M

9
®

2006 POSTER SERIES

Our 2006 Men’s Health poster series delivers PERCENTAGE

the results you want in the time you have. OF MEN WHO
INCORPORATE
This month, one of the top trainers in college EXPLOSIVE
TRAINING
sports shows you how to build a bigger, INTO THEIR
WORKOUTS
stronger, faster body

THE PAYOFF

95
AN ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE A combination of strength, stability, and flex-
ibility is essential in order to excel in any sport, but most athletes fall short in at

DOMINANT
least one area. This plan improves all three, so you’ll eliminate weaknesses in
your game and your body.
PERCENTAGE
UNDENIABLE POWER The exercises in this workout, such as the wood- OF NBA

SPORTS
chopper, jump squat, and barbell torque, mimic skills like swinging a racket and PLAYERS WHO
leaping for a rebound. The result: You’ll develop power and strength that will USE EXPLOSIVE
transfer to your game. TRAINING
VERSATILITY Because this plan mixes power training with core training,

PERFORMANCE
B Y M YAT T M U R P H Y
your body will be prepared for the demands of any athletic endeavor. Just as
important, your workouts will stay exciting.

26
P H O T O G R A P H B Y H O WA R D S C H AT Z BENCHMARK OF SUCCESS

HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?

Professional and college coaches consider the vertical jump to be the single best way to gauge PERCENTAGE
how well an athlete will perform on the field. It measures two factors that are critical to perfor- OF MEN WHO
mance: the explosive power of your lower body, and your ability to generate force quickly. You’ll LIFT WEIGHTS
need a wall you can mark on with a piece of chalk. BUT DO NO
Stand with the wall at your side and the chalk in the hand that’s next to the wall. Place your feet LOWER-BODY
shoulder-width apart or at whatever width feels comfortable. Dip down by bending your knees and EXERCISE
hips, jump straight up as high as you can with your arm extended upward, and mark the wall at the
top of your reach. Make three marks, resting a few seconds between jumps.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS START

Record your highest vertical jump in the chart at [HEIGHT IN INCHES]
right. Then follow the plan on the flip side of this

15
poster and retest yourself after 2 weeks and WEEK 2
[HEIGHT IN INCHES]
after 4 weeks. Go to MensHealth.com/poster to
compare your improvement with that of other FINISH
[HEIGHT IN INCHES]
Men’s Health readers.
PERCENTAGE
OF MEN WHO
SAY THE
HAMSTRINGS
YOUR GOAL: ELEVATE YOUR GAME ARE THEIR
YOUR TIME: 30 MINUTES LEAST
FAVORITE
BODY PART TO
Just like a protein shake, an effective sports workout depends on the right blend EXERCISE
of ingredients. That’s why this workout emphasizes four different types of
exercises: explosive, knee-dominant, hip-dominant, and functional. Explosive
movements improve your ability to generate power; knee-dominant exercises
train your front thigh muscles; hip-dominant exercises strengthen your ham-
strings, gluteal muscles, and lower back; and functional moves allow you to
twist, turn, and balance. Together, they give you an edge: “The athlete who can
react explosively and move efficiently in all directions finishes first every time,”
says Robert dos Remedios, M.A., C.S.C.S., director of speed, strength, and con-
ditioning at College of the Canyons, in Santa Clarita, California.
Follow dos Remedios’s workout plan on the back of this poster, alternating
29
PERCENTAGE
OF MEN
between Workout A and Workout B. Do three workouts a week and rest at least WHO’VE
a day between sessions—so you might do Workout A on Monday, Workout B SUFFERED
A HAMSTRING
on Wednesday, and Workout A on Friday, then B, A, and B the following week.
PULL
Perform each exercise for the specified number of sets and repetitions, and rest
for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

MAY06_Poster_FIN_5.7.indd 1 7/20/06 7:31:31 AM

WORKOUT
A B
1 1
Clean Pull
(explosive exercise)
Load a barbell and roll it to your shins. Grab the bar with an overhand grip
(palms facing you) and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping
your back flat and arms straight, squeeze your glutes as you straighten
your legs, rise onto your toes, and shrug your shoulders. Pause, then lower
the bar to the floor.
The plan: Perform four sets of five repetitions in weeks 1 and 3. In weeks 2
and 4, do four sets, decreasing your repetitions and increasing the weight
each set so that you do five reps in your first set, four in your second, three
in your third, and two in your fourth.
3 3
Good Morning
(hip-dominant exercise)
Stand with a light barbell across the back of your shoulders.
Keep a slight bend in your knees and maintain a slight arch in
your back throughout the move. Push your butt back and bend
forward at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor.
Contract your glutes, push your hips forward, and raise your
torso to return to the starting position.
The plan: Perform three sets of 10 repetitions in weeks
1 and 3. In weeks 2 and 4, do four sets of five reps.
MAY06_Poster_FIN_5.7.indd Sec1:1
WORKOUT
2 Curtsy Lunge
(knee-dominant exercise)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell across the back
of your shoulders. Keeping your hips facing forward, step back with
your right foot and place it to the left of your left leg as you bend your
knees, lowering your body. Push up to the starting position and repeat
with your left leg back. That’s one repetition.
The plan: Do three sets of 10 repetitions in weeks 1 and 3. In weeks 2
and 4, do four sets of five reps.
4 Woodchopper
(functional exercise)
Attach a rope handle to a high-pulley cable. Stand with your left side
toward the weight stack and your feet slightly more than shoulder-width
apart. Grab the rope with both hands. Keeping your arms straight, bend
your knees as you pull the handle down and across your body until your
hands reach the outside of your right lower leg. Reverse the motion and
finish your reps before switching sides and repeating the move.
The plan: Do three sets of 10 repetitions
in week 1, four sets of 10 reps in weeks
2 and 4, and five sets of five in week 3.
mc
Go to MensHealth.com/
poster/ to chat about
this workout with other
Men’s Health readers.
Dumbbell Jump Squat
(explosive exercise)
Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart and hold
a pair of light dumbbells at your sides. Lower your body until your
thighs are parallel to the floor, then bend forward slightly at the hips so
your shoulders move in front of your feet. Push off the floor explosively
to jump straight up as high as possible. Land with your knees soft and
immediately sink down into your next squat.
The plan: Do four sets of five repetitions in weeks 1 and 3, and four sets
of eight reps in weeks 2 and 4.
Single-Leg, Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift
(hip-dominant exercise)
Stand holding a dumbbell in your right hand at arm’s length in front of
your right thigh. Lift your right foot off the floor. Keeping your knees
slightly bent and your back flat, push your hips back to lower the weight
toward the floor. Pause when your torso is as close to parallel to the floor
as you can go without rounding your back, then push your hips forward
to return to a standing position. Complete your repetitions on that leg,
then switch sides and repeat.
The plan: Do four sets of five repetitions in weeks 1 and 3, and four sets of
eight reps in weeks 2 and 4.
P H OTO G RA P H S BY B E T H B I S C H O F F
GROOMING: SCOTT MACMAHAN/ARTISTSBYTIMOTHYPRIANO.COM
2
Front Squat
(knee-dominant exercise)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab a bar with an overhand,
shoulder-width grip. Bring your elbows forward so your palms face up, your
upper arms are parallel to the floor, and the bar rests across the front of your
shoulders. Keeping your elbows high, initiate the move by pushing your hips
back. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then
press yourself back up to a standing position.
The plan: In weeks 1 and 3, do four sets of five repetitions, and in weeks 2 and
4, do four sets of eight reps.
4
Barbell Torque
(functional exercise)
Load a barbell lightly on one end. Wrap the other end in a towel and place it in the
corner of a room, wedged under a bench, or between the heels of a workout partner.
Stand facing the loaded end (with the bar pointing toward you) and hold the bar in
front of your face. Keeping your arms straight, pivot your feet and torso as you bend
at the knees to move the near end of the bar down and across your body toward the
floor. Reverse the motion to lift the bar back up, then repeat to the opposite side.
That’s one repetition.
The plan: Perform four sets of 10 repetitions in weeks 1 and 3, and four sets of five
reps in weeks 2 and 4.
7/20/06 7:31:37 AM