NO  BULL  BULKING      

 I  get  asked  by  my  clients  “I  want  to  bulk  up  my  body  over  the  next  3  months  “!  My  understanding  of  the  term  “Bulking”  along  with  my  clients  is  often  understood  in  the  gym  scene  when  you  see  a  body  that  resembles  both  impressive  mass  and  impressive  strength.    Bulking  programs  change  the  body’s  compositions  of  a  bodybuilder  in  the  offseason,  to  initially  allow  them  to  maximize  the  mass  of  their  body  to  lift  greater  weight,  up  caloric  intake  and  generally  be  a  little  more  flexible  with  dieting.  An  ideal  bulking  body  fat  should  often  not  exceed  14%  if  you  are  thinking  about  being  a  bodybuilder;  the  14  %  body  fat  recommendation  is  based  on  journal  studies  of  testosterone  levels  in  males.    For  myself  the  bulking  phases  I  use  to  break  up  my  hypertrophy  blocks  are  primarily  designed  for  max  effect  in  a  period  of  4-­‐6  weeks.      I  waste  little  time  with  an  intensive  buildup  phase  and  get  straight  to  business!      This  program  works  on  a  5  session  a  week  schedule  that  can  be  utilized  for  those  that  are  a  beginner  to  an  advanced  level.        For  the  beginner  I  would  recommend  that  you  attempt  the  program  keeping  in  mind  techniques  and  forms  as  the  primary  objective.    So  the  weight  used  should  be  set  to  the  higher  tolerance  of  reps  to  achieve  i.e.  8-­‐10  –  meaning  that  10  reps  is  the  objective.  Also  if  a  beginner  begins  to  compromise  form  in  a  given  exercise  he/she  should  move  to  the  next  exercise  in  order  to  remain  injury  free.      What  you  will  need!  –  

 For  every  program  you  need  to  set  up  a  time  management  schedule  (pre  plan  your  day)  so  that  you  can  achieve  the  bulking  objective.      Tip  1:    Exercises  are  grouped  into  alphabetical  groups  try  to  establish  one  piece  of  equipment  while  if  someone  else  is  using  the  other  piece  of  equipment  you  require  for  the  program.  Begin  by  being  polite  and  asking  if  you  can  work  in!    Tip  2:    Always  ensure  you  have  a  towel,  water  bottle,  program  and  stop  watch  on  hand.  I  often  take  Bcaa’s  during  and  whey  isolate  immediately  after  30  grams.        Tip  3:    Allocate  time  to  go  to  the  gym,  as  reminders.  Use  cues  such  as  (big  leg  day  –  to  show  the  importance  of  the  next  workout)      Program  over  view      Frequency  –  3  days  on  1  day  off  2  day  on  1  day  off      Example routine combination:

Day 1: Legs

Day 2: Chest

Day 3: Back

Day 4: Break

Day 5: Shoulders

Day 6: Arms

Day 7: Break

SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM

• As a rule of program instruction its advisable to increase weight by 2-3 % a week, when you add the extra weight a rep is dropped every week.

• As a caution do not lift weight that you cannot achieve at the least 6 repetition’s with good form! - This is in regards to the first 3 sets.

• Perform a 15min warm-up that takes your body through the full range of motion for that muscle group. The warm-up weight should be 50% of that required for the recorded weight.

• Each exercise is grouped into alphabetical blocks example (A1-A2 is performed back to back with the prescribing break before re attempted)

Record  weights  lifted:      Week  1   Week  2   Week  3   Week  4                                              Legs    Group     Exercise     Sets     Reps     Rest    A1   Power  squat     5  sets     6  -­‐10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  

min    A2   Leg  press  narrow  feet    

5  sets   6  –  10  reps    

B1   Romanian  deadlift  neutral  feet    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  min    

B2   Lying  hamstring  curl  toes  inward    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps    

C1   Standing  calf  raise    

6  sets     6-­‐10  reps     90  sec    

 

Power squat

Preparation

• Ensure your hands are placed just outside of your shoulders so that the bar is positioned on the upper trapezius.

• If you have tight calves place small weight plates under your heels.

• Remember to have a slight outward twist of your toes.

���Movement

• Your start position should commence with your head being neutral (eyes up) and raising your chest high, the width of your feet must be shoulder width apart.  

• As you begin to squat don’t allow your upper body to drop down. Lower to the full range of motion (not resting on your calves); squeeze your gluts and quadriceps as you explode up.  

• Ensure as you explode up perform a hip thrust to get under the weight as quick as you can, but don’t allow your hips to travel forward of your centre of your mass.  

 

Leg press narrow feet

Preparation

• Ensure your hands are placed on the safety latch; position your feet on the lower quarter of the foot support.

• Set your feet to waist width with a slight outward tilt of your toes

���Movement

• Keep your feet placed firmly down, press the weight up, keep your gluts, back and head in contact with the bench.  

• Perform a full range by coming down to a tolerable point; this is dependent of your limb-length of your legs. Don’t over extend, any sign of your gluts raising “tucking up” is a clear sign that you have gone too far.  

 

 

Romanian deadlift neutral feet

Preparation

• First ensure you have an overhand grip (palms facing towards you) of the barbell roughly positioned shoulder width.

• You should un-rack the barbell from a safe height ���

• Keep your feet waist width apart and toes facing forward (known as neutral position for your feet)

Movement

• Starting  from  the  fully  extended  position,  begin  movement  by  slightly  bending  your  knees  (just  a  fraction)  lower  the  barbell  whilst  keep  your  chest  proud.  

• Ensure your spine is straight and push your gluts out.  

• Lower till you achieve a stretch then raise up thrusting your pelvis forward and locking your knees.  

 

Lying hamstring curl toes inward

Preparation

• Lay down on the hamstring machine and position toes inward to your body, the feet should also be dorsi flexed before you contract and raise the weight.

• Hold onto the provided supports you may also raise

your chest whilst performing the exercise to shorten the hamstring.

���Movement

• Begin by contracting your hamstrings and raising your feet with feet dorsi flexed (toes aimed towards your head)  

• As you reach the top end of your range (just off your gluts) immediately plantar flex your toes outward (extend toes away from body) as you lower  

• Ensure you extend through a full extension keeping your feet close to touching at all times.  

Standing Calf raise

Preparation

• Set the pads to your height, you want to be able to anticipate the full extension of your calves.

• Remember to have a strong position when beginning the lift, engage gluts and squat up.

• Keep the body straight as possible engaging your gluts and lock your knees, the load should be perfectly straight from heel to shoulders. Don’t have your body on a slant when lifting or have a bend in the knees.

���Movement

• Position the top of your foot on the edge of the foot support and extend the weight up.  

• I  Recommended  for  this  exercise  a  full  extension  must  consist  of  a  pause  at  the  bottom  and  an  explosive  movement  up.  

   Chest    Group     Exercise     Sets     Reps     Rest    A1   Barbell  flat  

bench    5  sets     6  -­‐10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  

min    

A2   Incline  dumbbell  Fly’s  

5  sets   6  –  10  reps    

B1   Dumbbell  Incline  press  

5  sets     6  –  10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  min    

B2   Cable  fly’s  standing    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps    

C1   Decline  push  ups    

4  sets     6-­‐10  reps     60  sec    

       

Barbell flat bench press

Preparation

• Start by having your hands at shoulder width apart. • Make sure your hands are evenly spaced so use the

knurling as markers. • Rest your head and back on the bench with your

feet planted firmly on the floor. Also ensure your body is positioned central on the bench

���Movement

• As you initially push off, don’t lock out your arms for too long. As you eccentrically come down (breath in) down make sure your elbows are 60 deg from your body.  

• Once you touch your chest push your head into the seat then effectively breath out.  

     

Incline dumbbells Fly’s

Preparation

• Start by setting the bench to roughly 60 deg. • Ensure when you raise the dumbbells in preparation to start the

exercise, have your palms facing towards one another and have your arms positioned directly above your shoulder (not touching).

���Movement

• From the top position of the fly that is directly in line with your shoulder, begin by lowering your arms with a slight bend at your elbows.  

• Lower to the point of your arms being perfectly horizontal.  

• When you contract and squeeze your pecs to raise your arms, draw elbows in towards one another and imagine extending your arms out as you travel up to the full extension.  

     

Dumbbell incline press

Preparation

• Set the bench up to a 60 deg incline. • Rest your head and back on the bench with your

feet planted firmly on the floor. Also ensure your body is positioned central on the bench.

• (Picking up dumbbells and getting it into position) To avoid injury when lifting dumbbells, pick weight up as if performing a deadlift from the floor with your head and chest up. As you leverage the weight to your knees, raise the weights with your quads to the start position (alternate leg left-and –right). –Which should be followed with a quick accelerated press to the extended arm position. (Dumbbells touching corner to corner).

���Movement

• From the fully extended position, lower dumbbells and remember to keep arms at 60

deg angles from your body.  • At the bottom range, push head into the bench

and press up.  • Make sure you don’t pause at the bottom or

top for too long but use a preferred continuous movement.  

       

Cable fly’s standing

Preparation

• Set cables to the highest point (twin cable system required) (using plastic hard hand grips)

• Position yourself central to the cable system. • Use a split stance, head and chest up; have your

palms facing out so you can see them in the mirror before you begin the fly.

• The line of travel for this exercise is as if you were performing a flat bench dumbbell fly, image a line traveling through your sternum that your hands must travel on.

���Movement

• With a firm grip on the plastic handgrips, begin by drawing your elbows in and keeping your chest proud.  

• The completed position is inline with your chest.  

• Try not to jerk, bend elbows or crossover arms as far as possible.  

Decline push-ups

Preparation

• Begin by placing your feet waist width on a bench and hands should be placed just outside shoulder width.

• Gluts and upper back should be inline

���Movement

• Draw your body down with a straight back and press up keeping head to toe inline.  

                                   Back    Group     Exercise     Sets     Reps     Rest    A1   Barbell  

deadlift    5  sets     6  -­‐10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  

min    A2   Bent  over  

barbell  raise  –supinated    

5  sets   6  –  10  reps    

B1   Wide  grip  Pull  ups  –  can  be  assisted    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  min    

B2   Seated  Close  grip  pull  down    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps    

C1   Decline  lat  pull  overs    

5  sets     6-­‐10  reps     60  sec    

     

 

Barbell Deadlift

Preparation

• (Pre-preparation for a beginner to do a deadlift) Begin by assessing your back by viewing yourself from the side with a mirror, performs a trial deadlift with just a barbell. (What I like to do for my beginners is get them to visually recognize the safe depth they can lower the bar to prevent injury and know the cues to remember >

• Ensure when you grab the barbell use an alternate handgrip for greater stability.

• Keep feet shoulder width apart, bend at the knees with your torso up with a chest up. (Have gluts out)

• Back should be straight, as you raise the bar from the ground up keep barbell close to your quadriceps, as the barbell clears your knees use a hip thrust with your chest and shoulders proud.

• Remember this sequence (eyes /chest / gluts) – when you lower the bar begins with your eyes up chest out gluts out, as you raise eyes up chest up gluts in.

• If you fail on the side profile in the mirror by seeing your back bend, chest collapse, heals raise, core collapses etc. Start by pre setting the safety bars on a squat rack to a height that doesn’t show these particular faults. Raise the bar from a height

���Movement

• Holding the bar with an alternate grip, begin by looking up, pushing your chest out, and breath in and have your bar close to your shins.  

• Then  execute  the  lift  with  a  confident  posture  remembering  as  soon  as  the  bar  clears  your  knees  to  perform  a  hip  thrust.  

• Try  not  to  hyper  extend  the  spine  at  the  top  but  just  retract  the  shoulder  (scapulae)    

   

 

Bent over barbell raise

Preparation

• Using a under hand grip (palms facing up), have your arms spaced shoulder width apart

• Have your feet waist width apart. • Have your head neutral chest up, pushes glut out

and have a bend at your knees, and the angle your body should make should be as close to horizontal as possible.

���Movement

• Grabbing a hold of the bar with a supinated grip, at shoulder width apart (un rack the barbell from a mounted point located just under waist height)  

• Lower the barbell whilst bending over with a straight back and gluts out.  

• Pull barbell towards your lower abdomen traveling up your quadriceps, no jerking allowed.  

     

Wide grip pull-ups

Preparation

• Using the widest arm width, ensure you start with your arms fully extended shorten abs and bend knees.

���Movement

• Begin by pulling yourself up in a perfect vertical line with your head neutral.  

• Always perform a full extension, no jerking or throwing your self up.  

Seated close grip pull down

Preparation

• Ensure you are secured into position, and use a (v style hand grip – that allows your palms to face each other)

���Movement

• Begin by pulling the pulley down to your chest whilst squeezing your lats , have your posture upright.  

 

Decline Lat pull over

Preparation

• Set your bench to a decline. • Using a dumbbell, hold either side and roll back on the bench and

have your legs locked into position

���Movement

• The start position for this exercise starts by holding the dumbbell on either end and arms should be perpendicular to your body (arms should be 90 deg from body when on a decline).  

• Begin by lowering the arms together and ensure your elbows are just a fraction bent, lower your arms till they are inline with your head. Shorten your abs so that you don’t have an excessive arch in your lower back.  

• Don’t over extend the arms  

     

 Shoulders    Group     Exercise     Sets     Reps     Rest    A1   Dumbbell  

military  press    5  sets     6  -­‐10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  

min    A2   Lateral  raise     5  sets   6  –  10  reps    B1   Supinated  

rear  delt  raise  on  flat  bench    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  min    

B2   Barbell  Wide  grip  row    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps    

C1   Barbell  shrugs     5  sets     6-­‐10  reps     90  sec          

Dumbbell military press

Preparation

• Set the bench up to 90 deg . • Have the dumbbell on the floor ready to go. • Deadlift dumbbell up and place on both legs

���Movement

• Starting with your dumbbells on your legs, alternatively lift your left and right leg hoisting the dumbbell up.  

• At the bottom range of your press, press up keeping your dumbbell horizontal and press to a fully extended point just above the shoulder  

• Don’t rest at the top  

     

Lateral raise

Preparation

• In the standing position lean your torso forward a fraction. • Squeeze triceps, slightly tilt wrist with dumbbells.

���Movement

• Raise dumbbells, with a slight tilt on the wrist. You should see the back end of the dumbbell in the mirror as a note.  

• Remember to keep that lean forward and don’t move back to compensate for the weight.  

• Don’t  jerk,  and  remember  not  to  pause  at  the  bottom  for  too  long  but  stop  15  deg  from  your  body.    

 

Supinated rear delt raise on flat bench

Preparation

• Sitting on a flat bench, ensure your gluts are just on the edge so that you can raise dumbbells from behind your legs

���Movement

• Begin by couching over sticking your chest out head neutral; supinate your hands so that palms are facing each other.  

• Raise arms straight squeezing the rear delt and lowering to just below the shoulder and back up.  

     

Barbell wide grip row

Preparation

• Start by setting yourself into the bent over row position. • Have your arms just wider then shoulder width so that your forearm

to upper creates a 90 deg bend.

���Movement

• Begin by using the similar stance and body

position as the bent over row. Feet waist width apart, bend over with gluts out and chest up, head neutral. Have arms at 90 deg bends.  

• No jerking.  • Pull up with a pronated grip palms facing

down.  • The elbows and forearm should be inline,

don’t allow the elbows to travel back.  

 

Barbell shrugs

Preparation

• Start by setting up the bar so it can be picked up from a limited bend height.

���Movement • Load barbell  • Shrug up without bending at the knees, slightly

tilt head forward in order to fully extend the trapezius.  

                                       

     Arms    Group     Exercise     Sets     Reps     Rest    A1   Seated  

supinated  curl    5  sets     6  -­‐10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  

min  A2   Incline  

hammer  curl    5  sets   6  –  10  reps    

A3   Reverse  Dumbbell  curl  on  preacher    

5  sets     6  –  10  reps    

B1   Barbell  push  presses  

5  sets     6  –  10  reps     2  min  –  2.30  min    

B2   Skull  crushes  on  flat  bench    

5  sets     6-­‐10  reps    

B3   Cable  standing  rope  triceps  extension    

5  sets     6-­‐10  reps    

 

Seated supinated curl

Preparation

• Start by sitting up on a bench. • Have your palms facing forward, with your head and chest up feet

close together.

���Movement

• To maximize the stretch in your bicep slightly tilt wrist down and curl up without moving your elbow.  

• Keep elbow stable whilst you curl don’t cheat curl by throwing your body back.  

Incline hammer curl

Preparation

• Set the bench up to 45 – 55 deg. • Release the tension in your shoulders and allow your arms to extend

all the way back. • The hammer is when the dumbbells are faced up (thumb side up – for

hammer curls).

���Movement

• Once again you want to ensure your elbows don’t move, curl up without fully tilting your wrist at the top of the range so there is consistent loading on the biceps.  

• Keep  your  head  back  and  don’t  forget  to  fully  extend  with  a  slight  pause  at  the  bottom  (squeeze  triceps).  

 Reverse dumbbell curl on preacher

Preparation

• On the preacher bench you want to ensure the seat is of an adequate height, the best way to do this is to extend your arms over the pad and you want to be able to drop your wrist over the edge and not bend you upper back to do it.

• Reverse dumbbell essential means your palms are facing down when you curl and perform the negative. ���Movement • Begin by having your chest up and shoulders

back as you lower the weight.  • Your dumbbells should extend over the bench

to perform the full extension.  • Do  not  shift  your  body  to  get  the  weight  up  and  curl  to  the  

point  of  full  contraction.  • Don’t  pause  at  the  top.    

Barbell push presses

Preparation

• Using a flat bench and barbell, position your hands waist width apart on the barbell.

• Ensure you are symmetrical and use the knurling as an indicator for that. ���Movement

• Begin by having your hands in the waist width position, lift weight and have your elbows out by a fraction of you body.  

• Don’t have your elbows locked too close to your side of your torso.  

• When  pushing  up  push  your  head  into  the  bench  and  breath  out.    

 

 

Skull crushes on a flat bench

Preparation

• Using an ezy bar (put your hands in the close bend), sit on the edge of the bench roll back with a confident posture.

• Extend your arms and imagine a line on the roof that becomes your marker, you want this exercise to be as isolated as possible no movement in elbows. ���Movement • Lying on the bench with your arms extended,

begin by lowering the ezy bar and shortening your arms so you don’t create a massive lumbar curve.  

• The bar should travel to your hairline then stop an inch off your head for a static hold.  

• Extend  up  limiting  movement  of  your  elbow  and  travel  to  your  start  point,  try  not  to  bow  your  arms  out  but  keep  the  elbow  /forearms  parallel  to  one  another.    

Cable standing rope tricep extension

Preparation

• Using a split stance (primary foot forward), grab a hold of a thick rope from a single cable pulley that should be mounted on the very bottom.

• Have your hands positioned at the very end of the rope as you want to extend up and rotate your wrist out (ulna deviation). ���Movement • With your arms over head and your stance put

into a split stance, lower the arms keeping your elbows relatively in.  

• You should perform a full extension squeeze the bicep at the very end and eccentrically lower under good control.  

• Try  not  to  move  your  elbows  too  much,  throw  your  torso  into  the  motion  or  bounce  at  the  knee  for  this  exercise.