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 Three |
| Day 2 | Workout Two | Day 16 | Cardio |
| Day 3 | Cardio | Day 17 | Workout One |
| Day 4 | Workout Three | Day 18 | Rest |
| Day 5 | Cardio | Day 19 | Workout Two |
| Day 6 | Workout One | Day 20 | Cardio |
| Day 7 | Rest | Day 21 | Rest |
| Day 8 | Workout Two | Day 22 | Workout Three |
| Day 9 | Cardio | Day 23 | Cardio |
| Day 10 | Workout Three | Day 24 | Workout One |
| Day 11 | Rest | Day 25 | Workout Two |
| Day 12 | Workout One | Day 26 | Cardio |
| Day 13 | Workout Two | Day 27 | Workout Three | 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
Before commencing your workout click here for technique advice on some of the big exercises.
Group One
CHEST PRESS — Bench / Barbell
Lie on an decline bench with your arms fully extended and the barbell pressed up in a vertical line. Lower the barbell to your chest by bending your elbows, allowing them to flare out to the sides. When the barbell touches your chest press it back to full extension.
PYRAMID: 15-12-10-12-15 X 5 SETS.
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.
SUPERSET ABOVE: FAILURE X 5 SETS. 1 MINUTE 30 SECONDS REST
Group Two
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.
DOUBLE DROP SET: 12 REPS (DROP WEIGHT 15%) 12 REPS X 3 SETS
REAR DELT RAISE — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet hip width apart, slight knee flexion and bend the torso forward maintaining neutral spine. Do not round the lower back. Holding dumbbells, draw your shoulder blades together and raise the arms out to the side with slight elbow flexion. Keep your head in line with your spine and lower the arms.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS X 3 SETS 1 MINUTE 15 SECONDS REST
Group Three
QUAD SQUATS — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet close together and heels raised onto a plate. Hold dumbbells to your shoulders and lower into a squat. Take the squat as deep as possible keeping your chest lifted. Allow the knees to come slightly forward of the toes.
MATRIX: FULL RANGE 12 REPS, BOTTOM PHASE 12 REPS, FULL RANGE 12 REPS X 5 SETS
LUNGE — Barbell
Stand with your feet hip width apart with the barbell on your back. Lunge backwards keeping the body in an upright position, then return to start position. Alternate legs.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS X 5 SETS 1 MINUTE 15 SECONDS REST
Group Four
TRICEP OVERHEAD EXTENSION — Bench / Barbell
Lie on a flat bench and hold a barbell with a narrow grip. Flex the elbows keeping the upper arms in a fixed position until the bar lowers behind you, continue the movement allowing the elbows to move further backwards but do not let them flare to the side. Extend the arms.
ANRAP: AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE 4 MINUTES 15 REPS X 1 SET
PLANK – Swiss Ball
Begin in a plank position with your elbows on a swiss ball. Engage your core, maintain neutral spine and extend through the arms rolling the ball forwards and backwards.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS 4 MINUTES X 1 SET
RESISTANCE WORKOUT TWO
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one.
Group One
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.
STRAIGHT SET: 15 REPS X 5 SETS
LAT PULL-DOWN — Machine
Sit on the lat pull down machine with a wide overhand 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 maintaining an open position across the chest.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS X 5 SETS 1 MINUTE 15 SECONDS REST
Group Two
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 1 foot to a low cable behind you with the leg straight. Bend the knee and bring your foot towards your bottom. Extend the leg.
PYRAMID: 15-12-10-12-15 X 5 SETS.
HIP THRUST – Bench / Barbell
Support your head and shoulders on a box or bench and hold a barbell on your hips, with the hips lifted. Allow your bottom to lower towards the floor, your head and shoulders will lift slightly as there should be no arching of the upper back. Contract the glutes and raise the hips.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS X 5 SETS 1 MINITE 15 SECONDS REST
Group Three
TRAPS – Cable
Stand facing a head height cable with a rope attachment. Pull the cable towards your nose and keep the elbows raised.
STRAIGHT SET: 15 REPS X 4 SETS
EXTERNAL ROTATION — Band
Attach a band to a stable surface at waist height. Stand side on to the band and hold it with the hand furthest away. Create a 90 degree angle with the elbow then externally rotate the arm keeping the elbow into your side and the body still. Engage your core throughout.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS X 4 SETS
Group Four
HANGING LEG RAISES
Hang from a bar above you with an overhand grip and the shoulders retracted. Bend the legs and raise the knees towards the chest. Keep the knees bent and rotate the legs side to side.
ANRAP: AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE 4 MINUTES 15 REPS X 1 SET
BICEP CURL — Dumbbells
Stand with the dumbbells to your side, palms facing forward. Maintain neutral spine throughout the exercise and do not lock your knees. Alternately flex the elbow and raise the dumbbell towards the shoulder.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS 4 MINUTES X 1 SET
RESISTANCE WORKOUT THREE
Perform this workout with the same exercise concept as workout one and two.
Group One
SQUAT — Barbell
Stand feet shoulder width apart and hold a barbell to your shoulders in front of you. Raise your elbows slightly so the bar can rest on your collar bone. Bend the knees into a squat, push the bottom backwards and maintain neutral spine. Press the heels into the floor and extend the legs.
STRAIGHT SET: 15 REPS X 5 SETS
STIFF LEG DEAD LIFT — Barbell
Stand holding a barbell with feet hip width apart. Place your weight into your heels, hinge forward from the hip with slight knee flexion and lower the bar towards the floor. Only go to the point where you can maintain neutral spine, do not round the lower back. Engage the glutes and straighten the legs as you stand upright.
SUPERSET ABOVE : 15 REPS X 5 SETS. 1 MINITE 15 SECONDS REST
Group Two
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.
ANRAP: AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE 6 MINUTES 15 REPS X 1 SET
ROW — Cable
Perform a side plank and hold a cable at shoulder height in the free hand. Position the cable in line with the upper body and pull into a single arm row. Extend the arm and maintain the plank position throughout.
SUPERSET ABOVE: 15 REPS 6 MINUTES X 1 SET
Group Three
SHRUGS – Dumbbells
Stand upright, feet shoulder width apart and hold dumbbells to your side. With your arms fully extended raise the shoulders as far as possible, squeeze and hold for a second then lower under control.
LADDER SET: 20-18-15-12-10 REPS X 5 SETS
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.
SUPERSET ABOVE LADDER SET: 20-18-15-12-10 REPS X 5 SETS
NO REST.
Group Four
LATERAL DELT RAISE — Dumbbells
Stand with your feet hip width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise them laterally to shoulder height with slight elbow flexion. Lower under control.
STRAIGHT SET: 15 REPS X 4 SETS
PLANK — Swiss Ball
Begin in a hand plank position with your toes onto a swiss ball, draw your navel to spine and create a straight line through the body. Make sure your hands are underneath your shoulders and alternately take 1 foot laterally off the ball maintaining balance.
STRAIGHT SET: 15 REPS X 4 SETS. 1 MINUTE REST
CARDIO WORKOUT
The cardio workout is split into 3 sections: Pre-Intervals, the lactic acid removal phase and Post-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.
Pre-Intervals – 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. When using a treadmill you may actually jump off the machine during the rest phase as it takes too long to slow down, therefore your rest phase may be a complete rest.
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.
Post-Intervals – perform the intervals again with the same format as the first section. Enjoy!
CARDIO CONCEPT
| Number of Intervals | Sprints | Rest |
| 4 | 1 Min | 30 sec |
| Lactic Acid Removal Phase - 30 minutes | ||
| 4 | 1 Min | 30 sec |
| Total Workout Time - 42 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.