13737073 Muscle Fitness Magazine 12 Weekrock Hard Challenge 2008

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Rock  HaRd cHallenge 2

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Get in the best shape f yur life with ur new muscle-building, fat-burning training, diet and muscle-building, supplement prgram. prgram. Ready t get rck hard? INSIDE Cmplete Wrkut Prgram . 74 Pullut Training Card . 80 Cntest Entry Frm . 86 The Rck-Hard Diet . 88 Rules & Regulatins . 270

TRAINING

Month

1

Kick ff yur jurney t a new yu with the first phase f ur prgressie prgram By JoE WuEBBEN | PHoToS By PavEl yTHJall Program By JImmy PEña, mS, CSCS

Rock  HaRd Rain in    e    m    a    N    s    ’    r    e    h    P    a    r    g    o    t    o    h

 We ceted the rc-Hd Chene in 2001  with  e sipe peise in ind: Help readers

dramatically transform their physiques in a very short period — three months, to be exact. We not only provided a highly effective training program and diet regimen but added incentive in the form of a contest to help maximize our readers’ motivation. ❡ Seven years later, the Rock-Hard Challenge is still going strong and the premise remains unchanged: Follow our three-month training and diet plans to a T to get in the best shape of your life. And if turning your physique around 180 degrees in just three month’s time isn’t motivation enough, consider this — a $2,500 grand prize for both the men’s and women’s Rock-Hard champions. Not bad, huh? >> Lie back n an incline bench (set t 30–45 degrees) with a rack and grasp

the bar with an erhand grip utside shulder width. Unrack the bar and psitin it directly er yur upper chest, arms etended. Slwly lwer the bar t yur upper chest. Tuch the bar t yur chest lightly, then press it back up t the start psitin withut lcking ut yur elbws.

What we also offer this time that we didn’t in the early years of the Challenge is a true multimedia experience: The Rock-Hard Challenge is now on DVD. Your hosts , m&f Fitness Director Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS, and personal trainer and fitness model Linda Ruggiero, walk you through the entire three months with the help of three of  the industry’s most successful competitors and models — Stan McQuay,  Jim Romagna and Timea Majorova — who demonstrate each exercise in the program. Also available is the RockHard Challenge Training Log, which includes the entire training program and diet plan, as well as a specifically formatted Rock-Hard Journal to record every set you do and every meal you consume. The Rock-Hard Challenge DVD ($9.99) and Training Log ($9.99) can be purchased at musclestuff.com. That said, welcome to Month 1 of  the 2008 Rock-Hard Challenge. What follows is the guide for your first four weeks of lifting and cardio (the RockHard Diet begins on page 88). The beauty of the training regimen is that it’s both simple and demanding, which is all you really need if you have the dedication to follow the program religiously. You’ll also notice, especially in Months 2 and 3, that it’s a progressive program — you’ll push yourself more in terms of volume, intensity and cardio duration as the days, weeks and

 A >> Stand erect hlding a barbell acrss yu r upper traps. Psitin yur feet rughly shul der-width apart and push yur chest ut slightly s yur back arches naturally. Squat dwn with the weight as if sitting in a chair, keeping the arch in yur back. When yur thighs are parallel t the flr, push yurself up thrugh yur heels, etending yur knees and hips, t return t the standing psitin .

A >> Sit n a lw-back seat r adjustable bench set upright hlding a pair f dumbbells. Lift the weights t just utside yur shulders, palms facing frward. Press the dumbbells straight up until the weights are erhead with yur elbws  just shrt f lckut. Slwly lwer th e weights t the start psitin.

B B

   N    a    i    l    l    i    g   :    P    u   d    e   a    k   e    a   h    e    m    t    i    &   h    r    i    w    a   y    h   d    N   ;   i    a   C    C  :  ,    r    k   o    N   t    a   C    B   e    r   r    u   i    B   d    e   N    o    s   i    u   h    o   s    h   a    r   f    e   ;    k    w    o   C    P   o    l   :   t    i    m    y   h

>> Stand erect hlding

a barbell with yur arms etended straight dwn in frnt f yu and yur knees slightly bent. Keeping yur elbws in at yur sides, curl the weight tward yur chest. Squeeze yur biceps fr a cunt at the tp, then slwly return the bar t the start psitin — dn’t let it drp.

 A

B

months pass. Without a doubt, this year’s installment of the Rock-Hard Challenge matches, if not exceeds, the level of past challenges, which falls right in line with your goal: to take your physique to heights never before reached. That’s quite a challenge. Are you up to it?

roCk-HarD SPECIfICS Before you jump into the first month of lifting, here’s a quick overview of  the program: >> tra S You’ll lift four days a week, training each bodypart once (with the exception of calves and abs, which you’ll train twice a week) and pairing muscle groups as follows: Day 1, chest and triceps; Day 2, legs, calves and abs; Day 3, shoulders, calves and abs; and Day 4, back and biceps. Which days of the week you want to train is entirely up to you. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday always work well, but if you’d prefer to work out, say, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, or even Sunday through Wednesday, go right ah ead. This training split will remain the same for all three months of the program. >> ers S The exercises included in the Rock-Hard Challenge are basic, tried-and-true moves performed with straight sets. The intent isn’t to try to reinvent the wheel but rather to emphasize compound exercises that train the most muscle to promote maximum hypertrophy and calorie-burning to lose bodyfat. We’ll introduce different exercises in Months 2 and 3, but again, the movements are basic, core lifts that you’ve likely done before. >> Ss, Rs ad Ws RockHard is a high-volume program, meaning you’ll do a high number of  sets for each bodypart (up to 30-plus total sets in a given workout). It also combines both heavy (low-rep) and light (high-rep) sets throughout the three months, which will help build muscle and burn fat during workouts as well as at rest. For example, many exercises call for 5–6 sets, and your reps will range from 6–12 in Month 1, 5–15 in Month 2 and 4–20 in Month 3.

Rock  1 HaRd Month

CHallENgE

TraININg Program

>> Yu’ll repeat the fllwing rutines each week fr the net fur weeks, lifting n whicheer fur days f the week yu chse. While it wuld seem the wrkuts are the same frm week t week, if yu’re pushing yurself t failure n eery set, yu shuld be able t use heaier weights n many eercises each week.

DAy 1: Chest, triceps exeRciSe CHEST Incline Bench Press Bench Press Decline Flye TRICEPS Bench Dip Clse-Grip Bench Press Lying Triceps Etensin

SetS

RepS

6 6 4

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 12

5 5 5

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12

DAy 2: Legs, cales, abs  A >> Psitin yurself as yu wuld n the bench press, but grasp the bar (laded with a lighter weight than yu use fr wide-grip benching) with yur hands 6–12 inches apart. Lwer the bar t yur mid-t-lwer chest, then press it back up eplsiely, keeping yur elbws as clse t yur sides as pssible.

B

exeRciSe LEGS Squat Leg Press Lunge Leg Etensin Leg Curl ABS Crunch Reerse Crunch CALvES Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

SetS

RepS

5 5 5 2 2

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 12

2 2

15 15

2 2

12 12

>> Sit in a leg press machine and place the balls f yur feet lw n the platfrm apprimately 6–12 inches apart with yur heels hanging ff the bttm. Keeping a slight bend in yur knees, lwer the platfrm until yu feel a gd stretch in yur cales, then etend yur ankles t press the weight up as far as yu can.

DAy 3: Shulders, cales, abs exeRciSe DELTS oerhead Dumbbell Press Upright Rw Bent-oer Lateral Raise ABS Crunch Reerse Crunch CALvES Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

SetS

RepS

6 5 2

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12

2 2

15 15

2 2

12 12

DAy 4: Back, biceps exeRciSe BACK Bent-oer Rw Seated Rw Lat Pulldwn BICEPS Barbell Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Dumbbell Preacher Curl

SetS

RepS

6 6 4

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12

5 5 2

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 10

>> Lie faceup n the flr with yur knees

bent abut 90 degrees, feet n the flr, and yur arms either acrss yur chest r yur hands behind yur head. Cntract yur abs t lift yur shulder blades ff the flr, then lwer yurself slwly. The range f mtin is ery shrt — the gal is t press yur lwer back int the flr t bring yu r sternum clser t yur pelis.

CarDIo  Ws 1 & 2 >> 3 days per week (either after lifting r n days yu dn’t lift ) >> 30 minutes (45 fr Week 2) n yur chice f cardi equipment >> Perfrm at a steady state f 60% f maimum heart rate

 Ws 3 & 4 >> 4 days per week (either after lifting r n days yu dn’t lif t) >> 45 minutes n yur chice f cardi equipment >> Perfrm at a steady state f 65% f maimum heart rate

 A >> Stand hlding a barbell with a shulder-width, erhand grip. Bend yur knees slightly and bend er at yur waist s yur trs is clse t parallel t the flr; keep yur trs i n this psitin thrughut. Start with yur arms etended, hanging straight dwn, and pull the bar int yur midsectin. At the tp f the me, squeeze yur shulder blades tgether fr a cunt t ful ly cntract yur back muscles, then slwly return the bar t the start.

B

The amount of weight you select for each set is critical. Since your goal is to transform your physique in just three short months, you’ll want to really push yourself, lifting to failure on each set. Thus, on a set of si x reps, don’t pick a weight with which you can do 8–10 reps; rather, choose a weight that makes a seventh rep physically impossible to achieve. As you get stronger, increase the weight you use to maximize the effectiveness of the program — for example, one week you might fail at 10 reps with 100 pounds, but maybe the next week you fail at 110 pounds. >> Rs prds During this first month, you’ll rest 1–2 minutes between each set. This rest period is ideal for sufficient recovery that will allow you to train at a high intensity in each workout. As your body becomes more conditioned to the fierce workouts, your rest periods will shorten — in Month 2, you’ll rest no more than one minute between sets, and in Month 3, that time shrinks to 30–45 seconds. >> card The training portion of the Challenge won’t be limited to only lifting. This first month, you’ll do cardio 3–4 days a week on your choice of  cardio equipment (treadmill, stairstepper, bike, etc.) at 60%–65% of your max heart rate (see above left). >> U n… As the Rock-Hard Challenge is a progressive program, we’ll up the stakes next month, and then the month after, with more exercises, more sets and, all in all, more intense training sessions. But don’t worry about that just yet. Take the program one day — one workout — at a time, following the regimen we’ve drawn up set by set, rep by rep. All it takes is focus, discipline and, most important, desire. If you possess these traits, you’ll no doubt be up to the challenge. M&F

NoW aT m&f oNlINE Exercise descriptions can be found at  muscleandfitness.com. To share your  progress with other readers or ask  our fitness director a question, go to  muscleandfitness.com/boards.To  purchase the Rock-Hard Challenge  DvD, go to musclestuff.com

Month

1

m&f Rock HaRd cHallenge

TRAINING LOG

>> Recrd yur wrkuts n this lg. When yu’re dne wit h Mnth 1, mail it t M&F’s Rck-Hard Challenge,

21100 Erwin St., Wdland Hills, CA 91367 by July 31, 2008, t be eligible fr the grand prize.

DAy 1: Chest, triceps ExERCISE cheSt Incline Bench Press Bench Press Decline Flye tRicepS Bench Dip Clse-Grip Bench Press Lying Triceps Etensin

SETS

REPS

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

6 6 4

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 12

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

5 5 5

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

DAy 2: Legs, cales, abs ExERCISE legS Squat Leg Press Lunge Leg Etensin Leg Curl  ABS Crunch Reerse Crunch cAlveS Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

SETS

REPS

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

5 5 5 2 2

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 12

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________

2 2

15 15

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

2 2

12 12

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

DAy 3: Delts, cales, abs ExERCISE DeltS oerhead Dumbbell Press Upright Rw Bent-oer Lateral Raise  ABS Crunch Reerse Crunch cAlveS Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbell Calf Raise

SETS

REPS

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

6 5 2

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

2 2

15 15

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

2 2

12 12

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

_________ _________

SETS

REPS

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

6 6 4

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

5 5 2

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 10

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________

DAy 4: Back, biceps ExERCISE BAck Bent-oer Rw Seated Rw Lat Pulldwn BicepS Barbell Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Dumbbell Preacher Curl

Recrd yur weights used in the crrespnding blanks.

Please see the official Cntest Rules n page 270.

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