Mens Health - Total Body Workout

TOTAL BODYTOTAL BODY
WORKBOOK

4–WEEK
EXERCISE
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www.menshealth.com|TOTAL BODY WORKBOOK3MEN’S HEALTH
WEEK 3 WEEK 4
LEVEL: EXERCISE
FROM TOTO
LEVEL:
FROM
ARMS
CHEST
SHOULDERS
ABS &
LOWER BACK
BACK
LEGS
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7
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4–WEEK
EXERCISE
LOG

www.menshealth.com|TOTAL BODY WORKBOOK5MEN’S HEALTH
Stand in front of a mirror with your
arms straight down at your sides,
palms facing forward. Note that
your hands aren’t directly under your shoulders;
they’re a few inches out to the sides. This is
called your carrying angle, and it’s the most
comfortable and natural position for your hands
when you perform biceps curls.
ADVANCED BEGINNER
Frequency:Do these exercises as part of a total-body
weight workout three times a week.
Technique:Increase weights by 21⁄2to 5 pounds for
each set.
Rest:2 minutes between sets
Progress:Start each week using your heaviest weight
from the week before.
Variety:After 3 or 4 weeks, go back to the Beginner
exercises, but use the guidelines above.
How long:When your strength and muscle size stop
improving, or when you have the time and energy to
do more exercises, move to the next level.
BEGINNER
Frequency:Do these exercises as part of a total-body
weight workout three times a week.
Rest:1 minute between exercises
Progress:Increase weights each week, shooting for in-
creases of 21⁄2to 5 pounds at a time.
How long:Follow this program for your first 4 to 8 weeks
of exercise, or your first few weeks after returning from a
break. When you stop making strength gains, you’re ready
for the Advanced Beginner program.
DUMBBELL CURL (BICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:12 , 10 , 8
BARBELL BICEPS CURL
Sets:
1Repetitions: 12 –15
FRENCH PRESS (TRICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions: 12, 10, 8
BAD FORM
KEY INFO
TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
Sets:
1Repetitions:12 – 15
BAD FORM
Total Body Workbook

MEN’S HEALTH 6TOTAL BODY WORKBOOK|www.menshealth.com
Total Body Workbook
Frequency:Do these exercises as part of a split routine.
Divide your workout into two sets of exercises—see “Key
Info” below—and perform each workout twice a week.
Technique:Start each exercise with the heaviest weight
you can use for eight to 10 repetitions—no fewer, and
not many more. Drop the weight slightly for subsequent
sets if you need to.
Rest:2 minutes between sets
Progress:Increase weights each week by 21⁄2to
5 pounds.
Variety:After 3 weeks, rotate exercises. Mix in some from
both Beginner programs and from the Advanced pro-
gram. In any workout, avoid doing both biceps exercises
or both triceps exercises from the same angle and with
the same apparatus. For example, if a standing barbell
curl is your first biceps exercise, do a preacher curl or
incline curl with dumbbells for your second.
How long:Train like this for as long as you’re satisfied
with the results. If you have the time and ambition to
work even harder, move up to the Advanced program.
By the time you’re an intermediate lifter, you’ll need to split your workout into two parts, doing each twice a week.
There are dozens of different ways to divide up your exercises, but Pearson says to follow this rule: Always work your
triceps on the same day you do chest and shoulder presses. If you do these exercises on separate days, you end up
working your triceps hard four times a week. “This is one reason many lifters don’t make gains in their bench presses,”
Pearson says. “Their triceps are simply tired all the time.”
PREACHER CURL WITH EZ BAR (BICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
“SKULL CRUSHER” TRICEPS EXTENSION
Sets:
3Repetitions:10 –12
KEY INFO
INTERMEDIATE
INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL (BICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:6–8
CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS (TRICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10

www.menshealth.com|TOTAL BODY WORKBOOK7MEN’S HEALTH
Frequency:Perform these exercises as part of a split
routine twice a week.
Technique:Start each exercise with the heaviest weight
you can use for the required repetitions. Drop the weight
slightly for subsequent sets if you need to.
Rest:2 minutes between sets
Progress:Add 21⁄2to 5 pounds of weight a week.
Variety:Shift exercises after 3 weeks; include some from
the other programs if you want. Do each exercise from a
different angle and with different equipment.
How long:Three to 4 weeks at a time, two or three times
a year. If you do it year-round, you’ll burn out.
CABLE PREACHER CURL (BICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
STANDING REVERSE-GRIP CURL WITH EZ BAR (BICEPS)
Sets:3Repetitions: 6–8
SEATED CONCENTRATION CURL (BICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:12 per arm
DECLINE EXTENSION WITH EZ BAR (TRICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:6–8
CABLE FRENCH PRESS (TRICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:12
REVERSE-GRIP CABLE EXTENSION (TRICEPS)
Sets:
3Repetitions:8
A FEW WORDS ABOUT FOREARMSFew men do separate exercises, such as wrist curls and extensions, for their forearm muscles.
One reason is that with a limited amount of time, you should focus on the biggest muscles.
Another is that forearm muscles tend to get a decent workout even if you’re not targeting them,
since you use them to grip the bars and dumbbells on every exercise.
?
ADVANCED
Total Body Workbook

www.menshealth.com|TOTAL BODY WORKBOOK9MEN’S HEALTH
ADVANCED BEGINNER
BEGINNER
BARBELL FLAT BENCH PRESS
Sets:
1Repetitions: 12 –15
PEC-DECK MACHINE FLY
Sets:
1Repetitions:12 – 15
You probably think the object of a bench press is
to push the weight straight up off your chest.
In reality, the bar moves slightly backward as it
rises, in a sort of J-shaped trajectory. Don’t fight nature: Lower-
ing the bar to your throat so you can push it straight up would
put an unnatural strain on your shoulders, not to mention the
hurt you’d suffer if the bar slipped. This J shape also explains
why doing presses on machines doesn’t replicate the free-
weight exercise.Arms too
far back Frequency:
Do these exercises as part of a total-body
weight workout three times a week.
Rest:1 minute between exercises
Progress:Increase weights each week.
How long:Follow this program for your first 4 to 8 weeksof exercise. (If you haven’t been lifting