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Muscle-Building 12-Week Workout: Week 11

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DAY 2: EXPLOSIVE POWER TRAINING - PUSH/PULL EXERCISES FOR BACK AND TRICEPS

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Workout Program Overview
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Supersets?
Week 1 Workouts
Week 2 Workouts
Week 3 Workouts
Week 4 Workouts
Week 5 Workouts
Week 6 Workouts
Week 7 Workouts
Week 8 Workouts
Week 9 Workouts
Week 10 Workouts
Week 11 Workouts
Week 12 Workouts

WEEK 11, DAY 2 EXERCISE VIDEO DEMOS

WARMUP
Superset	Exercise	Muscles	Weight (Goal)	Set 1 Reps (Goal)	Set 1 Reps (Actual)	Set 2 Reps (Goal)	Set 2 Reps (Actual)	Set 3 Reps (Goal)	Set 3 Reps (Actual)	Set 4 Reps (Goal)	Set 4 Reps (Actual)
	Tube Rows	Back	N/A	20		20		20
WORKOUT
Begin Superset
S	Wide-Grip Pull-ups	Back (lats, rhomboids, traps)	N/A	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Tube Pull-Downs	Back (lats, traps)	N/A	15		15		15		N/A	N/A
	One-Leg-Spot Pull-ups	Chest	N/A	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
Begin Superset
S	Seated Cable Rows	Back (lats, rhomboids)	85% Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Medicine Ball Soccer Throws	Back (lats, rhomboids), Core	Medium	20		20		20		N/A	N/A
	Barbell Russian Dead Lifts to Barbell Romanian Dead Lifts with Barbell Dead Rows	Back (lats, traps), Core	50% Rep Max	25		25		25		N/A	N/A
	Wide Push-ups	Back (lats), Chest, Core	N/A	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
Begin Superset
S	Narrow-Grip Pull-Downs	Back (lats, rhomboids), Core	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Smith Machine Inverted Palms-Down Pull-ups with Release/Re-Catch at Top	Back (lats, rhomboids, traps)	N/A	10		10		10		N/A	N/A
Begin Superset
S	Single Cable Rows	Back (lats, rhomboids)	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Medicine Ball Pull-Overs	Back (lats, serratus)	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
Begin Superset
S	Cable Triceps Bar Press-Downs	Triceps	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Cable Triceps Bar Pull-Downs	Triceps	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
S	Medicine Ball Push-ups	Triceps, Core	Rep Max	12		10		10		N/A	N/A
Begin Superset
S	Jump Triceps Bench Dips	Triceps	N/A	25		25		25		N/A	N/A
S	Dumbbell Skull Crushers	Triceps	Rep Max	12		12		12		N/A	N/A
	Devil's Triceps Press-Downs	Triceps	Rep Max	36		36		36		N/A	N/A
	Stability Ball Pike-ups	Abdominals	N/A	20		20		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Speed Decline Situps	Abdominals	N/A	20		20		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	V Situps with Heels on Wall and Legs Straight	Abdominals	N/A	20 each side		20 each side		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Single Dumbbell Toe Tab Abs	Abdominals	Light	20		20		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CARDIO TRAINING
Exercise	Time	Overview
Elliptical	30 Minutes	Do 30 minutes of climbing on the elliptical or stair machine. Get your heart rate up to a moderate level.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS IN BRIEF
Exercise	Overview
Tube Rows	Take one handle of a resistance tube in each hand, with the center point of the tube attached to a fixed point level with your waist. Be careful to attach the tube to something that will not move when you pull on it. Stand facing the point of attachment and extend your arms directly forward, with your palms down. Step back until there is significant tension through the tube. If you do not have access to tubes, use a cable machine instead. Begin to bend your elbows and pull them straight back as you simultaneously rotate your palms to face each other and scoop your pinkies back toward your body. Continue to bend your elbows and pull them back until they pass close to your rib cage and fold behind your back; your palms will be close to your chest, with your shoulder blades flexed together. Lower your arms back to the starting position, allowing your elbows to open as they come forward, and rotating your hands back over to be palms down. Move immediately into the next tube row, keeping a steady, fluid, and constant rhythm.
Wide-Grip Pull-ups	Stand on the platform of a Gravitron machine and hold on to the grips at the top with your hands wide (about six to eight inches more than shoulder-width apart on each side) and your palms facing away from you. Step off of the platform and onto the foot rests, allowing your body weight to bring you down until your arms are fully extended. Next, lift yourself up until your head fully clears the Gravitron's grips and your shoulders are almost touching the grip bars. Keep your posture tall, shoulder blades retracted, and chest up in order to keep the work in your lats throughout. From the top, reverse position and lower yourself back down to starting position.
Tube Pull-Downs	Take one handle of a resistance tube in each hand, with the center point of the tube attached to a fixed point level with your breastbone. Be careful to attach the tube to something that will not move when you pull on it. Stand facing the point of attachment and extend your arms directly forward, with your palms down. Step back until there is significant tension through the tube. Next, keep your arms extended as you pull them straight down and back behind you. Your arms will pass wide of your torso, until they are behind your hips, with your palms facing back. Make sure you keep your grip on the tube handle light throughout this movement. Keep your wrists straight—don’t let them flex. Raise your arms back to the starting position, keeping your arms fully extended throughout. Move immediately into the next pull-down, keeping a steady, fluid, and constant rhythm.
One-Leg-Spot Pull-ups	Stand under a Smith machine bar facing the bar, with your feet hip distance apart and your hands grasping the bar at about shoulder distance apart, with palms facing away from you. Bend one knee and lift that foot off the ground, so that you only have one foot on the floor. Next, keep your shoulders down and back as you bend your elbows and pull yourself up toward the bar in a classic pull-up. As you do so, use the foot on the floor to help you to balance, and to push off with as needed. Lift until your chin clears the bar, pulling with the pinkie side of your hands to distribute the pressure and pressing your elbows slightly forward as you lift. From the top of your motion, slowly lower back to the starting position, resisting the downward motion through your shoulders and upper back, and keeping a constant pressure on the foot on the floor.
Seated Cable Rows	Sit on the floor or on a flat bench at a cable row station holding a double-handle attachment with your elbows tucked in and your arms extended with palms facing. Your hands should be slightly less than shoulder distance apart. Your back should be flat, your chest out, your abs engaged into your spine, your posture tall, and your legs slightly bent. Pull the handles in toward your stomach, leading with your pinkies and squeezing the shoulder blades together as you pull. Imagine you are trying to wrap your elbows around behind your back. Keep your back flat, your abs engaged strong into your spine, and a tall posture as you pull. When you have pulled the handles all the way in to your abdomen, reverse direction and return to the starting position, resisting the pull of the cable through your lats as you extend your arms. Do not let your elbows come wide as your arms extend.
Medicine Ball Soccer Throws	Grasp a medicine ball in both hands and stand with feet shoulder distance apart and the ball held straight overhead, with arms extended. Next, keep you arms straight as you use a powerful throwing motion to reach forward and down with both arms, throwing the ball at the ground. Use your lats to generate the power for pushing the ball downward. As the ball bounces off the floor, catch it with arms extended, and immediately bring your arms straight up overhead, controlling your upward motion as you return to the starting position. Immediately upon reaching the starting position, once again throw the ball toward the floor to begin the next repetition.
Barbell Russian Dead Lifts to Barbell Romanian Dead Lifts with Barbell Dead Rows	Stand upright in front of a weighted barbell with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and take up a modified squat position, with your knees slightly bent, hips pressed slightly back, and back flat. From the modified squat, grip the barbell with both hands about shoulder-width apart and palms facing you. The barbell should be at the level of the middle of your shins, either resting on the floor (if the plates are large) or held off the floor in your hands. Keep the majority of your weight back on your heels, while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet. Keeping your chest forward, use your legs to lift the barbell and stand up to a fully upright position. From the standing position, bend slowly at the hips and slightly at the knees, until your hips are bent at nearly a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back flat. When your back is flat and your hips are at a 90-degree angle, raise the bar directly up toward your breastbone, bringing your shoulder blades together behind you. Slowly lower the barbell back to your mid-shin level. When your arms are fully extended, slowly bring your upper body back to a chest-front standing position using the strength of your hamstrings and glutes. Maintain a perfectly flat back and keep your belly button pulled in to your spine like a weight belt would feel. Your arms will stretch straight down holding the barbell. Finally, from the standing position press your hips behind you and bend your knees as you sit into a squat. Keep your back flat as you squat down. Lower the barbell to the floor or down to your shin level starting position before repeating the entire sequence.
Wide Push-ups	Take a push-up, or plank, position on the floor, with arms extended, hands under shoulders, legs straight, hips flat, and center engaged. Now, move your hands to the side a few inches, such that your hands are wider than your shoulders. Next, lower your chest toward the floor in a push-up, keeping your center engaged so that your hips neither droop nor pike upward. As you lower your chest, keep your back broad even as you bring your shoulder blades together. Try to develop the feeling that you are suspended from above, through your shoulder blades, rather than pushing against your hands. Come all the way down, until your chin nearly touches the floor. From the bottom of your push-up, press back up to the starting position, keeping your body in a straight line throughout.
Narrow-Grip Pull-Downs	Seat yourself at a cable station beneath a narrow-grip attachment suspended from the cable. Stabilize yourself using the pads above the knees. Reach up and grip the handles so that the palms are facing each other, with your hands a little less than shoulder-width apart. Pull the handles downward toward the chest, keeping your chin up. As you pull down, keep your shoulders down and broaden your chest. Bring the bar close to your chest, with your elbows at your sides. Pull through the pinky side of your hands to get the bicep muscles involved. Slowly resist the upward motion of the handles, and let your back muscles stretch as you return to the starting position.
Smith Machine Inverted Palms-Down Pull-ups with Release/Re-Catch at Top	Set the Smith machine bar so that it is on the fourth, fifth, or sixth height setting (the bar height will be below your chest height and above your belly button), depending on your individual height relative to the Smith machine. With your feet on the floor in a wide stance in front of the Smith machine, position your upper body underneath the bar of the Smith machine, holding the bar a little wider than shoulder-width apart with your palms facing down. Hang from the bar with your arms extended fully, and allow only the heels of your feet to touch the floor. Keep your body straight and your core engaged—don't let your butt sag down. Next, lift your upper body up quickly and forcefully until your chest nearly touches the bar. At the top of the motion, use the power of your pull-up to float your body a bit as you quickly release the bar and then re-catch it as you drop back down. Lower yourself down until you are back at the starting position. From the bottom of the motion, immediately begin your next repetition with a powerful pull back up.
Single Cable Rows	Set up a cable row with a single-hand-grip attachment at the lowest height setting (just off the floor). Stand upright about four feet from the cable row machine, holding the grip attachment with your right hand. Make sure your right arm is straight and angled down toward the base of the cable row machine. Perform a single-arm cable row with your right arm by pulling the cable as far back as you can using your back muscles. Focus on retracting your right shoulder blade by wrapping your elbow back towards your spine. When you have brought the cable back as far as you can, reverse direction and bring the cable back to starting position. Repeat for a full set on your right side, then swap to left side for a full set.
Medicine Ball Pull-Overs	Lie on your back on a flat bench with a medicine ball (or dumbbell) held in both hands with your palms facing inward. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling while keeping your shoulders pulled down. Bend both elbows slightly toward the ceiling, but not out to the sides. Next, keep the angle in your elbow as you lower both arms toward the floor beyond your head. Keep your shoulders down and retracted as you do this, and do not lower beyond the level of your head, or you risk shoulder injury. Also be careful not to let your elbows poke to the sides as you lower your arms. From the bottom of your motion, bring your arms back up until they are above your nose, keeping your shoulders down as your arms rise, and trying not to pause at the top of your motion.
Cable Triceps Bar Press-Downs	Attach a bent tricep bar to the upper connection of a cable machine. Stand in front of the cable machine with your legs in a slight scissor position so that one leg is stepped slightly forward and the other leg is stepped slightly back. Hold the bar up at chest level in both hands with your palms down and your pinkies are on the outside bend of the bar. Your elbows should be bent and held in at your sides. Next, press the bar down toward your thighs, keeping your elbows in as you descend. At the bottom of the movement, reverse position and bring the bar back up to starting position. At the top of the movement, your elbows should come up just past a 90-degree angle, no more and no less.
Cable Triceps Bar Pull-Downs	Attach a bent bar to the upper connection of a cable machine. Stand in front of the cable machine with your legs in a slight scissor position so that one leg is stepped slightly forward and the other leg is stepped slightly back. Hold the bar up at chest level in both hands with your palms up, positioned so that your pinkies are resting in each bend of the bar. Your elbows should be bent and held in at your sides. Next, use your triceps to pull the bar down toward your thighs. Keep the top half of your arms steady, elbows in close to your body, and wrists stable as you descend to concentrate the work in the triceps. When your arms are fully extended and the bar is down in front of your thighs, reverse motion and bring the bar back up to starting position.
Two Medicine Ball Push-ups	Take up a plank, or push-up, position on the floor—arms extended with hands directly below your shoulders, and legs, hips, back, shoulders, and head all in a straight line. Take your feet wide for stability. Place each hand (carefully, and one at a time) on a medicine ball, such that your plank position is now on top of the balls rather than the floor. You must stabilize this position through your core, supporting yourself through your center without letting your hips drop toward the floor or pike toward the ceiling. Do a push-up, lowering your chest toward the floor as you balance over the balls. At the bottom of your push-up, your chest should be slightly below the level of your hands, so that this push-up will be deeper than an ordinary push-up. As you lower through your chest, stabilize through your core to prevent your body from drooping and to prevent your arms from pushing the balls away. Next, press back up to the starting position, again being careful to use your abs and core to prevent the balls from spinning out to the sides. Repeat for a full set of push-ups. If at any point in the set you want to add difficulty, you may bring your feet closer together, making it harder to stabilize.
Jump Triceps Bench Dips	Sit on a flat bench with your hands next to your hips, palms down, fingers curling over the front of the bench in a light grip. Your elbows should be bent back and close to your body. For the feet-up version of this exercise (which is more difficult), put your feet on another flat bench in front of you, near enough that your knees will remain bent throughout the exercise. For a most difficult version, you may add a dumbbell held between your upper thighs. Slide your hips forward until they are just in front of the bench. Lower your hips in a dipping motion by bending your elbows behind you. Your elbows must stay close to you—think of them bending straight back, not at all to the sides. Your hips should stay close to the bench. It is very important that you bring your hips down and up, not front and back. Finally, do not hyperextend your shoulders. Keep your shoulders down and your shoulder blades together. Keep the downward motion slow. From the bottom of your motion, push explosively upwards, pressing through your triceps to push yourself off the bench. You should push with enough power that your hands leave the bench briefly at the top of your motion. Land lightly in your hands, with your hips still close to the bench, and immediately lower yourself into the next dip, controlling your downward momentum.
Dumbbell Skull Crushers	Lie on your back on a flat bench with your head near one end and a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms toward the ceiling, but at a 45-degree angle behind the vertical, such that even in the starting position you can feel tension in your triceps. Your palms should be facing each other. Cross your feet at the ankle and lift your legs up off the bench so that your upper legs are perpendicular to the bench, your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle, and your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Next, keep your upper arms immobile as you bend your elbows and lower your forearms toward your head. Do not hit yourself in the head with the weights—instead, keep your hands at shoulder width throughout. Keep your shoulders back and your elbows high as you do these. At the bottom of the movement, reverse direction and bring your hands back to the starting position, again without changing the position of your upper arm, to complete one repetition; your tightest flexion will be at the top of the movement, so be careful to control the upward movement as much as the down. If you begin to struggle before the end of the set, bring your upper arms closer to vertical to lessen the intensity.
Devil's Triceps Press-Downs	Attach a bent triceps bar to the upper connection of a cable machine. Stand in front of the cable machine with your legs in a slight scissor position so that one leg is stepped slightly forward and the other leg is stepped slightly back. Hold the bar up at chest level in both hands with your palms down and your pinkies are on the outside bend of the bar. Your elbows should be bent and held in at your sides. Next, press the bar down toward your thighs, keeping your elbows in as you descend. Reverse position and bring the bar back up to starting position. At the top of the movement, your elbows should come up just past a 90-degree angle. Perform six reps of the exercise, and then rest for six seconds. At the end of the six seconds, immediately do another six reps, and then rest another six seconds. Continue to alternate six-rep sets with six-second rest periods until you have done a total of 36 reps. When you have finished your thirty-sixth rep, you have completed one set of Devil's triceps press-downs. Try to choose a weight at which you will max out at the sixth rep of each mini-set.
Devil's Triceps Press-Downs	Take up a push-up (plank) position, with your hands under your shoulders and your back flat, but with a stability ball under your legs. The ball should be beneath your shins and the tops of your feet, with your toes pointed. Engage your abdominals so that your hips do not droop toward the floor. Next, use your abdominals to fold your body upward, pulling your hips and buttocks straight toward the ceiling. Keep your feet pointed, so that the ball comes under your toes as your hips rise. At the top of your lift, the ball will be held under your pointed toes, and your back will nearly be in a straight line with your arms. Your shoulders should remain above your hands or slightly behind them—never in front. From the top of your lift, lower your hips as you press the ball back carefully with your feet, allowing it to be captured by the tops of your feet as you return to the starting position. Do not allow your hips to dip below a flat line with your shoulders and feet.
Stability Ball Pike-ups	Take up a push-up (plank) position, with your hands under your shoulders and your back flat, but with a stability ball under your legs. The ball should be beneath your shins and the tops of your feet, with your toes pointed. Engage your abdominals so that your hips do not droop toward the floor. Next, use your abdominals to fold your body upward, pulling your hips and buttocks straight toward the ceiling. Keep your feet pointed, so that the ball comes under your toes as your hips rise. At the top of your lift, the ball will be held under your pointed toes, and your back will nearly be in a straight line with your arms. Your shoulders should remain above your hands or slightly behind them—never in front. From the top of your lift, lower your hips as you press the ball back carefully with your feet, allowing it to be captured by the tops of your feet as you return to the starting position. Do not allow your hips to dip below a flat line with your shoulders and feet.
Speed Decline Situps	Do these decline situps with a focus on power and controlled speed. Sit on a decline bench with your back toward the lower end. Bring your hands behind your head and your elbows out to the side. Tuck your chin into your chest for safety and slowly lower your shoulders down toward the bench, controlling your downward motion with your abs and keeping your elbows to the side. Keep your chin tucked as you descend. Once your shoulders are touching or almost touching the bench, bring your chin toward your chest and slowly roll your upper body off the bench until you come to fully vertical. Keep your chin tucked as you rise. Think of peeling yourself off the bench—you should not flop or jolt to get momentum.
V Situps with Heels on Wall and Legs Straight	Lie on your back on the floor with your feet resting on a wall such that your legs are at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Flex your feet and rest only your heels on the wall. Your legs should be straight and your arms should be extended overhead. Next, begin by bringing your arms up and forward as you tuck your chin down toward your chest. Engaging your abs and exhaling as you lift, bring your upper body off the floor as your arms come forward. Keeping your heels on the wall, try to touch your toes at the top of your lift. Slowly uncurl and lower your upper body back down to the floor, bringing your arms back overhead as you lower down. Keep your chin toward your chest until your shoulders are touching the floor.
Single Dumbbell Toe Tap Abs	Take a single dumbbell in both hands, holding it by the end caps. Lie on your back on the floor, your arms extended overhead. Extend one straight leg on the floor, and bend the other so that your foot rests on the floor. Next, simultaneously raise the dumbbell overhead as you lift the extended leg. Your head, neck, shoulders, and upper/middle back should rise off the floor at the top of your lift. Continue this motion until the dumbbell meets the toe of the straight leg. Lower yourself back to the floor, returning the dumbbell and raised leg to their original positions. Repeat these steps for 20 reps on one side. Then swap change legs for the next 20 repetitions. Keep your breathing regular throughout the exercise. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower your arms and leg.

EXERCISE IMAGES

Photo Credit: Nicolas Smith

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