Adding Some Muscle Mass
Thursday, March 13th, 2008I’m happy to report I’ve added about 5 lbs of muscle mass over the last few months by upping my caloric intake combined with good hard fitness training. I think I’m also more balanced than ever before in terms of proportion. My calves are responding and legs too.
I’ve been doing an interesting split routine I came up with to better fit my schedule and to push through a plateau I was experiencing:
Monday Morning: 30 Minutes Total (time goes by surprisingly quickly!)
15 Minutes Legs & 15 Minutes Abs:
For legs, use the same weight (dumbbells) for all exercises. The heaviest dumbbells you can handle while maintaining good form. Perform 2 sets of 8-10 Reps of each exercise with 60 seconds rest between sets. For calf raise farmers walk, stand and walk about on your tiptoes with heavy dumbbells for 60-90 seconds.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, 2 Sets, 60 seconds rest followed by…
45 Degree Lunge 2 Sets, 60 seconds rest followed by…
Single Leg Split Squat 2 Sets, 60 seconds rest followed by…
Calf Raise Farmer’s Walk (great calf exercise!!) 2 Sets
Next…
Abs/Core Training - 15 Minutes
Do each set in a circuit (one exercise after the other) with 30 seconds rest after each exercise. Do two circuits total.
Reverse Crunch - Lay on back, pull your knees & thighs up perpendicular to floor, lower legs up and parallel to floor. Do 15 reps slowly, both up and down.
Reaching Situps - Lay on your back with your elbows out to your sides and palms down. Do a slow and deliberate situp and as you rise up, reach for the ceiling. Squeeze your abs at the top position. Do 15 reps slowly both up and down.
Bicycle Kick Crunches - Lay on your back with your hands at your ears, elbows forward. Raise your knees perpendicular to the floor. Slowly kick your legs like your pedaling a bicycle and crunch up at the same time. For example, when you kick your right leg, raise your shoulders off the mat and move your your right elbow and shoulder towards your left knee. Do a total of 30 kick-crunches, 15 on each side.
Monday Night: 60 - 75 Minutes
Full Body Routine - This routine is performed by doing exercise “pairings” i.e. one exercise followed by 60-90 seconds rest than performing the next exercise in the pair. Repeat each pair of exercises for a total of 3 times. Do 10 reps for each exercise.
(3 “pair sets”) Barbell Hang Clean (95-115 lbs) - 90 seconds rest- followed by - Dumbbell Bench Presses. Rest 60 seconds. Repeat this pairing two more times.
(3 “pair sets”) Barbell Squats (145 lbs) - 90 seconds rest- followed by - Close Grip Pull Ups - Rest 60 seconds. Repeat this pairing two more times.
(3 “pair sets”) Standing Dumbbell “Arnold Presses” (45 lb dumbbells) - 90 seconds rest- followed by - “Simulated Hay Bail Toss” - Rest 60 seconds. Repeat this pairing two more times.
Note: Barbell Hang Clean is performed by pulling a barbell up quickly and “cleanoing” it to just below your chin. (Click for a picture of this exercise)
*Note: Standing Arnold Dumbbell Press is performed by curling dumbbells simultaneously and then pressing them over head to work your shoulders. Return to starting position by lowering the weights slowly. Repeat.
**Note: To do the Simulated Hay Bail Toss, use a 35 lb or 45 lb plate. Grab the plate like a steering wheel and bend forward at the waist until your upper body is 45 degrees to the floor. This is the start position. Then, lift the weight up to your left side “as if” you are going to throw the plate on a platform which is at shoulder level. Bring the plate slowly back to start position and then repeat to your right side. Do a total of 10 simulated “tosses” on each side. Be sure to hold the plate tightly. This exercise simulates throwing a heavy hay bails onto a wagon.
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Repeat same routines from Monday
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Repeat same routines from Monday
