Men's Health Total Body Muscle Plan.pdf

CHAPTER 1

TOTAL BODY

MUSCLE

PLAN

TOTAL BODY

MUSCLE

PLAN

CHAPTER 1

CONTENTS

GETTING

T he Shoulders

STARTED

This all-new, 10-part plan

will teach you how to build

the body you want, one

muscle group at a time, in

just three workouts a

week—guaranteed.

Chest & Back, part 1

Chest & Back, part 2

Legs & Glutes, part 1

Legs & Glutes, part 2

The Abs

Arms, part 1

Arms, part 2

Putting It All Together

To t al Body Fat Loss

FIND

YOUR LEVEL

XPECTING MUSCLES BUILT FOR LOOKS to perform well is like

gathering your family for a touch-football game and expecting

them to run the West Coast offense.

There’s a perfect way to build multipurpose muscle, says

Michael Mejia, C.S.C.S., our workout expert. It hinges on one

word: stability. See, most guys lift weights from the outside in.

That is, they start with an idea of what they want their

muscles to look like and go from there, pummeling their

biceps and pectorals and abs with the most basic exercises.

The result: big muscles that look really good from the outside

and perform really well in isolation, but lack simple balance

and coordination. With our plan, you start with the basic exercises most men already

know how to do, but as you get comfortable with them, you move on to exercises that

challenge your balance and coordination. You still get big, strong muscles, but as they

grow bigger and stronger, they also work together better.

BEGINNER

If you’re new to weight lifting or

are returning to it after a long

layoff, consider yourself a begin-

ner.

INTERMEDIATE

An intermediate has been lifting

for at least 6 months to a year, has

tried several different workout

programs, and has seen gains in

strength and muscle mass.

ADVANCED

An advanced lifter has been lifting

consistently for more than a year,

has seen considerable gains in

strength and size, is proficient at

squats and several varieties of

deadlifts, and can do at least five

pullups.

CHAPTER 1

THE REST OF

YOUR WORKOUT

SHOULDERS

Do the shoulder exercises ﬁrst in your

workout. After that, it’s up to you how to ﬁt

in exercises for other muscle groups. Most

important: Build strength and muscle size

with equal effort on both sides of your body.

Working the front and neglecting the back

is a recipe for injury. Some suggestions:

BEGINNER Do a total-body workout two

or three times a week. After you finish your

shoulder exercises, you can try one set of

eight to 12 repetitions of the following

exercises (except where noted):

Lat pulldown

Squat or leg press

Leg curl

Dumbbell chest press

Cable or dumbbell row

Cable triceps extension

Dumbbell biceps curl

Crunch (15–20 repetitions)

HE EXERCISES IN THIS FIRST CHAPTER will help

protect your shoulders from injury and ensure a strong,

stable frame. So when it comes time to run a pick-and-

roll, toss your kids in the air (for height or distance), or

uproot a few saplings to make way for your new backyard

putting green, you’ll have what it takes. But you'll also

receive an extra benefit: muscles that will pump up nicely

for display purposes.

INTERMEDIATE Divide your program

into two workouts: one for the upper body,

one for the lower. Alternate between the

two workouts, taking a day off after each.

So you would do the upper-body workout

on Monday and Friday of one week and the

lower-body workout on Wednesday, then

the following week do the lower-body

workout on Monday and Friday and the

upper-body workout on Wednesday.

Upper-body workout After doing this

shoulder program, choose one exercise

each for chest, back, biceps, and triceps.

Do two or three sets of the chest and back

exercises and one or two sets of the arm

exercises.

Lower-body workout Choose one “hip-

dominant” exercise, meaning that the main

emphasis of the exercise is on the ham-

strings and gluteals (examples: stepups and

any variety of deadlift). Then choose one

“knee-dominant” exercise, meaning the

emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles—

the front of the thigh. (Squats, leg presses,

and lunges qualify.) Do two or three

warmup sets and two work sets of each.

(Use heavier weights and do fewer repeti-

tions in each warmup set. A work set means

you’re using the most weight you can for

that number of repetitions.) Add your

choice of abdominal and calf exercises.

ADVANCED Divide your workout into

four parts. Do each once a week; don’t

work out more than 2 days in a row.

1. Shoulders and arms

2. Knee-dominant exercises (described

above), plus abs and calves

3. Chest and back

4. Hip-dominant exercises (also above),

plus abs and calves again

THE

BEGINNER

Seated Alternating

Dumbbell Press

Do the three beginner exercises

for 4 weeks, then switch to the

intermediate exercises for 4 weeks.

If you want, you can do the advanced

exercises for the next 4 weeks after

that, or go back and repeat the

beginner and intermediate exercises,

using heavier weights and fewer

repetitions.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a

bench, holding the weights at jaw

level, just outside your shoulders.

Your palms should face forward.

Starting with your weaker arm

(probably your left if you’re right-

handed), lift one dumbbell overhead

until your arm is straight.

As you lower it, raise the other—

that’s one repetition.

WEEK 1: Do 1 set of 10–12 repetitions

of each exercise.

WEEK 2: 1 or 2 sets of 10–12

WEEK 3: 2 or 3 sets of 10–12

WEEK 4: 3 sets of 10–12

WEEK 5: 2 sets of 8–10

WEEK 6: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

WEEKS 7 & 8: 3 sets of 8–10

Alternate until you finish the set.

45-Degree Scarecrow

Set an incline bench to 45 degrees.

Holding a pair of light dumbbells, lie

chest-down on the bench. Raise your

upper arms so they’re perpendicular to

your torso and parallel to the floor. Bend

your elbows 90 degrees, so your

forearms hang straight down toward the

floor.

Keeping your elbows, wrists, and upper

arms in fixed positions, rotate the

weights up and back as far as you can—

you want your shoulders to act like

hinges, your arms like swinging gates.

Pause, then slowly lower the weights.

Snatch-Grip Shrug

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip

that’s as wide as comfortably possible.

Hold the bar down at arm’s length in

front of you.

Lean forward slightly so the bar is

about an inch in front of your thighs.

Shrug your shoulders as high as you

can.

Pause, then slowly lower the barbell.

INTERMEDIATE

Hang Clean and Press

Do the three intermediate

exercises for 4 weeks, then

switch to the advanced moves

for 4 weeks.

WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12

WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

WEEKS 5 & 6: 2 sets of 8–10

WEEKS 7 & 8: 2 or 3 sets of 6–8

Grab a barbell with an overhand,

shoulder-width grip, and hold it in front

of your thighs while standing with your

knees slightly bent. Your lower back

should be in its natural alignment

(slightly arched, in other words).

Shrug your shoulders as you pull the

bar up as hard as you can. You should

rise up on your toes as you do this.

When the bar reaches chest level, bend

your knees again, rotate your forearms

from the elbows, and bend your wrists

so they go around the bar as you

“catch”the bar on the front of your

shoulders (shown).

Straighten your knees, then press the

bar overhead.

Lower the bar to your shoulders, then

rotate your arms and wrists back as you

lower the bar to your waist, then finally

lower it to your thighs again.

Throughout the exercise, the bar should

stay as close to your body as possible.

Alternating Lateral

Raise with Static Hold

Sit holding a pair of dumbbells at

your sides, your palms facing in.

Lift the dumbbells straight out to

your sides.

Lower and raise one dumbbell,

starting with your weaker arm

(your left if you’re right-handed),

then lower and raise the other.

That’s one repetition.

Double-Cable

External Rotation

Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables

of acable-crossover station.

Grab the left handle with your right hand

and the right handle with your left, and

stand in the middle of the station with your

elbows bent 90 degrees and the cables

crossing over each other in front of your

midsection.

Rotate your forearms up and outward, as if

they were two gates swinging out from your

upper arms, which act as hinges.

Pause, then slowly return your arms to the

starting position.

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