Barbell Club Phase 11- Intensification
The last phase was a high volume, hard, sweaty slog. You all did an amazing job and it made me so proud to see how you have all developed this year. To maximise that development before hitting the volume again the next phase will focus on lower reps so that you can expose your body to heavier weight. This may not give you quite the same glow as last month’s lactic love but stick with it and it will benefit you in the long run.
We are going back to mixing upper and lower in both classes. An 8, 6, 4, 4, 6, 8 pyramid will be used for one upper and one lower exercise per class. The weight goes up as the reps come down. Challenge yourselves here.
The upper body focus will be shoulders to balance out the dominance of chest, back and arms in the last phase. Your arms will still get a burn from the higher time under tension accessory exercise, specifically the bicep mid range pulses that I’ve borrowed from Arnold. Don’t underestimate how much they will suck.
Do not cheat the tempo on the chin ups and dips. If you cannot maintain the tempo then reduce the weight or regress the movement. Also please work with an alternative movement as indicated on the worksheet if your shoulder position is not optimal for chin ups or overhead work. This is non negotiable.
I am not a fan of pointless ab exercises so we will be doing some gems from Andre Benoit’s hypertrophy academy. This is the course that inspired the method for the last phase that you loved so much.
If you are new to barbell class please speak to the coach for appropriate adjustments as the 8, 6, 4 pyramid will not suitable at this stage. You are still more than welcome to come. We can get you started with a programme that will set you up on the barbell club path.
To the hardcore community, keep up the dedication as we will be doing some tests in the last phase so you can see how you have progressed from the start of the year.
Most of all, enjoy class. I always look forward to seeing your faces x