February 11, 2012 Workout Routine- Shoulders/Cardio

Muscle Prodigy is committed to helping you with your fitness goals. You need to hit the gym often and hard. However, sometimes it gets overwhelming with what to do in the gym. We're here to break down a structure for you that will include a detailed script of exactly what you should be doing in the gym each day. That's right...every Monday we will post the schedule for the week, meaning that you will have advance notice of exactly what days you should be hitting the gym, which muscle groups you will be training, and which days you have off to give your body adequate rest. Every single morning, we will post the routine of the day, so you know exactly what to do while in the gym.

These routines are exactly what the founders of Muscle Prodigy do, so you know that you are in good hands. We will always stay committed to provide you with tough workouts, but we will never overtrain you like most other programs do. We also show you exactly how to perform the exercises with our before and after pictures and our instructional videos, in which we demonstrate the exercises and walk you through them. Be sure to check back every single day for your structured workout program!

Please check out our Exercise Database to learn how to do any type of workout as well. 

Schedule for the Week of February 6, 2012:

Monday: Chest/Abs
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Abs/Cardio
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Arms/Cardio
Saturday: Shoulders/Cardio
Sunday: Off

For this week you will focus on doing standard workouts, incorporating both compound and isolation exercises. You will do both high reps and low reps to work on your muscular endurance and strength. For your cardio exercises, you will do intervals on the treadmill. Make sure you increase the weight as the reps decrease (and vise-versa). Make sure you warm up properly doing 3-4 sets before starting your working sets for a specific muscle group. 

For Saturday, February 11, you will train your shoulders and then finish with cardio intervals on the treadmill.

Shoulders

1) Standing Shoulder Press
15 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps


Stand up to a barbell, with feet shoulder-width apart, and deadlift it up properly in order to prevent injury. With the barbell in hand (hands at shoulder-width apart) with both palms facing toward your body, and head looking forward, back straight, abs tight, and feet planted, clean the bar up to your shoulders by rotating your wrists and lifting the bar while getting under it, and simultaneously splitting your legs so that one foot is in front of the other (staggered stance).  Keep your knees bent. Press the barbell up over your head until your arms lock out and fully extended above. Slowly bring the barbell back down to the original position in which your arms are just below parallel.

2) Arnold Press

5 sets of 6 reps (go heavy)

Sit down on a seat with a back rest with feet sturdily planted on the ground, head looking forward, back straight against the pad but with a slight arch, and abs tight. Curl the dumbbells up so the dumbbells are being held by your chest with your arms tucked into your sides. In one smooth motion, push the dumbbells up whilst simultaneously rotating the dumbbells (so palms switch directions 180 degrees) until the dumbbells are over your head and arms are locked out. Slowly bring the dumbbells back down to the original position with the dumbbells in front of your chest and palms facing towards you.

3 sets of 15 reps

Stand up with a barbell and feet shoulder-width apart. With the barbell out in front of you (in front of your thighs) and head looking forward, back straight, abs tight, and feet planted, slowly bring the barbell up along your body, as illustrated, using your shoulders while keeping your elbows above your forearms throughout the entire movement. It should be brought up in a linear motion. Hold the barbell up at the top to squeeze the muscle at the top of the movement. Slowly bring the barbell down in a linear movement along your body until your arms are hanging down in front of you again.

4) Leaning Side Lateral Raise

3 sets of 20 reps (each arm)

Stand up next to a sturdy bar with a dumbbell in one hand feet close together holding the dumbbell beside you with your arm extended and hanging and your other arm holding onto the bar. Lean sideways so that if you let go with your arm holding the bar you would undoubtedly fall over. With head looking forward, back straight, abs tight, and feet planted, slowly bring the dumbbell up sideways in in an arc-like motion until it is level with your shoulders while keeping your arm fully extended throughout the motion. Hold it at the top for a brief moment to squeeze your deltoid at the top of the movement. Slowly bring the dumbbell down in that same arc-like motion until your arm is hanging down again.