BODY-TYPE EXERCISE / INFO
You are a Mesomorph on a muscle gain programme. Fortunately your body-type builds muscle relatively easily due to having a good mix of both slow and fast twitch muscle fibre, with the majority being fast twitch.
Your exercise plan will consist mainly of resistance training with minimal cardio workouts, as we want to keep you in an anabolic (building) state, rather than breaking down muscle. The type of movement performed in your resistance workouts will be mainly compound exercises. These are big movements and help in creating the correct hormonal response (boosting growth hormone and testosterone). As a Mesomorph you should aim to train each body part more than once every 10 days and work at a relatively low rep range. This will produce the correct stimulus for muscle growth to occur, as well as avoid you depleting your glycogen stores and breaking down muscle.
At YBP we have researched and created the perfect ratio of resistance and cardio workouts for your body-type on a muscle gain 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 | Workout One | Day 22 | Workout Two |
| Day 9 | Cardio | Day 23 | Cardio |
| 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 Volume. Perform 2 exercises back to back for 10 reps then rest for 1 minute, this completes a set. Perform 5 sets in total, then move onto the next block of exercises. There are 4 blocks of 2 exercises. Remember to keep the weights heavy and challenging to elicit the correct hormonal and metabolic response.
EXERCISE CONCEPT – VOLUME
| Exercises in each set | 2 |
| Reps | 10 |
| Sets | 5 |
| Rest between sets | 1 min |
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
Block One
CHEST PRESS — Bench / Dumbbells
Lie on a flat bench and hold dumbbells with your arms fully extended in a vertical line. Lower the dumbbells towards your chest by bending your elbows, allowing the elbows to flare out to the sides. Press back to full extension.
PRESS-UP — Box
Begin in a press-up position, feet raised on a box, hands just wider than shoulder width and arms extended. Engage your core and keep your body straight. Bend the arms, elbows flared to the side slightly and lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Extend the arms.
Block Two
SQUAT — Barbell
Stand feet shoulder width apart and hold a barbell on your shoulders. Bend the knees into a deep squat, push the bottom backwards and maintain neutral spine. Press the heels into the floor as you extend the legs. Make sure your knees track inline with your toes.
STEP-UP — Box / Dumbbells
Stand holding the dumbbells to your side. Step up onto a high box or bench, push through your heel and straighten the leg. Do not push off with the underneath leg. Lower under control and step back into a deep lunge.
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.
SHOULDER PRESS — Dumbbells
Stand feet hip width apart and hold dumbbells with palms facing forward and arms bent. Extend the weights overhead without over arching the lower back, maintain neutral spine. Bend the arms and lower under control, keep the chest open.
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
CHINS — Machine
Kneel upright on the assisted pull-up machine. Take a wide grip and ensure your core and glutes are engaged. Retract the shoulders and pull yourself up keeping the chest lifted. Slowly lower until your arms are fully extended.
ROW — Bench / Dumbbell
Place the same hand as knee onto a bench, other foot on the floor to stabilise and hold a dumbbell in your free hand. Engage your core, draw your shoulders down and maintain neutral spine. Bend your arm and pull the dumbbell towards you into a row. Extend the arm.
Block Two
TRAPS – Cable
Stand facing a head height cable with a rope attachment. Pull the cable towards your nose and keep the elbows raised.
BICEP CURL — Barbell
Stand feet hip width apart. Hold a barbell shoulder width apart with an underhand grip. Begin with your arms extended towards the floor then bend the elbows and bring the bar towards your shoulder. Do not use momentum of the body to raise the weight. Lower the bar.
Block Three
HAMSTRING CURL — Cable / Bench
Lie forwards on a bench, supported on your forearms and place blocks or a towel under your pelvis to raise your hips slightly. Attach your feet to a low cable behind you with the legs straight. Bend the knees and bring your feet towards your bottom. Extend the legs.
BRIDGE — Dumbbell / Box
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet placed onto a box or bench 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 Four
LATERAL FLEXION — Dumbbell
Stand feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand. Laterally flex the body, lowering the dumbbell towards the floor, then pull over to the opposite side keeping your core engaged and shoulders retracted.
CRUNCH – Swiss Ball / Dumbbell
Lie with your back extended over a swiss ball 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. The further back over the ball the harder the exercise.
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 | 30 sec | 30 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 10 minutes | ||
| 10 | 30 sec | 30 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 30 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.