(This is the second half of a 2-part article. If you missed Part 1, start here: My Weight Training Program Part 1)

Now I start triceps, which are already pretty warmed up and ready to go from my chest workout. Since all pressing exercises use the triceps secondarily, it's almost like my triceps workout started during my first set of bench pressing. But, my first real direct triceps exercise is dips, which are probably my favorite triceps exercise of them all. These are parallel bar dips, by the way. Not bench dips. I start off with 1 set of just my own body weight, and then I add weight to both of the next 2 sets. You can add weight to dips by using a dip belt, or by holding a dumbbell between your feet. I aim for reps of 10, 8, 6.

Then I end my triceps workout (and this workout as a whole) with single-arm reverse grip (underhand) cable press downs. I do 2 sets and aim for reps of 8, 6. Reverse grip isn't better than the regular grip, regular grip isn't better than reverse grip, single arm isn't better than both arms, etc. It's simply just another way of doing this exercise. Next time I change my weight training program around I'll probably switch back to using the regular grip and both arms. The sole reason? It's just a another way of doing it. Don't put too much concern into small things like which grip is better. All focus should be on progression. I'll repeat this 1000 times, the key to an effective weight training program is progression... not specific grips.

And that's the end of my chest and triceps workout. At this point I go down to the gym locker room, get out my bag, drink my post workout shake and go home.

Tuesday: Back and Biceps

In the original workout routines article, my weight training program at the time had back and biceps on Friday with legs on Tuesday. As you can see, those two workouts have switched places in this routine. Why? No real scientific reason. It's just a way to change things, and it's also a little bit of a personal preference. In my gym, the squat racks (there's 2) become way too crowded on Tuesday (usually with either really skinny guys doing bicep curls, or really fat guys doing... bicep curls). On Friday, I usually have the squat area all to myself. Anyway, on to the workout...

My back workout starts with what is probably my all-time favorite exercise of any muscle group... pull ups. I don't care if you bench press a million pounds, it wouldn't impress me at all. What would however is seeing how many pull ups you can do and/or how much additional weight you can add to them. I use a slightly wider than shoulder width grip with my palms facing away (forward). This is my favorite grip, and it's also probably the grip that makes pull ups the hardest. But, this is a good thing.

The reason is that this grip takes your biceps out of the exercise more so than using an underhand (palms facing you) grip, which puts your biceps in their strongest position. Pull ups are a back exercise. Your goal should be to use your lats to pull. If your biceps are in their strongest position, you will be more likely to pull with your biceps instead of your lats. I do however use a variety of different grips at times (and no grip is "bad" to use, they're all fine), but this grip is the one I use most often.

I start off with 1 warm-up set of just my body weight, and then I add additional weight to the next 3 sets and go for reps of 10, 8, 6. Just like dips, you can add weight by using a dip/pull-up belt or by holding a dumbbell between your feet. The lat pull down machine is a fine exercise and I used it all the time (and still occasionally do), but once I started doing pull ups, it was like a whole other world. Strength and muscle wise, I credit pull ups a great deal. If you can't do any... make it your goal to be able to. For detailed information on how to increase how many pull ups you can do, read this: Do More Pull Ups.

After that, I move on to the bent over barbell row. I use an overhand grip and bend over so that my upper body is a little bit above being parallel to the floor. I do 3 sets and try for reps of 10, 8, 6. From there I move on to the seated cable row and go for 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 as well. One of the biggest weight training problems people tend to have in regards to their back workout is using their biceps instead of or just more so than their back. The key is to imagine you are trying to pull your elbows back rather than trying to pull the weight in your hands towards you.

Then I move on to biceps. Just like my triceps feel after my chest workout, my biceps are pretty warmed up and ready to go by now. One preference I have for biceps (and triceps as well) is that I like to do something two-handed and then something one-handed. Any weight training program I create will almost always abide by that. There is no scientific reason for it, it's just what I like to do.

The first bicep exercise is just plain and simple standing barbell curls. I do 3 sets and aim for reps of 10, 8, 6. After that is 2 sets of seated dumbbell curls. I try for reps of 8 and 6. Not much to say about them, other than no part of your body should move during any type of curl except for the lower half of your arm (and the upper arm may just slightly come forward). If you can't do curls while keeping your body still, you're using too much weight and wasting your time.

And that's the end of my back and biceps workout. I drink my post workout shake and go home.

Wednesday: OFF

Wednesday is one of the 3 days of the week I don't go to the gym. If I was doing any direct cardio workouts at the time (I'm currently not), Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (my 3 off days) would be the days I would do them. If you are doing both cardio and weight training, I would recommend doing them on separate days if you can. If you can't, do the weight training first, then the cardio.

Thursday: Shoulders, Traps and Abs

My shoulder workout starts with the seated barbell press. I do it behind the head. (If you have any type of shoulder problems, you would probably be better off doing them in front of the head.) My reasons for doing them behind the head is that it has always felt like a more comfortable and natural movement behind my head than in front of it. It's also a more strict way of doing it. It's very rare that I see someone doing this exercise in front of their head and not cheating by leaning back and getting into an almost incline bench press position. If you tried to cheat and lean back when doing this exercise behind your head, you would hit yourself in the head. It pretty much forces good form in this position. I do 4 sets and aim for reps of 10, 10, 8, 6.

From there I move on to single-arm lateral raises. Why one arm at a time? It's just another way of doing it. Any weight training program I've used that included lateral raises has always been the common both-arms-at-a-time way. One day the dumbbells I needed were being used, and there was only 1 available. Instead of waiting, I just did them single-arm. Strangely enough, I actually prefer them single-arm now. I do 3 sets and aim for reps of 10, 8, 6.

From there I move on to barbell shrugs. Shrugs are for the traps (trapezius muscles), which are those muscles located on the left and right side of your neck. I'm only mentioning this because I occasionally get emails from people who think I'm misspelling triceps when I write traps. Anyway, most weight training routines have traps on either shoulder day or back day. I've tried doing shrugs on back day, but after exercises like weighted pull-ups and rows, it's almost impossible to have enough grip strength left to do shrugs. That's why all weight training routines created by me have traps done on shoulder day. I do 4 sets and aim for reps of 10, 10, 8, 6.

This workout ends with abs. My ab workout isn't very fancy, and it also changes a lot of the time because I don't really have a set ab routine. Let me explain. See, I park in the parking lot outside of my gym. This is one of those "put your quarters in the meter" parking lots. So, I make sure I put enough money in to have more than enough time to do shoulders and traps, and then whatever amount of time is left until my meter expires is... my ab workout. Sometimes it's 20 minutes, sometimes 15, sometimes 10. This is also the area of my gym that is most crowded. Why? Because people spend insane amounts of time working their abs. Why? Because people are stupid.

Getting to the workout, I just do a mixture of different types of weighted crunches, hanging leg raises, side bends and other similar stuff. For the weighted crunches I hold a dumbbell on my chest, by the way. That's really it. It's enough to make my abs strong and keep them that way. And, as we all should know by now (although the people in my gym obviously don't) the key to actually seeing your abs and losing the fat from your stomach and having "sexy 6 pack abs" is a proper diet and/or cardio exercise. If you didn't know that, or you forgot, read these: spot reduction, ab workouts and my Ab Lounge review.

After that, I'm done. I have my post workout meal and go home.

Friday: Legs

Welcome to leg day. Today (the day I'm writing this) was actually leg day, so I apologize in advance if some description is lacking. Just the idea of reliving my leg workout a few hours after I did it makes me want to take a nap. Anyway, this workout starts with what is not only the king of leg exercises, but what may also be the king of all weight training exercises in general... squats. So many different muscles on so many different parts of the body come into play during squats. There is no exercise that can replace the effect that squats have on your body as a whole. On each rep, I go down just slightly below the point where my hamstrings are parallel to the floor. I do 4 sets and aim for reps of 10, 10, 8, 6.

Next up is the leg press, which luckily for me is located directly next to the squat rack. Why is that lucky? Because after squats, the less walking I have to do, the better. I do 3 sets, and aim for reps of 10, 8, 6.

From there I move on to hamstrings, which starts with stiff legged deadlifts. The worst part about this exercise is the fact that the area I do it in is located all the way on the other side of the room... and down 6 stairs! At this point, just walking to this area is a workout in itself. For stiff legged deadlifts, I lower myself until the point where my upper body is parallel to the floor. I never go lower than that. I do 3 sets and aim for 10, 8, 6.

From there I move on to lying leg curls. Guess where this machine is located? Yup, back up the 6 stairs. Whoever designed my gym is an idiot. I do 2 sets and aim for reps of 8, 6.

Then comes calves, which are easily my least favorite muscle to work. Go up on your toes, go down on your toes, go up on your toes, go down on your toes. The whole movement is like 3 inches. Just the thought of it bores me. But, as boring as it is, it still needs to get done, and it still needs my full intensity and focus. I have to admit though, the hardest part of my gym week is getting "focused" and "intense" for a set of calve raises. I do them very slow and very controlled and make sure to hold it and squeeze at the top for an extra second. I do 5 sets and aim for reps of 10, 10, 10, 8, 6.

And then... get this... I have walk down two flights of stairs to get to the locker room to get my stuff. Once I actually (and just barely) make it there, I'll drink my post workout shake and go home.

The End

The only thing I have knowingly failed to mention so far is how long I rest between sets. I'll usually take 1-4 minutes between sets depending on what exercise I'm doing. For smaller exercises like curls, lateral raises, and dumbbell flyes, I'll usually rest 1-2 minutes. For bigger exercises like the bench press, squats and weighted pull-ups, I'll rest more in the range of 3 minutes, 4 at most.

So there you have it, my current weight training program. Again, feel free to use it as is, feel free to change the days, muscles and exercises around, or feel free to use it as nothing more than peek into what someone else's workout routine looks like.

Questions, comments or feedback? Feel free to e-mail me at:
IntenseWorkout@gmail.com

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