Killer Abs Workout

We started off with a pretty good set of weights. The pec deck holds - literally just holding out a pec deck handle for as long as possible - were surprisingly hard.

Exercise	Warmup	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Triceps Dip Chin-up	15×-35kg 15×-35kg	12×0kg 12×-15kg	10×4kg 5×-10kg/5×-15kg	8×8kg 8×-10kg
Barbell Decline Triceps Extension	15×10kg	12×20kg	5×22.5kg/5×20kg	8×20kg
Pec Deck One Arm Hold	30s×28kg	30s×63kg	30s×70kg	30s×77kg

We finished off with Andy's killer abs workout, which consists of:

• Plank, 30s.
• Side plank, 30s each side.
• 15 swiss ball crunches.
• 15 reverse crunches.
• High-to-low cable wood-choppers @ 64kg, 15 each side.
• Low-to-high cable wood-choppers @ 64kg, 15 each side.

It doesn't sound like much, but the last set of wood-shoppers cane. Oh, and you do the whole thing twice.

The 'Terminator' Press

Andy's taken to devising new combination exercises to pummel our muscles. Yesterday's creation, the 'Terminator' press, is simply brutal. The sequence is; Clean, Press to behind neck, Squat, Behind Neck Press, Inverted Reverse Curl, Inverted Deadlift. Reverse curl bar back to shoulders and repeat from press.
Given there's no chance of any exercise website having an animation for all that, you'll have to rely on that description, at least until I decide to bring a video camera to the gym and start making my own.

Overall, I wasn't too happy with this session. I still feel knackered after being ill last week, and have yet to shake the cough it's left me. Couldn't push myself at all.

The box jumps really cane your quads, too. I was expecting today's boot camp to hurt, and sure enough it did.

Exercise	Warmup	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
'Terminator' Press	15×10kg	12×20kg	7×22.5kg	8×20kg
Dumbbell Bench Press Barbell Decline Triceps Extension	15×12kg 15×20kg	12×18kg 12×20kg	10×20kg 10×22.5kg	8×22kg 8×30kg
Dumbell Curls(21s)		21×10kg	21×10kg	21×10kg
22" Box Jumps		50
Box Lateral Shuffle		30s / 30s †

†: Both legs moving together, symmetrically.

Supersets 2: Triceps, Chest, Legs and Abs

I was dead chuffed with this session. I'd under-slept the night before, and wasn't even sure if I would make it to the gym, between that and how much my muscles still ached from the last session. Though knackered when I arrived, by the time we hit the skull-crushers adrenalin had kicked in (or perhaps the CEE I'd munched just before leaving the office), and the rest of the workout was brilliant. Never thought I'd lift that 40kg bar, even if my muscles gave out one shy of a full set. We were there for two hours, and even got in some boxing in the end. Class.

Today, I've got a burn in my chest, abs, and bizarrely, my upper back - but the part that really canes is my quads. I can barely walk!

Exercise	Warmup	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Cable Pushdown	15×20kg	12×45kg	10×50kg	8×55kg
Triceps Dip		12×-40kg	10×-30kg	10×-20kg
Dumbbell Fly Barbell Decline Triceps Extension	15×6kg 15×20kg	12×12kg 12×30kg	10×14kg 10×35kg	8×16kg 7×40kg
Medicine Ball Incline Crunch†		30×3kg	30×3kg
Weighted Lying Straight Leg Raise		20×2kg	20×2kg	20×2kg
Overhead Medicine Ball Lunge‡		20×4kg	20×4kg	20×4kg

†: Throwing the medicine ball and catching it between crunches.
‡: With a medicine ball held overhead (rather than a barbell on shoulders as illustrated). Last set with eyes closed to increase core stability work.

The numbers for the triceps dip are low because I was concentrating on perfecting my form, and using a full range of motion. My shoulders are sufficiently inflexible that I can't hold a barbell behind my neck comfortably - so this was hard work, and I felt it almost entirely in my shoulders rather than my chest or triceps.

Full-body supersets

Supersets are Andy's favourite new manoeuvre, which he inflicted to 'get me back up to speed'.
They hurt. A lot. Though caning my biceps the day before probably didn't help.

Exercise	Warmup	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Dumbbell Bench Press Dumbbell Bent-over Row	12×8kg	12×14kg	10×20kg	8×24kg
Push-up†		8
Dumbbell Arnold Press	12×6kg	12×10kg	10×12kg	8×14kg(+16.7%)
Cable Twist‡ Cable Kneeling Crunch	15×20kg 30×20kg	12×25kg 24×30kg	10×30kg 20×40kg	8×35kg 16×50kg
Push-up		10	8
Kneeling Push-up				10

†: Balancing exercise, with hands on a 3kg medicine ball.
‡: Holding a cable attachment with both hands, arms straight out in front of chest (as opposed to the lever illustrated).

Supersets are market with a khaki-coloured bar to their left.