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Researched
and Composed by
Adam “Old School” Knowlden
Abstract
Using the skeleton
framework, the following workouts will be adhered to for maximal results
of the programs design.
Introduction
Workout A,
Part one:
1.
Lying Knee Lift supersetted with elbow/toe plank (10 sets):
Lying Knee Lift:
-
Lying on the
ground, assume the Dead Bug static position and maintain that
contraction throughout this entire set.
-
Lift one knee
as high as possible without compromising the dead bug position, and
then lower it without tightening hips, or allowing the rest of the
body to move at all. Feet should not rest back on the ground once
the set begins. As you are bringing your knee back down
simultaneously lift the other knee, alternating back and forth in
this manner. It is critical to not let your hips open, or your head
to slide on the floor.
Advanced:
Lift both legs up, and lower one at a time from there, back must never
arch, you should only feel this in your abs.
Immediately upon
failure, perform a 10 to 20 second elbow and toe plank.
Execution of Toe
and Elbow Plank:
a. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the
floor.
b. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
c. Keep your back
flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
d. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear
end from sticking up in the air.
e. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds.
f. Rest for 10 seconds, and repeat ten to twenty times.
g. This can also be done with elbows resting on an exercise ball for
increased intensity.
2. Swiss Ball
Crunches , (optional weight), feet close together 5 sets
The Stability ball
enhances proprioception. Proprioception is an awareness of where one’s
hand, or foot, is in relationship to space.
The constant flux
of the exercise ball provides the body with continuous opportunities to
evaluate its orientation in space. This will develop and train the
body’s natural responsiveness. Enhanced proprioception supplies the body
with improved balance and stability.
Utilizing the
Swiss Ball, perform five sets of crunches keeping the feet close
together throughout the set.
1. Lie face-up
with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom
of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable and keeping your hips up during
the concentric (lifting) portion of the movement.
5. Keep the Lower back down to produce a stretch in the abs.
Advanced:
The lesser the amount of the mid/lower back is resting on the Exercise
ball the more difficult the movement will become (your hips should
always stay on the ball). It is recommended to “draw in” allowing more
of the torso to find stabilization on the Swiss ball as failure sets in
to keep intensity high and take the set beyond what would normally be
possible. Advanced bodybuilders can use weight by using a low cable
station and a rope attachment.
Sit on the
stability ball facing away from a low pulley. Roll back away from low
pulley column so your back is on the ball. Reach back and grasp the
cable rope attachment with both hands and place the inside of your
wrists on sides of your head. Allow the weight to hyperextend the lower
back against stability ball.
3.
Twisting Hanging Leg Raises with Wrist Wraps 5 sets
The author
recommends wrist wraps to keep body momentum at a minimum. This will
ensure the obliques are being incorporated into the movement.
As the bodybuilder
raises his or her legs, the abdominals must stay in constant
contraction.
To make this
movement more advanced, keep the legs extended straight out.
Workout A, Part two:
The following
exercises are to be carried out throughout the duration of a thigh
routine. Between each set of thigh exercises the listed movements will
be performed in an alternating manner. For example: 1 set Wide-grip
pull-ups, staggered with
Bent
Knee Flat Bench Leg Raises,
1 set Wide-grip pull-ups,
staggered with
Lying Knee Lift. Alternating in this manner throughout the entire
back routine.
1.
Bent Knee Flat
Bench Leg Raises
Lower Abdominal
crunch,
staggered
sets
Pull the knees up toward the chest in a slow and
controlled manner by contracting the lower abdominals. Return slowly to
the starting position. Focus on pulling with the lower abs. Limit the
range of movement to minimize hip flexor involvement. More advanced
athletes can use a bench placed at an angle to increase resistance.
2. Lying Knee Lift
(see example above), staggered sets
Maintain the
static “dead bug” state throughout each set of part two.
Workout A, Part three:
The following
exercise is to be carried out throughout the duration of a back routine.
Between each set of back exercises the listed movement will be
performed.
1. Bent Knee Side
Raises, staggered sets
Lie sideways on
the floor or a flat or decline bench with knees bent and arms holding
onto either the end of the bench.
Slowly bring the
knees toward the chest. Switch to the other side and repeat. Keep the
movement short to remove the hip flexors from the motion. Work both
sides.
Workout A,
Part four:
1. Twisting
Crunches, 5 sets for each side, 10 total sets. At the end of each set,
hold the last rep statically until failure.
Workout B,
Part One:
1.
Hyperextension Machine Side Crunches, 5 sets for each side, 10 total
sets
Position the side
of your thigh firmly against the pad of a hyperextension machine.
Lower your torso
by bending at the waist. Raise your torso by lateral flexing at your
waist. Do five sets for each side. Use caution at first and go slowly,
to ensure you do not strain your obliques.
2.
Lying Scissor Kicks on an Incline board in dead bug position, 5-10
sets.
Sit on an incline
board and adjust the board according to your fitness level. The more the
board is angled the harder this exercise will become. Assume the dead
bug position on the board. Raise your legs up as high as you can without
compromising the static dead bug state. You must maintain the dead bug
formation tightly throughout this exercise.
Next, you will
lower one leg, only a few inches, then raise it back to the starting
position. Repeat with the opposite leg. Continue in this kicking manner
to failure, keeping the dead bug form tight as you do so.
3.
Cable Crunches , 5-10 sets, supersetted with elbow/toe plank (See
example above).
Cable crunches
require intense focus. I liken the intensity they demand to the force of
bicep concentration curls. Without total focus, momentum and arm
strength will do all the work, which is why you tend to see people
racking the entire weight stack on this exercise and can still
straighten themselves up after a set. Perform a set of cable crunches to
failure.
Next, superset the
cable crunch with the elbow/toe plank as described above. As you
continue doing this plank exercise throughout this series aim for longer
and longer times under tension. You may also incorporate rest-pause sets
as well. This static exercise is extremely effective for carving out
definition between the muscles of the rectus abdominis (See:
Static Contraction).
Workout B,
Part Two:
The following
exercises are to be carried out throughout the duration of a thigh
routine. Between each set of thigh exercises the listed movements will
be performed in an alternating manner.
1.
Hyperextension Machine Side Crunches (See above example)
2.
Bent Over Twists
Workout B,
Part Three:
1.
Seated Leg Tucks
,
staggered sets
The following
exercise is to be carried out throughout the duration of a back routine.
Between each set of back exercises the listed movement will be
performed.
Lie on a flat or
decline bench (depending on your fitness level), with your legs straight
and hanging slightly over the end.
Use your hips to
lift your legs until your toes are right above your navel. Keep your
legs straight as you lift them.
At the top of the
range of motion your legs should be perpendicular to your body, forming
a 45° angle.
Raise your hips
off the bench several inches, keeping your legs perpendicular to your
body.
Your hips should
be lifted by pushing up with the lower abs. Your feet should move
straight up as you lift. Again this requires focus to keep the tension
on the targeted area.
Workout B,
Part Four:
1.
One and a Half Crunches supersetted with Side Plank or Side Bridge,
10 sets total.
As you crunch, do
not lift your whole back off the floor, just roll forward and crunch
your rib cage toward your pelvis. To execute this movement, crunch to
the top of the range of motion, descend back down half way through the
range of motion, and then perform a partial rep; lower completely and
repeat.
Superset the
crunches with the side plank. To assume the static state, plank with
your right arm straight and your left arm on your side. Alternate sides
after each set of crunches. Again this can be done on a swiss ball for
added intensity.
Workout C,
Part One:
1. Bridge
with Knee Lift, 10 sets
Begin this
movement in the bridge position. For some holding this position will be
enough for exercise one of workout C. If you cannot hold the bridge
position statically for 30 seconds, doing any dynamic work while
maintaining a static bridge will be too advanced. Simply do the bridge
without the knee lift until significant core strength is developed.
To execute the
bridge,
-
Align feet
under knees close to hips.
-
Drive hips up
until you have a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
-
Keep weight on
shoulders & off neck
-
Draw navel
into spine then brace core
-
Keep a
straight line posture as you hold the bridge
In the above
picture a thera-band is used to increase intensity. If you wish to do
the bridge alone without the knee lift, the thera-band, like the
stability ball, is one way to increase static strength with the intent
of improving hypertrophic technique in other exercises.
If you are
advanced you will perform a bridge, then begin alternating knee lifts.
Remember, form must be perfect to keep tension on the abs.
In the bridge
position, raise one knee as high as comfortably possible and then bring
it back down so you are again in the bridge position. Next raise the
opposite knee in the same manner. Repeat until failure. Upon failure of
the knee lifts, maintain the static bridge, contracting the abdominals
for 30-60 second.
2.
Vertical Bench Crunches,
10 sets
Position your body
on the padded parallel bars with your hands firmly grasping the handles.
Keep your back flat on the vertical pad, as though you were attempting
to do a vertical dead bug. Support your bodyweight on your forearms.
Raise your legs by
flexing you hips while flexing your knees. Raise your legs until hips
are fully flexed.
Lower your legs
until your waist, hips, and knees are extended.
If you chose to
utilize weight clench a dumbbell between your ankles.
3.
Pullover Crunch, 5-10 sets
-
Rest your
middle and upper back firmly against an exercise ball, holding a
cable on pulley with a neutral grip.
-
As you crunch
keep your arms extended keeping the shoulders locked. Keep your arms
in line with the trunk on the first part of the crunch.
-
As you finish
the crunch bring your hands towards you knees.
-
Slowly return
to the starting position.
Go lighter at
first to get the proper feel of the movement.
Workout C, Part Two:
The following
exercises are to be carried out throughout the duration of a thigh
routine. Between each set of thigh exercises the listed movements will
be performed in an alternating manner.
1. Dead Bug
Partial Crunches-
These are similar
to regular crunches except that you raise your shoulder up, instead of
pulling them toward your pelvis. You will also maintain the dead bug
state throughout the set. You can do these at a rapid pace; in fact it's
hard to do them any other way.
Workout C, Part Three:
1. Dumbbell or
Cable Side Bend, 5 sets on each side
Stand with your
side to a low pulley and grasp the cable with the arm on the non-working
side. Stand with your arm straight.
Bend your waist to
the opposite side of the cable. Lower and repeat. Then turn around and
continue with the opposite side.
Workout C, Part Four:
1. Weighted Crunches, 10 sets.
Assume the crunch
position. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Changing the hand
position can increase the difficulty of this exercise.
The closer to the
hips you hold the weights the easier the exercise will become. To
amplify the difficulty, hold the weight closer to your head or add more
weight.
Continuous Gains:
Repeat Workouts A,
B, and C for one complete mass and leaning out. The length of which is
relative to each bodybuilder.
Adam "Old School"
Knowlden
oldschoolabcbbing@gmail.com
President of Biomechanical Engineering/
Editor and Writer, The Journal of Hyperplasia Research
© ABC Bodybuilding Company. All rights reserved.
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