BASE: 5 Day Hybrid Workout
Phase ONE: Day 1 - Strength (Upper)
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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Item description
PHASE ONE: Day 2 - Strength (Lower)
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
Item description
Phase ONE: Day 3 - Cardio
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Choose an activity where you can maintain your heart rate at around 150bpm (this is just a rough guide).
The aim is to elevate your HR high enough that you are just able to hold a conversation.
The best activities for cardio involve the most muscles: running and rowing (ERG Concept 2) are preferable.
Finish off the last 5 minutes with an all out effort raising your HR to its max.
Phase ONE: Day 4 - Strength (Upper)
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Set up the bench angle to its most obtuse. This will allow you to target the upper portion of the chest that is often underdeveloped.
Experiment with your elbow position and find one where you really feel the upper chest stretching. It is usually where the elbows are flared out more but it’s a delicate balance as the wider it is, the more strain you have on your shoulders. That is why we should choose a moderate weight.
-
Move the bench angle down one notch and grab a moderate weight. The aim here is to stretch the chest as much as possible when the DBs are at the lowest point. Feel that stretch for a second before moving the DBs back together at the top. A slow motion arc back down.
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Head towards the lat pull down machine and start with close grip. Movement is like the chin up - at the top feel that stretch down your lats, grip tight and pull your elbows down into your torso. Never use momentum to pull the weight down. Rely purely on muscle contraction.
After 12 sets, move straight into the wide grip position. The thinking is the same ie concentrate on moving your elbows into your torso. At the bottom you should feel your lats heating up - hold this position and then control the weight back to the top.
-
Do this standing. As this giant set will involve 3 separate weights - be slightly greedy and have them all close to you on the floor.
If the Arnold Press causes slight niggles in the shoulders, try starting the movement with the DBs closer together (vs against your shoulders).
DB Lateral Raises - these are quite tricky to get right as engaging those side delts can be quite elusive. Play around with angles and see where these are engaged the most. Once you find your spot, try and maintain that connection throughout the rep.
DB Shrugs - lets rounds off those shoulders. Grab 2 heavier dumbells and shrug the weight up towards the ceiling.
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Move onto the cable machine and place the rope attachment onto the pulley. Set the height to the lowest point and start with the bicep curls. The starting position is a hammer curl but you will externally rotate your wrist (so palms face the ceiling) to as the weight moves up. You should be able to feel a flex in your bicep at the top.
Once the curls are finished, move the cable to the highest point for the tricep pulldowns. Stand close to the pulley as the movement should be a reverse hammer movement (as this more closely aligns with the biomechanics of the tricep.
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Stay on the cable machine. The face pull should be set at a height that is slightly above your head. As you pull the rope towards your forehead the top part of your fist should be facing the wall behind you. Doing these are important for a variety of reasons - posture correction from sitting down all day which is exacerbated by too much upper body work.
The straight arm pull down evens all this out. Tempo should be the same on the way up and down - slow and controlled.
Phase ONE: Day 5 - Cardio
-
These workouts help increase speed and power. Maintaining a sustained effort over a period of time.
Start small in the Base Phase. We're setting the foundations for more speed work later on.
5-10 min warm up
5 min sustained effort (run, cycle, row)
2 min conversational effort
Repeat this cycle (sustained - conversational) x 4
5 min warm down with down regulation breathing (ie actively slow down your breathing and heart rate).
Warm Up 1km
Tempo Run
Phase TWO: Day 1 - Strength (Upper)
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Same structure as Phase One but with heavier loading now that your body is used to the movement.
First 2 sets same weight. Increase weight for each set thereafter .e.g. 10 reps at 70kg and then 8 reps at 72.5kg.
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Same as bench press with the progressive overloading scheme. First 2 sets we have the same weight and then increase for the last two set.
If you can’t finish the 8 reps in the last set in one go, drop the bar and catch your breath before finishing the reps.
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It’s very important to brace your core with the shoulder press as there is a tendency to overarch your back as the reps get harder.
The smith machine is preferable for heavier weights as it reduces the chance of injury through the fixed bar path.
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Attach the straight bar attachment to the low pulley and the rope attachment to the high pulley - this is your station for the superset.
Starting with the curl, make sure your hands do not hinge at the wrists during the movement and that the slack is taken out of the cable before you move the weight. This ensures that you aren’t using momentum and your biceps are fully engaged.
Jump straight to the tricep pull downs. Start with your hands together (rather than shoulder width apart which is quite common). The reason is that the biomechanics of your triceps are more suited to an angled pull down rather than a parallel one.
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Staying on the same cables use the rope attachment for both face pulls and straight arm rope pull downs.
The Face Pulls should work the rear delts (muscles between shoulder blades) - these are great exercises to correct the hunched postures of most office workers.
Phase TWO: Day 2 - Strength (Lower)
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
Item description
Phase TWO: Day 3 - Cardio
-
Choose an activity where you can maintain your heart rate at around 150bpm (this is just a rough guide).
The aim is to elevate your HR high enough that you are just able to hold a conversation.
The best activities for cardio involve the most muscles: running and rowing (ERG Concept 2) are preferable.
Finish off the last 5 minutes with an all out effort raising your HR to its max.
Phase TWO: Day 4 - Strength (Upper)
-
Set up the bench angle to its most obtuse. This will allow you to target the upper portion of the chest that is often underdeveloped.
Experiment with your elbow position and find one where you really feel the upper chest stretching. It is usually where the elbows are flared out more but it’s a delicate balance as the wider it is, the more strain you have on your shoulders. That is why we should choose a moderate weight.
-
Move the bench angle down one notch and grab a moderate weight. The aim here is to stretch the chest as much as possible when the DBs are at the lowest point. Feel that stretch for a second before moving the DBs back together at the top. A slow motion arc back down.
-
Head towards the lat pull down machine and start with close grip. Movement is like the chin up - at the top feel that stretch down your lats, grip tight and pull your elbows down into your torso. Never use momentum to pull the weight down. Rely purely on muscle contraction.
After 12 sets, move straight into the wide grip position. The thinking is the same ie concentrate on moving your elbows into your torso. At the bottom you should feel your lats heating up - hold this position and then control the weight back to the top.
-
Do this standing. As this giant set will involve 3 separate weights - be slightly greedy and have them all close to you on the floor.
If the Arnold Press causes slight niggles in the shoulders, try starting the movement with the DBs closer together (vs against your shoulders).
DB Lateral Raises - these are quite tricky to get right as engaging those side delts can be quite elusive. Play around with angles and see where these are engaged the most. Once you find your spot, try and maintain that connection throughout the rep.
DB Shrugs - lets rounds off those shoulders. Grab 2 heavier dumbells and shrug the weight up towards the ceiling.
-
Move onto the cable machine and place the rope attachment onto the pulley. Set the height to the lowest point and start with the bicep curls. The starting position is a hammer curl but you will externally rotate your wrist (so palms face the ceiling) to as the weight moves up. You should be able to feel a flex in your bicep at the top.
Once the curls are finished, move the cable to the highest point for the tricep pulldowns. Stand close to the pulley as the movement should be a reverse hammer movement (as this more closely aligns with the biomechanics of the tricep.
-
Stay on the cable machine. The face pull should be set at a height that is slightly above your head. As you pull the rope towards your forehead the top part of your fist should be facing the wall behind you. Doing these are important for a variety of reasons - posture correction from sitting down all day which is exacerbated by too much upper body work.
The straight arm pull down evens all this out. Tempo should be the same on the way up and down - slow and controlled.
Phase TWO: Day 5 - Cardio
-
These workouts help increase speed and power. Maintaining a sustained effort over a period of time.
Start small in the Base Phase. We're setting the foundations for more speed work later on.
5-10 min warm up
5 min sustained effort (run, cycle, row)
2 min conversational effort
Repeat this cycle (sustained - conversational) x 4
5 min warm down with down regulation breathing (ie actively slow down your breathing and heart rate).
Warm Up 1km
Tempo Run