Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 4.4 - Strength)
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T18:32:11.261Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 4.4 - Strength)

Amr Elganiny

Welcome to workout #19 of my Lean Muscle Growth Program. As you progress through week 4 of this program you should be aiming to increase the weights your lifting, as well as being introduced to more Training Principles to allow you to shock the muscles.

The focus here is to perform each exercise as a straight set, aiming to increase the resistance for the next set. (If you're unable to, keep a note of all your weights and try to increase it within your next workout). 

You'll notice that there is a superset exercise (highlighted within the description with '*'. This means perform that exercise and then immediately perform a set of the next exercise, resting only after the second exercise has been performed. 

You'll also see there is an abdominal circuit included at the end of the program. This can either be performed at the start or end of this program, or performed separately, usually first thing in the morning before eating when your gut is empty.

Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing you).  Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders pulled back, chest lifted, and the dumbbells at full-arms length resting at the side of your body. 

Your arms should remain at full length throughout this exercise. Shrug your shoulders up (imagine trying to touch your ears with your shoulders, even though you won't be able to) and pause momentarily at the top while you squeeze your Trap muscles. Then lower the dumbbells back down. (Try not to bend at the elbow as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise).

The trapezius and rhomboids are primarily worked by the dumbbell shrug. Located in the upper back, these muscles work together to stabilize and pull back your shoulders.

On set 4, perform a rest-pause for 15 seconds after failure, and achieve a few more reps

Dumbbell Shrugs

Lay face down on a leg/hamstring curl machine with your heels up against the foot pads. Your knees should be inline with the point at which the machine pivots to allow the machine to raise up and down.

This exercise can also be performed on a seated leg curl machine.

Keeping your hips and upper body firmly down on the pad (some machines offer handles to allow you to hold yourself down), Curl your heels up towards your glutes, going as high as you're able to. At the top, pause momentarily and really squeeze your hamstring muscles before returning back to the start.

Ideally, you shouldn't be letting the weights touch at the bottom as this relieves tension from the muscle. Each rep should be controlled without any momentum or jerking movements. If this is the case, lower the weight being lifted.

Keep your toes plantar-flexed (pointed) on sets 1 & 2, and Dorsif-flxed on set 3 (pulled inwards).

Lying Hamstring Curl

Stand over a barbell with your heels touching and both feet turned out at 90 degrees. Step both feet out slightly wider than shoulder width (the wider the stance, the greater the emphasis will be on the glutes and hamstrings). 

Grasp the barbell with a cross-grip (one overhand, and one underhand grip), keep your back straight, and squat down to the barbell. Make sure your knees bend, allowing the torso to stay as upright as possible. The top of the thighs should be parallel to the floor, or slightly lower. 

Perform all reps in a controlled manner, focusing on the contractions in the quads and glutes at the bottom and top of the movements. Do not bounce off the floor.

I recommend switching your grip  (place the other hand with palm up and vice versa) for each set so as to ensure a balanced, non-asymmetrical loading and patterning on the legs, core, and back.

On set 3, perform a rest-pause for 15 seconds after failure, and achieve a few more reps.

Jefferson Squat

The single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) can be a great tool to help improve stability as well as overall body control. This is a hip-dominant exercise that can strengthen your glutes and hamstrings. Because you're balancing on one leg at a time, the emphasis of this exercise is on stability.

Stand upright with a dumbbell held in your right hand. Balancing on your right leg, (knee slightly bent), hinge at the hips, brining your torso forwards, and extend your left leg back behind you for balance.
Your right arm should be traveling vertically down (as though performing a stiff leg deadlift). Use your left hand to help balance and stabilize yourself as you lower down.

Stop just before the dumbbell touches the floor. You should feel the hamstring in the right leg tensed. Focus on raising yourself back upright by brining your left leg back down as your torso lifts up.

Keep your back straight, and shoulders pulled back. Repeat all reps on one leg before switching over to the other side.

Single RDL with Dumbbell

Lay on the floor with your arms at your side (palms facing upwards so you're less likely to cheat by pushing your hands down during the movement), and knees bent with your feet flat on the floor as close to you glutes as you can.

Raise your right leg up (keeping your knee bent), so your heel is alinged with your left knee. Keeping your abs pulled in tight, push down on the ball of your left foot and drive your hips upwards, ending with a straight line from your knee, through your hips and to the shoulders. Hold this position for a split second as you squeeze the muscles in your glutes and hamstring.

Lower back down under control until you feel your glutes make contact with the floor, then drive back up again to the top of the rep.

Perform all reps on one leg before switching over to the other side. (You can also place a smash ball or weight on your hips to increase the resistance).

Single Leg Hip Bridge

This Abdominal circuit will focus on the upper and lower region of the abs, as well as the obliques (the side muscles), and is ideal for beginners just starting out. 

Perform a set of the first exercise, then immediately perform one of the second and third exercise without rest. You can rest for up to 60 seconds after completing all exercises (that's one round) before starting the next round.

Remember to actively engage your abdominals during each exercise, and  focus on your breathing pattern so that you really feel your abs working and contracting on each and every rep.

Attach a rope to a high cable pulley and kneel a few feet back from it holding on to the rope your arms bent a 90-degree angle at the side of your head.

Keeping your arms fixed in this position, exhale and contract the abdominals and you drive your elbows down towards your knees. You should only be moving them a few inches to be able to fully engage your abs.

Pause momentarily at the bottom of the rep to fully flex your abs hard, and then return back to the starting position as you take a breath in through your nose.

You'll find you can manage quite a lot of weight with this exercise, providing your form is good. Match your exhale with the crunch movement and you'll really be able to feel the abdominals flex hard at the end of the rep.

This I've found is one of the most effective exercises for developing six pack abs, especially the upper region. Perform them all smoothly and

High Cable Crunch

Find a pole or chin up bar that ideally allows you to hang from it without your feet touching the floor (although this can also be performed keeping your knees slightly bent if they do).

Using an overhand grip about 1.5x shoulder width, arms straight with shoulders pulled back, engage your abs and raise your legs up towards your chest, bending at the knee to keep them as close to your body as possible. 

As you raise the knees up past your waist, you should be able to flex the lower abs hard and start to curl the hips up and forwards (This is the whole point of this exercise - to target and engage the lower abs).

Try to pause momentarily at the top of the rep before controlling the legs back to the starting position where they are fully extended below you. 

Continue to  engage the abs and exhale on every rep.

Hanging Knee Lifts

This movement can be performed standing or kneeling.

Position yourself in a lunge position next to a pulley machine and hold the handle with your right hand, keeping the elbow fixed at a right angle out to your side. Your right knee should be bent in front of you and left knee bent behind you.

With your left hand on your right side of the abs, exhale and contract the abs as you drive your elbow down towards the hips (it only needs to travel a few inches to be able to fully engage the abs).

Pause momentarily at the bottom of the rep to fully flex your abs hard, and then return back to the starting position as you take a breath in through your nose.

After all reps have been performed on the right side, repeat on the left side.

This movement primarily targets the obliques as well as the main rectus abdominis muscle down the front.

Side Cable Crunch

Abs Circuit - Stage 3

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 4.4 - Strength)

It was very clear instructions and the video was very helpful

MilosLuffy

Donald Lozon

Back & Forearms (Ep 1.1 - Strength)

I felt like it had some repeating shoulder exercise, but overall good

Liked the Ab workout in the end 

Especially the hanging Ab- great for chest stretch

Thomas Anthony 

Richard

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 1.3 - Strength)

I enjoyed this workout I did not have access to dumbbells for my level so I swapped out the calf dumbbell lifts for the hip abduction. Did not have access to standing calf raises machine so swapped for seated calf raises machine. Over all good directions.

Sunil Deep

Adam

Quads & Calves (Ep 1.2 - Strength)

Very challenging and clear directions. The videos were helpful.

Andrés Giordano

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 1.4 - Strength)

Matt

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 1.5 - Strength)

Francisco

Bünyamin

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 1)

Victor

Amadou Sow

Back & Forearms (Ep 2.1 Strength)

I could not get a smith machine so I opted for walking lunges instead if you run into the same problem I recommend walking lunges or in place lunges using dumbbells or weighted straight bar

Quads & Calves (Ep 2.2 - Strength)

The video was incorrect for the chest press first exercise

It was great. The workout video for the smith machine shoulder press is the wrong one though. It’s a leg press video. Other than that I love it

Ryan Baker

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 2.3 - Strength)

I felt like it did not include enough trap exercises.

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 4.4 - Strength)

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