This is the final installment of my husband’s workout routine. Check out parts one and two if you missed them!
Welcome back to part three, and the conclusion, of my workout routine. As a recap, make sure you are being consistent with how often you work out and that you are putting in a healthy effort (intensity). Today’s post will cover days three and four of the four-day rotation; a cycle that often includes a rest day in the middle and possibly a long run after day four.
I would like to briefly touch on warming up. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I have to spend more time warming up to prevent pulling something. I generally spend 3-4 minutes on the treadmill at a jog pace or do a 500m row. After I’m warm, I do a mix of shoulder rotations with leg stretching. Lastly, I do a couple of pull-ups and push-ups followed by pretzel stretching to loosen my back.
Day three is focused on biceps with a secondary second pass at back. I also try to add in a run or some other form of cardio such as bike; this day being more for endurance than speed like day one. I start with three sets of overhand pull-ups, followed by two sets of side grip pull-ups, and then two sets of normal grip pull-ups. This emphasis on pull-ups is more due to my personal goals than anything else.
The true bicep focus begins with 4×12-14 on seated curved bar curls. I like to change the grip up between the two widths for each set. Next is 4×14-15 standing dumbbell curls; alternating which arm is coming up at a time. I follow that with a similar set of 4×14-15 standing dumbbell hammer curls. I will finish off the workout with either bent over rows or some form of row-like pulling on a machine.
Day four is primarily for shoulders, though I touch on chest and triceps again. This is a day I have to make sure I do a really good job of warming up as I have had shoulder issues in the past. The workout begins with 4×12-14 barbell overhead press. The key here is to keep your base solid and do not use your legs to press it (unless you’re doing some kind of full body workout and want to engage your legs).
Next up is 4×12-14 dumbbell overhead press. Yes, this is very similar to the first exercise, but it helps develop your stabilizer muscles and is a slightly different angle. I follow this with 4×12-14 dumbbell side lateral raises and then a matching set of front raises. By this point, my shoulders are usually spent. I will wrap up the workout with a few sets on peck deck, dips, and/or triceps extensions.
This concludes my normal workout routine that I’ve been doing for the past few years. I hope it’s been helpful to someone. If you have any questions, please post them. And remember, be consistent and intense.
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