Download pdf - Rock Hard Training Plan

8/12/2019 Rock Hard Training Plan

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Rock Hard Training Plan Month 1:Start Strong

Day 1 WorkoutMonday: Legs, Abs, Cardio

Overview of Day 1

For this four-week cycle, leg training is first, which allows you tworecovery days after the last workout of the previous week. Legs

are not only the largest group of muscles on a standardbodybuilding split, but training them also drives up fat burningbecause it burns more calories and boosts your metabolic rate.

The workout begins by alternating between isolation moves thattarget the two largest leg-muscle groupsquads and hamstrings.
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The purpose of these moves is to pump these muscle groups,priming them for the heavier compound moves that follow.

Next, youll perform compound moves to engage all the major

muscles of your legs. Youll wrap up your leg training with oneburnout set each for quads and hamstrings. Choose weights thatare light enough to allow you to achieve a full contraction in thesemuscles through 30 reps.

After this, youll train your abs and finish off with an easy 30minutes of steady-state cardio.

Steady-State Cardio

What it is: Treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, or stair-climbingwork performed at a comfortable rate. You should be workinghardenough to sweat but be able to talk to someone throughout.

What youll do:At the end of your weight-training workouts, twice

a week, youll drink your post-workout shake before performing 30minutes of cardio.

Benefits:Compared with other fat-burning techniques,steadystate cardio is easy to perform, and it burns caloriesdirectly from stored body fat.


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Workout

Exercise Sets Reps

Leg Extension 4 20, 20, 15, 15

-superset with-Lying Leg Curl 4 15


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Exercise Sets Reps

Squat 4 15, 12, 10, 8

Wide-Stance Leg Press 3 15, 12, 10

Dumbbell Walking Lunge 3 20 steps per leg

Stiff-Leg Deadlift 3 12

Burnout:

Leg Extesnion 1 30

Burnout:

Lying Leg Curl 1 30

Kneeling Cable Crunch 3 20

Reverse Crunch 3 20

Steady-State Cardio 1 30 min.


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Rock Hard Training Plan Month 1:

Start Strong

Day 2 WorkoutTuesday: Chest, Triceps, Intensity Sets

Overview of Day 2

Youll train your pecs first, beginning with pressing moves.Dumbbell bench presses are one of the best exercises forrecruiting muscle fibers in your chest; they also help warm upyour shoulders. Incline barbell presses target the upper pecs.

Then, youllinclude intensity sets, alternating between pushupsand step-ups. Perform four sets of each with as little rest aspossible. Ideally, this should be performed as one giant set thattakes about eight minutes to complete.


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After this, perform dumbbell flyes followed by one burnout set ofcable crossovers. During this burnout set, emphasize contractingyour pecs and feeling a deep stretch in every rep.

Finish off the workout with triceps work and a burnout set ofpushdowns for 30 reps, emphasizing isolation of the triceps and adeep contraction on every rep.

Intensity Set

What it is:A superset that includes an exercise for the targetedbody part and a leg exercise that accelerates your heart rate.

What youll do:Perform the move that hits your target musclegroup, then follow it immediately with a lower-body move. Afteryou complete a set, rest for as little time as possible (aim for norest, ultimately). Choose lighter weights that challenge yourcardiovascular system more than stress your muscles. After youfinish all four intensity sets, take a short rest before moving on toyour next weight-training exercise.

Benefits:Intensity sets encourage your body to burn stored fatvia muscle-building exercises and an increased heart rate.Essentially, youre using anaerobic moves for cardiovasculartraining and fat-burning benefits.

Burnout Set

What it is:A high-rep set performed as the last set that targets aparticular body part. Weve chosen an isolation move for eachburnout set so you can really focus on your target muscle group.


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What youll do:As you conclude your training for certain bodyparts, youll perform a burnout set. Youll choose a relatively lightload that allows you to concentrate on the contraction.

Benefits:Burnout sets encourage muscle growth by forcing moreblood into the muscles. The contraction also helps create ripplingmuscular detail.

Workout


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Exercise Sets Reps

Dumbbell Bench Press 4 15, 12, 10, 8

Incline Barbell Press 4 15, 12, 10, 8

Intensity Sets:

Pushup 4 20

-superset with- Step-Up 4 20 per leg

Dumbbell Flye 4 15, 15, 10, 10

Burnout:

Cable Crossover 1 30

Dip 4 Max

Narrow-Grip Bench Press 4 30

Pushdown 3 15, 12, 10


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Exercise Sets Reps

Burnout: 15, 12, 10

Pushdown 1 30


Day 3 WorkoutWednesday: HIIT Cardio


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Oveview of Day 3

It sounds easy compared to the other training days, and, all thingsconsidered, it probably is. But you want to push your limits a bitwith your HIIT work. Set a goal of three sets of about 60 secondsof all-out cardio. Then recover for as long as you needprobablyabout two to three minutes. If youre up to it, add another set or

two.

In subsequent workouts, try to add 10 seconds to each intervaluntil youre performing up to five 90-second intervals. Once youreach this point, work on taking up the intensity during the


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intervals rather than shortening your recovery bouts or loweringthe total number of intensity cycles in the workout.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)What it is:This form of cardio work includes intense bursts ofactivity followed by longer bouts of easier work to allow your heartrate to recover.

What youll do:After a few minutes of warming up at an easypace, youll increase the intensity of your cardio work to aperceived exertion level of about 9. Maintain this for 6090

seconds, then slow down to an easy pace for at least a couple ofminutes, allowing your heart rate to come down so youre ready toperform another intense interval. In total, perform at least threeintervals, working up to five by the end of four weeks. Theseworkouts shouldnt be longyou should be able to finish in fewerthan 20 minutes.

Benefits: Research shows that HIIT sessions burn body fat more

effectively than other forms of cardio activity. Intensity intervalsalso have a profound effect on your metabolic rate, allowing youto burn more body fat in the hours following your workouts.

Workout

Exercise Sets Reps Duration

HIIT CARDIO 1 3-5 60-90 sec.


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Day 4 WorkoutThursday: Back, Biceps, Abs, IntensitySets

Overview of Day 4

To begin, youll include three classic musclebuilders, targetingyour lats and other back muscles from a variety of angles. Thenyoull perform four intensity sets, alternating between your target

muscle group for the day (back) and leg work that drives up yourheart rate. As with your intensity work on Day 2, aim towardcompleting the group of intensity sets in about eight minutes withno rest. After you complete this, take a short rest and perform onelast set of lat pulldowns, emphasizing strict form and a deepcontraction in your lats.


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Next, perform your biceps work, finishing off with one high-repburnout set. Finally, train your abs.

Intensity SetWhat it is:A superset that includes an exercise for the targetedbody part and a leg exercise that accelerates your heart rate.

What youll do:Perform the move that hits your target musclegroup, then follow it immediately with a lower-body move. Afteryou complete a set, rest for as little time as possible (aim for norest, ultimately). Choose lighter weights that challenge your

cardiovascular system more than stress your muscles. After youfinish all four intensity sets, take a short rest before moving on toyour next weight-training exercise.

Benefits:Intensity sets encourage your body to burn stored fatvia muscle-building exercises and an increased heart rate.Essentially, youre using anaerobic moves for cardiovasculartraining and fat-burning benefits.

Burnout Set

What it is:A high-rep set performed as the last set that targets aparticular body part. Weve chosen an isolation move for eachburnout set so you can really focus on your target muscle group.

What youll do:As you conclude your training for certain bodyparts, youll perform a burnout set. Youll choose a relatively lightload that allows you to concentrate on the contraction.


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Benefits:Burnout sets encourage muscle growth by forcing moreblood into the muscles. The contraction also helps create ripplingmuscular detail.

Workout

Exercise Sets Reps

Pullup 4 To failure

Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown 4 15, 12, 10, 8

Barbell Row 4 15, 12, 10, 8


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Exercise Sets Reps

Intensity Sets:

Seated Cable Row 4 20

-superset with- Step-Up 4 20 per leg

Burnout:

Lat Pulldown 1 30

Dumbbell Curl 3 15, 12, 10

EZ-Bar Curl 3 15, 12, 10

Burnout:

EZ-Bar Curl 1 30

Bench Knee-In 3 15

Twisting Crunch 3 30


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Rock Hard Training Plan Month 1:

Start Strong

Day 5 WorkoutFriday: Shoulders, Calves, Forearms,Cardio

Overview of Day 5


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Your final workout of the week targets shoulders, calves, andforearms. First, youll perform a pressing movementArnoldpresses. Follow this with lateral raises, which target the middlehead of the delts. Then, its back to a pressing move before

finishing off your shoulders with an exercise that targets the reardelts (bentover lateral raises) and one that hits the traps(dumbbell shrugs). Cap off your delts training with one burnout setof machine shoulder presses, focusing on feeling the contractionand stretch in your shoulder muscles.

Next, work your calves, performing both standing and seated calfraises to hit the gastrocnemius and soleus. Then use a barbell to

perform wrist curls and reverse wrist curls to develop forearms.Finish off your workout with the same HIIT cardio session as DayThree.

Steady-State Cardio

What it is: Treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, or stair-climbingwork performed at a comfortable rate. You should be working

hardenough to sweat but be able to talk to someone throughout.

What youll do:At the end of your weight-training workouts, twicea week, youll drink your post-workout shake before performing 30minutes of cardio.

Benefits:Compared with other fat-burning techniques,

steadystate cardio is easy to perform, and it burns caloriesdirectly from stored body fat.


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Workout

Exercise Sets Reps

Arnold Press 4 15, 12, 10, 8

Dumbbell Lateral Raise 4 15

Machine Shoulder Press 3 15

Bentover Lateral Raise 3 15

Dumbbell Shrug 4 20, 15, 12, 10


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Exercise Sets Reps

Burnout:

Machine Shoulder Press 1 30

Standing Calf Raise 3 20, 15, 15

Seated Calf Raise 3 20, 15, 15

Wrist Curl 3 15

Superset with Reverse Wrist Curl 3 15


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HIIT Cardio

Exercise Sets Reps Duration

HIIT CARDIO 1 3-5 60-90 sec.