Guys I just killed this workout and I feel like I need to share it with the world, you know, like telling everybody you did Crossfit last night. jk
I’m in the middle of a war with my lower back and I refuse to stop working out so I made a routine to keep progressing while doing my rehab work.
I’ve never focused on the bench press and since I will not be deadlifting or back squating for a while I feel like this is a good time to focus on it.
The main goals of this routine are 1) improving my bench and 2) increasing leg mass and conditioning, which will eventually help me when I come back to back squats and deadlifts.
The Split:
Monday: Bench, Back
Tuesday: Legs, Biceps, Abs, Calves
Wednesday: Shoulders, Triceps (Isolation)
Thursday: Legs, Biceps, Abs, Calves
Friday: Chest (hypertrophy), Back
Saturday: Leg, Abs, Calves
Sunday: Rest
In Detail:
Monday: Bench, Back
I don’t wanna load my lower back so I will do Chest Supported Rows, Chin Ups, Pulldowns and some light Seated Cable Rows.
Tuesday: Legs, Biceps, Abs, Calves
Front Squats 8×8
Leg Extensions 8×8 (4 sets bilateral, 4 sets unilateral alternating)
Barbell Curls 8×8 (don’t go to failure)
Incline Db Curls 8×8 (4 sets bilateral, 4 sets unilateral alternating) (lower the weight if you need to)
Decline Bench Sit Ups 8×8 (going down in weight) (practice staying rigid, this will help when you are doing the power lifts)
Rope Cable Crunches 4×16 (now focus on contraction, think of the arms as just hooks)
“Rhythm” Calf Raises 4×32 (8 elastic, 16 raise, 8 elastic) (This is an idea that I got from a program to improve the vertical jump and applied it to calf training. Basically, you will bounce the first 8 reps, letting your heels go down fast and exploding onto your toes, then you will do 16 strict raises, and then finish with 8 bouncing reps again to overload your calves. This will kill your them. And it will also help develop that elastic component required for jumping and similar explosive movements.
Seated Calf Raises 4×16 (No bounce, focus on moving the weight. Your calves are already exhausted, no need to cheat.)
Wednesday: Shoulders, Triceps (Mostly isolation)
Thursday: Legs, Biceps, Abs, Calves
I warm up with some Globet Squats with mini jumps and Single Leg Hip Thrusts on the Swiss Ball
When I said I would stop deadlifting I meant I’m going to switch from conventional to Sumo Deadlifts to give my lower back a break.
The other workout is quad dominant so this one will focus on using the hamstrings and my glutes on the sumo while getting some blood to the quads without taxing them hard again.
I will start with Lying Leg Curls to pre-activate my hams. Seated leg curls are superior but my gym doesn’t have one of those.
Leg Curls 2×8 (nothing too heavy, leave something in the tank)
Block Sumo Deadlifts 8×8 (glute contraction is my main focus here as they are a weakness that is causing some of my lower back problems)
Abductors 4×16 (Seriously, Sumo Deadlifts hit these muscles well and I never use these machines so why not train them a bit while I’m at it.)
Adductors 4×16
Single Leg Curls 2×16 (to finish with a good pump on the hamstrings and make sure both legs get hit equally)
Spider Ez Curls 8×8 (do the first 4 sets using a wide grip, the last 4 sets using a close grip, don’t go to failure, lower the weight if you need to)
Machine Preacher Curls 4×16
Swiss Ball Weighted Crunches 4×16 (focus on contracting your TVA)
Machine Standing Calf Raises 4×16
BW Donkey Calf Raises (light work, focus on the stretch and contraction)
Calf Stretches (finish with some static and dynamic stretches for the calves that also target your hamstrings)
The deadlifts are performed with the same weight every set. Adjust the weight accordingly for the other assistance exercises)
I will not go to failure on any of these exercises. I will use a weight that I can manage to rep 8 times and if I can’t I will get a partner to assist me on the concentric part. No cheating, strict form (” “).
I’m thinking of doing some light, long distance Prowler Pulls as a night workout to take the conditioning of my posterior chain further without taxing my CNS too much and burn some fat before bed. Maybe some pushing too.
Friday: Chest (hypertrophy), Back
Saturday: Leg, Abs, Calves
Same as Tuesday.
Sunday: Rest
The 8×8 sets are working sets, do your warm up sets first.
I think it was Vince Gironda who made this 8×8 thing famous. He was strong on this scheme’s effectiveness and it worked for him and the other bodybuilders he was coaching. He was a pioneer focusing on aesthetics over size and he had Arnold and a few other famous bodybuilders doing these splits for a while back in the golden era (of bodybuilding).
This is a lot of volume but I won’t be doing this for long and I’m used to high volume.
I’m posting the split so you have an idea of how you can schedule the leg workouts but you can do them just twice per week if you want. The thing here is the leg workouts by themselves, not the split.
It will help if you have any mass or strength plateaus, spice things up a bit and also help you burn fat. It can also be a relief if you have been training heavy for a while thus preventing injuries in the future and preparing your lower body to go heavy again.
The 4 x 16, 32 is just a numbers thing to go with the 8×8, I want my numbers to look pretty. I may have OCD, I don’t know.
To continue working with even numbers, rest periods will be 2-4 minutes as needed.
I want to have giant quads, hams and glutes someday. Something like Dan Green’s.
Boom goes the dynamite
I want to have giant quads / hams / glutes someday. Something like Dan Green’s.
Okay, maybe a little less.
This is an experimental routine, I don’t always workout like this.
This is the first personal workout I post here, hope you like it.
Try it and let me know.
*Final Note: I wouldn’t recommend this routine for a girl unless you’re somewhat experienced. Stay tuned for new workouts that will be posted soon specially designed for you, meanwhile you can check.
