A workout after the holidays
EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST
Chest
Dumbbell Flye 4/21 1-2 min
Shoulders
Lateral Raise 4/21 1-2 min
Back
Straight-Arm Pulldown 4/21 1-2 min
Triceps
Pressdown 4/21 1-2 min
Biceps
Cable Curl 4/21 1-2 min
Quads
Leg Extension 4/21 1-2 min
Hamstrings
Leg Curl 4/21 1-2 min
Abs
Sit-Up 4/21 1 min
Cable Curl
Stand erect facing a low-pulley cable station with a straight bar attached. Perform the first seven reps as normal, going from almost full extension to full flexion and squeezing your biceps before returning to the start. For the next round of seven, start at full extension and stop when your elbows are just shy of 90-degree angles. Finish by starting with your forearms just below parallel to the floor and curling all the way up. Flex your biceps as hard as possible at the top. Keep your elbows fixed at your sides throughout.
Dumbbell Flye
Perform seven reps of a standard flye: With your arms extended out to your sides in line with your shoulders and a slight bend in your elbows, contract your pecs to bring the weights together above your chest. For the next seven, start with your hands in line with your shoulders and lift the weights until your arms form 45-degree angles to the floor, then return to the start. Finish by starting with your arms at the 45-degree position and stopping when your hands meet above your chest. Squeeze your pecs at the top before returning to the start.
Leg Curl
Sit in the machine so your knees line up with the axis of rotation. Start with your knees near full extension. Do seven reps through the full ROM, forcefully contracting your hamstrings. Perform the second group of seven by starting at full extension and stopping just shy of your knees forming 45-degree angles. Do the last seven reps with your knees starting just short of the 45-degree position and going to full contraction.
Pressdown
Do seven reps with a straight bar: Stand erect with your upper arms pinned at your sides, forearms just above parallel to the floor. Push down to full arm extension, being sure to squeeze your triceps at the bottom. Perform seven more reps by starting at the same point and stopping when your forearms form 45-degree angles to your body. For the final seven reps, start with your forearms at the 45-degree position and stop when your arms are fully extended.
Lateral Raise
Stand erect holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing in. Lift your arms out to your sides until they're level with your shoulders for the first seven reps. Do the second round of seven starting in the same position, but lift your arms until they form 45-degree angles to your torso. For the final seven reps, start with your arms at the 45-degree position and stop when they come parallel to the floor.
WORKOUT 2 (STANDARD MULTIJOINT)
EXERCISE SETS/REPS REST
Quads
Squat 4/8-10 1-2 min
Hamstrings/Glutes
Romanian Deadlift 4/8-10 1-2 min
Chest
Incline Bench Press 4/8-10 1-2 min
Back
Barbell Row 4/8-10 1-2 min
Shoulders Overhead Press 4/8-10 1-2 min
Biceps
EZ-Bar Curl 4/8-10 1-2 min
Triceps
Close-Grip Bench Press 4/8-10 1-2 min
Calves
Standing Calf Raise 4/10-15 1 min
Abs
Hanging Leg Raise 4/to failure 1 min
Sit-up
Use an ab bench and anchor your feet under the rollers. With a flat back and your knees bent about 90 degrees, curt your torso toward your knees for seven reps. For the next group of seven, curl up until your torso is at a 45-degree angle to your thighs. Finish by starting at the 45-degree position and stopping when your torso is perpendicular to the floor.
Straight-arm Pulldown
Stand erect in front of a lat pulldown machine. Grasp the bar using an overhand, shoulder-width grip, and start with the weight a couple of inches off the stack. Do seven reps through the full ROM, pulling the bar down to your thighs while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows. Fully contract your lats, then release. For the next seven reps, start at the same point but stop when your arms form 45-degree angles to your torso. To finish, start with your arms at the 45-degree position and stop when the bar touches your thighs. Squeeze your lats before returning to the start.
Leg Extension
Sit in the machine so your knees line up with the axis of rotation. Start with your knees flexed at an angle smaller than 90 degrees. Move through the full ROM for seven reps, making sure to squeeze your quads at the top. Perform seven more by starting at the 90-degree position and stopping just past where your knees form 45-degree angles. New research from the University of Miami has shown that this range of motion best targets the vastus lateralis on the outer quad. For your final seven reps, begin with your knees just shy of the 45-degree position and go to full extension. The same researchers found that this ROM best targets the vastus medialis muscle, the teardrop just above the inside of the knee.