Reactive Pump™  Training

1 - Leg Curl

Do 2-4 warm up sets to get you started. Work up to a weight you can do for a solid 10 reps and do 3 sets with it. Once you finish your 3 sets, do a 4th set, but this time do the 10 and then drop the weight and do as many good reps as you can. As your form deteriorates (you can't do full reps), start doing partial reps. Keep going until you can't move your hams at all.

2 - Barbell Squat

Use a regular barbell (without chains) on these this week. Do a few higher rep warm ups (10-15), then start building up your weight doing sets of 6. I still want you to feel the "switch" kick in. It'll kick in even without the chains because your leg muscle should be more efficient at this from the previous weeks. Do sets of 6 up until you can barely get 6 (with perfect form). The last set or two won't be as explosive, but that's okay. You should be much more in tune with these now as mentioned earlier. We'll count the last 3 sets as working sets.

3 - Leg Extension

We're also going to do these explosively this week. Remember to not let your feet get underneath you; at the bottom of the rep you want your shins straight down, or just short of perpendicular to ground. Kick hard for 12 solid reps. Don't be afraid to go heavy on these. We're NOT shooting for constant tensions on these this week. Do 4 sets of 12. Try to go a little heavier each set, too.

Stretches – After your last set of leg extensions, a 30-second stretch on each quad.

4 – Leg Press

Now it's time to lay down the knockout punch on your quads. We're going to do an ascending set like we did at the beginning of this program, so find a middle of the road weight and do 4 reps. Then have your training partner(s) immediately throw another plate on each side and do another 4. Keep going in this manner until you can't complete the 4 reps.

Stretches – After your last rep of leg presses, do a 30-second stretch on each quad.

5 - Stiff-Legged Deadlift with Barbell

These are going to be done in a constant-tension style this week. I don't want you to come up all the way and flex the hams and glutes; instead, come up about ¾'s of the way and then lower the barbell. Use 25-pound plates to get a little extra stretch. Don't force the stretch, though. Go to where it feels comfortable, and don't forget to have a little bend in your knees at the bottom. Do 4 sets of 10.

1 - Banded Machine Hammer Press

Do as many warm ups as you need and then do 4 sets of 8. I want you to squeeze hard at the top against the band tension. So, lock out and flex on every rep for 1 second! If you can't do it, the weight is too heavy. On the last set, after you do your 8, do 10 partials out of the bottom.

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2 - Incline Bench Press

Do sets of 6 reps, increasing the weight until you reach a weight you can barely get 6 reps with. We'll count the last 3 sets as working sets. Don't touch your chest; stop an inch shy and don't lock out. Drive up hard. These should be explosive in nature, just not so light that your bar is traveling really fast.

3 - Chain Bench

Attach 2 chains on the inside of the bar and then quickly find a load you can do for 5 explosive reps. I want the bar flying off your chest. Touch your chest, pause for a split second, and then ram the weight up! Do 4 sets of 5.

4A/B/C – Dumbbell Hex Press / Pec Minor Dip / Partial Dip Out of Stretched Position

You've been doing dumbbell hex presses on the lighter chest day, but today they're going to be part of an awesome triset designed to get your chest as pumped as humanly possible. Do 8 reps, flexing hard at the top of each rep. Smash the dumbbells together as you drive up! If you don't have hex dumbbells, you can hold a piece of foam in the middle of the dumbbells.

Supersetted with pec minor dip:

As many as you can do (likely 6-10).

Supersetted with partial dip out of stretched position:

Use a wide hand placement on these. Tuck your chin into your chest, shoot your elbows out some instead of keeping them tucked in, and work the deep stretch only. Come up about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way on each rep. Shoot for 10.

5 - Dumbbell Bent-Over Side Lateral

On these I want you to do a set with a weight you can do for 20 reps with a full range of motion.

On the second set, I want you to do as many as you can with a full range of motion, and then do hang and swings where you just swing the weight with straight arms until your total rep count for the set is 30 reps.

On your third set, I want you to dig deep. Do as many full range of motion ones as you can, and then do swings until you hit 40 reps. Remember to just keep the weight moving while you're doing these. The pump should be almost unbearable after these.

6 - 6 Way

Just like before, grab two light dumbbells and sit down. Take the dumbbells out to the side (a side lateral) and then horizontally bring them together in front of you. They should be at about chest level. Now raise them straight over your head using your anterior delts. You'll feel a massive flex in your front delt. Now lower them back to chest level, and then swivel them back out to the side lateral position, and finally drop them back down to your side. That's one rep. Do 3 sets of 10.

7 - Cage Press

Set the pins up a little higher this week so you can drive a little more weight with a shorter range of motion. Eye level should be about right. Explode the weight up hard, stop on the pins, reset, and repeat! Do 4 sets of 5.

1 - One-Arm Barbell Row

Do a few warm ups to get you to a hard 8, and then stick with it for 4 sets. You should have the technique nailed down by this point in the program!

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2 - Single-Arm Pulldown

These are pulldowns done one arm at a time with a small handle. I want you to keep your wrist supinated the whole time. Lean back a little before you start your set, and MAINTAIN that lean. Focus on driving your elbow down and flexing your lower lat. Do 8 reps on one side, and then 8 on the other. Do 4 sets total. Flex hard at the bottom!!! Drive with your elbow; don't pull with your biceps!!

3 - Dumbbell Pullover

Remember to use the lying on the bench style as opposed to lying across the bench. Also, remember to not force the stretch. Take your time lowering the weight as you want to keep tension on your upper lats and serratus. If you lose the tension, you've lowered the dumbbell too low. Bring the dumbbell to the top of your forehead. Don't bring it so far that it's above your chest or you'll again lose some lat tension. Do 3 sets of 12.

4 - Chain Deadlift

Do sets of 3, working your way up to a weight you normally might do 8 to 10 with. Once you hit this weight, do 3 additional work sets where you add a chain to each side on each subsequent set.

5 - Kayak Row

Let's kill these again, just like last week!

On these I want you to set up inside a cable crossover type machine and hook up a cable curl bar that's set to just above eye level. Grab the bar on the ends, and start the movement as if you're doing a straight-arm pulldown, but as the weight comes down (keeping your arms straight) simulate rowing a kayak by pulling the bar back along your side and flexing your lower lat. Do 3 sets of 8 for each arm.

1 - Pec Minor Dip

These should feel great as you're doing them fresh and you're doing them for high reps. I want you to shoot for 20 reps a set for 3 total sets!

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2 – Machine Press

We're going to do these a little differently this week. I want you to really focus primarily on the stretch portion. Drive the weight up ¾ of the way and then come right back down. Doing these after the dips makes for an unbelievable pump-effect combo. Do 4 sets of 10.

3A/B – Stretch Pushup / Over and Back with a Band

On these, you're going to stack up two aerobic step benches on one side and two on the other. You'll put one hand on each stack. So in other words, you're just elevating the floor to allow for deep, full range-of-motion pushups. You're also going to elevate your feet on a box that's 8-12 inches high. When you do these, keep your chin up and don't let your lower back sway. Three 3 sets to failure on these! If you can get more than 15, throw a chain or two across your back!

Supersetted with over and back with a band:

You're going to go over and back 10 times each set. Do this after each set of stretch pushups.

4A/B – Dumbbell Bent-Over Side Lateral / Spidercrawl

I want you to do regular side laterals on these. Do sets of 10, then go immediately do spidercrawls.

Supersetted with spidercrawl:

As a refresher, stand facing a wall with a short red pro-mini band stretched between your wrists. Now move your hands up and down along the wall (a foot above head, down to just below the waist) 3 times for each set. Be sure to forcefully push your arms apart against the band so that you have to really fight to keep your hands from coming in during the set.

Note: The band has to provide significant tension; otherwise it won't work. Do this right and your delts will be on fire. They'll also benefit your rotator cuff musculature.

5 – Facepull with a Band

Grab a micromini band and pull your hands out to the side with straight arms. Once your arms are straight out to the side, flex your rear delts and hold for a second! Do 20 reps like this.

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1A/B – Rope Pushdown / Barbell Curl

Do as many rope pushdown warm ups as you need. Don't worry about flexing at the bottom. I want continuous blood-pumping tension up and down. We're going to start off with very high reps on the first superset combination just like last week. Do 20 reps on the pushdowns.

Supersetted with barbell curl:

On these I want you sitting down on a bench. You'll essentially be working the top half of the movement. Flex your bis as hard as you can while doing these! Do sets of 8.

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2A/B – Dumbbell Curl / Dip

On these I want you to do a full range of motion rep, come up only half way, and then lower the dumbbells back down. That's one rep. Keep your palms supinated the whole time. I want maximum tension on your bis. Do 8 reps on each set.

Superset with dips:

I want you to do the eccentric portion of the move even more slowly than last week. Instead of 4 seconds, take 5 seconds! You don't have to lock out this week; just drive the weight down hard (if you're using a dip machine) and then let it come up slowly for the 5 count. I want your reps to be around 8 for each of your sets.

3A/B – Kettlebell Lying Extension / Cross Body Hammer Curl

You can substitute an easy-curl bar for these if you don't have access to kettlebells. On each set you do, try to get a little more of a stretch at the bottom. Your tris should be maximally pumped headed into this so this stretch will feel great. Do sets of 10.

Supersetted with cross body hammer curl:

These are hammer curls where you do as the name implies and curl across the front of your body. Flex your arm hard as you contract. Let your arm completely straighten before doing a subsequent rep. You won't be able to use much weight, but that's okay – it doesn't matter on these. You'll feel an extremely intense burn, though. Do sets of 12. Do all 12 on one arm, and then do 12 on the other.

4A/B - Standing Calf Raise / Dorsiflexion

We're going back to the "fun" sequence. Do 10 reps and then hold the contraction at the top for 10 seconds, and then repeat the sequence 2 more times for one set. That means each set is really 30 reps, and you're doing 30 seconds of holds during each one. Do 3 sets of this medieval torture.

Superset with dorsiflexion:

After each set of calves, I want you to stand up and simply dorsiflex your foot to train the anterior tibialis. Do them until your tibialis goes numb. This usually happens between 30-50 reps.