BODY-TYPE EXERCISE / INFO
You are a Mesomorph on a sculpt programme. Fortunately your body-type does not tend to store fat and it finds maintaining muscle relatively easy due to having a good mix of both slow and fast twitch muscle fibre, with the majority being fast twitch. This makes the job of sculpting fairly easy and having the ability to maintain a relatively low fat percentage will help to show muscle definition. You may have heard that performing high rep ranges and lifting light weights is the correct way to achieve definition. At YBP we believe this is the wrong approach, we focus on lifting the correct weight for your specific rep range to define and maintain muscle.
Your exercise plan will be an even mix of resistance and cardio workouts. The type of movement performed in your resistance workouts will be a combination of compound and isolation exercises. The compound exercises are big movements and help in creating the correct hormonal response (boosting growth hormone and testosterone). The isolation exercises will create muscle definition. Your cardio will be in the form of high intensity interval training to help increase mitochondria (where fuel is burnt producing energy). The more mitochondria you have, the more fat you burn. High intensity training will also have the effect of increasing your metabolism, which results in burning more calories over the next 24-36 hours. This is why it is important to keep up the frequency of your training sessions, so try not to have more than one consecutive day off.
At YBP we have researched and created the perfect ratio of resistance and cardio workouts for your body-type on a sculpting goal. We have specified how often to perform these workouts to get the best results. Every month the training concept will change (the concept is the way in which you perform your workouts). Within your concept we have tailored and specified the exact sets, rep ranges, duration, tempo, rest and intensity.
MONTHLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE
Below is our recommended order and number of workouts. Try to stick as close to this as possible. Always keep the order of the workouts the same even if you have to take days off. Ideally do not have more than one day off in a row.
| Day 1 | Workout One | Day 15 | Workout Two |
| Day 2 | Cardio | Day 16 | Cardio |
| Day 3 | Workout Two | Day 17 | Workout One |
| Day 4 | Rest | Day 18 | Rest |
| Day 5 | Workout One | Day 19 | Workout Two |
| Day 6 | Workout Two | Day 20 | Workout One |
| Day 7 | Rest | Day 21 | Rest |
| Day 8 | Cardio | Day 22 | Cardio |
| Day 9 | Workout One | Day 23 | Workout Two |
| Day 10 | Workout Two | Day 24 | Workout One |
| Day 11 | Rest | Day 25 | Rest |
| Day 12 | Cardio | Day 26 | Cardio |
| Day 13 | Workout One | Day 27 | Workout Two | Day 14 | Rest | Day 28 | Rest |
DYNAMIC WARM-UP
The warm-up is to mobilise and prime your body, it should be specific to the exercise you are about to perform. We recommend 5 mins of gentle cardio to increase body temperature and blood flow to the muscles. Follow this with movements that mimic your exercises but at a slower pace with reduced intensity.
Try our basic warm-up or advanced version with a medicine ball.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT ONE
This concept is called Reverse pyramid. Perform the first set of 2 exercises for 8 reps (this constitutes a set) then take 1.30 min rest. Perform the second set for 10 reps, third for 12 reps, fourth for 10 reps and fifth for 8 reps. Remember to rest in between each set. Then move on to the next group of two exercises and follow the same rep pattern. The weight changes according to your rep range, therefore you should be lifting the heaviest weight first, then get lighter and end with the heaviest weight. There are 4 groups of 2 exercises. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – REVERSE PYRAMID
| Exercises in each set | 2 |
| Sets | 5 |
| Reps | 8 / 10 / 12 / 10 / 8 |
| Rest between sets | 1 min 30 sec |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
Block One
CHEST PRESS – Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Support your head and shoulders on a swiss ball and raise your hips. Hold dumbbells above you with your arms fully extended. Alternately bend your arms bringing the hands towards the shoulders with your elbows flared to the side.
CHEST FLY — Bosu / Dumbbells
Support your head and shoulders on a bosu, raise your hips and squeeze your glutes. Hold the dumbbells above you with slight elbow flexion. Inhale as you open the arms out to the side until they are in line with the shoulders. Exhale as you raise the dumbbells. Use your core to stabilise the body.
Block Two
SQUAT — Barbell
Stand with your feet wide, toes turned out slightly and hold a barbell on your shoulders. Bend the knees pressing them outwards into a sumo squat. Push your heels into the floor and extend your legs. Maintain neutral spine throughout.
STEP-UP — Box / Dumbbells
Stand holding the dumbbells to your side with 1 foot placed on top of a high box or bench. Step up, alternate legs and step down. Continue the move and do not push off with the underneath leg.
Block Three
SHOULDER PRESS — Barbell
Stand in a staggered stance. Using the opposite arm to front leg, hold one end of a barbell onto your shoulder and place the other end on the floor, wedged against a stable structure. Extend the arm and press the bar away from you.
LATERAL DELT RAISE — Swiss Ball / Dumbbells
Sit upright on a swiss ball. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise them laterally to shoulder height with slight elbow flexion. Lower under control. Maintain neutral spine through out the exercise.
Block Four
TRICEP PULL-DOWN — Cable
Stand facing a high cable and take hold of a rope attachment with both hands. Draw your elbows to your side with your forearms parallel to the floor. Extend the arms towards the floor keeping the shoulder retracted. Maintaining the elbow position throughout.
CALF RAISE — Box / Dumbbell
Stand with the toe of 1 foot placed onto a box or step. Hold a dumbbell in the same hand as supporting leg and hold onto a stable surface. Keep the foot in parallel and lower the heel to the floor then raise up onto the ball of your foot.
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
Block One
LAT PULL-DOWN — Machine
Sit on the lat pull down machine with a close underhand grip. Retract the shoulders, lean the torso backwards an inch and pull the bar towards your breastbone. Keep the chest lifted and core engaged. Raise the bar with control.
ROW — Dumbbells
Stand feet hip width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips with slight knee flexion and bring the torso forwards maintaining neutral spine. Pull with the arms into a row position, elbow flared to the side. Extend the arms.
Block Two
GOOD MORNINGS — Barbell
Stand feet hip width apart and hold a barbell on your shoulders. With your weight placed into your heels hinge forwards from the hips, simultaneously flex the knees slightly. Lower the torso as far as possible whilst maintaining neutral spine, do not let the lower back round. Engage the glues and stand upright.
BRIDGE — Dumbbell
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip width apart and a dumbbell held on your hips. Push through your heels and lift your hips as high as possible (do not roll through the spine). Ensure to contract the glutes. Lower under control.
Block Three
BICEP CURL — Preacher Bench / Dumbbell
Sit on a preacher bench and hold a dumbbell in 1 hand with the arm extended. Flex the elbow bringing the dumbbell towards you, lower with control.
LEG RAISES – Bench / Dumbbell
Lie on a flat bench with your legs raised and a dumbbell held between the feet. Hold onto the bench beside your head and engage your core as you lower the legs with the knees bent. Take the legs slightly below the level of the bench. Raise the legs.
Block Four
TRAPS – Cable
Stand facing a head height cable with a rope attachment. Pull the cable towards your nose and keep the elbows raised.
CRUNCH — Wall / Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Lie with your back extended over a swiss ball. Place your feet onto a wall with the knees bend and hold a dumbbell to your chest. Curl up into a crunch, keeping a slight gap under the chin and simultaneously tilt the pelvis under. Lower under control.
CARDIO WORKOUT
The cardio workout is split into 3 sections: Intervals, lactic acid removal phase, followed by a repeat of the intervals. You can use any piece of cardio equipment such as the cross trainer, treadmill, rower, bike or skipping rope. You can also combine equipment rather than performing the entire workout on one machine.
Intervals (pre LAR phase) – perform the required number of intervals. The sprint phase should be performed at 100%, the highest intensity possible and the rest phase should be performed at a low intensity to recover. For example on a cross-trainer increase the speed for the sprint phase then bring it back down on the rest phase, allowing you to recover.
Lactic acid removal phase – work at a consistent pace, but to the maximum intensity possible (you should not be able to hold a conversation) yet able to sustain it for the required length of time. The time is stated in minutes below the first table.
Intervals (post LAR phase) – perform the intervals again with the same format as the first section.
Enjoy!
CARDIO CONCEPT
| Number of Intervals | Sprints | Rest |
| 10 | 20 sec | 30 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 22 minutes | ||
| 10 | 20 sec | 30 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 35 minutes | ||
CARDIO EQUIPMENT
This video shows examples of cardio equipment to use when perform your interval training.
STRETCHES
Hold each position for 1 minute and increase the length of time on particularly tight muscles.
GLUTES & BACK
Lie on your back with your arms stretched out wide, take one knee across your body and apply gentle pressure drawing the knee towards the floor.
GLUTES
Lie on your back and place your foot onto the opposite knee. Press the top knee outwards as you clasp the underneath leg and draw it towards you.
BACK
Sit back onto your heels and simultaneously reach your hands forward with your forehead resting on the floor.
ABDOMINALS
Lie prone (on your front) and place your hands beneath your shoulders. Press into the floor, straighten your arms and raise your body.
HIP FLEXOR
In a half kneeling position tuck your pelvis under, squeeze your glutes and press your hips forward.
QUADS
Draw your foot towards your bottom. Squeeze your glutes, tuck your pelvis under and keep your knees together.
HAMSTRINGS & CALF
Raise your foot onto a surface and lean your body forward. Flex the foot bringing the toe towards you.
CALF
Lean into a wall, extend the back knee and press the heel into the floor. Ensure both feet are in a parallel position.
LATERAL
Place one foot behind the other and reach the same arm (as back leg) overhead. To increase the stretch lean laterally.
UPPER BACK
Place your hands together and reach forward. Drop your head between your arms and curve your upper back.
CHEST
Place your forearm onto a wall, creating right angles at the shoulder and elbow joints. Apply pressure into the wall and turn your torso away.
TRICEP
Take one arm overhead and bend at the elbow. Apply pressure with the opposite hand and keep the head raised.
ALTERNATIVE EXERCISES
Use this section to replace specific exercises in your programme which do not work for you. This may be due to not having the correct equipment, the exercise being too challenging / not challenging enough, or possibly due to an injury. Click on the links below to find alternative exercises for the same body part or movement.