Mens Health - Total Body Workout | Page 2

weights for a
while, follow this program for the first few weeks after
you return.) It’s usually time to move on to the Advanced
Beginner workout when you can’t increase the weight
from one week to the next.
Frequency:Do these exercises as part of a total-body
weight workout three times a week.
Technique:Increase weights on each set.
Rest:2 minutes between sets
Progress:Start each exercise with a heavier weight
each week.
Variety:After 3 or 4 weeks, determine your one-repeti-
tion maximum on the bench press—the most weight youcan lift once with good form. Warm up with two sets of
six to eight slow repetitions using light weights, adding
weight on the second set. Then do one-repetition sets
with increasingly heavy weights, resting 2 to 5 minutes
between attempts, until you hit a weight you can’t lift.
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.
FLAT DUMBBELL FLY
Sets:
3Repetitions: 12, 10, 8
BARBELL FLAT BENCH PRESS
Sets:
3Repetitions:12, 10, 8
See the bench-press illustration above.
BAD FORMBAD FORM
KEY INFO
Back
arches
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Frequency:Divide your workout into two sets of exercises:
one for the chest, shoulders, and arms; one for the back,
legs, and abdominals. Perform each workout twice a week.
Technique:Warm up with two slow sets of eight to 10
bench-press repetitions. Use more weight on the second
set, but don’t make these preliminary sets too challeng-
ing. Then start each exercise with the heaviest weight
you can use for eight to 10 repetitions. Drop the weight
slightly for subsequent sets if you need to.
Rest:2 minutes between sets, including the warmup sets
Progress:Increase the weights each week. On dips, add
up the repetitions you’re able to do in your three sets, and
try to add at least one more dip to your total each week.
Safety:Use a spotter on each set of barbell flat bench
presses. You’ll be able to do more repetitions, and you’llhave the confidence to work with heavier weights.
Variety:After 3 weeks, rotate the exercises. Substitute
dumbbells for barbells and vice versa. Return to the
original exercises after 3 more weeks, but change the
order, doing the inclines before the flat bench presses.
Overtraining alert:To avoid injury and burnout, keep
exercises for smaller muscles to a minimum during this
stage. Do just one additional exercise for shoulders (the
lateral raise is a good choice), one for biceps, and one for
triceps. Or you can skip triceps work altogether, since the
presses and dips will give those muscles plenty of incen-
tive to grow.
How long:Train like this for as long as you’re satisfied
with the results. If you really want to improve your bench-
press performance, move up to the Advanced program.
KEEP YOUR WRISTS STRAIGHTYour wrists could be limiting the weight you lift during bench presses. The bar should rest on your palms, directly over your
wrist bones. But many guys allow their wrists to hyperextend—bend backward—during bench presses. This places tre-
mendous strain on the muscles and connective tissues on the insides of your forearms and reduces the amount of force
you can generate with your upper body. If you can’t keep your wrists perfectly straight during presses, decrease the weight
you’re using until you can. Then gradually increase the weight as your wrists grow accustomed to working in that position.
BARBELL FLAT BENCH PRESS
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
MULTI-ANGLE DUMBBELL FLY
Sets:
3Repetitions:10 –12
INTERMEDIATE
BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
DUMBBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS / DIP *
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10/max
Every 3 weeks, change the angle at which you do the flies—
flat for 3 weeks, on an incline for 3 weeks, on a decline for
3 weeks, then flat again.
* Substitute
dips for
decline
presses
once a week.
Always go
for maximum
repetitions
on dips.
KEY INFO
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Frequency:Perform each of these routines once a
week—the first on Monday and the second on Thursday,
for example.
Technique:After a warmup, start each exercise with the
heaviest weight you can use for the recommended num-
ber of repetitions. Be sure to use a spotter.
Rest:2 to 3 minutes between sets
Progress:Increase the weights each week.
Overtraining alert:Skip arm and shoulder exercises
altogether while following the Advanced program.
How long:Only 3 to 4 weeks. Test your one-repetition
maximum at the end of that period.
BARBELL FLAT BENCH PRESS
Sets:
4Repetitions:6–8
CABLE CROSSOVER
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
RACK LOCKOUT PRESS
Sets:
4Repetitions:6–8
DUMBBELL INCLINE FLY
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
THREE ESSENTIAL GRIPSThis Advanced program features three different bench-press grip widths. In your normal
grip,which balances chest and triceps work, your thumbs should be roughly over your
shoulders. Olympic barbells have a ring marked where most men will place their index
fingers. For the close-grip press,which puts more emphasis on the triceps, your hands
should be 12 to 18 inches apart, depending on the width of your torso. You want your
elbows to descend below your torso when you bring the bar to your chest, just as they
would in a standard bench press. On the wide-grip press,which works your chest harder,
your hands should be 3 to 4 inches farther apart on each side than with your normal grip.
?
ADVANCED
WORKOUT 1 WORKOUT 2
CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS
Sets:4Repetitions: 6–8
WIDE-GRIP BENCH PRESS
Sets:
3Repetitions:8–10
DUMBBELL INCLINE PRESS
Sets:4Repetitions: 6–8
DUMBBELL DECLINE FLY
Sets:
4Repetitions:6–8
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Frequency: Do these exercises as