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Moderate Intensity Workout

- Upper Body Emphasis -

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**WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)**
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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Ipsilateral Incline Dumbbell Row	#1,#2,#3	3	5-8	60"	7-8	2-3"

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The ipsilateral incline dumbbell row is not only surprisingly difficult but it also does wonders for improving horizontal pulling mechanics and rowing form. It actually feels quite similar to a renegade row in terms of core activation and anti-rotation except it’s impossible to cheat or twist your body. Here’s one of my NFL quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke showing how it’s done while also producing a strong isometric squeeze in the contracted position.

Incline dumbbell rows are some of my favorite rowing exercises for crushing the upper back and lats. Unfortunately there’s very little core and abdominal activation occurring throughout as the lifter is simply resting his or her chest against the bench. By performing these in an ipsilateral fashion not only does the lifter create a strong muscle mind connection with the lats as a result of being forced to slow the movement down and use smooth form but this taxes the daylights out of the entire core. In fact, many of my athletes will comment that it feels like they’re about to be yanked off the side of the bench unless they aggressively fire their core and maintain tall and rigid posture. Any deviation in spinal alignment or core activation will make these nearly impossible to perform especially with appreciable loads.

The ipsilateral row is also one of the most effective rowing exercises I’ve ever used for teaching proper range of motion during rows and horizontal pulls. Most individuals overstretch in the bottom position of rows while allowing excessive protraction and shoulder rounding. In addition many lifters tend to over-pull or over-row in the in the contracted position allowing the elbow to move too far past the torso. Doing either of these will destabilize the spine making it difficult to maintain body position and motor control. As a result the lifter will be required to terminate the end range of motion at the appropriate position which happens to be more compact than what’s typically preached in the fitness industry. In other words it ingrains crisp 90-degree mechanics with optimal ROM not excessive ROM.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Try performing several sets of 5-8 reps of each of these during your next upper body workout. I also recommend starting with half of the load you would typically use for the bilateral variations of these dumbbell movements. However, over time you should be capable of using 70-75% of the loads you typically handle. In other words if you usually use 100 pound dumbbells then you should be able to handle 70 or 75 pounds for the ipsilateral incline dumbbell variations.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Ipsilateral Incline Chest Presses and Rows	#1,#2,#3	3	5-6 per side	60"	7-8	2-3"

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This next exercise is an ipsilateral incline dumbbell press. Incline dumbbell drills are some of my go-to movements. However, periodically performing ipsilateral versions of these not only makes the movements more difficult but the level of core stabilization, abdominal recruitment, rotary stability, & overall motor control involved is difficult to match with any other upper body press. Although the ipsilateral incline dumbbell press can be performed with the head on the bench I recommend the head-off protocol as it also allows better t-spine extension via enhanced cervical elongation since the head is not compressed into a rigid surface.

These are also surprisingly brutal on the pectorals as the anti-rotation component also provides a strong abduction stimulus to the shoulder of the working arm. To resist these strong abduction forces the lifter will be required to squeeze the chest throughout similar to an isometric fly. Furthermore don’t be surprised if you feel your core muscles screaming as you’ll be working overtime to keep your body from flipping off the side of bench. In addition, the glute, hamstrings, and hip muscles of the support leg will be receiving intense stimulation as you’ll be required to activate these muscles very aggressively to help lock your body in.

Finally, the feet & ankles also get worked as you’ll be required to keep the foot of the support leg perfectly straight by screwing them into the floor. If it begins to rotate excessively outward it will become difficult to keep control of the movement.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Goblet Squats with Horizontal Band Resistance (Band Optional)	#1,#2,#3	3	4	60-90"	4-5	3-4"

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OPTION #1

Want to fix your squat mechanics? The goblet squat is one of the most simple yet effective exercises for grooving proper squat technique and lower body mechanics. Unfortunately many individuals have a tendency to perform them incorrectly thereby reinforcing dysfunction and faulty activation patterns into their CNS that can negatively impact all other lower body movements. Ironically the goblet squat is frequently used as a corrective movement for the squat pattern. However, the opposite often occurs due to a variety of movement aberrations.

A very common issue many athletes including advanced lifters run into during goblet squats is neglecting to sit back into their hips and allowing excessive anterior knee drift to occur. While the goblet squat does involve a slightly more upright and quad dominant position than many other squats (due to the anterior loading protocol) it’s still just as critical that the lifter sit back into their heels, hips, and glutes. This is accomplished by incorporating a very slight hip hinge throughout without letting the chest actually tilt over.

By performing goblet squats with RNT resistance and band tension that’s attempting to drive your hips, knees, and lower body in the anterior direction you’re essentially feeding this dysfunction. As a result the lifter is required to sit back into their heels and hips to resist these forces thereby eliminating the common anterior knee drift and over-quad dominant positions.

This variation also helps eliminate the all-too-common problem of bending over at the waist excessively (i.e. chest tilting over) rather than sitting straight down. That’s because the lifter can use the band resistance to lean slightly against thereby reinforcing more vertical force vectors.

This is also an excellent variation for any individual with knee issues or low back problems as the horizontal band resistance helps alleviate pressure off both of these areas. Read more HERE.

OPTION #2

Here's a great way to blast your quads and legs with constant tension by simply performing front squats in the constant tension sweet spot at 90 degree joint angles then squatting half way up without locking out.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Lateral Pullup Ninja Shuffle	#4 & #5	3	1-2 times back & forth (see video)	60-75"	7-8	N/A

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Here’s one of my awesome clients Ben Lai Demonstrating a brutally effective grip and forearm exercise as he performs the ledge pullup lateral shuffle. This can be performed on any ledge, step, or climbing piece that keeps the lifter from being able to fully grip the surface with their entire hand. Besides obliterating the forearms, grip, fingers, and hands, this drill crushes the back, lats, biceps, core, and shoulder stabilizers. It’s also great for eliminating asymmetries as each side will be forced to work equally as you shuffle from one end of the station to the other. If it’s still too easy, try performing it with chains attached to your upper back as Ben shows here.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Kneeling Overhead Press with Trap Bar, Barbell, or Dumbbells	#4 & #5	3	4-5	60-90"	7-8	2-3"

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I’m a big fan of using the trap bar to perform overhead presses. The combination of a slightly wider neutral grip placement not only overloads the shoulders but it also provides a biomechanically safe position that’s very friendly on the glenohumeral joint. Performing these in a kneeling fashion as demonstrated by my awesome client Ben Lai further increases the demands not only on the upper body but also on the core and abdominal musculature. In addition, the kneeling position forces the lifter to use more precise form and boy mechanics as anything short of textbook execution will cause the lifter to loose her or her balance. In other words the individual is required to execute the movement with tall posture and ample t-spine extension as lack of these features will cause the lifter to fall forward.

With that said I highly recommend using a competent spotter your first few times through this movement as these are deceptively difficult. Try performing several sets of 4-6 reps during your next shoulder workout. I also recommend not going significantly past 90 degrees in the bottom position as this helps maximize tension to the targeted musculature while minimizing stress to the joints and connective tissue. I also recommend using a short pause in both the top and bottom positions while incorporating a brief eccentric isometric to maximize form and technique.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Bottoms Up Overhead Lunge Contralateral	#6 & #7	2	5 per side	60"	6-7	2-3"

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OPTION #1

Bottoms-up exercises are some of the most difficult strength training movements there are. Besides requiring full body tightness, all bottoms-up movements force the lifter to stabilize every muscle throughout the body especially in the core and upper torso. The bottoms-up lunge performed overhead is one of the best variations for improving the overhead lunge mechanics. Be sure to keep the arm pulled back throughout while hinging at the hips.

OPTION #2

This next exercise is an Eccentric Isometric Trap Bar Lunge Split Squat : Allowing the knees to travel too far forward on lunges is a common mistake. The trap bare forces the lifter to minimize anterior knee drift or the knee will hit the bar.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Walk The Line One Arm Suitcase Carry	#6 & #7	2	30-50 yards per side	60-90"	7-8	N/A

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Here's one of my NFL athletes LA performing a suitcase carry using something I refer to as the "walk the line" protocol. It's a bit hard to see in this video but I have him picking a line in the concrete the runs the length of the floor and have him stagger it throughout without deviating. Most individuals perform suitcase carries, farmers walks, and other loaded carries with foot and hip aberrations where the feet and legs move out to the sides rather than staying in-line. Picking a line on the floor helps to ensure proper stride mechanics and gait technique are employed rather than movement aberrations that are so common with loaded carries.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Decline Kettlebell Skull Crushers	#8,#9,#10	2	8-10	60-75"	7-8	2"

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Many bodybuilders believe that the decline-angled skull crusher is superior to the flat position when it comes to targeting the triceps. In addition the decline position produces the greatest range of motion thereby providing high levels of stretch that are critical for optimizing the muscle hypertrophy mechanism of micro-trauma and muscle damage. Add in kettlebells in conjunction with the decline angle and there’s also more constant tension placed on the triceps due to the kettlebells providing a constant angle of pull. In fact most tricep exercises performed with free weights involves little tension in the contracted (top) position however the decline kettlebell skull crusher is one of those rare exceptions. As a result this produces greater occlusion during the exercise resulting in high levels of metabolic stress, cellular volumization and overall muscle pump, all of which are key mechanisms for inducing muscular hyeprtrpohy

The decline kettlebell skull crusher particularly when performed with kettlebells also provides significant tension to all three heads of the triceps making it highly effective for eliciting growth throughout the entire musculature of tricep. In addition the decline position reduces involvement of the shoulders forcing the brunt of the work on the triceps. Finally, many lifters find the decline position to be easier on the elbow joint in comparison to other angles particularly when combined with isolateral free weights such as kettlebells or dumbbells.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Renegade Bicep Curls	#8,#9,#10	2	7 per side	60-75"	7-8	2"

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The renegade position is not only conducive for blasting the biceps due to the constant tension in the top contracted position but it also crushes the core as shown by 3 of my NFL football athletes including Marquell Beckwith, Mazi Ogbonna, and Julian Williams. That’s because the farther the weight/arm moves away from our center of mass towards the head, the greater the level of extension forces that are placed on the spine and torso.

Although the core gets pummeled, don’t be surprised if you feel your biceps getting thrashed as you’ll be forced to slow the movement down while using strict mechanics to dial in your positioning. Just be forewarned, the quadruped bird dog variation shown by Julian is quite advanced, as shown by his timely tuck and roll maneuver at the end of the video.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Lateral Raises on Landmine (single or double arm)	#8,#9,#10	2	10 each side	60-90"	7-8	2"

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OPTION #1

Although it seems like a simple exercise the lateral raise is one of the most butchered isolation movements you'll see. Rather than lifting the weights straight out to the sides, the lifter should focus on using an angular movement roughly 20-30 degrees out to the sides of the torso (almost at a sight diagonal angle). In other words a proper lateral raise involves moving the arms to the sides and slightly to the front of the body. This helps to maximize recruitment of the lateral deltoids and while taking stress off the joints and connective tissue. In addition, most lifters lead with their thumbs up when performing lateral raises which is another common mistake as the thumbs should be pointed slightly down like pouring a glass of water especially at the top of the movement.

Performing landmine lateral raises as demonstrated by several of my athletes literally guides the lifter into the perfect path for performing lateral raises due to the rotational nature of the landmine device. Simply put if you start wit h the tips of the landmine at the side of your hips at the bottom of the movement, you’ll inevitably raise the arms up slightly to the front of the torso in the top position thereby appropriating the natural angular range of motion for lateral raises. In addition the rotational nature of the device angles the thumbs and palms down as you raise to the top of the movement further ingraining proper lateral raise mechanics.

Lastly, most lifters use excessive momentum, cheating, swinging, and shifting when performing lateral raises. To glean the benefits of this or any other movement particularly isolation exercises, the key is smooth and controlled motions. By incorporating the single leg stand into the movement this requires the lifter to employ smooth, strict, and controlled mechanics as anything less will result in loss of balance. Finally, if you don’t have access to a double landmine station, this movement can be just as easily be performing in a single arm fashion. Try performing several sets of 12-15 reps (or 6-8 on each leg) at the end of your next shoulder day. Just be prepared for an incredible burn followed soon after by a shapely pair of cannonball deltoids.

OPTION #2

Here's a great way to fix your alignment on lunges and split squats that also impacts your lateral raise form by keeping very rigid and in-line posture. Simply hold a lunge or split squat position using the longitudinal foam roller method then perform lateral raises as I show here. Any deviations in form will result in loss of balance and instability