This routine consists of a traditional push/pull routine along with an intense cardio warm-up ranging between 10 to 15 minutes.
For day 1 you will do the push routine, which consists of exercises that recruit the muscle groups that pull. These muscle groups are mainly located in the front of your arms and in your back. Hence, common exercises in the pull routine, include curls, bicep concentrated pull, lateral pull down, and chin ups.
For day 2 you will do the push routine, which consists of exercises that recruit muscle groups that push. These muscle groups are mainly located in the read of your arms and on your chest. Hence, common exercises in the push routine, include tricep extension, bench press, and the dip.
On day 3 you should perform a complete leg workout targeting all muscles there.
On day 4 you can repeat the routine with a different set of exercises that target push or pull. However, I prefer to target shoulders and abs.
On day 5 you may take a break, however, it is not necessary, since your muscles should be well rested to begin all over again. Remember, this is an extreme workout regime, with the aim of over-achieving and truly taking your physique to the next level!!
If you can do it, we highly recommend the 60-Minute Workout, because it allows you to spend more time ensuring your muscles get to the desired level of fatigue. However, we have found that the 30-Minute Workout is an effective alternative for those who can't afford more time for exercising.
Here is a sample of the push/pull routine, broken down by time:
| Day 1 -
Pull |
Day 2 - Push |
| Minute /
Exercise |
Minute / Exercise |
| 01-15 /
Run with the weekly Metal Tracks |
01-15 / Run with the weekly
Metal Tracks |
| 15-20 /
Bicep Curls |
15-20 / Tricep Kickback |
| 20-25 /
Cable Curls or Smith Curls |
20-25 / Assisted Dip |
| 25-30 /
Dead Lift |
25-30 / Machine Triceps
Extension |
| 30-35 /
Assisted Chin Up |
30-35 / Military Press |
| 35-40 /
Lateral Pull Down |
35-40 / Machine Bench
Press |
| 40-45 /
Row |
40-45 / Dumbbell Incline
Press |
| 45-50 /
Heavy Bag |
45-50 / Machine Fly |
| 50-60 /
Abs |
50-60 / Abs |
|
|
|
|
| Day 3 -
Legs |
Day 4 - Shoulders |
| Minute /
Exercise |
Minute / Exercise |
| 01-15 /
Run (Cardio Metal Playlist) |
01-15 / Run (Cardio Metal
Playlist) |
| 15-20 /
Calf Raise |
15-20 / Shrug |
| 20-25 /
Dumbbell Lunge |
20-25 / Dumbbell Front
Raise |
| 25-30 /
Squat |
25-30 / Dumbbell Lateral
Raise |
| 30-35 /
Machine Leg Extension |
30-35 / Machine Shoulder
Press |
| 35-40 /
Machine Leg Curl |
35-40 / Cable Side Lateral
Raise |
| 40-45 /
Swiss-ball Wall Squat |
40-45 / Hanging Leg Raise
Abs |
| 45-50 /
Hanging Bicycle Kick Abs |
45-50 / Hanging Bicycle Kick
Abs |
| 50-60 /
Heavy Bag |
50-60 / Heavy Bag |
NOTE: After each workout it is very important that you stretch, either at the gym or at home.
EXPLANATIONS:
The Metal Workout is designed to engage you in a fully intense workout - which not only builds muscle and definition, but also carries a large portion of cardio throughout the routine. For that reason, the most important part of the workout is the beginning, running! The running portion receives the most attention, because depending on how successful you are there, your workout will develop accordingly, and hopefully, with the same intensity.
The weight portion of the workout requires the traditional 3 set, 8-10 repetition for each exercise. To achieve great muscle build it is utterly important to ensure that each set is intense and challenging. Hence, the proper weight must be chosen. If you are a pro at math and have enough time to figure it out - go ahead and pick 80% of your max rep. In my case, I chose the simple trial and error method, as follows. During the first set of each exercise, pick a weight which you think you can do just 8 repetitions, nothing more and nothing less. If you are near muscle failure* by repetition 8, then you are on the money, this is your ideal weight for that exercise. Continue with that weight until you can do 10 repetitions with that weight. At that point, you must increase the weight again so you can only do just 8 repetitions.
Depending on multiple factors, the time of weight increase will vary greatly, and at sometimes, there may be a time when you can't find the proper weight to challenge yourself. Don't worry! That is why there are other exercises, and you can swap them out to find the exercises that truly challenge you. *muscle failure is when you try to lift a weight and you find that you can't go past half the proper range of motion. Once muscle failure is reached, only by cheating will you get the weight to complete the full range of motion. Since the world isn't perfect, it is quite possible that for some exercises you may be cheating during your 8th repetition. If that is the case, you may want to stop at repetition 7 until you can actually do 8 without cheating. Sometimes you may be OK cheating, however, cheating usually leads to injuries of the neck and back, which will totally disrupt your routine for a week or two.
KEY ADVICE:
There are some exercises which are a must! These are exercises that target a maximum amount of muscles in a desired area, and are traditional exercises, thus, will lead to rapid muscle growth if used the most. From my experience, these exercises are the Bicep Curl, Tricep Extension, Bench Press, Military Press, Chin Up and the Squat. The key advice when it comes to these great exercises, is that if you find the "ideal weight", then you can actually go ahead and do 2 sets of these exercises, instead of just one. However, it is important to monitor your repetitions, to ensure that you aren't cheating on sets 4, 5 and 6. And sometimes it is good enough to just go to set 4, due to muscle exhaustion. Additionally, if sets 4, 5, and 6 become a real problem, just make sure you don't skip these key exercises during the repeat of the routine on days 5, 6 and 7.
