Intense Workout
- Chest & Back Emphasis -
WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)
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| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Arm Barbell Overcoming Isometric Row | #1 & #2 | 4 | 5,4,3,3 per side | 90-120" | 8,9,9,10,10 | 2-4" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
Although overcoming isometrics are typically performed in a bilateral fashion you can also perform them unilaterally using a barbell. With this in mind, if you're looking for an incredibly intense back & lat exercise to create post activation potentiation (increased neural drive, improved neuromuscular efficiency, & enhanced power output), try using this single arm overcoming isometric bent over barbell row.
The harder you pull against the pins, not only does this increase the motor unit recruitment throughout the back & lats, but your core must work overtime to resist rotation & stay square to the floor. You can use a variety of heights although the mid range height or slightly below produces an incredibly potent combination of tension & stretch that’s likely to be a good growth stimulator.
With this specific combination you're actually using a relatively moderate weight (50-70% of 1RM) rather than a lighter load/empty bar. This helps to ensure a degree of eccentric overload, pre stretch, & muscle spindle activation that normally wouldn't occur if you simply used a light load or pulled against a fixed object.
The goal is to pull against the immovable pins with maximal effort. As you pull you should feel the muscles around the upper back activate to a greater & greater extent each passing second until it peaks at 3-5 sec. At that point perform the eccentric motion to activate muscles spindles/intrafusal muscle fibers & pre-stretch the working muscles, which has been shown to decrease the onset of fatigue & improve kinesthetic awareness/proprioception. As a result the lifter is able to maintain higher quality of movement & higher power output on subsequent reps without excessive fatigue being the limiting factor.
OPTION #2
The rack pull is one of the most simple yet effective movements for crushing the entire upper back and traps. Although the movement is produced through the hips, the upper back must remain incredibly tense throughout in order to support the heavy load. The combination of tension and stretch make it highly effective for inducing muscle growth in the trapezius and upper back muscles.
Here I'm performing a band resisted rack pull from above the knees with 365 pounds of free weights and 150-200 pounds of band tension. Performing rack pulls at this height with accommodating resistance is a great way to build functional strength and mass throughout the entire body especially the upper back, lats, low back, glutes, hamstrings, traps, forearms, and more. Read more HERE.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landmine Chest Press | #1 & #2 | 3 | 4-5 per side | 60-90" | 9-10 | 2-3" |
Option #1
Option #2 (Kettlebells or Dumbbells)
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OPTION #1
The landmine chest press is one of the most underrated horizontal pressing movements. Not only does the use of the fat grip/barbell sleeve produce a greater level of shoulder packing & joint centration (due to increased irradiation) but the rotational instability of the landmine forces the lifter to stabilize their glenohumeral joint even further. The single arm floor press in conjunction with the landmine produces significant rotational forces that the lifter must resist. As a result this not only crushes the chest, shoulders, & triceps, but it also the core & abs.
Although you can face away from the landmine anchor I find that facing towards it as shown here maximizes shoulder packing as the angle of push is slightly forward. This further helps depress the scapula & eliminates excessive shoulder elevation that commonly occurs during the concentric phase of chest presses. In addition, this angle of press involves a very slight decline resulting in greater stimulation of the middle & lower pectoral fibers while minimizing the emphasis on the shoulders. However, facing away from the landmine hits more of the upper chest (incline press).
OPTION #2
Here I'm performing side 1 of the most brutal chest press ever. It’s for this reason I nicknamed it the “Impossible Chest Press”. This represents the epitome of full body activation & oblique sling firing patterns as I use a 30 lb kettlebell .
Here’s how to regress from most basic to most advanced.
Double Arm Plank Row (2 benches & one arm on each).
Double Arm Plank Row & Single Leg.
Single Arm Plank Row & Double Leg.
Single Arm Plank Row & Single Leg.
Single Arm Plank Row with Dumbbell Press on 2 legs.
Single Arm Plank Row with Dumbbell Press on Single Leg.
Single Arm Plank Row with Kettlebell Press on Double Leg.
Single Arm Plank Row with Kettlebell Press on Single Leg (Impossible Press).
These target just about every biomotor capability in existence including full body stability, motor control, postural alignment, mobility, symmetry, rotary stability, lumbopelvic hip control, foot & ankle activation, shoulder stabilization, core activation, & t-spine mobility.
I recommend starting with longitudinal bench (1.0 version) instead of latitudinal as I show here (the 2.0) as you’ll have more bench to work with. With oblique slings activation patterns, the harder the right arm fires into the bench, the more the lat fires creating greater contralateral glute activation & oblique activation in the left side. Additionally the harder the right hip flexor drives into flexion, the harder the chest fires during the press as is the nature of the contralateral firing & reciprocal activation patterns associated with oblique slings.
To perform these successfully you’ll need to use eccentric isometrics. Furthermore unless you’ve been consistently training with eccentric isometrics you will truly find these impossible as EI’s allow you to fine-tune body mechanics to the point you can do any & all movements including “impossible exercises”.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanging Trap Bar RDL & Row | #3 & #4 | 3 | 2+2+2 (see notes) | 60-90" | 8-9 | 2-3" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
NOTE: The 2+2+2 protocol indicates the lifter should perform 2 rows per every RDL. For example, one will perform 6 total rows and 2 total RDLs per set.
The hanging trap bar RDL and row is an incredibly effective upper back and posterior chain movement that feels incredibly natural and joint friendly.
OPTION #2
Barbell RDL & Row with High Pull: Perform 2 rows, then 1 high pull then repeat this sequence 2-3x for a total of 4-6 rows & 2-3 high pulls. Great strength, hypertrophy, & explosive power combo.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee Raise Chest Press or Bench Press with Power Rack Eccentric Potentiation Protocol | #3 & #4 | 3 | 5-6 or 4,3,2 | 90" | 8,9,10 | 2" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
Just like squats or any movement the goal is optimal ROM not excessive ROM. This typically occurs at 90 deg especially on large compound movements such as squats, presses, pulls, hinges, & lunges.
Unfortunately many folks use dumbbells on chest presses to achieve a greater stretch & ROM. This represents a faulty & counterproductive method as you end up overstretching the tendons, ligaments & connective tissue while also allowing the muscles to relax to varying degrees in order to allow for such an excessive ROM.
Instead, dumbbells should be used to target each limb independently as well as providing a joint friendly pressing option as the neutral grip feels very safe for most athletes. Also the eccentric isometric protocol is used to dial in mechanics & find the optimal 90 deg stopping point as eccentric isometrics help the lifter fine tune their form due to the enhanced proprioceptive feedback from maximizing muscle spindle activation during EI’s.
In fact it’s almost impossible to go significantly past 90 provided you stay tight & lock your posture in as you would literally have to sacrifice maximal full body tension as well as alignment in order to achieve greater depth just like ATG squats.
OPTION #2
The PREP protocol also known as Power Rack Eccentric Potentiation is one of the single most effective technique for maximizing strength and size for athletes and lifters. It's also one of the safest methods and also very conducive for performing with or without partners due to the safety pins catching the heavy eccentric loads. In addition the concentric phase is deloaded to the allow the lifter to also focus on concentric power output and lifting technique which is important for all athletes and powerlifters alike.
This is probably the single most effective method I’ve used for increasing my athlete’s bench press strength and performance as the training stimulus is one of the most intense and potent there is. With that said it needs to be used sparingly as the levels of micro-trauma and muscle damage are quite high. Several sets of 2-4 reps every 10-20 days is going to be more than enough for this incredibly effective eccentric training protocol. Read more HERE.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg Dumbbell Shrugs | #5 & #6 | 2 | 5 per side | 30-60" | 6-7 | 2" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
Want to get more out of your shrugs while also cleaning up your form? Try performing them on one leg as I have NFL prospect Kevo Yeremin doing here on a foam pad. Besides acting as a great foot and ankle exercise as well as upper trap exercise it also helps improve shrug form and eliminate poor posture and faulty mechanics as any such aberration will cause a loss of balance.
OPTION #2
The power shrug is a great olympic lifting variation for improving triple extension and shrugging mechanics at the top of the pull. It's also a great hip, speed, and power movement.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse Grip Barbell Hack Lunge | #5 & #6 | 2 | 3-4 (each leg) | 60" | 5-6 | 3-4" |
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The hack barbell lunge is one of my favorite loaded split squat variations. Here's one of my bodybuilding athletes Ben Lai demonstrating it with a slight modification as we use a supinated grip to reinforce shoulder retraction and spinal rigidity.
This specific loading protocol with the legs straddled between the barbell provides several benefits. First it forces balance and stability to be spot on as any deviation will make it very difficult to re-gain your balance without having to drop the bar.
Second, it keeps constant tension on the muscles as the lifter will be unable to lock out the movement by going to far at the top (the bar hits the legs towards the top end) and lose tension on the muscles.
Third, it teaches proper lunging mechanics and hip activation as the straddled position with the bar hanging between the legs teaches individuals to lean over slightly with the hips set back which represents ideal lunge mechanics. In fact it's almost impossible to perform this with overly upright posture which is a common mistake many lifters make (proper lunges involve a slight forward lean to keep the hips back rather than an upright position).
Finally having the bar directly under the center of gravity absolutely crushes the glutes. If you've never tried this you'll be stunned at the level of therapeutic pain and tension you'll feel in your entire posterior chain as well as the quads. As usual you'll also notice I have Ben performing these in an eccentric isometric fashion to improve body mechanics and aid in proprioceptive feedback.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Pause Pullups | #7 & #8 | 3 | 4-6 | 75-90" | 7-9 | 3" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
Want to clean up your pullup and chin-up form? Try implementing the mid-pause protocol as demonstrated by my awesome client Charlene Harrison (@prepbody). Not only does this eliminate momentum allowing the lifter to dial in their form and mechanics, but it also provides incredible tension to the upper back and lats as well as the arms. The mid-pause technique is also one of the best protocols I’ve found for eliminating the very common problem of over-pulling in the top position (i.e. excessive range of motion).
In other words, most individuals pull excessively high at the top of their vertical pulling movements’ using any and all means necessary to get their chin past bar height. This is not optimal for muscle stimulation or for joint health. Instead the lifter should terminate the movement somewhere between mid-face height and lower chin level as this represents optimal range of motion on pullups and pulldowns. To read more about why this represents proper technique and mechanics for pullups and pulldowns read HERE.
OPTION #2
There are 7 benefits of this exercise.
Provides an enormous amount of tension & stretch to the lats as well as the biceps. This creates both mechanical tension & muscle damage of which the combination is very potent for triggering muscle hypertrophy.
Besides producing a strong hypertrophy response in the upper back, lats, & biceps, these also work the daylights out of the abs & core. Most leg raises only work the rectus abs. However the single arm version involves both anti-rotation & anti-lateral flexion thereby engaging the obliques, transverse, & rectus abs making this a complete core workout.
The grip, forearm, & hand muscles get pulverized as you’ll be gripping forcefully throughout not only to hang onto the bar but also to help stabilize your body & prevent swinging, twisting, or tilting.
These provide a great therapeutic stretch to the lats, biceps, as well as low back, & hips.
The smaller stabilizers of the pelvis & lumbopelvic hip complex are also working overtime on these to control your hips & body and maintain alignment making these a therapeutic movement for the hips & low back.
These also only require 3-5 reps per side as even a few reps produce an insanely intense training stimulus. In other words you won’t need to mindlessly blast out an endless number of reps.
Will boost your pullups as holding your bodyweight & pulling yourself up with 2 arms will feel inordinately easy after supporting your body with one arm.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball-To-The-Wall Overhead Press | #7 & #8 | 2 | 4 | 60" | 5-6 | 2-3" |
Option #1
Option #2
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The overhead press is one of the most fundamental and important movement patterns there is. If you’re unable to perform the movement without pain or discomfort nine times out of ten it comes down to faulty mechanics, poor muscle activation, and improper positioning. In other words, a fully functional athlete with optimal body mechanics should be able to perform a proper overhead press, and variations thereof, with no issues. With that said I periodically like to employ modifications of the overhead press that are a bit more “glenohumeral joint friendly” while still placing ample tension on the musculature of the shoulders. This is particularly true for some of my overhead athletes. Some of these more “joint and mobility friendly” overhead pressing variations include landmine presses, high incline presses, scrape the rack/rolling wall presses, and one of my new personal favorites, the standing ball-to-the-wall overhead press.
I’ll still routinely employ traditional overhead pressing exercises even with my overhead athletes, however, this particular variation does provide several unique attributes that no other overhead press provides. Here here are 7 unique benefits of the ball-to-the-wall overhead press.
The ball-to-the-wall overhead press involves an approximately 10-20 degree angled torso position. This slight incline makes it easier to pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint into the most biomechanically sound position, similar to landmine presses and high incline presses. For individuals with shoulder injuries and overhead mobility restrictions this exercise provides the perfect features.
Similar to the above point, the ball-to-the-wall overhead press helps to optimize shoulder/scapular retraction and depression throughout the entire duration of the exercise. Other more traditional “joint-friendly” overhead presses such as the landmine and scrape the rack presses involve a slight forward torso lean. While this can feel quite natural and comfortable it can also reinforce slightly undesired shoulder elevation and scapular protraction (particularly during the eccentric phase) due to the gravitational effects involved with a forward torso lean. In fact, one of the most common errors I routinely witness lifters, coaches, and trainers make during landmine presses is that they fail to produce optimal shoulder retraction and depression and instead keep their shoulders and scapula overly locked and fixed. The slight backward angular torso lean involved with the ball-to-the-wall press helps eliminate this issue while still providing a very mobility-friendly overhead press.
Related to the topic of proper shoulder positioning is the discussion of t-spine mechanics. During the ball-to-the-wall overhead press, the combination of the ball wedged between the wall and the lumbar spine helps to reinforce the natural curvature of the low back while also optimizing thoracic extension and T-spine mobility. That’s because the upper back, neck, and head, can extend slightly back behind the ball due to the unique support and mechanics of the exercise. Additionally, because the torso is slightly angled back, this further helps extend the t-spine as the entire structure and musculature of the upper torso can naturally shift posteriorly. In contrast, landmine presses and scrape the rack presses involve the opposite body lean with a forward torso angle, making it all the more challenging to achieve optimal t-spine extension since the joint structures and targeted musculature tend to shift anteriorly.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landmine Eccentric Overload Pullover and Chest Press | #9 & #10 | 2 | 4-5 per side | 60-90" | 8-9 | N/A |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
The pullover is one of the most effective upper body exercises not only for improving functional strength and size in nearly every upper body muscle but also for crushing the daylights out of the core. Unfortunately eccentric overload, one of the most effective hypertrophy protocols in existence, can be quite tricky to apply to pullovers. However, by performing the pullover and press combo with the landmine we can easily rectify this.
Essentially this setup as I show alongside my awesome client Leslie Petch allows the lifter to safely and effectively apply eccentric overload by simply combining two movements - the unilateral pullover and the unilateral floor press. This allows the lifter to employ supramaximal loading on the pullover (greater than 1RM for the pullover) and light submaximal loading on the chest press.
Similar to the above chest fly and press combo this protocol also relies on the biomechanical drop rep protocol. For instance I’m demonstrating the pullover with a 45 pound plate which represents approximately 20% more loading than I would typically handle on this same movement under normal conditions yet fairly light loading for the chest press as I would typically use a 45 and a 25 on the bar.
Besides crushing the entire upper torso and core with eccentric overload, this is also an excellent dynamic speed and power exercise for the upper body pressing muscles. Essentially you’re performing an explosive dead stop bench/floor press by firing the chest, shoulders, and triceps aggressively to over-come inertia and get the weight moving violently from the dead stop position. As a result you’re able to stimulate hypertrophy from the negative pullovers while simultaneously working on power output and torque with a relatively light yet explosive, pressing movement.
OPTION #2
Here's NFL athlete Chris Carson on Barbell Floor Press with hollow body leg raise: Isolates the daylights out of the chest, triceps, & shoulders while ensuring the lifter does not go past the optimal 90 deg stopping point. The increased core activation creates greater full body tension & motor control. Read more at: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/raise-your-legs-to-increase-your-bench-press
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccentric Isometric Double Rebound Jump Squat | #9 & #10 | 2 | 3-4 (double rebounds) | 30-60" | 5 | 2" |
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This eccentric isometric double rebound jumping technique is something I’ve been using consistently with athletes as it allows us to take employ the best of all worlds when it comes to performance training. The eccentric isometric allows the athlete to hone in on their technique and form. That’s because the eccentric emphasis creates greater muscle spindle activation and proprioceptive feedback thereby helping the athlete fine-tune their positioning and body mechanics. By employing this immediately prior to the double rebound plyometric jump this helps the athlete jump and land with superior technique than had they not employed the eccentric isometric. In other words this technique allows us to train both body mechanics and explosive plyometric-based activities at the same time.
This does wonders not only for improving jump performance and explosive power but also for teaching athletes how to absorb force and decelerate with maximal motor control. I recommend starting with bodyweight and dialing in your form before progressing to additional loading. Several sets of 2-4 double rebound jumps will suffice for this intense yet highly effective explosive movement.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Pushup on Foam Roller - Anti-Crawling Pushup (OPTIONAL) | #11 & #12 | 1-2 | 6-8 | 60" | 8 | 1-2" |
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One of the keys to the effectiveness of this pushup variation is maintaining approximately 90-degree joint angles in the hips and knees as this optimizes core activation and forward torso lean. However, this also tends to be one of the most challenging aspects of the bear pushup as individuals inevitably allow their legs to slightly straighten as they fatigue.
One simple trick to fix this is placing your feet on a foam roller or medicine ball as I show in this video. In essence, this forces the lifter to continue bracing with their core and firing their hamstrings and hip flexors. This insures the maintenance of the 90-degree hip and knee angles as lack of lower body activation and core recruitment causes the legs to straighten and feet to roll back off the foam roller or medicine ball. Besides absolutely torching the entire musculature of the core as you pull into flexion and resist extension forces (similar to a reverse crunch or knee raise), this is a brutally intense variation that places inordinate tension on the chest, shoulders, triceps, and lats.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Row Supramaximal Eccentric Isometric Modified Drop Set (OPTIONAL) | #11 & #12 | 1-2 | 1x5 (see video) | 90" | 9 | 10" |
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This is one of the most effective rowing protocols there is for producing incredible strength and size gains in the entire muscular of the back. It's something I use periodically with a majority of my clients and athletes. Essentially this is a modified drop. You start the set using a supra maximal eccentric isometric hold in the stretched position. The seated cable row is very conducive for this as the movement starts in the stretched position to begin with therefore it simply requires the athlete to set their spine, shoulder blades, and core then hold the position with the arms full extended. Most athletes should be able to hold 25-30% more weight than they could use for rows thereby creating an incredible amount of mechanical tension and muscle damage for maximal muscle growth. You'll literally feel every muscle in your body as you hold this supramaximal eccentric isometric. It also does wonders for posture and spinal alignment as your resist incredibly high flexion forces on the spine.
Immediately follow this with a drop set by decreasing the load by at least 40% then blasting out smooth rows with additional pauses in the contracted position and brief eccentric isometrics in the stretched position. Because the nervous system will be hyper-activated from the prior heavy loading with max effort isometric, the reduced weight for the standard rows will allow the lifter to produce smooth yet powerful and intense contraction throughout the lats and upper back as the weight will feel inordinately light. As a result this creates further metabolic stress and cellular swelling to the back musculature making it highly effective for producing functional strength and hypertrophy in the upper back as well as other supporting muscles.
| EXERCISE | DURATION | # OF DRILLS | REST BETWEEN DRILLS | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Intensity Interval Cardio (HIT) | 20-30 minutes | 6 | 10-20 seconds | 4-6 |
Low Intensity Interval Cardio
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