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Rock HaRd cHallenge

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Get in the best shape of your life with our new muscle-building, fat-burning training, diet and supplement program. Ready to get rock hard?
INSIDE
Complete Workout Program p. 74 Pullout Training Card p. 80 Contest Entry Form p. 86 The Rock-Hard Diet p. 88 Rules & Regulations p. 270

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TRAINING

Rock HaRd
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1
Month

Kick off your journey to a new you with the first phase of our progressive program
By JoE WuEBBEN | PHoToS By PavEl yTHJall Program By JImmy PEa, mS, CSCS

Photogra Pher s Name

We created the rock-Hard Challenge in 2001 with a very simple premise in mind: Help readers

dramatically transform their physiques in a very short period three months, to be exact. We not only provided a highly effective training program and diet regimen but added incentive in the form of a contest to help maximize our readers motivation. Seven years later, the Rock-Hard Challenge is still going strong and the premise remains unchanged: Follow our three-month training and diet plans to a T to get in the best shape of your life. And if turning your physique around 180 degrees in just three months time isnt motivation enough, consider this a $2,500 grand prize for both the mens and womens Rock-Hard champions. Not bad, huh?
>> Lie back on an incline bench (set to 3045 degrees) with a rack and grasp the bar with an overhand grip outside shoulder width. Unrack the bar and position it directly over your upper chest, arms extended. Slowly lower the bar to your upper chest. Touch the bar to your chest lightly, then press it back up to the start position without locking out your elbows.

What we also offer this time that we didnt in the early years of the Challenge is a true multimedia experience: The Rock-Hard Challenge is now on DVD. Your hosts, m&f Fitness Director Jimmy Pea, MS, CSCS, and personal trainer and fitness model Linda Ruggiero, walk you through the entire three months with the help of three of the industrys most successful competitors and models Stan McQuay, Jim Romagna and Timea Majorova who demonstrate each exercise in the program. Also available is the RockHard Challenge Training Log, which includes the entire training program and diet plan, as well as a specifically formatted Rock-Hard Journal to record every set you do and every meal you consume. The Rock-Hard Challenge DVD ($9.99) and Training Log ($9.99) can be purchased at musclestuff.com. That said, welcome to Month 1 of the 2008 Rock-Hard Challenge. What follows is the guide for your first four weeks of lifting and cardio (the RockHard Diet begins on page 88). The beauty of the training regimen is that its both simple and demanding, which is all you really need if you have the dedication to follow the program religiously. Youll also notice, especially in Months 2 and 3, that its a progressive program youll push yourself more in terms of volume, intensity and cardio duration as the days, weeks and

A
>> Stand erect holding a barbell across your upper traps. Position your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and push your chest out slightly so your back arches naturally. Squat down with the weight as if sitting in a chair, keeping the arch in your back. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, push yourself up through your heels, extending your knees and hips, to return to the standing position.

A
>> Sit on a low-back seat or adjustable bench set upright holding a pair of dumbbells. Lift the weights to just outside your shoulders, palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells straight up until the weights are overhead with your elbows just short of lockout. Slowly lower the weights to the start position.

Squat
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>> Stand erect holding a barbell with your arms extended straight down in front of you and your knees slightly bent. Keeping your elbows in at your sides, curl the weight toward your chest. Squeeze your biceps for a count at the top, then slowly return the bar to the start position dont let it drop.

months pass. Without a doubt, this years installment of the Rock-Hard Challenge matches, if not exceeds, the level of past challenges, which falls right in line with your goal: to take your physique to heights never before reached. Thats quite a challenge. Are you up to it?
roCk-HarD SPECIfICS

Before you jump into the first month of lifting, heres a quick overview of the program: >> training Split Youll lift four days a week, training each bodypart once (with the exception of calves and abs, which youll train twice a week) and pairing muscle groups as follows: Day 1, chest and triceps; Day 2, legs, calves and abs; Day 3, shoulders, calves and abs; and Day 4, back and biceps. Which days of the week you want to train is entirely up to you. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday always work well, but if youd prefer to work out, say, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, or even Sunday through Wednesday, go right ahead. This training split will remain the same for all three months of the program. >> exercise Selection The exercises included in the Rock-Hard Challenge are basic, tried-and-true moves performed with straight sets. The intent isnt to try to reinvent the wheel but rather to emphasize compound exercises that train the most muscle to promote maximum hypertrophy and calorie-burning to lose bodyfat. Well introduce different exercises in Months 2 and 3, but again, the movements are basic, core lifts that youve likely done before. >> Sets, Reps and Weights RockHard is a high-volume program, meaning youll do a high number of sets for each bodypart (up to 30-plus total sets in a given workout). It also combines both heavy (low-rep) and light (high-rep) sets throughout the three months, which will help build muscle and burn fat during workouts as well as at rest. For example, many exercises call for 56 sets, and your reps will range from 612 in Month 1, 515 in Month 2 and 420 in Month 3.

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Rock 1 HaRd CHallENgE

Month
exeRciSe CHEST Incline Bench Press Bench Press Decline Flye TRICEPS Bench Dip Close-Grip Bench Press Lying Triceps Extension

TraININg Program

>> Youll repeat the following routines each week for the next four weeks, lifting on whichever four days of the week you choose. While it would seem the workouts are the same from week to week, if youre pushing yourself to failure on every set, you should be able to use heavier weights on many exercises each week.

DAy 1: Chest, triceps

SetS 6 6 4 5 5 5

RepS 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12

DAy 2: Legs, calves, abs

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>> Position yourself as you would on the bench press, but grasp the bar (loaded with a lighter weight than you use for wide-grip benching) with your hands 612 inches apart. Lower the bar to your mid-to-lower chest, then press it back up explosively, keeping your elbows as close to your sides as possible. exeRciSe LEGS Squat Leg Press Lunge Leg Extension Leg Curl ABS Crunch Reverse Crunch CALvES Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise SetS 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 2

RepS

6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 12 15 15 12 12

CrunCh

>> Sit in a leg press machine and place the balls of your feet low on the platform approximately 612 inches apart with your heels hanging off the bottom. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, lower the platform until you feel a good stretch in your calves, then extend your ankles to press the weight up as far as you can.

DAy 3: Shoulders, calves, abs

exeRciSe DELTS overhead Dumbbell Press Upright Row Bent-over Lateral Raise ABS Crunch Reverse Crunch CALvES Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise SetS 6 5 2 2 2 2 2 RepS 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 15 15 12 12

DAy 4: Back, biceps

exeRciSe BACK Bent-over Row Seated Row Lat Pulldown BICEPS Barbell Curl SetS 6 6 4 5 5 2

RepS 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 10

>> Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent about 90 degrees, feet on the floor, and your arms either across your chest or your hands behind your head. Contract your abs to lift your shoulder blades off the floor, then lower yourself slowly. The range of motion is very short the goal is to press your lower back into the floor to bring your sternum closer to your pelvis.

Incline Dumbbell Curl Dumbbell Preacher Curl

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CarDIo
Weeks 1 & 2
>> 3 days per week (either after lifting or on days you dont lift) >> 30 minutes (45 for Week 2) on your choice of cardio equipment >> Perform at a steady state of 60% of maximum heart rate

Weeks 3 & 4
>> 4 days per week (either after lifting or on days you dont lift) >> 45 minutes on your choice of cardio equipment >> Perform at a steady state of 65% of maximum heart rate

A
>> Stand holding a barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Bend your knees slightly and bend over at your waist so your torso is close to parallel to the floor; keep your torso in this position throughout. Start with your arms extended, hanging straight down, and pull the bar into your midsection. At the top of the move, squeeze your shoulder blades together for a count to fully contract your back muscles, then slowly return the bar to the start.

The amount of weight you select for each set is critical. Since your goal is to transform your physique in just three short months, youll want to really push yourself, lifting to failure on each set. Thus, on a set of six reps, dont pick a weight with which you can do 810 reps; rather, choose a weight that makes a seventh rep physically impossible to achieve. As you get stronger, increase the weight you use to maximize the effectiveness of the program for example, one week you might fail at 10 reps with 100 pounds, but maybe the next week you fail at 110 pounds. >> Rest periods During this first month, youll rest 12 minutes between each set. This rest period is ideal for sufficient recovery that will allow you to train at a high intensity in each workout. As your body becomes more conditioned to the fierce workouts, your rest periods will shorten in Month 2, youll rest no more than one minute between sets, and in Month 3, that time shrinks to 3045 seconds. >> cardio The training portion of the Challenge wont be limited to only lifting. This first month, youll do cardio 34 days a week on your choice of cardio equipment (treadmill, stairstepper, bike, etc.) at 60%65% of your max heart rate (see above left). >> Up next As the Rock-Hard Challenge is a progressive program, well up the stakes next month, and then the month after, with more exercises, more sets and, all in all, more intense training sessions. But dont worry about that just yet. Take the program one day one workout at a time, following the regimen weve drawn up set by set, rep by rep. All it takes is focus, discipline and, most important, desire. If you possess these traits, youll no doubt be up to the challenge. M&F

NoW aT m&f oNlINE

Exercise descriptions can be found at muscleandfitness.com. To share your progress with other readers or ask our fitness director a question, go to muscleandfitness.com/boards. To purchase the Rock-Hard Challenge DvD, go to musclestuff.com

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Month

m&f RockHaRd cHallenge

SETS 6 6 4 5 5 5 REPS WEEK 1 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ WEEK 2 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

TRAINING LOG

>> Record your workouts on this log. When youre done with Month 1, mail it to M&Fs Rock-Hard Challenge, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 by July 31, 2008, to be eligible for the grand prize.

DAy 1: Chest, triceps

ExERCISE cheSt Incline Bench Press Bench Press Decline Flye tRicepS Bench Dip Close-Grip Bench Press Lying Triceps Extension

WEEK 3 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 4 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12

DAy 2: Legs, calves, abs

ExERCISE legS Squat Leg Press Lunge Leg Extension Leg Curl ABS Crunch Reverse Crunch cAlveS Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise SETS 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 REPS 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 12 15 15 12 12

WEEK 1 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 2 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 3 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 4 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

DAy 3: Delts, calves, abs

ExERCISE DeltS overhead Dumbbell Press Upright Row Bent-over Lateral Raise ABS Crunch Reverse Crunch cAlveS Leg-Press Calf Raise Seated Dumbell Calf Raise SETS 6 5 2 2 2 2 2 REPS 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 12 15 15 12 12

WEEK 1 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 2 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 3 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 4 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

DAy 4: Back, biceps

ExERCISE BAck Bent-over Row Seated Row Lat Pulldown BicepS Barbell Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Dumbbell Preacher Curl SETS 6 6 4 5 5 2

REPS

WEEK 1 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 2 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 3 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

WEEK 4 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12 6,6,10,12,12 6,6,10,12,12 10

Record your weights used in the corresponding blanks. NAME ADDRESS CITY E-MAIL STATE PHoNE

Please see the official Contest Rules on page 270.

ZIP AGE MALE/FEMALE

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