Full Body Workout to finish April

I got the chance to hit the gym with Chase Karnes yesterday... he was visiting the area anyway and of course I was ready to get a session in. Chase is an accomplished body builder and he now competes in Strongman competitions at 200lbs. For more info on him and his training styles, click his name above to get to his website.

I usually don't do full body workouts, as I have been on a body-part split for a while. But as long as I'm lifting weights and I'm sweat'n... it really doesn't matter what the program is that day.

THE workout:
Cleans
135x12
185 2x8
205 2x3

barbell incline
135x12
185x6
225x4
270x 6,5,4
265x4

chins- used this new protocol that Chase thought up that has taken his bodyweight chins from 7 to 25... it works
bodyweight x12
+25lbsx5
+35lbsx5
+45lbsx5
bodyweight x amap... i think i got 17

supersetted these two exercises:
standing military press
135x12
155x5
185x3

facepulls
3x12 with varying weights... focusing on contracting rear delts

solid work put in, good day

Incline Update

If you take a look at a couple of my messages ago, you will notice that I want to improve my incline bench press strength... mostly because it is pathetic, but partially because I want better overall development in my chest.

I completed 235 for 4 sets of 5, 245 for a set of 4 (I was shooting for five, but failed), and 240 for a set of 5.

I think I started doing 5 sets of six with 215 on incline a couple of weeks ago so I feel pretty good about my progress.

My better is better than your better. Keep up.

Evaluation of Personal Trainers

I have noticed several people doing exercises incorrectly. Pretty much any one that can read would say where there is a gym, there are people that perform exercises wrong. Whether it is improper technique, they make up their own WAY COOL exercise, they believe everything should be done with full body swing, etc... they do something or a lot of things wrong.

My concern is when it is the personal trainers doing these exercises wrong. This is comparitive to a history teacher not recognizing the Declaration of Independence, a guy at Valvoline not knowing how to check your oil, a pilot that can't fly a plane... do you see where I am going?

I have seen various personal trainers that have done the following:
-Overhead squats in which GUY came up on his toes and his knees were wobbling all over the place
-The outstanding exercise (WACK) of side bends done with a dumbbell in each hand (I call it the teeter totter)
-Deadlift to a front raise to a incredibly slow snatch

I am not claiming to know everything and do every exercise perfectly, but I know that shoulder press doesn't work the chest. I talked with some people at the gym where these "professionals" work and it was decided that every trainer would be evaluated.

About time.

I think every one will get great feedback on parts of their knowledge base that need a software upgrade. This is a university gym... take a class if you are ridiculously ignorant in physiology, anatomy, exercise testing, strength and conditioning, or some other area. Why wouldn't you want to? Would you really want people staring at you in a gym laughing at your uneducated techniques or methods? I would assume a great trainer wants to know how to more effectively train his/her clients.

Better yourself...I'm going to.

Try a New Workout

I was provoked by a colleague’s client this week… she told him that she wished she could write him a workout and see him sweat and suffer. And he made some great points.


First of all, she would have to have the knowledge to push herself, let alone some one else. She has a trainer to be pushed, it takes more to motivate.

I assume she is so tired from the end of the session, half of the exercises she performed in the last hour are a blur. If she wanted to do my workout here is what I did yesterday:

Romanian Deadlifts
315x6
365x6
375x6
385x6
395x6

Barbell shoulder press
165x6
165x6
170x6
170x6
175x6

1-arm dumbbell incline
85x6
85x6
85x6
90x6
95x4

Five sets of triceps (3x tricep pushdown with the rope and 2x Skullcrushers)

Core Routine
Rollouts 4x 12 reps
Russian Twists with 25lbs 4x10

I also completed 3x3 bench lockouts to allow me to gain strength through my “sticking point” on bench press.

I believe my buddy put her through an exhausting workout, but any one wanting something different could try this routine instead of their own. Adjust the weight accordingly, but shoot for the repetitions that I achieved. Push yourself.

I just entered a five week strength cycle so all weight training exercises are five sets of six this week…. Next week they changed to five sets of 4.

Push yourself.