Ebook-dugdale-hitfmaw.pdf

6.2.14

Arms I made a last minute decision to enter the Toronto Supershow 212 this past weekend to ensure my Olympia qualification via point standings was solidified. I placed third in a closely fought contest – only 4 points separated 1st, 2nd and me. After talking with John Meadows, it was decided that all my training sessions will mirror the secondary pump workouts from his normal programs. John knows me well enough that he no longer suggests a couple weeks off from training, lol. Therefore, my workouts for the next three weeks will be lighter weight and in line with the pump-focused secondary workouts you are accustomed to seeing from me. That will put me roughly 13 weeks out from the Olympia, at which time I will begin another 12-week program design by John. Christina wanted to train arms tonight so here is what we did at Kirkland Gold’s Gym…

Cable Push-Downs Superset w/Reverse Barbell Curls I used an attachment similar to this one: Spud Inc. Fat Tricep Strap. I adjusted the pulley so it was about ¾ from the bottom, took a few steps back from the weight stack, bent about 45 degrees at the waist, kept my elbow pinned to my sides and performed slow and controlled reps for triceps. My reps were 15, 15, 10, 10, 10 and 10 for each of the 6 sets. I immediately supersetted the push-downs with reverse barbell curls. On these keep your elbows pinned to your sides so you don’t raise the elbows and work the front delts.My reps here were 15, 15, 10, 10, 10 and 10 for each of the 6 sets.

Cross-Body Hammer Curls Superset w/Triceps Skull Crushers On the cross-body hammer curls do one at a time and really control the weight making it as hard as possible to get your reps. Do 10-12 on each side, alternating until you hit 20+ total reps. Immediately superset with skull crushers. I try to keep from locking out on these and prefer to do them on a slight decline bench. My reps were in the 10-15 range for all 4 working sets of skull crushers.

Dips Superset w/Machine Preacher Curls On the dips don’t lean too far forward and work the pecs. The key is focusing on the triceps with controlled reps while aiming for 10-15 reps. Immediately superset with machine preacher curls once again focusing on constant tension and controlled movement. I aimed for 10-12 reps on each of the 4 working sets of machine preacher curls.

NOTE: While focusing on lighter weight and returning to normal training post-contest I find that it’s best to stop

short of failure on every set of every exercise. Your body has likely endured a beating, is possibly depleted and nervous system could likely use a break.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.5.14

Back Here is a back workout I did on Thursday morning this week. As I mentioned in my previous training log post, I am approaching all my workouts as secondary/pump training sessions. Fewer intensity techniques, lighter weight and pump focused exercises will be employed for the next 2-3 weeks. The goal here is to recharge a bit before beginning the next 12 week Mountain Dog Diet program by John Meadows leading up to the Mr Olympia in September.

Seated Cable Pull-downs I utilized one of my favorite attachments for this exercise – the MAG Supinate Close Grip. I attached it to the lat pulldown. All the MAG attachments are awesome, and the particular one I used is available here: MAG Close Grip Supinate I did 2 sets x 15 reps to warm up and then 4 sets x 10 reps with one minute rest breaks between sets.

*On these I really focus on driving my elbows down and flexing my lats and middle back as hard as possible on each

rep. I also don’t fully extend my arms to keep constant tension on the lats and to keep my biceps out of the movement as much as possible.

Wide Grip Seated Cable Rows I used a wide straight bar attachment and utilized an overhand/pronate grip. Perform 4 sets x 10-12 reps.

*I struggle with performing these properly so to ensure my form is perfect I hold the weight in the contracted position

for 1-second on each rep. If you can hold the bar with it touching your lower chest you get bonus points. This method ensures your actually working muscle and not simply moving weight.

Seated Hammer Rows I used a unilateral seated Hammer Strength plate loaded machine for this exercise. I typically do each arm independently, but did both at the same time today, using a semi-pronate grip. Perform 4 sets x 10 reps.

Dumbbell Pull-overs Typical Meadows style on these lying on the bench vs across it. Work the stretch and don’t come up all the way to ensure constant tension on the lats. I kept rest periods to 45 seconds. Perform 4 sets x 10 reps.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.5.14

Shoulders I actually trained back at 5am this morning, but Christina doesn’t get up that early and wanted to go train shoulders in the evening. I went along and put this mini-shoulder workout together. She got pretty sore, but then again she doesn’t tap into pre-intra-post workout nutrition the way I do via a product like Plazma or Biotest Surge Recovery 3lbs 3.9oz I’m still working on her! Anyway, here is the workout…

Lying One Arm Dumbbell Side Laterals On these I set up a utility bench at about a 45 degree angle. Pretty much any incline bench will do. I lay on my side. For example I place my left knee on the seat and hang my left arm over the top of the pad that normally supports your back. Then, grabbing a dumbbell with my right hand, I perform one arm side laterals. Keep constant tension on the delts by not resting the dumbbell on your leg at the bottom and not raising the dumbbell completely perpendicular to the floor. Just raise the dumbbell until your arm forms a 90 degree angle with your body. Sets and reps looked like this for each side… 20lbs x 15 reps 22.5lbs x 12 reps 25lbs x 10 reps 27.5lbs x 8 reps 27.5lbs x 8 reps

*I only rested long enough for Christina to do her set before I continued with the aforementioned weights and reps. Machine Press Negatives + Explosive Reps I used a weight selectorized shoulder pressmachine and faced the back support pad. This provides no back support, but I prefer to do them this way because I can adjust my torso to ensure I’m driving the weight straight up over my head. I performed 3 sets as follows: 200lbs x 6 negative (3 second descent) reps immediately followed by 80lbs x 6 reps as explosively as possible.

*Have your partner lift the weight on the negative so that you can focus all your effort on lowering the weight for a 3-second count. Immediately drop the weight to something very light and perform 6-8 reps with the concentric being as explosive as possible. Do not fully lock out. These actually burn quite good! Cable Upright Row Superset w/Rear Delts The first exercise on the superset entails the use of a straight bar attachment to a lower cable. Grab the bar tightly wider than shoulder width, keep your chest out and pull the weight up as though strings were attached to your elbows pulling them up first. Hold the contraction for a split second and then lower the weight utilizing a 2-3 second negative. I did sets of 10 reps. Immediately move to the cables used for something like pec flyes, but simply grab the cables without any attachments included. Right hand grabs left cable, and left hand grabs right cable. Pull your arms apart with the elbow joint held in a fixed, semi-straight position. Hinge only at the shoulder joint to ensure all the tension remains on the rear delt. I did sets of 15 reps. Superset the upright row and rear delt, cable exercise for a total of 4 rounds. I kept my rest break to less than 1 minute between rounds.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.7.14

Legs Keeping in line with all workouts approached as secondary training sessions for the next couple weeks, here is what I did for legs this past Saturday…

Lying Leg Curl Super-set w/Leg Extensions I performed a couple sets of 15 reps on each exercise and then did the following: Curls – 6 sets x 10 reps, immediately followed by Extensions – 6 sets x 10 reps I did curls, extensions and rested long enough for my second of two training partners to complete their set of curls before going again. We just kept going in rounds until we did 6 sets. Nothing too heavy…just constant tension with a good, hard flex in the contracted position on each rep.

Front Squats I did 6 total sets with the following reps – 12, 10, 6, 6, 6 and 6. The first two sets were warm-ups and then I added 20lbs to the bar before each of the next 4 sets of 6 reps.

* The goal wasn’t to go heavy, but to train explosively. Leg Press I kept my feet low and about 6 inches apart to maintain the focus on my quads as much as possible. Set 1 x 20 reps with 3 plates each side Sets 2 thru 5 x 20 reps with 4 plates each side

* The goal here was to make the quads burn without a bunch of weight, therefore my training partner and I alternated non-stop until all 5 sets were completed.

Kettlebell Stiff-Legged Deads On this exercise we stood on a couple of stacked up a bumper plates and used a 106lb kettlebell to perform stiff-legged deads. This kettlebell is simply badass looking it’s so big, and yes, Elitefts carries it here: 106lbs Kettlebell 4 sets x 12 reps Ensure a slow, controlled movement, stretch good at the bottom and flex the glutes hard at the top.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.9.14

Arms Here is a biceps and triceps workout from this past Monday. I trained with Christina and convinced her to film some of the sets. The workout is keeping in line with my approach of lighter weights and pump focused sessions for the next couple weeks before I begin my next Mountain Dog Training program by John Meadows.

Cable Triceps Push-down Superset w/Seated Cable Curls I used a straight bar attachment on both the push-downs and the seated curls. The goal on the push-downs was maximum time under tension with perfect form. Stay upright, keep your elbows pinned to your sides and pump out the reps. On the curls just do a slow, controlled rep cadence and flex hard at the top without resting at the top or bottom. Use an incline utility bench on the curls and face the weight stack. I did 30 reps on the triceps push-downs and immediately followed it with 10 reps of cable curls. I performed the superset for 4 rounds, resting maybe 30 seconds between rounds.

EZ Bar Preacher Curls Superset w/Close Grip Bench On these exercises I flipped the order and the rep scheme from the previous superset. Meaning I now did 30 reps for biceps as the first exercise and 10 reps for the triceps as the second exercise. Use an ez bar for the preacher curls and simply pump out all 30 reps without stopping. My biceps pump up quickly making this really difficult, even with a light weight. On the close grip bench I allow my elbows to flare a bit and really focus on getting a good stretch in the triceps as I lower the bar. Once again, I did 30 reps on ez bar preachers and 10 reps on close grip bench. Perform the superset for a total of 4 rounds.

Seated One Arm Hammer Curls Superset w/Overhead Extensions Try and find a dumbbell that works well for both biceps and triceps. Perform all the reps on one side before switching to the other. Rest period was just long enough for Christina to do her supersets. I did 8 reps on hammer curls immediately followed by 10 reps on the overhead extensions and performed the superset for a total of 4 rounds on each arm.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.14.14

Legs I’m still in the lower intensity and lighter weight phase of training for the next couple weeks, but here is what I did on Saturday for legs. The themes were sets of 12 reps and holding rest breaks to 1 minute or less between all sets and exercises. Here is the workout…

Lying Leg Curls Set 1 x 15 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 75lbs (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 6 x 12 reps with 95lbs

*Keep your hips firmly into the pad and use perfect form by controlling the rep speed and contracting hard at the top of each rep. Seated Leg Curls On these I sat upright so my back was not against the back rest to ensure more tension and a greater stretch and contraction of the hamstrings. I used a unilateral seated leg curl machine so weight listed is per each leg. Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 60lbs

Leg Press Set 1 x 20 reps with three 45lb plates per side (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with five 45lb plates per side Set 3 x 12 reps with six 45lb plates per side Set 4 x 12 reps with seven 45lb plates per side Set 5 x 12 reps with eight 45lb plates per side

*I used a medium foot stance. Hack Squats Set 1 x 20 reps with one 45lb plate each side (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 5 x 12 reps with three 45lb plates each side

*No resting at the top or bottom to maintain constant tension on the legs throughout the entire set. Keeping the rest breaks to less than 1 minute began to catch up with me on this exercise! Leg Extensions Set 1 x 20 reps with 165lbs Sets 2 thru 5 x 12 reps with 190lbs *Pump these out flexing hard at the top/extended position.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.14.14

Legs Cable Stiff-Legged Deads These are done with a handle attached to the lower cable. Stand facing away from the weight stack, bend at the waist and with your knees locked pull the cable between your legs while flexing the hamstrings and glutes. Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 190lbs

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.16.14

Biceps & Triceps Here is another arm session from yesterday. I trained with Christina and my two younger daughters came along as well…although they didn’t do much lifting.

Cable Triceps Push-Downs Superset w/Barbell Curls I dusted off an old training technique today – 21’s. I’m not sure of the exact order in which these were originally performed, but I like doing the contracted half first, stretched half second and full reps third. The idea is to perform 7 reps of each for a total of 21 reps per exercise. I superset the push-downs with barbell curls; both performed as 21’s and did the superset four times. I used 170lbs on the extensions and 65lbs on the curls, keeping rest breaks to less than 1 minute between rounds.

Preacher Machine Curls Superset w/Close-Grip Bench High rep time again on these two exercises, performing the biceps exercise first in the superset. I did 20 normal, full range reps on each exercise. Perform each superset four times and keep rest breaks between rounds to less than 1 minute. I used 85lbs on machine preachers and 135lbs on close-grip bench.

Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curls Superset w/EZ Bar Overhead Extensions I used an incline to facilitate a better stretch. Allow your arms to hand perpendicular to the floor and only curls them until your elbow joint is at 90 degrees. Hold the contraction for a split second before lowering the weight under control. Your grip should remain in the neutral position the entire time. Curl both dumbbells at the same time for 10 reps before moving to the next exercise. I used 35lb dumbbells. The second exercise in the superset is ez bar overhead extensions. You can do these on the incline bench or a completely upright seat. The main thing is to ensure you keep the elbows back so they are in line with your ears, work the stretch as the bar goes behind your head and do not completely lock out. I used a 70lb ez curl bar and did 15 reps on each set. Complete the aforementioned superset four times.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.19.14

Shoulders Due to the fact that I’m taking a short break from hardcore Mountain Dog Training I occasionally oblige my better half (Christina), by going to the gym in the evening to train with her. I’m still doing lighter, pump-type workouts in the AM – 7 days/week. Therefore, these workouts with Christina are body part specific and tailored to kick her butt as quickly as possible, so they usually last no longer than 30-40 minutes. However, don’t take this as a “girl” workout…some of these training techniques and exercises might jumpstart muscle if your current program is stagnating. Here is the mini-shoulder workout we did last night…

Banded Dumbbell Shoulder Presses I used a pair of the elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band for this exercise. Hook the end of each band under the seat of a utility bench and grab it so it’s across the palm of your hand before grabbing a dumbbell. This makes the contraction superintense. After a few warm-ups with just dumbbells I did the following: Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 60lb dumbbells*

*I barely got 12 by my fourth set. Keep rest breaks to less than 1 minute. Band Front Raise/Pull-Apart Superset w/Dumbbell Rear Delts Stand on one of the bands you just used for the shoulder presses, feet shoulder width apart, maintain a neutral grip on the band and perform a front raise and then a pull-apart before retracing your steps to the starting position. 4 sets of 10 reps with the band superset with 4 sets of 20 reps on dumbbell rear laterals

Lateral Delt Burnout Finisher This exercise will light your delts on fire! Hold one dumbbell out to the side in an isohol;d while performing 5 reps with the other arm. Then switch and perform the isohold with the opposite arm and perform 5 reps with the other, then 4 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep and a final bilateral set of 10 reps. Yes I only used 15lbs and this burned!

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.22.14

Chest & Shoulders Sunday I hit chest and shoulders at Eastside Gym. I’m still trying to keep weight a bit lighter, intensity techniques to a minimum and train mainly for a pump. That said I’m really looking forward to starting John Meadows’ next 12-program as I narrow my focus on the Olympia in September. Here is what I did for this chest and shoulder workout…

Cable Cross-Overs Set 1 x 12 reps with 60lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 70lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 80lbs Set 4 x 12 reps with 80lbs

* The goal here is to maximum tension and the blood flow to the pecs. Don’t go very far into the stretch position to keep maximum tension on the pecs and flex hard in the contracted position for 1 second on every rep.

Hammer Strength Incline Press Set 1 x 10 reps with two 45lb plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with two 45lb and one 25lb plate each side Set 3 x 10 reps with two 45lb and one 35lb plate each side Set 4 x 10 reps with three 45lb plates each side Set 5 x 10 reps with three 45lb and one 10lb plate each side Set 6 x 10 reps with three 45lb and one 25lb plate each side

* Work up in weight until you hit a tough set of 10 and then stop. Only go to ¾ lock-out. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 90lbs

*Choose a weight in which you can get 4 solid sets of 10 reps without completely locking out the reps. Heavy Dumbbell Rear Delt Swings Superset w/Band 4-Ways I used the elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band for the second part of this superset. For the first part of the superset lay face down on an incline utility bench. Use straps to hold a heavy dumbbell before proceeding to swing (hinge at shoulder joint) for 50 reps. Sets 1 thru 3 x 50 reps with 70lb dumbbells Superset with band 4-ways for 8 reps

*4-ways are performed by standing on the band about shoulder width. Grab the band (also shoulder width) and perform a front raise with hands gripping the band in a neutral position. Once you reach eye level, spread your arms out wide, stretching the band, and flex the rear delts hard before retracing your steps back to the starting position. That counts as one rep.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.22.14

Chest & Shoulders Hammer Strength Shoulder Press Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with one 45lb and one 25lb plate each side

*I like to face the back support so I can press straight up overhead and make this movement more like a cage press. Dumbbell Side Laterals w/Iso-Holds Perform 10 reps on side laterals and on the 10th rep hold the weight out to the sides (ear level) for a count of 10 seconds. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps + 10 second iso-hold with 20lb dumbbells

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.23.14

Arms Today was another biceps and triceps workout. I’ve probably said this previously, but if you are stagnating in the gym and/or dealing with soreness for a number of days post-workout, then it’s probably time to reconsider your intraworkout nutrition. Biotest supplements at the recommendation of my training coach, John Meadows, made a world of difference for me. I personally supplement with Indigo-3G, pre-load my body 30 minutes before a training session with Plazma, and continue to drink it throughout the workout. It only makes sense to flood your system with specifically designed carbs and protein to minimize catabolism and jump-start anabolism when the most blood is flowing to the muscles. If you’re still drinking water or just BCAA’s while training then you are missing a huge opportunity for growth and recovery. Elitefts has you covered with Biotest Surge Recovery 3lbs 3.9oz and/ or Biotest Mag-10 2lb 3oz…either will fuel your training and recovery. Choose them based on how many carbs you want to consume and your body composition goals.

Triceps Push-Downs Superset w/Dumbbell Curls I used a straight bar attachment on the pushdowns, locked my elbows to my sides and pumped out 30 reps per set. Superset with… I performed standing dumbbell curls with palms up throughout the entire set, curling both arms at the same time for 20 reps.

*Perform the superset 4 times and keep rest breaks to 30 seconds between rounds. Triceps Push-Downs Superset w/Reverse Barbell Curls For triceps push-downs I attached a Spud Inc. Fat Tricep Strap, stood several feet back from the weight stack, bent to nearly 90 degrees at the waist while facing the weight stack, kept my elbows pointing to the floor, upper arm perpendicular to the floor, and pumped out 30 reps. It’s okay to let your elbows flare a little and be sure to contract hard at the bottom. Superset with… I grabbed a barbell and did reverse curls for 20 reps per set.

*Perform the superset 4 times and keep rest breaks to 30 seconds between each round. Dumbbell Preacher Curls Superset w/Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extensions I did one arm preacher curls with a dumbbell for each arm and got 8-12 reps on each of the 4 sets. Superset with… Once you’ve done both arms on the preacher curls, move immediately to seated overhead dumbbell triceps extensions and aim for 10-15 reps doing each arm independently.

*Perform the superset 4 times and rest no more than 30 seconds between each round. Don’t completely lockout on the

triceps exercise, but be sure to get a good stretch.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.26.14

Back This is my last week in which all workouts are approached as secondary. I’m feeling really good mentally and physically following this four week break from John Meadows punishment, lol! However, I’m eager to start the next program. For now, here is the secondary back workout I performed this week…

Meadow Rows Today I used a chest supported T-bar row apparatus, added 25lb plates and grabbed the end of the bar used for loading plates to perform Meadow Rows. Set 1 x 15 reps with 25lbs added (warm-up) Set 2 x 14 reps with 50lbs added (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 6 x 10 reps with 100lbs added

* The key is to get a nice full range of motion anddrive the elbow up hard while controlling the eccentric portion of the movement.

Smith Machine Bent Over Rows Set 1 x 15 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 5 x 12 reps with 185lbs

*I kept the weight lighter and focused on explosiveness and a hard contraction at the top of each rep. Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs I actually faced away from the weight stack, used lighter weight and focused on holding the contraction for 1-second on each rep. Sets 1 thru 2 x 12 reps with 110lbs

*At the top of the movement, with arms extended, contract and pull from your scapulae before driving the elbows down on each rep. This will make the movement harder, but facilitate a better contraction at the bottom.

Straight Arm Cable Pull-Downs I used a 4” Cable Grenade Ball™ on this exercise. Stand facing the weight stack with the Grenade attached to the upper cable. Keep your elbows in a fixed, semi-locked position. Keep your lats flexed the entire time. Set 1 x 15 reps with 130lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 140lb

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.26.14

Back One Arm Supinated Lat Pull-Downs Attach a single handle to the lat pull-down and do one arm at a time. Perform the reps with a pronate grip at the top, but supinate your grip as you pull the weight and drive your elbow down. Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 95lbs

* Use a full range of motion. You should feel a good stretch in your lats at the top and contract your lower lats hard at the bottom.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.28.14

Legs After about 4 weeks of approaching all workouts as secondary training sessions and eliminating intensity techniques, I was excited to get back into another John Meadows program. Today was the beginning of my next 12 week program leading up to the Olympia. By the end of the workout, I wondered why I missed training like this, lol. Never a dull moment with John. Here’s what this first primary leg workout included…

Lying Leg Curls Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 65lbs (warm-ups) Set 4 x 8 reps with 95lbs + added eccentric resistance Set 5 x 8 reps with 105lbs + added eccentric resistance Set 6 x 8 reps with 125lbs + added eccentric resistance + 5 forced reps + 10 partials

* Have your training partner apply extra resistance on the negative portion of every rep on each set. On the last set, after the initial 8 reps, have your partner help you with 5 forced reps and then do 10 partials out of the stretched position.

Barbell Squats Set 1 x 15 reps with 105lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 195lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 195lbs + 2 sets of chains each side Set 4 x 8 reps with 195lbs + 3 sets of chains each side Set 5 x 8 reps with 195lbs + 4 sets of chains each side Set 6 x 8 reps with 195lbs + 5 sets of chains each side

* The key here is to train explosively doing sets of 8 and going up in weight until you lose rep speed. I stopped at 5 sets of chains on each side. Here are the chains: elitefts™ Chains Complete Set

Bulgarian Split Squats This was a new technique for me. I’ve done split squats before, but the challenge set at the end was brutally awesome! The set-up is as follows: Lower the bar on a Smith Machine to mid-shin and place a thick pad on it. With one leg forward and the second leg split back with my foot/shin resting on the pad, I grabbed a dumbbell and performed split squats. Set 1 x 10 reps with 25lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 45lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 65lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 85lbs + 10-second iso-hold -> drop to 65lbs x 10 reps + another 10-second isohold -> drop to 45lbs x 10 reps + another 10-second iso-hold -> drop to 25lbs x 10 reps + 10-second isohold

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.28.14

Legs Hack Squats Set 1 x 5 reps with 45 plate on each side (warmup) Set 2 x 5 reps with two 45lb plates on each side (warm-up) Set 3 thru 5 x 8 reps with three 45lb plates on each side (3 working sets)

*Stretch quads between each of the three working sets for 30 seconds. Barbell Stiff Legged Deads I didn’t push things here since my lower back was feeling great. Set 1 x 10 reps with 95lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 & 3 x 10 reps with 145lbs

*I placed my feet a little wider than normal, kept the bar close to my legs, pushed my hips back, went very slow on the negative and flexed the hams and glutes at the top.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.29.14

Chest & Shoulders Sunday is primary chest and shoulders and today my good friend Chris Cotner joined me for the workout at Gold’s Gym in Kirkland. I’m now back into a program designed by John Meadows. Here is what it included…

Incline Dumbbell Press I used a utility bench set at a very slight incline and worked up in weight doing sets of 8 reps until it took a spot from my training partner to get all 8 reps. Set 1 x 8 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 80lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Set 5 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 120lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 130lbs (needed assistance to get all 8 reps)

* Limit rep range to ¾ lock-out. Incline Bench Press Set 1 x 6 reps with 185lbs Set 2 x 6 reps with 225lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 245lbs Set 4 x 6 reps with 265lbs

*the goal is to keep constant tension on the pecs by not touching your chest and stopping short of lockout on all reps. Flat Dumbbell Press Ideally you will chose a weight in which 10 reps is difficult. Set 1 x 10 reps with 80lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 85lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 85lbs -> drop to 65lbs x 10 reps -> drop to 45lbs x 8 reps

* The key is to use a full range of motion and flex hard at the top. I went a little too light and had to go up in weight for the second set to get closer to failure at 10 reps. The final set includes two drops in weight aiming for 8-10 reps on each drop.

Machine Rear Delts Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with 110lbs

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.29.14

Chest & Shoulders * The key here is to hinge at the shoulder joint and not your scapulae to ensure isolation of the rear delt. Hold the contraction for a split second on each rep and move quickly between sets by limiting rest periods to 45 seconds or less.

Chain Side Laterals John called for dumbbell side laterals in a midposition between a front raise and a side lateral. Rather than dumbbells I decided to attach handles to 3 pairs of chains to make the contracted position more difficult. These were awesome! Sets 1 & 2 x 10 reps with 3 pairs of chains Set 3 x 10 reps and 10 partials with 3 pairs of chains

Handle: Single Cable Grip with Rubber Grip Carabiner: Carabiner 4 Pack Chains: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains

Machine Shoulder Presses I used a weight selectorized machine with a neutral hand position. Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 170lbs

* Drive the weight all the way up and flex the delts hard before slowly lowering it back down with a 3-second count on all reps.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.30.14

Back It’s great being back on a John Meadows program! Monday morning I trained back and was joined by my friend Bradley who won the recent Gold’s Gym Get-Fit Challenge for the local Gold’s Gym franchise in Washington State and placed fifth in the country for his age group – inspiring! Here is what we did for my primary back workout this week…

Meadow Rows I loaded 25lb and 35lb plates on the end of a chest supported row machine, but rather than use the machine as designed I grabbed the bar in which the plates were loaded and did Meadow Rows. Set 1 x 15 reps with one 25lb plate (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with two 25lb plates (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with three 25lb plates (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with four 25lb plates Set 5 x 8 reps with three 25lb and one 35lb plates Set 6 x 8 reps with two 25lb and two 35lb plates

* The key is to keep your hip up a little higher on the side you are working to facilitate a better stretch and drive your elbow up. Chest Supported Rows w/Band I now used the chest supported row machine as designed, however I used an elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band to force a better contraction. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with three 25lb plates + band

* Use a pronated grip and really focus on driving the elbows back and flexing the back hard. Dumbbell Pullover Use the normal form whereby you lay on the bench vs across it and keep continuous tension on the lats. Sets 1 & 2 x 12 reps with 75lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 80lbs

Away Facing & Normal Pull-downs Begin this exercise with a wide grip lat pull-down facing away from the weight stack. Immediately following it, turn around and perform a normal lat pull-down facing the weight stack. Have your training partner push down on the weight stack to facilitate a better stretch at the top of the movement. Finish the set by adding as much weight as possible, hooking your legs under the pads and allowing the weight to stretch you for 30 seconds. Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 120lbs (away facing) + 8 reps with 170lbs (normal/facing the weight stack) + 30-second stretch with 270lbs.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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6.30.14

Back Banded Hyperextensions I pulled out an elitefts™ Pro Short Mini Resistance Band and attached it to the base of the hyperextension for added resistance. Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.4.14

Arms Here is my recent arm workout. I changed things up a little because I wanted to try something new.

Dumbbell Isotension Destroyer Superset w/Bench Dips Ok, this will put the blood into your biceps and triceps in a hurry. I performed a couple light warmups with curls and then did this superset for a total of 3 rounds. I found an old beat-up arm blaster for the dumbbell isotension destroyer portion of this superset, but Elitefts has a much nicer one here: elitefts™ Arm Blaster On the dumbbells hold one arm in the contracted position while performing 5 reps with the opposite arm, then switch and hold the arm you just worked in the contracted position while performing 5 reps with the other arm. Continue this pattern while descending in reps – so it’s 5, then 4, then 3, then 2 and then 1 reps performed simultaneously. Boom! Move immediately to bench dips.

Bench Dips On bench dips I did 15 reps, but tried to make the eccentric difficult by performing it as slow as possible for the first 10 reps and then pumped out the last 5.

Cable Push-downs Superset w/EZ Bar Curls On the pushdowns I lowered the cable so it was about ¾ of the way from the bottom, stood away from the weight stack a bit, bent 45 degrees at the waist, pinned my elbows to my sides and held the contraction for 1-second on each rep. I like using an attachment like this: Spud Inc. Fat Tricep Strap Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 110lbs Superset with…EZ Bar Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 8 reps + 6 partials with 75lbs

Lying Triceps Extensions Superset w/Barbell Reverse Curls I used a standard barbell and brought the bar to my forehead nice and slow before extending up and stopping short of lock-out. Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 95lbs Superset with…Barbell Reverse Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 15 reps with 50lbs

* Finish this last superset with a hard, 30-second stretch for biceps and triceps after each round…so 4 rounds of stretching.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.5.14

Legs This is another primary leg workout as designed by my coach, John Meadows. I’m presently doing his CARNAGE program. Here’s what it included…

Seated Leg Curls As mentioned in previous logs, I’m not a huge fan of the unilateral seated leg curl at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. I have found that if I sit as far forward as possible the machine works ok. Weight listed is per each side. Set 1 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 80lbs Set 5 x 10 reps with 80lbs + 20 partials

* Maintain perfect form on the sets of 10 reps and on the third working set add 20 partials out of the stretched position. Barbell Squats The theme today was to work our way up doing explosive sets of 8 reps with a Safety Squat/Yoke Bar (weighs 82lbs). This is the exact one I used: elitefts Yoke Bar ™ w/ Handles We added a total of 6 sets of chains by the last set. The chains are available here: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains This is hands-down the best accessory for easily adding and removing chains: EZ Squat - Bench Strap Loader (Pair) Set 1 x 15 reps with 172lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 172lbs + 2 chains each side (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 172lbs + 3 chains each side (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 172lbs + 4 chains each side Set 5 x 8 reps with 172lbs + 5 chains each side Set 6 x 17 reps with 172lbs + 6 chains each side

*Once I hit a weight in which I lost explosiveness I grinded out as many as possible. Bulgarian Split Squats The challenge/drop set on this exercise last week destroyed me, ha! This week there is a new twist. The exercise set-up is the same, so if you need a refresher take a look at the video from my leg training log last week. It’s available here: Mark Dugdale Training Log Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 65lb + 10 partials

* The key is to perform 10 full range reps immediately followed by 10 partials out of the bottom/stretched position.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.5.14

Legs Leg Extensions Set 1 x 8 reps with 205lbs Set 2 x 8 reps with 220lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 235lbs *Hold the contraction for a 2-second count on every rep. Stretch each quad hard for 30 seconds after all three sets.

Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deads I went pretty light to ensure my lower back didn’t act up and went slow with ultra-strict form. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 70lb dumbbells

*Go slow and work the stretch. Only come up ¾ of the way.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.6.14

Chest & Shoulders This chest and shoulder workout took place at Gold’s Gym in Kirkland on Sunday morning. Training alone made it difficult to implement a few things that my coach John Meadows prescribed – such as forced reps. However, I modified the workout with other intensity techniques and this turned out to be an awesome workout! Here is what it looked like…

Decline Dumbbell Presses John called for a slight angle on the decline to limit rotator cuff stress. He also wanted forced reps on the final working set. Since I was training alone I decided to do a drop set instead. Also, I performed my reps with a 3 second eccentric (negative) to make the weight more difficult. It’s hard for me to get seated on a decline bench with heavy dumbbells so the negative-focused reps allowed me to stick with a little lighter weight. Set 1 x 15 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 80lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 95lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 120lbs -> drop to 85lbs x 8 reps -> drop to 55lbs x 8 reps

Flat Bench Press Without a spotter I decided to add 2 chains to each side to unload some of the weight at the bottom. Here are the chains: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains Set 1 x 8 reps with 135lbs + 2 chains each side (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 185lbs + 2 chains each side (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 5 x 8 reps with 225lbs + 2 chains each side

* The key here is to work up to a solid weight in which you can get 8 reps and do 3 sets with it. Pause the weight on your chest for a split second before driving it up to ¾ lock-out.

Smith Incline Press John wanted a slight angle and a weight in which I could get 15 reps without hitting failure…stopping 1-2 reps short. I went a little too light, but my extra reps on the first set really cut down my reps on the next two. Set 1 x 19 reps with 205lbs Set 2 x 15 reps with 205lbs Set 3 x 13 reps with 205lbs

* The key is to approach failure on the first two and go to total failure on the third and final set. Stretch your pecs for 30-seconds between each set on this exercise.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.6.14

Chest & Shoulders Machine Flyes Set 1 x 10 reps with 160lbs + 10 partials Set 2 x 10 reps with 160lbs + 10 partials

* Flex your pecs hard in the contracted position on each rep. I held it for 1-second on the first set, but had to just keep the weight moving on the second set to get all 10 reps. Immediately after the 10 full range reps, perform 10 partials out of the stretched position. Rear Delt Destroyer Set This exercise is performed similar to what you see here from a previous workout: I used 60lbs for 60 reps, dropped to 30lbs for 30 reps and then dropped a final time to 15lbs for 15 reps on this exercise. Anterior delts were blown up!

Barbell Front Raises I did a slight variation on this exercise today and dang did it ever work well. Essentially, instead of stopping with the barbell at eye level take it all the way up until it is straight over your head and then back down. This is one rep. You will feel it in your entire delt as well as traps. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 45lb barbell

Machine Overhead Press Pretty much any machine overhead press will work for this massive rest-pause set. The idea is to select a weight in which you can get 30 reps, rest 15 seconds, go again to failure, rest 15 seconds, etc until you can only get 2-3 reps. I think I used 90lbs on a weight selectorized overhead press and my reps looked like this: 30, 18, 14, 6, 4, 2.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.7.14

Back Monday AM is my primary back workout and here is what I did…

One Arm Barbell Rows Set 1 x 15 reps with one 25lb plate (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with two 25lb plates (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with three 25lb plates (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 6 x 8 reps with four 25lb plates

*I found that flexing my lat hard during the eccentric really improves the effectiveness of this movement. It helps prevent you from simply moving weight to reach a prescribed number of reps and really feeling the muscle throughout the entire movement. Smith Machine Bent Over Rows Set the stops so that the bar hits about mid-shin. On the Smith Machine at Golds taking the bar all the way to bottom is perfect for me. These are to be performed rest-pause style. Set 1 x 12 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 185lbs (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 5 x 8 reps with 205lbs

* The key is to take the bar all the way to the stops at the bottom and pause for a split second before driving with the elbows and contracting your entire back.

Dumbbell Shrug Set 1 x 12 reps with 110lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 120lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 125lbs

* The idea here is to hold the weight in the contracted position for a 3-second count on every rep. I also added a 15-second stretch while holding the dumbbell at the end of each set.

Single Arm Supinated Pull-Downs This is one of my favorite exercises. I usually perform this every-other-week on my secondary back workout. I found that if I sit sideways on the seat and pull with my outside arm that’s furthest from the weight stack that I feel these better. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 95lbs

*Get a good stretch at the top before driving your elbow down and flexing the lower lat hard at the bottom.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.7.14

Back Dumbbell Pullovers Lie on the bench vs across it and work the stretch while maintaining constant tension on the lats. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 70lbs

Banded Hyperextensions I did three sets of 20 reps.

* Drop the band if needed to get all 20 reps.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.7.14

Biceps & Triceps My coach, John Meadows, prescribes primary and secondary workouts for all major body parts except biceps and triceps. Due to the fact that I train when my wife Christina is still attempting to get out of bed, I’ve agreed to go back for a second workout in the evening a couple days a week to train whichever body part she wants to hit. Monday evening she typically suggests arms, so this counts as my second biceps and triceps workout for the week. Essentially my goal here is to keep the reps high, train for a pump and see how quickly I can get Christina to say, “Ok, I’m good…we can go home now!” Hence, these workouts usually last about 30 minutes. The cool part is I get to train with my bride and I think my arms are actually responding to this approach. Here is what we did…

Triceps Push-Downs Superset w/Barbell Curls I prefer a straight bar on the pushdowns. Keep your elbows tight to your side and pump out of the reps without pausing at the top or bottom to place maximum tension on the triceps. Sets 1 thru 4 x 30 reps with 120lbs Immediately Superset with…Barbell Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 20 reps with 45lbs

* Rest periods were pretty much non-existent. After one round of push-downs and curls I rested long enough to take a drink of Plazma before going right back into another superset. The cumulative fatigue and pump is intense! Bench Dips Superset w/Cross Body Hammer Curls Nothing too fancy here besides higher reps on this superset. I tend to feel my triceps more when working the top portion of the bench dips. Sinking too deep can stress the rotator too much. I started with bench dips and did the following: Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with bodyweight Immediately superset with…Cross Body Hammer

Curls Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps (each arm) with 40lbs

* Flex the biceps and brachialis hard at the top of each rep.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.12.14

Chest & Shoulders Today was my first full day in the Manson area of Lake Chelan. My daughters tend to sleep in so Christina and I went to train at True Fitness. Today was chest and shoulders. Here is what the workout included…

Hammer Strength Incline Press This piece of equipment was actually a Life Fitness Incline Press, but was plate loaded and essentially the same as a traditional Hammer Strength. John called for a machine press, but this was really the only option here at True Fitness. Set 1 x 10 reps with 1 plate on each side (warmup) Set 2 x 10 reps with 2 plates on each side (warmup) Set 3 x 10 reps with 2 plates + 25lbs on each side Set 4 x 10 reps with 3 plates on each side Set 5 x 10 reps with 3 plates + 10lbs on each side

* Press to lock-out and flex your pecs hard before controlling the eccentric to generate a bigger pump. Incline Barbell Presses Set 1 x 8 reps 135lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 225lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 245lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 265lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 275lbs

* The key here is to not allow the bar to touch your chest and do not fully lock-out. Control the eccentric and strive for explosiveness on the concentric. Stop once you’ve added weight to the point that rep speed slows significantly.

Barbell Bench Press Set 1 x 6 reps with 185lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 6 reps with 225lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 245lbs Set 4 x 6 reps with 265lbs Set 5 x 6 reps with 275lbs

* Lower the bar to your chest and pause there for a split second before driving up to ¾ lock-out.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.12.14

Chest & Shoulders Dumbbell Flyes w/Manual Resistance Use a utility bench with a slight incline. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 60lbs -> drop to 35lbs for 5 reps with manual resistance

*Standard dumbbell flyes for the first 10 reps and then drop the weight and have your partner pry the dumbbells apart as you smash them together at the top/contracted position for another 5 reps. Only have your training partner pry them apart adding manual resistance at the top ½ of the movement or you will injure your pec! Bent Over Rear Delts w/Dumbells Sets 1 thru 3 x 25 reps with 35lbs

*I usually prefer to lay face down on an incline utility bench, but these can also be performed by bending 45 degrees at the waist. Use nice full range reps today. Heavy Side Lateral Swings Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with 70lbs

* Use lifting straps, stand upright, tilt your head back and perform side lateral swings using a small range of motion keeping constant tension on the delts. Here is a good pair of lifting straps: elitefts™ Lifting Straps

Seated Dumbbell Presses Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 70lbs

* Perform full range reps and flex your delts hard at the top. Make these hard by controlling the rep speed. That concluded the chest and shoulder portion of this workout, however I decided to add some seated calve raises. Seated Calves Nothing special here today. I just did 4 sets of 10-15 reps. You will notice in the video below that I strive to make my reps deliberate and flex hard at the top.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.13.14

Legs Today my family and I were headed to Leavenworth to go rafting on the Wenatchee River with some friends on our way to Lake Chelan for a weeks’ vacation. Normally I train legs at 9am, but wasn’t willing to miss a workout so I went to Eastside Gym at 5:30am and met my friends Nate and Jamie. This workout was designed by John Meadows, but I made a couple modifications to ensure maximum pain. Anyone willing to get up to train at 5:30am must be slightly masochistic. Here is what it included…

Lying Leg Curls Set 1 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 15 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 15 reps with 100lbs Set 5 x 12 reps with 120lbs Set 6 x 10 reps with 140lbs Set 7 x 8 reps with 160lbs -> drop to 110lbs x 8 reps -> drop to 60lbs x 8 reps

* The key here is ascending weight and descending reps until the fourth set in which you do a double drop set for sets of 8 reps.

Leg Press Set 1 x 10 reps with 2 plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with 3 plates each side Set 3 x 10 reps with 4 plates each side Set 4 x 10 reps with 5 plates each side Set 5 x 10 reps with 6 plates each side Set 6 x 10 reps with 7 plates each side Set 7 x 10 reps with 8 plates each side Set 8 x 10 reps with 9 plates each side

* Perform sets of 10 reps going up one 45lb plate on each side on each set. Stop when you can’t get 10 reps anymore…or in the case of the leg press we used at Eastside – you can’t fit anymore plates. Walking Lunges w/Chain John called for Smith Machine Lunges, but I decided to make a change. It was a nice morning so we went outside and did walking lunges with a chain across the parking lot so we could get in 20 steps with each leg. We did this three times. This is the chain I used: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.13.14

Legs Bulgarian Split Squat Drop Set w/Isotension To round out the lunges we went back inside Eastside and did a fourth set via the Bulgarian Split Squat iso-hold, drop set method employed a couple weeks ago. This wasn’t prescribed today by John, but I thought this would be a killer way to round out the lunges. We used 80lbs, 60lbs, 40lbs and 20lbs for the four sets of 10 reps with 10-second isoholds in the stretched position before dropping to the next lower dumbbell increment.

Occluded Leg Extensions Standard protocol here. Wrap your upper thigh with knee wraps and leave them on until all four rounds of 15 reps are completed. I did sets of 15 reps with 130lbs + 30 second rest breaks, repeated for four rounds before removing my wraps.

Cable Stiff-Legged Deads Set 1 x 10 reps with 170lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 180lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 190lbs

* Face away from the weight stack and pull a handle between your legs. Keep your back flat, drop your hips back when going into the stretch position.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.16.14

Secondary Chest & Shoulders Finally getting caught up on my training logs! I was on vacation last week and didn’t get a chance to update my workouts… but, yes, I was still training every day! In fact I posted up this picture on Instagram of a fishing trip we took with my girls and a young man contacted me who lived in the area asking if he could join me for a workout. His name was Ben and he showed up the next day to join me for this secondary chest and shoulder workout. Here is what it included…

Cable Flyes Set 1 x 15 reps with 40lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 60lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 70lbs Sets 4 and 5 x 10 reps with 80lbs

* The key here is to keep constant tension on the pecs and get them full of blood as quickly as possible. Squeeze as hard as possible for 1-second in the contracted position on each rep.

5-4-3-2-1 Chest Presses I love occlusion work, but you cannot wrap off pecs. This 5-4-3-2-1 technique works in a similar way because your pecs are essentially flexing the entire time and therefore restricting blood flow. They are deceptively difficult. Sets 1 thru 3 x 5-4-3-2-1 reps with one 45lb and one 25lb plate on each side

* Keep tension on the pec that is in the isohold position by not completely locking out. Don’t rest…flex! Stretch Push-up and Rear Delt Superset I love doing stretch push-ups when my pecs or seriously pumped! Do these between benches so you can sink into the stretched position. Stop short of failure. For me 15 reps are perfect. Immediately move to rear delts by lying face down on an incline utility bench. I aim for 15 full reps before transitioning to more of a rear delt swing in which I try to hinge at the shoulder joint and really burn the rear delts for another 15 reps. So do 30 reps total. I used 35lb dumbbells. Perform the superset for a total of 4 rounds.

Barbell Front Raise Superset with Band 4-Ways Grab a standard 45lb bar and do front raises, but take the bar all the way up over your head and flex the traps and delts hard for a total of 10 reps per set. These kill after the previous rear delt work. Immediately grab an elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band and stand on it so you can raise your arms straight out in front of you, then to the side, then back out in front and finally back down to your side. This is one rep. Perform 8 reps per set. Rest and then repeat the superset for 4 rounds.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.17.14

Secondary Back Here is a secondary workout that I performed last week at True Fitness Gym in Lake Chelan while on vacation. My typical secondary back workout was limited slightly by the equipment available, but it turned out a change was a good thing. Row variations were the exercises of choice! Here is the workout…

Chest Supported Rows I typically like the Hammer Strength Unilateral Chest Supported Row, but True Fitness didn’t have one available. I grabbed the semi-pronate/neutral grip to engage more lats than upper back on this exercise. Set 1 x 15 reps with one 45lb plate (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with one 45lb plate and one 25lb plate (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 6 x 10 reps with two 45lb plates and one 25lb plate (4 working sets)

* The key is to get a nice full range of motion and drive the elbows back hard. Dumbbell Rows w/Pronate Grip Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 100lbs (4 working sets)

* The key here is to keep your hand in a pronate position vs. a neutral position as is normally done with dumbbell rows. Bend 90 degrees at the waist. Keep your elbow out to your side vs alongside it and drive the elbow up, working the upper/middle back. Get a good stretch in the bottom position as well on each rep.

Dumbbell Pull-Overs Typical form here lying on the bench vs. across it. Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 70lbs (4 working sets) *Tense the lats and keep them flexed the entire set. Lower the weight until you feel a good stretch and then stop short of bringing the dumbbell up over your face to minimize pec involvement.

Single Arm Cable Rows I typically do these on a lat pull-down, but chose to try them on a seated pulley. They were awesome. Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 100lbs (4 working sets)

* The key here is to allow your hand to pronate on the stretch and supinate on the contraction part of each rep. Drive your elbow back hard while flexing your lower lat as hard as possible. For those who are interested, Elitefts now carries the GASP Big Logo Tee that I was wearing during this workout.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.26.14

Legs Heading into week 4 of the program designed by my coach John Meadows, this is what I did for my primary leg workout. I did some modifications to the program because I slightly strained my hamstring last week water skiing on vacation. To play it safe I did very light direct hamstring work and substituted others with quad isolation sets. I was training a little earlier in the morning on Saturday with Christina for this workout. Here is what it included…

Light Lying Leg Curls w/Banded Leg Extensions John called for lying leg curls for sets of 10 along with a drop set and iso-hold on the final working set. I basically added a band to a leg extension and followed his programming for that exercise instead. I did perform light sets of 15 reps on lying leg curl in-between each set of extensions. Here is the band I used: elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band I really like adding a band to leg isolation exercises because the contraction is much more intense. Set 1 x 15 reps with 85lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 105lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 15 reps with 125lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 10 reps with 155lbs Set 5 x 10 reps with 165lbs Set 6 x 10 reps with 175lbs -> drop to 155lbs x 10 reps -> drop to 135lbs x 10 reps + 10-second isohold

Bulgarian Split Squats Back to the fun of working up to a brutal drop set with iso-holds! Set 1 x 10 reps with 25lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 45lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 65lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 85lbs + 10-second iso-hold at the bottom of the movement ->Drop to 65lbs x 10 reps + 10-second iso-hold ->Drop to 45lbs x 10 reps + 10-second iso-hold ->Drop to 25lbs x 10 reps + 10-second iso-hold

Cambered Bar Squats John called for squats next with something other than a standard barbell. I decided to give cambered bar squats a try today, but kept the weight light to avoid any strain to my hamstring and performed the eccentric super slow. I also did a little higher reps than the 8 prescribed by John. This is the bar I used: 4 Inch Cambered Bar Set 1 x 10 reps with 135lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 185lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 205lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 225lbs

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.26.14

Legs Leg Press The rest of the workout is a complete deviation from what John called for – FYI. Set 1 x 10 reps with 3 plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with 4 plates each side Set 3 x 10 reps with 5 plates each side Set 4 x 10 reps with 6 plates each side

* Keep these nice and controlled and leave the weight on the leg press as you will be coming back to it. Backwards Sled Pull I’m still working on getting my Prowler into Kirkland Gold’s Gym, but in the meantime I use their sled. Elitefts carries one here: Dragging Sled I basically pulled the sled with 145lbs + Christina across the gym, rested for 45 seconds and pulled the sled back to the other end, etc. Total number of sled pulls was 3.

Leg Press Yes, back to finish this workout off with leg press! Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 5 plates each side

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.27.14

Mini-Shoulder, Abs & Calves Here is a mini shoulder workout I did with my bride last week at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. We ran into our friend Bradley, so he joined us for this session. Here is what it included…

Single Arm Dumbbell Presses I did these a long time ago. In fact I did them when Branch Warren was in town training with me before we went into the State Prison to conduct a seminar as part of the LEGACY film. You can see my spotting Branch in the LEGACY Emerald Cup Trailer. I aimed for 8 reps on each set as I worked my way up in weight. Set 1 x 8 reps with 55lbs Set 2 x 8 reps with 65lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 75lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 85lbs Set 5 x 6 reps with 95lbs (couldn’t get all 8 reps)

Dumbbell Rear Delts + Iso-Hold Lay face down on a utility bench that’s on a slight incline. Hinge at the shoulder joint to keep as much tension on the rear delt and finish each set with a 10-second iso-hold. Sets 1 thru 4 x 20 reps with 40lbs + iso-hold

Dumbbell Side Laterals Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with 25lbs Set 4 x 5-4-3-2-1 with 10lbs That was it for shoulders, but I also did some abs and calves.

Hanging Leg Raises Superset w/Cable Crunches… Calves In-Between I did 15 reps on hanging leg raises and then moved immediately to cable crunches for sets of 10 reps with the stack (160lbs) + 45lb plate hanging off of it. I did this for four rounds, but did sets of standing calve raises in-between each round. My favorite way to perform calve raises is to do the 10’s method which I learned from John Meadows. Select a weight and perform 10 reps, then stay in the contracted position flexing you calves as hard as possible for 10-seconds, followed immediately by another 10 reps and another 10-second contraction, etc. You do this 3X through, so you are performing a total of 30 reps and 30-seconds worth of holds in the contracted (top) position. These burn like crazy, but are super effective. I did this technique in-between the four rounds of abs.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.28.14

Chest & Shoulders Today was Sunday’s primary chest and shoulder workout. I met up with my friend Jamie King at Eastside Gym at 7:30am and here is what the John Meadow’s programmed workout included…

Decline Dumbbell Press Set 1 x 10 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 100lbs (warm-up) Set 5 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 120lbs Set 7 x 8 reps with 130lbs -> drop to 90lbs x 8 reps -> drop to 70lbs x 8 reps

* Perform plenty of warm-ups before doing sets of 8 reps and going up in weight until you can barely get 8 reps. Then do a drop two times aiming for 8 reps on each drop. Only press to ¾ lock-out. Incline Barbell Press Set 1 x 6 reps with 225lbs Set 2 x 6 reps with 255lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 275lbs

* Don’t touch your chest and don’t lock-out. Keep constant tension on the muscle. Stretch your pecs for 30 seconds between sets. Flat Bench Press Set 1 x 6 reps with 225lbs Set 2 x 6 reps with 255lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 265lbs -> drop to 185lbs x 6 -> drop to 135lbs x failure (I got 17 reps)

*I paused these on my chest for a split second on each rep and only pushed to ¾ lock-out. Try to keep reps in the tank until the final drop set.

Machine Flyes Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 150lbs

*Control the weight while getting a big stretch and holding the contraction in the flexed position for 1-second on each rep. At the end of each set, allow the weight to stretch you without pushing back on it for a 10 second count.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.28.14

Chest & Shoulders Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Laterals Sets 1 thru 3 x 25 reps with 30lbs

* Hammer out three sets of 25 with perfect form. Dumbbell Side Laterals Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 45lbs

* Nothing fancy, just knock out four sets of 12 reps and bring the weight up higher than shoulder level at the top. Over & Back Press My shoulders were seriously blasted by this point, so I didn’t use much weight. You simply clear your head over and back – this counts as 1 rep. These are great for keeping constant tension on the delts. Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 95lbs

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.31.14

Shoulders This is a shoulder workout that Christina and I did last night. It’s in addition to the Carnage Program designed by John Meadows I’m presently doing. As mentioned in previous logs I train a couple days a week in the evening for the sake of Christina because she doesn’t want to get up and train with me at 5:30am, lol. I had done my secondary back workout in the morning, so this was simply an extra shoulder session. Here is what it included…

Low Cable Single Arm Rear Delts Set 1 x 20 reps with 20lbs Set 2 x 18 reps with 30lbs Set 3 x 16 reps with 40lbs Set 4 x 14 reps with 50lbs Set 5 x 12 reps with 60lbs *Set the handle to the lower position on a cable cross-over and bend 90 degrees at the waist. Get a nice full range of motion, flexing in the contracted position for a split second on each rep before switching sides.

Single Arm Dumbbell Side Laterals on Incline Bench I like these because the angle ensures constant tension throughout the entire set, so long as you don’t rest the dumbbell on your thigh between reps. Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 25lbs *Move quickly between sets. I only rested long enough for Christina to do her set.

Smith Machine Shoulder Presses These were brutal by the end. Pick a light weight to start or you’ll regret it! Set 1 x 10 reps with 95lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 145lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 195lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 245lbs + 10-second isohold >drop to 195lbs x 8 reps + 10-second isohold -> drop to 145lbs x 8 reps + 10-second isohold -> drop to 95lbs x 8 reps + 10-second isohold.

*I would have loved for Christina to film this, but I needed her help pull weights. Sit on a seat with a back support and bring the bar to the front of your head – about mouth level. Too low and it stresses the shoulder joint too much. Also, only go to ¾ lock-out. For the isoholds on the last set hold the bar about eye level. These will destroy your delts!

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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7.31.14

Shoulders Kettlebell Swings I wanted to add a finisher that would also ramp up post exercise oxygen consumption, so we went looking for the kettlebells. I’m not entirely sure what these are called, but I performed them by bending my knees slightly and feet positioned a bit wider than shoulder width. With my arms straight I swung the kettlebell from between my legs straight up over my head, flexing my delts, before bringing the kettlebell back down. Christina grabbed a 20lb and I grabbed a 50lb kettlebell. We alternated doing 10 reps each, meaning I did 10 while she rested, then she did 10 while I rested and so forth. My goal was to go to 100 total reps, but Christina looked like she had enough at 70 reps. I said we could stop there…no need to destroy her on day one as I want to do these to finish off every shoulder workout leading up to the Olympia. Here is the kettlebell I used: York 50 lb Kettlebell. I’ll probably need to get a heavier one as this is the biggest one available at Gold’s Gym in Kirkland.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.2.14

Legs Here is this last Saturday’s leg workout. Christina and I were joined by our good friends Jamie and Hanna. They are both super talented tattoo artists from the Seattle area and Jamie’s got some freaky wheels from powerlifting. This was my primary leg workout as part of the Carnage Program by my coach John Meadows.

Lying Leg Curls I skipped this exercise last week in an effort to aid the progression to full recovery from a hamstring strain I suffered water skiing on vacation with my family. My hamstring felt nearly 100%, but I kept the weight light and performed slow, deliberate reps to baby it one more week. These felt great though! Set 1 x 12 reps with 40lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 12 reps with 65lbs (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 7 x 8 reps with 125lbs + 8 partials (4 working sets)

* Maintain perfect form and add on 8 partials out of the stretched position at the end of each set of 8 full reps. Glute Machine/Butt Blaster This is kind of an old school machine in comparison to the rest of the equipment at my gym. If you don’t have one you could do barbell glute bridges or even split squats. Set 1 x 10 reps with 50lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 60lbs Sets 3 & 4 x 10 reps with 70lbs

* Flex hard at the top of each rep. Barbell Squats These felt good after the hamstring and glute work. Set 1 x 10 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 225lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 225lbs + 2 chains on each side Set 4 x 8 reps with 225lbs + 4 chains on each side Set 5 x 8 reps with 225lbs + 6 chains on each side

* The goal here is to train explosively. I carry this in my gym bag as it makes loading chains super easy: EZ Squat - Bench Strap Loader (Pair). These are the chains I used: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.2.14

Legs Leg Press Set 1 x 10 reps with 2 plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with 4 plates each side Set 3 x 10 reps with 6 plates each side Set 4 x 10 reps with 6 plates each side Set 5 x 10 reps with 7 plates each side -> drop to 5 plates x 10 reps -> drop to 3 plates x 10 reps.

* The key on the final drop set is to pause the weight at the bottom for a split second on each rep after the initial set of 10 reps. This was harder than I thought…I think I only paused the first 8 reps after the first drop. I stretched each quad for 30 seconds after this drop set before moving on to the next exercise.

Hack Squats Set 1 x 10 reps with 3 plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with 3 plates each side Set 3 x 8 reps with 3 plates -> drop to 2 plates for 8 paused reps -> drop to one plate for 8 paused reps.

*On the final drop set I attempted to pause in the hole on each rep after the initial set of 8. These were brutal. Game over!

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.3.14

Chest & Shoulders Here is Sunday’s chest and shoulder workout that I did at Eastside Gym. I trained alone for this primary workout as designed by John Meadows.

Machine Presses Eastside Gym had this really old chest press machine that actually had a good feel to it. I think it was made my Paramount. Set 1 x 12 reps with 120lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 140lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 160lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 180lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 200lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 210lbs (hung some ankle weight off the stack, lol)

* The machine weight stack was a little light, but I really focused on keeping constant tension on my pecs by not locking out and performing really slow negatives.

Incline Hammer Strength John called for incline barbell, but I used the Hammer Strength Incline for safety reasons. Set 1 x 8 reps with two 45lb plates on each side (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with two 45lb and one 25lb plate on each side (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with two 45lb and one 35lb plate on each side Set 4 x 8 reps with three 45lb plates on each side Set 5 x 8 reps with three 45lb and one 10lb plate on each side

* The key here is to pause each rep at the bottom while flexing and keeping tension on your chest, drive to ¾ lock-out and then go right back down. Stretch your pecs for 30 seconds between the working sets on this exercise.

Flat Bench Press One thing I love about Eastside is their fat bar. I used one like this: Fat Bar with Revolving Ends. Set 1 x 8 reps with 225lbs Set 2 x 8 reps with 235lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 245lbs

* Pause each rep on your chest for 1-second before driving to ¾ lock-out. Keep the weight low enough that these reps can be performed explosively.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.3.14

Chest & Shoulders Machine Flyes Set 1 x 11 reps with 150lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 140lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 140lbs

* The key here is to flex your pecs hard in the contracted position for a 1-second count on each rep. Ideally you will select a weight in which you can get 12 reps. I went too heavy and listed the reps I got before failure. After the last rep on the set, allow the weight to stretch you and hold it there for 15 seconds.

Dumbbell Side Laterals Sets 1 through 4 x 10 reps + 6 partials with 35lbs

*Choose a moderate weight in which you can get 10 reps and then perform 6 partials at the end of each of the 4 working sets. Seated Smith Press I was too lazy to drag a back support bench over to the Smith Machine so I sat on one of these: PowerMax Steel Plyobox. I feel like it was better than a back support because it forced me to control the weight better and keep my core tight throughout the set. Sets 1 through 3 x 8 reps with 185lbs

* The range of motion on these was small due to my short arms, lol. John wanted the bar brought just to the top of your head before pressing it up, locking out and flexing your delts hard in the contracted position. They were actually fairly hard, but hit my delts perfectly.

Kettlebell Swing This exercise was not part of John’s programming, but I’ve been adding them to the end of shoulder workouts as a way of boosting post exercise oxygen consumption. I am trying to get in shape for the 212 Mr. Olympia, btw! Eastside has monster-sized kettlebells. I used this one today: 53lb (24kg) Russian Kettlebell I performed sets of 10 swings with 15 second rest breaks. I swung the kettlebell all the way above my head and flexed my delts before bringing it back down between my legs. I only got 4 rounds of 10 before my shoulders were completely spent and I was gasping for air.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.4.14

Back This training log made history for me personally. Why? I used a Bosu Ball…yes, you read that correctly. This was my primary back workout and John was obviously out to hammer middle and upper traps. This was a good change. Here is what it entailed…

Cable Rows Set 1 x 10 reps with 120lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 140lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 160lbs (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 6 x 10 reps with 200lbs

* The key here is to use a different angle. Thus, I placed a Bosu Ball on the seat to elevate the position from which I performed the cable rows. It will likely be the only time I ever use a Bosu Ball, lol. I also attached two handles like the ones used for cable cross-overs to allow a fuller range of motion and better contraction. I attached two of these handles: Single Cable Grip with Rubber Grip

Prone Shrugs I used a plate loaded chest supported row machine, but rather than pulling the weight back with your arms you stretch and contract your scapulae. Your arms should stay locked the entire time while really focusing on pinching your shoulder blades together and contracting your lower traps, rhomboids hard. Set 1 x 10 reps with three 45lb plates Set 2 x 10 reps with three 45lb and one 10lb plate Set 3 x 10 reps with three 45lb and two 10lb plates

Face Pulls Set 1 x 12 reps with 130lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 140lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 150lbs

* Use a cable rope attachment and flex hard in the contracted position. Set the cable about ¾ of the way up and keep your shoulders in a fixed position. Arch your chest and squeeze.

Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs *Lay on a bench not across it and only bring the weight to the top of your forehead to ensure constant tension.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.4.14

Back Deadstop Dumbbell Rows Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 130lbs

* These are rest-pause style of dumbbell rows, meaning that you set the weight on the floor and pause for a split second before ramming your elbow back and flexing hard.

Dumbbell Shrugs Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 120lbs

* Flex and hold the weight in the contracted position for a count of 3 seconds on each rep. Hyperextensions Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps while holding a 25lb plate

* Pump the spinal erectors with sets of 20 with a weight if needed.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.7.14

Shoulder Blast Here is another mini-shoulder session. As mentioned previously, I train primarily in the early morning, but when my bride wants to train in the evening then I train twice/day. She likes training shoulders, but doesn’t need the volume that I do. Therefore, I don’t really count these workouts in my program. Technically this is the third shoulder workout in a week for me. Thank Biotest for Plazma! Here is what we did…

Shoulder Press w/Chains Set 1 x 20 reps with just the barbell (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 65lbs + 2 chains each side (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 85lbs + 2 chains each side Set 4 x 8 reps with 105lbs + 2 chains each side Set 5 x 8 reps with 125lbs + 2 chains each side Set 6 x 6 reps with 145 + 2 chains -> drop to 125lbs x 6 reps -> drop to 105lbs x 6 reps -> drop to 85lbs x 6 reps

*I prefer to do presses to the front as it puts less strain on the shoulder joint. Work up in weight doing sets of 8 reps. Stop short of lock-out. Train explosively initially, but these will turn to grinder reps towards the end. Finish with a massive drop set. Here are the chains I use: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains This is a must for easy loading and unloading of chains: EZ Squat - Bench Strap Loader (Pair)

Dumbbell Rear Laterals + Band Isotension Sets 1 thru 4 x 20 reps with 35lbs -> immediately move to band isotension for a count of 20

* The burn will catch up with you on these, but be sure you get all 20 reps on the dumbbell rear laterals even if they become partials as was the case for me on the final set. For the isotension be sure to fight like hell against the band while keeping your hands in a neutral position.

Kettlebell Swings – Overhead The key here is to swing the kettlebell from between your legs all the way up over your head and flex your shoulders and trap before bringing it back down. Sets 1 thru 10 x 10 reps with 50lbs

*I alternated with Christina. She did 10 reps while I rested, then I did 10 reps while she rested, and so forth until we reached a total of 100 reps each. This is a good way to ramp up your metabolism long after the workout is over. Last week Christina tapped out at 70 reps, so I was glad we made it to 100 today. That concluded this shoulder workout! We celebrated my youngest daughter’s 12th Birthday after the gym. As is her tradition, likely due to the free dessert, we went for Mexican food where they provide a sombrero and sing feliz cumpleaños. No chips and salsa or dessert for me...6 weeks to the Olympia!

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.8.14

Arms I did this John Meadows Program 17 (Carnage) arm workout last Friday at 5:30am and it was too good not to post. Here is the workout…

EZ Bar Curls Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 30lbs (warm-ups) Set 4 thru 8 x 10 reps with only 10-second breaks using 60lbs

* The key is to only set the weight down long enough to count to 10 and then pick it up and perform another 10 reps. Do this 5 times and your arms will be screaming.

Hammer Curls Sets 1 thru 5 x 10 reps with only 10-second breaks using 25lb dumbbells

*Same thing as on with the EZ Curls…10 reps followed by a 10 second break, then go again for 10 reps, etc. Perform nice, full range reps by bringing the dumbbells to your ears and flexing as hard as you can at the top. EZ Bar Preacher Curls Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 70lbs

* The key here is to really work the eccentric by going really slow as you extend your biceps. Curl up and flex hard at the top. I stretched my biceps for 15 seconds between each of these three sets.

Dumbbell Forearm Curls John didn’t have this in the workout, but my brachioradialis was so pumped I felt my extensor muscles needed a little work. I did one big set alternating arms while staying with the same weight and going down in reps. This exercise is performed by placing your forearm on your thigh while sitting on a bench and hinging only at the wrist as you curl the dumbbell. With a 45lb dumbbell I did 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 reps…alternating arms and going down in reps without breaks.

Triceps Giant Set Rope Pushdowns -> Dips between benches -> Straight Bar Pushdowns Rope Pushdowns – Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 130lbs Immediately to… Dips between benches – Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with bodyweight (work the eccentric) Immediately to…Straight Bar Pushdowns – Sets 1 thru 3 x 6 reps with 160lbs *Perform the giant set 3 times through.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.8.14

Arms Lying Extensions -> Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions Lying Extensions – Sets 1 thru 2 x 10 reps with 110lbs Superset with… Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – Sets 1 thru 2 x 8 reps with 80lbs

* Keep tension on the triceps while stretching it really well in the elongated position. Do not lock out on either exercise if you like your healthy elbow joints. Stretch your triceps for 15 seconds between each of the 2 rounds of this superset.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.9.14

Legs Saturday marks the beginning of a new week of the Carnage Program by John Meadows. First up each week is my primary leg workout. I was joined by who’s becoming my regular training partner for legs – Jamie. Also, Matt, a Gold’s Gym Kirkland Trainer, joined us. Here is what the workout included…

Seated Leg Curls Starting off today with my hated unilateral seated leg curl, lol. It’s the only seated curl available at Gold’s Gym so I made due. At least my hamstring is 100%. Weight listed is each leg since there are two weight stacks for the unilateral leg curls. Set 1 x 15 reps with 40lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 12 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 6 x 10 paused reps with 80lbs (3 working sets) *The key on the working sets is to allow your leg to straighten and pause the weight for a second before curling again. Do each rep in this manner. Don’t jerk the weight out of the stretched position, but curl nice and smooth.

Butt Blaster We used the glute machine again today. If you don’t have a Butt Blaster or something similar you can perform hip thrusters/ glute bridges. Set 1 x 10 reps with 110lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 120lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 130lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 130lbs *Extend all the way out and flex hard at the top of every rep.

Leg Press -> Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS) Superset The initial sets are almost like warm-ups. Here is the exact scheme we did… Set 1: Leg Press – 1 plate/side x 8 reps -> BSS – bodyweight x 10 reps each leg Set 2: Leg Press – 2 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – bodyweight x 10 reps each leg Set 3: Leg Press – 3 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – 20lbs x 10 reps each leg Set 4: Leg Press – 4 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – 40lbs x 10 reps each leg Set 5: Leg Press – 5 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – 60lbs x 10 reps each leg Set 6: Leg Press – 6 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – 80lbs x 8, 60lbs x 8, 40lbs x 8, 20lbs x 8 + 8-second isohold on each BSS set. Left leg only on BSS. Set 7: Leg Press – 6 plates/side x 8 reps -> BSS – 80lbs x 8, 60lbs x 8, 40lbs x 8, 20lbs x 8 + 8-second isohold on each BSS set. Now right leg on BSS. *The key is to work up in weight. Once you hit 6 plates per side on leg press and 80lbs on Bulgarian split squats, perform the massive BSS drop set as we’ve done in previous weeks, including an 8-second isohold at the end of each 8 reps. Rest and then repeat with the other leg beginning with another set of 8 reps on leg press.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.9.14

Legs Leg Press Yes, you read this correctly…more leg presses. Set 1 x 6 plates + 25lbs on each side x 6 reps Set 2 x 6 plates + 50lbs on each side x 6 reps Set 3 x 6 plates + 75lbs on each side x 6 reps

* The key on these sets of 6 is to really control the eccentric by lowering the weight with a 3-second count. Stretch your quads for 30 seconds between sets.

Prowler -> Barbell Squat Superset Ok, here is where we went a bit nuts and deviated from John’s program. John called for a couple sets of stiff-legged deads to finish off the workout, but Jamie and Matt seemed sad that today’s program was void of squats…a rarity for John. I made this superset up on-the-fly. I had 6 yards of bark delivered to my house that I needed to spread so I figured we could skip the stiff-legs and give Jamie and Matt some squats. This is the type of Prowler we used: Prowler: Front Load Prowler® with Drive Pad. We set the drive pad fairly low and added a 100lb plate. Sets 1 thru 3: Prowler Push – 20 yards -> Squats with 225lbs x 6 reps

*On the Prowler take walking steps as you push the sled across the gym floor. This is not meant to be a sprint. On the squats take a moderate stance and go deep.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.10.14

Chest & Shoulders Sunday I went to Eastside Gym to train chest and shoulders at 7am with Jamie. This was my primary workout as part of John Meadows’ program 17. And here is what the workout included…

Banded Hammer Strength Presses I attached these bands to a flat Hammer Strength Press Machine: elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band. Set 1 x 20 reps with bands only (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 45lbs each side + bands (warmup) Set 3 x 8 reps with 70lbs each side + bands (warmup) Set 4 x 8 reps with 80lbs each side + bands Set 5 x 8 reps with 90lbs each side + bands Set 6 x 8 reps with 100lbs each side + bands

* Use bands for added tension and flex hard in the contracted position. Incline Barbell Presses Set 1 x 8 reps with 185lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 225lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 245lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 265lbs

* The key here is to not allow the bar to touch your chest and don’t lock out to ensure constant tension. Flat Dumbbell Presses Set 1 x 8 reps with 115lbs Set 2 x 7 reps with 115lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 115lbs

*Ideally, select a weight in which you can get 8 full range reps. My chest was pretty trashed so my reps fell off on Sets 2 and 3. Machine Flyes Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 120lbs

* Hold the contraction for a split second on each rep and finish each set with a 10-second weighted stretch. 12 reps should be about failure, but by my third set I had to pump out the last 6 reps without holding the contraction.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.10.14

Chest & Shoulders Machine Rear Laterals Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps + 5 partials with 110lbs

* Perform full range reps for the first 15 and then add on 5 partial reps to each set. Barbell Front Raises Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 45lb barbell

* Bring the weight straight out and up as high as the top of your head before lowering it back down. Keep these reps controlled. Seated Partial Dumbbell Side Laterals Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 70lbs *The key here is to do partials out of the bottom with a heavier weight. These will burn if done properly.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.14.14

Secondary Back Workout This morning was my secondary back workout. Normally these are relatively the same – 4 exercises for 4 sets each and 10 reps each set. The 4 exercise vary a bit, but otherwise these workouts are fairly predictable. This morning it really mixed up the exercises, volume and workload while striving to maintain the goal of secondary workouts. The goal being to get a massive pump and not stress the nervous system too badly by limiting high intensity techniques and leaving reps in the tank. Here is the workout…

Neutral Grip T-Bar Rows I didn’t exactly use a T-Bar machine. Rather, I used an elitefts™ Core Blaster: E-Series Core Blaster. I love this piece of equipment because all you need are some plates and a barbell to perform onearm barbell rows, Meadow rows or T-bar rows. I actually used a Chinning Triangle on the end of the barbell. Set 1 x 50 reps with 25lb plate Set 2 x 40 reps with 25lb and 10lb plates Set 3 x 30 reps with 25lb and two 10lb plates Set 4 x 20 reps with 25lb and three 10lb plates

* The key here is isolate and pump the lats with maximum amount of time under tension (high reps). Keep your upper body in a fixed position and don’t swing the weight. The lighter weight should allow you to really focus on the mind to muscle connection while pumping out perfect reps. Keep your chest out and elbows close to your sides. Be sure and use wrist straps and not grip the handles hard or your biceps will fatigue too quickly.

Wide Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns Use this type of attachment: 48” Straight Pro Style Lat Bar Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 180lbs

* Don’t go too heavy whereby you cannot squeeze hard at the bottom and control the reps. Perfect form is crucial. Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 75lbs

* Lay on the bench vs across is and only bring the weight up to the top of your forehead to minimize pec involvement and maximize tension on the lats. Dumbbell Rows Sets 1 thru 4 x 6 reps with 150lbs

* Your lats should be really pumped by the time you get to this exercise, so now the goal is force them to move some heavier weight for lower reps. I could probably get 8 solid reps or even 10 sloppy reps with 150lbs at this point, but I stopped at 6 to leave reps in the tank. Muscle the weight up, don’t jerk it.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.14.14

Secondary Back Workout Incline Shrugs Perform this face down on an incline utility bench set to about 45 degrees. Sets 1 & 2 x 20 reps with 70lb dumbbells

* The key here is to hit the upper-middle traps. Perform the first 10 reps with a 2 second hold in the contracted position and then pump out the remaining 10 reps.

Dumbbell Shrugs Now move to standing shrugs with a little more weight now that your traps are pumped. Sets 1 & 2 x 6 reps + 10 second loaded stretch with 120lbs

* Perform 6 reps with perfect form and then simply hold the dumbbells for a count of 10 and let the weight stretch your traps.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.16.14

Legs This was my primary leg workout last Saturday… exactly 5 weeks out from the 212 Olympia. This is part of the Carnage Program designed by my coach whom I compensate to program my workouts – John Meadows. Today it was just Christina and I training together. Here is the workout…

Lying Leg Curls Set 1 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 75lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 10 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Sets 5 thru 7 x 8 reps with 125lbs + 8 partials

* Perform plenty of warm-ups and then do 3 sets of 8 reps, adding 8 partials out of the stretch position at the end of each set. Adductor Machine Set 1 x 20 reps with 100lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 160lbs Set 3 x 15 reps with 170lbs Set 4 x 15 reps with 180lbs

* Nothing fancy…just get a pump in the adductors before moving on to Bulgarian Split Squats. Bulgarian Split Squats Set 1 x 10 reps with bodyweight only Set 2 x 10 reps with bodyweight only Set 3 x 10 reps with 25lb dumbbell Set 4 x 10 reps with 45lb dumbbell Set 5 x 10 reps with 65lb dumbbell Set 6 x 10 reps with 85lb dumbbell Set 7 x 8 reps with 85lbs, 8 reps with 65lbs, 8 reps with 45lbs, 8 reps with 25lbs.

*Set 7 is a massive drop as I’ve done in the past. Do 8 reps and then hold in the bottom position for an 8-second count, drop the weight and continue with 8 reps and 8-second isohold.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.16.14

Legs Hack Squat 1.5s When my weight drops as I near a competition my knees don’t have the fluid and fat padding, so I wrapped my knees for safety reasons today… something I rarely do. These are the ones I used:elitefts™ Normal Knee Wrap Set 1 x 8 (1.5) reps with one 45lb plate on eachside (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 3 x 8 (1.5) reps with one 100lb and one 45lb plate each side

* Take these deep and then come up roughly half way, go back down and then all the way up. This counts as 1 rep, so do this 8 times. Stretch your quads for 30 seconds between sets.

Front Squats Set 1 x 8 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 155lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 175lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 195lbs

* Elevate your heels a tiny bit and take these to the basement. Use nice and slow, deliberate form here. Cable Stiff-Legged Deads -> Prowler Push Superset John called for dumbbell stiff-legged deads, but we used the lower cable attachment and did pullthrough style. I also added some Prowler fun to the mix by supersetting with a 25 yard push. Sets 1 thru 2 x 10 reps with 160lbs on cable stifflegged deads Superset immediately with 25 yard Prowler push

*Stretch out your hamstrings good on the cables and then go straight to the Prowler push. I set the pad really low so I was really bent over while pushing. Don’t sprint, but drive through the hips in a methodical, 25-yard push. My calves, glutes and quads were on fire. To save time pulling weight Christina just pushed the empty Prowler for her set while I had her stand on it and I pushed her for mine. After lying on the floor gasping for air after two rounds on the Prowler I looked up and realized we had been training for 2 hours, so that concluded this leg workout!

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.17.14

Chest & Shoulders Sunday is my primary chest workout as part of the Carnage Program by John Meadows. I was training alone today at Eastside Gym. Here is what the workout included…

Incline Dumbbell Presses Set 1 x 12 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 80lbs (warm-up) Set 5 x 8 reps with 100lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 7 x 8 reps with 120lbs

* Perform plenty of warm-ups and then go up in weight doing sets of 8 reps. Stop short of lockout, but get a good stretch on each rep. I barely got 8 reps with 120lbs so I stopped there. Incline Barbell Presses Set 1 x 12 reps with 205lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 215lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 225lbs

* Use the typical technique on these by stopping short of touching the bar to your chest and only pressing to ¾ lock-out. Medium Grip Bench Presses Sets 1 thru 4 x 6 reps with 225lbs

* Don’t go crazy with weight as these are supposed to be performed explosively. Keep your grip slightly wider than shoulder width…this should be a little narrower than you normally bench press. I love using a Fat Bar with Revolving Ends which they have at Eastside Gym. The feel on these is awesome when you try to explode up as quickly as possible once the bar touches your chest. Stretch Pushups Set up two benches parallel to each other, elevate your feet and perform pushups between the benches so your can sink into the stretch position. Set 1 x 23 reps (failure) Set 2 x 18 reps (failure)

*Go to failure on each set and then move immediately to the dip bars and gently sink into the stretched position and allow your pecs and shoulders to be stretched for a count of 30 seconds.

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8.17.14

Chest & Shoulders Heavy Side Laterals Swings/Partials Use lifting straps and grab a dumbbell that is too heavy for normal side laterals. Do partial reps focusing the tension on your medial deltoids. Sets 1 thru 4 x 35 reps with 70lbs

*Just do partial reps with your arms straight. Machine Rear Delts Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 110lbs

* Use an exaggerated range of motion on these today by taking the weight back as far as possible. 6 Ways These actually have a tendency to hurt my shoulder in a bad way unless I use very light weight and perform slow, smooth reps. Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 12.5lbs

* These are performed by sitting on a back supported utility bench. With your arms down to your sides, raise the dumbbells directly out to your sides (ear level), then without dropping them bring the dumbbells together in front of you (eye level). From there take them straight up over your head, then back down in front, out to the side, and down to your sides… essentially retracing your steps. That counts as 1 rep, so try and do this 10 times and your delts will be on fire!

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8.18.14

Primary Back This past Monday was my primary back workout as part of John Meadow’s Carnage Program. Here is what the workout included…

Face Pulls Set 1 x 15 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 6 x 10 reps with 140lbs

*Set the cable height just above your head using a rope attachment. Round and stretch your upper/middle back and then hold the contraction for a split second as you pull back and retract your shoulder blades.

Chest Support Row I used the same machine as last week…a weight selectorized Life Fitness piece of equipment with a pronate grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Set 1 x 10 reps with 120lbs (feeder) Set 2 thru 4 x 10 reps with 160lbs

*Get your elbows back as far as possible and really hammer the lower traps and rhomboids. Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs

* Lay on the bench vs across it and don’t bring the dumbbell above forehead level to keep the tension on the lats. Single Arm Supinated Pulldowns Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 90lbs

* Drive your elbow down and hold the contraction for split second on each rep. Pronate your hand at the top and supinate your hand at the bottom. T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar John called for Rack Pulls, but I chose to use my T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar and pull from the floor. I love the semi-neutral/ pronate grip of this bar and not having the weight out in from of me as with a barbell tends to keep my lower back happy. Sets 1 thru 3 x 6 reps with 240lbs

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.18.14

Primary Back * The key here is to keep your back (particularly lats) flexed hard the entire time. Flex particularly hard on the eccentric portion of the movement, performing it with a 3-second count.

T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar Shrugs John called for barbell shrugs, but I decided to stick with the T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 240lbs

* Hold the weight in the contracted position for a 1 second count on each rep. Banded Good Mornings John called for banded hyperextensions today, but I liked the feel of the banded good mornings so much last week that I did them again using this band: elitefts™ Pro Strong Resistance Band Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with band *Simply step on one end of the band and put the other end around the back of your neck. Bend at the waist and contract the spinal erectors hard at the top.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.23.14

Legs Today I was exactly 4 weeks out from the 212 Olympia. My weight is actually down to 212lbs already since I didn’t go crazy after competing last May and remained fairly lean. It’s now a matter of fine tuning things as the Mr. Olympia approaches. This is my primary leg workout as I head into the final weeks of the Carnage Program as designed by my coach, John Meadows. What’s even more significant is that today was mine and Christina’s 17th wedding anniversary! It was fitting that just her and I hit the iron together. Here is the workout…

Adductor Machine I think this is the first time that John’s had me start with the adductor! Set 1 x 20 reps with 100lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 140lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 15 reps with 180lbs Set 4 x 15 reps with 220lbs Set 5 x 15 reps with 260lbs

Standing Leg Curls Kirkland Gold’s Gym actually doesn’t have a standing leg curl machine, so based on a suggestion from John we did these using a leg extension machine. If you set up the pad in the correct place and stand on a plate these are possible. They actually felt quite good and hit my hamstrings in a completely different way. Set 1 x 10 reps with 40lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 45lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 12 reps with 50lbs Set 4 x 12 reps with 50lbs Set 5 x 12 reps with 50lbs + 10 partials (top) + 10 partials (mid) + 10 partials (low)

*I set the pad so that it nearly hit my butt and I was able to move my hip back to get a massive contraction in the hamstring. Play around with this set up until you find one that works similarly for you. On the final set of 12 reps perform 10 partials at the top 1/3 of the movement, another 10 partials at the middle 1/3 and a final 10 partials at the bottom 1/3. If done properly these will absolutely blow up your hamstrings. Barbell Squats I departed slightly from John’s rep/set protocol here and also changed the tempo. He called for explosive sets of 8 going up in weight until explosiveness was lost before stopping and counting the last 3 sets as working sets. Instead I did 5 sets of 5 reps with a 1-second pause in the hole before driving the weight back up.

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8.23.14

Legs Set 1 x 8 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 185lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 225lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 5 reps with 225lbs + 2 chains each side Set 5 x 5 reps with 225lbs + 3 chains each side Set 6 x 5 reps with 225lbs + 4 chains each side Set 7 x 5 reps with 225lbs + 5 chains each side Set 8 x 5 reps with 225lbs + 6 chains each side *Once you hit the working sets pause each rep for 1-second in the hole before driving the weight back up explosively. Here are the chains I used: elitefts™ Chains Complete Set Here is my favorite tool for loading chains: EZ Squat - Bench Strap Loader (Pair)

Front Squats Once again I deviated a bit from what John called for by doing these on the Smith Machine and a little higher reps. I wanted to ensure my lower back remains healthy as my body fat gets lower. Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 185lbs

* The goal here was constant tension, so I stopped just short of lock-out to keep the tension on my quads and pumped out 15 methodical reps. If done properly you should have a massive quad pump by the end of the third set.

Leg Extensions Superset w/Forward Prowler Push John just called for the leg extension portion of this superset, but I’ve been adding in the Prowler to my workouts lately to bring in my conditioning for the Olympia. Set 1 x 10 reps with 220lbs + 8 partials -> 20 yard Prowler Push w/Christina Set 2 x 10 reps with 235lbs + 8 partials -> 20 yard Prowler Push w/Christina Set 3 x 10 reps with 250lbs + 8 partials -> 20 yard

Prowler Push w/Christina * The idea here was to pump the quads full of blood and then perform a Prowler push taking long, deliberate strides. This isn’t a sprint, but a means for placing tension on the quads with concentriconly work. I just used Christina for weight so I didn’t have to pull plates as we alternated. I used my Limited Edition T-Nation Prowler, but it’s nearly identical to this one: Prowler: Front Load Prowler® with Drive Pad

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.23.14

Legs Cable Stiff-Legged Deads Set 1 x 8 reps with 170lbs Set 2 x 8 reps with 180lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 190lbs

*Set the cable to the lowest position and pull the handle between your legs while facing away from the weight stack and hinging at the waist.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.24.14

Chest & Shoulders Here is the workout I did this past Sunday at Eastside Gym. It is the primary chest and shoulder workout for the week as part of John Meadow’s Carnage Program. I was training solo early in the AM as two of my daughters had soccer jamborees later in the afternoon. Here is the workout…

Decline Dumbbell Presses Set 1 x 10 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 120lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 125lbs

* The key here is to get a good stretch, but stop short of locking out. Medium Grip Bench Presses I went back to my favorite bar for this exercise, available here: Fat Bar with Revolving Ends Set 1 x 12 reps with 135lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 4 x 12 reps with 205lbs *Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Lower the bar until it touches your chest before driving it up hard and stopping at ¾ lockout.

Incline Hammer Strength Presses John called for incline barbell, but I decided to use the Hammer Strength since I was training alone. Set 1 x 6 reps with two 45’s per side (feeder set) Sets 2 thru 4 x 6 reps with three 45’s and one 10lb plate per side

*Control the negative, drive to lockout and flex hard on each rep. Incline Dumbbell Flyes Set 1 x 10 reps with 45lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 50lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 50lbs + 4 partials

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8.24.14

Chest & Shoulders * Perform these as though you are putting your arms around a 50 gallon drum. Also, I like to stop the fly once my hands reach about shoulder width vs bring the dumbbells together to touch at the top. This will take a little work to get the correct feel, but it keeps the tension on pecs. Often bringing the dumbbells to touch activates the front delts too much for me. Keep your sternum lifted the entire time. The final set I only got 8 reps so I tacked on some controlled partials out of the stretched position. Be careful with partials or you can tear your pec. Heavy Rear Delt Swings/Partials Set 1 x 35 reps with 60lbs Set 2 x 30 reps with 60lbs Set 3 x 25 reps with 60lbs Set 4 x 22 reps with 60lbs

* Lay face down on an incline utility bench. Use lifting straps and grab dumbbells that are too heavy for full range reps. Hinge at the shoulder joint and start the movement with your rear delts. Perform partial reps/swings while focusing all the tension on your rear delts. I rested 45 seconds between sets so my reps dropped as I progressed through the 4 working sets. Cage Presses These are performed by setting the safety bars on a cage to about shoulder level. As you press the barbell up explosively you allow it slide on the cage uprights. Sets 1 thru 5 x 5 reps with 155lbs

* Train explosively and duck your head under the bar while flexing your shoulders and traps at the top of each rep. Barbell Front Raises Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 45lb barbell

* Pause each rep about eye level and flex your front delts before lowering the bar with control.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.25.14

Back This is my primary back workout as designed by my coach, John Meadows. It is part of his Carnage Program and was performed this past Monday. Here is what it included…

Lat Pulldowns I used the following attachment for this exercise: Swiss Multi Grip Cable Bar™. I love it because it allows you to vary hand position throughout the exercise. Set 1 x 10 reps with 120lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 140lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 190lbs (widest grip) Set 4 x 10 reps with 190lbs (medium grip) Set 5 x 10 reps with 190lbs (narrow grip)

* Drive your elbows down hard and contract your back on each rep. Cable Rows This is the version in which I placed a BOSU ball on the seat to create a different pulling angle. Set 1 x 12 reps with 120lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 4 x 12 reps with 190lbs

*I used a narrow, neutral grip and held the contraction for a split second on each rep. Face Pulls Set 1 x 10 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 4 x 10 reps with 140lbs

* These are not really a face pull, but a pull into your chest with no external rotation of shoulders at all. Flex your lower traps and rhomboids hard every rep.

Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs

*Standard form laying on the bench vs across it and only bringing the dumbbell to the top of your head to keep the tension on the lats.

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8.25.14

Back T-Nation Dead Squat Bar John called for rack pulls, but I used my T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar off the floor again this week. Set 1 x 6 reps with 260lbs (feeder set) Set 2 x 3 reps with 310lbs Set 3 x 3 reps with 330lbs Set 4 x 3 reps with 340lbs

*I performed these very slow, especially on the negative. The idea is to tense your lats and perform a 3 second negative. T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar Shrugs Rather than do dumbbells I stripped some weight and continued with the Dead-Squat bar for this exercise. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 260lbs

* Flex your traps hard and hold each rep at the top of a 1 second count. Banded Good Mornings Here is the band that I use for this exercise: elitefts™ Pro Strong Resistance Band Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with band *Stand on one end and loop the other end behind your neck. Hinge at the waist and flex your spinal erectors and lower lats hard on each rep.

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.30.14

Legs Today’s workout lined up exactly 3 weeks out from the Olympia. I’m already under 212lbs and have added some carbs back into my diet. I’m not always this pleased with my conditioning at the 3 week mark, but things are coming together really well. This was my primary leg workout as part of the Carnage Program, as designed by my coach John Meadows. It was very back-friendly, but my legs were blown up by the end!

Glute Machine Kirkland Gold’s Gym actually has the classic Butt Blaster machine. I really never used it until Carnage, but it’s actually pretty awesome. I feel it primarily in the glutes, but it also hits the hamstrings really well when fully extending your leg. If you don’t have this machine, glute bridges with a barbell are a great alternative. Set 1 x 10 reps with 100lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 110lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 120lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 130lbs

* Hold and contract hard at the top on ever rep. Adductor Machine Set 1 x 20 reps with 120lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 15 reps with 160lbs Set 3 x 15 reps with 190lbs Set 4 x 15 reps with 220lbs Set 5 x 15 reps with 240lbs

Leg Press Set 1 x 10 reps with 2 plates each side Set 2 x 10 reps with 3 plates each side Set 3 x 10 reps with 4 plates each side Set 4 x 10 reps with 5 plates each side Set 5 x 10 reps with 6 plates each side Set 6 x 10 reps with 7 plates each side

* Work your way up in weight doing sets of 10 reps and stop a couple plates short of a max effort set of 10. I left the leg press weight loaded since I was coming back to it.

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8.30.14

Legs Backwards Prowler Push This is what I used: Prowler: Front Load Prowler® with Drive Pad. I drop the push pad to the lowest setting, place my lower back against it and push with my legs backwards. This places a lot of emphasis on the quads, but it’s entirely concentric work so it doesn’t destroy the CNS or lead to extreme soreness. It’s also excellent for EPOC! I added two 45lb plates, plus had Christina stand on it while I pushed it backwards across the gym – about 20-25 yards. Take slow, deliberate steps. This isn’t meant to be a sprint. Christina and I alternated turns backwards pushing the Prowler across the gym for a total of 4 rounds each.

Leg Press Back to leg press…these feel awesome after the massive quad pump from the backwards Prowler push. Set 1 x 8 reps with 7 plates Set 2 x 8 reps with 8 plates Set 3 x 8 reps with 9 plates

Lying Leg Curls Superset w/Forward Prowler Push John’s program called for just sets of leg curls, but I added in more of the Prowler. Set 1 x 10 reps with 125lbs -> 20 yard forward Prowler Push Set 2 x 10 reps with 130lbs -> 20 yards forward Prowler Push Set 3 x 10 reps with 135lbs -> 20 yards forward Prowler Push Set 4 x 10 reps with 135lbs -> drop to 95lbs x 10 reps -> drop to 60lbs x 10 reps

* Three rounds of leg curls superset with forward Prowler Push and then one massive drop set. On the Prowler Push set the drive pad to the lowest level and take long, deliberate steps. This will destroy your glutes, hams and quads.

Leg Extensions Set 1 x 10 reps with 200lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 210lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 220lbs -> drop to 180lbs x 10 reps -> drop to 140lbs x 10 reps

*Sets of 10, with a massive drop set on the third and final set.

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8.31.14

Chest & Shoulders Sunday morning means I get to blast chest and shoulders at Eastside Gym! This is what I did as part of the Carnage Program designed by my coach John Meadows. I typically train alone and today was no exception. In fact, I’m often the only one training at 6am at Eastside Gym. As such I have to be a little careful selecting weight for exercises…especially being less than 3 weeks out to the Olympia. Here is the workout…

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press This was a nice variation. It’s essentially the exact same as a normal flat dumbbell press, but you press them with a neutral hand position. These felt great! Set 1 x 10 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 80lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 100lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 110lbs Set 6 x 8 reps with 120lbs

* Keep your palms facing each other throughout the whole rep. Get a good stretch and drive to ¾ lockout. Decline Smith Press Set 1 x 6 reps with 225lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 6 reps with 275lbs Set 3 x 6 reps with 295lbs Set 4 x 6 reps with 315lbs -> drop to 245lbs x 6 reps -> drop to 185lbs x failure (18 reps)

*I used a slight decline by simply placing a 45lb plate under one end of a flat utility bench. Bring the bar to touch your chest and pause before driving to ¾ lockout. Go up in weight until you hit a tough 6 reps and then do a drop twice with the last drop being a balls-out-to-failure set. Incline Barbell Press I used my favorite bar for these: Fat Bar with Revolving Ends. My chest was seriously blown up after that last drop set so I didn’t use much weight. Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 185lbs

* Use the typical form of not touching your chest and not locking out to ensure constant tension. Machine Flyes Set 1 x 10 reps with 120lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 130lbs Set 3 x 8 reps with 140lbs + 2 isotension reps (10-seconds each)

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How I trained for the 2014 Mr Olympia 212 Class - Mark Dugdale

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8.31.14

Chest & Shoulders *Aim for 3 sets of 10 reps. I ended up going up in weight, but failed to get 10 reps on the final set. Regardless, take the weight to the midpoint after 10 reps or failure and hold for 10 seconds. Do this one more time for another 10 second isotension hold on the last set.

Machine Rear Delts Set 1 x 25 reps with 130lbs Set 2 x 18 reps with 135lbs Set 3 x 11 reps with 140lbs Set 4 x 8 reps with 145lbs + 10 second isohold

* Pyramid up in weight starting with something you can do for 25 reps. My reps dropped dramatically as you see above. Go to failure regardless of reps on each of the last 3 sets and finish set 4 with a 10-second isohold in the midpoint of the final rep. Over & Back Presses Set 1 x 14 reps with 95lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 95lbs Set 3 x 11 reps with 95lbs

*John wanted 3 sets of 10 reps, but I went a little too light. Since I got 14 reps I cut my rest break to 45 seconds rather than adding weight and this shaved some reps on sets 2 and 3. These felt awesome today! Dumbbell Front Raises Set 1 x 12 reps with 20lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 25lbs Set 3 x 10 rep with 30lbs

*I hold the dumbbells to my side in the neutral position and then pronate my grip as I raise them out in front and flex my front delts hard. Bring the dumbbells to about forehead level.

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9.1.14

Back This is what I did Monday morning for my primary back workout. I’m entering the tail end of John Meadows Carnage Program as I head into the final weeks leading to the 212 Olympia on September 20th. Here is what the workout included…

One Arm Barbell Rows This exercise has been a staple in my back training, but it’s been a few weeks since I did them…they felt awesome! Set 1 x 14 reps with one 25lb plate (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with two 25lb plates (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with three 25lbs plates (warm-up) Sets 4 thru 6 x 8 reps with four 25lb plates

* Perform a few warm-ups and then do 3 sets of 8 reps with a decent weight. Don’t get sloppy and keep the hip closest to the bar a little higher to facilitate a better stretch in your lat when extending your arm. Cable Rows Set 1 x 12 reps with 170lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 180lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 190lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 200lbs

*I did these with single handles (D handles) to semi supinate during the contraction and to give lower lats a bit more targeting. The key is to sit up perfectly straight through the whole movement and concentrate on driving elbows back and squeezing low lats. Face Pulls Set 1 x 12 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Sets 2 thru 4 x 10 reps with 140lbs

* This week lean back a bit and pull the rope to your chest. I held each rep in the contracted position for a split second. Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs

*Standard form lying on the bench vs across it. Keep your lats flexed the entire time.

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9.1.14

Back Chins Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 40lbs on the cheater/ chin assist machine

* Use a wide pronate grip and perform your reps with perfect form. Prone Shrugs Superset w/Banded Good Mornings I’ve been trying to give my upper/middle traps some extra work so I added pronate shrugs to John’s Banded Good Morning finisher. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 80lbs (prone shrug) -> immediately to banded good morning x 20 reps *On the prone shrug lay face down on an incline utility bench set to about 45 degrees. Perform your 12 reps with a 1-second hold in the contracted position on each rep before moving immediately to banded good mornings with this: elitefts™ Pro Strong Resistance Band.

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9.5.14

Arms This is the arm workout that I did today at 5AM. I don’t always post up my arm workouts, but this one was too good not to share. It was designed by my coach, John Meadows. Here is what it looked like…

QUAD SET V-bar pushdowns – Sets of 12 reps with 170lbs Dips between benches – Sets of 10 with bodyweight *I worked only the top half of this movement and employed a 3 second eccentric. Pronated Cable Kick Backs – Sets of 6 reps *I used a Spud Inc. Fat Tricep Strap with the cable set to waist height. Bend 90 degrees at the waist and keep your elbows pinned to your sides and hands in a pronate position the entire time. Dips – Sets of 6 reps * Kirkland Gold’s Gym doesn’t have a dip machine so I did standard dips with bodyweight only and worked the bottom half of the movement. ** My triceps were seriously blown up after performing this quad set for 4 rounds!

Standing Dumbbell Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 35lbs *Alternate arms, supinate on the way up and flex at the top on each rep.

EZ Bar Preacher Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 6 reps with 80lbs *Stop short of lowering your arm completely, thus working only the top 2/3’s of the movement.

EZ Bar Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 6 reps with 60lbs * Lower the weight with a 3 second negative on every rep.

Reverse EZ Bar Curls Sets 1 thru 2 x 15 reps with 50lbs * Try to flex for 1 second at the top of each rep…I did this for about the first 10 reps on set 1 and first 5 reps on set 2 before having to pump them out. Stretch your biceps for 15 seconds after each of these 2 sets.

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9.6.14

Superset Saturday - Legs This was my primary leg workout from this past Saturday. I had to go into Kirkland Gold’s Gym earlier than normal so I could make it to two of my daughter’s soccer games…it’s that time of year again! Thankfully I had my good friend Phil join me for this workout. John Meadows is my coach and programs my workouts. While this was considered my primary leg workout as part of his Carnage Program I layered in a lot supersets for a couple reasons – 1) I am two weeks out from the Olympia and this isn’t the time to push the limits with heavy weight, and 2) I’m going for nasty conditioning at the Olympia so massive pumps and lactic acid help facilitate favorable body composition. Here is the workout…

Lying Leg Curls Superset with Forward Prowler Push The lying leg curls were as programmed by John, but the Prowler was my addition. This is the type of Prowler I used: Prowler: Front Load Prowler® with Drive Pad. As you may have noticed I replaced the metal skis on my Prowler to ensure it doesn’t damage the rubber flooring at Gold’s Gym with these: UHMW Prowler® Skis Set 1 x 14 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 65lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 95lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 125lbs -> 20 yard forward Prowler push with 90lbs added Set 5 x 8 reps with 140lbs -> 20 yard forward Prowler push with 90lbs added Set 6 x 8 reps with 145lbs -> drop to 90lbs x 10 reps + 20 second isohold -> 20 yard forward Prowler push with 90lbs added

*On the last set of 8 reps on lying leg curls I did a drop set and then a 20 second isohold with a slight bend in the knee before moving immediately to the forward Prowler push. On the forward Prowler push set the drive pad to the lowest position and methodically push taking long steps at walking pace, not sprinting. Adductor Machine Superset with Squats These two exercises were not superset in the Carnage program. Warm-up set 1 x 10 reps with 135lbs (squats) Warm-up set 2 x 8 reps with 135lbs + 3 chains each side (squats) Now to the superset...adductor machine first… Set 1 x 15 reps with 180lbs (adductor) -> 8 reps with 135lbs + 6 chains per side (squats) Set 2 x 15 reps with 200lbs (adductor) -> 8 reps with 135lbs + 6 chains per side (squats) Set 3 x 15 reps with 240lbs (adductor) -> 8 reps with 135lbs + 6 chains per side (squats) Chains I used: elitefts™ Pair of 5/8 Chains Chain attachment tool: EZ Squat - Bench Strap Loader (Pair)

* The key on the squats is to take the weight down to the bottom, pause for a spilt second and then drive up as explosively as possible.

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Superset Saturday - Legs Leg Press Superset with Backwards Prowler Push Set 1 x 12 reps with 3 plates each side (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 4 plates each side (warm-up) Set 3 x 20 reps with 6 plates each side -> 20 yard backwards Prowler push with 90lbs added Set 4 x 20 reps with 6 plates each side -> 20 yards backwards Prowler push with 90lbs added Set 5 x 20 reps with 6 plates each side -> 20 yards backwards Prowler push with 90lbs added *Pump out the reps on the leg press with your feet narrow on the platform before moving immediately to the backwards Prowler push. On the Prowler, place your lower back into the pad and push at a walking pace.

Leg Extensions Alternated with Dead-Squats John had just the extensions, but I added a twist with the Dead-Squat bar. The idea was to use a weight on leg extensions in which you can get about 15- 20 reps before complete lockout is impossible. At that point you rest 10 seconds, go again until you can’t lock out, rest 10 seconds, go again, etc. You keep doing this until you hit 40 reps. Rather than resting 10 seconds I set up the Dead-Squat bar with 45’s on each side and did 8 reps as explosively as possible before returning to the extensions. I alternated back-and-forth until I reached 41 reps on leg extensions. My reps on extensions with 200lbs looked like this: 18, 10, 7, 6 (41 reps total). I did 8 explosive reps on Dead-Squats between each of the aforementioned rep numbers. *Ideally, elevate your heal slightly and use a narrower foot stance on the dead-squats to continue to hammer the quads.

Glute/Ham Focused Hyperextensions Perform 3 sets to failure on hyperextensions, but don’t come up all the way and work the spinal erectors. Rather, flex your glutes and tense your hamstrings and make them do the work. My reps looked like this for each of the three sets: 22, 18, 15. A couple things to note about this workout from personal experience… 1) Concentric focused exercises (Prowler) tend to minimize soreness. 2) Exercises performed explosively (squats w/ chains & dead-squat bar) tend to aid CNS recovery.

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9.7.14

Mini-Arm Workout This was a fun mini-arm workout from last night. I usually only train arms once per week, unless my bride wants to train in the evening. I don’t really count these workouts as they usually are not very long and tend to be low in terms of volume. Christina taps out pretty quickly, lol. Here is what we did…

TRICEPS GIANT SET V-Bar Pushdowns Sets of 15 reps with 170lbs Bench Dips Sets of 10 reps with bodyweight Pronate Cable Kickbacks Sets of 6 reps with 50lbs Band Nuetral Grip Extension Isohold Sets of 10 second isoholds with elitefts™ Pro Strong Resistance Band *Perform this Giant Set for 4 rounds. V-Bar Overhead Extension ½ Reps Set the cable to the upper most position, attach the V-Bar handle, bend 90 degrees and keep your elbows in line with your ears to facilitate a better stretch. This exercise was done mostly to stretch out the triceps after the massive pump from the Giant Set. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 110lbs *Hold the weight in the stretched position for a split second and even flex your biceps to produce an even better stretch, extend only ½ ways out and then back to the stretched position for a split second, etc. Seated Hammer Curls Superset with Standing Barbell Curls Sets of 15 reps on Seated Hammer Curls with 30lbs Superset with… Sets of 8 reps on Standing Barbell Curls with 60lbs *On the seated Hammer Curls keep your elbows pinned to your sides and only bring the weight up until your elbow joint is at 90 degrees. In the flexed position, hold and contract as hard as possible for 2 seconds before lowering the weight. Do this on every rep. Perform this superset 4 times. Machine Preacher Curls Sets 1 thru 3 x 6 reps with 120lbs *Only bring the weight ½ ways down before curling it up and holding the contraction and flexing as hard as possible for 2 seconds.

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9.8.14

Chest & Shoulders This is the workout I did this past Sunday at Eastside Gym. It was my primary chest and shoulder workout as part of John Meadows Carnage Program. John is my coach whom I compensate to program my workouts. Here is what the workout included…

Hammer Strength Iso-Wide Presses John called for a neutral grip machine press, but Eastside didn’t have one. I decided to use the Hammer Strength Iso Wide Press instead as the handles move to semi-neutral in the contracted position. The contraction is pretty wicked actually. Just don’t go too deep into the stretched position and risk injury. This is a rare piece from Hammer Strength as I don’t see it in very many gyms. Set 1 x 10 reps with 90lbs each side (warm-up) Set 2 x 8 reps with 115lbs each side (warm-up) Set 3 x 8 reps with 125lbs each side (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 135lbs each side (warm-up) Set 5 x 8 reps with 145lbs each side Set 6 x 8 reps with 155lbs each side Set 7 x 8 reps with 165lbs each side

Incline Smith Machine Presses John called for a barbell, but I opted for the Smith Machine since I was training alone. Set 1 x 6 reps with 225lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 6 reps with 245lbs (pause reps) Set 3 x 6 reps with 265lbs (pause reps) Set 4 x 6 reps with 285lbs

* The key here is to stop 1-2 inches above your chest and press to ¾ lockout. After a warm-up set I did the first two of three sets with a 1-second pause at the bottom before driving the weight up. On the final set I just kept the weight moving without pausing.

Machine Flyes Set 1 x 10 reps with 140lbs Set 2 x 10 reps with 150lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 160lbs -> drop to 110lbs x 10 reps

* Perform nice and controlled reps with constant tension. On your last set cut the weight and try and get another 10 reps.

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9.8.14

Chest & Shoulders Dips Use an assist/cheater machine if necessary to get good reps with solid form. I just used my bodyweight on a standard dip apparatus. Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps + 10 second stretch in the bottom position *John didn’t call for 10 second stretch/holds in the bottom, but I love stretching out my pecs on a dip apparatus so I threw them in today at the end of each set of 8..

Machine Rear Delts Set 1 x 20 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 50 reps with 140lbs

*Ok, the key on the second set is to get at least 10 reps before you lose form, then rest 15 seconds and go again. Continue in this fashion with 15 second rest breaks until you reach a total of 50 reps. My reps looked like this – 12, 10, 7, 7, 6, 5 and 5 reps (52 total reps) Over and Back Presses These are done by bringing the barbell down to about chin level in the front pressing up just enough to clear your head and come down to ear level in the back, then back up and over your head to the front, etc. Over and back counts as 1 rep. Sets 1 thru 3 x 12 reps with 95lbs *Keep constant tension on the delts and take minimal rest breaks (45 seconds).

Barbell Front Raises Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 45lb barbell

* Raise the barbell to about 3-4 inches above eye level and lower slowly.

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9.8.14

Back This is my primary back workout as part of John Meadows Carnage Program that I performed last Monday at 5:15am at Gold’s Gym in Kirkland, WA. Some exercises required a training partner, but I made modifications as I was training alone. Here is the workout…

Single Arm Supinated Pulldowns This is one of my favorite exercises to finish off a secondary back workout, but today it arrives first in my primary. Set 1 x 10 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Sets 3 thru 5 x 10 reps with 90lbs

* The key here is to lean back a bit, supinate the wrist as you pull, drive the elbow straight down and flex the lower lat hard in the contracted position.

Hammer Strength High Rows Gold’s Gym has a weight selectorized version of this piece of Hammer Strength equipment. Perform all the reps on one side before doing the other. The last set included a partner assisted stretch, but I just allowed the weight to stretch me as I was training alone. Set 1 x 10 reps with 70lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 90lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 100lbs Set 4 x 20 reps with 110lbs (reps were 8, 6, 6)

* The key on set 3 is to perform 8 reps, and then have your partner gently push up on the machine to create a stretch overload while you are then training the other arm. Once you do 8 reps on both sides, keep going and do 6 reps on the next round, and then do it again for 6 more. So total rep count is 20 reps on each side with 3 forced stretches on each side. I was training alone so I simply wrapped each hand with lifting straps to the handles and allowed the weight to stretch me on one side while I trained the other.

Face Pulls Set 1 x 12 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 140lbs Set 3 x 10 reps with 150lbs Set 4 x 10 reps with 160lbs

* The key here is to lean back a bit. Stay there, squeeze hard and hold each rep in the contracted position for a second. This should nail your lower traps if done correctly.

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Back Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 80lbs *Standard form here lying on a bench vs across. Don’t bring the dumbbell too far up and engage your pecs. Keep the tension on your lats the entire time.

Smith Machine Rows Superset with Prone Shrugs John just called for rows, but I added shrugs lying face down on an incline bench to hit upper-middle traps some more. Sets 1 thru 3 x 8 reps with 225lbs (smith rows) -> 12 reps with 80lbs (prone dumbbell shrugs)

Banded Good Mornings John called for banded hyperextensions, but I love banded Good Mornings lately. I used this band: elitefts™ Pro Strong Resistance Band Sets 1 thru 3 x 20 reps with band

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9.13.14

Legs This is the leg workout that I did last Saturday; exactly one week out from the 212 Olympia. It was designed as a primary leg workout by my coach John Meadows; however, I modified it a bit in light of my upcoming competition. Here is what I did…

Seated Leg Curls Superset w/Forward Prowler Push Back to my hated unilateral seated leg curl machine, ha! As mentioned previously this is the only seated leg curl machine available at Gold’s Gym. Weight listed is for each leg as they are independent. The seated leg curls are as prescribed by John, but the Prowler is my addition. Set 1 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 12 reps with 55lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 60lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 10 reps with 70lbs -> Forward Prowler Push (25 yards) w/200lbs added Set 5 x 10 reps with 75lbs -> Forward Prowler Push (25 yards) w/200lbs added Set 6 x 10 (rest-pause) reps with 75lbs -> Forward Prowler Push (25 yards) w/200lbs added

* The key here is to perform several warm-ups, then do sets of 10 reps superset with the Prowler. On the third set of curls do rest-pause style reps, meaning allow your leg to extend completely and hamstring to relax for a split second before curling and flexing hard in the contracted position. Push the Prowler with the drive pads set to the lowest position and move at a walking pace taking long strides.

Leg Extensions Superset w/Backwards Prowler Push Set 1 x 10 reps with 130lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 160lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 190lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 10 reps with 220lbs -> Backwards Prowler (25 yards) w/90lbs added Set 5 x 10 reps with 225lbs -> Backwards Prowler (25 yards) w/90lbs added Set 6 x 10 (rest-pause) reps with 230lbs -> Backwards Prowler (25 yards) w/90lbs added

* The key here is to perform several warm-up sets before doing sets of 10 reps superset with the Prowler. The third working set is done rest-pause style meaning allow the weight to come completely down and relax your quads for a split second before extending and contracting your quads as hard as possible. All working sets are immediately followed by a walking pace backwards Prowler push.

Platz Hacks Superset w/Dead Squat Bar John called for front squats, but I didn’t want to put any loads on my spine a week out from the Olympia, therefore I superset Platz inspired Hack Squats with my T-Nation Dead-Squat Bar which looks like this: Set 1 x 15 reps (hacks) w/25lbs each side - > Dead Squat w/45lbs each side x 8 reps Set 2 x 15 reps (hacks) w/25lbs each side - > Dead Squat w/45lbs each side x 8 reps Set 3 x 15 reps (hacks) w/25lbs each side - > Dead Squat w/45lbs each side x 8 reps

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9.13.14

Legs * Perform the hacks slow, deliberate and without locking out at the top. Keep constant tension on the quads. Immediately go to the Dead-Squat bar and perform 8 reps as explosively as possible. Leg Press Set 1 x 20 reps with 3 plates each side (warm-up) Set 2 x 20 reps with 4 plates each side Set 3 x 20 reps with 5 plates each side Set 4 x 20 reps with 6 plates each side

* The key here is to keep your feet high and wide for the first 10 reps and then immediately move them down and close together for the final 10 reps. Do this on each set and then stretch each quad for 30 seconds between each of the 3 working sets.

Cable Stiff Legged Deadlifts Set 1 x 15 reps with 150lbs Set 2 x 15 reps with 160lbs

*Set the pulley to the lowest position, stand facing away from the weight stack, and bend/hinge at the hips while pulling the cable between your legs. Come all the way up and flex your glutes and hamstrings hard.

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9.14.14

Chest & Shoulders Here is the chest and shoulder workout I did this past Sunday. It was designed as a primary chest and shoulder workout by my coach, John Meadows. I didn’t push the limits too much, weight-wise, as I was 6 days out from the Olympia. The next day I started my depletion for the Olympia. Here is the workout…

Machine Press Eastside Gym has this cool old-school chest press machine by Paramount. Set 1 x 10 reps with 110lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 10 reps with 130lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 10 reps with 150lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 8 reps with 180lbs Set 5 x 8 reps with 190lbs Set 6 x 8 (rest-pause) reps with 200lbs *The key here is to perform 2 sets of 8 reps and then on the third set pause each rep at the bottom. I actually set the weight stack down before exploding out and contracting my pecs hard on each rep.

Flat Barbell Bench Press I used this bar for these: Fat Bar with Revolving Ends Set 1 x 6 reps with 145lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 6 reps with 235lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 6 reps with 275lbs Set 4 x 6 reps with 295lbs Set 5 x 6 (rest-pause) reps with 315lbs *Similar to the machine presses...perform 2 working sets of 6 reps stopping short of lock-out. On the 3rd working set perform rest-pause reps, by pausing with the bar on your chest for each of the 6 reps.

Incline Dumbbell Press John wanted 3 straight sets to failure around 8 reps. I didn’t want to go heavy so I grabbed a lighter weight and went to failure. Set 1 x 16 reps (failure) with 85lbs Set 2 x 11 reps (failure) with 85lbs Set 3 x 8 reps (failure) with 85lbs *After the third set I went straight to the dip apparatus and sank into the stretch position for 20 seconds.

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9.14.14

Chest & Shoulders Stretch Pushups I set up two benches parallel to each other and placed my feet on a box so I could get a good stretch on every rep. Set 1 x 16 reps (failure) Set 2 x 13 reps (failure) *Keep your chin up so your upper pecs get a good stretch.

Machine Rear Delts Similar to last week on these going to a total of 50+ reps with 15 second breaks. Set 1 x 20 reps with 90lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 50 reps with 110lbs w/15 second rest breaks at each failure point *My reps looked like this on Set 2: 12, 10, 9, 8, 6 and 6 (51 reps total). Take 15 second breaks each time you hit failure and repeat until you get to 50 reps.

Dumbbell Presses Set 1 x 12 reps (failure) with 65lbs Set 2 x 10 reps (failure) with 65lbs Set 3 x 8 reps (failure) with 65lbs *Flex hard at the top of each rep. I chose one weight and went until I failed on each set.

Barbell Front Raises Sets 1 thru 3 x 10 reps with 55lbs *Raise the barbell to about 3-4 inches above eye level and lower slowly.

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9.25.14

Back I ended up in the last call-out in the Olympia this past weekend. As a competitor, this was a disappointment, but didn’t come as a huge surprise. I experienced something similar in last year’s Olympia. In terms of what’s next, I am planning to compete in another 4.5 weeks in the Europa Phoenix Pro. Counting the Phoenix competition this will be my 9th contest in 17 months. I’m definitely in need of a legitimate offseason. I’m a hard worker to a fault sometimes. I feel there is still untapped potential to be accessed, but only with hard work in the gym vs. dieting. I look forward to getting back to my “first love” of simply lifting weights in the coming months and sharing the workouts with you here on Elitefts! And now for my first workout back at Gold’s Gym Kirkland. This is what I did this morning as essentially a secondary back workout…

Seated Pulley Rows Set 1 x 15 reps with 130lbs (warm-up) Set 2 x 14 reps with 150lbs (warm-up) Set 3 x 13 reps with 170lbs (warm-up) Set 4 x 10 reps with 190lbs Set 5 x 10 reps with 200lbs Set 6 x 10 reps with 210lbs Set 7 x 10 reps with 220lbs

* Use a close grip attachment and flex hard in the contracted position. Wide/Neutral Grip Lat Pull-Downs I used the widest grip position on this attachment for all 4 working sets: Swiss Multi Grip Cable Bar™ Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 170lbs *Drive the elbows down and contract the back hard.

Dumbbell Pullovers Sets 1 thru 4 x 12 reps with 70lbs *Lay on the bench vs across it and only bring the dumbbell to the top of your forehead to keep constant tension on the lats.

Single Arm Supinated Pull-Downs Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 90lbs *Pronate the wrist at the top and supinate as you pull the weight down at the bottom. Drive with your elbow and contract the lower lats hard.

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Back Cable Shrugs Sets 1 thru 3 x 15 reps with 190lbs *The key here is a massive pump so hold the contraction for a full 5-second count on every rep. Allow the weight to stretch your traps at the end of the 15th rep for a count of 20 seconds.

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9.26.14

Biceps & Triceps Here is the biceps and triceps workout that I performed this morning. It was designed by John Meadows as part of his Carnage Program and was a workout I missed last week as I was depleting for the Olympia.

Superset #1: Rope Pushdowns & Cable Curls Perform plenty of warm-ups before jumping into the following…

Rope Pushdowns Set 1 x 12 reps with 160lbs Set 2 x 12 reps with 170lbs Set 3 x 12 reps with 180lbs Set 4 x 12 reps with 190lbs *The key here is not worrying about flexing at the bottom. Simply pump the reps out with continuous tension. Superset with…

Cable Curls Set 1 x 15 reps with 60lbs Set 2 x 15 reps with 70lbs Set 3 x 15 reps with 80lbs Set 4 x 15 reps with 90lbs *Move immediately to the cable curls after each set of rope pushdowns. Flex hard at the top and do not completely straighten your arm at the bottom. Flex and pump!

Superset #2: Cross-Body Hammer Curls & Bench Dips Cross-Body Hammer Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 45lbs

* Perform all 10 reps on one arm before switching to the other. Curl the weight in front/across your body instead of beside it. Superset with…

Bench Dips Set 1 x 22 reps Set 2 x 18 reps Set 3 x 15 reps Set 4 x 13 reps

*I was training alone, but if you have a partner add some weight on your lap. If not, simply go to failure. Reps listed above are my bodyweight to failure. Go very slow on the eccentric portion of the movement and only go about ½ ways down.

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Biceps & Triceps Superset #3: Pronate Cable Kickbacks & Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls Pronated Cable Kickbacks I used something similar to this: Spud Inc - Short Ab Strap. I set the cable pulley to waist height and bent 90 degrees at the waist, facing the weight stack, hands in a pronate position and elbows pinned to my sides. When in the contracted position your palms should be facing the ceiling. Sets 1 thru 4 x 10 reps with 60lbs Superset with…

Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls Sets 1 thru 4 x 8 reps with 35lbs

* The key here is to lay back and let your arms hang while keeping your palms up the entire time. This will facilitate a good stretch on the biceps at the bottom. Keep your upper arm perpendicular to the floor as you curl up so that this doesn’t turn into a front delt exercise.

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9.28.14

Back & Chest I had a lot going on this past weekend as I collaborated once again with my long-time friend Joel Barham. Joel was instrumental in filming and editing all of my bodybuilding DVD titles. We both haven’t been this excited about a project since we filmed LEGACY. Anyway, Saturday’s leg workout turned into a 7 hour shoot so I’m not going to count it as an official leg workout nor record what we did in my training log. We are attempting something I don’t believe anyone in the world of bodybuilding has ever done before… In addition to tons of filming all weekend, I’m now less than 4 weeks out from the Phoenix Pro. I’m planning to compete there before shifting gears and focusing on a productive off-season. Since I already completed John Meadows’ Carnage Program I went into my training vault in search of something a little different to do the next few weeks before competing again. The following details a workout that I often used back in 2009 while preparing for the Olympia. It is an opposing muscle group workout for back and chest. Here is what it included…

THE BIG IDEA Okay, so a little clarification before I jump into the nuts and bolts of the workout. The idea is to train your back via a superset of two exercises, stretch lats for 30 seconds, rest for an additional 90 seconds, hit chest via a superset of two exercises, stretch pecs for 30 seconds, rest for an additional 90 seconds and then repeat beginning with back for a total of 4 rounds. This is Superset 1 and there will also be a Superset 2 for both back and chest.

Back Superset 1: Cable Pulley Rows & Face Pulls *Do a few warm-ups and feeder sets to get to a heavy weight. Set 1 Pulley Row x 6 reps w/220lbs -> Superset w/ Face Pulls x 8 reps w/130lbs Set 2 Pulley Row x 6 reps w/240lbs -> Superset w/ Face Pulls x 8 reps w/140lbs Set 3 Pulley Row x 6 reps w/260lbs -> Superset w/ Face Pulls x 8 reps w/150lbs Set 4 Pulley Row x 6 reps w/280lbs -> Superset w/ Face Pulls x 8 reps w/160lbs

** The key here is to go heavy, but maintain good form. Use a narrow, neutral grip attachment for the pulley rows. The face pulls are more like a chest pull in that you lean back and pull the weight to your chest vs face and hold in the contracted position for a split second. Perform Set 1, stretch lats for 30 seconds, rest an additional 90 seconds, and then do Set 1 of the Chest Superset 1 below. Then go back to Set 2 of the Back Superset 1, and alternated between chest and back until you’ve performed each superset 4 times. Chest Superset 1: Flat Hammer Press & Dumbbell Fly’s *Do a few warm-ups and feeder sets to get to a heavy weight. Set 1 Hammer Press x 6 reps w/3 plates each side -> Superset w/Dumbbell Fly’s x 8 reps w/45lbs Set 2 Hammer Press x 6 reps w/3 plates + 25lbs each side -> Superset w/Dumbbell Fly’s x 8 reps w/45lbs Set 3 Hammer Press x 6 reps w/3 plates + 35lbs each side -> Superset w/Dumbbell Fly’s x 8 reps w/45lbs Set 4 Hammer Press x 6 reps w/4 plates each side -> Superset w/Dumbbell Fly’s x 8 reps w/45lbs

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Back & Chest **Once again use heavy weight, but maintain good form. I stopped just short of lockout on the presses. Remember to stretch your pecs for 30 seconds, followed by another 90 second rest before returning to the back superset. I used this band and held it behind my back to stretch my pecs: elitefts™ Pro Mini Resistance Band…basically like doing an over-and-back but simply hold it behind you for 30 seconds.

Back Superset 2: Hammer Strength Low Row & Dumbbell Pullovers Set 1 Hammer Low Row x 6 reps w/2 plates each side -> Superset w/Pullovers x 8 reps w/65lbs Set 2 Hammer Low Row x 6 reps w/2 plates + 25lbs each side -> Superset w/Pullovers x 8 reps w/65lbs Set 3 Hammer Low Row x 6 reps w/3 plates each side -> Superset w/Pullovers x 8 reps w/65lbs Set 1 Hammer Low Row x 6 reps w/3 plates + 10lbs each side -> Superset w/Pullovers x 8 reps w/65lbs

* Fight like hell to hold the contraction for a gone 1-2 seconds on every rep of the Hammer Low Rows. Follow up the Dumbbell Pullovers with a 30 second lat stretch, an additional 90 seconds rest and then perform the Chest Superset 2 before returning to this exercise for Set 2. So alternate back-and-forth as you did previously. Chest Superset 2: Hammer Incline Press & Dips Set 1 Hammer Incline x 6 reps w/3 plates + 25lbs each side -> Superset w/Dips x 8 reps w/ bodyweight only Set 2 Hammer Incline x 6 reps w/3 plates + 35lbs each side -> Superset w/Dips x 8 reps w/ bodyweight only Set 3 Hammer Incline x 6 reps w/4 plates each side -> Superset w/Dips x 8 reps w/bodyweight only Set 4 Hammer Incline x 6 reps w/4 plates + 10lbs each side -> Superset w/Dips x 8 reps w/ bodyweight only

*Stop just short of lockout on the Hammer Incline Presses. Lean forward on the dips and work to keep the focus on your pecs more than triceps. After the 8th rep on dips immediately sink into the bottom position and allow your bodyweight to stretch your pecs for 30 seconds before resting an additional 90 seconds and returning to the Back Superset 2. ** Remember to perform 4 rounds each of both back and chest supersets 1 and 2.

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9.30.14

Legs Here was this mornings leg workout...it was pulled from one of the high volume weeks in John Meadows Carnage Program. For those that are not aware, John is my coach whom I compensate to program my workouts. Right now I’m in-between programs as I prepare to compete in another 3.5 weeks.

Glute Machine/Butt Blaster 4 sets of 10 reps with 100, 110, 120 and 130lbs, respectively

Adductor Machine 4 sets of 15 reps with 140, 180, 220 and 260lbs, respectively

Leg Press 5 sets of 12 reps with 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 plates per side, respectively

Prowler - Backwards Push 4 sets of 25 yards with 200lbs added (90 seconds rest between sets)

Leg Press (where I left off) 3 sets of 8 reps with 8, 9 and 10 plates per side, respectively

Leg Curls 3 sets of 10 reps with 125lbs 4th set of 10 reps with 125lbs, drop to 90lbs x 10 reps, drop to 60lbs x 10 reps

Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps with 200lbs 4th set of 10 reps with 200lbs, drop to 150lbs x 10 reps, drop to 100lbs x 10 reps Stretch quads and hamstrings for 4 rounds of 30 seconds each.

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