Body Beast: Build: Back/Bi's

I rolled out of bed (cringing in soreness, but with knowing dedication that I had to get this done before my daughter woke up early this morning.

On the schedule was day 3 of Body Beast (Lean): Build: Back/Bi’s.

Length: 50 minutes
Equipment needed: Bench (or stability ball), Chin-Up Bar (or bands with door attachment), weights, curl bar with plates, chair (optional but can be used during pull-ups)

Warm-Up

Sagi starts this with:

‘Are you ready to Beast-up?’

Giggle.

This is 2:45 minutes of jogging, arm circles, walking into a plank (I love this move but it happens too quick here), some deadlifts with weights, bent over rows, reverse flyes, and some more jogging. Basically, you do some of what you are about to do in the workout quickly. At least this time it was over 2 minutes!! ;)

Walking into a plank:

Deadlift:

With your back straight, you bend your legs, and lower and raise your upper body (while keeping the weights at your sides). I am not sure why he calls it a Deadlift because he is basically doing a squat.

Round 1: 15 reps
Round 2: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 3: increase weight: 8 reps
Drop set (quickly): decrease weight: 8 reps

Whacky Beast quotes:

'This is old school new school with The Beast.’

'Let’s get Beasty, let’s get huge, we’re workin’ the BACK!’

'Is your shirt gettin’ tighter?’

Say what?

Dumbbell Pull-Over/Pull-Up

The dumbbell pull-over requires you to be laying perpendicular on the bench/ball (with only your shoulders on the bench/ball). You raise and lower the dumbbell behind your head and then over your chest.

At one point I had 40lbs on the dumbbell - what would I say here - BEAST MODE! It is a fine art not to hit yourself in the face with the dumbbell.

For pull-ups, some people use bands with a door attachment instead of the bar. Some people use an assisting band that their leg sits in (you will see further down). Other people (like myself) use a chair to assist with pull-ups on the bar. I am a Jedi-push-up master, but when it comes to pull-ups… I am not. However, I am getting better!

Here is an example of a correct pull-up (without a chair). However, I used one foot on a chair for all of them. If I had taken this picture correctly, my feet would be crossed. :)

Round 1: dumbbell pull-over: 15 reps
Round 1: pull-ups: 10 reps
Round 2: dumbbell pull-over: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 2: pulls-ups: 10 reps
Round 3: dumbbell pull-over: increase weight: 8 reps
Drop set: dumbbell pull over: decrease weight: 8 reps
Round 3: pull-ups: 10 reps

Sagi/Beast Quotes:

'This is a Beasty back. This is mean. This is machine. That’s what what I’m talkin’ about!’

'That’s right - Beast-style’.

Every time he refers to himself as 'Beast’ I keep picturing this guy, from Beauty and the Beast:

Bar Row/One-Arm Row/Reverse Fly:

The bar row is great for your back. In a neutral stance, you will bend your knees and pull the bar towards your chest. The more weight - the more you work the muscles. In this photo - I had 15lbs on each side.

The one-arm row requires you to use the bench/ball for stability and your legs are in a lunge stance. You pull the weight to your side - one arm at a time.

While sitting on the edge of your bench/ball, the weights start behind your knees, with a straight back, and bent at the hips. You then lift your arms out to the side creating the reverse fly. BAM. Upper body success.

The hardest thing here was maneuvering the large adjustable dumbbells underneath my legs.

Round 1: bar row: 15 reps
Round 1: one-arm row: 15 reps
Round 1: reverse fly: 15 reps
Round 2: bar row: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 2: one-arm row: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 2: reverse fly: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 3: bar row: increase weight: 8 reps
Round 3: one-arm row: increase weight: 8 reps
Round 3: reverse fly: increase weight: 8 reps

Quotes worth laughing at:

'He thinks he’s buff, but you know what - I’ve got the stuff. Beast gonna’ show him who’s da boss.’

'I’m goin’ all the way. You know what? This is the moment. This is the time you’ve been waiting for.’

'Are you guys good? Aight, they good. A little bit slow, but they’re good.’

Close-Grip Chin-Up

These are pretty self-explanatory. I use the chair with one leg for support and cry throughout them. Just kidding. It’s more like grunt and huff and puff.

See the band assistant he is using on hit foot? I suppose that works instead of a chair if you need the fancy stuff. :)

Round 1: 30 seconds: maximum reps
Round 2: 30 seconds: maximum reps
Round 3: 8 seconds: maximum reps

Seated Bicep Curl:

While sitting on the edge of your bench/ball, you curl your dumbbells into your shoulder and turn as you lift. When at the top, squeeze the biceps. Why? This works the biceps an extra mile. LOVE WORKING THE BICEPS! Things got heavy towards the end.

Round 1: 15 reps
Round 2: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 3: increase weight: 8 reps
Drop set: decrease weight: 8 reps

Quoooooootes:

'I need 20’s. You seen my 20’s? I’m gonna use 15’s.’

'Focus. This is the gun show.’

I may or may not be looking at my bicep in that photo.

1,1, 2 Hammer Curl:

While seated on the edge of the bench/ball, you curl up each weight in a 'hammer’ motion - one arm and then the other. Then, you do both at the same time. Get it? 1, 1, 2! These seem to take fooooorever and I was struggling/grunting at the end.

Round 1: 15 reps
Round 2: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 3: increase weight: 8 reps

Quotes:

'Let’s BEAST UP!’

'The Beat gonna’ give you what I want from you’.

'We are doing guuuuns… and roses.’

Natural Bar Curl:

Feet shoulder-width apart, curl the bar to your shoulders, and back down. That’s easy right? Not if you have enough weight on it…notice my biceps out of control on the left?

You can use dumbbells if you do not have the bar:

Round 1: 15 reps
Round 2: increase weight: 12 reps
Round 3: increase weight: 8 reps
Drop set: decrease weight: 8 reps

Quotes:

'Nick! You gonna’ help me here buddy?' (Making him clean up his weights).

'I’m building a house here. It’s feeling like that. That’s a high-rise.’

'When your body’s shaky like that. It’s real. All the way real’.

Airplane Cobra:

You lay on your stomach, raise your chest off the floor, and swing your arms to the side slowly while keeping them straight. This looks like craziness but it works the back.

I had my legs off the ground to work my back even more.

Round 1: 30 seconds: maximum reps
Round 2: 30 seconds: maximum reps

Cool Down:

This is 1:50 minutes of stretching (again, quick, but I am realizing that I am not coming down from high interval circuits of INSANITY). With your arms overhead, you stretch to each side to stretch the lats. Then you lean your elbow on the bench/ball to stretch out the arms. Lastly, you will clasp your hands together and push your hands out in front of your chest.

…and my FAVORITE quotes:

'I smell getting huge’.

'Let’s get some FOOD!!!’

I burnt around 336 calories during this 50-60 minute workout. That is not a whole lot but this workout is strength, not cardio.

Final thoughts:

I am sore all over. Here was my tweet this afternoon:

I still seem to have the same appetite (I am hungry) even though I am not burning as many calories as when I was doing INSANITY. Therefore, I raised my calorie total in MyFitnessPal and will continue to eat protein OFTENtimes. :)
I made it a plan before I started to ’up my weight’ for this workout. As I go through these I am starting to realize that I am going to have to push my muscles to the limit to get maximum results.
I am still mastering the technique of quickly changing the weight of my adjustable dumbbells to keep up with the rounds/drop-sets. After talking to my friend who has the same ones - he is too.
My butt is so sore. Especially the sides. It hurts to walk/stand up/carry my daughter/do things. That means it is working, right? :) I just hope my muscles rebuild and the soreness goes away before my race this Saturday. CRINGE! I feel like this guy but I am not sure I could get my legs to hold me up that well.