Tom Venuto's BodybuildingSecrets.com - Post Exhausting Pecs And Arms Arnold-Style!

Post Exhausting Pecs And Arms Arnold-Style!

Tom Venuto, CSCS, CPT

Tuesday, July 19th, 2005. 74 days and counting. Time for some new chest and bicep exercises and superset combinations… gotta keep those muscles guessing what’s coming next! (hopefully they’ll guesss wrong!

BACK

A1 Chest Press Machine (seated/horizontal): 2 light warmup sets; set 1: 180 lbs X 15 reps; set 1: 200 lbs X 10 “one and a half” reps; set 3: 220 lbs X 8 negative emphasis reps X 8011 tempo + 2 forced negatives, use foot pedal for assistance
A2 Pec Deck Flyes - Icarian machine: 3 sets X 140 lbs X 15 reps; no rest between exercises A1-A2, 60 seconds rest between supersets
B1 Hammer Strength isolateral Incline Press: 3 sets X 70 lbs per side (1 plate + quarters) X 4022 tempo (strict)
B2 Cable Crossovers: 3 sets X 70 lbs X 12-15 reps; no rest between exercises B1-B2, 60 seconds rest between supersets

BICEPS

A1Seated Dumbbell Curl (curl both same time): 1 set X 25 lbs X 10 (warm up); 1 set X 35 lbs X 8 (warm up); 3 sets by 55 lbs X 12, 10, 9 reps, last set - down the rack drop set 55lbs, 50lbs, 45lbs, 40lbs, 35 lbs, 30 lbs X 5-6 reps per weight
B1 Dumbbell Concentration curl: 3 sets X 35 lbs X 12, 10, 10 reps
C1 2 dumbbell hammer curls: 3 sets X 40 lbs X 12, 12, 10 reps, loose
C2 Rope hammer curls from low pulley: *No rest between exercises; 60 seconds rest between supersets; repeat superset total of 3 times

FOREARMS

A1 barbell behind back wrist curl: 3 sets X 175 lbs X 15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps, hold bar until fatigue after each set.
2 dumbbell seated wrist curl: 3 sets X 40 lbs X 12 reps; *No rest between exercises; 60 seconds rest between supersets; repeat superset total of 3 times

ABS (P.M. separate session with cardio)

A1 Weighted Crunches: 3 sets X 25 lbs X 25 reps, strict
B1 Swiss Ball side flexion (side crunch): 3 sets X bodyweight X 25 reps, strict
C1 Hip lift (“toes to sky”): 3 sets X bodyweight X 25 reps, strict

Workout Commentary

For the past several weeks I’ve been using primarily dumbbells for chest training with some Smith machine presses. Been using a lot of supersets and a quick pace (not speed of reps, but short rest intervals, in order to overload the muscles without requiring a lot of weight (which would stress the pec injury). Hasn’t been a problem… supersets have been working well for me and that’s what I did again today, only I switched up the exercises.

As I’ve been doing the past several weeks, I chose 4 exericses and performed them quicky in two pairs of supersets. Weights were relatively light, but between strict form and short rest intervals it got the job done well.

I used a technique today called “post-exhaust” supersets, where I select a compound exercise first (such as the chest press machine or the hammer strength isolateral incline chest press machine), and then follow it immediately with an isolation such as pec deck flyes or cable crossovers. This is the opposite of the popular pre-exhaust method and it’s a nice change-up that combines a basic heavy movement with a pump movement.

For biceps I started with heavy seated dumbbell curls, curling both dumbbells at the same time. These were done semi strict, with form loosening slightly on last few reps. I find doing them together much harder than alternating. Since one arm gets time to rest while the other is curling during alternate curls, you can usually use more weight with that variation. I make it a point to use both, unless I am intentionally working on keeping the workout pace fast, then I avoid alternating and unilateral work to save time.

Next it was on to dumbbell concentration curls, Arnold style. If you don’t know what that is, then you must simply go and rent or buy PUMPING IRON, the movie. You MUST watch that movie at least 25 times… and you must memorize all the key lines (there will be a test!)… Go… Now.. Watch… It’s a requirement (for initiation into this “brotherhood”!)… you are a newbie novice until you have done as I command! :-)

I finished up biceps/brachialis with hammer curls supersetted with rope hammer curls. Heavy on the hammers, super strict on the rope. This is a great combination. Try this one! Watch your arms EX-PLODE!

last but not least, I came back at night for abs and 45 minutes of cardio. Still doing cardio once a day, usually 40-45 minutes steady, moderately hard (as hard as I can maintain it for that long)

Until next time, train hard, think big, expect success, be unstoppable and become better than you were yesterday!

Posted 18 July, 2005 in Workouts

Comments

Jessica Britt said:

Thanks for introducing the "post exhaust" supersets. I never heard of them before. I need to work on switching up my routines. I'm still new on that. Keep up the awesome progress! I have seen Pumping Iron, but yeah, I'll to watch it again, again, and again!!! :-)

Posted on Jul 24, 2005 02:57 PM