WORKOUTS
Muscle-Building 12-Week Workout: Week 7
 |
DAY 2: TWO BODY PARTS PER DAY, INCREASED WEIGHT - PUSH/PULL EXERCISES FOR BACK AND TRICEPS
New! Track Your Workout Progress with Before and After Pics
New! View Other Members Who Are Tracking Their Workout Progress
Muscle-Building Workout Participants Forum
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 9 Workouts
Week 10 Workouts
Week 11 Workouts
Week 12 Workouts
New! View Other Members Who Are Tracking Their Workout Progress
Muscle-Building Workout Participants Forum
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 9 Workouts
Week 10 Workouts
Week 11 Workouts
Week 12 Workouts
| WEEK 7, 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) |
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Tube Rows | Back | N/A | 20 | 20 | 20 | N/A | N/A | |||
| S | Double Dumbbell Rows | Back | Light | 20 | 20 | 20 | N/A | N/A | |||
| WORKOUT | |||||||||||
| Wide-Grip Pull-ups | Back (lats, traps, rhomboids) | Rep Max | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | |||||
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Seated Cable Rows | Back (lats, rhomboids) | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 10 | N/A | N/A | |||
| S | Standing Dumbbell Rows (Single-Arm) | Back (lats, rhomboids) | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 10 | N/A | N/A | |||
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Wide Reverse-Grip Pull-Downs | Back (lats) | Rep Max | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | ||||
| S | Narrow-Grip Pull-Downs | Back (lats, traps, rhomboids) | Rep Max | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | ||||
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Cable Triceps Press-Downs | Triceps | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 12 | 10 | ||||
| S | Cable Triceps Pull-Downs | Triceps | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 12 | 10 | ||||
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Dumbbell Skull Crushers | Triceps | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 10 | N/A | N/A | |||
| S | Single-Arm Rope Push-Downs | Triceps | Rep Max | 15 | 12 | 10 | N/A | N/A | |||
| S | Standing Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks | Biceps | Rep Max | 15 | 15 | 15 | N/A | N/A | |||
| Triceps Bench Dips with Feet on Floor | Triceps | N/A | 25 | 25 | 25 | N/A | N/A | ||||
| Begin Superset | |||||||||||
| S | Flat-Leg Medicine Ball Situps | Abdominals, Core | 10 lb. Ball | 20 | 20 | 20 | N/A | N/A | |||
| S | Hand to Foot Stability Ball Pass | Abdominals, Core | N/A | 20 | 20 | 20 | N/A | N/A | |||
| CARDIO TRAINING | |||||||||||
| Exercise | Time | Overview | |||||||||
| Treadmill | 30 Minutes | Do 30 minutes of jogging on the treadmill 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. Next, 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. |
| Double Dumbbell Rows | Take a dumbbell in each hand and stand upright with your feet roughly hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and bring your shoulders forward until your back is parallel with the floor. To support this position, think of pressing your hips back, so that your weight is over your heels and you are “sitting” slightly to engage your abs. Your arms should now extend straight down toward the floor with palms facing each other. Begin bending your elbows and pulling the dumbbells up and back toward your hips, keeping your elbows close to your body. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed slightly toward each other as you bring the elbows all the way up past your hips, trying to “wrap” your elbows around behind your back. When you have taken your elbows as high as you can, begin lowering the arms back to their extended position, maintaining the resistance in your back muscles, and keeping your abs engaged as your arms lower toward the floor. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Standing Dumbbell Rows (Single-Arm) | Standing as if in mid-stride, lean forward while holding one dumbbell in the hand opposite your forward leg. Keep the palm facing in toward your body, and do not drop your shoulder. Stabilize yourself by resting your free hand on the forward leg. Next, pull the dumbbell back toward your hip, keeping your elbow close to your body. Bring your elbow as far back as possible, allowing your trunk to twist a little. Squeeze the muscle between your shoulder blade and spine. Return toward the starting position, while keeping your lat muscles contracted and your shoulder stationary. Repeat the motion to exhaustion, then rest one minute. Continue with three more sets. |
| Wide Reverse-Grip Pull-Downs | Seat yourself at a cable station beneath a wide neutral-grip bar suspended from the cable. Reach up and grip the bar with palms facing in towards you, hands a little more than shoulder width apart. Next, pull the bar down in front of you and in toward your chest and rib cage. As you pull, keep your chest lifted and your shoulders back; this may cause a slight arch in your lower back. As you pull the bar down, tuck your elbows down and in toward you. When you have pulled the bar to a full flexion through your lats, hold in the fully flexed position for a full second. As you hold, resist the temptation to press your legs against the leg brace—instead, support yourself through your core and upper back. After a second, slowly release the cable back to the starting position, resisting the tug of the weights as you release. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Single-Arm Rope Press-Downs | Hook a single-handled rope attachment to the highest position on the cable machine (you may also use a double-handled rope attachment if you don't have a single-handed attachment; just tie off the second rope so that it doesn't get in your way). Stand facing the machine and take the rope handle in one hand. Stagger your feet with one in front of the other. Allow your other arm to hang down at your side. Next, keep your body tall and your shoulder blades together as you bring your hand directly down beside you, ending with your hand held at your side near your hip. Your elbow should stay held in toward your sides throughout and your upper arm steady and still; make sure your shoulders don’t end up pushing forward and taking over the work. At the bottom of your motion, squeeze and hold for a moment, twisting your palm slightly in toward your body to get a full flexion of the triceps. Reverse direction and allow your arm to return to the starting position—but don’t let your arm come above a right angle through your elbow. Do a full set with one arm, and then switch the rope handle to the other hand and do another set. |
| Standing Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks | Stand and bend over at the hips with a dumbbell in each hand. Your back should be flat, your neck in line with your spine, and your knees bent, with feet pointing forward at hip-distance apart. Keeping your elbows high above the line of your back, extend your elbows so that you straighten your arm. Your hands should remain in the same orientation throughout the movement, with palms facing inward. From the extended position, bend your elbows again to return to the starting position. As you do the kickbacks, keep your upper arm still so that your elbows stay high; the entire motion should focus on the extension and flexion at the elbow joint. Be especially careful to keep your back flat by maintaining a stable core. |
| Triceps Bench Dips with Feet on Floor | Sit on the long edge of a flat bench, with your hands at your sides on the bench you're sitting on and your fingers facing your feet. Place your feet on the floor in front of you so your knees are a little more than a right angle. The smaller the angle, the easier the exercise will be. Grip the bench with your fingers and tuck your chin down a bit toward your chest. Engage your arms and lift yourself off the bench so that you are being held up by your hands on one bench and the heels of your feet. Next, lean your upper body forward slightly and slowly lower your butt down so that it goes a little beneath the bench you are sitting on. You should feel the stretch and work in your triceps as you lower diagonally down. When you reach the bottom of the dip, reverse the motion and push your body back up to starting position. When you reach the starting position you have completed one repetition. |
| Flat-Leg Medicine Ball Sit-ups | Lie on your back on the floor with your legs extended and a medicine ball held in both hands above you. Extend your arms toward the ceiling so that your arms are perpendicular to the floor and the medicine ball is directly over your upper chest. Next, engage your abs by bringing your belly button toward your spine. Do not tip your pelvis upward. From that engaged position, begin lifting your shoulders off the floor in a sit-up, taking your arms forward as your upper body rises. Your legs should remain flat. Do not fling your upper body upward, nor grab through your lower back. Instead, think of peeling your shoulders off the floor from your center, and try to feel that the medicine ball is pulling you from above. Come as close as you can to sitting upright, with your arms extended forward and your legs still flat on the floor. From the top of the motion, reverse direction and lower back to the starting position. Control this downward movement using your abs—but make sure you use your lower abs, not just the area up by your rib cage. Be careful that the bottom part of the motion doesn’t happen more quickly than the top part; you want to lower yourself at a continuous pace. |
| Hand to Foot Stability Ball Pass | Lie on the floor on your back. Hold a stability ball between your feet with your legs extended out along the floor and place both arms over your head. Next, raise your legs up over your body as you raise your arms to meet your feet. At the top of your motion, where your hands meet your feet, transfer the ball to your hands. With the ball now in your hands, lower your legs as you lower your arms back to the floor behind your head. Continue to transfer the ball between hands and feet for 20 repetitions (totaling 10 with the feet and 10 with the hands). Breathe regularly throughout the movement; exhale as your legs and arms rise, inhale as you lower them. Your lower back should remain against the mat throughout the exercise. |
| EXERCISE IMAGES |
 |
Photo Credit: Nicolas Smith
