Open Gym Strength and Conditioning – Bodybuilding

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Bodybuilding RPE Scale

RPE 1-3 || This should be a weight that an athlete can move with ease throughout the intended rep range.

RPE 10 || This is a max effort for the intended rep range. The athlete should be fully taxed at the end of each set.

Mayhem Bodybuilding Goals

What?

Bodybuilding is a tool that Mayhem Athletes can use to increase strength, muscular endurance and hypertrophy to better themselves in whatever their fitness goals are. It can also be used as a tool to give the muscles and joints a break from the high intensity that comes with CrossFit day in and day out.

See below for an outline of how each year is laid out

4 Yearly Cycles

Cycle 1 (January – March: Mechanical Drop Sets)

Saturday: Glutes & Arms

Chest & Tricep Warm-up (Checkmark)

Crossover Symmetry Warm-up

-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)
Focus: Effort should be easy building into moderate. Get yourself moving and opened up for upcoming work.

Bench Press (4 sets: 4 reps @ Challenging Weight for 4 reps – RPE 8-9)

*Rest 2:00-2:30 b/t sets

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.

Alt. Incline DB Bench (
4 sets: 10 Reps (each side) – RPE 8
)

*Rest 1:00-1:30 b/t sets

*Build to a moderate weight and stay the same or build across all sets heavy.

Focus: Set a bench up at an incline that will allow for a 45 degree angle of the torso. Start with both DBs extended overhead. Bench with one arm, leaving the other arm extended overhead and then repeat with other side. Loading should be moderate and allow for control throughout entire rep. 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.

Alt. Incline DB Bench

https://youtu.be/12zz4KCeGOQ

Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press (4 sets: 10 reps – RPE 8)

*Rest 1:00-1:30 b/t sets

*Build to a moderate weight and stay the same or build across all sets.

Focus: Lying on a flat bench, athlete will reverse grip a barbell and unrack. Width grip is dependent on athletes mobility but should be roughly outside the width of the torso. Lower the barbell to the chest and press back up to extension. Be sure keep shoulders loaded down and back against the bench at all times.

Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press

https://youtu.be/DLqYWWVCQRI

Resistance Band Chest Fly – High to Low (4 sets: 12 reps – RPE 8)

*Rest 1:00-1:30 b/t sets

Focus: On a rig, loop a resistance band on each side (light to moderate light resistance weight) above head level. Facing away from rig, grasp a band in each hand. Starting with arms extended to the sides and a forward lean (stagger feet for stabilization), press the bands forward with slightly bent arms, crossing over in front of the body at waist level. Return out to the sides and repeat, crossing the opposite arm on top from the last rep. Slight bend in the arm should be maintained throughout reps (excessive bending of the elbow will place focus on triceps rather than chest)

Resistance Band Chest Fly

https://youtu.be/yVcEkvgymt8

Inverted Skull Crusher (4 sets: 10 reps – RPE 7)

*Rest 1:00-1:30 b/t sets

*Build to a moderate weight, stay the same or build across sets

Focus: Racking a bar on a rig around waist height, assume a plank position on the bar with hands roughly shoulder width apart. Bend the elbows and lower the body to the bar. Range of motion should result with forehead ending close to barbell (similar to a lying barbell skull crusher). Raise height of bar to decrease difficulty.

Inverted Skull Crusher

https://youtu.be/12DAbWuABQc

Standing KB Crush Grip French Press (4 sets: 10 reps – RPE 7)

*Rest 1:00-1:30 b/t sets

Focus: In a standing position, take a KB and grasp it between both hands around the bell portion (not the handles). Palms will be facing each other on either side of the bell. Lift the KB overhead, being mindful of the positioning of the handles so they don’t hit the head. Keeping the elbows tucked and pointed at the ceiling, lower the weight behind the head. Extend back overhead to complete. Be sure to keep core engaged and avoid overextension in the low back.

Cooldown/Mobility (Checkmark)

1 min Pec Stretch against Door/Rig

1 min Lacrosse Ball Pec Smash (each side)

1 min Overhead Elbow Grab Tricep stretch (each side)

1 min Tricep Lacrosse Ball Smash (each side)
Focus: Do your mobility work to keep range of motion. Pec Stretch consists of raising bent arm to the side to make an “L”, raise arm so that upper arm is at a 45 degree angle to the neck and place forearm against rig/door frame. Slowly lean into stretch.

Mayhem Mini-Pump

Mini-Pump Sessions are used as a supplement to another Mayhem Athlete track or on days when you are pressed for time and cannot complete the full day’s bodybuilding session as programmed. You should NOT complete today’s bodybuilding program AND the mini-pump session. Choose one or the other.

Chest and Triceps (Time)

4 Rounds

10 Barbell Bench Press @ moderate weight – maintain quality

10 Alt. Incline DB Bench @ Moderate weight – maintain control and quality

12 Resistance Band Chest Fly – High to Low @ moderate weight – maintain quality

10 Standing KB Crush Grip French Press @ moderate weight – maintain quality

-Rest 3 min b/t rounds-

Scoring: Time
Demo Videos

Alt. DB Incline Bench

Resistance Band Chest Fly