If your goal is to build muscle, our expert on the topic has been putting theories to the test in his training log here on conFITdent. You can check out his experiences and follow his journey to build muscle with this series.

Week 2 | Workout 7  | 5×5 Across

The What

Foam Roll:

Calf, Quad, Hamstring, IT Band, Glutes, Pec, Lat (See Mike Boyle’s FSC 4.0 DVD and Defranco’s Core DVD)

Movement Prep:

Inchworm complex, KB Halo, KB Goblet Squat, KB Windmill, Overhead Band Wall Squat, Band Shoulder Dislocations, Lying Handcuffs, Lateral Band Walks, Single Leg Glute Iso Holds, T-Spine Bench Extensions, T-Spine Kneeling Rotations, Band Pull Aparts

Strength:

A1. Sumo Deadlift – work up to a 5 rep max – 315×5

A2. Band W’s 3×12-15 – blue x 15 reps

B1. Bench 5×5 – 220 lbs for 5 reps x 5 sets

B2.  Ab Wheel Rollouts 5x max – body weight x 9 reps for 5 sets

C1. Squat 3×5 – 215lbs for 5 reps, then scratch

C2. Cable Kneeling Crunch 3×12-15 – 13 level x15 reps for 3 sets

Metabolic Finisher

Battling Ropes and Box Jumps – 30 seconds on/20 seconds off for 16 rounds

Cool Down:

Band Hamstring Stretch, Box Hip Flexor Stretch, Box Glute Stretch, Wall Quad Stretch, Band Lat Stretch, Pec Wall Stretch

Why This Will Help Build Muscle

This is the metabolic disturbance workout of the week. It’s specifically designed to create a stress response that will eventually culminate with a PR at the end of the week.

The Results

I really wasn’t expecting much from this workout. Usually, I take 2 days of rest between my previous workout and this workout, but my best friend is getting married this weekend so I’ve had to decrease the numbers of days of rest so I can get all 3 workouts in before Sunday. I’m also leaving for a week long compounding pharmacy convention in Texas.  Thus, I’m on a time crunch.

I’ve  had a viral infection for the last 3 days. My head, my throat, and even my chest has been extremely annoying. My energy levels have been way down, and I’ve been sleeping 10 hours per day… All in all, things weren’t looking good.

During the warmups, my left adductor was bothering me during kettlebell goblet squats and overhead band squats. I could tell right then squats were going to be painful. The weird thing was sumo deadlifts felt great. I probably could have hit 330lbs for 5 reps, but I wanted to save a little for squats. After the 3rd rep on the first set of 215lbs on squats, a sharp pain radiated through my adductor. The next set I tried a light 20 rep set of 135lbs, but it was still extremely painful, so I stopped. Better safe than sorry.

Bench presses felt great. 220lbs went up easy. I intentionally slowed down the eccentrics and decreased the rest in between sets to increase the challenge. I’m really focusing on slowly increasing the weight each week.

Overall, taking everything into consideration, it was a decent workout. The next few days I’m going to work on stretching the adductors as well as trying to foam roll them. The problem is I’ve yet to find a good way to foam roll them. We’ll see how it goes.

Notes:

  • Activation Sets: I refer to my warm-up sets as activation sets. Although, it’s really just semantics, I think it helps to remind me their true purpose: to activate that movement pattern. Most people approach their warm ups sets with half-assed effort which includes poor form, poor bar speed, and zero focus.  I attack my activation sets as if I’m maxing. My eccentric is controlled, a brief pause, and I explode through it. By performing my activation sets like this, it not only warms up my muscles, but it also prepares my CNS for the upcoming heavier sets. Don’t forget about the CNS. It’s extremely important, and often overlooked.