Steve: Full Body (speed drop)

I’m hooked on this 2-set-per-exercise full-body workout. Here’s the sequence: High-rep set, rest 40 seconds and add weight; 10-rep set,then reduce weight to set 1 and immediately crank out an X-cel, or speed drop set (1.5 seconds per rep). I used a few different exercises today. The workout is quick, and you can add an exercise for stubborn muscles, which I did for shoulders today…

Quads/Hams: Cable squats (2×16,9(6)); Seated leg curls (2×16, 9(7))

Calves: Machine leg press calf raises (2×18,11(8))

Chest: Wide-grip machine dips (2×15,9(6))
Midback/Lats: Machine rows (2×18,9(8))
Delts: Seated Arnold presses (2×16,10(8))

Tri’s/Lats/Delts/Traps: DB pullovers (2×15,11) ss Lateral-shrugs (2×12,10)
Tri’s/Bi’s: Chest-supported kickbacks (2×12,9) ss Facedown incline concentration curls (2×15,11)

Forearms/Brachialis: DB wrist curls (2×20,14) ss Hammer curls (2×12,9)
Abs: Planks (2×50 sec.) ss Incline kneeups (2×10,7)

Note: My current program is based on methods in the new e-book MMX Fast Mega-Mass Workouts–the Max-Muscle X-pansion System.

Summary

Some excellent exercise switches, one I’d never tried–Cable squats. I got this one from my friend Mr. America Doug Brignole. I used the low cables that are closer together than a standard crossover. With a handle in each hand, I stepped back, kept my torso vertical and squatted. Wow! It’s a combination of a hack squat and DB squat with major quad activation. You are pushing up and back at the same time, so new fibers are no doubt involved–or at least the fibers are getting unique stress. The Kickbacks and Facedown concentration curls were moves I hadn’t done in a while, and the cramping was crazy. Nice change to gain.

Diet, Supplements & Nutrient Timing

For meal-by-meal diets plus training and nutrition info, see the X-treme Lean e-book.