GB Performance Coaching

Here is a good all around shoulder series to start your upper or full body workout.

We start with the Viking Press - I start really light for a set of 20 or so and then work my way up to a heavy set of 10-12.

This isn't my primary pressing exercise of the day so I don't get too carried away.

Then I follow this up with a Supine Band Lateral Raise and a Prone Rear Delt Flye to hit the rest of the shoulders.

For these two exercises I incorporated a particularly heinous rep modifier that I like to call "quad" drop sets.

This is essentially the same base exercise with four (hence, quad) mini variations that are ordered from harrowing to slightly unpleasant.

The catch is the time under tension absolutely destroys you by the end when you're doing the easiest variation.

Which is okay on relatively safe exercises like these.

Try it out and let me know how you like it!

Finally, some lower body training content due to the heckling in my DMs only posting upper body exercises.

Here is the C-Series that I finished up my lower/core workout with today.

First up was a Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat with a neutral shin angle.

It is an excellent unilateral exercise, and by keeping the shin angle neutral (straight up and down) it allows you to hit more glutes and hamstrings on what would normally be a quad dominant exercise.

It's a great change up, especially if you had a heavy quad dominant day (which I did).

I followed that up with some Straight Leg Calf extensions with an ISO hold. Mostly because I already had all of the vests and extra weight on and wanted to get some calf work.

Then I finished the series with a Hamstring Roller Leg Curl. If you don't have one of these I highly recommend it!

It's a pretty low cost piece of equipment that you can do a lot of stuff with and lights up the hammies like no other!

Chin-ups.... For most, chin-ups bring back dreaded memories of middle school physical fitness tests where most people quickly fall from the bar and a talented few are able to squeeze out a few reps of glory!

Despite what you think, it doesn't have to be that way.

And even if you can already do full chins, here is a better way to attack it.

Most people hop on the bar and don't really take into account how much their body weight plays into their performance.

Unlike push-up, chin-ups require you to move your entire body weight on the very first rep of the very first set.

For instance, I weigh ~190 lbs... It would be ridiculous for me to walk right into the gym and throw 190 lbs on the bench press and go to town with no warm-ups.

Even the Bro-est of Bros start with 135 lbs on the bar for their chest day, but they don't take that same approach when they do chin-ups.

I like to start my chin-ups with a few warm-up sets with assistance from a thick orange band (About 1 inch wide) which takes off about 60 lbs making my total resistance effectively 130 lbs.

**For those in "the-know" I know it is accommodating resistance and doesn't take off the 60lbs throughout the whole movement, I don't care, it still achieves what I want it to. **

My second set I drop down to a skinny green band (about 1/2 inch wide) which takes off about 30 lbs making my total resistance effectively 160 lbs.

From there, I start my working sets at body weight (190 lbs) and eventually progress by increasing weight for lower rep working sets like you would do for most exercises that you train to get stronger on.

Last set was 190 BW + 10lb vest and 2x15lb chains total ~230lbs for 6-8 (rough) reps.

If you can't do BW chin-ups just stick to assisted reps and slowly strip away the resistance as you progress.

Hope this helps someone achieve lifelong redemption from middle school...

Here is the link to good band: https://amzn.to/2VU2mHw

The ones I used are equivalent to the #3 Purple and #1 Red.