First, let me bore you to death with the workout [or flat out make you cringe], then we'll talk about why it was effective.
Warm Up:
10 minutes of boxer shuffle, dancing, and dynamic stretch [Yup, I dance. Treadmill's all yours, boss]
Workout:
Standing press - warm up set, then 3x12 @ 40 lb dumbbells
Arnold Press - warm up set, then 3x12 @ 35 lb dumbbells [this is a very technical move, so if you're swinging your arms out wildly, getting to the widest possible position, and engaging your pecs- because you've dumped more weight on yourself than you can handle with the correct form- well then congratulations tough guy- you're doing it wrong]
Heavy military machine press - 3x12 @ ~close to bodyweight. Note on form- I lean forward to replicate the feeling of getting under an olympic bar. This engages the traps, and rocks the medial head of the deltoids far more than simply leaning back and pushing from a cradled position.
Reverse Machine 'Batwing' Fly - the emphasis is on intentionally winging and then contracting the traps/supporting muscles between the scapula [pretty important from an injury prevention perspective] 3x12 @ a reasonably light weight- challenging to the intended area, but not to the major muscle groups.
Reverse Fly - 3x12 @35 lb dumbbells
Preacher curls - 3x12 @60 lbs on cantered bar - emphasis on full extension to stretch/engage tendons.
Triceps press downs - 3x12 @ 72[?] lbs with rope attachment.
Finisher:
Upright dumbbell rows - 3x12 @ 40 lb dumbells
Overhead cable triceps extension - 3x12 @ 60[?] lbs with rope attachment
'But still, adding up the reps, sets, and weight, I wondered "Our baby woke us up in the middle of the night, I've been partially fasting today, without quite enough food, and I've been out in the hot Texas sun all day at a film shoot- what the heck kind of fuel is my body running on?!"...'
Why it worked:
This is classic bodybuilding: density fibers smashed, training nearly to failure, low rest times, and working lots of antagonistic muscle groups, one right after the other for maximum blood flow and neural stimulation. But still, adding up the reps, sets, and weight, I wondered "Our baby woke us up in the middle of the night, I've been partially fasting today, without quite enough food, and I've been out in the hot Texas sun all day at a film shoot- what the heck kind of fuel is my body running on?!"
Timing. Even though I hadn't eaten all the calories I wanted to, or perhaps should for prolonged hypertrophy, I did have 3 small meals, which regulated my blood sugar, and refueled my glycogen stores from the day of shooting, at least somewhat.
Also, the afternoon workout has been studied again and again, and shown to be a very effective time to take advantage of your body's infra-dian hormone rhythm [your body's 24 hour clock].
Lastly, -and this cannot be overstated- my head was in the game. This was not a ho-hum approach to working out. This. Was. War. I watched 3 other groups of people warm up, exercise, cool down, and leave the gym before I was through.
Last man standing wins the prize: a new body. Go at it hard, during the right time of day, and you'll increase your chances of being that man.
Stay Strong, Friends.
