.

Finish both sets of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise in the sequence.

Perform the same 9 exercises for 7 calendar days before progressing to the next set of exercises.

Quality not Quantity

The best results come from workouts which are based on the quality of each and every repetition; not simply the quantity. Therefore, even if you are familiar with any number of these exercises, and currently perform more repetitions than has been prescribed, I still want you to stick to the number of repetitions stated in the plan.

Don’t just ‘go through the motions’ during these workouts, it is important that you actually feel the muscles working; otherwise all you will be doing is just swinging dumbbells around with no real emphasis on muscular development.

Therefore, you must ensure that you perform each and every repetition with strict form, and contract/squeeze the working muscles tightly at the concentric/fully contracted component of the exercise.

For example: during any of the bicep curl exercises, you will be fully bending your arms, bringing the dumbbell(s) up towards your shoulders; as you are raising the dumbbell(s) squeeze the bicep muscles tight, and squeeze them even tighter as they reach your shoulders.

If you already workout, and you find that I have prescribed fewer repetitions than you currently perform, then I want you to increase the weight you are currently working with (see ‘Correct Resistance, above) to enable you to keep within the repetitions prescribed and stress the muscles correctly.

DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3	REST DAY	DAY 5	DAY 6	DAY 7
REST DAY	DAY 9	DAY 10	DAY 11	REST DAY	DAY 13	DAY 14
DAY 15	REST DAY	DAY 17	DAY 18	DAY 19	REST DAY	DAY 21
DAY 22	DAY 23	REST DAY	DAY 25	DAY 26	DAY 27	REST DAY
DAY 29	DAY 30	DAY 31

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE - FIRST 9 EXERCISES (DAYS 1 - 7)
DAY	DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3	DAY 5	DAY 6	DAY 7
EXERCISE
Lateral Raise	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Shoulder Press	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Bent Over Lateral Raise	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Bicep Curls	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Hammer Curls	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Concentration Curls	15 repetitions (Each Arm)	15	15	16	16	16
Lying Neutral Grip Tricep Extensions	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Bench/Chair Dips (Bent Legs)	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Kickbacks	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE - SECOND 9 EXERCISES (DAYS 9 - 15)
DAY	DAY 9	DAY 10	DAY 11	DAY 13	DAY 14	DAY 15
EXERCISE
Alternate Arm Shoulder Press	17 repetitions (Each Arm)	17	17	18	18	18
Lateral Raise	17	17	17	18	18	18
Front Raise	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Supinated Grip Bicep Curls	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Across Body Hammer Curls	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Seated Bicep Curls	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Bench/Chair Dips (Bent Legs)	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Supinated Grip Tricep Extensions	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE - THIRD 9 EXERCISES (DAYS 17 - 23)
DAY	DAY 17	DAY 18	DAY 19	DAY 21	DAY 22	DAY 23
EXERCISE
Single Arm Lateral Raise	19 repetitions (Each Arm)	19	19	20	20	20
Bent Over Lateral Raise	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Seated Shoulder Press	19 repetitions	19	19	20	20	20
Drag Curls	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Bent Over Hammer Spider Curls	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Supinated Grip Bicep Curl 21’s	21 (3x7repetitions)	21	21	21	21	21
Lying Across Body Tricep Extensions	19 repetitions (Each Arm)	19	19	20	20	20
Bench/Chair Dips (Straight Legs)	15 repetitions	15	15	16	16	16
Kickbacks	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18

30 DAY SEXY ARMS CHALLENGE - FOURTH 9 EXERCISES (DAYS 25 - 31)
DAY	DAY 25	DAY 26	DAY 27	DAY 29	DAY 30	DAY 31
EXERCISE
90 Degree Bent Arm Lateral Raise	21	21	21	22	22	22
Seated Bent Over T,Y,I’s	6 repetitions (1 x T,Y,I = 1 repetition)	6	6	7	7	7
Floor Inverted Shoulder Press	12	12	12	14	14	14
Seated Alternate Arm Bicep Curl	19 repetitions (Each Arm)	19	19	20	20	20
Concentration Curls	17 repetitions (Each Arm)	17	17	18	18	18
Hammer Curl 21’s	21 (3x7repetitions)	21	21	21	21	21
Lying Neutral Grip Tricep Extensions	19 repetitions	19	19	20	20	20
Bench/Chair Dips (Straight Legs)	17 repetitions	17	17	18	18	18
Kickbacks	19 repetitions	19	19	20	20	20

Shortly I will be doing exercise performance photos, showing the Start & Finish, for each of the above exercises and putting it all together in a document which I will then be able to email to anyone interested.

If you want this article then please send me your email address, and a short message, to glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

For those of you wanting a little more information as to the functional anatomy of the muscles being worked during this project, please see the Anatomy & Physiology information below.

Anatomy & Physiology

Deltoid: the D shaped muscle of the shoulder with three aspects:

1.       Anterior (front) attaches to the clavicle (collar bone) and inserts to the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus (midway along the long bone in the upper arm). The anterior deltoid is responsible for shoulder flexion - raising the arm up to the front, and medial rotation - bringing the arm from a position out to the sides, and rotating it forwards.

2.       Medial (side) attaches to the acromion (bony point sticking out of the end and top of the scapula) and inserts to the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus (midway along the long bone in the upper arm). The medial deltoid is responsible for abduction - raising the arm out to the sides.

3.       Posterior (rear) attaches to the spine of the scapula (long ridge at the top of the scapula) and inserts to the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus (midway along the long bone in the upper arm). The posterior deltoid is responsible for extension - pulling the arm backwards, and outward lateral rotation - bringing the arm from a position out to the sides, and rotating it backwards.

The ball and socket joint of the shoulder, along with the deltoid group of muscles have the largest range of motion (ROM) of all the body’s joints/muscles.

Biceps Brachii: the muscles of the upper arm, specifically the front. The muscle attaches to the coracoid process of the scapula (shoulder blade) and the radial tuberosity of the radius (long, outer bone in the forearm). The biceps have 2 aspects:

1.       Short head: runs along the inside of your upper arm from the pectoral deltoid tie in to your elbow; and although it is the shorter of the 2 heads, it is responsible for the length of the biceps.

2.       Long head: extends along the outside of the upper arm between your brachialis and the short head; it is this long head which is responsible for the biceps’ peak.

Brachialis: the muscle of the upper arm, specifically the front, underneath the short and long heads of the biceps brachii. This muscle attaches just above midway to the humerus (long bone in the upper arm) and the ulna tuberosity of the ulna (inner long bone in the forearm).

Triceps Brachii: the muscles of the upper arm, specifically the back. The muscle attaches to the scapula (shoulder blade) and humerus (long bone in the upper arm). The triceps have 3 aspects:

1.       Lateral head: the muscle furthest away from the torso, curving inwards.

2.       Long head: situated closest to the latissimus dorsi (lats) when your arms are by your sides.

3.       Medial head: lies underneath both the lateral and long heads and adds thickness.

Website: www.gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk    

Email: glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk

30 DAY SEXY ARMS

BEST EXERCISE FOR TONING ARMS

BEST EXERCISES FOR BINGO WINGS

BEST TRICEP EXERCISES FOR TRICEPS

GLEN TITHER