Here is Brad’s Summer Weight Training Program that featured in our Oct newsletter

In the winter months you should have been focusing on basic movements eg bench press, squats, rows etc. using as much weight as you can for 6-12 reps. Your training should have been centred around 3-4 training sessions a week, hitting each body part only once a week.

Here is a program that you can work on over summer. Now it is time to enjoy the outdoors and take up the advantages that summer brings, but also still hitting the weights to maintain your strength and muscle mass.

The way I achieve this is to back off to two workouts a week, say Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.

The workouts are whole body now and you follow a few simple steps to achieve this goal.

1. Do a total of 3-5sets for each exercise per workout and keep reps at 10-15 for each exercise.
2. Use super sets or giant sets when choosing exercises and do 3-5 of these – a giant set is when the set involves completing multiple exercises one after another without resting until the last exercise is complete.
3. Keep rest intervals to about 30-60 seconds.
4. We use the straight set method for all exercises – use the same weight for each set.
5. All exercises should be done in continuous tension fashion.

Giant set 5 sets 10-15 reps for all exercises

Shoulder press

Seated dumbbell curl

Leg extension

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat

Super set 5 sets 10-15 reps for all exercises

Lat pull downs to front

Sit Ups

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat

Giant set 5sets 10-15 reps for all exercises

Flat dumbbell bench press

Triceps push down

Lying leg curl

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat

There is your summer workout complete. This should give you a good idea on how to set up your workout.

All the exercises transition easily from one to the other. The idea is to set up each super set or giant set first and then once completed set up the next and go for it again but this time targeting different body parts.

Instead of going up in weight try cutting back your rest time between sets. Start at 1 min rest and then go to 45 seconds and then to 30 seconds. You will be surprised at how hard this gets.

These programs should really get your heart rate pumping so you won’t need to be staying indoors wasting the summer months on a treadmill. Get outdoors and go for a walk, run, swim, ride or whatever turns you on (sitting in a beer garden slugging down pints is not included!). These are all far more enjoyable ways to keep in shape and will keep you more motivated for the hard and intense training that lies ahead.

Good luck!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm and is filed under Weight Training Programs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.