110

Ph

oto

gr

aP

he

r’s

Na

me

TRAINING

RockHaRd

By Joe WueBBen | PHoToS By Pavel yTHJall Program By Jimmy Peña, mS, CSCS

In Month 2 of our challenge, you’ll make even more gains in size, strength and definition

Month

2

tRain ing

$2,500

grand prize

for the male and

female cham

ps!

MrolyMpIa.coM 111

112 MUSclE&FITNESS July 2008

gy

m:

Po

we

rh

ou

se

Bu

rB

aN

k,

Ca

; h

air

& m

ak

eu

P:

gil

lia

N w

hit

loC

k;

fas

hio

N d

ire

Cto

r:

CiN

dy

wh

ite

he

ad

a

PPa

re

l: (

oN

him

) s

ho

rts

By

as

iCs

, s

ho

es

By

Nik

e;

(oN

he

r)

toP

By

Ch

am

Pio

N,

sh

or

ts &

sh

oe

s B

y N

ike

MUSclE-FITNESS.coM 113

roCk-Hard BreakdoWnYour training split in Month 2 will be the same as it was in Month 1, lifting four days a week, as follows: Day 1, chest and triceps; Day 2, legs, abs and calves; Day 3, shoulders, abs and calves; and Day 4, back and biceps. But as far as other training variables are con-cerned, we’ve switched things up enough to keep your body guessing without overcomplicating the pro-gram. Here’s a rundown of what has changed in Month 2:>> Exercise Selection The Rock-Hard program’s emphasis will still be on basic compound exercises that hit the most muscle and burn the most calories, but for the sake of variety and promoting a well-rounded program, we’ve introduced some new move-ments. For example, Day 1 in Month 1 centered around barbell presses for chest, but in Month 2 you’ll do all dumbbell moves (flat bench, incline and decline). This will help eliminate any imbalances in one side or the other, and you’ll find you can get a better stretch on each rep. In all, 14 new exer-cises are introduced in Month 2.>> Sets, Reps and Weights Volume will increase in Month 2 only slightly, which shouldn’t surprise you, seeing as how it was pretty high to begin with. Workloads in Month 1 ranged from

(Continued on page 118)

you should have just about four weeks of the rock-Hard Challenge under your belt by now. Month 1 has begun to elicit some positive changes in your physique, and now it’s time to build on those improvements with some program upgrades. Fortunately, these next four weeks won’t be drastically different from the first four, so your basic schedule won’t change much. That said, you’ll increase the number of sets you do, train more intensely and do more cardio. That’ll help you make even more improvements to your physique this month, and we’re here to guide you along that path, via both the magazine you hold in your hands and the Rock-Hard Challenge DVD and Training Log you can purchase at musclestuff.com. Keep up the good work.>> Begin with the back of your upper arm flush against the pad of either a preacher bench or the top of an incline bench and your elbow bent. Extend your working arm to slowly lower the dumbbell. Just before reaching full extension, curl the weight back up, keeping your upper arm against the pad. repeat for reps, then switch arms.

>> ABOVE Sit in the middle of a flat bench and grasp a bar-bell with an underhand grip, hands about 6 inches apart. Bend over at the waist and place the backs of your fore-arms on the bench with your hands and wrists extended over the edge. Keeping your arms stationary, flex your wrists as far as possible to lift the bar toward your upper arms using a short range of motion.

>> BELOW position yourself in the machine so your back is flat against the pad and grasp the handles for stability. push the weight away from you, then slide your feet to the bottom of the plat-form so your heels hang off. Flex your ankles to stretch your calves, then press on the platform with your toes. Squeeze at the top, then return.

A B

A B

114 MUSclE&FITNESS July 2008

A B

>> ABOVE lie facedown on the bench and stabilize yourself by grasping the handles. Start with your legs straight and the weight lifted a few inches off the stack. Flex your knees to curl your lower legs. When the pad reaches your glutes, squeeze your hamstrings for a count, then slowly lower to the start position.

>> BELOW Stand facing a cable stack and take a shoulder-width grip either on a straight-bar attachment or with two handles. Begin with your arms extended (but not locked) out in front of you and parallel to the floor. contract your lats while keeping your arms straight to pull your hands down to your thighs.

MrolyMpIa.coM 117116 MUSclE&FITNESS Month 2008

>> Stand holding a barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Bend at the waist so your torso is between 45 degrees and par-allel to the floor. Start with your arms extended, then pull the bar up, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.

>> lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor and your hands placed lightly behind your head. contract your abs to do a crunch with your upper body while simultaneously lifting your feet off the floor so that your elbows and knees meet over your midsection.

DAy 1: chest, tricepsExERciSE SEtS REpSchESTIncline Dumbbell press 6 5,5,5,12,12,15Dumbbell press 5 5,5,5,12,15Decline Dumbbell press 5 5,5,5,12,15Decline Flye 2 15TrIcEpSclose-Grip Bench press 5 5,5,12,15,15Bench Dip 5 5,5,12,15,15Seated overhead 5 5,5,12,15,15 Dumbbell Extension

DAy 2: legs, abs, calvesExERciSE SEtS REpSlEGSSquat 6 5,5,5,12,15,15leg press 5 5,5,12,15,15romanian Deadlift 5 5,5,12,15,15leg Extension 2 15lying leg curl 2 15aBSWeighted crunch 2 20Double crunch 2 20calvEScalf raise 2 15Seated Dumbbell calf raise 2 12

DAy 3: Shoulders, abs, calvesExERciSE SEtS REpSShoUlDErSUpright row 7 5,5,5,12,15,15,15Smith Machine overhead press 5 5,5,12,12,15Seated lateral raise 4 5,5,12,15Bent-over lateral raise 2 12aBSWeighted crunch 2 20Double crunch 2 20calvEScalf raise 2 15Seated Dumbbell calf raise 2 12

DAy 4: Back, biceps/forearmsExERciSE SEtS REpSBacKBent-over row 5 5,5,12,12,15lat pulldown 3 5,5,15Seated row 5 5,5,12,12,15Straight-arm pulldown 2 15Barbell Shrug 5 5,5,12,12,15BIcEpS/ForEarMSStanding Dumbbell curl 5 5,5,12,15,15hammer curl 4 5,5,15,15Dumbbell preacher curl 5 5,5,12,15,15Wrist curl 2 15

A

B

Month

2CHallengeTrainingProgram

RockHaRd

>> you’ll repeat the follow-ing routines each week for the next four weeks, lifting on whichever four days of the week you choose. While it would seem the workouts are the same from week to week, if you’re pushing yourself, you should be able to use heavier weights on many exercises each week.

>> position yourself as you would on the bench press, but grasp the bar (loaded with a lighter weight) with your hands 6–12 inches apart. lower the bar to your mid-to-lower chest, then press it back up explosively, keeping your elbows as close to your sides as possible.

118 MUSclE&FITNESS July 2008

>> Rest periods Although volume increases and you’ll go heavier on some sets compared to Month 1, rest periods will shrink from the 1–2 minutes they were in the first four weeks to one min-ute between all sets in the next four weeks. Taking shorter rest periods will increase the intensity of your work-outs and keep your heart rate elevated for better fat-burning potential. >> cardio By the end of Month 1, you were doing four days a week of cardio for 45 minutes per session. You’ll stay at 45 minutes in Month 2, but after the next two weeks you’ll up it to five days a week (see “Cardio” above). You’ll also increase intensity right off the bat, up to 70% of your max heart rate, whereas in Month 1 you maxed out at 65%.>> Up Next… Things won’t get any easier next month, but you’ve got your hands full here in Month 2. Take the program one day and one workout at a time and you’ll be fine. By the end of this second month, you’ll see that you’re much closer to reaching your goal of looking better than ever. M&F

>> Grasp a pair of dumbbells and bend over at the waist so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. let your arms hang straight down, elbows extended, keeping your chest up and back flat. Simultaneously lift the dumbbells in an arc out to your sides until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor.

A

B

To download a pDF of Month 1, go to muscleandfitness.com. To share your progress with other readers or ask our fitness director a question, go to muscleandfitness.com/boards. To purchase the rock-hard challenge DvD, go to musclestuff.com

noW aT m&F online

CardioWeeks 1 & 2>> 4 days per week (either after lifting or on days you don’t lift)>> 45 minutes on your choice of cardio equipment>> perform at a steady state of 70% of maximum heart rate

Weeks 3 & 4>> 5 days per week (either after lifting or on days you don’t lift)>> 45 minutes on your choice of cardio equipment>> perform at a steady state of 70% of maximum heart rate

13–17 total sets for large muscle groups; this month it will range from 18–20. Rep ranges are also a bit different in Month 2, but again, only subtly. Your reps will be as low as five and as high as 15 (except for abs, where you’ll reach 20 reps); in Month 1, the range was 6–12. The philosophy is the same — combine heavy and light training to build muscle and burn fat — but the range will be slightly broader.

Month 2 steps up the intensity — and the results

>> record your workouts on this log. When you’re done with Month 2, mail it to M&F’s rock-hard challenge, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland hills, ca 91367 by Sept. 30, 2008, to be eligible for the grand prize.

m&F RockHaRd cHaLLEngE TRAINING LOG

record your weights used in the corresponding blanks. please see the official contest rules on page 244.

Month

2DAy 1: chest, tricepsExErcISE SETS rEpS WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4chEStIncline Dumbbell press 6 5,5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Dumbbell press 5 5,5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Decline Dumbbell press 5 5,5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Decline Flye 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _tRicEpSclose-Grip Bench press 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bench Dip 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Seated overhead 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dumbbell Extension

DAy 2: legs, abs, calvesExErcISE SETS rEpS WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4LEgSSquat 6 5,5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _leg press 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _romanian Deadlift 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _leg Extension 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _lying leg curl 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ABSWeighted crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Double crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _cALVEScalf raise 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Seated Dumbbell calf raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

DAy 3: Shoulders, abs, calvesExErcISE SETS rEpS WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4ShOULDERSUpright row 7 5,5,5,12,15,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Smith Machine overhead press 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Seated lateral raise 4 5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bent-over lateral raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ABSWeighted crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Double crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _cALVEScalf raise 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Seated Dumbbell calf raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

DAy 4: Back, biceps/forearmsExErcISE SETS rEpS WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4BAckBent-over row 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _lat pulldown 3 5,5,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Seated row 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Straight-arm pulldown 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Barbell Shrug 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _BicEpS/FOREARMSStanding Dumbbell curl 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _hammer curl 4 5,5,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Dumbbell preacher curl 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Wrist curl 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

NaME

aDDrESS

cITy STaTE ZIp

E-MaIl phoNE aGE MalE/FEMalE

120 MUSclE&FITNESS August 2008