This Is A 5-Star Shoulder Workout!: Tom Venuto's Bodybuilding Secrets Blog

This Is A 5-Star Shoulder Workout!

Tom Venuto

Tuesday, June 28th, 2005. 8:00 A.M. 93 days and counting. Empire Fitness Club. Hoboken, New Jersey. Shoulders & Triceps day. It was one of those workouts where the burn felt like it was “deep down” in the muscle fibers, and it didn’t dissipate between sets. The pump was “other-worldly.” The day after this workout (I usually write these blogs on a 24 hour delay so I can give “the day after” report), my front, side and rear delts had deep delayed-onset muscle soreness—the “good” kind of pain that’s a sign of a growth-inducing workout. Most importantly, my delts looked markedly improved… yes, from ONE single workout! Wanna know how I grow new muscle after a single workout? Read on (if you dare)…

Here were today’s exercises, sets, reps and weights:

DELTOIDS

A1 Seated 2 Dumbbell Front Raise: 3 sets X 30 lbs X 12 reps, 11 reps, 8 reps pause 10 sec, 5 more reps
A2 Seated Dumbbell Side lateral raise: Set 1: 30 lbs X 9 reps + 3 forced reps X 2010 tempo; Set 2: 30 lbs X 8 reps + 2 forced reps, drop to 25 lbs X 6 reps + 2 forced reps X 2010; Set 3: 30 lbs X 6 reps + 3 forced reps, drop to 25 lbs X 6 reps + 3 forced reps, drop to 15 lbs for partner “push down” negatives (resist against partner) X 5 reps, then rep out with 15 lbs 1010 tempo
B1 Seated Dumbbell Press: 1 set X 70 lbs X 10 reps X 3020
B2 Seated “W Press” (press with neutral/palms facing grip): 1 set X 40 lbs X 10 reps X 2020
C1 Seated Dumbbell Press: 1 set X 65 lbs X 10 reps
C2 Arnold Presses (rotate hands; supinate to pronate while pressing up): 1 set X 40 lbs X 8 reps
D1 Seated Dumbbell Press: 1 set X 65 lbs X 9 reps
D2 Alternating Dumbbell Presses (left-right-left): 1 set X 40 lbs X 8 reps each arm
E1 Rear Delt Machine (reverse Pec Dec flyes): 3 sets X 120 lbs X 15, 14, 12 reps X 3012 tempo, last set, drop weight to 90 for 8 more reps

TRICEPS

A1 Seated Tricep Bar French Press (Behind Head tricep extension): 3 sets X 80 lbs X 12 reps, 10 reps, 9 reps + 3 forced reps X 3121 tempo
A2 2 Dumbbell Tricep Kickback: 3 sets X 30 lbs X 12 reps, 12 reps, 12 reps X 2011 tempo
B1 Lying EZ-Bar tricep extension (Multi-angle tri-set): 2 sets X 85 lbs X 6 reps per angle:; a) bar to chin; b) bar to forehead; c) bar behind head

Workout Commentary

In this session, you’ll see the usual “cast of characters” in my pre-contest workouts: supersets, forced reps, drop sets, tempo manipulation, pre-exhaustion and multiple angles of attacking each muscle (all kinds of “fun” stuff… well… at least it’s MY idea of fun!). Workouts with this intensity level are NOT for everyone. This is contest-level training for advanced (“insane?”) bodybuilders.

By the way, sorry we got no pics of this workout (will have some next time, promise), so instead, I posted a few old shots of me from backstage at my last contest (September 2001)

Supersets are among my all time favorite bodybuilding techniques. When it comes to choosing the exercise combinations within supersets, sometimes I think it through very carefully in advance, and other times I “accidentally stumble” on two exercises that work great together in a pair. When I find them, I’m always sure to record them in my journal so I can come back and use that combo again in the future. I’ve got notebooks and computer files full of these “killer” workouts and exercise combinations (don’t ask for them… sorry… classified… top secret … at least for now!)

5 star workouts are simply part of my workout rating (“quantification”) system. First, I score the productivity and intensity of all my workouts on a scale from 1 to 10 and log it in my training journal. After several sessions on a particular workout routine, I rate that routine on a scale from 1 to 5 stars (My ultimate goal being to have “10” workouts using “5-star” routines!)

If a new routine ranks a 1 or 2, it gets tossed into the garbage immediately. If it ranks a 3 or 4 it goes back onto the “drawing board” and I rework it to see if it can be modified and boosted to a 5. If the second variation doesn’t get a 5, goodbye, it’s dumped into the trash bin too. If it ranks a 5, then the program goes into my book of “5 star workouts” and I come back to it many times over the years when I need specialization on that bodypart. For a routine to make it into my 5 star workout book (It’s like my “secret playbook”), it has to be a tested and proven growth producer. (remember that Larry Scott Bicep workout a few blogs ago?… yup… 5 stars all the way!

The best part of this routine was the variation from using all the different types of dumbbell presses supersetted together and also the intensity techniques on the lateral raises. The partner assisted negatives on lateral raises ROCKED! Normally, the bottom of the range of motion on a dumbbell lateral raise provides little to no resistance (all the deltoid “action” is at the top). Having a training partner push down on your arms in that lower range of motion adds a whole new element to the dumbbell lateral raise exercise. You can’t get that kind of resistance without cables, and even then, cables can’t vary the resistance to match your strength output like a partner can. Used judiciously, this method can add some serious “half-a-bowling-ball caps” on your medial deltoids fast! (and wide deltoids = optical illusion of a smaller waist, even if waist size doesn’t decrease!)

The pre-exhaustion (order of exercises) had an interesting effect too. Most people hit their heavy compound movements first, and that makes sense during a strength phase. But the body gets used to that in time, just like everything else, and for hypertrophy training, there’s no rule saying you can’t do your laterals (isolation exercise) before your presses (compound exercise). It limits your poundages on the compound exercise (I only used 65’s & 70’s on presses today), but it really blasts the pre-exhausted deltoids beyond the point they would normally fatigue, by recruiting the still-fresh triceps to keep pushing those dumbbells up.

The rear deltoid workout wasn’t anything special, or particularly intense - we had the bent over dumbbell lateral superset planned, but decided to switch to the machine instead to go easy on my low back. Triceps was the same routine as last week, but with more weight. All in all, today’s workout was kick-ass! Gotta give it a 9. I’m definitely going to stick with this shoulder routine for a few more sessions, gradually pushing up the poundages each time. Watch the progression as you follow along in the coming weeks…. Always moving forward… Always a higher level.

Cardio is still 30 minutes once a day on the stairmaster, usually in a separate session from lifting, later in the day (except for non lifting days, when I have now started doing my cardio at 6:30 am before my first meal. Today’s session was level 7, perceived exertion: 6, heart rate: 144, calories burned: 447. Gradually pushing a little harder and burning more calories at each session. Cardio is progressive, just as the lifting is.

Tomorrow is an off-lifting day, (cardio only), so I’ll use tomorrow’s blog to tell you what I’m eating now and how that will change over the coming weeks as the contest gets closer. You won’t want to miss that!

Until then, train hard and remember, you have more potential than you ever dreamed possible, so aim high and keep reaching for that next level!

Published on 28 June, 2005

Comments

Sean said:

Hi Tom,

Good to see you're still going hard. This is one workout I might have to try next time. My shoulders are one bodypart that are never sore the next day. I always assumed that it was because they were too small or something. Now I know different. :D

Sean

Posted on Jun 30, 2005 08:12 PM

Pamela said:

Hi Tom,

This is a great site and your books (Fit Over 40 and Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle) are wonderful! I am a trainer and highly recommend your books. BFFM was one of the first things I read to motivate me to get my butt in gear. Your emphasis on getting your mind in a positive state is right on. I have personally found that to be the most important factor to get right to make progress in the gym and kitchen.

Let me know when your 5 star workout book comes out!

Pamela

Posted on Jul 01, 2005 08:05 AM

Shawn Kaminski said:

Tom,

Any plan to use drop-sets in addition to or in place of supersets? I read one of your articles that praised drop-sets and I just started incorporating them into my workouts. They definitely seem to be working!

Shawn

Posted on Jul 01, 2005 12:56 PM

Tom Venuto said:

Drop sets are great. I use drop sets and supersets in almost every workout, especially before competition. Be cautious about over-using the intensity techniques, however. A little bit can go a long way, and not everyone has the recovery ability that I do.

Posted on Jul 01, 2005 05:57 PM

FP said:

Hey Tom,

I am a bit confused with your exercise tempos. I have only ever seen a (3) digit tempo scheme (Eccentric, Static, Concentric).

Is the (4) digit tempo a personal variation of yours or have I missed something in my studies?

(my brain can only handle so many numbers, ya know?)

Just curious....

Posted on Jul 02, 2005 07:13 AM

Tom Venuto said:

I prefer to quantify the eccentric, stretch, concentric, and contraction.

For example:

4030 tempo =

4 = 4 second eccentric (negative/lower wt)
0 = 0 second pause in stretch pos (bottom)
3 = 3 second concentric (positive/lift wt)
0 = 0 second pause in contract pos (top)

Tempo can change everything. A 1010 tempo is an up and down piston like tempo that allows momentum. The moment you make the concentric slower, like 2 or 3 seconds, that indicates a strict rep where momentum has been removed. Slow negatives of course, are a very popular technique. What most people miss entirely is the value of manipulating the pause in the stretch and or contracted position. What about a standing calf raise? Would you want no pause in the contracted position or would you want to experiment with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 second squeezes at the top? Try it and see for yourself. Compare a reverse grip lat pulldown with a 2 second pause in the stretch position under heavy load versus piston like reps with no pause in the stretch or contracted position. You'll discover that it's not even the same exercise!

Posted on Jul 04, 2005 03:09 PM

FP said:

Hey Tom,

Thanks for the explanation...

I like that specification of each component that you make.

I have often done exactly what you advise there....I just never thought to change the the tempo scheme.

I guess I am not the out-of-the-box thinker I thought I was!

Great insight my man, Thanks....

Posted on Jul 06, 2005 04:08 PM

A.J. said:

Tom,
First time on your site, 5-star in my book! last two weeks nothing but PUMPS,
PAIN, BURNS!
Thanks, A.J.

Posted on Nov 13, 2006 12:16 PM