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Intense Pressing Workout

- Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps Emphasis -

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

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Dead Bug Barbell or Trap Bar Chest Press (Barbell, Trap Bar, or Dumbbells)	#1,#2,#3,#4	4	3-5 (per leg position)	90-120"	8-9	3-4"

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OPTION #1

This dead bug protocol is one of my favorite techniques to implement on bench press & chest press variations for eliminating excessive low back arch which is a very common problem during horizontal presses. Besides producing various energy leaks & structural impairments up the kinetic chain excessive lumbar extension is also potentially problematic for spinal health & low back pain. While it’s important to maintain a “big chest” while keeping the shoulders depressed & retracted during chest presses (which may result in a very mild & natural arch), many individuals compensate by producing excessive extension through their lumbar spine.

A majority of the extension should be occurring through the upper back & t-spine while keeping the lumbar spine relatively neutral. Yes, excessively arching the back may shorten the bar path, however, unless you’re a professional powerlifter, the neutral spinal position is far superior on all fronts not only on the bench press but on most if not all movements. As a bonus this creates a degree of anti-rotation & rotary stability thereby increasing core activation even further.

The bottoms up trap bar chest press method requires even greater motor control, shoulder stability, & body mechanics to maintain control of the volatile load.

OPTION #2

Unless you’re going to be competing in a powerlifting meet in a few Combining the smith machine with bilateral negative accentuated training method (BANA) also known as the “up with 2 down with 1 protocol” provides a very unique training stimulus for muscle growth & strength. Here’s why.

The 2:1 BANA method is one of the most effective eccentric overload & negative accentuated protocols there is. Not only does it produce incredible gains in functional strength & hypertrophy but it’s also very effective for targeting each limb individually during the eccentric portion of the lift. Essentially what you’re doing is performing the concentric phase with 2 limbs & the eccentric 1 limb thereby providing greater eccentric overload during that eccentric or negative.

Unfortunately, this technique is often limited to machines or cable systems such as seated machine rows, lat pulldowns, leg extensions, leg curls, chest press machines or other variable resistance pieces of equipment. While it’s impossible to apply this exact technique to traditional barbell moves for obvious reasons, this same concept can be applied to a number of movements using the Smith machine.

Essentially the Smith machine allows the lifter to apply the BANA method to a variety of traditional compound movements while also providing the closest thing possible to replicating compound barbell movements. For instance, using the Smith machine the 2:1 BANA method can be employed on bench press variations, bent over rows, over head presses, upright rows, & even back squats and front squats as I show in the article at link in comments.

Choose a weight that’s approximately 60-70% of your max for bilateral (double arm) but that’s also 110-130% of your max weight for unilateral version. This allows eccentric overload. Mat is suspension mats

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Empty Bar Overhead Squat	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	3-5	60"	4-5	2-3"

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Overhead squats a great movement. Most individuals tend to go too deep placing strain on the knees, back, and hips. Squatting to parallel on these is perfect for the majority of athletes and trainees.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Bear Crawl Pushups on Stability Ball	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	3-4 per side	75"	8-9	3-4"

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This is a single leg bear crawl pushup on a stability ball which as you can likely guess is quite challenging. In order to accomplish this exercise you'll need to use a slow & controlled eccentric isometrics to dial in your mechanics and maintain control (see video).

In fact without the use of eccentric isometrics, this exercise as well a many of the advanced moves I post would be nearly impossible. Eccentric isometrics help the lifter use the improved proprioceptive feedback & kinesthetic awareness they receive from emphasizing the eccentric to fine-tune their body mechanics. This inevitably leads to approximately 90 deg joint angles on most movements as this represents the most biomechanically & neurophysiologically sound position not only for functionality, athletic performance, & joint health, but also for strength & hypertrophy training. To go deeper than 90 requires the lifter to sacrifice muscle tension & activation in order to allow various degrees of collapsing. Maintaining maximal full body tension, spinal rigidity, & motor control inevitably causes the lifter to hit 90 deg without them even having to be coached as it’s coded into our physiology & DNA as instinctive, natural, & optimal movement.

As for this drill you’re essentially resisting rotation & extension forces making it nearly impossible to use anything but perfect spinal alignment. As a result the core gets pulverized which also has a tremendous impact on dialing in pushup technique. It also has excellent carryover to sprinting mechanics.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Prone Elevated Dumbbell Row	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	4-5	60"	4-5	2-3"

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OPTION #1

These alternating low incline dumbbell rows holding the non-working arm in the fully contracted 90 deg position absolutely torches the upper back & lats. Here are 10 important notes when it comes to lifting heavy.

Once an individual has demonstrated they have mastered their body mechanics on a specific movement then they can go heavy & overload the movement provided their form stays dialed in.
Heavy weight doesn’t cause injuries. It’s poor form often associated with using too much weight for one’s pre-existing strength levels that’s truly the cause of many lifting injuries.
You’re exponentially more likely to injure yourself using sloppy form with light weight than you would using perfect technique with heavy weight.
Whether you’re using 15 or 500 lbs your form, technique, tempo, & body mechanics should look almost identical. If the weight causes a significant change in form, then it’s likely too heavy.
The heavier the load is the more critical precise execution becomes.
Mastering your movement with lighter loads using 90 deg eccentric isometrics is the single most effective thing you can do to build up to safely handling heavy loads.
A muscle has no clue what the weight. It only knows tension & stress.
If your form breaks down then your muscles just perceived that weight as being much lighter than it actually was although the joints now think it’s even heavier than it actually was.
The intensity & effort should not be dictated by the load on the bar. Instead there should be 100% effort, intensity, & maximal muscle recruitment whether it’s light or heavy. This will prep your body to be able to handle heavy loads most efficiently.
When going heavy, select the heaviest weight you can handle while still being therapeutic on the body.

OPTION #2

The BANA 2:1 (up with 2 down with 1) also known a Bilateral Assisted Negative Accentuated seated cable row is one of the most simple yet effective mass builders for the upper back and lats.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Cross Body Barbell Javelin Suitcase Hold & Overhead Press	#5 & #6	3	4-5 per side	75-90"	8-9	2"

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OPTION #1

This next exercise is a brutally effective cross body suitcase hold & single arm overhead press. This drill provides 4 benefits.

Most athletes struggle to maintain a tight core & rigid spinal integrity when performing single arm overhead presses often resulting in excessive lateral flexion of the spine & tilting/shifting to one side rather than maintaining neutral alignment. For instance if an individual is pressing with their left arm they’ll often allow the right shoulder & hip to tilt to the right (a fairly precarious combo). This variation helps cue the lifter to avoid that tilt due to heavy loading on the opposite arm as they’re now resisting lateral flexion forces in the opposite direction thereby reinforcing a neutral rigid spine.

It’s a great 2 in 1 exercise as one side is getting the shoulders & delts torched (the pressing arm) while the other is getting significant overload & stretch to the traps, upper back, lats, & grip (suitcase arm).

Besides acting as a strong functional strength & hypertrophy move this is also one of the best drills for releasing tension in the neck & traps. That’s because as you press one arm overhead, the other arm is pulling downward towards the floor as a form of contralateral & reciprocal muscle activation. In other words whatever one side does, the other side does the opposite. Because the non-pressing arm is heavily loaded the combination of heavy weight combined with the pulling down towards the floor sensation creates an enormous stretch in the neck & upper traps. If you have a tight neck on any given day, try this drill ASAP.

The heavy suitcase hold promotes intense grip activation which has been shown to produce concurrent activation potentiation & full body tension resulting in greater neural drive to working extremities. Aim for 90 deg eccentric isometrics which is optimal for muscle growth & joint health. OPTION #2

Combining the smith machine with bilateral negative accentuated training method (BANA) also known as the “up with 2 down with 1 protocol” provides a very unique training stimulus for muscle growth & strength. Here’s why. The 2:1 BANA method is one of the most effective eccentric overload & negative accentuated protocols there is. Not only does it produce incredible gains in functional strength & hypertrophy but it’s also very effective for targeting each limb individually during the eccentric portion of the lift. Essentially what you’re doing is performing the concentric phase with 2 limbs & the eccentric 1 limb thereby providing greater eccentric overload during that eccentric or negative.

Unfortunately, this technique is often limited to machines or cable systems such as seated machine rows, lat pulldowns, leg extensions, leg curls, chest press machines or other variable resistance pieces of equipment. While it’s impossible to apply this exact technique to traditional barbell moves for obvious reasons, this same concept can be applied to a number of movements using the Smith machine.

Essentially the Smith machine allows the lifter to apply the BANA method to a variety of traditional compound movements while also providing the closest thing possible to replicating compound barbell movements. For instance, using the Smith machine the 2:1 BANA method can be employed on bench press variations, bent over rows, over head presses, upright rows, & even back squats and front squats as I show in the article at link in comments.

Choose a weight that’s approximately 60-70% of your max for bilateral (double arm) but that’s also 110-130% of your max weight for unilateral version. This allows eccentric overload. Mat is suspension mats

See Exercise Details

EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Overhand LAT Pulldown	#5 & #6	3	4-6	45-60"	4-5	3-4"

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Most folks tend to screw up lat pulldowns as they try to use excessive range of motion at the bottom rather than 90 degree joint angles (approximately mid face stopping point). I used to be guilt of this myself. Try using eccentric isometrics to find your proper mechanics as this will maximize your strength, size, and joint health.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Weighted Box Jump Squats with Deconstructed Eccentric Isometrics & Depth Drop Jumps	#7 & #8	2-3	2-4 per side	30"	3-5	3"

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OPTION #1

Performing the box jump in a deconstructed fashion by breaking the movement down into individual segments helps the athlete hone in on their form. That’s because they are doing an ECCENTRIC ISOMETRIC jump position which allows them to fine-tune their body mechanics before jumping onto the box. This is even more vital during single leg jumps.

In addition, this protocol eliminates momentum & teaches the athlete how to produce power from a dead stop position, which can be invaluable for speed & power training. In essence, using the stretch reflex (without pausing) allows you to achieve/demonstrate maximal jump height (i.e. testing scenarios), while performing them in a deconstructed fashion is best for improving jump performance.

The depth drop jump is one of the most tried & true drills for improving power, force production, force absorption, deceleration, efficiency of motor unit recruitment (turning on muscles quickly), & fast twitch fiber activation. These benefits are further enhanced when using loads.

Adding the single leg elements requires incredible balance, motor control, & stability. Furthermore this drill not only works on rate of force development & rate of force absorption but also rate of stabilization development which is commonly neglected.

OPTION #2

The best exercise I’ve found for perfecting the single leg hip hinge is the eccentric isometric single leg RDL. In this video I’m coaching my new group of NFL combine athletes on the proper execution as we prepare their bodies for the upcoming February and March testing dates. Notice the soft knee position of the support leg and 90 degree bend of the back elevated leg. This represents optimal mechanics for the single leg RDL.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eccentric Isometric Lunge with Javelin Lateral Raises	#7 & #8	3	8	60"	8-9	2-3"

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OPTION #1

In terms of this specific exercise, the combination of barbell javelin lateral raises combined with the lunge absolutely torches the deltoids as the lifter is forced to use strict & controlled lateral raises. Most lifters use significant momentum, excessive ROM, lumbar extension/back rock, biceps, arm supination, and too much trap activation. The forward lean produced from proper lunge mechanics combined with the barbells helps remedy all these issues.

OPTION #2

This is one of the single most effective exercises not only for blasting the entire musculature of your abs and core but also for torching your shoulders and rear delts.

The renegade row is one of my favorite exercises not only for targeting the upper back and lats but also for blasting the entire core and abdominal musculature. Fortunately this same technique can be applied to a number of movements including shoulder raises, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, lever rows, and more. Here’s one of my awesome clients and national figure competitor Leslie Petch demonstrating the brutal renegade rear delt lateral raise.

Not only does this blast the rear deltoids and upper back but it absolutely torches the core. As you raise the dumbbell farther away from your center of mass the weight pulls more and more on your core creating strong rotational forces and extension forces on the spine that the lifter must resist.

In addition, the renegade rear delt lateral raise is the perfect drill for teaching a lifter how to properly perform rear delt or bent over lateral raises as it’s nearly impossible to cheat this movement. Most individuals perform lateral raises with excessive momentum and body English. By maintaining a renegade plank hold position while performing rear delt raises you’ll be forced to eliminate momentum and dial in your mechanics.

Lastly, you’ll be forced to terminate the top end range of motion at the appropriate point as going excessively high (a common mistake made even by advanced lifters) will cause the lifter to lose their core tightness and positioning. To successfully hold the renegade plank you’ll be required to use optimal range of motion as shown in the video.

Try performing several sets of 8-10 reps during your next shoulder workout or core and ab routine. Also don’t be surprised if you have to substantially decrease the load you would typically handle on rear delt lateral raises as these are surprisingly challenging. Just be prepared for a serious burn in your posterior shoulders as well as your entire core.

On a final note, some individuals may be curious as to whether or not this exercise is more of a core or shoulder movement or whether the intensity of core activation will interfere with the stimulation to the shoulders and rear delts. Technically the movement can be used as both a core and shoulder movement. However, If the individual has a relatively weak core then the core musculature will most likely give out before the rear delts.

With that said the individual should train their body and improve their core strength to the point where the core is in fact not the weak link although it will still get absolutely crushed from these. Once their core is no longer the weak link this will allow them to train the rear delts to the maximum. However implementing this particular exercise is a great way to expedite this process.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Biomechanical Drop Set Skull Crushers on Rings	#9 & #10	3	3-4 per leg + to failure on both legs	15"	8-9	3"

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OPTION #1

Want to blast your arms and triceps as well as your core and hips? Try these biomechanical drop set skull crushers on rings. Do 3-4 reps per leg then end with another 3-4 on both legs or until you reach muscle failure.

OPTION #2

Biomechanical Drop Rep Tricep Rope Pressdown: Biomechanical drop rep similar to biomechanical drop set only mid rep rather than mid set. Simply, you adjust the concentric phase of the exercise to be more biomechanically advantageous (i.e. pushing the handles together) then adjust your biomechanics on the eccentric to be more biomechanically disadvantageous (spreading the handles) thereby allowing more eccentric stimulation.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Incline Kettlebell Eccentric Accentuated Compound-Isolation Skull Crusher or Reverse Tricep Pressdowns	#9 & #10	3	4-8	60-90"	8-9	2-3"

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OPTION #1

This skull crusher variation is very unique but once you analyze each component you’ll understand why it’s so effective for targeting the triceps. The movement is actually a “compound-isolation” exercise in that the eccentric involves an isolation movement of the triceps in the form of a skull crusher while the concentric involves a compound movement in the form of an incline press. This allows the lifter to incorporate supramaximal loads (greater than your 1RM) on the eccentric or isolation portion of the movement without the fear of being able to complete the concentric movement. Incorporating this technique on the kettlebell incline skull crusher produces incredible stress and micro-trauma (a critical mechanism of muscle growth) as you’ll be handling approximately 120% of your max load during the eccentric accentuated phase skull crusher but roughly 60% of of your 1RM kettlebell incline press for the concentric pressing portion.

Although this same compound isolation protocol can be performed on flat or decline positions the incline allows the greatest relative workload (% of your 1RM) during the concentric pressing phase due to the fact the most lifters handle significantly lighter loads on incline presses than flat or decline positions. Instead of the concentric pressing phase becoming a semi-rest period that only serves as a means of re-setting for the next heavy eccentric, the incline press, particularly when performed with kettlebells actually involves a substantial relative workload that significantly taxes the surrounding musculature. In addition the pressing phase involves more activation of the lateral head and medial head while the supramaximal eccentric skull crusher predominantly targets the long head of the triceps. As a result you’ll affectively trigger hypertrophy and strength gains throughout the entire tricep region.

Finally the incline which emphasis tension in the stretched position combined with supramaximal eccentric loading creates substantial levels of muscle damage and micro trauma which are critical for maximizing the hypertrophy stimulus. ends up being highly favorable for eliciting enormous amounts of micro-trauma and muscle damage. Just be prepared to have incredibly sore triceps for several days although the size gains will be well worth the momentary discomfort.

To perform the movement lay on an incline bench set to 25-40 degrees. Using heavy kettlebells perform a negative accentuated skull crusher by pivoting at the elbow joint and lowering the weight slowly to the sides of your head. Once you reach the bottom, pull the kettlebells towards your chest and perform a standard incline chest press. Repeat this sequence for three sets of 5-6 repetitions. To increase the intensity, once your triceps fail and you can no longer control the skull crusher phase of the movement, try performing an additional 5-6 strict incline presses. Because your triceps will be pre-exhausted from the prior isolation sequence they’ll give out well before any other muscles making this protocol highly effective for stimulating size gains in the upper arms.

OPTION #2

One of the most common mistakes I see on tricep pressdowns is going significantly past 90 degrees at the top. Focus on hitting the 90 deg joint position just like you would on most other exercises for maximal muscle growth and strength as well as joint health.