Joker’s Wild

I have four routines in my hand that I shuffle about and play close to my vest. They each have a specific purpose, yet they overlap at the edges more or less and need to be carefully arranged for maximum value.

My favorite routine is the Ace of Arms. Midsection gets me rolling and I rumble through three superset and triset combinations (biceps, triceps, forearms) at a thoughtful pace. The pace varies with my urges; my urges define the purpose. To handle heavier poundage, I slug it out; to pump and burn and rip, I move at a quick clip with light-to-moderate weight and pinpoint focus. Often, the two schemes merge as I get lost in the action. That’s fine by me.

The arms are small muscles and I don’t get knocked down and dragged out, my heart trying to keep up with the oxygen needs. The pain due to injury from accidents and years of pounding is… um… okay. The burn and pump are delectable, the road fun to travel.

I resist separating biceps and triceps when training, driven by emotion and personal satisfaction rather that technical correctness. I’d no sooner work bis apart from tris than I would go to the movies without Laree. Where’s the fun?

There’s more: A complete arm workout has me pushing and pulling, curling and extending, stretching and contracting… vigorously, thus intuitively engaging associated muscle groups, as they almost affectionately respond to the momentum and broadening action. The co-performance works more or less the whole upper body and is not without aerobic and athletic worth.

Midsection, please, before commencing. 20 minutes of nonstop trunk and ab movements, high energy, tight contractions.

Thick bar (2”) wrist curl (5x 20,20,15,12,10)
supersetted with
Reverse curl-- bent bar (5x 15,12,10,8,6)
supersetted with
Pulley pushdown (5x15-20)

Standing thick bar curl (5x 10,8,6,6,6)
supersetted with
Lying triceps extension (5x 15,12,12,12,12)

20% incline curl (5x 12,10,8,6,6)
supersetted with
Machine dips (5x 20,15,15,12,12)

See ya at the infirmary!

Not too far behind the Ace of Arms is the Wildcard, an odd mix of heavy back movements for thickness and power and some lighter lateral and cable work for deltoids and pecs.

Everything has reason, always a purpose.

Another version of midsection activity sets the stage for this generally time-casual workout. Depending on position within my flexible training rotation, this workout calls for deadlifts with a focus on either power (heavy weight, low reps) or exercise form and muscle-building value (moderate weight, higher reps). Five to eight sets of required reps to warm up and power on. Holding a moistened finger to the air, I’ll go for singles and doubles every 15 to 20 days.

Wide-grip, bent-over barbell rows -- to build mass and power and to honor the past and true basics – are executed precisely and supersetted with stiff-arm dumbbell pullovers. Five sets of varying reps of varying weight determined by mood, need and energy -- or fatigue -- is the standard precise approach (SPA).

With the oppressive, yet exhilarating “heavies” concluded, I stand between the stacks of weight that comprise the cable crossover machine and perform cable crossovers with the pecs and their severe burning in focus. I wrap the wrist and elbows that need support and dig in. 5 sets x 12 reps, pacing between sets.

Lying lateral raises -- left to right, 5 sets x 10 reps -- have become my favorite deltoid afterburners, secondary movements I find to be too much within the rugged shoulder, back and chest workout and just right a few days later. This movement, awkward at first, proves to be effective for me, a slightly shoulder-challenged basket case.

Shrugs with dumbbells do a number on my traps and associated upper torso sinew while giving me a real sense of functional power-griping and hand-holding might. So much for the Wildcard.

Squats, the King of Hearts, dominate leg day, the third in my collection of colorful routines. They exhaust me; the muscles ache, the heart pounds and I’m gasping for air with a grin on my face.

If I feel like it, I jam through the abs and such and head for the leg extension to prepare for my appearance before the throne. I don’t worship squats but they do add immeasurably to the domain of the body. Squat and everything benefits.

Protect the knees and ready the quadriceps and hamstring by performing at least two sets of 12 to 15 reps of leg extensions and leg curls. I complete five sets x 10-15 reps of each, supersetted with standing calf raises prior to my squatting. I feel safe and broken in without thigh overload. As one progresses and the weight becomes heavy on the back, there will be a time when one will need a tough belt for lower back support and wraps to shore up the knees.

I mix the reps over a series of seven sets. As with deadlifts, I choose my heavy, single-rep day every two to three weeks according to a loose plan based on disposition and intuition. Usually the scheme goes like this (this can take awhile): 1 set x 20 reps, (add 50#) 1x 15, (add 50#) 1x12, (add 50#) 1x10, (add 50#) 1x 8, (add 50#) 1x4-6, (sub 50#) 1x 6-10.

Done. Time for some Bomber Blend.

A mean routine -- the Full House – combines shoulders, lats and chest into an inspiring and rhythmic trio on paper, but an awkward and uncooperative threesome on the gym floor. A grouchy limitation in the left wrist and elbow cause me to improvise pressing movements and discover exercise grooves as I plod along. Training flow, form and pace are replaced by hesitance, wrapping and unwrapping, muttering and grimacing. The job gets done, yet no one-rep-max is recorded nor am I asked to demonstrate an Olympic clean-and-press.

The Smith press is an important piece of equipment in my shoulder and chest work. Pushing through the hand, wrist and elbow is facilitated with the upright guide bars. I smile at the pain, cheered on that I’ve located an obscure channel of movement to achieve sufficient tension within the deltoid and pectoral muscles, and move on. The routine is nothing new but I’ll bore you with it anyway. It goes like this:

Exertube rotation cuff support work, inward and outward motion (5x25 each)

45%-incline Smith press (5x 12,10,8…)
supersetted with
Wide-grip pulldown, elbows back (5x 12,10,8…)

Flat dumbbell press -- bench raised with four-inch block (5x 12,10,8…)
supersetted with
Seated lat row (5x 12,10,8…)

One-arm dumbbell row (5x 10,8,6…)

There you have The Big Four that I put into action each week. The days I train and the order of the routines are arranged as I proceed day to day, a luxury shared only by crazed gym owners or others without a real job.

Here’s a typical schedule starting Monday:

Ace of Arms
King of Hearts
Full House
(Day or two off)
Wildcard
(Day off)

Upon first glance it appears that I train each body part once a week. My body assures me it’s more like twice. Workouts and their exercise components, when performed deliberately and with maximum saturation, extend beyond the obvious reach. Deadlifts become a form of squats; shrugs, a very limited curl; all pulling is biceps at work; squats are whole system builders; pressing is triceps and delts; big curling and heavy pushdowns demand torso stabilizing that is exhaustive and the grip seldom rests, as it grabs, tugs, twists and supports.

The body is a system of co-functioning sinews, not individual, isolated muscles. Muscle interrelationship is comprehensive, especially when you use relatively heavy weight, push the reps, seek an effectual full range of motion and engage the body functionally without losing form. Now you’re training.

Drink your Bomber Blend and take your vitamins. Don’t want you falling out of the sky.

I’ll be in the hanger admiring the turkey if you need me. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. It’s our fourth.

The Bomber and his Jet

Click here to order your personalized, autographed copy of Dave's new book, Your Body Revival, $18.95

Did you sign up for Dave's expanded email yet?
It's free, motivating and priceless!
We'll also send you a link to Dave's free Body Revival Tips and Hints booklet with your confirmation notice.

May we answer any bodybuilding questions for you in our forum?

If you haven't yet read Dave's bodybuilding book, Brother Iron, Sister Steel, here's more information.

You may also enjoy our ongoing weight training and fitness article blog, which we update with new material several times each week.

Are you in the mood for reading an weight training book excerpt?

Can I tell you about whey protein powders?

Could you use a new 8-week workout routine or a bodypart workout program? Need to learn how to squat or how to deadlift?

Or select a link to the left to discover our most popular pages that are sure to answer all your training questions..

Click here to see the previous week's column