Open Gym Strength and Conditioning – Functional bodybuilding

Warm-up

Upper Body Anterior (Chest & Bicep) Warm-up (No Measure)

Crossover Symmetry Warmup

-into-

3 rounds

10 Perfect Pushups (controlled form)

15 band pull-a-parts

5 PVC Around the Worlds (each way)

10 wall angels

5 scorpions (each side)

Bench Press (5×8)

5 sets: 8 reps

Focus: Control should be shown with each rep on the way down and on the way up. Bar should be lowered to just below the sternum. Keep elbows at a 45 degree angle to the body and avoid flaring out. Shoulders should be loaded back against the bench throughout reps.

Barbell incline press (4×10)

4 sets: 10 reps

Focus: Control should be shown with each rep on the way down and on the way up. Incline of bench should be around a 45-60 degree incline. Bar should be lowered to just below the sternum. Keep elbows at a 45 degree angle to the body and avoid flaring out. Shoulders should be loaded back against the bench throughout reps.

Double DB bench press (4×10)

4 sets: 10 reps

Focus: Select a weight that you can control when sitting back to start and sitting up to finishing set. Do not drop the dumbbells. To avoid injury, bring the knees up to meet the dumbbells and sit up with them. If you have to drop them to deload, you’ve gone too heavy.

Incline bench db chest fly (4×12)

4 sets: 12 reps

Focus: Lying on an incline bench, extend two dumbbells towards the ceiling. Keeping a slight bend in the elbows, lower the dumbbells out to the sides. Dumbbells should be kept in line with the sternum or slightly lower. Shoulders should be loaded back against the bench through the entire movement. Refrain from going deeper than the level of the bench at end range.

standing alternating db bicep curls (4×10)

4 sets: 10 reps (each side)

Focus: Stay with a weight that will allow for control and minimal kipping of reps. Keep dumbbells slightly in front of the body at the bottom position to keep tension on the biceps throughout set. When curling, do not turn the arm as the DB is curled. DB can be curled by the side of the body or across the body (athlete’s preference).

Single arm deficit bicep curls (4×10)

4 sets: 10 reps (each side)

Focus: Using either an incline bench or the rounded portion of a GHD pad, brace the back of the upper arm against the bench/pad. The bench/pad is used to completely isolate on the bicep and remove assistance from body/shoulder. Attempt very light weight before working sets to get a feel for range of motion/amount of isolation that is placed on the bicep. DO NOT OVERLOAD THIS MOVEMENT BY GOING TOO HEAVY. Curl the DB with one arm braced against the pad and then switch to the other side and complete on the opposite arm to finish the set.