POWERREPORt7

The Worlds GreaTesT WorkouT

Olympic lifters who arent heavyweights are among the leanestand theyre certainly the strongestathletes in the world. One study found that Olympic weight lifters burned almost as many calories per day as marathoners did. Granted, these men are moving more than 175,000 pounds in a typical training week, but they also eat 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day. So what is it about the Olympic lifts that works such magic on the human body? Most simply, they engage nearly all of your muscles to move weights farther and faster than conventional exercises do. Each repetition takes only a second or two from start to finish, which allows you to target your fast-twitch muscle fibers. These are the muscles with the greatest potential for size and strengthand the ones typically ignored in most mens weight workouts. At this point, you might be wondering why, if these Olympic lifts are so great, you seldom see them practiced in gyms. The main reason is that theyre technically difficult to perform. But theres also a shortcut to experiencing the Olympic advantage. The Olympic lifts consist of two distinct parts: the pull phase and the catch phase. Durand catch the weight on your shoulders or above your head. In my experience, 95% of the benefits of Olympic lifts come from the pull phase, which is the simplest part of the movement, says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., a certified USA Weightlifting coach in Santa Clarita, California. And almost all of the technical difficulties occur during the catch phase. Thats why Cosgrove has eliminated the catch portion of the movement from nearly all of his programs, and why you can forget about it too. To enable lifters at any level to benefit from these exercises, Cosgrove has broken down the Olympic lifts into their four most effective movements. Incorporate them into your workout, and youll build muscle and strength, burn fat, and boost sports performance faster than ever before. Twice a week, insert the two routines on pp. 4243 into your workout, performing them before you do any other exercises. Alternate between Routine 1 and Routine 2 so that you do only two of the modified Olympic lifts each session. A couple of pointers: The high pull and the jump shrug are speed exercises, so use a weight that requires a strong effort to lift it quickly but isnt so heavy that you cant control the bar. For the front squat and the push press, use the heaviest weight that allows you to do all the prescribed reps.

ing the pull, you explode upward, yank-

Crank up the burn for even more power

ing the barbell off the floor and in front of your thighs, as if you were trying to jump out of the gym. In the catch, you quickly move your body under the bar

w w w. m e n s h e a l t h . c o m

41

POWER REPORT 7

O V E R -t H E -t O P P E R F O R M A N C E

Routine 1
HigH Pull
hold a barbell just below your knees, with a shoulder-width, overhand grip [A]. with your back flat and your arms straight, pull the bar upward as fast as you can by thrusting your hips forward and explosively standing up. as the bar passes your thighs, continue moving upward onto your toes, and pull the bar as high as possible by bending your elbows and raising your upper arms [B]. return to the starting position, and repeat for 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps, resting 90 seconds after each set.

PuSH PreSS
Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Stand holding the barbell at shoulder level, your feet shoulder-width apart. Dip your knees slightly [A], and push up with your legs as you press the bar over your head [B]. then lower the bar to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 8 reps, resting 90 seconds after each set.
A A B B

Front Squat
Grab a bar with an overhand grip thats just beyond shoulder-width, and hold it on the tops of your shoulders. raise your upper arms so theyre parallel to the floor, and let the bar roll back so its resting on your fingers, not your palms. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight [A]. without changing the position of your arms, lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor [B]. then push back up to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, resting 90 seconds after each set.

double Your bench

Joe Mazza, a full-time New Jersey cop, ranks, pound for pound, as Americas best practitioner of the bench press. You havent heard of him because while big money flows into bass fishing and poker,
A B

times your body weight, like Mazza does, but youll be benching twice what you do now.

tHe SHirt
When you start benching two to three times your body weight, theres an incredible amount of force trying to pull your shoulders apart, and a lifting shirt protects the delicate architecture of the joints. I can train with my shirt and not have any problems, says Mazza. No need for you to wear one like competitors do. You can duplicate the shirts protective effect by strengthening your back, which Mazza does with heavy lat pulldowns and other back moves. (See The Raise-the-Roof Workout on p. 45.) Your back doesnt push the weight, but it gives your shoulders

his sport remains beyond the fringe, with lightweights like him receiving even less publicity than heavyweights. That doesnt make his stats any less amazing though. Weighing just 165 pounds, he has benched more than 400 pounds raw and has managed 625 poundsfor 4 repswhen encased in one of the straitjacket-like lifting shirts all world-class benchers use for meets. My ultimate goal is to bench 700, says Mazza, whos been competing since 2001. Weve figured out a way to take these principles and recast them in ways you can use at the gym tonight. In 2 months, you may not be benching three or four

Routine 2
SnatcH-griP JumP SHrug
hold a bar just below your knees, with an overhand grip thats twice shoulder-width [A]. keeping your back flat and your arms straight, simultaneously thrust your hips forward, shrug your shoulders, and jump straight up [B]. Land on the balls of your feet, and repeat. Do 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps, resting 90 seconds after each set.
A B

42 1 0 P O W E R R E P O R T S

w w w. m e n s h e a l t h . c o m

43

POWER REPORT 7

O V E R -t H E -t O P P E R F O R M A N C E

a more stable base, says Sean Waxman, C.S.C.S., a former national-level Olympic lifter and owner of Pure Strength in southern California. Also, form is key: Pull your upper arms close to your torso when you bench, instead of flaring them out to the sides. This allows your latissimus dorsi (a.k.a. lats)your largest back muscleto help stabilize your shoulders, providing you with a better foundation from which to press. For a visual cue, your upper arms should create roughly a 45-degree angle with your torso when the weight is lowered to your chest.

If thats not feasible, mimic the effect of bands through a technique called compensatory acceleration training. Bring the bar down slowly, but then rapidly accelerate it through the full range of motion, says Waxman.

The raise-The-roof WorkouT

Follow this routine for 2 months, during which you can continue training your biceps, abs, and other muscle groups. As you become stronger, go heavier, so that the weights fully challenge your muscles in the rep ranges given. One final note: Always use a spotter, even if you dont think you need one.

tHe BoardS
Bench pressers place wooden boards, ranging from 1 inch to 5 inches high, on their chests to reduce their range of motion and focus on the lockout portion of the lift. Reducing the range of motion also allows you to train hard for the bench press, with minimal strain on your shoulders. If you dont want to carry around different-size boards in your gym bag to vary your range of motion, try benching in a power rack and gradually lowering the stops to achieve the same progressive effect. If youre really in a pinch, rolled-up towels can substitute for either. Adding lying triceps extensions to this workout will further develop your lockout.

monday: HeAvy BencH DAy BarBell BencH PreSS

Lie on a bench, and grab a barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. pull your shoulder blades down and togetherwhich helps stabilize your shouldersthen unrack the bar [A]. Slowly lower the weight to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked close to your body [B]. Instead of just pushing the bar straight up, push it back slightly toward the rack. that allows the weight to kind of do the work for you, says mike miller, a champion powerlifter.

tHe BandS
Try lifting with a pair of Jump Stretch Mini Bands, which can be picked up at elitefts.com. Attach one to each end of the barbell, then to the base of a power rack (or to heavy dumbbells anchored on the floor), and then double them up again on the bar. Theyll provide an extra 70 to 90 pounds of resistance at the top of your bench.

tHe drill

1. after you warm up, set the bench at a

45-degree incline for 3 sets of 4 or 5 reps. (Start off using the heaviest weight you can for that rep range, and then drop as needed.) rest for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

2. Do 2 sets of 6 reps at the same incline. rest

for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

5. finish with a method called flushing, in

which you use higher reps to increase the flow of nutrient-rich blood to your muscles. Do 2 sets, 8 to 10 reps apiece, of cable crossovers, in which you bring the handles of opposing cable stacks together in front of your chest. rest for 1 minutes between sets.

3. Set the bench flat, and repeat the same

sequence.

Men in tights
Its more than just a superhero look. Compression tights apply pressure to major muscles, meaning more efficient running and faster times, French scientists say. Twelve trained runners at the University of Montpelliers motorefficiency and -deficiency laboratory ran 9 miles in three types of gear: waist-toankle compression tights, standard shorts, or conventional elastic tights. The compression tightswith bands of sturdier fabric limiting movementtrimmed runners oxygen use by a third, results showed. According to study author Stphane Perrey, Ph.D., a marathoner who normally clocks in at 3 hours, 30 minutes, could shave about 6 minutes. Another advantage: The tights improved running technique through greater knee function and balance.
44 1 0 P O W E R R E P O R T S

4. Set the bench at a decline, and do 3 sets of 6 reps. rest for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

thuRsday: close-Grip BencH DAy lying tricePS extenSion

Lie on your back, holding a bar at arms length above you. bend your elbows to lower the bar to your forehead [A]. press it back up to the starting position [B].
A

tHe drill
Do 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

w w w. m e n s h e a l t h . c o m

45

POWER REPORT 7

O V E R -t H E -t O P P E R F O R M A N C E

cloSe-griP BencH PreSS

Lie on a bench in a power rack, and grab a barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands slightly less than shoulder-width apart [A]. the stops should be set 5 inches above chest level. unrack the bar, and lower it to the stops, slowly and with control [B]. press the bar back up as quickly as possible. (If you have access to bands, attach those to the ends of the barbell, and press at a normal pace. If you have a board, use that instead of the stops on the rack.)

satuRday: HeAvy BAck DAy dumBBell Pullover

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, and hold a dumbbell over your chest with both hands [A]. keeping your arms straight, lower the dumbbell until your arms are in line with your body [B]. return to the starting position.

tHe drill
Do 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

tHe drill

1. regardless of the apparatus, start out using a

weight thats slightly heavier than youd normally be able to lift for the prescribed rep range. (for example, if you usually do close-grip bench presses with 135 pounds, add an extra 10 to each side of the bar.)

B B

2. unrack the bar, then lower it until it touches

the stopping point.

3. press the bar up, and repeat for the prescribed

number of reps.

lat Pulldown
down closer to your chest. now complete the same workout. Sit on the bench, and grab the handle so that your arms are fully extended and your torso is straight [A]. pull the handle straight down to the top of your chest [B]. return to the starting position.

BarBell SHrug
Stand holding a barbell at arms length with a shoulder-width grip [A]. without using your arms, raise your shoulders as high as you can [B]. return to the starting position.

4. Complete 3 sets of 4 or 5 reps, and then

3 sets of 6 reps, resting for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

6. Continue removing blocks or

lowering the stops every other week until the bar comes all the way down to your chest.

5. a week or two later, lower either your board or the

stops on the power rack by 1 inch, so the weight comes

tHe drill
Do 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

tHe drill
A

Do 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

Fit to Putt
Lower your golf score in the weight room. Gaining strength can make you a more accurate putter, report researchers at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, confirms previous findings that men who weight-train launch the ball farther off the tee. But the researchers also found that men had 30% better control on the putting green after an 11-week workout regimen. The golfers performed a mix of classic resistance-training exercises for all their major muscle groups and rotational medicineball moves for their core. For instance, they did medicine-ball rotations, medicine-ball throws, Russian twists, and front bridges. Improving your strength, endurance, and flexibility may help your golf swing stay more consistent over the course of 18 holes, the researchers suggest.

B B

46 1 0 P O W E R R E P O R T S

w w w. m e n s h e a l t h . c o m

47