Compound Aftershock Arm Training

You’re on an abbreviated routine, training bench presses, squats and deadlifts twice a week and you’re getting strong as a bull but something’s still missing. You just don’t feel like a bodybuilder. Three words sum up the reason why: arms and abs. What you need is a solid dose of gunslinging and ab etching thrown into the mix to give you a sleeve-stretching pump and some midsection sizzle.

Yes, you’ve read again and again that you shouldn’t add sets or exercises when you’re on an abbreviated program, but if you’re not excited about your training, you’re not making the best gains possible. If it takes adding a few sets for the show bodyparts to get your juices flowing, so be it. Unless you’re totally in the genetic toilet, some ab and arm work will only push your enthusiasm and muscle gains to the next level as long as you dont abuse it.

The no-abuse policy means you need quick, efficient training programs for those bodyparts, routines that don’t drain your recovery ability but still exhaust and pump the muscles to spur new growth. The best technique for that is to superset two exercises for the same bodypart.

Granted, supersetting exercises for the same muscle is a brutal way to train, but that’s what makes it so effective and is the very reason the training must be brief. You’ll be extremely rewarded in the mass and vascularity departments in a very short period of time because the technique triggers an immediate adaptation in a number of specific physiological responses.

Capillarization

Scientists don’t really know how much a veinous network expansion in each muscle contributes to overall size; however, they do know that it contributes not only to the sheer size of a muscle but also to its function. So a pump can build more capillaries in a muscle, which in turn can give it more girth and make it more efficient at removing waste products and pumping in needed growth nutrients and fuel, such as creatine. On the surface, new vascularity will be a sure indication to everyone that you’re in phenomenal shape. You’ll be amazed at the way a few new veins running down your forearms and crisscrossing your quads can inspire such comments as, Man, you’re looking a helluva lot bigger these days even if you haven’t gained an ounce.

GH Release

Studies have shown that changing the pH of the blood due to muscle burn and lactic acid release can create intense surges in growth hormone. European researcher Michael G’ndill and American researcher Jerry Brainum have both written about that phenomenon in IRONMAN. Supersetting two exercises for the same bodypart is one of the best ways to achieve muscle burn and set the stage for a significant increase in GH release.

Fiber Recruitment

There are a number of fiber types in every muscle. To get the maximum growth stimulation, you must achieve hypertrophy in as many fibers as possible, even the slow-twitch, aerobic fibers. (By the way, growth hormone has been shown to stimulate growth in those fibers as well as the anaerobic fibers.) That means you need a variety of rep ranges to attack the various fiber types. With supersets you essentially get the benefits of a low-rep set with the first exercise you should hit failure at around rep seven and a high-rep set as you finish the second, which essentially extends the first set with medium-intensity reps that build to a high-intensity climax as you hit failure at around rep six or seven. What you do in that short time is attack the lower-rep type 2 fibers with the first exercise and then exhaust the higher-rep type 2s with the second set. Plus, you no doubt involve some type 1s (aerobic) as well. That’s essential training efficiency at its best.

You can get even more fiber recruitment if you use stretch-position movements as one of the exercises in your superset. When a muscle is put in an elongated state prior to contracting, it can trigger an emergency neuromuscular response. The body senses danger a possibility that muscle damage may occur so it recruits more fibers to contract in order to prevent injury. If you do decide to use stretch-position exercises as part of a superset, it’s probably best to make them the first exercise, as doing them second, when the target muscle is already fatigued, can cause you to have less control, so there’s more potential for injury.

Incidentally, G’ndill recommends stretching and stretch-position movements because they increase the muscles sensitivity to testosterone by increasing the number of androgen receptors inside the stretched muscle. Remember, you’re looking for efficiency of effort, so you don’t want to waste time and deplete too much of your recovery ability doing set after endless set. Stimulating the target muscles androgen receptors via stretch exercises while also training the gamut of muscle fibers with resistance can be a key mechanism in the efficient-muscle-building equation.

We’re talking supersets here, so once you execute a perfect set of a stretch exercise, you move immediately to a second exercise for the target bodypart. For that you choose a compound movement, an exercise that trains the target bodypart along with other muscles, so you get the most muscle-stimulating bang for your effort buck. Compound movements train a bodypart with synergy, or muscle teamwork, which is a key to getting the most overload. It’s the reason squats are so much more effective than leg extensions for building leg mass.

To put it more succinctly, your efficient training strategy for arms and abs should be a stretch exercise supersetted with a compound movement, a.k.a. Compound Aftershock training.

Compound Aftershock Arm Training

While stretch-position exercises can be incredibly effective at stimulating growth, they can also be somewhat dangerous due to the target muscles elongation. Doing them first in a bodypart routine makes the danger even more pronounced, so you must warm up with light weights before launching into your first Compound Aftershock superset. While your triceps and biceps will be somewhat warm from your bench presses and deadlifts or bent-over rows, you should still perform at least one light warmup set in the stretch position for each muscle.

Begin with triceps and overhead extensions. Choose a barbell or dumbbell that’s about 50 percent of the weight you plan to use for your work set. Perform 10 slow, strict reps, emphasizing the stretch at the bottom. Be sure you use a full range of motion. One set will suffice, but two is optimal.

After your warmup sets pause for a minute or two, zone in on the target bodypart and then begin your Compound Aftershock superset for triceps:

Aftershock superset
Overhead extensions* 1-2 x 6-8
Close-grip bench presses
or dips 1-2 x 6-8
*Don’t pause at the top or bottom of each rep; keep the weight moving at the rate of two seconds up and two seconds down.

The same warmup procedure goes for biceps. Begin with incline dumbbell curls, one to two light sets with 50 percent of your work weight, then move into the Compound Aftershock superset:

Aftershock superset
Incline dumbbell curls* 1-2 x 6-8
Undergrip chins
or undergrip pulldowns 1-2 x 6-8
*Don’t pause at the top or bottom of each rep; keep the weight moving at the rate of two seconds up and two seconds down.

All it takes is one or two rounds of the superset combinations to get an unreal pump and burn in your arms and that’s part of what makes the routine so effective. You stimulate capillary growth via a full-blown pump, GH release due to the burn and maximum fiber recruitment by using a stretch exercise followed by a compound movement. You also get some residual work for other bodyparts with the compound exercises. Undergrip pulldowns and chins train your lats, while close-grip bench presses and dips work your chest and shoulders. Now, that’s efficient.

Simply tack on these programs to your basic abbreviated routine, and you’ll notice new growth in your arms in as little as two weeks. (See the routine at the end of this feature.)

Compound Aftershock Ab Training

Most programs for the genetically challenged either skip ab training altogether, throw in a few sets of crunches at the end as an afterthought or have you do endless reps on a number of different exercises, with no rhyme or reason as to why you do the specific movements. None of those tactics is the way to get an etched midsection at least not in terms of getting it as fast as possible with efficient effort. The key is to analyze the midsection and train the primary muscle structure, the rectus abdominis, with progressive resistance in a manner that doesn’t drain your recovery ability. That will make the tendons that crisscross the muscle sit deeper, which makes for a more delineated midsection when your bodyfat is low. Once again, the answer is Compound Aftershock, supersetting a stretch exercise with a compound movement.

You achieve the stretch position for the rectus abdominis by arching your lower back and lifting your rib cage. The Ab Bench is the perfect piece of equipment for achieving that stretch. It provides a safe range of motion, a comfortable seat with an arched lower-back pad and the means to add weight as you get stronger. If you don’t have access to an Ab Bench, you can either do preacher bench cable crunches or full-range crunches.

To perform preacher bench cable crunches correctly:

1) Attach a double rope to an overhead cable and place a preacher bench set at a low level or a low-back chair in front of the pulley.
2) With a rope in each hand, sit on the preacher bench facing away from the pulley with your lower back supported by the preacher bench pad, and anchor your hands on your chest.
3) Lean your torso back to prestretch your abs, and as soon as you reach maximum stretch, exhale as you crunch forward to contract your rectus abdominis.
4) Hold for a two count to contract your abs, then inhale as you release back to the prestretch position.

To perform full-range bench crunches correctly:

1) Lie faceup on a bench press bench, positioning yourself so your feet are supported on a barbell bar that’s resting on the uprights and your upper back is extending off the end of the bench.
2) Lower slowly into the stretch position, then curl your torso up and exhale as you contract your rectus abdominis.
3) Hold for a two count at the top of each rep as you contract your abs, then inhale as you release back to the prestretch position.
4) You can hold a barbell plate on your chest or behind your head for more resistance, but be sure you don’t use it to create momentum.
5) Use a two-seconds-up/two-seconds-down cadence.

It’s harder to add weight to the full-range bench crunch, but the movement is easier to master than the preacher bench version, so if you’re a beginner, the full-range crunch is probably your best choice. Don’t add weight until you can do at least 15 reps in perfect form. When you can, try holding a 10-pound plate behind your head or on your chest. After that you can move to preacher bench cable crunches.

As an abdominal warmup do two sets of a few slow, controlled reps. Just do enough to get some blood into the area but not so much that you tax your abdominals. Once you feel ready, launch into your Compound Aftershock ab routine:

Aftershock superset

Ab Bench crunch pulls, full-range crunches or preacher bench crunches 1-2 x 6-8
Incline kneeups or hanging kneeups 1-2 x 6-8
Kneeups work your rectus abdominis with the help of your hip flexor muscles; however, you have to achieve a hip curl at the end of each rep to get maximum ab involvement. If you can’t roll your hips toward your torso at the end of each rep, do your kneeups flat on the floor until you are strong enough to move to a bench that’s set at a slight incline.

One last thought on ab etching: You won’t see abs unless you have relatively low bodyfat around 6 to 8 percent. Supplements can help if you need to let some air out of the spare tire around your middle. Try an ECA type of combination that helps the body mobilize fat, with Muscle-Link’s Thyro Stak, a guggelsterone-phosphate mix that optimizes thyroid activity. Those two supplements synergize to form a powerful fat-melting weapon. [ECA stacks are available from Home Gym Warehouse, 1-800-447-0008, and Thyro Stak is available from Muscle-Link, 1-800-667-4626.]

Abbreviated training can produce spectacular results in overall mass, but without direct arm work and ab burn it can often feel as if you aren’t getting enough work. The Compound Aftershock arm and ab programs solve the problem elegantly and efficiently so you maximize growth stimulation with a minimal chance of triggering overtraining. Incorporate them into your current routine and see if you don’t get a bigger reading on the muscle-building Richter scale.

Editor’s note: While the stretch-compound superset strategy can be effective for bodyparts other than arms and abs, it’s usually best to start with one heavy set of a compound movement before moving on to a stretch-compound superset. The new revised Compound Aftershock book details that tactic along with complete routines, explanations and information on supercompensation, Isolation Aftershock and forced-rep training. Plus, there are basic superset routines, the Compound Aftershock Diet and Supplement Schedule and a big Q&A section. To order send $14.95 plus $4.90 shipping and handling to Homebody Production, P.O. Box 2800, Ventura, CA 93002 or order through the Home Gym Warehouse online order form.

Abbreviated Muscle-Building Program
With Compound Aftershock Arm and Ab Work

Monday
Bench presses* 3 x 6-8
Squats* 3 x 6-8
Deadlifts* 3 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Overhead extensions 1-2 x 6-8
Close-grip bench presses or dips 1-2 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Incline dumbbell curls
Undergrip chins or undergrip pulldowns 1-2 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Ab Bench crunch pulls, full-range crunches or preacher bench crunches 1-2 x 6-8
Incline kneeups or hanging kneeups 1-2 x 6-8

Thursday
Bench presses* 3 x 6-8
Squats* 3 x 6-8
Bent-over rows* 3 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Overhead extensions 1-2 x 6-8
Close-grip bench presses or dips 1-2 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Incline dumbbell curls 1-2 x 6-8
Undergrip chins or undergrip pulldowns 1-2 x 6-8
Aftershock superset
Ab Bench crunch pulls, or full-range crunches or preacher bench crunches 1-2 x 6-8
Incline kneeups or hanging kneeups 1-2 x 6-8
*After one month go to 4 x 5.