Member Navigation

Quick Start

FAQ's

Contact Dr. Seedman

Heavy/Intense Workout

- Lower Body Emphasis -

See Exercise Details

WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)
SEE BELOW FOR YOUR DETAILED WORKOUT WALKTHROUGH

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Bottom Half Eccentric Isometric Squats (Make Shift Straps Optional)	#1,#2,#3	2-3	10,8,6	90-120"	9-10	2-3"

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

Safety squat bars are used in many powerlifting circles primarily because they don’t require the same degree of upper body mobility. As a result they and tend to be much easier on the shoulders, neck, wrists, and elbows. . However, by using wrists straps you can actually create your own makeshift safety squat bar that in many ways is superior to standard safety bars. In fact there are 8 total reasons why lifters should incorporate these into their training routines. Read more at the following link: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/2017/3/29/make-your-own-safety-squat-bar-makeshift-safety-squat-bar

OPTION #2

This constant tension trap bar eccentric isometric deadlift squat is brutal on the lower body as it provides enormous levels of constant tension and metabolic stress.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Plate Jump Squats	#1,#2,#3	2-3	5	60"	8	2-3"

Read About Exercise

If you’re looking to master your jumping and landing mechanics, try performing eyes closed jumps with a brief eccentric isometric protocol as I have my awesome 62 year old client Mitch performing here. Yes, jumping can be performed by most populations provided mechanics are proper and safe. The eyes closed elements helps clean up mechanics a step further although when first implementing this protocol its quite challenging particularly the landing.

Eyes-closed training is something I frequently incorporate with all of my clients and athletes. That’s because it improves movement mechanics and muscle function. In fact I’ve seen it do wonders for my clients and athletes almost immediately. The reason for this is that closing your eyes on any exercise forces your muscle spindles and other proprioceptive mechanisms to work overtime in order to stabilize the movement and control the load. In other words it teaches the lifter to rely more on kinesthetic awareness and somatosensory feedback rather than sight.

Instead of watching your way through the movement, feel your way through the movement. This is further emphasized when combined with eccentric isometric protocols. Even when the eyes are opened the lifter should be more tuned into their sense of feel than their sense of sight. Simply put, lift by feel not by sight.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Plank (trap bar optional)	#1,#2,#3	2-3	20" per leg	2-3 minutes	8-9	N/A

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

Here’s one of my NFL athletes Jerel Worthy demonstrating a core exercise that is exponentially more challenging than it looks, the single leg longitudinal trap bar plank. The longitudinal trap bar protocol is one of my favorite methods that I use on a number of exercises including deadlifts, squats, rows, chest presses, pullups, inverted rows, lunges, RDL’s, overhead presses, dips, pushups, jumps and more.

When applied to single leg planks not only are you addressing anti-rotation and rotary stability but you’re also working on elements of symmetrical loading. Simply put if you don’t place equal pressure on both arms, the trap bar will shift and wiggle.
To ensure the trap bar maintains stable the lifter will be required to load both sides symmetrically which requires unbelievable focus, not to mention brutally high levels of core activation and motor control. If you have an imbalance or misalignment in any area of your body this exercise will both expose and address it.

As an added bonus it requires unbelievably high levels of foot and ankle stabilization and proper alignment as even the slightest deviation in the lower extremity will make it nearly impossible to stabilize the movement.

OPTION #2

The bear frog ab fallout on rings as shown here by NFL athlete Kevin Minter is one of the most intense ab & core exercises you can do as you move from a fully stretched plank hold into a bear crawl position. Make sure you finish the bear crawl position at least 6-12 inches behind the anchor point.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
BANA 2:1 Eccentric Leg Curls	#4,#5,#6	2-3	5 per leg	60"	8-10	3"

Read About Exercise

For this next exercise, we'll be applying the BANA 2:1 (bilateral assisted negative accentuated) training protocol from Exercise #1 to the leg curl. This is one of the best ways to improve hamstring strength and size while also helping to prevent injuries to the posterior chain.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Bulgarian Bent Over Rows	#4,#5,#6	2-3	4-5 per leg	60-90"	8-9	1-2"

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

The next two exercises (exercises #5 and #6) is full body superset with a single leg incline T-bench chest press & Bulgarian split stance bent over row RDL combo. This circuit emphasizes upper body pushing & pulling while also unilaterally taxing the lower body and posterior chain. It’s also addressing hip mobility, balance, alignment, stability, anti-rotation, & motor control. These are the types of drills I use with my clients and athletes to improve muscle function, mobility, & joint health.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Incline T-Bench Chest Press	#4,#5,#6	2-3	4-5 per side	2-3 minutes	4-5	2-3"

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

As noted above, exercises #5 and #6 is full body superset with a single leg incline T-bench chest press & Bulgarian split stance bent over row RDL combo. This circuit emphasizes upper body pushing & pulling while also unilaterally taxing the lower body and posterior chain. It’s also addressing hip mobility, balance, alignment, stability, anti-rotation, & motor control. These are the types of drills I use with my clients and athletes to improve muscle function, mobility, & joint health.

OPTION #2

This is a pivot chest press version with the biomechanical drop rep method. The hip thrust is not used to launch the weight up but rather to change the position of the torso to make it either easier or harder depending on the phase of the movement. Simply the lifter moves into a biomechanically stronger position for the upper body on the concentric while moving into a biomechanically weaker position for the upper body on the eccentric phase.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Squatting Lat Pulldown	#7 & #8	2	4 per side	30-60"	5	2-3"

Read About Exercise

The squatting lat pulldown is not only one of the most effective upper back and lat exercises for building functional strength and size but it also does wonders for cleaning up pullup and lat pulldown technique. With that said, here are 10 reasons why you should include squatting lat pulldowns in your training routine.

Eliminates excessive range of motion in the bottom-contracted position of the lat pulldown. Most lifters pull significantly past 90 degrees on lat pulldowns (mid face height), which minimizes lat activation and increases tension to the shoulder joint. Fortunately, the squatting lat pulldown remedies this issue as pulling too low will actually cause the body and hips to sink towards the floor rendering the lifter unable to hold the optimal 90-90 squat. This also reinforces the same proper ROM for pullups.
Eliminate excessive ROM at the top stretched position of the lat pulldown. Similar to the contracted position, most lifters allow the load and gravity to pull their shoulders excessively high at the top position (over-elevation) thereby placing strain on the tendons, joints, and connective tissue of the shoulders and elbows. Proper positioning in the top of a lat pulldown involves complete extension with the arms while also keeping the shoulders and scapula semi-packed. Fortunately, the squatting lat pulldown also provides the perfect cue here. If the lifter allows the shoulders to be pulled too high, this causes the whole body to be pulled out of the squat position.
Eliminates momentum and jerky motions. Using excessive momentum will make it literally impossible to hold your squat position. As you notice in the video with my clients and I performing the different variations, the rep cadence is quite slow and controlled throughout. This is out of pure necessity as anything less will make it impossible to hold the squat and control the load. In fact, most of the variations require eccentric isometrics to be employed in order to maintain control of the exercise. Note: The combination of points #1, 2, and 3 create unbelievably high levels of intramuscular tension to the lats and upper back making the squatting lat pulldown an effective choice for building functional strength and mass.
Reinforces a tight core while minimizing lumbar extension. A very common problem on lat pulldowns and pullups is using excessive low back arch. This is literally impossible to do while performing squatting lat pulldowns as the anterior core must be aggressively engaged throughout.
Reinforces t-spine extension and eliminates rounded shoulder syndrome. Any shoulder rounding, internal rotation, or poor postural mechanics will make it nearly impossible to perform these with any semblance of motor control.
Grooves a proper 90-90 squat position. A proper squat for any human involves approximately 90 degree joint angles at both the hip and knee joints. The squatting lat pulldown is not only conducive for learning this, the movement essentially has to be performed in that position in order to be able to handle any significant loading. Read more about proper squat form and depth here.
Teaches the athlete how to pull themselves into the bottom of a squat. Learning to pull yourself into the 90 degree position of a squat via co-contraction of reciprocal muscle groups is a critical component of a squat or any movement for that matter. In order to move into the squat and hold it throughout, the lifter will be required to aggressively fire their hip flexors and hamstrings as a means of pulling themselves into the squat. This does wonders for cleaning up squatting technique and lower body mechanics.
Requires the athlete to produce full-body tension. The squatting lat pulldown literally forces the lifter to remain incredibly tight from head to toe and eliminate energy leaks. This has a tremendous impact not only on vertical pulling motions but on every other compound movement as it reinforces full body tension and enhanced spinal rigidity.
Provides and numerous options and variations. The squatting lat pulldown is one of the most versatile and adaptable vertical pulling movements there is. The lifter can essentially use the basic squat hold or progress to a more advanced single leg squat hold. Each variation has its own unique attributes and benefits.
Helps improve lower body alignment. This is particularly true of the single leg and/or single arm variations as the rotational forces require the lifer to maintain perfect body alignment from head to toe as anything less will cause the torso to rotate and twist. This has a tremendous impact on the entire kinetic chain including upper body posture as well as foot and ankle alignment.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Overhead Partial Squat and Press	#7 & #8	2	5-6	2 minutes	7	2"

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

Here's a great way to blast the shoulders, fix your overhead press, and hit your quads at the same time. It also does wonders for cleaning up your push press and enhancing overhead mobility. In fact there are 10 reasons why this is so effective.

Besides acting as a upper-lower combination exercise that happens to work the quads while also blasting the shoulders, it’s important to note that the tension to the deltoids and traps is inordinately high and in some ways produce greater mechanical tension than traditional overhead presses. That’s because hip flexion and knee flexion produces elongation and stretching of the posterior chain. Because the lats and posterior chain tie together, the greater the stretch to the posterior chain and lower body the greater the stretch and elongation to the lats and upper back. As a result the lats are more taut. This creates added tension the shoulders must push against particularly in the top of the movement. In fact, the top half of the squatting overhead presses feels unusually challenging similar to the tension created from accommodating resistance such as bands and chains. Unlike most overhead presses where the top represents the easiest position or resting position with minimal tension, the top of the squatting overhead press is just as hard as the other portions of the movement. Simply put there’s high levels of constant tension making this a phenomenal strength and hypertrophy exercise.
Most of my athletes have commented that the level of full body tension, core activation, shoulder recruitment, and upper back activation during squatting overhead presses is incredibly high. If you’re looking for a great bang for your buck exercise that hits just about every muscle from head to toe with high levels of constant tension that also produces a strong cardio conditioning stimulus this is it.
The level of mobility required not only in the shoulders but also in the t-spine and upper back is quite high during these. With that said, most individuals will struggle to maintain form with a full quarter squat. Start with just a 2-3 inch knee bend and progress to deeper depths as your shoulder mobility improves.
Because the squatting overhead press is a great overhead mobility exercise it also had tremendous transfer and carryover to the Overhead squat. As you improve your overhead squatting press you should notice considerable improvements to your overhead squat not to mention other overhead exercises.
Due to the knee dominant partial squat (the knees will inevitably be slightly more forward than most squats) the overhead squatting press is quite an intense quadriceps exercise particularly to the vastus medialis. That’s because these muscles are largely responsible for the top portion of the squat and terminal knee extension.
Lack of proper foot and ankle activation is a very common problem during overhead pressing exercises. Fortunately the overhead squatting press requires significant foot and ankle activation in order to maintain position thereby enhancing full body tension and recruitment throughout the kinetic chain.
Of any overhead press I’ve eve done, the squatting overhead press require the cleanest and strictest pressing mechanics thereby helping to eliminate any cheating or compensation patterns you might have.
The overhead squatting press reinforces 90 degree pressing mechanics as going too deep makes it nearly impossible to press back up due to the biomechanically disadvantageous position produced from holding the partial squat.
The most common issue during the push press is the inability to assume a proper knee dip/partial squat position. This drill helps to reinforce proper lower body mechanics that would be used during the driving phase of the push press. Once you return to push press, expect a nice technique boost.
The squatting overhead press is quite versatile with dozens of possible variations including single arm, bottoms up, barbell, trap bar, single leg squatting, kickstand, lunging, and more.

Additionally the movement can be modified to more easily allow full 90 degree squat or lunging mechanics by using the landmine station. That’s because the angle of the landmine allows the lifter to move into a full 90 degree squat with traditional forward torso lean which inevitably makes the torso perpendicular to the barbell - an important feature of overhead pressing movements. Similarly the lunging variations are quite difficult yet very natural due to the natural forward torso angle allowed as the lifter can more easily maintain proper lunge mechanics (i.e. slight forward lean and hip hinge) while still completing the overhead press. While it’s possible to maintain a proper 90 degree lunge with the dumbbell or barbell variations most folks will find they over-extend their lumbar spine to complete these. The landmine is more conducive for maintaining a neutral spinal position since the lifter can lean into the landmine/barbell.

OPTION #2

The Squatting Overhead Barbell Wall Press is a phenomenal full body functional pressing exercise that engages just about every muscle from head to toe. Full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/functional-presses-for-athletes-bodybuilders

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed BANA Leg Extensions	#9 & #10	2	5-6 per leg	90"	9-10	3"

Read About Exercise

If you're looking for a simple yet brutal method for blasting the quads and building significant levels of muscle mass in the thighs, try the Bilateral Assisted (BANA) 2:1 Eccentric Accentuated leg extension method - the same protocol as highlighted in Exercise #1 of today's workout. Just prepare yourself for a major burn.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Barbell Lunge on Foam Roller	#9 & #10	2	5 per leg	2-3 minutes	8-9	2-3"

Read About Exercise

This variation is simple yet incredibly challenging. Simply place your back foot on the foam roller and perform any type of lunge (barbell, dumbbell, goblet, etc.) while using an eccentric isometric protocol (slow eccentric followed by a pause in the bottom position). Placing the back foot on the foam roller provides several unique features that literally help clean up lunge and split squat mechanics within seconds. Here are 6 common problems this variation addresses:

The anti-rolling foam roller lunge forces the lifter to place a majority of the weight on the front leg in order to avoid having their back foot roll backward off the foam roller. Many individuals place too much stress on the back leg and forget that a lunge is nothing more than a single leg squat with slight support from the back leg.
The anti-rolling lunge on a foam roller forces the lifter to use the necessary hip hinge mechanics and forward torso lean to successfully complete the movement. Attempting to stay upright, which happens to be one of the most common lunge mistakes, will be immediately punished as it will place too much strain on the back leg causing that foot to roll off the foam roller.
This lunge variation requires the lifter to keep the back heel up by staying tall and high on the ball of the back foot. In fact, a proper lunge involves having the back foot/heel approximately parallel to the wall throughout the duration of the lunge. As soon as the back heel drops it promotes sagging hips, weak core, excessive loading onto the back leg, and also minimizes the all-essential hip hinge mechanics. In order to avoid rolling off the foam roller the back heel must remain tall throughout this variation.
The anti-rolling foam roller lunge is one of the most effective lunges for teaching smooth and crisp mechanics. Attempting to muscle your way through the lift or use excessive momentum will result in immediate loss of control as the foam roller will begin to roll away. As a result, the lifter will be required to use incredibly strict form with constant tension on the muscles. In fact the degree of metabolic stress and mechanical tension this places on the entire musculature of the thigh is difficult to replicate with any other exercise. Just be prepared for a ridiculous burn and don’t forget I told you so.
Overextending at the top of the lunge and simply standing too tall at the completion of each rep is another subtle yet common mistake. Not only does this take tension off the working muscles and place stress on the low back but it pulls the individual out of proper alignment by eliminating the hip hinge position (which should be kept from start to finish). With the foam roller if you over-extend at the top it’s game over as your foot will roll right off.
When it comes to enhancing balance and stability, the anti-rolling foam roller lunge is one of the most effective lower body variations for improving these biomotor capabilities. Even the slightest loss of balance and mental focus will result in losing control and having to restart the movement.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Band Resisted Shin Raises (Optional)	#11 & #12	2	15	60"	8	1-2" hold at top

Read About Exercise

Increasing strength and innervation to the shin and ankle dorsiflexor muscles is critical for improving foo and ankle function as well as overall lower body mechanics. Although there different devices that can be used to perform resisted toe/shin raises, band resistance is very simple and practical. These drills can be performed using single or double leg. In addition you can use a plate under the entire foot (to increase tension) or under the heel only with the forefoot hanging off the plate (this allows greater stretching of the shin muscles at the bottom of the movement). Several sets of 10-12 repetitions using a several second pause in the stretched and contracted positions is ideal.

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Dumbbell Calve Raises (Optional)	#11 & #12	2	12	2 minutes	8	2" hold at top

Read About Exercise

Here's a simple yet fairly difficult calve exercise as the lack of support forces the smaller stabilizers of the calves, shins, ankles, feet, and tibia to work overtime to lock the movement in. It's also a great way to work on grip strength and trap activation particularly if you go heavy.