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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected] Drug-Free Training Routine Natural Bodybuilding This is my current “Training” Routine and is intended for intermediate and/or advanced lifters. It is simply what I am doing to maintain and achieve great results “naturally”. I’ve always believed in putting “health first”. With that said, I found a way to gain a good amount of muscle and strength without the aid of any illegal performance enhancing drugs or legal “pro-hormone” supplements. I say and believe, “If it’s Not Natural, it’s Not Real!” Disclaimer: Exercise / Training / Working Out It is strongly recommended that you consult with your physician or another healthcare professional before beginning any type of exercise and/or diet program. You should understand that when performing any type of exercise or exercise program, that you do so at your own risk. There is always the possibility of physical injury, which may include heart attack or stroke, among other things. If you do so happen to engage in any exercise or advice, you are voluntarily participating in these activities and assume all risk of injury to yourself.

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Page 1: Natural Bodybuilding Routine - discountblaze.com · Natural Bodybuilding This is my current “Training” Routine and is intended for intermediate and/or advanced lifters. It is

© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Drug-Free Training Routine –

Natural Bodybuilding This is my current “Training” Routine and is intended for intermediate and/or advanced lifters. It is

simply what I am doing to maintain and achieve great results “naturally”. I’ve always believed in

putting “health first”. With that said, I found a way to gain a good amount of muscle and strength

without the aid of any illegal performance enhancing drugs or legal “pro-hormone” supplements. I

say and believe, “If it’s Not Natural, it’s Not Real!”

Disclaimer:

Exercise / Training / Working Out

It is strongly recommended that you consult with your physician or another healthcare professional

before beginning any type of exercise and/or diet program.

You should understand that when performing any type of exercise or exercise program, that you do so at your own risk. There is always the possibility of physical injury, which may include heart attack or stroke, among other things. If you do so happen to engage in any exercise or advice, you are voluntarily participating in these activities and assume all risk of injury to yourself.

Page 2: Natural Bodybuilding Routine - discountblaze.com · Natural Bodybuilding This is my current “Training” Routine and is intended for intermediate and/or advanced lifters. It is

© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

The Importance of “Training” “No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training… what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” – Socrates

First things first, I prefer to use the term “Training”, as opposed to “Working Out”. Semantics, I know. Although they are pretty interchangeable (and I’ll still use both), it’s a very different mindset. I’m specifically looking to achieve certain objectives (goals). It’s not about burning calories, or sweating, if you want real results then you need a real plan.

A lot of people say “work smarter, not harder”. I agree with this to a certain extent. I prefer to say “Work Smarter AND Harder”. I believe, respect and appreciate hard work. It builds a lot more than just physical strength and muscle, but that’s a topic for a whole other article.

I’m currently Training 5 days a week with the following schedule:

Monday: Off

Tuesday: Full Body (high reps)

Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms

Thursday: Off

Friday: Legs

Saturday: Chest

Sunday: Back

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Tuesday:

Full Body, High Reps There is no perfect training routine. With that said, there are obviously better routines. I personally feel that your muscles need to be stimulated more than once a week.

Because my current routine is structured for volume, devoting an entire day to Chest for example, I wouldn’t be able to hit each body part as frequently as I’d like; therefore, I felt adding in a Full Body day would be very beneficial.

To really mix things up and also to emphasize recovery in this routine, I made this a high rep day.

The goal with Tuesday’s routine is to mainly get blood flowing in the muscles, while working on overall conditioning and movement.

Exercises Squats: 3-5 sets of 20 after a warm-up set or two.

The sets aren’t meant for failure, tempo is constant; likely using a load quite a bit lighter than what you can do 20 with if taking deep breaths and resting after a certain amount of reps. The goal is to ramp the weight up a little each set.

Example: 135×20, 155×20, 175×20, 185×20

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts (Romanian Deadlifts): 3-5 sets of 20 after a warm-up set.

Sets done similarly to squats. Since you already have a squat rack, it’s the perfect time to just transition over to these.

Flat Bench Press (Barbell): 3-5 sets of 20 after warming up.

Sets done similarly to squats. Much easier than the leg exercises, keep form tight, constant tempo, no bouncing off chest.

Pull-ups (Bodyweight): 3-5 sets. High Reps, No warm-up sets necessary.

Don’t go to failure on the first few sets, only consider failure on the last set.

Others:

It’s a good idea to also tack on a few things you may have been neglecting. For example, I’ll do extra calf work on this day as well as ab work. Again, the point is not to exhaust the muscle, but rather to provide enough stimulus for a great pump.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Wednesday:

Shoulders & Arms I’m absolutely in love with this day. If you want to look good in a tank-top, you need a solid pair of shoulders and arms.

The order of exercises is somewhat important, but depending on how busy the gym is and what equipment is available, you’ll have to just do whatever makes sense at the time.

I do not believe in having much downtime, if there is certain piece of equipment that you really need to use or certain dumbbells for example, at least crank out some ab or calf work while you have to wait since those can usually never get enough work.

The only thing that is really mandatory I’d say is do your shoulder presses before your triceps. All the Bicep exercises and other shoulder movements do not really matter as much. Those fatigued triceps will certainly negatively impact your shoulder press though, and you won’t get the proper load they so desperately need.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Shoulder Exercises

Seated Shoulder Press: 5 Sets of 2-12

I usually recommend a pyramid on these, ramping the weight up the first 3 sets then coming back down the last 2. I’ll usually keep the reps between 6 and 12 but if I’m feeling strong or just want to test myself, I’ll go extra heavy and do as little as 2 reps.

On those heavy days, you don’t want to take the earlier sets to failure; for example, as you’re ramping the weight up, if you can ordinarily do 10 reps, you’d stop at 3-5.

You’re really just trying to prime your nervous system up to tackle the heavy weight later on.

Once you’re not progressing anymore with weight or reps, switch over from barbell to dumbs or vice versa.

Side Lateral Raises: 3 Sets of 12-20

I do not believe in going heavy on these as form generally breaks down pretty quickly. If you can’t do 10 reps without pausing or swinging you’re most likely going too heavy.

Front Lateral Raises: 3 Sets of 12-20

These have really been a game changer for me. It’s an exercise I used to only occasionally do. I’ve noticed since adding and doing these consistently, my shoulders have gotten quite a bit rounder.

The presses alone clearly weren’t enough, besides, these hit the front delts in a much different way, as you’re pulling with different muscle fibers than what you’d be using to push the weight up with Shoulder Presses.

Try holding the top for 1/2 a second, it’ll better stimulate the muscle and also cause you to use a proper weight; after all, you’re trying to pull the weight up with your muscles, not swing it up with momentum.

Cable Rear Lateral Raises: 4-5 Sets of 12-20

The oft-neglected rear delts. To really have complete round shoulders, these are essential. I prefer to do these standing up, 1 arm at a time, with the pulley handle just below the shoulder. These keep constant tension on the muscle and I like to alternate sides without resting.

Cable Face Pulls with Rope: 3 Sets of 20

These are really a great finisher and work the rear delts as well as lower traps.

Machine Shrugs: 3 Sets of 12-20

I tend to go pretty heavy on these and prefer to use the machine as it takes the stress off of my lower back. Because the movement has such a small range of motion, there’s really not much of a skill that needs to be developed, which is also why I don’t see a need to use free weights on these.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Arms For a real challenge on arm day, try placing Fat Gripz around the bar/dumbbells.

It’s like curling Coke cans.

Biceps Exercises

Standing Barbell Curls: 5 Sets of 6-12

The bread and butter. There are so many different variation of curls, some fancy, some basic, but these are pure money!

I usually always emphasize good form and actually stimulating the muscle with the weight; with that said, there is a time and a place for “Controlled Cheating”, which I’ll occasionally use on these when I want to go heavy to really build density.

I’ll usually just start off with the bar to warm up and then add weight each set. Rep range usually looks like 12, 10, 8, 6, 6.

If I’m really feeling up to it, I’ll do a drop set at the end, and really squeeze the muscle on those last few reps with an empty bar.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 Sets of 8-16

When performing these, you arms move behind your body. What’s this good for you ask? Well, it stretches the long head of the biceps (remember, the biceps are made of 2 heads, the long and the short head; hence the name “bi”ceps).

The long head consists of the outer biceps muscle and therefore makes up most of the biceps peak.

When performing these, I do not supinate, as I like to get an even better stretch at the bottom.

Dumbbell Spider Curls: 3 Sets of 8-16

Ok, we’ve talked about the outer head and stimulated them properly with Incline curls; now, we’re simply going to keep that incline bench but spin around 180 degrees.

Having the arms hanging forward causes the inner head of the biceps to get properly stimulated. One big advantage these have over preacher curls is that it allows us to keep constant tension on the muscle, especially at the top of the movement.

Cable Hammer Curls with Rope: 3 Sets of 12-16

These work the Brachialis, which will help push up the bicep and really make it pop out. I find that these work best if you really get a good squeeze at the top of each rep.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Triceps Exercises All these exercises will stimulate all 3 Triceps heads to some degree; however, the movements are selected to provide a little more focus and stimulus for each individual head.

Incline Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: 5 Sets of 8-16

Although I find these to be highly effective, I don’t see a lot of people perform them. Think Skull Crushers, but use a pair of dumbbells and hold them with palms facing each other while sitting on a 45 degree incline bench.

This angle will keep constant tension on the long head of the triceps. This is the largest of the 3 heads of the triceps and runs down the back of your arm; it’s often referred to as the inner head.

I like to keep a constant tempo and go just shy of lockout, we’ll be squeezing that lockout on other exercises later.

Cable Reverse Grip Pushdowns: 3 Sets of 12-16

These will place more emphasis on the medial head. I find doing them with a reverse grip stimulates the muscle in a much better way, as the contraction feels significantly stronger at the bottom.

Cable Rope Press downs: 3 Sets of 12-16

These really zero in on the lateral head, giving your triceps that nice horseshoe shape. I like to get a really good squeeze on the bottom of these.

Dips: 3-4 Sets near failure

This is a great finisher for the entire Triceps, it also allows us to pump a little extra blood in the chest, which is nice, since that won’t get properly stimulated for 3 more days.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Leg Day If this isn’t your hardest, most exhausting workout day in your routine, then you’re clearly Not doing it right.

It’s what separates the men from the boys (or women from the girls). There’s a reason why people make fun of the guy with the huge upper body and chicken legs.

Not only does he look ridiculous, it’s clearly obvious that man lacks the mental toughness to clearly push himself.

“Now you’re gonna have to go through hell. Worse than any nightmare that you ever dreamed. But in the end, I know you’ll be the one standing.”

Duke’s speech to Rocky (in Rocky IV) pretty much sums up the type of mindset you need prior to this workout.

I’ll be perfectly honest, I’ve gone through leg days that had me thinking, “I’m done. I’m Not doing this anymore”.

While I may have said that in my head, I never actually meant or believed it, but it is telling, as far as how far you sometimes need to push yourself; often to the edge of mentally breaking yourself.

When it’s over, you should feel like Stallone at the end of a Rambo movie. Exhausted and spent. You really do feel a sense of accomplishment and can now rest easy… at least until next time.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Rambo V - Leg Day

Leg Exercises

Barbell Squats: 5 Sets of 2-10 after multiple warm-up sets

The premiere leg exercise. Great for the quads, hamstrings and glutes.

I have a love/hate relationship with squats. When everything’s feeling good (lower back, hips, knees) and the groove is there, I absolutely love these.

When I’m feeling stiff (aka achy and old), they’re just not that fun. You’re better off doing some high-rep leg presses to give your body a break on those days.

If everything’s feeling good (you’ll know as you’re warming up), then I like to keep adding weight until I get up near my 2-3 rep max. I like to push myself when I can. Other times I’ll shoot for 5 sets of 10 to really focus more on muscle stimulation.

I highly recommend (and currently use) this weightlifting belt.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Hip Thrusters: 5 Sets of 6-20 after a couple of warm-up sets

By far the greatest movement for the glutes. Great for men and women. You can most likely go much heavier on these than you realize; I’ve actually gone up over 600 pounds myself, so that just gives you an idea of the kind of weight that can be used.

As with everything, make sure you really get that form down before loading up and testing limits. You really need to strengthen and tighten the core when performing these if you want to build up to max weights.

When doing my first couple of sets, I like to really squeeze and hold the tops of these (with the lighter weights). On days I want to test myself, I’ll go for more explosive reps.

The Squat Sponge is a must-have tool for Hip Thrusters. As far as squats go, I prefer a raw bar on my back; this is simply not possible when using heavy weights on hip thrusters though.

Romanian Deadlifts (Semi-Stiff-legged Deadlifts): 3 Sets of 6-12

Great movement for the hamstrings, lower back and glutes. When lowering the bar, make sure to push your hips back. Your torso will usually become parallel to the ground when the bar is just passed your knees. I find that taking the bar mid-shin is usually the preferred range-of-motion. Do Not round your lower back at any time.

Your grip will often be a limiting factor at some point, and when I get to my heavier sets, I’ll use wrist straps in order to focus more on my hamstrings and less on my forearms.

Walking Dumbbell Lunges: 3-5 Sets of (10-12 each leg; 20-24 total steps)

By the time you get to this stage, you’re likely already spent. Now’s a great time to try and find that second wind, as you’ll be doing 3-5 sets across the gym floor.

In order to challenge yourself and progress at a smart sustainable pace, I recommend initially doing 10 reps per leg with a new weight, then the next workout, same weight, but 11 reps per leg, then 12 reps per leg. After this, go up in weight and drop back to 10 reps per leg.

When you no longer progress, switch to either Dumbbell split squats (similar movement, but you’re not walking) or Bulgarian Squats (rear foot-elevated). Always find new ways to challenge yourself when you stagnate with the weight or reps.

Others: The hard work is done, but don’t think you can just simply coast through the rest of the workout; these are just simply easier movements that don’t take as much out of you.

Lying Leg Curls: 3-5 Sets of 4-10 after a couple of warm-ups

These will really finish off your hamstrings. Concentrate on a nice squeeze and contraction at the top and lower slowly.

Leg Extensions: 3-5 Sets of 16-20

These do a good job of finishing up the quads. While not a great movement, and I never recommend going heavy on them (save your knees!), they do serve a purpose. I’ve noticed more definition in my quads by adding these.

I like to squeeze the top of the movement and will usually use a fairly light weight to really focus on the burn.

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Hip Abductor/Adductor: 3 Sets of 12-20

They usually place these machines next to each other in most gyms, which makes it ideal for supersets. I’ll go back to back as long as I can.

While these usually get a bad rap due to several reasons (creating muscular imbalances for example), I do find them to be beneficial.

On the Hip Abduction Machine (pushing legs apart), I’ve noticed it feels much better when you lean all the way forward. You can also try them semi-standing on the machine. These really give the sides of your hips (gluteus minimus muscles) a nice burn.

For me, the Hip Adduction Machine (pulling legs together) has added noticeable size to my inner thighs and has helped alleviated some outer hip pain. I like to really focus on squeezing the knees together at the end of each rep.

Standing Calf Raises (Machine): 3-5 Sets of 12-20

Use these to focus primarily on the Gastrocnemius. I’ve noticed better results from really squeezing the top of each rep and focusing on the burn. Lower slowly, explode higher, then hold the top of each rep.

Seated Calf Raises (Machine): 3 Sets of 16-20

Use these to focus primarily on the Soleus. I perform these the same way as the standing calf machine; lower slowly, explode higher, then hold the top of each rep.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Stretch:

The legs are going to feel tight (especially the hips) after this workout. It’s very important to gain and maintain your mobility.

Spending at least 15-30 minutes stretching will also help promote recovery. I’ll usually do this while sipping on my post-workout protein shake between stretches. Make it a habit to do this at the gym after the workout; trust me, if you wait until you get home, you Won’t do it.

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© 2017, David Kurzhal www.discountblaze.com/health-fitness [email protected]

Chest

The “beach muscles”. There’s a reason why it’s hard to get a bench press when the gym is busy. First of all, this exercise is a lot easier to do than squats and deadlifts. Second of all, a good full chest just looks good, especially at the beach!

Unlike your back, you can see your chest every time you look in the mirror. This creates a feedback loop in a way. The average gym-goer will have overly developed pecs in contrast to their back, which they rarely ever see.

Honestly, has anyone ever asked you what you can row? Probably not, but I’m sure you get asked how much you can bench all the time. It really is a barometer of strength.

Chest Exercises

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 5 Sets of 2-12

No Surprise here. With my current routine, I like to start off with these. After a couple of warm-up sets, I’ll usually keep adding 20 pounds per set while dropping 2 reps until I get to around my 2 rep max. At that point I’ll stick with that weight for another set.

This is a great way to build some thickness and strength. I like to perform these with a very controlled negative and explode back up, just shy of lockout as to keep tension on the pecs the entire time.

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Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12

Now that I’m properly warmed up, I like to place more emphasis on the upper chest. There is much debate as to how much these actually stimulate your upper chest. Upper chest development actually has a lot to do with genetics, but these definitely don’t hurt and are a great way to add variety to your pressing movements.

I’ll perform these the same was as I perform the flat bench press.

Decline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12

Finishing off Bench Presses, these will help fill out that lower pec and really give your chest that extra fullness.

I’ll perform these the same way I perform the flat and inline presses.

Seated Machine Fly: 4 Sets of 8-12

What I like about these more than the dumbbells is they keep constant tension on the pecs throughout the entire range of motion. You lose a lot of tension near the top when performing these with dumbbells, and since I’ve already did a lot of free weight work, I don’t mind adding in a machine. It’s a good way to really help isolate the pecs.

I’ll perform the negative fairly slowly and get a nice stretch at the bottom, as I explosively contract, I’ll hold the top of each rep for a split second.

Cable Flyes (Pulley’s just below knee height): 3 Sets of 12-16

The angle of resistance really places a good amount of resistance on the upper pecs. You’re essentially pulling these from the ground up towards your shoulders and squeezing at the top.

Bodyweight Dips: 3 Sets (near failure on first 2 sets and failure on last set)

I like to lean slightly forward on these so as to place more emphasis on the chest and less on the triceps.

I’ll usually perform these with a constant tempo and keep banging out the reps to really finish the chest off.

Wrap-Up:

There you have it, 6 exercises total, 2 for the mid-chest, 2 for the upper chest and 2 for the lower chest. A good mix of presses and fly movements as well as various rep ranges to really give the chest complete development.

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Back

Surely you’ve heard the term “Back Breaking labor”; well consider this “Back Building labor”.

Unlike Chest, Back seems to be somewhat neglected among the average gym goer. Why is that? Well, for one, you really can’t appreciate it as much, since you don’t necessarily see it everyday, like you do your chest.

If Legs separate the men from the boys, a solid, thick back at least separates the casual gym goer from the really serious one.

Sure, a big chest and arms will make you look Powerful, but a big back will make you look Strong. Well-developed Lats will also help give your back a “V” taper, which goes a long way in making your waist look smaller. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a smaller looking waist?

I’ve always noticed the best gains from incorporating 2 Vertical pulls and 2 Horizontal pulls in each workout. I’ll also add some additional movements as well to finish the job.

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Back Exercises:

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3-5 Sets of 8-15 after Warm-ups

The first Horizontal pulling movement of the workout. These do a really good job at building thickness in the mid back and are a great substitute for the Barbell Row. The reason I prefer these over Barbell Rows is that they place less stress on your lower back and you can also get a better stretch in the outer Lats at the bottom of the rep.

Your forearms will most likely be a limiting factor at some point, so I recommend using Wrist Straps for your work sets. After all, we’re focusing on the back, not the forearms.

Pull-Ups (Palms Facing Away from your Body): 3-5 Sets

The first Vertical pulling movement in the workout. Use these to help build the width of your Lats.

Bruce Lee obviously did plenty of Pull Ups!

I like to use a dead hang at the beginning of each rep, and then go up explosively, really contracting and briefly holding the top of the movement. Doing them this way is a lot tougher, so don’t expect to get nearly as many reps. Keep a nice controlled negative on the way down.

Seated Cable Rows (V-Bar Handle): 3 Sets of 12-15

Our second Horizontal pulling movement. These do a really good job of placing constant tension on the back, and I like to perform them with a steady tempo in a very controlled manner. Performing them this way will really help pump your back full of blood and nutrients, a very conducive environment for muscle growth.

Lat Pulldowns (V-Bar Handle) or Chin-Ups (Bodyweight): 3 Sets of 12-15

Both movements will give you a really good stretch in your Lats and help finish them off. I always prefer to do bodyweight Vertical pulling movements when possible, but will substitute the V-Bar Lat Pulldowns in from time to time.

Keep the form tight and controlled on these and really get a good stretch on that last rep at the end of each set.

What’s Next?

Ok, we may have finished our 2 Horizontal pulling movements and our 2 Vertical pulling movements, but we’re not done.

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Standing Rope Pullovers: 3 Sets of 12-15

Grab the rope, stand back, and lean forward about 45%.

I like to do these 1 of 2 ways. If I’m feeling strong and explosive, then I’ll go heavy and perform them explosively. If I’m not feeling as strong, I’ll focus more on the feel, really squeezing and holding the bottom of each rep (obviously with a much lighter weight). It’s good to mix them up.

These will really give your lats a nice stretch at the top, and will really emphasize working the lower lats at the bottom of the lift. When performing these, keep a slight bend in your elbows the entire time.

You can substitute these with a lat pulldown bar if you’d like, but I believe that tends to place a little more tension on the Triceps.

Cable Face Pulls (Rope attachment): 3 Sets of 15-20

These work great with the pulley placed at eye level or with it placed above head level. Mix it up, challenge your muscles in slightly different ways.

Face Pulls are a great way to work the lower traps, rear delts and generally finish off the upper back. I like to perform these explosively then control the negative back down.

Dumbbell or Machine Shrugs: 3 Sets of 12-20

Our Traps have been partially worked just by doing the other back exercises, but we still need to finish them off. Hold the top of each rep, don’t worry about the weight on these, really focus on feeling the muscle. I prefer to go heavy on these on during the Shoulder Workout Day.

Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises: 3 Sets of 12-15

Doing the various back exercises partially hit our rear delts; however, since the rear delts are often underdeveloped, I like to add this movement in. It really compliments the work done to them on the Shoulder Workout Day earlier in the week.

Biceps: 3 Sets of 12-20

The Biceps are nicely warmed up fatigued from all the pulling movements earlier, but since I’m only hitting arms once a day during the week, I like to squeeze in some added stimulus. There’s no better time to do them then at the end of a back workout.

As far as the exercise goes, I’ll pretty much do whatever I’m in the mood for. The main focus is strict form and really squeezing and feeling the muscle work. Just plain finish exhausting it.

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Others:

Since this is overall a “Pulling” day, I’ll add in Core work. Cable Crunches, Cable Side Bends and Cable Rotating Twists (aka “Oblique Twists”, “Wood Choppers”). These will all be sprinkled in throughout the workout. For example, I may do the Cable Side Bends between sets of Pull-ups.

Make good use of your time and challenge your body to do more work in what would otherwise be the “same amount of time”. For example, you can usually finish Pull-Ups and Cable Side Bends in the same amount of time you would otherwise only finish Pull-Ups in.