123 Workout
123 Workout
CT SS LC BB CT SS
LC BB CT SS LC
BB CT SS LC BB CT
SS LC BB CT SS
Breakfast
Oatmeal with applesauce and raisins, 2 whole eggs and 6 egg whites.
Lunch
While in a seated position, bend your knees and bring the feet in so they are about 10-12 inches from your
body. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Hunch your torso forward, tuck your chin into your chest, and hold your
hands on the outsides of your knees. Now lean back while maintaining a hunched position until your arms are
completely extended (still holding on to the outsides of your knees). At this point, let go of your knees and
extend the arms forward. Are you feeling the strain in your abs yet? If you are like most people, there will be a
tendency to start falling backward. This is due to the fact that only the abs are involved in maintaining your
balance and the usual "helpers" like the hip flexors are excluded from the equation. It's now time to generate
some serious punishment. Slowly raise the arms so that they are pointing directly overhead (keeping the body
hunched forward). Can't be done you say? And I thought you were strong! If this is too intense, extend the feet
outward until you can maintain balance. As you get stronger you can bring the feet in closer. Hold the
outstretched arms above for 10 seconds. This is considered one rep. Slowly bring them down and just as slowly,
allow the torso to come up to the original position. Rest for 10 seconds. Once again, slowly lean back and
repeat the movement. Ten "reps" performed correctly will be one hell of a vicious set. The number of sets
performed are up to you. It would be fair to say that after 10 minutes of this type of training, your abs will be
screaming for mercy. How badly do you want it?Abs are stubborn. Fat loves to hang around the waistline.
(Why can't excess fat develop around the biceps instead? I can deal with that.)
Perform this routine on days when you aren't working any other body part. Ab work should not be an
"afterthought." Hit them hard as you would legs or chest. After a couple of weeks, you may start seeing
definition in your abdominal region you never thought possible. Once you've achieved more muscularity and
less fat, it will be easier to maintain. You'll feel better and improve your overall look 1000%.
Chest
1) Dumbell flyes
This is most definitely an isolation move, geared more as a warm up and to pre-exhaust the muscle
group. It also works well as a nice stretch. While lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbells overhead, palms
facing inward. Lower the weights out to the sides with slightly bent arms. Raise and repeat for 10-12 reps.
There's no need to go heavy on this movement. Dumbell flyes are not mass builders. This is merely
preparing the muscles for the oncoming onslaught. Do only 2 sets and move onto...
2) Parallel Bar Dips
This is the very best exercise for developing the chest muscles. Not only is it a compound exercise, but it
has the added benefit of requiring the body itself to move through space. Any exercise of this type is
usually superior to an exercise that requires the pushing or pulling of a bar. It's the reason squatting is so
much more effective than the leg press. Whenever the body moves through space, more muscle fibers
are activated. In order to put the most emphasis on the chest muscles when performing dips, keep your
chin on your chest, round your back, lean forward slightly, and hold the feet forward under your face. Dip
downwards as low as you can without discomfort and raise upwards into the straight arm position. Keep a
steady tempo. This exercise really brings out the "sweep" of the lower pecs. Ten reps should be relatively
easy for a conditioned athlete. But here's the kicker. Rest only 30 seconds and repeat the set, again going
for 10 reps. If this is too easy, use a weighted belt to add resistance. Do 3 sets to failure , each with only
30 seconds of rest between sets.Not so tough now, are ya headset boy?Next up is...
3) The Bench Press
Use a weight heavy enough that you reach failure at around 8 reps. Be careful though! Those dips may
have taken more out of you than you realize. Start with a comfortable weight. If you haven't reached
near- failure by the 10th rep, keep going until you do. Adjust the weight accordingly the next set. You'll
only need 3 sets of bench presses...tops. (Remember, the goal here isn't to lift more weight for the sake
of lifting more weight--it's to work the chest as efficiently as possible.) Now we move on to...
4) Incline Dumbell Press
This movement helps develop the upper pecs, providing "lift" and fullness. The mistake most people
make with this movement is setting the incline too high. Anything above a 35 degree angle will put too
much emphasis on the shoulders, negating the inclusion of the pectoral muscles.Press the dumbells
overhead, paying strict attention to keeping them perfectly vertical to the ground. Palms should face
forward but you may want to try and twist the hands slightly so that the pinkies are farther back than the
thumbs. This will force the elbows to move "out" slightly, putting additional stress on the pectoralis minor.
(The pec-deltoid "tie in") Work in the 8-10 rep range. Rest one minute and repeat. Do 2 sets.The hardest
part is over. Now it's time for a "finishing" movement--something that will flush blood into the area,
enhancing the pump and aiding recuperation. Once again we go with an isolation move.
5) The Cable Crossover
Hold a pair of overhead pulleys, palms facing each other. Lean forward slightly and allow the pecs to pull
the arms forward until the knuckles touch in front of the sternum. At this point, continue crossing the
hands until you feel a strong contraction in the center of your chest. This brings out the "split" that
separates the left and right pectoral. Since this is an isolation movement and not intended to build mass,
work in the 15-25 rep range. This is your last set. You're done. Total time: About 20 minutes. If the
workout takes longer than that, you were dawdling along the way.Although lifting heavy is the way to go,
don't be tempted to take longer breaks in an attempt to simply lift heavier poundages. The goal is to
build muscle, not to impress the guy (or most likely the girl) working out next to you. Besides, another
advantage of working out quickly is that it induces the natural secretion of growth hormone. Any strain
that continues beyond an hour's time will not release further growth hormone. Get in. Get to work. Get
out.
Chest development may be comparatively easy, but it still takes a concerted effort. Don't allow that effort to be in vain. Give this
routine a try and you'll soon be on your way towards an armor plated chest.
Biceps
Incline curls on an angle of 45 degrees or lower, will place greater emphasis directly on the biceps. Eliminate preacher curls from
your routine and replace them with an equal amount of sets of incline curls and you'll notice the difference immediately.